several discourses upon the attributes of god viz. concerning the perfection of god. concerning our imitation of the divine perfections. the happiness of god. the unchangeableness of god. the knowledge of god. the wisdom, glory, and soveraignty of god. the wisdom of god, in the creation of the world. the wisdom of god, in his providence. the wisdom of god, in the redemption of mankind. the justice of god, in the distribution of rewards and punishments. the truth of god. the holiness of god. to which is annexed a spital sermon, of doing good. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the sixth volume; published from the originals, by raph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) several discourses upon the attributes of god viz. concerning the perfection of god. concerning our imitation of the divine perfections. the happiness of god. the unchangeableness of god. the knowledge of god. the wisdom, glory, and soveraignty of god. the wisdom of god, in the creation of the world. the wisdom of god, in his providence. the wisdom of god, in the redemption of mankind. the justice of god, in the distribution of rewards and punishments. the truth of god. the holiness of god. to which is annexed a spital sermon, of doing good. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the sixth volume; published from the originals, by raph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace. tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - . [ ], , [ ] p. : port. printed for ri. chiswell, at the rose and crown in st. paul's churchyard, london : . includes eleven preliminary contents pages and six final advertisement pages. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng god -- attributes -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the most reverend d r. iohn tillotson late arch-bishop of canterbury . several discourses upon the attributes of god , viz. concerning the perfection of god. concerning our imitation of the divine perfections . the happiness of god. the unchangeableness of god. the knowledge of god. the wisdom , glory , and soveraignty of god. the wisdom of god , in the creation of the world. the wisdom of god , in his providence . the wisdom of god , in the redemption of mankind . the justice of god , in the distribution of rewards and punishments . the truth of god. the holiness of god. to which is annexed a spital sermon , of doing good. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . being the sixth volume ; published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . london , printed for ri. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's churchyard , . the contents of the sixth volume . serm. i. concerning the perfection of god. matth . v. . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . serm. ii. concerning our imitation of the divine perfections . matth . v. . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . p. serm. iii. the happiness of god. tim . i. . the blessed god — the whole verse runs thus , according to the glorious gospel of the blessed god , which was committed to my trust . p. serm. iv. the unchangeableness of god. james i. . with whom is no variableness , nor shadow of turning . the whole period runs thus , do not err , my beloved brethren , every good gift , and every perfect gift is from above , and cometh down from the father of lights , with whom there is no variableness , nor shadow of turning . p. serm. v , vi. the knowledge of god. sam . ii. . the lord is a god of knowledge . p. , serm. vii . the wisdom , glory , and soveraignty of god. jude . to the only wise god our saviour , be glory and majesty , dominion and power , now and ever . p. serm. viii . the wisdom of god , in the creation of the world. psal. civ . . o lord ; how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all . p. serm. ix . the wisdom of god , in his providence . preached at kensington . peter v. . casting all your care upon him , for he careth for you . p. serm. x. the wisdom of god in the redemption of mankind . cor. i. . christ , the power of god , and the wisdom of god. p. serm. xi . the justice of god in the distribution of rewards and punishments . gen. xviii . . shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? p. serm. xii . the truth of god. deut. xxxii . . — a god of truth . p. serm. xiii . the holiness of god , pet. i. . be ye holy , for i am holy . p. advertisement . the discourses of the divine goodness , being more than can be contain'd in this volume , are , together with those of the remaining attributes , reserv'd for the next : but to complete this , here follows a single sermon upon another subject . serm. xiv . of doing good. being a spital sermon preach'd at christ-church on easter-tuesday , april , th . . gala . vi. , . let us not be weary in well doing , for in due season we shall reap , if we faint not : as we have therefore opportunity , let us do good unto all men , especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith . p. sermon . i. concerning the perfection of god. matth . v. . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . these words are the conclusion which our saviour draws from those precepts which he had given his disciples of greater perfection , than any laws that were extant in the world before . v. . i say unto you , love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for those that despitefully use you , and persecute you . and to perswade them hereto , he propounds to them the pattern of the divine perfection ; telling them , that being thus affected towards their enemies , they should resemble god , v. . that ye may be the children of your heavenly father ; for he maketh the sun to rise on the evil , and on the good , and sendeth rain on the just , and on the unjust . and then he tells us , that if we be not thus affected towards our enemies , and those that have been injurious to us , we are so far from being like god , that we are but just level with the worst of men , v. , . for if ye love them which love you , what reward have you ? do not even the publicans the same ? and if ye salute your brethren only , what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so ? and then concludes , that if we would attain that perfection which the christian religion designs to advance men to , we must endeavour to be like god in these perfections of goodness , and mercy , and patience ; be ye therefore perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect . in which words we have , first , the absolute perfection of the divine nature supposed ; as your father which is in heaven is perfect . secondly , it is propounded as a pattern to our imitation . be ye therefore perfect , &c. in handling of these words , i shall do these four things . i. consider how we are to conceive of the divine perfection . ii. i shall lay down some rules whereby we may govern and rectifie our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of god. iii. how far we are to imitate the perfections of god , and particularly what those divine qualities are , which our saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation . iv. i shall endeavour to clear the true meaning of this precept , and to shew that the duty here intended by our saviour is not impossible to us ; and then conclude this discourse with some useful inferences from the whole . i. i shall consider how we are to conceive of the divine perfections . these two ways . . by ascribing all imaginable and possible perfection to god. . by separating and removing all manner of imperfection from him . . by ascribing all imaginable , and possible perfection to god ; absolute and universal perfection , not limited to a certain kind , or to certain particulars ; but whatever we can conceive , and imagin to be a perfection , is to be ascribed to him ; yea and beyond this , whatever possible perfection there is , or possible degree of any perfection , which our short understandings cannot conceive or comprehend , is to be ascribed to him . for we are not to confine the perfection of god to our imagination , as if we could find out the almighty to perfection : but on the contrary , to believe the perfection of the divine nature to be boundless and unlimited , and infinitely to exceed our highest thoughts and apprehensions . more particularly , all kinds and all degrees of perfection are to be ascribed to god , which either do not imply a plain contradiction , or do not argue some imperfection , or are not evidently inconsistent with some other and greater perfection . some things may seem to be perfections , which in truth are not ; because they are plainly impossible , and involve a contradiction ; as that what has once been , should by any power be made not to have been ; or that a thing , which by its nature is limited and confin'd to one place , should at the same time be in another . these things in reason are impossible , and therefore not to be supposed to fall under any power how unlimited soever . for if we once ascribe contradictions to god , we destroy his being ; because then to be , and not to be , power , and no power would be all one . and then there are some perfections , which do argue and suppose imperfections in them ; as motion , the quickness and swiftness thereof in creatures is a perfection , but then it supposeth a finite and limited nature : for a boundless and immense being , that is every where present at once , hath no need to move from one place to another ; and therefore though motion be a perfection in creatures , there is no reason to ascribe it to god , because it supposeth a greater imperfection . and there are also some imaginable degrees of perfection , which because they are inconsistent with other perfections , are not to be admitted in the divine nature . for instance , such degrees of goodness and mercy may be imagined , as would quite exclude and shut out justice ; and on the other hand such a strictness and a rigour of justice , as would leave no room at all for patience and mercy ; and therefore such degrees are not really to be esteemed perfections . for this is a certain truth , that nothing is a divine perfection , which evidently clasheth with any other necessary and essential perfection of the divine nature . we must so consider the perfections of god , that they may accord and consist together ; and therefore it cannot be a perfection of god to be so good and gracious , as to encourage sin , and to overthrow the reverence of his own laws and government . 't is not goodness , but easiness and weakness , to be contented to be perpetually injur'd and affronted . 't is not patience , to be willing to be everlastingly trampled upon . so likewise on the other hand , 't is not a perfection to be so severe and rigorous , as to smite a sinner in the instant that he offends , not to be able to refrain from punishment , and to give time for repentance . but whatever perfection is conceivable or possible , and argues no imperfection , nor is repugnant to any other necessary perfection , is to be ascribed to god ; for this is the most natural and easie conception that we can have of god , that he is the most perfect being . this natural light doth first suggest and offer to the minds of men , and we cannot conceive of god as meer power and will without wisdom and goodness . hence it is that the greeks call god very often , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the best of beings , and the latin optimus , maximus , the best and the greatest , beatissima & perfectissima natura , constans & perfecta ratio , the happiest and most perfect nature , immutible and absolute reason ; and many other such expressions which we meet with in the writings of the heathen philosophers . i readily grant , that the first and most obvious thought which men have of god , is that of his greatness and majesty ; but this necessarily involves or infers his goodness ; as seneca excellently reasons , primus deorum cultus est deos credere , dein reddere illis majestatem suam , reddere bonitatem , sine quâ nulla majestas , the first worship of the gods is to believe their being ; next to ascribe to them greatness and majesty , to ascribe to them goodness , without which there can be no majesty . and we shall find all along in plato , & tully , and the best and wisest writers among the heathen , that they every where attribute the highest excellencies and perfections to the divine nature , and do steer and govern all their discourses of god by this principle , that perfection is to be ascrbied to him : and whenever any thing is said of god , they examin whether it be a perfection or not ; if it be , they give it him as his due ; if it be not , they lay it aside , as a thing not fit to be spoken of him . and in the scripture we do every where find perfection ascribed to the nature , and works , and laws of god , to every thing that belongs to him , or proceeds from him : job . . dost thou know the wondrous works of him that is perfect in knowledge ? and again , canst thou by searching find out god ? can'st thou find out the almighty to perfection ? ps . . as for god his way is perfect ps . . . the law of the lord is perfect . i shall not need to consider particularly the several perfections of the divine nature , i shall only give you a brief scheme and draught of them . whatever perfection can be imagined either in the manner of being or acting is to be ascribed to god ; therefore as to his nature we say that he is a spirit , that is , that he is not meer body or matter , because that would exclude several other perfections ; for meer matter is incapable both of knowledge and liberty , being determined by necessary laws of motion ; and yet without knowledge and liberty , there can be no wisdom nor goodness . we say of god , that he is of himself , and without cause , and does not owe his being to any other ; and consequently that he is necessarily , and that he cannot but be , and cannot be otherwise than he is ; for that which is of its self did not chuse whether it would be or not , nor whether it would be thus or otherwise ; for to suppose any thing to deliberate or consult about it's own being , is to suppose it to be before it is . we must say of god likewise that he is immense , and every where present , because to be limited is an imperfection ; and that he is eternal , that is , ever was , and shall be ; for to cease to be , is a greater imperfection than sometime not to have been . and then we are to say of god , that he is the cause of all other beings , that they are made by him and depend upon him ; that he knows all things , and can do all things in the most perfect manner , by a glance of his mind , and by the meer beck and nod of his will , without long study or deliberation , without laborious pains and endeavours , and consequently that nothing is exempted from his knowledge , and power , and providence , and that he administers all things in a way of goodness and wisdom , of justice and truth ; and therefore all things are to be referred to him , as their last end . all these perfections , and all other that are possible , we are to look upon the divine nature as fully and immutably possest of , and that in an higher and more excellent degree , than our finite understandings are able to conceive or comprehend . . as we are to ascribe all imaginable , possible perfections to god , so we are to separate and remove all manner of imperfection from him . we must not obscure or blemish the divine nature with the least shadow or blot of imperfection . if we once admit of this , to ascribe any thing to god which argues imperfection , we strike at the foundation , and destroy one of the clearest and most essential notions , which men have of god. and therefore we find the scripture very careful to remove all kind of natural or moral imperfection from god. gen. . . that be far from thee to do after this manner , to slay the righteous with the wicked , and that the righteous should be as the wicked , that be far from thee ; shall not the judge of all the world do right ? deut. . . a god of truth and without iniquity . rom. . . what shall we say then , is there unrighteousness with god ? god forbid , far be it from him . hence it is that in scripture holiness is so frequently ascrib'd to god , which signifies the purity and freedom of the divine nature from that which we call sin ; and god is very solicitous to give us such a notion of himself , as may remove sin and unrighteousness at the greatest distance from him , because that is the greatest of imperfections . is it an imperfection to countenance sin ? the scripture acquits god of it . psal . . , . thou art not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with thee . is it an imperfection to go from ones word , or to change ones mind ? this likewise is remov'd from god. sam. . . the strength of israel will not lie or repent , he is not a man , that he should repent . is it an imperfection to want any thing , to be liable to any thing , to depend upon any thing without one's self for their happiness ? this also is to be set far from him . job . , . can a man be profitable to god ? or is it a gain to him , that thou makest thy way perfect ? job . , . if thou sinnest , what dost thou against him ? or if thy transgressions be multiplied , what dost thou unto him ? if thou art righteous , what givest thou him ? or what receiveth he of thine hand ? thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art , and thy righteousness may profit the son of man. is it an imperfection to tempt , or to be tempted to sin ? this is to be separated from god , he cannot be tempted of evil , neither tempteth he any man , saith st. james . chap. . . and to mention no more , is it an imperfection to be in any respect mutable ? this is denyed of god , with him there is no variableness , or shadow of turning . thus you see how we are to conceive of the perfections of god , by ascribing all imaginable and possible perfection to him , and removing all shadow of imperfection from him . i proceed in the ii. place , to lay down some rules by which we may rectifie and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of god : the best i can think of , are these following . first , let us begin with the most natural , and plain , and easie perfections of god , and lay them for a foundation , and rectifie all our other apprehensions of god , and reasonings about him , by these ; and these are his power , wisdom , and goodness , to which most of the rest may be reduced . right apprehensions and a firm belief of these will make it easily credible to us , that all things were made and are governed , by him ; for his goodness will dispose and incline him to communicate being to other things , and to take care of them when they are made . an infinite power and wisdom render him able to do all this without any labour or difficulty , and without any disturbance of his ease or happiness , as epicurus would seem vainly to fear ; who in truth did not believe a god , but pretended only to deny his providence , and that he either made or govern'd the world ; because he was loth to lay so much trouble upon him . vain man ! as if those things which are impossible and difficult to our weakness and folly , might not be infinitely easie to infinite power and wisdom . particularly the goodness and justice of god are not so difficult to apprehend , as the disputes and controversies about them have rendred them to many . when we consider infinite knowledge and power , we may easily lose our selves , and go out of our depth , by wading too far into them : there is something concerning these , that is unimaginable , and unaccountable to our reason ; we may not be able to understand how something may be produc'd from nothing ; because it argues such an excess of power , as we cannot comprehend ; but yet we are forc'd to acknowledge , that either the world must be produc'd from nothing , or that matter was eternally of it self , which is every whit as hard to imagine , as that infinite power should be able to produce it from nothing . so likewise we are not able to conceive , how god can certainly know future events , which depend upon voluntary and uncertain causes , because we cannot comprehend infinite knowledge ; but this we may easily be satisfied in , that infinite power and knowledge may be able to do , and know many things , which we cannot conceive how they can be known or done , no more than a child can imagine how a great mathematician can demonstrate his propositions . only this we are sure of , as we can be of any thing , that no power can do that which is evidently impossible , and implies a plain contradiction . we are not able perhaps to reconcile the particular providences of god with his universal goodness , justice , and wisdom , because we cannot see to the end of his ways and works at one view , and see every part with relation to the whole ; which would appear very wise , if we knew the whole series of things , and saw the entire design together , as god himself does , to whom ( as solomon tells us ) all his ways are known from the beginning . so that however we may be at a loss in our conceptions of god's infinite knowledge and power , yet goodness , and justice , and truth , are notions easie and familiar ; and if we could not understand these , the whole bible would be insignificant to us . for all revelation from god supposeth us to know what is meant by goodness , justice , and truth : and therefore no man can entertain any notion of god , which plainly contradicts these . and it is foolish for any man to pretend , that he cannot know what goodness , and justice , and truth in god are : for if we do not know this , 't is all one to us , whether god be good or not , nor could we imitate his goodness ; for he that imitates , endeavours to make himself like something that he knows , and must of necessity have some idea of that to which he aims to be like : so that if we had no certain and setled notion of the goodness , and justice , and truth of god , he would be altogether an unintelligible being ; and religion , which consists in the imitation of him , would be utterly impossible . now these being the most easie , and intelligible perfections of god , by which he is said in scripture to declare his name , that is , to make himself known to us , we should govern all our reasonings about god ( as concerning his decrees , and his concurrence with the free actions of men , and his particular providence , which are things more dark and obscure ) by what is more clear ; and we shall find in scripture , that in all these points holy men do constantly appeal to these unquestionable and intelligible perfections of god. wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked ? ( saith abraham ) that be far from thee . shall not the judge of all the world do right ? we may be mistaken ; but god certainly knows who are wicked , and who are righteous ; and he knows how to punish the wicked , and save the righteous : but we cannot be mistaken in this principle , that the judge of all the world will do right . thus moses satisfies himself , and others concerning the particular providences of god towards the people of israel . deut. . , . i will publish the name of the lord : all his ways are judgement ; a god of truth , and without iniquity , just and right is he. this we certainly know of god. so st. paul , rom. . . thou art inexcusable , o man ! whatsoever excuse men may pretend for their faults , he lays down this for a principle , we are sure the judgment of god is according to truth . secondly , let us always consider the perfections of god in conjunction , and so as to reconcile them with one another . do not consider god as meer power and soveraignty , as meer mercy and goodness , as meer justice and severity ; but as all these together , and in such a measure and degree as may make them consistent with one another . the greatest mistakes in religion are certainly sprung from this root , from separating the perfections of god , and considering them singly , and framing such wide and large notions of one , as to exclude another : whereas the perfections of god agree together , and that is not a divine perfection , which contradicts any other perfection . among men indeed an eminent degree of any one excellency does usually shut out some other ; and therefore it is observ'd , that power and moderation , love and discretion , do not often meet together ; that a great memory and a small judgment , a good wit and an ill nature , are many times found in conjunction : but in infinite perfection all perfections do eminently meet and consist together ; and it is not necessary that one excellency should be raised upon the ruines of another . and if this had been well consider'd , men would not , by being too intent upon god's soveraignty , with neglect of his other perfections , have spoken those hard things about predestination : for the soveraignty of god doth by no means set him above the eternal laws of goodness , and truth , and righteousness . and if this were considered , men would not , by poring upon the justice and severity of god , be so swallowed up in despair : for god is not so severe , but he is merciful to the penitent , and hath left a retreat for the returning sinner . if this were well consider'd , it would check the presumption of those , who incourage themselves in sin , by fancying to themselves a god all of mercy and goodness ; and because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed , therefore their heart is fully set in them to do evil : for it is not goodness and mercy finally to bear with and forgive obstinate offenders ; but want of prudence and good government . thirdly , among different opinions concerning god ( as there always have been , and will be in the world ) chuse those which are farthest from extremity ; because truth as well as virtue usually lyes between the extreams . and here i will instance in that controversie , which has much disquieted the church almost in all ages , concerning the decrees of god ; about which there are two extreams , the one that god peremptorily decrees the final condition of every particular person , that is , their everlasting happiness or misery , without any regard or consideration of the good or bad actions of men. the other , that god decrees nothing concerning any particular person , but only in general that men found under such and such qualifications shall be happy or miserable , and puts it into their own power to qualifie themselves . now he that is doubtful in this matter , as every man must be that understands the difficulties on both sides , had best take up in the middle opinion , that god decrees the final condition of particular persons with respect to certain qualifications , which speaking absolutely are not in every man's power ; but yet , under the influence of god's grace , which is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men , may be said to be in our power , in the same sense , as st. paul says , i am able to do all things through christ strengthning me : for besides that this in all probability is the truth , there will be this advantage in it , that he that stands in the middle , is like to be more moderate towards the dissenters on both sides , than either of them will be to one onother ; because the middle is not so far from either extream , as the extreams are from one another . at the worst , he stands fairest for an impartial enquiry after truth , and when he has satisfied himself where the truth lyes , he may more silently pass over to it , without any great imputation of inconstancy ; which cannot but be remarkable in him , who passeth from one extream to another . fourthly , and lastly , entertain no opinion concerning god , that doth evidently contradict the practice of religion , and a good life , though never so specious and subtile arguments may be used to perswade it . truth is most easily seen , and discern'd in those reasonings and opinions which tend to practice ; because the absurdity and inconvenience of them is soonest discovered : whereas we cannot so certainly find out the truth or falshood of those opinions , which speculative men devise in their studies , without any consideration whether they serve any real purpose of life , or not . men indeed are very apt to form those notions , which are most remote from common sense and use ; because more pains and wit are required to make them plausible : but there needs no other argument to make a wise man despise them , than that they are unprofitable , and signifie nothing to our practice , and to make men truly better . this is universally true in all kind of knowledge , but most considerable in the knowledge of god and religion ; because that knowledge is of the greatest consideration . we need not scruple to admit some things , not so evident to natural reason , if we be satisfied of the truth of them , from an higher and more cogent reason : as that god has revealed it , and said it ; this general reason may perswade us of a thing that is above and beyond natural reason : but we may not admit any thing for a divine revelation , which evidently contradicts and weakens the practice of an holy life ; because this is the main end of all divine revelation ; and we know god , only in order to the service and imitation of him . let us then look upon all knowledge that contradicts practice , as vain and false , because it destroys its end . there are many things that seem probable enough in speculation , which yet we most pertinaciously deny , because they are not practicable ; and there are many things , which seem doubtful in speculation , and would admit of great dispute , which yet because they are found true in practice and experience , are to be taken for certain and unquestionable . the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the idle reasoning of the stoicks , was a thing contemned by the wiser philosophers , as a vain and useless subtilty . zeno pretends to demonstrate there is no motion ; and what is the consequence of this speculation , but that men must stand still ? but so long as a man finds he can walk , all the sophistry in the world will not perswade him , that motion is impossible . in like manner , they that would perswade us , that men can do nothing , nor contribute any more to their own sanctification , than stocks or stones , and upon scripture metaphors misunderstood , ( as our being dead in trespasses and sins , and created to good works ) graft notions which are impossible and absurd in practice , do not consider that the natural consequence of this is , that men must do nothing at all in religion , never think of god , nor pray to him , nor read his word , nor go to church ; but sit still , and be wholly passive to the operations of god's grace : but however this may seem plausible , and men may think they add much to the glory of god's grace , while they deny any power in the creature ; yet every considerate man will presently apprehend , that this is by no means to be admitted , because it contradicts practice , and makes all the commands and exhortations of god's word vain , and to no purpose ; because it destroys religion , and discourages the endeavours of men ; makes them sloathful and careless of working out their own salvation ; than which nothing can set a man farther from god's grace and assistance , and more immediately dispose him for ruine ; and upon some such false reasoning as this , the sloathful servant in the parable hid his talent in a napkin , and buried it in the earth ; but when he was called to account , his excuse was not admitted , but he was cast into utter darkness . the two other particulars , namely how far we are to imitate the divine perfections , and particularly what those divine qualities are , which our saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation , and likewise to clear the true meaning of this precept , and to shew that the duty here injoyned , be ye perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect , is not impossible to us . both these i shall refer to another opportunity . sermon ii. concerning our imitation of the divine perfections . matth . v. . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . in these words we have , first , the absolute perfection of the divine nature supposed , not only in those before mentioned , of goodness , and mercy , and patience ; but in all other excellencies whatsoever . secondly , the perfection of god is propounded as a pattern for our imitation . in the handling of these two particulars , i propounded to proceed in this method . i. to shew how we are to conceive of the divine perfection . ii. to lay down some rules , by which we may rectifie and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of god. iii. to shew how far we are to imitate the perfections of god , and particularly what those divine qualities are , which our saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation . iv. to clear the true meaning of this precept , and to shew that the duty here intended by our saviour is not impossible to us ; and then to draw some useful inferences from the whole . the two first i have already spoken to , i now proceed to the third particular , which is to shew how far we are to imitate the perfections of god , and particularly what those divine qualities are , which our saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation . for though these words do suppose the absolute perfection of the divine nature , yet because there are several perfections of god which are incommunicable , and a creature , as such , is utterly incapable of them , these cannot be suppos'd to be intended for a pattern to us . as the necessity and independency of the divine nature ; and the self-sufficiency of it to his own happiness ; to be the original cause of all things , and consequently supream lord and governour ; the immensity and eternity of his being ; these , and perhaps several other perfections , are incommunicable to a creature ; and it would be an unsufferable pride , and a kind of high treason against the divine majesty , and a sottish ignorance of the necessary bounds and limits of our own state , as we are creatures , to think to resemble god in these excellencies , of which the condition of a creature is utterly incapable . this was the sin of lucifer , an ambition to step into the throne of god , and to be like the most high . so that in our imitation of the divine perfection , we are to keep within the station of creatures , not affecting an independency and soveraignty like the most high , and to be omnipotent as he is , to have an arm like god , and to thunder with a voice like him , as the expression is in job : but to endeavour to resemble him , pro modulo creaturae , according to the rate and capacity of a creature , in those divine qualities , and in such measures and degrees , as our finite and dependent nature is capable of . more especially and chiefly in the moral perfections of the divine nature , such as are his goodness , and mercy , and patience , his justice , and truth , and faithfulness ; these , and only these , the scripture seems to comprehend under the name of holiness ; not all the excellencies of the divine nature in general , but those which we call moral excellencies and perfections , such as those which i have named ; for with these , and hardly with any other , is the holiness of god joyn'd in scripture , as holy and righteous , holy and true , &c. and therefore when god says , be ye holy , for i am holy , it signifies that we are to imitate god in his goodness , and mercy , and patience , and righteousness , and faithfulness , and truth ; for these are the holiness of the divine nature , which set him at the greatest distance from that which we call moral impurity and sin. for that which our saviour here in the text more peculiarly recommends to our imitation , is the goodness of god , of which his mercy and patience are two eminent branches . the mercy of god is his goodness to those that are in misery , or are liable to it . the patience of god is his mercy in sparing those who have deserved punishment , and are liable to it . and the goodness of god is then greatest , when it is exercised towards the evil and unthankful ; those who are so far from deserving it , that they have given great and just provocations to the contrary . and this affection and temper of mind , which is so remarkable in god towards the unworthy and unthankful sons of men , our saviour recommends to our imitation here in the text. be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . be ye therefore ; this particle of inference , therefore , hath a plain relation to something spoken before ; and if we look back to v. . we shall find our saviour there enjoyning his disciples to love their enemies , to bless them that curse them , to do good to them that hate them , and to pray for those that despightfully use them , and persecute them . and by what other argument doth he inforce the practice of this difficult duty , but by telling us , that this is to be like god , to be good to the evil and unthankful , v. . that ye may be the children of your heavenly father , who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good , and his rain to fall on the just , and on the unjust . god is good to all , and exerciseth great mercy and patitience even towards the evil , and unjust . and then he concludes , that if perfection it self be fit to be a pattern , we should labour after these qualities , be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . so that though the universal perfection of the divine nature be here supposed , yet the attributes of his goodness , and mercy , and patience , are here particularly pointed at , and propounded to us for our pattern ; and the precept of imitating the divine perfection is more especially to be understood of those perfections which our saviour had been discours●●● of before , viz. the goodness and mercy of god. and that this is undoubtedly so , is evident from st. luke's rendring this precept , ch. . . be ye therefore , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , benefici , ready to do good , full of kindness and benignity ; merciful , as your father which is in heaven is merciful ; that is , endeavour you to be such as i have described god to be . and this st. matthew calls perfection , because the goodness of god is his great perfection , and the glory of the divine nature , that which reflects a lustre and beauty upon all his other attributes , and takes off the terrour of them . from all which it is plain , what those perfections of the divine nature are , which our saviour doth here particularly recommend to our imitation . i come now in the iv. and last place , to clear the true meaning of this precept , and to shew that the duty here required , and intended by our saviour ( when he says , be ye perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect ) is not impossible to us . and to this purpose be pleased to consider these three or four things . . that our imitation of god is certainly restrained to the communicable perfections of god , and such as creatures are capable of , as i have shewn before . for it is so far from being a duty to affect or attempt to be like god in his peculiar perfections , that it was probably the sin of the apostate angels . . our imitation of the divine perfections , which are communicable to creatures , is likewise to be restrain'd to such degrees of these perfections , as creatures are capable of . for no creature can ever be so perfectly good , as god is ; nor partake of any other excellency in that transcendent degree , in which the divine nature is possest of it . . but there is no manner of inconvenience in having a pattern propounded to us of so great perfection , as is above our reach to attain to ; and there may be great advantages in it . the way to excel in any kind is , optima quaeque exempla ad imitandum proponere , to propose the highest and most perfect examples to our imitation . no man can write after too perfect and good a copy , and though he can never reach the perfection of it , yet he is like to learn more , than by one less perfect . he that aims at the heavens , which yet he is sure to come short of , is like to shoot higher than he that aims at a mark within his reach . besides that the excellency of the pattern , as it leaves room for continual improvement , so it kindles ambition , and makes men strain and contend to the utmost to do better : and though he can never hope to equal the example before him , yet he will endeavour to come as near it as he can . so that a perfect pattern is no hindrance , but an advantage rather to our improvement in any kind . . if any thing can be supposed to be our duty , which is absolutely beyond our power , a precept of this nature , may with as much reason be supposed to be so , as any thing that can be instanc'd in : because in such a case , if we do our best , and be continnually pressing forward towards the mark , though we can never reach it , yet we do very commendably ; and whatever the law may require to try and raise our obedience , yet in all equitable interpretation , such a will and endeavour will be acceptable with god for the deed. for if the perfection of the law do really exceed our ability , and be beyond the possibility of our performance , the assurance we have of god's goodness will sufficiently secure us from any danger and prejudice upon on that account . and we may reasonably presume , that to do all we can towards the fulfilling of this precept , will be as acceptable to god , and as beneficial to our selves , as if our power had been greater , and we had perfectly fulfill'd it . if our heavenly father , to try the readiness and chearfulness of our obedience , bid us do that which he knows we cannot do , though we can do something towards it , we may be sure that he will be very well pleased when he sees , that in obedience to him we have done all that we could . and we may in this case reason as our saviour does ; if we that are evil would deal thus with our children , how much more shall our heavenly father ? the goodness of god signifies very little , if it does not signifie this , that in any instance of real and unquestionable goodness , god is much better than any father upon earth . however , at the worst , that wherein we fall short of the perfection of the law , may be supplyed on our part , by an humble acknowledgment of our own weakness and imperfection , and on god's part by mercy and forgiveness , for the sake of the perfect obedience of our blessed redeemer . this is the least benefit we can expect in this case from the grace , and mercy , and equity of the gospel . . and lastly , which will fully clear this matter , this precept doth not oblige us to come up to a perfect equality with the pattern propounded to us , but only imports a vigorous imitation of it ; that we be perpetually ascending and climbing up higher , still advancing from one degree of goodness to another , and continually aspiring after a nearer resemblance to god : and this certainly is possible to us , to endeavour to be as like god as we can , in this weak and imperfect state . whereas any equality with god , even in the communicable attributes of his goodness , and mercy , and patience , is not only impossible to us in this state of sin and imperfection , but above the condition of a creature , even of the spirits of just men made perfect , and of the highest angels in glory : for their perfection is not absolute , but in comparison with our present state . and i think there is no great reason to doubt , but that the blessed spirits above , who continually behold the face of their father , are still writing after this copy , which is here propounded to us ; and endeavouring to be perfect , as their father which is in heaven is perfect ; still aspiring after a nearer and more perfect resemblance of god , whose goodness and mercy is so far beyond , and before that of any creature , that they may be for ever approaching nearer to it , and yet never overtake it . and this seems to be no inconsiderable ingredient , and enhancement of the happiness of heaven , that the holiness of good men ( which is the similitude of god ) is never at a stand , nor at it's full growth and period ; but that the glorified saints ( yea and blessed angels too ) may be continually growing and improving , and they themselves still become better and happier to all eternity . and this in my apprehension is no undervaluing the happiness of heaven , that it is not so perfect at first , as it shall be afterwards ; because it is granted on all hands , that the happiness of those good souls , who are already in bliss , shall be more perfect and compleat at the resurrection . and why may it not then be continually increasing , and be augmented still more and more , without any stint or final period of it's perfection ? in this world we are apt to faint in a long course of goodness , and to be weary of well doing . but in the other state , when men shall be strongly byassed to goodness , and have nothing to pull them back , it will then be so far from being a trouble , that methinks it should be a mighty pleasure to the blessed , to find that there is no end of their doing good and becoming better . for if conformity to god be the ground and foundation of all happiness , then our blessedness will advance proportionably , as we grow more and more like to him . this i confess were a dismal consideration , to think that in heaven we should be liable to relapse , to go backward , or fall from that holy and happy state . but this is a comfortable consideration , that our holiness and happiness shall never be at a stand , that it is secure so far as it goes , and that we cannot lose what we have once attain'd , as we may do in this world . this methinks should be a trouble to no man , that as good and happy as he is at first , he shall still be better and better , more and more happy without end . but be that as it will , and as god pleaseth ( for we do but talk in the dark about our future state , ) this is certain , that an equality with god in any of his perfections is not to be attained by any creature , and therefore cannot be thought to be the meaning of this precept : but that which our saviour requires , is a vigorous imitation of this pattern ; that we have this example of the divine perfection always before us , and that we be continually endeavouring , as much as in us lies , to bring our selves to the nearest resemblance of god , that possibly we can . and if this be our sincere care and study , we need not doubt but that it will find acceptance with god , and that he will be graciously pleased to esteem us for his children ; and if there need a pardon for it , that god will forgive wherein we fall short of the perfection of that pattern , which we can never imitate to perfection . and happy were it for us , if this were all the ground of our fear and trouble , that when we had done all we could , we must still fall much short of the perfection of god's law , and the duty therein laid upon us ; alas ! which of us does near so much as we can , and is not conscious to himself that it is through his own fault and neglect , that he is so unlike his heavenly father in goodness and mercy , in righteousness and true holiness ; and that he still partakes in so great a measure of those , not only unreasonable and brutish , but even devilish passions of malice and hatred , of rage and cruelty , of impatience and implacable revenge ; and that these ungodlike qualities do so frequently prevail upon us , and have so much dominion over us ! we are so far from being what we ought , in these and many other respects , that we are far from what we might be , if we would mind our duty with care and conscience , and make it our sincere endeavour to subdue our selves to a conformity to god , and to a perfect holiness in his fear . would we but often set god before our eyes , and represent to our selves those excellent and amiable perfections of the divine nature , which are so comfortable and beneficial to us , and to which we stand so infinitely oblig'd , his goodness and mercy and patience , upon which all our hopes of happiness do depend , and to which we are indebted , that we are not miserable past recovery ; that goodness and patience which he continually exerciseth towards us , ( for we provoke him every day , ) and exerciseth towards us on purpose to endear those perfections to us , from which we reap so much comfort and advantage ; that by the pattern of perfection it self , and the example of him who is so much above us , so no ways obliged to us , nor tyed by any interest to be concerned for us , and who being happy in himself neither hopes nor fears any thing from us ; i say by an example that has all these advantages , we might be provok'd to be so affected towards one another ( who have mutual obligations one to another , and mutual expectations of good or evil one from another ) as we have always found god to be towards us , and as we desire he should still continue ; and miserable creatures are we , when ever he ceaseth to be so : and we have reason to fear he will cease to be so , if this example of his goodness and patience towards us , do not transform us into the image of the divine perfections , and prevail upon us to imitate those excellencies , which we have so much reason to approve and admire , and be in love withal . these considerations taken both from ingenuity and interest should awaken our sloath , and stir up our most resolute and vigorous endeavours after that perfection which our saviour here requires , and make us ashamed of our lazy complaints , that our duty is set so high , that the endeavours of our whole life cannot reach it ; when yet we have hardly made one step towards it , and are so remiss and unconcern'd about it , as if we could do it at any time with the greatest ease , and at an hours warning , before we leave the world , could fulfil this precept of our lord , of being perfect as our father which is in heaven is perfect . and yet let me tell you , so far as any of us are from resembling our heavenly father in some good degree and measure , so far are we distant from heaven , and the temper of the blessed ; so far are we utterly unqualified for the blissful sight and enjoyment of god : for unless we be first like him , we cannot see him as he is : only the pure in heart shall see god , and therefore every man that has this hope in him , should purifie himself even as he is pure . and thus i have , as briefly as i could , dispatcht the four things i propounded for the explication of this text ; namely , how we are to conceive of the divine perfections , and to give some rules to regulate and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of god ; to explain the extent of this duty , and vindicate the possibility of it . all that now remains , is to draw some useful inferences from this discourse which i have made ; and they shall be these two . i. that the strongest and surest reasonings in religion , are grounded upon the essential perfections of god. ii. that the truest and most substantial practice of religion , consists in the imitation of god. i. that the strongest and surest reasonings in religion are grounded upon the essential perfections of god ; so that even divine revelation it self doth suppose these for its foundation , and can signifie nothing to us , unless these be first known and believed . unless we be first perswaded of the providence of god , and his particular care of mankind , why should we believe that he would make any revelation of himself to men ? unless it be naturally known to us , that god is true , what foundation is there for the belief of his word ? and what signifie the laws and promises of god , unless natural light do first assure us of his soveraign authority and faithfulness ? so that the principles of natural religion , are the foundation of that which is revealed ; and therefore in reason nothing can be admitted to be a revelation from god , which plainly contradicts his essential perfection , and consequently if any pretends divine revelation for this doctrine , that god hath from all eternity absolutely decreed the eternal ruine of the greatest part of mankind , without any respect to the sins and demerits of men , i am as certain that this doctrine cannot be of god , as i am sure that god is good and just : because this grates upon the notion that mankind have of goodness and justice . this is that which no good man would do , and therefore cannot be believed of infinite goodness ; and therefore if an apostle or angel from heaven teach any doctrine which plainly overthrows the goodness and justice of god , let him be accursed . for every man hath greater assurance that god is good and just , than he can have of any subtile speculations about predestination and the decrees of god. and for the same reason i cannot believe , upon the pretended authority or infallibility of any man or church in the world , that god would not have men understand their publick prayers , and the lessons of scripture which are read to them . a lesson not to be understood is nonsense : a lesson is something to be learn'd , which how it can be without being understood , is hard to comprehend . and as little can i believe upon the authority of any person or church whatsoever , that god should reveal his will to men in the holy scriptures , with a design to have it hid , and lock't up from the generality of mankind in an unknown tongue . and much less can i believe ( which yet is the express doctrine of the council of trent ) that the saving efficacy of the sacrament depends upon the intention of the priest . which is to say , that though people believe , and live never so well , they may be damned by sholes and whole parishes together at the pleasure of the priest , and for no other reason , but because he is so wicked , as not to intend to save them . can any man believe this that hath any tolerable notion of god's goodness ? may we not in this case appeal , as abraham did , to the goodness and justice of god , and expostulate with greater reason , than he did , much after the same manner , wilt thou destroy the righteous for the wicked ; that be far from thee to do after this manner , to damn the righteous for the wicked , and that righteous people should lye at the mercy of a wicked priest , to be damned or saved at his pleasure , that be far from thee ; shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? and can there be a greater affront to the goodness and justice of god , than to imagin he should deal with men after this manner ? if this be to do right , there is no possibility of doing wrong . and to give but one instance more , i can never believe , upon the authority of any man , or church whatsoever , that our saviour , in the celebration of his last supper , did with his own hands give away his own natural body into the hands of his disciples , and give his blood shed , before it was shed ; that the whole doctrine of christianity should mainly rely upon the evidence of miracles , the assurance of which depends upon the certainty of sense ; and yet that an essential part of that doctrine should overthrow the certainty of sense . i can never while i live believe these two things , that the last thing our saviour did before his death should be to teach his disciples not to believe their own senses , as he must do if he taught them transubstantiation ; and that the very first thing he did after he was risen from the dead , should be to teach them the quite contrary , by appealing to the certainty of sense for the proof of his resurrection ; for when they doubted of his resurrection , luke . . he said unto them , why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? behold my hands and my feet , that it is i my self , handle me and see , for a spirit hath not flesh and bones , as ye see me have . if this be a good argument , that it was a real body which they saw , because they saw and felt flesh and bones : is it not as good an argument on the other side , that what they saw in the sacrament was not his real and natural body , because they could neither see nor handle flesh and bones ? so that i cannot believe transubstantiation , unless i can believe that truth it self can contradict and destroy it self . you see of what use it is to have right and steady apprehensions of the divine perfections , that , these being laid for a foundation , we may upon all occasions have recourse to them , and govern our opinions and reasonings in religion , about all doubtful matters , by such principles as are clear and unquestionable . the ii. inference is , that the truest and most substantial practice of religion consists in the imitation of the divine perfections , especially the moral perfections of the divine nature , which the scripture is wont to comprehend under the name of holiness ; and such are the goodness , and mercy , and patience of god , his justice , and truth , and faithfulness . to imitate god in these is true religion ; or as st. james expresses it , pure religion , and undefiled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , without any flaw or blemish , alluding to precious stones , the greatest commendation of which is to be clear and without flaw . religio est imitari quem colis , this is religion to imitate him whom we worship . this the heathens by the light of nature did discover to be the great end of religion , and the best worship of the deity , to be like god. pythagoras was wont to say , that we honour god most , when we are most like him in the temper and disposition of our minds ; and plato to the same purpose , that the height and perfection of goodness , is to resemble god , as near as is possible ; and that we resemble god in being just , and holy , and wise . so likewise hierocles , that a good man imitates god in the measures of love and friendship , who hates no man , and extends his benignity to all mankind . plutarch hath an excellent discourse about the patience of god towards sinners , and gives this as one reason why god doth not presently punish offenders ; that he might give an example to us of gentleness and patience , and check the fury and violence of men in revenging injuries upon one another ; which nothing will do more effectually , than to consider that gentleness and forbearance are an imitation of the divine perfection . and then he cites an excellent saying of plato , that god manifested himself , and display'd his perfections in the world for our imitation ; true virtue being nothing else , but an imitation of the divine nature . for there is no greater benefit man can receive from god's hand , than to become virtuous by the imitation and pursuit of those excellencies and perfections which are in god. seneca likewise hath many passages to this purpose , inter viros bonos ac deum amicitia est , imo etiam necessitudo & similitudo , between god and good men there is a friendship , yea and an intimacy and likeness ; and that a virtuous man is discipulus aemulatorque & vera progenies dei , a disciple and imitator , and the very genuine off-spring of god. so that the light of nature , and the reason of mankind , have always placed the perfection of religion in the imitation of the divine excellencies and perfections . and this is very agreeable to the language and sense of the holy scriptures , which every where make the practice of religion to consist in our conformity to god , and the laws which he hath given us ; which are nothing else but a transcript of his nature . the great business of religion is to do the will of god , and this is the will of god , our sanctification ; and our sanctification is our conformity to the holiness of god ; and this is the scope of the general exhortations of scripture , to perswade us to holiness , that is , to an imitation of the moral perfections of the divine nature . cor. . . having therefore these promises , dearly beloved ! let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and perfect holiness in the fear of god. pet. . , . as he which hath called you is holy , so be ye holy in all manner of conversation , because it is written , be ye holy for i am holy . pet. . , . speaking of the christian religion , which he calls the knowledge of him who hath called us to glory and virtue , whereby also ( says he ) are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises , that by these we might be partakers of a divine nature , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust . so that the holiness the gospel designs to bring us to , is a participation of the divine nature , which we can no otherwise partake of , but by an imitation of the divine perfections . this is that which the scripture expresses to us by the terms of regeneration , the new man , and the new creature . and therefore those who are converted from a wicked and sinful state , and reclaimed to goodness , are said to put on the new man , which after god is created in righteousness , and the holiness of truth . ephes . . . to be renewed after the image of him that created us . coloss . . . this is to be the sons and children of god , to imitate and resemble god in our dispositions and manners . ephes . . . be ye therefore , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , imitators of god , as dear children . philip. . . that ye may be blameless and sincere , the sons of god without rebuke , in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation . john . . in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil , whosoever doth not righteousness is not of god. there have been great enquiries concerning the marks of a child of god ; this is the true character , and that which in effect comprehends all others , our imitation and resemblance of god in those perfections wherein he is set forth for a pattern to us . and in this mainly consists the practice both of natural religion , and of true christianity . but does not religion consist very much in the duties of god's worship , in the exercises of piety and devotion , in constant and frequent prayers to god , and in the celebration of his goodness by praise and thanksgiving , in reading , and hearing , and meditating upon god's word , in fasting and abstinence , and keeping our bodies in subjection to our spirits , and in frequent receiving of the holy sacrament ? to this i answer , that religion doth consist very much in the due performance of these duties , and they are unquestionable and necessary parts of religion , and the means appointed by god for the begetting and increasing in us such dispositions of mind , as render us most like to god , and for the production of all the fruits of goodness and holiness and righteousness in our lives . but then it is to be considered , that these exercises of piety and devotion are but the means of religion , and not the ultimate end and design of it . all these do but serve to bring us to a nearer resemblance of god ; and where they fail of this end , and are performed for their own sakes only , and we rest in them , without aiming at any thing farther , they lose their nature ; because they are not used as means , but rested in , as if they were the end of religion . and it is to be feared there are many which fall into this fatal mistake about religion , and think that if they do but serve god in their families , and go to church , and behave themselves there with devotion and reverence , and at certain seasons receive the sacrament , they are truly religious , and very good christians ; when all this while they take no care to improve themselves in real goodness , by an inward conformity of their minds to god , and the real reformation and amendment of their lives , by mortifying their lusts , and subduing their appetites and passions to the laws of reason and religion , by putting on as the elect of god bowels of kindness ; by being true and faithful ; righteous and just , patient and merciful , as their father which is in heaven is so ; and by forbearing one another in case of provocation , and forgiving one another , even as god for christ's sake hath forgiven us ; by purifying themselves as god is pure , and endeavouring to be holy in all manner of conversation , as he who hath called them is holy ; when all this while they are as covetous , and earthly minded , and to serve their covetousness will strain a point of truth or justice , and hardly do an act of charity in their whole lives , but what is extorted from them by meer importunity , or some such urgent necessity , in point of decency and reputation , that for shame of the world they know not how to avoid it ; when their passions are as fierce and ungoverned , their hearts as full of gall and bitterness , their tongues of slander and evil speaking , their humours as proud and surly and censorious , as theirs can be who are openly profane , and seem to neglect and despise all religion : and yet because they serve god ( as they call it ) and make an external appearance of piety and devotion , are good church-men , and attend upon the ordinances of god , they think they have discharged the whole business of religion admirably well , and are very good children of god , and in a state of great grace and favour with him . whereas the performance of all these duties , and the use of all these means , separated from that which is the great end of religion , the conformity of our selves to god , in those qualities and dispositions which i have mention'd , is so far from finding acceptance with god , that it is an abomination to him . so god every where declares in scripture , telling us , that the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the lord , and that he disdains to be praised by men of unhallowed lips and lives ; and that unless with the praises we offer to him , we order our conversation aright , we shall not see the salvation of god. with what contempt does he speak of this formal and external religion , without the power of it upon our hearts and lives ! to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , and ten thousands of rivers of oil ? he hath shewed thee , o man ! what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? is not this the fast which i have chosen , to break the bands of wickedness , and to let the oppressed go free , to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house ; when thou seest the naked that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh ? nor is it hearing of the word that will avail us , unless we be doers of it . blessed are they ( says our saviour ) that hear the word of god and keep it . he that heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them , shall be likened to a wise man , who hath built his house upon a rock . nor will bare receiving of the sacrament recommend us to god ; but performing the obligation , which thereby we take upon our selves , to obstain from all sin and wickedness ; otherwise we tread under foot the son of god , and prophane the blood of the covenant , whereby we should be sanctified , as if it were an unholy thing . can any man think that to be religion , which has no effect upon the lives of men , which does not teach them to govern their words and actions , who reads those plain words of st. james ? if any man among you seem to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . pure religion and undefiled before god and the father is this , to visit the fatherless and widdows in their affliction , and to keep himself unspotted from the world . when religion produceth these real effects , then the means of religion do truly serve the end of it , and we are not only hearers of the word , but doers of it , and shall be blessed in our deed . so that as there is an obligation upon us to use the means of religion , which god hath instituted , with great care and conscience ; so we should chiefly mind that , which is the end of all religion , which is to make us partakers of a divine nature , and make us like to god , especially in those amiable and excellent qualities , which are the glory and beauty of the divine nature , his benignity and goodness , his mercy and patience . these , because they are the primary perfections of god , are the principal duties both of natural and revealed religion , and of an eternal and indispensable obligation ; because they have their foundation in the nature of god , which is fixt and unalterable . and all positive institutions , when they come in competition with these , are to stoop and vail to them . natural and moral duties , especially those of goodness , and mercy , and charity , are so strongly bound upon us , that nothing in any reveal'd religion can cancel the obligation of them , or justifie the violation of these great and indispensable laws . our saviour in his religion has declar'd nothing to the prejudice of them : but on the contrary has straitned our obligation to them , as much as is possible . the son of man came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; so that they know not what manner of spirit they are of , who think to please god by hating men , who are made after the image of god , & by killing one another to do him good service ; who to advance his cause and religion in the world , will break through all the obligations of nature and civil society , undermine government , and disturb the peace of mankind . whereas our saviour did not by any thing in his religion design to alter the civil government of the world , or to lessen and diminish the rights of princes , or to set men loose from allegiance to them , or to make treason and rebellion , bloody wars and barbarous massacres lawful , for the propagating of his faith . he had ( as any one would imagin ) as much power as the pope ; but yet he deposed no princes , nor excommunicated and discharged their subjects from their fidelity and obedience to them , for their opposition to his religion ; he hath assumed no such power to himself . by what authority then does his vicar do these things ? and who gave him this authority ? our lord tells us plainly , his kingdom was not of this world ; and that without any distinction of in ordine ad spiritualia , and therefore he wrested no princes kingdom out of his hands , nor seized it as forfeited to himself . but this power the pope claims to himself , and hath exercised it many a time , disturbing the peace of nations , and exercising the most barbarous cruelties in the world , under a pretence of zeal for god and religion : as if because religion is so very good a thing in it self , it would warrant men to do the very worst things for its sake ; which is the ready way to render religion contemptible and odious , and to make two of the best things in the world , god and religion , good for nothing . if we would preserve in the minds of men any reverence and esteem for religion , we must take heed how we destroy the principles of natural religion , and undermine the peace and happiness of humane society , for the glory of god , and under pretence of following divine revelation , and being led by a church that cannot err : for every church doth certainly err , that teacheth any thing plainly contrary to the principles and dictates ●f natural religion , and utterly inconsistent with the essential perfections of god , and with the peace and order of the world : for god is not the god of confusion , but of order ; which st. paul appealeth to , as a principle of eternal truth , and naturally known : but they that pretend that religion prompts men to sedition and cruelty , do represent god as the god of confusion , and not of order . therefore whatever men may through an ignorant zeal , or for ambitious ends , pretend to be religion ; let us place it in that which is unquestionable , the imitation of the divine perfections , and let us ( as the apostle exhorts ) put on , as the elect of god , bowels of mercy , kindness , meekness , long-suffering , and above all , let us put on charity , which is the very bond of perfection . the great perfection of the divine nature , or rather the very essence of god is love. so st. john speaks , god is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him . and 't is very remarkable that in these very qualities of charity , and kindness , and compassion , which we peculiarly call humanity , we approach nearest to the divinity it self , and that the contrary dispositions do transform us into wild beasts and devils . and yet as severely as i speak against these principles and practices , i have an hearty pity and compassion for those who are under the power of so great a delusion , and upon a pretence of being made the only true christians in the world , are seduced from humanity it self , and so far from being made good christians by these principles , that they are hardly left to be men ; being blinded , and led by the blind , they fall into the ditch of the grossest and foulest immoralities ; such as are plainly enough condemn'd by the light of nature , if there were no bible in the world. not but that we protestants have our faults and our follies too , and those ( god knows ) too many and too visible ; we possess more truth , but there is little peace among us ; and yet god is as well and as often in scripture called the god of peace , as the god of truth . in this great light and liberty of the reform'd religion , we are apt to be wanton , and to quarrel and fall out ; we are full of heats and animosities , of schisms and divisions , and the way of peace we have not known . god grant that at last in this our day ( when it concerns us so much ) we may know the things that belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes . you see in what things the practice of religion mainly consists , in our likeness to god , and resemblance of him in holiness and goodness ; and without this we are utterly incapable of happiness : we cannot see god , unless we be like him . the presence of god can administer no pleasure , no felicity to us , till we be changed into his image ; till we come to this temper , to hate sin , and delight in purity and holiness , we can have no delightful communion with the holy god ; till our passions be subdued , and our souls dispossest of those devilish and ungodlike qualities of hatred and malice , of revenge and impatience , and till we be endued with the spirit of universal goodness and charity , we are not fit company for our heavenly father ; we are not qualified to dwell with god , who is love and dwells in love . so far as we are defective in these divine qualities and perfections , so far we fall short of the temper of happiness . there is a direct and eternal opposition between the holy and good god , and the evil dispositions of wicked men , and till this opposition be removed , it is impossible we should find any felicity in the enjoyment of god. now the nature of god is fixt and unchangeable , god cannot recede from his own perfection , and therefore we must quit our sins : thou canst not change god , therefore change thy self , and rather think of putting off thy corrupt nature , which may be changed , than of altering the divine nature , with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning . god condescended to take our nature upon him , to make us capable of happiness ; but if this will not do , he will not put off his own nature to make us happy . sermon iii. the happiness of god. tim . . . the blessed god — the whole verse runs thus , according to the glorious gospel of the blessed god , which was committed to my trust . since all men naturally desire happiness , and thirst after it ; methinks we should all desire to know what it is , and where it is to be found , and how it is to be attained by us , in that degree in which creatures are capable of it . what job says of wisdom , may be said also of happiness , god understandeth the way thereof , and he knoweth the place thereof . he only , who is perfectly possest of it himself , knows wherein it consists , and what are the true ingredients of it . so that to direct us in our search after happiness , the best way will be to contemplate and consider the divine nature , which is the perfect pattern and idea of happiness , and the original spring and fountain of all the felicity that creatures are capable of . and to that end , i have pitched upon these words , wherein the apostle attributes this perfection of bessedness or happiness to god , the blessed god. and tho' this be as essential a part as any other of that notion which mankind have of god from the light of nature , yet i no where find in all the new testament , this attribute of happiness given to god , but only twice in this epistle . 't is true indeed , the title of blessedness is frequently given both to god and christ , but in another sense , and in a quite different notion : as mark . . where the high-priest asks our saviour , art thou the christ , the son of the blessed , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of him that is to be celebrated and praised ; and cor. . . the god and father of our lord jesus christ , who is blessed for evermore . so likewise , rom. . . the creator , blessed for evermore : which likewise is said of christ , rom. . . of whom christ came , who is over all , god blessed for evermore ; that is , for ever to be praised and celebrated . but in all these texts the greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which tho' we translate blessed , yet it is a quite different notion from the title of blessedness which is given to god in the text , where the word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the blessed , or the happy god ; and this title is not any where in all the new testament , ( that i know of ) given to god , but here in the text , and chap. . v. . where our lord jesus christ ( who also is god ) is called the blessed and the only potentate . and whether this title of the blessed , or the happy god , be here in the text given to god the father , or to his eternal son , our lord jesus christ ; is not so much material to my present purpose to enquire . for , suppose it be christ who is here call'd the blessed god ; this however is certain , that blessedness or happiness is a title belonging to god , which is all that is necessary for a foundation of my present discourse . in speaking of this argument , i shall do these three things . i. shew what we are to understand by the happiness of god , and what are the essential ingredients of it . ii. that this title doth belong to god , and that the divine nature is perfectly blessed and happy . iii. how far creatures are capable of happiness , and by what ways and means they may be made partakers of it : and shall then make some inferences from my discourse upon this argument . i. i will consider what we are to understand by the blessedness or happiness of god , and what are the essential ingredients of it . now the notion of happiness taken at its highest pitch ( as we must necessarily do when we apply it to god ) is no other than a fixt and immoveable state of contentment and satisfaction , of pleasure and delight , resulting from the secure possession , and enjoyment of all that is good and desirable , that is , of all excellency and perfection ; so that these following ingredients must go to make up a perfect state of happiness . . perfect knowledge , to understand what it is that constitutes happiness , and to know when one is really possest of it . for as he is not happy , who is so only in imagination or a dream , without any real foundation in the thing ; for he may be pleased with his condition , and yet be far enough from being truly happy : so on the other hand , he that has all other necessary ingredients of happiness , and only wants this , that he doth not think himself so , cannot be happy . for this we often see in the imperfect felicity of this world , that many men who have all the materials and circumstances of a worldly happiness about them , yet by the unskilful management of the matter , and from a lightness and injudiciousness of mind , not knowing when they are well , they make an hard shift , even when they are in as good circumstances as it is almost possible for men to be in this world , to be very discontented and miserable in their own opinions . but god perfectly knows both what makes happiness , and that he is possest of it . . to perfect happiness is likewise requir'd a full power to do whatever conduceth to happiness , and likewise to check and control whatever would be an hindrance and disturbance to it ; and therefore no being is as happy as it can be , that is not all-sufficient , and hath not within its power and reach whatever is necessary to an happy condition , and necessary to secure and continue that happiness against all attempts and accidents whatsoever . . there is wisdom also requir'd to direct this power , and manage it in such a manner , as it may effectually conduce to this end ; and this is very different from meer power , abstractedly consider'd ; for one may have all the materials of happiness , and yet want the wisdom and skill to put them so together , as to frame an happy condition out of them ; and he is not happy , who doth not thoroughly understand the proper method and means of compassing and securing his own happiness . . another most considerable and essential ingredient of happiness is goodness ; without which , as there can be no true majesty and greatness , so neither can there be any felicity or happiness . now goodness is a generous disposition of mind to communicate and diffuse it self , by making others partakers of its happiness in such degrees as they are capable of it , and as wisdom shall direct : for he is not so happy as he may be , who hath not the pleasure of making others so , and of seeing them put into an happy condition by his means , which is the highest pleasure ( i had almost said pride , but i may truly say glory ) of a good and great mind : for by such communications of himself , an immense and allsufficient being doth not lessen himself , or put any thing out of his power , but doth rather enlarge and magnifie himself ; and does , as i may say , give great ease and delight to a full and fruitful being , without the least diminution of his power or happiness . for the cause and original of all other beings , can make nothing so independent upon it self , as not still to maintain his interest in it , to have it always under his power and government ; and no being can rebel against his maker , without extream hazard to himself . . perfect happiness doth imply the exercise of all other virtues , which are suitable to so perfect a being , upon all proper and sitting occasions ; that is , that so perfect a being do nothing that is contrary to , or unbecoming his holiness and righteousness , his truth and faithfulness , which are essential to a perfect being , and for such a being to act contrary to them in any case , would be to create disquiet and disturbance to it self : for this is a certain rule , and never fails , that nothing can act contrary to its own nature without reluctancy and displeasure , which in moral agents is that which we call guilt ; for guilt is nothing else but the trouble and disquiet which ariseth in one's mind , from the consciousness of having done something which is contrary to the perfective principles of his being , that is , something that doth not become him , and which , being what he is , he ought not to have done ; which we cannot imagine ever to befall so perfect and immutable a being as god is . . perfect happiness implies in it the settled and secure possession of all those excellencies and perfections ; for if any of these were liable to fail , or be diminish'd , so much would be taken off from perfect and compleat happiness . if the deity were subject to any change , or impairment of his condition , so that either his knowledge , or power , or wisdom , or goodness , or any other perfection , could any ways decline or fall off , there would be a proportionable abatement of happiness . and from all these does result in the th , and last place , infinite contentment and satisfaction , pleasure and delight , which is the very essence of happiness . . infinite contentment and satisfaction in this condition . and well may happiness be contented with it self ; that is , with such a condition , that he that is possest of it , can neither desire it should be better , nor have any cause to fear it should be worse . . pleasure and delight , which is something more than contentment : for one may be contented with an affliction and painful condition , in which he is far from taking any pleasure and delight . no affliction is joyous for the present , but grievous , as the apostle speaks , heb. . but there cannot be perfect happiness without pleasure in our condition . full pleasure is a certain mixture of love and joy , hard to be exprest in words , but certainly known by inward sense and experience . and thus i have endeavour'd to describe to you , as well as i could , according to our imperfect conceptions and expressions of god , the happiness of the divine nature , and wherein it consists . i proceed to the ii. thing i proposed , which was to shew , that this attribute of perfection doth belong to god ; and that the divine nature is perfectly blessed and happy ; and this is so universal an acknowledgment of natural light , that it would be a very superfluous and impertinent work , to trouble you with particular citations of heathen authors to this purpose ; nothing being more frequent in them , than to call the deity , beatissimam & perfectissimam naturam , the most happy and most perfect being , and therefore happy , because felicity doth naturally result from perfection . it shall suffice to take notice of these two things out of heathen writers , to my present purpose . . that they accounted happiness so essential to the notion of a god , that this was one of the ways which they took to find out what properties were fit to attribute to god , and what not , to consider what things are consistent with happiness , or inconsistent with it ; and whatever did signifie happiness , and was a perfection consistent with it , they ascribed to god , as a suitable property of the divine nature ; and whatever was otherwise , they remov'd it from god , as unfit to be said of him. . whatever differences there were among the philosophers concerning the perfections of the divine nature , they all agreed in the perfect felicity of it ; even epicurus himself , who so boldly attempted to strip the divine nature of most of its perfections , by denying that god either made or govern'd the world , whereby he took away at once his being the first cause and original of all things , and his goodness likewise , and wisdom , and power , and justice ; or , at least made all these useless , by taking away all occasion and opportunity for the exercise of them ; yet this man does frequently own , and profess to believe the happiness of the divine nature ; and then out of an ignorant , and officious kindness to the deity , and ( as he pretended ) for the security of his felicity , did in effect take away his other perfections ; he would by no means put god to the trouble and burden of making the world , or taking care of the affairs of it , lest this should discompose the deity , or be an interruption or disturbance of his ease and felicity . for thus lucretius , the great disciple of epicurus , describes his opinion of the divine nature , omnis enim divûm , per se , natura necesse est , immortali aevo summâ cum pace fruatur , semota à nostris rebus , sejunctaque longè . nam privata dolore omni , privata periclis , ipsa suis pollens opibus , nihil indiga nostrî . nec benè pro meritis capitur , nec tangitur irâ . that is , it is necessary that the divine nature should be happy , and therefore altogether unconcern'd in our affairs ; free from all grief and danger , sufficient for it self , and standing in need of no body , neither pleased with our good actions , nor provoked by our faults . this was a very false notion both of god and happiness , to imagine that the care of the world should be a pain and disturbance to infinite knowledge , and power , and goodness . but this is not now my business to consider ; that which is to my present purpose , is , that the happiness of the divine nature was universally owned ; and that blessedness is so inseparable from the notion of a deity , that whoever professes to believe a god , must acknowledge him to be perfectly happy . as for the testimony of scripture , i have already told you , that there are but two texts wherein this title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the happy or blessed , is given to god ; but by consequence the scripture every where declares the happiness of the divine nature , viz. wherever it speaks of the excellency and perfection of his being , of his knowledge , and power , and wisdom , and goodness , and righteousness , and of the eternity and unchangeableness of these , and of the infinite delight and complacency which he takes in the enjoyment of these perfections . i shall now proceed to the iii. and last thing , which i proposed to consider , viz. how far creatures are capable of happiness , and by what ways and means they may be made partakers of it . they are not capable of absolute and perfect happiness , because that results from infinite perfection , which is no where to be found but in god : it remains then that creatures are only capable of being happy in a finite and limited degree , by the resemblance of god , and by the enjoyment of him ; by being like to him , and by our likeness to him , being qualified for his favour , and for the enjoyment of him . as we are creatures of a finite power , and limited understandings , and a mutable nature , we do necessarily want many of those perfections , which are the cause and ingredients of a perfect happiness . we are far from being sufficient for our own happiness ; we are neither so of our selves , nor can we make our selves so by our own power ; for neither are we wise enough for our own direction , nor good enough for our own satisfaction . all the happiness that we are capable of is , by communication from him , who is the original and fountain of it ; by our being made partakers of the divine nature , ( as st. peter speaks ) by our resemblance of god in those perfections which are the most essential ingredients of happiness , his goodness , and righteousness , and truth , and holiness ; these do immediately qualifie us for the favour and friendship of almighty god , and for the blessed sight and enjoyment of him ; and the favour of god , and the light of his countenance lifted up upon us , and his friendship and good-will to us , supplies all the defects of power and wisdom in us : for god being our friend , we have an interest in all his perfections , and a security , that as occasion requires , they will all be employ'd for our benefit and advantage ; so that tho' we are weak in our selves , we are strong in the lord , and in the power of his might , and are able to do all things through him strengthning us ; and tho' we want wisdom , we may have free recourse to the fountain of it , and ask it of god , who gives to all liberally , and upbraideth not . and it is next to having these perfections in our selves , to know where to have them for asking , whenever we stand in need of them , so far as is necessary to our happiness . so that tho' our happiness depend upon another , yet if we be careful to qualifie our selves for it , ( and god is always ready to assist us by his grace to this purpose ) it is really and in effect in our own power ; and we are every whit as safe and happy in god's care and protection of us , as if we were sufficient for our selves . however this is the highest happiness that the condition of a creature is capable of , to have all our defects supply'd in so liberal a manner by the bounty of another , and to have a free recourse to the fountain of happiness , and at last to be admitted to the blessed sight and enjoyment of him , in whose presence is fulness of joy , and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore . i have done with the three things i proposed to speak to . but to what purpose , may some say , is this long description and discourse of happiness ? how are we the wiser and the better for it ? i answer ; very much , in several respects . . this plainly shews us , that atheism is a very melancholy and mischievous thing ; it would take away the fountain of happiness , and the only perfect pattern of it ; it endeavours at once to extinguish the being of god , and all the life and comfort of mankind , so that we could neither form any idea of happiness , or be in any possibility of attaining it . for it is plain , we are not sufficient for it of our selves ; and if there be not a god , there is nothing that can make us so ? god is the true light of the world , and a thousand times more necessary to the comfort and happiness of mankind , than the sun it self , which is but a dark shadow of that infinitely more bright and glorious being ; the happy and only potentate ( as the apostle describes him in the latter end of this epistle ) who only hath immortality , dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto , whom no man hath seen , nor can see , meaning in this mortal state . so that the greatest enemies , and most injurious of all others to mankind , are those who would banish the belief of a god out of the world ; because this is to lay the ax to the root of the tree , and at one blow to cut off all hopes of happiness from mankind . so that he is a fool indeed , that says in his heart there is no god ; that is , that wisheth there were none ; because it is not possible for a man to wish worse to himself , and more effectually to destroy his own happiness . . if the divine nature be so infinitely and compleatly happy , this is a very great confirmation of our faith and hope concerning the happiness of another life , which the scripture describes to us , by the sight and enjoyment of god. as we are creatures , we are not capable of the happiness that is absolutely and infinitely perfect , because our nature is but finite , and limited ; but the blessed god who is infinitely happy himself , can also make us happy according to our finite measure and capacity . for , as he that is the first and original being , can communicate being to other things , so he that is the fountain of happiness , can derive and convey happiness to his creatures . and we shall the more easily believe this , when we consider that goodness , as it is the prime perfection , so is it likewise the chief felicity of the divine nature . it is his glory and delight to communicate himself , and shed abroad his goodness ; and the highest expression of the divine goodness , is to communicate happiness to his creatures , and to be willing that they should share and partake with him in it . base and envious natures are narrow and contracted , and love to confine their enjoyments and good things to themselves , and are loth that others should take part with them ; but the most noble and most generous minds are most free and enlarged , and cannot be happy themselves unless they find or make others so . this is the highest pitch of goodness , and consequently the highest contentment , and the supream delight of the divine nature . now it is natural to every being , to be most frequent and abundant in those acts in which it finds the greatest pleasure ; to be good , and to do good is the supream felicity of god himself ; therefore we may easily believe , that he is very ready and forward to make us happy , by all the ways that are agreeable to his wisdom and righteousness ; and that he is also willing to make us abundantly so , and to advance us to the highest degree of felicity , of which our nature is capable , if we do not render our selves incapable of such a blessing , by an obstinate refusal of it , and utter indisposition for it . this , i say , is very credible , because the happiness of god himself consists in that propension and disposition of nature , which tends to make others happy . and if there can be any accession to that which is infinite , god himself finds a new pleasure and felicity in the communication of his goodness to his creatures , and therefore is represented in scripture , as glad of the conversion of a sinner , because the sinner hereby becomes capable of the happiness which god design'd for his creatures , and is always ready to confer upon them , whenever they are qualified for it , and he can , with the honour of his other perfections , bestow it upon them . there are two things which raise our hopes and expectation of good from any person ; if he be able and willing to bestow upon us what we hope for from him . now if any one can confer happiness upon us , it is he who is infinitely possest of it , and hath all the treasures of it in himself ; and that god only is ; who , as he is able , so is willing to make us happy , if we be qualified for it ; and it is no impairing of his happiness to make others happy ; for even that goodness which inclines him to communicate happiness to others , is a great part of his own felicity ; so that , as our saviour argues , because i live , you shall live also ; we may reason in like manner , that because god is happy , we shall be happy also , if we do but sincerely desire and endeavour to qualifie our selves for it . the goodness of god does strongly incline him to desire our happiness , and makes him willing and ready to bestow it upon us , when ever we are capable to receive it . so that the goodness of god is the great foundation of all our hopes , and the firmest ground of our assurance of a blessed immortality . it is the happiness of the divine nature to communicate himself ; and the communications of god's goodness to us are the cause of our happiness ; and therefore , both for our example and encouragement , the goodness of god ought always to be represented to the greatest advantage , and we should endeavour to possess our minds with a firm belief and perswasion of it , and to remove from the divine nature ( which we all acknowledge to have infinitely more goodness than is to be found in any of the sons of men ) whatever we would not attribute to a good man , and to vindicate god from all suspicion of envy and ill-will , of cruelty and arbitrary dealing with his creatures . and i cannot apprehend why men should be averse from these so agreeable and delightful apprehensions of god ; or how it should be any man's interest to lessen the goodness of god ; for most certainly the better god is in himself , the better and happier it will be for us all , if it be not our own fault . . from what hath been said concerning the happiness of the divine nature , we may learn wherein our happiness must consist , namely , in the image and in the favour of god ; in the favour of god as the cause of of our happiness ; and in the image of god , as a necessary inward disposition and qualification for it . unless god love us , we cannot be happy , for miserable are they whom he hates ; for god to say of any man , that his soul hath no pleasure in him , imports as great misery , and as dreadful a curse as can be imagin'd , and his soul can have no pleasure in a bad man ; for he loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity , he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him ; the wicked shall not stand in his sight ; he hateth all the workers of iniquity . nay , if we could suppose that he could love and take pleasure in any person that is unlike to him ( which is impossible ) yet that person could not be happy , because he would want that inward frame and disposition of mind , which is necessary to happiness . for the very same causes and ingredients which make up the happiness of god , must in an inferior degree be found in us , otherwise we cannot be happy ; no , tho' a man were in heaven , if he be still a bad man , coelum , non animum mutavit , he hath only changed the climate , and is gone into another countrey , but he bears himself still about him , and his mind is not changed , which would signifie a thousand times more to his happiness , than any place or outward circumstance whatsoever . a bad man , wheresoever he goes , hath a root of gall and bitterness within him , and is miserable from himself ; he hath a fiend in his own breast , and the fuel of hell in a guilty conscience . for there is a certain temper and disposition of mind , that is necessary and essential to happiness , and that is holiness and goodness , which is the nature of god ; and so much as any person departs from this temper , so far he removes himself , and runs away from happiness : and as sin is a departure from god , so the punishment of it is likewise exprest by departing from him ; depart from me ye cursed ; depart from me all ye that work iniquity , i know you not . and this is one great part of the misery of those degenerate and accursed spirits , the devils , who are for ever banish'd from the presence of god , that they are of a temper quite contrary to god , wicked and impure , envious and malicious , mischievous and cruel ; and such a temper is naturally a torment and disquiet to it self . and here the foundation of hell is laid in the evil disposition of our minds ; and 'till this be cur'd , and set right , it is as impossible for any of us to be happy , as it is for a limb that is out of joint to be at ease . and the external presence of god , and a local heaven ( if we could imagine such a person to be admitted into it , and see all the glories of that place , and the pleasures and delights of that state ) all this , i say , would signifie no more to make a bad man happy , than heaps of gold and diamonds , and consorts of the most delicious musick , and a well-spread table , and a rich and costly bed would contribute to a man's ease in the paroxysme of a fever , or in a violent fit of the stone ; because the man hath that within which torments him , and 'till that be removed , he cannot possibly be at ease . the man's spirit is out of order , and off the hinges , and tost from its centre , and 'till that be set right , and restor'd to its proper place and state by goodness and holiness , the ma● will be perpetually restless , and cannot possibly have any ease or peace in his mind : for how can there be peace , how can there be happiness to him , who is of a temper directly opposite to it ? the wicked , saith the prophet , isa . . , . is like the troubled sea when it cannot rest , whose waters cast up mire and dirt . so long as there is impurity in our hearts , and guilt upon our consciences , they will be restlesly working ; there is no peace saith my god to the wicked . the hebrew word which we translate peace , signifies all kind of happiness ; there can be no felicity to a bad man. the consideration whereof should put us upon the most serious and earnest endeavours to be like god , that we may be capable of his favour , and partakers of his felicity . the divine nature is the only perfect idea of happiness , and nothing but our conformity to it can make us happy . i have been so long upon this argument , on purpose to convince men of the necessity of holiness and goodness , and all other virtues , to our present and future happiness . they understand not the nature of happiness , who hope for it , or imagin they can attain it in any other way . the author and the fountain of happiness , he that made us , and alone can make us happy , cannot make us so in any other way , than by planting in us such a disposition of mind , as is in truth a participation of the divine nature , and by endowing us with such qualities as are the necessary materials and ingredients of happiness . there is no way to partake of the felicity of god blessed for ever , but by becoming holy and righteous , good and merciful as he is . all men naturally desire happiness , and seek after it , and are as they think travelling towards it , but generally they mistake their way . many are eager in the pursuit of the things of this world , and greedily catch at pleasures and riches and honour , as if these could make them happy ; but when they come to embrace them , they find that they are but clouds and shadows , and that there is no real and substantial felicity in them . many say , who will shew us any good ? meaning the good things of this world , corn , and wine , and oil ; but wouldst thou be happy indeed ? endeavour to be like the pattern of happiness , and the fountain of it ; address thy self to him in the prayer of the psalmist , lord lift thou up upon me the light of thy countenance , and that shall put more joy and gladness into my heart , than the men of the world can have , when their corn and their wine increaseth . many say , lo here , and lo there ! that happiness is in a great place , or in a plentiful estate , or in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures and delights ; but believe them not ; happiness is something that is nearer and more intimate to us , than any of the things of this world ; it is within thee , in thine heart , and in the very inward frame and disposition of thy mind . in a word , if ever we would be happy , we must be like the blessed god , we must be holy , and merciful , and good , and just , as he is , and then we are secure of his favour ; for the righteous lord loveth righteousness , and his countenance will behold the upright . then we shall be qualified for the enjoyment of him , and take pleasure in communion with him , because we shall be like him . for the surest foundation of love and friendship is a similitude of temper and disposition ; every thing naturally affects its own likeness , and moves towards it , and greedily catcheth at it , and gladly runs into the embraces of it . god and man must be like one another , before they can take pleasure in one another : if we be unlike to god , it is in the nature of the thing impossible that we should be happy in one another , and therefore there must be a change either in god or us , to bring about this likeness . the nature of god is inflexible , fixt , and unchangeable ; therefore change thy self sinner , and endeavour to be like god ; for since he cannot depart from his holiness , and purity , thou must leave thy sins , and be holy as he is holy , if ever thou hopest to be happy , as he is : every man that hath this hope in him , must purifie himself , even as he is pure . now to this happy and only potentate , king of kings , and lord of lords , who only hath immortality , and dwelleth in that light which no man can approach unto , whom no man hath seen , nor can see ; to him be honour , and power everlasting . amen . sermon iv. the unchangeableness of god. james i. . with whom is no variableness , nor shadow of turning . the whole period runs thus , do not err , my beloved brethren , every good gift , and every perfect gift is from above , and cometh down from the father of lights , with whom is no variableness , nor shadow of turning . the connexion and dependance of these words upon the former is briefly this ; the apostle had asserted before , that god is not the author of sin and evil , v. , . let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god , for god is untemptable by evil , neither tempteth he any man : but every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust , and enticed ; and here in the text he asserts , that god is the fountain and author of all good ; do not err , my beloved brethren ; as if he had said , do not mistake me , tho' sin and evil be not from god , but from our selves , and our own corrupt hearts ; yet all good is from god , and not from our selves : tho' we be the authors of the sins we commit ; yet we are not so of the good that we do , that is from god ; every good gift , and every perfect gift is from above , and cometh down from the father of lights . sin which is nothing but evil and imperfection , is not from god , but wholly from our selves ; but whatever is good and perfect , is not from our selves , but from god ; we are neither inclined to that which is good , nor are able of our selves to perform it ; both the inclination and the power are from god , who is the fountain of goodness and perfection , and can never be otherwise , and can never change nor cease to be so , for with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning . every good gift , and every perfect gift ; all that goodness , and all those degrees of perfection , which are in the creatures , in the highest angels or saints , in the best of the sons of men , whatever there is of excellency and perfection , of goodness or happiness in any of them , is from above , that is from heaven , it is the gift of god , and cometh down from that perfect good and glorious being , whom the apostle here calls the father of lights , in allusion to the sun , which is a kind of universal benefactor to the world , and liberally dispenseth his light and heat and influence upon all things here below : but then there is this difference , the sun changeth its habitudes and positions in reference to us , and varies its shadows , it riseth and sets , comes nearer to us , and goes farther from us ; but it is otherwise with this intellectual and immaterial sun , the father of lights , with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which are all astronomical words ; the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the various habitudes and positions wherein the sun appears to us every day , at its rising , in the meridian , and when it sets ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word which belongs not to the daily , but to the yearly course of the sun , which is nearer to us , or farther from us , as he approacheth nearer towards the northern or southern tropicks ; and hence it is that it casts several shadows to people in several countries ; and agreeably to this , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , casting of shadows , being joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifies the variation of the shadows according to the course and motion of the sun. but god is an eternal spring of light , which never riseth or sets , which hath no mixture of shadow nor darkness , hath no changes nor variations , but is always the same free and liberal dispenser of good things to his creatures ; the father of lights , with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning ; which words signifie the immutable perfection and goodness of the divine nature , which shall ( by gods assistance ) be the subject of my present discourse ; in which i shall proceed in this method . first , i shall briefly explain what is meant by the immutability , or unchangeableness , of the divine nature . secondly , i shall shew that this is a perfection essential to god , to be immutably what he is , that is good and perfect . thirdly , i shall answer an objection which lies against it , from the mention so often made in scripture of god's repenting himself . and fourthly , apply the consideration of it to our selves . i. for the explication of it . by the immutability of god , we mean that he always is , and was , and to all eternity will be the same , that he undergoes no changes either of his essence and being , or of his properties and perfections . in reference to the unchangeableness of his being , he is said to be eternal , incorruptible , and only to have immortality . in reference to his perfections , he is always the same infinitely wise , and good , and powerful , and holy , and just being ; from whence it follows , that he is constant and immutable in all his decrees and counsels , his purposes and promises . we are uncertain and mutable in in our very nature and beings , and in all those qualities and perfections which belong to us , in all our purposes , resolutions and actions ; we are continually growing or decreasing in this or that quality , and do frequently change from one extream to another , from that which is more perfect to the contrary , now knowing , and then ignorant , somtimes wise , and oftner foolish , stronger and weaker , better or worse , as it happens , and as we order our selves , continually waxing or waining in our knowledge , and wisdom , and goodness , and power ; we frequently change our minds , and alter our purposes , and break our promises , and contradict our firmest and most serious resolutions , and speak a thing and do it not , say it and do not bring it to pass ; but god is everlastingly the same in all his perfections , constant to his intentions , steady to his purpose , immutably fixt and persevering in all his decrees and resolutions . i proceed to the ii. thing i proposed , namely , to shew that this perfection is essential to god , to be unchangeably what he is . and this i shall endeavour to make manifest both from natural reason , and from the divine revelation of the holy scriptures . . from the dictates of natural reason , which tells us , that nothing argues greater weakness and imperfection than inconstancy and change. this is the great vanity of all creatures , that they are uncertain , and do not long continue in one state ; this is the vanity of the world in general , that the fashion of it passeth away ; and of man in particular , that he is liable to so many natural changes , by age , and diseases , and death , for which reason he is said by the psalmist , to be in his best estate altogether vanity ; and that he is liable to so many moral changes , to be deluded and deceived in his understanding , and to alter his opinion so often , to be so fickle in his will , and to change so often his purposes and resolutions , according to the alteration or appearance of things . we attribute change and inconstancy to persons of the weakest age and understanding , as children , who are liable to be tost to and fro , and carried about with every wind , as the apostle speaks , eph. . . now if the divine nature were subject to change , this would cast an universal cloud upon all the divine perfections , and obscure all other excellencies , and make them like the flower of the field , which , how gay and glorious soever , is fading and perishing ; and the greater the divine perfections are , the greater imperfection would mutability be ; for as the corruption of the best things is the worst , so the better any thing is , so much the worse it would be to have it liable to corruption and change. and as mutability in god would darken all his other perfections , so would it take away the foundation and comfort of all religion ; the ground of our faith , and hope , and fear , of our love and esteem of god would be quite taken away . we could have no great honour or esteem for a being that is fickle and inconstant ; if his power and justice were uncertain , his threatings would in a great measure lose their awe and force ; if his truth and faithfulness could fail , no promises and declarations , how gracious soever , would be any security or firm ground of trust and confidence . and this reasoning is not the result of divine revelation , but clearly founded in the natural notions and suggestions of our minds , as will appear by citing one or two testimonies to this burpose , of those who had no other guide but natural light. plato in his phoedo enquires , whether the most perfect ( that is god ) be always the same , or sometimes thus , and sometimes otherwise , that is ( saith he ) whether that which is equality and goodness and bounty it self , receives any the least change at any time , and be not constant and uniform , and of it self always the same , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and is never in any wise upon , any account , subject to any change or alteration whatsoever ? to which he answers , that it is necessary that he should be the same and always alike . and lib. . de repub. where he lays down the fundamental laws and constitutitions of religion , he mentions these two ( which one would almost think he borrow'd from st. james , but that he lived so long before him ) viz. first , that god is the cause of all good , and and in no wise of any evil ; answerably to what our apostle here asserts , that god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man : but that every good and perfect gift is from him . secondly , that god doth not deceive us , by making various representations of himself to us , sometimes in one form , and sometimes in another ; for he is unchangeable and always the same , and cannot , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pass out of his own idea , or be any other than what he is ; which he further confirms by this excellent reasoning , that which is the best and most perfect being is not liable to any alteration ; but such a being is god , and therefore he cannot be changed by any thing that is weaker and less perfect than himself , and he cannot will to change himself ; for if he should , it must either be for the better or for the worse ; it cannot be for the better , for being already possest of all perfection , there can be no accession of any to him by any change ; and certainly there is no wise being , as god is , that will change for the worse , and therefore he concludes , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that being the goodliest and best being that is possible , he always continues simply the same . seneca likewise speaking of the immutability of god's counsels ( l. . de benef. ) statuerunt ( says he ) quae non mutarent , neque unquam primi consilii deos poenitet , the gods make unchangeable decrees , and never repent them of their first counsel . . this will yet more clearly appear from the divine revelation of the holy scriptures , which tell us that god is unchangeable in his nature and in his perfections , in all his decrees and purposes and promises . in his essence and being , exod. . . i am that i am , this is his name , whereby he made known himself to the comfort of his people , and to the terrour of the egyptians their oppressors . psal . . . from everlasting to everlasting thou art god. psal . . . thou art the same , and thy years fail not . mat. . . i am the lord and change not . hence it is that the title of the living god is so frequently attributed to him ; and he swears by this , as denoting not only his eternity , but his unchangeableness ; as i live , saith the lord. hither likewise we may refer those texts where he is call'd the incorruptible god , rom. . ; the immortal king , tim. . ; and is said only to have immortality , tim. . . and he is immutable likewise in his perfections ; hence it is so often said in the psalms , that his goodness and his mercy endure for ever ; his righteousness likewise is said to endure for ever . psal . . . and psal . . ; to be like the great mountains , not only visible and conspicuous , but firm and immoveable ; and the same likewise is said of his truth and faithfulness , psal . . . his truth endureth for ever ; and of his power esa· . . in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . and so likewise in his decrees and purposes and promises , psal . . . the counsel of the lord standeth for ever , and the thoughts of his heart to all generations ; esa . . . surely as i have thought , so shall it come to pass , and as i have purposed , so shall it stand . numb . . . god is not a man that he should lie , or as the son of man that he should repent ; hath he spoken , and shall not he do it ? hath he said it , and shall not he bring it to pass ? if he hath made any promise , or entred into any covenant with us , it is firm and immutable , psal . . . he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail , his covenant will he not break , nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips . his covenant and his promise are in themselves immutable ; but for our further assurance , god hath given us his oath , the highest sign of immutability ; so the apostle to the hebrews tells us , chap. . . that by two immutable things , ( viz his promise and his oath ) in which it is impossible for god to lie , we might have strong consolation , who are fled for refuge to the hope which is set before us . i proceed to the iii. thing i proposed , which is to answer an objection , which may seem to lie against what hath been said , from the mention so often made in scripture of god's repenting himself ; as gen. . . where it is said that it repented god that he had made man ; sam. . . that he repented that he had made saul king ; and sam. . . when the angel had stretched out his hand over jerusalem to destroy it , it is said that the lord repented him of the evil ; and psal . . . the lord saith there that he will repent himself concerning his servants . to all which i answer , that this expression of god's repenting we are to understand ( as many others in scripture ) after the manner of men , and as spoken by way of condescention and accommodation to our weakness and capacity , and not as casting any imputation of mutability and inconstancy upon god , as if out of levity or for want of foresight , he did alter his mind ; but when god is said to repent that he made man , or that he made saul king , the change was not in him , but them ; and it signifies not that god was absolutely deceived in his expectation , but that things had fallen out contrary to all reasonable expectation ; and therefore the scripture cloaths god with the humane passion of repenting and grieving for what he had done , as men use to do when they are greatly disappointed and fall short of their expectation . and as for the other instances , wherein god is said to repent him of evils threatned , the expression only signifies thus much , that god doth not execute that which seemed to us to have been his peremptory purpose and resolution , that is , he is pleased to do otherwise than his threatning seemed openly to express , because of some tacit condition implyed in it , which he did not think fit to acquaint us with . and this doth not at all derogate from the constancy and immutability of god ; for when god did threaten , he spake what he did really purpose and intend , if something did not intervene to prevent the judgment threatned , upon which he was resolved at that time when he threatned , to be taken off and to stay his hand ; and in thus doing , god doth not mutare consilium sed sententiam ; he doth not change his inward counsel and purpose , but takes off the sentence , which was past with reserved conditions and unknown to us , on purpose to urge us the more effectually to repentance . and that god usually reserves such conditions , not only in his threatnings , but sometimes also in his promises , appears from that remarkable text , jer. . , , , . at what instant i shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdom , to pluck up , and to pull down , and to destroy it ; if that nation , against whom i have pronounced , turn from the evil , i will repent of the evil that i thought to do unto them : at what instant i shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdom , to build and to plant it ; if it do evil in my sight , that it obey not my voice , then i will repent of the good wherewith i said i would benefit them . and from this very consideration the same prophet encourageth the people to repenpentance , jer. . . therefore now amend your ways and your doings , and obey the voice of the lord your god , and the lord will repent him of the evil he hath pronounced against you . and we have a famous instance of this in the case of niniveh , the destruction whereof within forty days after , god had openly proclaimed by his prophet ; yet he stops the execution of the sentence upon their repentance , jonah . . the men of niniveh turned from their evil ways , and the lord repented of the evil he said he would do unto them , and he did it not . all that now remains is to apply this doctrine of the immutability of the divine nature to our selves ; and the consideration of it may serve to several good purposes , both in reference to bad and good men. first , in regard to sinners and wicked men. and , st . the unchangeableness of god is matter of great terrour to wicked men. let but the sinner consider what god is , and the consideration of his unchangeable nature must need terrifie him ; he is a holy god , and of purer eyes than to behold iniquity , hab. . . he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him , the foolish shall not stand in his sight , he hateth all the workers of iniquity , psal . . , . he is likewise a just god , and will by no means clear the guilty , nor let sin go unpunisht , exod. . . he is also omnipotent , and able to execute the vengeance threatned against sinners . who knoweth the power of thine anger ? psal . . . thou even thou art to be feared , and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry . psal . . . strong is the lord god who judgeth . rev. . . and which gives a sad accent to all this , he that is thus holy and just and powerful , continues for ever the same , and will never alter or put off any of these properties , will never cease to hate iniquity , and to be an implacable enemy to all impenitent sinners ; and is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of this holy and just and omnipotent god who lives for ever , and can punish for ever ? let all obstinate sinners hear this and tremble ; you cannot be more obstinately bent to continue in your wicked ways , than god is peremptorily resolved to make you miserable . if you be determined upon a sinful course ; god is also determined how he will deal with you , that he will not spare , but that his anger and jealousie shall smoke against you , and that all the curses that are written in his book shall light upon you , and that he will blot out your name from under heaven ; he hath sworn in his wrath , that unbelieving and impenitent sinners shall not enter into his rest ; and for the greater assurance of the thing , and that we may not think , that there is any condition implyed in these threatnings , he hath confirmed them by an oath , that by this immutable sign , in which it is impossible for god to lie , sinners might have strong terrours , and not be able to fly to any in hopes of refuge . ly . the consideration of gods unchangeableness , should likewise be a very powerful argument to urge sinners to repententance . if they will but leave their sins and turn to him , they will find him ready to receive them upon their repentance and submission ; for he is a god gracious and merciful , slow to anger and ready to forgive , he is unchangeably good , and his mercy endureth for ever : but if they will not come in , and submit to these terms , there is nothing before them but ruin and destruction , nothing then remains but a fearful looking for of judgment , and fiery indignation to consume them . god hath declared to us the terms of our pardon and peace , and if we will not come up to them , he is at a point , he cannot change his nature , nor will he alter the terms of his covenant ; there is a perfect and eternal opposition between the holy nature of god , and an impenitent sinner ; and 't is impossible such an one should be happy , till this opposition be remov'd ; and to do that , there are but two ways imaginable , by changing god or by changing our selves ; the nature of god is fixt and unalterable ; god cannot recede from his own pure nature ; therefore we must depart from our sinful and corrupt nature : god cannot quit his holiness ; therefore we must leave our sins : we can have no hope to change god ; therefore we must change our selves . rectifie sinner thine own corrupt nature , and renounce thy lusts , do not venture upon impossibilities , rather think of altering thy sinful nature , which may be changed , than of altering the divine nature , which is essentially immutable , with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning . god hath once condescended so far , as to take our nature upon him , to make us capable of happiness ; but if this will not do , he can go no lower , he will not , he cannot put off his own nature to make us happy . secondly , in reference to good men , the consideration of gods unchangeableness is matter of great consolation to them , in all the changes and vicissitudes of the world ; their main comfort and hope is built upon a rock , the rock of ages , as the expression is in the prophet isaiah . . it relies upon the unchangeable goodness and faithfulness of god , all whose promises are yea and amen truth and certainty . all other support , and hopes may fail us : but god will not suffer his faithfulness to fail , his covenant will he not break , nor alter the thing which is gone out of his lips , as the psalmist assures us , psal . . . men may break their word , and be less than their promises : but god is faithful , who hath promised to give grace and glory , and to withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly ; he is not as man , that he should lie , or as the son of man that he should repent ; hath he spoken and shall he not do it ? hath he said it , and shall not he bring it to pass ? if there be any thing that hath the appearance of a change in god , it is usually on the merciful side , as when he stops the execution of his threatnings upon the repentance of a sinful nation ; as in that remarkable text which i mention'd before , jer. . , . at what instant i shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdom , to pluck up , and to pull down , and to destroy it , if that nation against whom i have pronounced , turn from their evil , i will repent of the evil that i thought to do unto them ; and so likewise when his faithful people and servants are in great distress , and there is no visible help and means of relief , in this case likewise god is said to repent and to appear for their rescue , deut. . . the lord shall judge his people , and repent himself for his servants , when he seeth that their power is gone . thus we should comfort our selves in the greatest extremities , with the consideration of the immutable goodness and faithfulness of god. the things of the world are mutable , and the men of the world ; even those things which seem most constant , as the heavens ; and to be setled upon the surest foundations , as the earth ; yet these shall be changed , psal . . , , . of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth , and the heavens are the work of thy hands , they shall perish , but thou shalt endure , all of them shall wax old like a garment , as a vesture shall thou change them , and they shalt be changed , but thou art the same , and thy years shall have no end ; from whence the psalmist infers this comfort to the church and people of god , v. , the children of thy servants shall continue , and their seed shall be establisht before thee . nothing that is mutable can be a solid foundation of comfort and confidence . men are inconstant , and riches are uncertain , and all other things which men commonly trust to , and therefore the apostle chargeth them that are rich in this world , not to trust in uncertain riches , but in the living god. he only that lives for ever is a firm foundation of hope and confidence . when god would comfort the israelites in egypt under their great oppression , he bids moses only to declare to them his immutability , exod. . . say unto them , i am that i am , hath sent me unto you ; and this is the great comfort of christians , that he who is the same saviour , and their hope , is the same yesterday , to day , and for ever ; he that was , and that is , and that is to come , in all durations the same . we are continually changing , and are not the same we were ; some of us were young and now are old ; once perhaps flourisht in great prosperity , but now are poor and needy ; were once strong and healthful , but now sickly and weak ; it should comfort us in all these changes , that god is still the same , and he alone is instead of all other comforts and supports , when all other things fail , we may rejoyce in the lord , and joy in the god of our salvation . youth , and health , and riches , and friends , may forsake us ; but god hath promised , that he will never leave us nor forsake us ; that he will not leave us when we are old , nor forsake us when our strength faileth , when our strength fails , and our heart fails , then is he the strength of our hearts , and our portion for ever ; and when our great change shall come , and the terrors of death shall take hold of us , we have still the same comfort , the lord liveth , and blessed be the god of our salvation . in a word , the consideration of god's immutability should keep us fixt and unmoved in all the changes and accidents of this world , and not apt to be startled and surprized at them , according to that of the psalmist , he shall not be afraid of evil tidings , because his heart is fixed , trusting in god. this should make us constant to him and his truth , stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the lord , for as much as we know , that our labour shall not be in vain in the lord ; it should make us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , in full assurance , that god will be as good to us as his word , and in a firm hope and perswasion of that eternal life , which god that cannot lie hath promised . sermon v. the knowledge of god sam . . . the lord is a god of knowledge . i come now to speak of those properties and perfections which relate to the divine understanding , and will , and manner , and power of acting . knowledge considers things absolutely , and in themselves ; wisdom considers the respects and relations of things one to another , and under the notion of means and ends. the knowledge of god is a perfect comprehension of the nature of all things , with all their powers , and qualities , and circumstances ; the wisdom of god is a perfect comprehension of the respects and relations of things one to another ; of their harmony and opposition ; of their fitness and unfitness to such and such ends. the knowledge of god only implies his bare understanding of things ; but his wisdom implies the skill of ordering and disposing things to the best ends and purposes , to make every thing , and to govern and administer all things in number , weight , and measure . i shall , at present speak of the first of these , the knowledge of god , which , as i said , is a perfect comprehension of the nature of all things , and of every thing belonging to their nature ; of the powers , and qualities , and circumstances of things . these words signifie god to be the fountain of knowledge ; that is , that he possesseth it himself , and communicates it to others . in the handling of this , i shall first , endeavour to prove , that this attribute belongs to god. secondly , shew the perfection and the prerogatives of the divine knowledge . thirdly , draw some practical inferences from the whole . first , for the proof of it , i shall attempt it two ways . . from the dictates of natural light and reason . . from scripture or divine revelation . . from the dictates of natural light and reason . i begin with this first , because , unless this be establish'd , all divine revelation falls to the ground ; unless natural reason assures us , that god is endowed with knowledge and vnderstanding , it is in vain to enquire after divine revelation . for to make any revelation credible , two things are requisite on the part of the revealer , ability and integrity ; that he have a perfect knowledge and vnderstanding of the thing which he reveals , so that he cannot be deceived himself ; and so much goodness and truth that he will not deceive us . now unless our reason assure us that god is endowed with knowledg and vnderstanding , the first condition is evidently wanting , viz. ability , and consequently the second , integrity ; for there cannot be goodness and veracity without knowledge . this being premised , i proceed to the proof of it from such arguments as our natural reason suggests to us . i have formerly told you , that the divine perfections are not to be proved by way of demonstration , but by way of conviction , by shewing the absurdities and inconveniencies of the contrary ; for if we deny knowledge to god , we must deny it to be a perfection ; we must deny it to be in any of the creatures ; we must attribute many other imperfections to god ; all which are absurd to our natural reason ; for natural reason dictates to us , that knowledge is a perfection , that it is to be found in the creatures , and that the denial of it to god will argue many other imperfections in the divine nature ; now these are so many arguments which natural reason offers to us to prove , that knowledge belongs to god. . it is a perfection , and therefore belongs to god. natural reason tells us , tho' the scripture had not said it , that knowledge excells ignorance , as much as light doth darkness ; now whatever is perfect and excellent , is to be attributed to the divine nature , for this is the first notion we have of god , that he is a being absolutely perfect . . knowledge is to be found in some of the creatures , and therefore is much more in god the creator , because it is derived from him . our very understandings whereby we know god , or any thing else , are an argument that knowledge and vnderstanding are in god. if he gives wisdom to the wise , and knowledge to them that know vnderstanding , if he communicates this perfection to the creatures , he himself is much more possest of it . the scripture indeed useth this argument , but i mention it as that which natural reason doth suggest to the most brutish and ignorant of men. psal . . , , . vnderstand ye brutish among the people , and ye fools when will ye be wise ? he that planted the ear , shall he not hear ? he that formed the eye , shall he not see ? . the denyal of this perfection to god , argues many other imperfections in the divine nature . nothing would more eclipse the divine nature , than to take away this perfection from it ; this would bring an universal obscurity upon god's other perfections ; this would be to put out the light of heaven , and to turn the brightness of the morning into the shadow of death . if we remove this perfection from god , we deny his wisdom . he that does not know the nature and qualities of things , cannot know how to apply means to ends , to fit or sute one thing to another : and we weaken his power . what an impotent and ineffectual thing would power be without knowledge ? what irregular things would it produce ? what untoward combinations of effects would there be , if infinite power were let loose to act without the conduct of knowledge and vnderstanding ? and consequently we take away his providence ; for without knowledge there can be no counsel , no fore-cast of events , no provision for the future , no government of the world. and this is not all , for without knowledge there could be no such thing as goodness ; for he is not good that does good out of ignorance , or from a blind necessity . there could be no veracity , nor justice , nor mercy in god ; for all these suppose knowledge . he that speaks truth must know it ; he that is just must understand right from wrong ; he that shews mercy , must know who are miserable , and how they may be relieved ; and not to labour in a thing so plain and casie , take away the knowledge of god , and you render him incapable of any honour from his creatures ; for if he know not what honour we do him , it is lost labour to give him any . and that we may see these are the deductions of natural reason , without the advantage of revelation , we shall find the heathens , who were destitute of divine revelation , did attribute this perfection to god. tully tells us , that thales was wont to say , deos omnia cernere ; and we know the heathens were wont to swear diis immortalibus testibus interpositis , which is an owning of his omniscience : quis enim non timeat deum omnia pervidentem , & cogitantem , & animadvertentem , curiosum & negotii plenum deum , de nat. deor. l. . . from scripture and divine revelation . i will not heap up all those testimonies of scripture which might be gathered together upon this argument ; i will only instance in two or three . job . . he that is perfect in knowledge , is with thee ; . . dost thou know the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge . hither we may refer those texts which represent god by way of condescension to our infirmity , as having eyes and ears , which signifie his knowledge of what is done in the world ; and those which speak of him as communicating to us all the knowledge which we have ; he giveth wisdom to the wise , and vnderstanding to them that know vnderstanding , dan. . . and those which speak of god , as knowing the most secret things , the hidden things of darkness , the hearts and the thoughts of men ; and those things which are at the greatest distance , as future things ; and of the greatest uncertainty , as the contingent acts of free creatures ; each of these i shall particularly consider ; for in proving that god knows all these , his knowledge of all other things will be proved with advantage ; for if any thing be out of the reach of the divine vnderstanding , it must in all probability be either those things which are secret and hidden , as mens secret actions , or their thoughts ; or else those things which are to come , and depend upon no certain cause , as future contingencies ; and the proving of this may be of great use to us , as having a great influence upon practice ; it tends very much to the advancement of religion , and the good government of our lives . i begin with the i. of these , viz. that god takes very exact and particular notice of all the actions of men , even those that are most secret . and in handling of this , i shall speak distinctly to these three things . . that god takes knowledge of all our actions ; his eyes are upon the ways of man , and he seeth all his goings , job . . . that he is a curious observer of them ; he seeth all his goings , he marks all his steps , takes very exact and particular notice of all that we do . . he takes notice of those actions which are most secret and hidden ; there is no darkness nor shadow of death , where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves , job , . . that god takes notice of all our actions . and that this notion was planted in the mind of man , and a beam of the light which comes with us into the world , will appear by the general agreement of heathens in it ; i will but produce one or two testimonies to this purpose . tully lays down this principle , as that which makes men regular and orderly , and fit for society ; sit igitur hoc persuasum civibus , qualis quisque sit , quid agat , quid in se admittat deos intueri . socrates , as xenophon tells us , was wont to say , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . arrian in his discourse upon epictetus tells us , it is necessary that every one should be perswaded of this , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that every thing that is done by men is seen of god. the scripture frequently mentions this , psal . . . &c. prov. . . the ways of man are before the eyes of the lord , and he pondereth all his goings . jer. . . thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men , to give every one according to his ways , and according to the fruit of his doings . . he is a curious observer , one that takes exact notice of all that we do . job saith , he seeth all our steps ; and solomon , that he pondereth all our goings ; the word is , he weighs them in a ballance . so sam. , . the lord is a god of knowledge , by him actions are weighed . job . . doth he not see my ways , and count all my steps ? which doth not imply the difficulty , but the perfection and exactness of god's knowledge ; he kn●ws the quality of our actions , and all the circumstances of them , all the degrees of good and evil that are in them ; whatever may commend an action , or blemish it ; whatever may aggravate a sin or excuse it . isa . . thou most upright dost weigh the path of the just . there 's not a good word that we speak but god hears it , mal. . . and the lord hearkened and heard , and a book of remembrance was written before him ; and all we do is noted in his book , psa . . . . he takes notice of those actions which are most secret and hidden , the good as well as the bad ; when we do our alms in secret , when we enter into our closets and shut the doors , our father seeth in secret , mat. . nor can we retire our selves to any place , where we can sin so as god shall not see us , where we can hide our sins from his sight , or our selves from his wrath . hear how sensibly a heathen speaks of this ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; arrian in ep. l. . c. . the scripture is full of testimonies to this purpose , psal . . . thou hast set our iniquities before thee , and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance ; those sins which we commit in the dark are in the light of the divine knowledge , darkness and light are all one to him ; psal . . , . jer. . , , . can any hide himself in secret places , that i shall not see him ? ii. god knows the hearts and thoughts of men , which implys these two things . st . his perfect knowledge of them . ly . that this is his peculiar prerogative . st . god perfectly knows the hearts of men , jer. . . i the lord search the hearts and try the reins ; where by heart and reins , which are the most inward parts of the body ; and lie least open to discovery , are signified the most secret thoughts and motions of the soul , these god is said to search and try , not as if it were a work of labour and difficulty to the divine knowledge to penetrate the hearts of men , and to dive into their thoughts , but to signifie to us the perfection and exactness of the divine knowledge ; as when men would know a thing exactly , they search into every part of it , and examine every thing narrowly ; so god is said to search the heart , to signifie to us that he knows the hearts of men , as throughly as we do any thing upon the strictest search and most diligent examination ; upon the same account he is said elsewhere in scripture to weigh the spirits of men , prov. . . all the ways of man are clean in his own eyes , but the lord weigheth the spirits ; that is , he hath as perfect a knowledge of the secret motions and inclinations of mens hearts , as men have of those things which they weigh in a ballance with the greatest exactness . now that god hath this perfect knowledge of mens hearts , the scripture frequently declares to us ; that he knows the hearts of all men , kings . . for thou , even thou knowest the hearts of all the children of men. chron. . . the lord searcheth all hearts , and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts . how close and reserved soever men may be , what disguise soever they may use to hide their purposes from men , yet god sees them ; the things which are most dark and secret are open to his view , psal . . . he knoweth the secrets of the hearts , prov. . . hell and destruction are before him , how much more the hearts of the children of men ? whatever pretences men may make , god sees through them , and discovers the very intentions of their hearts . psal . . . the righteous lord tryeth the hearts and reins . heb. . . it is said there of the word of god , that it is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart ; for all things are naked and open to the eye of him with whom we have to do , and there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight ; nay he knows our thoughts at a distance , what they will be , before they actually are , psal . . . thou knowest my thoughts afar off . 't is true indeed every man is conscious to his own thoughts , and privy to the motions of his own mind , when they are present , and when they are past , if he have not forgot them ; but no man knows what he shall think to morrow , but this god knows , for he knows us more intimately and throughly than we do our selves ; god is greater than our hearts , and knows all things , john . . and tho' the scripture had not revealed this so plainly , yet we had not been wholly ignorant of it ; it is a principle implanted in us , and born with us , as being part of that natural notion which men have of god ; the reason of our minds tells us that god knows our hearts ; and the fears and jealousies of our minds are an evidence of it . ( st . ) the reason of every man's mind tells him , that the supreme being , whom we call god , is endowed with all perfection , and among his other perfections , that he excels in knowledge ; and to the perfection of knowledge it is required , that it extend it self to all objects , and that nothing be exempted from it . the knowledge of god in respect of all objects , is like the sun , in respect of this lower world , nothing is hid from the light of it . we have naturally this apprehension of god , that he is an immense being , every where present , that he intimately penetrates all places and things , and consequently that he is present to our spirits , and sees all the motions of our minds , and discerns the very secrets of our hearts ; and there can be no such thing as secresie and retirement from an eye that is every where , and a knowledge that pierceth into all things . and to convince us that these are the dictates of natural reason , without the help and assistance of divine revelation , we shall find that the heathen , who had only the advantage of natural light , were firmly possest with this apprehension , that god knows the hearts of men. this may be sufficiently collected from the frequent sayings of the wiser heathens to this purpose ; that the best and most acceptable worship of the deity is that which is inward , that of the heart and mind . to this sense tully speaks , cultus autem deorum est optimus , idemque castissimus atque sanctissimus plenissimusque pietatis , ut eos semper purâ , integrâ atque incorruptâ mente & voce veneremur , the best and holiest worship of the gods is to worship them with a pure and upright and sincere mind . to the same purpose is that known saying of the poet , compositum jus fasque animi , sanctosque recessus mentis , & incoctum generoso pectus honesto , haec cedo ut admoveam templis & farre litabo ; do but offer to god a mind inwardly resolved to be just and honest , and the plainest sacrifice will please him . now from hence , that they judged the purity of our hearts and thoughts , and an honest disposition of mind , to be most acceptable to their gods , we may certainly conclude , that they did most firmly believe that god knows the secrets of mens hearts ; otherwise there had been no need for men to endeavour to recommend themselves this way to the divine acceptance . but we need not argue this by consequence , there are many express passages in their writings , which do sufficiently signifie their belief of this principle . thales , one of their most ancient philosophers , being askt , if an unjust man could conceal himself from god , he answer'd , he cannot so much as hide from him the very thoughts and design of it . socrates ( as xenophon tells us ) was wont to inculcate this principle upon his scholar , that the gods know all things , what we say , and what we do , and what we think in silence . to the same purpose arrian in his dissertations upon epictetus laying down the principles of a virtuous life , first of all , saith he , we must learn this , that there is a god who takes care of the world , and that there is nothing hid from him , not only what we do , but not so much as what we think , and design . so likewise tully in his book of laws , let every man be firmly perswaded of this , that the gods see what every man is , and with what mind and devotion they serve them : i will add but one testimony more , and that is of seneca in his epistles , nihil deo clausum est , interest animis nostris , & cogitationibus mediis intervenit , we can keep nothing close from god , for he is present to our minds , and intimate to our thoughts ; so that you see this principle is deeply rooted in the minds of men , and that men do naturally reason themselves into it . ( . ) the natural fears of men are likewise a secret acknowledgement of this ; and i take this to be a great truth , that a man's natural actions , and such as happen upon surprise and without deliberation , are a better argument of the intimate sense of our minds , and do more truly discover what lies at the bottom of our hearts , and what notions are natural , to us , than our contrived and deliberate discourse . if i see a man upon the sudden sight of a serpent recoil and start back , tho' he tell me never so often that he is not afraid , yet i am sufficiently convinc'd of the contrary , because i see in his countenance and carriage a natural acknowledgment of fear and danger : so if men find that upon the designing of a secret wickedness , which never went further than their own hearts , their consciences do sting and lash them , that they have a sense of guilt , and feel inward frights and horrours , whatever they may say to the contrary , this is a natural acknowledgment of an invisible eye that sees them , and disallows their wicked designs . if that be true which the heathen poet says , that scelus intra se tacitum qui cogitat ullum , facti crimen habet . he that meditates any secret wickedness in his heart , is guilty to himself , as if he had committed it ; this is a plain confession , that the man stands in awe of something besides himself , and is jealous that there is one that is conscious to what he thinks . . that to have a perfect and thorough knowledge of mens hearts , is the peculiar prerogative of god. this is imply'd in the answer to that question , who can know the heart of man ? jer. . . i the lord search the heart , and try the reins ; this is the prerogative of god , and one of his chief titles , that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a knower of the heart , king. . . thou , even thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men . men may make a probable conjecture at the thoughts and designs of others , from their words and actions ; but god only knows them . men are conscious to their own thoughts and purposes , the spirit of a man that is in him , knows the things of a man ; but they cannot see into the secrets of another man's mind ; 't is god alone that knows the hearts of all men. the heart of man is a priviledg'd place , and the secret and inward workings of it are not subject to the cognisance of any but god alone . the limits of humane knowledge are the outward appearances of actions , sam. . . the lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance , but the lord looketh on the heart ; our knowledge is but superficial , and glides upon the outside and surface of things , but the divine knowledge pierceth to the very center of every thing . now the darkest place , the most inward retirement , the privatest closet in the whole world , is the heart of man , and this god only is privy to ; deus autor omnium & speculator omnium , à quo nihil secretum esse potest , tenebris interest , interest & cogitationibus nostris quasi alteris tenebris , saith min. foelix , god made all things , and sees all things , and therefore nothing can be secret from him ; he is present in darkness , and he is present to the thoughts of men , which are as it were another and a thicker darkness . the devil indeed pretends to this knowledge ; he would take upon him to know the integrity of job's heart better than god himself , and that notwithstanding the testimony which god gave of his integrity , yet if he were but soundly tried by affliction , he would renounce god , and curse him to his face : but the event proved how groundless and malicious this suggestion was . but there is a far greater difficulty in this matter , from the passages of some divines concerning the devil's immediate access to the minds of men , and his power to cast in wicked thoughts into them ; which seems by consequence to grant him some knowledge of mens hearts ; for by the same reason that he can imprint thoughts upon mens minds , he may see those that are imprinted there . that the devil is a very sagacious spirit , and can make very shrewd conjectures at the bent and inclinations of mens minds , and the probable workings of our thoughts , from a general knowledge and observation of our tempers and passions , of our interests and designs , and from the general tenour of our actions in publick and private , and from our prayers and confessions to god ( if he permit him at any time to be so near good men ) i think there is no doubt : but this is far from a knowledge of our hearts ; all this is but conjecture , and such as men may make of one another in a lower degree . but as to the business of casting in blasphemous and despairing thoughts into the minds of men , to this i would say these three things . . that there are few of these cases which may not more probably be resolved into the wickedness and infidelity of mens hearts , or into the darkness and melancholy of our tempers , which are apt to raise and suggest strange thoughts to men , and such as we may be apt to think have no rise from our selves , not considering what an odd and strange influence the disorder of our bodily humours may have upon our minds , as we see in violent fevers , and several other diseases ; and melancholy , tho' the workings of it are more still and quiet , is as truly a disease as any other ; so that i chuse rather to ascribe as much of these to a bodily distemper as may be , because it is a very uncomfortable consideration , to think that the devil hath such an immediate power upon the minds of men. . i do not see how by any means it can be granted , without prejudice to this prerogative of god , which the scripture plainly gives him , of being the only knower of the heart , that the devil can have so immediate an access to our minds , as to put wicked thoughts into them ; nor can i think , that when it is said , chron. . . that satan provoked david to number the people , and luke . . that the devil entred into judas , and acts . . that satan had filled the heart of ananias to lie unto the holy ghost , and eph. . . that the devil is the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience ; i say i cannot think that any or all of these expressions do amount to such an immediate power of putting wicked thoughts into mens minds , but they only signifie that the devil hath a greater hand in some sins than others , and that a heart wickedly bent and inclined give him a great advantage to tempt men more powerfully , by presenting the occasions of suck wicked thoughts and actions to them ; for it is usual in scripture-phrase , as to ascribe all good motions to god's spirit , so all evil thoughts and actions to the devil , not that he is the immediate cause of them , but because he is always ready to tempt men to them , and one way or other to promote them . . i see no reason to grant ( as many have done ) an immediate power to the devil over the fancies and imaginations of men , and that he may know the workings of them , tho' not the secret thoughts of mens minds ; for this seems to me to be in effect to grant him the knowledge of mens hearts , and to give him a key to that closet which god hath reserved to himself : for it is a very nice distinction which is here made between the thoughts of mens minds , and the images of their fancies ; and if these should happen to be but words that signifie the same thing , we shall unawares intrench upon the prerogative of god. therefore because the scripture is a stranger to these nice and subtile distinctions between the imaginations of the fancy , and the thoughts of the heart , i think it is much safer to assert the prerogative of god in that latitude that the scripture useth the word heart , for all the inward motions of the mind , for the thoughts and intentions of the heart , and roundly to affirm that all the inward motions of our souls are totally exempt from the immediate cognizance of any other spirit but god's alone ; and that neither angel nor devil hath any further knowledge of them , than may be collected and inferr'd in a way of probable conjecture from the particular knowledge of mens tempers and habits and designs , and the course of their actions . i proceed to the iii. particular ; god's knowledge of future events . this god proposes as the way to discern the true god from idols , isaiah . , &c. produce your cause , saith the lord , bring forth your strong reasons , saith the king of jacob , that is , let them bring some argument that may convince us that they are gods ; and he instanceth in foretelling future evants , v. . let them shew the former things , what they be , that we may consider them , and know the latter end of them ; or declare us things for to come . shew the things that are to come hereafter , that we may know that ye are gods. god puts it upon this issue , if they can foretel future things , then they are gods ; if not , they are vanity , and a work of naught , and he is an abomination that chuseth them , v. . by things to come , i understand such effects as do not depend upon any necessary cause , but upon the will of free agents , and so may be , or may not be ; from whence it is plain , that it is the prerogative of god , proper and peculiar to him , to know future events . and here i shall consider these two things . . that god knows future events . that he only knows them . . god knows future events ; which will appear from the dictates of natural light , and from scripture . ( . ) from the dictates of natural light , as it is a perfection , and that which among men is accounted the best part of wisdom ; and unless this did belong to god , how could he govern the world ? the heathens , except only the epicureans , generally granted this , as appears in those wise counsels , which we frequently meet with in them to this purpose , that we should not be anxious for the future , but having done our endeavour , leave the events of things to god , who only knows them and disposeth them . permittes ipsis expendere numinibus , quid conveniat nobis , rebusque sit utile nostris . juv. and afterward saith he , we are importunate with god for wife and children : at illis notum , qui pueri , qualisque futura sit uxor ; and that this was their opinion , appears yet more clearly from those apprehensions which they had of divination . tully lays down this for a principle , deos posse nobis signa futurarum reum ostendere ; de legibus , and in his book de divin . he tells us , that there was such a thing as divination , for it was an old opinion , jam usque ab heroicis ducta temporibus , eaque pop. rom. & omnium gentium firmata consensu , and afterward that this divination was not , sine instinctu afflatúque divino . i know they did variously explain this , according to their several opinions about fate and contingency , and their apprehensions about the providence of god. one sect of them , the stoicks , held that there was a fatal chain of causes from first to last , and things did necessarily follow one another ; and by this means they made fore-knowledge easie and explicable , and tho' in their disputes they seem to grant no such thing as events and contingencies , yet they are agreed in the thing , that those things which we call events , tho' they would not call them so , were fore-known to god. and for this i shall only cite one testimony of seneca , speaking of god's fore-knowledge of the most contingent things , the dispositions of men long before they are born ; he adds , nota est enim illis operis sui series , omniúmque illis rerum per manus suas iturarum scientia in aperto semper est ; nobis ex abdito subit ; & quae repentina putamus , illis provisa veniunt & familiaria ; and how peremptory soever this sect is in their disputes about fate , yet when they speak of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and generally in their moral discourses , they seem plainly to me to exempt the will of man from this fatal necessity . and those other sects of the philosophers that denyed fate , did generally grant god's fore-knowledge of contingent things . i grant indeed , that they did rather make god's fore-knowledge an arbitrary and voluntary than a necessary perfection , that is , that god , when he pleased to apply himself to it , could fore-know all future events : but their general opinion was , that as his providence did not extend to small and inconsiderable things , so neither his fore-knowledge . but tully seems to attribute a very perfect providence to him , and a fore-knowledge of the least things , quis non timeat omnia providentem , cogitantem , animadvertentem , & omnia ad se pertinere putantem , curiosum & negotij plenum deum ? but i cannot say he is constant to himself : but they all agree in granting to him this perfection of knowing all future things , if he pleased to trouble himself with it ; and had they not in this mistaken the nature of god , they might easily have apprehended , that 't is no trouble nor weariness to an infinite understanding that is always in act , to know the least things how many soever they be . . from scripture , which gives us testimonies and arguments of it . ( . ) testimonies isa . . , &c. acts . . known unto god are all his works , from the beginning of the world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from everlasting ; which by the way i cannot but compare with the forecited place of sen. nota enim illis operis sui series , &c. ( . ) by arguments from scripture . i will mention but one ; the clear and particular predictions of future events long before they happened . gen. . . god foretels the children of israel's deliverance after years , which he punctually accomplisht . exod. . , . the prophet that prophesied against the altar at bethel named the man that should do it , josias , years before-hand . kings . . the deliverance of the children of israel from the babylonish captivity was foretold years before to be done particularly by cyrus ; which is so strange , that the prophet brings it in with a preface of god's wisdom and power , isa . . , &c. which was afterward precisely fulfilled , when the years were expired . how are the life and death of the messias , with many particular circumstances foretold ? and did not he foretel the destruction of jerusalem years before ? but because there may be no contingency in good things , god himself may be resolved to effect them , or excite men to do them , when he hath foretold them ; you shall find that the worst things have been foretold ; the apostacy of the children of israel , deut. . . and their infidelity in times of the gospel , isa . . , , , . our saviour foretold the treachery of judas , and peter's denial of him ; now these are so evil , that it were blasphemy to suppose the holy god to have any hand in them ; and therefore are foretold by him meerly by virtue of his fore-knowledge , and the infiniteness of his vnderstanding , which reacheth things at the greatest distance , that are most contingent . sermon vi. of the knowledge of god. sam . ii. . the lord is a god of knowledge . i have consider'd this perfection of god , in some of the greatest and most difficult instances of it , his knowledge of the most secret things , the hearts of men , and future events ; against the last of which there are some objections , which i come now briefly to consider , and pass on to what remains . objection the first ; the impossibility of the thing . certainty of all knowledge depends upon the certainty of the object , therefore there cannot be a certain and determinate knowledge of any thing , but what is certainly and determinately true ; but future events , which may or may not be , have no certain and determinate truth , that is , it is not certain either that they will or will not be , because they have no certain cause , therefore there can be no infallible knowledge concerning them . answer , this i confess is the grand difficulty ; i shall not be so solicitous to take it away , as to give satisfaction to it . . i might say with a very fair probability , that the certainty of knowledge doth not depend upon the certainty of the cause , but of the object , which may be certain , tho' the cause be contingent . which i prove thus , whatever event hath actually happened , as because now it is past , it is certainly true that it was , so because it once was , it was certainly true before it was , that it would be ; as in peter's denying of christ . if it be now true that he hath denied him , it was true before , that he would deny him ; and it being determinately true , god saw it as it was ; so that here is an object of a certain knowledge . . tho' we could not explain the possibility of god's knowing future contingencies , much less the manner how ; yet we are sufficiently assured that god doth know them . i will give but one instance for the proof of this . nothing more evident than the sin of adam ; yet god fore-knew this ; how else was christ decreed before the foundation of the world ? christ was a remedy upon the occasion of sin , now the remedy could not be designed before the sin was foreseen : and this being certain , cum constat de re , frustra inquiritur de modo , when we are certain of the thing , 't is not necessary to know the manner . we are satisfied of many things , the manner whereof we do not know ; we believe the union of the soul and body , tho' no man can explain how a spirit can be united to matter ; we believe the continuity of matter , that is , that the parts of it hang together , of which whosoever saith he can give an account , doth but betray his own ignorance . and so in many other things ; that man doth not know himself , nor the measure of his own understanding , nor the nature and obscurity of things , that will not confess himself posed in many things , that doth not acknowledge that there are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , many things the manner whereof is unimaginable , and of which our best reason and understanding can give no account . . 't is very unreasonable to expect we should know all the ways which infinite knowledge hath of knowing things . we have but finite faculties and measures , which bear no proportion to infinite powers and objects . could we explain the manner how infinite knowledge knows things , we should be like god in knowledge , our understandings would be infinite like his ; and in this case especially it becomes us to put on the modesty of creatures , and to remember that we are finite and limited . some arrogant spirits take it for an affront to their understandings , that any one should expect they should believe any thing , tho' they have the highest assurance of it , if they cannot explain the particular manner of it ; they make nothing to deny god's knowledge of future events , unless they may be satisfied of the particular way how he knows them . i know there are those who undertake to explain the particular manner . some say that god sees future events in speculo voluntatis ; others say that the eternity of god is actually commensurate to all duration , as his immensity to all space , and so god doth not so properly fore-see and fore-know , as see and know future things by the presentiality and coexistence of all things in eternity ; for they say that future things are actually present and existing to god , tho' not in mensurâ propriâ , yet in mensurâ alienâ ; the school-men have much more of this jargon and canting language ; and i envy no man the understanding these phrases , but to me they seem to signifie nothing , but to have been words invented by idle and conceited men , which a great many ever since , lest they should seem to be ignorant , would seem to understand ; but i wonder most , that men , when they have amused and puzzled themselves and others with hard words , should call this explaining things . the sum of the answer is this ; that when we have done all we can , god's fore-knowledge of future events may seem contradictious and impossible to us , much less do i expect ever to be able to give a particular account of the manner of it : but we have sufficient assurance of the thing , and unless we had infinite understandings , it were vanity to pretend to explain all the ways of infinite knowledge . secondly , it is objected , that if we can admit such a knowledge in god as seems contradictious and impossible to our reason , why may we not allow and frame such notions of his goodness and justice ? to this i answer , there is a great difference between those perfections of god which are imitable , and those which are not . knowledge of future events is a perfection wherein we are not bound to be like god ; and if we are assured of the thing , that he doth know them , it is not necessary that we should know the manner of it , and dis-intangle it from contradiction and impossibility ; but it is otherwise in god's goodness and justice , which are imitable ; he that imitates , endeavours to be like something that he knows , and we must have a clear idea and notion of that which we would bring our selves to the likeness of ; these perfections of god we are capable of knowing ; and therefore the knowledge of these perfections is chiefly recommended to us in scripture , jer. . . by these god reveals himself , and declares his name , and makes himself known to us , even by those attributes which declare his goodness , and mercy , and justice , exod. . , . psal . . . deut. . , , . when god would give a description of himself to moses , he promises to cause his goodness to pass before him . so that it doth not follow , that because god's knowledge of future events is to be admitted , notwithstanding the seeming contradiction and impossibility of it , therefore we are to admit of any notion of god's justice or goodness that seems contradictious or impossible . the third , objection is made up of several inconveniencies that would follow from god's knowledge of future events . . it would prejudice the liberty of the creature . for if god have an infallible knowledge of what we will do , then we cannot but do what he infallibly foresees we will do ; for otherwise his knowledge would be fallible . answer , god's-fore-knowledge lays no necessity upon the event . in every event , we may consider the effect in it self , or with relation to the cause , and the manner how it comes to pass ; consider'd in it self , it is future , with relation to its causes it is contingent . god sees it as both , and so , as that which till it is , may be or not be ; and when it comes to pass , he sees the man do it freely ; and so before it be done , it hath no necessity ; but upon supposition of fore-sight ; as when it is , it hath upon supposition that it is , as origen excellently explains it . fore-knowledge is not the cause of the things that are fore-known ; but because the thing is future and shall be , this is the reason why it is fore-known ; for it doth not , because it was known , come to pass ; but because it was to come to pass , therefore it was fore-known ; and bare knowledge is no more the cause of any event , which because it is known must infallibly be , than my seeing a man run , is the cause of his running , which , because i do see , is infallibly so . ly . if god infallibly fore-knows what men will do , how can he be serious in his exhortations to repentance , in his expectation of it , and his grieving for the impenitency of men ? answer . all these are founded in the liberty of our actions . god exhorts to repentance and expects it , because by his grace we may do it ; he is said to grieve for our impenitency , because we may do otherwise , and will not . exhortations are not vain in themselves , but very proper to their end , tho' through our obstinacy and hardness they may be rendred vain to us and without effect . if the weight of the objection lie upon serious , and you ask how god can exhort men seriously to that which he fore-sees that they will not do , those whom he fore-knows will be finally impenitent ? i answer , if his exhortations were not serious , he could not foresee the final impenitency of men. to foresee mens final impenitency , is to foresee their willful contempt of gods warnings and exhortations , and rejection of his grace ; now mens willful contempt of his warnings and exhortations cannot be foreseen , unless god foresee that his exhortations are serious and in good earnest . having answer'd the objections against god's fore-knowing future events , i proceed to shew , ii. that god only knows future events . isa . . , . thus saith the lord , the king of israel , and his redeemer the lord of hosts , i am the first , and i am the last , and besides me there is no god : and who , as i , shall call , and shall declare it , and set it in order for me , since i appointed the ancient people , and the things that are coming , and shall come ? let them shew unto them . isa . . , . remember the former things of old , for i am god , and there is none else . i am god , and there is none like me , declaring the end from the beginning , and from ancient times the things that are not yet done , saying my counsel shall stand , and i will do all my pleasure . the reason is evident , because the knowledge of future events is beyond the reach of any finite understanding ; especially if we grant it to be beyond our finite understanding , to explain the possibility of such a knowledge ; for to be sure that is out of the reach of our knowledge , which we cannot so much as understand how it is possible it should be known by any understanding . but it may here be objected ; did not the oracles among the heathens foretel several things , which christians are satisfied came from the devil ? i have no time at present to examine the business of heathen oracles ; i could easily shew there was much imposture in them : but grant they were really delivered and given out by a spirit ; yet the darkness and ambiguity , the affected and contrived ambiguity , is such as shews that the devil was conscious to himself of the uncertainty of his knowledge in those matters ; and those few that came to pass , and are in any tolerable sense said to be accomplisht , were in such matters , either wherein prudent conjecture might go far ( and i grant the devil to be a sagacious spirit ; ) or else in dis-junctive cases , as when there are but two ways for a thing to be , it must either be so , or so , in which a bold guessing may often hit right : but guessing at future things , is far from a knowledge of them , which only can clearly be made out by punctual and particular predictions of things , with circumstances of time and person , such as we find in scripture in many instances , to the prediction of which , the greatest sagacity and the utmost guessing could do nothing , such as those predictions of which i gave instances out of scripture . i have now done with the first general head , i propos'd to be spoken to from these words , viz. to prove that this attribute of knowledge belongs to god. i proceed to the , second , viz. to consider the perfection and prerogative of the divine knowledge , which i shall speak to in these following particulars . . god's knowledge is present and actual , his eye is always open , and every thing is in the view of it . the knowledge of the creature is more power than act ; it is not much that we are capable of knowing , but there is very little that we do actually know ; 't is but one thing that we can fix our thoughts upon at once , and apply our minds to ; we can remove them to another object , but then we must take off our minds from the former , and quit the actual knowledge of it : but the knowledge of god is an actual and steady comprehension of things , he being every where present , and all eye , nothing can escape his sight , but all objects are at once in the view of the divine understanding . heb. . . neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight : but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do . . god's knowledge is an intimate and thorough knowledge , whereby he knows the very nature and essence of things . the knowledge which we have of things 't is but in part , but outward and superficial ; our knowledge glides upon the superficies of things , but doth not penetrate into the intimate nature of them , it seldom reacheth further than the skin and outward appearance of things ; we do not know things in their realities , but as they appear and are represented to us with all their masks and disguises : but god knows things as they are . sam. . . the lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance , but the lord looketh on the heart ; god knows things throughout , all that can be known of them . the quick and piercing eye of god penetrates into every thing , the light of the divine understanding lays all things open and naked , heb. . . in which expression the apostle alludes to the sacrifices of beasts , which were flead and cleft down the back bone , that the priest might look into them , and see whether they were without blemish . to the eye of our understandings most objects are close , and have their skins upon them : but to the eyes of god all things are uncovered and dissected , and he open to his view . . god's knowledge is clear and distinct . our understandings in the knowledge of things are liable to great confusion ; we are often deceived with the near likeness and resemblance of things , and mistake one thing for another ; our knowledge is but a twi-light , which doth not sufficiently separate and distinguish things from one another , we see things many times together and in a heap , and do but know them in gross ; but there is no confusion in the divine understanding , that is a clear light which separates and distinguisheth things of the greatest nearness and resemblance ; god hath a particular knowledge of the least things , luke . . even the very hairs of your head are all numbred ; those things which are of the least consideration , and have the greatest likeness to one another , the very hairs of our head , are severally and distinctly known to god. . god's knowledge is certain and infallible . we are subject to doubt and error in our understanding of things , every thing almost imposeth upon our understandings , and tinctures our minds , and makes us look on things otherwise than they are ; our temper and complexion , our education and prejudice , our interest and advantage , our humours and distempers , these all misrepresent things , and darken our minds , and seduce our judgments , and betray us to error and mistake : but the divine understanding is a clear , fixt , constant , and undisturbed light , a pure mirrour that receives no stain from affection , or interest , or any other thing . men are many times confident and apt to impose upon others , as if they were infallible : but this is the prerogative of god , the priviledge of the divine understanding , that it is secure from all possibility of errour ; 't is god only that cannot lie , tit. . . because he cannot be deceived ; the infallibility of god is the foundation of his veracity . . the knowledge of god is easie and without difficulty . we must dig deep for knowledge , take a great deal of pains to know a little ; we do not attain the knowledge of things without search and study and great intention of mind ; we strive to comprehend some things , but they are so vast that we cannot ; other things are at such a distance , that our understanding is too weak to discern them ; other things are so little , and small , and nice , that our understanding cannot lay hold of them , we cannot contract our minds to such a point as to fasten upon them : but the understanding of god being infinite , there is nothing at a distance from it , nothing too great and vast for it's comprehension , nor is there any thing so little that it can escape his knowledge and animadversion . the great wisdom of solomon is compared to the sand on the sea shore ; the shore is vast , but the sands are little ( saith one ) to signifie that the vast mind of solomon did comprehend the least things . 't is much more true of god , his understanding is a vast comprehension of the least things , as well as the greatest ; and all this god does without difficulty or pain ; he knows all things without study , and his understanding is in continual exercise without weariness . how many things are there which we cannot find out without search , without looking narrowly into , and bending our minds to understand them ? but all things are obvious to god , and lie open to his view . he is said indeed in scripture to search the heart , and to try the reins , and to weigh the spirits ; but these expressions do not signifie the painfulness , but the perfection of his knowledge , that he knows those things as perfectly , as we can do any thing about which we use the greatest diligence and exactness . . the knowledge of god is universal , and extends to all objects . we know but a few things , our ignorance is greater than our knowledge , maxima pars eorum quae scimus , est minima pars eorum que nescimus : but the divine understanding is vast and comprehensive , and by an imperious view commands all objects ; he is greater than our hearts , and knoweth all things ; he knows himself , and the excellency and perfection of his own nature , and the secrets of his will , cor. . . the spirit of god searcheth the deep things of god ; he knows all other things that are not , and all things that are , in all differences of time , their powers and qualities . the knowledge of god is infinite , psal . . . his understanding is infinite ; he knows himself and his own perfections , and all the possibilities of things , which are all infinite . now the understanding of god being infinite is incapable of any addition , or diminution , or change. our finite understandings are liable to alterations , they may grow or decline : but the knowledge of god is a full constant light , 't is always the same , not liable to any eclipse , nor capable of any exaltation or improvement , but remains for ever the same . thirdly , i come now to draw some inferences from the several parts of this discourse . i. from the perfection of god's knowledge . . the perfection of the divine knowledge calls for our veneration . every excellency commands reverence , and raiseth our admiration , and none more than knowledge , there is nothing that we value our selves or others more by , than this ; the highest knowledge of man , the most glorious understanding , that ever any one of the sons of men were endowed with , is , compared to the knowledge of god , but as a glow-worm to the sun. if we admire these candles of the lord , which shine so imperfectly in the dark ; if we reverence a little knowledge , compass'd about with ignorance ; how should we admire the father of lights , in whom is no darkness at all , that knowledge which hath nothing of blemish or imperfection in it ! . we may hence learn humility , and that on this double account . as we have all our knowledge from him ; what have we that we have not received ? and as our knowledge is very imperfect , when compared with the divine understanding . we are blind and ignorant , 't is but a few things that we are capable of knowing ; and we know but a few of those things which our natures are capable of knowing ; and of those things we do know , our knowledge is very imperfect , 't is slight and superficial , attended with much difficulty and uncertainty in the attaining of it , and error and confusion in the use of it ; the clearest reason , and the brightest understanding of man hath many flaws and defects in it ; so that the more we know of god , and of our selves , the more humble we shall be . it is an empty knowledge , and falsely so call'd , that puffs up ; as the empty ears of corn are pert and raise up themselves , but those which are big and full , droop and hang down their heads ; so 't is only ignorance that is proud and lifts men up , but true knowledge makes men humble . . this is matter of comfort and encouragement . he knows our wants and weakness , and will lay no more upon us than we are able to bear , for he considers that we are but dust ; he knows the rage and malice of our enemies , and can when he pleases put a hook in their nose , and his bridle in their lips , as he did to senacherib , kings . . . from god's knowing our secret actions , i infer . if god sees our most secret actions , this discovers and confutes the secret atheism of many . he that commits the most secret sin denies the omniscience of god. thus david describes the atheism of some in his days ; he hath said in his heart , god hath forgot , he hideth his face , he will never see it ; the lord shall not see , neither shall the god of jacob regard it ; and is not this , in effect , to deny god's being ? for it is to deny him to be what he is . a man may as well deny there is a sun , as deny that it shines and enlightens the world. there are some relicks of this even in the best men , which do at sometimes discover themselves , psal . . , . therefore his people return hither ; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them . and they say , how doth god know ? is there knowledge in the most high ? that is , the people of god come to this , when they are come to an afflicted state , and see the prosperity of wicked men , they come to this , to question the providence of god , whether he takes knowledge of the affairs of the world. but this atheism reigns in wicked men ; while they live in their sins , they live in the denyal of god's omniscience ; for did men really believe that god sees in secret , that his eye perceiveth the darkness , and lays open and naked all things before it , how durst they lie , and steal , and swear falsely ? vain man ! why dost thou seek darkness and retirement ? how art thou alone , if thou believest that god is every where ? how can'st thou retire from him ? how canst thou shut him out ? if thou believest that he is light , what security is darkness to thee ? if he look upon thee , who is the greatest and best person in the world , who is thy soveraign , thy judge , thy father , and thy master , and thy best friend ( for we use to reverence persons under these notions and relations , and to be ashamed to do any thing that is vile and unseemly before them ) if he , who is all this , look upon thee , why art thou not ashamed ? why does not thy blood rise in thy face ? why should not shame and fear work , upon the apprehension of god's seeing us , as if men did behold us ? for this , that god sees thee , is a greater surprise and discovery , and threatens thee with more danger , than if the whole world stood by thee . . live as those that believe this ; be continually under the power of this apprehension , that god takes a particular and exact notice of all thy actions . the firm belief of this would have a double influence upon us , it would encourage us in well-doing , and be a restraint upon us as to sin ; sic vivamus tanquam in conspectu vivamus , sen. it were well if men would live as if any body saw them ; but to live as if some worthy and excellent person were always present with us , and did observe us , this will be a far greater curb upon us . there are some sins of that ugliness and deformity , that a man would not commit them in the presence of any one , of a child or a fool ; and there are some persons of such worth and reverence , quorum interventu perditi quoque homines vitia supprimerent . epicurus had this good conceit of himself , that he could advise others so to act as if he stood by , fac omnia tanquam spectet epicurus ; but seneca instanceth much better in cato , or scipio , or laelius , vt sic tanquam illo spectante vivamus , and shall not the presence of the divine majesty be an eternal restraint upon us ? this was david's course to keep himself from sin , psal . . . i will take heed to my way , while the wicked is before me ; how much more in the presence of god ? i have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies , for all my ways are before thee , psal . . . and it was wisely advised by seneca , that we should so live when we are among men , as believing god sees us ; and when there is none but he sees us , let us behave our selves before him , as if men did stare upon us . iii. god's knowledge of the heart teacheth us , . the folly of hypocrisie ; how vain it is to make a shew of that outwardly , which inwardly and in our hearts we are not ; to put on a mask of religion , and paint our selves beautifully without , when inwardly we are full of rottenness and uncleanness ; to honour god with our lips , when our hearts are far from him . if we were to deal with men , this were not a very wise way , for there is danger of discovery even from them , therefore the best way for a man to seem to be any thing , is really to be what he would appear ; but having to deal with god , who knows our thoughts afar off , to whom all our disguises are transparent , and all our little arts of concealment signifie nothing , 't is a madness to hide our iniquity in our bosom . with this argument our saviour convinceth the hypocritical pharisees , luke . . ye are they that justifie your selves before men ; but god knoweth your hearts . . if god know your hearts , then endeavour to approve your hearts to him ; charge your selves with inward purity and holiness , because of the pure eyes which behold the most intimate and secret motions of your souls ; therefore cleanse your hearts from wickedness ; how long shall vain thoughts lodge within you ? fear and shame from men lay a great restraint upon our outward actions ; but how licentious are we many times in our hearts ? what a strange freedom do we take within our own breasts ? this is an argument of the secret atheism that lies at the bottom of our hearts . he that allows himself in any wicked thoughts and imaginations , which ( out of a regard to men ) he will not put in practice , this man plainly declares , that he reverenceth men more than god ; that he either disbelieves a god , or despiseth him . therefore keep your hearts with all diligence , because they are peculiarly under god's inspection ; and when you are ready to take the liberty of your thoughts , because no eye sees you , ask your selves , doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it ? and he that keepeth thy soul , doth he not know it ? as the wise man speaks , prov. . . and whatever you do in the service of god , do it heartily as to the lord. indeed if we did only worship god to be seen of men , an external worship would be sufficient : but religion is not intended to please men , but god ; he is a spirit , and sees our spirits , therefore we must worship him in spirit and in truth . thes . . . not as pleasing men , but god , who trieth our hearts . david useth this argument to his son solomon , chron. . . and thou , solomon my son , know thou the god of thy father , and serve him with a perfect heart , and with a willing mind ; for the lord searcheth all hearts , and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts . whatever liberty we may take to our selves now , and how careless soever we are of our thoughts , and the inward frame of our hearts ; yet the scripture assures us , that he , who now sees our hearts , will one day judge us according to them . jer. . . i the lord search the heart , i try the reins , even to give to every man according to his ways . and the apostle speaks of a day coming wherein god will judge the secrets of men by jesus christ , heb. . . rev. . . . this is matter of encouragement to us in many cases . in our secret troubles , psal . . . when my spirit was overwhelmed within me , then thou knewest my path . in cases of difficulty which depend upon the hearts of other men , which tho' we do not know , yet god knows them . so the apostles , acts . . when they did not know whom to chuse for an apostle , they refer it to god , and they prayed and said , thou lord which knowest the hearts of all , shew whether of these two thou hast chosen . but especially this is matter of comfort to us , when we suffer by the calumnies and reproaches of men , when the world chargeth us with crimes of hypocrisie , and falseness , and insincerity , then to be able to appeal to the searcher of hearts , as to our innocency and sincerity , and to say with the prophet jer. o lord of hosts , that tryest the righteous , and seest the reins and the heart , unto thee have i opened my cause , ch. . . and with st. peter , god which knoweth the hearts bare them witness , acts . . . this renders all the deep and profound policies of wicked men a vain thing . the lord knows the thoughts of men that they are vanity , psal . . . they are vanity , because he knows them , and can defeat them ; he can bring their counsels to nought , and make their devices of none effect . he is conscious to the first motions of their hearts ; he sees those cobwebs which they are spining , and can blow them away with a breath , he can snare them in their own policies , and turn their counsels into foolishness . thou that puttest a mask upon a wicked design , and hidest the malice and revenge of thine heart , under a dissembling countenance , god sees thy design , and hath a thousand ways to prevent it . when the politicians of the world think they have laid their design sure , with all imaginable caution , and that their counsels cannot miscarry , being out of all possibility of humane discovery or prevention , for all this their counsels may come to nought , and tho' they have resolved it , yet it may not stand ; he that sits in the heavens laughs at them , the lord hath them in derision . as wise as they are , they are guilty of this over-sight , that they did not take god into consideration , by whom they are surprized and discovered . he that sees their design can blast it in a moment ; he can speak the word , and thy breath shall go forth , and thou shalt return to thy dust ; and in that very day thy thoughts perish , psal . . . . if god only knows the hearts of men , then what art thou , o man ! that judgest another's heart ? this condemns the uncharitableness of men , who take upon them to judge and censure mens hearts , which is to speak evil of the things which they know not ; to meddle with things which do not fall under their cognizance . what st. james saith ch . . . there is one law-giver , that is able to save and to destroy ; who art thou that judgest another ? is proportionably true in this case ; there is but one that knows the heart ; who art thou then that judgest another man's heart ? who art thou , o man ! that takest upon thee to sit in judgment upon thy brother , and to pass sentence upon his heart , to pronounce him a hypocrite , a wicked man , and a damned wretch ? art thou a man , and the son of man , and wilt thou assume to thy self the prerogative of god ? man can only look to the outward appearance ; but god seeth the heart . there 's nothing doth more palpably discover the un-christian spirit of that new sect which is of late risen up among us , than their taking upon them to judge men's hearts , and as confidently to censure every man they meet , as if they had a window into his breast : but they are not alone guilty of this ; those who are so ready to call men hypocrites , they invade this prerogative of god. we may pronounce an action wicked , if it be contrary to the rule ; or a man wicked , as to his present state , if the general course of his life and actions be wicked ; for our saviour tells us , by their fruits ye shall know them ; this we may do , provided we be called to it , and be sure it is so : but to call any man an hypocrite , who makes an outward profession of religion , and whose external conversation is unblameable ; this is to judge a man in a matter of which thou canst have no evidence ; this is to ascend into heaven , and step into the throne of god , and to be like the most high ; for he , even he only , knows the hearts of the children of men . iv. from god's knowledge of future events , we may learn , . the vanity of astrology , and all other arts that pretend to foretell future events , things that depend on the will of free agents . the vanity of these arts hath been sufficiently shewn by learned men , from the weakness and uncertainty of the principles they rely upon ; i shall only for the present take notice , that it contradicts this principle of religon , that god only knows future events . from prudent collections and observations , probable conjectures may be made of what will happen in some cases ; but there are no certain prospective-glasses , with which we can see future events , but divine revelation ; therefore whoeever takes upon him to foretell future events without divine revelation , he arrogates to himself that which is the prerogative of the deity ; and god delights to chastise the curiosity , and cross the predictions of these vain pretenders , isa . . , . thus saith the lord that formed thee , i am the lord that maketh all things , that stretcheth forth the heavens alone , that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self : that frustrateth the tokens of the lyars , and maketh diviners mad ; that turneth wise-men backward , and maketh their knowledge foolish . as he also in scripture threatens those who consult them , and rely upon them . those who go to astrologers , or wise men , as they call them , to know their fortunes , and enquire of the events of their life , they forsake god , and betake themselves to lying vanities . . refer future things to god who only knows them , trust him with all events ; cast your care upon him . when you have used your best prudence , and wisdom , and diligence for your supply and security for the future , leave the rest to god , for your heavenly father knoweth both your wants and your dangers . when we are over-solicitous about future things , we take god's proper work out of his hands , and usurp the government of the world. why do we take too much upon us ? we are but of yesterday , and know not what will be to morrow . mind your present duty and work , and leave events to god. secret things belong to the lord our god ; but those things that are revealed , to us and our children for ever , to do all the words of his law , deut. . . do your duty , commit the rest to god in well-doing . in this world we are in a mixt condition , which is made up of good and evil , of happiness and misery ; what is good for us to know , is revealed , that is our duty ; but in great wisdom and pity to mankind , god hath concealed and hid the rest from us . he hath hid from us the good that may happen to us , because the best things of this world are but shallow and empty , and if we could see them before-hand , we should prevent our selves in the enjoyment of them , and eat out the sweetness which is in them by delightful fore-thoughts of them . and he hath concealed future evils from us , lest we should torment our selves with the fearful expectation of them , prudens , futuri temporis exitum , caliginosâ nocte premit deus . ridetque si mortalis ultra fas trepidat . what a folly is it to make your selves miserable with fear of being so ; ante miserias miser . use all wise means to prevent what you fear , and then be satisfied , and be as happy as you can 'till misery come ; go not forth to meet it , sufficient for the day is the evil thereof ; do not anticipate the evils of to morrow , and take present possession of an evil to come ; cast your care upon him who hath promised to care for you . sermon vii . the wisdom , glory , and soveraignty of god. jude . to the only wise god our saviour , be glory and majesty , dominion and power , now and ever . i , am treating of the attributes of god ; particularly of those which relate to the divine understanding , his knowledge and wisdom . the knowledge of god only implies his bare understanding of things , but his wisdom implies the skill of ordering and disposing things to the best ends and purposes , the skill of making and governing and administring all things in number , weight , and measure . the knowledge of god rather considers things absolutely , and in themselves : the wisdom of god considers rather the respects and relations of things , looks upon things under the notion of means , and ends ; accordingly i described them thus . the knowledge of god is a perfect comprehension of the nature of all things , with all their qualities , powers , and circumstances . the wisdom of god is a perfect comprehension of the respects and relations of things one to another ; of their harmony and opposition , their fitness and unfitness to such and such ends. i have largely spoken to the first of these ; i come now to the second , the wisdom of god in general ; together with his majesty and soveraignty , as they are here joyned together . i begin with the first , that god is the only wise god. in handling of this , i shall shew . in what sense god may be said to be the only wise god. . prove that this attribute belongs to god. . in what sense god may be said to be the only wise god. for answer to this , we may take notice , that there are some perfections of god that are incommunicable to the creatures ; as his independency and eternity . these god only possesseth , and they are to be attributed to him alone , god only is independent and eternal : but there are other perfections which are communicable , that is , which the creatures may in some measure and degree partake of , as knowledge , and wisdom , and goodness , and justice , and power , and the like ; yet these the scriptures do peculiarly attribute to god , not that they are altogether incommunicable to the creature , but that they belong to god in such a peculiar and divine manner , as doth shut out the creature from any claim or title to them , in that degree and perfection wherein god possesseth them . i shall give you some instances of this . his goodness , this is reserved to god alone , matth. . . why callest thou me good ? there is none good , but one , that is god : his power and immortality , tim. . , . who is the blessed and only potentate ; who only hath immortality : his wisdom , tim. . . the only wise god ; rom. . . to god only wise be glory : his holiness rev. . . for thou only art holy. the transcendent degree and singularity of these divine perfections which are communicable , is beyond what we are able to conceive ; so that altho' the creatures partake of them , yet in that degree and perfection wherein god possesseth them , they are peculiar and proper to the deity ; so that in this sense , there is none good but god ; he only is holy , he is the only wise ; in so inconceiveable a manner doth god possess even those perfections which in some degree he communicates , and we can only understand them as he communicates them , and not as he possesseth them ; so that when we consider of any of these divine perfections , we must not frame notions of them , contrary to what they are in the creature ; but we must say that the goodness and wisdom of god are all this which is in the creature , and much more which i am not able to comprehend . this being premised in general , god may be said to be only wise in these two respects . . as being originally and independently wise . . as being eminently and transcendently so . . god only is originally and independently wise . he derives it from none , and all derive it from him , rom. . , . o the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of god! how unsearchable are his judgments , and his ways past finding out ! for who hath known the mind of the lord , or who hath been his counsellor ? or who hath first given to him , and it shall be recompensed unto him again ? for of him , and through him , and to him are all things , to whom be glory for ever , amen . he challengeth any creature to come forth and say that they have given wisdom , or any other perfection to god ; no , all creatures that are partakers of it , derive it from him . prov. . . for the lord giveth wisdom . eccl. . . god giveth to a man that is good in his sight , wisdom , and knowledge , and joy . dan. . . he giveth wisdom to the wise , and knowledge to them that know vnderstanding . . he is eminently and transcendently so . and this follows from the fo●mer ; because god is the fountain of wisdom , therefore it is most eminently in him , psal . . , . he that planted the ear , shall he not hear ? he that formed the eye , shall he not see ? he that teacheth man knowledge , shall not he know ? in like manner we may reason concerning all other attributes of god , that if he communicate them , he is much more eminently possest of them himself ; the greatest wisdom of the creatures is nothing in opposition to the wisdom of god , nothing in comparison to it . nothing in opposition to it ; job . . he taketh the wise in their own craftiness . job . . he is wise in heart , and mighty in strength ; who hath hardned himself against him , and prosper'd . prov. . . there is no wisdom , nor vnderstanding , nor counsel , against the lord. cor. . . he will destroy the wisdom of the wise ; v. . and by foolish things confound the wise . nothing in comparison of it . there are a great many that pretend to wisdom , but most are destitute of true wisdom ; and those who have it , they have it with many imperfections and disadvantages . usually those who are destitute of true wisdom pretend most to it , job . . vain man would be wise , tho' he be born like a wild asse's colt . the high and the great of this world pretend to it , job . . great men are not always wise . learned men they pretend to it ; the heathen philosophers were great professers of wisdom , rom. . . professing themselves to be wise , they became fools , they were wise to do evil , but to do good they had no understanding , as the prophet speaks , jer. . . the politicians of the world they pretend to it ; but theirs is rather a craftiness than a wisdom ; men call it prudence , but they are glad to use many arts to set it off , and make it look like wisdom ; by silence , and secresie , and formality , and affected gravity , and nods , and gestures . the scripture calls it the wisdom of this world , cor. . . and a fleshly wisdom , cor. . . 't is wisdom misapply'd , 't is the pursuit of a wrong end. the petty plots and designs of this world are far from wisdom , cor. . . the lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise , that they are vain . that cannot be wisdom , which mistakes its great end , which minds mean things , and neglects those which are of greatest concernment to them . job . . he that is wise is profitable to himself . prov. . . if thou be wise , thou shalt be wise for thy self . tully tells us , ennius was wont to say nequicquam sapere sapientem , qui sibi ipsi prodesse non quiret . the wise sages of the world as to the best things are fools , matt. . . god hath hid these things from the wise and prudent . there are many that are wise in their own conceits , but there is more hope of a fool than of them , prov. . . so that the greatest part of that which passeth for wisdom among men is quite another thing . nihil tam valde vulgare quàm nihil sapere ; we talk much of prodigies , maximum portentum vir sapiens , tul. those few in the world that are the children of true wisdom , they have it in a very imperfect degree , they are not usually so wise for their souls , and for eternity , as men of this world , luke . . the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. it is attended with many inconveniencies , eccl. . . in much wisdom there is much grief ; he speaks of the wisdom about natural things . but we need not instance in the folly of wicked men , and worldly men , and in the imperfect degrees of wisdom which are to be found in good men , in wisdom's own children ; the wisdom of god needs not these foils to set it off : the wisdom of man in innocency , or of the highest angel in heaven , bears no proportion to the un-erring and infinite wisdom of god. we mortal men many times mistake our end out of ignorance , apply unfit and improper means for accomplishing good ends ; the angels in glory have not a perfect comprehension of the harmony and agreement of things , of the unfitness and opposition of them one to another : but the divine wisdom propounds to it self the highest and best ends , and hath a perfect comprehension of the fitness and unfitness of all things one to another ; so that angels are but foolish beings to god ; job . . his angels he chargeth with folly . job , upon a full enquiry after wisdom , concludes that it belongs only to god , that he only is perfectly possest of it , job . . &c. but where shall wisdom be found ? and where is the place of understanding ? in such an eminent and transcendent degree it is not to be met with in any of the creatures ; god only hath it , v. . god knoweth the place thereof . ii. i shall prove that this perfection belongs to god , . from the dictates of natural reason , and . from scripture . . from the dictates of natural reason . i have often told you the perfections of god are not to be proved by way of demonstration , because there is no cause of them ; but by way of conviction , by shewing the absurdity and inconvenience of the contrary . the contrary is an imperfection , and argues many other imperfections , therefore wisdom belongs to god. among men folly is look'd upon as the greatest defect ; it is accounted a greater reproach and disgrace , than vice and wickedness ; it is of so ill a report in the world , that there are not many but had rather be accounted knaves than fools ; but in a true esteem and value of things , it is , next to wickedness , the greatest imperfection ; and , on the contrary , wisdom is the highest perfection next to holiness and goodness ; it is usually more cryed up in the world than any thing else . reason tells us , tho' the scripture had not said it , that wisdom excells folly as much as light doth darkness , eccl. . . the wisdom of a man maketh his face to shine , eccl. . . wisdom is a defence , . . and v. . wisdom strengthneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in the city . and the denyal of this perfection to god would argue many other imperfections ; it would be an universal blemish to the divine nature , and would darken all his other perfections . it would weaken the power of god. how impotent and ineffectual would power be without wisdom ! what irregular things would it produce ! what untoward combinations of effects would there be , if infinite power should act without the conduct and direction of infinite wisdom ! it would eclipse the providence of god , and put out the eyes that are in the wheels , as the prophet represents god's providence . there can be no counsel , no fore-cast , no orderly government of the world without wisdom . the goodness , and mercy , and justice , and truth of god , could not shine with that lustre , were it not for his wisdom which doth illustrate these with so much advantage . i need not bring testimonies from heathen writers to confirm this , their books are full of expressions of their admiration of god's wise government of the world. i will not trouble you with quotations of particular testimonies . epicurus indeed denyed that god either made or govern'd the world ; but he must needs acknowledge him to have been a very wise being , because he made him happy , which cannot be without wisdom , tho' he had taken away all other evidence of his wisdom . aristotle seems to have supposed the world to be a necessary result and emanation from god : but then the other sects of philosophers did suppose the world to be the free product of god's goodness and wisdom . . from scripture ; job . . . he is wise in heart ; . . he is mighty in strength and wisdom . dan. . . blessed be the name of god for ever and ever , for wisdom and might are his . hither we may refer those texts which attribute wisdom of god in a singular and peculiar manner , rom. . . and those which speak of god as the fountain of it , who communicates and bestows it upon his creatures , dan. . . james . . and those texts which speak of the wisdom of god in the creation of the world , psal . . . o lord , how wonderful are thy works , in wisdom hast thou made them all ; jer. . . who hath establisht the world by his wisdom , and stretched forth the heavens by his discretion ; in the providence and government of the world , dan. . . wisdom and strength are his , and he changeth times and seasons , he removeth kings and setteth up kings ; and in many other places ; in the redemption of mankind ; therefore christ is called the wisdom of god , cor. . . and the dispensation of the gospel , the hidden wisdom of god , and the manifold wisdom of god , eph. . . if then god be only wise , the original and only fountain of it , from hence we learn , first , to go to him for it . jam. . . if any man lack wisdom , let him ask it of god. there are many conceited men , that think they are rich and increased , and stand in need of nothing . the apostle doth not speak as if there were some that did not want wisdom , but because there are some so proud and conceited , that they think that they lack nothing ; those are stark fools , and god resists such foolish and proud men : but if any man , sensible of his defect and imperfection , cometh to god , he gives liberally and upbraids no man. we are ashamed to learn wisdom of men , lest they should contemn and upbraid us with our folly ; men are envious and unwilling that others should be as wise as themselves : but god's goodness makes him willing to impart wisdom , he gives liberally , and upbraids no man. this is the most desirable accomplishment and perfection ; happy is the man that getteth wisdom ; wisdom is the principal thing , therefore get wisdom ; it is better than those things that are of highest value among men , as solomon often makes the comparison . now because it comes down from above , we should look up for it ; it 's by the revelation of his will , and the wise counsels of his word , that we are made wise unto salvation , therefore we should beg of him , that he would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of himself , eph. . . . if god be only wise in such an eminent and transcendent degree , then let us be humble . there 's no cause of boasting , seeing we have nothing but what we have receiv'd . the lowest instance , the least specimen of divine wisdom out-shines the highest pitch of humane wisdom ; the foolishness of god is wiser than men , cor. . . therefore let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , jer. . . of all things we should not be proud of wisdom ; the proud man throws down the reputation of his wisdom , by the way that he would raise it . no such evidence of our folly , as as a conceit that we are wise ; sapientis animus nunquam turgescit , nunquam tumet , cic. to pride our selves in our own wisdom , is the way to have our folly made manifest . god threatens to destroy the wisdom of the wise man , and to turn their wisdom into foolishness . . we should labour to partake of the wisdom of god , so far as it is communicable . the greatest wisdom that we are capable of , is to distinguish between good and evil ; to be wise to that which is good , as the apostle speaks , rom. . . that is , to provide for the future in time , to make provision for eternity , to think of our latter end , to fear god and obey him , to be pure and peaceable , to receive instruction , and to win souls ; these are the characters which the scripture gives of wisdom . when job had declared that the excellency of the divine wisdom was not to be attained by men ; he tells us what that wisdom is , which is proper for us ; and unto man he said , the fear of the lord that is wisdom , and to depart from evil , that is understanding . there are many that are wise to worldly ends and purposes , as our saviour tells us , wise to get riches , and to ascend to honours : but this is not the wisdom which we are to labour after ; this is but a short-witted prudence , to serve a present turn , without any prospect to the future , without regard to the next world , and the eternity which we are to live in ; this is to be wise for a moment , and fools for ever . . if god be only wise , then put your trust and confidence in him . whom should we trust rather than infinite wisdom which manageth and directs infinite goodness and power ? in all cases of difficulty trust him for direction , acknowledge him in all thy ways , that he may direct thy steps , commit thy way unto the lord , and lean not to thine own understanding . the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , but the providence of god disposeth all these things . and if we rely upon our own wisdom , that will prove a broken reed . and as our own wisdom is a broken reed , so the wisdom of other men , isa . . , . god curseth them that go down into egypt , and trust to their strength and wisdom , but look not to the holy one of israel , neither seek the lord ; yet he also is wise , saith the prophet . . let us adore the wisdom of god , and say with st. paul , tim. . . to the only wise god be honour and glory , for ever and ever amen ; and with daniel , blessed be the name of god for ever and ever , for wisdom and might are his . veneration is the acknowledgement of an infinite excellency and perfection . we reverence any extraordinary degree of wisdom in men ; but the divine wisdom which is perfect and infinite , is matter of our adoration , and blessing , and praise . thanksgiving respects the benefits we receive : but we bless god when we acknowledge any excellency ; for as god's blessing us is to do us good , so our blessing him is to speak good of him ; and as all god's perfections are the objects of our blessing , so more especially his wisdom is of our praise ; for to praise god is to take notice of the wise design and contrivance of his goodness and mercy towards us . before i pass on to the other particulars contained in these words , i cannot but take notice that this wise god , here spoken of , is stiled our saviour , which some understand of our saviour jesus christ , and bring this place as an argument to prove his divinity ; and if that were so , it were all one to my purpose , which is in the next place to shew that glory , and majesty , and dominion , and power belong to the divine being . but altho' i would not willingly part with any place that may fairly be brought for the proof of the divinity of christ , yet seeing there are so many plain texts in scripture for the proof of it , we have the less reason to stretch doubtful places ; and that this is so , will appear to any one who considers that the title of saviour is several times in scripture attributed to god the father ; besides that in a very ancient and authentick copy , we find the words read somewhat otherwise , and so as to put this out of all controversie , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. having premised thus much for the clearing of these words , i shall briefly consider , first god's glory and majesty , and then his dominion and soveraignty . first , god's glory and majesty . by majesty , we may understand the greatness , or eminent excellency of the divine nature , which results from his perfections , and whereby the divine nature is set and placed infinitely above all other beings ; i say the eminent excellency of the divine nature , which results from his perfections , more especially from those great perfections , his goodness , and wisdom , and power , and holiness . and his glory is a manifestation of this excellency , and a just acknowledgment and due opinion of it . hence it is , that in scripture god is said to be glorious in power , and glorious in holiness , and his goodness is call'd his glory ; and here in the text , glory and majesty are ascribed to him upon the account of his wisdom and goodness . that these belong to god , i shall prove , . from the acknowledgment of natural light. the heathens did constantly ascribe greatness to god , and that as resulting chiefly from his goodness , as appears by their frequent conjunction of these two attributes , goodness and greatness . opt. max. were their most familiar titles of the deity ; to which i will add that known place of seneca , primus deorum cultus est deos credere , dein reddere illis majestatem suam , reddere bonitatem , sine quâ nulla majestas . . from scripture . it were endless to produce all those texts wherein greatness and glory are ascribed to god. i shall mention two or three . deut. . . the lord is a great god ; psal . . . he 's call'd the king of glory ; , . he is said to be cloathed with majesty and honour . the whole earth is full of his glory . hither belong all those doxologies in the old and new testament , wherein greatness and glory and majesty are ascribed to god. from all which we may learn , . what it is that makes a person great and glorious , and what is the way to majesty , viz. real worth and excellency , and particularly that kind of excellency which creatures are capable of in a very eminent degree , and that is goodness ; this is that which advanceth a person , and gives him a pre-eminency above all others ; this casts a lustre upon a man , and makes his face to shine . aristotle tells us , that honour is nothing else but the signification of the esteem which we have of a person for his goodness ; for , saith he , to be good , and to do good , is the highest glory . god's goodness is his highest glory ; and there is nothing so glorious in any creature , as herein to be like god. . let us give god the glory which is due to his name ; ascribe ye greatness to our god , deut. . . give unto the lord , o ye mighty , give unto the lord glory and power , psal . . . the glory and majesty of god calls for our esteem and honour , our fear and reverence of him . thus we should glorifie god in our spirits , by an inward esteem and reverence of his majesty . the thoughts of earthly majesty will compose us to reverence : how much more should the apprehensions of the divine majesty strike an awe upon our spirits in all our addresses to him ? his excellency should make us afraid , and keep us from all saucy boldness and familiarity with him . reverence is an acknowledgment of the distance which is between the majesty of god and our meanness . and we should glorifie him in our bodies , with outward worship and adoration ; that is , by all external significations of reverence and respect ; and we should glorifie him in our lives and actions . the highest glory a creature can give to god , is to endeavour to be like him ; satis illos coluit , quisquis imitatus est , sen. hereby we manifest and shew forth his excellency to the world , when we endeavour to be conformed to the divine perfections . and in case of sin and provocation , we are to give glory to god by repentance , which is an acknowledgment of his holiness , who hates sin ; and of his justice , which will punish it ; and of the mercy of god , which is ready to pardon it ; for it is the glory of god to pass by a provocation . . we should take heed of robbing god of his glory , by giving it to any creature , by ascribing those titles , or that worship to any creature , which is due to god alone . this is the reason which is given of the second commandment ; i the lord am a jealous god ; god is jealous of his honour , and will not give his glory to another , nor his praise to graven images , isa . . . upon this account , we find the apostle reproves the idolatry of the heathens , because thereby they debased the esteem of god , and did shew they had unworthy thoughts of him , rom. . , . when they knew god , they glorified him not as god , but became vain in their imaginations . and changed the glory of the incorruptible god into an image made like to corruptible man , and to birds and four-footed beasts , and creeping things . hereby they denyed the glorious excellency of the divine nature ; that is , that he is a spirit , and so incapable of being represented by any material or sensible image . secondly , i come now to speak of the soveraignty and dominion of god. in which i shall shew , first . what we are to understand by the soveraignty and dominion of god. by these we mean the full and absolute right and title and authority which god hath to , and over all his creatures , as his creatures , and made by him . and this right results from the effects of that goodness , and power , and wisdom whereby all things are and were made ; from whence there doth accrew to god a soveraign right and title to all his creatures , and a full and absolute authority over them ; that is such a right and authority which doth not depend upon any superior , nor is subject and accountable to any for any thing that he does to any of his creatures . and this is that which is call'd summum imperium , because there is no power above it to check or control it , and therefore there can be none greater than this . and it is absolute , because all the creatures have what they have from god , and all depend upon his goodness , and therefore they owe all possible duty and perpetual subjection so long as they continue in being , because it is solely by his power and goodness that they continue ; and therefore whatever right or title any one can pretend to any person or thing , that god hath to all things , in deo omnes tituli omnia jura concurrunt . so that soveraignty and dominion signifies a full right and title and propriety in all his creatures , and an absolute authority over them , to govern them and dispose of them , and deal with them in any way he pleaseth , that is not contrary to his essential dignity and perfection , or repugnant to the natural state and condition of the creature . and for our better understanding of this , and the preventing of mistakes which men are apt to fall into about the soveraignty of god , i will shew , i. wherein it doth not consist . and , ii. wherein it doth consist . i. wherein it doth not consist . . not in a right to gratifie and delight himself in the extreme misery of innocent and undeserving creatures ; i say , not in a right ; for the right that god hath in his creatures is founded in the benefits he hath conferred upon them , and the obligation they have to him upon that account . now there 's none , who because he hath done a benefit , can have , by vertue of that , a right to do a greater evil than the good which he hath done amounts to ; and i think it next to madness , to doubt whether extreme and eternal misery be not a greater evil , than simple being is a good. i know they call it physical goodness ; but i do not understand how any thing is the better for being call'd by a hard name . for what can there be that is good or desirable in being , when it only serves to be a foundation of the greatest and most lasting misery ? and we may safely say , that the just god will never challenge more than an equitable right . god doth not claim any such soveraignty to himself , as to crush and oppress innocent creatures without a cause , and to make them miserable without a provocation . and because it seems some have been very apt to entertain such groundless jealousies and unworthy thoughts of god , he hath given us his oath to assure us of the contrary . as i live , saith the lord , i have no pleasure in the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn and live . so far is he from taking pleasure in the misery and ruin of innocent creatures , that in case of sin and provocation , he would be much rather pleased , if sinners would , by repentance , avoid and escape his justice , than that they should fall under it . the good god cannot be glorified or pleased in doing evil to any , where justice doth not require it ; nothing is further from infinite goodness than to rejoice in evil. we account him a tyrant and a monster of men , and of a devilish temper , that can do so ; and we cannot do a greater injury to the good god , than to paint him out after such a horrid and deformed manner . . the soveraignty of god doth not consist in imposing laws upon his creatures , which are impossible either to be understood or observed by them . for this would not only be contrary to the dignity of the divine nature , but contradict the nature of a reasonable creature , which , in reason , cannot be obliged by any power to impossibilities . . the soveraignty of god doth not consist in a liberty to tempt men to evil , or by any inevitable decree to necessitate them to sin , or effectually to procure the sins of men , and to punish them for them . for as this would be contrary to the holiness , and justice , and goodness of god ; so to the nature of a reasonable creature , who cannot be guilty or deserve punishment for what it cannot help . and men cannot easily have a blacker thought of god , than to imagin that he hath , from all eternity , carried on a secret design to circumvent the greatest part of men into destruction , and underhand to draw men into a plot against heaven , that by this unworthy practice he may raise a revenue of glory to his justice . there 's no generous and good man , but would spit in that man's face that should charge him with such a design : and if they who are but very drops of goodness , in comparison of god , the infinite ocean of goodness , would take it for such a reproach ; shall we attribute that to the best being in the world , which we would detest and abominate in our selves ? ii. wherein the soveraignty of god doth consist . . in a right to dispose of , and deal with his creatures in any way that doth not contradict the essential perfections of god , and the natural condition of the creature . . in a right to impose what laws he pleaseth upon his creatures , whether natural and reasonable ; or positive , of tryal of obedience , provided they contradict not the nature of god or of the creature . . in a right to inflict due and deserved punishment in case of provocation . . in a right to afflict any of his creatures , so the evil he inflicts be short of the benefits he hath conferred on them ; yea , and farther , in a right when he pleaseth to annihilate the creature , and turn it out of being , if it should so seem good to him , tho' that creature have not offended him ; because what he gave was his own , and he may without injury take it away again when he pleaseth . in these the soveraignty of god consists , and if there be any thing else that can be reconciled with the essential perfections of god. secondly , for the proof and confirmation of this . this is universally acknowledg'd by the heathens , that god is the lord and soveraign of the world , and of all creatures . hence plato calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and tully , omnium rerum dominum , lord of all ; and this the scripture doth every where attribute to him , calling him lord of all , king of kings , and lord of lords ; to which we may refer all those doxologies , in which power , and dominion , and authority are ascribed to god. i will only mention that eminent confession of nebuchadnezzar a great king , who , when his understanding came to him , was forced to acknowledge that god was the most high , dan. . , . i infer , first , negatively , we cannot , from the soveraignty of god , infer a right to do any thing that is unsuitable to the perfection of his nature ; and consequently that we are to rest satisfied with such a notion of dominion and soveraignty in god , as doth not plainly and directly contradict all the notions that we have of justice and goodness : nay it would be little less than a horrid and dreadful blasphemy , to say that god can , out of his soveraign will and pleasure , do any thing that contradicts the nature of god , and the essential perfections of the deity ; or to imagin that the pleasure and will of the holy , and just , and good god is not always regulated and determined by the essential and indispensable laws of goodness , and holiness , and righteousness . secondly , positively ; we may infer from the soveraignty and dominion of god , . that we ought to own and acknowledge god for our lord and soveraign , who by creating us , and giving us all that we have , did create to himself a right in us . . that we owe to him the utmost possibility of our love , to love him with all our hearts , and souls , and strength ; because the souls that we have he gave us ; and that we are in a capacity to love him , is his gift ; and when we render these to him , we do but give him of his own . . we owe to him all imaginable subjection , and observance , and obedience ; and are with all diligence , to the utmost of our endeavours , to conform our selves to his will , and to those laws which he hath imposed upon us . . in case of offence and disobedience , we are without murmuring , to submit to what he shall inflict upon us , to accept of the punishment of our iniquity , and patiently to bear the indignation of the lord , because we have sinned against him , who is our lord and soveraign . sermon viii . the wisdom of god , in the creation of the world. psalm . . o lord ; how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all . i am treating of the attributes and properties of god , particularly those which relate to the divine understanding , which i told you are his knowledge and wisdom . i have finisht the first , the knowledge of god. the last day i spake concerning the wisdom of god in general ; but there are three eminent arguments , and famous instances of god's wisdom , which i have reserved for a more large and particular handling . the wisdom of god shines forth in the creation of the world , in the government of it , and in the redemption of mankind by jesus christ . of these three i shall speak severally . i begin with the first , the argument of god's wisdom , which the creation doth furnish us withal . in this visible frame of the world which we behold with our eyes , which way soever we look , we are encountred with ocular demonstrations of the wisdom of god. what the apostle saith of the power of god is true likewise of his wisdom , rom. . . the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen , being understood by the things that are made , even his eternal power and god-head : so the eternal wisdom of god is understood by the things which are made . now the creation is an argument of the wisdom of god , as it is an effect of admirable counsel and wisdom . as any curious work , or rare engine doth argue the wit of the artificer ; so the variety , and order , and regularity , and fitness of the works of god , argue the infinite wisdom of him who made them ; a work so beautiful and magnificent , such a stately pile as heaven and earth is , so curious in the several pieces of it , so harmonious in all its parts , every part so fitted to the service of the whole , and each part for the service of another ; is not this a plain argument that there was infinite wisdom in the contrivance of this frame ? now i shall endeavour to prove to you that this frame of things which we see with our eyes , which we call the world , or the creation , is contrived after the best manner , and hath upon it evident impressions of counsel and wisdom . i grant the wisdom of god is infinite , and that many of the ends and designs of his wisdom are unsearchable , and past finding out , both in the works of creation and providence ; and that tho' a wise man seek to find out the work of god from the beginning to the end , he shall not be able to do it ; and we shall never be able to exhaust all the various wisdom and contrivance which is in the works of god ; tho' the oftner and the nearer we meditate upon them , the more we shall see to admire in them ; the more we study this book of the creation , the more we shall be astonish'd at the wisdom of the author : but this doth not hinder but that we may discover something of the wisdom of god , tho' it be infinite . as the effects of infinite power may fall under our senses , so the designs of infinite wisdom may fall under our reason and vnderstanding ; and when things appear to our best reason , plainly to be order'd for the best , and the greatest advantages of the world and mankind , so far as we are able to judge ; and if they had been otherwise , as they might have been a hundred thousand ways , they would not have been so well ; we ought to conclude , that things are thus , and not otherwise , is the result of wisdom . now the wisdom of god in the creation will appear by considering the works of god. those who have studied nature can discourse these things more exactly and particularly . it would require perfect skill in astronomy , to declare the motions and order of heavenly bodies ; and in anatomy , to read lectures of the rare contrivance of the bodies of living creatures . but this , as it is beyond my ability , so it would probably be above most of your capacities ; therefore i shall content my self with some general and more obvious instances of the divine wisdom , which shine forth so clear in his works , that he that runs may read it . . i shall take a short survey of the several parts of the world. . single out man the master-piece of the visible creation . . if we survey the world , and travel over the several parts of it in our thoughts , we shall find that all things in it are made with the greatest exactness , ranged in the most beautiful order , and serve the wisest and best ends. if we look up to heaven , and take notice only there of that which is most visible , the sun ; you see how by the wise order and constancy of its course it makes day and night , winter and summer . this the psalmist takes notice of , psal . . , . the heavens declare the glory of god ; and the firmament sheweth his handy work . day unto day uttereth speech , and night unto night sheweth knowledge . it may easily be imagin'd many ways , how the sun might have had another course in reference to the earth ; but no man can devise any other that should not be very much to the prejudice of the world ; so that this being the best , it is an argument that wisdom had the ordering and disposing of it . if we look down to the earth , we shall see god's ascending and descending ; i mean clear representations of divine wisdom in the treasures that are hid in the bowels of it , and those fruits that grow upon the surface of it . what vast heaps , and what variety of useful materials and minerals are scatter'd up and down in the earth , as one would think , with a careless hand , but yet so wisely disperst , as is most proper for the necessities and uses of several countries ! look upon the surface of the earth , and you shall find it cloathed and adorned with plants of a various and admirable frame , and beauty , and usefulness . look upon the vast ocean , and there you may see the wisdom of god in bridling and restraining that unruly element , i mean in sinking it below the earth ; whereas the water might have been above and cover'd the earth , and then the earth had been in a great measure useless , and incapable of those inhabitants which now possess it . look again upon the earth , and in the air , and sea , and you shall find all these inhabited and furnisht with great store of living creatures of several kinds , wonderfully made in the frame of their bodies , endowed with strong inclination to increase their kinds , and with a natural affection and care toward their young ones ; and every kind of these creatures armed either with strength or wit to oppose their enemy , or swiftness to flie from him , or strong holds to secure themselves . but the creation is a vast field , in which we may easily lose our selves . i shall therefore call home our wandring thoughts ; for we need not go out of our selves for a proof of divine wisdom . i shall therefore , . select the choicest piece of it , man , who is the top and perfection of this visible world. what is said of the elephant , or behemoth , job . . in respect of the vast bigness and strength of his body , is only absolutely true of man , that he is divini opificii caput , the chief of the ways of god , and upon earth there is none like him . man is mundi utriusque nexus , the bond of both worlds , as scaliger calls him , in whom the world of bodies , and the world of spirits do meet , and unite ; for in respect to his body , he is related to this visible world , and is of the earth ; but in respect of his soul , he is allied to heaven , and descended from above . we have looked above us , and beneath us , and about us , upon the several representations of god's wisdom , and the several parts of the creation ; but we have not yet consider'd the best piece of the visible world , which we may speak of , without flattery of our selves , and to the praise of our maker . god , when he had made the world , he made man after his own image . when he had finished the other part of the creation , he was pleased to set up this picture of himself in it , as a memorial of the workman . now we shall a little more particularly consider this piece of god's workmanship , being it is better known , and more familiar to us , as it is more excellent than the rest , and consequently a higher instance of the divine wisdom . it is observed by some , that concerning the parts of the creation , god speaks the word , let there be light , and let there be a firmament , and there was so : but when he comes to make man , he doth , as it were , deliberate , and enter into consultation about him ; and god said , let us make man in our image , after our likeness ; and let him have dominion . gen. . ; as if man , above all the rest , were the effect and result of divine wisdom , and the creature of his counsel . man may be consider'd either in himself , and in respect of the parts of which he consists , soul and body ; or with relation to the universe , and other parts of the creation . . consider him in himself , as compounded of soul and body . consider man in his outward and worse part , and you shall find that to be admirable , even to astonishment ; in respect of which , the psalmist cries out , psal . . . i am fearfully and wonderfully made , marvellous are thy works , and that my soul knoweth right well . the frame of our bodies is so curiously wrought , and every part of it so full of miracle , that galen ( who was otherwise backward enough to the belief of a god ) when he had anatomized man's body , and carefully survey'd the frame of it , viewed the fitness and usefulness of every part of it , and the many several intentions of every little vein , and bone , and muscle , and the beauty of the whole ; he fell into a pang of devotion , and wrote a hymn to his creator . and those excellent books of his , de usu partium , of the usefulness and convenient contrivance of every part of the body , are a most exact demonstration of the divine wisdom , which appears in the make of our body , of which books , gassendus saith , the whole work is writ with a kind of enthusiasm . the wisdom of god , in the frame of our bodies , very much appears by a curious consideration of the several parts of it ; but that requiring a very accurate skill in anatomy , i chuse rather wholly to forbear it , than by my unskilfulness to be injurious to the divine wisdom . but this domicilium corporis , this house of our body , tho' it be indeed a curious piece ; yet it is nothing to the noble inhabitant that dwells in it . this cabinet , tho' it be exquisitely wrought , and very rich ; yet it comes infinitely short in value of the jewel that is hid and laid up in it . how does the glorious faculty of reason and understanding exalt us above the rest of the creatures ! nature hath not made that particular provision for man , which it hath made for other creatures , because it hath provided for him in general , in giving him a mind and reason . man is not born cloathed , nor armed with any considerable weapon for defence ; but he hath reason and understanding to provide these things for himself ; and this alone excells all the advantages of other creatures ; he can keep himself warmer and safer , he can fore-see dangers and provide against them ; he can provide weapons that are better than horns , and teeth , and paws , and by the advantage of his reason , is too hard for all other creatures , and can defend himself against their violence . if we consider the mind of man yet nearer , how many arguments of divinity are there in it ! that there should be at once in our understandings distinct comprehensions of such variety of objects ; that it should pass in its thoughts from heaven to earth in a moment , and retain the memory of things past , and take a prospect of the future , and look forward as far as eternity ! because we are familiar to our selves , we cannot be strange and wonderful to our selves : but the great miracle of the world is the mind of man , and the contrivance of it an eminent instance of god's wisdom . . consider man with relation to the universe , and you shall find the wisdom of god doth appear , in that all things are made so useful for man , who was design'd to be the chief inhabitant of this visible world , the guest whom god design'd principally to entertain in this house which he built . not that we are to think , that god hath so made all things for man , that he hath not made them at all for himself , and possibly for many other uses than we can imagine ; for we much over-value our selves , if we think them to be only for us ; and we diminish the wisdom of god in restraining it to one end : but the chief and principal end of many things is the use and service of man ; and in reference to this end , you shall find that god hath made abundant and wise provision . more particularly we will consider man. . in his natural capacity , as a part of the world. how many things are there in the world for the service and pleasure , for the use and delight of man , which , if man were not in the world , would be of little use ? man is by nature a contemplative creature , and god has furnish'd him with many objects to exercise his understanding upon , which would be so far useless and lost , if man were not . who should observe the motions of the stars , and the courses of those heavenly bodies , and all the wonders of nature ? who should prie into the secret virtues of plants , and other natural things , if there were not , in the world , a creature endowed with reason and understanding ? would the beasts of the field study astronomy , or turn chymists , and try experiments in nature ? what variety of beautiful plants and flowers is there ! which can be imagin'd to be of little other use but for the pleasure of man. and if man had not been , they would have lost their grace , and been trod down by the beasts of the field , without pity or observation ; they would not have made them into garlands and nose-gays . how many sorts of fruits are there which grow upon high trees , out of the reach of beasts ! and indeed they take no pleasure in them . what would all the vast bodies of trees have served for , if man had not been to build with them , and make dwellings of them ? of what use would all the mines of metal have been , and of coal , and the quarries of stone ? would the mole have admired the fine gold ? would the beasts of the forest have built themselves palaces , or would they have made fires in their dens ? . consider man in his geographical capacity , as i may call it , in relation to his habitation in this or that climate , or country . the wisdom of god hath so order'd things , that the necessities of every country are supplyed one way or other . egypt hath no rains ; but the river nilus overflows it , and makes it fruitful . under the line , where there are excessive heats , every day there are constant gales and breezes of cool wind , to fan and refresh the scorched inhabitants . the hotter countries are furnisht with materials for silk , a light cloathing ; we that are cooler here in england , with materials for cloth , a warmer cloathing ; russia and muscovy , which are extreme cold , are provided with warm furs , and skins of beasts . . consider man in his capacity of commerce and entercourse . man is a sociable creature ; besides the advantages of commerce with remoter nations , for supplying every country with those conveniences and commodities which each doth peculiarly afford . and here the wisdom of god does plainly appear in disposing the sea into several parts of the world , for the more speedy commerce and entercourse of several nations . now if every country had brought forth all commodities ; that had been needless and superfluous , because they might have been had without commerce ; besides that the great encouragement of entercourse among nations , which is so agreeable to humane nature , would have been taken away : if every country had been , as now it is , destitute of many things other countries have , and there had been no sea to give an opportunity of trafick ; the world had been very defective as to the use of man. now here appears the wisdom of god , that the world , and all things in it , are contriv'd for the best . thus i have endeavour'd to do something toward the displaying of god's wisdom in the workmanship of the world ; altho' i am very sensible how much i have been master'd and opprest by the greatness and weight of so noble an argument . for who can declare the works of god! and who can shew forth all his praise ! the use i shall make of what has been said , shall be in three particulars . . this confutes the epicureans , who impute the world , and this orderly and beautiful frame of things to chance ▪ those things which are the proper effects of counsel , and bear the plain impressions of wisdom upon them , ought not to be attributed to chance . what a madness is it to grant all things to be as well made , as if the wisest agent upon counsel and design had contriv'd them ; and yet to ascribe them to chance ! now he that denies things to be so wisely framed , must pick holes in the creation , and shew some fault and irregularity in the frame of things , which no man ever yet pretended to do . did ever any anatomist pretend to shew how the body of man might have been better contriv'd , and fitter for the uses of a reasonable creature than it is ; or any astronomer to rectifie the course of the sun. as for the extravagant and blasphemous speech of alphonsus , that if he had stood at god's elbow when he made the world , he could have told him how to have made it better ; besides his pride , it shews nothing but his ignorance ; that he built his astronomy upon a false hypothesis , as is generally believed now by the learned in that science ; and no wonder he found fault with the world , when he mistook the frame of it : but those who have been most verst in nature , and have most pried into the secrets of it , have most admired the workmanship both of the great world , and the less . but if we must suppose the world to be as well made as wisdom could contrive it , which is generally granted ; it is a monstrous folly to impute it to chance . a man might better say , archimedes did not make any of his engines by skill , but by chance ; and might more easily maintain that cardinal richlieu did not manage affairs by any arts or policies , but they fell out by meer chance . what pitiful shifts is epicurus put to , when the best account he can give of the world , is this ; that matter always was , and the parts of it in motion , and after a great many tryals , the parts of matter at length hamper'd themselves in this fortunate order wherein they now are ; that men , at first , grew out of the earth , were nourisht by the navel-string , and when they were strong enough , broke loose and weaned themselves ; that the nostrils were made by the waters making themselves a passage out of the body ; and the stomack and bowels by the waters forcing a passage downward ; that the members of the body were not made for those vses for which they serve , but chanced to be so , and the uses afterwards found out . is it worth the while to advance such senseless opinions as these , to deny the wisdom of god ? is it not much easier , and more reasonable to say , that the wisdom of god made all these things , than to trouble our selves to imagin how all things should happen thus conveniently by chance ? did you ever know any great work , in which there was variety of parts , and an orderly disposition of them required , done by chance , and without the direction of wisdom and counsel ? how long time might a man take to jumble a set of four and twenty letters together , before they would fall out to be an exact poem ; yea , or make a book of tolerable sense , tho' but in prose ? how long might a man sprinkle oil and colours upon canvas , with a careless hand , before this would produce the exact picture of a man ? and is a man easilier made by chance , than his picture ? he that tells me that this great and curious frame of the world was made by chance , i could much more believe him , if he should tell me that henry the vii's chappel , in westminster , was not built by any mortal man , but the stones did grow in those forms into which they seem to us to be cut and graven ; that the stones ; and timber , and iron , and brass , and all the other materials , came thither by chance , and upon a day met all happily together , and put themselves into that delicate order , in which we see them so close compacted , that it must be a great chance that parts them again . now is it not much easier to imagin how a skilful workman should raise a building , than how timber , and stones , and how that variety of materials which is required to a great and stately building , should meet together all of a just bigness , and exactly fitted , and by chance take their places , and range themselves into that order . i insist the longer upon this , because i am sensible how much atheism hath gained in this age. . let us admire , and adore , and praise the wisdom of god , who hath establisht the world by his wisdom , and stretched out the heavens by his understanding ; who hath made all things in number , weight , and measure , that is , by exact wisdom . the wise works of god are the proper object of our praise ; and this is a day proper for this work of praise and thanks-giving . now under the gospel , since christ was clearly revealed , we have new matter of praise and thanksgiving ; but as god has given us christ , so he hath given us our beings . we are not so to remember our redeemer , as to forget our creator . the goodness , and power , and wisdom of god , which appears in the creation of the world , ought still to be matter of admiration and praise to christians . it is a great fault and neglect among christians , that they are not more taken up with the works of god , and the contemplation of the wisdom which shines forth in them . we are apt enough to admire other things , little toys ; but we overlook this vast curious engine of the world , and the great artificer of all things . it was truly said of one , that most men are so stupid and inconsiderate , as to admire the works of a painter or a carver , more than the works of god. there are many that have bestowed more eloquence in the praise of a curious picture , or an exact building , than ever they did upon this noble and exquisite frame of the world , or any of the works of god. we can admire the wisdom , and design , and skill of petty artists , and little engineers ; but here is wisdom in the beauty and order of the creation . did we love god , and take pleasure in the effects of his wisdom and power , we should be more in the contemplation of them . psal . . . the works of the lord are great , sought out of all them that have pleasure therein . let us then say with the psalmist , ; o lord , how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all ; the earth is full of thy riches , &c. more particularly let us , with an humble thankfulness , admire the wisdom which hath made and disposed all things so fitly for our use and service , and with so merciful a respect to us ; the light and influence of heaven ; the beasts and the fruits of the earth . we find the psalmist often praising god upon this account , psal . . , . &c. the wisdom which hath framed these bodies of ours . psal . . , , . which hath endowed us with knowledge and understanding . elihu complains , that men were apt to over-look these great blessings of god , job . , , . but none saith , where is god my maker , who giveth songs in the night ? who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth , and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ? there they cry , but none giveth answer , because of the pride of evil men . . vse ; trust the wisdom of god , which made the world , to govern it , and the affairs of it ; and the wisdom which hath framed thy body in so curious and exquisite a manner , and formed thy spirit within thee , and hath made so many creatures , with reference to thy necessity and comfort , trust him for thy future provision . mat. . . i say unto you , take no thought for your lives , what ye shall eat , &c. is not the life more than meat ? and the body than rayment ? he hath given us our souls , he hath breathed into us the breath of life , and made these bodies without our care and thought ; he hath done the greater , will he not do the less ? when thou art ready anxiously and solicitously to say , what shall i do for the necessaries of life ? consider whence thou didst receive thy life , who made this body of thine ; thou mayst be assur'd that the wisdom which hath created these , consider'd how to supply them ; the wisdom of god knew that you would want all these , and hath accordingly provided for them , therefore fear not . sermon viii . the wisdom of god , in his providence . preached at kensington . i peter v. . casting all your care upon him , for he careth for you . amongst the several duties , which towards the conclusion of this epistle the apostle exhorts christians to , this is one , not to be over-much solicitous and concerned about what may befal us , but to refer our selves to the providence of god , which takes care of us . in speaking to this argument , i shall i. consider the nature of the duty here required , which is to cast our care upon god. ii. the argument used to perswade us to it ; because he careth for us . i. for the nature of the duty here required . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an anxious care about events ; a care that is accompanied with trouble and disquiet of mind about what may befall us ; about the good that we hope for , and desire ; or about the evil which we fear may come upon us . this the apostle exhorts us to throw off ; and to leave to the providence of god and his care , all those events which we are apt to be so solicitous and disquieted about . the expression seems to be taken out of psal . . . cast thy burthen upon the lord , and he shall sustain thee . now that we may not mistake our duty in this matter , i shall shew what is not here meant by casting all our care upon god , and then what is meant by it . the apostle doth not hereby intend to take men off from a provident care and diligence , about the concernments of this life ; this is not only contrary to reason , but to many express precepts and passages of scripture , wherein diligence is recommended to us , and the blessing of god , and the good success of our affairs promised thereto ; wherein we are commanded to provide for those of our family , which cannot be done without some sort of care ; and wherein sloathfulness and negligence are condemned , and threatned with poverty ; so that this is not to cast our care upon god , to take no care of our selves , to use no diligence and endeavour for the obtaining of the good which we desire , and the prevention of the evil we fear ; this is to tempt the providence of god , and to cast that burthen upon him , which he expects we should bear our selves . but by casting our care upon god , the apostle intends these two things . . that after all prudent care and diligence have been used by us , we should not be farther solicitous , nor trouble our selves about the event of things , which , when we have done all we can , will be out of our power . and this certainly is our saviour's meaning , when he bids us , take no care for the morrow . when we have done what is fit for us for the present to do , we should not disquiet and torment our selves about the issue and event of things . . casting our care upon god , implies , that we should refer the issue of things to his providence , which is continually vigilant over us , and knows how to dispose all things to the best , entirely confiding in his wisdom and goodness , that he will order all things for our good , and in that confidence , resolving to rest satisfied and contented with the disposals of his providence , whatever they be . you see then the nature of the duty which the apostle here exhorts to , viz. that after all prudent care and diligence have been used on our parts , we should not be disquieted in our minds about the event of things , but leave them to god , who hath the care of us and of all our concernments . which is the ii. thing i proposed to speak to , and which i intend chiefly to insist upon , viz. the argument which the apostle here useth to perswade us to this duty , of casting all our care upon god ; because it is he that careth for us ; and this implies in it these two things . . in general , that the providence of god governs the world , and concerns it self in the affairs of men , and disposeth of all events that happen to us . . more particularly , that this providence is peculiarly concerned for good men , and that he takes a special care of them and their concerns ; he careth for you . the apostle speaks this to them , not only as men , but as christians . and thus the psalmist , from whom these words seem to be taken , does apply and limit this promise ; cast thy burthen upon the lord , and he shall sustain thee ; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved . . that god taketh care of us , implies in general , that the providence of god governs the world , and concerns it self in the affairs of men , and disposeth of all events that happen to us . i shall not now enter upon a large proof of the providence of god ; that is too large and intricate an argument for a short discourse , and hath a great deal of nicety and difficulty in it ; and tho' it be a fundamental principle of religion , and hath been almost generally entertained and believed by mankind , and that upon very good reason ; yet because the vindication of many particular appearances of providence , does in a great measure depend upon a full view and comprehension of the whole design , therefore we must necessarily refer our selves , for full satisfaction , as to several difficulties and objections , to the other world , when we shall see god's works , together with the relation of every part to the whole design , and then many particular passages , which may now seem odd and crooked , as we look upon them by themselves , will in relation to the whole , appear to have a great deal of reason and regularity in them . therefore i shall at present only briefly , and in the general , shew that it is very credible , that there is a wise providence , that governs the world , and interests it self in the affairs of men , and disposeth of all events which happen to us . and i desire it may be observed in the entrance upon this argument , that the handling of this question concerning providence , doth suppose the being of god , and that he made the world , as principles already known and granted , before we come to dispute of his providence ; for it would be in vain , to argue about the providence of god , with those who question his being , and whether the world was made by him : but supposing these two principles , that god is , and that he made the world , it is very credible , that he should take care of the government of it , and especially of one of the noblest parts of it , the race of mankind . for we cannot believe , that he who employed so much power and wisdom , in the raising of this great and magnificent pile , and furnishing every part of it with such variety of creatures , so exquisitely and so wisely fitted for the use and service of one another , should so soon as he had perfected it , forsake his own workmanship , and take no farther care of it ; especially considering that it is no trouble and disquiet to him , either to take notice of what is done here below , or to interpose for the regulating of any disorders that may happen ; for infinite knowledge , and wisdom , and power can do this with all imaginable ease , knows all things , and can do all things , without any disturbance of its own happiness . and this hath always been the common apprehension of mankind , that god knows all things , and observes every thing that is done in the world , and when he pleaseth , interposes in the affairs of it . 't is true indeed the epicureans did deny that god either made the world , or governs it ; and therefore wise men always doubted whether they did indeed believe the being of god , or not ; but being unwilling to incur the danger of so odious an opinion , they were content for fashion sake , to own his being , provided they might take away the best and most substantial arguments for the proof o● it . the rest of the philosophers owned a providence , at least a general providence , that took care of great and more important matters , but did not descend to a constant and particular care of every person , and every little event belonging to them . interdum curiosus singulorum , says tully ; now and then , when he pleases , he takes care of particular persons , and their lesser concernments ; but many of them thought , that god did generally neglect the smaller and more inconsiderable affairs of the world , dii minora negligunt , neque agello● singulorum & viticulas persequuntur , the gods overlook smaller matters , and do not mind every mans little field and vine . such imperfect apprehensions had they of the providence of god. and tho' they would seem hereby to consult the dignity and ease of the deity , by exempting him from the care and trouble of lesser matters , yet in truth and reality , they cast a dishonourable reflection upon him , as if it were a burthen to infinite knowledge , and power , and goodness , to take care of every thing . but now divine revelation hath put this matter out of doubt , by assuring us of god's particular care of all persons and events . our saviour tells us , that god's providence extends to the least and most inconsiderable creatures , to the grass of the field , which to day is , and to morrow is cast into the oven , mat. . . to the fowls of the air , and that to the least of them , even to the sparrows , two of which are sold for a farthing , and yet not one of them falleth to the ground without god , mat. . . much more doth the providence of god extend to men , which are creatures far more considerable , and to the very least thing that belongs to us , to the very hairs of our head , which are all numbered , the lowest instance that can be thought on . so that the light of nature owns a more general providence ; and divine revelation hath rectified those imperfect apprehensions which men had about it , and hath satisfied us , that it extends it self to all particulars , and even to the least things and most inconsiderable . and this is no ways incredible , considering the infinite perfection of the divine nature , in respect of which , god can with as much and greater ease , take care of every thing , than we can do of any one thing ; and the belief of this is the great foundation of religion . men therefore pray to god for the good they want , and to be freed from the evils they fear , because they believe that he always regards and hears them . men therefore make conscience of their duty , because they believe god observes them , and will reward and punish their good and evil deeds . so that take away the providence of god , and we pull down one of the main pillars upon which religion stands , we rob our selves of one of the greatest comforts and best refuges in the afflictions and calamities of this life , and of all our hopes of happiness in the next . and tho' there be many disorders in the world , especially in the affairs of men , the most irregular and intractable piece of god's creation ; yet this is far from being a sufficient objection against the providence of god , if we consider , that god made man a free creature , and capable of abusing his liberty , and intends this present life for a state of trial in order to another , where men shall receive the just recompence of their actions here : and then if we consider , that many of the evils and disorders , which god permits to happen , are capable of being over-ruled by him to a greater good , and are made many times to serve wise and excellent purposes , and that the providence of god does sometimes visibly and remarkably interpose , for the prevention and remedy of great disorders and confusions ; i say considering all this , it is no blemish to the divine providence , to permit many of those irregularities which are in the world , and suffer the fates of good and bad men to be so cross and unequal in this life . for supposing another life after this , wherein men shall come to an account , and every man shall receive the just recompence of his actions , there will then be a proper season and full opportunity , of seting all things streight , and no man shall have reason then , either to glory in his wickedness , or to complain of his sufferings in this world. this is the first , that god's providence governs the world , and interests it self in the affairs of men , and disposeth of all events that happens to them ; and this is a very good reason , why we should cast our particular cares upon him , who hath undertaken the government of the whole . . the providence of god is more peculiarly concerned for good men , and he takes a more particular and especial care of them . the apostle speaks this to christians , cast all your care on him , for he careth for you . and this david limits in a more peculiar manner to good men ; cast thy burthen upon the lord , and he will sustain thee , he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved . the providence of god many times preserves good men from those evils which happen to others , and by a peculiar and remarkable interposition , rescues them out of those calamities which it suffers others to fall into ; and god many times blesseth good men , with remarkable prosperity and success in their affairs . to which purpose there are innumerable declarations and promises in the holy scriptures , so well known that i shall not trouble you with the recital of them . notwithstanding which , it cannot de denyed , that good men fall into many evils , and are harrassed with great afflictions in this world : but then the providence of god usually ordereth it so , that they are armed with great patience to bear them , and find great comfort and support under them , and make better use and improvement of them than others ; so that one way or other they turn to their advantage . so the apostle assures us , rom. . . we know that all things work together for good to them that love god. all the evils and afflictions , which happen to good men , conspire one way or other to the promoting of their happiness , many times in this world , to be sure they make a great addition to it in the other . so the same apostle tels us , cor. . , . our light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory , whilst we look not , &c. and can we say god's providence neglects us , when he rewards our temporal sufferings with eternal glory ; when through many hardships and tribulations , he at last brings us to a kingdom ? was joseph neglected by god , when , by a great deal of hard usage , and a long imprisonment , he was raised to the highest dignity in a great kingdom ? or rather , was not the providence of god very remarkable towards him , in making those sufferings so many steps to his glory , and the occasion of his advancement ? and is not god's providence towards good men as kind and as remarkable , in bringing them to an infinitely better and more glorious kingdom , by tribulations and sufferings ; and making our light afflictions which are but for a moment , to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ? thus you see what is implyed in god's care of us in general ; that he governs the world , and disposeth all events ; and particularly , that he is peculiarly concerned for good men , and takes a more especial care of them . let us now see of what force this consideration is , to perswade to the duty enjoyned in the text , to cast all our care upon god ; that is , after all prudent care and diligence hath been used on our part , not to be anxious and solicitous about the event of things , but to leave that to god. now this consideration , that god cares for us , should be an argument to us , to cast all our care upon him , upon these two accounts . . because if god cares for us , our concernments are in the best and safest hands . . because all our anxiety and solicitude will do us no good . . because if god cares for us , our concernments are in the best and safest hands , and where we should desire to have them ; infinitely safer , than under any care and conduct of our own . and this ought to be a great satisfaction to our minds , and to free us from all disquieting thoughts ; for if god undertakes the care of us , then are we sure that nothing shall happen to us , but by the disposal or permission of infinite wisdom and goodness . there are many things indeed , which to us seem chance and accident ; but in respect of god , they are providence and design ; they may appear to happen by chance , or may proceed from the ill-will and malicious intent of second causes ; but they are all wisely designed ; and as they are appointed or permitted by god , they are the result of the deepest counsel , and the greatest goodness . and can we wish that we and our concernments should be in better or safer hands , than of infinite power and wisdom , in conjunction with infinite love and goodness ? and if we be careful to do our duty , and to demean our selves towards god as we ought , we may rest assured of his love and care of us ; and if we do in good earnest believe the providence of god , we cannot but think that he hath a peculiar regard to those that love and serve him , and that he will take a peculiar care of their concernments , and that he can , and will dispose them better for us , than we could manage them our selves , if we were left to our selves , and our affairs were put into the hands of our own counsel . put the case we had the entire ordering and disposal of our selves , what were reasonable for us to do in this case ? we would surely , according to our best wisdom and judgment , do the best we could for our selves , and when upon experience of our own manifold ignorance and weakness , we had found our weightiest affairs and designs frequently to miscarry , for want of foresight , or power , or skill to obviate and prevent the infinite hazards and disappointments which humane affairs are liable to , we should then look about us ; and if we knew any person much wiser , and more powerful than our selves , who we believed did heartily love us , and wish well to us , we would out of kindness to our selves , ask his counsel in our affairs , and crave his assistance ; and if we could prevail with him to undertake the care of our concernments , we would commit them all to his conduct and government , in confidence of his great wisdom and good-will to us . now god is such an one , he loves us as well as we do our selves , and desires our happiness as much , and knows infinitely better than we do , what means are most conducing to it , and will most effectually secure it . and every man that believes thus of god , ( as every man must do , that believes there is a god , for these are the natural and essential notions which all men have of the deity ) i say , every man that believes thus of god , the first thing he would do ( if he knew not already that god had voluntarily , and of his own accord , undertaken the care of him and of his affairs ) would be to apply himself to god , and to beseech him with all earnestness and importunity , that he would permit him to refer his concernments to him , and be pleased to undertake the care of them ; and he would , without any demur or difficulty , give up himself wholly to him , to guide and govern him , and to dispose of him as to him should seem best . now if god have prevented us herein , and without our desire taken this care upon himself , we ought to rejoice in it , as the greatest happiness that could possibly have befallen us ; and we should without any farther care and anxiety , using our own best diligence , and studying to please him , chearfully leave our selves in his hands , with the greatest confidence and security , that he will do all that for us which is really best ; and with a firm perswasion , that that condition , and those circumstances of life , which he shall chuse for us , will be no other but the very same which we would chuse for our selves , if we were as wise as he . and it is so natural for men to think thus of god , that the very heathen poet had the same idea of him , and upon that ground , adviseth us to commit all our concernments to him . permittes ipsis expendere numinibus , quid conveniat nobis , rebusque sit utile nostris ; nam pro jucundis , aptissima quaeque dabunt dii ; charior est illis homo , quam sibi . leave it , says he , to the wiser gods , to consider and determine what is fittest for thee , and most for thy advantage ; and tho' they do not always give thee what thou desirest , and that which pleaseth thee best , yet they will give that which is most fit and convenient for thee ; for man is more dear to the gods , than he is to himself . not much different from this , is the divine counsel of solomon , prov. . , . trust in the lord with all thine heart ; and lean not unto thine own understanding . in all thy ways acknowledge him , and he shall direct thy paths . it is considerable who it is that gives this advice ; the wisest of the sons of men ; and yet he adviseth to trust in god for direction , and not to lean to our own understandings . if therefore we be fully perswaded of god's infinitely wise and good providence , we ought certainly to refer our selves to him , and perfectly to acquiesce in his disposal , and to rest satisfied in whatever he does , and whatever condition he assigns to us , we ought to be contented with it : if we be not , we find fault with his wisdom , and reproach his goodness , and wish the government of the world in better hands . so that a firm belief of the providence of god , as it would take away all anxiety concerning future events , so would it likewise silence all those murmurings and discontents , which are apt to arise in us , when things fall out cross to our desires , when disasters and disappointments happen to us , and the providence of god casts us into sickness , or poverty , or disgrace . this quieted david , when he was ready to break out into murmuring at the afflictions and calamities which befell him . i held my peace ( says he ) and spake not a word , because thou lord didst it . and this likewise should keep us from fretting and vexing at instruments , and second causes ; to consider that the wise providence of god over ruleth and disposeth the actions of men , and that no harm can happen to us without his permission . this consideration restrained david's anger , under that high provocation of shimei , when he follow'd him , reproaching him and cursing him ; let him alone , the lord hath said unto him , curse david . he consider'd that god's providence permitted it ; and looking upon it as coming from a higher hand , this calmed his passion , and made him bear it patiently . if a man be walking in the street , and one fling water upon him , it is apt to provoke him beyond all patience ; but no man is in a passion for being wet ten times as much by rain from heaven . what calamity soever befalleth us , when we consider it as coming from heaven , and ordered and permitted there , this will still and hush our passion , and make us with eli to hold our peace , or only to say , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . we are indeed liable to many things in this world , which have a great deal of evil and affliction in them , to poverty , and pain , and reproach , and restraint , and the loss of our friends and near relations , and these are great afflictions , and very cross and distastful to us , and therefore when we are in danger of any of these , and apprehend them to be making towards us , we are apt to be anxious and full of trouble , and when they befal us , we are prone to censure the providence of god , and to judge rashly concerning it , as if all things were not ordered by it for the best : but we should consider , that we are very ignorant and short sighted creatures , and see but a litttle way before us , are not able to penetrate into the designs of god , and to look to the end of his providence . we cannot ( as solomon expresseth it ) see the work of god from the beginning to the end ; whereas if we saw the whole design of providence together , we should strangly admire the beauty and proportion of it , and should see it to be very wise and good . and that which upon the whole matter , and in the last issue and result of things , is most for our good , is certainly best , how grievous soever it may seem for the present . sickness caused by physick is many times more troublesome for the present , than the disease we take it for ; but every wise man composeth himself to bear it as well as he can , because it is in order to his health : the evils and afflictions of this life are the physick , and means of cure , which the providence of god is often necessitated to make use of ; and if we did trust our selves in the hands of this great physician , we should quietly submit to all the severities of his providence , in confidence that they would all work together for our good . when children are under the government of parents , or the discipline of their teachers , they are apt to murmur at them , and think it very hard to be denyed so many things which they desire , and to be constrained by severities to a great many things which are grievous and tedious to them : but the parent and the master know very well , that it is their ignorance and inconsiderateness which makes them to think so , and that when they come to years , and to understand themselves better , then they will acknowledge , that all that which gave them so much discontent , was really for their good , and that it was their childishness and folly , which made them to think otherwise , and that they had in all probability been undone , had they been indulged in their humour , and permitted in every thing to have their own will ; they had not wit and consideration enough , to trust the discretion of their parents and governours , and to believe that even those things which were so displeasing to them , would at last tend to their good . there is a far greater distance between the wisdom of god and men , and we are infinitely more ignorant and childish in respect of god , than our children are in respect of us ; and being perswaded of this , we ought to reckon , that while we are in this world , under god's care and discipline , it is necessary for our good , that we be restrained in many things , which we eagerly desire ; and suffer many things that are grievous to us ; and that when we come to heaven , and are grown up to be men , and have put away childish thoughts , and are come to understand things , as they truly are , and not in a riddle , and darkness , as we now do ; then the judgement of god will break forth as the light , and the righteousness of all his dealings as the noon day , then all the riddles of providence will be clearly expounded to us , and we shall see a plain reason for all those dispensations which we were so much stumbled at , and acknowledge the great wisdom and goodness of them . you see then what reason there is to refer our selves to the providence of god , and to cast all our care upon him , to trust him with the administration and disposal of all our concernments , and firmly to believe , that if we love god , and be careful to please him , every thing in the issue will turn to the best for us ; and therefore we should not anxiously trouble our selves about the events of things , but resign up ourselves to the good pleasure of him , who disposeth all things according to the counsel of his will , entirely trusting in his goodness , and in his fatherly care of us , and affection to us , that he will order all things for us , for the best , referring the success of all our concernments to him , in whose hands are all the ways of the children of men , chearfully submiting to his determination , and the declarations of his providence in every case . and this is a proper expression of our confidence in god's wisdom and goodness , to refer things to him before the event , and to say with the christians , acts . . the will of the lord be done , because this shews that we are perswaded that god will do better for us , than our own counsel and choice ; and to submit to his will after the event , is likewise a great instance of our confidence in him , and that we believe that he hath done that which is best : for when god , by his providence , declares his will in any case , we should look upon it , as the sentence of a wise and just judge , in which all parties concerned ought to acquiesce , and rest fully satisfied . and this may well be expected from us christians , who have much greater assurance of the particular providence of god , than the heathen had ; and yet some of them , were able to free themselves from all trouble and anxiety , from murmuring and discontent . upon this consideration , epictetus ( as arrian tells us ) would express himself thus , i had always rather have that which happens ; because i esteem that better which god wills , than that which i should will ; and again , lift up thine eyes , ( says he ) with confidence to god , and say , henceforth , lord , deal with me as thou pleasest , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i am of the same opinion with thee , just of the same mind that thou art ; i refuse nothing that seems good to thee ; lead me where thou wilt , cloath me with what garments thou pleasest , set me in a publick place , or keep me in a private condition , continue me in mine own country , or banish me from it , bestow wealth upon me , or leave me to conflict and struggle with poverty , which of these thou pleasest , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if men shall censure this providence towards me , and say thou dealest hardly with me , i will apologise for thee , i will undertake and maintain thy cause , that what thou dost is best for me . what could a christian say more or better , by way of resignation of himself to the providence of god ? it almost transports me to read such passages from a heathen , especially if we consider in what condition epictetus was , he had a maimed and deformed body , was in the extremity of poverty , a slave , and very cruelly and tyranically used , so that we can hardly imagine a man in worse and more wretched circumstances ; and yet he justifies the providence of god in all this , and not only submits to his condition , but is contented with it , and embraces it , and since god hath thought it fittest and best for him , he is of the same mind , and thinks so too . i confess it doth not move me to hear seneca , who flowed in wealth , and lived at ease , to talk magnificently , and to slight poverty and pain , as not worthy the name of evil and trouble : but to see this poor man , in the lowest condition and worst circumstances of humanity , bear up so bravely , and with such a chearfulness and serenity of mind to entertain his hard fortune , and this not out of stupidity , but from a wise sense of the providence of god , and a firm perswasion of the wisdom and goodness of all his dealings , this who can chuse but be affected with it , as an admirable temper for a christian , much more for a heathen ! to which we may apply that saying of our lord , concerning the heathen centurion , verily i say unto you , i have not found so great faith , no not in israel ; so wise , so equal , so firm a temper of mind is seldom to be found , no not amongst christians . and this is the first consideration , that if god cares for us , we and our concernments are in the best and safest hands , and therefore we should cast all our care upon god. the . is , because all our anxiety and care will do us no good ; on the contrary , it will certainly do us hurt . we may fret and vex our own spirits , and make them restless , in the contemplation of the evils and disappointments which we are afraid of , and may make our lives miserable , in the sad reflexions of our own thoughts ; but we cannot , by all our anxiety and care , controul the course of things , and alter the designs of providence ; we cannot by all our vexation and trouble over-rule events , and make things happen as we would have them . and this is the argument our saviour useth to this very purpose , mat. . . which of you , by taking thought , can add one cubit to his stature ? so that all this trouble is unreasonable , and to no purpose , because it hath no influence upon the event , either to promote or hinder it . things are governed and disposed by a higher hand , and placed out of our reach ; we may deliberate and contrive , and use our best endeavours , for the effecting of our designs , but we cannot secure the event against a thousand interpositions of divine providence , which we can neither foresee nor hinder ; but yet notwithstanding , these our endeavours are reasonable , because they are the ordinary means which god hath appointed , for the procuring of good and prevention of evil , and tho' they may miscarry , yet they are all we can do : but after this is done , trouble and anxiety about the event is the vainest thing in the world , because it is to no purpose , nor doth at all conduce to what we desire ; we disquiet our selves in vain , and we distrust god's providence and care of us , and thereby provoke him to defeat and disappoint us . let us then by these considerations be perswaded to this duty , the practice whereof is of continual and universal use in the whole course of our lives ; in all our affairs and concernments , after we have used our best endeavours , let us sit down and be satisfied , and refer the rest to god , whose providence governs the world , and takes care of all our interests , and of the interest of his church and religion , when they seem to be in greatest danger . we cannot but be convinced , that this is very reasonable , to leave the management of things to him who made them , and therefore understands best how to order them . the government of the world is a very curious and complicated thing , and not to be tamper'd with by every unskilful hand ; and therefore as an unskilful man , after he hath tampered a great while with a watch , thinking to bring it into better order , and is at last convinced that he can do no good upon it , carries it to him that made it , to mend it and put it into order ; so must we do , after all our care and anxiety about our own private concernments , or the publick state of things , we must give over governing the world , as a business past our skill , as a province too hard , and a knowledge too wonderful for us , and leave it to him , who made the world , to govern it , and take care of it . and if we be not thus affected and disposed , we do not believe the providence of god , whatever profession we make of it ; if we did , it would have an influence upon our minds , to free us from anxious care and discontent . were we firmly perswaded of the wisdom and goodness of the divine providence , we should confidently rely upon it , and according to the apostle's advice here in the text , cast all our care upon him , because he careth for us . sermon ix . the wisdom of god in the redemption of mankind . cor. i. . — christ , the power of god , and the wisdom of god. i have in the ordinary course of my preaching been treating of the attributes and perfections of god , more particularly those which relate to the divine understanding ; the knowledge and wisdom of god. the first of these i have finisht ; and made some progress in the second , the wisdom of god ; which i have spoken to in general , and have propounded more particularly to consider those famous instances and arguments of the divine wisdom , in the creation of the world ; the government of it ; and the redemption of mankind by jesus christ . the two first of these i have spoken to , namely the wisdom of god , which appears in the creation and government of the world. i come now to the iii. instance of the divine wisdom , the redemption of mankind by jesus christ ; which i shall , by god's assistance , speak to from these words , christ , the wisdom of god. the apostle in the beginning of this epistle , upon occasion of his mentioning the divisions and parties that were among the corinthians , where one said , i am of paul ; another , i am of apollos ; asks them , whether paul was crucified for them ? or whether they were baptized into the name of paul ? to convince them that they could not pretend this , that they were baptized into his name , he tells them at the , and th verses ; that he had not so much as baptized any of them , except two or three ; so far was he from having baptized them into his own name ; and at the th verse , he says , that his work , his principal work , was to preach the gospel , which he had done , not with humane eloquence , not in wisdom of words , but with great plainness and simplicity , lest the cross of christ should be made of none effect ; lest , if he should have used any artifice , the gospel should have been less powerful . and indeed his preaching was unaffectedly plain , and therefore the gospel did seem to very many to be a foolish and ridiculous thing . the story which they told of christ crucified , was to the jews a stumbling block , and to the greeks foolishness . the jews , who expected another kind of messias , that should come in great pomp and glory , to be a mighty temporal prince , they were angry at the story of a crucified christ . the greeks , the philosophers , who expected some curious theories , adorned with eloquence , and delivered and laid down according to the exact rules of art , they derided this plain and simple relation of christ , and of the gospel . but tho' this design of the gospel appeared silly and foolish to rash and inconsiderate and prejudiced minds , yet to them that are called , to them that do believe , both jews and gentiles , christ , the power of god , and the wisdom of god ; christ , that is , the way of our redemption by jesus christ , which the apostle preached , the wisdom of god , an eminent instance of it . so that the redemption of man by jesus christ is a design of admirable wisdom . this i shall endeavour to confirm to you . i. by general testimonies of scripture . and ii. by a more particular enquiry into the nature of this design , and the means how it is accomplish'd . i. by testimonies from scripture . you know i have all along , in my discourses of the attributes of god , used this method of proving them , from the dictates of natural light , and the revelation of scripture : but now i must forsake my wonted method , for here the light of nature leaves me . the wisdom of creation is manifest in the things which are made ; the heavens declare the glory of god's wisdom , and the firmament shews his handy-work . the works of god do preach and set forth the wisdom of the creator ; but the sun , moon , and stars , do not preach the gospel . the wisdom of redemption is wisdom in a mystery , hidden wisdom , which none of the princes , or philosophers , of this world knew . the sharpest wits , and the highest and most raised understandings amongst the heathens , could say nothing of this . here the wisdom of the wise , and the vnderstanding of the prudent is posed , and we may make the apostles challenge , v. . of this chapter , where is the wise , where is the disputer of this world ? there is no natural light discovers christ ; the wise men cannot find him out , unless a star be created on purpose to lead and direct to him . therefore in this i shall only depend upon divine revelation . cor. . , . the gospel is called the wisdom of god in a mystery , even the hidden wisdom which god ordained before the world unto our glory ; which none of the princes of this world knew . eph. . , . in whom we have redemption through his blood , the forgiveness of sins , according to the riches of his grace , wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence . eph. . , . the manifold wisdom of god , according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in christ jesus our lord. this work of our redemption by jesus christ is so various and admirable , that it is not below the angels to know and understand it . to the intent , that unto principalities and powers in heavenly places , might be known the manifold wisdom of god. ii. by inquiring more particularly into the nature of this design , and the means how it is accomplisht . this is wisdom , to fit means to ends ; and the more difficult the end , the greater wisdom is required to find out suitable and sufficient means for the accomplishment , of the end. now the wisdom of redemption will appear , if we consider the case of fallen man ; and what fit , and proper , and suitable means , the wisdom of god hath devised for our recovery . . let us consider the case of fallen man , which was very sad , both in respect of the misery , and the difficulty of it . . in respect of the misery of it . man , who was made holy and upright by god , having , by his voluntary transgression , and wilful disobedience , fall'n from him , did presently sink into a corrupt and degenerate , into a miserable and cursed condition , of which heaven and earth , and his own conscience bore him witness . man , being become a sinner , is not only deprived of the image of god , but is liable to his justice ; here was his misery . . the difficulty of the case was this , man could not recover himself and raise himself out of his own ruin ; no creature was able to do it ; so that our help is only in god ; and indeed he is a merciful god , and doth not desire our ruin , nor delight in our destruction : but suppose his mercy never so willing to save us , will not his holiness , and justice , and truth , check those forward inclinations of his goodness , and hinder all the designs of his mercy ? is not sin contrary to the holy nature of god ? hath not he declared his infinite hatred of it ? hath not he threatned it with heavy and dreadful punishment ? and said , that the sinner shall die , that he will not acquit the guilty , nor let sin go unpunish'd ? should he now , without any satisfaction to his offended justice , pardon the sinner , remit his punishment , and receive him to favour ? would this be agreeable to his holiness , and justice , and truth ? would this become the wise governour of the world , who loves righteousness and order ; who hates sin , and is obliged by the essential rectitude of his nature to discountenance sin ? so that here is a conflict of the attributes and perfections of god. the mercy of god pities our misery , and would recover us , would open paradise to us ; but there is a flaming sword that keeps us out ; the incensed justice of god that must be satisfied ; and if he take vengeance of us , we are eternally ruin'd ; if he spare us , how shall mercy and justice meet together ? how shall god at once express his love to the sinner , and his hatred to sin ? here is the difficulty of our case . ii. let us now enquire what means the wisdom of god useth for our recovery . the wisdom of god hath devised this expedient to accommodate all these difficulties , to reconcile the mercy and justice of god. the son of god shall undertake this work , and satisfie the offended justice of god , and repair the ruin'd nature of man. he shall bring god and man together , make up this gulph , and renew the commerce and correspondence between god and us , which was broken off by sin. the work that god designs is the redemption of man , that is , his recovery from a state of sin and eternal death , to a state of holiness and eternal life . the son of god is to engage in this design of our redemption , to satisfie the offended justice of god toward us , so as to purchase our deliverance from the wrath to come , and so as to restore us to the image and favour of god , that we may be sanctified , and be made heirs of eternal life . for opening of this , we will consider , . the fitness of the person designed for this work. . the fitness of the means whereby he was to accomplish it . . the fitness of the person design'd for this work ; and that was the eternal son of god , who in respect of his infinite wisdom and power , the dignity and credit of his person , his dearness to his father , and interest in him , was very fit to undertake this work , to mediate a reconciliation between god and man. . the fitness of the means whereby he was to accomplish it ; and these i shall refer to two heads , his humiliation and exaltation . all the parts of these are very subservient to the design of our redemption . i. the humiliation of christ , which consists of three principal parts ; his incarnation , his life , and his death . . his incarnation , which is set forth in scripture by several expressions ; his being made flesh , and dwelling among us , john . . his being made of the seed of david according to the flesh , rom. . . his being made of a woman , gal. . . the manifestation of god in the flesh , tim. . . his taking part of flesh and blood , heb. . . his taking on him the seed of abraham , and being made like unto his brethren , heb. . , . his coming in the flesh , john . . all which signifies his taking upon him humane nature , and being really a man as well as god. the eternal son of god , in the fulness of time took our nature ; that is , assumed a real soul and body into union with the divine nature . now this person , who was really both god and man , was admirably fitted for the work of our redemption . in general , this made him a fit mediator , an equal and middle person to interpose in this difference , and take up this quarrel between god and man. being both god and man , he was concerned for both parties , and interested both in the honour of god , and the happiness of man , and engaged to be tender of both ; and to procure the one by such ways as might be consistent with the other . more particularly , his incarnation did fit him for those two offices which he was to perform in his humiliation , of prophet and priest . . the office of prophet , to teach us both by his doctrine and his life . by his doctrine . his being in the likeness of man , this made him more familiar to us . he was a prophet raised up from among his brethren , as moses speaks , and he makes this an argument why we should hear him . should god speak to us immediately by himself , we could not hear him and live . god condescends to us , and complies with the weakness of our nature , and raiseth up a prophet from among our brethren ; we should hear him . and then his being god , did add credit and authority to what he spake ; he could confirm the doctrine which he taught , by miracles . of his teaching us by his life , i shall have occasion to speak presently . . for the office of priest . he was fit to be our priest , because he was taken from among men , as the apostle speaks ; fit to suffer as being , man having a body prepared , as it is heb. . . and fit to satisfie by his sufferings for the sins of all men , as being god , which put an infinite dignity and value upon them , the sufferings of an infinite person being equal to the offences done against an infinite god. and thus the mercy of god is exalted , without the diminution of his justice . and as his incarnation did qualifie him for suffering , so for compassion , and fellow-suffering with us , heb. . , . wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren , that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest , in things pertaining to god , to make reconciliation for the sins of the people ; for in that he himself hath suffer'd being tempted , he is able to succour them that are tempted . . his life was a means admirably fitted to bring men to holiness and goodness . i might go through all the parts of it , but because i intend to be very short upon these heads , i shall only take notice of that part of his life , which was spent in his publick ministry ; he went about doing good ; the doctrine that he preached was calculated for the destroying of sin , and the promoting of holiness ; the great end and design of it was to advance righteousness , and goodness , and humility , and patience , and self-denial ; to make us mortifie our sensual desires , and brutish passions , to contemn and renounce this present world ; and this being the design of it , it was a most proper engine to demolsh the works of the devil : and to make way for the entertainment of his doctrine , the whole frame of his life , and all the circumstances of it did contribute . his life was the practice of his doctrine , and a clear comment upon it . the meanness of his condition in the world , that he had no share of the possessions of it , were a great advantage to his doctrine of self-denial and contempt of the world. the captain of our salvation , that he might draw off our affections from the world , and shew us how little the things of it are to be valued , would himself have no share in it , mat. . . the foxes have holes , and the birds of the air have nests ; but the son of man hath not where to lay his head . the mean circumstances of his condition were very eminently for the advantage of his design ; for had he not been stript of all worldly accommodations , he could not have been so free from suspition of a worldly interest and design ; nay he could not have been so considerable ; he was really greater for his meanness . the very heathens did account this true greatness , ( as we find in aristotle ) not to admire the pleasures , and greatness , and pomp of the world. and that his meanness might be no disadvantage to him , those evidences that he gave of his divinity in the wonderful things that he did , rendred him considerable , and gained more reverence and authority to his doctrine , then his meanness could bring contempt upon it . besides , the manner of his conversation was a very great advantage to him ; he was of a very sweet and conversable and obliging temper ; and by this means he did gain upon the people , and was acceptable to them ; and thus he did apply himself to them in the most humane ways , to make way for the entertainment of his doctrins . the miracles that he wrought did confirm his doctrine beyond all exception , as being a divine testimony , and setting the seal of god to the truth of it ; yet because many were blinded with prejudice , and tho' they did see , yet would not see , christ the wisdom of god did so order the business of his miracles , as to make them humane ways of wining upon them , for they were generally such as were beneficial , he healed all manner of diseases and maladies by this miraculous power ; and so his miracles did not only tend to confirm his doctrine , as they were miracles , but to make way for entertainment of it , as they were benefits ; this was a sensible demonstration to them that he intended them good , because he did them good ; they would easily believe , that he who healed their bodies , would not harm their souls . this for his life . iii. his death , which was the lowest step of his humiliation , and the consummation of his sufferings . now the death of christ did eminently contribute to this design of our redemption . the death of christ did not only expiate the guilt of sin , and pacifie conscience , by making plenary satisfaction to the divine justice ; but did eminently contribute to the killing of sin in us , rom. . . knowing this , that our old man is crucified with him , that the body of sin might be destroyed , that henceforth we might not serve sin. rom. . . god sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh , and for sin ( that is by being a sacrifice for sin ) condemned sin in the flesh . the death of christ convinceth sin to be a great evil ; and doth condemn it , because the impartial justice of god did so severely punish it in his own son , when he appeared in the person of a sinner ; and this is the most powerful argument to us to crucifie sin , that it crucified our saviour . that so innocent and holy a person should suffer so cruel and ignominious a death for our sins , should set us for ever against it , and make us hate it with a perfect hatred . the circumstances of christ's sufferings are with admirable wisdom fitted for the conquering of sin and satan . sin came by the woman : the seed of the woman suffers for sin , and by suffering conquers it . sin began in the garden : and there our saviour began his sufferings for sin. sin came by the tree : and christ bears the curse of it in hanging upon the tree , and crucifies it by his cross . and as he conquer'd sin , so he overcame satan by his own arts. the devil found christ in the likness of a man , he judged him mortal , and his great design was to procure his death , and get him into his grave . christ permits him to bring about his design , he lets him enter into judas , he lets the jews crucifie , and put him into his grave , and roll a great stone upon it : but here his divine wisdom appears , in ruining the devil by his own design , and snaring him in the works of his hands ; heb. . . by death he destroys him , that had the power of death , that is the devil . i know the sufferings of christ were , by the wise of the world , made the great objection against the wisdom of this dispensation ; the cross of christ was to the greeks foolishness : and yet the wisest of them had determined otherwise in general , tho' not in this particular case . plato ( in the second book of his common-wealth ) saith , that a man may be a perfect pattern of justice and righteousness , and be approved by god and men , he must be stript of all the things of this world , he must be poor and disgraced , and be accounted a wicked and unjust man , he must be whipt , and tormented , and crucified as a malefactor ; which is , as it were , a prophetical description of our saviour's sufferings . and arrian , in his epict. describing a man fit to reform the world , whom he calls the apostle , the messenger , the preacher and minister of god , saith , he must be without house and harbour , and worldly accommodations ; must be armed with such patience for the greatest sufferings , as if he were a stone , and devoid of sense ; he must be a spectacle of misery and contempt to the world. so that by the acknowledgment of these two wise heathens , there was nothing in the sufferings of christ that was unbecoming the wisdom of god , and improper to the end and design of christ's coming into the world ; besides that they served a further end , which they did not dream of , the satisfying of divine justice . secondly , his exaltation . the several parts of which , his resurrection , and ascension , and sitting the right hand of god , were eminently subservient to the perfecting and carrying on of this design . the resurrection of christ is the great confirmation of the truth of all that he deliver'd , rom. . . declared to be the son of god with power , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by the resurrection from the dead . this great miracle of his resurrection from the dead did determine the controversie , and put it out of all doubt and question , that he was the son of god. and then his ascension , and sitting at the right hand of god , this gives us the assurance of a blessed immortality , and is a demonstration of a life to come , and a pledge of everlasting glory and happiness . and can any thing tend more to the encouragement of obedience , and to make us dead to the pleasures and enjoyments of this life , than the assurance of eternal life and happiness . and then the consequents of his exaltation , they do eminently conduce to our recovery . the sending of the holy ghost to lead us into all truth , to sanctifie us , to assist us , and to comfort us under the greatest troubles and afflictions ; and the powerful intercession of christ in our behalf ; and his return to judgment ; the expectation whereof is the great argument to repentance and holiness of life . acts . , . and the times of this ignorance god winked at , but now commandeth all men every where to repent : because he hath appointed a day , in the which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained , whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . and thus i have endeavoured to prove that the redemption of man by jesus christ is a design of admirable wisdom . the use i shall make of it , is to convince us of the uunreasonableness of unbelief , and the folly and madness of impenitency . first , the unreasonableness of unbelief . the gospel reveals to us the wise counsel and dispensation of god for our redemption ; and those who disbelieve the gospel , they reject the counsel of god against themselves , as it is said of the unbelieving pharisees and lawyers , luke . . the gospel reveals to us a design so reasonable and full of wisdom , that they who can disbelieve it are desperate persons , devoted to ruin , cor. . . the cross of christ is to them that perish foolishness . cor. . , . but if our gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost ; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not , lest the light of the glorious gospel of christ , who is the image of god , should shine unto them . the gospel carries so much light and evidence in it , that it cannot be hid from any but such whose eyes are blinded by the devil and their lusts . he that will duly weigh and consider things , and look narrowly into this wise dispensation of god , shall find nothing to object against it ; nay shall discover in it the greatest motives and inducements to believe . we are apt to believe any thing that is reasonable , especially if it be for our advantage ; now this wise dispensation of god is not only reasonable in it self , but beneficial to us ; it does at once highly gratifie our understandings , and satisfie our interest ; why should we not then believe and entertain it . i. the design of the gospel is reasonable , and gratifies our understandings . and in this respect the gospel hath incomparable advantages above any other religion . the end of all religion is to advance piety and holiness , and real goodness among men ; and the more any religion advanceth these , the more reasonable it is . now the great incitements and arguments to piety , are the excellency and perfection of the divine nature ; fear of punishment , and hopes of pardon and rewards . now the gospel represents all these to the greatest advantage . . it represents the perfections of god to the greatest advantage , especially those which tend most to the promotion of piety , and the love of god in us ; his justice and mercy . ( . ) his justice . the gospel represents it inflexible in its rights , and inexorable , and that will not in any case let sin go unpunish'd . the impartiality of the divine justice appears in this dispensation , that when god pardons the sinner , yet he will punish sin so severely in his own son who was the surety . now what could more tend to discountenance sin , and convince us of the great evil of it ? ( . ) his mercy . this dispensation is a great demonstration of the mercy , and goodness , and love of god , in sending his son to die for sinners , and in saving us by devoting and sacrificing him , john . . for god so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son. rom. . . but god commendeth his love towards us , in that while we were yet sinners , christ died for us . john . , . in this was manifested the love of god towards us , because god sent his only begotten son into the world , that we might live through him . herein is love , not that we loved god , but that he loved us , and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins . now this representation of god's mercy and love which the gospel makes , is of great force and efficacy to melt our hearts into love to god. . the second argument to piety is fear of punishment . the gospel hath revealed to us the misery of those who continue in their sin ; it hath made clear and terrible discoveries of those torments which attend sinners in another world , and hath open'd to us the treasures of god's wrath ; so that now under the gospel , hell is naked before us , and destruction hath no covering ; and this is one thing which makes the gospel so powerful an engine to destroy sin , rom. . , . the gospel is the power of god unto salvation ; for therein is the wrath of god revealed from heaven against all ungodliness , and unrighteousness of men . . hopes of pardon and reward . and this , added to the former , renders the gospel the most powerful instrument to take men off from sin , and engage them to holiness , that can be imagin'd . the means to draw men from sin , when they are once awaken'd with the fear of vengeance , is hopes of pardon and mercy ; and the way to encourage obedience for the future , is hope of reward . now as an argument to us to retreat and draw back from sin , the gospel promises pardon and indempnity to us ; and as an incitement to holiness , the gospel opens heaven to us , and sets before us everlasting glory and happiness , and gives us the greatest assurance of it . this is the first , the design of the gospel is reasonable , in that it does eminently and directly serve the ends of piety and religion . ii. this dispensation of god is beneficial to us , and satisfies our interest ; and this adds to the unreasonableness of our unbelief , this design of god being not only reasonable in it self , but desirable to us , that it should be so ; because of the eminent advantages that redound to us by it . the design of the gospel is to deliver from the guilt and dominion of sin , and the tyranny of satan ; to restore us to the image and favour of god ; and by making us partakers of a divine nature , to bring us to eternal life . and is there any thing of real advantage which is not comprehended in this ? is it not desirable to every man , that there should be a way whereby our guilty consciences may be quieted and appeased ; whereby we may be delivered from the fear of death and hell ? is it not desirable to be freed from the slavery of our lusts , and rescued from the tyranny and power of the great destroyer of souls ? is it not desirable to be like god , and to be assured of his love and favour , who is the best friend , and the most dangerous enemy ; and to be secur'd , that when we leave this world , we shall be unspeakably happy for ever ? now the gospel conveys these benefits to us ; and if this be the case of the gospel , and there be nothing in this design of our redemption , but what is wise and reasonable , and exceedingly for our benefit and advantage ; why should any man be so averse to the belief of it ? why should unbelief be counted a piece of wit ? is it wit to set our selves against reason , and to oppose our best interest ? 't is wickedness , and prejudice , and inconsiderateness which disbelieves the gospel . those who do consider things welcome this good news , and embrace these glad tidings . wisdom is justified of her children . to them who are truly sensible of their own interest , and willing to accept of reasonable evidence , this is not only a true saying , but worthy of all acceptation ; that christ came into the world to save sinners . secondly , this doth convince men of the madness and folly of impenitency . now the wisdom of god hath contrived such a way of our recovery , and by the declaration of god's wrath , and displeasure against sin , hath given us such arguments to repentance , and by discovering a way of pardon and mercy , hath given us such encouragement to repentance , how great must the folly of impenitency be ? for consider , . that impenitency directly sets it self against the wisdom of god. if after all this we continue in our sins , we reject the counsel of god against our selves , we despise the wisdom of god , and charge that with folly ; and we do it against our selves , to our own injury and ruine . if we live in our sins , and cherish our lusts , we directly oppose the end of our redemtion , we contradict the great design of the gospel , we contemn the admirable contrivance of god's wisdom , who sent his son into the world on purpose to destroy sin ; for we uphold that which he came to destroy , john . . ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins . now shall we continue in sin , when we know , the son of god was manifested to take away sin ? god cannot but take it very ill at our hands , when he hath laid out the riches of his wisdom in this design , for us to go about to defeat him in it ; this is at once to be unthankful to god , and injurious to our selves ; 't is such a madness , as if a condemned man should despise a pardon , as if a prisoner should be fond of his fetters , and refuse deliverance ; as if a man , desperately sick should fight with his physician , and put away health from him . if we do not comply with the wisdom of god , which hath contrived our recovery ; we forsake our own mercy , and neglect a great salvation ; we love death , and hate our own souls , prov. . , , . . consider , we cannot expect the wisdom of god should do more for our recovery , than hath been already done ; the wisdom of god will not try any further means . mat. . . last of all he sent his son. if we despise this way , if we tread under foot the son of god , and count the blood of the covenant , whereby we are sanctified , an unholy thing , there will remain no more sacrifice for sin , heb. . , . what can expiate the guilt of sin , if the blood of christ do not ? what shall take us off from sin , what shall sanctifie us , if the blood of the covenant be ineffectual ? we resist our last remedy , and make void the best means the wisdom of god could devise for our recovery , if , after the revelation of the gospel , we continue in our sins . . if we frustrate this design of god's wisdom for our recovery , our ruin will be the more dreadful and certain . impenitency under the gospel will increase our misery . if christ had not come , we had had no sin , in comparison of what we now have ; but now our sin remains , and there is no cloak for our sin , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . we shall not be able at the day of judgment to preface any thing by way of excuse or apology for our impenitency . what shall we be able to say to the justice of god , when that shall condemn us , who rejected his wisdom , which would have saved us . we would all be saved , but we would be saved without repentance ; now the wisdom of god hath not found out any other way to save us from hell , but by saving us from our sins . and thou that will not submit to this method of divine wisdom , take thy course , and let 's see how thou wilt escape the damnation of hell . i will conclude all with those dreadful words which the wisdom of god pronounceth against those that despise her , and refuse to hearken to her voice , prov. . , , . because i have called , and ye refused , i have stretched out my hand , and no man regarded ; but ye have set at naught my counsel , and would none of my reproof : i also will laugh at your calamity , i will mock when your fear cometh . they who will not comply with the counsel of god for their happiness , they shall inherit the condition which they have chosen to themselves ; they shall eat the fruit of their own ways , and be filled with their own devices . sermon x. the justice of god in the distribution of rewards and punishments . gen. xviii . . shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? in treating of the attributes of god , i have considered those which relate to the divine vnderstanding , viz. knowledge and wisdom ; i come now to consider those which relate to the divine will , viz. these four , the justice , the truth , the goodness , and the holiness of god. i begin with the first , namely , the justice of god. at the verse of this chapter , god , by a great and wonderful condescention of his goodness , reveals to abraham his intention concerning the destruction of sodom ; upon this , abraham v. . interceded with god for the saving of the righteous persons , that were there ; and to this end , he pleads with god his justice and righteousness , with which he apprehended it to be in consistent , to destroy the righteous with the wicked , which , without a miracle , could not be avoided in a general destruction . wilt thou also destroy the righteous , with the wicked ? peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city , wilt thou also destroy , and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein ? that be far from thee to do after this manner , to slay the righteous with the wicked , and that the righteous should be as the wicked , that be far from thee , shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? this negative interrogation is equivalent to a vehement affirmation , shall not the judge all the earth do right ? that is , undoubtedly he will. this we may take for a certain and undoubted principle , that in the distribution of rewards and punishments the judge of the world will do righteously . so that the argument that lies under our consideration is the justice of god in the distribution of rewards and punishments , for the clearing of which , we will consider it , first , in hypothesi , in regard to the particular case , which is here put by abraham in the text. secondly , in thesi , we will consider it in general , in the distribution of rewards and punishments . first , we will consider it in hypothesi , in regard to the particular case which is here put by abraham in the text , and the rather , because if we look well into it , there is something of real difficulty in it , not easie to be cleared ; for abraham's reasoning , if it be true , does plainly conclude , that it would have been unrighteous with god in the destruction of sodom , not to make a difference between the righteous and the wicked , but to involve them equally in the same common destruction . that be far from thee to do after this manner , to slay the righteous with the wicked , and that the righteous should be as the wicked , that be far from thee , shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? as if he had said , surely the judge of all the earth will never do so unrighteous a thing . and yet notwithstanding this , we see it is very usual for the providence of god to involve good men in general calamities , and to make no visible difference between the righteous and the wicked . now the difficulty is , how to reconcile these appearances of providence with this reasoning of abraham in the text. and for the doing of this , i see but one possible way , and that is this , that abraham does not here speak concerning the judgments of god which befal men in the ordinary course of his providence , which many times happen promiscuously , and involve good and bad men in the same ruine ; and the reason hereof is plain , because god in his ordinary providence does permit the causes , which produce these judgments , to act according to their own nature , and they either cannot or will not make any distinction ; for the calamities which ordinarily happen in the world are produced by two sorts of causes either those which we call natural , or those which are voluntary . natural causes , such as wind , and thunder , and storms , and the infection of the air , and the like , these acting by a necessity of nature , without any knowledge or choice , can make no distinction between the good and the bad. and the voluntary causes of calamities , as men are , they many times will make no difference between the righteous and the wicked ; nay many times they are maliciously bent against the righteous , and the effects of their malice fall heaviest upon them . now we say that things happen in the way of ordinary providence , when natural causes are permitted to act according to their nature , and voluntary causes are left to their liberty ; and therefore in the course of ordinary providence , it is not to be expected that such a distinction should be made ; it is neither possible , nor does justice require it ; it is not possible , supposing natural causes left to act according to their nature , and voluntary causes to be left to their liberty ; nor does justice require it , for every man is so much a sinner , that no evil that befals him in this world , can be said to be unjust in respect of god. so that abraham is not here to be understood , as speaking of such judgments as befal men in the ordinary course of god's providence , in which , if the good and bad be involv'd alike , it cannot be expected to be otherwise , nor is there any injustice in it ; but abraham here speaks of miraculous and extraordinary judgments , which are immediately inflicted by god for the punishment of some crying sins , and the example of the world , to deter others from the like . and such was this judgment , which god intended to bring upon sodom , and which abraham hath relation to in this discourse of his . in this case it may be expected from the justice of god , that a difference should be made between the - righteous and the wicked ; and that for these reasons . . because this is a judgment which god himself executes . it is not an event of common providence , which always follows the nature of its cause ; but an act of god , as a judge . now it is essential to a judge to make a discrimination between the good and the bad , so as to punish the one , and spare the other ; and this is as necessary to all proper acts of judgment in this world , as the other ; there being no other difference between them , but that one is a particular judgment , and the other the general judgment of the whole world. . when god goes out of the way of his ordinary providence in punishing , it may reasonably be expected that he should make a difference between the good and the bad ; for the reason , why he does not in his common providence is , because he will not break and interrupt the establisht order of things , upon every little occasion : but when he does go besides the common course of things in punishing , the reason ceaseth , which hindred him before from making a difference ; and 't is reasonable enough to expect , that in the inflicting of a miraculous judgment , a miraculous difference should be made . without making this difference , the end of these miraculous judgments would not be attained , which is , remarkably to punish the crying sins of men , and by that example to deter others from the like sins : but if these judgments should fall promiscuously upon the righteous and the wicked , it would not be evident , that they were designed for the punishment of such sins , when men did see , that they fell likewise upon those who were not guilty of those sins , and consequently the example could not be so effectual to deter men from sin. upon all these accounts you see that abraham's reasoning was very strong and well grounded , as to those judgments which are miraculous and extraordinary , and immediately inflicted by god , for the punishment of great and hainous sins , which was the case he was speaking of . and accordingly we find , that in these judgments which have been immediately and miraculously inflicted by god , he hath always made this difference between the righteous and the wicked . in the deluge which he brought upon the old world , the spirit of god gives this reason why the judgment was so universal , because all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth ; and the reason , why he saved noah and his family was , because in this general corruption of mankind , he alone was righteous ; thee have i seen righteous before me in this generation . so likewise in that miraculous judgment of korah and his company , when god made a new thing , and the earth opened her mouth to swallow them up , none perished but he and his complices , the rest had warning given them by god to remove from the tents of those wicked men. thus you see that as to the particular case in the text , abraham's reasoning concerning the justice of god is very firm , and concluding . i proceed to the second , thing , which was that , which i principally intended to discourse upon , viz. to consider the justice of god in general , in the distribution of rewards and punishments . and here i cannot but grant , that the best evidence of this is yet wanting . we have clear demonstrations of the power and wisdom , and goodness of god in this vast and admirable frame of things which we see : but we must stay till the day of judgment for a clear and full manifestation of the divine justice ; for which reason the day of judgment is in scripture call'd , the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. but in the mean time we may receive sufficient assurance of this , both from natural reason , and from divine revelation . . from natural reason , which tells us , that god loves righteousness and hates iniquity , and consequently that it must be agreable to his nature to countenance and encourage the one , and to discountenance the other ; that is , to give some publick testimony of his liking and affection to the one , and of his hatred and dislike of the other , which cannot otherwise be done , but by rewards and punishments . but however the heathen reasoned about this matter , whatever premises they laid , they firmly believed the conclusion , that god is just . plato lays down this as a certain and undoubted principle , that god is in no wise unjust , but as righteous , as is possible , and that we cannot resemble god more , than in this quality and disposition . so likewise seneca tells us , that the gods are neither capable of receiving an injury , nor of doing any thing that is unjust . antoninus the great emperour and philosopher , speaking doubtfully , whether good men are extinguisht by death , or remain afterwards , if it be just , says he , you may be sure it is so : if it be not just , you may certainly conclude the contrary , for god is just , and being so , he will do nothing that is unjust or unreasonable . and indeed the heathen philosophers looked upon this as the great sanction of all moral precepts , that god was the witness and the avenger of the breach and violation of them , qui secus faxit , deus ipse vindex erit , if any man do contrary to them , god himself will punish it ; which shews , that there is a natural awe upon the minds of men of the divine justice , which will overtake offenders either in this world or the other . but this will more clearly appear in the . place , from scripture , or divine revelation . and those texts which i shall produce to this purpose , may be reduced to these two heads ; either such as prove the rectitude of the divine nature and his justice in general ; or such as speak more particularly of the justice and equity of his providence in the distribution of rewards and punishments . i begin , first , with those which declare the rectitude of the divine nature , and the justice of god in general , and that either by attributing this perfection to him , or by removing the contrary , injustice and unrighteousness at the greatest distance from him . . those which attribute this perfection to god. i shall mention but a few of many , psal . . . the lord is righteous . dan. . . o lord ! righteousness belongeth unto thee . this good men have acknowledged , when they have lain under the hand of god , ezra . . . o lord god of israel , thou art righteous . and this the worst of men have been forced to own , when they have been in extremity , ex. . . then pharoah said , the lord is righteous . this hath been likewise acknowledged by those who have layn under the greatest temptation to doubt of it , jer. . . righteous art thou o lord , when i plead with thee : yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments , wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper ? the prophet , notwithstanding he saw the prosperous condition of wicked men , and the afflicted state of the godly , which seemed hard to be reconcile with the justice of god's providence , yet before he would so much as reason about it , he lays down this as a certain conclusion , righteous art thou , o lord. to this head likewise belong all those texts which speak of righteousness , as god's dwelling place and his throne , of his delight in justice , and of the duration and eternity of it , which i need not particularly recite . . there are likewise other texts , which remove the contrary , viz. injustice and unrighteousness at the greatest distance from god , as being most contrary to his nature and perfection . deut. . . a god of truth , and without iniquity . chron. . . there is to iniquity with the lord our god , nor accepting of persons , nor taking of gifts . job . . doth god pervert judgment ? or doth the almighty pervert justice ? which is a vehement negation of the thing . job . , , . far be it from god , that he should do wickedness , and from the almighty , that he should commit iniquity . for the work of a man shall he render unto him , and cause every man to find according to his ways . yea surely god will not do wickedly , neither will the almighty pervert judgment . rom. . . what shall we say then ? is there unrighteousness with god ? god forbid . secondly , there are other texts which speak more particularly of the justice and righteousness of god in the distribution of rewards and punishments . 't is true indeed , the justice of god doth not constantly appear in this world in the dispensations of his providence because this is a time of patience and forbearance to sinners , and of tryal and exercise to good men ; but there is a day a coming , when all things shall be set straight , and every man shall receive the just reward of his deeds when the justice of god shall be evident to all the world , and every eye shall see it , and shall acknowledge the righteous judgment of god ; and this the scripture most clearly and expresly declares unto us ; and hence it is , that the day of judgment is call'd the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. the righteousness of god doth not now so clearly appear , but that there are many clouds over it ; but there shall be a day of revelation , when the righteousness of god shall be made manifest to all the world. the remunerative justice of god shall then appear in the rewarding the righteous ; and the punitive justice of god in punishing the wicked and ungodly , so that a man shall say , verily there is a reward for the righteous , verily there is a god that judgeth the world. now the righteousness of this vengeance of god , which god will take upon sinners , is further set forth to us in scripture , from the equity and impartiality of it . i. from the equity of it , . in that the sins of men have justly deserved the punishment , that shall come upon them , rom. . . who knowing the judgment of god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the righteous judgment of god , that they which commit such things , are worthy of death . . in that the judgment of god shall be proportioned to the degree and heinousness of mens sins ; so as the lesser or greater sins shall be punisht with more or less severity . so our saviour threatens to those who continue impenitent under the gospel and the advantages of it , their case shall be more sad than that of tyre and sidon , and it shall be more tolerable for sodom and gomorrah at the day of judgment , than for them . mat. . , . and luke . , . there you have different degrees of punishment threatned , proportionable to the aggravations of the sins , which men have committed ; the servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes : but he that knew it not , but did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes ; and so proportionably of all other aggravations of sins , for to whom much is given , of him shall much be required , and unto whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . so likewise god will vindicate the contempt of the gospel more severely , than of the law , because the confirmation of it is clearer , and the salvation offered by it greater . heb. . , , . if the word spoken by angels was stedfast , and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward ; how shall we escape ? &c. and so , heb. . , . he that despised moses his law died without mercy under two or three witnesses , of how much sorer punishment , suppose ye , shall he be thought worth , who haht troden under foot the son of god ? &c. ii. the righteousness of this judgment is further set forth to us in scripture by the impartiality of it . hither belong all those texts , which remove from god that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that respect of persons , which is so incident to humane tribunals . now respect of persons is in distribution of justice , and hath regard to some external qualities or circumstances of the persons , which do not appertain to the merit of the cause , and upon account of those circumstances , to deal unequally with those , whose case is equal ; as when two persons , who are equally guilty of a crime , are brought to their tryal , and the one is condemned , and the other acquitted , upon the account of friendship , or relation , or some other interest , because one is poor and the other rich , the one hath powerful friends to intercede for him , the other not , the one brings a gift or bribe , the other not , or upon any other account , besides the pure merits of the cause ; i say to deal thus in the distribution of of justice , is respect of persons . otherwise in matters of meer grace and favour , respect of persons hath no place , accordin● to that common rule of divines , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 locum non habet in gratuitis , sed in debitis . now this the scripture every where speaks of , as a thing very far from god , deut. . . the lord your god is god of gods , and lord of lords , a great god , a mighty and a terrible , which regardeth not persons , nor taketh rewards . chron. . . there is no iniquity with the lord our god , nor respect of persons , nor taking of gifts . job . , . is it fit to say to a king , thou art wicked ? or to princes , ye are ungodly ? how much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes , nor regardeth the rich more than the poor ? for they are all the work of his hands . rom. . . who will render to every man according to his deeds : for there is no respect of persons with god. acts . , . of a truth i perceive that god is no respecter of persons , but in every nation : he that feareth him , and worketh righteousness , is accepted with him . eph. . , . the apostle there presseth the duties of servants to masters , from this consideration , that whatsoever good thing any man doth , the same shall he receive of the lord , whether he be bond or free , and at the th . v. ye masters , do the same thing unto them , forbearing threatning ; knowing that your master also is in heaven , neither is there respect of persons with him . he maketh this likewise an argument , why men should not oppress and deal deceitfully one with another , col. . . but he that doth wrong , shall receive for the wrong which he hath done ; and there is no respect of persons . and in general , st. peter urgeth this consideration upon all men to deter them from sin in any kind , pet. . . and if ye call on the father , who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work , pass the time of your sojourning here in fear . and besides that the scripture doth remove this at the greatest distance from god , it gives us also several instances of the impartiality of the divine justice , that it is not to be perverted and turned aside by any of those extrinsecal considerations which commonly sway with men ; it is not to be prevailed with and overcome by flattery and entreaties , mat. . , . not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven , &c. the divine justice is not to be imposed upon by good words , and external shews , and false professions ; so neither by any external relation to him ; for many shall come from the east , and from the west , and shall sit down with abraham , isaac , and jacob , in the kingdom of god , but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness . and however men may bear up themselves now upon their worldly greatness and power , certainly there is a time a coming , when the greatest persons in the world , those who overturn kingdoms , and lay wast countries , and oppress and ruin millions of mankind for the gratifying of their own lusts and ambition , i say there is a day coming , when even these , as much , nay more than others , shall fear and tremble before the impartial justice of god. rev. . . and the kings of the earth , and the great men , and the rich men , and the chief captains , and the mighty men , and every bond-man , and every free-man hid themselves in the dens , and in the rocks of the mountains ; for the great day of his wrath is come , and who shall be able to stand ? the impartial justice of god will treat the greatest and the meanest persons alike , rev. . . i saw the dead , small and great , stand before god ; and the books were opened , and another book was opened , which is the book of life ; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books , according to their works . all judged according to their works . i should next proceed to vindicate the justice of god in the distribution of rewards and punishments from those objections , which seem to impeach it . but before i enter upon this , it will be convenient to satisfie one question , which hath occasioned great disputes in the world , and that is , how far justice , especially as to the punishment of offenders is essential to god ? and for the clearing of this matter i shall briefly lay down these propositions . first , i take this for a certain and undoubted truth , that every perfection is essential to god , and cannot be imagined to be seperated from the divine nature , because this is the natural notion which men have of god , that he is a being that hath all perfection . secondly , the actual constant exercise of those divine perfections , the effects whereof are without himself , is not essential to god. for instance , tho' god be essentially powerful , and good ; yet it is not necessary , that he should always exercise his power and goodness ; but at such times , and in such a manner , as seems best to his wisdom ; and this is likewise true of his wisdom and justice , because these are perfections , the effects whereof are terminated upon something without himself . thirdly , it is essential to god to love goodness , and hate sin , wherever he sees them . it is not necessary there should be a world , or reasonable creatures in it : but upon supposition that god makes such creatures , it is agreable to the divine nature , to give them good and righteous laws , to encourage them in the doing of that which is good , and to discourage them from doing that which is evil , which cannot be done , but by rewards and punishments , and therefore it is agreable to the perfection of the divine nature , to reward goodness , and to punish sin. fourthly , as for those rewards which the gospel promiseth , and the punishments which it threatens , there is some difference to be made between the rewarding and punishing justice of god. . as for that abundant reward god is pleased to promise to good men , the promise of it is founded in his goodness , and the performance of that promise in his justice ; for it is justice to perform what he promises , tho' the promise of so great and abundant a reward was meer goodness . . as for the punishing justice of god , about which hath been the great question , whether that be essential to god or not , it seems very plain , that it is not necessary that god should inflict those judgments which he threatens , because he hath threatned them ; for there is not the like obligation upon persons to perform their threatnings , that there is to perform their promises ; because god by his promise becomes a debtour to those , to whom he makes the promise ; but when he threatens , he is the creditour , and we are debtors to his justice ; and as a creditor , he may remit the punishment which he hath threatned : but then if we consider god as loving goodness and hating sin ; if we look upon him as governor of the world , and concerned to preserve good order , to encourage holiness and righteousness , and to discountenance sin , under this consideration it is essential to him to punish sin at such times , and in such manner and circumstances , as seems best to his wisdom . and i am not at all moved by that , which is urged by some learned men to the contrary , that if punishing justice were essential to god , then he must punish the sinner immediately , so soon as he hath offended , and to the utmost of his power ; because whatever acts naturally , acts necessarily , and to the utmost : for i do not suppose such a justice essential to god as acts necessarily , but such a justice , which as to the time , and manner , and circumstances of its acting is regulated and determined by his wisdom ; and there is the same reason likewise of his goodness . i come now to the objections which are taken partly from the dispensations of god in this world ; and partly from the punishments of the other . first , as to the dispensations of god in this world , there are these two things objected against the justice of the divine providence . i. the inequality of god's dealings with good and bad men in this world. ii. the translation of punishments , punishing one man's sin upon another , as the sins of the fathers upon the children , of the prince upon the people . i begin with the i. objection , the inequality of god's dealing with good and bad men in this world. in this life things happen promiscuously , there is one event to the righteous , and to the wicked ; if the wicked suffer and are afflicted , so are the righteous ; if the righteous sometimes flourish , so do the wicked ; and is not this unjust , that those who are so unequal as to their deserts should be equally dealt withal ? or if there be any inequality , it is usually the wrong way , the wicked do many times prosper more in the world , and the righteous are frequently more afflicted . this was the great objection of old against the providence of god , which the heathen philosophers took so much pains to answer , nay it did often shake the faith of holy and good men in the old testament . job . . the tabernacles of robbers prosper , and they that provoke god are secure , into whose hand god bringeth abundantly . and chap. . , , . he expostulates the same matter again ; and david says this was a great stumbling-block to him , psal . . , . and the like we find in the prophets , jer. . . and hab. . . this objection i have else-where considered , i shall now very briefly offer two or three things , which i hope will be sufficient to break the force of it . . it must be granted , that it is not necessary to justice to shew it self immediately , and to dispence rewards and punishments so soon as there are objects for them . this is not thought necessary among men , much more ought we to leave it to the wisdom of god to determine the time and circumstances of the exercising of his justice ; and we are not to conclude that the providence of god is unjust , if he do not bestow rewards , and inflict punishments , just when we think he should . . if god intended this life for a state of tryal , wherein he would prove the obedience of men , and their free inclination to good or evil , it is not reasonable to expect that he should follow men with present rewards and punishments ; for that would lay too great a force upon men , so that there would hardly be any oportunity of trying them ; but on the contrary , there is all the reason in the world to presume that god should exercise the graces and virtues of good men with afflictions and sufferings , and suffer bad men to take their course for a while , and walk in their own ways , without continual checks by frequent and remarkable judgments upon them , so often as they offend . . if there be another life after this , wherein men shall be judged according to their works , then this objection vanisheth , for that great day will set all things straight , which seem now to be so crooked and irregular . the deferring of rewards and punishments to the most convenient season , is so far from being a reflection upon the justice of god , that it is highly to the commendation of it . what claudian says of ruffinus , a very bad man , whose long impunity had tempted men to call in question the justice of god , is considerable in this case ; abstulit hunc tandem ruffini poena tumultum , absolvitque deos. the punishment which overtook him at last , did quiet those tumultuous thoughts , and absolved the gods from all blame . when men look but a little way , and consider only the present state of things , they are ready to quarrel at the justice of them ; but if they would look at the end of things , and have patience to stay till the last , to see the conclusion and winding up of things , they would then acquit god in their thoughts from all those imputations of injustice , which from the inequality of present dispensations , rash and inconsiderate men are apt to charge him withal . ii. objection , from the translation of punishments , the punishing of one man's sin upon another , as of the fathers upon the children , which god threatens in the second commandment , and did in some sort fulfil in ahab , in bringing the evil he had threatned him withal , in his son's days , kings . . the punishing the sin of one person upon a people , as that of achan upon the whole congregation , josh . . . did not achan the son of zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing ? and wrath fell on all the congregation of israel , and that man perished not alone in his iniquity . and the sin of david upon the people , sam. . when seventy thousand dyed of the plague , for david's sin in numbring the people . now how is this agreable to justice ? is it not a known rule , noxa caput sequitur , mischief pursues the sinner ? what can be more reasonable , quam ut peccata suos teneant authores , than that men's faults should be charged upon the authors , and punishment fall upon the guilty ? for answer to this . . it is not unreasonable that one man should bear the punishment of another's fault , if he be willing and content to bear it , volenti non fit injuria , there is no wrong done to those , that are willing to undergo it , tho' they be innocent , which was the case of our blessed saviour suffering for us , the just for the unjust , as the scripture expresseth it . . where the person , upon whom the punishment is trasfer'd , is likewise a sinner , and obnoxious to god , there can be no injustice ; because he hath deserved it upon his own account , and god may take what occasion he pleaseth to punish them that deserve to be punisht . . in punishing the iniquity of the father upon the children , the guilty person , that is , the father , is punisht in the calamity of his children , for a man's children are himself multiplyed ; and therefore it is very remarkable that in the second commandment , god promiseth to shew mercy to thousands of generations of them that love him ; but he visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children , but to the third and fourth generation , that is so far as a man may live to see them punisht , and suffer in their punishment . . as to the punishment of the people for the sins of their princes and governors , and one part of a community for another , supposing all of them to be sinners , which is the true case , god may lay the punishment where he pleaseth ; and there is no more injustice then when a man is whipt on the back for the theft which his hand committed , a community being one body ; besides the prince is punisht in the loss of his people , the glory of a king consisting in the multitude of his subjects . the objection with respect to the other world , the punishment of temporal evils with eternal , is else-where answer'd . the use we should make of this whole discourse is , first , if god be just and righteous , let us acknowledge it in all his dispensations , even in those , the reason whereof is most hidden and obscure . neh. . . speaking of the great afflictions that had befal'n god's own people , yet this he lays down as a firm principle , howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us . secondly , this is matter of terrour to wicked men. god doth now exercise his milder attributes towards sinners , his mercy , and patience , and goodness ; but if we despise these , that terrible attribute of his justice will desplay it self ; and this the scripture describes in a severe manner , the lord revengeth , and is jealous ; the lord will take vengeance on his adversaries , and reserveth wrath for his enemies . thirdly , this is matter of comfort to good men , that the righteous god governs the world , and will judge it . the lord reigneth , let the earth rejoyce , psal . . . and he gives the reason of it in the next v. righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne . tho' he be omnipotent , we need not fear ; for his power is always under the conduct of eternal righteousness . fourthly , let us imitate this righteousness , let us endeavour to be righteous as he is righteous ; let us give to god the love , reverence , and obedience which are due to him ; and in all our dealings , what is just and due to men. this duty hath an immutable reason , founded in the nature of god. sermon xii . the truth of god. deut. xxxii . . — a god of truth . in speaking to this attribute , i shall i. shew you what we are to understand by the truth of god. ii. endeavour to prove that this perfection belongs to god , that he is a god of truth . iii. answer some objections that may be made against it ; and then make some vse of it . i. what we are to understand by the truth of god. i shall take it as the scripture useth it in a large sense , so as to include not only the veracity of god ; but his faithfulness . hence it is that in scripture truth and faithfulness are so often put together , and frequently put one for another , isa . . . thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth . rev. . . these words are true and faithful . and the faithfulness of god , in performing his promises , is frequently call'd his truth . and because the scripture useth them promiscuously , we need not be very solicitous to find out distinct notions of them ; but if you will , they may be distinguisht thus ; the truth or veracity of god hath place in every declaration of his mind ; the faithfulness of god only in his promises . for the first , the veracity or truth of god ; this hath place in every declaration of his mind , and signifies an exact correspondence and conformity between his word and his mind , and consequently between his word and the truth and reality of things . the correspondence of his word with his mind , depends upon the rectitude of his will ; the conformity of his word with the reality of things , not only upon the rectitude of his will , but the perfection of his knowledge , and the infallibility of his vnderstanding ; so that when we say god is true , or speaks truth , we mean thus , that his words are a plain declaration of his mind , and a true representation of things , in opposition to false-hood , which is speaking otherwise than the thing is ; and hypocrisie , that is , speaking otherwise than we think . for instance , when god declares any thing to be so , or not to be so , to have been thus , or not to have been thus , the thing really is so , and he thinks so ; when he expresseth his desire of any thing , he does really desire it ; when he commands any thing , or forbids us any thing , it is really his mind and will that we should do what he commands , and avoid what he forbids ; when he declares and foretels any thing future , it really shall come to pass , and he really intended it should ; if the declaration be to be understood absolutely , it shall absolutely come to pass ; if the declaration be to be understood conditionally , it shall come to pass , and he intends it shall , if the condition be performed . secondly , the faithfulness of god. this only hath place in his promises , in which there is an obligation of justice superadded to his word ; for god by his promise doth not only declare what he intends , and what shall be ; but confers a right upon them to whom the promise is made , so as that the breach of his promise would not only cast an imputation upon his truth , but upon his justice . ii. that this perfection belongs to god. and this i shall endeavour to prove , first , from the dictates of natural light. secondly , from scripture . first , from the dictates of natural light. natural light tells us , that truth and faithfulness are perfections , and consequently belong to the divine nature ; and that false-hood and a lie are imperfections , and to be removed from god. there is nothing that is amongst men esteemed a greater contumely and reproach , than to give a man the lie , to call him a lyar , because it is an argument of so much baseness , and of a low and mean and servile spirit ; the usual temptation to it being fear of losing some advantage , or incurring some danger . hence was that saying , that it is the property of a slave to lie , but of a free man to speak truth : now whatever argues baseness or imperfection , our reason tells us is infinitely to be separated from the most perfect being . god cannot be tempted with evil , the divine nature being all-sufficient , can have no temptation to be otherwise than good and just , and true and faithful . men are tempted to lie by advantage , and out of fear : but the divine nature hath the security of its fullness and all-sufficiency , that it cannot hope for any increase , nor fear any impairment of its estate . men are unfaithful , and break their words , either because they are rash and inconsiderate in passing of them , or forgetful in minding them , or inconstant in keeping of them , or impotent and unable to perform them : but none of these are incident to god , his infinite wisdom , and perfect knowledge , and clear foresight of all events , secure him both from inconsiderateness , and inconstancy , and forgetfulness ; and his infinite power renders him able to perform what he hath spoken , and to make good his word . and that these are the natural dictates and suggestions of our minds , appears clearly from the reasonings of the heathen in this matter , who were destitute of divine revelation . plato de repub. l. . lays down this as a certain truth , that lying and falsehood are imperfections , and odious to god and men , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and afterwards he tells us , that the divine nature is free from all temptation hereto , either from advantage or fear ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and concludes , therefore god is true , and deals plainly with us , both in his words and actions , and is neither changed himself , nor deceives us . porphyry in the life of pythagoras tells us , that this was one of his precepts , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and afterwards he adds , that truth is so great a perfection , that if god would render himself visible to men , he would chuse light for his body , and truth for his soul. secondly , from scripture . the scripture doth very frequently attribute this to god , sam. . . and now , o lord god , thou art that god , and thy words be true ; psal . . . all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth ; psal . . . into thy hand i commit my spirit : thou hast redeemed me , o lord god of truth . rev. . . these things saith he , that is holy , he that is true . rev. . . how long , o lord , holy and true ? . . just and true are thy ways , thou king of saints . . . true and righteous are thy judgments . hither we may refer those texts which speak of the plenty and abundance of god's truth , ex. . . abundant in goodness and truth . psal . . . plenteous in mercy and truth ; and those which speak of the duration and eternity of it . psal . . . and his truth endureth to all generations . . . and the truth of the lord endureth for ever . . . who keepeth truth for ever . as the scripture doth attribute this perfection to god , so it removes the contrary from him with the greatest abhorrence and detestation , num. . . god is not a man that he should lie , neither the son of man that he should repent , hath he said , and shall not he do it ? hath he spoken , and shall he not make it good ? they are balaam's words , but god put them into his mouth . sam. . . the strength of israel will not lie nor repent , for he is not a man that he should repent . rom. . . yea let god be true , and every man a lyar. nay the scripture goes further , does not only remove lying and false-hood and inconstancy from god , but speaks of these as things impossible to the divine nature ; tit. . . in hope of eternal life , which god that cannot lie , promised before the world began . heb. . . that by two immutable things , in which it was impossible for god to lie , we might have a strong consolation , who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us . and the scripture doth not only in general attribute this perfection to god , but doth more particularly assure us of his sincerity and truth and faithfulness . of his sincerity ; that he deals plainly with us , and speaks what he intends , that his words are the image of his thoughts , and a true representation of his mind . god is very careful to remove this jealousie out of the minds of men , who are apt to entertain unworthy thoughts of god , as if notwithstanding all that he hath declared , he had a secret design to ruin men ; therefore he interposeth his oath for our greater assurance , ezek. . . as i live , saith the lord god , i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked turn from his way , and live . when god speaks to us , he speaks his mind , and hath no design to circumvent and possess us with errour and delusion ; if he offer life and happiness , we may believe he is real , and that if he did not intend to bestow it upon us , or if there were no such thing as a future glory , he would not have declared it to us ; this was the temper of our saviour , who was the express image of the father , full of grace and truth . john . . in my father's house are many mansions ; if it were not so , i would have told you . and as the scripture assures us of his sincerity , so of his truth and faithfulness in the accomplishment of all his predictions , and performance of all his promises . as for the truth of his predictions , and certain accomplishment of them , the scripture frequently useth this proverbial speech , to assure us of the certainty of their accomplishment ; heaven and earth shall pass away , but my words shall not pass away . mat. . . for the faithfulness of god in his promises , the scripture makes frequent mention of it , deut. . . know therefore that the lord thy god , he is god , the faithful god , which keepeth covenant and mercy . psal . . , . i will not suffer my faithfulness to fail , my covenant will i not break , nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips . the scripture doth record god's punctual and full performance of his promises ; particularly of that promise to abraham , after four hundred years to bring the children of israel out of egypt , and to give them the land of canaan for an inheritance . gen. . . the punctual accomplishment you have recorded , ex. . . and it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years , even the self same day it came to pass , that all the hosts of the lord went out from the land of egypt ; see likewise jos . . , . and . . kings . . and upon this account it is that god is so frequently in scripture styl'd the god that keepeth covenant . kings . . neh. . . . . and in several other places . and so likewise of predictions of evil to come , god is true in fulfilling his word . sam. . ● . when the prophet had threatned saul to rent the kingdom from him , he adds , the strength of israel will not lie nor repent , for he is not a man that he should repent . iii. i come to remove some objections that may be made against the truth and faithfulness of god. first , it is objected against the sincerity of god and his plain dealing , that he is sometimes represented in scripture , as inspiring prophets with false messages . kings . , &c. jer. . . . . ezek. . . ans . as to three of these texts , it is a known hebraism to express things in an imperative and active form , which are to be understood only permissively . so where the devils besought christ , that he would suffer them to enter into the herd of swine , he said unto them go , mat. . . he did not command , but permit them . and so john . . where our saviour says to judas , what thou dost , do quickly , we are not to understand , that he commanded him to betray him , tho' that seem to be exprest in the form . so likewise here , where an evil spirit offer'd himself to be a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophet , and god says go forth and do so ; this only signifies a permission not a command . and so jer. . . where the prophet complains that god had greatly deceived the people , saying they should have peace , when the sword reached to the soul ; we are to understand this no otherwise , but that god permitted the false prophets to deceive them , by prophesying peace to them , as appears by the history . ezek. . . i the lord have deceived that prophet , that is permitted him to be deceived , and to deceive the people , as a just judgment upon them for their infidelity with respect to his true prophets . this he threatens at the th . v. i will take the house of israel in their own heart , because they are all estranged from me through their idols ; because they have chosen to themselves false gods , i will suffer them to be deceived with false prophets ; and that this is the meaning , appears by the threatning added , and i will stretch out my hand upon him , and i will destroy him from the midst of my people ; now god will not punish that whereof he is the author . that text jer. . . thou hast deceived me , and i was deceived , signifies no more , but that he had mistaken the promise of god to him , who when he gave him his commission told him he would be with him , by which he understood that no evil should come to him , and now he was become a derision , and the people mocked him ; and in his passion and weakness he breaks forth into this expression , thou hast deceived me , and i was deceived ; whereas it was his own mistake of the meaning of god's promise , which was not that he should not meet with scorn , and opposition , and persecution , but that they should not prevail against him , as you may see at the latter end of the first chapter . secon● objection against the faithfulness of god as to performance of his promise . 't is objected that god did not give the children of israel all the land which he promised to abraham , as will appear by comparing , gen. . , . with josh . . . &c. and judg. . , . gen. . . god promiseth to give abraham and his seed such a land , the bounds whereof he describes ; josh . . . 't is said there , that there remained very much land yet unconquer'd , which they had not got the possession of ▪ and judg. . . 't is said that the people having not performed their part of the covenant , god would suspend the further performance of his promise , and would not drive out any more of the nations before them ; and it is probable that the israelites never were possest of the promised land in the full latitude and extent of the promise . ans . this covenant of god with abraham , was upon consideration of his past faith and obedience , tho' it seems the full performance of it did likewise depend upon the future obedience of his posterity ; in pursuance of this covenant , notwithstanding all the murmerings and rebellions of that people , god did bring them into the promised land , tho' they provoked him to destroy them many a time ; because he remembred his covenant with abraham ; when they were possest of it , god gave them a title to the rest , and would have assisted them in the conquest of it , if they had performed the condition required on their part , that is , continued faithful and obedient to him , but they did not , and thereby discharged god from any further performance of his promise ; and god when he had done this , had fully performed the covenant he made with abraham , so far as concerned his part , as appears by the acknowledgment of joshua , even in a time when a great part of the land was unconquer'd , josh . . . and of solomon , kings . . yea and had it not been that god had made this covenant , as well upon consideration of abraham's faith and obedience , as upon condition of the future obedience of his posterity , the rebellions and disobedience of the people in the wilderness had released god wholly from the promise , and he had not been unfaithful if he had destroyed utterly that people , and made a full end of them , and they had never entred into that land , because a failure of the condition doth make the obligation to cease ; and that this condition was imply'd in this covenant with abraham , appears by these texts , deut. . , . . . . . and judg. . . god gives this reason why he suspended the compleat performance of his promise , the anger of the lord was hot against israel , and he said , because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which i commanded their fathers , and have not harkned to my voice , i also will not henceforth drive out any of the nations which joshua left when he died . third objection , god is not punctual in performing his threatnings ; as when he threatned adam , gen. . . in the day thou eatest thereof , thou shalt surely die ; which yet was not accomplisht , for he lived many hundred years after . god threatned ahab to bring evil upon him and his family , kings . . but upon his humiliation he is pleased to respite it , v. . so god threatned hezekiah with death , but upon his prayer adds fifteen years to his life . kings . thus nineveh was threatned , but upon their repentance , god repented of the evil , jon. . . now how is this deferring and turning away of judgment consistent with the truth of god ? doth not this seem to charge him with false-hood or levity ? ans . this may be said in general , that every one that understands the nature of god , cannot but be very well assur'd , that false-hood and levity are very far from god ; and tho' he could not untie some particular knots , and answer all difficulties , yet he ought to rest satisfied in this assurance . i confess this objection is troublesom , and requires a distinct consideration . i will not be peremptory in nice matters , but i shall , with submission , offer these things in answer to it . . as for the expression of god's repenting , we are to understand it , as many others in scripture , after the manner of men , and spoken by way of condescention to our weakness , and accommodated to our capacities , and not as casting any imputation of false hood or inconstancy upon god , as if either he did not intend what he saith , or out of levity did alter his mind . when god is said to repent , the expression only signifies thus much , that god doth not execute that which seemed to us to have been his purpose , that he is pleased to do otherwise than his threatnings seemed openly to express , because of some tacit condition implyed in them ; and this doth not derogate either from the truth , or sincerity , or constancy of god in his word . not from his truth ; for he speaks what he intends really , if something did nor intervene to prevent the judgment threatned , upon which he was resolved , when he threatned , to be taken off and stop his judgments : nor doth it derogate from his sincerity and plainness ; for he hath told us that his threatnings have such conditions imply'd in them : nor doth it derogate from the constancy and immutability of god ; because god doth not mutare consilium sed sententiam , he doth not change his counsel and purpose , but takes off the sentence , which he had past with reserved conditions . . as to the instances , that i may give more particular satisfaction to them , i shall consider the threatnings of god with this double respect , either with relation to law , or with relation to the event ; with relation to a law , as they are the sanction of it ; or with relation to the event , as they are predictions of something to come . ( . ) some threatnings have only relation to a law , as they are the sanction of it . and thus consider'd , they differ from promises ; for promises confer a right , omne promissum cadit in debitum ; but a threatning doth not convey any right , nor if forborn can the party complain of wrong done to him ; and therefore in this case it can only signifie what the offence against the law deserves , and what the offender may expect ; for the end of threatning is not punishment , but the avoiding of it . and this may answer the first instance . god gave adam a law ; and by way of sanction , not of prediction of an event , he threatned the breach of it with death : now god did not execute the punishment threatned at the time threatned , but deferr'd it , and this without any impeachment of his justice or truth , because this threatning was only the sanction of the law. ( . ) we may consider threatnings with relation to the event and as predictions ; and as to the accomplishment of these , there seems to be a greater degree of necessity , because the honour of god's knowledge , and power , and truth seem to be concerned in them ; for if his word be not fulfill'd , it must either be for want of knowledge to foresee events , or power to bring them to pass , or constancy to his word . now if we consider threatnings with respect to the event , as they are predictions of future judgements , i think all the other instances may be satisfied , by laying down this rule for the understanding of them , viz. that all prophetical threatnings or predictions of judgment are to be understood with this tacit condition , if there do not intervene the humiliation , and repentance , and prayer of the persons against whom the judgment is threatned ; and if so , god may upon repentance , without any impeachment of the honour of his truth , or knowledge , or power , either defer , or abate , or remit the punishment . and that the predictions of judgments are to be understood with this condition , appears clearly from that known text , jer. . , . i come now to the last thing i proposed , to make some vse of this doctrine . first , if god be a god of truth , then this gives us assurance that he doth not deceive us , that the faculties which he hath given us are not false , but when they have clear perceptions of things , they do not err and mistake . were it not for the veracity of god , we might , for any thing we know , be under a constant delusion ; and no man could demonstate the contrary , but that this is our make and temper , and the very frame of our understandings , to be then most of all deceived , when we think our selves to be most certain ; i say no man could be assured of the contrary , but from hence , because veracity and truth is a divine perfection ; and therefore god cannot be the author of errour and delusion . therefore we may be assured , that the frame of our understandings is not a cheat , but that our faculties are true , and unless it be our own fault , we need not be deceived in things that are necessary to our happiness . secondly , if god be a god of truth , then there is reason why we should believe and assent to whatever we are satisfied is revealed to us by god. a divine revelation is a sufficient ground for the most firm assent ; for this very thing , that any thing is revealed by god , is the highest evidence , and ought to give us the most firm assurance of the truth of it . hence it is that the word of god is call'd the word of truth , yea and truth it self , john . . thy word is truth . therefore whoever entertains the ●criptures as the word of god , and is satisfied of the divine authority of them , ought in reason to believe every thing contained in them , yea tho' there be some things of which no reasonable account can be given , and which our reason and understanding cannot give us particular satisfaction in ; yet because we are satisfied that they are revealed by god who cannot lie , whose knowledge is infallible , and whose word is true , we ought upon this higher and superior reason to yield a firm assent to the truth of them : if we do not , we dishonour this perfection of god , and rob him of this essential property , his veracity . john . . he that believeth on the son of god , hath the witness in himself : he that believeth not god , hath made him a liar , because he believeh not the record that god gave of his son. as on the other hand , if we do believe what god hath revealed , we glorifie this perfection of his , and set our seal to his veracity . so 't is said of abraham , rom. . . that he was strong in faith , giving glory to god. and st. john the baptist , speaking concerning our saviour , saith , john . . he that hath received his testimony , hath set to his seal , that god is true . thirdly , if god be a god of truth , and faithful in performing his promise , then here is a firm foundation for our hope and trust . if god have made any promise , we may securely rely upon it , that it shall be made good ; we may hold fast our hope without wavering , because he is faithful who hath promised , heb. . . hence it is that the blessings of god's covenant are call'd sure mercies , isa . . . we attribute much to the word of a faithful friend , and look upon the promise of an honest man as very good security ; but men may fail us when we rely upon them : but god is true , tho' all men should prove lyars . men are fickle and murable ; but the nature of god is fixt , he cannot fail those that trust in him . when god hath made any promise to us , we may plead it with him , and urge him with his faithfulness . so we find david did , sam. . . &c. only we should be careful to perform the condition which is required on our part , heb. . . we should take heed lest a promise being left us , any one should come short of it , by not performing the condition ; for that doth release and discharge him of the promise , and he is faithful , tho' he doth not perform what he promised , because he did not promise but upon condition ; and this seem to be the meaning of those words , tim. . . if we believe not , yet he abideth faithful , he cannot deny himself . he said before , that if we perform the conditions required , god will bestow the blessings promised , it is a faithful saying , for if we be dead with him , we also shall live with him ; if we suffer , we also shall reign with him ; but if we deny him , the curse threatned will then take place , and he will deny us ; and god is not unfaithful in doing this , he does not deny himself . now if we have such assurance , we may trust him with our greatest concernments , and venture our souls with him , psal . . . into thy hands i commit my spirit , o lord god of truth . we should rely upon him , when there are the greatest improbabilities of the accomplishment of his promises . thus did abraham , rom. . . &c. this should also make us patient in hope ; if a promise be not speedily accomplisht , we should not be dejected or disquieted . david challengeth himself upon this account , psal . . . why art thou cast down , o my soul ? and why art thou disquieted within me ? hope thou in god : for i shall yet praise him , who is the health of my countenance , and my god. and so likewise in reference to the rewards of another world , tho' at a distance , yet we should , as the apostle speaks , wait for the blessed hope . fourthly , the truth of god is matter of terrour to the wicked . all the threatnings of temporal evils may justly be expected , because their sins deserve them , and there is no condition implyed in them , upon which thou canst reasonably hope for the avoiding or abating of the evils threatned , but of humiliation and repentance , and if notwithstanding these threatnings thou continuest in thy sins , and blessest thy self , saying , i shall have peace , tho' thou walk in the imaginations of thy heart , by this very thing thou provokest the justice of god not to spare thee , and makest his wrath and his jealousie to smoke against thee ; and if thou continuest impenitent , however he may defer the execution of temporal evils , his truth and veracity is concerned to inflict eternal punishments upon thee ; for he hath sworn in his wrath that such shall no enter into his rest . fifthly , let us propound to our selves the truth of god for our pattern and imitation . would you be like god ? be true and faithful . truth and faithfulness are divine perfections ; but lying and falsehood are the properties of the devil , and the predominant qualities of hell. the character of the devil is , that he abode not in the truth , and there is no truth in him , when he speaketh a lie , 't is of his own , for he is a lyar and the father of it . john . . one of the first and most natural notions that we have of religion is , that it is to imitate god , and to endeavour to be like him , so far as we are capable ; and to contradict any of the divine excellencies and perfections is the highest sin , because it is against the clearest dictates of our mind , and contrary to those principles which are most deeply rooted in our nature . no man can be cruel and unmerciful , false and treacherous , without a very high degree of guilt , because these sins are contrary to the chiefest and most essential perfections of god. lying is a sin that would fly in the face of an heathen , because it directly contradicts those natural notions which every man hath of god and religion ; therefore we find that there is hardly any thing that men are more ashamed of than to be taken in a lie , and 't is esteemed the highest reproach to be charged with it , it argues such a direct contrariety to that which is the rule of perfection , the nature of god , and consequently so much imperfection and baseness . he that tells a lie out of fear is at once bold towards god , and base towards men. upon these accounts god expresseth himself highly offended with those that practise lying and false-hood , and to have a detestation of them , pro. . . lying lips are an abomination to the lord. it renders us unlike to him , eph. . , . put on the new man , which after god is created in righteousness and true holiness ( or in the holiness of truth . ) and from hence he infers , wherefore putting away lying , speak every man truth with his neighbour : for we are members one of another . col. . . . lie not one to another , seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds : and have put on the new man , which is renewed in knowledge , after the image of him that created him ; that is , because we profess to be conformed to the image of god. more particularly , we should charge our selves with truth and faithfulness towards god and men. . towards god , in our oaths , and vows , and covenants . in our oaths , when we swear in any matter , we tell god that what we speak is truth , and invoke him to bear witness to it . to falsifie in an oath is one of the most solemn affronts that we can put upon the god of truth . and so in our vows , which are a solemn promise to god , of such things in which we have no precedent obligation lying upon us . he that regardeth truth will neither be rash in making a vow , nor careless to perform it . eccles . . . when thou vowest a vow to god , defer not to pay it , for he hath no pleasure in fools . not to perform what we have vowed , is an argument of folly ; either of rashness in the making of it , or of inconstancy in not keeping it . so likewise in all our covenants with god , to serve him and obey him , and keep his commandments , we should strictly charge our selves with performance of these . there is a natural obligation upon us to these things from the very law of our creation , tho' we should never solemnly make any such promise , nor enter into any such engagements , because it is a tacit condition of our beings ; but the taking of this covenant solemnly upon us in baptism , strengthens the obligation , and makes our unfaithfulness the greater sin. all our hopes of happiness are founded in the faithfulness of god ; and if thou be false to him , how canst thou expect he should be faithful to thee ? 't is true indeed , that he abides faithful , he cannot deny himself ; but if thou hast any ingenuity in thee , this should be an argument to thee to be faithful to him ; i am sure this can be no encouragement to thee to be unfaithful ; for if thou breakest the covenant thou hast entred into , and neglegctest the conditions upon which god hath suspended the performance of his promise , thou dischargest the obligation on his part . . towards men ; we should charge our selves with truth in all our words , and faithfulness in all our promises . it becomes us who worship the god of truth , to speak truth ; to use plainness and sincerity in all our words , to abhor falsehood and dissimulation , and those more refined ways of lying by equivocation of words , and secret reservations of our minds on purpose to deceive . those that plead for these , 't is a sign they do not understand the nature of god , and of religion , which is to conform our selves to the divine perfections . we meet with many complaints in the old testament , of the want of truth and faithfulness among men , psal . . . . isa . . , , . jer. . , , . . , , . hos . . . i am afraid there is as much reason for this complaint now ; for we live in an age of greater light , which doth reprove and make manifest this work of darkness ; and methinks there is no sadder sign of the decay of christianity , and of the little power and influence that the gospel hath upon us , than that there is so little regard had by christians to these moral duties , which because moral ( however men may slight that word ) are therefore of eternal and indispensable obligation , having their foundation in the nature of god. to conclude all , that man that can dispence with himself as to moral duties , that makes no conscience of telling a lie , or breaking his word , what badge soever he may wear , what title soever he may call himself by , it is as impossible that such a man should be a true christian , as it is to reconcile the god of truth , and the father of lies . sermon xiii . the holiness of god. pet. i. . be ye holy , for i am holy . in speaking to this attribute , i shall i. inquire , what we are to understand by the holiness of god. ii. endeavour to shew , that this perfection belongs to god. i. what we are to understand by the holiness of god. there is some difficulty in fixing the proper notion of ●t ; for tho' there be no property more frequently attributed to god in scrip●ure , than this of holiness , yet there is none of all god's attributes , which divines have spoken more sparingly of than this . the general notion of holiness is , that it is a separation from a common and ordinary , to a peculiar and excellent use . and this notion of holiness is applicable either to things or persons . to things ; thus the vessels of the tabernacle , and the vestments of the priests were said to be holy , because they were separated from common use , and appropriated to the peculiar and excellent use of the service of god. holiness o● persons is two-fold , either relative and external , which signifies the peculiar relation of a person to god ; such were call'd , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , priests , or holy men : or else habitual and inherent ; such is the holiness of good men. and it is a separation from moral imperfection , that is from sin and impurity . and this is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and the primary notion of i● is negative , and signifies the absence and remotion of sin : and this appears i● those explications which the scriptur● gives of it . thus 't is explain'd by opposition to sin and impurity , cor . . let us cleanse our selves from a●● filthiness of the flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness ; where holiness is opposed to all filthiness . sometimes by the negation of sin and defilement : so we find holy and without blame put together , eph. . . holy and without blemish , eph. . . holy , harmless , and undefiled , heb. . . 't is true indeed , this negative notion doth imply something that is positive , it doth not only signifie the absence of sin , but a contrariety to it ; we cannot conceive the absence of sin without the presence of grace ; as take away crookedness from a thing , and it immediately becomes straight . when ever we are made holy , every lust and corruption in us is supplanted by the contrary grace . now this habitual holiness of persons , which consists in a separation from sin , is a conformity to the holiness of god ; and by this we may come to understand what holiness in god is ; and it signifies the peculiar eminency of the divine nature , whereby it is separated and removed at an infinite distance from moral imperfection , and that which we call sin ; that is , there is no such thing as malice , or envy , or hatred , or revenge , or impatience , or cruelty , or tyranny , or injustice , or false-hood , or unfaithfulness in god ; or if there be any other thing that signifies sin , and vice , and moral imperfection , holiness signifies that the divine nature is at an infinite distance from all these , and possest of the contrary perfections . therefore all those texts that remove moral imperfection from god , and declare the repugnancy of it to the divine nature , do set forth the holiness of god. jam. . . god cannot be tempted with evil . job . . doth god pervert judgment , or doth the almighty pervert justice ? job . . , . far be it from god that he should do wickedness , and from the almighty , that he should commit iniquity . yea surely god will not do wickedly , neither will the almighty pervert judgment . rom. . . is there then unrighteousness with god ? god forbid . zeph. . . the just lord is in the midst thereof , he will not do iniquity . and so false-hood , and unfaithfulness , and inconstancy , deut. . . a god of truth , and without iniquity ▪ sam. . . the strength of israel will not lie . tit. . . in hope of eternal life , which god that cannot lie hath promised ▪ heb. . . that by two immutable things , in which it was impossible for god to lie . therefore you shall find , that holiness is joyned with all the moral perfections of the divine nature , or put for them . hos . . . i am the holy one in the midst of thee ; that is , the merciful one . psal . . . the lord is righteous in all his ways , and holy in all his works . rom. . . the commandment is holy , and just , and good . rev. . . these things saith he that is holy , he that is true . rev. . . how long , o lord , holy and true ? psal . . . he remembred his holy promise ; holy , that is , in respect of the faithfulness of it . isa . . . the sure mercies of david ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the holy mercies of david , which will not fail . so that the holiness of god is not a particular , but an universal perfection , and runs through all the moral perfections of the divine nature , 't is the beauty of the divine nature , and the perfection of all his other perfections . take away this , and you bring an universal stain and blemish upon the divine nature ; without holiness power would be oppression ; and wisdom , subtilty ; and soveraignty tyranny ; and goodness , malice and envy ; and justice , cruelty ; and mercy , foolish pity ; and truth , false-hood : and therefore the scripture speaks of this , as god's highest excellency and perfection . god is said to be glorious in holiness . ex. . . holiness is call'd god's throne . psal . . . he sitteth upon the throne of his holiness . this is that which makes heaven , isa . . . it is called , the habitation of his holiness , and of his glory ; as if this were the very nature of god , and the sum of his perfections . the knowledge of god is called the knowledge of the holy one . pro. . . to be made partakers of a divine nature , and to be made partakers of god's holiness , are equivalent expressions . pet. . . heb. . . and because there is no perfection of god greater , therefore he is represented as swearing by this , psal . . . god hath spoken in his holiness . psal . . . once have i sworn by my holiness . the angels and glorified spirits they sum up the perfections of god in this , isa . . . and one cryed unto another , and said , holy , holy , holy is the lord of hosts , the whole earth is full of his glory . rev. . . and they rest not day and night , saying , holy , holy , holy , lord god almighty , which was , and is , and is to come . there is no attribute of god so often repeated as this ; in some copies it is nine times . ii. i shall endeavour to prove that this perfection belongs to god ; first , from the light of nature . the philosophers in all their discourses of god agree in this , that whatever sounds like vice and imperfection , is to be separated from the divine nature ; which is , to acknowledge his holiness . plato , speaking of our likeness to god , saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dan. . . king nebuchadnezzar calls god by this title , i know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee . in a word , whatever hath been produced to prove any of god's moral perfections proves his holiness . secondly , from scripture . there is no title more frequently given to god in scripture , and so often ingeminated , as this of his holiness . he is called holiness it self , isa . . . where heaven is call'd the habitation of his holiness , that is , of god. his name is said to be holy , luke . . and holy is his name . he is called the holy one , isa . . . the holy one of israel . isa . . . the holy one of jacob. . . he is said to be holy in all his works and promises . psal . . . in all his ways and works , psal . . . this title is given to each of the three persons in the blessed trinity . to god the father in innumerable places : to god the son , dan. . . to anoint the most holy . the devil cannot deny him this title , luke . . i know thee who thou art , the holy one of god : and the spirit of god hath this title constantly given it , the holy ghost , or the holy spirit , or the spirit of holiness . the scripture attributes this perfection in a peculiar manner to god , sam. . . there is none holy as the lord. rev. . . for thou only art holy . holiness is a communicable perfection ; but no creature can partake of it in such a manner and degree as the divine nature possesseth it . god is eternally holy , the fountain of holiness : the creatures are derivatively and by participation holy. god is eminently and transcendently so : the creatures in a finite degree . god is immutably so , 't is impossible it should be otherwise : but no creature is out of an absolute possibility of sin. in this sense it is said , job . . that he putteth no trust in his saints , and his angels he chargeth with folly , and chap. . . he putteth no trust in his saints , and the heavens are not pure in his sight . from all which i shall draw these inferences . . if holiness be a perfection of the divine nature , and a property of god , if in the notion of god , there be included an everlasting separation and distance from moral imperfection , an eternal repugnance to sin and iniquity ; from hence we may infer , that there is an intrinsecal good and evil in things , and the reasons and respects of moral good and evil do not depend upon any mutable , and inconstant , and arbitrary principle , but are fixt and immutable , eternal and indispensable . therefore they do not seem to me to speak so safely , who make the divine will , precisely and abstractedly consider'd , the rule of moral good and evil , as if there were nothing good or evil in its own nature antecedently to the will of god , but that all things are therefore good or evil , because god wills them to be so ; for if this were so , goodness , and righteousness , and truth , and faithfulness would not be essential , and necessary , and immutable properties of the divine nature , but accidental , and arbitrary , and uncertain , and mutable ; which is to suppose that god , if he pleased , might be otherwise than good , and just , and true . for if these depend meerly upon the will of god , and be not necessary and essential properties of the divine nature , then the contrary of these , malice , and envy , and unrighteousness , and false-hood do not imply any essential repugnancy to the divine nature ; which is plainly contrary to what the scripture tells us , that god cannot be tempted with evil , that 't is impossible he should lie , that he cannot be unrighteous . if any man say that god hath now declared himself to be just , and good , and faithful , and now he cannot be otherwise , because he is a god of truth , and he changeth not , this is to grant the thing ; for this supposeth the veracity and immutability of god to be essential and necessary perfections of the divine nature ; and why not justice and goodness as well ? i say it supposeth veracity and immutability to be essential perfections , and not to depend upon the will of god , that is , that god cannot will to be otherwise than true and unchangeable ; for if he could , what assurance can we possibly have , but that when he declares himself to be good and just , he is or may be otherwise . but i need not insist upon this , which seems to be so very clear , and to carry its own evidence along with it . i will only use this argument to prove it , and so leave it . no being can will its own nature and essential perfections , that is , chuse whether it will be thus or otherwise ; for that were to suppose it to be before it is , and before it hath a being , to deliberate about its own nature . therefore if this be the nature of god , ( which i think no body will deny ) to be good , and just , and true , and necessarily to be what he is ; then goodness , and justice , and truth , do not depend up-the will of god , but there are such things , such notions antecedently to any act of the divine will. and this does no ways prejudice the liberty of god ; for this is the highest perfection to be necessarily good , and just , and true ; and a liberty or possibility to be otherwise is impotency and imperfection . for liberty no where speaks perfection , but were the things and actions about which 't is conversant are indifferent ; in all other things , 't is the highest perfection not to be free and indifferent , but immutable and fixt , and necessarily bound up by the eternal laws of goodness , and justice , and truth , so that it shall not be possible to swerve from them ; and this is the perfection of the divine nature , which we call his holiness . . if holiness be the chief excellency and perfection of the divine nature , this shews us what account we are to make of sin , and wickedness , and vice. we may judge of every privation by the habit , for they bear an exact proportion one to another . light and darkness are opposed , as habit and privation ; if light be pleasant and comfortable , then darkness is dismal and horrid . and so holiness and sin are opposed ; if holiness be the highest perfection of any nature , then sin is the grand imperfection and the lowest debasement of any being ; because it is the most opposite to that , and at the furthest distance from that which is the first excellency and perfection . this should rectifie our judgment and esteem of things and persons . we admire and esteem riches , and power , and greatness ; and we scorns and contemn poverty , and weakness , and meanness ; yea grace and holiness , if it be in the company of these . we are apt to reverence and and value the great , and the rich , and the mighty of this world , tho' they be wicked ; and to despise the poor man's wisdom and holiness ; but we make a false judgment of things and persons . there is nothing that can be a foundation of respect , that ought to command our reverence and esteem , but real worth and excellency and perfection ; and according to the degrees of this , we ought to bestow our repect and raise our esteem . what st. james saith of respect of persons , i may apply in this case , jam. . . are ye not then partial in your selves , and become judges of evil thoughts ? we are extreamly partial , we make a false judgment , and reason ill concerning things , when we admire gilded vices , and wickedness exalted to high places ; i mean ungodly rich men , and ungodly great men ; for wicked men they are properly ungodly , unlike to god ; and when we contemn poor , and mean , and afflicted holiness , and piety . were but our eyes open , and our judgment clear and unprejudic'd , we should see a beauty and resplendency in goodness : even when it is under the greatest disadvantage , when it is cloathed with raggs , and sits upon a dunghill , it would shine through all these mists , and we should see a native light and beauty in it , throw the darkness of a poor and low condition : and we should see wickedness to be a most vile and abject thing , when it appears in all its gallantry and bravery ; we should look upon the poor righteous man , as more excellent than his neighbour ; and the prophane gallant , as the off-scouring of the earth . we should value a man that does justice , and loves mercy , and speaks the truth to his neighbour ; we should esteem any one more upon the account of any one of these simple qualities , then we would another man , destitute of these , upon the account of a hundred titles of honour , and ten thousand acres of land. a wicked and unholy man , he is a vile person , who deserves to be contemned ; and a holy man he is the right honourable . psal . . . in whose eyes a vile person is contemned ; but he honoureth them that fear the lord. the vile person is opposed to him that fears the lord. he that is bold to affront god , and sin against him , is the base and ignoble person . god himself , who is possest of all excellency and perfection , and therefore knows best how to judge of these , he tells us , how we should value our selves and others , jer. . , . let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might ; let not the rich man glory in his riches . but let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness , judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. to know these divine qualities and perfections , signifies here , to understand them so as to imitate them . i do not speak this to bring down the value of any that are advanced in this world , or to lessen the respect which is due to them ; i would have nothing undervalued , but wickedness and vice ; and i would have those who have store of worldly advantages to recommend them , to add religion to their riches , and holiness to their honour , that they may be current for their intrinsick value , rather than for the image and picture of worth which the world hath stampt upon them . . if holiness be the chief excellency and perfection of the divine nature , then what an absurd and unreasonable thing is it , to scorn and despise holiness , to mock and deride men under this very title ! the world is much blinded , that they do not see the great evil of sin , and the beauty and excellency of holiness ; but that men should be so infatuated , as to change the nature of things , and to mistake things of so vast difference , as sin and holiness ; to call good evil , and evil good ; that sin , which is the vilest thing in the world , should be esteemed and cherish'd , and accounted a piece of gallantry , and reckon'd amongst the excellencies and accomplishments of humane nature ; and holiness , which is so great a perfection , should be a name of hatred and disgrace , to be contemned and persecuted ; that that which is the glory of heaven , and the most radiant perfection of the divine nature , should be matter of scorn and contempt , as the apostle speaks in another case , behold ! ye despisers , and wonder , and perish . do ye think the holy and just god will put up these affronts , and indignities ? ye do not only despise men , but ye despise god also . you cannot contemn that which god accounts his glory , without reviling the divine nature , and offering despite to god himself . the malice reacheth heaven , and is level'd against god , whenever ye slight holiness . . if god be a holy god , and hath such a repugnancy in his nature to sin , then this is matter of terror to wicked men. the holy god cannot but hate sin , and be an enemy to wickedness ; and the hatred of god is terrible . we dread the hatred of a great man , because where hatred is back'd with power , the effects of it are terrible . but the hatred of the almighty and eternal god , is much more dreadful , because the effects of it are greater , and more lasting , than of the hatred of a weak mortal man. we know the utmost they can do , they can but kill the body ; after that , they have no more that they can do ; they cannot hurt our souls ; they cannot follow us beyond the grave , and pursue us into another world : but the effects of god's hatred and displeasure are mighty and lasting , they extend themselves to all eternity ; for who knoweth the power of his anger ? who can tell the utmost of what omnipotent justice can do to sinners ? it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living god ; because he that lives for ever , can punish for ever . we are miserable , if god do not love us . those words , my soul shall have no pleasure in him , signifie great misery , and express a dreadful curse : but it is a more positive expression of misery , for god to hate us ; that signifies ruin and destruction to the utmost . psal . . , . thou art not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with thee . this is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and expresseth less than is intended . god is far from being of an indifferent negative temper towards sin and wickedness ; therefore the psalmist adds , thou hatest all the workers of iniquity ; and then in the next verse , to shew what is the effect of god's hatred , thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing . therefore sinner , fear and tremble at the thoughts of god's holiness . . imitate the holiness of god ; this is the inference here in the text , be ye holy ; for i am holy . holiness , in one word , contains all the imitable perfections of god ; and when it is said , be ye holy , 't is as much as if he had said , be ye good , and patient , and merciful , and true , and faithful ; for i am so . therefore religion is call'd the knowledge of the holy one , prov. . . and chap. . . and our imitation of god is exprest by our putting on the new man , which after god is created in righteousness and true holiness , eph. . . seeing then this is the chief excellency and perfection of god , and the sum of all the perfections which we are to imitate , and wherein we are to endeavour to be like god , let us conform our selves to the holy god ; endeavour to be habitually holy , which is our conformity to the nature of god ; and actually holy , which is our conformity to the will of god. i will not enlarge upon this , because i have prest the imitation of these particular perfections , goodness , patience , justice , truth , and faithfulness upon other texts . i shall only mention two arguments , to excite and quicken our desires and endeavour after holiness . . holiness is an imitation of the highest excellency and perfection . holiness , i told you , signifies a separation from sin and vice , and all moral imperfection , and consequently , doth comprehend and take in all the moral perfections of the divine nature , the goodness , and mercy , and patience , and justice , and veracity , and faithfulness of god ; now these are the very beauty and glory of the divine nature . the first thing that we attribute to god , next to his being , is his goodness , and those other attributes which have a necessary connexion with it ; for his greatness and majesty is nothing else but the glory which results from his united perfections , especially from his goodness , and those perfections which are akin to it . separate from god these perfections which holiness includes in it , and what would be left but an omnipotent evil , an eternal being infinitely knowing , and infinitely able to do mischief ? which is as plain and notorious a contradiction , and as impossible a thing as can be-imagin'd ; so that if we have any sparks of ambition in us , we cannot but aspire after holiness , which is so great an excellency and perfection of god himself . there is a vulgar prejudice against holiness , as if it were a poor mean thing , and below a great and generous spirit ; whereas holiness is the only true greatness of mind , the most genuine nobility , and the highest gallantry of spirit ; and however it be despised by men , it is of a heavenly extraction , and divine original . holiness is the first part of the character of the wisdom that is from above . jam. . . the wisdom that is from above , is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , and easie to be entreated , full of mercy , and good fruits , without partiality , and without hypocrisie . . holiness is an essential and principal ingredient of happiness . holiness is a state of peace and tranquillity , and the very frame and temper of happiness ; and without it , the divine nature , as it would be imperfect , so it would be miserable . if the divine nature were capapable of envy , or malice , or hatred , or revenge , or impatience , or cruelty , or injustice , or unfaithfulness , it would be liable to vexation and discontent , than which nothing can be a greater disturbance of happiness : so that holiness is necessary to our felicity and contentment ; not only to the happiness of the next life , but to our present peace and contentment . if reasonable creatures could be happy , as brute beasts are in their degree , by enjoying their depraved appetites , and following the dictates of sense and fancy , god would not have bound us up to a law and rule , but have left us , as he hath done unreasonable creatures , to satisfie our lusts and appetites , without check and control : but angels and men , which are reasonable creatures , have the notions of good and evil , of right and wrong , of comliness and filthiness , so woven and twisted into their very natures , that they can never be wholly defaced , without the ruine of their beings ; and therefore it is impossible that such creatures should be happy otherwise , than by complying with these notions , and obeying the natural dictates and suggestions of their minds ; which if they neglect , and go against , they will naturally feel remorse and torment in their own spirits ; their minds will be uneasie and unquiet , and they will be inwardly grieved and displeased with themselves for what they have done . so the apostle tells us , rom. . that even the most degenerate heathens had consciences which did accuse or excuse them , according as they obeyed , or did contrary to the dictates of natural light. god therefore , who knows our frame , hath so adapted his law to us , which is the rule of holiness , that if we live up to it , we shall avoid the unspeakable torment of a guilty conscience ; whereas , if we do contrary to it , we shall always be at discord with our selves , and in a perpetual disquiet of mind ; for nothing can do contrary to the law of its being , that is , to its own nature , without displeasure and reluctancy , the consequence of which , in moral actions , is guilt , which is nothing else , but the trouble and disquiet which ariseth in one's mind , from consciousness of having done some thing that contradicts the perfective principle of his being , that is something which did not become him , and which , being what he is , that is a reasonable creature , he ought not to do . so that in all reasonable creatures there is a certain kind of temper and disposition that is necessary and essential to happiness , and that is holiness ; which as it is the perfection , so it is the great felicity of the divine nature : and on the contrary , this is one chief part of the misery of those wicked and accursed spirits the devils , and of unholy men , that they are of a temper contrary to god , they are envious , and malicious , and wicked , that is , of such a temper as is naturally a torment and disquiet to it self ; and here the foundation of hell is laid in the evil disposition of our spirits , and till that be cured , which can only be done by holiness , 't is as impossible for a wicked man to be happy , and contented in himself , as it is for a sick man to be at ease ; and the external presence of god , and a local heaven would signifie no more to make a wicked man happy and contented , than heaps of gold , and consorts of musick , and a well spread table , and a rich bed , would contribute to a man's ease in the paroxysms of a feaver , or in a violent fit of the stone . if a sensual , or covetous , or ambitious man were in heaven , he would be like the rich man in hell , he would be tormented with a continual thirst , and burnt up in the flames of his own ardent desires , and would not meet with the least drop of suitable pleasure and delight , to quench and allay the heat ; the reason is , because such a man hath that within him which torments him , and he cannot be at ease , till that be removed . sin is the violent and unnatural and uneasie state of our soul , every wicked man's spirit is out of order , and till the man be put into a right frame by holiness , he will be perpetually disquieted , and can have no rest within himself . the prophet fitly describes the condition of such a person , isa . . , . but the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest , whose waters cast forth mire and dirt ; there is no peace saith my god , to the wicked . so long as a man is unholy , so long as filthiness and corruption abound in his heart , they will be restlesty working , like wine which is in a perpetual motion and agitation , till it have purged it self of its dregs and foulness . nothing is more turbulent and unquiet than the spirit of a wicked man ; it is like the sea , when it roars and rages through the strengh of contrary winds ; it is the scene of furious lusts and wild passions , which as they are contrary to holiness , so they maintain perpetual contests and fewds among themselves . all sin separates us from god , who is the foundation of our happiness . our limited nature , and the narrowness of our beings , will not permit us to be happy in our selves ; it is peculiar to god to be his own happiness ; but man , because he is finite , and therefore cannot be self-sufficient , is carried forth by an innate desire , of happiness , to seek his felicity in god. so that there is in the nature of man a spring of restless motion , which with great impatience forceth him out of himself , and tosses him to and fro , till he comes to rest in something that is self-sufficient . our souls , when they are separated from god , like the unclean spirit in the gospel , when it was cast out , they wander up and down in dry and desart places , seeking rest , but finding none . were the whole world calm about a man , and did it not make the least attempt upon him , were he free from the fears of divine vengeance ; yet he could not be satisfied with himself , there is something within him that would not let him be at rest , but would tear him from his own foundation and consistency ; so that when we are once broken off from god , the sense of inward want doth stimulate and force us to seek our contentment else-where . so that nothing but holiness , which re-unites us to god , and restores our souls to their primitive and original state , can make us happy , and give peace and rest to our souls . and this is the constant voice and language of scripture , and the tenour of the bible . acquaint thy self with god , that thou mayest be at peace . job . . light is sown for the righteous , and gladness for the upright in heart , psal . . . the work of righteousness is peace , and the effect of righteousness , quietness and assurance for ever , isa . . . seeing then holiness is so high a perfection , and so great a happiness , let these arguments prevail with us , to aspire after this temper , that as he who hath called us is holy , so we may be holy in all manner of conversation , because it is written , be ye holy , for i am holy . advertisement . the discourses of the divine goodness , being more than can be contain'd in this volume , are , together with those of the remaining attributes , reserv'd for the next : but to complete this , here follows a single sermon upon another subject . sermon xiv . of doing good. being a spital sermon , preach'd at christ-church on easter-tuesday , april th . . galat. vi. , . let us not be weary in well doing , forin due season we shall reap , if we faint not : as we have therefore opportunity , let us do good unto all men , especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith . the apostle in these words recommends unto us a great and comprehensive duty , the doing of good ; concerning which the text offers these five particulars to our consideration . i. the nature of the duty it self , which is called well doing , v. . and doing good v. . ii. the extent of this duty , in respect of it's object , which is all mankind , let us do good unto all men , especially unto them , who are of the houshold of faith . iii. the measure of it , as we have opportunity . iv. our unwearied perseverance in it ; let us not be weary in well doing . v. the argument and encouragement to it , because in due season we shall reap , if we faint not : therefore as we have opportunity , let us do good , &c. i. i will consider the nature of the duty it self ; of well doing , and doing good . and this i shall explain to you as briefly as i can , by considering the extent of the act of doing good , and the excellency of it . and . the extent of the act. it comprehends in it all those ways wherein we may be beneficial and useful to one another . it reaches not only to the bodies of men , but to their souls , that better and more excellent part of our selves ; and is conversant in all those ways and kinds , whereby we may serve the temporal , or spiritual good of our neighbour , and promote either his present , or his future and eternal happiness . to instruct the ignorant , or reduce those that are in error ; to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just , and reclaim those that are engaged in any evil course , by good counsel , and seasonable admonition , and by prudent and kind reproof ; to resolve and satisfie the doubting mind ; to confirm the weak ; to heal the broken-hearted , and to comfort the melancholy and troubled spirits . these are the noblest ways of charity , because they are conversant about the souls of men , and tend to procure and promote their eternal felicity . and then to feed the hungry , to cloath the naked , release the imprisoned ; to redeem the captives , and to vindicate those who are injur'd and oppress'd in their persons , or estates , or reputation ; to repair those who are ruin'd in their fortunes ; and , in a word , to relieve and comfort those who are in any kind of calamity or distress . all these are but the several branches and instances of this great duty here in the text , of doing good ; tho' it hath , in this place , a more particular respect to the charitable supply of those , who are in want and necessity ; and therefore with a more particular regard to that , i shall discourse of it at this time . you see the extent of the duty . we will in the . place , briefly say something of the ecellency of it , which will appear , if we consider , that it is the imitation of the highest excellency and perfection . to do good , is to be like god , who is good , and doth good ; and it is to be like to him , in that which he esteems his greatest glory . it is to be like the son of god , who , when he was pleased to take our nature upon him , and live here below , and to dwell amongst us , went about doing good . and it is to be like the blessed angels , the highest rank and order of god's creatures ; whose great employment it is to be ministring spirits , for the good of men. so that for a man to be kind , and helpful , and beneficial to others , is to be a good angel , and a saviour , and a kind of god too . it is an argument of a great , and noble , and generous mind , to extend our thoughts and cares to the concernments of others , and to employ our interest , and power , and endeavours for their benefit and advantage : whereas a low , and mean , and narrow spirit , is contracted and shrivel'd up within it self , and cares only for its own things , without any regard to the good and happiness of others . it is the most noble work in the world , because that inclination of mind , which prompts us to do good , is the very temper and disposition of happiness . solomon , after all his experience of worldly greatness and pleasure , at last pitched upon this , as the great felicity of humane life , and the only good use that is to be made of a prosperous and plentiful fortune . eccles . . . i know ( says he , speaking of riches ) that there is no good in them , but for a man to rejoice and do good in his life . and certainly the best way to take joy in an estate , is to do good with it ; and a greater and wiser than solomon has said it , even he who is the power and wisdom of god has said it , that it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive . consider farther , that this is one of the great and substantial parts of religion , and next to the love and honour , which we pay to almighty god , the most acceptable service that we can do to him ; it is one table of the law , and next the first and great commandment , of loving the lord our god , and very like to it . and the second is like unto it , ( says our saviour ) thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ; like to it , in the excellency of it ; and equal to it , in the necessary obligation of it . for this commandment ( says st. john , epist . chap. . v. ) . we have from him , that he who loveth god , love his brother also . the first commandment indeed excels in the dignity of the object , because it enjoins the love of god ; but the second seems to have the advantage in the reality of its effects : for the love of god consists in our acknowledgment , and honour of him ; but our righteousness and goodness extends not to him ; we can do him no real benefit and advantage : but our love to men is really useful and beneficial to them ; for which reason , god is contented in many cases , that the external honour and worship which he requires of us by his positive commands , should give way to that natural duty of love and mercy which we owe to one another . i will have mercy ( says god in the prophet amos ) and not sacrifice . and to shew how great a value god puts upon this duty , he hath made it the very testimony of our love to himself ; and for want of it , hath declared that he will reject all our other professions and testimonies of love to him , as false and insincere . who so hath this worlds good , ( saith st. john , epist . . . ) and seeth his brother have need , and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him , how dwelleth the love of god in him ? and again , chap. . ver . . if any man say , i love god , and hateth his brother , he is a lyar ; for he that loveth not his brother , whom he hath seen , how can he love god , whom he hath not seen ? you see the duty here recommended , both in the extent and in the excellency of it ; let us do good . i proceed to consider , in the ii. place , the extent of this duty , in respect of its object , which is all mankind , but more especially christians , those that are of the same faith and religion . let us do good unto all men , especially unto those that are of the houshold of faith. so that the object , about which this duty is conversant , is very large , and takes in all mankind ; let us do good unto all men . the jews confined their love and kindness to their own kindred and nation ; and because they were prohibited familiarity with idolatrous nations , and were enjoined to maintain a perpetual enmity with amalek , and the seven nations of canaan , whom god had cast out before them , and devoted to ruin ; they looked upon themselves as perfectly discharg'd from all obligation of kindness to the rest of mankind : and yet it is certain , that they were expresly enjoin'd by their law , to be kind to strangers , because they themselves had been strangers in the land of egypt . but our saviour hath restored this law of love and charity to its natural and original extent ; and hath declared every one that is of the same nature with our selves to be our neighbour , and our brother ; and that he is to be treated by us accordingly , when ever he stands in need of our kindness and help ; and to shew that none are out of the compass of our charity , he hath expresly commanded us to extend it to those , who of all others can least pretend to it , even our enemies and persecutors . so that if the question be about the extent of our charity in general , these two things are plainly enjoined by the christian religion . . negatively , that we should not hate or bear ill-will to any man , or do him any harm or mischief . love worketh no evil to his neighbour , ( saith the apostle ) rom. . . and this negative charity every man may exercise towards all men , without exception , and that equally ; because it does not signifie any positive act , but only that we abstain from enmity and hatred , from injury and revenge , which it is in every man's power , by the grace of god , and the due care and government of himself , to do . . positively , the law of charity requires , that we should bear an universal good-will to all men , and wish every man's happiness , and pray for it , as sincerely as we wish and pray for our own ; and if we be sincere in our wishes , and prayers for the good of others , we shall be so in our endeavours to procure and promote it . but the great difficulty is , as to the exercise of our charity , and the real expressions and effects of it , in doing good to others ; which is the duty here meant in the text , and ( as i told you before ) does more particularly relate to the relief of those who are in want and necessity . and the reason of the difficulty is , because no man can do good to all in this kind , if he would ; it not being possible for any man to come to the knowledge of every man's necessity and distress ; and if he could , no man's ability can possibly reach to the supply and the relief of all men's wants . and indeed this limitation the text gives to this duty ; as we have opportunity ( says the apostle ) let us do good unto all men ; which either signifies , as occasion is offered , or as we have ability of doing , or both ; as i shall shew afterwards . so that it being impossible to exercise this charity to all men that stand in need of it , 't is necessary to make a difference , and to use prudence and discretion in the choice of the most fit and proper objects . we do not know the wants of all men , and therefore the bounds of our knowledge do of necessity limit our charity within a certain compass ; and of those whom we do know , we can relieve but a small part , for want of ability ; from whence it follows , that tho' a man were never so charitably disposed , yet he must of necessity set some rules to himself , for the management of his charity to the best advantage . what those rules are , cannot minutely and nicely be determined ; when all is done , much must be left to every man's prudence and discretion , upon a full view and consideration of the case before him , and all the circumstances of it ; but yet such general rules may be given , as may serve for the direction of our practice in most cases ; and for the rest , every man's prudence , as well as it can , must determine the matter . and the rules which i shall give , shall be these . first , cases of extremity ought to take the first place , and do for that time challenge precedence of all other considerations . if a person be in great and present distress , and his necessity so urgent , that if he be not immediately relieved , he must perish ; this is so violent a case , and calls so loud for present help , that there is no resisting of it , whatever the person be ; though a perfect stranger to us , though most unworthy , though the greatest enemy we have in the world , yet the greatness of his distress does so strongly plead for him , as to silence all considerations to the contrary ; for after all , he is a man , and is of the same nature with our selves , and the consideration of humanity ought , for that time , to prevail over all objections against the man , and to prefer him to our charity , before the nearest relation and friend , who is not in the like extremity . in other cases , we not only may , but ought to relieve our friends , and those that have deserved well of us in the first place : but if our enemy be in extremity , then that divine precept takes place , if thine enemy hunger , feed him ; if he thirst , give him to drink . secondly , in the next place , i think , that the obligation of nature , and the nearness of relation , does challenge a preference ; for there is all the reason in the world , if other things be equal , that we should consider and supply the necessity of those , who are of our blood and kindred , and members of our family , before the necessities of strangers , and those who have no relation to us . there is a special duty incumbent upon us , and another obligation beside that of charity , to have a particular care and regard for them . in this case not only christianity , but nature tyes this duty upon us , tim. . . if any man provide not for his own , especially for his domesticks , for them that are of his family , he hath denyed the faith , and is worse than an infidel ; that is , he doth not only offend against the law of christianity , but against the very dictates of nature , which prevail even amongst the infidels . and our saviour hath told us , that when our parents stand in need of relief , it is more acceptable to god , to employ our estates that way , than to devote them to him , and his immediate service ; and that it is a kind of sacrilege to consecrate that to god , whereby our parents may be profited , and provided for in their necessity . thirdly , the obligation of kindness and benefits , lays the next claim to our charity . if they fall into want , who have obliged us by their former kindness and charity , both justice and charity do challenge from us a particular consideration of their case ; and proportionably , if we our selves have been obliged to their family , or to any that are nearly related to them . fourthly , those who are of the houshold of faith , and of the same religion ; and members of the same mystical body , and do partake of the same holy mysteries , the body and blood of our blessed saviour , the strictest bond of love and charity , these fall under a very particular consideration in the exercise of our charity . and of this the apostle puts us in mind , in the last words of my text ; let us do good unto all men , especially unto those that are of the houshold of faith . god hath a special love and regard for such ; and those whom god loves , ought to be very dear to us . and this , perhaps , was a consideration of the first rank in those times , when christians liv'd among heathens , and were exposed to continual wants and sufferings ; but it signifies much less now , that christianity is the general profession of a nation , and is too often made use of to very uncharitable purposes ; to confine men's bounty and benefits to their own sect and party , as if they , and none but they , were the houshold of faith ; a principle , which i know not whether it hath more of judaisme or of popery in it . fifthly , after these , the merit of the persons , who are the objects of our charity , and all the circumstances belonging to them , are to be valu'd and consider'd , and we are accordingly to proportion our charity , and the degrees of it . i shall instance in some particulars , by which a prudent man may judge of the rest . those who labour in an honest calling , but yet are opprest with their charge , or disabled for a time by sickness , or some other casualty ; these many a time need as much , and certainly deserve much better than common beggars ; for these are useful members of the common-wealth ; and we cannot place our charity better , than upon those , who do what they can to support themselves . those likewise who are fallen from a rich and plentiful condidion , without any fault or prodigality of their own , meerly by the providence of god , or some general calamity ; these are more especially objects of our charity , and liberal relief . and those also , who have been charitable , and have liberally relieved others , when they were in condition to do it ; or the children , or near relations of those , who were eminently charitable and beneficial to mankind , do deserve a particular regard in our charity . mankind being ( as i may say ) bound in justice , and for the honour of god's providence , to make good his promise , to preserve such from extream necessity . and lastly , those , whose visible wants , and great age and infirmities do plead for more than ordinary pity , and do , at first sight , convince every one that sees them , that they do not beg out of laziness , but of necessity , and because they are not able to do any thing towards their own support and subsistence . there are innumerable circumstances more , which it would be endless to reckon up ; but these which i have mentioned are some of the chief , and by proportion to these , we may direct our selves in other cases . sixthly , those whom we certainly know to be true objects of charity , are to be consider'd by us , before those who are strangers to us , and whose condition we do not know , yea , tho' in common charity we do not dis-believe them ; because in reason and prudence we are obliged to prefer those , who are certainly known to us , since we find by experience , that there are many cheats and counterfit beggars , who can tell a fair story , and carry about testimonials of their own making ; and likewise because we run the hazard of misplacing our charity , when there are objects enough besides , where we are sure we shall place it right ; and charity misplaced , as it is in truth and reality no charity in it's self , so it is hardly any in us , when we squander it so imprudently as to pass by a certain and real object , and give it to those of whom we are not certain , that they are true objects of charity . in this blind way a man may give all his goods to the poor , as he thinks , and yet do no real charity . and therefore , unless we be able to relieve every one that asks , we must of necessity make a difference , and use our best prudence in the choice of the most proper objects of our charity . and yet we ought not to observe this rule so strictly , as to shut out all whom we do not know , without exception ; because their case , if it be true , may sometimes be much more pitiable , and of greater extremity , than the case of many whom we do know ; and then it would be uncharitable to reject such , and to harden our hearts so far against them , as utterly to disbelieve them ; because it is no fault of theirs , that we do not know them ; no , their wants may be real , notwithstanding that ; especially when their extremity seems great , we ought not to stand upon too rigorous a proof and evidence of it , but should accept of a fair probability . seventhly , those who suffer for the cause of religion , and are stript of all for the sake of it , ought to have a great precedence in our charity to most other cases . and this of late hath been , and still is , the case of many among us , who have fled hither for refuge , from the tyranny and cruelty of their persecutors , and have been by a most extraordinary charity of the whole nation , more than once extended to them , most seasonably reliev'd ; but especially by the bounty of this great city , whose liberality , upon these occasions , hath been beyond all example , and even all belief . and i have often thought , that this very thing , next to the mercy and goodness of almighty god , hath had a particular influence upon our preservation and deliverance from those terrible calamities , which were just ready to break in upon us ; and were we not so stupidly insensible of this great deliverance which god hath wrought for us , and so horribly unthankful to him , and to the happy instruments of it , might still be a means to continue the favour of god to us . and what cause have we to thank god , who hath allotted to us this more blessed , and more merciful part , to give , and not to receive ; to be free from persecution our selves , that we might give refuge and relief to those that are persecuted ! iii. we must consider the measure of our charity , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which our translation renders , as we have opportunity ; others , as we have ability : so that this expression may refer , either to the occasions of our charity , or to the season of it , or to the proportion and degree of it . . it may refer to the occasions of our charity , as we have opportunity let us do good , that is , according as the occasions of doing good shall present themselves to us , so often as an opportunity is offer'd . and this is an argument of a very good and charitable disposition , gladly to lay hold of the occasions of doing good ; as it were to meet opportunities when they are a coming towards us . this forwardness of mind , in the work of charity , the apostle commends in the corinthians , cor. . . i know the forwardness of your minds , for which i boast of you to them of macedonia : and this he requires of all christians , tit. . . that they should be ready to every good work ; and tim. . . that we be ready to distribute , willing to communicate . some are very ready to decline these opportunities , and to get out of the way of them ; and when they thrust themselves upon them , and they cannot avoid them , they do what they do grudgingly , and not with a willing mind . . it may refer to the season of this duty , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , while we have time , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whilst this life lasts ; so grotius does understand , and interpret this phrase ; and then the apostle does hereby intimate to them , the uncertainty of their lives , especially in those times of persecution . and this consideration holds in all times in some degree , that our lives are short and uncertain , that it is but a little while that we can serve god in this kind , namely , while we are in this world , in this vale of misery and wants . in the next world there will be no occasion , no opportunity for it ; we shall then have nothing to do , but to reap the reward of the good we have done in this life , and to receive that blessed sentence from the mouth of the great judge of the world , come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , before the foundation of the world . for i was hungry , and ye gave me to eat , &c. and euge bone serve ! well done good and faithfull servant ! thou hast been faithfull in a little , and i will make thee ruler over much . god wil then declare his bounty and goodness to us , and open those inexhaustible treasures of glory and happiness , which all good men shall partake of , in proportion to the good which they have done in this world. or else , . ( which i take to be the most probable meaning of this phrase ) it may refer to the degree of this duty in proportion to our ability and estate ; as we have ability , let us do good unto all men. and this the phrase will bear , as learned men have observ'd ; and it is very reasonable to take in this sense , at least , as part of the meaning of it , either exprest or imply'd . for without this we cannot exercise charity , tho' there were never so many occasions for it ; and then this precept will be of the same importance with that of the son of sirach , ecclus. . . give unto the most high according as he hath enriched thee ; and with that counsel , tob. . . give alms , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , according to thy substance , and . v. if thou hast abundance , give alms accordingly . and this may be reasonably expected from us ; for where-ever his providence gives a man an estate , it is but in trust for certain uses and purposes , among which charity and alms is the chief : and we must be accountable to him , whether we have disposed it faithfully to the ends , for which it was committed to us . it is an easie thing with him to level mens estates , and to give every man a competency ; but he does on purpose suffer things to be distributed so unequally , to try and exercise the virtues of men in several ways ; the faith and patience of the poor , the contentedness of those in a middle condition , the charity and bounty of the rich. and in truth , wealth and riches , that is , an estate above what sufficeth our real occasions and necessities , is in no other sense a blessing , than as it is an opportunity put into our hands , by the providence of god , of doing more good ; and if we do not faithfully employ it to this end , it is but a temptation and a snare ; and the rust of our silver and our gold will be a witness against us ; and we do but heap up treasures together against the last day . but what proportion our charity ought to bear to our estates , i shall not undertake to determine . the circumstances of men have too much variety in them to admit of any certain rule ; some may do well , and others may do better ; every man , as god hath put into his heart , and according to his belief of the recompence which shall be made at the resurrection of the just . i shall only say in general , that if there be first a free and willing mind , that will make a man charitable to his power ; for the liberal man will devise liberal things . and we cannot propose a better pattern to our selves in this kind , than the king and queen , who are , as they ought to be ( but as it very seldom happens ) the most bright and shining examples of this greatest of all graces and virtues , charity and compassion to the poor and persecuted . i proceed to the iv. thing considerable in the text , viz. our unwearied perseverance in this work of doing good , let us not be weary in well-doing . after we have done some few acts of charity , yea tho' they should be very considerable , we must not sit down and say we have done enough . there will still be new objects , new occasions , new opportunities for the exercise of our charity , springing up and presenting themselves to us . let us never think , that we can do enough in the way of doing good . the best and the happiest beings are most constant and unweary'd in this work of doing good . the holy angels of god are continually employed in ministring for the good of those , who shall be heirs of salvation : and the son of god , when he appear'd in our nature , and dwelt among us , that he might be a perfect and familiar example to us of all holiness and virtue , he went about doing good to the bodies and to the souls of men. how diligent and unweary'd was he in this work ! it was his employment and his pleasure , his meat and drink , the joy and the life of his life . and god himself , tho' he is infinitely and perfectly good in himself , yet he still continues to do good , and is never weary of this blessed work . it is the nature , and the perfection , and the felicity of god himself ; and how can we be weary of that work , which is an imitation of the highest excellency and perfection , and the very essence of happiness . v. and lastly , here is the argument and encouragement to the chearful discharge of this duty , because in due season we shall reap , if we faint not ; therefore as we have opportunity , let us do good unto all men. in due season we shall reap , that is , sooner or later , in this world , or in the other , we shall receive the full reward of our well-doing . and now i have explain'd this duty to you , as plainly and briefly as i could , the hardest part of my task is yet behind , to perswade men to the practice of it ; and to this purpose i shall only insist upon the promise in the text , be not weary in well-doing ; for in due season ye shall reap , if ye faint not . we shall reap the pleasure and satisfaction of it in our own minds , and all the other mighty advantages of it in this world , and the vast and unspeakable reward of it in the other . first , we shall reap the pleasure and satisfaction of it in our own minds ; and there is no sensual pleasure that is comparable to the delight of doing good . this cato makes his boast of , as the great comfort and joy of his old age , conscientia bene actae vitae , multorumque benefactorum recordatio jucundissima . the remembrance of a well spent life , and of many benefits and kindnesses done by us to others , is one of the most pleasant things in the world. sensual pleasures soon die and vanish ; but that is not the worst of them , they leave a sting behind them , and when the pleasure is gone , nothing remains but guilt , and trouble , and repentance : whereas the reflection upon any good we have done , is a perpetual spring of peace and pleasure to us , and no trouble and bitterness ensues upon it ; the thoughts of it lye even and easy in our minds , and so often as it comes to our remembrance , it ministers fresh comfort to us . secondly , we shall likewise reap other mighty advantages by it in this world. it is the way to derive a lasting blessing upon our estates . what we give in alms and charity is consecrated to god , and is one of the chiefest and most acceptable sacrifices in the christian religion ; so the apostle tells us , heb. . . to do good , and to communicate , forget not ; for with such sacrifices god is well pleased . it is like the first-fruits under the law , which being dedicated and offered up to god , did derive a blessing upon their whole harvest . and it procures for us also the blessings and prayers of those , to whom we extend our charity ; their blessing , i say , upon us and ours , and all that we have ; and is it a small thing in our eye , to have ( as job speaks ) the blessing of them , who are ready to perish , to come upon us ? the fervent prayer of the poor for us availeth much , for god hath a special regard to the prayers of the destitute , and his ear is open to their cry . few men have faith to believe it , but certainly charity is a great security to us in the times of evil , and that not only from the special promise and providence of god , which is engaged to preserve those from want , who are ready to relieve the necessity of others , prov. . . the liberal soul shall be made fat ; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself , and prov. . . he that giveth to the poor shall not lack ; he shall not be afraid in the evil time , and in the days of dearth he shall be satisfiyed , says the psalmist : but besides the promise and providence of god , our charity and alms are likewise a great security to us , from the nature and reason of the thing it self . whosoever is charitable to others , does wisely bespeak the charity and kindness of others for himself , against the day of necessity ; for there is nothing that makes a man more , and surer friends , than our bounty ; this will plead for us , and stand our friend in our greatest troubles and dangers ; for a good man , saith the apostle , that is , for one that is ready to oblige others by great kindnesses and benefits , one would even dare to die . it has sometimes happened , that the obligation which a man hath laid upon others by a chearful and seasonable charity , hath in time of danger and extremity done him more kindness , than all his estate could do for him . alms , saith the wise man , hath delivered from death . and in times of publick distress , and when we are beset with cruel and powerful enemies , who , if god were not on our side , would swallow as up quick , the publick charity o● a nation does many times prove its best safeguard and shield . there is a most remarkable passage to this purpose , ecclus. . , , . lay up thy treasure according to the commandment of the most high , and it shall bring thee more profit , than gold ; shut up thine alms in thy store-house , and it shall deliver thee from all affliction , it shall fight for thee against thy enemies , more than a mighty shield and a strong spear . and of this i doubt not , but we of this nation , by the great mercy and goodness of almighty god , have had happy experience in our late wonderful deliverance , under the conduct and valour , of one of the best and bravest of princes , and to whom by too many among us , the most unworthy and unthankful returns have been made , for the unwearied pains he hath undergone , and for the desperate hazards he hath expos'd himself to for our sakes , that ever were made to so great and generous a benefactour ; so great a benefactour i say , not only to these nations , but to all europe , in asserting and vindicating their liberties against the insolent tyranny and pride of one of the greatest oppressours of mankind , of whom i may say , as job does of the leviathan , job . , . vpon the earth is not his like , he beholdeth all high things , and is the king of all the children of pride . and beyond all this , the blessing of god does descend upon the posterity of those , who are eminently charitable , and great benefactours to mankind . this david observes in his time ; i have been young ( says he ) and now am old ; yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken , nor his seed begging bread ; and what he means by the righteous man , he explains in the next words , he is ever merciful and lendeth . i shall only add upon this head , that the practice of this virtue will be one of our best comforts at the hour of death , and that we shall then look back upon all the good we have done in our life , with the greatest contentment and joy imaginable . xenophon in his cyrus , which he design'd for the perfect idea of a good prince , represents him in the last minutes of his life , addressing himself to god to this purpose , thou knowest that i have been a lover of mankind ; and now that i am leaving this world , i hope to find that mercy from thee , which i have shewed to others . these words that excellent heathen historian thought fit to come from the mouth of so excellent a prince , as he had describ'd him , just as he was leaving the world ; by which we may see , what the light of nature thought to be the best comfort of a dying man. this brings me to the third , and last particular which i mentioned , the vast and unspeakable reward , which this grace and virtue of charity will meet with in the other world. it will plead for us at the day of judgment , and procure for us a most glorious recompence at the resurrection of the just , and that proportionable to the degrees of our charity ; cor. . . he which soweth sparingly , shall reap sparingly : and he which soweth bountifully , shall reap bountifully ; and from this consideration , the apostle encourageth our perseverance in well-doing , let us not be weary in well-doing , for in due season we shall reap , if we faint not ; that is , we shall certainly meet with the reward of it , if not in this world , yet in the other . and now that i have declar'd this duty to you , together with the mighty pleasure , and advantages , and rewards of it , i crave leave to present you with some of the best occasions , and opportunities of the exercise and practice of it . and for your encouragement hereto , i shall read to you , the present state of the chief hospitals belonging to this great city , and of the disposal of their charity for the last year . and now i have laid before you these great objects of your charity , and the best arguments i could think of to incline and stir up your minds to the exercise of this excellent grace and virtue ; as there is no time left for it , i having , i am afraid already tir'd your patience , so i hope there is no need to press this duty any farther upon you , since you are so willing and forward of your selves , and so very ready to every good work. this great city hath a double honour due to it , of being both the greatest benefactours in this kind , and the most faithful managers , and disposers of it ; and i am now in a place most proper for the mention of christ's hospital , a protestant foundation of that most pious and excellent prince edward , vi. which i believe is one of the best instances of so large and so well manag'd charity , this day in the world. and now to conclude all , if any of you know any better employment , than to do good ; any work that will give truer pleasure to our minds ; that hath greater and better promises made to it , the promises of the life that now is , and that which is to come ; that we shall reflect upon with more comfort , when we come to dye ; and that through the mercies and merits of our blessed saviour , will stand us in more stead at the day of judgment ; let us mind that work : but if we do not ; let us apply our selves to this business of charity , with all our might , and let us not be weary in well-doing , because in due season we shall reap , if we faint not . now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work , to do his will through jesus christ , to whom with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , thanksgiving and praise , both now and for ever , amen . finis books printed for ric. chiswell . wharton's anglia saora , in volumes . fol. d. cave's lives of the primitives fathers , in vol. fol. dr. john lightfoot's works , in vol. fol. dr. pet. allix's remarks upon the ecclesiastical history of the ancient churches of piedmont and albigences , in parts . to . bishop burnet's collection of tracts , relating both to church and state , from . to . in vol. to . dr. wake 's treatises against popery , in vol. to . dr. tennison ( now lord archbishop of canterbury ) his account of the conference with pulton the jesuit . to . — his sermons upon several occasions . to . a discourse of the unreasonableness of separation on account of the oaths . to . a vindication of the said discourse . to . a vindication of his majesty's authority to fill the sees of the deprived bishops . to . dr. william's discouse of the lawfulness of worshipping god by the common-prayer . to . — his representation of the absurd and mischievous principles of the muggletonians . to . the secret consults , negotiations , and intrigues of the romish party in ireland from , to . to . an impartial history of the wars in ireland , in two parts , with copper sculptures . by mr. story , present in the same . the new cambridge dictionary , in alphabets . to . england's wants : or , some proposals to the parliament , probably beneficial to england . to . dr. allix's reflections on the holy scripture . vo . coles english and lattin dictionary . vo . tullies discourse of the government of the thoughts . vo . the jesuits memorial for the intended reformation of england , found in k. james's closet . vo . dr. wak●'s preparation for death . vo . the history of the troubles and tryal of archbishop laud ; wrote by himself : published by hen. wharton . fol. remarks on mr. hill's vindication of the primitive fathers , against bishop burnet . animadversions on mr. hill's vindication of the primitive fathers , against bishop burnet . dr. williams's vindication of archbishop tillotson's sermons against the socinians ; and of the bishop of worcester's sermon of the mysteries of the christian religion . to which is annexed , a letter from the bishop of salisbury to the author , in vindication of his discourse of the divinity of our saviour . to . books written by symon patrick , d. d. now lord bishop of ely. — the parable of the pilgrim , written to a friend . the sixth edit . to . . — mensa mystica : or , a discourse concerning the sacrament of the lords supper : in which the ends of its institution are so manifested , our addresses to it so directed , our behaviour there and afterward , so composed , that we may not lose the profits which are to be received by it . with prayers and thanksgivings inserted . to which is annexed , — aqua genitalis : a discourse concerning baptism : in which is inserted a discourse to perswade to a confirmation of the baptismal vow . vo . — jewish hypocrisie : a caveat to the present generation . wherein is shewn both the false and the true way to a nations or persons compleat happiness ; from the sickness and recovery of the jewish state. to which is added , a discourse upon micah . . belonging to the same matter . vo . — divine arithmetick : a sermon at the funeral of mr. samuel jacomb , minister of st. mary-woolnoth-church in lombard-street , london . with an account of his life . vo . — a sermon preached at the funeral of mr. tho. grigg , rector of st. andrew-vndershaft , london . to . — an exposition of the ten commandments . vo . — heart's ease : or , a remedy against all troubles . with a consolatory discourse , particularly directed to those who have lost their friends and relations . to which is added two papers , printed in the time of the late plague . the sixth edition corrected . mo . . — the pillar and ground of truth . a treatise shewing that the roman church falsly claims to be that church , and the pillar of that truth mentioned by st. paul , in tim. . . to . — an examination of bellarmin's second note of the church , viz , antiquity . to . — an examination of the texts which papists cite out of the bible to prove the supremacy of st. peter and of the pope , over the whole church . in two parts . to . — a private prayer to be used in difficult times . — a thanksgiving for our late wonderful deliverance . — a prayer for charity , peace and unity ; chiefly to be used in lent. — a sermon preach'd upon st. peter's day ; printed with enlargements . to . — a sermon preached in st. james's chappel , before the prince of orange , jan. . . on isaiah . . — a second part of the sermon before the prince of orange , on the same text. preached in covent-garden . — a sermon preached before the queen in march / . on colos . . . — a sermon against murmuring , preached at covent-garden in lent , / . on cor. . . — a sermon against censuring , preached at covent-garden in advent , . on cor. . . — a fast-sermon before the king and queen , april . . on prov. . . — a thanksgiving-sermon before the lords , nov. . . for reducing of ireland , and the king 's safe return . on deut. . . — a fast-sermon befere the queen , april . . on numb . . . — easter-sermon before the lord mayor , . on tim. . . — a sermon before the lord , nov. . . on dan. . . — a commentary on the first book of moses , called genesis , to . . — a commentary on the second book of moses , called ●xodus , to . . — a commentary on the third book of moses , called leviticus , to . . — a commentary on the fourth book of moses , called numbers , to . . of sincerity and constancy in the faith and profession of the true religion , in several sermons , by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord archbishop of canterbury . being the first volume , published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . the second edition . vo . — sixteen sermons preached on several occasions ▪ by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late ld. archbishop of canterbury . being the second volume . published by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . vo . — sixteen sermons preached on several subjects ; being the third volume , by the same author . published by dr. barker . vo . — several discourses , viz. of the great duties of natural religion . instituted religion not intended to undermine natural . christianity not destructive , but perferctive of the law of moses . the nature and necessity of regeneration . the danger of all known sin. knowledge and practice necessary in religion . the sins of men not chargeable on god. being the fourth volume , by the same author , published by dr. barker . vo . reflections upon a pamphlet , entituled , [ some discourses upon dr. burnet , and dr. tillotson , occasioned by the late funeral sermon of the former upon the latter . ] by the right reverend father in god gilbert ld. bishop of sarum . vo . — his sermon preached before the king at whitehal , on christmas-day , . to . gal. . . — his sermon preached before the king at whitehal , on the third sunday in lent , being the seventh of march , . . ephes . . . — his essay on the memory of the late queen . the second edition . vo . dr. williams ( now ld. bishop of chichester ) his sermons at esquire boyle's lecture for the year . to . [ any of them may be had single , to perfect sets . — his st , d , d , th sermons at the same lecture for the year . to . — his sermon preached at st. lawrence jury before the lord mayor , &c. on saturday the th of september , . at the election of the lord mayor for the year ensuing . joshua . . to . — his sermon preached before the honourable house of commons , on wednesday , dec. . . being a solemn day of fasting and humiliation , appointed by his majesty for imploring the blessing of almighty god upon the consultations of this present parliament . to . sam. . . — his sermon upon the resurrection , preached before sir edward clare lord mayor , &c. on easter-monday , april . . on acts . , , . reflections upon a libel lately printed , entituled , [ the charge of socinianism against dr. tillotson , considered , to . ] the church history of ethiopia ; wherein , among other things , the two great splendid roman missions into that empire are placed in their true light ; to which are added an epitome of the dominican history of that church . and an account of the practices and conviction of maria of the annunciation , the famous nun of lisbon . composed by michael geddes , d. d. chancellor of the cathedral church of sarum . vo . fourteen sermons preached in lambeth chappel , before the most reverend dr. william sancroft , late lord archbishop of canterbury . in the years , and , by the learned henry wharton , m. a. chaplain to his grace ; with an account of the author's life . vo . dr. william owtram's sermons . on several occasions . the d. edition . vo . sermons preached on several occasions . by john conant d. d. the first and second volumes . published by dr. williams , now ld. bishop of chichester . vo . the fathers vidicated : or animadversions on a late socinian book , entituled , [ the judgment of the fathers touching the trinity , against dr. bull 's defence of the nicene faith. ] by a presbyter of the church of england . vo . a fifth volume of archbishop tillotson's discourses , published by his chaplain dr. barker , on these following subjects : viz. proving jesus to be the messias . the prejudices against jesus and his religion consider'd . jesus the son of god , proved by his resurrection . the danger of apostacy from christianity . christ the author , and obedience the condition of salvation . the possibility and necessity of gospel obedience , and its consistence with free grace . the authority of jesus christ , with the commission and promise which he gave to his apostles . the difficulties of a christian life consider'd . the parable of the rich man and lazarus . children of this world wiser than the children of light. vo . . a second volume of sermons preached in lambeth chappel before archb. sancroft , . by the learned mr. henry wharton , his graces chaplain , which with the first volume lately published , are all that he preached . a new account of india and persia ; being nine years travel , began . and finished . containing observations made of those countries : namely , of their government , religion , laws , customs : of their soil , climates , seasons , health , diseases . of their animals , vegetables , minerals , jewels . of their housing , cloathing , manufactures , trades , commodities . and of the coins , weights , and measures used in the principal places of trade in those parts . by john fryer m. d. cantabrig . and fellow of the royal society . fol. . scriptorum ecclesiasticorum historia literariae facili & perspicua methodo digesta . pars altera . quaplusquam dc . scriptores novi , tam editi quam manuscripti recensentur ; prioribus plurima adduntur ; breviter aut obscure dicta illustratur ; recte asserta vindicantur . accedit ad finem cujusvis soeculi conciliorum omnium tum generalium tum particularium historica notitia . ad calcem vero operia dissertationes tres , ( ) de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis incertae aetatis . ( ) de libris & officiis ecclesiasticis graecorum . ( ) de eusebii caesariensis arianismo adversus joannem clericum . adjecti sunt indices utilissimi scriptorum alphabetico-chronoligici . studio & labore gulielmi cave , s. t. p. canon . windesoriensis . fol. dr. cave's primitive christianity . the fifth edition , . bp. wilkins of the principles and duties of natural religion . the d edition . a sixth volume of archbishop tillotsons's discourses . published by dr. barker . being upon the divine attributes and perfections . . mr. evelyns gardners almanack : directing what he is to do monthly througli the year , and what fruits and flowers are in prime . the ninth edition . vo . . pharmacopaeiae collegii regalis londini remedia omnia succincte descripta : una cum catalogo simplicium ordine alphabetico digestorum : quibus annexum est manuale ad forum nec non divax porographicus . editio tertia , prioribus emendator & auctior . huic insuper adjiciuntur , pharmaca nonnulla in usu hodierno apud medicos londinenses . accessit in calce prosodia medica observatu non indig●a . cura ja. shipton . . mo . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. notes for div a -e vol. vi. a sermon lately preached on i corinth. . . by a reverend divine of the church of england tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon lately preached on i corinth. . . by a reverend divine of the church of england tillotson, john, - . p. reprinted for joseph howes bookseller, at the kings-arms in castle-street, dublin : . by john tillotson. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon lately preached on corinth . . . by a reverend divine of the church of england . dvblin , reprinted for joseph howes bookseller , at the kings-arms in castle-street , . corinth . . . but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . the context runs thus . according to the grace of god which is given unto me , as a wise master-builder , i have laid the foundation , and another buildeth thereon : but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon . for other foundation can no man lay , than that which is laid , jesus christ. now if any man build upon this foundation gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay , stubble , every man's work shall be made manifest , for the day shall declare it ; but it shall be revealed by fire , and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is . if any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon , he shall receive a reward . if any mans work shall be burnt , he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . in these words the apostle speaks of a sort of persons , who held indeed the foundation of christianity , but built upon it such doctrines or practices as would not bear the trial ; which he expresseth to us by wood , hay , and stubble , which are not proof against the fire . such a person , the apostle tells us , hath brought himself into a very dangerous state , though he would not absolutely deny the possibility of his salvation ; he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . that by fire here , is not meant the fire of purgatory , as some pretend ( who would be glad of any shadow of a text of scripture to countenance their own dreams ) i shall neither trouble you nor my self to manifest . it is very well known , that this is a proverbial phrase , used not only in scripture , but in prophane authors , to signifie a narrow escape out of a great danger . he shall be saved , yet so as by fire , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , out of the fire . just as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used pet. . . where the apostle speaking of the eight persons of noah's family , who escap'd the flood , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they escaped out of the water . so here this phrase is to be rendred in the text , he himself shall escape , yet so as out of fire . the like expression you have , amos . . i have pluckt them as a firebrand out of the fire . and jude . others save with fear , plucking them out of the fire . all which expressions signifie the greatness of the danger , and the difficulty of escaping it . and so the roman orator * ( who , it is likely , did not think of purgatory , ) useth this phrase ; quo ex judicio , velut ex incendio , nudus effugit ; from which judgment or sentence he escaped naked , as it were out of a burning . and one of the greek orators * tells us , that to save a man out of the fire , was a common proverbial speech . and thus st. chrysostom interprets this very place , he shall escape as one that escapes out of the fire , that is , ( saith he ) as one who when his house at midnight is set on fire , wakes and leaps out of his bed , and runs naked out of the doors , taking nothing that is within along with him , but imploying his whole care to save his body from the flames . from the words thus explained , the observation that naturally ariseth is this ; that men may hold all the fundamentals of christian religion , and yet may super add other things whereby they may greatly endanger their salvation . what those things were , which some among the corinthians built upon the foundation of christianity , whereby they endangered their salvation , we may probably conjecture , by what the apostle reproves in this epistle , as the tolerating of incestuous marriages , communicating in idol feasts , &c. and especially by the doctrine of the false apostles , who at that time did so much disturb the peace of most christian churches , and who are so often and so severely reflected upon in this epistle . and what their doctrine was , we have an account , acts . viz. that they impose upon the gentile christians circumcision , and the observation of the jewish law , teaching , that unless they were circumcised , and kept the law of moses , they could not be saved . so that they did not only build these doctrines upon christianity , but they made them equal with the foundation , saying , that unless men believed and practised such things , they could not be saved . i shall at this time take occasion from this passage of the apostles to consider these two things . . some doctrines and practices which have been built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation ; and to be plain , i mean particularly by the church of rome . . whether our granting a possibility of salvation ( though with great hazard ) to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us , be a reasonable argument and encouragement to any man to betake himself to that church . and there is the more reason to consider these things , when so many seducing spirits are so active and busy ●o pervert men from the truth ; and when we see every day so many persons and their religion so easily parted . for this reason these two considerations shall be the subject of the following discourse . i. first , we will consider some doctrines and practices which the church of rome hath built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . it is not denied by the most judicious protestant , but that the church of rome do hold all the articles of the christian faith which are necessary to salvation . but that which we charge upon them as a just ground of our separation from them , is the imposing of new doctrines and practices upon christians , as necessary to salvation , which were never taught by our saviour , or his apostles ; and which are either directly contrary to the doctrine of christianity , or too apparently destructive of a good life . and i begin , . with their doctrines . and , because i have no mind to aggravate lesser matters , i will single out four or five points of doctrine , which they have added to the christian religion , and which were neither taught by our saviour and his apostles , nor own'd in the first ages of christianity . and the first which i shall mention , and which being once admitted , makes way for as many errors as they please to bring in , is this , their doctrine of infallibility . and this they are stiff and peremptory in , though they are not agreed among themselves , where this infallibility is seated ; whether in the pope alone , or a council alone , or in both together , or in the diffusive body of christians ; but they are sure they have it , though they know not where it is : and is this no prejudice against it ? can any man think that this priviledge was at first conferred upon the church of rome , and that christians in all ages did believe it , and had constant recourse to it , for the determining of differences , and yet that that very church , which hath enjoyed and used it so long , should now be at a loss where to find it ? nothing could fall out more unluckily , than that there should be such differences among them about that which they pretend to be the only means of ending all differences . there is not the least intimation in scripture of this priviledge conferr'd upon the roman church ; nor do the apostles in all their epistles , ever so much as give the least directions to christians to appeal to the bishop of rome for a determination of many differences , which , even in those times happened among them : and it is strange they should be so silent in this matter , when there were so many occasions to speak of it ; if our saviour had plainly appointed such an infallible judge of controversies , for this very end , to decide the differences that should happen among christians it is strange that the ancient fathers in their disputes with hereticks should never appeal to this judge ; nay it is strange they should not constantly do it in all cases , it being so short and expedite a way for the ending of controversies . and this very consideration to a wise man , is instead of a thousand arguments to satisfy him that in those times no such thing was believed in the whole world . now this doctrine of infallibility , if it be not true , is of so much the more pernicious consequence to christianity , because the conceit of it does confirm them that think they have it in all their other errors ; and gives them a pretence of assuming an authority to themselves to impose their own fancies and mistakes upon the whole christian world . . their doctrine about repentance . which consists in confessing their sins to the priest ; which if it be but accompanied with any degree of contrition , does , upon absolution received from the priest , put them into a state of salvation , though they have lived the most lewd and debauched lives that can be imagined ; than which nothing can be more destructive of a good life . for if this be true , all the hazard that the most wicked man runs of his salvation is , only the danger of so sudden a death , as gives him no space for confession and absolution . a case that happens so rarely , that any man that is strongly addicted to his lusts , will be content to venture his salvation upon this hazard ; and all the arguments to a good life will be very insignificant to a man that hath a mind to be wicked , when remission of sins may be had upon such cheap terms . . the doctrine of purgatory . by which they mean a state of temporary punishments after this life , from which men may be released and translated into heaven by the prayers of the living , and the sacrifice of the mass. that this doctrine was not known in the primitive church , nor can be proved from scripture , we have the free acknowledgment of as learned and eminent men as any of that church ; which is to acknowledge that it is a superstructure upon the christian religion . and though in one sense it be indeed a building of gold and silver upon the foundation of christianity , considering the vast revenues which this doctrine ( and that of indulgences , which depends upon it ) brings into that church ; yet i doubt not , but in the apostles sense , it will be found to be hay and stubble . but how groundless soever it be , it is too gainful a doctrine to be easily parted withal . . the doctrine of transubstantiation . a hard word , but i would to god that were the worst of it ; the thing is much more difficult . i have taken some pains to consider other religions that have been in the world , and i must freely declare , that i never yet , in any of them , met with any article or proposition , imposed upon the belief of men , half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this is . and yet this , in the romish church , is esteemed one of the most principal articles of the christian faith : though there is no more certain foundation for it in scripture , than for our saviours being substantially changed into all those things which are said of him , as that he is a rock , a vine , a door , and an hundred other things . but this is not all this doctrine hath not only no certain foundation in scripture , but i have a far heavier charge against it , namely , that it undermines the very foundation of christianity it self . and surely nothing ought to be admitted to be a part of the christian doctrine , which destroys the reason of our belief of the whole . and that this doctrine does so , will appear evidently , if we consider what was the main argument which the apostles used to convince the world of the truth of christianity . and that was this ; that our blessed saviour , the author of this doctrine , wrought such and such miracles , and particularly that he rose again from the dead ; and this they proved , because they were eye-witnesses of his miracles , and had seen him and conversed with him after he was risen from the dead . but what if their senses did deceive them in this matter ? then it cannot be denied , but that the main proof of christianity falls to the ground . well! we will now suppose ( as the church of rome does ) transubstantiation to have been one principal part of the christian doctrine , which the apostles preached . but if this doctrine be true , then all mens senses are deceived in a plain sensible matter , wherein 't is as hard for them to be deceived , as in any thing in the world ; for two things can hardly be imagin'd more different , than a little bit of wafer , and the whole body of a man. so that the apostles persuading men to believe this doctrine , persuaded them not to trust their senses , and yet the argument which they used to persuade them to this was built upon the direct contrary principle , that mens senses are not to be trusted ; for if they be not , then notwithstanding all the evidence the apostles offer'd for the resurrection of our saviour , he might not be risen ; and so the faith of christians was vain . so they that represent the apostles as absurdly as is possible , viz. going about to persuade men out of their senses , by vertue of an argument , the whole strength whereof depends upon the certainty of sense . and now the matter is brought to a fair issue . if the testimony of sense be to be relied upon , then transubstantiation is false : if it be not , then no man is sure that christianity is true . for the utmost assurance that the apostles had of the truth of christianity , was the testimony of their own senses concerning our saviours miracles ; and this testimony every man hath against transubstantiation . from whence it plainly follows , that no man ( no not the apostles themselves ) had more reason to believe christianity to be true , than every man hath to believe transubstantion to be false . and we who did not see our saviours miracles ( as the apostles did ) and have only a credible relation of them , but do see the sacrament , have less evidence of the truth of christianity than of the falshood of transubstantiation . but cannot god impose upon the senses of men , and represent things to them otherwise than they are ? yes , undoubtedly . and if he hath revealed that he doth this , are we not to believe him ? most certainly . but then we ought to be assured that he hath made such a revelation ; which assurance no man can have , the certainty of sense being taken away . i shall press the business a little farther . supposing the scripture to be a divine revelation , and that these words , [ this is my body ] if they be in scripture , must necessarily be taken in the strict and literal sense , i ask now , what greater evidence any man has , that these words [ this is my body ] are in the bible , than every man has that the bread is not chang'd in the sacrament ? nay no man has so much ; for we have only the evidence of one sense that these words are in the bible , but that the bread is not changed we have the concurring testimony of several of our senses . in a word , if this be once admitted , that the senses of all men are deceiv'd in one of the most plain sensible matters that can be , there is no certain means left either to convey or prove a divine revelation to men ; nor is there any way to confute the grossest imposture in the world : for if the clear evidence of all mens senses be not sufficient for this purpose , let any man if he can find a better and more convincing argument . . i will give but one instance more of their doctrines . and that shall be their doctrine of deposing kings in case of heresie , and absolving their subjects from their allegiance to them . and this is not a meer speculative doctrine , but hath been put in practice many a time by the bishops of rome , as every one knows that is vers'd in history . for the troubles and confusions which were occasion'd by this very thing make a good part of the history of several ages . i hope no body expects that i should take the pains to shew , that this was not the doctrine of our saviour and his apostles , nor of the primitive christians . the papists are many of them so far from pretending to this , that in some times and places , when it is not seasonable and for their purpose , we have much a-doe to persuade them that ever it was their doctrine . but if transubstantiation be their doctrine , this is ; for they came both out of the same forge , i mean the council of lateran under pope innocent the third . and if ( as they tell us ) transubstantiation was then establish'd so was this . and indeed one would think they were twins , and brought forth at the same time , they are so like one another , that is , both so monstrously unreasonable . ii. i come now in the second place , to consider some practices of the church of rome , which i am afraid will prove as bad as her doctrines . i shall instance in these five . . their celebrating of their divine service in an unknown tongue : and that not only contrary to the practice of the primitive church , and to the great end and design of religious worship , which is the edification of those who are concerned in it , ( and it is hard to imagine how men can be edified by what they do not understand ) but likewise in direct contradiction to st. paul , who hath no less than a whole chapter , wherein he confutes this practice as fully , and condemns it as plainly as any thing is condemned in the whole bible . and they that can have the face to maintain that this practice was not condemned by st. paul , or that it was allowed and used in the first ages of christianity , need not be ashamed to set up for the defence of any paradox in the world . . the communion in one kind . and that notwithstanding that even , by their own acknowledgment , our saviour instituted it in both kinds , and the primitive church administred it in both kinds . this i must acknowledge is no addition to christianity , but a sacrilegious taking away of an essential part of the sacrament . for the cup is as essential a part of the institution as the bread ; and they might as well , and by the same authority take away the one as the other , and both as well as either . . their worshiping of images . which practice ( notwithstanding all their distinctions about it , which are no other but what the heathens used in the same case ) flies as full in the face of the second commandment , as a deliberate and malicious killing of a man is against the sixth . but if the case be so plain , a man would think that at least the teachers and guides of that church should be sensible of it . why , they are so , and afraid the people should be so too ; and therefore in their ordinary catechisms and manuals of devotion , they leave out the second commandment , and divide the tenth into two to make up the number , lest if the common people should know it , their consciences should start at the doing of a thing so directly contrary to the plain command of god. . the worshipping of the bread and wine in the eucharist , out of a false and groundless perswasion , that they are substantially changed into the body and bloud of christ. which if it be not true ( and it hath good fortune if it be , for certainly it is one of the most incredible things in the whole world ) then by the confession of several of their own learned writers , they are guilty of gross idolatry . . the worship and invocation of saints and angels ; and particularly of the virgin mary , which hath now for some ages been a principal part of their religion . now a man may justly wonder that so considerable a part of religion , as they make this to be , should have no manner of foundation in the scripture . does our saviour any where speak one word concerning the worshipping of her ? nay , does he not take all occasions to restrain all extravagant apprehensions and imaginations concerning the honour due to her , as foreseeing the degeneracy of the church in this thing ? when he was told that his mother and brethren were without : who ( says he ) are my mother and my brethren ? he that doth the will of my father , the same is my mother , and sister , and brother . and when the woman brake forth into that rapture concerning the blessed mother of our lord ; blessed is the womb that bare thee , and the paps that gave thee suck ! our saviour diverts it to another thing ; yea rather , blessed are they that hear the word of god and keep it . does either our saviour or his apostles in all their precepts and directions concerning prayer , and the manner of it , and by whom we are to address our selves to god , give the least intimation of prayer to the virgin mary , or making use of her mediation ? and can any man believe , that if this had been the practice of the church from the beginning , our saviour and his apostles would have been so silent about so considerable a part of religion ; insomuch , that in all the epistles of the apostles i do not remember that her name is so much as once mentioned ? and yet the worship of her in the church of rome is a main part of their publick worship ; yea and of their private devotion too , in which it is usual with them to say ten ave maries for one pater noster , that is , for one prayer they make to almighty god , they make ten addresses to the blessed virgin , for that is the proportion observed in their r●saries . he that considers this , and had never seen the bible , would have been apt to think , that there had been more said concerning her in scripture , than either concerning god , or our blessed saviour ; and that the new testament were full from one end to the other of precepts and exhortations to the worshipping of her ; and yet when all is done , i challenge any man to shew me so much as one sentence in the whole bible that sounds that way . and there is as little in the christian writers of the first years . the truth is , this practice began to creep in among some superstitious people about the middle of the fourth century , and i remember particularly , that epiphanius , who lived about that time , calls it , the heresie of the women . and thus i have given you some instances of several doctrines and practices , which the church of rome have built upon the foundation of christianity . much more might have been said of them ; but from what hath been said , any man may easily discern how dangerous they are to the salvation of men . i proceed now in the second place . ii. to consider whether our granting a possibility of salvation , though with great hazard , to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us be a sufficient argument and encouragement to any man to quit our church and go to theirs . and there is the more need to consider this , because this is the great popular argument , wherewith the emissaries and agents of that church are wont to assault our people . your church ( say they ) grants that a papist may be saved ; ours denies that a protestant can be saved ; therefore safest to be of our church , in which salvation , by the acknowledgment of both sides , is possible . for answer to this , i shall endeavour to shew that this is so far from being a good argument , that it is so intolerable weak and sophistical , that any considerate man ought to be ashamed to be catch'd by it . for either it is good of it self , and sufficient to persuade a man to relinquish our church , and to pass over to theirs , without entring into the merits of the cause on either side , and without comparing the doctrines and practices of both the churches together , or it is not . if it be not sufficient of it self to persuade a man to leave our church , without comparing the doctrines on both sides , then it is to no purpose , and there is nothing got by it . for if upon examination and comparing of doctrines , the one appear to be true , and the other false , this alone is sufficient inducement to any man to cleave to that church where the true doctrine is found , and then there is no need of this argument . if it be said , that this argument is good in it self , without the examination of the doctrines of both churches ; this seems a very strange thing for any man to affirm , that it is reason enough to a man to be of any church , what ever her doctrines and practices be , if she do but damn those that differ from her , and if the church that differs from her do but allow a possibility of salvation in her communion . but they who use this argument , pretend that it is sufficient of it self ; and therefore i shall apply my self to shew , as briefly and plainly as i can , the miserable weakness and insufficiency of it , to satisfie any mans conscience or prudence to change his religion . and to this end i shall , . shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies . . give some parallel instances by which it will clearly appear that it concludes false . . i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . . shew how unfit it is to work upon those to whom it is propounded . and . how improper it is to be urged by those that make use of it . . i shall shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies . and that is this : that whatever different parties in religion agree in , is safest to be chosen . the true consequence of which principle , if it be driven to the head , is , to persuade men to forsake christianity , and to make them take up in the principles of natural religion , for in these all religions do agree . for if this principle be true , and signifie any thing , it is dangerous to embrace any thing wherein the several parties in religion differ ; because that only is safe and prudent to be chosen wherein all agree . so that this argument , if the foundation of it be good , will persuade furrher then those who make use of it desire it should do ; for it will not only make men forsake the protestant religion , but popery too , and , which is much more considerable , christianity it self . . i will give some parallel instances , by which it will clearly be seen that this argument concludes false . the donatists denied the baptism of the catholicks to be good , but the catholicks acknowledged the baptism of the donatists to be valid . so that both sides were agreed that the baptism of the donatists was good ; therefore the safest way for st. austin and other catholicks ( according to this argument ) was to be baptised again by the donatists ; because , by the acknowledgment of both sides , baptism among them was valid . but , to come nearer to the romish church . several in that church hold the personal infallibility of the pope , and the lawfulness of deposing & killing kings for heresie , to be de fide , viz. necessary articles of faith , and consequently , that whoever does not believe them , cannot be saved . but a great many papists , though they believe these things to be no matters of faith , yet they think those that hold them may be saved , and they are generally very favourable towards them . but now , according to this argument , they ought all to be of their opinion in these points , because both sides are agreed , that they that hold them may be saved ; but one side positively says , that men cannot be saved if they do not hold them . but my text furnisheth me with as good an instance to this purpose as can be desired . st. paul here in the text acknowledgeth the possibility of the salvation of those , who built hay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity , that they might be saved , though with great difficulty , and as it were out of the fire . but now among those builders with hay and stubble , there were those who denied the possibility of st. paul's salvation , and of those who were of his mind . we are told of some who built the jewish ceremonies and observances upon the foundation of christianity , and said , that unless men were circumcised and kept the law of moses , they could not be saved . so that by this argument st. paul and his followers ought to have gone over to those judaizing christians , because it was acknowledged on both sides , that they might be saved : but these judaizing christians were as uncharitable to st. paul and other christians , as the church of rome is now to us ; for they said positively that they could not be saved . but can any man think that st. paul would have been moved by this argument , to leave a safe and certain way of salvation , for that which was only possible , and that with great difficulty and hazard ? the argument you see is the very same , and yet it concludes the wrong way ; which plainly shews , that it is a contingent argument , and concludes uncertainly , and by chance , and therefore no man ought to be moved by it . . i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . i shall mention but these two . . according to this principle , it is always safest to be on the uncharitable side . and yet uncharitableness is as bad an evidence , either of a true christian , or a true church , as a man would wish . charity is one of the most essential marks of christianity , and what the apostle saith of particular christians , is as true of whole churches ; that though they have all faith , yet if they have not charity , they are nothing . i grant that no charity teacheth men to see others damned , and not to tell them the danger of their condition . but it is to be considered , that the damning of men is a very hard thing , and therefore when ever we do it , the case must be wonderfully plain . and is it so in this case ? they of the church of rome cannot deny , but that we embrace all the doctrines of our saviour , and his apostles creed , and determined by the four first general councils ; and yet they will not allow this , and a good life , to put us within a possibility of salvation ; because we will not submit to all the innovasions they would impose upon us . and yet i think there is scarce any doctrine or practice , in difference between them and us , which some or other of their most learned writers have not acknowledged , either not to be sufficiently contained in scripture , or not to have been held and practised by the primitive church ; so that nothing can excuse their uncharitableness towards us . and they pay dear for the little advantage they get by this argument ; for they do what in them lies to make themselves no christians , that they may prove themselves the truer church ; a medium which we do not desire to make use of . . if this argument were good , then by this trick a man may bring over all the world to agree with him in an error , which another does not account damnable , whatever it be ; provided he do but damn all those that do not hold it , and there wants nothing but confidence and uncharitableness to do this . but is there any sense , that another mans boldness and want of charity should be an argument to move me to be of his opinion ? i cannot illustrate this better , than by the difference between a skilful physitian and a mountebank . a learned and skilful physitian is modest , and speaks justly of things : he says that such a method of cure which he hath directed is safe , and withal , that that which the mountebank prescribes may possibly do the work ; but there is great hazard and danger in it . but the mountebank who never talks of any thing less than infallible cures ( and always the more mountebank , the stronger pretence to infallibility ) he is positive that that method which the physitian prescribes will destroy the patient , but his receipt is infallible , and never fails : is there any reason in this case , that this man should carry it , meerly by his confidence ? and yet if this argument be good , the safest way is to reject the physicians advice , and to stick to the mountebanks ; for both sides are agreed , that there is a possibility of cure in the mountebanks method , but not in the physitians ; and so the whole force of the argument lies in the confidence of an ignorant man : . this argument is very unfit to work upon those to whom it is propounded : for either they believe we say true in this , or not . if they think we do not , they have no reason to be moved by what we say . if they think we do , why do they not take in all that we say in this matter ? namely , that though it be possible for some in the communion of the roman church to be saved , yet it is very hazardous ; and that they are in a safe condition already in our church ; and why then should a bare possibility , accompanied with infinite and apparent hazard , be an argument to any man to run into that danger ? lastly , this argument is very improper to be urged by those who make use of it . part of the strength of it lies in this , that we protestants acknowledge , that it is possible a papist may be saved . but why should they lay any stress upon this ? what matter is it , what we hereticks say , who are so damnably mistaken in all other things ? methinks , if there were no other reason , yet because we say it , it should seem to them to be unlikely to be true . but i perceive , when it serves for their purpose we have some little credit and authority among them . by this time i hope every one is in some measure satisfied of the weakness of this argument , which is so transparent , that no wise man can honestly use it , and he must have a very odd understanding that can be cheated by it . the truth is , it is a casual and contingent argument , and sometimes it concludes right , and oftner wrong : and therefore no prudent man can be moved by it , except only in one case ; when all things are so equal on both sides , that there is nothing else in the whole world to dermine him ; which surely can never happen in matters of religion necessarily to be believed . no man is so weak , as not to consider in the change of his religion , the merits of the cause it self ; to examine the doctrines and practices of the churches on both sides ; to take notice of the confidence and charity of both parties , together with all other things which ought to move a conscientious and a prudent man. and if upon enquiry there appear to be a clear advantage on either side , then this argument is needless , and comes too late , because the work is already done without it . besides , that the great hazard of salvation in the roman church , ( which we declare upon account of the doctrines and practices which i have mentioned ) ought to deter any man much more from that religion , than the acknowledged possibility of salvation in it , ought to encourage any man to the embracing of it : never did any christian church build so much hay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity : and therefore those that are saved in it , must be saved , as it were , out of the fire . and thô purgatory be not meant in the text , yet it is a doctrine very well suited to their manner of building ; for there is need of an ignis purgatorius , of a fire to try their work , what it is , and to burn up their hay & stubble . and i have so much charity ( and i desire always to have it ) as to hope , that a great many among them who live piously , and have been almost inevitably detain'd in that church by the prejudice of education and an invincible ignorance , will upon a general repentance find mercy with god ; and though their work suffer loss and be burnt , yet they themselves may escape as out of the fire . but as for those who have had the opportunities of coming to the knowledge of the truth , if they continue in the errors of that church , or apostatize from the truth , i think their condition so far from being safe , that there must be extraordinary favourable circumstances in their case to give a man hopes of their salvation . i have now done with the two things i propounded to speak to : and i am sorry that the necessary defence of our religion , against the restless importunities and attempts of of its adversaries upon all sorts of persons , hath engaged me to spend so much time in matters of dispute , which i had much rather have employed in another way . many of you can be my witnesses , that i have constantly made it my business , in this great presence and assembly , to plead against the impieties and wickedness of men ; and have endeavoured , by the best arguments i could think of , to gain men over to a firm belief , and serious practice of the main things of religion : and i do assure you , i had much rather perswade any one to be a good man , than to be of any party or denomination of christians whatsoever : for i doubt not but the belief of the ancient creed , without the addition of any other articles , together with a good life , will certainly save a man ; and without this no man can have reasonable hopes of salvation , no , not in an infallible church , if there were any such to be found in the world : i have been , according to my opportunities , not a negligent observer of the genius and humour of the several sects and professions in religion : and upon the whole matter , i do in my conscience believe the church of england to be the best constituted church this day in the world ; and that , as to the main , the doctrine , and government , and worship of it , are excellently framed to make men soberly religious : ● securing men on the one hand from the wild freaks of enthusiasm ; and on the other , from the gross follies of superstition . and our church hath this peculiar advantage above several professions that we know in the world , that it acknowledgeth a due and just subordination to the civil authority , and hath always been untainted in its loyalty . and now shall every trifling consideration be sufficient to move a man to relinquish such a church ? there is no greater disparagement to a mans understanding , no greater argument of a light and ungenerous mind , than rashly to change ones religion . religion is our greatest concernment of all other , and it is not every little argument , no , nor a great noise about infallibity , nothing but very plain and convincing evidence , that should sway a man in this case . but they are utterly inexcusable , who make a change of such concernment upon the insinuations of one side only , without ever hearing what can be said for the church they were baptised and brought up in , before they leave it . they that can yield thus easily to the impressions of every one that hath a design and interest to make proselytes , , may at this rate of discretion change their religion twice in a day and instead of morning and evening prayer , they may have a morning and an evening religion . therefore , for gods sake , and for our own souls sake , and for the sake of our reputation , let us consider and shew our selves men ; let us not suffer our selves to be shaken and carried away with every wind ; let us not run our selves into danger when we may be safe . let us stick to the foundation of religion , the articles of our common belief , and build upon them gold and silver , and precious stones , i mean , the virtues and actions of a good life ; and if we would do this , we should not be apt to set such a value upon hay & stubble . if we would sincerely endeavour to live holy and vertuous lives , we should not need to cast about for a religion , which may furnish us with easie and indirect ways to get to heaven . i will conclude all with the apostles exhortation . wherefore my beloved brethren , be ye stedfast and unmovable , always abounding in the work of the lord. now the god of peace which brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , by the bloud of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work , to do his will ; working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ , to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * tully . * aristotle . sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry by john, late lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry by john, late lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . the second edition. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng jesus christ -- divinity -- sermons. church of england -- sermons. incarnation -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour : preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry . by john late lord archbishop of canterbury . the second edition . london : printed for br. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil , and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . mdcxcv . an advertisement to the reader . the following sermons were preached several years ago , in the church of st. lawrence jewry in london ; and being now revised and enlarged by the author are here made publick : the true reason whereof , was not that which is commonly alledged for printing books , the importunity of friends ; but the importunate clamours and malicious calumnies of others , whom the author heartily prays god to forgive , and to give them better minds : and to grant that the ensuing discourses , the publication whereof was in so great a degree necessary , may by his blessing prove in some measure useful . sermon i. concerning the divinity of our b. saviour . preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry , decemb. th . . john i. . the word was made flesh , and dwelt amongst us ; and we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the father , full of grace and truth . these words contain in them three great points concerning our b. saviour , the author and founder of our faith and religion . first , his incarnation , the word was made , or became , flesh . secondly , his life and conversation here among us , and dwelt amongst us , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he pitched his tabernacle amongst us ; he lived here below in this world and for a time made his residence and abode with us . thirdly , that in this state of his humiliation he gave great and clear evidence of his divinity ; whilst he appeared as a man and liv'd amongst us , there were great and glorious testimonies given of him that he was the son of god : and that in so peculiar a manner as no creature can be said to be : and we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the father , &c. i shall begin with the first of these , his incarnation ; as most proper for this solemn time , which hath for many ages been set apart for the commemoration of the nativity and incarnation of our b. saviour : the word was made flesh , that is , he who is personally called the word , and whom the evangelist st. john had so fully described in the beginning of this gospel , he became flesh , that is , assumed our nature and became man ; for so the word flesh is frequently used in scripture for man or human nature : o thou that hearest prayer , unto thee shall all flesh come , that is , to thee shall all men address their supplications : again , the glory of the lord shall be revealed , and all flesh shall see it together , that is , all men shall behold and acknowledge it ; and then it follows , all flesh is grass , speaking of the frailty and mortality of man : and so likewise in the new testament , our b. saviour foretelling the misery that was coming upon the jewish nation , says , except those days should be shortned no flesh should be saved , that is , no man should escape and survive that great calamity and destruction which was coming upon them : by the works of the law , says the apostle , shall no flesh , that is , no man be justified . so that by the word 's being made or becoming flesh the evangelist did not intend that he assumed only a human body without a soul , and was united only to a human body , which was the heresie of apollinaris and his followers , but that he became man , that is , assumed the whole human nature , body and soul. and it is likewise very probable that the evangelist did purposely chuse the word flesh , which signifies the frail and mortal part of man , to denote to us that the son of god did assume our nature with all its infirmities , and became subject to the common frailty and mortality of human nature . the words thus explain'd contain that great mystery of godliness , as the apostle calls it , or of the christian religion , viz. the incarnation of the son of god , which st. paul expresseth by the appearance or manifestation of god in the flesh , and without controversie great is the mystery of godliness , god was manifested in the flesh , that is , he appeared in human nature , he became man ; or , as st. john expresseth it in the text , the word was made flesh . but for the more clear and full explication of these words , we will consider these two things . first , the person that is here spoken of , and who is said to be incarnate , or to be made flesh , namely the word . secondly , the mystery it self , or the nature of this incarnation , so far as the scripture hath revealed and declared it to us . i. we will consider the person that is here spoken of , and who is said to be incarnate or to be made flesh , and who is so frequently in this chapter called by the name or title of the word ; namely the eternal and only begotten son of god ; for so we find him described in the text , the word was made flesh , and dwelt amongst us ; and we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the father , &c. that is , such as became so great and glorious a person as deserves the title of the only begotten son of god. for the explaining of this name or title of the word given by st. john to our b. saviour , we will consider these two things . first , the reason of this name or title of the word , and what probably might be the occasion why this evangelist insists so much upon it , and makes so frequent mention of it . secondly , the description it self , which is given of him under this name or title of the word by this evangelist , in his entrance into his history of the gospel . i. we will enquire into the reason of this name or title of the word , which is here given to our b. saviour by this evangelist : and what might probably be the occasion why he insists so much upon it and makes so frequent mention of it . i shall consider these two things distinctly and severally . first , the reason of this name or title of the word , here given by the evangelist to our b. saviour . and he seems to have done it in compliance with the common way of speaking among the jews , who frequently call the messias by the name of the word of the lord ; of which i might give many instances : but there is one very remarkable , in the targum of jonathan , which renders those words of the psalmist , which the jews acknowledge to be spoken of the messias , viz. the lord said unto my lord , sit thou on my right hand , &c. i say it renders them thus , the lord said unto his word , sit thou on my right hand , &c. and so likewise philo the jew calls him by whom god made the world , the word of god , and the son of god. and plato probably had the same notion from the jews , which made amelius the platonist , when he read the beginning of st. john's gospel , to say , this barbarian agrees with plato , ranking the word in the order of principles ; meaning that he made the word the principle or efficient cause of the world , as plato also hath done . and this title of the word was so famously known to be given to the messias , that even the enemies of christianity took notice of it . julian the apostate calls christ by this name : and mahomet in his alchoran gives this name of the word to jesus the son of mary . but st. john had probably no reference to plato any otherwise than as the gnosticks , against whom he wrote , made use of several of plato's words and notions . so that in all probability st. john gives our b. saviour this title with regard to the jews more especially , who anciently call'd the messias by this name . secondly , we will in the next place consider , what might probably be the occasion why this evangelist makes so frequent mention of this title of the word , and insists so much upon it . and it seems to be this : nay , i think that hardly any doubt can be made of it , since the most ancient of the fathers , who lived nearest the time of st. john , do confirm it to us . st. john , who survived all the apostles , liv'd to see those heresies which sprang up in the beginnings of christianity , during the lives of the apostles grown up to a great height , to the great prejudice and disturbance of the christian religion : i mean the heresies of ebion and cerinthus , and the several sects of the gnosticks which began from simon magus , and were continued and carried on by valentinus and basilides , carpocrates and menander : some of which expresly denied the divinity of our saviour , asserting him to have been a mere man , and to have had no manner of existence before he was born of the b. virgin , as eusebius and epiphanius tells us particularly concerning ebion : which those who hold the same opinion now in our days may do well to consider from whence it had its original . others of them , i still mean the gnosticks , had corrupted the simplicity of the christian doctrine by mingling with it the fancies and conceits of the jewish cabbalists , and of the schools of pythagoras and plato , and of the chaldaean philosophy more ancient than either ; as may be seen in eusebius de preparat . evan. ; and by jumbling all these together they had framed a confused genealogy of deities , which they called by several glorious names , and all of them by the general name of eons or ages : among which they reckon'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , the life , and the word , and the only begotten , and the fulness , and many other divine powers and emanations which they fancied to be successively derived from one another . and they also distinguished between the maker of the world whom they called the god of the old testament , and the god of the new : and between jesus and christ : jesus according to the doctrine of cerinthus , as irenaeus tells us , being the man that was born of the virgin , and christ or the messias being that divine power or spirit which afterwards descended into jesus and dwelt in him . if it were possible , yet it would be to no purpose , to go about to reconcile these wild conceits with one another ; and to find out for what reason they were invented , unless it were to amuse the people with these high swelling words of vanity and a pretence of knowledg falsly so called , as the apostle speaks in allusion to the name of gnosticks , that is to say , the men of knowledge , which they proudly assum'd to themselves , as if the knowledge of mysteries of a more sublime nature did peculiarly belong to them . in opposition to all these vain and groundless conceits , st. john in the beginning of his gospel chuses to speak of our b. saviour , the history of whose life and death he was going to write , by the name or title of the word , a term very famous among those sects : and shews that this word of god , which was also the title the jews anciently gave to the messias , did exist before he assumed a human nature , and even form all eternity : and that to this eternal word did truly belong all those titles which they kept such a canting stir about , and which they did with so much senseless nicety and subtilty distinguish from one another , as if they had been so many several emanations from the deity : and he shews that this word of god , was really and truly the life , and the light , and the fulness , and the only begotten of the father ; v. . in him was the life , and the life was the light of men ; and v. . and the light shineth in darkness , and the darkness comprehended it not : and v. , , . where the evangelist speaking of john the baptist says of him , that he came for a witness , to bear witness of the light ; and that he was not that light , but was sent to bear witness of that light : and that light was the true light which coming into the world enlightens every man : and v. . and we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the father , full of grace and truth : and v. . and of his fulness we all receive , &c. you see here is a perpetual allusion to the glorious titles which they gave to their aeons as if they had been so many several deities . in short , the evangelist shews that all this fanciful genealogy of divine emanations , with which the gnosticks made so great a noise , was mere conceit and imagination ; and that all these glorious titles did really meet in the messias who is the word , and who before his incarnation was from all eternity with god , partaker of his divine nature and glory . i have declared this the more fully and particularly , because the knowledge of it seems to me to be the only true key to the interpretation of this discourse of st. john concerning our saviour under the name and title of the word . and surely it is a quite wrong way for any man to go about by the mere strength and subtilty of his reason and wit , though never so great , to interpret an ancient book , without understanding and considering the historical occasion of it , which is the only thing that can give true light to it . and this was the great and fatal mistake of socinus , to go to interpret scripture merely by criticising upon words , and searching into all the senses that they are possibly capable of , till he can find one , though never so forc'd and foreign , that will save harmless the opinion , which he was before-hand resolved to maintain even against the most natural and obvious sense of the text which he undertakes to interpret : just as if a man should interpret ancient statutes and records by mere critical skill in words without regard to the true occasion upon which they were made , and without any manner of knowledge and insight into the history of the age in which they were written . i should now proceed to the second thing which i proposed to consider , namely , ii. the description here given of the word by this evangelist in his entrance into his history of the gospel . in the beginning , says he , was the word , and the word was with god , and the word was god : the same was in the beginning with god : all things were made by him , and without him was not any thing made that was made . in which passage of the evangelist four things are said of the word which will require a more particular explication . first , that he was in the beginning . secondly , that he was in the beginning with god. thirdly , that he was god. fourthly , that all were made by him . st , that he he was in the beginning , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning , where speaking of christ by the name of eternal life , and of the word of life , that , says he , which was from the beginning . nonnus , the ancient paraphrast of st. john's gospel , by way of explication of what is meant by his being in the beginning , adds that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without time , that is , before all time ; and if so , then he was from all eternity : in the beginning was the word , that is , when things began to be made he was ; not then began to be , but then already was , and did exist before any thing was made ; and consequently is without beginning , for that which was never made could have no beginning of its being : and so the jews used to describe eternity , before the world was , and before the foundation of the world , as also in several places of the new testament . and so likewise solomon describes the eternity of wisdom , the lord , says he , possessed me in the beginning of his way , before his works of old : i was set up from everlasting , from the beginning or ever the earth was : when he prepared the heavens i was there ; then i was with him as one brought up with him , rejoicing always before him : and so justin martyr explains this very expression of st. john , that he was , or had a being before all ages : so likewise athenagoras , a most ancient christian writer , god , says he , who is an invisible mind , had from the beginning the word in himself . ly . that in the beginning the word was with god : and so solomon , when he would express the eternity of wisdom , says it was with god : and so likewise the son of sirach speaking of wisdom says it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with god : and so the ancient jews often called the word of god , the word which is before the lord , that is , with him , or in his presence : in like manner the evangelist says here that the word was with god , that is , it was always together with him , partaking of his happiness and glory : to which our saviour refers in his prayer , glorify me with thine own self with the glory which i had with thee before the world was . and this being with god the evangelist opposeth to his appearing and being manifested to the world , v. . he was in the world , and the world was made by him , and the world knew him not , that is , he who from all eternity was with god , appeared in the world , and when he did so , though he had made the world yet the world would not own him . and this opposition between his being with god and his being manifested in the world , the same st. john mentions elsewhere , i shew unto you that eternal life which was with the father , and was manifested unto us . ly . that he was god : and so justin martyr says of him , that he was god before the world , that is , from all eternity : but then the evangelist adds by way of explication , the same was in the beginning with god , that is , though the word was truly and really god , yet he was not god the father , who is the fountain of the deity , but an emanation from him , the only begotten son of god , from all eternity with him ; to denote to us that which is commonly called by divines , and for any thing i could ever see properly enough , the distinction of persons in the deity ; at least we know not a fitter word whereby to express that great mystery . thly , that all things were made by him . this seems to refer to the description which moses makes of the creation , where god is represented creating things by his word , god said , let there be light , and there was light : and so likewise the psalmist , by the word of the lord were the heavens made , and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth : and so st. peter also expresseth the creation of the world , by the word of the lord the heavens were of old , and the earth made out of water : and in the ancient books of the chaldeans and the verses ascribed to orpheus , the maker of the world is called the word , and the divine word : and so tertullian tells the pagans , that by their philosophers the maker of the world was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word , or reason : and philo the jew following plato , who himself most probably had it from the jews , says , that the world was created by the word ; whom he calls the name of god , and the image of god , and the son of god ; two of which glorious titles are ascribed to him together with that of maker of the world , by the author of the epistle to the hebrews ; in these last days , says he , god hath spoken to us by his son , by whom also he made the worlds : who is the brightness of his glory , and the express image of his person : and to the same purpose st. paul , speaking of christ , calls him the image of the invisible god , the first-born of every creature , that is , born before any thing was created , as does evidently follow from the reason given in the next words why he call'd him the first-born of every creature , for by him were all things created that are in heaven and in earth , visible and invisible ; all things were created by him and for him , and he is before all things , and by him all things subsist : from whence it is plain that by his being the first-born of every creature thus much at least is to be understood , that he was before all creatures , and therefore he himself cannot be a creature , unless he could be before himself : nay the apostle says it expresly in this very text in which he is called the first-born of every creature , or of the whole creation , that he is before all things , that is , he had a being before there was any created being , he was before all creatures both in duration and in dignity ; for so must he of necessity be , if all things were made by him ; for as the maker is always before the thing which is made , so is he also better and of greater dignity . and yet i must acknowledge that there seems to be no small difficulty in the interpretation i have given of this expression in which christ is said by the apostle to be the first-born of every creature , or of the whole creation ; because in strictness of speech the first-born is of the same nature with those in respect of whom he is said to be the first-born : and if so , then he must be a creature as well as those in respect of whom he is said to be the first-born : this is the objection in its full strength , and i do own it to have a very plausible appearance : and yet i hope before i have done to satisfy any one that will consider things impartially and without prejudice , and will duly attend to the scope of the apostle's reasoning in this text and compare it with other parallel places of the new testament , that it neither is , nor can be the apostle's meaning in affirming christ to be the first-born of every creature to insinuate that the son of god is a creature . for how can this possibly agree with that which follows and is given as the reason why christ is said to be the first-born of every creature ? namely , because all things were made by him : the apostle's words are these , the first-born of every creature , or of the whole creation , for by him all things were created : but now , according to the socinian interpretation , this would be a reason just the contrary way : for if all things were created by him , then he himself is not a creature . so that the apostle's meaning in this expression must either be that the son of god our b. saviour was before all creatures , as it is said presently after that he is before all things ; and then the reason which is added will be very proper and pertinent , he is before all things because all things were created by him : in which sense it is very probable that the son of god elsewhere calls himself the beginning of the creation of god , meaning by it , as the philosophers most frequently use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the principle or efficient cause of the creation : and so we find the same word , which our translation renders the beginning , used together with the word first-born , as if they were of the same importance ; the beginning and first-born from the dead , that is , the principle and efficient cause of the resurrection of the dead . or else , which seems to me to be the most probable , and indeed the true meaning of the expression , by this title of the first-born of every creature the apostle means that he was lord and heir of the creation : for the first-born is natural heir , and justinian tells us that heir did anciently signify lord : and therefore the scripture uses these terms promiscuously , and as if they were equivalent ; for whereas st. peter faith of jesus christ that he is lord of all , st. paul calls him heir of all things : and then the reason given by the apostle why he calls him the first-born of every creature will be very fit and proper , because all things were created by him : for well may he be said to be lord and heir of the creation who made all things that were made , and without whom was not any thing made that was made . and this will yet appear much more evident , if we consider that the apostle to the hebrews , who by several of the ancients was thought to be st. paul , where he gives to christ some of the very same titles which st. paul in his epistle to the colossians had done , calling him the image of god , and the maker of the world , does instead of the title of the first-born of every creature call him the heir of all things ; and then adds as the reason of this title , that by him god made the worlds , god , says he , hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son , whom he hath constituted heir of all things : who being the brightness of his glory , and the express image of his person , and upholding all things by the word of his power , &c. which is exactly parallel with that passage of st. paul to the colossians , where christ is call'd the image of the invisible god , and where it is likewise said of him that he made all things , and that by him all things do subsist , which the apostle to the hebrews in different words , but to the very same sense , expresseth by his upholding all things by the word of his power , that is , by the same powerful word by which all things at first were made : but then instead of calling him the first-born of every creature , because all things were made by him , he calls him the heir of all things , by whom god also made the worlds . and indeed that expression of the first-born of every creature cannot admit of any other sense which will agree so well with the reason that follows as the sense which i have mentioned , namely , that he is therefore heir and lord of the whole creation , because all creatures were made by him ; which exactly answers those words of the apostle to the hebrews , whom he hath constituted heir of all things , by whom also he made the worlds . and now i apppeal to any sober and considerate man , whether the interpretation which i have given of that expression of the first-born of every creature be not much more agreeable both to the tenour of the scripture , and to the plain scope and design of the apostle's argument and reasoning in that text. i have insisted the longer upon this , because it is the great text upon which the arians lay the main strength and stress of their opinion that the son of god is a creature , because he is said by the apostle to be the first-born of every creature ; by which expression if no more be meant than that he is heir and lord of the whole creation , which i have shew'd to be very agreeable both to the use of the word first born among the hebrews , and likewise to the description given of christ in that parallel text which i cited out of the epistle to the hebrews , then this expression of the first born of every creature is nothing at all to the purpose either of the arians or the socinians , to prove the son of god to be a creature : besides , that the interpretation which i have given of it makes the apostle's sense much more current and easy ; for then the text will run thus , who is the image of the invisible god , heir and lord of the whole creation , for by him all things were made . so that in these four expressions of the evangelist which i have explain'd there are these four things distinctly affirmed of the word . first , that he was in the beginning , that is , that he already was and did exist when things began to be created : he was before any thing was made , and consequently is without any beginning of time ; for that which was never made could have no beginning of its being . secondly , that in that state of his existence before the creation of the world he was partaker of the divine glory and happiness : and this i have shew'd to be the meaning of that expression , and the word was with god : for thus our b. saviour does explain his being with god before the world was , and now , o father , glorify me with thy own self , with the glory which i had with thee before the world was . thirdly , that he was god ; and the word was god. not god the father , who is the principle and fountain of the deity : to prevent that mistake , after he had said that the word was god , he immediately adds in the next verse , the same was in the beginning with god : he was god by participation of the divine nature and happiness together with the father , and by way of derivation from him as the light is from the sun : which is the common illustration which the ancient fathers of the christian church give us of this mystery , and is perhaps the best and fittest that can be given of it . for among finite beings it is not to be expected , because not possible , to find any exact resemblance of that which is infinite , and consequently is incomprehensible , because whatever is infinite is for that reason incomprehensible by a finite understanding , which is too short and shallow to measure that which is infinite ; and whoever attempts it will soon find himself out of his depth . fourthly , that all things were made by him : which could not have been more emphatically express'd than it is here by the evangelist , after the manner of the hebrews , who when they would say a thing with the greatest force and certainty are wont to express it both affirmatively and negatively , as , he shall live and not die , that is , he shall most assuredly live ; so here , all things were made by him , and without him was not any thing made that was made , that is , he made all creatures without exception , and consequently he himself is not a creature , because it is evidently impossible that any thing should ever make it self : but then if he be , and yet was never made , it is certainly true that he always was , even from all eternity . all these assertions are plainly and expresly contain'd in this description which the evangelist st. john here makes of the word ; and this according to the interpretation of these expressions by the unaminous consent of the most ancient writers of the christian church : who , some of them , had the advantage of receiving it from the immediate disciples of st. john : which surely is no small prejudice against any newly invented and contrary interpretation ; as i shall hereafter more fully shew , when i come to consider the strange and extravagant interpretation which the socinians make of this passage of st. john ; which is plain enough of it self , if they under a pretence of explaining and making it more clear had not disturb'd and darken'd it . now from this description which the evangelist here gives of the word , and which i have so largely explain'd in the foregoing discourse , these three corallaries or conclusions do necessarily follow . first , that the word here described by st. john is not a creature . this conclusion is directly against the arians , who affirm'd that the son of god was a creature . they grant indeed that he is the first of all the creatures both in dignity and duration ; for so they understand that expression of the apostle wherein he is called the first-born of every creature : but this i have endeavoured already to shew not to be the meaning of that expression . they grant him indeed to have been god's agent or instrument in the creation of the world , and that all other creatures besides himself were made by him : but still they contend that he is a creature and was made : now this cannot possibly consist with what st. john says of him , that he was in the beginning , that is , as hath been already shewn , before anything was made : and likewise , because he is said to have made all things , and that without him was not anything made that was made ; and therefore he himself who made all things is necessarily excepted out of the condition and rank of a creature ; as the apostle reasons in another case , he hath put all things under his feet : but when he saith all things are put under him , it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him : in like manner , if by him all things were made , and without him was not any thing made that was made , then either he was not made , or he must make himself ; which involves in it a plain contradiction . secondly , that this word was from all eternity : for if he was in the beginning , that is , before any thing was made , he must of necessity always have been ; because whatever is , must either have been sometime made , or must always have been ; for that which was not , and afterwards is , must be made . and this will likewise follow from his being said to be god , and that in the most strict and proper sense , which doth necessarily imply his eternity , because god cannot begin to be , but must of necessity always have been . thirdly , from both these it will undeniably follow that he had an existence before his incarnation and his being born of the b. virgin. for if he was in the beginning , that is , from all eternity , which i have shewn to be the meaning of that expression , then certainly he was before his being born of the b. virgin. and this likewise is implied in the proposition in the text , and the word was made flesh , viz. that word which the evangelist had before so gloriously described , that word which was in the beginning , and was with god , and was god , and by whom all things were made ; i say , that word was incarnate and assumed a human nature , and therefore must necessarily exist and have a being before he could assume humanity into an union with his divinity . and this proposition is directly levelled against the socinians , who affirm our b. saviour to be a mere man , and that he had no existence before he was born of the virgin mary his mother : which assertion of theirs doth perfectly contradict all the former conclusions which have been drawn from the description here given by st. john of the word : and their interpretation of this passage of st. john applying it to the beginning of the publication of the gospel , and to the new creation or reformation of the world by jesus christ , doth likewise contradict the interpretation of this passage constantly received , not only by the ancient fathers , but even by the general consent of all christians for fifteen hundred years together , as i shall hereafter plainly shew : for to establish this their opinion , that our b. saviour was a mere man , and had no existence before his birth , they are forc'd to interpret this whole passage in the beginning of st. john's gospel quite to another sense , never mention'd , nor i believe thought of by any christian writer whatsoever before socinus : and it is not easie to imagin how any opinion can be loaded with a greater and heavier prejudice than this is . and this i should now take into consideration , and shew , besides the novelty of this interpretation and the great violence and unreasonableness of it , the utter inconsistency of it with other plain texts of new testament . but this is wholly matter of controversy and will require a large discourse by it self ; i shall therefore wave the further prosecution of it at present , and apply my self to that which is more practical and proper for the occasion of this season : so that at present i have done with the first thing contain'd in the first part of the text , viz. the person here spoken of who is said to be incarnate , namely the word , it was he that was made flesh . i should then have proceeded to the second thing which i proposed to consider , viz. the mystery it self , or the nature of this incarnation so far as the scripture hath revealed and declared it to us , namely , by assuming our nature in such a manner as that the divinity became united to a human soul and body . but this i have already endeavoured in some measure to explain , and shall do it more fully in some of the following discourses upon this text. i shall now only make a short and useful reflection upon it with relation to the solemnity of this time. and it shall be to stir us up to a thankful acknowledgment of the great love of god to mankind in the mystery of our redemption by the incarnation of the word , the only begotten son of god : that he should deign to have such a regard to us in our low condition , and to take our case so much to heart as to think of redeeming and saving mankind from that depth of misery into which we had plunged our selves ; and to do this in so wonderful and astonishing a manner : that god should employ his eternal and only begotten son , who had been with him from all eternity , partaker of his happiness and glory , and was god of god , to save the sons of men by so infinite and amazing a condescention : that god should vouchsafe to become man , to reconcile man to god : that he should come down from heaven to earth , to raise us from earth to heaven : that he should assume our vile and frail and mortal nature , that he might cloath us with glory and honour and immortality : that he should suffer death to save us from hell , and shed his blood to purchase eternal redemption for us . for certainly the greater the person is that was employed in this merciful design , so much the greater is the condescention , and the love and goodness expressed in it so much the more admirable : that the son of god should stoop from the height of glory and happiness to the lowest degree of abasement and to the very depth of misery for our sakes , who were so mean and inconsiderable , so guilty and obnoxious to the severity of his justice , so altogether unworthy of his grace and favour , and so very unwilling to receive it when it was so freely offer'd to us ; for , as the evangelist here tells us , he came to his own , and his own received him not : to his own creatures , and they did not own and acknowledg their maker ; to his own nation and kindred , and they despised him and esteemed him not . lord ! what is man , that god should be so mindful of him ; or the son of man , that the son of god should come down from heaven to visit him , in so much humility and condescention , and with so much kindness and compassion ? blessed god and saviour of mankind ! what shall we render to thee for such mighty love , for such inestimable benefits as thou hast purchas'd for us and art ready to confer upon us ? what shall we say to thee , o thou preserver and lover of souls , so often as we approach thy h. table , there to commemorate this mighty love of thine to us , and to partake of those invaluable blessings which by thy precious bloodshedding thou hast obtained for us ? so often as we there remember , that thou wast pleased to assume our mortal nature , on purpose to live amongst us for our instruction , and for our example , and to lay down thy life for the redemption of our souls and for the expiation of our sins ; and to take part of flesh and blood that thou mightst shed it for our sakes : what affections should these thoughts raise in us ? what vows and resolutions should they engage us in , of perpetual love and gratitude , and obedience to thee the most gracious and most glorious redeemer of mankind ? and with what religious solemnity should we , more especially at this time , celebrate the incarnation and birth of the son of god by giving praise and glory to god in the highest , and by all possible demonstration of charity and good-will to men ? and as he was pleased to assume our nature so should we , especially at this season , put on the lord jesus christ , that is , sincerely embrace and practice his religion , making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof : and now that the sun of righteousness is risen upon the world , we should walk as children of the light , and demean our selves decently as in the day , not in rioting and drunkenness , not in chambering and wantonness , not in strife and envy : and should be very careful not to abuse our selves by sin and sensuality , upon this very consideration that the son hath put such an honour and dignity upon us : we should reverence that nature which god did not disdain to assume and to inhabit here on earth , and in which he now gloriously reigns in heaven , at the right hand of his father , to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . sermon ii. concerning the divinity of christ . preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry , january . . john i. . the word was made flesh . i proceed now to prosecute the third corollary or conclusion which does necessarily follow from the description which st. john in the beginning of his gospel gives of the word , and which i have so largely explain'd in the foregoing discourse : and it was this , that the word , here described by the evangelist , had an existence before his incarnation and his being born of the b. virgin , this assertion , i told you , is levelled directly against the socinians , who affirm our b. saviour to be a mere man , and deny that he had any existence before he was born of the virgin mary his mother : which position of theirs does perfectly contradict all the former conclusions which have been so evidently drawn from the description here given of the word : and not only so , but hath forc'd them to interpret this whole passage in the beginning of st. john's gospel in a very different sense from that which was constantly received , not only by the ancient fathers , but by the general consent of all christians for years together : for to establish this their opinion of our saviour's being a mere man and having no existence before his birth , they have found it necessary to expound this whole passage quite to another sense , and such as by their own confession was never mentioned , nor i believe thought of , by any christian writer whatsoever before socinus . for this reason i shall very particularly consider the interpretation which socinus gives of this passage of st. john ; and besides the novelty of it , which they themselves acknowledge , i make no doubt very plainly to manifest the great violence and unreasonableness , and likewise the inconsistency of it with other plain texts of the new testament . it is very evident what it was that forc'd socinus to so strain'd and violent an interpretation of this passage of the evangelist , namely , that he plainly saw how much the obvious , and natural , and generally received interpretation of this passage , in all ages of the christian church down to his time , stood in the way of his opinion , of christ's being a mere man , which he was so fond of , and must of necessity have quitted , unless he would either have denied the divine authority of st. john's gospel , or else could supplant the common interpretation of this passage by putting a quite different sense upon it : which sense he could find no way to support without such pitiful and wretched shifts , such precarious and arbitrary suppositions , as a man of so sharp a reason and judgment as socinus , could not , i thought , have ever been driven to . but necessity hath no laws either of reason or modesty , and he who is resolved to maintain an opinion which he hath once taken up must stick at nothing , but must break through all difficulties that stand in his way : and so the socinians have here done , as will , i hope , manifestly appear in the following discourse . they grant that by the word is here meant christ , by whom god spake and declared his mind and will to the world ; which they make to be the whole reason of that name or title of the word which is here given him , and not because by him god made the world : for the word by which god made the world , they tell us , was nothing but the powerful command of god , and not a person who was design'd to be the messias . and because , as i have shewed before , the ancient jews do make frequent mention of this title of the word of god by whom they say god made the world , and do likewise apply this title to the messias ; therefore to avoid this , schlictingius says that the chaldee paraphrasts , jonathan and onkelos , do sometimes put the word of god for god , by a metonymy of the effect for the cause ; but then he confidently denies that they do any where distinguish the word of god from the person of god , as they acknowledge that st. john here does ; nor do they , says he , understand by the word of god the messias , but on the contrary do oppose the word of god to the messias : all which is most evidently confuted by that passage which i cited before out of the targum of jonathan , who renders those words concerning the messias , the lord said unto my lord , &c. thus , the lord said unto his word , sit thou on my right hand , &c. where you see both that the word of god is plainly distinguished from god , and that it is the title given to the messias : which are the two things which schlictingius doth so confidently deny . this then being agreed on all hands , that by the word st. john means the messias , i shall in the next place , shew by what strained and forced arts of interpretation the socinians endeavour to avoid the plain and necessary consequence from this passage of st. john , namely that the word had an existence before he was made flesh and born of the b. virgin his mother . this then in short is the interpretation which they give of this passage , than which i think nothing can be more unnatural and violent . in the beginning , this they will by no means have to refer to the creation of the world , but to the beginning of the gospel , that is , when the gospel first began to be publish'd then was christ , and not before : and he was with god , that is says socinus , christ as he was the word of god , that is , the gospel of christ which was afterwards by him revealed to the world was first only known to god : but all this being somewhat hard , first to understand by the beginning not the beginning of the world but of the gospel ; and then by the word which was with god to understand the gospel which before it was revealed was only known to god ; they have upon second thoughts found out another meaning of those words , and the word was with god , that is faith schlictingius , christ was taken up by god into heaven , and there instructed in the mind and will of god , and from thence sent down into the world again to declare it to mankind . and the word was god , that is say they , christ had the honour and title of god conferr'd upon him , as magistrates also have , who in the scripture are called gods : he was god , not by nature but by office and by divine constitution and appointment . all things were made by him : this they will needs have to be meant of the renovation and reformation of the world by jesus christ , which is several times in scripture call'd a new creation . this in short is the sum of their interpretation of this passage , which i shall now examine , and to which i shall oppose three things as so many invincible prejudices against it . first , that not only all the ancient fathers of the christian church , but so far as i can find , all interpreters whatsoever for fifteen hundred years together did understand this passage of st. john in a quite different sense , namely , of the creation of the material , and not of the renovation of the moral world : and i add further , that the generality of christians did so understand this passage , as to collect from it as an undoubted point of christianity , that the word had a real existence before he was born of the b. virgin. and thus not only the orthodox christians , but even the arians , and amelius the platonist , who was a more indifferent judge then either of them , did understand this passage of st. john , without any thought of this invention that he spake not of the old , but of the new creation of the world by jesus christ , and the reformation of mankind by the preaching of the gospel : which i dare say no indifferent reader of st. john , that had not been prepossess'd and byass'd by some violent prejudice would ever have thought of . and surely it ought to be very considerable in this case , that the most ancient christian writers , ignatius , justin martyr , athenagoras , irenaeus , tertullian , and even origen himself who is called the father of interpreters , are most express and positive in this matter . for ignatius was the scholar of polycarp , who was a disciple of st. john ; and justin martyr lived in the next age to that of the apostles ; and origen was a man of infinite learning and reading , and in his comments upon scripture seems to have considered all the interpretations of those that were before him : so that if this , which socinus is so confident is the true sense of st. john , had been any where extant , he would not probably have omitted it ; nay rather would certainly have mentioned it , if for no other reason , yet for the surprising novelty and strangeness of it , with which he was apt to be over-much delighted . so that if this interpretation of socinus be true , here are two things very wonderful , and almost incredible : first , that those who lived so very near st. john's time , and were most likely to know his meaning , as ignatius , justin martyr , &c. should so widely mistake it : and then , that the whole christian world should for so many ages together be deceived in the ground and foundation of so important an article of faith , if it were true ; or if it were not , should be led into so gross and dangerous an error as this must needs be , if christ had no real existence before he was born into the world : and which would be necessarily consequent upon this , that no man did understand this passage of st. john aright before socinus . this very consideration alone , if there were no other , were sufficient to stagger any prudent man's belief of this interpretation . and as to the novelty of it , socinus himself makes no difficulty to own it ; nay he seems rather to rejoice and to applaud himself in it . unhappy man ! that was so wedded to his own opinion that no objection , no difficulty could divorce him from it . and for this i refer my self to his preface to his explication of this first chapter of st. john's gospel ; where you shall find these words concerning the passage now in controversy , quorum verus sensus omnium prorsus , qui quidem extarent , explanatores latuisse videtur , the true sense of which words , says he , seems to have been hid from all the expositors that ever were extant : and upon those words , v. . he was in the world , and the world was made by him , he hath this expression , quid autem hoc loco sibi velit johannes , à nemine quod sciam adhuc rectè expositum fuit , but what st. john means in this place was never yet , that i know of , by any man rightly explain'd : and schlictingius after him , with more confidence but much less decency , tells us , that concerning the meaning of those expressions , in the beginning , and of those which follow concerning the word , the ancient interpreters did ab apostoli mente delirare , went so far from the apostle's meaning as if they had rav'd and been out of their wits : which is so extravagantly said , and with so much contempt of those great and venerable names , who were the chief propagaters of christianity in the world , and to whom all ages do so justly pay a reverence , that nothing can be said in excuse of him but only that it is not usual with him to fall into such rash and rude expressions . but the man was really pinch'd by so plain and pressing a text , and where reason is weak and blunt passion must be whetted , the only weapon that is left when reason fails : and i always take it for graned , that no man is ever angry with his adversary but for want of a better argument to support his cause . and yet to do right to the writers on that side , i must own that generally they are a pattern of the fair way of disputing , and of debating matters of religion without heat and unseemly reflections upon their adversaries , in the number of whom i did not expect that the primitive fathers of the christian church would have been reckoned by them . they generally argue matters with that temper and gravity , and with that freedom from passion and transport which becomes a serious and weighty argument : and for the most part they reason closely and clearly , with extraordinary guard and caution , with great dexterity and decency , and yet with smartness and subtilty enough ; with a very gentle heat , and few hard words : vertues to be praised whereever they are found , yea even in an enemy , and very worthy our imitation : in a word , they are the strongest managers of a weak cause and which is ill founded at the bottom , that perhaps ever yet medled with controversy : insomuch that some of the protestants and the generality of the popish writers , and even of the jesuits themselves who pretend to all the reason and subtilty in the world , are in comparison of them but mere scolds and bunglers : upon the whole matter , they have but this one great defect that they want a good cause and truth on their side ; which if they had , they have reason , and wit , and temper enough to defend it . but to return to the business . that which i urge them withall , and that from their own confession , is this , that this interpretation of theirs is perfectly new , and unknown to the whole christian world before socinus ; and for that reason , in my opinion , not to be bragg'd of : because it is in effect to say that the christian religion , in a point pretended on both sides to be of the greatest moment , was never rightly understood by any since the apostles days , for fifteen hundred years together : and which makes the matter yet worse , that the religion which was particularly design'd to overthrow polytheism and the belief of more god , hath , according to them , been so ill taught and understood by christians for so many ages together , and almost from the very beginning of chistianity , as does necessarily infer a plurality of gods : an inconvenience so great as no cause , how plausible soever it may otherwise appear , is able to stand under and to sustain the weight of it . for this the socinians object to us at every turn , as the unavoidable consequence of our interpretation of this passage of st. john , and of all other texts of scripture produced by us to the same purpose , notwithstanding that this interpretation hath obtain'd in the christian church for so many ages : now whosoever can believe that the christian religion hath done the work for which it was principally design'd so ineffectually , must have very little reverence for it , nay it must be a marvellous civility in him if he believe it at all . all that can be said in this case is , that it pleases god many times to permit men to hold very inconsistent things , and which do in truth , though they themselves discern it not , most effectually overthrow one another . secondly , another mighty prejudice against this interpretation is this , that according to this rate of liberty in interpreting scripture , it will signify very little or nothing , when any person or party is concern'd to oppose any doctrine contained in it ; and the plainest texts for any article of faith , how fundamental and necessary soever , may by the same arts and ways of interpretation be eluded and render'd utterly ineffectual for the establishing of it : for example , if any man had a mind to call in question that article of the creed concerning the creation of the world , why might he not , according to socinus his way of interpreting st. john , understand the first chapter of genesis concerning the beginning of the mosaical dispensation , and interpret the creation of the heaven and the earth to be the institution of the jewish politie and religion , as by the new heavens and the new earth they pretend is to be understood the new state of things under the gospel ? and why may not the chaos signify that state of darkness and ignorance in which the world was before the giving of the law by moses ? and so on ; as a very learned divine of our own hath ingeniously shewn more at large . there is no end of wit and fancy , which can turn any thing any way , and can make whatever they please to be the meaning of any book , though never so contrary to the plain design of it , and to that sense which at the first hearing and reading of it is obvious to every man of common sense . and this , in my opinion , socinus hath done in the case now before us , by imposing a new and odd and violent sense upon this passage of st. john , directly contrary to what any man would imagine to be the plain and obvious meaning of it , and contrary likewise to the sense of the christian church in all ages down to his time ; who yet had as great or greater advantage of understanding st. john aright , and as much integrity as any man can now modestly pretend to : and all this only to serve and support an opinion which he had entertain'd before , and therefore was resolv'd one way or other to bring the scripture to comply with it : and if he could not have done it , it is greatly to be feared that he would at last have called in question the divine authority of st. john's gospel rather than have quitted his opinion . and to speak freely , i must needs say that it seems to me a much fairer way to reject the divine authority of a book , than to use it so disingenuously and to wrest the plain expressions of it with so much straining and violence from their most natural and obvious sense : for no doctrine whatsever can have any certain foundation in any book , if this liberty be once admitted , without regard to the plain scope and occasion of it to play upon the words and phrases with all the arts of criticism and with all the variety of allegory which a brisk and lively imagination can devise : which i am so far from admiring in the expounding of the holy scriptures , that i am always jealous of an over-labour'd and far-fetch'd interpretation of any author whatsoever . i do readily grant that the socinian writers have managed the cause of the reformation against the innovations and corruptions of the church of rome both in doctrine and practice , with great acuteness and advantage in many respects : but i am sorry to have cause to say that they have likewise put into their hands better and sharper weapons than ever they had before for the weakning and undermining of the authority of the h. scriptures , which socinus indeed hath in the general strongly asserted , had he not by a dangerous liberty of imposing a foreign and fore'd sense upon particular texts brought the whole into uncertainty . thirdly , which is as considerable a prejudice against this new interpretation of this passage of st. john as either of the former , i shall endeavour to shew that this point , of the existence of the word before his incarnation , does not rely only upon this single passage of st. john , but is likewise confirmed by many other texts of the new testament conspiring in the same sense and utterly incapable of the interpretation which socinus gives of it . i find he would be glad to have it taken for granted that this is the only text in the new testament to this purpose : and therefore he says very cunningly , that this doctrine of the existence of the son of god before his incarnation is too great a doctrine to be establish'd upon one single text : and this is is something , if it were true that there is no other text in the new testament that does plainly deliver the same sense : and yet this were not sufficient to bring in question the doctrine delivered in this passage of st. john. that god is a spirit will i hope be acknowledged to be a very weighty and fundamental point of religion , and yet i am very much mistaken if there be any more than one text in the whole bible that says so , and that text is only in st. john's gospel . i know it may be said , that from the light of natural reason it may be sufficiently prov'd that god is a spirit : but surely socinus of all men , cannot say this with a good grace ; because he denies that the existence of a god can be known by natural light without divine revelation : and if it cannot be known by natural light that there is a god , much less can it be known by natural light what god is , whether a spirit or a body . and yet after all it is very far from being true that there is but one text to this purpose ; which yet he thought fit to insinuate by way of excuse for the novelty and boldness of his interpretation ; of which any one that reads him may see that he was sufficiently conscious to himself , and therefore was so wise as to endeavour by this sly insinuation to provide and lay in against it . i have likewise another reason which very much inclines me to believe that socinus was the first author of this interpretation , because it seems to me next to impossible that a man , of so good an understanding as he was , could ever have been so fond of so ill-favour'd a child if it had not been his own . and yet i do not at all wonder that his followers came in to it so readily , since they had him in so great a veneration , it being natural to all sects to admire their master ; besides that i doubt not but they were very glad to have so great an authority as they thought him to be , to vouch for an interpretation which was so seasonably devis'd for the relief of their cause in so much danger to be overthrown by a text that was so plain and full against them . and how little ground there is for this insinuation , that this is the only text in the new testament to this purpose , i shall now shew from a multitude of other texts to the same sense and purpose with this passage of st. john. and i shall rank them under two heads . first , those which expresly assert the son of god to have been , and to have been in heaven with god , and partaker with him in his glory , before his incarnation and appearance in the world. secondly , those which affirm that the world and all creatures whatsoever were made by him . i. those texts which expresly assert the son of god to have been , and to have been in heaven with god , and partaker with him in his glory , before his incarnation and appearance in the world. no man hath ascended into heaven , but he that came down from heaven , the son of man who is in heaven : where the son is said to have come down from heaven , in respect of the union of his divinity with human nature and his special residence in it here below : and yet he is said to have come down from heaven as still to be in heaven : he that came down from heaven , the son of man who is in heaven , that is , in respect of his divinity by which he is every-where present : and he that came down from heaven is here called the son of man , by the same figure that his blood is elsewhere called the blood of god , the apostle ascribing that to one nature which is proper to the other : this we take to be the most natural and easie sense of this text , and most agreeable to the tenour of the new testament . again ; what and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before ? so that if he really ascended up into heaven after his resurrection , he was really there before his incarnation . before abraham was , says our b. saviour , i am ; the obvious sense of which words is , that he had a real existence before abraham was actually in being . again it is said , that jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands , and that he was come from god , and went to god , &c. and again ; for the father himself loveth you , because ye loved me , and have believed that i came out from god. i came forth from the father , and am come into the world ; again , i leave the world , and go to the father : this was so very plain , that his disciples who were slow enough of apprehension in other things , did understand this so well that upon this declaration of his they were convinced of his omniscience , which is an incommunicable property of the divinity : for so it immediately follows , his disciples said unto him , lord , now speakest thou plainly and speakest no parable : now are we sure that thou knowest all things , and needest not that any man should ask thee : by this we believe that thou camest forth from god. so that either this which i have all along declared must be the meaning of our saviour's words , or else his disciples were grosly mistaken and did not understand him at all : and if so , then surely our saviour before he had proceeded any further would have corrected their mistake and have set them right in this matter : but so far is he from doing that , that he allows them to have understood him aright : for thus it follows , jesus answered them , do ye now believe ? as if he had said , i am glad that you are at last convinc'd and do believe that i came from god , and must return to him ; and that i know all things , which none but god can do . is it now possible for any man to read this passage and yet not to be convinced that the disciples understood our saviour to speak literally ? but if his meaning was as the socinians would make us believe , then the disciples did perfectly mistake his words ; the contrary whereof is i think very plain and evident beyond all contradiction . again , and now , o father , glorify me with thine own self , with the glory which i had with thee , before the world was : this surely is not spoken of his being with god after his incarnation , and before his entrance upon his publick ministry : they have not i think the face to understand this expression , before the world was , of the new creation , but do endeavour to avoid it another way , which i shall consider by and by . and a little after , i have given them the words which thou gavest me , and they have received them , and known assuredly that i came from thee , and that thou didst send me . again , that which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life : for the life was manifested , and we have seen it , and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal life , for so he calls the son of god , which was with the father , and was manifested unto us . and that he was not only with god before he assumed human nature , but also was really god , st. paul tells us : let this mind be in you , which was also in christ jesus , who being in the form of god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , did not arrogate to himself to be equal with god , that is , he made no ostentation of his divinity : for this i take to be the true meaning of that phrase , both because it is so used by plutarch , and because it makes the sense much more easie and current , thus , who being in the form of god , did not assume an equality with god , that is , he did not appear in the glory of his divinity , which was hid under a veil of human flesh and infirmity ; but he emptied himself , and took upon him the form of a servant , and was made in the likeness of men , and being found in fashion as a man , or in the habit of a man , he became obedient to the death , &c. so that if his being made in the likeness and fashion of a man does signify that he was really man by his incarnation , then surely his being in the form of god when he took upon him the fashion and likeness of man and the form of a servant or slave , must in all reason signify that he was really god before he became man : for which reason the same apostle did not doubt to say , that god was manifested in the flesh . and now i hope that i have made it fully appear that the beginning of st. john's gospel is not the single and only text upon which we ground this great doctrine as socinus calls it , and as we really esteem it to be : for you see that i have produced a great many more ; to avoid the dint and force whereof the socinians do chiefly make use of these two answers . first , to those texts which say that he was in heaven and came down from heaven , they give this answer ; that our saviour some time before his entrance upon his publick ministry , they cannot agree precisely when , was taken up into heaven , and then and there had the will of god revealed to him , and was sent down from heaven again to make it known to the world. this is so very arbitrary and precarious a supposition that i must confess my self not a little out of countenance for them , that men of so much wit and reason should ever be put to so sorry and pitiful a shift . for can any man imagine that in so exact a history of our saviour's life , written by several persons , the relation of so important a matter as this , and of the circumstances of it , should be wholly omitted ? that we should have a particular account of his being carried into egypt in his infancy , and of the time when he was brought back from thence : of his disputing in the temple with the jewish doctors , and putting them to silence , when he was but twelve years of age : a punctual relation of his being baptized by john ; and how after that he was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil , and was carried by that evil spirit from one place to another : but not one word of his being taken up by god into heaven , and of his coming down again from thence ; not the least intimation given either of the time or any other circumstance of so memorable a thing , upon which , according to the socinians , the authority of his mission and the divinity of his doctrine did so much depend : when so many things of so much less moment are so minutely and exactly reported , what can be the reason of this deep silence in all the evangelists concerning this matter ? but above all , it is to be wondred that st. john , who wrote his gospel last , and as eusebius tells us on purpose to supply the omissions of the other evangelists , should give no account of this thing , and yet , as the socinians suppose , should so often take it for granted and refer to it ; as when it is said that he came forth from god , and was sent from god , and came down from heaven , besides several other expressions to this purpose . who can believe this ? and can it then be reasonable to suppose such a thing ? and this without any ground from the history of the gospel , only to serve an hypothesis which they had taken up , and which they cannot maintain , unless they may have leave to make a supposition for which they have nothing in truth to say , but only that it is necessary to defend an opinion which they are resolved not to part with upon any terms . this is so inartificial , not to say absurd a way of avoiding a difficulty , to take for granted whatever is necessary to that purpose , that no man of common ingenuity would make use of it : and there is no surer sign that a cause is greatly distress'd than to be driven to such a shift . for do but give a man leave to suppose what he pleases and he may prove what he will , and avoid any difficulty whatever that can be objected to him . besides , that according to this device the son of god did not first come from heaven into the world , as the scripture seems every where to say , but first was in the world , and then went to heaven , and from thence came back into the world again : and he was not in the beginning with god , but was first in the world and afterwards with god ; whereas st. john says that the word was in the beginning , and then was made flesh and dwelt among us : but they say , that he first was made flesh , and then a great while after was in the beginning with god : a supposition which is quite contrary to all the texts which i have mention'd . nor do the several parts of this interpretation of theirs agree very well together . in the beginning , that is , say they , when the gospel first began to be publish'd , was the word ; and then , that is , in the beginning , he was with god , that is in heaven to receive from god that doctrine which he was to deliver to the world : but if by the beginning be meant the first publication of the gospel , he was not then with god , but had been with him and was come back from him before he entred upon his publick ministry , which they make to be the meaning of the beginning : and in the beginning he was god , that is say they , not god by nature but by office and divine constitution : and yet in this again they fall foul upon themselves , for they say he was not declared to be god till after his resurrection and his being advanced to the right hand of god : so that he was not god in their sense of the beginning , that is when he entred upon his publick ministry and began to preach the gospel . secondly , as to some other texts which speak of his existence before his incarnation , as that he was glorified with his father before the world was , and before abraham was , i am : these they interpret thus , that he was glorified with his father before the world was , and that he was before abraham was , viz. in the divine foreknowledg and decree : but then surely they do not consider that this is nothing but what might have been said of any other man and even of abraham himself , that before he was , that is , before he had a real and actual existence he was in the purpose and decree of god , that is , before he was , god did intend he should be : which is a sense so very flat , that i can hardly abstain from saying it is ridiculous . for certainly our saviour did intend by saying this of himself to give himself some preference and advantage above abraham , which this sense and interpretation does not in the least do : because of any other man , as well as of our b. saviour , it may as truly be said that he was in the foreknowledg and decree of god before abraham was born . and i cannot but observe further , that our saviour does not say before abraham was , i was ; but before abraham was , i am : which is the proper name of god , whereby is signified the eternal duration and permanency of his being : in which sense he is said by the apostle to the hebrews to be the same yesterday , to day , and for ever ; and so likewise he describes himself in st. john's vision , i am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the beginning and the ending , saith the lord , which is , and which was , and which is to come , the almighty : and that this is spoken of the son you may see in the same chapter , where he says of himself , i am the first and the last : and so likewise he describes himself again , i am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the beginning and the end , the first and the last : and that we may not doubt who it is that thus describes his own eternity , he continuing still to speak in the same person says , i jesus have sent mine angel , &c. after this i shall only observe that all these expressions are the common description which the scripture gives of the eternity of god , whose being is commensurate to all the several respects of duration , past , present , and to come : besides that the attribute of almighty is also a part of this description , which is so peculiar a property of god , i mean of him who is god by nature , that the scripture never gives it to any other . ii. i shall in the next place produce those texts which do expresly affirm that the world and all creatures whatsoever were made by him : and this will not only infer his existence before his incarnation , but from all eternity . and for this , besides this passage of st. john , we have the apostle to the hebrews most express , who says that by him god made the worlds : and st. paul likewise says the same more fully and particularly , calling jesus christ , who was the son of god , the first born of every creature , that is , as i have shewn in my former discourse , the heir and lord of the whole creation : for by him , says he , were all things created , that are in heaven and that are in earth , visible and invisible ; whether they be thrones or dominions , principalities or powers , for so he calls the several orders of angels : all things were created by him and for him , and he is before all things : or , as he is described in st. john's vision , he is the beginning of the creation of god , that is , the principle and efficient cause of the creation ; or else , he was when all things began to be made , and therefore must be before any thing was created , and for that reason could not be a creature himself ; and consequently , must of necessity have been from all eternity . now these texts must necessarily be understood of the old creation and of the natural world , and not of the moral world , and the renovation and reformation of the minds and manners of men by the gospel : for that was only the world here below which was reform'd by him , and not things in heaven ; not the invisible world , not the several orders of good angels , which kept their first station and have no need to be reform'd and made anew : nor the devil and his evil angels ; for though since the preaching of the gospel they have been under greater restraint and kept more within bounds , yet we have no reason to think that they are at all reform'd , but are devils still , and have the same malice and mind to do all the mischief to mankind that god will suffer them to do . so that these texts seem at first view to be very plain and pressing of themselves , but they appear to be much more convincing when we consider the groundless interpretations whereby they endeavour to evade the dint and force of them . for can any man that seriously attends to the perpetual style and phrase of the new testament , and to the plain scope and drift of the apostle's reasoning in these texts , be induc'd to believe that when st. paul tells us that all things were created by him , that are in heaven and that are in earth , visible and invisible ; whether they be thrones , or dominions , or principalities , or powers : i say , can any man of good sense persuade himself that by all this the apostle means no more than the moral renovation of the world here below , and the reformation of mankind by jesus christ , and his gospel which was preach'd unto them ? but there is yet one text more to this purpose , which i have reserv'd to the last place ; because i find schlictingius and crellius , in their joint comment upon it , to be put to their last shifts to avoid the force of it . it is in the epistle to the hebrews , at the beginning of it : where the apostle thus describes the son of god ; god , says he , hath in these last days spoken to us by his son , whom he hath constituted heir of all things , by whom also he made the worlds : from whence he argues the excellency of the gospel above the law : for the law was given by angels , but the gospel by the son of god ; whose preheminence above the angels he shews at large in the two first chapters of this epistle . and to this end he proves the two parts of the description which had been given of him , namely , that god had constituted him heir of all things , and that by him he made the worlds . first , that god had constituted him heir of all things , which is nowhere said of the angels : but of him it is said that was made so much better than the angels , as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they : the angels are only called god's ministers , for which the apostle cites the words of the psalmist ; but to christ he gives the title of his son , and his first begotten , by virtue whereof he is heir of all things : for to which of the angels said he at any time , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ? and this i will agree with them to be spoken of christ with respect to his resurrection , by which , as st. paul tells us , he was powerfully declared to be the son of god. this is the first prerogative of christ above the angels : but there is a far greater yet behind ; for he proves , secondly , that he had not only the title of god given him ; but that he was truly and really god , because he made the world. that the title of god was given him he proves by a citation out of the psalmist , but unto the son he saith , thy throne , o god , is for ever and ever , &c. and that he was truly and really god because he made the world , he proves by a citation out of another psalm , where it is said of him , thou , lord , in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth , and the heavens are the works of they hands : they shall perish , &c. let us now see how schlictingius and crellius interpret this text cited out of the psalmist by the apostle as spoken of christ . they say , * that the author of this epistle could not have referr'd to christ the former words of this citation , which speak of the creation of heaven and earth , unless he had taken it for granted that christ is the most high god ; especially if they be understood , as they must necessarily be by those who take this for granted , to be spoken in the first place and directly to , or concerning , christ . for since all the words of the psalm are manifestly spoken of the most high god , but that christ is that god is not signified no not so much as by one word in that psalm , it is necessary that if you will have these words to be directed to christ , you must take it for granted that christ is that most high god of whom the psalmist there speaks . now we will join issue with these interpreters upon this concession , viz. that the author of this epistle could not have referr'd these words , which speak of the creation of heaven and earth , to christ , without taking it for granted that christ is truly that god who made the world. and if the author of this epistle does affirm these words of the psalmist to be spoken of christ , then they must acknowledge christ to be the true god who made heaven and earth : but the author of this epistle does as evidently affirm these words to be spoken to or of christ , as he does the words of any other text cited in this chapter : and for this i appeal to the common sense of every man that reads them . these interpreters indeed are contented that the latter part of this citation should be spoken of christ , but not the former : but why not the former as well as the latter ? when they have so expresly told us that all the words of this psalm are manifestly spoken of god. what is the mystery of this ? could they not as easily have interpreted the former part which speaks of the creation of heaven and earth , concerning the moral world , and the new creation or reformation of mankind by jesus christ and his gospel , as well as so many other plain texts to the same purpose ? no doubt they could as well have done it , and have set as good a face upon it when they had done it . but why then did they not do it ? it was for a reason which they had no mind to tell , but yet is not hard to be guessed at , namely , that if they had admitted the former words to have been spoken of christ they knew not what to do with the latter part of this citation , they shall perish , but thou remainest ; they shall wax old as agarment , and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up , and they shall be changed . what shall perish , and wax old , and be changed ? why , the earth and the heavens which the son had made , that is , the moral world , the reformation of mankind , and the new creation of things by the gospel : all these must have undergone the same fate with the natural world , and must not only have been defaced , but utterly destroy'd and brought to nothing . this they would not say , but they did see it , tho they would not seem to see it : and we may plainly see by this , that they can interpret a text right when necessity forceth them to it , and they cannot without great inconvenience to their cause avoid it : but when men have once resolv'd to hold fast an opinion they have taken up , it then becomes not only convenient but necessary to understand nothing that makes against it : and this is truly the present case . but in the mean time where is ingenuity and love of truth ? and thus i have , with all the clearness and brevity i could , search'd to the very foundations of this new interpretation of this passage of the evangelist , upon which the divinity of the son of god is so firmly established ; and likewise of the gross misinterpretations of several other texts to the same purpose in this evangelist , and in other books of the new testament : all which interpretations i have endeavoured to shew to be not only contrary to the sense of all antiquity , of which as socinus had but little knowledge , so he seems to have made but little account ; but to be also evidently contrary to the perpetual tenour and style of the h. scripture . before i go off from this argument , i cannot but take notice of one thing wherein our adversaries in this cause do perpetually glory as a mighty advantage which they think they have over us in this point of the divinity of the son of god , and consequently in that other point of the b. trinity : namely , that they have reason clearly on their side in this controversy , and that the difficulties and absurdities are much greater and plainer on our part than on theirs . here they are pleas'd to triumph without modesty , and without measure : and yet notwithstanding this , i am not afraid here likewise to join issue with them , and am contented to have this matter brought to a fair trial at the bar of reason , as well as of scripture expounded by the general tradition of the christian church : i say by general tradition , which next to scripture is the best and surest confirmation of this great point now in question between us , and that which gives us the greatest and truest light for the right understanding of the true sense and meaning of scripture not only in this , but in most other important doctrines of the christian religion . i am not without some good hopes , i will not say confidence , for i never thought that to be so great an advantage to any cause as some men would be glad to make others believe it is , hoping to help and support a weak argument by a strong and mighty confidence : but surely modesty never hurt any cause , and the confidence of man seems to me to be much like the wrath of man , which st. james tells us worketh not the righteousness of god , that is , it never does any good , it never serves any wise and real purpose of religion : i say , i am not without some good hopes , that i have in the foregoing discourses clearly shewn that the tenour of scripture and general tradition are on our side in this argument , and therefore i shall not need to give my self the trouble to examine this matter over again . now as to the point of reason , the great difficulty and absurdity , which they object to our doctrine concerning this mystery , amounts to thus much , that it is not only above reason , but plainly contrary to it . as to its being above reason , which they are loth to admit any thing to be ; this i think will bear no great dispute : because if they would be pleased to speak out , they can mean no more by this , but that our reason is not able fully to comprehend it : but what then ? are there no mysteries in religion ? that i am sure they will not say , because god whose infinite nature and perfections are the very foundation of all religion is certainly the greatest mystery of all other , and the most incomprehensible : but we must not , nay they will not for this reason deny , that there is such a being as god. and therefore if there be mysteries in religion , it is no reasonable objection against them that we cannot fully comprehend them : because all mysteries in what kind soever , whether in religion or in nature , so long , and so far as they are mysteries , are for that very reason incomprehensible . but they urge the matter much further , that this particular mystery now under debate is plainly contrary to reason : and if they can make this good , i will confess that they have gained a great point upon us . but then they are to be put in mind , that to make this good against us they must clearly shew some plain contradiction in this doctrine , which i could never yet see done by any . great difficulty i acknowledge there is in the explication of it , in which the further we go , beyond what god hath thought fit to reveal to us in scripture concerning it , the more we are entangled , and that which men are pleased to call an explaining of it , does in my apprehension often make it more obscure , that is , less plain than it was before ; which does not so very well agree with a pretence of explication . here then i fix my foot : that there are three differences in the deity , which the scripture speaks of by the names of father , son , and h. ghost , and every where speaks of them as we use to do of three distinct persons : and therefore i see no reason why in this argument we should nicely abstain from using the word person ; though i remember that st. jerome does somewhere desire to be excused from it . now concerning these three i might in the first place urge that plain and express text , there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the h. ghost ; and these three are one : but upon this i will not now insist , because it is pretended that in some copies of greatest antiquity this verse is omitted ; the contrary whereof is i think capable of being made out very clearly : but this matter would be too long to be debated at present . however that be , thus much is certain and cannot be deni'd , that our saviour commanded his apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost : and that the apostles in their epistles do in their most usual form of benediction join these three together : and it is yet further certain , that not only the name and title of god , but the most incommunicable properties and perfections of the deity , are in scripture frequently ascribed to the son and the h. ghost ; one property only excepted , which is peculiar to the father as he is the principle and fountain of the deity , that he is of himself and of no other ; which is not , nor can be said of the son and h. ghost . now let any man shew any plain and downright contradiction in all this ; or any other difficulty besides this , that the particular manner of the existence of these three differences or persons in the divine nature , express'd in scripture by the names of father , son , aud h. ghost , is incomprehensible by our finite understandings , and inexplicable by us : in which i do not see what absurdity there is , since our adversaries cannot deny that many things certainly are , the particular manner of whose existence we can neither comprehend , nor explain . let us now see , whether the opinion of our adversaries hath not greater difficulties in it , and more palpable absurdities following from it . they say , that the son of god is a mere creature ; not god by nature , and yet truly and really god by office and by divine appointment and constitution ; to whom the very same honour and worship is to be given which we give to him who is god by nature . and can they discern no difficulty , no absurdity in this ? what ? no absurdity in bringing idolatry by a back-door into the christian religion , one main design whereof was to banish idolatry out of the world ? and will they in good earnest contest this matter with us , that the giving divine worship to a mere creature is not idolatry ? and can they vindicate themselves in this point any other way , than what will in a great measure acquit both the pagans and the papists from the charge of idolatry ? what ? no absurdity in a god as it were but of yesterday ? in a creature god , in a god merely by positive institution ; and this in opposition to a plain moral precept of eternal obligation , and to the fix'd and immutable nature and reason of things ? so that to avoid the shadow and appearance of a plurality of deities they run really into it , and for any thing i can see into downright idolatry , by worshipping a creature besides the creator , who is blessed for ever . they can by no means allow two gods by nature ; no more can we : but they can willingly admit of two gods ; the one by nature , and the other by office , to whom they are content to pay the same honour which is due to him who is god by nature . provided christ will be contented to be but a creature , they will deal more liberally with him in another way than in reason is fit ▪ and do they see no absurdity in all this ? nothing that is contrary to reason and good sense ? nothing that feels like inconsistency and contradiction ? do they consider how often god hath declar'd that he will not give his glory to another ? and that the apostle describes idolatry to be , the giving service , or worship , to things which by nature are no gods ? surely if reason guided by divine revelation were to chuse a god , it would make choice of one who is declared in scripture to be the only begotten of the father , the first and the last , the beginning and the end , the same yesterday , to day , and for ever : much rather than a mere creature , who did not begin to be till about seventeen hundred years ago . i only propose these things , without any artificial aggravation , to their most serious and impartial consideration ; after which i cannot think that these great masters of reason can think it so easy a matter to extricate themselves out of these difficulties . the god of truth lead us into all truth , and enlighten the minds of those who are in error , and give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth : for his sake who is the way , the truth , and the life . and thus much may suffice to have said upon this argument , which i am sensible is mere controversy : a thing which i seldom meddle with , and do not delight to dwell upon . but my text which is so very proper for this season hath almost necessarily engaged me in it : besides , that i think it a point of that concernment , that all christians ought to be well instructed in it . and i have chosen rather once for all to handle it fully and to go to the bottom of it , than in every sermon to be flurting at it , without saying any thing to the purpose against it : a way which in my opinion is neither proper to establish men in the truth nor to convince them of their error . i shall only at present make this short reflection upon the whole : that we ought to treat the holy scriptures as the oracles of god , with all reverence and submission of mind to the doctrine therein revealed : and to interpret them with that candour and simplicity which is due to the sincere declarations of god intended for the instruction and not for the deception and delusion of men : i say , we should treat them as the oracles of god , and not like the doubtful oracles of the heathen deities , that is , in truth of the devil ; which were contrived and calculated on purpose to deceive , containing and for the most part intending a sense directly contrary to the appearing and most obvious meaning of the words : for the devil was the first author of equivocation ; though the jesuits have since made it a lawful way of lying , which their father of whom they learn'd it had not credit and authority enough to do . and it deserves likewise to be very well considered by us , that nothing hath given a greater force to the exceptions of the church of rome against the h. scripture's being a sufficient and certain rule of faith , than the uncertainty into which they have brought the plainest texts imaginable for the establishing of doctrines of greatest moment in the christian religion , by their remote and wrested interpretation of them : which way of dealing with them seems to be really more contumelious to those h. oracles , than the downright rejecting of their authority : because this is a fair and open way of attacquing them , whereas the other is an insiduous , and therefore more dangerous way of undermining them . but as for us who do in good earnest believe the divine authority of the h. scriptures , let us take all our doctrines and opinions from those clear fountains of truth , not disturb'd and darkned by searching anxiously into all the possible senses that the several words and expressions of scripture can bear , and by forcing that sense upon them which is most remote and unnatural , and in the mean time wilfully overlooking and passing by that sense which is most obvious and easie to the common apprehension of any unbyass'd and impartial reader . this is to use the h. scriptures as the church of rome have done many holy and good men whom they are pleased to brand with the odious name of hereticks , to torture them till they speak the mind of their tormentors though never so contrary to their own . i will now conclude this whole discourse with a saying which i heard from a great and judicious man , non amo nimis argutam theologiam , i love no doctrines in divinity which stand so very much upon quirk and subtilty . and i cannot upon this occasion forbear to say , that those doctrines of religion and those interpretations of scripture have ever been to me the most suspected , which need abundance of wit and a great many criticisms to make them out : and considering the wisdom and goodness of almighty god , i cannot possibly believe but that all things necessary to be believ'd and practis'd by christians in order to their eternal salvation are plainly contain'd in the h. scriptures : god surely hath not dealt so hardly with mankind as to make any thing necessary to be believ'd or practis'd by us which he hath not made sufficiently plain to the capacity of the unlearned as well as of the learned . god forbid that it should be impossible for any man to be saved and to get to heaven without a great deal of learning to direct and carry him thither , when the far greatest part of mankind have no learning at all . it was well said by erasmus , that it was never well with the christian world since it began to be a matter of so much subtilty and wit for a man to be a true christian . sermon iii. concerning the incarnation of christ . preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry , december . . john i. . the word was made flesh . the last year about this time , and upon the same occasion of the annual commemoration of the incarnation and nativity of our b. lord and saviour , i began to discourse to you upon these words : in which i told you were contained three great points concerning our saviour the author and founder of our religion . first , his incarnation , the word was made , or became flesh . secondly , his life and conversation here amongst us ; and dwelt among us , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he pitched his tabernacle among us , he lived here below in this world , and for some time made his residence and abode with us . thirdly , that in this state of his humiliation he gave great and clear evidence of his divinity : whilst he appear'd as a man and lived amongst us , there were great and glorious testimonies given of him that he was the son of god ; and that in so peculiar a manner as no creature can be said to be : and we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the father , full of grace and truth . i began with the first of these , namely his incarnation , the word was made flesh : for the full and clear explication of which words i proposed to consider these two things . i. the person here spoken of and who it is that is here said to be incarnate , or made flesh , namely the word . and this i have handled at large in my two former discourses upon this text. i shall now proceed in the ii. second place to give some account of the nature and manner of this incarnation , so far as the scripture hath thought fit to reveal and declare this mystery to us . the word was made flesh , that is , he who is personally called the word , and whom the evangelist hath so fully and clearly described in the beginning of his gospel , he became flesh , that is , assumed our nature and became man ; for so the word flesh is frequently used in scripture , for man or human nature . so that by the word 's becoming flesh , that is , man , the evangelist did not only intend to express to us that he assumed a human body without a soul , but that he became a perfect man , consisting of soul and body united . it is very probable indeed that the evangelist did purposely chuse the word flesh , which signifies the frail and mortal part of humanity , to denote to us the great condescension of the son of god in assuming our nature with all its infirmities , and becoming subject to frailty and mortality for our sake . having thus explain'd the meaning of this proposition , the word was made flesh , i shall in a further prosecution of this argument take into consideration these three things . first , i shall consider more distinctly what may reasonably be suppos'd to be implied in this expression of the word 's being made flesh . secondly , i shall consider the objections which are commonly brought against this incarnation of the son of god from the seeming impossibility , or incongruity of the thing . thirdly , and because , after all that can be said in answer to those objections , it may still appear to us very strange that god who could without all this circumstance , and condescension even almost beneath the majesty of the great god , at least as we are apt to think , have given laws to mankind , and have offer'd forgiveness of sins and eternal life upon their repentance for sins past , and sincere tho imperfect obedience for the future ; i say , it may seem strange , that notwithstanding this god should yet make choice of this way and method of our salvation : i shall therefore in the last place endeavour to give some probable account of this strange and wonderful dispensation , and shew that it was done in great condescension to the weakness and common prejudices of mankind ; and that when it is throughly consider'd it will appear to be much more for our comfort and advantage than any other way which the wisdom of this world would have been apt to devise and pitch upon . and in all this i shall , all along take either the plain declarations of scripture , or the pregnant intimations of it for my ground and guide . i. i shall consider more distinctly what may reasonably be supposed to be implied in this expression of the word 's being made flesh , namely , these five things . first , the truth and reality of the thing : that the son of god did not only appear in the form of human flesh , but did really assume it : the word was made flesh , as the evangelist expresly declares : for if this had been only a phantasme and apparition , as some hereticks of old did fancy , it would in all probability have been like the appearance of angels mentioned in the old testament , sudden and of short continuance , and would after a little while have vanish'd and disappear'd . but he dwelt among us and convers'd familiarly with us a long time , and for many years together ; and the scripture useth all the expressions which are proper to signify a real man , and a real human body , and there were all the signs and evidences of reality that could be : for the word is said to be made flesh , and christ is said to be of the seed of david according to the flesh , and to be made of a woman ; and all this to shew that he was a real man , and had a real and substantial body : for he was born , and by degrees grew up to be a man , and did perform all such actions as are natural and proper to men : he continued a great while in the world , and at last suffer'd and dy'd , and was laid in the grave ; he did not vanish and disappear like a phantasme or spirit , but he dyed like other men : and his body was raised again out of the grave ; and after he was risen , he conversed forty days upon earth , and permitted his body to be handled , and last of all was visibly taken up into heaven . so that either we must grant him to have had a real body , or we have cause to doubt whether all mankind be not mere phantasms and apparitions . for greater evidence no man can give that he is really clothed with and carries about him a true and substantial body , than the son of god did in the days of his flesh . it is to me very wonderful upon what ground , or indeed to what end , the hereticks of old , marcion and others , did deny the reality of christ's flesh . surely they had a great mind to be hereticks who took up so sensless an opinion for no reason , and to no purpose . secondly , another thing implyed in the word 's being made flesh , is , that this was done peculiarly for the benefit and advantage of men : the word was made flesh , that is , became man ; for so i have shewn the word flesh to be often used in scripture . and this the author of the epistle to the hebrews takes very special notice of as a great grace and favour of god to mankind , that his son appear'd in our nature , and consequently for our salvation ; as it is said in the nicene creed , who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven , and was incarnate , &c. for verily , says the apostle , he took not on him the nature of angels , but of the seed of abraham , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he did not assume the angelical nature , so our translators understood the phrase ; but the word also signifies to take hold of a thing which is falling , as well as to assume or take on him : he did not take hold of the angels when they were falling , but suffered them to lapse irrecoverably into misery and ruine : but he took hold of human nature when it was falling , and particularly of the seed of abraham , and by the seed of abraham , that is , by himself , in whom all the nations of the earth were blessed , he brought salvation first to the jews , and then to the rest of mankind . the apostle chuses to derive this blessing from abraham , that so he might bring it nearer to the jews to whom he wrote this epistle , and might thereby more effectually recommend the gospel to them , and the glad tidings of that great salvation in which they had so peculiar an interest . and it is some confirmation of the interpretation i have given of that expression he took not on him , &c. that the evangelist uses the very same word for taking hold of one that was ready to sink : for so it is said of st. peter when he was ready to sink , that christ put forth his hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and caught hold of him , and saved him from drowning : and thus the son of god caught hold of mankind which was ready to sink into eternal perdition : he laid hold of our nature , or as it is express'd in the same chapter , he took part of flesh and blood , that in our nature he might be capable of effecting our redemption and deliverance . but it is no where said in scripture , not the least intimation given there , that the son of god ever shew'd such grace and favour to the angels : but the word became flesh , that is , became man : he did not assume the angelical nature , but was contented to be cloathed with the rags of humanity , and to be made in the likeness of sinful flesh , that is , of sinful man. thirdly , this expression of the word 's being made flesh may further imply his assuming the infirmities , and submitting to the miseries of human nature . this i collect from the word flesh , by which the scripture often useth to express our frail and mortal nature . the son of god did not only condescend to be made man , but also to become mortal and miseraable for our sakes : he submitted to all those things which are accounted most grievous and calamitous to human nature : to hunger and want , to shame and contempt , to bitter pains and agonies , and to a most cruel and disgraceful death : so that in this sense also he became flesh , not only by being cloathed with human nature , but by becoming liable to all the frailties and sufferings of it ; of which he had a greater share than any of the sons of men ever had : for never was sorrow like to his sorrow , nor suffering like to his sufferings , the weight and bitterness whereof was such as to wring from him , the meekest and most patient endurer of sufferings that ever was , that doleful complaint , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? fourthly , in this expression , the word was made flesh , is likewise implyed the union of the divinity with human nature in one person . and this the text expresseth in such words as seem to signifie a most perfect , and intimate , and vital union of the divine and human natures of christ in one person : the word was made , or became , flesh : which what else can it signify but one of these two things ? either that the eternal word and only begotten son of god was changed into a man , which is not only impossible to be , but impious to imagin : or else , that the son of god did assume our nature and became man by his divinity being united to human nature as the soul is vitally united to the body ; without either being changed into it , or confounded with it , or swallowed up by it , as the eutychian hereticks fancied the human nature of christ to be swallowed up of his divinity : which had it been so , st. john had expressed himself very untowardly when he says , the word became flesh ; for it had been quite contrary , and flesh had become the word , being changed into it , and swallowed up by it , and lost in it . the only thing then that we can reasonably imagine to be the meaning of this expression is this , that the son of god assumed our nature , and united himself with it , as our souls are united with our bodies : and as the soul and body united make one person , and yet retain their distinct natures and properties ; so may we conceive the divine and human natures in christ to be united into one person : and this without any change or confusion of the two natures . i say , the divinity united it self with human nature : for though flesh be only mentioned in the text , yet he did not only assume a human body , which was the heresie of apollinaris and his followers , upon a mistake of this and some other texts of scripture : but he assumed the whole human nature , that is , a human soul united to a real and natural body : for so i have shewn the word flesh to be frequently used in scripture , not only for the body but for the whole man , by an usual figure of speech : as on the other hand , soul is frequently used for the whole man or person : so many souls are said to have gone down with jacob into egypt , that is , so many persons . but this i need not insist longer upon , our saviour being so frequently in scripture , and so expresly said to be a man ; which could with no propriety of speech have been said , had he only assumed a human body : nor could he have been said to have been made in all things like unto us , sin only excepted , had he only had a human body but not a soul : for then the meaning must have been , that he had been made in all things like unto us , that is , like to a man , that only excepted which chiefly makes the man , that is , the soul : and the addition of those words , sin only excepted , had been no less strange ; because a human body , without a soul , is neither capable of being said to have sin , or to be without it . and this may suffice to have been spoken in general concerning that great mystery of the hypostatical , as they that love hard words love to call it , or personal union of the divine and human natures in the person of our b. saviour : in the more particular explication whereof it is not safe for our shallow understandings to wade further than the scripture goes before us , for fear we go out of our depth and lose our selves in the profound inquiry into the deep things of god , which he has not thought fit in this present state of darkness and imperfection to reveal more plainly and fully to us . it ought to be thought sufficient , that the scripture speaking of the same person , jesus christ our b. saviour , doth frequently and expresly call him both god and man : which how it can be so easily conceived upon any other supposition than that of the union of the divine and human natures in one person , i must confess that i am not able to comprehend . fifthly and lastly , all this which i have shewn to be implyed in this proposition , the word was made flesh , does signifie to us the wonderful and amazing condescension and love of god to mankind in sending his son into the world , and submitting him to this way and method for our salvation and recovery . the word was made flesh : what a step is here made in order to the reconciling of men to god ? from heaven to earth ; from the top of glory and majesty to the lowest gulf of meanness and misery : the evangelist seems here to use the word flesh , which signifies the meanest and vilest part of humanity , to express to us how low the son of god was contented to stoop for the redemption of man. the word was made flesh : two terms , at the greatest distance from one another , are here brought together : the son of god is here expressed to us by one of his highest and most glorious titles , the word , which imports both power and wisdom ; christ the power of god , and the wisdom of god , as the apostle calls him : and human nature is here described by its vilest part , flesh ; which imports frailty and infirmity : the word became flesh , that is , submitted to that from which it was at the greatest distance : he who was the power of god , and the wisdom of god , submitted not only to be called , but really to become a frail and miserable man ; not only to assume our nature , but to put on all the infirmities , and which is the greatest of all , the mortality of it . and this is the great mystery of godliness , that is , of the christian religion , that god should be manifested in the flesh , and become man , with a most gracious and merciful design to bring man back again to god : that he should become a miserable , and a mortal man to save us from eternal death , and to make us partakers of everlasting life : that the son of god should condescend to inhabit our vile nature , to wear rags and to become a beggar for our sakes ; and all this not only to repair those dismal ruins which sin had made in it , and to restore us to our former estate ; but to better and advance our condition , and by degrees to bring us to a state of much greater perfection and happiness than that from which we fell . and that he should become man on purpose that he might dwell among us , and converse with us , and thoroughly instruct us in our duty , and shew us the way to eternal life by his heavenly doctrine , and as it were take us by the hand and lead us in that way by the perfect and familiar example of a most blameless and holy life ; shewing us how god himself thought fit to live in this world , when he was pleased to become man. that by conversing with us in the likeness and nature of man , he might become a human , and in some sort an equal and familiar , an imitable and encouraging example of innocency and goodness , of meekness and humility , of patience and submission to the will of god under the forest afflictions and sufferings , and in a word a most perfect pattern of a divine and heavenly conversation upon earth . and that by this means we might for our greater encouragement in holiness and vertue , see all that which the law of god requires of us exemplified in our nature , and really performed and practised by a man like our selves . and that likewise in our nature he might conquer and triumph over the two great enemies of our salvation , the world and the devil : and by first suffering death , and then overcoming it , and by rescuing our nature from the power of it by his resurrection from the dead , he might deliver us from the fear of death , and give us the glorious hopes of a blessed immortality : for by assuming our frail and mortal nature he became capable of suffering and of shedding his precious blood for us , and by that means of purchasing forgiveness of sins and eternal redemption for us . and further yet , that by being subject to the miseries and infirmities of humanity , he might from his own experience , the surest and most sensible sort of knowledge and instruction , learn to have a more compassionate sense of our infirmities , and be more apt to commiserate us in all our sufferings and temptations , and more ready to succour us labouring under them . and finally , that as a reward of his obedience and sufferings in our nature , he might in the same nature be exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high , there to continue for ever to make intercession for us . ii. i shall in the next place consider the objections against the incarnation of the son of god , from the supposed impossibility and incongruity of the thing . i shall mention three , and endeavour in as few words as i can to give a clear and satisfactory answer to them . first , it is objected , that the incarnation of the son of god as i have explained it , neccessarily supposing an union of the divinity with human nature is , if not altogether impossible , yet a very unintelligible thing . now that there is no impossibility in the thing seems to be very evident from the instance whereby i have endeavoured to illustrate it , of the union between the soul and the body of man , which we must acknowledge to be a thing possible , because we are sure that it is ; and yet no man can explain , either to himself or to any one else , the manner how it is , or can be conceived to be ; but for all that we are certain , as we can be of any thing , that it is so . and is it not every whit as possible for god , if he so please , to unite himself to human nature , as it is for the soul to be united to the body ? and that we are not able to conceive the manner how this is or can be done , ought not in reason to be any prejudice against the truth and certainty of the thing : this indeed may make it seem strange to us , but by no means incredible : because we do most firmly believe a great many things to be , the manner of whose being we do not at all comprehend . and therefore i take it for an undoubted principle which no man can gainsay , that to assure us that a thing really is , it is not necessary for us to know the manner how it is , or can be : it is sufficient for us to know , that the thing is not impossible ; and of that we have the very best demonstration that can be , if we be sure that it is . secondly , supposing this thing to be possible , and capable in any measure to be understood , which yet i have shewn not to be necessary to our firm belief of it : it is further objected , that it seems to be a thing very incongruous , and much beneath the dignity of the son of god , to be united to human nature , and to submit to so near an allyance with that which is so very mean and despicable : yea to be infinitely more below him , than for the greatest prince in this world to match with the poorest and most contemptible beggar . but herein surely we measure god too much by our selves , and because we who are evil have seldom so much goodness as to stoop beneath our selves for the benefit and good of others , we are apt to think that god hath not so much goodness neither : and because our ill nature , and pride , and folly , as indeed all pride is folly , will not suffer us to do it , we presently conclude that it does not become god. but what pliny said to the emperour trajan concerning earthly kings and potentates , is much more true of the lord of glory , the great king of heaven and earth ; cui nihil ad augendum fastigium supereft , hoc uno modo crescere potest , si se ipse submittat , securus magnitudinis suae , he that is at the top , and can rise no higher , hath yet this one way left to become greater , by stooping beneath himself ; which he may very safely do , being secure of his own greatness . the lower any being , be he never so high , condescends to do good , the glory of his goodness shines so much the brighter . men are many times too proud and stiff to bend , too perverse and ill natur'd to stoop beneath their own little greatness for the good of others : but god , whose ways are not as our ways , and whose thoughts are as much above our low and narrow thoughts as the heavens are high above the earth , did not disdain nor think it below him to become man for the good of mankind ; and as much as the divinity is capable of being so , to become miserable to make us happy . we may be afraid that if we humble our selves we shall be despis'd , that if we stoop others will get above us and trample upon us : but god , though he condescend never so low , is still secure of his own greatness , and that none can take it from him . so that in truth , and according to right reason , it was no real diminution or disparagement to the son of god to become man for the salvation of mankind : but on the contrary , it was a most glorious humility , and the greatest instance of the truest goodness that ever was . and therefore the apostle to the hebrews , when he says that christ glorifyed not himself to be made an high-priest , but was appointed of god to this office , as was aaron● , does hereby seem to intimate that it was a glory to the son of god to be made an high-priest for the sons of men : for though it was a strange condescention , yet was it likewise a most wonderful argument of his goodness , which is the highest glory of the divine nature . in short , if god for our sakes did submit himself to a condition which we may think did less become him , here is great cause of thankfulness , but none surely of cavil and exception : we have infinite reason to acknowledge and admire his goodness , but none at all to upbraid him with his kindness , and to quarrel with him for having descended so much beneath himself to testifie his love to us and his tender concernment for our happiness : besides , that when we have said all we can about this matter , i hope we will allow god himself to be the best and most competent judge what is fit for god to do ; and that he needs not to take counsel of any of his creatures , what will best become him in this or any other case : behold in this thou art not just ; i will answer thee , that god is greater than man : why dost thou dispute against him ? for he giveth not account of any of his matters . thirdly , if our reason could get over this difficulty , and admit that god might become man ; yet it seems very unsuitable to the son of god and to his great design of instructing and reforming mankind , to appear in so low and suffering a condition . this , to the heathen philosophers , who as the apostle tells us by wisdom knew not god , did not only seem unreasonable but even ridiculous : so st. paul tells us , we , says he , preach christ crucified , to the jews a stumbling block , and to the greeks foolishness : to think that so poor and mean a man was fit to give laws to mankind , and to awe the minds of men by the authority of his doctrine : that one who was put to death himself should be believed by others when he promised to them life and immortality in another world , could not but appear very strange and unreasonable . for answer to this ; besides other excellent reasons and ends which the scripture expresly assigns of our b. saviour's humiliation , in his assuming our nature with the frailties and miseries of it : as that he might be a teacher , and an example to us : that by his bitter passion he might make expiation for sin , and ●et us a pattern of the greatest meekness and patience under the greatest provocations and sufferings : that having suffered so grievously himself , he might know how to commiserate and pity us in all our temptations and sufferings : that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death , that is , the devil ; and might deliver those who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage : i say , besides all this , it was of great use that the great teacher and reformer of mankind should live in so mean and afflicted a condition , to confront the pride and vanity of the world by this consideration that the son of god , and the very best man that ever was , was a beggar , and had not where to lay his head : and likewise to convince men of these two great truths , that god may grievously afflict those whom he dearly loves ; and , that it is possible for men to be innocent and contented in the midst of poverty , and reproach , and sufferings . had our b. saviour appeared in the person and pomp of a great temporal prince , the influence of his authority and example would probably have made more hypocrites and servile converts , but not have persuaded men one jot more to be inwardly holy and good . the great arguments that must do that , must not be fetch'd from the pomp and prosperity of this world , but from the great and eternal recompences of the other . and it is very well worth our observation that nothing puzzled cesar vaninus , who was perhaps the first , and the only martyr for atheism that ever was ; i say , nothing puzzled him more , than that he could not from the history of our saviour's life and actions , written by the evangelists with so native a simplicity , fasten upon him any probable imputation of a secular interest and design in any thing that he said or did . no doubt but vaninus , before he made this acknowledgment , had searched very narrowly into this matter ; and could he have found any colour for such an imputation , he would have thought it sufficient to have blasted both him and his religion . you may be pleased to consider further , that it was the opinion of the wisest jews , that the best men , the children of god who called god their father , were many times exposed to the greatest sufferings and reproaches for the trial of their faith , and meekness , and patience , as we may see at large in the wisdom of solomon , where speaking of the malice and enmity of the wicked to one that was eminently righteous , he brings them in saying after this manner , let us lie in wait for the righteous , because he is not for our turn ; he is clean contrary to our doings : he upbraideth us with our offending the law , and objecteth to our infamy the transgressions of our youth : he professeth to have the knowledge of god , and he calleth himself the child of the lord : he is grievous unto us even to behold ; for his life is not like other mens , his ways are of another fashion : we are esteemed of him as counterfeits , he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness : he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed , and maketh his boast that god is his father : let us see if his words be true , and what shall happen in the end of him : for if the just man be the son of god , he will help him , and deliver him from the hands of his enemies : let us examine him with despitefulness and torture , that we may know his meekness and prove his patience : let us condemn him to a shameful death , &c. this is so exact a character of our b. saviour , both in respect of the holiness and innocency of his life , and of the reproaches and sufferings which he met with from the wicked and malicious jews , who persecuted him all his life , and at last conspir'd his death , that whoever reads this passage can hardly forbear to think it a prophetical description of the innocency and sufferings of the b. jesus : for he certainly in the most eminent manner was the son of god , being called by the evangelist , the only begotten of the father . or if this was not a prediction concerning our b. saviour , yet thus much at least may be concluded from it , that in the judgment of the wisest among the jews , it was not unworthy of the goodness and wisdom of the divine providence to permit the best man to be so ill treated by wicked men : and further , that in their judgment the innocency and vertues of an eminently righteous man are then set off to the best advantage , and do shine forth with the greatest lustre , when he is under the hardest circumstances of suffering and persecution from an evil world. add to this likewise , that the best and wisest of the heathen philosophers do frequently inculcate such doctrines as these : that worldly greatness and power are not to be admir'd , but rather to be despis'd by a wise man : that men may be very good , and dear to the gods , and yet liable to the greatest miseries and sufferings in this world. that whoever suffers unjustly , and bears it patiently , gives the greatest testimony to goodness , and does most effectually recommend piety and vertue , as things of greater value than the ease and pleasure of this present life : nay further , that a good man cast into the hardest circumstances of poverty and misery , of reproach and suffering , is the fittest person of all other to be the minister , and apostle and preacher of god to mankind ; which are the very words of arian a heathen philosopher , in his discourses of epictetus . now surely they who say such things have no reason to object to our b. saviour his low and suffering condition , as misbecoming one that was to be the great teacher and reformer of the world. and as to that part of the objection , that he who so freely promised immortality to others could not , or however did not save himself from death : this vanisheth into nothing when we consider , that he rescued himself from the power of the grave : and it is so far from being ridiculous to rely upon his promise of raising us up from the dead , that the objection it self is really so . for can any thing be more reasonable than to rely upon him for our hopes of immortality , who by rising from the grave himself , and by conquering the powers of death and darkness , and triumphing openly over them by his visible ascension into heaven , hath given so plain and sensible a demonstration to all mankind that he is able to make good to the uttermost all the glorious promises which he hath made to us of a blessed resurrection to eternal life and happiness in another world ? to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever . amen . sermon iv. concerning the incarnation of christ . preached in the church of st. lawrence jewry , december . . john i. . the word was made flesh , &c. the third and last thing which i proposed upon this argument of the incarnation of the son of god was , to give some account of this dispensation , and to shew that the wisdom of god thought fit thus to order things , in great condescension to the weakness and common prejudices of mankind : and that when all things are duly weigh'd and consider'd it will appear much more for our comfort and advantuge , than any other way which the wisdom of men would have been most apt to devise and pitch upon . and it is the more necessary to give some account of this matter , because after all that hath hitherto been said in answer to the objections against it , it may still seem very strange to a considering man that god , who could without all this circumstance and condescension have done the business for which his son came into the world and appear'd in our nature , that is , could have given the same laws to mankind , and have offer'd to us the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life upon our repentance for sins past , and a sincere endeavour of obedience for the future : i say , that notwithstanding this , he should yet make choice of this way for the redemption and recovery of fallen man , by sending his son in our nature , to accomplish this design . and in the handling of this argument i shall , as i said before , all along take the express declarations , or at least the pregnant intimations of scripture for my ground and guide : it being always safest to take the reasons of the divine counsels and actions from god himself : and in the first place , i make no manner of doubt to say , that it would be a great presumption and boldness in any man to affirm that the infinite wisdom of god could not have brought about the salvation of men by any other way , than by this very way in which he hath done it . for why should we take upon us to set limits to infinite wisdom , and pretend to know the utmost extent of it ? but since god hath been pleased to pitch upon this way rather than any other , this surely ought to be reason enough to satisfie us of the peculiar wisdom and fitness of it , whether the particular reasons of it appear to us or not . and yet it cannot be denied to be a very noble argument , and well worthy our consideration , to enquire into the reasons of this dispensation , and to assign them particularly , if we can . for i look upon mysteries and miracles in religion to be much of the same nature , and that a great reverence is due to both where they are certain , and necessary in the nature and reason of the thing : but neither of them are easily to be admitted without necessity , and very good evidence . secondly , i consider in the next place that in the several revelations which god hath made of himself to mankind , he hath with great condescension accommodated himself , both as to manner and degree of them , to the condition , and capacity , and other circumstances of the persons and people to whom they were made . particularly we find that the dispensation of god towards the jewish nation was full of condescension to the temper , and prejudices , and other circumstances of that people . for the religion and laws which god gave them were far from being the best and most perfect in themselves ; in which sense some understand that passage in the prophet ezekiel , where it is said that god gave them statutes which were not good , that is , very imperfect in comparison of what he could and would have given them , had they been capable of them ; and yet such as were very well suited and fitted to their present capacity and circumstances . thirdly , i observe yet further ; that though the christian religion , as to the main and substance of it , be a most perfect institution , being the law of nature reviv'd and perfected ; yet upon a due consideration of things it cannot be denied that the manner and circumstances of this dispensation are full of condescension to the weakness of mankind and very much accommodated to the most common and deeply radicated prejudices of men concerning god and religion ; and peculiarly fitted to remove and root them out of the minds of men , by substituting something in the place of them of as near a compliance with them as was consistent with the honour of almighty god , and the great design of the christian religion . it is not easie to give a certain account of the true original of some notions and prejudices concerning god and religion which have generally obtained in the world , in that variety of religions , and the different ways of worship and superstition which have been in several nations of the earth : but in history and fact this is certain , that some notions , and those very gross and erroneous , did almost universally prevail even among those who did extremely differ in the particular forms and modes of their superstition . and though some of these were much more tolerable than others , yet god seems to have had great consideration of some very weak and gross apprehensions of mankind concerning religion . and , as in some of the laws given by moses god was pleased particularly to consider the hardness of the hearts of that people ; so he seems likewise to have very much suited the dispensation of the gospel and the method of our salvation , by the incarnation and sufferings of his son , to the common prejudices of mankind ; especially of the heathen world , whose minds were less prepared for this dispensation than the jews , if we consider the light and advantages which the jewish nation had above the gentile world : that so by this means and method he might wean them by degrees from their gross conceptions of things , and rectify more easily their wrong apprehensions by gratifying them in some measure , and in a gracious compliance with our weakness by bending and accommodating the way and method of our salvation to our weak capacity and imperfect conceptions of things . fourthly , and that god hath done this in the dispensation of the gospel will i think very plainly appear in the following instances ; in most of which i shall be very brief , and only insist somewhat more largely upon the last of them . st . the world was much given to admire mysteries in religion . the jews had theirs ; several of which by god's own appointment were reserv'd and kept secret in a great measure from the people ; others were added by the superstition of after ages , and held in equal or rather greater veneration than the former : and the heathen likewise had theirs ; the devil always affecting to imitate god so far as served his wicked and malicious design of seducing mankind into idolatry and the worship of himself : and therefore the scripture always speaks of the heathen idolatry as the worship of devils , and not of god : so that almost every nation had their peculiar and celebrated mysteries ; most of which were either very odd and phantastical , or very lewd and impure , or very inhuman and cruel , and every way unworthy of the deity . but the great mystery of the christian religion , the incarnation of the son of god ; or , as the apostle calls it , god manifested in the flesh ; was such a mystery , as for the greatness and wonderfulness , for the infinite mercy and condescension of it , did obscure and swallow up all other mysteries . for which reason the apostle , in allusion to the heathen mysteries and in contempt of them , speaking of the great mystery of the christian religion says , without controversy great is the mystery of godliness , god was manifested in the flesh , &c. since the world had such an admiration for mysteries , he instanceth in that which was a mystery indeed ; a mystery beyond all dispute , and beyond all comparison . dly . there was likewise a great inclination in mankind to the worship of a visible and sensible deity : and this was a main root and source of the various idolatries in the heathen world. now to take men off from this , god was pleased to appear in our nature ; that they who were so fond of a visible deity might have one to whom they might pay divine worship without danger of idolatry , and without injury to the divine nature : even a true and natural image of god the father , the fountain of the deity ; or , as the apostle to the hebrews describes the son of god , the resplendency or brightness of his fathers glory , and the express character or image of his person . dly . another notion which had generally obtained among mankind , was concerning the expiation of the sins of men and appeasing the offended deity by sacrifice , upon which they supposed the punishment due to the sinner was transferred , to exempt him from it : especially by the sacrifices of men , which had almost universally prevailed in the gentile world. and this notion of the expiation of sin , by sacrifices of one kind or other , seems to have obtained very early in the world , and among all other ways of divine worship to have found the most universal reception in all times and places . and indeed a great part of the jewish religion and worship was a plain condescension to the general apprehensions of men concerning this way of appeasing the deity by sacrifice : and the greatest part of the pagan religion and worship was likewise founded upon the same notion and opinion , which because it was so universal seems to have had its original from the first parents of mankind ; either immediately after the creation , or after the flood ; and from thence , i mean as to the substance of this notion to have been derived and propagated to all their posterity . and with this general notion of mankind , whatever the ground and foundation of it might be , god was pleased so far to comply as once for all to have a general atonement made for the sins of all mankind by the sacrifice of his only son , whom his wise providence did permit by wicked hands to be crucified and slain . but i shall not at present insist any further upon this ; which requires a particular discourse by it self , and may by god's assistance in due time have it . thly . another very common notion and very rife in the the heathen world , and a great source of their idolatry , was their apotheoses or canonizing of famous and eminent persons , who in their life time had done great things and some way or other been great benefactors to mankind , by advancing them after their death to the dignity of an inferiour kind of gods fit to be worship'd by men here on earth , and to have their prayers and supplications address'd to them as proper and powerful mediators and intercessors for them with the superiour gods : to these they gave the titles of hero's and semidei , that is , half gods ; though the notion of a being that is just half-infinite seems to me very hard to be conceiv'd and defin'd . now to take men off from this kind of idolatry , and to put an end to it , behold one in our nature exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high ; to be worshipped by men and angels : one that was the truly great benefactor of mankind : one that was dead , and is alive again , and lives for evermore , to make intercession for us . thly . to give but one instance more , which i have already intimated : the world was mightily bent upon addressing their requests and supplications , not to the deity immediately , because their superstition thought that too great a presumption , but by some mediators between the gods and them , who might with advantage in this humble manner present their requests so as to find acceptance . to this end they made use of the daemons or angels , and of their hero's , or deifyed men whom i mentioned before , by whom they put up their prayers to the supreme gods , hoping by their intercession , and patronage of their cause , to obtain a gracious answer of them . in a gracious compliance with this common apprehension , and thereby more easily and effectually to extirpate this sort of idolatry , which had been so long , and so generally practised in the world , god was pleased to constitute and appoint one in our nature to be a perpetual advocate and intercessor in heaven for us , to offer up our prayers to god his father , and to obtain mercy for us and grace to help in time of need . and for ever to take us off from all other mediators , we are expressly told in scripture that as there is but one god to whom we are to pray , so there is but one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , by whom we are to offer up our prayers to god : and that we need not look out for any other , since the apostle to the hebrews tells us , that he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to god by him , seeing he lives for ever to make intercession for us . and for this reason the church of rome is altogether inexcusable in this point , for introducing more mediators and intercessors , more patrons and advocates in heaven for us : and this not only without any necessity , for who can add any vertue and efficacy to the powerful and prevalent intercession of the son of god ? but likewise in direct contradiction to the express constitution and appointment of god himself , who says there is but one mediator between god and men , and they say there ought to be many more , not only the b. virgin , but all the saints and angels in heaven . besides that by this very thing they revive one notorious piece of the old pagan idolatry , which god so plainly design'd to extinguish by appointing one only mediator between god and men. by this condescension likewise god hath given us the comfortable assurance of a most powerful and a perpetual intercessor at the right hand of god in our behalf . for if we consider christ as man and of the same nature with us , bone of our bone , and flesh of our flesh , so very nearly allied and related to us , we may easily believe that he hath a most tender care and concernment for us : that he sincerely wisheth our happiness , and will by all means seek to procure it , if we our selves by our own willful obstinacy do not hinder it , and resist the kindness and the counsel of god against our selves : for if we be resolv'd to continue impenitent , there is no help for us ; we must die in our sins , and salvation it self cannot save us . but to proceed ; it cannot surely but be matter of greatest consolation to us , that the man christ jesus who is now so highly exalted at the right hand of god , and who hath all power in heaven and earth committed to him , is our patron and advocate in heaven to plead our cause with god : since we cannot but think , that he who was pleased to become brother to us all does bear a true affection and good will to us : and that he who assumed our nature will heartily espouse our cause , and plead it powerfully for us ; and will with all possible advantage recommend our petitions and requests to god. but then if we consider further , that he did not only take our nature , but likewise took our infirmities and bore them many years , in which he had long and continual experience of the saddest sufferings to which human nature is subject in this world , and was tempted in all things like as we are : this gives us still greater assurance that he who suffer'd and was tempted himself cannot but be touched with a lively sense of our infirmities , and must have learn'd by his own sufferings to compassionate ours , and to be ready to succour us when we are tempted , and to afford us grace and help suitable to all our wants and infirmities : for nothing gives us so just a sense of the sufferings of others as the remembrance of our own , and the bitter experience of the like sufferings and temptations in our selves . and this the apostle to the hebrews doth very particularly insist upon as matter of greatest comfort and encouragement to us , that the son of god did not only assume our nature , but was made in all things like unto us , and during his abode here upon earth did suffer and was tempted like as we are : for verily , says the apostle , he took not on him the nature of angels , but of the seed of abraham : wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren , that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest in things pertaining to god : for in that he himself suffered being tempted , he is able to succour them that are tempted . and again exhorting the jews who were newly converted to christianity to continue stedfact in their profession , notwithstanding all the sufferings to which upon that account they were exposed ; he comforts them with this consideration , that we have at the right hand of god so powerful an advocate and intercessor for us as the son of god , who is sensible of our case , having suffered the same things himself , and therefore we cannot doubt of his compassion to us and readiness to support us in the like sufferings : seeing then , says he , that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens , jesus the son of god , let us hold fast our profession : for we have not an high-priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities , but was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin : from whence he concludes , that having such an intercessor we may with great confidence and assurance address our supplications to god for his mercy and help in all our wants and weakness , to supply the one , and to assist the other : let us therefore , says he , come boldly to the throne of grace , that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace for seasonable relief . so that our b. saviour and redeemer , now that he is advanced to heaven and exalted to the right hand of god , is not unmindful of us in this height of his glory and greatness ; but with the tenderest affection and compassion to mankind doth still prosecute the design of our salvation ; and in vertue of his meritorious obedience and sufferings , which he presents to god continually , he offers up our prayers to him , and pleads our cause with him , and represents to him all our wants and necessities , and procures for us a favourable answer of our prayers , and supplies of grace and strength proportionable to our temptations and infirmities . and thus , by vertue of this prevalent intercession of his with god for us , our sins are forgiven , and our wants supplied , and our requests granted , and the gracious assistance and supports of god's h. spirit are seasonably afforded to us , and we are kept by the mighty power of god through faith unto salvation : in a word , all those blessings and benefits are procured for us by his intercession in heaven , which he purchased for us by his blood upon earth . so that in this method of our salvation , besides many other gracious condescensions which god hath made to the weakness and prejudices of mankind , our b. saviour hath perfectly supplied the two great wants concerning which mankind was at so great a loss before , namely the want of an effectual expiatory sacrifice for sin upon earth , and of a prevalent mediator and intercessor with god in heaven . and he hath , in great goodness and condescension to our inveterate prejudices concerning these things , taken effectual care fully to supply both these wants ; having appeared in the end of the world to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself ; and in vertue of that sacrifice appearing now in heaven in the presence of god for us , he is become our perpetual advocate and a most prevalent intercessor with god in our behalf . for instead of the various and endless sacrifices of the jews and heathen , the son of god hath by one sacrifice for sins perfected for ever them that are sanctified : and instead of the mediation of daemons and hero's , to offer up our prayers to god , which were the intercessors made use of among the heathen , we have one mediator between god and men , appointed by god himself , even the son of god , who is entred into heaven it self , there to appear in the presence of god for us : and to assure us that he commiserates our case and hath a true and tender sense of our infirmities and sufferings , the very manner of his intercession for us , as the scripture represents it to us , is a plain demonstration of the thing : for he intercedes for us in heaven by representing to god his father his sufferings upon earth ; and pleading them in our behalf : so that the very argument which he useth to god for us cannot but stir up compassion in him towards us , and whilst he represents his own sufferings in our behalf , we cannot think that he is unmindful and insensible of ours . you see then that in this dispensation of god for our salvation , by sending his son in our nature , things are not only suited in great condescension to our apprehensions , but are likewise in great compassion to us every way fitted for our comfort and encouragement . god hath made him our great patron and advocate who was our sacrifice and propitiation . and surely we have all the reason in the world to believe that he who in the days of his flesh humbled himself and became obedient to the death for our sakes , will be ready to do us all good offices now that he is advanced to the right hand of god ; that he who dyed for us upon earth , now that he lives again will make intercession for us in heaven and perfect that salvation which he purchased for us upon the cross . and therefore we find in scripture that as the purchasing of our salvation is ascribed to the death and sufferings of christ , so the perfecting of it is attributed to his intercession for us at the right hand of his father : wherefore , says the apostle to the hebrews , he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to god by him , seeing he liveth for ever to make intercession for us : he dyed once to purchase these benefits , but he lives for ever to procure them for us , and to apply them to us : and now that he is in heaven , he is as intent upon our concernments and lays our happiness as much to heart as when he dwelt here among us on earth , and poured out his blood a sacrifice for sin upon the cross : and that when he lived here below he suffer'd and was tempted as we are , this very consideration gives us the greatest assurance possible that he is still touched with the feeling of our infirmities and hath a lively sense of our sufferings ; and consequently , that he doth compassionate our case and will use all his power and interest for our advantage , for our seasonable support and succour in all our trials and sufferings . but besides the wonderful gondescension of this dispensation , there is likewise in the fifth and last place , a great congruity and fitness in the thing it self ; and this method of our salvation which the wisdom of god hath pitched upon is in many other respects very much for our real benefit and comfort . for by this means we have a perfect and familiar example of holiness and obedience in our own nature , by which we plainly see that god requires nothing of us , but what he himself when he submitted to become man did think fit to do : for being made of a woman , he was of necessity made under the law , and by assuming human nature he became naturally subject to the laws and conditions of his being . and here likewise is a provision made for the expiation and forgiveness of our sins , in a way not only very honourable to the justice of god and the authority of his laws , but likewise very effectual to discountenance sin and to deter men from it ; since god did not think fit to forgive the sins of men without great sufferings and that in our nature : for though god was willing to save the sinner , yet rather than encouragement should be given to sin by letting it go unpunish'd , he was contented to give up the dearly beloved of his soul to be a sarcifice and propitiation for the sins of the whole world. by the same means also we have a most powerful antidote against the fear of suffering , and particularly against the fear of death one of the greatest slaveries of human nature : so also the apostle to the hebrews tells us , that for this cause christ himself also took part of flesh and blood , that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death , that is the devil ; and might deliver those who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage . again , we have hereby full assurance of a blessed immortality in another life , because in our nature death and all the powers of darkness were baffled and overcome . the death of christ , which could not have been without his incarnation ; and so likewise his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven , are sensible demonstrations to all mankind of a blessed immortality after death ; which is the most powerful motive in the world to obedience and a holy life . and lastly , we may upon this account promise to our selves a fair and equal trial at the judgment of the great day , because we shall then be judged by a man like our selves . our saviour and judge himself hath told us , that for this reason god hath committed all judgment to the son , because he is the son of man. and this in human judgments is accounted a great privilege , to be judged by those who are of the same rank and condition with our selves , and who are likely to understand best and most carefully to examine and consider all our circumstances , and to render our case as if it were their own . so equitably doth god deal with us , that we shall be acquitted or condemned by such a judge as according to human measures we our selves should have chosen ; by one in our own nature who was made in all things like unto us , that only excepted which would have rendered him incapable of being our judge , because it would have made him a criminal like our selves . and therefore the apostle offers this as a firm ground of assurance to us that god will judge the world in righteousness , because this judgment shall be administred by a man like our selves ; he hath , saith he , appointed a day wherein be will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom be bath ordained , &c. i shall now only make a practical inference or two from what hath been delivered upon this argument and so conclude this whole discourse . first , the serious consideration of what hath been said concerning the incarnation of our b. saviour should effectually prevail with us to comply with the great end and design of the son of god's becoming man and dwelling amongst us , and of his doing and suffering all those things which are recorded of him in the history of his life and death written by the h. evangelists : i say , the consideration hereof should persuade us all to comply with the great design of all this , which is the reformation of mankind and the recovery of us out of that sinful and miserable estate into which we were fallen : because the salvation which the son of god hath purchased for us , and which he offers to us by the gospel , is not to be accomplished and brought about any other way than by our forsaking our sins and reforming our lives . the grace of god , which hath appeared to all men and brings salvation , will not make us partakers of it in any other way , nor by any other means , than by teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly and righteously , and godly in this present world. god sent his son jesus to bless us , by turning us away every one from his iniquities ; and unless this change be effectually wrought in us , we are utterly incapable of all the blessings of the gospel of christ . all that he hath done for us without us will avail us nothing , unless we be inwardly transformed and renewed in the spirit of our minds ; unless we become new creatures , unless we make it the continual and sincere endeavour of our lives to keep the commandments of god. for the scripture is most express and positive in this matter ; that without holiness no man shall see the lord : that every man that hath this hope in him , that is , in christ to be saved by him , must purifie himself even as be is pure . we do not rightly and truly believe that jesus christ came into the world to save sinners , if we be not also thoroughly convinced that it is as necessary for us to leave our sins , as to believe this most faithful and credible saying . the obedience and sufferings of our b. saviour are indeed accounted to us for righteousness , and will most certainly redound to our unspeakable benefit and advantage upon our performance of the condition which the gospel doth require on our part , namely , that every man that names the name of christ depart from iniquity : and the grace of god's h. spirit is ready to enable us to perform this condition , if we earnestly ask it , and do sincerely co-operate with it : provided we do what we can on our part , god will not be wanting to us on his. but if we receive the grace of god in vain , and take no care to perform the condition , and do neglect to implore the grace and assistance of god's h. spirit to that purpose , we have none to blame but our selves ; because it is then wholly our own fault if we fall short of that happiness which christ hath purchased , and promised to us upon such easie and reasonable conditians as the gospel proposeth . but i no where find that god hath promised to force happiness upon the negligent , and a reward upon the wicked and slothful servant : a gift may be given for nothing , but surely a reward does in the very nature of it always suppose some service . none but a righteous man is capable of a righteous mans reward : and st. john hath sufficiently cautioned us not to think our selves righteous unless we be doers of righteousness : little children , says he , let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous . this is so very plain a text , that if men were not either very easie to be deceived by others , or very willing to deceive themselves , they could not possibly mistake the meaning of it : and therefore i will repeat it once more , little children , let no man deceive you ; he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous . secondly , the other inference which i would make from the precedent discourse is this , that with all possible thankfulness we should acknowledge and adore the wonderful goodness and condescension of almighty god in sending his only begotten son into the world in our nature , to be made flesh , and to dwell amongst us in order to our recovery and salvation : a method and dispensation not only full of mercy and goodness , but of great condescension to our meanness , and of mighty vertue and efficacy for our redemption and deliverance from the guilt and dominion of sin ; and upon all accounts every way so much for our benefit and advantage . so that well may we say with st. paul , this is a faithful saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a credible word , and worthy of all acceptation , that is , fit to be embraced and entertained with all possible joy and thankfulness , that jesus christ came into the world to save sinners . what an everlasting fountain of the most invaluable blessings and benefits to mankind is the incarnation of the son of god ? his vouchsafing to assume our nature , and to reside and converse so long with us ? and what are we , that the eternal and only begotten son of god should condescend to do all this for us ? that the high and glorious majesty of heaven should stoop down to the earth , and be contented to be clothed with misery and mortality ? that he should submit to so poor and low a condition , to such dreadful and disgraceful sufferings for our sakes ? for what are we ? vile and despicable creatures , guilty and unworthy , offenders and apostates , enemies and rebels . blessed god! how great is thy goodness ? how infinite are thy tender mercies and compassions to mankind ? that thou should'st regard us whilst we neglected thee , and remember us in our low condition when we had forgotten thee days without number , and shouldst take such pity on us when we shewed none to our selves ; and whilst we were thy declared and implacable enemies should'st express more kindness and good will to us , than the best of men ever did to their best friends . when we reflect seriously upon those great things which god hath done in our behalf , and consider that mighty salvation which god hath wrought for us ; what thanks can we possibly render , what acknowledgments shall we ever be able to make , i do not say equal but in any wise meet and becoming , to this great benefactor of mankind ? who , when we had so highly offended and provok'd him , and so foolishly and so fatally undone our selves ; when we were become so guilty and so miserable , and so much fitter to have eternally been the objects of his wrath and indignation than of his pity and compassion , was pleas'd to send his own , his only son into the world to seek and save us ; and by him to repair all our ruines , to forgive all our iniquities , to heal all our spiritual diseases , and to crown us with loving kindness and tender mercies . and what sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving should we also offer up to this gracious and most merciful redeemer of ours , the everlasting son of the father , who debased himself so infinitely for our sakes , and when he took upon him to deliver man did not abhor the virgins womb : who was contented to be born so obscurely and to live all his life in a poor and persecuted condition ; and was pleased both to undergo and to overcome the sharpness of death , that he might open the kingdom of heaven to all believers ? every time we have occasion to meditate upon this , especially when we are communicating at his h. table and receiving the blessed symbols and pledges of his precions death and passion : how should our hearts burn within us and leap for joy ? how should the remembrance of it revive and raise our spirits , and put us into an extasie of love and gratitude to this great friend and lover of souls : and with the b. mother of our lord , how should our souls , upon that blessed occasion , magnify the lord , and our spirits rejoyce in god our saviour ? the holy men of old were transported with joy at the obscure and confused apprehension and remote foresight of so great a blessing , at so great a distance : it is said of abraham the father of the faithful , that he saw his day afar off and was glad : how should we then be affected with joy and thankfulness , to whom the son of god and b. saviour of men is actually come ? he is come many ages ago , and hath enlightened a great part of the world with his glory . yea , he is come to us , who were in a manner separated from the rest of the world : to us is this great light come , who had so long sate in darkness and the shadow of death : and this mighty salvation which he hath wrought for us is near to every one of us that is willing to lay hold of it , and to accept it upon those gracious terms and conditions upon which it is offer'd to us in his h. gospel . and by his coming he hath delivered mankind from that gross ignorance and thick darkness which covered the nations : and we know that the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true : and we are in him that is true , even in his son jesus christ : this is the true god , and eternal life . and then it immediately follows , little children , keep your selves from idols . what can be the meaning of this caution ? and what is the connection of it with the foregoing discourse ? it is plainly this : that the son of god by his coming had rescued mankind from the sottish worship of idols ; and therefore he cautions christians to take great heed of relapsing into idolatry by worshipping a creature , or the image and likeness of any creature instead of god. and because he foresaw that it might be objected to christians , as in fact it was afterwards by the heathen , that the worship of christ , who was a man , was as much idolatry as that which the christians charged the heathen withal : therefore st. john effectually to prevent the force of this plausible objection , though he perpetually , throughout his gospel declares christ to be really a man , yet he expresly also affirms him to be god , and the true god ; and consequently , christians might safely pay divine worship to him without fear or danger of idolatry : we are in him that is true , even in his son jesus christ : this is the true god , and eternal life : little children , keep your selves from idols . but this i am sensible is a digression , yet such a one as may not be alltogether useless . to proceed then in the recital of those great blessings which the coming of the son of god hath brought to mankind . he hath rescued us from the bondage of sin , and from the slavery of satan : he hath openly proclaimed pardon and reconciliation to the world : he hath clearly revealed eternal life to us , which was but obscurely made known before , both to jews and gentiles ; but is now made manifest by the appearance of our lord and saviour jesus christ , who hath abolished death , and brought life and immortality to light by the gospel : he hath purchased this great blessing for us ; and is ready to confer it upon us , if we will be contented to leave our sins and to be saved by him : a condition without which as salvation is not to be had , so if it were , it would not be desirable , it could not make us happy ; because our sins would still separate between god and us , and the guilt and horrour of our own minds would make us eternally miserable . and now surely we cannot but thus judge , that all the praises and acknowledgments , all the service and obedience which we can possibly render to him , are infinitely beneath those infinite obligations which the son of god hath laid upon the sons of men by his coming into the world to save sinners . what then remains , but that at all times , and more especially at this season we gratefully acknowledge and joyfully commemorate this great and amazing goodness of god to us , in the incarnation of his son for the redemption and salvation of the sinful and miserable race of mankind ? a method and dispensation of the divine grace and wisdom , not only full of mercy and condescension , but of great power and vertue to purifie our hearts and to reform our lives ; to beget in us a fervent love of god our saviour , and a perfect hatred and detestation of our sins , and a stedfast purpose and resolution to lead a new life , following the commandments of god and walking in his ways all the days of our life . in a word , a method that is every way calculated for our unspeakable benefit and comfort . since then the son of god hath so graciously condescended to be made in all things like unto us , sin only excepted ; let us aspire to be as like to him as is possible in the exemplary holiness and vertues of his life . we cannot be like him in his miracles , but we may in his mercy and compassion : we cannot imitate his divine power , but we may resemble him in his innocency and humility , in his meekness and patience . and as he assumed human nature , so let us re-assume humanity which we have in great measure depraved and put off ; and let us put on bowels of mercy towards those that are in misery , and be ready to relieve the poor for his sake , who being rich , for our sakes became poor , that we through his poverty might be made rich . to conclude , let us imitate him in that which was his great work and business here upon earth , and which of all other did best become the son of god ; i mean in his going about doing good : that by giving glory to god in the highest , and by endeavouring as much as in us lies to procure and promote peace on earth , and good will amongst men , we may at last be made meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light : through the mercies and merits of our b. saviour and redeemer . amen . almighty god , who hast given us thy only begotten son to take our nature upon him , and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin : grant that we being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace , may daily be renewed by thy holy spirit ; through the same our lord jesus christ , who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same spirit , ever one god , world without end . amen . sermon v. concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ , &c. heb. ix . . but now once hath he appeared in the end of the world , to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . among many other great ends and reasons for which god was pleased to send his son into the world to dwell amongst us , this was one of the chief , that by a long course of the greatest innocency and the greatest sufferings in our nature he might be capable to make a perfect expiation of sin : but now once in the end of the world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the conclusion of the ages , that is in the last age of the world , which is the gospel age , hath he appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . the general design of god in sending his son into the world was to save mankind from eternal death and misery , and to purchase for us eternal life and happiness . so the author of our salvation himself tells us , that god so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . now in order to the procuring of this salvation for us , the impediments and hindrances of it were to be removed : these were the guilt , and the dominion of sin : by the guilt of sin we were become obnoxious to the wrath of god and to eternal condemnation , and by the defilement and dominion of it we were incapable of the happiness of heaven and the reward of eternal life . to remove these two great hindrances two things were necessary : the forgiveness of sins past in order to our deliverance from the wrath of god and the eternal torments of the next life ; and the reformation of our hearts and lives to make us capable of eternal life and happiness in another world. and both these , if god had so pleased , might for any thing we certainly know to the contrary , have been effected by the abundant mercy and powerful grace of god , without this wonderful method and dispensation of sending his son in our nature to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself : but it seems the wisdom of god thought fit to pitch upon this way and method of our salvation , and no doubt for very good reasons ; amongst which these three seem to be very obvious and very considerable . first , to vindicate the honour of his laws , which if sin had gone altogether unpunish'd would have been in great danger of falling into contempt . for if god had proclaimed a general pardon of sin to all mankind , without any testimony of his wrath and displeasure against it , who would have had any great veneration for his laws , or have believed in good earnest that the violation of them had been either so extremely offensive to him , or so very dangerous to the sinner ? therefore to maintain the honour of his laws , rather than sin should pass unpunisn'd god would lay the punishment of it upon his only begotten son , the dearest person to him in the world : which is a greater testimony of his high displeasure against sin , and of his tender regard and concernment for the honour of his laws , than if the sinner had suffered the punishment due to it in his own person . secondly , another reason of this dispensation , and that likewise very considerable , was , that god might forgive sin in such a way as yet effectually to discountenance and discourage it , and to create in us the greatest horror and hatred of it : which could not have been by an absolute pardon , without any punishment inflicted , or satisfaction made to the honour of his justice . for had sin been so easily forgiven , who would have been sensible of the great evil of it , or afraid to offend for the future ? but when god makes his own son a sacrifice , and lays upon him the punishment due for the iniquities of us all , this is a demonstration that god hates sin as much , if it be possible , as he loved his own son. for this plainly shews what sin deserves , and what the sinner may justly expect , if after this severity of god against it he will venture to commit it . and if this sacrifice for sin , and the pardon purchased by it , be not effectual to reclaim us from sin , and to beget in us an eternal dread and detestation of it : if we sin wilfully after so clear a revelation of the wrath of god from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , there remains no more sacrifice for sin , but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to consume the adversaries . for what could god do more to testify his displeasure against sin , and to discountenance the practice of it , than to make his only son an offering for sin , and to give him up to be wounded for our transgressions , and bruised for our iniquities ? in what clearer glass can we at once behold the great evil and demerit of sin , and the infinite goodness and mercy of god to sinners , than in the sorrows and sufferings of the son of god for our sins and for our sakes ? thirdly , another reason of this dispensation seems to have been a gracious condescension and compliance of almighty god with a certain apprehension and persuasion , which had very early and universally obtained among mankind , concerning the expiation of sin and appeasing the offended deity by sacrifices : by the sacrifices of living creatures , of birds and beasts ; and afterwards by human sacrifices and the blood of their sons and daughters : by offering to god , as the expression is in the prophet , their first-born for their transgression , and the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls . and this notion of the expiation of sin by sacrifice , whether it had its first rise from divine revelation , and was afterwards propagated from age to age by tradition : i say , from whence soever this notion came , it hath of all other notions concerning religion , excepting those of the being of god , and his providence , and of the recompences of another life , found the most universal reception , and the thing hath been the most generally practised in all ages and nations , not only in the old , but in the new discovered parts of the world. and indeed a very great part of the jewish religion , which was instituted by god himself , seems to have been a plain condescension to the general apprehension of mankind , concerning this way of appeasing the offended deity by sacrifices : as it was also a figure of that great and effic●cious sacrifice which should in due time be offer'd to god to make atonement once for all for the sins of all mankind . and the apostle to the hebrews doth very particularly insist upon this condescension of god to them , in the dispensation of the gospel : and whereas they apprehended so great a necessity of an high-priest and of sacrifices to make expiation for the sins of the people , that it was an established principle among them , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins ; god was pleased to comply so far with these notions and apprehensions of theirs , as to make his own son both a priest and a sacrifice , to do that once for all which their own high-priest pretended to do year by year . and 〈…〉 hence the same apostle takes 〈…〉 to recommend to them 〈…〉 covenant and dispensation 〈…〉 gospel , as having a greater 〈…〉 perfect high-priest and a 〈◊〉 excellent sacrifice , than were the high-priests and the sacrifices under the law ; the son of god having by one sacrifice of himself obtained eternal redemption for us , and perfected for ever them that are sanctified . and this apprehension prevailed no less in the heathen world , and proceeded to the sacrifices of men , even of their first-born . and with this apprehension , not to countenance but to abolish it , god was pleased to comply so far as to make a general atonement for the sins of mankind by the death of his son , appearing in our nature to become a voluntary sacrifice for us : god permitting him to be unjustly put to death and his blood to be shed by the malice of men , in appearance as a malefactor , but in truth as a martyr ; and accepting of his death as a meritorious sacrifice and propitiation for the sins of the whole world : that by this wise counsel and permission of his providence he might for ever put an end to that barbarous and inhuman way of serving god which had been so long in use and practice among them : the son of god by the voluntary sacrifice of himself having effected all that at once , and for ever , which mankind from the beginning of the world had in vain been endeavouring to accomplish by innumerable and continual sacrifices ; namely , the pardon of their sins , and perfect peace and reconciliation with god. for these ends and reasons , and perhaps for many more as great and considerable as these which our shallow understandings are not able to fathom , the wisdom of god hath pitched upon this way and method of delivering mankind from the guilt and dominion of sin by the sacrifice of his son. and to this end it was requisite that he should appear in our nature and dwell amongst us for some considerable time , that by a long course of the greatest innocency and of the greatest sufferings in our nature he might be capable of making a perfect expiation of sin. so that two things were requisite to qualify him for this purpose ; perfect innocency and obedience , and great sufferings in our nature , even to the suffering of death . both these the scripture declares to be neccessary qualifications of a person capable to make expiation of sin ; and both these were found in the person of our b. saviour . first , unspotted innocency and perfect obedience . this the scripture testifies concerning him , and the whole course of his life and actions . he was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin , saith the apostle to the hebrews . he always did the things which pleased god , as he testifies concerning himself , and we are sure that his witness is true . he did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth , as st. peter tells us of him. and this was necessary to qualify him for the perfect expiation of sin , whether we consider him as a priest , or as a sacrifice . as a priest , he could not have been fit to make expiation for the sins of others , had he not been without sin himself . and this the apostle tells us is one great advantage of our high-priest under the gospel , above the high-priest under the law , who being a sinner himself , as well as those for whom he offer'd , had need to offer for himself before he could make so much as a legal expiation for the sins of others : but a perfect and effectual expiation of sin , so as to purge the conscience from the guilt of it , cannot be made but by an high-priest who is holy and innocent himself ; for such an high-priest , saith the apostle , became us , that is , now under the dispensation of the gospel , when a perfect expiation of sins is to be made , such an high-priest is necessary , as is holy , harmless , undefiled , separate from sinners , who needs not as those high-priests , that is as the high-priests under the law , to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins , and then for the people : the plain force of which argument is this , that he who will be qualified to make atonement for the sins of others must be without sin himself . and then if we consider christ as a sacrifice for sin ; perfect holiness is necessary to make a sacrifice acceptable and available for the expiation of sin. the necessity of this was typified by the quality of the expiatory sacrifices under the law : the beasts that were to be offered were to be without spot and blemish : to which the apostle alludes , speaking of the quality and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ : how much more , says he , shall the blood of christ , who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god , purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living god ? and to the same purpose st. peter , forasmuch as ye know ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , &c. hereby intimating , that nothing less than the perfect innocency and holiness of him who was to be a sacrifice for us could have expiated the guilt of our sins and purchased eternal redemption for us . secondly , great sufferings likewise in our nature , even to the suffering of death , were requisite to the perfect expiation of sin : i say , even to the suffering of death . for the sacrifices which were to make expiation , were to be slain . and it was a constant maxim and principle among the jews , and the apostle more than once in this epistle seems to allow and confirm it , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins . not that god could not have pardoned sin without satisfaction made to his justice , either by the suffering of the sinner himself , or of a sacrifice in his stead : but , according to the method and dispensation which the wisdom of god had pitched upon , he was resolved not to dispense forgiveness in any other way . for which reason he seems either to have possess'd mankind with this principle , or to have permitted them to be so persuaded , that sin was not to be expiated but by blood , that is , either by the death of the sinner , or of the sacrifice . now the life of our b. saviour , as well as his death , was made up of sufferings of one kind or other : continual sufferings from his cradle to his cross , from the time he drew his first breath to his giving up of the ghost : and not only continual sufferings , but the greatest that ever were , considering the dignity of the person that suffered , and the nature of the sufferings : considering likewise that these sufferings were not only wholly undeserved on his part , but unmerited also on ours , for whose sake he submitted himself to them : nay , on the contrary , he had obliged to the utmost those for whom and by whom he suffered , and continued still to oblige them by the greatest blessings and benefits purchased and procured for them by those very sufferings which with so much malice and cruelty they inflicted on him . had our b. saviour been a mere man , the perfect innocency and unspotted purity of his whole life ; his zeal to do the will of god , and his delight in doing it ; his infinite pains and unwearied diligence in going about doing good : his constant obedience to god in the most difficult instances , and his perseverance in well doing , notwithstanding the ill usage and hard measure , the bitter reproaches and persecutions he met withal for it , from a wicked and ill natured world : his perfect submission to the will of god , his invincible patience under the greatest and bitterest sufferings , and his infinite charity to his enemies and persecutors : these must needs be highly acceptable to god , and if man could merit of god , likely enough to be available for the sins of others . but our saviour and our sacrifice being the son of god in our nature ; and he voluntarily assuming it , and submitting to the condition of humanity in its lowest and most miserable state , sin only excepted ; and his being contented to live a life of doing good and suffering evil , and at last to be put to death and slain a sacrifice for us : the dignity of the person who did and suffered all this for us , and his dearness to god , must needs add a mighty value to so perfect an obedience and such patient sufferings ; so as to render them a full , perfect and sufficient sacrifice , oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. and all this being willingly performed in our nature , and accepted by god as done upon our account , may reasonably be presumed to redound to our benefit and advantage , as much as if we our selves had performed it in our own persons : nothing being so proper , and so available to make an hon●urable amends and satisfaction to the justice of god for the sins of all mankind , as the voluntary obedience and sufferings of human nature in a person of so great dignity and dearness to god as his eternal and entirely beloved son. now that expiation of sin was made by the sufferings of christ in our stead , i shall endeavour to make good these three ways . first , from plain testimonies of h. scripture , declaring this matter to us as clearly and fully as it is possible for words to do it . secondly , from the nature and intention of expiatory sacrifices , both among the jews and heathen ; to which the death of christ is in the new testament so frequently compared , and in point of vertue and ●fficacy to take away sin infinitely preferred to it . thirdly , by vindicating this method and dispensation of the divine wisdom from the objections which are brought against it ; and by shewing that there is nothing in it that is unreasonable , or any wise unworthy of god. i. i shall produce some plain testimonies of h. scripture which declare this matter as clearly and fully as it is possible for words to do it ; namely , that the son of god , in order to the effectual expiation of sin , suffered in our stead , and bore the wrath of god for us , and made a perfect atonement for sin , and obtained eternal redemption for us . this the scripture declares to us in great variety of expressions ; as , that christ died for us , and for our sins ; that he was a sacrifice for us , and a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , that is , of all mankind ; that be bare our sins in his own body on the tree , and appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself ; that we are justified in his blood , and redeemed by the price of it ; and in very many other expressions to the same purpose . and this is so evidently the scope and meaning of these expressions , that it cannot be denied without offering the greatest violence imaginable to the h. scriptures . for can any man think that god would have used so many expressions in scripture , the plain and most obvious sense of all which is that the son of god suffered for our sins and in our stead , if this had not been his design and meaning ? would not this be in effect to say , that god hath written a great book to puzzle and confound , but not to instruct and teach mankind ? i will at present single out some few of those many texts of scripture which might be produced to this purpose : he hath made him to be sin for us , who knew no sin , that is , he hath made him who had no sin himself a sacrifice for our sins . again ; and walk in love , as christ also hath loved us and given himself for us , an offering and a sacrifice to god. st. peter to the same purpose tells us , that christ also hath once suffered for sins , the just for the unjust , that he might bring us to god , being put to death in the flesh : here christ is said to have suffered for sin ; and to declare that the apostle did not only mean that christ suffered upon the occasion of our sins , but that he suffered in the place and stead of the sinner , he adds , the just for the unjust , that is , the son of god , who was innocent and had no sin , suffered for us who were sinners ; or as it is elsewhere express'd , he bare our sins in his own body on the tree . it is true indeed , that christ suffered for our benefit and advantage ; which the socinians would have to be all that is meant in the texts which i have cited : but then it ought to be considered , that christ's suffering for our benefit and advantage does by no means exclude , nor is any wise inconsistent with his suffering in our stead . for whoever suffers in another man's stead , and to save him from suffering , does undoubtedly suffer for his benefit and advantage , and gives the best demonstration of it that can be : but the manner of the expression , if compared with other parallel texts of scripture , and especially with what is so often said of our saviour's being a sacrifice , which i shall have occasion further to urge by and by : i say the manner of the expression , if well considered , will appear to any man that is not contentious to signify our saviour's suffering instead of the sinner . but not to argue from words and phrases , i will produce two texts which declare this matter so plainly , that the force of them is not to be avoided without the most shameful wresting and perverting of them . this is my commandment , says our saviour , that you love one another , as i have loved you . how is that ? he declares in the next words , greater love than this hath no man , that a man lay down his life for his friend , that is , that he be contented to die in his stead . and to the same purpose st. paul , for when ye were yet sinners in due time christ died for the ungodly : now the question is , whether by this expression of christ's dying for the ungodly be meant only his dying for the benefit and advantage of sinners , but not his dying in their stead ? this , let the words which immediately follow determine : for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye , yet peradventure for a good man one would even dare to dye : but god commendeth his love to us , in that whilst we were yet sinners christ dyed for us . and now i appeal to any man of good sense , whether it be not plain that the apostle here speaks of christ's dying for sinners in the same sense as one man is said to dye for another , that is , to save another from death ; which what is it else but to dye in his stead ? he that can deny this , is perverse to the highest degree , and i fear almost beyond the possibility of being convinced . and the argument from these two texts is so much the stronger , because we do not here reason merely from the phrase and expression , but from the main scope of our saviour's discourse in the one , and of st. paul's in the other . for the design of both is to recommend the superlative love of christ to us above the greatest love that ever any man express'd to another . the highest pitch that human affection did ever rise to , was for a man to lay down his life for his friend ; but the son of god laid down his life for his enemies . scarcely , says st. paul , would one lay down his life for a righteous man , that is , for one who is but strictly just and honest , and does no body wrong ; but for a good man , that is , for one that is kind and beneficial to all , and hath obliged mankind by great benefits , some one may be found that would lay down his life to save the life of such a person : but the love of christ hath gone far beyond this : he dyed for sinners , for those who were neither good men nor righteous : but god commendeth his love to us , in that whilst we were yet sinners christ dyed for us . now where doth the force of this argument lye , if not in this ? that christ hath done that for us , who were enemies and sinners , which some very few persons in the world have done for their friend , or for some very eminently good man : and what is that ? why they have laid down their lives in their stead : and so christ hath done for us . this seems to be so very plain , that i do not see how the force of this argument is possible to be avoided . it is evident then from scripture , that christ dyed not only for our advantage but in our stead ; as truly and really as any man ever did or can dye for another who lays down his own life to save another from death . for if christ had not dyed , we had perished everlastingly ; and because he dyed , we are saved from eternal death and misery . and though this be no where in scripture spoken of by the name or term of satisfaction , yet it is said to be the price of our redemption ; which surely is the same thing in effect with satisfaction . for as we are sinners we are liable , and , as i may say , indebted to the justice of god : and the son of god , by his death and sufferings in our nature , hath discharged this obligation and paid this debt for us : which discharge since it was obtained for us by the shedding of christ's blood , and the scripture tells us that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins : and since god is graciously pleased to accept of it for the debt which we owed to his justice , and to declare himself fully pleased and contented with it , why it may not properly enough be called payment or satisfaction i confess i am not able to understand . men may eternally wrangle about any thing , but what a frivolous contention , what a trifling in serious matters , what barretrie in divinity is this ? not that god was angry with his son , when he thus laid on him the iniquities of us all : no he was always well pleased with him ; and never better , than when he became obedient to the death , even the death of the cross , and bore our sins in his own body on the tree . nor yet that our saviour suffered the very same that the sinner should have suffered , namely , the proper pains and torment of the damned : but that his obedience and sufferings were of that value and esteem with god , and his voluntary sacrifice of himself so well-pleasing to him , that he thereupon entred into a covenant of grace and mercy with mankind , wherein he hath engaged himself to forgive the sins of those who believe and repent , and to make them partakers of eternal life . and hence the blood of christ which was shed for us upon the cross is called the blood of the covenant , as being the sanction of that new covenant , into which god is entred with mankind : and not only the sanction and confirmation of that covenant , but the very foundation of it : for which reason the cup in the lord's supper is called the new testament , or , as the word should rather be rendred , the new covenant in his blood , which was shed for many for the remission of sins . i proceed now to the ii d : thing propounded , which was to shew that the expiation of our sins was made by the sufferings of christ , from the nature and intention of expiatory sacrifices , both among the jews and heathen ; to which the death of christ is in the new testament so frequently compared , and in point of vertue and efficacy to take away sin infinitely preferr'd to it . now the nature and design of expiatory sacrifices was plainly this : to substitute one living creature to suffer and die instead of another , so that what the sinner deserved to have suffered was supposed to be done to the sacrifice , that is , it was slain to make an atonement for the sinner . and though there was no reason to hope for any such effect from the blood of bulls , or goats , or of any other living creatures that were wont to be offered up in sacrifice ; yet that both jews and heathen did expect and hope for it , is so very evident , that it cannot without extreme ignorance or obstinacy be deny'd . but this expectation , how unreasonable soever , plainly shews it to have been the common apprehension of mankind , in all ages , that , god would not be appeased , nor should sin be pardoned without suffering : but yet so that men generally conceived good hopes that upon the repentance of sinners god would accept of a vicarious punishment , that is , of the suffering of some other in their stead . and very probably , as i said before , in compliance with this apprehension of mankind , and in condescension to it , as well as for other weighty reasons best known to the divine wisdom , god was pleased to find out such a sacrifice as should really and effectually procure for them that great blessing of the forgiveness of sins which they had so long hoped for from the multitude of their own sacrifices . and the apostle to the hebrews doth in a large discourse shew the great vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ , to the purpose of remission of sins , above that of the sacrifices under the law : and that the death of christ is really and effectually to our advantage all that which the sacrifices under the law were supposed to be to the sinner : but now once , saith the apostle here in the text , in the end of the world , hath he appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . this is the great vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ , that what ever was expected from any other sacrifices , either by jews or heathens , was really effected by this . this was plainly signified by the jewish passover , wherein the lamb was slain , and the sinner did escape and was pass'dby . in allusion whereto st. paul makes no scruple to call christ our passover or paschal lamb , who was slain that we might escape : christ our passover , says he , is slain or offer'd for us ; that is , he by the gracious appointment of god was substituted to suffer all that in our stead which the paschal lamb was supposed to suffer for the sinner . and this was likewise signified by the sinners laying his hand upon the sacrifice that was to be slain , thereby as it were transferring the punishment which was due to himself upon the sacrifice that was to be slain and offered up . for so god tells moses , that the sinner , who came to offer an expiatory sacrifice , should do : he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering , and it shall be accepted for him , to make an atonement for him . and the apostle tells us , that it was an established principle in the jewish religion , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins : which plainly shews that they expected this benefit of the remission of sins , from the blood of their sacrifices . and then he tells us , that we are really made partakers of this benefit by the blood of christ , and by the vertue of his sacrifice : and again , christ , says he , was once offered to bear the sins of many ; plainly alluding to the sacrifices under the law , which did , as it were , bear the faults of the sinner . and that this expression of christ's being offered to bear our sins , cannot be meant of his taking away our sins by his holy doctrine which was confirmed by his death , but of his bearing our sins by way of imputation , and by his suffering for them in our stead , as the sacrifice was supposed to do for the sinner ; this , i say , is evident beyond all denial from the opposition which follows , after the text , between his first appearance and his second ; christ , says our apostle , was once offered to bear our sins ; but unto them that look for him he shall appear a second time without sin unto salvation . why ? did he not appear the first time without sin ? yes certainly , as to any inherent guilt ; for the scripture tells us he had no sin. what then is the meaning of the opposition , that at his first coming he bore our sins , but at his second coming he shall appear without sin unto salvation ? these words can have no other imaginable sense but this , that at his first coming he sustain'd the person of a sinner and suffered instead of us ; but his second coming shall be upon another account , and he shall appear without sin unto salvation , that is , not as a sacrifice , but as a judge to confer the reward of eternal life upon those who are partakers of the benefit of that sacrifice which he offered to god for us in the days of his flesh . i proceed to the iii d. thing i proposed , and which yet remains to be spoken to ; namely , to vindicate this method and dispensation of the divine wisdom from the objections which are brought against it ; and to shew that there is nothing in it that is unreasonable , or any wise unworthy of god. i shall mention four objections which are commonly urged in this matter , and i think they are all that are considerable . first , that this method , of the expiation of sin by the sufferings of christ , seems to argue some defect and want of goodnes in god , as if he needed some external motive and were not of himself disposed to forgive sinners . to which i think the answer is not difficult , namely , that god did not want goodness to have forgiven sin freely and without any satisfaction , but his wisdom did not think it meet to give encouragement to sin by too easy a forgiveness , and without some remarkable testimony of his severe displeasure against it : and therefore his greater goodness and compassion to mankind devised this way to save the sinner , without giving the least countenance and encouragement to sin. for god to think of saving us any way , was excessive goodness and mercy ; but to think of doing it in this way , by substituting his dearly beloved son to suffer in our stead , is a condescension so very amazing , that if god had not been pleased of his own goodness to stoop to it , it had almost been blasphemy in man to have thought of it , or desired it . secondly , how can our sins be said to have been forgiven freely , if the pardon of them was purchased at so dear a rate and so mighty a price was paid for it ? in answer to this i desire these two things may be considered . st . that it is a wonderful grace and favour of god to admit of this translation of the punishment which was due to us , and to accept of the sufferings of another in our stead , and for our benefit ; when he might justly have exacted it of us in our own persons : so that , even in this respect , we are , as st. paul says , justified freely by his grace , through the redemption that is in jesus christ : and freely too in respect of any necessity that lay upon god to forgive us in this or any other way . it was a free act of his goodness to save us , even by the satisfaction and sufferings of his own son. dly . it was in effect freely too , notwithstanding the mighty price which was paid for our redemption . because this price was not of our own procuring , but of god's providing ; he found out this ransome for us . and will any man say , that a prince who prevails with his son to intercede for the pardon of a rebel , yea and to suffer some punishment or to pay a fine for the obtaining of it , does not in effect and in all equitable and grateful construction forgive him freely ? thirdly , it is yet further objected , that this seems to be more unreasonable than the sacrificing of beasts among the jews , nay than the sacrificing of men among the heathen , and even of their own sons and daughters : because this is the offering up of the son of god , the most innocent and the most excellent person that ever was . to which i answer , that if we consider the manner , and the design of it , the thing will appear to be quite otherwise . as to the manner of it , god did not command his son to be sacrificed , but his providence permitted the wickedness and violence of men to put him to death : and then his goodness and wisdom did over-rule this worst of actions to the best of ends. and if we consider the matter aright , how is this any more a reflection upon the holy providence of god , than any enormities and cruelties which by his permission are daily committed in the world ? and then if we consider the end and design of this permission of christ's death , and the application of it to the purpose of a general expiation ; we cannot but acknowledge , and even adore the gracious and merciful design of it . for by this means god did at once put an end to that unreasonable and bloody way of worship , which had been so long practiced in the world : and after this one sacrifice , which was so infinitely dear to god , the benefit of expiation was not to be expected in any other way ; all other sacrifices being worthless and vain in comparison of this : and it hath ever since obtained this effect , of making all other sacrifices to cease , in all parts of the world where christianity hath prevailed . fourthly , the last objection is , the injustice and cruelty of an innocent person 's suffering instead of the offender . to this i answer , that they who make so great a noise with this objection do seem to me to give a full and clear answer to it themselves , by acknowledging , as they constantly and expresly do , that our saviour suffered all this for our benefit and advantage , though not in our place and stead . for this , to my apprehension , is plainly to give up the cause , unless they can shew a good reason why there is not as much injustice and cruelty in an innocent person 's suffering for the benefit and advantage of a malefactor , as in his suffering in his stead : so little do men , in the heat of dispute and opposition , who are resolved to hold fast an opinion in despite of reason and good sense , consider , that they do many times in effect , and by necessary consequence , grant the very thing which in express terms they do so stifly and pertinaciously deny . the truth of the matter is this ; there is nothing of injustice or cruelty in either case ; neither in an innocent person 's suffering for the benefit of an offender , nor in his stead ; supposing the suffering to be voluntary : but they have equally the same appearance of injustice and cruelty : nor can i possibly discern any reason why injustice and cruelty should be objected in the one case more than in the other , there being every whit as little reason why an innocent person should suffer for the benefit of a criminal , as why he should suffer in his stead . so that i hope this objection , which above all the rest hath been so loudly and so invidiously urged , hath received a just answer . and i believe , if the matter were searched to the bottom , all this perverse contention , about our saviour's suffering for our benefit but not in our stead , will signify just nothing . for if christ dyed for our henefit so as some way or other , by vertue of his death and sufferings , to save us from the wrath of god and to procure our escape from eternal death , this , for ought i know , is all that any body means by his dying in our stead . for he that dies with an intention to do that benefit to another as to save him from death , doth certainly to all intents and purposes dye in his place and stead . and if they will grant this to be their meaning , the controversie is at an end ; and both sides are agreed in the thing , and do only differ in the phrase and manner of expression : which is to seek a quarrel and an occasion of difference where there is no real ground for it ; a thing which ought to be very far from reasonable and peaceable minds . for the socinians say , that our saviour's voluntary obedience and sufferings did procure his exaltation at the right hand of god , and power and authority to forgive sins , and to give eternal life to as many as he pleased : so that they grant that his obedience and sufferings , in the meritorious consequence of them , do redound to our benefit and advantage as much as we pretend and say they do ; only they are loth in express terms to acknowledge that christ dyed in our stead : and this , for no other reason , that i can imagine , but because they have denied it so often and so long . but i appeal to the ingenuity of our adversaries , whether this do not in the last issue come all to one ; and be not , on their part , a mere controversie about words ? for suppose a malefactour condemned to some grievous punishment , and the king's son to save him from it is contented to submit to great disgrace and sufferings : in reward of which sufferings the king takes his son into his throne and sets him at his own right hand , and gives him power to pardon this malefactour , and upon a fitting submission and repentance to advance him to honour : will not any man in this case allow that the king's son suffer'd instead of this malefactour , and smile at any man that shall be so nice as to grant that indeed he suffered for him , but yet to deny that he was punish'd for him , to allow that he bore the inconvenience of his faults , but yet obstinately to stand it out that the faults of this malefactour were not laid upon him , or in any wise so imputed to him that he can be said to have suffered in his stead ? this is just the case , and the difference in reality , and in the last result of things is nothing but words . thus far have i tryed your patience in a contentious argument ; in which i take no pleasure , but yet shall be glad if i may be so happy as by any thing that hath been said to contribute towards the putting an end to so unhappy a controversy , which hath troubled the world so long , and raised such a dust that very few have been able to see clearly through it . however i cannot dismiss this argument without making some useful but very short reflection upon this great doctrine of our religion , namely , that the son of god being made a sacrifice for us , and exposed to such bitter sufferings and so cruel a death for the expiation of our sins , should create in us the greatest dread and detestation of sin , and for ever deter us from all wilful transgression and disobedience . for if the guilt of our sins was done away upon such hard terms and cost the dearly beloved son of god so much sweat and blood , then surely we ought to take great heed how by our renewed provocations we renew his passion , and do what in us lies to crucify to our selves the son of god afresh , and to put him to an open shame . if god did so terribly afflict the dearly beloved of his soul for our sakes ; if the son of god was so grievously wounded for our transgressions and so sorely bruised for our iniquities : if so fearful a storm of vengeance fell upon the most innocent person that ever was for our sins , then we have reason to take that kind and merciful admonition of the son of god to sinners , to sin no more , lest a worse thing , if it be possible , come upon our selves . in this dispensation of god's grace and mercy to mankind , by the death of his son , god seems to have gone to the very extremity of things , and almost further than goodness and justice will well admit ; to afflict innocency it self to save the guilty : and if herein god hath expressed his hatred of sin in such a wonderful way of love and kindness to the sons of men as looks almost like hatred of innocency and his own son : this ought in all ingenuity and gratitude to our gracious redeemer , who was made a curse for us , and loved us to that degree as to wash us from our sins in his own blood : i say , this ought to beget in us a greater displeasure against sin , and a more perfect detestation of it , than if we had suffered the punishment due to it , in our own persons : for in this case , we could only have been displeased at our selves and our sins as the just cause of our sufferings : but in the other , we ought to hate sin as the unhappy occasion of the saddest misfortune and sorest calamities to the best man that ever was , and to our best friend , for our sins and for our sakes . since then the son of god hath so graciously condescended to be made in all things like unto us , sin only excepted ; let us aspire as much as is possible , to become like to him : above all , let us hate and avoid sin as the only thing in which the son of god would have no part with us , though he was contented to suffer such bitter things to save us from the defilement and dominion of it , from the punishment and all the dismal consequences of it . he had no sin , but god was pleased to lay upon him the iniquities of us all , and to make his soul an offering for sin , and to permit all that to be done to him which was due to us : he was contented to be sacrificed once for all mankind , that men might for ever cease from that inhuman and ineffectual way of sacrificing one another , whereby instead of expiating their guilt they did inflame it , and by thinking to make atonement for their sins they did in truth add to the number and heinousness of them . and let us likewise learn from this admirable pattern , to pity those that are in misery , as christ also hath pitied us ; and to save them that are ready to perish , for his sake who came to seek and to save us that were lost . let us , upon all occasions , be ready to open our bowels of compassion towards the poor ; in a thankful imitation of his grace and goodness who for our sakes chose to be a beggar , that we for his sake might not despise the poor , but might have a tender regard and compassion to those whose condition in this world does so nearly resemble that in which the son of god thought it fittest for him to appear when he was pleased to become man. in a word , let us in the whole course , and in all the actions of our lives , shew forth the vertues of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light ; and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us , that being delivered from all our spiritual enemies , from sin and all the powers of darkness , we might serve him who hath saved us ; walking in holiness and righteousness before him , all the days of our lives . now , to him that sitteth upon the throne , and to the lamb that was slain : to god even our father , and to our lord jesus christ , the first begotten from the dead , and the prince of the kings of the earth : unto him , who hath loved us , and washed from our sins in his own blood ; and whilst we were enemies to him , loved us at such a rate as never any man did his friend . to him , who became man , that he might bring us to god ; and assumed our frail and mortal nature , that he might cloath us with immortality and life : to him , who was pleased to dwell and live amongst us , that he might teach us how to live : to him , who dyed for our sins , and rose again for our justification , and lives for ever to make intercession for us : to him , be glory and dominion , thanksgiving and praise to eternal ages . amen . sermon vi. concerning the vnity of the divine nature , and the b. trinity , &c. tim . ii. . for there is one god. the particle for leads us to the consideration of the context and occasion of these words , which in short is this . the design of this epistle is to direct timothy , to whom st. paul had committed the government of the church of ephesus , how he ought to demean himself in that great and weighty charge . and at the beginning of this chapter he gives direction concerning publick prayers in the church ; that prayers and thanksgiving he made for all men , and for all ranks and orders of men ; especially for kings and all that are in authority , that under them christians might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty . and this he tells us was very suitable to the christian religion , by which god designed the salvation of mankind ; and therefore it must needs be very acceptable to him that we should offer up prayers and thanksgivings to him in behalf of all men : for this , saith the apostle , is good and acceptable in the sight of god our saviour , who will have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth . and then it follows in the next words , for there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , who gave himself a ransome for all : as if he had said , this universal charity of christians , in praying for all men , must needs be very acceptable to him to whom we put up our prayers , god the father , who sent his son for the salvation of all men : and to him likewise by whom we offer up our prayers to god , and is among us christians the only media or between god and men , in virtue of that price and ransom which he paid for the redemption of all mankind , i say , for this reason it must needs be very acceptable to him that we should pray for all men , because he died for all men , and now that he is in heaven at the right hand of god intercedes with him for the salvation of those for whom he died : there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , who gave himself a ransome for all . which words , though they be brought in to prove more immediately that it is acceptable to god our saviour , that we should put up prayers to him for all men , because he desires the salvation of all men , and hath sent his son to purchase the salvation of all men , by the sacrifice of himself ; and in virtue of that sacrifice to be the only mediator between god and us : i say , though this be the immediate scope and design of these words , yet they are likewise a direction to us , unto whom we ought to address our prayers , namely , to god ; and by whose mediation and intercession we ought to put up our prayers to god the father , namely , by his son jesus christ , who is constituted the only mediator between god and men. there are several propositions contained in this and the following verse ; but i shall at present confine my self to the first , namely , that there is one god , that is , but one , as st. paul elsewhere expresseth it , there is none other god but one. and moses lays this as the foundation of the natural law , as well as of the jewish religion , the lord he is one god , and there is none besides him , that is , besides jehovah , whom the people of israel did worship as the only true god. and this the prophet isaiah perpetually declares in opposition to the polytheism and variety of gods among the heathen . i am the first , and i am the last , and besides me there is no god. and again , is there any god besides me ? there is no god , i know not any : he , who hath an infinite knowledge and knows all things , knows no other god. and our b. saviour makes this the fundamental article of all religion , and the knowledge of it necessary to every man's salvation ; this , says he , is life eternal , to know thee the only true god. the unity of the divine nature is a notion wherein the greatest and the wisest part of mankind did always agree , and therefore may reasonably be presumed to be either natural , or to have sprung from some original tradition delivered down to us from the first parents of mankind : i mean , that there is one supreme being , the author and cause of all things , whom the most ancient of the heathen poets commonly called the father of gods and men . and thus aristotle in his metaphysicks defines god , the eternal and most excellent , or best of all living beings . and this notion , of one supreme being , agrees very well with that exact harmony which appears in the frame and government of the world , in which we see all things conspiring to one end , and continuing in one uniform order and course ; which cannot reasonably be ascribed to any other but a constant and uniform cause ; and which to a considering man does plainly shew that all things are made and governed by that one powerful principle , and great and wise mind which we call god. but although the generality of mankind had a notion of one supreme god , yet the idolatry of the heathen plainly shews that this notion , in process of time , was greatly degenerated , and corrupted into an apprehension of a plurality of gods ; though in reason it is evident enough , that there can be no more gods than one ; and that one , who is of infinite perfection , is as sufficient to all purposes whatsoever , as ten thousand deities , if they were possible , could possibly be ; as i shall shew in the following discourse . now this multitude of deities ; which the fond superstition and vain imagination of men had formed to themselves , were by the wiser sort , who being forced to comply with the follies of the people endeavoured to make the best of them , supposed to be either parts of the universe which the egyptians , as plutarch tells us , thought to be the same with god ; but then the more considerable parts of the universe they parcelled out into several deities ; and as the ocean hath several names , according to the several coasts and countries by which it passeth ; so they gave several names to this one deity according to the several parts of the world which several nations made the objects of their worship . or else , they adored the several perfections and powers of the one supreme god under several names and titles , with regard to the various blessings and benefits which they thought they received from him. thus the indian philosophers , the brachmans , are said to have worshipped the sun as the supreme deity ; and he certainly is the most worshipful of all sensible beings , and bids fairest for a deity ; especially if he was , as they supposed , animated by a spirit endued with knowledg and understanding . and if a man , who had been bred in a dark cave , should all on the sudden be brought out at noon-day to behold this visible world ; after he had viewed and consider'd it a while , he would in all probability pitch upon the sun as the most likely , of all the things he had seen , to be a deity . for if such a man had any notion of a god , and were to chuse one upon sight , he would without dispute fix upon the sun , and fall down before him and worship him. and macrobius manageth this as his main plea for the idolatry of the heathen ; that under all the several names of their gods they worshipped the sun : and this diversity of names was but a more distinct conception and acknowledgment of the many blessings and advantages which mankind received from him , and a more particular and express adoration of the several powers and perfections which were in him. and this was the very best defence , and all the tolerable sense which the wisest among the heathen could make of the multitude of their deities . and yet whilst they generally owned one supreme being that was the principle and original of all things , they worshipped several subordinate deities as really distinct from one another . some of these they fancied to be superior to the rest and to have their residence in heaven ; by which marsilius ficinus supposes plato to mean no more but the chief of the angels . these were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , dii superi and dij caelestes , superior and heavenly gods : the scripture terms them the host of heaven , meaning the sun , moon and stars , which they supposed to be animated , or at least to be inhabited by angels , or glorious spirits , whom they called gods. other of their deities were accounted much inferior to these , being supposed to be the souls of their deceased heroes ; who for their great and worthy deeds , when they lived upon earth , were supposed after death to be translated into the number of their gods. and these were called semidei and deastri , that is , half gods and a sort of gods : and as the other were celestial , so these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of terrestrial spirits that were presidents and procurators of human affairs here below , that is , a middle sort of divine powers that were mediators and agents between god and men , and did carry the prayers and supplications of men to god , and bring down the commands and blessings of god to men. but in the midst of all this crowd and confusion of deities , and the various superstitions about them , the wiser heathen , as thales , pythagoras , socrates , plato , aristotle , tully , plutarch and others , preserved a true notion of one supreme god , whom they defined an infinite spirit , pure from all matter and free from all imperfection : and all the variety of their worship was , as they pretended in excuse of it , but a more particular owning of the various representations of the divine power and excellencies which manifested themselves in the world , and of the several communications of blessings and favours by them imparted to men : and tertullian observes , that even when idolatry had very much obscured the glory of the sovereign deity , yet the greater part of mankind did still in their common forms of speech appropriate the name of god in a more especial and peculiar manner to one , saying , if god grant , if god please , and the like . so that there is sufficient ground to believe that the unity of the divine nature , or the notion of one supreme god , creator and governor of the world , was the primitive and general belief of mankind : and that polytheism and idolatry were a corruption and degeneracy from the original notion which mankind had concerning god ; as the scripture-history doth declare and testify . and this account which i have given of the heathen idolatry doth by no means excuse it . for whatever may be said by way of extenuation in behalf of some few of the wiser and more devout among them , the generality were grossly guilty both of believing more gods , and of worshipping false gods. and this must needs be a very great crime , since the scripture every where declares god to be particularly jealous in this case , and that he will not give his glory to another , nor his praise to graven images . nay , we may not so much as make use of sensible images to put us in mind of god , lest devout ignorance , seeing the worship which wise men paid towards an idol , should be drawn to terminate their worship there , as being the very deity it self ; which was certainly the case of the greatest part of the heathen world. and surely those christians are in no less danger of idolatry , who pay a veneration to images by kneeling down and praying before them ; and in this they are much more inexcusable , because they offend against a much clearer light ; and yet when they go about to justify this practice are able to bring no other nor better pleas for themselves than the heathen did for their worshipping of images , and for praying to their inferior deities , whom they looked upon as mediators between the gods in heaven and men upon earth . there is but one objection , that i know of , against the general consent of mankind concerning the unity of god ; and it is this , that there was an ancient doctrine of some of the most ancient nations , that there were two first causes or principles of all things ; the one the cause of all good , and the other of all the evil that is in the world : the reason whereof seems to have been , that they could not apprehend how things of so contrary a nature , as good and evil , could proceed from one and the same cause . and these two principles in several nations were called by several names . plutarch says that among the greeks the good principle was called god , and the evil principle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the devil . in conformity to which ancient tradition the manichees , a sect which called themselves christians , did advance two principles , the one infinitely good , which they supposed to be the original cause of all the good which is in the world ; the other infinitely evil , to which they ascribed all the evils that are in the world. but all this is very plainly a corruption of a much more ancient tradition concerning that old serpent the devil , the head of the fallen angels , who by tempting our first parents to transgress a positive and express law of god brought sin first into the world and all the evils consequent upon it ; of which the scripture gives us a most express and particular account . and as to the notion of a being infinitely evil , into which this tradition was corrupted , after idolatry had prevailed in the world , besides that it is a contradiction , it would likewise be to no purpose to assert two opposite principles of infinite , that is of equal force and power , for two infinites must of necessity be equal to one another ; because nothing can be more or greater than infinite , and therefore if two infinite beings were possible they would certainly be equal , and could not be otherwise . now that the notion of a principle infinitely evil is a contradiction will be very plain , if we consider that what is infinitely evil must in strict reasoning , and by necessary consequence , be infinitely imperfect ; and therefore infinitely weak , and for that reason , though never so malicious and mischievous , yet being infinitely weak and foolish , could never be in a capacity either to contrive mischief or to execute it . but if it should be admitted that a being infinitely mischievous could be infinitely knowing and powerful , yet it could effect no evil ; because the opposite principle of infinite goodness , being also infinitely wise and powerful , they would tye up one another's hands . so that upon this supposition the notion of a deity must signify just nothing , because by virtue of the eternal opposition and equal conflict of these two principles they would keep one another at a perpetual baye ; and being just an equal match to one another , the one having as much mind and power to do good as the other to do evil , instead of being two deities they would be but two idols , able to do neither good nor evil . and having , i hope , now sufficiently cleared this objection , i shall proceed to shew how agreeable this principle , that there is but one god , is to the common reason of mankind , and to the clearest and most essential notions which we have of god : and this will appear these two ways . first , by considering the most essential perfections of the divine nature . secondly , from the repugnancy and impossibility , the great absurdity and inconvenience of supposing more gods than one. first , by considering the most essential perfections of the divine nature . absolute perfection which we ascribe to god , as the most essential notion which mankind hath always had concerning him , does necessarily suppose unity ; because this is essential to the notion of a being that is absolutely perfect , that all perfection meets and is united in such a being : but to imagine more gods , and some perfections to be in one and some in another , does destroy the most essential notion which men have of god , namely , that he is a being absolutely perfect , that is , as perfect as is possible : now to suppose some perfections in one god which are not in another , is to suppose some possible perfection to be wanting in god , which is a contradiction to the most natural and the most easie notion which all men have of god , that he is a being in whom all perfections do meet and are united : but if we suppose more gods , each of which hath all perfections united in him , then all but one would be superfluous and needless ; and therefore by just and necessary consequence not only may , but of necessity must be supposed not to be ; since necessary existence is essential to the deity ; and therefore if but one god be necessary , there can be no more . secondly , from the repugnancy and impossibility , the great absurdity and inconvenience of the contrary . for suppose there were more gods , two for example ; and if there may be two there may be a million , for we can stop no where : i say , suppose two gods ; either these two would be in all perfections equal and alike , or unequal and unlike : if equal and alike in all things then , as i said before , one of them would be needless and superfluous , and if one why not as well the other ? they being supposed to be in all things perfectly alike ; and then there would be no necessity at all of the being of a god ; and yet it is granted on all hands that necessary existence is essential to the notion of a god : but if they be unequal , that is , one of them inferior to and less perfect than the other , that which is inferior and less perfect could not be god , because he would not have all perfection . so that which way soever we turn the thing and look upon it , the notion of more gods than one is by its own repugnancy and self-contradiction destructive of it self . before i come to apply this doctrine of the unity of god , i must not pass by a very considerable difficulty , which will most certainly arise in every mans mind , without taking particular notice of it , and endeavouring to remove it , if i can . and it is the doctrine of the b. trinity , or of three real differences or distinct persons in one and the same divine nature . and though this be not a difficulty peculiar only to the christian religion , as by the generality of those who urge this objection against christians hath been inconsiderately thought ; for it is certain , that long before christianity appeared in the world , there was a very ancient tradition , both among jews and heathen , concerning three real differences or distinctions in the divine nature , very nearly resembling the christian doctrine of the trinity , as i shall have occasion more fully to shew by and by : yet it cannot be denied , but that this difficulty doth in a more especial manner affect the christian religion ; the generality of christians , who do most firmly believe the trinity , believing likewise at the same time , more stedfastly if it be possible , that there is but one god. to us , saith st. paul , that is , to us christians , there is but one god. but how can this possibly consist with the common doctrine of christians concerning the trinity , god the father , son , and h. ghost , to each of whom they attribute , as they verily believe the scripture does , the most incommunicable properties and perfections of the divine nature ? and what is this less in effect than to say , that there are three gods ? for the clearing of this difficulty i shall , with all the brevity i can , offer these following considerations ; which i hope , to an impartial and unprejudiced judgment , will be sufficient to remove it , or at least to break the main force and strength of it . i. i desire it may be well considered , that there is a wide difference between the nice speculations of the schools , beyond what is revealed in scripture , concerning the doctrine of the trinity , and what the scripture only teaches and asserts concerning this mystery . for it is not to be denied but that the schoolmen , who abounded in wit and leisure , though very few among them had either exact skill in the h. scriptures , or in ecclesiastical antiquity and the writings of the ancient fathers of the christian church : i say , it cannot be denied but that these speculative and very acute men , who wrought a great part of their divinity out of their own brains as spiders do cobwebs out of their own bowels , have started a thousand subtleties about this mystery , such as no christian is bound to trouble his head withal ; much less is it necessary for him to understand those niceties which we may reasonably presume that they who talk of them did themselves never thoroughly understand ; and least of all is it necessary to believe them . the modesty of christians is contented in divine mysteries to know what god hath thought fit to reveal concerning them , and hath no curiosity to be wise above that which is written . it is enough to believe what god says concerning these matters ; and if any man will venture to say more , every other man surely is at his liberty to believe as he sees reason . ii. i desire it may in the next place be considered , that the doctrine of the trinity , even as it is asserted in scripture , is acknowledged by us to be still a great mystery , and so imperfectly revealed as to be in a great measure incomprehensible by human reason . and therefore though some learned and judicious men may have very commendably attempted a more particular explication of this great mystery by the strength of reason , yet i dare not pretend to that , knowing both the difficulty and danger of such an attempt , and mine own insufficiency for it . all that i ever designed upon this argument was to make out the credibility of the thing from the authority of the h. scriptures , without descending to a more particular explication of it than the scripture hath given us ; lest by endeavouring to lay the difficulties which are already started about it new ones should be raised , and such as may perhaps be much harder to be removed than those which we have now to grapple withal . and this i hope i have in some measure done in one of the former discourses . nor indeed do i see that it is any ways necessary to do more ; it being sufficient that god hath declared what he thought fit in this matter , and that we do firmly believe what he says concerning it to be true , though we do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of all that he hath said about it . for in this and the like cases i take an implicite faith to be very commendable , that is , to believe whatever we are sufficiently assured god hath revealed , though we do not fully understand his meaning in such a revelation . and thus every man who believes the h. scriptures to be a truly divine revelation does implicitely believe a great part of the prophetical books of scripture and several obscure expressions in those books , though he do not particularly understand the meaning of all the predictions and expressions contained in them . in like manner , there are certainly a great many very good christians who do not believe and comprehend the mysteries of faith nicely enough to approve themselves to a scholastical and magisterial judge of controversies , who yet if they do heartily embrace the doctrines which are clearly revealed in scripture and live up to the plain precepts of the christian religion , will i doubt not be very well approved by the great and just , and by the infallibly infallible judge of the world. iii. let it be further considered , that though neither the word trinity , nor perhaps person , in the sense in which it is used by divines when they treat of this mystery , be any where to be met with in scripture ; yet it cannot be denied but that three are there spoken of by the names of father , son , and h. ghost , in whose name every christian is baptized , and to each of whom the highest titles and properties of god are in scripture attributed : and these three are spoken of with as much distinction from one another as we use to speak of three several persons . so that though the word trinity be not found in scripture , yet these three are there expresly and frequently mentioned ; and a trinity is nothing but three of any thing . and so likewise though the word person be not there expresly applied to father , son , and h. ghost ; yet it will be very hard to find a more convenient word whereby to express the distinction of these three . for which reason i could never yet see any just cause to quarrel at this term . for since the h. spirit of god in scripture hath thought fit in speaking of these three to distinguish them from one another , as we use in common speech to distinguish three several persons , i cannot see any reason why , in the explication of this mystery which purely depends upon divine revelation , we should not speak of it in the same manner as the scripture doth : and though the word person is now become a ●erm of art , i see no cause why we should decline it , so long as we mean by it neither more nor less than what the scripture says in other words . iv. it deserves further to be considered , that there hath been a very ancient tradition concerning three real differences or distinctions in the divine nature ; and these , as i said before , very nearly resembling the christian doctrine of the trinity . whence this tradition had its original is not easie upon good and certain grounds to say ; but certain it is that the jews anciently had this notion : and that they did distinguish the word of god , and the h. spirit of god , from him who was absolutely called god , and whom they looked upon as the first principle of all things ; as is plain from philo judaeus , and moses nachmanides , and others cited by the learned grotius in his incomparable book of the truth of the christian religion . and among the heathen , plato ; who probably enough might have this notion from the jews , did make three distinctions in the deity by the names of essential goodness , and mind , and spirit . so that whatever objections this matter may be liable to , it is not so peculiar a doctrine of the christian religion as many have imagined , though it is revealed by it with much more clearness and certainty : and consequently , neither the jews nor plato have any reason to object is to us christians ; especially since they pretend no other ground for it but either their own reason , or an ancient tradition from their fathers : whereas we christians do appeal to express divine revelation for what we believe in this matter , and do believe it singly upon that account . v. it is besides very considerable , that the scriptures do deliver this doctrine of the trinity without any manner of doubt or question concerning the unity of the divine nature : and not only so , but do most stedfastly and constantly assert that there is but one god : and in those very texts , in which these three differences are mentioned , the unity of the divine nature is expresly asserted ; as where st. john makes mention of the father , the word , and the spirit , the unity of these three is likewise affirmed , there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit ; and these three are one. vi. it is yet further considerable , that from this mystery , as delivered in scripture , a plurality of gods cannot be inferred without making the scripture grosly to contradict it self ; which i charitably suppose the socinians would be as loth to admit as we our selves are . and if either councils , or fathers , or schoolmen , have so explained this mystery as to give any just ground , or so much as a plausible colour for such an inference , let the blame fall where it is due , and let it not be charged on the h. scriptures ; but rather , as the apostle says in another case , let god be true , and every man a liar . viithly and lastly , i desire it may be considered , that it is not repugnant to reason to believe some things which are incomprehensible by our reason ; provided that we have sufficient ground and reason for the belief of them : especially if they be concerning god , who is in his nature incomprehensible ; and we be well assured that he hath revealed them . and therefore it ought not to offend us that these differences in the deity are incomprehensible by our finite understandings ; because the divine nature it self is so , and yet the belief of that is the foundation of all religion . there are a great many things in nature which we cannot comprehend how they either are , or can be : as the continuity of matter , that is , how the parts of it do hang so fast together , that they are many times very hard to be parted ; and yet we are sure that it is so , because we see it every day . so likewise how the small seeds of things contain the whole form and nature of the things from which they proceed and into which by degrees they grow ; and yet we plainly see this every year . there are many things likewise in our selves , which no man is able in any measure to comprehend , as to the manner how they are done and performed : as the vital union of soul and body : who can imagine by what device or means a spirit comes to be so closely united and so firmly link'd to a material body , that they are not to be parted without great force and violence offer'd to nature ? the like may be said of the operations of our several faculties of sense and imagination , of memory and reason , and especially of the liberty of our wills : and yet we certainly find all these faculties in our selves , though we cannot either comprehend or explain the particular manner in which the several operations of them are performed . and if we cannot comprehend the manner of those operations which we plainly perceive and feel to be in our selves , much less can we expect to comprehend things without us ; and least of all can we pretend to comprehend the infinite nature and perfections of god , and every thing belonging to him. for god himself is certainly the greatest mystery of all other , and acknowledged by mankind to be in his nature , and in the particular manner of his existence , incomprehensible by human understanding . and the reason of this is very evident , because god is infinite , and our knowledge and understanding is but finite : and yet no sober man ever thought this a good reason to call the being of god in question . the same may be said of god's certain knowledge of future contingencies which depend upon the uncertain wills of free agents : it being utterly inconceivable how any understanding , how large and perfect soever , can certainly know beforehand that which depends upon the free will of another , which is an arbitrary and uncertain cause . and yet the scripture doth not only attribute this foreknowledge to god , but gives us also plain instances of god's foretelling such things , many ages before it happened , as could not come to pass but by the sins of men , in which we are sure that god can have no hand ; though nothing can happen without his permission : such was that most memorable event of the death of christ who , as the scripture tells us , was by wicked hands crucified and stain ; and yet even this is said to have happened according to the determinate foreknowledge of god , and was punctually foretold by him some hundreds of years before . nay , the scripture doth not only ascribe this power and perfection to the divine knowledge , but natural reason hath been forced to acknowledge it , as we may see in some of the wisest of the philosophers . and yet it would puzzle the greatest philosopher that ever was , to give any tolerable account how any knowledge whatsoever can certainly and infallibly foresee an event through uncertain and contingent causes . all the reasonable satisfaction that can be had in this matter is this , that it is not at all unreasonable to suppose that infinite knowledg may have ways of knowing things which our finite understandings can by no means comprehend how they can possibly be known . again , there is hardly any thing more inconceivable than how a thing should be of it self , and without any cause of its being ; and yet our reason compels us to acknowledge this ; because we certainly see that something is , which must either have been of it self and without a cause , or else something that we do not see must have been of it self and have made all other things : and by this reasoning we are forced to acknowledge a deity , the mind of man being able to find no rest but in the acknowledgment of one eternal and wise mind as the principle and first cause of all other things ; and this principle is that which mankind do by general consent call god. so that god hath laid a sure foundation of our acknowledgment of his being in the reason of our own minds : and though it be one of the hardest things in the world to conceive how any thing can be of it self , yet necessity drives us to acknowledge it whether we will or no : and this being once granted , our reason , being tired in trying all other ways , will for its own quiet and ease force us at last to fall in with the general apprehension and belief of mankind concerning a deity . to give but one instance more ; there is the like difficulty in conceiving how any thing can be made out of nothing ; and yet our reason doth oblige us to believe it : because matter , which is a very imperfect being and merely passive , must either always have been of it self ; or else , by the infinite power of a most perfect and active being , must have been made out of nothing : which is much more credible , than that any thing so imperfect as matter is should be of it self : because that which is of it self cannot be conceived to have any bounds and limits of its being and perfection ; for by the same reason that it necessarily is and of it self , it must necessarily have all perfection , which it is certain matter hath not ; and yet necessary existence is so great a perfection , that we cannot reasonably suppose any thing that hath this perfection to want any other . thus you see , by these instances , that it is not repugnant to reason to believe a great many things to be , of the manner of whose existence we are not able to give a particular and distinct account . and much less is it repugnant to reason to believe those things concerning god which we are very well assured he hath declared concerning himself , though these things by our reason should be incomprehensible . and this is truly the case as to the matter now under debate : we are sufficiently assured that the scriptures are a divine revelation , and that this mystery of the trinity is therein declared to us . now that we cannot comprehend it , is no sufficient reason not to believe it : for if this were a good reason for not believing it , then no man ought to believe that there is a god , because his nature is most certainly incomprehensible . but we are assured by many arguments that there is a god ; and the same natural reason which assures us that he is , doth likewise assure us that he is incomprehensible ; and therefore our believing him to be so doth by no means overthrow our belief of his being . in like manner , we are assured by divine revelation of the truth of this doctrine of the trinity ; and being once assured of that , our not being able fully to comprehend it is not reason enough to stagger our belief of it . a man cannot deny what he sees , though the necessary consequence of admitting it may be something which he cannot comprehend . one cannot deny the frame of this world which he sees with his eyes , though from thence it will necessarily follow that either that or something else must be of itself ; which yet , as i said before , is a thing which no man can comprehend how it can be . and by the same reason a man must not deny what god says , to be true ; though he cannot comprehend many things which god says : as particularly concerning this mystery of the trinity . it ought then to satisfy us that there is sufficient evidence that this doctrine is delivered in scripture , and that what is there declared concerning it doth not imply a contradiction . for why should our finite understandings pretend to comprehend that which is infinite , or to know all the real differences that are consistent with the unity of an infinite being : or to be able fully to explain this mystery by any similitude or resemblance taken from finite beings ? but before i leave this argument , i cannot but take notice of one thing which they of the church of rome are perpetually objecting to us upon this occasion . and it is this , that by the same reason that we believe the doctrine of the trinity , we may and must receive that of transubstantiation . god forbid : because of all the doctrines that ever were in any religion , this of transubstantiation is certainly the most abominably absurd . however , this objection plainly shews how fondly and obstinately they are addicted to their own errors , how mishapen and monstrous soever ; insomuch that rather than the dictates of their church , how absurd soever , should be called in question they will question the truth even of christianity it self ; and if we will not take in transubstantiation , and admit it to be a necessary article of the christian faith , they grow so sullen and desperate that they matter not what becomes of all the rest : and rather than not have their will of us in that which is controverted , they will give up that which by their own confession is an undoubted article of the christian faith and not controverted on either side ; except only by the socinians , who yet are hearty enemies to transubstantiation , and have exposed the absurdity of it with great advantage . but i shall endeavour to return a more particular answer to this objection ; and such a one as i hope will satisfy every considerate and unprejudiced mind , that after all this confidence and swaggering of theirs there is by no means equal reason either for the receiving or for the rejecting of these two doctrines of the trinity and transubstantiation . first , there is not equal reason for the belief of these two doctrines . this objection , if it be of any force , must suppose that there is equal evidence and proof from scripture for these two doctrines : but this we utterly deny , and with great reason ; because it is no more evident from the words of scripture that the sacramental bread is substantially changed into christ's natural body by virtue of those words , this is my body , than it is that christ is substantially changed into a natural vine by virtue of those words , i am the true vine ; or than that the rock in the wilderness , of which the israelites drank , was substantially changed into the person of christ , because it is expresly said , that rock was christ ; or than that the christian church is substantially changed into the natural body of christ , because it is in express terms said of the church , that it is his body . but besides this , several of their own most learned writers have freely acknowledged , that transubstantiation can neither be directly proved , nor necessarily concluded from scripture : but this the writers of the christian church did never acknowledge concerning the trinity , and the divinity of christ ; but have always appealed to the clear and undeniable testimonies of scripture for the proof of these doctrines . and then the whole force of the objection amounts to this , that if i am bound to believe what i am sure god says , tho i cannot comprehend it ; then i am bound by the same reason to believe the greatest absurdity in the world , though i have no manner of assurance of any divine revelation concerning it . and if this be their meaning , though we understand not transubstantiation , yet we very well understand what they would have , but cannot grant it ; because there is not equal reason to believe two things , for one of which there is good proof , and for the other no proof at all . secondly , neither is there equal reason for the rejecting of these two doctrines . this the objection supposes , which yet cannot be supposed but upon one or both of these two grounds : either because these two doctrines are equally incomprehensible , or because they are equally loaded with absurdities and contradictions . the first is no good ground of rejecting any doctrine , merely because it is incomprehensible ; as i have abundantly shew'd already . but besides this , there is a wide difference between plain matters of sense , and mysteries concerning god ; and it does by no means follow that , if a man do once admit any thing concerning god which he cannot comprehend , he hath no reason afterwards to believe what he himself sees . this is a most unreasonable and destructive way of arguing , because it strikes at the foundation of all certainty , and sets every man at liberty to deny the most plain and evident truths of christianity , if he may not be humor'd in having the absurdest things in the world admitted for true . the next step will be to persuade us that we may as well deny the being of god because his nature is incomprehensible by our reason , as deny transubstantiation because it evidently contradicts our senses . dly . nor are these two doctrines loaded with the like absurdities and contradictions : so far from this , that the doctrine of the trinity , as it is delivered in the scriptures , and hath already been explained , hath no absurdity or contradiction either involved in it , or necessarily consequent upon it : but the doctrine of transubstantiation is big with all imaginable absurdity and contradiction . and their own schoolmen have sufficiently exposed it ; especially scotus , and he designed to do so , as any man that attentively reads him may plainly discover : for in his disputation about it he treats this doctrine with the greatest contempt , as a new invention of the council of lateran under pope innocent ill. to the decree of which council concerning it he seems to pay a formal submission , but really derides it as contrary to the common sense and reason of mankind , and not at all supported by scripture ; as any one may easily discern that will carefully consider his manner of handling it and the result of his whole disputation about it . and now suppose there were some appearance of absurdity and contradiction in the doctrine of the trinity as it is delivered in scripture , must we therefore believe a doctrine which is not at all revealed in scripture , and which hath certainly in it all the absurdities in the world , and all the contradictions to sense and reason ; and which once admitted , doth at once destroy all certainty ? yes , say they , why not ? since we of the church of rome are satisfied that this doctrine is revealed in scripture ; or , if it be not , is defined by the church , which is every whit as good . but is this equal , to demand of us the belief of a thing which hath always been controverted , not only between us and them , but even among themselves , at least till the council of trent ? and this upon such unreasonable terms , that we must either yield this point to them or else renounce a doctrine agreed on both sides to be revealed in scripture . to shew the unreasonableness of this proceeding , let us suppose a priest of the church of rome pressing a jew or turk to the belief of transubstantiation , and because one kindness deserves another , the jew or turk should demand of him the belief of all the fables in the talmud , or in the alchoran ; since none of these , nor indeed all of them together , are near so absurd as transubstantiation : would not this be much more reasonable and equal than what they demand of us ? since no absurdity , how monstrous and big soever , can be thought of , which may not enter into an understanding in which a breach hath been already made wide enough to admit transubstantiation . the priests of baal did not half so much deserve to be exposed by the prophet for their superstition and folly , as the priests of the church of rome do for this sensless and stupid doctrine of theirs with a hard name . i shall only add this one thing more , that if this doctrine were possible to be true , and clearly prov'd to be so ; yet it would be evidently useless and to no purpose . for it pretends to change the substance of one thing into the substance of another thing that is already and before this change is pretended to be made . but to what purpose ? not to make the body of christ , for that was already in being ; and the substance of the bread is lost , nothing of it remaineth but the accidents which are good for nothing , and indeed are nothing when the substance is destroy'd and gone . all that now remains is to make some practical inferences from this doctrine of the unity of the divine nature . and they shall be the same which god himself makes by moses , which text also is cited by our saviour , hear , o israel , the lord thy god is one lord ; and thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thine heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind , and with all thy strength : and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . so that according to our saviour the whole duty of man , the love of god and of our neighbour is founded in the unity of the divine nature . i. the love of god ; the lord thy god is one lord , therefore thou shalt love him with all thy heart , &c. this is the first and great commandment : and it comprehends in it all the duties of the first table as naturally flowing from it . as that we should serve him only , and pay no religious worship to any but to him. for to pay religious worship to any thing is to make it a god and to acknowledge it for such : and therefore god being but one , we can give religious worship to none but to him only . and among all the parts of religious worship none is more peculiarly appropriated to the deity than solemn invocation and prayer . for he to whom men address their requests , at all times , and in all places , must be supposed to be always every where present , to understand all our desires and wants , and to be able to supply them ; and this god only is , and can do . so likewise from the unity of the divine nature may be inferr'd , that we should not worship god by any sensible image or representation : because god being a singular being there is nothing like him , or that can without injuring and debasing his most spiritual and perfect and immense being be compared to him : as he himself speaks in the prophet , to whom will ye liken me , saith the lord , and make me equal ? and therefore with no distinction whatsoever can it be lawful to give religious worship , or any part of it , to any but god : we can pray to none but to him , because he only is every where present , and only knows the hearts of all the children of men ; which solomon gives as the reason why we should address our supplications to god only , who dwelleth in the heavens . so that the reason of these two precepts is founded in the unity and singularity of the divine nature , and unless there be more gods than one , we must worship him only , and pray to none but him : because we can give invocation to none but to him only whom we believe to be god ; as st. paul reasons , how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? ii. the love likewise of our neighbour is founded in the unity of the divine nature , and may be inferr'd from it : hear , o israel , the lord thy god is one lord , therefore thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . and the apostle gives this reason why christians should be at unity among themselves ; there is one god and father of all , and therefore we should keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , that is , live in mutual love and peace . the prophet likewise assigns this reason why all mankind should be upon good terms with one another , and not be injurious one to another , have we not all one father ? hath not one god created us ? why do we then deal treacherously every man against his brother ? and therefore when we see such hatred and enmity among men , such divisions and animosities among christians , we may not only ask st. paul's question , is christ divided ? that we cannot agree about serving him ; either all to serve him in one way , or to bear with one another in our differences : i say we may not only ask st. paul's question , is christ divided ? but may ask further , is god divided ? is there not one god , and are we not all his offspring ? are we not all the sons of adam , who was the son of god ? so that if we trace our selves to our original , we shall find a great nearness and equality among men : and this equality that we are all god's creatures and image , and that the one only god is the father of us all , is a more real ground of mutual love , and peace , and equity in our dealings one with another , than any of those petty differences and distinctions of strong and weak , of rich and poor , of wise and foolish , of base and honourable , can be to encourage men to any thing of insolence injustice , and inequality of dealing one towards another . because that wherein we all agree , that we are the creatures and children of god and have all one common father , is essential and constant ; but those things wherein we differ are accidental and mutable , and happen to one another by turns . thus much may suffice to have spoken concerning the first proposition in the text , there is one god : to him , father , son , and h. ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , now and for ever . amen . finis . books printed for b. aylmer , and w. rogers . archbishop tillotson's sermons and discourses , in four volumes , octavo . — six sermons concerning the divinity of our b. saviour . vo . — six sermons . i. of stedfastness in religion . ii. of family-religion . iii. iv. v. of the education of children . vi. of the advantages of an early piety . in vo . price s. in s . s. d . — persuasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper . vo . stitcht d. in s . bound , d. — rule of faith : or an answer to mr. sergeant's book . — discourse against transubstantiation , octavo , alone , price d. stitcht . books printed for b. aylmer . the works of the learned dr. isaac barrow , late master of trinity-college in cambridge : published by his grace john late lord archbishop of canterbury ; in four volumes in folio . a demonstration of the messias , in which the truth of the christian religion is proved , especially against the jews . by richard lord bishop of bath and wells . also his lordships charge to the clergy of his diocess . a sermon preached before the lord-mayor on easter-tuesday , on april the st . being a spittle-sermon . as also three single sermons on several occasions . writ by richard lord bishop of bath and wells . a discourse of the great disingenuity and unreasonableness of repining at afflicting providences ; and of the influence which they ought to have upon us : on job . . published upon occasion of the death of our gracious sovereign , queen mary , of most blessed memory ; with a preface containing some observations touching her excellent endowments , and exemplary life . certain propositions by which the doctrine of the holy trinity is so explained , according to the ancient fathers , as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason : together with a defence of them , in answer to the objections of a socinian writer , in his newly printed considerations on the explications of the doctrine of the trinity , occasioned by these propositions among other discourses . a second defence of the propositions , in answer to a socinian manuscript , in a letter to a friend . together with a third defence of those propositions , in answer to some newly published reflections , &c. by edward lord bishop of gloucester . a sermon preached before the lord-mayor , on easter-wednesday . as also three single sermons on several occasions . writ by edward lord bishop of gloucester . the holy bible , containing the old testament , and the new , with annotations and parallel scriptures ; to which is annexed the harmony of the gospels : as also the reduction of the jewish weights , coins and measures , to our english standard , and a table of the promises in scripture ; by samuel clark ; printed in folio of a very fair letter , the like never before , in one volume . a vindication of the divine perfections , illustrating the glory of god in them , by reason and revelation : methodically digested into several meditations . by the right honourable the lord president stares , in vo . books printed for w. rogers . bishop of worcester's doctrines and practices of the church of rome truly represented , &c. to . — doctrine of the trinity and transubstantiation compar'ds , in two parts , to . bishop of norwich's two sermons of the wisdom and goodness of providence , before the queen at whitehall , to . — sermon preach'd at st. andrews-holborn , on gal. . . — of religious melancholy . a sermon preach'd before the queen at whitehall , to . — of the immortality of the soul , preach'd before the kind and queen at whitehall , on palm sunday , to . dr. sherlock , dean of st. paul's , answer to a discourse entituled , papists protesting against protestant popery , d . edit . to . — answer to the amicable accommodation of the differences between the representer and the answerer , to . — sermon at the funeral of the reverend dr. calamy , to . — vindication of some protestant principles of church-unity and catholick communion , &c. to . — preservative against popery , in parts , with the vindication . — discourse concerning the nature , unity , and communion of the catholick church , first part , to . — sermon before the lord mayor november . . to . — vindication of the doctrine of the trinity . d. edit . to . — case of allegiance to sovereign powers stated , &c. to . — vindication of the case of allegiance , &c. to . — fast-sermon before the queen at whitehall , june . to . — practical discourse concerning death . in octavo . eighth edition , price s. in twelves , price s. — practical discourse concerning judgment , fourth edit . vo . — sermon before the house of commons , jan. . . to . — sermon preach'd before the queen , feb. . . — the charity of lending without usury , in a sermon before the lord-mayor on easter-tuesday , to . — sermon preach'd before the queen , june . . to . — sermon preach'd at the funeral of the reverend dr. meggot , late dean of winchester , decemb. . . to . — a discourse concerning the divine providence . d . edit . to . — apology for writing against socinians , to . — a sermon at the temple-church , december . . upon the sad occasion of the death of our gracious queen , to . dr. claget's sermons in two volumes , vo . dr. wake 's sermons and discourses on several occasions . vo . a defence of the dean of st. paul's apology for writing against the socinians , to . a defence of dr. sherlock's notion of a trinity in unity , to . a commentary on the five books of moses : with a dissertation concerning the author or writer of the said books , and a general argument to each of them . by richard lord bishop of bath and wells . in two volumes , vo . mr. dryden's translation of ● . a. du fresnoy's art of painting , with remarks . translated into english . together with an original preface , containing a parallel betwixt painting and poetry ; as also an account of the most eminent painters , to . a practical discourse concerning holiness : wherein is shewed the nature , the possibility , the degrees , and necessity of holiness ; together with the means of acquiring and perfecting it . by edward pelling , d ▪ d. rector of pe●worth in sussex , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . the doctrine of the fathers and schools consider'd : concerning the articles of a trinity of divine persons , and the unity of god. in answer to the animadversions on the dean of st. paul's vindication of the doctrine of the holy and ever blessed trinity : in defence of those sacred articles against the objections of the socinians , and the misrepresentation of the animadverter : part the first . by j. b. a. m presbyter of the church of england . mr. wilson's discourse of religion , shewing its truth and reality ; or the suitableness of religion to human nature , vo . — discourse of the resurrection , shewing the import and certainty of it , vo . reason and religion , in some useful reflections on the most eminent hypothesis , concerning the first principles and nature of things ; with advice suitable to the subject , and seasonable for these times , s . mr. elis's letter to a friend , &c. to . — reflecter's defence of his letter to a friend , &c. to . — protestant resolv'd , or a discourse shewing the unreasonableness of his turning roman catholick for salvation , to . — religion and loyalty inseparable , a sermon preach'd at the assizes held at nottingham , sept . . to . — necessity of serious consideration , and speedy repentance , vo . — folly of atheism demonstrated to the capacity of the most unlearned reader , vo . — a short scripture-catechism , s. — a sermon preach'd at nottingham , octob. . . to . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e psal . . . isa . . , . matt. . . gal. . . tim. . . i. john . . prov. . , , &c. john . . john , . gen. . psal . . . pet. . . colos . . , , . rev. . . col. . . acts . . rom. . . notes for div a -e dr. stillingfleet , now bishop of worcester . john . . acts . . john . . john . . john . . joh. . , v. . v. , . v. . john . . v. . joh. . , . phil. . , , , . tim. . . heb. . . rev. . . v. . rev. . . v. . heb. . . coloss . . , . heb. . . v. . v. . ps . . . v. . rom. . . v. . ps . . , . v. , , . * ne referre quidem haec priora verba , de coeli terraeque creatione loquentia , ad christum potuisset autor , nisi pro concesso sumsisset christum esse summum illum deum , coeli & terrae creatorem ; praesertim si ea , ut necesse soret , primò & directè ad christum dicta esse censeas . nam cum omnia psalmi verba manifestè de deo loquuntur , christum autem deum illum esse ne unico quidem verbo in toto hoc psalmo indicetur ; necesse est ut si verba illa ad christum directa esse velis , pro concesso sumas , christum esse deum illum summum de quo in psalmo se●mo est . v. , . ch . . v. . john . . rom. . . gal. . notes for div a -e hebr. . . matth. . . cor. . . heb. . . job . , . cor. . . chap. i. v. , , , , , , , , . notes for div a -e iii. tim. . . heb. . . tim. . . heb. . . heb. . , , . heb. . , , . heb. . , . joh. . , . heb. . . joh. . . joh. . . joh. . . ver . . notes for div a -e joh. . . heb. . ▪ joh. . . pet. . . heb. . . . heb. . . pet. . , . cor. . . eph. . pet. . . joh. . . v. . rom. . , , . cor. . . lev. . . heb. . . v. . obj. st . obj. d . obj. d. obj. th . notes for div a -e cor. . . deut. . . isai . . . v. . adversus marcionem , i. . c. . cor. . . serm. ii. l. . joh , , . eph. . . deut. ▪ . mark . ● ▪ , ● isa . . kings . . rom. . . eph. . . mal. . . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall, march the xxth, / by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall, march the xxth, / by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . marginal notes. half title: his grace the lord archbishop of canterbury's sermon before the queen, march th, / . later published with title: god the only happiness of man. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- psalms lxxiii, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion his grace the lord archbishop of canterbury's sermon before the queen , march th , / . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall , march the xx th , / . by john lord archbishop of canterbury . published by her majesty's special command . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pidgeons over-against the royal exchange in cornhill ; and william rogers at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . mdcxcii . psalm lxxiii . . whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . the design of this psalm is to vindicate the goodness and justice of the divine providence , notwithstanding the prosperous estate of the wicked and the afflicted condition of good men many times in this world. and in the first place , the psalmist , whoever he was , whether david or asaph , lays down this for a most certain truth , that god is good to good men : of a truth god is good to israel , to such as are of a clean heart . and yet for all this he tells us , that at some times he was under no small temptation to question the truth of this principle , when he beheld the promiscuous dispensation of things here below ; that the wicked are often prosperous , and good men exposed to great calamities in this life ; as if god either neglected human affairs , or had a greater kindness for the workers of iniquity than for pious and good men : as for me , my foot had well nigh slipp'd , for i was envious at the foolish , when i saw the prosperity of the wicked . this , he says , was a very great stumbling block to good men , and tempted them to doubt of the providence of god : therefore his people return hither , and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them ; and they say , doth god know , and is there knowledge in the most high ? this sentence is somewhat obscurely rendred in our translation , so as to make the sense of it difficult , which is plainly this , therefore his people return hither , that is , therefore good men come to this , in the greatness of their affliction , and in the bitterness of their soul , to question god's knowledg and care of human affairs . behold , say they , these are the ungodly , and yet they are the prosperous in the world , they increase in riches : to what purpose then is it for any man to be religious and vertuous ? verily , i have cleansed my heart in vain , and washed my hands in innocency : in vain have i endeavoured after purity of heart and innocency of life , since so little good comes of it ; nay , so far from that , that i have been in continual trouble and affliction : all the day long have i been plagued , and chastned every morning . such thoughts as these often came into his mind , and gave him great trouble and disquiet : but he presently corrects himself : if i say i will speak thus , i should offend against the generation of thy children , that is , i should go against the sense of all pious and good men , who have always believed the providence of god notwithstanding this objection : which at last he tells us he had raised on purpose to try if he could find the solution of it : i thought to know this , which was grievous in mine eyes : and then he resolves all into the unsearchable wisdom of the divine providence , which if we fully understood from first to last , we should see good reason to be satisfied with the equity of it : when i go into the sanctuary of god , then shall i understand the end of these men ? how thou didst set them in slippery places , &c. this satisfied him , that whenever the secret design of god's providence should be unfolded whether in this world or the other , how strange and cross soever things might seem to be at present , yet in the issue and conclusion it would appear , that neither are bad men so happy , nor good men so miserable , as at present they may seem to be . so that upon a full debate of this matter the psalmist concludes , that these objections against providence do spring from our ignorance , and short and imperfect view of things ; whereas if we saw the whole design from beginning to end , it would appear to be very reasonable and regular . thus my heart was grieved ; so foolish was i and ignorant , and as a beast before thee . and in regard to himself he tells us , that he saw great reason to acknowledge god's tender care over him in particular , and that he could find no security or comfort for himself , but in god alone : nevertheless i am continually with thee ; thou hast holden me by thy right hand : thou shalt guide me with thy counsel , and afterwards receive me to glory ; as if he had said , i am sensible of thy constant presence with me , and care of me ; and do entirely depend upon thy guidance and direction , not doubting but that my present troubles and afflictions will have a happy and glorious issue . and at last he breaks out into a kind of exultation and triumph for the mighty consolation which he found in the firm belief of the being and providence of god , as the great stay and support of his soul in the worst condition that could befall him ; in the words of the text , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . if a man were to chuse a happiness for himself , and were to ransack heaven and earth for it , after all his search and enquiry he would at last fix upon god as the chief happiness of man , and the true and only rest and center of our souls . this then is the plain meaning of the text , that nothing in the world but god can make man happy : whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . that man of himself is not sufficient for his own happiness is evident upon many accounts : because he is liable to so many evils and calamities , which he can neither prevent , nor remedy : he is full of wants which he cannot supply ; compassed about with infirmities which he can only complain of , but is not able to redress : he is obnoxious to dangers which he must always fear , because he can never sufficiently provide against them . consider man by himself , and from under the conduct and protection of a superior and more powerful being , and he is in a most disconsolate and forlorn condition : secure of nothing that he enjoys , and liable to be disappointed of every thing that he hopes for : he is apt to grieve for what he cannot help , and perhaps the justest cause of his grief is that he cannot help it ; for if he could , instead of grieving for it he would help it : he cannot refrain from desiring a great many things which he would fain have , but is never likely to obtain , because they are out of his power ; and it troubles him both that they are so , and that he cannot help his being troubled at it . thus man walketh in a vain shew , and disquieteth himself in vain ; courting happiness in a thousand shapes , and the faster he follows it the swifter it flyes from him . almost every thing promiseth happiness to us at a distance , such a step of honour , such a pitch of estate , such a fortune or match for a child : but when we come nearer to it , either we fall short of it , or it falls short of our expectation ; and it is hard to say which of these is the greatest disappointment . our hopes are usually bigger than enjoyment can satisfie , and an evil long fear'd , besides that it may never come , is many times more painful and troublesome than the evil it self when it comes . in a word , man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards . he comes into the world naked and unarm'd , and from himself more destitute of the natural means of his security and support than any other creature whatsoever , as it were on purpose to shew that he is more peculiarly the care of a superior providence : and as man , of all the creatures of this lower world , is only made to own and acknowledg a deity ; so god in great wisdom hath so order'd things , that none of the other creatures should have so much need of him , and so much reason to acknowledg their necessary dependance upon him . so that the words of david are the very sense and voice of nature , declaring to us that mankind is born into the world upon terms of greater dependance upon the providence of god than other creatures : thou art he , says david there to god , that tookest me out of the womb , thou madest me to hope , or thou didst keep me in safety , when i was upon my mother's breasts : i was cast upon thee from the womb , thou art my god from my mother's belly : be not far from me , for trouble is near : trouble is always near to us , and therefore it is happy for us that god is never far from any of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . and when we are grown up , we are liable to a great many mischiefs and dangers , every moment of our lives ; and , without the providence of god , continually insecure , not only of the good things of this life , but even of life it self : so that when we come to be men , we cannot but wonder how ever we arriv'd at that state , and how we have continued in it so long , considering the infinite difficulties and dangers which have continually attended us : that in running the gantlope of a long life , when so many hands have been lifted up against us , and so many strokes levell'd at us , we have escaped so free , and with so few marks and scars upon us : that when we are besieged with so many dangers , and so many arrows of death are perpetually flying about us , to which we do so many ways lie open , we should yet hold out twenty , forty , sixty years , and some of us perhaps longer , and do still stand at the mark untouch'd , at least not dangerously wounded by any of them : and considering likewise this fearful and wonderful frame of a human body , this infinitely complicated engine ; in which , to the due performance of the several functions and offices of life , so many strings and springs , so many receptacles and channels are necessary , and all in their right frame and order ; and in which , besides the infinite imperceptible and secret ways of mortality , there are so many sluces and flood-gates to let death in and life out , that it is next to a miracle , tho we take but little notice of it , that every one of us did not dye every day since we were born : i say , considering the nice and curious frame of our bodies , and the innumerable contingencies and hazards of human life , which is set in so slippery a place , that we still continue in the land of the living we cannot ascribe to any thing but the watchful providence of almighty god , who holds our soul in life , and suffers not our foot to be moved . to the same merciful providence of god we owe , that whilst we continue in life we have any comfortable possession and enjoyment of our selves and of that which makes us men , i mean our reason and understanding : that our imagination is not let loose upon us , to haunt and torment us with melancholick freaks and fears : that we are not deliver'd up to the horrors of a gloomy and guilty mind : that every day we do not fall into frenzy and distraction , which next to wickedness and vice is the sorest calamity , and saddest disguise of human nature : i say , next to wickedness and vice , which is a wilful frenzy , a madness not from misfortune but from choice ; whereas the other proceeds from natural and necessary causes , such as are in a great measure out of our power ; so that we are perpetually liable to it , from any secret and sudden disorder of the brain , from the violence of a disease , or the vehement transport of any passion . now if things were under no government , what could hinder so many probable evils from breaking in upon us , and from treading upon the heels of one another ? like the calamities of job , when the hedge which god had set about him and all that he had was broken down and removed . so that if there were no god to take care of us , we could be secure of no sort , no degree of happiness in this world ; no not for one moment : and there would be no other world for us to be happy in , and to make amends to us for all the fears and dangers , all the troubles and calamities of this present life : for god and another world stand and fall together : without him there can be no life after this ; and if our hopes of happiness were only in this life , man of all other beings in this lower world would certainly be the most miserable . i cannot say that all the evils which i have mentioned would happen to all , if the providence of god did not rule the world ; but that every man would be in danger of them all , and have nothing to support and comfort him against the fear of that danger . for the nature of man , consider'd by it self , is plainly insufficient for its own happiness ; so that we must necessarily look abroad , and seek for it somewhere else : and who can shew us that good that is equal to all the wants and necessities , all the capacities and desires , all the fears and hopes of human nature ? whatsoever can answer all these must have these following properties , first , it must be an all-sufficient good . secondly , it must be perfect goodness . thirdly , it must be firm and unchangeable in it self . fourthly , it must be such a good as none can deprive us of , and take away from us . fifthly , it must be eternal . sixthly , it must be able to support and comfort us in every condition , and under all the accidents and adversities of human life . lastly , it must be such a good as can give perfect rest and tranquillity to our minds . nothing that is short of all this can make us happy : and no creature , no not the whole creation , can pretend to be all this to us . all these properties meet only in god , who is the perfect and supream good ; as i shall endeavour , in the following discourse , more particularly to shew ; and consequently , that god is the only happiness of man. first , god is an all-sufficient good. and this does import two things ; wisdom to contrive our happiness , and power to effect it ; for neither of these without the other is sufficient , and both these in the highest and most eminent degree are in god. he is infinitely wise to design and contrive our happiness ; because he knows what happiness is , and how to frame us so as to be capable of the happiness he designs for us ; and how to order and dispose all other things so , as that they shall be no hindrance and impediment to it . he perfectly understands all the possibilities of things , and how to fit means to any end . he knows all our wants , and how to supply them ; all our hopes and desires , and how to satisfy them : he foresees all the dangers and evils which threaten us , and knows how to prevent or divert them , if he think fit ; or if he permit them to come , how to support us under them , or to deliver us out of them , or to turn them to our greater benefit and advantage in the last issue and result of things . his wisdom cannot be surprised by any accident which he did not foresee , and which he is not sufficiently provided against . the wisdom of men is but short and imperfect , and liable to infinite errours and mistakes : in many cases men know not what is safest and best for them , nor whether this or that will conduce most to their happiness : nay it often happens that those very means which the wisest men chuse for their security do prove the occasions of their ruine , and they are thrown down by those very ways whereby they thought to raise and to establish themselves . especially if god breath upon the counsels of men , how are their designs blasted ? how are they infatuated and foil'd in their deepest contrivances , and snared in the work of their own hands ? when it is of the lord , the wisdom of the greatest politicians is turned into foolishness : for there is no wisdom , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. but the divine wisdom , being founded upon infinite knowledge , is thereby secur'd against all possibility of errour and mistake . god perfectly knows the natures and the powers of all his creatures , and therefore can never be mistaken in the use and application of them to any of his purposes : so that none of his designs of love and mercy to the sons of men can miscarry for want of good contrivance , or wise conduct . and as he is perfectly wise to contrive our happiness , so is he infinitely powerful to effect it , and to remove out of the way all the obstacles and impediments of it . we may understand many times what would conduce to our happiness , but may not be able to compass it ; but nothing is out of the reach of omnipotency : many things are difficult to us , but nothing is too hard for god : many things are impossible with us , but with god all things are possible . for he is the fountain and original of all power , from whom it is deriv'd and upon whom it depends , and to whom it is perfectly subject and subordinate : he can do all things at once , and in an instant , and with the greatest ease ; and no created power can put any difficulty in his way , much less make any effectual resistance ; because omnipotency can check , and countermand , and bear down before it all other powers . so that if god be on our side , who can be against us ? we may safely commit our souls into his hands , for he is able to keep that which is committed to him . he can give us all good things , and deliver us from all evil , for his is the kingdom and the glorious power . though all creatures should fail us , we may rely upon god , and live upon his all-sufficiency for our supply ; and may say with the prophet , though the figtree should not blossom , neither fruit be in the vine ; though the labour of the olive should fail , and the fields should yield no meat ; though the flock should be cut off from the fold , and there should be no herd in the stalls ; yet would i rejoice in the lord , and joy in the god of my salvation . secondly , as god is an all-sufficient good , so he is perfect goodness . he is willing to communicate happiness to us , and to employ his power and wisdom for our good . he made us that he might make us happy , and nothing can hinder us from being so but our selves . such is his goodness , that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth : and when we have provoked him by our sins , he is long suffering to usward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance : for he delighteth not in the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live . so that if any of us be miserable , it is our own choice ; if we perish , our destruction is of our selves : for as the wiseman , in one of the apocryphal books , says excellently , god made not death , neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living : but men seek death in the errour of their life , and pull destruction upon themselves , with the works of their own hands . so great is the goodness of god to mankind , that he hath omitted nothing that is necessary to our happiness . he design'd it for us at first , and to that end he hath endued us with powers and faculties whereby we are capable of knowing , and loving , and obeying , and enjoying him the chief good. and when we had forfeited all this by the wilful transgression and disobedience of the first parents of mankind , and were miserably bruised and maimed by their fall , god of his infinite mercy was pleas'd to restore us to a new capacity of happiness , by sending his only son to suffer in our nature , and in our stead ; and thereby to become a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , and the author of eternal salvation to them that believe and obey him : and he hath likewise promised to give us his holy spirit , to enable us to that faith and obedience which the gospel requires of us , as the necessary conditions of our eternal salvation . thirdly , god is also a firm and unchangeable good. notwithstanding his infinite wisdom , and power , and goodness , we might be miserable if god were mutable . for that cannot be a happiness which depends upon uncertainties , and perhaps one of the greatest aggravations of misery is to fall from happiness , to have been once happy and afterwards to cease to be so : and that would unavoidably happen to us , if the cause of our happiness could change ▪ and the foundation of it be removed . if god could be otherwise than powerful , and wise , and good , all our hopes of happiness would be shaken , and would fall to the ground . but the divine nature is not subject to any change : as he is the father of lights , and the author of every good and perfect gift , so with him is no variableness , neither shadow of turning . all the things of this world are mutable , and for that reason , had they no other imperfection belonging to them , cannot make us happy . fourthly , god is such a good as none can deprive us of and take away from us . if the things of this world were unchangeable in their nature , and not liable to any decay , yet they cannot make us happy ; because we may be cheated of them by fraud , or robb'd of them by violence : but god cannot be taken from us . nothing but our sins can part god and us : who shall separate us , saith the apostle , from the love of god ? shall tribulation , or distress , or persecution , or famine , or nakedness , or peril , or sword ? we may be stripp'd of all our worldly comforts and enjoyments , by the violence of men ; but none of all these can separate us from god : i am persuaded , as the apostle goes on with great triumph , that neither death nor life ; nor angels , nor principalities , nor powers ; nor heighth , nor depth , nor things present , nor things to come , nor any other creature , shall be able to separate us from the love of god which is in christ jesus , our lord. nor any other creature : here is a sufficient induction of particulars , and nothing left out of this catalogue but one , and that is sin , which is none of god's creatures , but our own : this indeed deliberately consented to , and wilfully continued in , will finally part god and us , and for ever hinder us from being happy . but if we be careful to avoid this , which only can separate between god and us , nothing can deprive us of him : the aids and influences of his grace none can intercept and hinder : the joyes and comforts of his holy spirit none can take from us : all other things may leave us and forsake us : we may be debarr'd of our best friends , and banish'd from all our acquaintance ; but men can send us no whither from the presence of god : our communication with heaven cannot be prevented or interrupted : our prayers and our souls will always find the way thither from the uttermost parts of the earth . fifthly , god is an eternal god : and nothing but what is so can make us happy . man having an immortal spirit , and being design'd for an endless duration , must have a happiness proportionable : for which reason nothing in this world can make us happy , because we shall abide and remain after it : when a very few years are past and gone , and much sooner for any thing we know , all the things of this world will leave us , or else we shall be taken away from them , but god is from everlasting to everlasting : he is the same , and his years faile not : therefore well might david fix his happiness upon god alone , and say , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee : when my heart faileth , and my strength faileth , god is the strength of my heart , and my portion for ever . sixthly , god is able to support and comfort us , in every condition , and under all the accidents and adversities of human life . outward afflictions may hurt our body , but they cannot reach our soule ; and so long as that remains unwounded the spirit of a man can bear his infirmities . god is intimate to our soules , and hath secret wayes whereby to convey the joyes and comforts of his holy spirit into our hearts , under the bitterest afflictions and sharpest sufferings : he can enable us by his grace to possess our soules in patience , when all other things are taken from us : when there is nothing but trouble about us , he can give us peace and joy in believing : when we are persecuted , afflicted , and tormented , he can give us that ravishing sight of the glories of another world , that stedfast assurance of a future blessedness , as shall quite extinguish all sense of present sufferings : how did many of the primitive christian martyrs , in the midst of their torments , and under the very pangs of death rejoyce in the hope of the glory of god ? there are none of us but may happen to fall into those circumstances of danger , and of bodily paines and sufferings , as to have no hopes of relief and comfort but from god ; none in all the world to trust to but him only : and in the greatest evils that can befall us in this life , he is a sure refuge and sanctuary ; and to repeat the words of the psalmist after the text , when our heart failes , and our strength failes , god is the strength of our hearts , and our portion for ever . now what would any of us do in such a case , if it were not for god ? human nature is liable to desperate straits and exigencies : and he is not happy who is not provided against the worst that may happen . it is sad to be reduced to such a condition , as to be destitute of all comfort and hope : and yet men may be brought to that extremity , that if it were not for god they would not know which way to turn themselves , or how to entertain their thoughts with any comfortable considerations under their present anguish . all men naturally resort to god in extremity ; and cry out to him for help : even the most profane and atheistical , when they are destitute of all other comfort , will run to god , and take hold of him , and cling about him . but god hath no pleasure in fooles ; in those who neglect and despise him in their prosperity , though they owe that also entirely to him ; but when the evil day comes , then they lay hold of him as their only refuge : when all things go well with them , god is not in all their thoughts ; but in their affliction they will seek him early : then they will cry lord , lord ; but he will say to them in that day , depart from me ye workers of iniquity , for i know you not . here will be the great unhappiness of such persons , that god will then appear terrible to them , so as they shall not be able , when they look up to him , to abide his frowns : and at the same time that they are forc'd to acknowledge him , and to supplicate to him for mercy and forgiveness , they shall be ready to despair of it : then , those terrible threatnings of gods word will come to their minds , because i called , and yet refused ; i stretched out my hand , and no man regarded : but 〈◊〉 set at nought all my counsel , and would have none of my reproof ; i also will laugh at your calamity , and monk when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation , and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon you : then shall they call upon me ; but i will not answer ; they shall seek me early , but they shall not find me : for that they hated knowledge , and did not chuse the fear of the lord : they would none of my counsel , they despised all my reproofe : therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own ways , and be filled with their own devices : the ease of the simple shall slay them , and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them . to which i will add that terrible passage in the prophet , concerning the perverse and obstinate jews , they are a people of no understanding , therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them , and he that formed them will shew them no favour . and men are miserable creatures indeed , when god their maker doth abandon them , and hath so far hardened his heart against them , that he can have no pity and compassion for them . seventhly and lastly , which is consequent upon all the rest , god is such a good as can give perfect rest and tranquillity to our minds . and that which cannot do this , though it had all the properties before mentioned , cannot make us happy . for he is not happy who does not think himself so , whatever cause he may have to think so . now what in reason can give us disquiet , if we do firmly believe that there is a god , and that his providence rules and governs all things for the best ; and that god is all that to good men which hath now been said of him ? why should not our minds be in perfect repose , when we are secure of the chief good , and have found out that which can make us happy , and is willing to make us so , if we be not wanting to our selves , and by our wilful obstinacy and rebellion against him do not oppose and frustrate this design ? if a considerate man were permitted to his own choice , to wish the greatest good to himself that he could possibly devise ; after he had searched heaven and earth , the result of all his wishes would be that there were just such a being as we must necessarily conceive god to be : nor would he chuse any other friend or benefactour ; any other protectour for himself or governour for the whole world , than infinite power conducted and managed by infinite wisdom and goodness ; which is the true notion of a god : after all his enquiry he would come to the psalmist's conclusion here in the text , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . vain man is apt to seek for happiness elsewhere , but this proceeds from want of due consideration : for when all things are well weigh'd , and all accounts rightly cast up and adjusted , we shall at last settle in david's resolution of that great question , what is the chief good of man ? there be many , says he , that say , who will shew us any good ? that is , men are generally inquisitive after happiness , but greatly divided in their opinions about it : most men place it in the present enjoyments of this world , but david for his part pitches upon god , in whom he was fully convinc'd that the happiness of man does consist : there be many that say , who will shew us any good ? lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us : thou hast put gladness in my heart , more than in the time that their corn and wine increased . the great joy of the men of this world is in a plentiful harvest , and the abundance of the good things of this life : but david had found that which gave more joy and gladness to his heart , the favour of god and the light of his countenance : this gave perfect rest and tranquillity to his mind , so that he needed not to enquire any further : for so it follows in the next words , i will both lay me down in peace , and rest , for thou , lord , onely makest me to dwell in safety : the hebrew word signifies confidence or security : here , and no where else , his mind found rest , and was in perfect ease and security . i shall now only make two or three inferences from this discourse , and so conclude . first , this plainly shews us the great unreasonableness and folly of atheism , which would banish the belief of god and his providence out of the world : which as it is most impious in respect of god , so is it most malicious to men ; because it strikes at the very foundation of our happiness , and perfectly undermines it . for if there were no god , man would evidently be the most unhappy of all other beings here below ; because his unhappiness would be laid in the very frame of his nature , in that which distinguishes him from all other beings below him , i mean in his reason and understanding : and he would be so much more miserable than the beasts , by how much he hath a farther reach , and a larger prospect of future evils ; a quicker apprehension , and a deeper and more lasting resentment of them . so that if any man could see reason to stagger his belief of a god , or of his providence , as i am sure there is infinite reason to the contrary ; yet the belief of these things is so much for the interest , and comfort , and happiness of mankind , that a wise man would be heartily troubled to part with a principle so favourable to his quiet , and that does so exactly answer all the natural desires and hopes and fears of men , and is so equally calculated both for our comfort in this world , and for our happiness in the other . for when a man's thoughts have ranged and wandered as far as they can , his mind can find no rest , no probable foundation of happiness but god onely ; no other reasonable , no nor tolerable hypothesis and scheme of things for a wise man to rely upon , and to live and die by . for no other principle but this , firmely believed , and truly lived up to by an answerable practise , was ever able to support the generality of mankind , and to minister true consolation to them under the calamities of life , and the pangs of death . and if there were not something real in the principles of religion , it is impossible that they should have so remarkeable and so regular an effect to support our minds in every condition , upon so great a number of persons of different degrees of understanding , of all ranks and conditions , young and old , learned and unlearned , in so many distant places , and in all ages of the world the records whereof are come down to us : i say so real , and so frequent , and so regular an effect as this is , cannot with any colour of reason be ascribed either to blind chance , or meer imagination , but must have a real , and regular , and uniform cause proportionable to so great and general an effect . i remember that grotius , in his excellent book of the truth of the christian religion , hath this observation , that god did not intend that the principles of religion should have the utmost evidence that any thing is capable of , and such as is sufficient to answer and bear down all sorts of captious cavils and objections against it ; but so much as is abundantly sufficient to satisfie a sober and impartial enquirer after truth , one that hath no other interest but to find out truth , and when he hath found it to yield to it : if it were otherwise , and the principles of religion were as glaring and evident as the sun shining at noon-day , as there could hardly be any vertue in such a faith , so infidelity would be next to an impossibility . all that i would expect from any man , that shall say that he cannot see sufficient reason to believe the being and the providence of god , is this ; that he would offer some other principles , that he would advance any other hypothesis and scheme of things that is more agreeable to the common and natural notions of men , and to all appearances of things in the world ; and that does bid more fairly for the comfort and happiness of mankind , than these principles of the being of a god , and of his watchfull providence over the children of men , do plainly do : and till this be clearly done , the principles of religion which have generally been received by mankind , and have obtain'd in the world in all ages , cannot fairly be discarded , and ought not to be disturbed and put out of possession . and this , i think , puts this whole matter upon a very fair and reasonable issue , and that nothing more needs to be said concerning it . secondly , from what hath been said , in the foregoing discourse , it naturally follows , that god is the only object of our trust and confidence , and therefore to him alone , and to no other , we ought to address all our prayers and supplications for mercy and grace to help in time of need . but now , according to the doctrine and practise of the church of rome , the psalmist here puts a very odd and strange question , whom have i in heaven but thee ? to which they give a quite different answer from what the psalmist plainly intended , namely , that god was the sole object of his hope and trust , and that upon him alone he relyed as his onely comfort and happiness : but to this assertion of the psalmist the church of rome can by no means agree : they understand this matter much better than the psalmist did , namely , that besides god there are in heaven innumerable angels and saints , in whom we are to repose great trust and confidence , and to whom also we are to address solemn prayers and supplications , not only for temporal good things , but for the pardon of our sins , for the increase of our graces , and for eternal life : that there are in heaven particular advocates and patrons for all exigencies and occasions , against all sorts of dangers and diseases , for all graces and vertues , and in a word for all temporal , spiritual , and eternal blessings ; to whom we may apply our selves , without troubling god and our blessed saviour , who also is god blessed for evermore , by presuming upon every occasion to make our immediate addresses to him : for as they would make us believe , though abraham was ignorant of it and david knew it not , the blessed spirits above , both angels and saints , do not onely intercede with god for us for all sorts of blessings , but we may make direct and immediate addresses to them to bestow these blessings upon us : for so they do in the church of rome , as is evident , beyond all denyal , from several of their prayers in their most publick and authentick liturgies . they would indeed fain palliate this matter by telling us , that by these direct & immediate addresses to angels and saints to bestow grace and eternal life upon them , they mean no more but only to pray to them that they would be pleased to intercede with god for these blessings to be bestowed upon them by their mediation : but if they meane no more , why do they say more then they meane ? why do they use such expressions as to the common sense and understanding of mankind do signify a great deal more than they say they mean ; such expressions , as they themselves do acknowledge , if they be understood according to the most obvious sense of the words , would render them guilty of flat idolatry ? especially when they know , that they are charged with idolatry upon this account ; and since to cleare themselves of it they will not alter their prayers , they justly lye under the suspition of it . and yet admitting what they say in this matter to be true , and that by these expressions in their prayers they intend no more but the solemn invocation of angels and saints that they would intercede with god to bestow these blessings upon them for the sake of their merits , and upon their mediation : yet this surely is a great deal too much , and cannot be done without a high entrenchment upon the office of the onely mediatour between god and man , the man christ jesus : but let them not deceive themselves , god is not mocked : the lord our god is a jealous god , and he will not give his glory to another . i have not yet instanced in the grossest part of their superstition , not to say downright idolatry , in this kind ; i mean , in their extravagant worship of the blessed virgin and mother of our lord ; whom they blasphemously call the queen of heaven ; and whom by a new style , unknown to the scriptures and primitive antiquity , they think to dignify with the modish title of our lady ; as if that could be any addition of honour to her , whom the angel declared to be blessed among women : who , if she know any thing of the follies of her worshippers here below , with what disdain and indignation , do we think she heares those infinite prayers that are made to her , and that sacrilegious worship which is given her in that church , and which makes both pages of their religion ; and which for the frequency of it , both in their publick and private devotions , is very much beyond what they give to god and christ ? as if there were none in heaven but she , nor any thing upon earth to be worshipped in comparison of her image . nay so far have they carryed this extravagant folly , and how much farther they would have carryed it , had not the reformation given a check to it , god only knows : so far , i say , have they proceeded in this folly , as , in that famous book of their devotions called our ladyes psalter , not only to apply to her some part of this psalm out of which i have taken my text , beginning it thus , how good is god to israel , to them that worship his b. mother ? but they have likewise profanely burlesqued , i cannot afford it a better terme , this whole book of psalms , applying to her almost the highest things that are there said concerning god and our blessed saviour . heare , o heavens , and give eare o earth , and be ye horribly astonished , to see the best and wisest religion in the world transform'd into superstition and folly ; and to see the most learned persons in that communion set themselves in good earnest to justify all these follyes and absurdities by a grave and groundless pretence to infallibility . thirdly and lastly , this shews us how necessary the favour of god is to every mans happiness : and there is but one way to gain his friendship and favour , by becoming holy and good as he is : then may we rejoice and glory in god , as the psalmist here does , and say , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . a wicked man dreads god above all things in the world , and he has great reason to do so : for he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him : the foolish shall not stand in his sight , he hateth all the workers of iniquity . when by sin we depart from god , we forsake our own happiness : salvation is far from the wicked , says david . and againe , a little after the text , they that are far from thee shall perish , but it is good for me to draw near to god : now by holyness and goodness we draw near to him , who alone can make us happy . it is certainly the common interest of mankind there should be a god , because we cannot possibly be happy without him : but then it is no mans interest to be wicked , because thereby we make him our enemy in whose favour is life , and upon whom all our hopes of happyness do depend . to conclude , if we would have god for our happiness , we must be sure to make him our friend ▪ and then we may promise to our selves all those advantages which the friendship of so great and powerful a patron can give us : and there is but one way to establish a firm friendship between god and us , and that is , by doing his will , and living in obedience to his laws : ye are my friends , saith our blessed lord , if ye do whatsoever i command you : this is the love of god , saith st. john , that we keep his commandments : and to love god is the way to be made partakers of those glorious things which god hath prepared for them that love him : such as eye hath not seen , nor eare heard , neither have entred into the heart of man : which god of his infinite goodness grant we may all at last be made partakers of , for his mercies sake in jesus christ ; to whom with thee o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , both now and for ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e v. . v. . v. . v. . v. . v. . v. . v. . v. , . v. . v. . psal. . , , . rom. . . v. , . prov. . . . &c. isa. . . ps. . , , . psal. . a sermon preach'd before the honourable house of commons, on wednesday the th of april, a day appointed by their majesties, for a solemn monthly fast by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preach'd before the honourable house of commons, on wednesday the th of april, a day appointed by their majesties, for a solemn monthly fast by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., william rogers ..., and john tillotson ..., london : . marginal notes. advertisement: p. [ ] at end. half-title: dr. tillotson's fast-sermon before the house of commons, april , . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- ecclesiastes ix, -- sermons. fast-day sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dr. tillotson's fast-sermon before the house of commons , april . . jovis die april . . ordered , that the thanks of this house be given to dr. tillotson , dean of st. pauls , for the sermon preached before this house yesterday ; and that he be desired to print the same ; and that sir edmund jenings do acquaint him therewith . paul jodrell , cler. dom. com. a sermon preach'd before the honourable house of commons , on wednesday the th of april : a day appointed by their majesties , for a solemn monthly fast. by john tillotson , d. d. dean of st. pauls , and clerk of the closet to his majesty . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons in cornhill ; william rogers , at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet ; and john tillotson , bookseller in london . m dc xc . ecclesiastes ix . . i returned , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , nor yet bread to the wise , nor yet riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happeneth to them all . next to the acknowledgment of god's being , nothing is more essential to religion , than the belief of his providence , and a constant dependence upon him , as the great governour of the world , and the wise disposer of all the affairs and concernments of the children of men : and nothing can be a greater argument of providence , than that there is such an order of causes laid in nature , that in ordinary course every thing does usually attain its end ; and yet that there is such a mixture of contingency , as that now and then we cannot tell how nor why , the most likely causes do deceive us , and fail of producing their usual effects . for if there be a god and a providence , it is reasonable that things should be thus : because a providence does suppose all things to have been at first wisely fram'd , and with a fi●ness to attain their end ; but yet it does also suppose that god hath reserved to himself a power and liberty to interpose , and to cross as he pleases , the usual course of things ; to awaken men to the consideration of him , and a continual dependance upon him ; and to teach us to ascribe those things to his wise disposal , which , if we never saw any change , we should be apt to impute to blind necessity . and therefore the wise-man , to bring us to an acknowledgment of the divine providence , tells us that thus he had observed things to be in this world ; that though they generally happen according to the probability of second causes , yet sometimes they fall out quite otherwise , i returned , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , &c. the connexion of which words , with the foregoing discourse , is briefly this . among many other observations which the wise preacher makes in this sermon of the vanity and uncertainty of all things in this world , and of the mistakes of men about them , he takes notice here in the text , and in the verse before it , of two extremes of human life : some , because of the uncertainty of all worldly things , cast off all care and diligence , and neglect the use of proper and probable means ; having found by experience , that when men have done all they can , they many times fail of their end , and are disappointed they know not how : others , on the contrary , rely so much upon their own skill and industry , as to promise success to themselves in all their undertakings ; and presume so much upon second causes , as if no consideration at all were to be had of the first . the wise preacher reproves both these extremes , and shews the folly and vanity of them . on the one hand , of those who sit still , and will use no care and endeavour , because it may all happen to be disappointed , and to fail of success : not considering , that though prudent care and diligence will not always do the business , yet there is nothing to be done without them , in the ordinary course of things ; and that , in the order of second causes , these are the most likely and effectual means to any end : and therefore , rejecting this lazy principle , he counsels men , whatever they propose to themselves , to be very diligent and vigorous in the use of proper means for the attainment of it ; in the verse immediately before the text , whatever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thy might . but then he observes also , as great a folly and vanity on the other hand ; that they who manage their affairs with great wisdom and industry , are apt to presume and reckon upon the certain success of them , without taking into consideration that which in all human affairs is most considerable , the favour and blessing of that almighty and wise providence which rules the world ; i returned , says he , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , &c. i returned and saw , that is , having consider'd on the one hand the folly of sloth and carelessness , i turned mine eyes the other way , and saw as great an errour on the other hand ; in mens presuming too much upon their own diligence and conduct , without taking notice of the providence of god. for i have found , says solomon , by manifold observation , that the success of things does not always answer the probability of second causes and means . so that the sum of the preacher's advice is this : when thou propoundest any end to thy self , be diligent and vigorous in the use of means ; and when thou hast done all , look above and beyond these to a superior cause which over-rules , and steers , and stops as he pleases , all the motions and activity of second causes : and be not confident that all things are ever so wisely and firmly laid , that they cannot fail of success . for the providence of god doth many times step in , to divert the most probable event of things , and to turn it quite another way : and whenever he pleaseth to do so , the most strong and likely means do fall lame , or stumble , or by some accident or other come short of their end . i returned , and saw under the sun , that is , here below , in this inferior world. that the race is not to the swift : this the chaldee paraphrast does understand with relation to warlike affairs , i beheld , says he , and saw , that they who are swift as eagles do not always escape in the day of battel . but i chuse rather to understand the words in their more obvious sense , that in a race many things may happen to hinder him that is swiftest from winning it . nor the battel to the strong ; that is , victory and success in war do not always attend the greatest force and preparations , nor doth that side which in humane estimation is strongest , always prevail and get the better . nor yet bread to the wise ; neque doctorum panem esse , so some render the words , that learned men are not always secured against poverty and want . nor yet riches to men of understanding , for so some interpreters translate the words , neque industriis divitias esse , that those who take most pains do not always get the greatest estates . nor yet favour to men of skill ; that is , to those who understand men and business , and how to apply themselves dextrously to the inclinations and interests of princes and great men . others interpret these words more generally , neque peritorum artificum esse gratiam , that those who excell most in their several arts and professions do not always meet with suitable encouragement : but because the word , which is here render'd favour , is so frequently us'd by solomon for the favour of princes , the former sense seems to be more easie and natural . but time and chance happeneth to them all ; that is , saith aben ezra , there is a secret providence of god which sometimes presents men with unexpected opportunities , and interposeth accidents which no human wisdom could foresee : which gives success to very unlikely means , and defeats the swift , and the strong , and the learned , and the industrious , and them that are best vers'd in men and business , of their several ends and designs . it sometimes falls out , that he that is swiftest , by a fall , or by fainting , or by some other unlucky accident may lose the race . it sometimes happens , that a much smaller and weaker number , by the advantage of ground , or of a pass ; by a stratagem , or by a sudden surprise , or by some other accident and opportunity , may be victorious over a much greater force . and that an unlearned man , in comparison , by favour , or friends , or by some happy chance of setting out to the best advantage the little learning he has , before one that hath less , may arrive at great things ; when perhaps at the same time , the man that is a hundred times more learned than he , may be ready to starve . and that men of no great parts and industry may stumble into an estate , and by some casual hit in trade , may attain such a fortune , as the man that hath toil'd and drudg'd all his life shall never be able to reach . and lastly , that a man of no great ambition or design may fall into an opportunity , and by happening upon the mollia tempora fandi , some soft and lucky season of address , may slide into his princes favour , and all on the sudden be hoisted up to that degree of dignity of esteem , as the designing man who hath been laying trains to blow up his rivals , and waiting opportunities all his days to worm others out and to skrew himself in , shall never be able to attain . the words thus explain'd contain this general proposition , which shall be the subject of my following discourse . that in human affairs the most likely means do not always attain their end , nor does the event constantly answer the probability of second causes ; but there is a secret providence which governs and over-rules all things , and does , when it pleases , interpose to defeat the most hopeful and probable designs . in the handling of this proposition i shall do these three things . first , i shall confirm and illustrate the truth of of it , by an induction of the particulars which are instanced in , here in the text. secondly , i shall give some reason and account of this , why the providence of god doth sometimes interpose to hinder and defeat the most probable designs . thirdly , i shall draw some inferences from the whole , suitable to the occasion of this day . in all which i shall endeavour to be as brief as conveniently i can . first , for the confirmation and illustration of this proposition , that the most likely means do not always attain their end ; but there is a secret providence which over-rules and governs all events , and does , when it pleases , interpose to defeat the most probable and hopeful designs . this is the general conclusion which solomon proves by this induction of particulars in the text. and he instanceth in the most probable means for the compassing of the several ends which most men in this world propose to themselves . and the great darlings of mankind are victory , riches , and honour : i do not mention pleasure , because that seems rather to result from the use and enjoyment of the other . now if a man design victory , what more probable means to overcome in a race than swiftness ? what more likely to prevail in war than strength ? if a man aim at riches , what more proper to raise an estate than understanding and industry ? if a man aspire to honour , what more likely to prefer him to the kings favour and service than dexterity and skill in business ? and yet experience shews that these means , as probable as they seem to be , are not always successful for the accomplishment of their several ends . or else we may suppose that solomon by these instances did intend to represent the chief engines and instruments of humane designs and actions . now there are five things more especially , which do eminently qualify a man for any undertaking ; expedition and quickness of dispatch ; strength and force ; providence and forecast ; diligence and industry ; knowledge , and insight into men and business : and some think that solomon did intend to represent these several qualities by the several instances in the text. the race is not to the swift , that is , men of the greatest expedition and dispatch do not always succeed : for we see that men do sometimes out-run business , and make haste to be undone . nor the battel to the strong , that is , neither does force and strength always carry it . nor yet bread to the wise ; which some understand of the provident care and pains of the husband man , whose harvest is not always answerable to his labour and hopes . nor yet riches to men of understanding , or industry ; that is , neither is diligence in business always crown'd with success . nor yet favour to men of skill , that is , neither have they that have the greatest dexterity in the management of affairs always the fortune to rise . and if we take the words in this sence , the thing will come much to one : but i rather approve the first interpretation , as being less forc'd and nearer to the letter . so that the force of solomon's reasoning is this . if the swiftest do not always win the race ; nor the strongest always overcome in war : if knowledg and learning do not always secure men from want ; nor industry always make men rich ; nor political skill always raise men to high place ; nor any other means , that can be instanced in as most probable , do constantly and infallibly succeed : then it must be acknowledg'd that there is some other cause which mingles it self with humane affairs and governs all events ; and which can , and does when it pleases , defeat the most likely , and bring to pass the most improbable designs : and what else can that be imagin'd to be , but the secret and over-ruling providence of almighty god ; when we can find no other , we are very unreasonable if we will not admit this to be the cause of such extraordinary events , but will obstinately impute that to blind necessity or chance which hath such plain characters upon it of a divine power and wisdom . i might be large upon every one of these instances in the text , and illustrate them by pat and lively examples both out of scripture and other histories . but i shall briefly pass over all of them , but the second ; the battel is not to the strong . the race is not to the swift . if we understand this literally , it is obvious to every man to imagine a great many accidents in a race , which may snatch victory from the swiftest runner . if we understand it , as the chaldee paraphrase does , with relation to war , that the swiftest does not always overcome or escape in the day of battel ; of this asahel is an eminent instance , who though he was , as the scripture tells us , light of foot as a wild roe , yet did he not escape the spear of abner . it seems that among the ancients , swiftness was look'd upon as a great qualification in a warriour , both because it serves for a sudden assault and onset , and likewise for that which in civility we call a nimble retreat . and therefore david ; in his poetical lamentation over those two great captains , saul and jonathan , takes particular notice of this warlike quality of theirs ; they were , says he , swifter than eagles , stronger than lyons : and the constant character which homer gives of achilles , one of his principal hero's , is , that he was swift of foot : the poet feigns of him , that by some charm or gift of the gods he was invulnerable in all parts of his body except his heel : and that was the part to which he trusted ; and in that he received his mortal wound : the wise poet hereby instructing us , that many times our greatest danger lies there , where we place our chief confidence and safety . nor yet bread to the wise , or to the learned . the poverty of poets is proverbial ; and there are frequent instances in history of eminently learned persons that have been reduced to great straits and necessities . nor yet riches to men of understanding : by which , whether we understand men of great parts , or of great diligence and industry ; it is obvious to every mans observation , that an ordinary capacity and understanding does usually lie more level to the business of a common trade and profession , than more refin'd and elevated parts ; which lie rather for speculation than practice , and are better fitted for the pleasure and ornament of conversation , than for the toil and drudgery of business : as a fine razor is admirable for cutting hairs , but the dull hatchet much more proper for hewing a hard and knotty piece of timber . and even when parts and industry meet together , they are many times less successful in the raising of a great estate , than men of much lower and slower understandings : because these are apt to admire riches , which is a great spur to industry ; and because they are perpetually intent upon one thing , and mind but one business , from which their thoughts never straggle into vain and useless enquiries after knowledge , or news , or publick affairs ; all which being foreign to their business they leave to those who are , as they are wont to say of them in scorn , more curious and too wise to be rich . nor yet favour to men of skill . all history is full of instances of the casual advancement of men to great favour and honour , when others , who have made it their serious study and business , have fallen short of it . i could give a famous example in this kind , of the manifold and manifest disappointment of a whole order of men : the slyest and most subtile , in their generation , of all the children of this world ; the most politically instituted , and the best studyed and skill'd in the tempers and interests of men ; the most pragmatical , and cunning to insinuate themselves into the intrigues of courts and great families : and who , by long experience , and an universal intelligence , and communicated observations , have reduced humane affairs , at least , as they think , to a certain art and method , and to the most steddy rules that such contingent things are capable of : i believe you all guess before-hand whom i mean , even the honest jesuits : and yet these men of so much art and skill have met with as many checks and disappointments , as any sort of men ever did : they have been discountenanc'd by almost all princes and states , and , one time or other , banish'd out of most of the courts and countreys of europe . and it is no small argument of the divine providence , that so much cunning hath met with so little countenance and success ; and hath been so often , so grosly infatuated , and their counsels turn'd into foolishness . but i promis'd only to mention these , and to insist upon the second instance in the text , i return'd , and saw under the sun , that the battel is not to the strong , to the gibborim , the gyants , for so the hebrew word signifies ; in which solomon might possibly have respect to the history of the israelites subduing the canaanites , a people of great strength and stature , among whom were the gyants , the sons of anak : or more probably , to the famous encounter of his father david with the great goliah . but however that be , the scripture is full of examples to this purpose ; that when the providence of god is pleased to interpose in favour of any side , it becomes victorious ; according to the saying of king asa in his prayer to god , it is nothing with thee to help , whether with many , or with those that have no power . sometimes god hath defeated great armies by plain and apparent miracles : such was the drowning of pharaoh and his host in the red sea ; and the stars fighting in their courses against sisera ; by which poetical expression i suppose is meant sisera's being remarkably defeated by a visible hand from heaven : and such was the destruction of the proud king of assyria's army by an angel , who slew an hundred and fourscoure and five thousand of them in one night . sometimes god does this by more humane ways ; by striking mighty armies with a panick and unaccountable fear ; and sometimes by putting extraordinary spirits and courage into the weaker side , so that an hundred shall chase a thousand , and a thousand shall put ten thousand to flight . this made david so frequently to acknowledg the providence of god , especially in the affairs of war. there is no king saved by the multitude of an host , neither is a mighty man delivered by much strength . and again , i will not trust in my bowe , neither shall my sword save me . and solomon confirms the same observation , there is no wisdom , says he , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. the horse is prepared against the day of battel , but safety , or , as some translations render it victory , is of the lord. gideon , by a very odd stratagem of lamps and pitchers , defeated a very numerous army , only with three hundred men . jonathan and his armour-bearer , by climbing up a rock , and coming suddenly on the back of the philistines camp , struck them with such a terror as put their whole army to flight . king asa , with a much smaller number , defeated that huge ethiopian army which consisted of a million . and how was xerxes his mighty army overthrown , almost by a handful of grecians ? and , to come nearer our selves , how was that formidable fleet of the spaniards , which they presumptuously called invincible , shatter'd and broken in pieces , chiefly by the winds and the sea ? so many accidents are there , especially in war , whereby the divine providence doth sometimes interpose and give victory to the weaker side . and this hath been so apparent in all ages , that even the heathen did always acknowledge , in the affairs of war , a special interposition of fortune ; by which the wiser among them did understand the divine providence . plutarch , speaking of the romans , says , that time and fortune , the very same with solomon's time and chance here in the text , did lay the foundation of their greatness ; by which he ascribes their success to a remarkable providence of god concurring with several happy opportunities . and livy , their great historian , hath this remarkable observation , that in all human affairs , especially in matters of war , fortune hath a mighty stroke . and again , no where , says he , is the event less answerable to expectation than in war ; and therefore nothing is so slight and inconsiderable , which may not turn the scales in a great matter . and caesar himself , who was perhaps the most skilful and prosperous warriour that ever was , makes the same acknowledgment ; as in all other things , says he , so particularly in war , fortune hath a huge sway . and plutarch observes . that there was no temple at rome dedicated to wisdom or valour , but a most magnificent and stately one to fortune ; signifying hereby , that they did ascribe their success infinitely more to the providence of god , than to their own courage and conduct . i proceed now , in the second place , to give some reason and account of this , why the providence of god doth sometimes thus interpose to hinder and defeat the most probable designs of men . to bring men to an acknowledgment of his providence , and of their dependence upon him , and subordination to him ; and that he is the great governour of the world , and rules in the kingdoms of men ; and that all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing to him , and the power of second causes inconsiderable : that he doth according to his will , in the armies of heaven , and among the inhabitants of the earth , and none may stay his hand , or say unto him what dost thou . god hath so order'd things , in the administration of the affairs of the world , as to encourage the use of means ; and yet so , as to keep men in a continual dependence upon him for the efficacy and success of them : to encourage industry and prudence , god generally permits things to their natural course , and to fall out according to the power and probability of second causes . but then , lest men should cast off religion , and deny the god that is above ; lest they should trust in their sword and their bowe , and say , the lord hath not done this ; lest men should look upon themselves as the creators and framers of their own fortune , and when they do but a little outstrip others in wisdom or power , in the skill and conduct of humane affairs , they should grow proud and presumptuous , god is pleased sometimes more remarkably to interpose , to hide pride from man , as the expression is in job ; to check the haughtiness and insolence of mens spirits , and to keep them within the bounds of modesty and humility ; to make us to know that we are but men , and that the reins of the world are not in our hands , but that there is one above who sways and governs all things here below . and indeed if we should suppose , in the first frame of things which we call nature , an immutable order to be fix'd , and all things to go on in a constant course , according to the power and force of second causes , without any interposition of providence to stop , or alter that course , upon any occasion : in this case , the foundation of a great part of religion , but especially of prayer to god would be quite taken away : upon this supposition , it would be the vainest thing in the world to pray to god for the good success of our undertakings , or to acknowledge him as the author of it : for if god do only look on , and permit all things to proceed in a settled and establish'd course ; then instead of praying to god we ought to ply the means , and to make the best provision and preparation we can for the effecting of what we desire ; and to rely upon that , without taking god at all into our counsel and consideration . for all application to god by prayer doth evidently suppose , that the providence of god does frequently interpose , to over-rule events besides and beyond the natural and ordinary course of things , and to steer them to a quite different point , from that to which in human probability they seem'd to tend . so that it is every whit as necessary to religion to believe the providence of god , and that he governs the world , and does when he pleases , interpose in the affairs of it , as that he made it at first . i come now in the third and last place , to make some inferences , suitable to the occasion of this day , from what hath been said upon this argument : and they shall be these . first , from hence we may learn , not to account religion , and time spent in the service of god , and in prayer to him for his blessing upon our endeavours , to be any hindrance to our affairs . for after we have done all we can , the event is still in gods hand , and rests upon the disposal of his providence . and did men firmly believe this , they would not neglect the duty of prayer , and behave themselves so carelesly , and unconcernedly , and irreverently in it , as we see too many do ; they would not look upon every hour that is spent in devotion as lost from their business . if men would but take a view of what happen'd to them in the course of a long life , i believe most of us would see reason to acknowledge , that our prosperity and success in any kind hath depended more upon happy opportunities , upon undesign'd and unexpected occurrences , than upon our own prudent forecast and conduct . and if this were well consider'd by us , we should not methinks be so apt to leave god out of our counsels and undertakings , as if he were a meer name and cypher in the world. it is , i am sure , the advice of one that was much wiser and more experienc'd , than any of us will pretend to be , i mean , solomon , trust in the lord with all thine heart , and leane not to thine own understanding : in all thy ways acknowledge him , and he shall direct thy paths : be not wise in thine own eyes , fear the lord and depart from evil . there is no principle that ought more firmly to be believed by us than this , that to live under a constant sense and awe of almighty god , to depend upon his providence , and to seek his favour and blessing upon all our designs , being fearful to offend him and careful to please him , is a much nearer and surer way to success , than our own best prudence and preparations . and therefore at such a time , more especially , when we are going to war , or engaged in it , we should break off our sins by repentance and the sincere resolution of a better course : we should earnestly implore the blessing of god upon our undertakings ; and not only take great care that our cause be just , but likewise that there be no wicked thing amongst us , to drive god out of our camp ; no accursed thing , that may provoke him to deliver us into the hands of our enemies . it was a particular law given by god to the jews , when the host goeth forth against thine enemy , then keep thy self from every wicked thing ; then , that is , more especially at such a time . and this is a necessary caution , not only to those who are personally engaged in the war , that by the favour of god they may have their heads covered in the day of battel , or if god shall suffer them to fall by the hand of the enemy , that having made their peace before hand with him , they may not only have the comfort of a good cause , but of a good conscience , void of offence towards god and men . but this caution likewise concerns those , who are interested in the success and event of the war ; as we all are , not only in regard of our lives and estates , but of that which ought to be much dearer to us , our religion and the freedom of our consciences ; which are now every whit as much at stake , as our civil interests and liberties . and therefore as we tender any , or all of these , we should be very careful to keep our selves from every wicked thing ; that they who fight for us may not for our sins , and for our sakes , turn their backs in the day of battel , and fall by the sword of the enemy . secondly , from hence we may likewise learn , so to use the means as still to depend upon god ; who can , as he pleases , bless the counsels and endeavours of men , or blast them and make them of none effect . for as god hath promised nothing but to a wise and diligent use of means , so all our prudence , and industry , and most careful preparations may miscarry , if he do not favour our design : for without him nothing is wise , nothing is strong , nothing is able to reach and attain its end . we should indeed use the means as vigorously , as if god did nothing ; and when we have done so , we should depend upon god for the success of those means , as if we our selves had done nothing , but did expect all from his favour and blessing : for when all is done , we are only safe under his protection , and sure of success from his blessing . for whatever vain and foolish men may say in their hearts , there is , there is a god , that made the world , and administers the affairs of it with great wisdom and goodness ; else how came any of us into being , or what do we here ? did we not most assuredly believe that there is a god , that governs the world and super-intends humane affairs ; the first wish of a wise man would be , to steal out of being , if he could ; and that the same chance or necessity , that brought him into the world , would take the first opportunity to carry him out . for to be every moment liable to present , and great , and certain evils ; and to have no security against the continuance of them , or the return of the same or worse evils ; nor to have any assurance of a better and more durable state of rest and happiness hereafter , is in truth so very melancholy a meditation , that i do not know any consideration in the world that is of force and power enough to support the mind of man under it : and were there not in the world a being , that is wiser , and better , and more powerful than our selves , and that keeps things from running into endless confusion and disorder ; a being that loves us , and takes care of us , and that will certainly consider and reward all the good that we do , and all the evil that we suffer upon his account , i do not see what reason any man could have to take any comfort and joy in being , or to wish the continuance of it for one moment . thirdly and lastly , the consideration of what hath been said upon this argument , should keep us from being too sanguine and confident of the most likely designs and undertakings ; because these do not alwayes answer the probability of second causes and means ; and never less , than when we do with the greatest confidence rely upon them ; when we promise most to our selves from them , then are they most likely to deceive us : they are , as the prophet compares them , like a broken reed , which a man may walk with in his hand , whilst he layes no great stress upon it ; but if he trust to it , and lean his whole weight on it , it will not only fail him , but even pierce him through . and we cannot do a greater prejudice to our affairs , when they are in the most hopeful and likely condition to succeed and do well , than to shut god and his providence out of our counsels and consideration . when we pass god by , and take no notice of him , but will rely upon our own wisdom and strength , we provoke him to leave us in the hands of our own counsel , and to let us see what weak and foolish creatures we are : and a man is never in greater danger of drowning , than when he clasps his arms closest about himself : besides , that god loves to resist the self-confident and presumptuous , and to scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts . and as in all our concernments we ought to have a great regard to god , the supreme disposer of all things , and earnestly to seek his favour and blessing upon all our undertakings , so more especially in the affairs of war ; in which the providence of god is pleas'd many times in a very peculiar manner to interpose and interest it self : and there is great reason to think he does so ; because all war is , as it were , an appeal to god , and a reference of those causes to the decision of his providence , which through the pride , and injustice , and perverse passions of men , can receive no other determination . and here god loves to shew himself , and in an eminent manner to take part with right and justice against those mighty oppressours of the earth , who like an overflowing flood would bear down all before them : in this case , the providence of god is sometimes pleas'd to give a remarkable check to great power and violence , and to one that vainly gives out himself not unequal to the whole world , by very weak and conttemptible means ; and , as the apostle elegantly expresseth it , by the things which are not , to bring to nought the things that are : and to say to him , as god once did to the proud king of assyria : whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed , and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice , and lifted up thine eyes on high ? even against the holy one of israel . hast thou not heard long ago , that i have done it ; and of ancient times that i have formed it ? now have i brought it to pass , that thou shouldest be to lay wast defenced cities into ruinous heaps : therefore their inhabitants were of small power , they were dismayed and confounded , &c. but i know thy abode , and thy going out , and thy coming in , and thy rage against me : because thy rage against me , and thy tumult is come up into mine ears , therefore will i put my hook into thy nose , and my bridle into thy lips , and i will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest . — the zeal of the lord of hosts shall do this . but more especially , in vindication of his oppressed truth and religion , and in the great and signal deliverances of his church and people , god is wont to take the conduct of affairs into his own hands , and not to proceed by humane rules and measures : he then bids second causes to stand by , that his own arm may be seen , and his salvation may appear : he raiseth the spirits of men above their natural pitch , and giveth power to the faint , and to them that have no might he increaseth strength , as the prophet expresseth it . thus hath the providence of god very visibly appear'd in our late deliverance ; in such a manner , as i know not whether he ever did for any other nation , except the people of israel , when he delivered them from the house of bondage by so mighty a hand and so outstretched an arm : and yet too many among us , i speak it this day to our shame , do not seem to have the least sense of this great deliverance , or of the hand of god which was so visible in it ; but like the children of israel when they were brought out of egypt , we are full of murmurings and discontent against god the author , and his servant the happy instrument under god of this our deliverance . what the prophet sayes of that people , may i fear be too justly apply'd to us , let favour be shewn to the wicked , yet will he not learn righteousness ; in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly , and will not behold the majesty of the lord : lord , when thy hand is lifted up , they will not see ; but they shall see , and be ashamed : and i hope i may add that which follows in the next verse , lord , thou wilt ordain peace for us ; for thou also hast wrought all our works for us . what god hath already done for our deliverance is , i hope , an earnest that he will carry it on to a perfect peace and settlement ; and this , notwithstanding our high provocations and horrible ingratitude to the god of our life , and of our salvation . and when ever the providence of god thinks fit thus to interpose in humane affairs , the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong : for which reason their majesties , in their great piety and wisdom , and from a just sense of the providence of almighty god , which rules in the kingdoms of men , have thought fit to set apart this day for solemn repentance and humiliation : that the many and heinous sins , which we in this nation have been , and still are guilty of , and which are of all other our greatest and most dangerous enemies , may not separate between god and us , and hinder good things from us , and cover us with confusion in the day of our danger and distress : and likewise , earnestly to implore the favour and blessing of almighty god upon their majesties forces and preparations by sea an land : and more particularly , for the preservation of his majesties sacred person , upon whom so much depends , and who is contented again to hazard himself to save us . to conclude ; there is no such way to engage the providence of god for us , as by real repentance and reformation ; and by doing all we can , in our several places from the highest to the lowest , by the provision of wise and effectual laws for the discountenancing and suppressing of profaneness and vice , and by the careful and due execution of them , and by the more kindly and powerful influence of a good example , to retrieve the ancient piety and virtue of the nation : for without this , what ever we may think of the firmness of our present settlement , we cannot long be upon good terms with almighty god , upon whose favour depends the prosperity and stability of the present and future times . i have but one thing more to mind you of ; and that is , to stir up your charity towards the poor ; which is likewise a great part of the duty of this day , and which ought alwayes to accompany our prayers and fastings : thy prayers and thine almes , saith the angel to cornelius , are come up before god : and therefore if we desire that our prayers should reach heaven , and receive a gracious answer from god , we must send up our almes along with them . and instead of all other arguments to this purpose , i shall only recite to you the plain and persuasive words of god himself , in which he declares what kind of fast is acceptable to him : is it such a fast as i have chosen . a day for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head as a bullrush , to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast , and an acceptable day to the lord ? is not this the fast that i have chosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness , and to undo the heavy burthens , and to let the oppressed go free , and that ye break every yoke : is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house ; when thou seest the naked that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh . then shall thy light break forth as the morning , and thy salvation shall spring forth speedily ; thy righteousnes , or thine alms , shall go before thee , and the glory of the lord shall be thy rere-ward : then shalt thou call , and i will answer thee ; thou shalt cry , and he shall say , here i am . now to him that sitteth upon the throne , and to the lamb that was slain : to god , even our father , and to our lord jesus christ , the first begotten from the dead , and the prince of the kings of the earth : unto him , who hath loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood ; and hath made us kings and priests unto god and his father : to him be glory and dominion , for ever and ever , amen . and the god of peace , that brought again from the dead our lord jesus , that great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work to do his will , working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight ; through jesus christ , to whom be glory , for ever and ever , amen . finis . books published by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of st. pauls . thirty sermons and discourses upon several occasions , in three volumes , in octavo . the rule of faith ; or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. serjeant , by dr. tillotson . to which is adjoyned , a reply to mr. j. s. his third appendix , &c. by edw. stillingfleet , d. d. late dean of st. paul's , now the right reverend bishop of worcester . octavo . a discourse against transubstantiation , in . price d. a persuasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper , in . price d. a sermon preached at lincolns-inn-chappel on the st of january . being appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrment of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power . to . a sermon preached before the queen at whitehall . to . a sermon preached before the king and queen at hampton-court . to . a sermon preached before the queen march th printed for b. aylmer and w. rogers . a practical discourse concerning death , by vvilliam sherlock , d. d. master of the temple . the third edition , . printed for vv. rogers . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ● chr. . . psal. . . psal. . . prov. . , . ii. iii. prov. . , . deut. . . isa. . , , , , , . isa. . , . isai. . , , &c. the last sermon of his grace john late lord archbishop of canterbury preach'd before the king and queen at white-hall, february th, / / together with his grace's sermon on phil. . . for our conversation is in heaven. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the last sermon of his grace john late lord archbishop of canterbury preach'd before the king and queen at white-hall, february th, / / together with his grace's sermon on phil. . . for our conversation is in heaven. tillotson, john, - . , [ ] p. printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal-exchange in cornhill; and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet, london : mdcxcv. [ ] john late lord archbishop of caterbury = john tillotson. after date in imprint: price d. first and last leaves are advertisements. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion advertisement . whereas several sermons of his grace john late lord archbishop of canterbury , imperfectly taken from him in short-hand , may be surreptitiously printed : this is to give notice , that there is nothing of his grace's design'd for the press at present ; and that when there is , it will be advertiz'd in the gazette . the last sermon of his grace john late lord archbishop of canterbury . preach'd before the king and queen at white-hall , february th , / . together with his grace's sermon on phil. . . for our conversation is in heaven . london : printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal-exchange in cornhill ; and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . mdcxcv . price d. the last sermon of his grace john late lord archbishop of canterbury . tit. iii. . to speak evil of no man. general persuasives to repentance and a good life , and invectives against sin and wickedness at large , are certainly of good use to recommend religion and virtue , and to expose the deformity and danger of a vicious course . but it must be acknowleged on the other hand , that these general discourses do not so immediately tend to reform the lives of men : because they fall among the croud , but do not touch the consciences of particular persons in so sensible and awakening a manner as when we treat of particular duties and sins , and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one , and to reclaim them from the other , by proper arguments taken from the word of god , and from the nature of particular vertues and vices . the general way is , as if a physician , instead of applying particular remedies to the distemper of his patient , should entertain him with a long discourse of diseases in general , and of the pleasure and advantages of health ; and earnestly persuade him to be well ; without taking his particular disease into consideration , and prescribing remedies for it . but if we would effectually reform men , we must take to task the great and common disorders of their lives , and represent their faults to them in such a manner as may convince them of the evil and danger of them , and put them upon the endeavour of a cure . and to this end i have pitched upon one of the common and reigning vices of the age , calumny and evil-speaking ; by which men contract so much guilt to themselves , and create so much trouble to others : and from which , it is to be feared , few or none are wholly free . for who is he , saith the son of sirach , that hath not offended with his tongue ? ecclus. . . in many things , saith st. james , james . . we offend all : and if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. but how few have attain'd to this perfection ? and yet unless we do endeavour after it , and in some good measure attain it , all our pretence to religion is vain : so the same apostle tells us , james . . if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . for the more distinct handling of this argument , i shall reduce my discourse to these five heads . first , i shall consider the nature of this vice , and wherein it consists . secondly , i shall consider the due extent of this prohibition , to speak evil of no man. thirdly , i shall shew the evil of this practice , both in the causes and effects of it . fourthly , i shall add some further considerations to dissuade men from it . fifthly , i shall give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of it . i. i shall consider what this sin or vice of evil speaking , here forbidden by the apostle , is : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not to defame and slander any man , not to hurt his reputation , as the etymology of the word doth import . so that this vice consists in saying things of others which tend to their disparagement and reproach , to the taking away or lessening of their reputation and good name . and this , whether the things said be true or not . if they be false , and we know it , then it is downright calumny ; and if we do not know it , but take it upon the report of others , it is however a slander ; and so much the more injurious , because really groundless and undeserved . if the thing be true , and we know it to be so , yet it is a defamation , and tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation : and it is a fault to say the evil of others which is true , unless there be some good reason for it besides : because it is contrary to that charity and goodness which christianity requires , to divulge the faults of others , though they be really guilty of them , without necessity or some other very good reason for it . again , it is evil-speaking and the vice condemn'd in the text , whether we be the first authors of an ill report , or relate it from others ; because the man that is evil spoken of is equally defam'd either way . again , whether we speak evil of a man to his face , or behind his back : the former way indeed seems to be the more generous , but yet is a great fault , and that which we call reviling : the latter is more mean and base , and that which we properly call slander or backbiting . and lastly , whether it be done directly and in express terms , or more obscurely and by way of oblique insinuation ; whether by way of downright reproach , or with some crafty preface of commendation : for so it have the effect to defame , the manner of address does not much alter the case : the one may be more dextrous , but is not one jot less faulty : for many times the deepest wounds are given by these smoother and more artificial ways of slander ; as by asking questions , have you not heard so and so of such a man ? i say no more , i only ask the question : or by general intimations , that they are loth to say what they have heard of such a one , are very sorry for it , and do not at all believe it , if you will believe them ; and this many times without telling the thing , but leaving you in the dark to suspect the worst . these and such like arts , though they may seem to be tenderer and gentler ways of using mens reputation , yet in truth they are the most malicious and effectual methods of slander ; because they insinuate something that is much worse than is said , and yet are very apt to create in unwary men a strong belief of something that is very bad , though they know not what it is . so that it matters not in what fashion a slander is dress'd up , if it tend to defame a man and to diminish his reputation , it is the sin forbidden in the text. ii. we will consider the extent of this prohibition to speak evil of no man ; and the due bounds and limitations of it . for it is not to be understood absolutely , to forbid us to say any thing concerning others that is bad . this in some cases may be necessary and our duty , and in several cases very fit and reasonable . the question is , in what cases by the general rules of scripture and right reason we are warranted to say the evil of others that is true ? in general , we are not to do this without great reason and necessity ; as , for the prevention of some great evil , or the procuring of some considerable good to our selves , or others . and this i take to be the meaning of that advice of the son of sirach , eccl. . . whether it be to a friend or a foe , talk not of other mens lives ; and if thou canst without offence reveal them not ; that is , if without hurt to any body thou canst conceal them , divulge them not . but because this may not be direction sufficient , i shall instance in some of the principal cases wherein men are warranted to speak evil of others , and yet in so doing do not offend against this prohibition in the text. first , it is not only lawful , but very commendable , and many times our duty to do this in order to the probable amendment of the person of whom evil is spoken . in such a case we may tell a man of his faults privately ; or where it may not be so fit for us to use that boldness and freedom , we may reveal his faults to one who is more fit and proper to reprove him , and will probably make no other use of this discovery but in order to his amendment . and this is so far from being a breach of charity , that it is one of the best testimonies of it . for perhaps the party may not be guilty of what hath been reported of him , and then it is a kindness to give him the opportunity of vindicating himself : or if he be guilty , perhaps being privately and prudently told of it he may reform . in this case the son of sirach adviseth to reveal men's faults ; ecclus. . , , . admonish a friend , says he , it may be he hath not done it ; and if he have done it , that he do it no more : admonish a friend , it may be he hath not said it ; and if he have , that he speak it not again : admonish a friend , for many times it is a slander ; and believe not every tale . but then we must take care that this be done out of kindness , and that nothing of our own passion be mingled with it ; and that under pretence of reproving and reforming men , we do not reproach and revile them , and tell them of their faults in such a manner as if we did it to shew our authority rather than our charity . it requires a great deal of address and gentle application so to manage the business of reproof , as not to irritate and exasperate the person whom we reprove , instead of curing him . secondly , this likewise is not only lawful , but our duty , when we are legally called to bear witness concerning the fault and crime of another . a good man would not be an accuser , unless the publick good , or the prevention of some great evil should require it . and then the plain reason of the thing will sufficiently justifie a voluntary accusation : otherwise it hath always among well-manner'd people been esteemed very odious for a man to be officious in this kind , and a forward informer concerning the misdemeanors of others . magistrates may sometimes think it fit to give encouragement to such persons , and to set one bad man to catch another , because such men are fittest for such dirty work : but they can never inwardly approve them , nor will they ever make them their friends and confidents . but when a man is call'd to give testimony in this kind in obedience to the laws , and out of reverence to the oath taken in such cases , he is so far from deserving blame for so doing , that it would be an unpardonable fault in him to conceal the truth , or any part of it . thirdly , it is lawful to publish the faults of others in our own necessary defence and vindication . when a man cannot conceal another's faults without betraying his own innocency , no charity requires a man to suffer himself to be defamed to save the reputation of another man. charity begins at home ; and though a man had never so much goodness , he would first secure his own good name , and then be concern'd for other men's . we are to love our neighbour as our selves ; so that the love of our selves is the rule and measure of our love to our neighbour : and therefore first , otherwise it could not be the rule . and it would be very well for the world , if our charity would rise thus high ; and no man would hurt another man's reputation , but where his own is in real danger . fourthly , this also is lawful for caution and warning to a third person , that is in danger to be infected by the company , or ill example of another ; or may be greatly prejudiced by reposing too much confidence in him , having no knowledge or suspicion of his bad qualities : but even in this case we ought to take great care that the ill character we give of any man be spread no further than is necessary to the good end we designed in it . besides these more obvious and remarkable cases , this prohibition doth not i think hinder but that in ordinary conversation men may mention that ill of others which is already made as publick as it well can be : or that one friend may not in freedom speak to another of the miscarriage of a third person , where he is secure no ill use will be made of it , and that it will go no further to his prejudice : provided always , that we take no delight in hearing or speaking ill of others : and the less we do it , though without any malice or design of harm , still the better ; because this shews that we do not feed upon ill reports and take pleasure in them . these are the usual cases in which it may be necessary for us to speak evil of other men . and these are so evidently reasonable that the prohibition in the text cannot with reason be extended to them . and if no man would allow himself to say any thing to the prejudice of another man's good name , but in these and the like cases , the tongues of men would be very innocent , and the world would be very quiet . i proceed in the iiid . place to consider the evil of this practice , both in the causes and the consequences of it . first , we will consider the causes of it . and it commonly springs from one or more of these evil roots . first , one of the deepest and most common causes of evil-speaking is ill-nature and cruelty of disposition : and by a general mistake ill-nature passeth for wit , as cunning doth for wisdom ; tho in truth they are nothing a-kin to one another , but as far distant as vice and vertue . and there is no greater evidence of the bad temper of mankind , than the general proneness of men to this vice. for ( as our saviour says ) out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . and therefore men do commonly incline to the censorious and uncharitable side : which shews humane nature to be strangely distorted from its original rectitude and innocency . the wit of man doth more naturally vent it self in satyr and censure , than in praise and panegyrick . when men set themselves to commend , it comes hardly from them , and not without great force and straining ; and if any thing be fitly said in that kind , it doth hardly relish with most men : but in the way of invective , the invention of men is a plentiful and never-failing spring : and this kind of wit is not more easie than it is acceptable : it is greedily entertained and greatly applauded , and every man is glad to hear others abused , not considering how soon it may come to his own turn to lie down and make sport for others . to speak evil of others , is almost become the general entertainment of all companies : and the great and serious business of most meetings and visits , after the necessary ceremonies and complements are over , is to sit down and back-bite all the world. 't is the sawce of conversation , and all discourse is counted but flat and dull which hath not something of piquancy and sharpness in it against some body . for men generally love rather to hear evil of others than good , and are secretly pleas'd with ill reports , and drink them in with greediness and delight : though at the same time they have so much justice , as to hate those that propagate them ; and so much wit , as to conclude that these very persons will do the same for them in another place and company . but especially , if it concerns one of another party , and that differs from us in matters of religion ; in this case , all parties seem to be agreed that they do god great service in blasting the reputation of their adversaries : and tho they all pretend to be christiams , and the disciples of him who taught nothing but kindness and meekness and charity ; yet it is strange to see with what a salvage and murderous disposition they will flie at one another's reputation and tear it in pieces : and what-ever other scruples they may have , they make none to bespatter one another in the most bitter and slanderous manner . but if they hear any good of their adversaries , with what nicety and caution do they receive it ? how many objections do they raise against it ? and with what coldness do they at last admit it ? it is very well , say they , if it be true : i shall be glad to hear it confirm'd . i never heard so much good of him before . you are a good man your self , but have a care you be not deceived . nay it is well , if to balance the matter , and set things even , they do not clap some infirmity and fault into the other scale , that so the enemy may not go off with flying colours . but on the other side , every man is a good and substantial author of an ill report . i do not apply this to any one sort of men , though all are to blame in this way ; iliacos intra muros peccatur , & extra . to speak impartially , the zealots of all parties have got a scurvy trick of lying for the truth . but of all sorts of people , i have observed the priests and bigots of the church of rome to be the ablest in this way , and to have the strongest faith for a lusty falshood and calumny . others will bandy a false report , and toss it from one hand to another ; but i never knew any that would so hug a lye and be so very fond of it . they seem to be described by st. john in that expression in the revelation , whosoever loveth and maketh a lye . another shrewd sign that ill-nature lies at the root of this vice is , that we easily forget the good that is said of others , and seldom make mention of it ; but the contrary sticks with us , and lies uppermost in our memories , and is ready to come out upon all occasions : and which is yet more ill-natur'd and unjust , many times when we do not believe it our selves we tell it to others , with this charitable caution , that we hope it is not true . but in the mean time we give it our pass , and venture it to take its fortune to be believed or not , according to the charity of those into whose hands it comes . secondly , another cause of the commonness of this vice is , that many are so bad themselves , in one kind or other . for to think and speak ill of others is not only a bad thing , but a sign of a bad man. our blessed saviour , speaking of the evil of the last days , gives this as the reason of the great decay of charity among men ; because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold , matth. . . when men are bad themselves , they are glad of any opportunity to censure others , and are always apt to suspect that evil of other men which they know by themselves . they cannot have a good opinion of themselves , and therefore are very unwilling to have so of any body else ; and for this reason they endeavour to bring men to a level , hoping it will be some justification of them if they can but render others as bad as themselves . thirdly , another source of this vice is malice and revenge . when men are in heat and passion they do not consider what is true , but what is spiteful and mischievous ; and speak evil of others in revenge of some injury which they have received from them : and when they are blinded by their passions , they lay about them madly and at a venture , not much caring whether the evil they speak be true or not . nay many are so devilish , as to invent and raise false reports on purpose to blast mens reputation . this is a diabolical temper , and therefore st. james tells us that the slanderous tongue is set on fire of hell : and the devil hath his very name from calumny and false accusation ; and it is his nature too , for he is always ready to stir up and foment this evil spirit among men : nay , the scripture tells us that he hath the malice and impudence to accuse good men before god ; as he did job , charging him with hypocrisie to god himself ; who , he knows , does know the hearts of all the children of men . fourthly , another cause of evil-speaking is envy . men look with an evil eye upon the good that is in others , and think that their reputation obscures them , and that their commendable qualities do stand in their light ; and therefore they do what they can to cast a cloud over them , that the bright shining of their vertues may not scorch them . this makes them greedily to entertain , and industriously to publish any thing that may serve to that purpose , thereby to raise themselves upon the ruins of other men's reputation : and therefore as soon as they have got an ill report of any good man by the end , to work they presently go to send it abroad by the first post : for the string is always ready upon their bow to let fly this arrow with an incredible swiftness , through city and country ; for fear the innocent man's justification should over-take it . fifthly , another cause of evil-speaking is impertinence and curiosity ; an itch of talking and medling in the affairs of other men , which do nowise concern them . some persons love to mingle themselves in all business , and are loth to seem ignorannt of so important a piece of news as the faults and ●●●ies of men , or any bad thing that is talk'd of 〈◊〉 good company . and therefore they do with great care pick up ill stories , as good matter of discourse in the next company that is worthy of them : and this perhaps not out of any great malice , but for want of something better to talk of , and because their parts lie chiefly that way . lastly , men do this many times out of wantonness and for diversion . so little do light and vain men consider , that a man's reputation is too great and tender a concernment to be jested withal ; and that a slanderous tongue bites like a serpent , and wounds like a sword. for what can be more barbarous , next to sporting with a man's life , than to play with his honour and reputation , which to some men is dearer to them than their lives ? it is a cruel pleasure which some men take in worrying the reputation of others much better than themselves ; and this only to divert themselves and the company . solomon compares this sort of men to distracted persons ; as a mad man , saith he , who casteth fire-brands , arrows , and death , so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour ; the lxx . render it , so is the man that defameth his neighbour , and saith , am i not in sport ? such , and so bad are the causes of this vice. i proceed to consider , in the second place , the ordinary , but very pernicious consequences and effects of it ; both to others , and to our selves . first , to others ; the parties i mean that are slandered . to them it is certainly a great injury ; and commonly a high provocation , but always matter of no small grief and trouble to them . it is certainly a great injury , and if the evil which we say of them be not true , it is an injury beyond imagination , and beyond all possible reparation . and though we should do our utmost endeavour afterwards towards their vindication , yet that makes but very little amends ; because the vindication seldom reacheth so far as the reproach , and because commonly men are neither so forward to spread the vindication , nor is it so easily received after ill impressions are once made . the solicitous vindication of a man's self is , at the best , but an after-game ; and for the most part a man had better sit still , than to run the hazard of making the matter worse by playing it . i will add one thing more , that it is an injury that descends to a man's children and posterity ; because the good or ill name of the father is derived down to them ; and many times the best thing he hath to leave them is the reputation of his unblemish'd virtue and worth : and do we make no conscience to rob his innocent children of the best part of this small patrimony , and of all the kindness that would have been done them for their father's sake , if his reputation had not been so undeservedly stain'd ? is it no crime by the breath of our mouth at once to blast a man's reputation , and to ruin his children , perhaps to all posterity ? can we make a jest of so serious a matter ? of an injury so very hard to be repented of as it ought , because in such a case no repentance will be acceptable without restitution , if it be in our power . and perhaps it will undo us in this world to make it ; and if we do it not , will be our ruin in the other . i will put the case at the best , that the matter of the slander is true ; yet no man's reputation is considerably stained , tho never so deservedly , without great harm and damage to him . and it is great odds but the matter by passing through several hands is aggravated beyond truth , every one out of his bounty being apt to add something to it . but , besides the injury , it is commonly a very high provocation . and the consequence of that may be as bad as we can imagine , and may end in dangerous and desperate quarrels . this reason the wise son of sirach gives why we should defame no man : whether it be , says he , to a friend or to a foe , talk not of other mens lives . for he hath heard and observed thee , ecclus. . , . that is , one way or other it will probably come to his knowledge , and when the time cometh he will shew his hatred ; that is , he will take the first opportunity to revenge it . at the best , it is always matter of grief to the person that is defam'd : and christianity , which is the best-natur'd institution in the world , forbids us the doing of those things whereby we may grieve one another . a man's good name is a tender thing , and a wound there sinks deep into the spirit even of a wise and good man : and the more innocent any man is in this kind , the more sensible is he of this hard usage ; because he never treats others so , nor is he conscious to himself that he hath deserved it . secondly , the consequences of this vice are as bad or worse to our selves . whoever is wont to speak evil of others , gives a bad character of himself , even to those whom he desires to please ; who , if they be wise enough , will conclude that he speaks of them to others , as he does of others to them : and were it not for that fond partiality which men have for themselves , no man could be so blind as not to see this . and it is very well worthy of our consideration , which our saviour says in this very case , that with what measure we meet to others , it shall be measured to us again ; matth. . and that many times heaped up ; and running over ▪ for there is hardly any thing wherein mankind do use more strict justice and equality , than in rendering evil for evil , and railing for railing . nay , revenge often goes further than words . a reproachful and slanderous speech hath cost many a man a duel , and in that the loss of his own life , or the murther of another , perhaps with the loss of his own soul : and i have often wonder'd that among christians this matter is no more laid to heart . and tho neither of these great mischiefs should happen to us , yet this may be inconvenient enough many other ways . for no man knows in the chance of things , and the mutability of humane affairs , whose kindness and good-will he may come to stand in need of before he dies . so that did a man only consult his own safety and quiet , he ought to refrain from evil-speaking . what man is he , saith the psalmist , that desireth life , and loveth many days , that he may see good : keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falshood , psal. . , . but there is an infinitely greater danger hanging over us from god. if we allow our selves in this evil practice , all our religion is good for nothing . so st. james expresly tells us , if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain , jam. . . and st. paul puts slanderers and revilers amongst those that shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and our blessed saviour hath told us , that by our words we shall be justified , and by our words we shall be condemned , cor. . . to which i will add the counsel given us by the wise-man , refrain your tongue from backbiting , for there is no word so secret that shall go for nought , and the mouth that slandereth slayeth the soul , wisdom of solomon , c. . v. . i proceed in the ivth place , to add some further arguments and considerations to take men off from this vice : as , first , that the use of speech is a peculiar prerogative of man above other creatures , and bestowed upon him for some excellent end and purpose : that by this faculty we might communicate our thoughts more easily to one another , and consult together for our mutual comfort and benefit : not to enable us to be hurtful and injurious , but helpful and beneficial to one another . the psalmist , as by interpreters is generally thought , calls our tongue our glory ; therewith we praise god and bless men. now to bless is to speak well of any , and to wish them well . so that we pervert the use of speech and turn our glory into shame , when we abuse this faculty to the injury and reproach of any . secondly , consider how cheap a kindness it is to speak well , at least not to speak ill of any . a good word is an easie obligation , but not to speak ill requires only our silence , which costs us nothing . some instances of charity are chargeable , as to relieve the wants and necessities of others : the expence deterrs many from this kind of charity . but were a man never so covetous , he might afford another man his good word ; at least he might refrain from speaking ill of him : especially if it be consider'd how dear many have paid for a slanderous and reproachful word . thirdly , consider that no quality doth ordinarily recommend one more to the favour and good-will of men , than to be free from this vice. every one desires such a man's friendship , and is apt to repose a great trust and confidence in him : and when he is dead , men will praise him ; and next to piety towards god , and righteousness to men , nothing is thought a more significant commendation , than that he was never , or very rarely heard to speak ill of any . it was a singular character of a roman gentleman , nescivit quid esset maledicere , he knew not what it was to give any man an ill word . fourthly , let every man lay his hand upon his heart , and consider how himself is apt to be affected with this usage . speak thy conscience man , and say whether , as bad as thou art , thou wouldst not be glad to have every man's , especially every good man's good word ? and to have thy faults concenal'd , and not to be hardly spoken of , though it may be not altogether without truth , by those whom thou didst never offend by word or deed ? but with what face or reason dost thou expect this from others , to whom thy carriage hath been so contrary ? nothing surely is more equal and reasonable than that known rule , what thou wouldst have no man do to thee , that do thou to no man. fifthly , when you are going to speak reproachfully of others , consider whether you do not lie open to just reproach in the same , or some other kind . therefore give no occasion , no example of this barbarous usage of one another . there are very few so innocent and free either from infirmities or greater faults , as not to be obnoxious to reproach upon one account or other ; even the wisest , and most virtuous , and most perfect among men have some little vanity , or affectation , which lays them open to the railery of a mimical and malicious wit : therefore we should often turn our thoughts upon our selves , and look into that part of the wallet which men commonly fling over their shoulders and keep behind them , that they may not see their own faults : and when we have searched that well , let us remember our saviour's rule , he that is without sin , let him cast the first stone . lastly consider , that it is in many cases as great a charity to conceal the evil you hear and know of others , as if you relieved them in a great necessity . and we think him a hard-hearted man that will not bestow a small alms upon one in great want . it is an excellent advice which the son of sirach gives to this purpose ; talk not of other men's lives : if thou hast heard a word , let it die with thee ; and be bold it will not burst thee , ecclus. . . i shall in the vth. and last place , give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of this great evil among men . first , never say any evil of any man , but what you certainly know . when ever you positively accuse and endite any man of any crime , though it be in private and among friends , speak as if you were upon your oath , because god sees and hears you . this not only charity , but justice and regard to truth do demand of us . he that easily credits an ill report is almost as faulty as the first inventer of it . for tho you do not make , yet you commonly propagate a lye. therefore never speak evil of any upon common fame , which for the most part is false , but almost always uncertain whether it be true or not . not but that it is a fault , in most cases , to report the evil of men which is true , and which we certainly know to be so : but if i cannot prevail to make men wholly to abstain from this fault , i would be glad to compound with some persons , and to gain this point of them however ; because it would retrench nine parts in ten of the evil-speaking that is in the world. secondly , before you speak evil of any man , consider whether he hath not obliged you by some real kindness , and then it is a bad return to speak ill of him who hath done us good . consider also , whether you may not come hereafter to be acquainted with him , related to him , or obliged by him whom you have thus injured ? and how will you then be ashamed when you reflect upon it , and perhaps have reason also to believe that he to whom you have done this injury is not ignorant of it ? consider likewise , whether in the change of humane affairs , you may not some time or other come to stand in need of his favour ; and how incapable this carriage of yours towards him will render you of it ? and whether it may not be in his power to revenge a spiteful and needless word by a shrewd turn ? so that if a man made no conscience of hurting others , yet he should in prudence have some consideration of himself . thirdly , let us accustom our selves to pity the faults of men and to be truly sorry for them , and then we shall take no pleasure in publishing them . and this common humanity requires of us , considering the great infirmities of humane nature , and that we our selves also are liable to be tempted : considering likewise , how severe a punishment every fault and miscarriage is to it self ; and how terribly it exposeth a man to the wrath of god , both in this world and the other . he is not a good christian , that is not heartily sorry for the faults even of his greatest enemies ; and if he be so , he will discover them no further than is necessary to some good end . fourthly , when-ever we hear any man evil-spoken of , if we know any good of him let us say that . it is always the more humane and the more honourable part to stand up in the defence and vindication of others , than to accuse and bespatter them . possibly the good you heard of them may not be true , but it is much more probable that the evil which you have heard of them is not true neither : however , it is better to preserve the credit of a bad man , than to stain the reputation of the innocent . and if there were any need that a man should be evil-spoken of , it is but fair and equal that his good and bad qualities should be mention'd together ; otherwise he may be strangely misrepresented , and an indifferent man may be made a monster . they that will observe nothing in a wise man , but his over-sights and follies ; nothing in a good man , but his failings and infirmities ; may make a shift to render a very wise and good man very despicable . if one should heap together all the passionate speeches all the froward and imprudent actions of the best man ; all that he had said or done amiss in his whole life , and present it all at one view , concealing his wisdom and vertues ; the man in this disguise would look like a mad-man or a fury : and yet if his life were fairly represented , and just in the same manner it was led ; and his many and great virtues set over-against his failings and infirmities , he would appear to all the world to be an admirable and excellent person . but how many and great soever any man's ill qualities are , it is but just that with all this heavy load of faults he should have the due praise of the few real virtues that are in him . fifthly , that you may not speak ill of any , do not delight to hear ill of them . give no countenance to busy-bodies , and those that love to talk of other mens faults : or if you cannot decently reprove them because of their quality , then divert the discourse some other way ; or if you cannot do that , by seeming not to mind it , you may sufficiently signify that you do not like it . sixthly , let every man mind himself , and his own duty and concernment . do but endeavour in good earnest to mend thy self , and it will be work enough for one man , and leave thee but little time to talk of others . when plato withdrew from the court of dionysius , who would fain have had a famous philosopher for his flatterer , they parted in some unkindness , and dionysius bad him not to speak ill of him when he was return'd into greece ; plato told him , he had no leisure for it ; meaning that he had better things to mind , than to take up his thoughts and talk with the faults of so bad a man , so notoriously known to all the world. lastly , let us set a watch before the door of our lips , and not speak but upon consideration : i do not mean to speak finely , but fitly . especially when thou speakest of others , consider of whom , and what thou art going to speak : use great caution and circumspection in this matter : look well about thee ; on every side of the thing , and on every person in the company , before thy words slip from thee ; which when they are once out of thy lips , are for ever out of thy power . not that men should be sullen in company , and say nothing ; or so stiff in conversation , as to drop nothing but aphorisms and oracles : especially , among equals and friends ▪ we should not be so reserved as if we would have it taken for a mighty favour that we vouchsafe to say any thing . if a man had the understanding of an angel , he must be contented to abate something of this excess of wisdom , for fear of being thought cunning. the true art of conversation , if any body can hit upon it , seems to be this ; an appearing freedom and openness , with a resolute reservedness as little appearing as is possible . all that i mean by this caution is , that we should consider well what we say , especially of others . and to this end we should endeavour to get our minds furnished with matter of discourse concerning things useful in themselves , and not hurtful to others : and , if we have but a mind wise enough , and good enough , we may easily find a field large enough for innocent conversation ; such as will harm no body , and yet be acceptable enough to the better and wiser part of mankind : and why should any one be at the cost of playing the fool to gratify any body whatsoever ? i have done with the five things i propounded to speak to upon this argument . but because hardly any thing can be so clear , but something may be said against it ; nor any thing so bad , but something may be pleaded in excuse for it : i shall therefore take notice of two or three pleas that may be made for it . first , some pretend mighty injury and provocation . if in the same kind , it seems thou art sensible of it ; and therefore thou of all men oughtest to abstain from it : but in what kind soever it be , the christian religion forbids revenge . therefore do not plead one sin in excuse of another , and make revenge an apology for reviling . secondly , it is alledged by others , with a little better grace , that if this doctrine were practised , conversation would be spoil'd , and there would not be matter enough for pleasant discourse and entertainment . i answer , the design of this discourse is to redress a great evil in conversation , and that i hope which mends it will not spoil it . and however , if men's tongues lay a little more still , and most of us spake a good deal less than we do , both of our selves and others , i see no great harm in it : i hope we might for all that live comfortably and in good health , and see many good days . david , i am sure , prescribes 〈◊〉 as an excellent receipt , in his opinion , for a quiet , and cheerful , and long life , to refrain from evil-speaking ; psal. . , . what man is he that desireth life , and loveth many days that he may see good ? keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falshood . but granting that there is some pleasure in invective , i hope there is a great deal more in innocence : and the more any man considers this , the truer he will find it ; and whenever we are serious , we our selves cannot but acknowledge it . when a man examines himself impartially before the sacrament , or is put in mind upon a death-bed to make reparation for injuries done in this kind , he will then certainly be of this mind and wish he had not done them . for this certainly is one necessary qualification for the blessed sacrament , that we be in love and charity with our neighbours ; with which temper of mind this quality is utterly inconsistent . thirdly , there is yet a more specious plea than either of the former , that men will be encouraged to do ill if they can escape the tongues of men ; as they would do , if this doctrine did effectually take place : because by this means one great restraint from doing evil would be taken away , which these good men who are so bent upon reforming the world , think would be great pity . for many who will venture upon the displeasure of god , will yet abstain from doing bad things for fear of reproach from men : besides , that this seems the most proper punishment of many faults which the laws of men can take no notice of . admitting all this to be true , yet it does not seem so good and laudable a way to punish one fault by another . but let no man encourage himself in an evil way with this hope , that he shall escape the censure of men : when i have said all i can , there will , i fear , be evil-speaking enough in the world to chastise them that do ill : and tho we should hold our peace , there will be bad tongues enow to reproach men with their evil-doings . i wish we could but be persuaded to make the experiment for a little while , whether men would not be sufficiently lash'd for their faults , tho we sate by and said nothing . so that there is no need at all that good men should be concern'd in this odious work. there will always be offenders and malefactors enow to be the executioners to inflict this punishment upon one another . therefore let no man presume upon impunity on the one hand ; and on the other , let no man despair but that this business will be sufficiently done one way or other . i am very much mistaken , if we may not safely trust an ill-natur'd world that there will be no failure of justice in this kind . and here , if i durst , i would fain have said a word or two concerning that more publick sort of obloquy by lampoons and libels , so much in fashion in this witty age. but i have no mind to provoke a very terrible sort of men . yet thus much i hope may be said without offence , that how much soever men are pleas'd to see others abused in this kind , yet it is always grievous when it comes to their own turn : however i cannot but hope that every man that impartially considers must own it to be a fault of a very high nature to revile those whom god hath placed in authority over us , and to slander the footsteps of the lord 's anointed : especially since it is so expresly written , thou shalt not speak evil of the rulers of thy people . having represented the great evil of this vice , it might not now be improper to say something to those who suffer by it . are we guilty of the evil said of us ? let us reform , and cut off all occasions for the future ; and so turn the malice of our enemies to our own advantage , and defeat their ill intentions by making so good an use of it : and then it will be well for us to have been evil spoken of . are we innocent ? we may so much the better bear it patiently ; imitating herein the pattern of our blessed saviour , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . we may consider likewise , that tho it be a misfortune to be evil-spoken of , it is their fault that do it , and not ours ; and therefore should not put us into passion , because another man's being injurious to me is no good reason why i should be uneasy to my self . we should not revenge the injuries done to us , no not upon them that do them , much less upon our selves . let no man's provocation make thee to lose thy patience . be not such a fool , as to part with any one virtue because some men are so malicious as to endeavour to rob thee of the reputation of all the rest . when men speak ill of thee , do as plato said he would do in that case ; live so , as that no body may believe them . all that now remains is to reflect upon what hath been said , and to urge you and my self to do accordingly . for all is nothing , if we do not practise what we so plainly see to be our duty . many are so taken up with the deep points and mysteries of religion , that they never think of the common duties and offices of human life . but faith and a good life are so far from clashing with one another , that the christian religion hath made them inseparable . true faith is necessary in order to a good life , and a good life is the genuine product of a right belief ; and therefore the one never ought to be press'd to the prejudice of the other . i foresee what will be said , because i have heard it so often said in the like case ; that there is not one word of jesus christ in all this . no more is there in the text. and yet i hope that jesus christ is truly preach'd , whenever his will and laws , and the duties enjoin'd by the christian religion are inculcated upon us . but some men are pleased to say , that this is mere morality : i answer , that this is scripture-morality and christian-morality , and who hath any thing to say against that ? nay , i will go yet further , that no man ought to pretend to believe the christian religion , who lives in the neglect of so plain a duty ; and in the practice of a sin so clearly condemn'd by it , as this of evil-speaking is . but because the word of god is quick and powerful , and sharper than a two-edged sword , yea sharper than calumny it self ; and pierceth the very hearts and consciences of men , laying us open to our selves , and convincing us of our more secret as well as our more visible faults ; i shall therefore at one view represent to you what is dispersedly said concerning this sin in the holy word of god. and i have purposely reserved this to the last , because it is more persuasive and penetrating than any humane discourse . and to this end be pleas'd to consider in what company the holy ghost doth usually mention this sin. there is scarce any black catalogue of sins in the bible but we find this among them ; in the company of the very worst actions and most irregular passions of men . out of the heart , says our saviour , matt. . . proceed evil thoughts , murders , adulteries , fornications , false witness , evil speakings . and the apostle , rom. . . ranks backbiters with fornicators , and murderers , and haters of god ; and with those of whom it is expresly said , cor. . . that they shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and when he enumerates the sins of the last times , tim. . , . men , says he , shall be lovers of themselves , covetous , boasters , ●evil-speakers , without natural affection , perfidious , false accusers , &c. and which is the strangest of all , they who are said to be guilty of these great vices and enormities are noted by the apostle to be great pretenders to religion ; for so it follows in the next words , having a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof . so that it is no new thing for men to make a more than ordinary profession of christianity , and yet at the same time to live in a most palpable contradiction to the precepts of that holy religion : as if any pretence to mystery and i know not what extraordinary attainments in the knowledge of christ , could exempt men from obedience to his laws , and set them above the vertues of a good life . and now after all this , do we hardly think that to be a sin , which is in scripture so frequently rank'd with murther and adultery and the blackest crimes ; such as are inconsistent with the life and power of religion , and will certainly shut men out of the kingdom of god ? do we believe the bible to be the word of god ? and can we allow our selves in the common practice of a sin , than which there is hardly any fault of mens lives more frequently mention'd , more severely reprov'd , and more odiously branded in that holy book . consider seriously these texts , psal. . . who shall abide in thy tabernacle , who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? he that backbiteth not with his tongue , nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour . have ye never heard what our saviour says , that of every idle word we must give an account in the day of judgment ; that by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemn'd ? what can be more severe than that of st. james ? if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , that man's religion is vain . to conclude : the sin which i have now warned men against , is plainly condemn'd by the word of god ; and the duty which i have now been persuading you to , is easy for every man to understand , not hard for any man , that can but resolve to keep a good guard upon himself for some time , by the grace of god to practice ; and most reasonable for all men , but especially for all christians , to observe . it is as easy as a resolute silence upon just occasion , as reasonable as prudence and justice and charity , and the preservation of peace and good-will among men , can make it ; and of as necessary and indispensible an obligation , as the authority of god can render any thing . upon all which considerations let us every one of us be persuaded to take up david's deliberate resolution , psal. . . i said , i will take heed to my ways , that i offend not with my tongue . and i do verily believe , that would we but heartily endeavour to amend this one fault , we should soon be better men in our whole lives : i mean , that the correcting of this vice , together with those that are nearly allied to it , and may at the same time , and almost with the same resolution and care be corrected , would make us owners of a great many considerable vertues , and carry us on a good way towards perfection ; it being hardly to be imagin'd that a man that makes conscience of his words should not take an equal or a greater care of his actions . and this i take to be both the true meaning , and the true reason of that saying of st. james , and with which i shall conclude : if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good word and work , to do his will ; working in you always that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ ; to whom be glory for ever , amen . of a heavenly conversation . phil. iii. . for our conversation is in heaven . for the understanding of which words we need to look back no further than the th verse of this chapter , where the apostle with great vehemency and passion speaks of some among the philippians , who indeed profess'd christianity but yet would do any thing to decline suffering for that profession ; there are many that walk , of whom i have told you often , and now tell you even weeping , that they are enemies to the cross of christ ; they cannot endure to suffer with him and for him , they are so sensual and wedded to this world that they will do any thing to avoid persecution ; so he describes them in the next verse , whose end is destruction , whose god is their belly , whose glory is in their shame , who mind earthly things . now in opposition to these sensual and earthly-minded men the apostle gives us the character of the true christians , they are such as mind heaven and another world , and prefer the hopes of that to all the interests of this life , our conversation is in heaven . for the right understanding of which phrase be pleased to observe , that it is an allusion to a city or corporation , and to the privileges and manners of those who are free of it . and heaven is several times in scripture represented to us under this notion of a city , it is said of abraham that he looked for a city which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is god , heb. . . it is called likewise the city of the living god , the heavenly jerusalem , heb. . . and the same apostle speaking of the uncertain condition of christians in this world says of them , that here they have no continuing city , but look for one that is to come , heb. . . now to this city the apostle alludes here in the text , when he says our conversation is in heaven . for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is rendred conversation , may either signifie the privilege of citizens , or their conversation and manners , or may take in both these . in the first sense of the priviledge of citizens , we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of near affinity with this sometimes us'd ; with a great sum ( says the captain to paul ) obtained i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this freedom , acts . . according to this sense , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well be rendred , as tertullian often does this text , municipatus noster , our citizenship is in heaven ; an allusion perhaps ( as the learned dr. hammond observes ) to those who though they were not born at rome , and it may be lived at a great distance from it , had yet jus civitatis romanae , the privilege of roman citizens . in like manner the apostle here describes the condition of christians . 't is true we are born here in this world and live in it , but we belong to another corporation ; we are denizens of another country and free of that city which is above . in the other sense of the conversation of citizens we find the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used towards the beginning of this epistle , let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ. and why may not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text , phil. . . without any inconvenience include both these ? as if the apostle had said , there are some that mind earthly things , and are so addicted to them that rather than part with them they will forsake their religion ; but as for us , we consider that we are citizens of heaven , and accordingly we converse and demean our selves in this world as those that are free of another city and do belong to it . so that to have our conversation in heaven does imply these two things . first , the serious thoughts and considerations of heaven . secondly , the effect which those thoughts ought to have upon our lives . these two things take up the meaning of my text , and shall be the subject of the following discourse . i. the serious thoughts and considerations of heaven , that is , of the happy and glorious state of good men in another life . and concerning this , there are two things principally which offer themselves to our consideration first , the happiness of this state . secondly , the way and means whereby we may come to partake of this happiness . first , we will consider the happiness of this state . but what , and how great this happiness is , i am not able to represent to you . these things are yet in a great measure within the veil , and it does not now fully appear what we shall be . the scriptures have reveal'd so much in general concerning the reality and unspeakable felicities of this state as may satisfie us for the present , and serve to inflame our desires after it , and to quicken our endeavours for the obtaining of it ; as namely , that it is incomparably beyond any happiness of this world ; that it is very great ; and that it is eternal ; in a word , that it is far above any thing that we can now conceive or imagine . . it is incomparably beyond any happiness in this world . it is free from all those sharp and bitter ingredients which do abate and allay the felicities of this life . all the enjoyments of this world are mix'd , and uncertain , and unsatisfying ; nay so far are they from giving us satisfaction , that the very sweetest of them are satiating and cloying . none of the comforts of this life are pure and unmixt . there is something of vanity mingled with all our earthly enjoyments and that causeth vexation of spirit . there is no sensual pleasure but is either purchas'd by some pain , or attended with it , or ends in it . a great estate is neither to be got without care , nor kept without fear , nor lost without trouble . dignity and greatness is troublesome almost to all mankind , it is commonly uneasie to them that have it and it is usually hated and envy'd by those that have it not ▪ knowledge , that is one of the best and sweetest pleasures of humane life ; and yet if we may believe the experience of one , who had as great a share of it as any of the sons of men ever had , he will tell us , that this also is vexation of spirit ; for in much wisdom there is much grief , and he that encreaseth knowledge , encreaseth sorrow , eccl. . , . thus it is with all the things of this world ; the best of them have a mixture of good and evil , of joy and sorrow in them : but the happiness of the next life is free from allay and mixture . in the description of the new jerusalem it is said , that there shall be no more curse , and there shall be no night there , rev. , , . nothing to imbitter our blessings , or obscure our glory . heaven is the proper region of happiness , there onely are pure joys and an unmingled felicity . but the enjoyments of this world as they are mix'd , so they are uncertain . so wavering and inconstant are they that we can have no security of them , when we think our selves to have the fastest hold of them they slip out of our hands we know not how . for this reason solomon very elegantly calls them things that are not , why wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? for riches certainly make to themselves wings and flie like an eagle towards heaven . so fugitive are they , that after all our endeavours to secure them they may break loose from us and in an instant vanish out of our sight , riches make to themselves wings , and flie like an eagle , intimating to us that riches are often accessary to their own ruin . many times the greatness of a mans estate , and nothing else , hath been the cause of the loss of it , and of taking away the life of the owner thereof . the fairness of some mens fortune hath been a temptation to those who have been more powerful to ravish it from them , thus riches make to themselves wings . so that he that enjoys the greatest happiness of this world does still want one happiness more , to secure to him for the future what he possesses for the present . but the happiness of heaven is a steady and constant light , fixt and unchangeable as the fountain from whence it springs , the father of lights , with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning . and if the enjoyments of this life were certain , yet they are unsatisfying . this is the vanity of vanities , that every thing in this world can trouble us but nothing can give us satisfaction . i know not how it is , but either we , or the things of this world , or both , are so phantastical , that we can neither be well with these things , nor well without them . if we be hungry , we are in pain ; and if we eat to the full , we are uneasie . if we be poor we think our selves miserable , and when we come to be rich we commonly really are so . if we are in a low condition we fret and murmur , and if we chance to get up and to be rais'd to greatness we are many times farther from contentment than we were before so that we pursue the happiness of this world just as little children chase birds , when we think we are come very near it and have it almost in our hands it flies farther from us than it was at first . nay , so far are the enjoyments of this world from affording us satisfaction , that the sweetest of them are most apt to satiate and cloy us . all the pleasures of this world are so contriv'd as to yield us very little happiness . if they go off quickly they signifie nothing , and if they stay long we are sick of them : after a full draught of any sensual pleasure we presently loath it , and hate it as much after the enjoyment as we courted it and long'd for it in the expectation . but the delights of the other world , as they will give us full satisfaction so we shall never be weary of them . every repetition of them will be accompanied with a new pleasure and contentment . in the felicities of heaven these two things shall be reconcil'd , which never met together in any sensual delight , long and full enjoyment and yet a fresh and perpetual pleasure . as in gods presence there is fulness of joy , so at his right hand there shall be pleasures for evermore . . the happiness of the other life is not onely incomparably beyond any happiness of this world ( that , it may be , is no great commendation of it ) but it is very great in it self . the happiness of heaven is usually in scripture describ'd to us by such pleasures as are manly and excellent , chast and intellectual , infinitely more pure and refin'd than those of sense ; and if the scripture at any time descend to the metaphors of a feast , and a banquet , and a marriage , it is plainly by way of accommodation to our weakness and condescention to our capacities . but the chief ingredients of this happiness , so far as the scripture hath thought fit to reveal it to us , are the perfection of our knowledge , and the height of our love , and the perpetual society and friendship of all the blessed inhabitants of those glorious mansions ; and the joyful concurrence of all these in chearful expressions of gratitude , in the incessant praises and admiration of the fountain and author of all this happiness . and what can be more delightful than to have our understandings entertain'd with a clear sight of the best and most perfect being , with the knowledge of all his works and of the wise designs of his providence here in the world ? than to live in the reviving presence of god , and to be continually attending upon him whose favour is life , and whose glory is much more above that of any of the princes of this world than the greatest of them is above the poorest worm ? the queen of sheba thought solomons servants happy in having the opportunity by standing continually before him to hear his wisdom ; but in the other world it shall be a happiness to solomon himself , and to the wisest and greatest persons that ever were in this world , to stand before this great king to admire his wisdom and to behold his glory . not that i imagine the happiness of heaven to consist in a perpetual gazing upon god , and in an idle contemplation of the glories of that place . for as by that blessed sight we shall be infinitely transported , so the scripture tells us we shall be also transform'd into the image of the divine perfections ; we shall see god and we shall be like him , and what greater happiness can there be than to be like the happiest and most perfect being in the world ? besides , who can tell what employment god may have for us in the next life ? we need not doubt but that he who is happiness it self , and hath promis'd to make us happy , can easily find out such employments and delights for us in the other world as will be proper and suitable to that state . but then besides the improvement of our knowledge there shall be the most delightful exercise of love . when we come to heaven we shall enter into the society of the blessed angels and of the spirits of just men made perfect , that is , freed from all those passions and infirmities which do now render the conversation , even of the best men , sometimes troublesome to one another . we shall then meet with all those excellent persons , those brave minds , those innocent and charitable souls whom we have seen , and heard , and read of in this world . there we shall meet with many of our dear relations and intimate friends , and perhaps with many of our enemies , to whom we shall then be perfectly reconcil'd notwithstanding all the warm contests and peevish differences which we had with them in this world , even about matters of religion . for heaven is a state of perfect love and friendship , there will be nothing but kindness and good nature there , and all the prudent arts of endearment and wise ways of rendring conversation mutually pleasant to one another . and what greater happiness can be imagin'd than to converse freely with so many excellent persons , without any thing of folly or disguise , of jealousie or design upon one another ? for then there will be none of those vices and passions , of covetousness and ambition , of envy and hatred , of wrath and peevishness , which do now so much spoil the pleasure and disturb the quiet of mankind . all quarrels and contentions , schisms and divisions will then be effectually hinder'd not by force but by love , not by compulsion but by that charity which never fails ; and all those controversies in religion which are now so hotly agitated will then be finally determin'd , not as we endeavour to end them now by canons and decrees , but by a perfect knowledge and convincing light . and when this blessed society is met together and thus united by love , they shall all joyn in gratitude to their great patrons and benefactors , to him that sits upon the throne and to the lamb that was slain , to god even our father , and to our lord jesus christ , who hath lov'd us and wash'd us from our sins in his own blood . and they shall sing everlasting songs of praise to god for all his works of wonder , for the effects of that infinite goodness , and admirable wisdom , and almighty power , which are clearly seen in the creation and government of the world and of all the creatures in it ; particularly for his favours to mankind , for the benefit of their beings , for the comfort of their lives , and for all his mercifull providences towards them in this world : but above all for the redemption of their souls by the death of his son for the free forgiveness of their sins , for the gracious assistance of his holy spirit , and for conducting them safely through all the snares and dangers , the troubles and temptations of this world to the secure possession of that glory and happiness which then they shall be partakers of , and are bound to praise god for to all eternity . this , this shall be the employment of the blessed spirits above , and these are the chief ingredients of our happiness which the spripture mentions . and if there were no other as there may be ten thousand more for any thing i can tell , yet generous and vertuous minds will easily understand how great a pleasure there is in the improvement of our knowledge , and the exercise of love , and in a gratefull and perpetual acknowledgement of the greatest benefits that creatures are capable of receiving . . this happiness shall be eternal . and though this be but a circumstance and do not enter into the nature of our happiness , yet it is so material a one that all the felicities which heaven affords would be imperfect without it . it would strangely damp and allay all our joys to think that they should sometime have an end . and the greater our happiness were , the greater trouble it would be to us to consider that it must have a period . it would make a man sorrowfull indeed to think of leaving such vast possessions . indeed if the happiness of heaven were such as the joys of this world are , it were fit they should be as short ; for after a little enjoyment it would cloy us , and we should soon grow weary of it : but being so excellent , it would scarce be a happiness if it were not eternal . it would imbitter the pleasures of heaven , as great as they are , to see to an end of them , though it were at never so great a distance ; to consider that all this vast treasure of happiness would one day be exhausted , and that after so many years were past we should be as poor and miserable again as we were once in this world . god hath so order'd things , that the vain and empty delights of this world should be temporary and transient , but that the great and substantial pleasures of the other world should be as lasting as they are excellent . for heaven as it is an exceeding , so it is an eternal weight of glory . and this is that which crowns the joys of heaven and banishes all fear and trouble from the minds of the blessed . and thus to be secur'd in the possession of our happiness is an unspeakable addition to it . for that which is eternal as it shall never determine , so it can never be diminish'd ; for to be diminish'd and to decay is to draw nearer to an end , but that which shall never have an end can never come nearer to it . o vast eternity ! how dost thou swallow up our thoughts and entertain us at once with delight and amazement ? this is the very top and highest pitch of our happiness , upon which we may stand secure and look down with scorn upon all things here below ; and how small and inconsiderable do they appear to us , compar'd with the vast and endless enjoyments of our future state ? but oh vain and foolish souls ! that are so little concern'd for eternity ; that for the trifles of time , and the pleasures of sin which are but for a season , can find in our hearts to forfeit an everlasting felicity . blessed god! why hast thou prepar'd such a happiness for those who neither consider it , nor seek after it ? why is such a price put into the hands of fools , who have no heart to make use of it ; who fondly chuse to gratifie their lusts rather than to save their souls , and sortishly prefer the temporary enjoyments of sin before a blessed immortality ? . and lastly , this happiness is far above any thing that we can now conceive or imagine . it is so great that is cannot now enter into the heart of man. we cannot from the experience of any of those pleasures and delights which we have been acquainted withall in this world frame an equal idea and conception of it . so that when we come to heaven we shall be ready to say of it as the queen of sheba did of solomon's wisedom and prosperity , that half of it hath not been told us ; that the felicities and glories of that state do far exceed all the fame which we heard of them in this world ▪ for who can say how great a good god is ? and how happy he who is the fountain of happiness can make those souls that love him , and those whom he loves ? in this imperfect state we are not capable of a full representation of those glories . we cannot now see god and live . a full description of heaven and of the pleasures of that state would let in joys upon us too big for our narrow capacities , and too strong for weak mortality to bear . we are now but children , and we speak as children , and understand and think as children concerning these things ; but in the other state we shall grow up to be men , and then we shall put away these childish thoughts ; now we know but in part , but when that which is perfect is come , that which is imperfect shall be done away ; now we see through a glass darkly ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in a riddle ) but then we shall see face to face ; now we know in part , but then we shall know even as also we are known , as the apostle discourseth excellently concerning this very matter , cor. . , , . no sooner shall we enter upon the joys of the other world , but our minds shall be rais'd to a strength and activity as much above that of the most knowing persons in the world as the thoughts of the greatest philosopher and wisest man upon earth are above the thoughts of a child or a fool . no man's mind is now so well fram'd to understand any thing in this world , as our understandings shall then be fitted for the knowledge of god and of the things that belong to that state . in the mean time let us bless god that he hath reveal'd so much of this happiness to us as is necessary to excite and encourage us to seek after it . the second thing to be consider'd concerning our future happiness , is the way and means whereby we may come to be made partakers of it . and that in short is by the constant and sincere endeavours of a holy life , in and through the mercies of god in our lord jesus christ. christ indeed is the author of our salvation , but obedience is the condition of it ; so the apostle tells us , that christ is the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him , heb. . . it is the grace of god in the gospel which brings or offers this salvation to us , but then it is by the denying of ungodliness and worldly lusts , and by living soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world that we are to wait for the blessed hope , tit. . , . our saviour promises this happiness to the pure in heart , blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see god ; and elsewhere the scripture doth exclude all others from any share or portion in this blessedness ▪ so the apostle assures us that without holiness no man shall see the lord , heb. . . and holiness is not onely a condition but a necessary qualification for the happiness of the next life . this is the force of st. john's reasoning , we shall be like him , for we shall see him . to see god is to be happy , but unless we be like him we cannot see him . the sight and presence of god himself would be no happiness to that man who is not like to god in the temper and disposition of his mind . and from hence the apostle infers in the next verse , every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure . so that if we live wicked lives , if we allow our selves in the practice of any known sin , we interrupt our hopes of heaven and render our selves unfit for eternal life . by this means we defeat all the designs of god's grace and mercy towards us , and salvation it self cannot save us if we make our selves incapable of that happiness which god offers . heaven is in scripture call'd an inheritance among them that are sanctified , and the inheritance of the saints in light ; so that it is not enough that this inheritance is promis'd to us , but we must be qualifi'd and prepar'd for it , and be made meet to be made partakers of it . and this life is the time of our preparation for our future state . ours souls will continue for ever what we make them in this world . such a temper and disposition of mind as a man carries with him out of this life he shall retain in the next . 't is true indeed , heaven perfects those holy and vertuous dispositions which are begun here ; but the other world alters no man as to his main state , he that is filthy will be filthy still , and he that is unrighteous will be unrighteous still . if we do not in a good degree mortifie our lusts and passions here death will not kill them for us , but we shall carry them with us into the other world . and if god should admit us so qualifi'd into the place of happiness , yet we shall bring that along with us which would infallibly hinder us from being happy . our sensual inclinations and desires would meet with nothing there that would be suitable to them , and we should be perpetually tormented with those appetites which we brought with us out of this world , because we should find nothing there to gratifie them withall . for as the apostle says in another sense , the kingdom of god is not meats and drinks , but righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . the happiness of heaven consists in such things as a wicked man hath no gust and relish for . so that if a covetous , or ambitious , or voluptuous man were in heaven , he would be just like the rich man in hell , tormented with a continual thirst , and burnt up in the flames of his own ardent desires , and would not be able , amidst all the plenty and treasures of that place , to find so much as one drop of suitable pleasure and delight to quench and allay that heat . so likewise our fierce and unruly passions ; if we should carry them with us into the other world , how inconsistent would they be with happiness ? they would not onely make us miserable our selves , but be a trouble to all those with whom we should converse . if a man of an envious and malicious , of a peevish and passionate temper , were admitted into the mansions of the blessed , he would not onely be unhappy himself , but would disturb the quiet of others , and raise storms even in those calm regions . vain man ! that dreamest of being happy without any disposition or preparation for it . to be happy , is to enjoy what we desire and to live with those whom we love . but there is nothing in heaven suitable to the desires and appetites of a wicked man. all the joys of that place , and the delights of that state are purely spiritual , and are onely to be relish'd by those who have purified themselves as god is pure . but if thou be carnal and sensual , what are these things to thee ? what happiness would it be to thee to see god , and to have him always in thy view who was never in all thy thoughts ; to be tied to live for ever in his company who is of a quite contrary temper and disposition to thy self , whose presence thou dreadest , and whom whilst thou wast in this world thou couldst never endure to think upon ? so that the pleasures of heaven it self could signifie no good or happiness to that man who is not so dispos'd as to take pleasure in them . heaven is too pure an air for corrupt souls to live and breath in , and the whole employment and conversation of that place , as it would be unsuitable , so would it also be unacceptable to a sensual and vicious person . from all this it appears how necessary it is for us to prepare our selves for this blessed state , by the constant and sincere endeavours of a holy life , and by mortifying every lust and inordinate passion in our souls . for till this be done we are not meet to be made partakers of the felicities of the other world . and thus i have done with the first thing imply'd in this phrase of having our conversation in heaven , viz. the serious thoughts and considerations of heaven ; or the happiness of that state , and of the way and means whereby that happiness is to be attained . ii. the having our conversation in heaven does imply likewise the effect which those considerations ought to have upon our hearts and lives : as , . to convince us of the vanity of this world . god hath on purpose made this world troublesome and uneasie to us , that there might be no sufficient temptation to reasonable and considerate men to take them off from the care and thought of their future happiness ; that god and heaven might have no rival here below ; that there might be nothing in this world that might pretend to our affection or court us with any advantage in comparison of everlasting life and glory . when we come to die and eternity shall present it self to our serious and waking thoughts , then things will put on another face , and those things which we valued so much in this life will then appear to be nothing worth ; but those things which we neglected , to be of infinite concernment to us , and worthy to have been the care and endeavour of our whole lives . and if we would consider these things in time , while the opportunities of life and health are before us , we might be convinc'd at a cheaper rate , and come to be satisfi'd of the vanity of this world before we despair'd of the happiness of the other . . to make us very active and industrious to be as good , and to do as much good as we can in this life , that so we may be qualifi'd and dispos'd for the happiness of the next . men are usually very industrious for the things of this life , to be rich and great in the world ; did we but value heaven half as much as it deserves we should take infinitely more pains for that . so often as we consider the glories that are above , how does it accuse our sloth and condemn our folly that we are less concerned for our souls than most men are for their bodies , that we will not labour half so much for an eternal inheritance as men ordinarily do for these corruptible things ? let us remember that we are hasting apace to another world , and that our eternal happiness now lies at the stake . and how should it quicken our endeavours to have such a reward set before us , to have crowns and scepters in our eyes ? would we but often represent to our minds the glorious things of another world , what fervours should we feel in our hearts ? we should be all life , and spirit , and wing ; and should do gods will , almost with the same readiness and delight , as the angels do who continually behold the face of their father . the consideration of heaven and the firm perswasion of our future happiness should actuate all the powers of our souls , and be continually inspiring us with new vigour in the ways of holiness and vertue . how should this thought swell our resolutions and confirm our purposes of obedience , that if we have our fruit unto holiness our end will be everlasting life . . to mitigate and lighten the evils and afflictions of this life . it is no great matter how rough the way be provided we be sure that it leads to happiness . the incomparably greater good of the next life will to a wise and considerate man weigh down all the evils of this . and the scripture tells us that there is no comparison between them . the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us , rom. . . the evils of this life afflict men more or less according as the soul is fortified with considerations proper to support us under them . when we consider that we have but a little while to be here , that we are upon our journey travelling towards our heavenly countrey where we shall meet with all the delights we can desire , it ought not to trouble us much to endure storms and foul ways , and to want many of those accommodations we might expect at home . this is the common fate of travellers , and we must take things as we find them and not look to have every thing just to our mind . these difficulties and inconveniences will shortly be over , and after a few days will be quite forgotten , and be to us as if they had never been . and when we are safely landed in our own country , with what pleasure shall we look back upon those rough and boisterous seas which we have escap'd ? the more troubles we have past through the kinder usage we shall find when we come to our fathers house . so the apostle tells us , that our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . when we come to heaven our happiness shall then be as real as our miseries were here upon earth , and far greater and more lasting . and what great matter is it though we suffer a while in this world , provided we escape the endless unsufferable torments of the next ; though we have not our good things in this life , if infinitely greater be reserv'd for us and we shall receive them with interest in the other ? several of the evils and calamities of this life would be unsufferable indeed , if there were nothing better to be hoped for hereafter . if this were true , christians would not onely be of all men but of all creatures the most miserable . but our religion hath abundantly assur'd us to the contrary . and the assurance of this was that which made the primitive christians to embrace sufferings with so much cheerfulness , to glory in tribulation , and to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods , knowing that in heaven they had a better and more enduring substance . the seven brethren in the history of the maccabees upon this perswasion would not accept deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection . that storm of stones which was pour'd upon st. stephen was no more to him than a common shower when he saw the heavens open'd , and jesus ( in whose cause he suffered ) standing on the right hand of god. . to make us sincere in all our professions , words and actions , did men firmly believe the rewards of another world their religion would not be onely in shew and pretence , but in life and reality , no man would put on a form of godliness that were destitute of the power of it ; we should do nothing for the opinion of others , but all with regard to god and our own consciences ; and be as curious of our thoughts , and most retir'd actions , as if we were in an open theatre and in the presence of the greatest assembly . for in the next life men shall not be rewarded for what they seem'd to be , but for what they really were in this world . therefore whatever we think , or speak , or do , we should always remember that the day of revelation is coming , when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclos'd , when all disguises shall be laid aside , and every ones mask shall be taken off , and all our actions and designs shall be brought upon the publick stage and expos'd to the view of men and angels . there is nothing now hidden which shall not then be reveal'd , nor secret which shall not be made known . . to arm us against the fears of death . death is terrible to nature , and the terrour of it is infinitely encreas'd by the fearful apprehensions of what may follow it . but the comfortable hopes of a blessed immortality do strangely relieve the fainting spirits of dying men , and are able to reconcile us to death , and in a great measure to take away the terror of it . i know that the thoughts of death are dismal even to good men , and we have never more need of comfort and encouragement than when we are conflicting with this last enemy , and there is no such comfortable consideration to a dying man as the hopes of a happy eternity . he that looks upon death onely as a passage to glory , may welcome the messengers of it as bringing him the best and most joyful news that ever came to him in his whole life , and no man can stay behind in this world with half the comfort that this man leaves it . and now i have done with the two things implyed in this phrase , of having our conversation in heaven , viz. the serious thoughts and considerations of heaven , and the effect of these thoughts and considerations upon our hearts and lives . i crave your patience but a little longer , till i make some reflection upon what hath been deliver'd concerning the happiness of good men after this life . i have told you that it is incomparably beyond any happiness of this world , that it is great in it self , and eternal in its duration , and far above any thing that we can now conceive or imagine . and now after all this , i am very sensible how much all that i have said comes short of the greatness and dignity of the thing ▪ so that i could almost begin again and make a new attempt upon this subject . and indeed who would not be loth to be taken off from so delightfull an argument ? methinks 't is good for us to be here , and to let our minds dwell upon these considerations . we are unworthy of heaven and unfit to partake of so great a glory , if we cannot take pleasure in the contemplation of those things now the possession whereof shall be our happiness for ever . with what joy then should we think of those great and glorious things which god hath prepar'd for them that love him , of that inheritance incorruptible , undefil'd , which fadeth not away , reserv'd for us in the heavens ? how should we welcome the thoughts of that happy hour when we shall make our escape out of these prisons , when we shall pass out of this howling wilderness into the promis'd land , when we shall be remov'd from all the troubles and temptations of a wicked and ill-natured world ; when we shall be past all storms , and secur'd from all further danger of shipwreck , and shall be safely landed in the regions of bliss and immortality ? o blessed time ! when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes , and death and sorrow shall be no more ; when mortality shall be swallowed up of life , and we shall enter upon the possession of all that happiness and glory which god hath promis'd , and our faith hath believ'd , and our hopes have rais'd us to the expectation of ; when we shall be eas'd of all our pains , and resolv'd of all our doubts , and be purg'd from all our sins , and be free'd from all our fears , and be happy beyond all our hopes , and have all the happiness secur'd to us beyond the power of time and change : when we shall know god and other things without study , and love him and one another without measure , and serve and praise him without weariness , and obey his will without the least reluctancy ; and shall still be more and more delighted in the knowing , and loving , and praising , and obeying of god to all eternity . how should these thoughts affect our hearts , and what a mighty influence ought they to have upon our lives ? the great disadvantage of the arguments fetch'd from another world is this , that those things are at a great distance from us , and not sensible to us ; and therefore are not apt to affect us to strongly , and to work so powerfully upon us . now to make amends for this disadvantage we should often revive these considerations upon our mind , and inculcate upon our selves the reality and certainty of these things together with the infinite weight and importance of them . we should reason thus with our selves ; if good men shall be so unspeakably happy , and consequently wicked men so extreamly miserable in another world : if these things be true and will one day be found to be so , why should they not be to me as if they were already present ? why should not i be as much afraid to commit any sin as if hell were naked before me , and i saw the astonishing miseries of the damned ? and why should i not be as careful to serve god and keep his commandments , as if heaven were open to my view , and i saw jesus standing at the right hand of god with crowns of glory in his hand ready to be set upon the heads of all those who continue faithfull to him ? the lively apprehensions of the nearness of death and eternity are apt to make mens thoughts more quick and piercing , and according as we think our selves prepar'd for our future state to transport us with joy , or to amaze us with horrour . for the soul that is fully satisfi'd of his future bliss is already entred into heaven , has begun to take possession of glory , and has ( as it were ) his blessed saviour in his arms , and may say with old simeon , lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . but the thoughts of death must needs be very terrible to that man who is doubtfull or despairing of his future condition . it would daunt the stoutest man that ever breathed , to look upon death when he can see nothing but hell beyond it . when the apparition at endor told saul , to morrow thou and thy sons shall be with me , these words struck him to the heart , so that he fell down to the ground , and there was no more strength left in him . it is as certain that we shall die as if an express messenger should come to every one of us from the other world and tell us so . why should we not then always live as those that must die , and as those that hope to be happy after death ? to have these apprehensions vigorous and lively upon our minds this is to have our conversation in heaven , from whence also we look for a saviour , the lord jesus christ , who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body , according to the working of that mighty power whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself . finis . books writ by his grace john , late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . forty two sermons and discourses upon several occasions , most at court ; in four vol. vo . the rule of faith : or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. sergeant , &c. vo . six sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour ; of the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ ; and of the unity of the divine nature , and the b. trinity , &c. against the socinians , vo . six sermons , ( newly printed ) one concerning resolution and stedfastness in religion ; one of family religion ; three of education of children ; and one of the advantages of an early piety , vo . now re-printing in mo . a perswasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lords supper , vo . alone stitcht , price d. or in mo . bound , price d. a discourse against transubstantiation , vo . alone price d. stitcht . the exact effigies of his grace john late lord arch-bishop of canterbury ; on a large sheet of paper curiously engraven by r. white , price d. all printed for b. aylmer and w. rogers . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall, march the th, / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall, march the th, / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for brabazon aylmer ... and will. rogers ..., london : . later published as: of forgiveness of injuries and against revenge. advertisement: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. bible. -- n.t. -- matthew v, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dr. tillotson's sermon before the queen . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall , march the th , / . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil ; and will. rogers , at the sun over against st. dunstan's church in fleet-street . mdclxxxix . a sermon preached at white-hall . matth . . . but i say unto you , love your enemies ; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you ; pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you . the gospel hath promised forgiveness of sins to us upon two conditions ; that we sincerely repent of the sins which we have committed against god ; and , that we heartily forgive to men the injuries and offences which they have been guilty of towards us . i shall at this time , by gods assistance , treat of the latter of these , from the words which i have recited to you ; which are part of our saviours excellent sermon upon the mount. in which he doth not only explain , but enlarge and perfect the moral and natural law , by adding to it precepts and prohibitions of greater perfection , than either the law of moses or the natural law , in their largest extent , did contain . he forbids polygamy , and divorce , except only in case of adultery ; and likewise revenge ; none of which were forbidden either by the law of nature , or by the law which was given by moses . and to these prohibitions our blessed saviour adds several new precepts of greater perfection than any laws that were extant before . but i say unto you , love your enemies . the jewish law commanded them to love their . neighbour , meaning their brethren and those of their own nation : but our saviour , by commanding us to love our enemies , hath in the most emphatical manner that can be commanded us to love all men . for if any were to be excluded from our charity , none so likely to be so as our enemies . so that after a command to love our enemies it was needless to name any others ; because men are naturally apt to love those that love them . i say unto you , love your enemies ; here the inward affection is requir'd . bless them that curse you ; here outward civility and affability are requir'd , in opposition to rude and uncivil language ; for so blessing and cursing do in scripture frequently signify . do good to them that hate you ; here real acts of kindness are commanded to be done by us to our bitterest and most malicious enemies . pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you . these are the highest expressions of enmity that can be , calumny and cruelty ; and yet we are commanded to pray for those that touch us in these two tenderest points of all other , our reputation and our life . and to secure the sincerity of our charity towards our enemies , we are requir'd to express it by our hearty prayers to god for them : to god , i say , before whom it is both impious and dangerous to dissemble ; and from whom we can expect no mercy for our selves , if with feigned lips we beg it of him for others . you see what is the duty here required ; that we bear a sincere affection to our most malicious and implacable enemies , and be ready upon occasion to give real testimony of it . and because this may seem a hard duty , and not so easie to be reconciled either to our inclination , or our reason ; i shall endeavour to shew , that this law is not onely reasonable , but much more perfect and excellent , and the practice of it more easie and delightful , and upon all accounts much more for our benefit and advantage , than the contrary : and that upon four considerations ; which i shall endeavour to represent with their just advantage , and so as may , i hope , not onely convince our judgments of the reasonableness of this precept , but likewise bend and sway our wills to the obedience and practice of it . i. if we consider the nature of the act here requir'd , which is to love ; which when it is not a meer passion , but under the government of our reason , is the most natural , and easie , and delightful of all the affections which god hath planted in humane nature : whereas ill-will , and hatred , and revenge , are very troublesome and vexatious passions . both the devising of mischief , and the accomplishment of it , and the reflection upon it afterwards , are all uneasie ; and the consequences of it many times pernicious to our selves , the very design of revenge is troublesome , and puts the spirits into an unnatural fermentation and tumult . the man that meditates it is always restless , his very soul is stung , swells and boiles , is in pain and anguish , hath no ease , no enjoyment of it self so long as this passion reigns . the execution of it may perhaps be attended with some present pleasure , but that pleasure is unreasonable and brutish , momentany and short , like a flash of lightning which vanisheth in the twinkling of an eye . it is commonly said that revenge is sweet , but to a calm and considerate mind patience and forgiveness are sweeter , and do afford a much more rational and solid and durable pleasure than revenge . the monuments of our mercy and goodness are a far more pleasing and delightful spectacle , than of our rage and cruelty . and no sort of thought does usually haunt men with more terrour , than the reflection upon what they have done in way of revenge . besides that the consequences of this passion do commonly prove very prejudicial to our selves . for the revenge of one injury doth naturally draw on more , and will oblige us for the same reason to a new revenge of them ; and this brings on a perpetual and endless circulation of injuries and revenges . so that whoever seeks revenge upon another doth commonly in the issue take it upon himself , and whilst he thinks to transfer the injury which he hath receiv'd upon him that did it , he doubles it upon himself . such , and so great are the troubles and inconveniences of a malicious and revengeful temper : but there is no torment in love , as st. john excellently sayes . to be kindly affection'd towards all , to bear no grudge or ill-will , no thought of displeasure or revenge towards any man , is the easiest posture , the most pleasant state of the mind . so that if not for their sakes , yet for our own , we should love our enemies and do good to them that hate us ; because to be thus affected towards all men , is as great kindness to our selves as it is charity to others . ii. if we consider the qualification of the object ; it is our enemy whom we are requir'd to love. in whom though there be something that is justly disgustful , yet there is something also that is lovely ; and if we persist in our kindness to him , notwithstanding his enmity to us , the enmity may wear off , and perhaps at length be chang'd into a sincere and firm friendship . 't is true indeed , that with regard to our selves personal enmity towards us is one of the most inconvenient qualities that a man can have , but not therefore the worst in it self . if we could be impartial and lay aside prejudice , we might perhaps discern several very lovely qualities in him which hates us : and vertue is to be own'd , and prais'd , and lov'd , even in an enemy . and perhaps his enmity towards us is not so great and inexcusable a fault , as we apprehend ; he is not perhaps our enemy to that degree , nor so altogether without cause , as we imagine ; possibly we have provok'd him , or by his own mistake , or through the malicious representation of others , he may be induc'd to think so : and are not we our selves lyable to the like misapprehensions concerning others ? of which we are many times afterwards convinc'd and asham'd : and so may he , and then his enmity will cease , if we will but have a little patience with him , as we alwayes wish in the like case that others would have with us . at the worst , though never so sore and causeless an enemy , though never so bad a man , yet he is a man , and as such , hath something in him which the blindest passion cannot deny to be good and amiable . he hath the same nature with our selves , which we cannot hate , or despise , without hatred and contempt of our selves . let a mans faults be what they will , they do not destroy his nature and make him cease to be a man. the two great foundations of love are relation and likeness . no one thing , sayes tully , is so like , so equal to another , as one man is to another . what difference soever there may be between us and another man , yea , though he be our enemy , yet he is still like us in the main ; and perhaps , but too like us in that for which we find so much fault with him , a proneness to offer affronts and injuries . and there is an essential relation , as well as likeness , between one man and another ; which nothing can ever dissolve , because it is founded in that which no man can devest himself of , in humane nature . so far is it from being true , which mr. hobbs asserts as the fundamental principle of his politicks , that men are naturally in a state of war and enmity with one another ; that the contrary principle , laid down by a much deeper and wiser man , i mean aristotle , is most certainly true , that men are naturally akin and friends to each other . some unhappy accidents and occasions may make men enemies , but naturally every man is friend to another : and that is the surest and most unalterable reason of things which is founded in nature , not that which springs from mutable accidents and occasions . so that whoever is recommended to us under the notion of a man , ought not to be look'd upon by us and treated as an enemy . consider farther that an enemy , even whilst he is exercising his enmity towards us , may do us many acts of real advantage ; which though they do not proceed from kindness , yet in truth are benefits . the malicious censures of our enemies , if we make a right use of them , may prove of greater advantage to us , than the civilities of our best friends . we can easily afford , nay the wisest men can hardly forbear , to love a flatterer ; to embrace him , and to take him into our bosom ; and yet an open enemy is a thousands times better and less dangerous than he . it is good for many men that they have had enemies , who have many times been to them the happy occasion of reforming those faults , which none but an enemy would have taken the freedom , i had almost said would have had the friendship , to have told them of . but what if after all , this enemy of ours , this hated man , prove to be one of our best friends ? for so reconciled enemies usually are . and if any thing will reconcile an enemy , love and kindness will. an obstinate goodness is apt to conquer even the worst of men. it is hardly in the nature of man to withstand the kindness of one whom , by all that we could do , we have not been able to make our enemy . after a man hath done the greatest injury to another , not onely to find no revenge following upon it , but the first opportunity taken to oblige him , is so very surprizing , that it can hardly fail to gain upon the worst disposition and to melt down the hardest temper . so that we should love our enemies , if not for what they are at present , yet for what they may be , and in hope that by these means they may in time become our friends . iii. if we consider the excellency and generosity of the thing it self . to love our enemies , and to do good to them that hate us , is the perfection of goodness , and the advancement of it to its highest pitch . it is the most excellent and perfect act of the greatest and most perfect of all graces and vertues , i mean charity ; which by st. paul is call'd the bond of perfection ; and by st. james , the perfect and the royal law : because it inspires men with a greatness of mind fit for kings and princes , in whom nothing is more admirable than a generous goodness and clemency , even towards great enemies and offenders , so far as is consistent with the publick good. love for love is but justice and gratitude ; love for no love is favour and kindness ; but love for hatred and enmity is a most divine temper , a steddy and immutable goodness that is not to be stirr'd by provocation , and so far from being conquer'd that it is rather confirm'd by its contrary : for if hatred and enmity do not extinguish love , what can ? this is goodness indeed ; not only without merit and obligation , without invitation or motive ; but against all reasonable expectation , and in despite of all temptation and provocation to the contrary . so that to return good for evil and love for hatred , is one of the greatest arguments of a great mind , and of deep wisdom and consideration : for naturally our first inclinations and thoughts towards our enemies are full of anger and revenge ; but our second and wiser thoughts will tell us , that forgiveness is much more generous than revenge . and a more glorious victory cannot be gain'd over another man than this , that when the injury began on his part the kindness should begin on ours . if both the wayes were equally in our power , yet it is a much more desirable conquest to overcome evil with good , than with evil . by this , we can only conquer our enemy , and may perhaps fail in that ; but by the other , we certainly conquer our selves , and perhaps our enemy too ; overcoming him in the noblest manner , and walking him gently till he be cool , and without force effectually subduing him to be our friend . this , as one fitly compares it , is like a great and wise general , by art and stratagem , by meer dint of skill and conduct , by patience and wise delay ; without ever striking a stroke , or shedding one drop of blood , to vanquish an enemy , and to make an end of the war without ever putting it to the hazard of a battel . revenge is blind and rash , and does alwayes proceed from impotency and weakness of mind . 't is anger that spurrs men on to it ; and anger is certainly one of the foolishest passions of humane nature , and which commonly betrays men to the most imprudent and unreasonable things . so solomon observes , he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly ; and again , anger resteth in the bosom of fools : but to be able to bear provocation , is an argument of great wisdom ; and to forgive it , of a great mind : so the same wise-man tells us , he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty , and he that ruleth his spirit , than he that taketh a city . it is a greater thing , in case of great provocation , to calm a mans own spirit , than to storm and take a strong city . whereas the angry man loseth and lets fall the government of himself , and lays the reins upon the neck of the wild beast , his own brutish appetite and passion ; which hurries him on first to revenge , and then to repentance for the folly which he hath been guilty of in gratifying so unreasonable a passion . for it very seldom happens that any man executes an act of revenge , but the very next moment after he hath done it , he is sorry for it , and wisheth he had not done it : whereas patience and forgiveness do wisely prevent both the mischief to others , and the trouble to our selves , which is usually consequent upon revenge . iv. if we consider the perfection and prevalency of the examples which the gospel proposeth to us , to allure and engage us to the practice of this duty . and they are the examples of god himself , and of the son of god in the nature of man. . the example of god himself . the scripture doth frequently set before us the goodness of gods common providence to sinners , for our pattern . and this is the argument whereby our blessed saviour presseth the duty in the text upon us , in the verse immediately after it ; that ye may be the children of your heavenly father , who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good , and his rain to fall on the just and the unjust . the same argument seneca also urgeth to the same purpose . how many ( sayes he ) are unworthy of the light , and yet the day visits them ? and speaking of the gods , they bestow , ( sayes he ) their benefits upon the unthankful , and are ready to help those who make a bad construction and use of their kindness . and almost in the very words of our saviour , etiam sceleratis sol oritur , &c. the sun riseth even upon the most vile and profligate persons , and the seas are open to pirates . thus is god affected towards those who are guilty of the greatest provocations towards him. he bestows upon them the gifts of his common providence ; and not onely so , but is ready to forgive innumerable offences to them for christ's sake . this pattern the apostle proposeth to our imitation , be ye kind , tender-hearted , forbearing one another , forgiving one another , even as god for christs sake hath forgiven you : be ye therefore imitaters of god as dear children . this temper and disposition of mind , is the prime excellency and perfection of the divine nature ; and who would not be ambitious to be like the most perfect and best of beings ? and so our b. saviour concludes this argument , in the last verse of this chapter , be ye therefore perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect , which st. luke renders , be ye therefore merciful , as your father which is in heaven is merciful . so that in that very thing which we think to be so hard and difficult , you see that we have perfection it self for our pattern . and this example ought to be of so much greater force with us , by how much greater reason there is why we should do thus to one another , than why god should do thus to us . our offences against god are more and greater , than any man ever was or could be guilty of towards us : besides , that there are many considerations which ought to tye up our hands , and may reasonably restrain us from falling furiously upon one another , which can have no place at all in god. we may justly fear , that the consequence of our revenge may return upon our selves , and that it may come to be our own case to stand in need of mercy and forgiveness from others : and therefore out of necessary caution and prudence , we should take heed not to set any bad example in this kind , lest it should recoyle upon our selves . we who stand so much in need of forgiveness our selves , ought in all reason to be very easie to forgive others . but now the divine nature is infinitely above any real injury or suffering . god can never stand in need of pity or forgiveness ; and yet of his own meer goodness , without any interest or design , how slow is he to anger , and how ready to forgive ? and , which comes yet nearer to us , there is also the example of the son of god , our blessed saviour ; who in our nature , and in case of the greatest injuries and provocations imaginable , did practise this vertue to the height : and all this for our sakes , as well as for our example . so that he requires nothing of us , but what he himself submitted to with the greatest patience and constancy of mind ; in our stead , and wholy for our advantage . he render'd good for evil to all mankind , and shew'd greater love to us , whilst we were enemies to him , than ever any man did to his friend . he pray'd for those that despitefully used him and persecuted him . and this , not upon cool consideration , after the injury was done , and the pain of his sufferings was over ; but whilst the sense and smart of them was upon him , and in the very agony and bitterness of death : in the height of all his anguish , he pour'd out his soul an offering for the sins of men , and his blood a sacrifice to god , for the expiation of the guilt of that very sin whereby they shed it ; pleading with god , in the behalf of his murderers , the only excuse that was possible to be made for their malice , that is their ignorance ; and spending his last breath in that most charitable prayer for them , father forgive them , for they know not what they do . the last declaration which he made of his mind , was love to his enemies ; and the last legacy he bequeath'd was an earnest request to god for the forgiveness of his persecutors and murderers . so that if any example ought to be dear to us , and effectually to engage us to the imitation of it , this of our blessed saviour should ; since the injuries which he suffer'd have saved us from suffering , and the greatest blessing and happiness that ever befel mankind is due to this excellent example : and then with what confidence , nay with what conscience , can we pretend to share in the benefits of this example , without imitating the vertues of it ? can we seriously contemplate the excessive kindness and charity of the son of god to the sinful sons of men , after all our bitterest enmity towards him , and most cruel and injurious usage of him ; and all this charity exercis'd towards us , whilst he was under the actual sense and suffering of these things : and yet not be provok'd by an example so admirable in it self , and of such mighty advantage to us , to go and do likewise ? but notwithstanding the power of these arguments to perswade to this duty , i must not dissemble some objections which are , i believe , in many of your minds against it ; and to which for the full clearing of this matter , it will be fit to give some satisfaction . and they are these : . that this precept in the text does not seem so well to agree with another of our blessed saviour's , in another evangelist , if thy brother trespass against thee , rebuke him ; and if he repent , forgive him . and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day , and seven times in a day turn again to thee , saying , i repent , thou shalt forgive him . here our blessed saviour seems not to require forgiveness , unless he that hath done the injury declare his repentance for it : but the text plainly requires us to forgive those who are so far from repenting of their enmity , that they still pursue it , and exercise it upon us . thus our lord teacheth us , and thus he himself practised towards his persecutors . but this appearance of contradiction will quickly vanish , if we consider that forgiveness is sometimes taken chiefly for abstaining from revenge ; and so far we are to forgive our enemies , even whilst they continue so , and though they do not repent : and not only so , but we are also to pray for them , and to do good offices to them , especially of common humanity : and this is the meaning of the precept in the text. but sometimes forgiveness does signifie a perfect reconciliation to those that have offended us , so as to take them again into our friendship ; which they are by no means fit for , till they have repented of their enmity , and laid it aside . and this is plainly the meaning of the other text. . it is further objected , that this seems to be a very imprudent thing , and of dangerous consequence to our selves ; because by bearing one injury so patiently , and forgiving it so easily , we invite more ; and not only tempt our enemie to go on , but others also by his example to do the like : which will make ill natur'd men to provoke us on purpose , with a crafty design to wrest benefits from us : for what better trade can a man drive , than to gain benefits in exchange for injuries ? to this i answer three things : first , it is to be feared that there are but few so very good , as to make this kind return for injuries : perhaps , of those that call themselves christians , not one in a hundred . and he is not a cunning man that will venture to make an enemy , when there is the odds of a hundred to one against him , that this enemy of his will take the first opportunity to take his revenge upon him . secondly , it is also on the other hand to be hoped , that but very few are so prodigiously bad , as to make so barbarous a return for the unexpected kindness of a generous enemy . and this is encouragement enough to the practice of this duty , if there be a probable hope that it will have a good effect ; and however , if it should fall out otherwise , yet this would not be reason enough to discourage our goodness , especially since the kindness which we do to our friends is lyable almost to an equal objection , that they may prove ungrateful , and become our enemies : it having been often seen that great benefits , and such are beyond requital , instead of making a man more a friend have made him an enemy . thirdly , our saviour never intended by this precept , that our goodness should be blind and void of all prudence and discretion , but that it should be so managed ; as to make our enemy sensible both of his own fault , and of our favour ; and so , as to give him as little encouragement , as there is reason for it , to hope to find the like favour again upon the like provocation . our saviour commands us to do the thing , but hath left it to our prudence to do it in such a manner as may be most effectual , both to reclaim the offender , and likewise to secure ourselves against future and further injuries . . lastly , it is objected , what can we do more to our best friends , than to love them and bless them , than to do good to them and to pray for them ? and are we then to make no difference betwixt our enemies and our friends ? yes surely ; and so we may , notwithstanding this precept : for there are degrees of love , and there are benefits of several rates and sizes . those of the first rate we may with reason bestow upon our friends , and with those of a second or third rate there is all the reason in the world why our enemies should be very well contented . besides that we may abstain from revenge , yea , and love our enemy , and wish him and do him good ; and yet it will not presently be necessary that we should take him into our bosom , and treat and trust him as our intimate and familiar friend . for every one that is not our enemy is not fit to be our friend ; much less one that hath been our enemy , and perhaps is so still . there must be a great change in him that hath been our enemy , and we must have had long experience of him , before it will be fit , if ever it be so , to take him into our friendship . all that now remains is to make some inferences from the discourse which i have made upon this argument , by way of application . and they shall be these four : i. if we think it so very difficult to demean ourselves towards our enemies , as the christian religion doth plainly require us to do ; to forgive them , and love them , and pray for them , and to do good offices to them , then certainly it concerns us in prudence to be very careful how we make enemies to ourselves . one of the first principles of humane wisdom , in the conduct of our lives , i have ever thought to be this , to have a few intimate friends , and to make no enemies , if it be possible , to ourselves ▪ st. paul lays a great stress upon this , and presseth it very earnestly . for after he had forbidden revenge , recompence to no man evil for evil . as if he were very sensible how hard a matter it is to bring men to this , he adviseth in the next words , to prevent , if it be possible , the occasions of revenge , if it be possible , and as much as lyeth in you , live peaceably with all men : that is , if we can avoid it , have no enmity with any man. and that for two very weighty reasons . the first i have already intimated ; because it is so very hard to behave ourselves towards enemies as we ought . this we shall find to be a difficult duty to flesh and blood ; and it will require great wisdom , and consideration , and humility of mind , for a man to bring down his spirit to the obedience of this command : for the fewer enemies we have , the less occasion will there be of contesting this hard point with ourselves . and the other reason is , i think , yet plainer and more convincing , because enemies will come of themselves , and let a man do what he can , he shall have some . friendship is a thing that needs to be cultivated , if we would have it come to any thing ; but enemies , like ill weeds , will spring up of themselves without our care and toil . the enemy , as our saviour calls the devil , will sow these tares in the night , and when we least discern it , will scatter the seeds of discord and enmity among men ; and will take an advantage either from the envy , or the malice , or the mistakes of men , to make them enemies to one another . which would make one wonder to see what care and pains some men will take , to provoke mankind against them ; how they will lay about them , and snatch at opportunities to make themselves enemies , as if they were afraid to let the happy occasion slip by them : but all this care and fear surely is needless ; we may safely trust an ill-natur'd world , that we shall have enemies enough , without our doing things on our part to provoke and procure them . but above all , it concerns every man in prudence to take great care not to make personal enemies to himself ; for these are the sorest and the surest of all other , and when there is an opportunity for it , will sit hardest upon us . injuries done to the publick are certainly the greatest , and yet they are many times more easily forgiven , than those which are done to particular persons . for when revenge is every bodies work , it may prove to be no bodies . the general wrongs which are done to humane society , do not so sensibly touch and sting men , as personal injuries and provocations . the law is never angry or in passion , and it is not only a great indecency , but a fault , when the judges of it are so . heat of prosecution belongs to particular persons ; and it is their memory of injuries , and desire to revenge them , and diligence to set on and sharpen the law , that is chiefly to be dreaded : and if the truth were known , it is much to be fear'd that there are almost as few private as publick acts of oblivion pass'd in the world ; and they commonly pass as slowly , and with as much difficulty , and not till the grace and good effect of them is almost quite lost . ii. secondly , if we ought to be thus affected towards our enemies , how great ought our kindness , and the expressions of it , to be to others ? to those who never disobliged us , nor did us any injury by word or deed ; to those more especially , who stand in a nearer relation to us ; to our natural kindred , and to our spiritual brethren to whom we are so strongly link'd and united by common bond of christianity ; and lastly , to our benefactors , and those who have been before-hand with us in obligation : for all these are so many special ties and endearments of men to one another , founded either in nature or religion , or in common justice and gratitude . and therefore between all these and our enemies we ought to make a very wide and sensible difference , in our carriage and kindness towards them . and if we do not do so , we represent our saviour as an unreasonable law-giver , and do perversly interpret this precept of his contrary to the reasonable and equitable meaning of it . for whatever degree of kindness is here required towards our enemies , it is certain that so much more is due to others , as according to the true proportion of our tie and obligation to them they have deserved at our hands : nothing being more certain than that our blessed saviour , the founder of our religion , did never intend by any precept of it to cancel any real obligation of nature , or justice , or gratitude ; or to offer violence in the least to the common reason of mankind . iii. thirdly , hence we learn the excellency and the reasonableness of the christian religion , which hath carried our duty so high in things which do so directly tend to the perfection of humane nature , and to the peace of humane society ; and , which if all things be rightly consider'd , are most agreeable to the clearest and best reason of mankind : so that those things which were heretofore look'd upon , and that only by some few of the wiser sort , as heroical instances of goodness , and above the common rate of humanity , are now by the christian religion made the indispensable duties of all mankind . and the precepts of no other religion , that ever yet appeared in the world , have advanced humane nature so much above itself , and are so well calculated for the peace and happiness of the world , as the precepts of the christian religion are : for they strictly forbid the doing of injuries , by way of prevention ; and in case they happen , they endeavour to put a present stop to the progress of them , by so severely forbidding the revenging of them . and yet after all this , it must be aknowledg'd to be a very untoward objection against the excellency and the efficacy of the christian religion , that the practice of so many christians is so unequal to the perfection of these precepts . for who is there in the changes and revolutions of humane affairs , and when the wheel of providence turns them uppermost , and lays their enemies at their feet , that will give them any quarter ? nay , that does not greedily seize upon the first opportunities of revenge , and like an eagle , hungry for his prey , make a sudden stoop upon them with all his force and violence ; and when he hath them in his pounces , and at his mercy , is not ready to tear them in pieces ? so that after all our boasts of the excellency of our religion , where is the practice of it ? this , i confess , is a terrible objection indeed ; and i must entreat of you , my brethren , to help me to the best answer to it : not by any nice distinctions and speculations about it , but by the careful and honest practice of this precept of our religion . this was the old objection against philosophy , that many that were philosophers in their opinions were faulty in their lives : but yet this was never thought by wise men to be a good objection against philosophy . and unless we will lay more weight upon the objections against religion , and press them harder than we think it reasonable to do in any other case , we must acknowledge likewise , that this objection against religion is of no force . men do not cast off the art of physick , because many physicians do not live up to their own rules , and do not themselves follow those prescriptions which they think fit to give to others : and there is a plain reason for it , because their swerving from their own rules doth not necessarily signifie that their rules are not good , but only that their appetites are unruly , and too hard and head-strong for their reason : nothing being more certain than this , that rules may be very reasonable , and yet they that give them may not follow them . iv. the fourth and last inference from this whole discourse shall be this , that being convinced by what hath been said upon this argument , of the reasonableness of this duty , we would resolve upon the practice of it , when ever there is occasion offer'd for it in the course of our lives . i need not to put you in mind , that there is now like to be great occasion for it : i shall only say , that whenever there is so , nothing can be tied more strictly upon us than this duty is . it hath often been a great comfort and confirmation to me , to see the humanity of the protestant religion , so plainly discovering it self , upon so many occasions , in the practice of the professours of it . and setting aside all other advantages which our religion hath been evidently shewn to have above popery in point of reason and argument , i cannot for my life but think that to be the best religion which makes the best men , and from the nature of its principles is apt to make them so ; most kind , and merciful , and charitable ; and most free from malice , and revenge , and cruelty . and therefore our blessed saviour , who knew what was in man better than any man that ever was , knowing our great reluctancy and backwardness to the practice of this duty , hath urged it upon us by such forcible and almost violent arguments , that if we have any tenderness for our selves , we cannot refuse obedience to it . for he plainly tells us , that no sacrifice that we can offer will appease god towards us , so long as we our selves are implacable to men ; verse d of this chapter , if thou bring thy gift to the altar , and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee , leave thy gift before the altar , and go thy way : first go and be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . to recommend this duty effectually to us , he gives it a preference to all the positive duties of religion : first go and be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . till this duty be discharged , god will accept of no service , no sacrifice at our hands . and therefore our liturgy doth with great reason declare it to be a necessary qualification for our worthy receiving of the sacrament , that we be in love and charity with our neighbours ; because this is a moral duty , and of eternal obligation , without which no positive part of religion , such as the sacraments are , can be acceptable to god ; especially since in this blessed sacrament of christ's body and blood we expect to have the forgiveness of our sins ratified and confirmed to us : which how can we hope for from god , if we our selves be not ready to forgive one another ? he shall have judgment without mercy , says st. james , who hath shewed no mercy . and in that excellent form of prayer which our lord himself hath given us , he hath taught us so to ask forgiveness of god , as not to expect it from him , if we do not forgive one another . so that if we do not practise this duty , as hard as we think it is , every time that we put up this petition to god , [ forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us ; ] we send up a terrible imprecation against our selves , and do in effect beg of god not to forgive us . and therefore , to imprint this matter the deeper upon our minds , our blessed saviour immediately after the recital of this prayer , hath thought fit to add a very remarkable enforcement of this petition , above all the rest ; for if , says he , ye forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your father forgive your trespasses . and our saviour hath likewise in his gospel represented to us , both the reasonableness of this duty , and the danger of doing contrary to it , in a very lively and affecting parable , deliver'd by him to this purpose : concerning a wicked servant , who , when his lord had but just before forgiven him a vast debt of ten thousand talents , took his poor fellow-servant by the throat , and , notwithstanding his humble submission and earnest entreaties to be favourable to him , haled him to prison for a trifling debt of an hundred pence . and the application which he makes of this parable , at the end of it , is very terrible , and such as ought never to go out of our minds ; so likewise , says he , shall my heavenly father do also unto you , if ye do not from your hearts forgive every one his brother his trespasses . one might be apt to think at first view , that this parable was over done , and wanted something of a due decorum ; it being hardly credible , that a man after he had been so mercifully and generously dealt withall , as upon his humble request to have so huge a debt so freely forgiven , should whilst the memory of so much mercy was fresh upon him , even the very next moment , handle his fellow-servant , who had made the same humble submission and request to him which he had done to his lord , with so much roughness and cruelty , for so inconsiderable a sum. this , i say , would hardly seem credible ; did we not see in experience how very unreasonable and unmerciful some men are , and with what confidence they can ask and expect great mercy from god , when they will shew none to men. the greatness of the injuries which are done to us , is the reason commonly pleaded by us why we cannot forgive them . but whoever thou art , that makest this an argument why thou canst not forgive thy brother , lay thine hand upon thy heart , and bethink thy self how many more and much greater offences thou hast been guilty of against god : look up to that just and powerful being that is above , and consider well , whether thou dost not both expect and stand in need of more mercy and favour from him , than thou canst find in thy heart to shew to thine offending brother ? we have all certainly great reason to expect that as we use one another , god will likewise deal with us . and yet after all this , how little is this duty practis'd among christians ? and how hardly are the best of us brought to love our enemies , and to forgive them ? and this , notwithstanding that all our hopes of mercy and forgiveness from god do depend upon it . how strangely inconsistent is our practice and our hope ? and what a wide distance is there between our expectations from god , and our dealings with men ? how very partial and unequal are we , to hope so easily to be forgiven , and yet to be so hard to forgive ? would we have god , for christ's sake , to forgive us those numberless and monstrous provocations which we have been guilty of against his divine majesty ? and shall we not for his sake , for whose sake we our selves are forgiven , be willing to forgive one another ? we think it hard to be oblig'd to forgive great injuries , and often repeated ; and yet woe be to us all , and most miserable shall we be to all eternity , if god do not all this to us , which we think to be so very hard and unreasonable for us to do to one another . i have sometimes wonder'd how it should come to pass , that so many persons should be so apt to despair of the mercy and forgiveness of god to them ; especially considering what clear and express declarations god hath made of his readiness to forgive our greatest sins and provocations upon our sincere repentance : but the wonder will be very much abated , when we shall consider with how much difficulty men are brought to remit great injuries , and how hardly we are perswaded to refrain from flying upon those who have given us any considerable provocation . so that when men look into themselves , and shall carefully observe the motions of their own minds towards those against whom they have been justly exasperated , they will see but too much reason to think that forgiveness is no such easie matter . but our comfort in this case is , that god is not as man ; that his ways are not as our ways , nor his thoughts as our thoughts ; but as the heavens are high above the earth , so are his ways above our ways , and his thoughts above our thoughts . and the best way to keep our selves from despairing of god's mercy and forgiveness to us , is to be easie to grant forgiveness to others : and without this , as god hath reason to deny forgiveness to us , so we our selves have all the reason in the world utterly to despair of it . it would almost transport a christian to read that admirable passage of the great heathen emperour and philosopher m. aurelius antoninus , can the gods , says he , that are immortal , for the continuance of so many ages , bear without impatience with such and so many sinners as have ever been ; and not only so , but likewise take care of them , and provide for them that they want nothing : and dost thou so grievously take on , as one that can bear with them no longer ? thou , that art but for a moment of time ; yea , thou that art one of those sinners thy self . i will conclude this whole discourse with those weighty and pungent sayings of the wise son of sirach , he that revengeth shall find vengeance from the lord , and he will certainly retain his sins . forgive thy neighbour that hath hurt thee , so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest . one man beareth hatred against another , and doth he seek pardon of the lord ? he sheweth no mercy to a man like himself , and doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins ? enable us , o lord , by thy grace , to practise this excellent and difficult duty of our religion : and then , forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us : for thy mercies sake , in jesus christ ; to whom with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , adoration and obedience , both now and ever . amen . finis . books lately printed for brabazon aylmer . the rule of faith : or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. sarjant . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury . to which is adjoyned , a reply to mr. i. s. his third appendix , &c. by edward stillingfleet , d. d. dean of st. paul's . the advice of a father , or counsel to a child : direrecting him how to demean himself in the most important passages of this life . the true mother-church : or , a short discourse concerning the doctrine and worship of the first church at jerusalem , upon acts ii. by samuel johnson , author of reflections upon julian . price d. books printed for b. aylmer and w. rogers . sermons and discourses , some of which never before printed : the third volume . by the reverend dr. tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury . octavo . a discourse against transubstantiation . in vo . price d. a perswasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper . by john tillotson , dean of canterbury . in octavo . price d. a sermon preach'd at lincolns-inn-chappel ; on the st of january , , being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury . books lately printed for w. rogers . an answer to a discourse , intituled , papists protesting against protestant popery ; being a vindication of papists not misrepresented by protestants . quarto . a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord mayor and aldermen of the city of london , at guild-hall-chappel , on sunday november th , . by w. sherlock , d. d. master of the temple . a letter of enquiry to the reverend fathers of the society of jesus . written in the person of a dissatisfied roman catholick . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e dr. barrow . dr. barrow . prov. . . eccl. . . prov. . . ver. . eph. . . chap. . . luke . , . rom. . . v. . matth. . , . mat. . . v. . m. aur. antoni . lib. . eccl. , , , , . a sermon preached before the king, febr. th / john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the king, febr. th / john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed by a. maxwell for samuel gellibrand ..., london : . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- psalms cixx, -- sermons. sermons, english. sermons -- england -- london -- th century - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the king , febr. th / . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . published by his majesties special command . london : printed by a. maxwell , for samuel gellibrand , at the ball in st. pauls church-yard , . a sermon preached before the king , febr. th / . psal. . . i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . the two great causes of the ruine of men , are infidelity and want of consideration . some do not believe the principles of religion , or at least have by arguing against them rendered them so doubtful to themselves , as to take away the force and efficacy of them : but these are but a very small part of mankind , in comparison of those who perish for want of considering these things . for most men take the principles of religion for granted , that there is a god , and a providence , and a state of rewards and punishments after this life , and never entertained any considerable doubt in their minds to the contrary : but for all this , they never attended to the proper and natural consequences of these principles , nor applyed them to their own case ; they never seriously considered the notorious inconsistency of their lives with this belief , and what manner of persons they ought to be who are verily perswaded of the truth of these things . for no man that is convinced that there is a god , and considers the necessary and immediate consequences of such a perswasion , can think it safe to affront him by a wicked life : no man that believes the infinite happiness and misery of another world , and considers withall that one of these shall certainly be his portion , according as he demeans himself in this present life , can think it indifferent what course he takes . men may thrust away these thoughts , and keep them out of their minds for a long time ; but no man that enters into the serious consideration of these matters , can possibly think it a thing indifferent to him whether he be happy or miserable for ever . so that a great part of the evils of mens lives would be cured , if they would but once lay them to heart ; would they but seriously consider the consequences of a wicked life , they would see so plain reason and so urgent a necessity for the reforming of it , that they would not venture to continue any longer in it . this course david took here in the text , and he found the happy success of it ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . in which words there are these two things considerable . i. the course which david here took for the reforming of his life ; i thought on my ways . ii. the success of this course . it produced actual and speedy reformation ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; i made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments . these are the two heads of my following discourse ; which when i have spoken to , i shall endeavour to perswade my self and you to take the same course which david here did , and god grant that it may have the same effect . i. we will consider the course which david here took for the reforming of his life ; i thought on my ways , or , as the words are rendered in our old translation , i called mine own ways to remembrance . and this may either signifie a general survey and examination of his life , respecting indifferently the good or bad actions of it : or else , which is more probable , it may specially refer to the sins and miscarriages of his life ; i thought on my ways , that is , i called my sins to remembrance . neither of these senses can be much amiss in order to the effect mentioned in the text , viz. the reformation and amendment of our lives ; and therefore neither of them can reasonably be excluded , though i shall principally insist upon the later . . this thinking of our ways may signifie a general survey and examination of our lives , respecting indifferently our good and bad actions . for way is a metaphorical word , denoting the course of a mans life and actions . i thought on my ways , that is , i examined my life , and called my self to a strict account for the actions of it ; i compared them with the law of god the rule and measure of my duty , and considered how far i had obeyed that law or offended against it ; how much evil i had been guilty of , and how little good i had done , in comparison of what i might and ought to have done : that by this means i might come to understand the true state and condition of my soul , and discerning how many and great my faults and defects were , i might amend whatever was amiss , and be more careful of my duty for the future . and it must needs be a thing of excellent use , for men to set apart some particular times for the examination of themselves , that they may know how accounts stand between god and them . pythagoras ( or whoever was the author of those golden verses which pass under his name ) doth especially recommend this practice to his scholars , every night before they slept , to call themselves to account for the actions of the day past ; enquiring wherein they had transgressed , what good they had done that day , or omitted to do . and this no doubt is an admirable means to improve men in virtue , a most effectual way to keep our consciences continually waking and tender , and to make us stand in awe of our selves , and afraid to sin , when we know before hand that we must give so severe an account to our selves of every action . and certainly it is a great piece of wisdom to make up our accounts as frequently as we can , that our repentance may in some measure keep pace with the errors and failings of our lives , and that we may not be oppressed and confounded by the insupportable weight of the sins of a whole life falling upon us at once ; and that perhaps at the very worst time , when we are sick and weak , and have neither understanding nor leisure to recollect our selves , and to call our sins distinctly to remembrance , much less to exercise any fit and proper acts of repentance for them . for there is nothing to be done in religion when our reason is once departed from us ; then darkness hath overtaken us indeed , and the night is come when no man can work . but though we were never so sensible , and should do all we can at that time , yet after all this , how it will go with us god alone knows . i am sure it is too much presumption for any man to be confident that one general and confused act of repentance will serve his turn for the sins of his whole life . therefore there is great reason why we should often examine our selves , both in order to the amendment of our lives , and the ease of our consciences when we come to dye . . this thinking of our ways may particularly and specially refer to the sins and miscarriages of our lives : i thought on my ways , that is , i called my sins to remembrance ; i took a particular account of the errors of my life , and laid them seriously to heart ; i considered all the circumstances and consequences of them , and all other things belonging to them ; and reasoning the matter throughly with my self , came to a peremptory and fixed resolution of breaking off this wicked course of life , and betaking my self to the obedience of god's laws . and the consideration of our ways taken in this sense ( which seems to be the more probable meaning of the words ) may reasonably imply in it these following particulars . . the taking of a particular account of our fins , together with the several circumstances and aggravations of them . . a hearty trouble and sorrow for them ; i thought on my ways , that is , i laid them sadly to heart . . a serious consideration of the evil and unreasonableness of a sinful course . . a due sense of the fearful and fatal consequences of a wicked life . . a full conviction of the necessity of quitting this course . . an apprehension of the possibility of doing this . . the taking of a particular account of our sins , together with the several circumstances and aggravations of them . and to this end , we may do well to reflect particularly upon the several stages and periods of our lives , and to recollect at least the principal miscarriages belonging to each of them . and the better to enable us hereto , it will be useful to have before our eyes some abridgement or summary of the laws of god , containing the chief heads of duties and sins , of virtues and vices ; for this will help to bring many of our faults and neglects to our remembrance , which otherwise perhaps would have been forgotten by us . we should likewise consider the several relations wherein we have stood to others , and how far we have transgressed or failed of our duty in any of those respects . and having thus far made up our sad account , we may in a great measure understand the number and greatness of our sins ; abating for some particulars which are slipp'd out of our memory , and for sins of ignorance , and dayly infirmities , which are innumerable . by all which we may see , what vile wretches and grievous offenders we have been : especially if we take into consideration the several heavy circumstances of our sins , which do above measure aggravate them ; the heinousness of many of them , as to their nature , and the injurious consequences of them to the person , or estate , or reputation of our neighbour ; their having been committed against the clear knowledg of our duty , against the frequent checks and convictions of our consciences , telling us when we did them that we did amiss ; against so many motions and suggestions of gods holy spirit , so many admonitions and reproofs from others ; and contrary to our own most serious vows and resolutions , renewed at several times , especially upon the receiving of the blessed sacrament , and in times of sickness and distress : and all this notwithstanding the plainest declarations of gods will to the contrary , notwithstanding the terrors of the lord and the wrath of god revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ; notwithstanding the cruel sufferings of the son of god for our sins , and the most merciful offers of pardon and reconciliation in his blood : add to this the scandal of our wicked lives to our holy religion , the ill example of them to the corrupting and debauching of others , the affront of them to the divine authority , and the horrible ingratitude of them to the mercy and goodness and patience of god , to which we have such infinite obligations . thus we should set our sins in order before our eyes , with the several aggravations of them . . a hearty trouble and sorrow for sin ; i thought on my ways , that is , i laid my sins sadly to heart . and surely whenever we remember the faults and follies of our lives , we cannot but be inwardly touched and sensibly grieved at the thoughts of them ; we cannot but hang down our heads , and smite upon our breasts , and be in pain and heaviness at our very hearts . i know that the tempers of men are very different , and therefore i do not say that tears are absolutely necessary to repentance , but they do very well become it ; and a thorough sense of sin will almost melt the most hard and obdurate disposition , and fetch water out of a very rock . to be sure , the consideration of our ways should cause inward trouble and confusion in our minds . the least we can do when we have done amiss , is to be sorry for it , to condemn our own folly , and to be full of indignation and displeasure against our selves for what we have done , and to resolve never to do the like again . and let us make sure that our trouble and sorrow for sin have this effect , to make us leave our sins ; and then we shall need to be the less solicitous about the degrees and outward expressions of it . . a serious consideration of the evil and unreasonableness of a sinful course . that sin is the stain and blemish of our natures , the reproach of our reason and understanding , the disease and the deformity of our souls , the great enemy of our peace , the cause of all our fears and troubles : that whenever we do a wicked action , we go contrary to the clearest dictates of our reason and conscience , to our plain and true interest , and to the strongest tyes and obligations of duty and gratitude . and which renders it yet more unreasonable , sin is a voluntary evil which men wilfully bring upon themselves . other evils may be forced upon us , whether we will or no ; a man may be poor or sick by misfortune , but no man is wicked and vitious but by his own choice . how do we betray our folly and weakness , by suffering our selves to be hurried away by every foolish lust and passion , to do things which we know to be prejudicial and hurtful to our selves ; and so base and unworthy in themselves , that we are ashamed to do them , not only in the presence of a wise man , but even of a child or a fool . so that if sin were followed with no other punishment , besides the guilt of having done a shameful thing , a man would not by intemperance make himself a fool and a beast ; one would not be false and unjust , treacherous or unthankful , if for no other reason , yet out of meer greatness and generosity of mind , out of respect to the dignity of his nature , and out of very reverence to his own reason and understanding . for let witty men say what they will in defence of their vices , there are so many natural acknowledgments of the evil and unreasonableness of sin , that the matter is past all denial : men are generally galled and uneasie at the thoughts of an evil action , both before and after they have committed it ; they are ashamed to be taken in a crime , and heartily vexed and provoked whenever they are upbraided with it ; and 't is very observable , that though the greater part of the world was always bad , and vice hath ever had more servants and followers to cry it up , yet never was there any age so degenerate , in which vice could get the better of virtue in point of general esteem and reputation : even they whose wills have been most enslaved to sin , could never yet so far bribe and corrupt their understandings , as to make them give full approbation to it . . a due sense of the fearful and fatal consequences of a wicked life . and these are so sad and dreadful , and the danger of them so evident , and so perpetually threatning us , that no temptation can be sufficient to excuse a man to himself and his own reason for venturing upon them . a principal point of wisdom is to look to the end of things ; not only to consider the present pleasure and advantage of any thing , but also the ill consequences of it for the future ; and to ballance them one against the other . now sin in its own nature tends to make men miserable . it certainly causes trouble and disquiet of mind : and to a considerate man , that knows how to value the ease and satisfaction of his own mind , there cannot be a greater argument against sin , than to consider that the forsaking of it is the only way to find rest to our souls . besides this , every vice is naturally attended with some particular mischief and inconvenience , which maketh it even in this life a punishment to it self ; and commonly , the providence of god and his just judgment upon sinners strikes in to heighten the mischievous consequences of a sinful course . this we have represented in the parable of the prodigal ; his riotous course of life did naturally and of it self bring him to want , but the providence of god likewise concurred to render his condition more miserable , at the same time there arose a mighty famine in the land ; so that he did not only want wherewithall to supply himself , but was cut off from all hopes of relief from the abundance and superfluity of others . sin brings many miseries upon us , and god many times sends more and greater than sin brings ; and the further we go on in a sinful course , the more miseries and the greater difficulties we involve our selves in . but all these are but light and inconsiderable , in comparison of the dreadful miseries of another world ; to the danger whereof , every man that lives a wicked life doth every moment expose himself . so that if we could conquer shame , and had stupidity enough to bear the infamy and reproach of our vices , and the upbraidings of our consciences for them , and the temporal mischiefs and inconveniences of them ; though for the present gratifying of our lusts we could brook and dispence with all these , yet the consideration of the end and issue of a sinful course , is an invincible objection against it , and never to be answered ; though the violence of our sensual appetites and inclinations should be able to bear down all temporal considerations whatsoever , yet methinks the interest of our everlasting happiness should lye near our hearts , the consideration of another world should mightily amaze and startle us ; the horrors of eternal darkness , and the dismal thought of being miserable for ever , should effectually discourage any man from a wicked life . and this danger continually threatens the sinner , and may , if god be not merciful to him , happen to surprize him the next moment . and can we make too much haste , to fly from so great and apparent a danger ? when will we think of saving our selves , is not when ( for ought we know ) we are upon the very brink of ruine , and just ready to drop into destruction ? . upon this naturally follows , a full conviction of the necessity of quitting this wicked course . and necessity is always a powerful and over-ruling argument , and doth rather compel than perswade : and after it is once evident leaves no place for further deliberation . and the greater the necessity is , it is still the more cogent argument . for whatever is necessary , is so in order to some end ; and the greater the end , the greater is the necessity of the means without which that end cannot be obtained . now the chief and last end of all reasonable creatures is happiness , and therefore whatever is necessary in order to that , hath the highest degree of rational and moral necessity . we are not capable of happiness , till we have left our sins , for without holiness no man shall see the lord. but though men are convinced of this necessity , yet this doth not always enforce a present change ; because men hope they may continue in their sins , and remedy all at last by repentance . but this is so great a hazard in all respects , that there is no venturing upon it : and in matters of greatest concernment wise men will run no hazards , if they can help it . david was so sensible of this danger , that he would not defer his repentance and the change of his life for one moment ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies : i made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments . this day , this hour , for ought we know , may be the last opportunity of making our peace with god. therefore we should make haste out of this dangerous state , as lot did out of sodom , lest fire and brimstone overtake us . he that cannot promise himself the next moment , hath a great deal of reason to seize upon the present opportunity . while we are lingering in our sins , if god be not merciful to us , we shall be consumed . therefore make haste , sinner , and escape for thy life , lest evil overtake thee . . lastly , an apprehension of the possibility of making this change . god who designed us for happiness at first , and after we had made a forfeiture of it by sin , was pleased to restore us again to the capacity of it by the redemption of our blessed lord and saviour , hath made nothing necessary to our happiness that is impossible for us to do ; either of our selves , or by the assistance of that grace which he is ready to afford us , if we heartily beg it of him . for that is possible to us , which we may do by the assistance of another , if we may have that assistance for asking : and god hath promised to give his holy spirit to them that ask him . so that notwithstanding the great corruption and weakness of our natures , since the grace of god which brings salvation hath appeared , it is not absolutely out of our power to leave our sins , and to turn to god : for that may truly be said to be in our power , which god hath promised to enable us to do , if we be not wanting to our selves . so that there is nothing on gods part to hinder this change . he hath solemnly declared , that he sincerely desires it , and that he is ready to assist our good resolutions to this purpose . and most certainly , when he tells us , that he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live ; that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledg of the truth ; that he would not that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance , he means plainly as he saith , and doth not speak to us with any private reserve or nice distinction between his secret and revealed will , that is , he doth not decree one thing and declare the contrary . so far is it from this , that if a sinner entertain serious thoughts of returning to god , and do but once move towards him , how ready is he to receive him ! this is , in a very lively manner , described to us in the parable of the prodigal son , who when he was returning home , and was yet a great way off , what haste doth his father make to meet him ? he saw him , and had compassion , and ran . and if there be no impediment on gods part , why should there be any on ours ? one would think all the doubt and difficulty should be on the other side , whether god would be pleased to shew mercy to such great offenders as we have been . but the business doth not stick there . and will we be miserable by our own choice , when the grace of god hath put it into our power to be happy ? i have done with the first thing , the course which david here took for the reforming of his life ; i thought on my ways . i proceed to the ii. the success of this course . it produced actual and speedy reformation . i turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . and if we consider the matter throughly , and have but patience to reason out the case with our selves , and to bring our thoughts and deliberations to some issue , the conclusion must naturally be , the quitting of that evil and dangerous course in which we have lived . for sin and consideration cannot long dwell together . did but men consider what sin is , they would have so many unanswerable objections against it , such strong fears and jealousies of the miserable issue and event of a wicked life , that they would not dare to continue any longer in it . i do not say , that this change is perfectly made at once . a state of sin and holiness are not like two ways that are just parted by a line , so as a man may step out of the one full into the other ; but they are like two ways that lead to two very distant places , and consequently are at a good distance from one another , and the further any man hath travelled in the one , the further he is from the other ; so that it requires time and pains to pass from the one to the other . it sometimes so happens , that some persons are by a mighty conviction and resolution , and by a very extraordinary and over-powering degree of gods grace , almost perfectly reclaimed from their sins at once , and all of a sudden translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. and thus it was with many of the first converts to christianity ; as their prejudices against the christian religion were strong and violent , so the holy spirit of god was pleased to work mightily in them that believed . but in the usual and settled methods of gods grace , evil habits are mastered and subdued by degrees , and with a great deal of conflict , and many times after they are routed they rally and make head again ; and 't is a great while before the contrary habits of grace and virtue are grown up to any considerable degree of strength and maturity , and before a man come to that confirmed state of goodness , that he may be said to have conquered and mortified his lusts . but yet this ought not to discourage us . for so soon as we have seriously begun this change , we are in a good way , and all our endeavours will have the acceptance of good beginnings , and god will be ready to help us ; and if we pursue our advantages , we shall every day gain ground , and the work will grow easier upon our hands ; and we who moved at first with so much slowness and difficulty , shall after a while be enabled to run the ways of gods commandments with pleasure and delight . i have done with the two things i propounded to speak to from these words , the course here prescribed , and the success of it . and now to perswade men to take this course , i shall offer two or three arguments . . that consideration is the proper act of reasonable creatures . this argument god himself uses , to bring men to a consideration of their evil ways , isa . . , remember , and shew your selves men ; bring it again to mind , o ye transgressors . to consider our ways , and to call our sins to remembrance , is to shew our selves men . 't is the great fault and infelicity of a great many , that they generally live without thinking , and are acted by their present inclinations and appetites , without any consideration of the future consequences of things , and without fear of any thing , but of a present and sensible danger ; like brute creatures , who fear no evils but what are in view , and just ready to fall upon them : whereas to a prudent and considerate man , a good or evil in reversion is capable of as true an estimation , proportionably to the greatness and distance of it , as if it were really present . and what do we think has god given us our reason and understandings for , but to foresee evils at a distance , and to prevent them ; to provide for our future security and happiness , to look up to god our maker , who hath taught us more than the beasts of the earth , and made us wiser than the fowls of heaven ; but to consider what we do , and what we ought to do , and what makes most for our true and lasting interest , and what against it ? what can a beast do worse , than to act without any consideration and design , than to pursue his present inclination without any apprehension of future danger ? the most dull and stupid of all the brute creatures can hardly exercise less reason than this comes to . so that for a man not to consider his ways , is to the very best intents and purposes , to be without understanding , and like the beasts that perish . . this is the end of gods patience and long-suffering towards us , to bring us to consideration . the great design of gods goodness , is to lead men to repentance . he winks at the sins of men , that they may repent . he bears long with us , and delays the punishment of our sins , and doth not execute judgment speedily , because he is loth to surprize men into destruction ; because he would give them the liberty of second thoughts , time to reflect upon themselves , and to consider what they have done , and to reason themselves into repentance . consider this all ye that forget god , lest his patience turn into fury , and he tear you in pieces , and there be none to deliver . . consideration is that which we must all come to , one time or other . time will come , when we shall consider and cannot help it ; when we shall not be able to divert our thoughts from those things , which we are now so loth to think upon . our consciences will take their opportunity , to bring our ways to remembrance ; when some great calamity or affliction is upon us . thus it was with the prodigal , when he was brought to the very last extremity , and was ready to perish for hunger , then he came to himself . when we come to dye , then we shall think of our ways with trouble and vexation enough ; and how glad would we then be , that we had time to consider them ? and perhaps while we are wishing for more time , eternity will swallow us up . to be sure , in the other world , a great part of the misery of wicked men will consist in furious reflections upon themselves , and the evil actions of their lives . 't is said of the rich voluptuous man in the parable , that in hell he lift up his eyes , being in torments ; as if he had never considered and bethought himself till that time . but alas ! it will then be too late to consider : for then consideration will do us no good ; it will serve to no other purpose , but to aggravate our misery , and to multiply our stings , and to give new life and rage to those vultures which will perpetually prey upon our hearts . but how much a wiser course would it be , to consider these things in time , in order to our eternal peace and comfort ; to think of them , while we may redress them , and avoid the dismal consequences of them , than when our case is desperate and past remedy ? and now what can i say more , to perswade every one of us to a consideration of our own ways ? we are generally apt to busie our selves in observing the errors and miscarriages of our neighbours , and are forward to mark and censure the faults and follies of other men ; but how few descend into themselves , and turn their eyes inward , and say , what have i done ? 't is an excellent saying of antoninus the great emperour and philosopher , no man was ever unhappy , for not prying into the actions and condition of other men ; but that man is necessarily unhappy , who doth not observe himself , and consider the state of his own soul . this is our proper work ; and now is a proper season for it , when we pretend to god and men to set apart a solemn time for the examination of our selves , and for a serious review of our lives , in order to humiliation and repentance , to the reforming and amendment of what is amiss . and though we would venture to dissemble with men , yet let us not dissemble with god also : for shall not he that pondereth the heart consider it , and he that keepeth thy soul , shall not he know it ; and shall not he render to every man according to his ways ? i know it is a very unpleasant work which i am now putting you upon , and therefore no wonder that men are generally so backward to it ; because it will of necessity give some present disturbance to their minds . they whose lives have been very vicious , are so odious a sight , so horrid a spectacle to themselves , that they cannot endure to reflect upon their own ways ; of all things in the world they hate consideration , and are ready to say to it , as the evil spirit did in the gospel to our saviour , what have i to do with thee ? art thou come to torment me before the time ? but let not this affright us from it ; for whatever trouble it may cause at present , it is the only way to prevent the anguish and the torments of eternity . the things which i have offered to your consideration , are of huge moment and importance . they do not concern your bodies and estates , but that which is more truly your selves , your immortal souls , the dearest and most durable part of your selves : and they do not concern us for a little while , but for ever . let me therefore bespeak your most serious regard to them , in the words of moses to the people of israel , after he had set the law of god before them , together with the blessings promised to obedience , and the terrible curses threatned to the transgression of it , deut. . . set your hearts to the words which i testifie to you this day , for it is not a vain thing , because it is your life . your life , your eternal life and happiness depends upon it . and besides a tender regard to your selves and your own interests , which methinks every man , out of a natural desire of being happy and dread of being miserable , should be forward enough to consider : be pleased likewise to lay to heart the influence of your example upon others . i speak now to a great many persons , the eminence of whose rank and quality renders their examples so powerful , as to be able almost to give authority either to virtue or vice. people take their fashions from you , as to the habits of their minds as well as their bodies . so that upon you chiefely depends the ruine or reformation of manners , our hopes or despair of a better world . what way soever you go , you are followed by troops . if you run any sinful or dangerous course , you cannot perish alone in your iniquity , but thousands will fall by your side , and ten thousands at your right hands : and on the contrary , 't is very much in your power , and i hope in your wills and designs , to be the sovereign restorers of piety and virtue to a degenerate age. it is our part indeed to exhort men to their duty , but 't is you that would be the powerful and effectual preachers of righteousness : we may endeavour to make men proselytes to virtue , but you would infallibly draw disciples after you : we may try to perswade , but you could certainly prevail , either to make men good , or to restrain them from being so bad . therefore consider your ways , for the sake of others as well as your selves . consider what you have done , and then consider what is fit for you to do , and if you do it not , what will be the end of these things . and to help you forward in this work , it is not necessary that i should rip up the vices of the age , and set mens sins in order before them . it is much better , that you your selves should call your own ways to remembrance . we have every one a faithful monitor and witness in our own breasts , who , if we will but hearken to him , will deal impartially with us , and privately tell us the errors of our lives . to this monitor i refer you , and to the grace of god , to make his admonitions effectual . let us then every one of us , in the fear of god , search and try our ways , and turn unto the lord. let us take to our selves words , and say to god , with those true penitents in scripture , i have sinned , what shall be done unto thee , o thou preserver of men ? behold , i am vile , what shall i answer thee ? i will lay my hand upon my mouth , i will abhor my self , and repent in dust and ashes . for surely it is meet to be said unto god , i will not offend any more ; that which i know not , teach thou me , and if i have done iniquity i will do no more . o that there were such an heart in us ! o that we were wise , that we understood this , that we would consider our later end ! and god , of his infinite mercy , inspire into every one of our hearts this holy and happy resolution ; for the sake of our blessed saviour and redeemer , to whom with the father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , now and for ever . amen . a sermon preached at lincolns-inn-chappel, on the th of january, being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery & arbitrary power / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at lincolns-inn-chappel, on the th of january, being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery & arbitrary power / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . half title: a thanksgiving-sermon. marginal notes. advertisement: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- ezra ix, - -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a thanksgiving-sermon . imprimatur z. isham . r. p. d. henrico episc. lond. a sacris march th / a sermon preached at lincolns-inn-chappel , on the th of january , . being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery & arbitrary power . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , and preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil ; and william rogers , at the sun over against st. dunstans church in fleet-street , m dc lxxxix . to the worshipful the masters of the bench , and the rest of the gentlemen of the honourable society of lincolns - inn. though i was at first very unwilling to expose to the publick a sermon made upon so little warning , and so great an occasion ; yet upon second thoughts i could not think it fit to resist the unanimous and earnest request of so many worthy persons , as the masters of the bench of this honourable society ; to whom i stand so much indebted for your great and continued respects to me , and kind acceptance of my labours among you for now above the space of five and twenty years . in a most grateful acknowledgment whereof , this discourse , such as it is , in mere obedience to your commands , is now humbly presented to you , by your most obliged and faithful servant john tillotson . feb. th / a thanksgiving sermon . ezra ix . , . and after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass , seeing that thou our god hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve , and hast given us such a deliverance as this : should we again break thy commandments , and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations ? wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? i am sufficiently aware that the particular occasion of these words is , in several respects , very different from the occasion of this day 's solemnity . for these words were spoken by ezra at a time appointed for publick and solemn humiliation . but i shall not now consider them in that relation , but rather as they refer to that great deliverance which god had so lately wrought for them ; and as they are a caution to take heed of abusing great mercies received from god ; and so they are very proper and pertinent to the great occasion of this day . nay these words , even in their saddest aspect , are not so unsuitable to it . for we find in scripture upon the most solemn occasions of humiliation , that good men have alwayes testifyed a thankful sense of the goodness of god to them . and indeed , the mercy of god doth then appear above measure merciful , when the sinner is most deeply sensible of his own vileness and unworthiness . and so ezra here , in the depth of their sorrow and humiliation , hath so great a sense of the greatness of their deliverance , that he hardly knew how to express it ; and hast given us such a deliverance as this . and on the other hand , we find that good men , in their most solemn praises and thanksgivings , have made very serious reflections upon their own unworthiness . and surely the best way to make men truly thankful is first to make them very humble . when david makes his most solemn acknowledgments to god for his great mercies to him ; how doth he abase himself before him ? but who am i , and what is my people ? and so likewise , after he had summoned all the powers and faculties of his soul to joyn in the praises of god , he interposeth this seasonable meditation , he hath not dealt with us after our sins , nor rewarded us according to our iniquities . the greater and more lively sense we have of the goodness of god to us , the more we shall abhor our selves in dust and ashes ; nothing being more apt to melt us into tears of repentance , than the consideration of great and undeserved mercies vouchsafed to us . the goodness of god doth naturally lead to repentance . having thus reconciled the text to the present occasion , i shall for the more distinct handling of the words take notice of these two parts in them . first , here is a case supposed ; should we , after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and since god hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve , and hath given us such a deliverance as this ; should we again break his commandments . secondly , here is a sentence and determination in the case ; wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consum'd us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? this is not spoken doubtfully , though it be put by way of question ; but is the more vehemently positive , the more peremptorily affirmative ; as if he had said , it cannot otherwise be in reason expected , but that after such repeated provocations god should be angry with us till be had consumed us . first , here is a case supposed ; should we , after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass ; and since god hath punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve , and hath given us such a deliverance as this : should we again break his commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations . in which words these following propositions seem to be involv'd , which i shall but just mention , and pass to the second part of the text. . that sin is the cause of all our sufferings , after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass . our evil deeds bring all other evils upon us . . that great sins have usually a proportionable punishment ; after all that is come upon us , there is the greatness of our punishment ; for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass , there is the greatness of our sin. but when i say that great sins have a proportionable punishment , i do not mean that any temporal punishments are proportionable to the great evil of sin ; but that god doth usually observe a proportion in the temporal punishments of sin , so that although no temporal punishment be proportionable to sin , yet the temporal punishment of one sin holds a proportion to the punishment of another ; and consequently , lesser and greater sins have proportionably a lesser and greater punishment . . that all the punishments which god inflicts in this life do fall short of the demerit of our sins ; and seeing thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve . in the hebrew it is , and hast kept down our iniquities , that is , that they should not rise up against us . the lxx . expresseth it very emphatically , thou hast eased us of our fins , that is , thou hast not let the whole weight of them fall upon us . were it not for the restraints which god puts upon his anger , and the merciful mitigations of it , the sinner would not be able to bear it , but must sink under it . indeed it is only said in the text , that the punishment which god inflicted upon the jews , though it was a long captivity , was beneath the desert of their sins : but yet it is universally true , and ezra perhaps might intend to insinuate so much , that all temporal punishments , though never so severe , are always less than our iniquities deserve . . that god many times works very great deliverances for those who are very unworthy of them ; and hast given us such a deliverance as this , notwithstanding our evil deeds , and notwithstanding our great trespass . . that we are but too apt , even after great judgments , and after great mercies , to relapse into our former sins ; should we again break thy commandments . ezra insinuates that there was great reason to fear this , especially considering the strange temper of that people , who when god multiply'd his blessings upon them , were so apt to wax fat and kick against him ; and though he had cast them several times into the furnace of affliction , though they were melted for the present , yet they were many times but the harder for it afterwards . . that it is good to take notice of those particular sins which have brought the judgments of god upon us . so ezra does here ; after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass ; and , should we again join in affinity with the people of these abominations . secondly , here is a sentence and determination in the case ; wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? which question , as i said before , doth imply a strong and peremptory affirmative ; as if he had said , after such a provocation there is great reason to conclude that god would be angry with us till he had consumed us . from whence the observation contained in this part of the text will be this , that it is a fearful aggravation of sin , and a sad presage of ruine to a people , after great judgments and great deliverances , to return to sin , and especially to the same sins again . hear how passionately ezra expresses himself in this case , vers . . i am ashamed , o my god , and blush to lift up mine eyes to thee , my god. why ? what was the cause of this great shame and confusion of face ? he tells us , vers . . for we were bondmen , yet our god hath not forsaken us in our bondage , but hath extended his mercy to us , to give us a reviving , to set up the house of our god , and to repair the desolations thereof , and to give us a wall in judah and in jerusalem ; that is , to restore to them the free and safe exercise of their religion . here was great mercy , and a mighty deliverance indeed ; and yet after this they presently relapsed into a very great sin , vers . . and now , o our god , what shall we say after this ? for we have forsaken thy commandments . in the handling of this observation , i shall do these two things . first , i shall endeavour to shew that this is a sad aggravation of sin , and secondly , that it is a fatal presage of ruine to a people . first , it is a sad aggravation of sin after great judgments , and after signal mercies and deliverances to return to sin , and especially to the same sins again . here are three things to be distinctly spoken to . . that it is a sad aggravation of sin to return to it after great judgments . . to do this after great mercies and deliverances . . after both to return to the same sins again . . it is a great aggravation of sin after great judgments have been upon us to return to an evil course . because this is an argument of great obstinacy in evil . the longer pharaoh resisted the judgments of god , the more was his wicked heart hardned , till at last he arriv'd at a monstrous degree of hardness , having been , as the text tells us , hardned under ten plagues . and we find , that after god had threaten'd the people of israel with several judgments , he tells them , that if they will not be reformed by all these things , he will punish them seven times more for their sins . and if the just god will in such a case punish seven times more , we may conclude that the sin is seven times greater . what sad complaints doth the prophet make of the people of israel growing worse for judgments . ah! sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , children that have been corrupters , a seed of evil doers . he can hardly find words enough to express how great sinners they were ; and he adds the reason in the next verse , why should they be smitten any more ? they will revolt more and more . they were but the worse for judgments . this renders them a sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity . and again , the people turneth not to him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts ; therefore his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still . and the same prophet further complains to the same purpose , when thy hand is lifted up they will not see . there is a particular brand set upon king ahaz , because affliction made him worse : this is that king ahaz , that is , that grievous and notorious sinner . and what was it that render'd him so ? in the time of his distress he sinned yet more against the lord ; this is that king ahaz , who is said to have provoked the lord above all the kings of israel which were before him . . it is likewise a sore aggravation of sin , when it is committed after great mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to us . because this is an argument of great ingratitude . and this we find recorded as a heavy charge upon the people of israel , that they remembred not the lord their god , who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side ; neither shewed they kindness to the house of jerubbaal , namely gideon who had been their deliverer , according to all the goodness which he had shewed to israel . god , we see , takes it very ill at our hands , when we are ungrateful to the instruments of our deliverance ; but much more , when we are unthankful to him the author of it . and how severely does nathan the prophet reproach david upon this account ? thus saith the lord god of israel , i anointed thee king over israel , and delivered thee out of the hand of saul , &c. and if this had been too little , i would moreover have done such and such things . wherefore hast thou despis'd the commandment of the lord to do evil in his sight ? god here reckons up his manifold mercies and deliverances , and aggravates david's sin upon this account . and he was very angry likewise with solomon for the same reason , because he had turned from the lord god of israel , who had appear'd to him twice . however we may slight the mercies of god , he keeps a punctual and strict account of them . it is particularly noted , as a great blot upon hezekiah , that he returned not again according to the benefits done unto him . god takes very severe notice of all the unkind and unworthy returns that are made to him for his goodness . ingratitude to god is so unnatural and monstrous , that we find him appealing against us for it to the inanimate creatures . hear o heavens , and give ear o earth ! for the lord hath spoken ; i have nourish'd and brought up children , but they have rebelled against me . and then he goes on and upbraids them with the brute creatures , as being more grateful to men than men are to god. the ox knoweth his owner , and the ass her masters crib , but israel doth not know , my people doth not consider . and in the same prophet there is the like complaint , let favour be shewn to the wicked , yet will he not learn righteousness . in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly , and will not behold the majesty of the lord. lord , when thy hand is lifted up , they will not see , but they shall see and be ashamed . they that will not acknowledge the mercies of gods providence shall feel the strokes of his justice . there is no greater evidence in the world of an intractable disposition , than not to be wrought upon by kindness , not to be melted by mercies , not to be obliged by benefits , not to be tamed by gentle usage . nay , god expects that his mercies should lay so great an obligation upon us , that even a miracle should not tempt us to be unthankful . if there arise among you a prophet , sayes moses to the people of israel , or a dreamer of dreams , and giveth thee a sign or a wonder , and the sign or the wonder cometh to pass , whereof he spake to thee , saying , let us go after other gods and serve them ; thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet . and he gives the reason , because he hath spoken to turn you away from the lord god of israel , which brought you out of the land of egypt , and delivered you out of the house of bondage . . it is a greater aggravation yet , after great mercies and judgments to return to the same sins . because this can hardly be without our sinning against knowledge , and after we are convinced how evil and bitter the sin is which we were guilty of , and have been so sorely punish'd for before . this is an argument of a very perverse and incorrigible temper , and that which made the sin of the people of israel so above measure sinful , that after so many signal deliverances , and so many terrible judgments , they fell into the same sin of murmuring ten times ; murmuring against god the author , and against moses the glorious instrument of their deliverance out of egypt , which was one of the two great types of the old testament , both of temporal and spiritual oppression and tyranny . hear with what resentment god speaks of the ill returns which they made to him for that great mercy and deliverance . because all these men which have seen my glory , and my miracles which i did in egypt , and in the wilderness ; and have tempted me now these ten times , and have not hearkned unto my voice : surely they shall not see the land which i sware to their fathers . and after he had brought them into the promised land , and wrought great deliverances for them several times , how does he upbraid them with their proneness to fall again into the same sin of idolatry ? and the lord said unto the children of israel , did not i deliver you from the egyptians , and from the amorites ; from the children of ammon , and from the philistins ? the zidonians also and the amalekites and maonites did oppress you ; and ye cryed unto me , and i delivered you out of their hand : yet you have forsaken me , and served other gods ; wherefore i will deliver you no more : go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen , let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation . this incensed god so highly against them , that they still relaps'd into the same sin of idolatry after so many afflictions and so many deliverances . upon such an occasion well might the prophet say , thine own wickedness shall correct thee , and thy sins shall reprove thee : know therefore , that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the lord thy god. it is hardly possible but we should know that the wickedness for which we have been so severely corrected is an evil and bitter thing . thus much for the first part of the observation , namely , that it is a fearful aggravation of sin , after great judgments and great deliverances to return to sin , and especially to the same sins again . i proceed to the second part , namely , that this is a fatal presage of ruine to a people ; should we again break thy commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations , wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? and so god threatens the people of israel in the text which i cited before , wherefore i will deliver you no more . wherefore ; that is , because they would neither be reform'd by the afflictions wherewith god had exercis'd them , nor by the many wonderful deliverances which he had wrought for them . and there is great reason why god should deal thus with a people that continues impenitent both under the judgments and mercies of god. . because this doth ripen the sins of a nation ; and it is time for god to put in his sickle when a people are ripe for ruine . when the measure of their sins is full , it is no wonder if the cup of his indignation begin to overflow . it is said of the amorites , four hundred years before god brought that fearful ruin upon them , that god deferr'd the extirpation of them , because the iniquity of the amorites , was not yet full . when neither the mercies nor the judgments of god will bring us to repentance , we are then fit for destruction ; according to that of the apostle , what if god willing to shew his wrath , and make his power known , endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction ? they who are not wrought upon neither by the patience of god's mercies , nor by the patience of his judgments , seem to be fitted and prepared , to be ripe and ready for destruction . . because this incorrigible temper shews the case of such persons to be desperate and incurable . why should they be smitten any more ? sayes god of the people of israel , they will revolt more and more . how often would i have gathered you , sayes our b. saviour to the jews , even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings ? and ye would not . behold , your house is left to you desolate , that is , ye shall be utterly destroyed ; as it hapned forty years after to jerusalem , and to the whole jewish nation . when god sees that all the means which he can use do prove ineffectual and to no purpose , he will then give over a people , as physicians do their patients when they see that nature is spent and their case past remedy . when men will not be the better for the best means that heaven can use , god will then leave them to reap the fruit of their own doings , and abandon them to the demerit of their sins . that which now remains is to apply this to our selves , and to the solemn occasion of this day . and if this be our case , let us take heed that this be not also our doom and sentence . first , the case in the text doth very much resemble ours . and that in three respects . god hath sent great judgments upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespasses : he hath punish'd us less than our iniquities have deserv'd : and hath given us a very great and wonderful deliverance . . god hath inflicted great judgments upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespasses . great judgments , both for the quality , and for the continuance of them . it shall suffice only to mention those which are of a more ancient date . scarce hath any nation been more calamitous than this of ours , both in respect of the invasions and conquests of foreigners , and of our own civil and intestine divisions . four times we have been conquer'd ; by the romans , saxons , danes , and normans , and our intestine divisions have likewise been great and of long continuance . witness the barons wars , and that long and cruel contest between the two houses of york and lancaster . but to come nearer to our own times . what fearful judgments and calamities , of war , and pestilence , and fire , have many of us seen ? and how close did they follow one another ? what terrible havock did the sword make amongst us for many years ? and this not the sword of a foreign enemy , but of a civil war ; the mischiefs whereof were all terminated upon our selves , and have given deep wounds , and left broad scars upon the most considerable families in the nation . — alta manent civilis vulnera dextrae . this war was drawn out to a great length , and had a tragical end , in the murtber of an excellent king ; and in the banishment of his children into a strange countrey , whereby they were expos'd to the arts and practices of those of another religion ; the mischievous consequences whereof we have ever since sadly labour'd under , and do feel them at this day . and when god was pleas'd in great mercy at last to put an end to the miserable distractions and confusions of almost twenty years , by the happy restoration of the royal family , and our ancient government ; which seem'd to promise to us a lasting settlement , and all the felicities we could wish : yet how soon was this bright and glorious morning overcast , by the restless and black designs of that sure and inveterate enemy of ours , the church of rome , for the restoring of their religion amongst us . and there was too much encouragement given to this design , by those who had power in their hands , and had brought home with them a secret good will to it . for this great trespass , and for our many other sins , god was angry with us , and sent among us the most raging pestilence that ever was known in this nation , which in the space of eight or nine months swept away near a third part of the inhabitants of this vast and populous city , and of the suburbs thereof ; besides a great many thousands more in several parts of the nation . but we did not return to the lord , nor seek him for all this . and therefore , the very next year after , god sent a terrible and devouring fire , which in less than three days time laid the greatest part of this great city in ashes . and there is too much reason to believe that the enemy did this ; that perpetual and implacable enemy of the peace and happiness of this nation . and even since the time of that dreadful calamity , which is now above twenty years agone , we have been in a continual fear of the cruel designs of that party , which had hitherto been incessantly working under ground , but now began to shew themselves more openly : and especially , since a prince of that religion succeeded to the crown , our eyes have been ready to fail us for fear , and for looking after those dreadful things that were coming upon us , and seem'd to be even at the door . a fear which this nation could easily have rid it self of , because they that caused it were but a handful in comparison of us , and could have done nothing without a foreign force and assistance ; had not the principles of humanity , and of our religion too , restrain'd us from violence and cruelty , and from every thing which had the appearance of undutifulness to the government which the providence of god had set over us . an instance of the like patience under the like provocations , for so long a time , and after such visible and open attempts upon them , i challenge any nation or church in the world , when they had the laws so plainly on their side , from the very foundation of it , to produce . insomuch , that if god had not put it into the hearts of our kind neighbours , and of that incomparable prince , who laid and conducted that great design with so much skill and secrecy , to have appear'd so seasonably for our rescue , our patience had infallibly , without a miracle , been our ruine . and i am sure if our enemies had ever had the like opportunity in their hands , and had overbalanced us in numbers but half so much as we did them , they would never have let it slip ; but would long since have extirpated us utterly , and have made the remembrance of us to have ceas'd from among men . and now if you ask me , for what sins more especially god hath sent all these judgments upon us ? it will not , i think , become us to be very particular and positive in such determinations . thus much is certain , that we have all sinn'd and contributed to these judgments ; every one hath had some hand , more or less , in pulling down this vengeance upon the nation . but we are all too apt to remove the meritorious cause of god's judgments as far as we can from our selves , and our own party , and upon any flight pretence to lay it upon others . yet i will venture to instance in one or two things which may probably enough have had a more particular and immediate hand in drawing down the judgments of god upon us . our horrible contempt of religion on the one hand , by our infidelity and profaneness ; and our shameful abuse of it on the other , by our gross hypocrisie , and sheltering great wickedness and immoralities under the cloak and profession of religion . and then , great dissentions and divisions ; great uncharitableness and bitterness of spirit among those of the same religion ; so that almost from the beginning of our happy reformation the enemy had sown these tares , and by the unwearied malice and arts of the church of rome the seeds of dissention were scattered very early amongst us ; and a sowre humour had been fermenting in the body of the nation , both upon account of religion and civil interests , for a long time before things broke out into a civil war. and more particularly yet ; that which is call'd the great trespass here in the text , their joining in affinity with the people of these abominations , by whom they had been detain'd in a long captivity : this , i say , seems to have had , both from the nature of the thing , and the just judgment of god , no small influence upon a great part of the miseries and calamities which have befallen us . for had it not been for the countenance which popery had by the marriages and alliances of our princes , for two or three generations together , with those of that religion , it had not probably had a continuance among us to this day . which will , i hope , now be a good warning to those , who have the authority to do it , to make effectual provision by law for the prevention of the like inconvenience and mischief in this nation for ever . . another parallel between our case and that in the text , is , that god hath punish'd us less than our iniquities did deserve . and this acknowledgment we have as much reason to make for our selves , as ezra had to do it in behalf of the jews ; thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve . thou , our god , hast punish'd us ; there is the reason of so much mercy and mitigation . it is god , and not man , with whom we have to do ; and therefore it is , that we the children of men are not consumed . and it is our god likewise , to whom we have a more peculiar relation , and with whom , by virtue of our profession of christianity , we are in covenant : thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve . he might justly have pour'd forth all his wrath , and have made his jealousie to have smoak'd against us , and have blotted out the remembrance of us from under heaven : he might have given us up to the will of our enemies , and into the hands of those whose tender mercies are cruelty : he might have brought us into the net which they had spred for us , and have laid a terrible load of affliction upon our loins , and suffer'd insolent men to ride over our heads , and them that hated us with a perfect hatred , to have had the rule over us : but he was graciously pleas'd to remember mercy in the midst of judgment , and to repent himself for his servants , when he saw that their power was gone , and that things were come to that extremity , that we were in all humane probability utterly unable to have wrought out our own deliverance . . the last parallel between our case , and that in the text , is the great and wonderful deliverance which god hath wrought for us . and whilst i am speaking of this , god is my witness , whom i serve in the gospel of his son , that i do not say one word upon this occasion in flattery to men , but in true thankfulness to almighty god , and constrain'd thereto from a just sense of his great mercy to us all , in this marvelous deliverance , in this mighty salvation which he wrought for us . so that we may say with ezra , since thou our god hast given us such a deliverance as this : so great , that we know not how to compare it with any thing but it self . god hath given us this deliverance . and therefore , not unto us , o lord , not unto us , but to thy name be the praise . for thou knowest , and we are all conscious to our selves , that we did in no-wise deserve it ; but quite the contrary . god hath given it , and it ought to be so much the welcomer to us , for coming from such a hand . it is the lord 's doing , and therefore ought to be the more marvellous in our eyes . it is a deliverance full of mercy , and i had almost said , full of miracle . the finger of god was visibly in it ; and there are plain signatures and characters upon it , of a more immediate divine interposition . and if we will not wisely consider the lord's doings , we have reason to stand in awe of that threatning of his , because they regard not the works of the lord , nor the operation of his hands , he shall destroy them , and not build them up . it was a wonderful deliverance indeed , if we consider all the circumstances of it : the greatness of it ; and the strangeness of the means whereby it was brought about ; and the suddenness , and easiness of it . the greatness of it ; it was a great deliverance , from the greatest fears , and from the greatest dangers ; the apparent and imminent danger of the saddest thraldom and bondage , civil and spiritual ; both of soul and body . and it was brought about in a very extraordinary manner , and by very strange means : whether we consider the greatness and difficulty of the enterprise ; or the closeness and secrecy of the design , which must of necessity be communicated at least to the chief of those who were to assist and engage in it : especially the states of the united provinces , who were then in so much danger themselves , and wanted more than their own forces for their own defence and security : a kindness never to be forgotten by the english nation . and besides all this , the difficulties and disappointments which happen'd , after the design was open and manifest , from the uncertainties of wind and weather , and many other accidents impossible to be foreseen and prevented . and yet in conclusion a strange concurrence of all things , on all sides , to bring the thing which the providence of god intended to a happy issue and effect . and we must not here forget the many worthies of our nation , who did so generously run all hazards of life and fortune , for the preservation of our religion , and the asserting of our ancient laws and liberties . these were all strange and unusual means ; but which is stranger yet , the very counsels and methods of our enemies did prepare the way for all this , and perhaps more effectually , than any counsel and contrivance of our own could have done it . for even the jesuits , those formal politicians by book and rule , without any consideration or true knowledg of the temper , and interest , and other circumstances of the people they were designing upon , and had to deal withal ; and indeed without any care to know them : i say , the jesuits , who for so long a time , and for so little reason , have affected the reputation of the deepest and craftiest states-men in the world , have upon this great occasion , and when their whole kingdom of darkness lay at stake , by a more than ordinary infatuation and blindness , so outwitted and over-reach'd themselves in their own counsels , that they have really contributed as much , or more , to our deliverance from the destruction which they had designed to bring upon us , than all our wisest and best friends could have done . and then , if we consider further , how sudden and surprising it was , so that we could hardly believe it when it was accomplish'd ; and like the children of israel , when the lord turned again the captivity of zion ; we were like them that dream . when all things were driving on furiously , and in great hast , then god gave an unexpected check to the designs of men , and stopp'd them in their full career . who among us could have imagin'd , but a few months ago , so happy and so speedy an end of our fears and troubles ? god hath at once scatter'd all our fears , and outdone all our hopes by the greatness and suddenness of our deliverance . o that men would praise the lord for his goodness , and for his wonderful works to the children of men . and lastly , if we consider the cheapness and easiness of this deliverance . all this was done without a battel , and almost without blood. all the danger is , lest we should loath it , and grow sick of it , because it was so very easie . had it come upon harder terms , and had we waded to it through a red sea of blood , we would have valued it more . but this surely is great wantonness ; and whatever we think of it , one of the highest provocations imaginable : for there can hardly be a fouler and blacker ingratitude towards almighty god , than to slight so great a deliverance , only because it came to us so easily , and hath cost us so very cheap . i will mention but one circumstance more , which may not be altogether unworthy our observation . that god seems in this last deliverance , in some sort to have united and brought together all the great deliverances which he hath been pleas'd to work for this nation against all the remarkable attempts of popery , from the beginning of our reformation . our wonderful deliverance from the formidable spanish invasion design'd against us , happen'd in the year . and now just a hundred years after , the very same year , and at the same season of the year , this last great deliverance came to us . that horrid gunpowder conspiracy , without precedent , and without parallel , was design'd to have been executed upon the fifth day of november ; the same day upon which his highness the prince of orange landed the forces here in england which he brought hither for our rescue . so that this is a day every way worthy to be solemnly set apart and joyfully celebrated by this church and nation , throughout all generations ; as the fittest of all other to comprehend , and to put us in mind to commemorate all the great deliverances which god hath wrought for us , from popery , and its inseparable companion , arbitrary power . and we may then say with the holy psalmist , this is the lord 's doing , it is marvellous in our eyes . this is the day which the lord hath made , we will rejoice and be glad in it . secondly , as the case in the text is much like ours , so let us take heed that the doom and sentence there be not so too . if after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass , and since god hath punish'd us less than our iniquities did deserve ; should we again break his commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations , would he not be angry with us till he had consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? what could we in reason expect after all this , but utter ruine and destruction ? we may here apply , as st. paul does , god's dealing with the people of israel , to the times of the gospel ; for he speaks of it as an example and admonition to all ages to the end of the world. now these things , says the apostle , were our examples , to the intent we should not lust after evil things , as they also lusted ; neither be ye idolaters , as were some of them , &c. neither let us tempt christ , as some of them also tempted , and were destroyed of serpents . for the explication of this passage we must have recourse to the history , which gives this account of it . and the people spake against god , and against moses , wherefore have ye brought us up out of egypt , to die in the wilderness ? &c. impeaching god and his servant moses , as if by this deliverance they had put them into a much worse condition than they were in when they were in egypt . and the lord sent fiery serpents among the people , and they bit the people , and much people of israel dyed . but how was this a tempting of christ ? neither let us tempt christ , as some of them also tempted ; that is , let not us , now under the gospel , tempt our saviour and deliverer , as the israelites did theirs , by slighting that great deliverance and by speaking against god , and against moses . neither murmur ye , as some of them also murmured , and were destroyed of the destroyer . and how far this may concern us , and all others , to the end of the world , who shall tempt christ , the great patron and deliverer of his church , and murmur without cause , as the israelites did , at the deliverances which he works for them , and against the instruments of it , the apostle tells us in the next words : now all these things happened unto them for ensamples , or types ; and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come . let us not tempt christ ; who is now beginning the glorious deliverance of his church from the tyranny of antichrist . to draw now towards a conclusion ; i will comprehend my advice to you upon the whole matter , in as few words as i can . let us use this great deliverance which god hath given us , [ such a deliverance as this ] from our enemies , and from the hand of all that hate us ; not by using them as they would have done us , had we fallen under their power ; with great insolence , and rage , and cruelty ; but with great moderation and clemency , making as few examples of severity as will be consistent with our future security from the like attempts upon our religion and laws : and even in the execution of justice upon the greatest offenders , let us not give so much countenance to the ill examples which have been set of extravagant fines and punishments , as to imitate those patterns which with so much reason we abhor ; no , not in the punishment of the authors of them . and let us endeavour , for once , to be so wise , as not to forfeit the fruits of this deliverance , and to hinder our selves of the benefit and advantage of it , by breaches and divisions among our selves . as we have no reason to desire it , so i think we can hardly ever hope to understand popery better , and the cruel designs of it , than we do already ; both from the long trial and experience which we have had of it in this nation , and likewise from that dismal and horrid view which hath of late been given us of the true spirit and temper of it in one of our neighbour nations , which hath long pretended to the profession of the most refin'd and moderate popery in the world ; but hath now at last shewed it self in its true colours , and in the perfection of a persecuting spirit ; and have therein given us a most sad and deplorable instance , of a religion corrupted and degenerated into that which , if it be possible , is worse than none . and since , by the undeserved mercy of god to us , we have , upon such easie terms in comparison , escap'd their rage and fury ; let us now at length resolve , never to join in affinity with the people of these abominations ; since our alliances with them by marriage have had so fatal an influence , both upon the publick peace and tranquillity of the nation , and upon the welfare also of private families . i have known many instances of this kind , but hardly ever yet saw one that prov'd happy ; but a great many that have been pernicious and ruinous to those protestant families in which such unequal , and , as i think , unlawful matches have been made : not that such marriages are void in themselves , but yet for all that sinful ; because of the apparent danger and temptation to which those of our church and religion that enter into them do evidently expose themselves , of being seduc'd from their religion ; not by the good arguments which the other can offer to that purpose , but by the ill arts which they have the confidence and the conscience to make use of in the making of proselytes . and let us pay our most hearty and thankful acknowledgments , chiefly and in the first place to almighty god , the blessed author of this deliverance ; and under him , to that happy instrument whom god hath been pleased , in great pity to this sinful and unworthy nation , to raise up on purpose for it , his highness the prince of orange ; and to that end did in his all-wise providence lay the foundation of our then future deliverance , in that auspicious match which was concluded here in england , about eleven years ago , between this renowned prince and our excellent princess . this is that most illustrious house of nassau and orange , which god hath so highly honoured above all the families of the earth , to give a check to the two great aspiring monarchies of the west , and bold attempters upon the liberties of europe : to the one , in the last age ; and to the other , in the present . as if the princes of this valiant and victorious line had been of the race of hercules , born to rescue mankind from oppression , and to quell monsters . and lastly , let us beseech almighty god , all whose ways and works are perfect , that he would establish that which he hath wrought , and still carry it on to further and greater perfection . which , after such an earnest of his favour and good will to us , we have no reason to doubt but that he is ready to do for us ; if by our own fickleness and inconstancy , disgusting the deliverance now it is come , which we so earnestly desir'd before it came ; if by our ingrateful murmurings and discontents , by our own foolish heats and animosities , kindled and carried on by the ill designs of some , working upon the tenderness and scruples of others , under the specious pretences of conscience and loyalty : i say , if by some or all these ways we do not refuse the blessing which god now offers , and defeat and frustate the merciful design of this wonderful revolution ; god will still rejoice over us , to do us good , and think thoughts of peace towards us , thoughts of good , and not of evil , to give us an expected end of our long troubles and confusions . but if we will not know , in this our day , the things which belong to our peace , our destruction will then be of our selves ; and there will be no need that god should be angry with us , for we shall be undone by our own differences and quarrels about the way and means of our being saved ; and so be angry with one another till we be consumed . which god , of his infinite goodness , give us all the grace and wisdom to prevent ; for his mercies sake , in jesus christ , to whom , with thee , o father , and the holy-ghost , be all honour and glory , thanksgiving and praise , both now and ever . amen . finis . books lately printed for brabaz . aylmer . the rule of faith ; or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. sarjant : by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury . to which is adjoined a reply to mr. j. s. his third appendix , &c. by edward stillingfleet , d. d. dean of st. paul's . the advice of a father : or , counsel to a child . directing him how to demean himself in the most important passages of this life . the true mother-church : or , a short discourse concerning the doctrine and worship of the first church at jerusalem , upon acts ii. by samuel johnson , author of reflexions upon julian . price d. books printed for brab . aylmer and w. rogers . sermons and discourses , some of which never before printed : the third volume . by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury . vo . a discourse against transubstantiation . in vo . price d. a perswasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper . by john tillotson , dean of canterbury . in vo . price d. books printed for william rogers . an answer to a discourse , intituled , papists protesting against protestant popery ; being a vindication of papists not misrepresented by protestants . to . a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord mayor and aldermen of the city of london , at ●uild-hall chappel , on sunday , november the th . . by william sherlock , d. d. master of the temple . a letter of enquiry to the reverend fathers of the society of jesus . written in the person of a dissatisfied roman catholick . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e chro. . . psalm . . i. ii. lev. . . isai. . . vers. . isai. . . isai. . . chro. . judg. . , . king. . . chro. . . isai. . . vers. . isai. . . deut. . , . vers. , numb . . . judg. . , , , . jer. . . judg. . . gen. . . rom. . . isai. . . matth. . , . psal. . . psal. . , . cor. ●… , , . numb . . , . v. . two discourses the first, of evil-speaking: by his grace, john, late lord archbishop of canterbury. the second, of the government of the thoughts: by his grace, john, lord archbishop of york. both preach'd before their majesties, . tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t b estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) two discourses the first, of evil-speaking: by his grace, john, late lord archbishop of canterbury. the second, of the government of the thoughts: by his grace, john, lord archbishop of york. both preach'd before their majesties, . tillotson, john, - . sharp, john, - . sermon about the government of the thoughts. aut [ ], - , p. printed for walter kettilby, brabazon aylmer, and william rogers: in st. paul's church-yard, cornhill, and fleetstreet, london : . john, late lord arch-bishop of caterbury = john tillotson. "a sermon about the government of the thoughts" by john sharp is a reissue of wing s and has a separate dated title page, pagination and register; divisional title precedes title page. divisional title: the arch-bishop of york's sermon about the government of the thoughts. reproduction of the original in the trinity college library, st. patrick's, dublin. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion two discourses . the first , of evil-speaking : by his grace , john , late lord archbishop of canterbury . the second , of the government of the thoughts : by his grace , john , lord archbishop of york . both preach'd before their majesties , . london : printed for walter kettilby , brabazon aylmer , and william rogers : in st. paul's church-yard , cornhill , and fleetstreet . . price six-pence . a discourse against evil-speaking . tit. iii. . to speak evil of no man. general persuasives to repentance and a good life , and invectives against sin and wickedness at large , are certainly of good use to recommend religion and virtue , and to expose the deformity and danger of a vicious course . but it must be acknowledged on the other hand , that these general discourses do not so immediately tend to reform the lives of men : because they fall among the croud , but do not touch the consciences of particular persons in so sensible and awakening a manner as when we treat of particular duties and sins , and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one , and to reclaim them from the other , by proper arguments taken from the word of god , and from the nature of particular vertues and vices . the general way is , as if a physician , instead of applying particular remedies to the distemper of his patient , should entertain him with a long discourse of diseases in general , and of the pleasure and advantages of health ; and earnestly persuade him to be well ; without taking his particular disease into consideration , and prescribing remedies for it . but if we would effectually reform men , we must take to task the great and common disorders of their lives , and represent their faults to them in such a manner as may convince them of the evil and danger of them , and put them upon the endeavour of a cure . and to this end i have pitched upon one of the common and reigning vices of the age , calumny and evil-speaking ; by which men contract so much guilt to themselves , and create so much trouble to others : and from which , it is to be feared , few or none are wholly free . for who is he , saith the son of sirach , that hath not offended with his tongue ? ecclus. . . in many things , saith st. james , james . . we offend all : and if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. but how few have attain'd to this perfection ? and yet unless we do endeavour after it , and in some good measure attain it , all our pretence to religion is vain : so the same apostle tells us , james . . if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . for the more distinct handling of this argument , i shall reduce my discourse to these five heads . first , i shall consider the nature of this vice , and wherein it consists . secondly , i shall consider the due extent of this prohibition , to speak evil of no man. thirdly , i shall shew the evil of this practice , both in the causes and effects of it . fourthly , i shall add some further considerations to dissuade men from it . fifthly , i shall give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of it . i. i shall consider what this sin or vice of evil speaking , here forbidden by the apostle , is : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not to defame and slander any man , not to hurt his reputation , as the etymology of the word doth import . so that this vice consists in saying things of others which tend to their disparagement and reproach , to the taking away or lessening of their reputation and good name . and this , whether the things said be true or not . if they be false , and we know it , then it is down-right calumny ; and if we do not know it , but take it upon the report of others , it is however a slander ; and so much the more injurious , because really groundless and undeserved . if the thing be true , and we know it to be so , yet it is a defamation , and tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation : and it is a fault to say the evil of others which is true , unless there be some good reason for it besides : because it is contrary to that charity and goodness which christianity requires , to divulge the faults of others , though they be really guilty of them , without necessity or some other very good reason for it . again , it is evil-speaking and the vice condemn'd in the text , whether we be the first authors of an ill report , or relate it from others ; because the man that is evil spoken of is equally defam'd either way . again , whether we speak evil of a man to his face , or behind his back : the former way indeed seems to be the more generous , but yet is a great fault , and that which we call reviling : the latter is more mean and base , and that which we properly call slander or backbiting . and lastly , whether it be done directly and in express terms , or more obscurely and by way of oblique insinuation ; whether by way of down-right reproach , or with some crafty preface of commendation : for so it have the effect to defame , the manner of address does not much alter the case : the one may be more dextrous , but is not one jot less faulty : for many times the deepest wounds are given by these smoother and more artificial ways of slander ; as by asking questions , have you not heard so and so of such a man ? i say no more , i only ask the question : or by general intimations , that they are loth to say what they have heard of such a one , are very sorry for it , and do not at all believe it , if you will believe them : and this many times without telling the thing , but leaving you in the dark to suspect the worst . these and such like arts , though they may seem to be tenderer and gentler ways of using mens reputation , yet in truth they are the most malicious and effectual methods of slander ; because they insinuate something that is much worse than is said , and yet are very apt to create in unwary men a strong belief of something that is very bad , though they know not what it is . so that it matters not in what fashion a slander is dress'd up , if it tend to defame a man and to diminish his reputation , it is the sin forbidden in the text. ii. we will consider the extent of this prohibition to speak evil of no man ; and the due bounds and limitations of it . for it is not to be understood absolutely , to forbid us to say any thing concerning others that is bad . this in some cases may be necessary and our duty , and in several cases very fit and reasonable . the question is , in what cases by the general rules of scripture and right reason we are warranted to say the evil of others that is true ? in general , we are not to do this without great reason and necessity ; as , for the prevention of some great evil , or the procuring of some considerable good to our selves , or others . and this i take to be the meaning of that advice of the son of sirach , eccl. . . whether it be to a friend or a foe , talk not of other mens lives ; and if thou canst without offence reveal them not ; that is , if without hurt to any body thou canst conceal them , divulge them not . but because this may not be direction sufficient , i shall instance in some of the principal cases wherein men are warranted to speak evil of others , and yet in so doing do not offend against this prohibition in the text. first , it is not only lawful , but very commendable , and many times our duty to do this in order to the probable amendment of the person of whom evil is spoken . in such a case we may tell a man of his faults privately ; or where it may not be so fit for us to use that boldness and freedom , we may reveal his faults to one who is more fit and proper to reprove him , and will probably make no other use of this discovery but in order to his amendment . and this is so far from being a breach of charity , that it is one of the best testimonies of it . for perhaps the party may not be guilty of what hath been reported of him , and then it is a kindness to give him the opportunity of vindicating himself : or if he be guilty , perhaps being privately and prudently told of it he may reform . in this case the son of sirach adviseth to reveal men's faults ; ecclus. . , , . admonish a friend , says he , it may be he hath not done it ; and if he have done it , that he do it no more : admonish a friend , it may be he hath not said it ; and if he have , that he speak it not again : admonish a friend , for many times it is a slander ; and believe not every tale . but then we must take care that this be done out of kindness , and that nothing of our own passion be mingled with it ; and that under pretence of reproving and reforming men , we do not reproach and revile them , and tell them of their faults in such a manner as if we did it to shew our authority rather than our charity . it requires a great deal of address and gentle application so to manage the business of reproof , as not to irritate and exasperate the person whom we reprove , instead of curing him . secondly , this likewise is not only lawful , but our duty , when we are legally called to bear witness concerning the fault and crime of another . a good man would not be an accuser , unless the publick good , or the prevention of some great evil should require it . and then the plain reason of the thing will sufficiently justifie a voluntary accusation : otherwise it hath always among well-manner'd people been esteemed very odious for a man to be officious in this kind , and a forward informer concerning the misdemeanors of others . magistrates may sometimes think it fit to give encouragement to such persons , and to set one bad man to catch another , because such men are fittest for such dirty work : but they can never inwardly approve them , nor will they ever make them their friends and confidents . but when a man is call'd to give testimony in this kind in obedience to the laws , and out of reverence to the oath taken in such cases , he is so far from deserving blame for so doing , that it would be an unpardonable fault in him to conceal the truth , or any part of it . thirdly , it is lawful to publish the faults of others in our own necessary defence and vindication . when a man cannot conceal another's faults without betraying his own innocency , no charity requires a man to suffer himself to be defamed to save the reputation of another man. charity begins at home ; and though a man had never so much goodness , he would first secure his own good name , and then be concern'd for other men's . we are to love our neighbour as our selves ; so that the love of our selves is the rule and measure of our love to our neighbour : and therefore first , otherwise it could not be the rule . and it would be very well for the world , if our charity would rise thus high ; and no man would hurt another man's reputation , but where his own is in real danger . fourthly , this also is lawful for caution and warning to a third person , that is in danger to be infected by the company , or ill example of another ; or may be greatly prejudiced by reposing too much confidence in him , having no knowledge or suspicion of his bad qualities : but even in this case we ought to take great care that the ill character we give of any man be spread no further than is necessary to the good end we designed in it . besides these more obvious and remarkable cases , this prohibition doth not i think hinder but that in ordinary conversation men may mention that ill of others which is already made as publick as it well can be : or that one friend may not in freedom speak to another of the miscarriage of a third person , where he is secure no ill use will be made of it , and that it will go no further to his prejudice : provided always , that we take no delight in hearing or speaking ill of others : and the less we do it , though without any malice or design of harm , still the better ; because this shews that we do not feed upon ill reports and take pleasure in them . these are the usual cases in which it may be necessary for us to speak evil of other men . and these are so evidently reasonable that the prohibition in the text cannot with reason be extended to them . and if no man would allow himself to say any thing to the prejudice of another man's good name , but in these and the like cases , the tongues of men would be very innocent , and the world would be very quiet . i proceed in the iiid . place to consider the evil of this practice , both in the causes and the consequences of it . first , we will consider the causes of it . and it commonly springs from one or more of these evil roots . first , one of the deepest and most common causes of evil-speaking is ill-nature and cruelty of disposition : and by a general mistake ill-nature passeth for wit , as cunning doth for wisdom ; tho in truth they are nothing a-kin to one another , but as far distant as vice and vertue . and there is no greater evidence of the bad temper of mankind , than the general proneness of men to this vice. for ( as our saviour says ) out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . and therefore men do commonly incline to the censorious and uncharitable side : which shews humane nature to be strangely distorted from its original rectitude and innocency . the wit of man doth more naturally vent it self in satyr and censure , than in praise and panegyrick . when men set themselves to commend , it comes hardly from them , and not without great force and straining ; and if any thing be fitly said in that kind , it doth hardly relish with most men : but in the way of invective , the invention of men is a plentiful and never-failing spring : and this kind of wit is not more easie than it is acceptable : it is greedily entertained and greatly applauded , and every man is glad to hear others abused , not considering how soon it may come to his own turn to lie down and make sport for others . to speak evil of others , is almost become the general entertainment of all companies : and the great and serious business of most meetings and visits , after the necessary ceremonies and complements are over , is to sit down and back-bite all the world. 't is the sawee of conversation , and all discourse is counted but flat and dull which hath not something of piquancy and sharpness in it against some body . for men generally love rather to hear evil of others than good , and are secretly pleas'd with ill reports , and drink them in with greediness and delight : though at the same time they have so much justice , as to hate those that propagate them ; and so much wit , as to conclude that these very persons will do the same for them in another place and company . but especially , if it concerns one of another party , and that differs from us in matters of religion ; in this case , all parties seem to be agreed that they do god great service in blasting the reputation of their adversaries : and tho they all pretend to be christiams , and the disciples of him who taught nothing but kindness and meekness and charity ; yet it is strange to see with what a salvage and murderous disposition they will flie at one another's reputation and tear it in pieces : and what-ever other scruples they may have , they make none to bespatter one another in the most bitter and slanderous manner . but if they hear any good of their adversaries , with what nicety and caution do they receive it ? how many objections do they raise against it ? and with what coldness do they at last admit it ? it is very well , say they , if it be true : i shall be glad to hear it confirm'd . i never heard so much good of him before . you are a good man your self ; but have a care you be not deceived . nay it is well , if to balance the matter , and set things even , they do not clap some infirmity and fault into the other scale , that so the enemy may not go off with flying colours . but on the other side , every man is a good and substantial author of an ill report . i do not apply this to any one sort of men , though all are to blame in this way ; iliacos intra muros peccatur , & extra . to speak impartially , the zealots of all parties have got a scurvy trick of lying for the truth . but of all sorts of people , i have observed the priests and bigots of the church of rome to be the ablest in this way , and to have the strongest faith for a lusty falshood and calumny . others will bandy a false report , and toss it from one hand to another ; but i never knew any that would so hug a lye and be so very fond of it . they seem to be described by st. john in that expression in the revelation , whosoever loveth and maketh a lye . another shrewd sign that ill-nature lies at the root of this vice is , that we easily forget the good that is said of others , and seldom make mention of it ; but the contrary sticks with us , and lies uppermost in our memories , and is ready to come out upon all occasions : and which is yet more ill-natur'd and unjust , many times when we do not believe it our selves we tell it to others , with this charitable caution , that we hope it is not true . but in the mean time we give it our pass , and venture it to take its fortune to be believed or not , according to the charity of those into whose hands it comes . secondly , another cause of the commonness of this vice is , that many are so bad themselves , in one kind or other . for to think and speak ill of others is not only a bad thing , but a sign of a bad man. our blessed saviour , speaking of the evil of the last days , gives this as the reason of the great decay of charity among men ; because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold , matth. . . when men are bad themselves , they are glad of any opportunity to censure others , and are always apt to suspect that evil of other men which they know by themselves . they cannot have a good opinion of themselves , and therefore are very unwilling to have so of any body else ; and for this reason they endeavour to bring men to a level , hoping it will be some justification of them if they can but render others as bad as themselves . thirdly , another source of this vice is malice and revenge . when men are in heat and passion they do not consider what is true , but what is spiteful and mischievous ; and speak evil of others in revenge of some injury which they have received from them : and when they are blinded by their passions , they lay about them madly and at a venture , not much caring whether the evil they speak be true or not . nay many are so devilish , as to invent and raise false reports on purpose to blast mens reputation . this is a diabolical temper , and therefore st. james tells us that the slanderous tongue is set on fire of hell : and the devil hath his very name from calumny and false accusation ; and it is his nature too , for he is always ready to stir up and foment this evil spirit among men : nay , the scripture tells us that he hath the malice and impudence to accuse good men before god ; as he did job , charging him with hypocrisie to god himself ; who , he knows , does know the hearts of all the children of men . fourthly , another cause of evil-speaking is envy . men look with an evil eye upon the good that is in others , and think that their reputation obscures them , and that their commendable qualities do stand in their light ; and therefore they do what they can to cast a cloud over them , that the bright shining of their vertues may not scorch them . this makes them greedily to entertain , and industriously to publish any thing that may serve to that purpose , thereby to raise themselves upon the ruins of other men's reputation : and therefore as soon as they have got an ill report of any good man by the end , to work they presently go to send it abroad by the first post : for the string is always ready upon their bow to let fly this arrow with an incredible swiftness , through city and country ; for fear the innocent man's justification should over-take it . fifthly , another cause of evil-speaking is impertinence and curiosity ; an itch of talking and medling in the affairs of other men , which do nowise concern them . some persons love to mingle themselves in all business , and are loth to seem ignorant of so important a piece of news as the faults and follies of men , or any bad thing that is talk'd of in good company . and therefore they do with great care pick up ill stories , as good matter of discourse in the next company that is worthy of them : and this perhaps not out of any great malice , but for want of something better to talk of , and because their parts lie chiefly that way . lastly , men do this many times out of wantonness and for diversion . so little do light and vain men consider , that a man's reputation is too great and tender a concernment to be jested withal ; and that a slanderous tongue bites like a serpent , and wounds like a sword. for what can be more barbarous , next to sporting with a man's life , than to play with his honour and reputation , which to some men is dearer to them than their lives ? it is a cruel pleasure which some men take in worrying the reputation of others much better than themselves ; and this only to divert themselves and the company . solomon compares this sort of men to distracted persons ; as a mad man , saith he , who casteth fire-brands , arrows , and death , so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour ; the lxx . render it , so is the man that defameth his neighbour , and saith , am i not in sport ? such , and so bad are the causes of this vice. i proceed to consider , in the second place , the ordinary , but very pernicious consequences and effects of it ; both to others , and to our selves . first , to others ; the parties i mean that are slandered . to them it is certainly a great injury , and commonly a high provocation , but always matter of no small grief and trouble to them . it is certainly a great injury , and if the evil which we say of them be not true , it is an injury beyond imagination , and beyond all possible reparation . and though we should do our utmost endeavour afterwards towards their vindication , yet that makes but very little amends ; because the vindication seldom reacheth so far as the reproach , and because commonly men are neither so forward to spread the vindication , nor is it so easily received after ill impressions are once made . the solicitous vindication of a man's self is , at the best , but an after-game ; and for the most part a man had better sit still , than to run the hazard of making the matter worse by playing it . i will add one thing more , that it is an injury that descends to a man's children and posterity ; because the good or ill name of the father is derived down to them ; and many times the best thing he hath to leave them is the reputation of his unblemish'd virtue and worth : and do we make no conscience to rob his innocent children of the best part of this small patrimony , and of all the kindness that would have been done them for their father's sake , if his reputation had not been so undeservedly stain'd ? is it no crime by the breath of our mouth at once to blast a man's reputation , and to ruin his children , perhaps to all posterity ? can we make a jest of so serious a matter ? of an injury so very hard to be repented of as it ought , because in such a case no repentance will be acceptable without restitution , if it be in our power . and perhaps it will undo us in this world to make it ; and if we do it not , will be our ruin in the other . i will put the case at the best , that the matter of the slander is true ; yet no man's reputation is considerably stained , tho never so deservedly , without great harm and damage to him . and it is great odds but the matter by passing through several hands is aggravated beyond truth , every one out of his bounty being apt to add something to it . but , besides the injury , it is commonly a very high provocation . and the consequence of that may be as bad as we can imagine , and may end in dangerous and desperate quarrels . this reason the wise son of sirach gives why we should defame no man : whether it be , says he , to a friend or to a foe , talk not of other mens lives . for he hath heard and observed thee , ecclus. . , . that is , one way or other it will probably come to his knowledge , and when the time cometh he will shew his hatred ; that is , he will take the first opportunity to revenge it . at the best , it is always matter of grief to the person that is defam'd : and christianity , which is the best-natur'd institution in the world , forbids us the doing of those things whereby we may grieve one another . a man's good name is a tender thing , and a wound there sinks deep into the spirit even of a wise and good man : and the more innocent any man is in this kind , the more sensible is he of this hard usage ; because he never treats others so , nor is he conscious to himself that he hath deserved it . secondly , the consequences of this vice are as bad or worse to our selves . whoever is wont to speak evil of others , gives a bad character of himself , even to those whom he desires to please ; who , if they be wise enough , will conclude that he speaks of them to others , as he does of others to them : and were it not for that fond partiality which men have for themselves , no man could be so blind as not to see this . and it is very well worthy of our consideration , which our saviour says in this very case , that with what measure we meet to others , it shall be measured to us again ; matth. . and that many times heaped up , and running over . for there is hardly any thing wherein mankind do use more strict justice and equality , than in rendering evil for evil , and railing for railing . nay , revenge often goes further than words . a reproachful and slanderous speech hath cost many a man a duel , and in that the loss of his own life , or the murther of another , perhaps with the loss of his own soul : and i have often wonder'd that among christians this matter is no more laid to heart . and tho neither of these great mischiefs should happen to us , yet this may be inconvenient enough many other ways . for no man knows in the chance of things , and the mutability of humane affairs , whose kindness and good-will he may come to stand in need of before he dies . so that did a man only consult his own safety and quiet , he ought to refrain from evil-speaking . what man is he , saith the psalmist , that desireth life , and loveth many days , that he may see good : keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falshood , psal . . , . but there is an infinitely greater danger hanging over us from god. if we allow our selves in this evil practice , all our religion is good for nothing . so st. james expresly tells us , if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain , jam. . . and st. paul puts slanderers and revilers amongst those that shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and our blessed saviour hath told us , that by our words we shall be justified , and by our words we shall be condemned , cor. . . to which i will add the counsel given us by the wise-man , refrain your tongue from backbiting , for there is no word so secret that shall go for nought , and the mouth that slandereth slayeth the soul , wisdom of solomon , c. . v. . i proceed in the ivth place , to add some further arguments and considerations to take men off from this vice : as , first , that the use of speech is a peculiar prerogative of man above other creatures , and bestowed upon him for some excellent end and purpose : that by this faculty we might communicate our thoughts more easily to one another , and consult together for our mutual comfort and benefit : not to enable us to be hurtful and injurious , but helpful and beneficial to one another . the psalmist , as by interpreters is generally thought calls our tongue our glory ; therewith we praise god and bless men. now to bless is to speak well of any , and to wish them well . so that we pervert the use of speech and turn our glory into shame , when we abuse this faculty to the injury and reproach of any . secondly , consider how cheap a kindness it is to speak well , at least not to speak ill of any . a good word is an easie obligation , but not to speak ill requires only our silence , which costs us nothing . some instances of charity are chargeable , as to relieve the wants and necessities of others : the expence deterrs many from this kind of charity . but were a man never so covetous , he might afford another man his good word ; at least he might refrain from speaking ill of him : especially if it be consider'd how dear many have paid for a slanderous and reproachful word . thirdly , consider that no quality doth ordinarily recommend one more to the favour and good-will of men , than to be free from this vice. every one desires such a man's friendship , and is apt to repose a great trust and confidence in him : and when he is dead , men will praise him ; and next to piety towards god , and righteousness to men , nothing is thought a more significant commendation , than that he was never , or very rarely heard to speak ill of any . it was a singular character of a roman gentleman , nescivit quid esset maledicere , he knew not what it was to give any man an ill word . fourthly , let every man lay his hand upon his heart , and consider how himself is apt to be affected with this usage . speak thy conscience man , and say whether , as bad as thou art , thou wouldst not be glad to have every man's , especially every good man's good word ? and to have thy faults conceal'd , and not to be hardly spoken of , though it may be not altogether without truth , by those whom thou didst never offend by word or deed ? but with what face or reason dost thou expect this from others , to whom thy carriage hath been so contrary ? nothing surely is more equal and reasonable than that known rule , what thou wouldst have no man do to thee , that do thou to no man. fifthly , when you are going to speak reproachfully of others , consider whether you do not lie open to just reproach in the same , or some other kind . therefore give no occasion , no example of this barbarous usage of one another . there are very few so innocent and free either from infirmities or greater faults , as not to be obnoxious to reproach upon one account or other ; even the wisest , and most virtuous , and most perfect among men have some little vanity , or affectation , which lays them open to the railery of a mimical and malicious wit : therefore we should often turn our thoughts upon our selves , and look into that part of the wallet which men commonly fling over their shoulders and keep behind them , that they may not see their own faults : and when we have searched that well , let us remember our saviour's rule , he that is without sin , let him cast the first stone . lastly consider , that it is in many cases as great a charity to conceal the evil you hear and know of others , as if you relieved them in a great necessity . and we think him a hard-hearted man that will not bestow a small alms upon one in great want . it is an excellent advice which the son of sirach gives to this purpose ; talk not of other men's lives : if thou hast heard a word , let it die with thee ; and be bold it will not burst thee , ecclus. . . i shall in the vth. and last place , give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of this great evil among men . first , never say any evil of any man , but what you certainly know . when ever you positively accuse and endite any man of any crime , though it be in private and among friends , speak as if you were upon your oath , because god sees and hears you . this not only charity , but justice and regard to truth do demand of us . he that easily credits an ill report is almost as faulty as the first inventer of it . for tho you do not make , yet you commonly propagate a lye. therefore never speak evil of any upon common fame , which for the most part is false , but almost always uncertain whether it be true or not . not but that it is a fault , in most cases , to report the evil of men which is true , and which we certainly know to be so : but if i cannot prevail to make men wholly to abstain from this fault , i would be glad to compound with some persons , and to gain this point of them however ; because it would retrench nine parts in ten of the evil-speaking that is in the world. secondly , before you speak evil of any man , consider whether he hath not obliged you by some real kindness , and then it is a bad return to speak ill of him who hath done us good . consider also , whether you may not come hereafter to be acquainted with him , related to him , or obliged by him whom you have thus injured ? and how will you then be ashamed when you reflect upon it , and perhaps have reason also to believe that he to whom you have done this injury is not ignorant of it ? consider likewise , whether in the change of humane affairs , you may not some time or other come to stand in need of his favour ; and how incapable this carriage of yours towards him will render you of it ? and whether it may not be in his power to revenge a spiteful and needless word by a shrewd turn ? so that if a man made no conscience of hurting others , yet he should in prudence have some consideration of himself . thirdly , let us accustom our selves to pity the faults of men and to be truly sorry for them , and then we shall take no pleasure in publishing them . and this common humanity requires of us , considering the great infirmities of humane nature , and that we our selves also are liable to be tempted : considering likewise , how severe a punishment every fault and miscarriage is to it self ; and how terribly it exposeth a man to the wrath of god , both in this world and the other . he is not a good christian , that is not heartily sorry for the faults even of his greatest enemies ; and if he be so , he will discover them no further than is necessary to some good end . fourthly , when-ever we hear any man evil-spoken of , if we know any good of him let us say that . it is always the more humane and the more honourable part to stand up in the defence and vindication of others , than to accuse and bespatter them . possibly the good you heard of them may not be true , but it is much more probable that the evil which you have heard of them is not true neither : however , it is better to preserve the credit of a bad man , than to stain the reputation of the innocent . and if there were any need that a man should be evil-spoken of , it is but fair and equal that his good and bad qualities should be mention'd together ; otherwise he may be strangely misrepresented , and an indifferent man may be made a monster . they that will observe nothing in a wise man , but his over-sights and follies ; nothing in a good man , but his failings and infirmities ; may make a shift to render a very wise and good man very despicable . if one should heap together all the passionate speeches , all the froward and imprudent actions of the best man ; all that he had said or done amiss in his whole life , and present it all at one view , concealing his wisdom and vertues ; the man in this disguise would look like a mad-man or a fury : and yet if his life were fairly represented , and just in the same manner it was led ; and his many and great virtues set over-against his failings and infirmities , he would appear to all the world to be an admirable and excellent person . but how many and great soever any man's ill qualities are , it is but just that with all this heavy load of faults he should have the due praise of the few real virtues that are in him . fifthly , that you may not speak ill of any , do not delight to hear ill of them . give no countenance to busy-bodies , and those that love to talk of other mens faults : or if you cannot decently reprove them because of their quality , then divert the discourse some other way ; or if you cannot do that , by seeming not to mind it , you may sufficiently signify that you do not like it . sixthly , let every man mind himself , and his own duty and concernment . do but endeavour in good earnest to mend thy self , and it will be work enough for one man , and leave thee but little time to talk of others . when plato withdrew from the court of dionysius , who would fain have had a famous philosopher for his flatterer , they parted in some unkindness , and dionysius bad him not to speak ill of him when he was return'd into greece ; plato told him , he had no leisure for it ; meaning that he had better things to mind , than to take up his thoughts and talk with the faults of so bad a man , so notoriously known to all the world. lastly , let us set a watch before the door of our lips , and not speak but upon consideration : i do not mean to speak finely , but fitly . especially when thou speakest of others , consider of whom , and what thou art going to speak : use great caution and circumspection in this matter : look well about thee ; on every side of the thing , and on every person in the company , before thy words slip from thee ; which when they are once out of thy lips , are for ever out of thy power . not that men should be sullen in company , and say nothing ; or so stiff in conversation , as to drop nothing but aphorisms and oracles : especially , among equals and friends , we should not be so reserved as if we would have it taken for a mighty favour that we vouchsafe to say any thing . if a man had the understanding of an angel , he must be contented to abate something of this excess of wisdom , for fear of being thought cunning. the true art of conversation , if any body can hit upon it , seems to be this ; an appearing freedom and openness , with a resolute reservedness as little appearing as is possible . all that i mean by this caution is , that we should consider well what we say , especially of others . and to this end we should endeavour to get our minds furnished with matter of discourse concerning things useful in themselves , and not hurtful to others : and , if we have but a mind wise enough , and good enough , we may easily find a field large enough for innocent conversation ; such as will harm no body , and yet be acceptable enough to the better and wiser part of mankind : and why should any one be at the cost of playing the fool to gratify any body whatsoever ? i have done with the five things i propounded to speak to upon this argument . but because hardly any thing can be so clear , but something may be said against it ; nor any thing so bad , but something may be pleaded in excuse for it : i shall therefore take notice of two or three pleas that may be made for it . first , some pretend mighty injury and provocation . if in the same kind , it seems thou art sensible of it ; and therefore thou of all men oughtest to abstain from it : but in what kind soever it be , the christian religion forbids revenge . therefore do not plead one sin in excuse of another , and make revenge an apology for reviling . secondly , it is alledged by others , with a little better grace , that if this doctrine were practised , conversation would be spoil'd , and there would not be matter enough for pleasant discourse and entertainment . i answer , the design of this discourse is to redress a great evil in conversation , and that i hope which mends it will not spoil it . and however , if men's tongues lay a little more still , and most of us spake a good deal less than we do , both of our selves and others , i see no great harm in it : i hope we might for all that live comfortably and in good health , and see many good days . david , i am sure , prescribes it as an excellent receipt , in his opinion , for a quiet , and cheerful , and long life , to refrain from evil-speaking ; psal . . , . what man is he that desireth life , and loveth many days that he may see good ? keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falshood . but granting that there is some pleasure in invective , i hope there is a great deal more in innocence : and the more any man considers this , the truer he will find it ; and whenever we are serious , we our selves cannot but acknowledge it . when a man examines himself impartially before the sacrament , or is put in mind upon a death-bed to make reparation for injuries done in this kind , he will then certainly be of this mind and wish he had not done them . for this certainly is one necessary qualification for the blessed sacrament , that we be in love and charity with our neighbours ; with which temper of mind this quality is utterly inconsistent . thirdly , there is yet a more specious plea than either of the former , that men will be encouraged to do ill if they can escape the tongues of men ; as they would do , if this doctrine did effectually take place : because by this means one great restraint from doing evil would be taken away , which these good men who are so bent upon reforming the world , think would be great pity . for many who will venture upon the displeasure of god , will yet abstain from doing bad things for fear of reproach from men : besides , that this seems the most proper punishment of many faults which the laws of men can take no notice of . admitting all this to be true , yet it does not seem so good and laudable a way to punish one fault by another . but let no man encourage himself in an evil way with this hope , that he shall escape the censure of men : when i have said all i can , there will , i fear , be evil-speaking enough in the world to chastise them that do ill : and tho we should hold our peace , there will be bad tongues enow to reproach men with their evil-doings . i wish we could but be persuaded to make the experiment for a little while , whether men would not be sufficiently lash'd for their faults , tho we sate by and said nothing . so that there is no need at all that good men should be concern'd in this odious work. there will always be offenders and malefactors enow to be the executioners to inflict this punishment upon one another . therefore let no man presume upon impunity on the one hand ; and on the other , let no man despair but that this business will be sufficiently done one way or other . i am very much mistaken , if we may not safely trust an ill-natur'd world that there will be no failure of justice in this kind . and here , if i durst , i would fain have said a word or two concerning that more publick sort of obloquy by lampoons and libels , so much in fashion in this witty age. but i have no mind to provoke a very terrible sort of men . yet thus much i hope may be said without offence , that how much soever men are pleas'd to see others abused in this kind , yet it is always grievous when it comes to their own turn : however i cannot but hope that every man that impartially considers must own it to be a fault of a very high nature to revile those whom god hath placed in authority over us , and to slander the footsteps of the lord 's anointed : especially since it is so expresly written , thou shalt not speak evil of the rulers of thy people . having represented the great evil of this vice , it might not now be improper to say something to those who suffer by it . are we guilty of the evil said of us ? let us reform , and cut off all occasions for the future ; and so turn the malice of our enemies to our own advantage , and defeat their ill intentions by making so good an use of it : and then it will be well for us to have been evil spoken of . are we innocent ? we may so much the better bear it patiently ; imitating herein the pattern of our blessed saviour , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . we may consider likewise , that tho it be a misfortune to be evil-spoken of , it is their fault that do it , and not ours ; and therefore should not put us into passion , because another man's being injurious to me is no good reason why i should be uneasy to my self . we should not revenge the injuries done to us , no not upon them that do them , much less upon our selves . let no man's provocation make thee to lose thy patience . be not such a fool , as to part with any one virtue because some men are so malicious as to endeavour to rob thee of the reputation of all the rest . when men speak ill of thee , do as plato said he would do in that case ; live so , as that no body may believe them . all that now remains is to reflect upon what hath been said , and to urge you and my self to do accordingly . for all is nothing , if we do not practise what we so plainly see to be our duty . many are so taken up with the deep points and mysteries of religion , that they never think of the common duties and offices of human life . but faith and a good life are so far from clashing with one another , that the christian religion hath made them inseparable . true faith is necessary in order to a good life , and a good life is the genuine product of a right belief ; and therefore the one never ought to be press'd to the prejudice of the other . i foresee what will be said , because i have heard it so often said in the like case ; that there is not one word of jesus christ in all this . no more is there in the text. and yet i hope that jesus christ is truly preach'd , whenever his will and laws , and the duties enjoin'd by the christian religion are inculcated upon us . but some men are pleased to say , that this is mere morality : i answer , that this is scripture-morality and christian-morality , and who hath any thing to say against that ? nay , i will go yet further , that no man ought to pretend to believe the christian religion , who lives in the neglect of so plain a duty ; and in the practice of a sin so clearly condemn'd by it , as this of evil-speaking is . but because the word of god is quick and powerful , and sharper than a two-edged sword , yea sharper than calumny itself ; and pierceth the very hearts and consciences of men , laying us open to our selves , and convincing us of our more secret as well as our more visible faults ; i shall therefore at one view represent to you what is dispersedly said concerning this sin in the holy word of god. and i have purposely reserved this to the last , because it is more persuasive and penetrating than any humane discourse . and to this end be pleas'd to consider in what company the holy ghost doth usually mention this sin. there is scarce any black catalogue of sins in the bible but we find this among them ; in the company of the very worst actions and most irregular passions of men . out of the heart , says our saviour , matt. . . proceed evil thoughts , murders , adulteries , fornications , false witness , evil speakings . and the apostle , rom. . . ranks backbiters with fornicators , and murderers , and haters of god ; and with those of whom it is expresly said , cor. . . that they shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and when he enumerates the sins of the last times , tim. . , . men , says he , shall be lovers of themselves , covetous , boasters , evil-speakers , without natural affection , perfidious , false accusers , &c. and which is the strangest of all , they who are said to be guilty of these great vices and enormities are noted by the apostle to be great pretenders to religion ; for so it follows in the next words , having a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof . so that it is no new thing for men to make a more than ordinary profession of christianity , and yet at the same time to live in a most palpable contradiction to the precepts of that holy religion : as if any pretence to mystery and i know not what extraordinary attainments in the knowledge of christ , could exempt men from obedience to his laws , and set them above the vertues of a good life . and now after all this , do we hardly think that to be a sin , which is in scripture so frequently rank'd with murther and adultery and the blackest crimes ; such as are inconsistent with the life and power of religion , and will certainly shut men out of the kingdom of god ? do we believe the bible to be the word of god ? and can we allow our selves in the common practice of a sin , than which there is hardly any fault of mens lives more frequently mention'd , more severely reprov'd , and more odiously branded in that holy book . consider seriously these texts , psal . . . who shall abide in thy tabernacle , who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? he that backbiteth not with his tongue , nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour . have ye never heard what our saviour says , that of every idle word we must give an account in the day of judgment ; that by thy words thou sbalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemn'd ? what can be more severe than that of st. james ? if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , that man's religion is vain . to conclude : the sin which i have now warned men against , is plainly condemn'd by the word of god ; and the duty which i have now been persuading you to , is easy for every man to understand , not hard for any man , that can but resolve to keep a good guard upon himself for some time , by the grace of god to practice ; and most reasonable for all men , but especially for all christians , to observe . it is as easy as a resolute silence upon just occasion , as reasonable as prudence and justice and charity , and the preservation of peace and good-will among men , can make it ; and of as necessary and indispensible an obligation , as the authority of god can render any thing . upon all which considerations let us every one of us be persuaded to take up david's deliberate resolution , psal . . . i said , i will take heed to my ways , that i offend not with my tongue . and i do verily believe , that would we but heartily endeavour to amend this one fault , we should soon be better men in our whole lives : i mean , that the correcting of this vice , together with those that are nearly allied to it , and may at the same time , and almost with the same resolution and care be corrected , would make us owners of a great many considerable vertues , and carry us on a good way towards perfection ; it being hardly to be imagin'd that a man that makes conscience of his words should not take an equal or a greater care of his actions . and this i take to be both the true meaning , and the true reason of that saying of st. james , and with which i shall conclude : if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good word and work , to do his will ; working in you always that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ ; to whom be glory for ever , amen . the arch-bishop of york's sermon about the government of the thoughts , before the king and queen , at white-hall , march iv . / . a sermon about the government of the thoughts , preach d before the king and queen , at white-hall , the th of march , being the d sunday in lent , / . by the most reverend father in god , john lord arch-bishop of york . published by their majesties especial command . the fourth edition . london , printed for walter kettilby , at the bishop's head in st. paul's church yard , . a sermon about the government of the thoughts , preach'd before the king and queen . prov . iv . . keep thy heart with all diligence , for out of it are the issues of life . the argument with which this audience was entertained the last lord's day , being the government of the tongue ; i cannot think it improper or unseasonable for me , who have the honour to come next , to treat about the government of the thoughts : there being a near relation between these two , and a necessary dependance of the one upon the other . our words indeed are more easily governed than our thoughts , because they are more in our power . but it will be impossible either to govern our words or our actions , as we should , unless we first bring our thoughts in some measure under government . i must confess this argument of the government of the thoughts , though it be a very useful , yet it seems also a very nice and difficult one , through the great variety of cases , arising from mens different tempers , which will not come under the same rules , and yet ought to be provided for . but however , this shall not discourage me from undertaking this argument ; it shall only make me more careful as to what i say about it . that is , to have respect , as much as i can , to all sorts of tempers , and to deliver what i have to say with so much plainness , that every body may go along with me . the words , upon which i ground my discourse , are those of solomon , which i have read unto you , and which contain one of those precepts that he lays down 〈◊〉 the religious conduct of our lives . keep ( saith he ) thy heart with all diligence , for out of it are the issues of life . not to trouble you with what others have said upon this text , i take the true meaning of it to be this . by the [ heart ] here , which we are exhorted to keep , we are to understand the inward thoughts and motions , and affections of our souls or spirits ; all which in the inspired writings are constantly said to be seated in the heart . this undoubtedly is the scripture notion of the heart . and when we are here bid to keep our hearts with all diligence , i think there is no question to be made , the meaning is , that we should diligently attend to the thoughts and motions , and affections of our minds ; that we should watch them narrowly , lest at any time we should give our consent to something we ought not . this is the meaning of keeping our hearts with all diligence . and then a reason is added , why it concerns us thus to keep them . and that is this . because out of the heart are the issues of life . what is the meaning of that phrase ? plainly this . the issues , the fruits , the effects that are shewn in our lives and conversation , do certainly proceed from the heart , and therefore , accordingly as that is well or ill guarded or kept , so will our lives and conversations be . the goodness or badness of our lives doth altogether depend upon the attending or not attending to the thoughts , and motions , and inclinations of our minds . as our caution and watchfulness in this point is greater or less , so will our course of life be better or worse . and therefore it concerns us all , that mean to live well , to be infinitely careful in this matter . this is a plain account of the advice that is here given us . so that you see , if i mean to discourse pertinently to my text , my argument must be ( what i said ) the care , and management , and government of our thoughts , as they fall under a religious consideration . in treating of this argument there seem to me two things needful to be done . first , to give an account what power a man hath over his own thoughts . secondly , to shew wherein the art of governing of them doth consist . it is indeed this second thing which my text naturally leads me to speak to : but i cannot speak to that to any purpose , till i have made way for it by clearing the first . it is in vain to give rules about the government of our thoughts , till we know how far we have power over them ; how far they fall , or do not fall , under our conduct and management . and i must needs say , that most of those i have met with , that have discours'd about the government of thoughts , by not enquiring into , and setling this point , have been so far from benefiting all their hearers , that desired to receive benefit by their good advices , that to several of them they have done harm : because as to them their advices have been perfectly unpracticable . now those that by their own experience found them to be so , instead of considering that that teacher might be in a mistake , or that he did not sufficiently weigh and examine the case of all persons he gave his advice to , have peremptorily concluded that they themselves were in the fault , and therefore they were in an evil condition , because they found themselves not able to live up to what was advised them . the first question then is , how far a man hath power over his own thoughts . there is not indeed any single answer to be given to this question , that will fit all men. for that is impossible . it would be as unreasonable to demand it , as it would be to require of a workman to make a garment , that should fit all sorts and sizes of men. some men by the very principles of their make and constitution , are much better able to govern their thoughts than others . some that are naturally weaker , have by long use and many tryals obtained a greater power over their thoughts than others . again , the same persons that at some times have a greater power over the motions of their minds , may at other times have a less command over them ; and this according as their health , or their business , or a hundred contingencies of outward things do affect them . so that all that can be done , as to this matter , is to lay down some general propositions , which every body is to apply to himself as there is occasion . and five of this kind i have to offer , and which , i think , will take in all , or the greatest part of what belongs to this argument . the first proposition i lay down is this , that the first motions of our minds are very little , if at all , in our power . by the first motions of our minds , i mean those sudden thoughts , or apprehensions , or passions , or desires , which are excited in our minds by any object that is at that time presented to our imagination . as to these , i say , we are not so much masters of our selves as to be able to stop them ; nay , though perhaps they be very irregular . and the reason is , because they are produced so quick , that there is not time enough given for reason to interpose . there is no necessity indeed that a man should give consent to these motions ; but as for their coming into his mind , he can no more help it , than he can help his present temper , or the present circumstances he is ingaged in . thus for instance . do you think it possible for a man that is of a fiery passionate temper , to avoid the feeling a sudden resentment of anger arising in his mind , if he meets with any unexpected affront , or other great provocation ? or for a man that desires to be well thought of , not to entertain some vanity of imagination , when he hears himself commended or flatterd ? or for a man that is addicted to pleasures , not to feel some irregular inclinations in himself towards the gratifying his appetites in those things , when he hath all the temptations before him ? and thus in all other cases . i grant indeed that a man by long consideration , and a serious exercising himself in the ways of vertue and piety , may bring himself to that temper , that he shall not have so many irregular undecent motions in his own mind , upon any occasion whatsoever , as he was wont to have ; and that those that were formerly temptations to him , will at last be none : but still i say , the first motions and workings of his mind however they be occasioned , are in a great measure out of his power ; he cannot stop them ; and therefore the art of governing his thoughts doth not lye there . the second proposition i lay down is this , when a man's mind is vigorously affected and possessed , either with the outward objects of sense , or with inward passions of any kind , in that case he hath little or no command of his thoughts . his mind at that time will be in a manner wholly taken up with that it is then full of ▪ nor will he be able , till those impressions be worn off , to think freely of what he pleaseth . thus for instance , vvhen a man is under a sharp , tormenting pain ; as he cannot avoid the feeling of that pain , so neither can he avoid the thinking of it . vvhen one is full of grief for the loss of a dear relation ; or transported with passion for some unworthy usage he hath met with : it is in vain to say , pray think not of these matters ; for these things must and will in a great measure imploy his thoughts , till his passions do cool , and the impressions that caused them be vanished . thus for a man to come from some business in which he is more than ordinarily concerned ; or from the hearing some very good or very bad news ; i say , to come fresh from this to the saying his prayers : i do not , i cannot wonder , that in this case his mind will be much upon his business , or his news , notwithstanding all his endeavours to the contrary . for the nature of man is such , that he cannot so of a sudden turn his mind from one business to another ; but that if he did closely and vigorously apply himself to the first business , his thoughts will for some time run upon it , even after he hath applied his mind to the other . i do not deny , but that a man may often so order his affairs , as to be able to keep his mind clear and free from such prepossessions as i am now speaking of , so as that when he comes to apply himself to any business he hath a mind to , he may intend it with his whole might . but this i say , if our minds be once engaged with warm thoughts about any thing ; it is very hard , if not impossible , to get them disengaged on a sudden . so that the art of governing our thoughts doth not much lie in that neither . thirdly , there are some cases likewise , where a man's thoughts are in a manner forced upon him , from the present temper and indisposition of his body . so that though he be in no passion , though there be no unusual objects of sense that excite those t●oughts in him ; nay , though he never so much resolve not to think upon those things ; yet so long as that habit of body lasts , he cannot avoid those kind of thoughts : so that in this case also , there is little room left for the government of thoughts . that which i now say , happens frequently , not only in all sorts of distempers where the brain is visibly disturbed , as in feavers , and the like ; which often cause a thousand delirous fancies , and sometimes down-right madness and distraction : but also in other cases where there seems to be no feaver , or other visible distemper ; nor doth the brain , as to other matters , seem to be at all disorder'd ; but the persons , in all appearance , are sound both in body and mind . and this is the case of some deeply hypochondriac persons ; many of which will be haunted with a sett of thoughts and fancies , that they can by no means get rid of , though they desire it never so earnestly . sometimes they cannot get it out of their heads , but that they are atheists and infidels ; they neither believe in god nor in jesus christ , nor have any sense at all of religion . sometimes they are tormented with blasphemous thoughts , and they cannot set themselves to the performance of any office of devotion , but a thousand impious fancies will come in and spoil all . sometimes they fancy they are guilty of several grievous crimes , which it is to be hoped , it was hardly possible they should be guilty of ; nay , you cannot convince them but that they do every day commit some of these crimes , because they imagine they give consent to them . and whilest these sorts of thoughts fill their imaginations , there is not a passage in the bible that they read , nor a sermon that they hear , but they find something in it , which they do so perversly apply to their own case , as thereby to increase their trouble , but not to get any relief . i have known several well-disposed persons , and some of them sincerely pious , that have been in this condition . what now is to be said to this ? why , it is very certain that all these thoughts and fancies are thrust upon them , and are not the free , natural , voluntary operations of their own minds ; but the effects of vapours or hypochondriac melancholly . nor can the persons themselves any more help their thus thinking , or fancying , than they can help the disturbances of their dreams when they have a mind to sleep quietly . indeed we may properly enough call these fancies of theirs , their waking dreams ; as their dreams are their sleeping fancies . well but now of all persons whatsoever , these people are most desirous to have rules given them for the government of the thoughts . and i cannot blame them , because their thoughts are certainly very troublesome . but truly if we would speak pertinently to their case , instead of giving them advices for the regulating their thoughts , they should rather be advised to look after their bodies , and by the help of good prescriptions to get rid of those fumes and vapours which occasion these fancies . when the cause is removed , the effect will soon cease . i do not in the least doubt , whatever these people may think of their own case , but that this is as properly a bodily disease , as a feaver , or fits of the falling sickness . in the mean time , while they are in this condition , whatever rules are proper to be given to other persons for the government of the thoughts , of all people living those rules do the least concern them . for those thoughts which they complain of , do not at all fall under regulation or government ; because they are suggested to their minds whether they will or no. and for my part , i think it a great deal more advisable ( if it could be ) to neglect and despise them ; then to be perpetually strugling and disputing with them , and vexing themselves about them . but , you will say , if men be such slaves to their thoughts , and are thus necessarily passive under them , where is the freedom of thoughts ? to this i answer . in the fourth place , out of these three cases i before mentioned , we have liberty of thinking , and may chuse our own thoughts . and that liberty and freedom we have in thinking , doth , to my apprehension , mainly consist in this , viz. that all of us ( who are not in the circumstances i have been hitherto speaking of ) can , if we please , apply our minds more vigorously to one sort of thing than to another ; and accordingly as we do thus apply our minds , so will the most of our thoughts be . it is in our power among the multitude of objects which present themselves to our mind , ( as for instance , god , vertue , holiness , heaven , wealth , power , greatness , preferments , fine clothes , splendid equipage , sensuat pleasures , recreations , divertisements , knowledge , learning , arts , and the like : i say , that among all this multitude of objects that present themselves to our minds ) it is in our power to determine our selves , which of them we will dwell upon , and make a business of . and accordingly , when at any time we have pitched upon any of them , as a business , it is in our power to mind that business , either more or less diligently . and if it be such a one , as that we mean in good earnest to concern our selves about it , it will then so fill our minds , as that by attending to that , we shall either prevent in a great measure other thoughts from coming into our heads ; or if they do come in , they will not long stay there , but will very speedily give place to that which is our main business at that time . and the reason of this is plain ; because our natures are of that make , that two things at once cannot well possess our minds ; and therefore if we be intent about one thing , we cannot have much room or leisure for thoughts of another nature . but then fifthly and lastly , though this that i have said be the true nature of that power we have over our thoughts , as to the directing them to a particular object : yet there is another power we have over them that ought here more especially to be considered ; because in it are laid the very foundations of vertue and vice , and upon account of it , all our thoughts become either morally good or evil . that which i mean is this . though we cannot in many cases , think always of what we would ; nay , though we cannot hinder abundance of thoughts from coming into our minds against our will : yet it is always in our power to assent to our thoughts , or to deny our consent to them . and here it is that the morality of our thoughts begins . according as we assent or dissent to the motions that are made in our minds ; so will our thoughts have the notion of vertuous or sinful thoughts . vvhen any temptations are presented to us from without , we cannot perhaps ( as i said before ) avoid the feeling an irregular passion , or motion , or inclination stirring within us upon occasion thereof : but yet at that very-time it is in our power , whether we will comply with those passions and inclinations , or not ; whether we will consent to them , or not ; whether we will pursue them further or not . now if we do not consent to them , but endeavour to stop , and stifle , and resist them as soon as we are aware of them ; there is yet no harm done . our thoughts , how undecent or irregular soever they were , are rather to be accounted the infirmities of our corrupt nature , than our sins properly so called . and thus it is likewise as to our wandering thoughts in our prayers . if we strive against them , and endeavour to keep our minds in a devout composed temper , and attend as well as we can to the duty we are about : i say , if we do this , i hope those distractions and wanderings will never rise up in judgment against us . and as for the frightful blasphemous fancies , which , as i told you , some , even pious persons are tormented with : as to them , i say , they , of all other irregular thoughts , have the least danger of sin in them , though they be not so solemnly and formally disputed with , and contested against . because indeed they are so terrible in their own nature , that no man in his wits , and that hath any sense of god or goodness , can be supposed to consent to them . they are indeed great infeticities , but by no means any sin , any farther than we approve of them ; and to approve of them for any tolerably good man is impossible . but then on the other side , if we consent to any wicked motion or inclination that we feel in our selves ; let it come in how it will , never so suddenly , never so unexpectedly ; if we close with any thought that prompts us to evil , so as to be pleased with it , to delight in it , to think of pursuing it , till it be brought into action : in that case we are no longer to plead our original corruption ; for in that very instant we become actual sinners ; actual transgressors of the law of god , the obligation of which reaches to our very hearts and thoughts as well as our actions . tho' yet we are not so great transgressors , so long as our sin is only in thought , or desire , or purpose ; as if it had proceeded to outward action . all this is taught us for true divinity , by no less an author than st. james , in the first chapter of his epistle , v. , , . let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god tempteth no man. but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust , and enticed . then when lust hath conceived , it bringeth forth sin , and sin , when it is finished , bringeth forth death . which passage of the apostle doth plainly contain these three propositions . first , that no man is drawn to commit sin by any state or condition that god hath put him into ; no , nor by any temptation , either outward or inward , that is presented to him . it is not a sin to be tempted ; no , nor to feel that we are tempted by some disorderly inclination that arises in our minds thereupon . but , second , then our sin begins , when we yield to the temptation , when we are drawn away by our own lusts , and enticed , when they get the victory over us , and we do consent to them . then lust hath conceived , and bringeth forth sin. but , thirdly , though the very consent of our wills to a temptation , be a sin in us ; yet that sin is not so great as it will be afterwards , if it be brought to action . sin in the desire or purpose , is but an embryo ; it is but the first rudiments of sin ; but when it comes to be acted , it is then a sin in its full dimensions ; and the consequents of it may be fatal without repentance . sin when it is finished bringeth forth death . having thus given some account , how far our hearts or thoughts do fall under government ; i now come to my second point , that is , to treat of the art of governing them , or to lay down the necessary rules and directions , which are to be observed in order thereunto . and we shall not need to go far for these rules , for they will all naturally flow from the principles i have already laid down . and i think , they may conveniently enough be reduced likewise to these five following . first , from what hath been said , it appears , that the first and great point to be done by us , if we would keep our hearts in a good frame , and order our thoughts to good purposes , is , that we rightly pitch our main designs ; that we chuse that for the great business of our lives , that really ought to be so . now what that is , can bear no dispute with any man that will fairly use his reason . for certainly , that which is our greatest concernment in the world , ought to be our greatest business and design in the world. and it is evident to every one , that believes he hath a soul to save , that his greatest concernment of all , is , to approve himself to that god who made him , and disposes of all his affairs ; and who accordingly as we sincerely endeavour , or not endeavour to serve him , will make us either very happy , or very miserable , both in this life and the other . so that there can , as i said , be no dispute about what ought to be the great business and design of our whole lives , and to which all other businesses must yield . now if we be so wise , as really to propose this as our main end , and resolve to mind it , and follow it as such ; i say , if we be so wise as to do this ; we have made a very great step towards the obtaining a security to our selves , that the greatest part of our thoughts , and desires , and affections , will be such as they should be ; such as will be acceptable to god , and satisfactory to our selves . for as i told you before , whatever is our main business , be it what it will , it will , in a great measure , draw all our thoughts to it . our natures are so contrived , that we must always be thinking of some thing or other . but then they are so contrived likewise , that we think most of that , which is most in our eye , most in our esteem , most in our pursuit . and this is that which our saviour tells us ; where your treasure is , there will your heart be also . whatever it be that you place your happiness in , upon that will your thoughts run ; upon that will your desires , your inclinations , your affections , be fixed . we have a vvorld of instances of the truth of this every day before our eyes . if a man hath set his heart on money , and proposeth it to himself , as the business of his life , to be rich : vvhy , i dare say , such a one will own to you , that most of his thoughts are upon that project ; and that he finds it so far from being difficult to keep his mind close and steady to his main interest , as he calls it ; that it is rather difficult to him to think of any other matters . if a man be given up to pleasure , and thinks nothing worthy his living for , but vvine and vvomen , and good eating and good company ; is it not natural to such an one to bend all his thoughts that way ? or doth he put any force or violence upon himself , in thinking and contriving all the day long , how to bring to pass the gratification of his lusts or his appetites . vvhy , my brethren , if we did all of us in good earnest make the service of god , and the purchasing heaven and happiness to our selves , as much our business , our end , our design , as these men make vvealth or pleasure to be theirs , we should certainly be thus affected . the common course of our thoughts , would naturally and easily , without the least constraint , run upon those objects : and we should take as great delight in thinking of our treasure , and contriving for the obtaining of it ; as they do in thinking and projecting for theirs . i say , thus it would be with us . for i cannot for my life apprehend , what charms there can be in worldly or sensual things , to attract a man's mind ; what fetters there can be in them , to bind his thoughts , and tye them to themselves : but that there are the fame , or greater , in vertue and goodness ; in the love and favour of god ; in a pure conscience here , and eternal glory hereafter : always provided , that they are as much made the objects of our choice and pursuit , as the other . and therefore i cannot but suspect , where we see men so very cold and backward to spiritual things ; and so apt to spend all their thoughts upon trifling , vain , or worldly matters , that it is with a great deal of pains and reluctancy , that they can bring themselves to think of their everlasting concernments . i say , i cannot but suspect that these persons have not yet laid up their treasure in heaven , as our saviour expresseth it ; they have not yet so wholly devoted themselves to the service of god , as to make it their main business . when once they have done that , i dare assure them , they will find it so far from being a force upon them , to think of good things , that it will be very natural to them ; and they will find the greatest pleasure in the world in so doing . secondly , whoever would keep his heart always in a good frame , and be able to give a good account of his thoughts to god , must have an especial care to avoid two things , viz. idleness and loose company . for both of these do strangely unhinge a man's mind ; and disarm it of that severity , which is its best guard and defence against evil thoughts ; and make it become an easie prey to every temptation that will attacque it . a wise man should never be at such a pass , as to say , i have nothing to do , i do not know how to spend my next hour : but should so order the course of his life , that all the portions of his time , as much as is possible , may be filled with some useful , or at least some innocent imployment . it is idleness , and having nothing to do , that is , the mother of most of those vain , and unprofitable , and sinful fancies , in which some men spend their days . and whereas temptations do now and then come in the way of other men ; the idle man is forced to seek out temptations for the shipwrack of his vertue . and therefore no wonder , if he that seeks them , finds abundance of them . and truly loose and impertinent conversation , which was the other thing i named , though it looks something with a better grace , yet is not much better than idleness . for where-ever it is much used , it will so emasculate a man's mind , and take off the edge and vigour of it , as to serious things , that he cannot easily get it into a good frame again . evil communication ( saith st. paul ) doth corrupt good manners . and therefore those people , a great part of whose life is taken up in gadding up and down ; in play ; in merry meetings ; in telling or hearing idle stories , and the like : it is impossible but their thoughts and inclinations , and the whole frame of their hearts will be suitable ; that is to say , very frothy ; very light and foolish ; not to say , profane , and wicked , and atheistical too , if the company they much converse with , be of that strain . thirdly , another thing of great moment , for the keeping our hearts , is , to be as attentive as is possible to the first motions of our minds ; and whenever we find that they tend toward something that is forbidden , to stop them as soon as we can . we cannot , as i told you before , often prevent irregular desires , or passions , or inclinations , from arising in our minds , upon sundry occasions . but this we can do : as soon as we are aware of them , we can refuse our consent to them ; ( and in that cafe i hope they will not be imputed to us as sins ; ) nay , not only so , but we can refuse their breaking out , or shewing themselves in our words , or our actions . for the motions of our outward members are all at our command , though the first motions of our minds be not . here therefore will lye a main point in the art of well governing our minds and thoughts . you cannot perhaps , for instance , prevent a sudden passion of anger from rising in your minds upon twenty accidents : but as soon as you feel this passion , you can thus far stifle it ; you can seal up your mouth , so that the passion shall not vent it self in unseemly words ; and if you will withdraw that fuel from the new-kindled fire , it will soon be extinguished , and die . whereas if you suffer it to break out in bitter speeches and expressions , it will flame beyond measure . thus again , if any undecent , impure fancies or desires should be excited in you upon any occasion : it was not perhaps in your power to keep them from coming into your minds : but it is in your power to withdraw from the temptation that caused them ; and to endeavour to direct your thoughts to some other object ; at least not to proceed one step in any outward action towards the accomplishing of those desires . if you take this course , the disturbance of your mind will soon cease , and you will return presently to your ordinary temper . and let me tell you this further ; that by your being thus careful to resist and smother the first beginnings of sin ; you will not only preserve , in a great measure , the innocency of your minds under the present temptation ; but you will also have this farther advantage , that by this means , you increase your power over your thoughts , against the next time that the temptation returns . every check you give to the first motions of sin , makes the next assault of them the less furious . and if you do constantly use your selves , thus to guard and watch over your hearts ; you will in time obtain such a command over them , that you will not be troubled with a quarter of those irregular desires , and passions , which heretofore upon several occasions used to be kindled in you . by this method you will strengthen your faculties , and enlarge your powers ; and by degrees bring your selves to that happy temper of soul , that there will be no great war between the law of your members , and the law of your minds : but the world and the flesh will be crucified to you , as you are to them ; that i may use st. paul's expressions . but then fourthly , that you may be able not only to keep bad thoughts out of your minds ; but also to have a constant spring of good ones ; there are some particular exercises very proper for this purpose to be recommended . such i mean as these , converse with discreet and pious persons ; reading good books , especially the. holy scriptures ; taking times of meditation and recollection ; and above all , fervent and constant prayer to god. it is not to be told how every one of these things doth help to inspire us with good thoughts and purposes . a little passage now and then , though but occasionally dropt in a conversation , that is to the business of vertue and goodness , will supply us some times with matter for good thoughts for a considerable while after what lasting impressions then , do you think , would be left upon our minds , if we made it our constant exercise every day , to read or hear something out of the bible , or some other good book , with a design to grow better thereby ? but above all things , we must take care to be diligent and serious in our applications to the throne of grace : it is hearty prayer and devotion , that when all is done , will prove the most effectual means , for the keeping our hearts steady to that which is good , and securing them from the pollutions of the sensible earthly objects that do surround us . o therefore let us be constant in our religious offices . nay , let us take every opportunity that our affairs will allow us , of raising our minds to god , and thanking him for his infinite love and goodness to us ; and imploring the continual influences of his grace and holy spirit , and re-inforcing our vows and purposes of persevering in his service . by this means we shall come to lead spiritual lives indeed . our souls will be a perpetual fountain of good thoughts . and while we live here , our conversation will be in heaven . for god and christ , and the things above will have our hearts , though the world hath our bodies . but then , in the fifth and last place , notwithstanding what i have hitherto said , concerning the diligence with which we are to keep our hearts ; yet this is always to be remembered , that with our diligence we must be careful to join discretion . my meaning is this , we must have a care not to intend our thoughts immoderately , and more than our tempers will bear , even to the best things : but we must so keep our hearts , as at the same time to preserve our healths , and keep up the vigour of our minds . and the way to do that , is , not to put them too much , or too long , upon the stretch at any one time : but to relax them when there is occasion , and to let them run out , and entertain themselves upon any thing that comes next to hand , so long as it is innocent . it is a vain thing to imagine , that we can always be thinking of our great business ; or that we can always be a praying , or reading , or meditating ; or , that , as our condition is in this world , even the greater part of our thoughts should be such as we call devout and religious thoughts . god hath provided a great deal of other business for us to apply our minds to , so long as we live in this world. and by minding that diligently and conscientiously , we do serve god as acceptably , as if we were reading or praying . nay even then , when we have no urgent business upon our hands to take up our minds , it is not necessary that we should be always thinking of religion . nor would i call every thought , a vain , or an idle , or a sinful thought , that hath not god , or our spiritual concernments for its object . even the most spiritually-minded among us , must oftentimes be content to be entertained with such thoughts as our company , or our temper , or the present circumstances we are in , do suggest to us . and provided those thoughts be innocent , and do not intrench upon the laws of piety , and purity , and charity ; be they otherwise very trifling and impertinent : i say , i would not look upon them as ill thoughts , nor have any one angry at himself upon account of them . the truth of it is , so long as we consist of bodies and souls , we cannot always be thinking of serious things . they indeed are the wisest that think of them most , but it is even dangerous to attempt to think of them always . for , as most mens constitutions are , that is the ready way to spoil the habit of our bodies , and by that means to render our minds perfectly unfit for thinking at all to any good purposes . thus have i laid before you the main things wherein , as i do believe , the right governing our thoughts doth consist . and i doubt not , they are so safe , and so effectual , that whosoever will sincerely practise them , as far as he can , will so keep his heart , that the issues from thence in his life and conversation will be happy and prosperous . i conclude all with the collect of this day . almighty god , who seest that we have no power of our selves to help our selves ; keep us both outwardly in our bodies , and inwardly in our souls ; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body , and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul , through jesus christ our lord. finis . a sermon preach'd before the king and queen at hampton-court, april the th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preach'd before the king and queen at hampton-court, april the th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . p. printed for b. aylmer ..., and w. rogers ..., london : . half-title: dr. tillotson's sermon preached before the king and queen at hampton-court. advertisement: p. . marginal notes. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- luke x, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dr. tillotson's sermon preached before the king and queen at hampton-court . a sermon preach'd before the king and queen at hampton-court , april the th . . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury . published by his majesty's special command . london , printed for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill ; and w. rogers , at the sun over against s. dunstan's church in fleet-street . mdclxxxix . a sermon preach'd before the king and queen at hampton-court , april the th . . luke x. . but one thing is needfull . in the accounts of wise men , one of the first rules and measures of human actions is this , to regard every thing more or less , according to the degree of its consequence and importance to our happiness . that which is most necessary to that end ought in all reason to be minded by us in the first place , and other things onely so far as they are consistent with that great end , and subservient to it . our b. saviour here tells us that there is one thing needfull , that is , one thing which ought first and principally to be regarded by us : and what that is , it is of great concernment to us all to know , that we may mind and pursue it as it deserves . and we may easily understand what it is by considering the context , and the occasion of these words , which was briefly this : our saviour , as he went about preaching the kingdom of god , came into a certain village , where he was entertain'd at the house of two devout sisters . the elder , who had the care and management of the family and the affairs of it , was imployed in making entertainment for such a guest : the other sate at our saviour's feet , attending to the doctrine of salvation which he preach'd . the elder finding her self not able to do all the business alone , desires of our saviour that he would command her sister to come and help her . upon this our saviour gives her this gentle reprehension , martha , martha , thou art carefull and troubled about many things , but one thing is needfull . and what that is he declares in the next words , and mary hath chosen that good part , which shall not be taken away from her ; that is , she hath chosen to take care of her salvation , which is infinitely more considerable than any thing else . our saviour doth not altogether blame martha for her respectfull care of him , but commends her sister for her greater care of her soul ; which made her either wholly to forget , or unwilling to mind other things at that time . so that , upon the whole matter , he highly approves her wise choice , in preferring an attentive regard to his doctrine , even before that which might be thought a necessary civility to his person . from the words thus explain'd the observation which i shall make is this . that the care of religion and of our souls is the one thing necessary , and that which every man is concern'd in the first place and above all other things to mind and regard . this observation seems to be plainly contain'd in the text. i shall handle it as briefly as i can ; and then by way of application shall endeavour to persuade you and my self to mind this one thing necessary . and in speaking to this serious and weighty argument i shall do these two things . first , i shall endeavour to shew wherein this care of religion and of our souls does consist . secondly , to convince men of the necessity of taking this care . i. i shall shew wherein this care of religion and of our souls doth consist . and this i shall endeavour to do with all the plainness i can , and so as every one that hears me may understand and be sufficiently directed what is necessary for him to do in order to his eternal salvation . and of this i shall give an account in the five following particulars , in which i think the main business of religion and the due care of our souls does consist . first , in the distinct knowledge , and in the firm belief and persuasion of those things which are necessary to be known and believed by us in order to our eternal salvation . secondly , in the frequent examination of our lives and actions , and in a sincere repentance for all the errours and miscarriages of them . thirdly , in the constant and daily exercise of piety and devotion . fourthly , in avoiding those things which are pernicious to our salvation , and whereby men do often hazard their souls . fifthly , in the even and constant practice of the several graces and vertues of a good life . i. the due care of religion and our souls does consist in the distinct knowledge , and in the firm belief and persuasion of those things which are necessary to be known and believ'd by us in order to our eternal salvation . for this knowledge of the necessary principles and duties of religion is the foundation of all good practice , wherein the life of religion doth consist . and without this no man can be truly religious . without faith , saith the apostle to the hebrews , it is impossible to please god : for he that cometh to god , must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. now these two expressions of pleasing god and seeking him , are plainly of the same importance , and do both of them signifie religion , or the worship and service of god ; which doth antecedently suppose our firm belief and persuasion of these two fundamental principles of all religion , that there is a god , and , that he will reward those that serve him : because unless a man do first believe these , there would neither be ground nor encouragement for any such thing as religion . and this knowledge of the necessary principles of religion our b. saviour calls eternal life , because it is so fundamentally necessary in order to our attaining of it : this is life eternal , says he , to know thee , the onely true god ; and him whom thou hast sent , jesus christ , that is , to be rightly instructed in the knowledge of the onely true god , and of his son jesus christ our lord : under which two general heads are comprehended all the necessary principles both of the natural and of the christian religion . and to the attaining of this knowledge which is absolutely necessary to salvation , no such extraordinary pains and study is requir'd ; but onely a teachable disposition , and a due application of mind . for whatever in religion is necessary to be known by all , must in all reason be plain and easie , and lye level to all capacities ; otherwise we must say , that god who would have all men to be saved hath not provided for the salvation of all men . and therefore , now that the knowledge of the true god and the light of christianity are shed abroad in the world , all that enjoy the gospel are , or may be , sufficiently instructed in all things necessary to their happiness : unless such care be used , as is in the church of rome , to take away the key of knowledge , and to lock up the scriptures from the people in an unknown tongue ; and this , as they pretend , upon a very charitable consideration , onely it is to be hop'd that it is not true , that the generality of mankind are mad and have need to be kept in the dark . but supposing men to be allowed those means of knowledge which god affords , and hath appointed for us , the great difficulty doth not commonly lye in mens understandings , but in their wills : onely when men know these things , they must attend to them and consider them ; that the light which is in their understandings may warm their hearts , and have its due influence upon their lives . ii. the due care of our souls consists in the frequent examination of our lives and actions , and in a sincere repentance for all the errours and miscarriages of them : in a more particular and deep humiliation and repentance for deliberate and wilfull sins , so far as we can call them to our remembrance ; and in a general repentance for sins of ignorance , and infirmity , and surprize . in the exercise whereof we are always to remember , that the nature of true repentance doth not consist onely in an humble confession of our sins to god , and a hearty trouble and contrition for them ; but chiefly in the stedfast purpose and resolution of a better life , and in prosecution of this resolution , in actual reformation and amendment . by the constant exercise hereof , we are put into a safe condition ; provided that we persevere in this holy resolution and course : but if we still retain the love and practice of any known sin , or if after we have taken up these good resolutions we return again to an evil course ; this is a clear evidence , either that our repentance was not sincere at first , or that we are relaps'd into our former state : and then our souls are still in apparent danger of being lost , and will continue in that dangerous state , till we have renew'd our repentance and made it good in the following course of our lives . iii. the due care of our souls consists in the constant and daily exercise of piety and devotion , both in private , and in publick if there be opportunity for it , especially at proper times and upon more solemn occasions : by servent prayer to god , and by hearing and reading the word of god with reverence and godly fear : by frequenting his publick worship , and demeaning our selves in it with that solemnity and seriousness which becomes the prefence and service of the great and glorious majesty of god , who observes our behaviour and sees into our hearts : and by receiving the b. sacrament , as often as we have opportunity , with due preparation and devotion of mind . for these are not onely outward testimonies of our inward piety , but they are means likewise appointed by god to improve and confirm us in holiness and goodness . and whoever neglects these duties of religion , or performs them in a slight and superficial manner , doth plainly shew that he hath neither a due sense of god , nor care of himself : for in vain does any man pretend that he does in good earnest design the end , when he neglects the best and most proper means for the attainment of it . iv. the due care of our souls consists also in avoiding those things which are pernicious to our salvation , and whereby men do often hazard their souls . such in general is the practice of any known sin. by this we do , as it were , run upon the swords point , and do endanger our salvation as much as a deep wound in our body would do our life : and though such a wound may perhaps be cur'd afterwards by repentance , yet no man that commits any wilfull sin knows the dismal consequence of it , and whither by degrees it may carry him at last : for upon such a provocation god may leave the sinner to himself , and withdraw his grace from him , and give him up to a hard and impenitent heart to proceed from evil to worse , and from one wickedness to another , till he be finally ruin'd . so dangerous a thing is it knowingly to offend god , and to commit any deliberate act of sin. more particularly , an inordinate love of the world is very pernicious to the souls of men ; because it quencheth the heavenly life , and fills our minds with earthly cares and designs ; it tempts men to forsake god and religion when their worldly interests come in competition with them ; and betrays them to fraud , and falsehood , and all kind of injustice , and many other hurtfull lusts which drown the soul in perdition . but besides these dangers which are more visible and apparent , there is another which is less discernable because it hath the face of piety ; and that is faction in religion : by which i mean an unpeaceable and uncharitable zeal about things wherein religion either doth not at all , or but very little consist . for besides that this temper is utterly inconsistent with several of the most eminent christian graces and vertues , as humility , love , peace , meekness , and forbearance towards those that differ from us ; it hath likewise two very great mischiefs commonly attending upon it , and both of them pernicious to religion and the souls of men . first , that it takes such men off from minding the more necessary and essential parts of religion . they are so zealous about small things , the tithing of mint and anise and cummin , that they neglect the weightier things of the law , faith and mercy , and judgment , and the love of god : they spend so much of their time and heat about things doubtfull , that they have no leisure to mind the things that are necessary : and are so concern'd about little speculative opinions in religion , which they always call fundamental articles of faith , that the practice of religion is almost wholly neglected by them : and they are so taken up in spying out and censuring errour and heresy in others , that they never think of curing those lusts and vices and passions which do so visibly reign in themselves . deluded people ! that do not consider that the greatest heresy in the world is a wicked life , because it is so directly and fundamentally opposite to the whole design of the christian faith and religion : and that do not consider , that god will sooner forgive a man a hundred defects of his understanding than one fault of his will. secondly , another great mischief which attends this temper is , that men are very apt to interpret this zeal of theirs against others to be great piety in themselves , and as much as is necessary to bring them to heaven ; and to think that they are very religious , because they keep a great stir about maintaining the out-works of religion , when it is ready to be starv'd within ; and that there needs no more to denominate them good christians , but to be of such a party and to be listed of such a church , which they always take for granted to be the onely true one ; and then zealously to hate and uncharitably to censure all the rest of mankind . how many are there in the world , that think they have made very sure of heaven , not by the old plain way of leaving their sins and reforming their lives , but by a more close and cunning way of carrying their vices along with them into another church , and calling themselves good catboliques , and all others heretiques ? and that having done this , they are in a safe condition ; as if a mere name would admit a man into heaven , or as if there were any church in the world , that had this phantastical privilege belonging to it , that a wicked man might be saved for no other reason but because he is of it . therefore , as thou valuest thy soul , take heed of engaging in any faction in religion ; because it is an hundred to one but thy zeal will be so employed about lesser things , that the main and substantial parts of religion will be neglected : besides , that a man deeply engag'd in heats and controversies of this nature , shall very hardly escape being possess'd with that spirit of uncharitableness and contention , of peevishness and fierceness , which reigns in all factions , but more especially in those of rellgion . v. the due care of our souls consists in the even and constant practice of the several graces and vertues of a good life ; or , as the apostle expresseth it , in exercising our selves always to have a conscience void of offence towards god and men . for herein is religion best seen , in the equal and uniform practice of every part of our duty : not onely in serving god devoutly , but in demeaning our selves peaceably and justly , kindly and charitably towards all men : not onely in restraining our selves from the outward act of sin , but in mortifying the inward inclination to it , in subduing our lusts , and governing our passions , and bridling our tongues . as he that would have a prudent care of his health and life , must not onely guard himself against the chief and common diseases which are incident to men , and take care to prevent them ; but must likewise be carefull to preserve himself from those which are esteemed less dangerous , but yet sometimes do prove mortal : he must not onely endeavour to secure his head and heart from being wounded , but must have a tender care of every part ; there being hardly any disease or wound so slight but that some have dyed of it : in like manner , the care of our souls consists in an universal regard to our duty , and that we be defective in no part of it : though we ought to have a more especial regard to those duties which are more considerable and wherein religion doth mainly consist ; as piety towards god , temperance and chastity in regard of our selves , charity towards the poor , truth and justice , goodness and kindness towards all men : but then no other grace and vertue , though of an inferiour rank , ought to be neglected by us . and thus i have endeavour'd , as plainly and briefly as i could , to declare to you in what instances the due care of religion and our souls doth chiefly consist . and i would not have any man think that all this is an easy business and requires but little time to do it in , and that a small degree of diligence and industry will serve for this purpose : to master and root out the inveterate habits of sin , to bring our passions under the command and government of our reason , and to attain to a good degree of every christian grace and vertue : that faith and hope and charity ; humility and meekness and patience , may all have their perfect work ; and that , as st. james says , we may be perfect and entire , wanting nothing ; nothing that belongs to the perfection of a good man , and of a good christian. and this , whenever we come to make the trial , we shall find to be a great and a long work . some indeed would make religion to be a very short and easy business , and to consist onely in believing what christ hath done for us , and relying confidently upon it : which is so far from being the true notion of christian faith , that , if i be not much mistaken , it is the very definition of presumption . for the bible plainly teacheth us , that unless our faith work by charity , and purify our hearts and reform our lives ; unless like abraham's faith it be perfected by works , it is but a dead faith , and will in no wise avail to our justification and salvation . and our b. saviour , the great authour and finisher of our faith , hath no where , that i know of , said one word to this purpose , that faith separated from obedience and a good life will save any man : but he hath said very much to the contrary , and that very plainly . for he promiseth blessedness to none , but those who live in the practice of those christian graces and vertues which are particularly mention'd by him in the beginning of his excellent sermon upon the mount ; of humility , and repentance , and meekness , and righteousness , and mercifulness , and purity , and peaceableness , and patience under persecution and sufferings for righteousness sake . and afterwards in the same sermon , not every one , saith he , that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven , but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . and again , whosoever heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them , i will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock . and afterwards , he tells us , that whosoever builds his hopes of eternal happiness upon any other foundation , than the faith of the gospel and the practice of its precepts , doth build his house upon the sand ; which when it comes to be tryed by the rain and the winds , will fall ; and the fall of it will be great . and elsewhere ; if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . and he does very severely check the vain confidence and presumption of those , who will needs rely upon him for salvation without keeping his commandments ; why call ye me , says he , lord , lord , and do not the things which i say ? does any man think that he can be saved without loving god and christ ? and this , saith st. john , is the love of god , that we keep his commandments : and again , he that saith i know him , and by the same reason , he that saith i love him , and keepeth not his commandments , he is a lyar , and the truth is not in him . if ye love me , saith our b. lord , keep my commandments : and again , he that hath my commandments and keepeth them , he it is that loveth me . does any man think , that any but the children of god shall be heirs of eternal life ? hear then what st. john saith , little children , let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous : and again , in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil , he that doth not righteousness is not of god. in a word , this is the perpetual tenour of the bible , from the beginning of it to the end . if thou dost well , saith god to cain , shalt thou not be accepted ? and again , say ye to the righteous , it shall be well with him , for they shall eat the fruit of their doings : wo unto the wicked , it shall be ill with him , for the reward of his hands shall be given him . and in the gospel , when the young man came to our saviour to be instructed by him what good thing he should do that he might inherit eternal life , our lord gives him this short and plain advice , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments . and in the very last chapter of the bible we find this solemn declaration , blessed are they that do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life , and enter in through the gates into the city , that is , into heaven , which the apostle to the hebrews calls the city which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is god. so vain and groundless is the imagination of those , who trust to be saved by an idle and ineffectual faith , without holiness and obedience of life . ii. i proceed now in the second place to convince us all , if it may be , of the necessity of minding religion and our souls . when we call any thing necessary , we mean that it is so in order to some end , which cannot be attained without it . we call those things the necessaries of life , without which men cannot subsist and live in a tolerable condition in this world : and that is necessary to our eternal happiness , without which it cannot be attain'd . now happiness being our chief end , whatever is necessary to that is more necessary than any thing else ; and in comparison of that , all other things not onely may , but ought to be neglected by us . now to convince men of the necessity of religion , i shall briefly shew , that it is a certain way to happiness : that it is certain that there is no other way but this : and that if we neglect religion , we shall certainly be extremely and for ever miserable . first , that religion is a certain way to happiness . and for this we have god's express declaration and promise , the best assurance that can be . he that cannot lye hath promised eternal life , to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality . all the happiness that we can desire , and of which the nature of man is capable , is promised to us upon the terms of religion , upon our denying ungodliness , and worldly lusts , and living soberly , and righteously , and godlily in this present world : a mighty reward for a little service ; an eternity of happiness , of joys unspeakable and full of glory , for the diligence and industry of a few days : a happiness large as our wishes , and lasting as our souls . secondly , 't is certain also that there is no other way to happiness but this . he , who alone can make us happy , hath promised it to us upon these and no other terms . he hath said , that if we live after the flesh , we shall die ; but if by the spirit we mortifie the deeds of the flesh , we shall live : that without holiness no man shall see the lord : and , that he that lives in the habitual practice of any vice , of covetousness , or adultery , or malice , or revenge , shall not enter into the kingdom of god : and we have reason to believe him concerning the terms of this happiness , and the means of attaining it , by whose favour and bounty alone we hope to be made partakers of it . and if god had not said it in his word , yet the nature and reason of the thing doth plainly declare it . for religion is not only a condition of our happiness , but a necessary qualification and disposition for it . we must be like to god in the temper of our minds , before we can find any felicity in the enjoyment of him . men must be purged from their lusts , and from those ill-natur'd and devilish passions of malice , and envy , and revenge , before they can be fit company for their heavenly father , and meet to dwell with him who is love , and dwells in love . thirdly , if we neglect religion , we shall certainly be extreamly and for ever miserable . the word of truth hath said it , that indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul of man that doth evil . nay , if god should hold his hand , and should inflict no positive torment upon sinners , yet they could not spare themselves , but would be their own executioners and tormentors . the guilt of that wicked life which they had led in this world , and the stings of their own consciences must necessarily make them miserable , when-ever their own thoughts are let loose upon them ; as they will certainly be in the other world , when they shall have nothing either of pleasure or business to divert them . so that if we be concern'd , either to be happy hereafter , or to avoid those miseries which are great and dreadful beyond all imagination , it will be necessary for us to mind religion ; without which we can neither attain that happiness , nor escape those miseries . all that now remains , is to perswade you and my self seriously to mind this one thing necessary . and to this end , i shall apply my discourse to two sorts of persons ; those who are remiss in a matter of so great concernment , and those who are grosly careless , and mind it not at all . first , to those who are remiss in a matter of such vast concernment : who mind the business of religion in some degree , but not so heartily and vigorously as a matter of such infinite consequence doth require and deserve . and here i fear the very best are greatly defective ; and so much the more to be blamed , by how much they are more convinc'd than others , of the necessity of a religious and holy life , and that without this no man shall ever be admitted into the mansions of the blessed : they believe likewise , that according to the degrees of every mans holiness and vertue in this life , will be the degrees of his happiness in the other ; that he that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly , and he that sows plentifully shall reap plentifully ; and that the measure of every man's reward shall be according to his improvement of the talents that were committed to him . but how little do men live under the power of these convictions ? and notwithstanding we are allur'd by the most glorious promises and hopes , and aw'd by the greatest fears , and urg'd by the most forcible argument in the world , the evident necessity of the thing ; yet how faintly do we run the race that is set before us ? how frequently and how easily are we stop'd or diverted in our christian course by very little temptations ? how cold , and how careless , and how inconstant are we in the exercises of piety , and how defective in every part of our duty ? did we act reasonably , and as men use to do in matters of much less moment , we could not be so indifferent about a thing so necessary , so slight and careless in a matter of life and death , and upon which all eternity does depend . let us then shake off this sloth and security , and resolve to make that the great business of time , which is our great concernment to all eternity : and when we are immers'd in the cares and business of this life , and troubled about many things , let this thought often come into our minds , that there is one thing needful , and which therefore deserves above all other things to be regarded by us . secondly , there are another sort of persons , who are groslly careless of this one thing necessary , and do not seem to mind it at all : who go on securely in an evil course , as if either they had no souls , or no concernment for them . i may say to these as the master of the ship did to jonah , when he was fast asleep in the storm , what meanest thou , o sleeper ? arise and call upon thy god. when our souls are every moment in danger of sinking , it is high time for us to awake out of sleep , to ply every oar , and to use all possible care and industry to save a thing so precious from a danger so threatning and so terrible . we are apt enough to be sensible of the force of this argument of necessity in other cases , and very carefully to provide against the pressing necessities of this life , and how to avoid those great temporal evils of poverty and disgrace , of pain and suffering : but the great necessity of all , and that which is mainly incumbent upon us , is to provide for eternity , to secure the everlasting happiness , and to prevent the endless and insupportable miseries of another world. this , this , is the one thing necessary ; and to this we ought to bend and apply all our care and endeavours . if we would fairly compare the necessity of things , and wisely weigh the concernments of this life and the other in a just and equal ballance , we should be ashamed to misplace our diligence and industry as we do ; to bestow our best thoughts and time about these vain and perishing things , and to take no care about that better part which cannot be taken from us . fond and vain men that we are ! who are so solicitous how we shall pass a few days in this world , but matter not what shall become of us for ever . but as careless as we are now about these things , time will come when we shall sadly lay them to heart , and when they will touch us to the quick : when we come to lie upon a death-bed , if god shall be pleas'd to grant us then so much time and use of our reason as to be able to recollect our selves , we shall then be convinc'd how great a necessity there was of minding our souls , and of the prodigious folly of neglecting them , and of our not being sensible of the value of them , till we are ready to dispair of saving them . but , blessed be god , this is not yet our case , though we know not how soon it may be . let us then be wise , and consider these things in time , least death and despair should overtake and oppress us at once . you that are young , be pleas'd to consider that this is the best opportunity of your lives , for the minding and doing of this work . you are now most capable of the best impressions , before the habits of vice have taken deep root , and your hearts be harden'd through the deceitfulness of sin : this is the acceptable time , this is the day of salvation . and there is likewise a very weighty consideration to be urg'd upon those that are old , if there be any that are willing to own themselves so ; that this is the last opportunity of their lives , and therefore they should lay hold of it , and improve it with all their might : for it will soon be past , and when it is , nothing call it back . it is but a very little while before we shall all certainly be of this mind , that the best thing we could have done in this world , was to prepare for the other . could i represent to you that invisible world which i am speaking of , you would all readily assent to this counsel , and would be glad to follow it and put it speedily in practice . do but then open your eyes , and look a little before you to the things which are not far off from any of us , and to many of us may perhaps be much nearer than we are aware : let us but judge of things now , as we shall all shortly judge of them : and let us live now , as after a few days we shall every one of us wish with all our souls that we had liv'd ; and be as serious , as if we were ready to step into the other world , and to enter upon that change which death will quickly make in every one of us . strange stupidity of men ! that a change so near , so great , so certain , should affect us so coldly , and be so little consider'd and provided for by us : that the things of time should move us so much , and the things of eternity so little . what will we do when this change comes ; if we have made no preparation for it ? if we be christians , and do verily believe the things which i am speaking of , and that after a few days more are pass'd death will come , and draw aside that thick veil of sense and security which now hides these things from us ; and shew us that fearful and amazing sight which we are now so loth to think upon : i say , if we believe this , it is time for us to be wise and serious . and happy that man , who in the days of his health hath retir'd himself from the noise and tumult of this world , and made that careful preparation for death and a better life , as may give him that constancy and firmness of spirit , as to be able to bear the thoughts and approaches of his great change without amazement ; and to have a mind almost equally poiz'd between that strong inclination of nature which makes us desirous to live , and that wiser dictate of reason and religion which should make us willing and contented to die whenever god thinks fit . many of us do not now so clearly discern these things , because our eyes are dazzel'd with the false light and splendour of earthly felicity : but this assuredly is more worth than all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them , to be able to possess our souls at such a time , and to be at perfect peace with our own minds , having our hearts fixed trusting in god : to have our accounts made up , and estate of our immortal souls as well setled and secur'd , as by the assistance of god's grace humane care and endeavour , though mix'd with much humane frailty , is able to do . and if we be convinc'd of these things , we are utterly inexcusable if we do not make this our first and great care , and prefer it to all other interests whatsoever . and to this end , we should resolutely disentangle our selves from worldly cares and incumbrances ; at least so far , that we may have competent liberty and leisure to attend this great concernment , and to put our souls into a fit posture and preparation for another world : that when sickness and death shall come , we may not act our last part indecently and confusedly , and have a great deal of work to do when we shall want both time and all other advantages to do it in : whereby our souls , when they will stand most in need of comfort and support , will unavoidably be left in a trembling and disconsolate condition , and in an anxious doubtfulness of mind what will become of them for ever . to conclude , this care of religion and our souls is a thing so necessary , that in comparison of it we are to neglect the very necessaries of life . so our lord teacheth us , take no thought saying , what shall we eat ? or what shall we drink ? or wherewithal shall we be cloathed ? but seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness . the calls of god and religion are so very pressing and importunate , that they admit of no delay or excuse whatsoever : this our saviour signifies to us by denying the disciple , whom he had call'd to follow him , leave to go and bury his father , let the dead , says he , bury their dead , but do thou follow me . there is one thing needful , and that is the business of religion and the care of our immortal souls , which whatever else we neglect should be carefully minded and regarded by every one of us . o that there were such a heart in us . o that we were wise , that we understood this , that we would consider our latter end : which god grant we may all do , in this our day ; for his mercies sake in jesus christ , to whom with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , now and ever . amen . finis . books publish'd by the reverend dr. tillotson . thirty sermons and discourses upon several occasions . in three volumes . in octavo . the rule of faith : or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. sarjant : by dr. tillotson . to which is adjoyned , a reply to mr. j. s. his third appendix , &c. by edward stillingfleet , d. d. dean of st. paul's . in octavo . a discourse against transubstantiation . in octavo . price d. alone . a perswasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper . in octavo . price d. alone . a thanksgiving sermon : preach'd at lincolns-inn-chappel , on the thirty-first of january , . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall , on matth. . . a sermon preach'd before the king and queen , at hampton-court . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e heb. . . joh. . . matth. . , , &c. matth. . . v. . v. , . joh. . . luk. . . joh. . . joh. . . joh. . . v. . joh. . . v. . gen. . . isai. . , . matth. . . matth. . , . a letter written to my lord russel in newgate, the twentieth of july, . tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). b wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. b ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a letter written to my lord russel in newgate, the twentieth of july, . tillotson, john, - . sheet ([ ] p.) re-printed by david lindsay, edinburgh : anno . caption title. initial letter. signed: j. tillotson. reproduction of the original in the national library of scotland. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng russell, william, -- lord, - . trials (treason) -- england -- early works to . broadsides -- scotland -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a letter written to my lord russel in newgate , the twentieth of july , . my lord , i was heartily glad to see your lordship this morning in that calm and devout temper at the receiving of the blessed sacrament ; but peace of minde unless it be well-grounded will avail little : and because transient discourse many times hath little effect for want of time to weigh and consider it , therefore in tender compassion of your lordships case , and from all the good will that one man can bear to another , i do humbly offer to your lordships deliberate thoughts these following considerations concerning the points of resistance . if our religion and rights should be invaded , as your lordship puts the case , concerning which i understand by dr. b. that your lordiship had once received satisfaction , and am sorry to find a change . first , that the christian religion doth plainly forbid the resistance of authority . secondly , that though our religion be established by law , ( which your lordship urges as a difference between our case , and that of the primitive christians ) yet in the same law which establishes our religion it is declared , that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up arms , & c. besides that , there is a particular law declaring the power of the militia to be solely in the king. and that ties the hands of subjects , though the law of nature and the general rules of scripture had left us at liberty ; which i believe they do not , because the government and peace of humane society could not well subsist upon these terms . thirdly , your lordships opinion is contrary to the declared doctrine of all protestant churches ; and though some particular persons have taught otherwise , yet they have been contradicted herein and condemned for it by the generality of protestants . and i beg your lordship to consider how it will agree with an avowed asserting of the protestant religion , to go contrary to the general doctrine of protestants . my end in this is to convince your lordship that you are in a very great and dangerous mistake , and being so convinced , that which before was a sin of ignorance , will appear of much more heynous nature , as in truth it is , and call for a very particular and deep repentance ; which if your lordship sincerely exercise upon the sight of your error , by a penitent acknowledgment of it to god and men , you will not only obtain forgiveness of god , but prevent a mighty scandal to the reformed religion . i am very loath to give your lordship any disquiet in the distress you are in , which i commiserate from my heart , but am much more concerned , that you do not leave the world in a delusion and false peace , to the hinderance ot your eternal happiness . i heartily pray for you , and beseech your lordship to believe that i am with the greatest sincerity and compassion in the world , my lord , your lordships most faithful and afflicted servant , j. tillotson . edinburgh , re-printed by david lindsay , anno . the remaining discourses, on the attributes of god viz. his goodness. his mercy. his patience. his long-suffering. his power. his spirituality. his immensity. his eternity. his incomprehensibleness. god the first cause, and last end. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the seventh volume; published from the originals, by ralph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the remaining discourses, on the attributes of god viz. his goodness. his mercy. his patience. his long-suffering. his power. his spirituality. his immensity. his eternity. his incomprehensibleness. god the first cause, and last end. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the seventh volume; published from the originals, by ralph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace. tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - , publisher. [ ], , [ ] p. : port. printed for ri. chiswell, at the rose and crown in st. paul's churchyard, london : . with portrait of tillotson on a v. copy stained. with a final advertisement leaf. reproduction of the original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. god -- attributes -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the most reverend d r. iohn tillotson late arch-bishop of canterbury . portrait of john tillotson the remaining discourses , on the attributes of god. viz. his goodness . his mercy . his patience . his long-suffering . his power . his spirituality . his immensity . his eternity . his incomprehensibleness . god the first cause , and last end. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . being the seventh volume ; published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . london , printed for ri. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's churchyard , . the contents . sermon i , ii , iii , iv. the goodness of god. psal. cxlv . . the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . page , , , . sermon v. the mercy of god. numb. xiv . . the lord is long-suffering and of great mercy . p. . sermon vi , vii . the patience of god. pet. iii. . the lord is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness ; but is long suffering , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . p. , . sermon viii , ix . the long-suffering of god. eccles . viii . . because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil . p. , . sermon x. the power of god. psal. lxii . . god hath spoken once ; twice have i heard this , that power belongeth unto god. p. . sermon xi . the spirituality of the divine nature . john iv. . god is a spirit , and they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth . p. . sermon xii . the immensity of the divine nature . psal. cxxxix . , , , . whither shall i go from thy spirit ? or whither shall i flee from thy presence ? if i ascend up into heaven thou art there ; if i make my bed in hell , behold , thou art there . if i take the wings of the morning , and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea , even there shall thy hand lead me , and thy right hand shall hold me . p. sermon xiii . the eternity of god. psalm xc . . before the mountains were brought forth , or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world , even from everlasting , to everlasting thou art god. p. sermon xiv . the incomprehensibleness of god. job xi . . canst thou by searching find out god ? canst thou find out the almighty unto perfection ? p. sermon xv. god the first cause , and last end. rom . xi . . for of him , and through him , and to him are all things , to whom be glory for ever . amen . p. sermon i. the goodness of god. psal. cxlv . . the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . the subject which i have now proposed to treat of , is certainly one of the greatest and noblest arguments in the world , the goodness of god , the highest and most glorious perfection , of the best and most excellent of beings , than which nothing deserves more to be considered by us , nor ought in reason to affect us more . the goodness of god is the cause , and the continuance of our beings , the foundation of our hopes , and the fountain of our happiness ; our greatest comfort , and our fairest example , the chief object of our love and praise and admiration , the joy and rejoycing of our hearts ; and therefore the meditation and discourse of it must needs be pleasant and delightful to us ; the great difficulty will be , to confine our selves upon so copious an argument , and to set bounds to that which is of so vast an extent , the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . which words are an argument , which the divine plalmist useth , to stir up himself and others to the praise of god : at the . v. he tells us , that the lord is great , and greatly to be praised ; and he gives the reason of this , v. . and . from those properties and perfections of the divine nature , which declare his goodness , the lord is gracious , and full of compassion , slow to anger , and of great mercy ; the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works ; where you have the goodness of god declared , together with the amplitude and extent of it , in respect of the objects of it ; the lord is good to all . in the handling of this argument , i shall do these four things . first , consider what is the proper notion of goodness , as it is attributed to god. secondly , shew that this perfection belongs to god. thirdly , consider the effects and the extent of it . fourthly , answer some objections , which may seem to contradict and bring in question the goodness of god. first , what is the proper notion of goodness , as it is attributed to god. there is a dry metaphysical notion of goodness , which only signifies the being and essential properties of a thing ; but this is a good word ill bestowed ; for in this sense , every thing that hath being , even the devil himself , is good . and there is a moral notion of goodness ; and that is twofold . . more general , in opposition to all moral evil and imperfection , which we call sin and vice ; and so the justice , and truth , and holiness of god , are in this sense his goodness . but there is , . another notion of moral goodness , which is more particular and restrained ; and then it denotes a particular virtue in opposition to a particular vice ; and this is the proper and usual acceptation of the word goodness ; and the best description i can give of it is this ; that it is a certain propension and disposition of mind , whereby a person is enclined to desire and procure the happiness of others ; and it is best understood by its contrary , which is an envious disposition , a contracted and narrow spirit , which would confine happiness to it self , and grudgeth that others should partake of it , or share in it ; or a malicious and mischievous temper , which delights in the harms of others , and to procure trouble and mischief to them . to communicate and lay out our selves for the good of others , is goodness ; and and so the apostle explains doing good , by communicating to others , who are in misery , or want , heb. . . but to do good and to communicate forget not . the jews made a distinction between a righteous and a good man ; to which the apostle alludes , rom. . . scarcely for a righteous man , will one die ; yet peradventure for a good man , one would even dare to die . the righteous man was he , that did no wrong to others ; and the good man he , who was not only not injurious to others , but kind and beneficial to them . so that goodness is a readiness and disposition to communicate the good and happiness which we enjoy , and to be willing others should partake of it . this is the notion of goodness among men ; and 't is the same in god , only with this difference , that god is originally and transcendently good ; but the creatures are , the best of them , but imperfectly good , and by derivation from god , who is the fountain and original of goodness ; which is the meaning of our saviour , luke . . when he says , there is none good save one , that is god. but tho' the degrees of goodness in god , and the creatures , be infinitely unequal , and that goodness which is in us , be so small and inconsiderable , that compared with the goodness of god , it does not deserve that name ; yet the essential notion of goodness in both , must be the same ; else when the scripture speaks of the goodness of god , we could not know the meaning of it , and if we do not at all understand what it is for god to be good , it is all one to us ( for ought we know ) whether he be good or not ; for he may be so , and we never the better for it , if we do not know what goodness in god is , and consequently when he is so , and when not . besides that the goodness of god is very frequently in scripture propounded to our imitation ; but it is impossible for us to imitate that , which we do not understand what it is ; from whence it is certain , that the goodness which we are to endeavour after , is the same that is in god , because in this we are commanded to imitate the perfection of god , that is , to be good and merciful as he is , according to the rate and condition of creatures , and so far as we , whose natures are imperfect , are capable of resembling the divine goodness . thus much for the notion of goodness in god , it is a propension and disposition in the divine nature , to communicate being and happiness to his creatures . secondly , i shall endeavour to shew , in the next place , that this perfection of goodness belongs to god ; and that from these three heads . i. from the acknowledgments of natural light. ii. from the testimony of scripture , and divine revelation . and , iii. from the perfection of the divine nature . i. from the acknowledgments of natural light. the generality of the heathen agree in it , and there is hardly any perfection of god more universally acknowledged by them . i always except the sect of the epicureans , who attribute nothing but eternity and happiness to the divine nature ; and yet if they would have considered it , happiness without goodness is impossible . i do not find that they do expresly deny this perfection to god , or that they ascribe to him the contrary ; but they clearly take away all the evidence and arguments of the divine goodness ; for they supposed god to be an immortal and happy being , that enjoyed himself , and had no regard to any thing without himself , that neither gave being to other things , nor concerned himself in the happiness or misery of any of them ; so that their notion of a deity , was in truth the proper notion of an idle being , that is called god , and neither does good nor evil . but setting aside this atheistical sect , the rest of the heathen did unanimously affirm and believe the goodness of god ; and this was the great foundation of their religion ; and all their prayers to god , and praises of him , did necessarily suppose a perswasion of the divine goodness . whosoever prays to god , must have a perswasion , or good hopes of his readiness to do him good ; and to praise god , is to acknowledge that he hath received good from him . seneca hath an excellent passage to this purpose , he ( says he ) that denies the goodness of god , does not surely consider the infinite number of prayers , that with hands lifted up to heaven are put up to god , both in private and publick ; which certainly would not be , nor is it credible , that all mankind should conspire in this madness of putting up their supplications to deaf and impotent deities , if they did not believe , that the gods were so good , as to confer benefits upon those who prayed to them . but we need not to infer their belief of god's goodness , from the acts of their devotion , nothing being more common among them , than expresly to attribute this perfection of goodness to him , and among the divine titles , this always had the preeminence , both among the greeks and romans ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , deus optimus maximus , was their constant stile ; and in our language , the name of god seems to have been given him from his goodness . i might produce innumerable passages out of the heathen authers to this purpose ; but i shall only mention that remarkable one out of seneca , primus deorum cultus est deos credere ; deinde reddere illis majestatem suam , reddere bonitatem , sine quâ nulla majestas , the first act of worship is to believe the being of god ; and the next , to ascribe majesty or greatness to him ; and to ascribe goodness , without which there can be no greatness . ii. from the testimony of scripture and divine revelation . i shall mention but a few of those many texts of scripture , which declare to us the goodness of god , exod. . . where god makes his name known to moses , the lord , the lord god gracious and merciful , long suffering , abundant in goodness and truth . psal . . . thou lord art good , and ready to forgive . psal . . . thou art good , and dost good . and that which is so often repeated in the book of psalms , o give thanks unto the lord , for he is good , and his mercy endureth for ever . our blessed saviour attributes this perfection to god , in so peculiar and transcendent a manner , as if it were incommunicable , luke . . there is none good save one , that is god. the meaning is , that no creature is capable of it , in that excellent and transcendent degree , in which the divine nature is possest of it . to the same purpose are those innumerable testimonies of scripture , which declare god to be gracious , and merciful , and long suffering ; for these are but several branches of his goodness ; his grace is the freeness of his goodness , to those who have not deserved it ; his mercy is his goodness to those who are in misery ; his patience is his goodness to those who are guilty , in deferring the punishment due to them . iii. the goodness of god may likewise be argued from the perfection of the divine nature , these two ways . . goodness is the chief of all perfections , and therefore it belongs to god. . there are some footsteps of it in the creatures , and therefore it is much more eminently in god. . goodness is the highest perfection , and therefore it must needs belong to god , who is the most perfect of beings . knowledge and power are great perfections , but separated from goodness , they would be great imperfections , nothing but craft and violence . an angel may have knowledge and power in a great degree , but yet for all that be a devil . goodness is so great and necessary a perfection , that without it there can be no other , it gives perfection to all other excellencies ; take away this , and the greatest excellencies in any other kind , would be but the greatest imperfections . and therefore our saviour speaks of the goodness and mercy of god , as the sum of his perfections ; what one evangelist hath , be ye merciful , as your father which is in heaven is merciful , is rendred in another , be ye therefore perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect . goodness is so essential to a perfect being , that if we once strip god of this property , we rob him of the glory of all his other perfections ; and therefore when moses desired to see god's glory , he said , he would make all his goodness to pass before him . exod. . . this is the most amiable perfection , and as it were the beauty of the divine nature , zach. . . how great is thy goodness , how great is thy beauty ? sine bonitate nulla majestas , without goodness there can be no majesty . other excellencies may cause fear and amazement in us : but nothing but goodness , can command sincere love and veneration . . there are some footsteps of this perfection in the creatures , and therefore it must be much more eminently in god. there is in every creature some representation of some divine perfection or other , but god doth not own any creature to be after his image , that is destitute of goodness . the creatures , that want reason and understanding , are incapable of this moral goodness we are speaking of ; man is the first in the rank of creatures , that is endowed with it , and he is said to be made after the image of god , and to have dominion given him over the creatures below him , to signifie to us , that if man had not been made after god's image , in respect of goodness , he had been unfit to rule over other creatures ; because without goodness , dominion would be tyranny and oppression . and the more any creature partakers of this perfection of goodness , the more it resembles god ; as the blessed angels , who behold the face of god continually , and are thereby transformed into his image from glory to glory , their whole business and imployment is , to do good ; and the devil , tho' he resemble god in other perfections of knowledge and power , yet because he is evil , and envious , and mischievous , and so contrary to god in this perfection , he is the most opposite and and hateful to him of all creatures whatsoever . and if this perfection be in some degree in the creature , it is much more in god ; if it be derived from him , he is much more eminently possest of it himself . all that goodness which is in the best natured of the sons of men , or in the most glorious angels of heaven , is but an imperfect and weak representation of the divine goodness . the third thing i proposed to consider , was the effects of the divine goodness , together with the large extent of it , in respect of the objects of it , the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works ; thou art good and dost good , says david , psal . . . the great evidence and demonstration of god's goodness , is from the effects of it . to the same purpose st. paul speaks , acts . . he hath not left himself without witness , in that he doth good , and sends us rain from heaven , and fruitful seasons . i shall consider the effects of the divine goodness , under these two heads . i. the universal extent of god's goodness to all his creatures . ii. i shall consider more particularly the goodness of god to men , which we are more especially concern'd to take notice of . i. the universal extent of his goodness to the whole creation , the lord is good to all . the whole creation furnisheth us with clear evidences and demonstrations of the divine goodness ; which way soever we cast our eyes , we are encountered with undeniable instances of the goodness of god ; and every thing that we behold , is a sensible demonstration of it ; the heavens declare the glory of god , and the firmament sheweth his handy work , says the psalmist , psal . . . and again , psal . . . the earth is full of the goodness of the lord. the whole frame of this world , and every creature in it , and all the several degrees of being and perfection , which are in the creatures , and the providence of god towards them all , in the preservation of them , and providing for the happiness of all of them , in such degrees as they are capable of it , are a plentiful demonstration of the divine goodness , which i shall endeavour to illustrate in these four particulars . . the universal goodness of god appears in giving being to so many creatures . . in making them all so very good , considering the variety , and order , and end of them . . in his continual preservation of them . . in providing so abundantly for the welfare and happiness of all of them , so far as they are capable and sensible of it . . the extent of god's goodness appears in giving being to so many creatures . and this is a pure effect of goodness , to impart and communicate being to any thing . had not god been good , but of an envious , and narrow , and contracted nature , he would have confined all being to himself , and been unwilling , that any thing besides himself should have been : but his goodness prompted him to spread and diffuse himself , and set his power and wisdom on work , to give being to all that variety of creatures , which we see and know to be in the world , and probably to infinite more than we have the knowledge of . now it is not imaginable , that god could have any other motive to do this , but purely the goodness of his nature . all the motives imaginable besides this , must either be indigency and want , or constraint and necessity ; but neither of these can have any place in god , and therefore it was meer goodness , that moved him to give being to other things ; and therefore all creatures have reason , with the four and twenty elders in the revelations , to cast their crowns before the throne of god , saying , thou art worthy , o lord , to receive glory , and honour , and power , for thou hast created all things , and for thy pleasure ( that is of thy meer goodness ) they are and were created . ( . ) indigency and want can have no place in god ; because he that hath all possible perfection , hath all plenty in himself ; from whence results all-sufficiency and compleat happiness . so that the divine nature need not look out of it self for happiness , being incapable of any addition to the happiness and perfection it is already possest of , ipsa suis pollens opibus nihil indiga nostri . we make things for our use , houses to shelter us , and cloaths to keep us warm ; and we propagate our kind , to perpetuate our selves in our posterity : but all this supposeth imperfection , and want , and mortality , to none of which the divine nature is liable and obnoxious . nay it was not want of glory , which made god to make the world. 't is true indeed , the glory of god's goodness doth herein appear , and creatures endowed with understanding have reason to take notice of it , with thankfulness , praise , and admiration : but there is no happiness redounds to god from it , nor does he feed himself with any imaginary content and satisfaction , such as vain-glorious persons have , from the fluttering applause of their creatures and beneficiaries . god is really above all blessing and praise . it is great condescention and goodness in him , to accept of our acknowledgments of his benefits , of our imperfect praises , and ignorant admiration of him ; and were he not as wonderfully good , as he is great and glorious , he would not suffer us to sully his great and glorious name , by taking it into our mouths ; and were it not for our advantage and happiness , to own and acknowledge his benefits , for any real happiness and glory that comes to him by it , he could well enough be without it , and dispense with us for ever entertaining one thought of him ; and were it not for his goodness , might despise the praises of his creatures , with infinitely more reason than wise men do the applause of fools . there is indeed one text of scripture , which seems to intimate that god made all creatures for himself , as if he had some need of them , prov. . . the lord hath made all things for himself ; yea even the wicked for the day of evil . now if by god's making all things for himself , be meant , that he aimed at and intended the manifestation of his wisdom , and power , and goodness in the creation of the world , 't is most true , that in this sense , he made all things for himself : but if we understand it so , as if the goodness of his nature did not move him thereto , but he had some design to serve ends and necessities of his own upon his creatures , this is far from him . but it is very probable , that neither of these are the meaning of this text , which may be rendered with much better sense , and nearer to the hebrew , thus , god hath ordained every thing , to that which is fit for it , and he wicked hath he ordained for the day of evil ; that is , the wisdom of god hath fitted one thing to another , punishment to sin , the evil day to the evil doers . ( . ) nor can necessity and constraint have any place in god. when there was no creature yet made , nothing in being but god himself , there could be nothing to compel him to make any thing , and to extort from him the effects of his bounty : neither are the creatures necessary effects and emanations from the being of god , flowing from the divine essence , as water doth from a spring and as light streams from the sun ▪ if so , this indeed would have been an argument of the fullness of the divine nature , but not of the bounty and goodness of it ; and it would have been matter of joy to us tha● we are , but not a true ground o● thankfulness from us to god ; a● we rejoyce and are glad that th● sunshines , but we do not give it any thanks for shining , because it shine● without any intention or design t● do us good ; it doth not know tha● we are the better for its light , nor di● intend we should be , and therefore we have no reason to acknowledge its goodness to us . but god , who is a spirit endowed with knowledge and understanding , does not act as natural and material causes do , which act necessarily and ignorantly , whereas he acts knowingly and voluntarily , with particular intention and design , knowing that he does good , and intending to do so freely and out of choice , and when he hath no other constraint upon him but this , that his goodness enclines his will to communicate himself , and to do good : so that the divine nature is under no necessity , but such as is consistent with the most perfect liberty and freest choice . not but that goodness is essential to god , and a necessary perfection of his nature , and he cannot possibly be otherwise than good : but when he communicates his goodness , he knows what he does , and wills and chuseth to do so . and this kind of necessity is so far from being any impeachment of the divine goodness , that it is the great perfection and praise of it . the stoick philosophers mistaking this , do blasphemously advance their wise and virtuous man above god himself ; for they reason thus , a wiseman is good out of choice , when he may be otherwise ; but god out of necessity of nature , and when he cannot possibly be otherwise than good . but if they had considered things aright , they might have known , that this is an imperfection in their wise man , that he can be otherwise than good ; for a power to be evil is impotency and weakness . the highest character that ever was given of a man , is that which velleius paterculus gives of cato , that he was vir bonus , quia aliter esse non potuit , a good man , because he could not be otherwise ; this applyed to a mortal man , is a very extravagant and undue commendation ; but yet it signifies thus much , that it is the highest perfection , not to be able to be otherwise than good : and this is the perfection of the divine nature , that goodness is essential to it , but the expressions and communications of his goodness are spontaneous and free , designed and directed by infinite knowledge and wisdom . this is the first : the second particular is , that god hath made all creatures very good , considering the variety , and order , and end of them . but this i shall reserve to another opportunity . sermon ii. the goodness of god. psal. cxlv . . the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . in the handling of this argument , i proposed to do these four things . first , to consider what is the proper notion of goodness , as it is attributed to god. secondly , to shew that this perfection belongs to god. thirdly , to consider the effects of the divine goodness , together with the large extent of it , in respect of its objects . and , fourthly , to answer some objections which may seem to contradict , and bring in question the goodness of god. i have considered the two first ; and in speaking to the third , i proposed the considering these two things . i. the universal extent of god's goodness , to all his creatures . ii. more especially the goodness of god to man , which we are more especially concerned to take notice of , and be affected with . the first of these appears in these four particulars . . in his giving being to so many creatures . . in making them all so very good , considering the number and variety , the rank and order , the end and design of all of them . . in his continual preservation of them . . in his providing so abundantly for the welfare and happiness of all of them , so far as they are capable and sensible of it . the first of these i spoke largely to ; i proceed to shew in the , . place , that the universal goodness of god appears , in making all these creatures so very good , considering the number and variety , the rank and order , the end and design of all of them . his goodness excited and set a work his power to make this world , and all the creatures in it ; and that they might be made in the best manner that could be , his wisdom directed his power , he hath made all things in number , weight , and measure ; so that they are admirably fitted and proportioned to one another : and that there is an excellent contrivance in all sorts of beings , and a wonderful beauty and harmony in the whole frame of things , is i think sufficiently visible to every discerning and unprejudiced mind . the lowest form of creatures , i mean those which are destitute of sense , do all of them contribute some way or other , to the use , and conveniency , and comfort of the creatures above them , which being endowed with sense are capable of enjoying the benefit and delight of them , which being so palpable in the greatest part of them , may resonably be presumed , tho'it be not so discernable concerning all the rest ; so that when we survey the whole creation of god , and the several parts , we may well cry out with david , psal . . . o lord how manifold are thy works , in wisdom hath thou made them all ! 't is true indeed , there are degrees of perfection in the creatures , and god is not equally good to all of them . those creatures which are of more noble and excellent natures , and to which he hath communicated more degrees of perfection , they partake more of his goodness , and are more glorious instances of it : but every creature partakes of the divine goodness in a certain degree , and according to the nature and capacity of it . god , if he pleased , could have made nothing but immortal spirits ; and he could have made as many of these as there are individual creatures of all sorts in the world : but it seemed good to the wise architect , to make several ranks and orders of beings , and to display his power , and goodness , and wisdom , in all imaginable variety of creatures ; all which should be good in their kind , tho' far short of the perfection of angels and immortal spirits . he that will build a house for all the uses and purposes of which a house is capable , cannot make it all foundation , and great beams and pillars ; must not so contrive it , as to make it all rooms of state and entertainment : but there must of necessity be in it meaner materials , rooms and offices for several uses and purposes , which however inferiour to the rest in dignity and degree , do yet contribute to the beauty and advantage of the whole . so in this great frame of the world , it was fit there should be variety and different degrees of perfection in the several parts of it ; and this is so far from being an impeachment of the wisdom or goodness of him that made it , that it is an evidence of both . for the meanest of all gods creatures is good , considering the nature and rank of it , and the end to which it was designed ; and we cannot imagine how it could have been ordered and framed better , tho' we can easily tell how it might have been worse , and that if this or that had been wanting , or had been otherwise , it had not been so good ; and those who have been most conversant in the contemplation of nature , and of the works of god , have been most ready to make this acknowledgment . but then if we consider the creatures of god , with relation to one another , and with regard to the whole frame of things , they will all appear to be very good ; and notwithstanding this or that kind of creatures , be much less perfect than another , and there be a very great distance between the perfection of a worm , and of an angel ; yet considering every thing in the rank and order which it hath in the creation , it is as good as could be , considering its nature and use , and the place allotted to it among the creatures . and this difference in the works of god , between the goodness of the several parts of the creation , and the excellent and perfect goodness of the whole , the scripture is very careful to express to us in the history of the creation , where you find god represented , as first looking upon , and considering every days work by it self , and approving it , and pronouncing it to be good , gen. . , , , , , . at the end of every days work , it is said that god saw it , and it was good : but then when all was finisht , and he surveyed the whole together , it is said , v. . that god saw every thing that he had made , and behold it was very good ; very good , that is the best , the hebrews having no other superlative . every creature of god by it self is good : but take the whole together , and they are very good , the best that could be . . the universal goodness of god further appears , in the careful and continual preservation of the things which he hath made ; his upholding and maintaining the several creatures in being , in their natural state and order ; those which have life , in life , to the period which he hath determined and appointed for them ; in his preserving the whole world , his managing and governing this vast frame of things , in such sort , as to keep it from running into confusion and disorder . this is a clear demonstration , no less of the goodness than of the wisdom and power of god , that for so many ages all the parts of it have kept their places , and performed the offices and work for which nature designed them ; that the world is not , in the course of so many thousand years , grown old and weak , and out of repair , and that the frame of things doth not dissolve and fall in pieces . and the goodness of god doth not only take care of the main , and support the whole frame of things , and preserve the more noble and considerable creatures ; but even the least and meanest of them . the providence of god doth not overlook any thing that he hath made , nor despise any of the works of his hands , so as to let them relapse , and fall back into nothing , through neglect and inadvertency ; as many as there are , he takes care of them all , psal . . , . where the psalmist speaking of the innumerable multitude of creatures upon the earth , and in the sea , these all ( saith he ) wait upon thee , that thou mayst give them their meat in due season ; that thou givest them they gather , thou openest thine hand , and they are filled with good . and to the same purpose , psal . . . the eyes of all wait upon thee , and thou givest them their meat in due season ; thou openest thine hand , and satisfiest the desire of every living thing . the inanimate creatures , which are without sense ; and the brute creatures , which tho' they have sense , are without understanding , and so can have no end and design of self-preservation , god preserves them , no less than men who are endowed with reason , and foresight to provide for themselves ; psal . . . thou preservest man and beast . and psal . . . he giveth to the beast his food , and to the young ravens when they cry . and so our saviour declares to us the particular providence of god towards those creatures , matth. . . behold the fowls of the air , for they sow not , neither do they reap , nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly father feedeth them . v. . . consider the lillies of the field , how they grow ; they toyl not , neither do they spin : and yet i say unto you , that solomon in all his glory , was not arrayed like one of these . and tho' all the creatures below man , being without understanding , can take no notice of this bounty of god to them , nor make any acknowledgments to him for it , yet man , who is the priest of the visible creation , and placed here in this great temple of the world , to offer up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to god , for his universal goodness to all his creatures , ought to bless god in their behalf , and to sing praises to him , in the name of all the inferiour creatures , which are subjected to his dominion and use ; because they are all as it were his family , his servants and utensils , and if god should neglect any of them , and suffer them to perish and miscarry , 't is we that should find the inconvenience and want of them ; and therefore we should on their behalf celebrate the praises of god ; as we find david often does in the psalms , calling upon the inanimate and the brute creatures to praise the lord. . the universal goodness of god doth yet further appear ; in providing so abundantly for the welfare and happiness of all his creatures , so far as they are capable and sensible of it . he doth not only support and preserve his creatures in being , but takes care that they should all enjoy that happiness and pleasure , which their natures are capable of . the creatures endowed with sense and reason , which only are capable of pleasure and happiness , god hath taken care to satisfie the several appetites and inclinations which he hath planted in them ; and according as nature hath enlarged their desires and capacities , so he enlargeth his bounty towards them ; he openeth his hand , and satisfieth the desire of every living thing . god doth not immediately bring meat to the creatures , when they are hungry ; but it is near to them , commonly in the elements wherein they are bred , or within their reach , and he hath planted inclinations in them to hunt after it , and to lead and direct them to it ; and to encourage self-preservation , and to oblige and instigate them to it , and that they might not be melancholy and weary of life , he hath so ordered the nature of living creatures , that hunger and thirst are most implacable desires , exceeding painful , and even intolerable ; and likewise that the satisfaction of these appetites , should be a mighty pleasure to them . and for those creatures that are young , and not able to provide for themselves , god hath planted in all creatures a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a natural affection towards their young ones , which will effectually put them upon seeking provisions for them , and cherishing them , with that care and tenderness which their weak and helpless condition doth require ; and reason is not more powerful and effectual in mankind to this purpose , than this natural instinct is in brute creatures ; which shews what care god hath taken , and what provision he hath made in the natural frame of all his creatures , for the satisfaction of the inclinations and appetites which he hath planted in them ; the satisfaction whereof is their pleasure and happiness . and thus i have done with the first head i proposed , the universal extent of god's goodness to his creatures , let us now proceed , in the ii. place , to consider more particularly the goodness of god to men ; which we are more especially concerned to take notice of , and to be affected with it . and we need go no further than our own observation and experience , to prove the goodness of god ; every day of our lives , we see and taste that the lord is good , all that we are , and all the good that we enjoy , and all that we expect and hope for , is from the divine goodness , every good and perfect gift descends from above , from the father of lights , jam. . . and the best and most perfect of his gifts he bestows on the sons of men . what is said of the wisdom of god , prov. . may be applyed to his goodness ; the goodness of god shines forth in all the works of creation , in the heavens and clouds above , and in the fountains of the great deep , in the earth and the fields , but its delight is with the sons of men . such is the goodness of god to man , that it is represented to us in scripture , under the notion of love . god is good to all his creatures , but he is only said to love the sons of men . more particularly the goodness of god to man appears , . that he hath given us such noble and excellent beings , and placed us in so high a rank and order of his creatures . we owe to him that we are , and what we are ; we do not only partake of that effect of his goodness , which is common to us with all other creatures , that we have received our being from him ; but we are peculiarly obliged to him , for his more especial goodness , that he hath made us reasonable creatures , of that kind which we should have chosen to have been of , if we could suppose , that before we were , it had been referr'd to us , and put to our choice , what part we would be of this visible world. but we did not contrive and chuse this condition for our selves , we are no ways accessary to the dignity and excellency of our beings ; but god chose this condition for us , and made us what we are ; so that we may say , with david , psal . . , , . 't is he that hath made us , and not we our selves . o enter then into his gates with thanksgiving , and into his courts with praise ; be thankful unto him , and speak good of his name , for the lord is good . the goodness of god is the spring and fountain of our beings , but for that we had been nothing ; and but for his farther goodness , we might have been any thing , of the lowest and meanest rank of his creatures . but the goodness of god hath been pleased to advance us to be the top and perfection of the visible creation , he hath been pleased to endow us with mind and understanding , and made us capable of happiness , in the knowledge , and love , and enjoyment of himself . he hath curiously and wonderfully wrought the frame of our bodies , so as to make them fit habitations for reasonable souls , and immortal spirits ; he hath made our very bodies vessels of honour , when of the very same clay he hath made innumerable other creatures , of a much lower rank and condition ; so that tho' man in respect of his body be a-kin to the earth , yet in regard of his soul , he is allied to heaven , of a divine original , and descended from above . of all the creatures in this visible world , man is the chief ; and what is said of behemoth , or the elephant , job . in respect of his great strength , and the vast bigness of his body , is only true absolutely of man , that he is , divini opificii caput , the chief of the ways of god , and upon earth there is none like him . the psalmist takes particular notice of the goodness of god to man , in this respect of the excellency and dignity of his being . psal . . . thou hast made him little lower than the angels , and hast crowned him with glory and honour . and this advantage of our nature above other creatures , we ought thankfully to acknowledge ; tho' most men are so stupid , as to overlook it , as elihu complains , job . , . none saith , where is god my maker ? who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth , and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven . . the goodness of god to man appears , in that he hath made and ordained so many things chiefly for our use . the beauty and usefulness of the creatures below us , their plain subserviency to our necessity , and benefit , and delight , are so many clear evidences of the divine goodness to us , not only discernable to our reason , but even palpable to our senses , so that we may see and taste that the lord is gracious . this david particularly insists upon as a special ground of praise and thanksgiving to god , that he hath subjected so great a part of the creation to our dominion and use ; psal . . , , . speaking of man , thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things under his feet ; all sheep and oxen , yea , and the beasts of the field ; the fowl of the air , and the fish of the sea , and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas . what an ininnumerable variety of creatures are there in this inferiour world , which were either solely or principally made for the use and service , pleasure and delight of man ! how many things are there , which serve for the necessity and support , for the contentment and comfort of our lives ! how many things for the refreshment and delight of our senses , and the excercise and employment of our understandings ! that god hath not made man for the service of other creatures , but other creatures for the service of man , epictetus doth very ingeniously argue from this observation ; that the creatures below man , the brute beasts , have all things in a readiness , nature having provided for them meat , and drink , and lodging , so that they have no absolute need that any should build houses , or make cloaths , or store up provisions , or prepare and dress meat for them ; for , says he , being made for the service of another , they ought to be furnisht with these things , that they may be always in a readiness , to serve their lord and master ; a plain evidence that they were made to serve man , and not man to serve them . and to raise our thoughts of god's goodness to us the sons of men yet higher , as he hath given us the creatures below us for our use and convenience , so hath he appointed the creatures above us for our guard and protection , not to say for our service . psal . . . the angel of the lord encampeth round about them that fear him , and he delivereth them ; and then it follows , o taste and see that the lord is good . and , psal . . , . he shall give his angels charge over thee , to keep thee in all thy ways . they shall bear thee up in their hands . nay the apostle speaks , as if their whole business and imployment were to attend upon and be serviceable to good men , heb. . . are they not all ministring spirits , sent forth to minister for them , who shall be heirs of salvation ? . the goodness of god to men appears , in his tender love and peculiar care of us , above the rest of the creatures , being ready to impart and dispense to us the good that is suitable to our capacity and condition ; and concerned to exempt us from those manifold evils of want and pain , to which we are obnoxious . i do not mean an absolute exemption from all sorts and all degrees of evil , and a perpetual tenor of temporal happiness , and enjoyment of all good things ; this is not suitable to our present state , and the rank and order which we are in among the creatures ; nor would it be best for us , all things considered . but the goodness of god to us above other creatures , is proportionable to the dignity and excellency of our natures above them ; for as the apostle reasons in another case , doth god take care for oxen , and shall he not much more extend his care to man ? to this purpose our saviour reasons , mat. . behold the fowls of the air , they sow not , neither do they reap , and yet your heavenly father takes care of them ; are not ye much better than they ? and , v. . wherefore if god so cloath the grass of the field , shall he not much more cloath you ? and , chap. . . are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father . but the very hairs of your head are all numbred . fear ye not therefore , ye are of more value than many sparrows . 't is true , god hath a special care of his people and servants , above the rest of mankind ; but our saviour useth these arguments to his disciples , to convince them of the providence of god towards them , as men , and of a more excellent nature than other creatures . and indeed we are born into the world more destitute and helpless , than other creatures ; as if it were on purpose to shew , that god had reserved us for his more peculiar care and providence ; which is so great , that the scripture , by way of condescention , expresseth it to us by the name of love ; so that what effects of care the greatest and tenderest affection in men is apt to produce towards one another , that , and much more , is the effect of god's goodness to us ; and this affection of god is common to all men ( tho' of all creatures we have least deserved it ) and is ready to diffuse and shed abroad it self , where-ever men are qualified for it by duty and obedience , and do not obstruct and stop the emanations of it , by their sins and provocations . and tho' the greatest part of mankind be evil , yet this doth not wholly put a stop to his goodness , tho' it cause many abatements of it , and hinder many good things from us ; but such is the goodness of god , notwithstanding the evil and undutifulness of men , that he is pleased still to concern himself in the government of the world , and to preserve the societies of men from running into utter confusion and disorder ; notwithstanding the violence and irregularities of mens wills and passions , the communities of men subsist upon tolerable terms ; and notwithstanding the rage and craft of evil men , poor and unarmed innocence and virtue is usually protected , and sometimes rewarded in this world ; and domineering and outragious wickedness is very often remarkably checkt and chastised . all which instances of god's providence , as they are greatly for the advantage and comfort of mankind , so are they an effectual declaration of that goodness which governs all things , and of god's kind care of the affairs and concernments of men ; so that if we look no farther than this world , we may say with david , verily there is a reward for the righteous , verily there is a god that judgeth the earth . i know this argument hath been perverted to a quite contrary purpose ; that if goodness govern'd the world , and administred the affairs of it , good and evil would not be so carelesly and promiscously dispensed ; good men would not be so great sufferers , nor wicked men so prosperous as many times they are . but this also , if rightly considered , is an effect of god's goodness , and infinite patience to mankind ; that he causeth his sun to rise , and his rain to fall upon the just and unjust . that upon the provocations of men , he does not give over his care of them , and throw all things into confusion and ruin ; this plainly shews , that he designs this life for the tryal of men's virtue and obedience , in order to the greater reward of it ; and therefore he suffers men to walk in their own ways , without any great check and controle , and reserves the main bulk of rewards and punishments for another world : so that all this is so far from being any objection against the goodness of god , that on the contrary , it is an argument of god's immense goodness , and infinite patience , that the world subsists and continues , and that he permits men to take their course , for the fuller tryal of them , and the clearer and most effectual declaration of his justice , in the rewards and punishments of another life . fourthly , and lastly , the goodness of god to mankind most gloriously appears , in the provision he hath made for our eternal happiness . what the happiness of man should have been , had he continued in innocency , is not particularly revealed to us ; but this is certain , that by willful transgression , we have forfeited all that happiness which our natures are capable of . in this lapsed and ruinous condition of mankind , the goodness and mercy of god was pleased to employ his wisdom for our recovery , and to restore us , not only to a new , but a greater capacity of glory and happiness . and in order to this , the son of god assumes our nature , for the recovery and redemption of man ; and the pardon of sin is purchased for us by his blood ; eternal life , and the way to it , are clearly discover'd to us . god is pleased to enter into a new and better covenant with us , and to afford us inward grace and assistance , to enable us to perform the conditions of it ; and graciously to accept of our faith and repentance , of our sincere resolutions and endeavours of holiness and obedience , for perfect and compleat righteousness , for his sake who fullfilled all righteousness . this is the great and amazing goodness of god to mankind , that when we were in open rebellion against him , he should entertain thoughts of peace and reconciliation ; and when he past by the fall'n angels , he should set his affection and love upon the sinful and miserable sons of men. and herein is the love of god to men perfected , that as he hath made all creatures , both above us , and below us , subservient and instrumental to our subsistence and preservation , so , for the ransom of our souls from eternal ruin and misery , he hath not spared his own son , but hath given him up to death for us ; him , whom he hath commanded all the angels of god to worship , and to whom he hath made subject all creatures in heaven and earth ; him , who made the world , and who upholds all things by the word of his power , who is the brightness of his glory , and the express image of his person . and after such a stupendious instance as this , what may we not reasonably hope for , and promise our selves from the divine goodness ! so the apostle hath taught us to reason , rom. . . he that spared not his own son , but delivered him up for us all , how shall he not with him also freely give us all things ? sermon iii. the goodness of god. psal. cxlv . . the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . in handling this argument , i proceeded in this method . first , to consider what is the proper notion of goodness . secondly , to shew that this perfection of goodness belongs to god. thirdly , i considered the effects of the divine goodness under these heads . i. the universal extent of it , in the number , variety , order , end , and design of the things created by him , and his preservation and providing for the welfare and happiness of them . ii. i considered more particularly the goodness of god to mankind , of which i gave these four instances . . that he hath given us such noble beings , and placed us in so high a rank and order of his creatures . . in that he hath made and ordained so many things chiefly for us . . in that he exerciseth so peculiar a providence over us above the rest , that tho he is said to be good to all , he is only said to love the sons of men. . in that he hath provided for us eternal life and happiness . there only now remains the fourth and last particular to be spoken to , which was to answer some objections which may seem to contradict and bring in question the goodness of god ; and they are many , and have ( some of them especially ) great difficulty in them , and therefore it will require great consideration and care , to give a clear and satisfactory answer to them , which undoubtedly they are capable of ; the goodness of god being one of the most certain and unquestionable truths in the world. i shall mention those which are most considerable and obvious , and do almost of themselves spring up in every man's mind , and they are these four , the first of them more general , the other three more particular . first , if god be so exceeding good , whence comes it to pass , that there is so much evil in the world , of several kinds ; evil of imperfection , evil of affliction or suffering , and ( which is the greatest of all others , and indeed the cause of them ) evil of sin ? secondly , the doctrine of absolute reprobation ; by which is meant , the decreeing of the greatest part of mankind to eternal misery and torment , without any consideration or respect to their sin or fault ; this seems notoriously to contradict , not only the notion of infinite goodness , but any competent measure and degree of goodness . thirdly , the eternal misery and punishment of men for temporal faults , seems hard to be reconciled with that excess of goodness , which we suppose to be in god. fourthly , the instances of god's great severity to mankind upon occasion , in those great calamities , which by the providence of god have in several ages either befaln mankind in general , or particular nations ; and here i shall confine my self to scripture instances , as being the most certain and remarkable , or at least equal to any that are to be met with in history ; as the early and universal degeneracy of mankind , by the sin and transgression of our first parents ; the destruction of the world by a general deluge ; the sudden and terrible destruction of sodom and gomorrah , and the cities about them , by fire and brimstone from heaven ; the cruel extirpation of the canaanites , by the express command of god ; and lastly , the great calamities which befel the jewish nation , and the final ruin and perdition of them at the destruction of jerusalem . these are the objections against the goodness of god , which i shall severally consider , and with all the brevity and clearness i can , endeavour to return a particular answer to them . the first objection , which i told you is more general , is this , if god be so exceeding good , whence then comes it to pass , that there is so much evil in the world of several kinds ? 't is evident beyond denyal , that evil abounds in the world. the whole world lies in evil , says st. john , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lies in wickedness , ( so our translation renders it ) is involved in sin ; but by the article and opposition st. john seems to intend the devil . we know , says he , that we are of god , and the whole world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is subject to the evil one , and under his power and dominion . which way so ever we render it , it signifies , that evil of one kind or other reigns in the world. now can evil come from a good god ? out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing . doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter ? this cannot be , as st. james speaks in another case . but all evils that are in the world , must either be directly procured by the divine providence , or permitted to happen ; and next to the causing and procuring of evil , it seems to be contrary to the goodness of god , to permit that there should be any such thing , when it is in his power to help and hinder it . answer . to give an account of this , it was an ancient doctrine of some of the most ancient nations , that there were two first causes or principles of all things , the one of good things , the other of bad ; which among the persians were called oromasdes and arimanius ; among the egyptians osiris and typhon ; among the chaldeans good or bad planets ; among the greeks , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and plutarch expresly says , that the good principle was called god , and the bad , demon , or the devil ; in conformity to which ancient traditions , the manichees ( a sad sect of christians ) set up two principles , the one infinitely good , which they supposed to be the original cause of all good that is in the world ; the other infinitely evil , to which they ascribed all the evils that are in the world. but besides that the notion of an infinite evil is a contradiction , it would be to no purpose to suppose two opposite principles of equal power and force . that the very notion of an infinite evil is a contradiction , will be very clear , if we consider , that what is infinitely evil , must be infinitely imperfect , and consequently infinitely weak ; and for that reason , tho never so mischievous and malicious , yet being infinitely weak , and ignorant , and foolish , would neither be in a capacity to contrive mischief , nor to execute it . but admit , that a being infinitely mischievous , were infinitely cunning , and infinitely powerful , yet it could do no evil ; because the opposite principle of infinite goodness , being also infinitely wise and powerful , they would tie up one anothers hands ; so that upon this supposition , the notion of a deity , would signifie just nothing , and by virtue of the eternal opposition and equality of these two principles , they would keep one another at a perpetual bay , and being an equal match for one another , instead of being two deities , they would be two idols , able to do neither good nor evil . but to return a more distinct and satisfactory answer to this objection ; there are three sorts of evil in the world ; the evil of imperfection ; the evil of affliction and suffering ; and the evil of sin. and st , for the evil of imperfection , i mean natural imperfections , these are not simply and absolutely , but only comparatively evil ; now comparative evil is but a less degree of goodness ; and it is not at all inconsistent with the goodness of god , that some creatures should be less good than others , that is , imperfect in comparison of them ; nay , it is very agreeable both to the goodness and wisdom of god , that there should be this variety in the creatures , and that they should be of several degrees of perfection , being made for several uses and purposes , and to be subservient to one another , provided they all contribute to the harmony and beauty of the whole . some imperfection is necessarily involved in the very nature and condition of a creature , as that it derives its being from another , and necessarily depends upon it , and is beholding to it , and is likewise of necessity finite and limited in its nature and perfections ; and as for those creatures which are less perfect than others , this also , that there should be degrees of perfection , is necessary , upon supposition , that the wisdom of god thinks fit to display it self in variety of creatures of several kinds and ranks . for tho comparing the creatures with one another , the angelical nature is best , and most perfect ; yet it is absolutely best , that there should be other creatures besides angels . there are many parts of the creation , which are rashly and inconsiderately by us concluded to be evil and imperfect , as some noxious and hurtful creatures ; which yet in other respects , and to some purposes , may be very useful , and against the harm and mischief whereof , we are sufficiently armed , by such means of defence , and such antidotes as reason and experience are able to find and furnish us withal ; and those parts of the world , which we think of little or no use , as rocks and deserts , and that vast wilderness of the sea , if we consider things well , are of great use to several very considerable purposes ; or if we can discern no other use of them , they serve at least to help our dulness , and to make us more attentively to consider , and to admire the perfection and usefulness of the rest ; at the worst , they may serve for foils to set off the wise order and contrivance of other things , and ( as one expresseth it very well ) they may be like a blackmoor's head in a picture , which gives the greater beauty to the whole piece . dly , for the evils of affliction and suffering ; and these either befal brute creatures , or men endow'd with reason and consideration . st , for those which befal the brute creatures ; those sufferings which nature inflicts upon them , are very few ; the greatest they meet withal are from men , or upon their account , for whose sake they were chiefly made , and to whose reasonable use and gentle dominion they are consigned . it is necessary from the very nature of these creatures , that they should be passive and liable to pain : and yet it doth in no wise contradict either the wisdom or goodness of god to make such creatures , because all these pains are for the most part fully recompensed , by the pleasure these creatures find in life ; and that they have such a pleasure and happiness in life , is evident , in that all creatures , notwithstanding the miseries they endure , are still fond of life , and unwilling to part with it : no creature but man ( who only hath perverted his nature ) ever seeks the destruction of it self ; and since all brute creatures are so loth to go out of being , we may probably conclude , that if they could deliberate , whether they would be or not , they would chuse to come into being , even upon these hard conditions . but however that be , this we are sure of , that they suffer chiefly from us , and upon our account ; we who are their natural lords , having depraved our selves first , are become cruel and tyrannical to them ; nay , the scripture tells us , that they suffer for our sakes , and that the whole creation groaneth , and is in bondage for the sin of man : and this is not unreasonable , that being made principally for man , they should suffer upon his account , as a part of his goods and estate ; not as a punishment to them ( which under the notion of punishment , they are not capable of ) but as a punishment to him , who is the lord and owner of them , they being by this means become more weak and frail , and less useful and serviceable to him for whom they were made ; so that the sufferings of the creatures below us , are in a great measure to be charged up-us , under whose dominion god hath put them . dly , as for the afflictions and sufferings which befal men , these are not natural and of god's making , but the result and fruit of our own doings , the effects and consequences of the ill use of our own liberty and free choice ; and god does not willingly send them upon us , but we wilfully pull them down upon our selves ; for he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men , as the prophet tells us , lam. . . or as it is in the wisdom of solomon , chap. . , . god made not death , neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living ; but men pull destruction upon themselves , with the works of their own hands . all the evils that are in the world , are either the effects of our own sin , as poverty , and disgrace , pains , diseases , and death , which are sometimes more immediately inflicted upon men , by a visible providence and hand of god , but are usually brought upon us by our selves , in the natural course and order of things ; or they are the effects of other mens sins , brought upon us by the ambition and covetousness , by the malice and cruelty of others ; and these evils , tho they are procured and caused by others , yet they are deserved by our selves ; and tho they are immediately from the hand of men , yet we ought to look farther , and consider them , as directed and disposed by the providence of god ; as david did when shimei cursed him ; god ( saith he ) hath bid him curse david , tho it immediately proceeded from shimei's insolence and ill nature . now upon the supposition of sin , the evils of affliction and suffering are good , because they are of great use to us , and serve to very good ends and purposes . i. as they are the proper punishments of sin. evil is good to them that do evil , that is , it is fit and proper , just and due . psal . . . fools , because of their transgression , and because of their iniquities , are afflicted . and it is fit they should be so , crooked to crooked is streight and right . a rod for the back of fools , saith solomon ; and elsewhere , god hath made every thing for that which is fit for it , and the evil day for the wicked man. dly , as they are the preventions and remedies of greater evils . evils of affliction and suffering are good for wicked men , to bring them to a sense of their sin , and to reclaim them from it , and thereby to prevent greater temporal evils , and preserve them from eternal misery ; and not only good to the person that suffers , but likewise to others , to deter and affright them from the like sins ; to prevent the contagion of sin , and to stop the progress of iniquity , upon which greater guilt and worse mischiefs might ensue ; and they are good to good men , to awaken and rouse them out of their security , to make them know god and themselves better ; they are almost a necessary discipline for the best of men , much more for evil and depraved dispositions ; and we might as reasonably expect , that there should be no rod in a school , as that there should be no suffering and afflictions in the world. dly , as they are the occasions and matter of many virtues . god teacheth men temperance by want , and patience by reproach and sufferings , charity by persecution , and pity and compassion to others by grievous pains upon our selves . the benefit of afflictions to them that make a wise use of them is unspeakable ; they are grievous in themselves , nevertheless ( saith the apostle to the hebrews ) they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness , to them that are exercised therewith . david gives a great testimony of the mighty benefit and advantage of them , from his own experience , psal . . . before i was afflicted i went astray , but now have i kept thy word . and , v. . it is good for me that i have been afflicted , that i might learn thy statutes . thly , the evils of suffering , patiently submitted to , and decently born , do greatly contribute to the increase of our happiness . all the persecutions and sufferings of good men in this life , do work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . and if they contribute to our greater good and happiness at last , they are good . the glorious reward of the sufferings which we have met with , in this life , will in the next clear up the goodness and justice of the divine providence , from all those mists and clouds which are now upon it , and fully acquit it from all those objections which are now raised against it , upon account of the afflictions and sufferings of good men in this life , which are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in them . iii. as for the evil of sin , which is the great difficulty of all . how is it consistent with the goodness of god , to permit so great an evil as this to come into the world ? for answer to this , i desire these two things may be considered . . that it doth not at all contradict the wisdom or goodness of god , to make a creature of such a frame , as to be capable of having its obedience tryed in order to the reward of it , which could not be , unless such a creature were made mutable , and by the good or bad use of its liberty , capable of obeying or disobeying the laws of his creator ; for where there is no possibility of sinning , there can be no tryal of our virtue and obedience , and nothing but virtue and obedience are capable of reward . the goodness of god towards us is sufficiently vindicated , in that he made us capable of happiness , and gave us sufficient direction and power for the attaining of that end ; and it does in no wise contradict his goodness , that he does not by his omnipotency interpose to prevent our sin ; for this had been to alter the nature of things , and not to let man be the creature he made him , capable of reward or punishment , according to the good or bad use of his own free choice . it is sufficient that god made man good at first , tho mutable , and that he had a power to have continued so , tho he wilfully determined himself to evil ; this acquits the goodness of god , that he made man upright , but he found out to himself many inventions . . if there had not been such an order and rank of creatures , as had been in their nature mutable , there had been no place for the manifestation of god's goodness in a way of mercy and patience ; so that tho god be not the author of the sins of men , yet in case of their willful transgression and disobedience , the goodness of god hath a fair opportunity of discovering it self , in his patience and long-suffering to sinners , and in his merciful care and provision for their recovery out of that miserable state . and this may suffice for answer to the first objection , if god be so good , whence then comes evil ? the second objection against the goodness of god , is from the doctrine of absolute reprobation ; by which i mean the decreeing the greatest part of mankind to eternal misery and torment , without any consideration or respect to their sin and fault . this seems not only notoriously to contradict the notion of infinite goodness , but to be utterly inconsistent with the least measure and degree of goodness . indeed , if by reprobation were only meant , that god in his own infinite knowledge foresees the sins and wickedness of men , and hath from all eternity determined in himself , what in his word he hath so plainly declared , that he will punish impenitent sinners with everlasting destruction ; or if by reprobation be meant , that god hath not elected all mankind , that is , absolutely decreed to bring them infallibly to salvation ; neither of these notions of reprobation , is any ways inconsistent with the goodness of god ; for he may foresee the wickedness of men , and determine to punish it , without any impeachment of his goodness : he may be very good to all , and yet not equally and in the same degree ; if god please to bring any infallibly to salvation , this is transcendent goodness ; but if he put all others into a capacity of it , and use all necessary and fitting means to make them happy , and after all this , any fall short of happiness , through their own wilful fault and obstinacy , these men are evil and cruel to themselves , but god hath been very good and merciful to them . but if by reprobation be meant , either that god hath decreed , without respect to the sins of men , their absolute ruin and misery ; or that he hath decreed that they shall inevitably sin and perish ; it cannot be denied , but that such a reprobation as this doth clearly overthrow all possible notion of goodness . i have told you , that the true and only notion of goodness in god , is this , that it is a propension and disposition of the divine nature , to communicate being and happiness to his creatures : but surely nothing can be more plainly contrary to a disposition to make them happy , than an absolute decree , and a peremptory resolution to make them miserable . god is infinitely better than the best of men , and yet none can possibly think that man a good man , who should absolutely resolve to disinherit and destroy his children , without the foresight and consideration of any fault to be committed by them . we may talk of the goodness of god : but it is not an easie matter , to devise to say any thing worse than this of the devil . but it is said , reprobation is an act of soveraignty in god , and therefore not to be measured by the common rules of goodness . but it is contrary to goodness , and plainly inconsistent with it ; and we must not attribute such a soveraignty to god , as contradicts his goodness ; for if the soveraignty of god may break in at pleasure upon his other attributes , then it signifies nothing to say that god is good , and wise , and just , if his soveraignty may at any time act contrary to these perfections . now if the doctrine of absolute reprobation , and the goodness of god cannot possibly stand together , the question is , which of them ought to give way to the other ? what st. paul determines in another case , concerning the truth and fidelity of god , will equally hold concerning his goodness ; let god be good , and every man a lyar . the doctrine of absolute reprobation is no part of the doctrine of the holy scriptures , that ever i could find ; and there 's the rule of our faith. if some great divines have held this doctrine , not in opposition to the goodness of god , but hoping they might be reconciled together , let them do it if they can ; but if they cannot , rather let the schools of the greatest divines be call'd in question , than the goodness of god , which next to his being , is the greatest and clearest truth in the world . thirdly , it is farther objected , that the eternal punishment of men for temporal faults seems hard to be reconciled with that excess of goodness , which we suppose to be in god. this objection i have fully answer'd , in a discourse upon s. matth. . . and therefore shall proceed to the fourth and last objection , against the goodness of god , from sundry instances of god's severity to mankind , in those great calamities which by the providence of god have in several ages either befaln mankind in general , or particular nations . and here i shall confine my self to scripture instances , as being most known , and most certain and remarkable , or at least equally remarkable with any that are to be met with in any other history ; such are the early and universal degeneracy of all mankind , by the sin and transgression of our first parents ; the destruction of the world by a general deluge ; the sudden and terrible destruction of sodom and gomorrah , and the cities about them , by fire and brimstone from heaven ; the cruel extirpation of the canaanites by the express command of god ; and lastly , the great calamities which befel the jewish nation , especially the final ruin and dispersion of them at the destruction of jerusalem . these and the like instances of god's severity , seem to call in question his goodness . against these severe and dreadful instances of god's severity , it might be a sufficient vindication of his goodness , to say in general , that they were all upon great and high provocations ; most of them after long patience and forbearance , and with a great mixture of mercy , and a declared readiness in in god to have prevented or removed them upon repentance ; all which are great instances of the goodness of god. but yet for the clearer manifestation of the divine goodness , i shall consider them particularly , and as briefly as i can . . as for the transgression of our first parents , and the dismal consequences of it to all their posterity . this is a great depth , and tho the scripture mentions it , yet it speaks but little of it ; and in matters of mere revelation , we must not attempt to be wise above what is written . thus much is plain , that it was an act of high and wilful disobedience , to a very plain and easie command ; and that in the punishment of it , god mitigated the extremity of the sentence ( which was present death ) by granting our first parents the reprieve of almost a thousand years ; and , as to the consequences of it to their posterity , god did not , upon this provocation , abandon his care of mankind ; and tho he removed them out of that happy state and place in which man was created , yet he gave them a tolerable condition and accommodations upon earth ; and which is certainly the most glorious instance of divine goodness that ever was , he was pleased to make the fall and misery of man the happy occasion of sending his son in our nature , for the recovery and advancement of it to a much happier and better condition , than that from which we fell . so the apostle tells us at large , rom. . that the grace of god , by jesus christ , hath redounded much more to our benefit and advantage , than the sin and disobedience of our first parents did to our prejudice . . for the general deluge , tho it look very severe , yet if we consider it well , we may plainly discern much of goodness in it . it was upon great provocation , by the universal corruption and depravation of mankind , the earth was filled with violence , and all flesh had corrupted its ways ; the wickedness of man was great upon the earth , and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually ; which is not a description of original sin , but of the actual and improved wickedness of mankind ; and yet when the wickedness of men was come to this height , god gave them fair warning , before he brought this calamity upon them , when the patience of god waited in the days of noah , for the space of an hundred and twenty years ; at last , when nothing would reclaim them , and almost the whole race of mankind were become so very bad , that it is said , it repented the lord that he had made man upon the earth , and it grieved him at his heart , when things were thus extremely bad , and like to continue so ; god in pity to mankind , and to put a stop to their growing wickedness and guilt , swept them away all at once , from the face of the earth , except one family , which he had preserved from this contagion , to be a new seminary of mankind , and , as the heathen poet expresseth it , mundi melioris origo , the source and original of a better race . . for that terrible destruction of sodom and gomorrah by fire and brimstone from heaven , it was not brought upon them till the cry of their sin was great , and gone up to heaven , till by their unnatural lusts they had provoked supernatural vengeance . and it is very remarkable , to what low terms god was pleased to condescend to abraham for the sparing of them ; if in those five cities there had been found but ten righteous persons , he would not have destroyed them for those ten 's sake . so that we may say with the apostle , behold the goodness and severity of god! here was wonderful goodness mixt with this great severity . . for the extirpation of the canaanites , by the express command of god , which hath such an appearance of severity , it is to be consider'd , that this vengeance was not executed upon them , till they were grown ripe for it . god spared them for above four hundred years , for so long their growing impiety is taken notice of , gen. . . where it is said , that the iniquity of the amorites was not yet full ; god did not proceed to cut them off , till their case was desperate , past all hopes of recovery , till the land was defiled with abominations , and surcharged with wickedness , to that degree , as to spue out its inhabitants , as is expresly said , levit. . . when they were arrived to this pitch , it was no mercy to them to spare them any longer , to heap up more guilt and misery to themselves . fifthly , and lastly , as for the great calamities which god brought upon the jews , especially in their final ruin and dispersion , at the destruction of jerusalem ; not to insist upon the known history of their multiplied rebellions and provocations , of their despiteful usage of god's prophets , whom he sent to warn them of his judgments , and to call them to repentance , of their obstinate refusal to receive correction , and to be brought to amendment , by any means that god could use ; for all which provocations , he at last delivered them into their enemies hands , to carry them away captive ; not to insist upon this , i shall only consider their final destruction by the romans , which tho' it be dreadfully severe , beyond any example of history , yet the provocation was proportionable ; for this vengeance did not come upon them , till they had as it were extorted it , by the most obstinate impenitency and unbelief , in rejecting the counsel of god against themselves , and resisting such means as would have brought tyre and sidon , sodom and gomorrah to repentance ; till they had despised the doctrine of life and salvation , delivered to them by the son of god , and confirmed from heaven , by the clearest and greatest miracles ; and by wicked hands had crucified and slain the son of god , and the saviour of the world. nay , even after this greatest of sins that ever was committed , god waited for their repentance forty years , to see if in that time they would be brought to a sense of their sins , and to know the things which belonged to their peace . and no wonder if after such provocations , and so much patience , and so obstinate an impenitency , the goodness of god at last gave way to his justice , and wrath came upon them to the utmost . so that all these instances rightly considered , are rather commendations of the divine goodness , than just and reasonable objections against it ; and notwithstanding the severity of them , it is evident that god is good , from the primary inclinations of his nature ; and severe only upon necessity , and in case of just provocation . and to be otherwise , not to punish insolent impiety and incorrigible wickedness , in a severe and remarkable manner , would not be goodness , but a fond indulgence ; not patience , but stupidity ; not mercy to mankind , but cruelty ; because it would be an encouragement to them to do more mischief , and to bring greater misery upon themselves . so that if we suppose god to be holy and just , as well as good , there is nothing in any of these instances , but what is very consistent with all that goodness which we can suppose to be in a holy , and wise , and just governour , who is a declared enemy to sin , and is resolved to give all fitting discountenance to the breach and violation of his laws . it is necessary in kindness and compassion to the rest of mankind , that some should be made remarkable instances of god's severity , that the punishment of a few may be a warning to all , that they may hear and fear , and by avoiding the like sins , may prevent the like severity upon themselves . and now i have , as briefly as i could , explained and vindicated the goodness of god ; the consideration whereof is fruitful of many excellent and useful inferences , in relation both to our comfort and our duty , but these i shall refer to another opportunity . sermon iv. the goodness of god. psal. cxlv . . the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . i have made several discourses upon this argument of the goodness of god ; shewing what it is ; on what accounts we ascribe it to god ; what are the effects and large extent of it to the whole creation , and more particularly to mankind ; and , in the last place , considered the several objections which seem to lie against it . i proceed now to the application of this excellent argument , the considederation whereof is so fruitful of useful inferences , in relation both to our comfort and duty . and , i. this shews us the prodigious folly and unreasonableness of atheism . most of the atheism that is in the world , doth not so much consist in a firm perswasion that there is no god , as in vain wishes and desires that there were none . bad men think it would be a happiness to them , and that they should be in a much better condition , if there were no god , than if there be one . nemo deum non esse credit , nisi cui deum non esse expedit , no man is apt to disbelieve a god , but he whose interest it is that there should be none . and if we could see into the hearts of wicked men , we should find this lying at the bottom , that if there be a god , he is just and will punish sin , that he is infinite in power and not to be resisted , and therefore kills them with his terror so often as they think of him ; hence they apprehend it their interest , that there should be no god , and wish there were none , and thence are apt to cherish in their minds a vain hope that there is none , and at last endeavour to impose upon themselves by vain reasonings , and to suppress the belief of a god , and to stifle their natural apprehensions and fears of him . so that it is not primus in orbe deos fecit timor , fear that first made gods ; but the fear which bad men have of the divine power and justice , that first tempted them to the disbelief of him . but were not these men as foolish as they are wicked , they would wish with all their hearts there were a god , and be glad to believe so . and the psalmist gives them their true character , who can entertain any such thoughts or wishes ; psal . . . the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god ; for they are fools who do not understand nor consult their true interest : and if this be true which i have said concerning the goodness of god , if this be his nature , to desire and procure the happiness of his creatures , whoever understands the true nature of god and his own true interest , cannot but wish there were a god , and be glad of any argument to prove it , and rejoyce to find it true , as children are glad of a kind and tender father , and as subjects rejoyce in a wise and good prince . the goodness of god gives us so lovely a character of him , makes him so good a father , so gracious a governour of men , that if there were no such being in the world , it were infinitely desirable to mankind that there should be ; he is such an one , qualem omnes cuperent , si deesset , as if he were wanting , all men ought to wish for . the being of god is so comfortable , so convenient , so necessary to the felicity of mankind , that ( as tully admirably says ) dij immortales ad usum hominum fabricati penè videantur , if god were not a necessary being of himself , he might almost seem to be made on purpose for the use and benefit of men ; so that atheism is not only an instance of the most horrible impiety , but of the greatest stupidity ; and for men to glory in their disbelief of a god , is like the rejoycing and triumph of a furious and besotted multitude , in the murder of a wise and good prince , the greatest calamity and confusion that could possibly have befaln them . if the evidence of god's being were not so clear as it is , yet the consideration of his goodness ought to check all inclination to atheism and infidelity ; for if he be as good as he is represented to us , both by natural light and divine revelation , ( and he is so , as sure as he is ) if he tender our welfare , and desire our happiness , as much as we our selves can do , and use all wise ways and proper means to bring it about , then it is plainly every man's interest , even thine , o sinner ! to whom after all thy provocations he is willing to be reconciled , that there should be such a being as god is , and when ever thou comest to thy self , thou wilt be sensible of thy want of him , and thy soul will thirst for god , even the living god , and pant after him , as the hart pants after the water brooks ; in the day of thy affliction and calamity , when distress and anguish cometh upon thee , thou wilt flie to god for refuge , and shelter thy self under his protection , and wouldest not for all the world , but there were such a being in it , to help and deliver thee . deos nemo sanus timet ( says seneca ) furor est metuere salutaria , no man in his wits is afraid there is a god ; it is a madness to fear that , which is so much for our benefit and advantage . humane nature is conscious to it self of its own weakness and insufficiency , and of its necessary dependance upon something without it self for its happiness , and therefore in great extremity and distress , the atheist himself hath naturally recourse to him , and he who denyed and rejected him in his prosperity , clings to him in adversity , as his only support and present help in time of trouble . and this is a sure indication , that these men , after all their endeavours to impose upon themselves , have not been able wholly to extinguish in their minds the belief of god and his goodness ; nay it is a sign , that at the bottom of their hearts they have a firm perswasion of his goodness , when after all their insolent defiance of him , they have the confidence to apply themselves to him for mercy , and help in time of need ; and therefore our hearts ought to rise with indignation against those who go about to perswade the belief of a thing so prejudicial to our interest , to take away the light of our eyes , and the breath of our nostrils , and to rob us of all the comfort and support , which the belief of an infinite power , conducted by infinite wisdom and goodness , is apt to afford to mankind . ii. we should take great care of perverting and abusing this great goodness by vain confidence and presumption . this is a provocation of an high nature , which the scripture calls , turning the grace of god into wantonness , making that an encouragement to sin , which is one of the strongest arguments in the world against it . god is infinitely good and merciful ; but we must not therefore think , that he is fond and indulgent to our faults ; but on the contrary , because he is good , he cannot but hate evil . so the scripture every where tells us , that he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ; that the face of the lord is against them that do evil ; he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him ; the foolish shall not stand in his fight , he hateth all the workers of iniquity . he is ready to shew mercy to those , who are qualified for it by repentance , and resolution of a better course ; but as long as we continue impenitent , god is implacable , and will deal with us according to the tenor of his laws , and the desert of our doings . despair is a great sin , but presumption is a greater ; despair doubts of the goodness of god , but presumption abuseth it ; despair disbelieves , but presumption perverts the best thing in the world to a quite contrary purpose from what it was intended . iii. the consideration of god's goodness is a mighty comfort and relief to our minds , under all our fears and troubles . great are the fears and jealousies of many devout minds concerning god's love to them , and their everlasting condition ; which are commonly founded in one of these two causes , a melancholy temper , or mistaken notions and apprehensions of god ; and very often these two meet together , and hinder the cure and removal of one another . melancholy as it is an effect of bodily temper , is a disease not to be cured by reason and argument , but by physick and time ; but the mistakes which men have entertained concerning god , if they be not set on and heightned by melancholy ( as many times they are ) may be rectified by a true representation of the goodness of god , confirmed by reason and scripture . many good men have had very hard and injurious thoughts of god instill'd into them , from doctrines too commonly taught and received ; as if he did not sincerely desire the happiness of his creatures , but had from all eternity decreed to make the greatest part of mankind , with a secret purpose and design to make them miserable ; and consequently were not serious and in good earnest in his invitations and exhortations of sinners to repentance ; and it is no wonder if such jealousies as these concerning god , make men doubtful whether god love them , and very scrupulous and anxious about their everlasting condition . i have already told you , that these harsh doctrines have no manner of foundation , either in reason or scripture ; that god earnestly desires our happiness , and affords us sufficient means to that end ; that he bears a more hearty good will to us , than any man does to his friend , or any father upon earth ever did to his dearest child ; in comparison of which , the greatest affection of men to those whom they love best , is but as the drop of the bucket , as the very small dust upon the balance . if we have right apprehensions of god's goodness , we can have no temptation to despair of his kind and merciful intentions to us , provided we be but careful of our duty to him , and do sincerely repent and forsake our sins . plainer declarations no words can make , than those we meet with in the holy scriptures , that god hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live ; that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth ; that he is long suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance ; that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy ; that if the wicked forsake his ways , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and return unto the lord , he will have mercy , and will abundantly pardon . as for outward calamities and afflictions , the consideration of god's goodness is a firm ground of consolation to us , giving us assurance , that god will either prevent them by his providence , or support us under them , or rescue us out of them , or turn them to our greater good and happiness in this world or the next . st. paul speaks of it as the firm belief and perswasion of all good men , that in the issue all their afflictions should prove to their advantage . we know ( says he ) that all things shall work together for good to them that love god ; and one of the greatest evidences of our love to god , is a firm belief and perswasion of his goodness ; if we believe his goodness , we cannot but love him , and if we love him , all things shall work together for our good . and this is a great cordial to those who are under grievous persecutions and sufferings , which is the case of our brethren in a neighbour nation , and may come to be ours , god knows how soon . but tho' the malice of men be great , and backt with a power not to be control'd by any visible means , and therefore likely to continue ; yet the goodness of god is greater than the malice of men , and of a longer duration and continuance . and thus david comforted himself , when he was persecuted by saul , psal . . . why boasteth thou thy self in mischief , o mighty man ? the goodness of god endureth continually . the persecution which saul raised against him was very powerful , and lasted a long time ; but he comforts himself with this , that the goodness of god endures for ever . iv. the consideration of god's goodness , is a powerful motive and argument to several duties . . to the love of god. and this is the most proper and natural effect and operation of the goodness of god upon our minds . several of the divine attributes are very awful , but goodness is amiable , and without this nothing else is so . power and wisdom may command dread and admiration ; but nothing but goodness can challenge our love and affection . goodness is amiable for it self , tho' no benefit and advantage should from thence redound to us ; but when we find the comfortable effects of it , when the riches of god's goodness , and long-suffering , and forbearance , are laid out upon us , when we live upon that goodness , and are indebted to it for all that we have and hope for , this is a much greater endearment to us of that excellency and perfection , which was amiable for it self . we cannot but love him who is good , and does us good ; whose goodness extends to all his creatures , but is exercised in so peculiar a manner towards the sons of men , that it is called love ; and if god vouchsafe to love us , well may this be the first and great commandment , thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thine heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind . . the consideration of god's goodness is likewise an argument to us to fear him ; not as a slave does his master , but as a child does his father , who the more he loves him , the more afraid is he to offend him . there is forgiveness with thee ( saith the psalmist ) that thou mayest be feared ; because god is ready to forgive , we should be afraid to offend . men shall fear the lord , and his goodness , ( saith the prophet ) hosea . . and indeed nothing is more to be dreaded , than despised goodness and abused patience , which turns into fury and vengeance ; despisest thou the riches of his goodness , and long-suffering , and forbearance , ( says the apostle ) and treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god ? . the consideration of god's goodness , is a powerful motive to obedience to his laws , and as the apostle expresseth it , to walk worthy of the lord unto all well pleasing , being fruitful in every good work . this argument samuel useth to the people of israel , to perswade them to obedience , sam. . . only fear the lord , and serve him in truth , with all your heart : for consider what great things all he hath done for you . and indeed the laws which god hath given us , are one of the chief instances of his goodness to us , since they all tend to our good , and are proper causes and means of our . happiness ; so that in challenging our obedience to his laws , as acknowledgments of our obligation to him for his . benefits , he lays a new obligation , and confers a greater benefit upon us . all that his laws require of us , is to do that which is best for our selves , and does most directly conduce to our own welfare and happiness . considering our infinite obligations to god , he might have challenged our obedience to the severest and harshest laws he could have imposed upon us ; so that as the servants said to naaman , had the prophet bid thee do some great thing , wouldst thou not have done it ? how much more when he hath only said , wash and be clean ? if god had required of us things very grievous and burthensome , in love and gratitude to him , we ought to have yielded a ready and chearful obedience to such commands ; how much more , when he hath only said , do this and be happy ? in testimony of your love to me , do these things which are the greatest kindness and benefit to your selves . . the goodness of god should lead men to repentance . one of the greatest aggravations of our sins is , that we offend against so much goodness , and make so bad a requital for it ; do ye thus requite the lord , o foolish people and unwise ! the proper tendency of god's goodness and patience to sinners , is to bring them to a sense of their miscarriage , and to a resolution of a better course . when we reflect upon the blessings and favours of god , and his continual goodness to us , can we chuse but be ashamed of our terrible ingratitude and disobedience ? nothing is more apt to make an ingenuous nature to relent , than the sense of undeserved kindness ; that god should be so good to us , who are evil and unthankful to him ; that tho' we be enemies to him , yet when we hunger , he feeds us ; when we thirst , he gives us to drink ; heaping as it were coals of fire on our heads , on purpose to melt us into repentance , and to overcome our evil by his goodness . . the consideration of god's goodness , is a firm ground of trust and confidence . what may we not hope and assuredly expect from immense and boundless goodness ? if we have right apprehensions of the goodness of god , we cannot possibly distrust him , or doubt of the performance of those gracious promises which he hath made to us ; the same goodness which inclined him to make such promises , will effectually ingage him to make them good . if god be so good as he hath declared himself , why should we think that he will not help us in our need , and relieve us in our distress , and comfort us in our afflictions and sorrows ? if we may with confidence rely upon any thing to confer good upon us , and to preserve and deliver us from evil , we may trust infinite goodness . . the goodness of god is likewise an argument to us to patience and contentedness with every condition . if the hand of god be severe and heavy upon us in any affliction , we may be assured that it is not without great cause , that so much goodness is so highly offended and displeased with us ; that he designs our good in all the evils he sends upon us , and does not chasten us for his pleasure , but for our profit ; that we are the cause of our own sufferings , and our sins separate between god and us , and with-hold good things from us ; that in the final issue and result of things , all things shall work together for good to us ; and therefore we ought not to be discontented at any thing which will certainly end in our happiness . . let us imitate the goodness of god. the highest perfection of the best and most perfect being is worthy to be our pattern . this the scripture frequently proposeth to us ; math. . . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . how is that ? in being good , and kind , and merciful , as god is . but i say unto you ( says our lord ) love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them which despightfully use you , and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil , and on the good , and sendeth rain on the just , and on the unjust . and then it follows , be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is heaven is perfect . the same pattern st. paul proposeth to us , eph. . . and ch. . . be ye kind one to another , tender hearted ; forgiving one another , even as god for christ's sake hath forgiven you . be ye therefore followers of god as dear children , and walk in love . we cannot in any thing resemble god more , than in goodness , and kindness , and mercy , and in a readiness to forgive those who have been injurious to us , and to be reconciled to them . let us then often contemplate this perfection of god , and represent it to our minds , that by the frequent contemplation of it , we may be transformed into the image of the divine goodness . is god so good to his creatures ? with how much greater reason should we be so to our fellow creatures . is god good to us ? let us imitate his universal goodness , by endeavouring the good of mankind ; and , as much as in us lies , of the whole creation of god. what god is to us , and what we would have him still be to us , that let us be to others . we are infinitely beholding to this perfection of god for all that we are , and for all that we enjoy , and for all that we expect ; and therefore we have all the reason in the world to admire and imitate it . let this pattern of the divine goodness be continually before us , that we may be still fashioning our selves in the temper of our minds , and in the actions of our lives , to a likeness and conformity to it . lastly , the consideration of the divine goodness , should excite our praise and thankfulness . this is a great duty , to the performance whereof we should summon all the powers and faculties of our souls , as the holy psalmist does , psal . . bless the lord , o my soul , and all that is within me , bless his holy name . bless the lord , o my soul , and forget not all his benefits . and we should invite all others to the same work , as the same devout psalmist frequently does , psal . . o give thanks unto the lord ! for he is good , for his mercy endureth for ever . and psal . . o that men would therefore praise the lord for his goodness , and for his wonderful works to the children of men ! and we had need to be often call'd upon to this duty , to which we have a peculiar backwardness . necessity drives us to prayer , and sends us to god for the supply of our wants ; but praise and thanksgiving is a duty which depends upon our gratitude and ingenuity ; and nothing sooner wears off , than the sense of kindness and benefits . we are very apt to forget the blessings of god , not so much from a bad memory , as from a bad nature ; to forget the greatest blessings , the continuance whereof should continually put us in mind of them ; the blessings of our beings ; so god complains of his people , deut. . of the god that formed thee , thou hast been unmindful ; the dignity and excellency of our beings above all the creatures of this visible world ; job . , . none saith , where is god my maker ? who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth , and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ? the daily comforts and blessings of our lives , which we can continually receive , without almost ever looking up to the hand that gives them . so god complains by the prophet , hosea . , . she knew not that i gave her corn , and wine , and oyl , and multiplied her gold and silver . and is it not shameful to see how at the most plentiful tables , the giving of god thanks is almost grown out of fashion ; as if men were ashamed to own from whence these blessings came . when thanks is all god expects from us , can we not afford to give him that ? do ye thus requite the lord , foolish people and unwise ! it is just with god to take away his blessings from us , if we deny him this easie tribute of praise and thanksgiving . it is a sign men are unfit for heaven , when they are backward to that which is the proper work and imployment of the blessed spirits above . therefore as ever we hope to come thither , let us begin this work here , and inure our selves to that which will be the great business of all eternity . let us with the four and twenty elders in the revelation , fall down before him that sits on the throne , and worship him that liveth for ever and ever , and cast our crowns before the throne ( that is , cast our selves ) and ascribe all glory to god ; saying , thou art worthy o lord , to receive glory , and honour , and power for thou hast made all things , and for thy pleasure they are , and were created . to him therefore , the infinite and inexhaustible fountain of goodness , the father of mercies , and the god of all consolation , who gave us such excellent beings , having made made us little lower than the angels , and crowned us with glory and honour ; who hath been pleased to stamp upon us the image of his own goodness , and thereby made us partakers of a divine nature , communicating to us , not only of the effects of his goodness , but in some measure and degree of the perfection it self ; to him who gives us all things richly to enjoy , which pertain to life and godliness , and hath made such abundant provision , not only for our comfort and convenience in this present life , but for our unspeakable happiness to all eternity ; to him who designed this happiness to us from all eternity , and whose mercy and goodness to us endures for ever ; who when by willful transgressions and disobedience , we had plunged our selves into a state of sin and misery , and had forfeited that happiness which we were designed to , was pleased to restore us to a new capacity of it , by sending his only son to take our nature with the miseries and infirmities of it , to live among us , and to die for us ; in a word , to him who is infinitely good to us , not only contrary to our deserts , but beyond our hopes , who renews his mercy upon us every morning , and is patient tho' we provoke him every day , who preserves and provides for us , and spares us continually , who is always willing , always watchful , and never weary to do us good ; to him be all glory and honour , adoration and praise , love and obedience , now and for ever . sermon v. the mercy of god. numb. xiv . . the lord is long suffering , and of great mercy . i have considered god's goodness in general . there are two eminent branches of it , his patience and mercy . the patience of god is his goodness to them that are guilty , in deferring or moderating their deserved punishment ; the mercy of god is his goodness to them that are or may be miserable . 't is the last of these two i design to discourse of at this time ; in doing which , i shall inquire , first , what we are to understand by the mercy of god. secondly , shew you , that this perfection belongs to god. thirdly , consider the degree of it , that god is of great mercy . first , what we are to understand by the mercy of god. i told you it is his goodness to them that are in misery , or liable to it ; that is , that are in danger of it , or have deserved it . 't is mercy to prevent the misery that we are liable to , and which may befal us , tho' it be not actually upon us . 't is mercy to defer the misery that we deserve , or mitigate it ; and this is properly patience and forbearance . 't is mercy to relieve those that are in misery , to support or comfort them . 't is mercy to remit the misery we deserve , and by pardon and forgiveness to remove and take away the obligation to punishment . thus the mercy of god is usually in scripture set forth to us by the affection of pity and compassion , which is an affection that causeth a sensible commotion and disturbance in us , upon the apprehension of some great evil that lies upon another , or hangs over him . hence it is that god is said in scripture to be grieved and afflicted for the miseries of men ; his bowels are said to sound , and his heart to turn within him . but tho' god is pleased in this manner to set forth his mercy and tenderness towards us , yet we must take heed how we cloath the divine nature with the infirmities of human passions . we must not measure the perfection of god by the expressions of his condescention ; and because he stoops to our weakness , level him to our infirmities . when god is said to pity us , we must take away the imperfection of this passion , the commotion and disturbance of it , and not imagine any such thing in god ; but we are to conceive , that the mercy and compassion of god , without producing the disquiet , do produce the effects of the most sensible pity . secondly , that this perfection belongs to god. all the arguments that i used to prove the goodness of god , from the acknowledgment of natural light , and from scripture and reason , serve to prove that he is merciful ; because the mercy of god is an eminent branch of his goodness . i will only produce some of those many texts of scripture which attribute this perfection to god. exod. . . the lord , the lord god , gracious and merciful . deut. . the lord thy god is a merciful god. chron. . . the lord your god is gracious and merciful . neh. . . ready to pardon , gracious and merciful . psal . . . all the paths of the lord are mercy . psal . . . vnto thee , o lord , belongeth mercy . psal . . . merciful and gracious . psal . . . with the lord there is mercy . and so jer. . . joel . . jonah . . luke . . be ye therefore merciful , as your father also is merciful . the scripture speaks of this as most natural to him , cor. . . he is called the father of mercies . but when he punisheth , he doth as it were relinquish his nature , and do a strange work . the lord will wait that he may be gracious , isa . . . god passeth by opportunities of punishing , but his mercy takes opportunity to display it self ; he waits to be gracious . to afflict or punish is a work that god is unwilling to , that he takes no pleasure in ; lam. . . he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men . but mercy is a work that he delights in , mic. . . he delighteth in mercy . when god shews mercy , he does it with pleasure and delight ; he is said to rejoyce over his people to do them good . those attributes that declare god's goodness , as when he is said to be gracious , or merciful , and long-suffering , they shew what god is in himself , and delights to be : those which declare his wrath and severity , shew what he is upon provocation , and the occasion of sin ; not what he chuseth to be , but what we do as it were compel and necessitate him to be . thirdly , for the degree of it ; that god is a god of great mercy . the scripture doth delight to advance the mercy of god , and does use great variety of expression to magnifie it . it speaks of the greatness of his mercy , numb . . . according to the greatness of his mercy . sam. . . let me fall into the hands of the lord , for his mercies are great . 't is call'd an abundant mercy , pet. . . according to his abundant mercy . psal . . . he is said to be plenteous in mercy ; and rich in mercy , eph. . . psal . . . he speaks of the multitude of god's mercies ; and of the variety of them , neh. . . in thy manifold mercies thou forsookest them not . so many are they , that we are said to be surrounded and campassed about on every side with them ; psal . . . who crowneth us with loving kindness and tender mercies . and yet further to set forth the greatness of them , the scripture useth all dimensions . heighth , psal . . . thy mercy is great unto the heavens . nay , higher yet ; psal . . . thy mercy is great above the heavens . for the latitude and extent of it , 't is as large as the earth , and extends to all the creatures in it ; psal . . . the earth is full of thy mercy . psal . . . his tender mercies are over all his works . for the length , or duration and continuance of it ; exod. . . laying up mercy in store for thousands of generations , one after another . nay , it is of a longer continuance ; psal . . 't is several times repeated , that his mercy endureth for ever . and to shew the intense degree of this affection of mercy or pity , the scripture useth several emphatical expressions to set it forth to us . the scripture speaks of the tender mercies of god , psal . . . remember , o lord , thy tender mercies . yea , of the multitude of these , psal . . . according to the multitude of thy tender mercies , blot out my transgressions . jam. . . the lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy . they are called god's bowels , which are the tenderest parts , and apt to yern and stir in us when any affections of love and pity are excited , is . . . where is the sounding of thy bowels , and of thy mercies , are they restrained ? luke . . through the tender mercy of our god. so it is in our translation ; but if we render it from the original , 't is through the bowels of the mercies of our god. how doth god condescend in those pathetical expressions , which he useth concerning his people ? hos . . . how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? mine heart is turned within me , and my repentings are kindled together . nay , to express his tender sense of our miseries and sufferings , he is represented as being afflicted with us , and bearing a part in our sufferings ; isa , . . in all their afflictions he was afflicted . the compassions of god are compared to the tenderest affections among men ; to that of a father towards his children ; psal . . . as a father pitieth his children , so the lord pitieth them that fear him . nay , to the compassions of a mother towards her infant ; isa . . . can a woman forget her sucking child , that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? yea she may , 't is possible , tho' most unlikely : but tho' a mother may turn unnatural ; yet god cannot be unmerciful . in short , the scripture doth every where magnifie the mercy of god , and speak of it with all possible advantage ; as if the divine nature , which doth in all perfections excel all others , did in this excel it self . the scripture speaks of it as if god was wholly taken up with it , as if it was his constant exercise and employment , so that in comparison of it , he doth hardly display any other excellency ; psal . . . all the paths of the lord are mercy ; as if in this world god had a design to advance his mercy above his other attributes . the mercy of god is now in the throne , this is the day of mercy , and god doth display it many times with a seeming dishonour to his other attributes , his justice , and holiness , and truth . his justice ; this makes job complain of the long life and prosperity of the wicked ; job . . wherefore do the wicked live , yea become old ? &c. his holiness ; this makes the prophet expostulate with god , hab. . . thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil , and canst not look on iniquity . wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously , and holdest thy tongue ? &c. and the truth of god ; this makes jonah complain , as if god's mercies were such , as did make some reflection upon his truth , jon. . . but that we may have more distinct apprehensions of the greatness and number of god's mercies , i will distribute them into kinds , and rank them under several heads . 't is mercy to prevent those evils and miseries that we are liable to . 't is mercy to defer those evils that we have deserved , or to mitigate them . 't is mercy to support and comfort us when misery is upon us . 't is mercy to deliver us from them . but the greatest mercy of all is , to remit the evil and misery we have deserved , by pardon and forgiveness , to remove and take away the obligation to punishment ; so that the mercy of god may be reduced to these five heads . i. preventing mercy . many evils and miseries which we are liable to , god prevents them at a great distance ; and when they are coming towards us , he stops them or turns them another way . the merciful providence of god , and those invisible guards which protect us , do divert many evils from us , which fall upon others . we seldom take notice of god's preventing mercy ; we are not apt to be sensible how great a mercy it is to be freed from those straits and necessities , those pains and diseases of body , those inward racks and horrours , which others are pressed withal and labour under . when any evil or misery is upon us , would we not reckon it a mercy to be rescued and delivered from it ? and is it not a greater mercy that we never felt it ? does not that man owe more to his physician who prevents his sickness and distemper , than he who after the weakness and languishing , the pains and tortures of several months , is at length cured by him ? ii. forbearing mercy . and this is the patience of god , which consists in the deferring or moderating of our deserved punishment . hence it is that slow to anger , and of great mercy , do so often go together . but this i shall speak to hereafter in some particular discourses . iii. comforting mercy . cor. . . the father of mercies , and the god of all comfort . the scripture represents god as very merciful , in comforting and supporting those that are afflicted and cast down ; hence are those expressions of putting his arms under us , bearing us up , speaking comfortably , visiting us with his loving kindness , which signifie god's merciful regard to those who are in misery and distress . iv. his relieving mercy , in supplying those that are in want , and delivering those that are in trouble . god doth many times exercise men with troubles and afflictions , with a very gracious and merciful design , to prevent greater evils , which men would otherwise bring upon themselves . afflictions are a merciful invention of heaven to do us that good , which nothing else can ; they awaken us to a sense of god , and of our selves , to a consideration of the evil of our ways ; they make us to take notice of god , to seek him , and enquire after him . god doth as it were by afflictions throw men upon their backs to make them look up to heaven ; hos . . . in their affliction they will seek me early . psal . . . when he slew them , then they sought him , and they returned , and enquired early after god. but god does not delight in this , he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men . when afflictions have accomplished their work , and obtained their end upon us , god is very ready to remove them , and command deliverance for us ; isa . . , . for a small moment have i forsaken thee ; but with great mercies will i gather thee . in a little wrath i hid my face from thee ; but with everlasting kindness will i have mercy on thee , saith the lord thy redeemer . v. pardoning mercy . and here the greatness and fullness of god's mercy appears , because our sins are great ; psal . . . being full of compassion , he forgave their iniquity . and the multitude of god's mercies , because our sins are many , psal . . . have mercy on me , o lord , according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions . exod. . . he is said to pardon iniquity , transgression , and sin . how many fold are his mercies , to forgive all our sins , of what kind so ever ! the mercy of god to us in pardoning our sins , is matter of astonishment and admiration ; mic. . . who is a god like unto thee , that pardoneth iniquity ! but especially if we consider by what means our pardon is procured ; by transferring our guilt upon the most innocent person , the son of god , and making him to bear our iniquities , and to suffer the wrath of god which was due to us . the admirable contrivance of god's mercy appears in this dispensation ; this shews the riches of his grace , that he should be at so much cost to purchase our pardon , not with corruptible things , as silver and gold ; but with the precious blood of his own son ; eph. . , . to the praise of the glory of his grace , wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved ; in whom we have redemption through his blood , the forgiveness of sins , according to the riches of his grace . having dispatch'd the three particulars i propos'd to be spoken to , i shall shew what use we ought to make of this divine attribute . vse . we ought with thankfulness to acknowledge and admire the great mercy of god to us . let us view it in all its dimensions ; the heighth , and length , and breadth of it : in all the variety and kinds of it ; the preventing mercy of god to many of us . those miseries that lye upon others , 't is mercy to us that we escaped them . 't is mercy that spares us . it is of the lord's mercies that we are not consumed , and because his compassions fail not . 't is mercy that mitigates our punishment , and makes it fall below the desert of our sins . 't is mercy that comforts and supports us under any of those evils that lye upon us , and that rescues and delivers us from them . which way so ever we look , we are encompassed with the mercies of god ; they compass us about on every side , we are crowned with loving kindness and tender mercies . 't is mercy that feeds us , and cloaths us , and that preserves us . but above all we should thankfully acknowledge and admire the pardoning mercy of god ; ps . . , , . where david does as it were muster up the mercies of god , and make a catalogue of them , he sets the pardoning mercy in the front ; bless ye the lord , o my soul , and all that is within me praise his holy name . bless the lord , o my soul , and forget not all his benefits ; who forgiveth all thy iniquities . if we look into our selves , and consider our own temper and disposition , how void of pity and bowels we are , how cruel , and hard hearted , and insolent , and revengeful ; if we look abroad into the world , and see how full the earth is of the habitations of cruelty ; we shall admire the mercy of god more , and think our selves more beholden to it . how many things must concur to make our hearts tender , and melt our spirits , and stir our bowels , to make us pitiful and compassionate ? we seldom pity any unless they be actually in misery ; nor all such neither , unless the misery they lye under be very great ; nor then neither , unless the person that suffers be nearly related , and we be someways concerned in his sufferings ; yea , many times not then neither , upon a generous account , but as we are someways obliged by interest and self-love , and a dear regard to our selves , when we have suffered the like our selves , and have learnt to pity others by our own sufferings , or when in danger and probability to be in the like condition our selves ; so many motives and obligations are necessary to awaken and stir up this affection in us . but god is merciful and pitiful to us , out of the mere goodness of his nature ; for few of these motives and considerations can have any place in him . this affection of pity and tenderness is stirred up in god by the mere presence of the object , without any other inducement . the mercy of god many times doth not stay till we be actually miserable ; but looks forward a great way , and pities us at a great distance , and prevents our misery . god doth not only pity us in great calamities ; but considers those lesser evils that are upon us . god is merciful to us , when we have deserved all the evils that are upon us , and far greater , when we are less than the least of all his mercies , when we deserved all the misery that is upon us , and have with violent hands pulled it upon our own heads , and have been the authors and procurers of it to our selves . tho' god , in respect of his nature , be at an infinite distance from us , yet his mercy is near to us , and he cannot possibly have any self-interest in it . the divine nature is not liable to want , or injury , or suffering ; he is secure of his own happiness and fullness , and can neither wish the inlargement nor fear the impairment of his estate ; he can never stand in need of pity or relief from us or any other ; and yet he pities us . now if we consider the vast difference of this affection in god and us , how tender his mercies are , and how sensible his bowels ; and yet we who have so many arguments to move us to pity , how hard our hearts are , and how unapt to relent , as if we were born of the rock , and were the off-spring of the nether milstone ; sure when we duly consider this , we cannot but admire the mercy of god. how cruel are we to creatures below us ! with how little remorse can we kill a flea , or tread upon a worm ? partly because we are secure that they cannot hurt us , nor revenge themselves upon us ; and partly because they are so despicable in our eyes , and so far below us , that they do not fall under the consideration of our pity . look upward , proud man ! and take notice of him who is above thee , thou didst not make the creatures below thee as god did , there 's but a finite distance between thee and the meanest creatures ; but there 's an infinite distance between thee and god. man is a name of dignity , when we compare our selves with other creatures ; but compared to god , we are worms , and not men ; yea , we are nothing , yea , less than nothing and vanity . how great then is the mercy of god , which regards us , who are so far below him , which takes into consideration such inconsiderable nothings as we are ! we may say with david , ps . . . lord ! what is man , that thou art so mindful of him , or the son of man that thou visitest him ! and with job . . what is man that thou shouldest magnifie him , and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him ! and then how hard do we find it to forgive those who have injured us ? if any one have offended , or provoked us ; how hard are we to be reconciled ? how mindful of an injury ? how do anger and revenge boyl within us ? how do we upbraid men with their faults ? what vile and low submission do we require of them , before we will receive them into favour , and grant them peace ? and if we forgive once , we think that is much ; but if an offence and provocation be renewed often , we are inexorable . even the disciples of our saviour , after he had so emphatically taught them forgiveness , in the petition in the lord's prayer , yet they had very narrow spirits as to this ; matth. . . peter comes to him , and asks him , how often shall my brother sin against me , and i forgive him ? till seven times ? he thought that was much : and yet we have great obligations to pardoning and forgiving others , because we are obnoxious to god and one another , we shall many times stand in need of pardon from god and men ; and it may be our own case , and when it is , we are too apt to be very indulgent to our selves , and conceive good hopes of the mercy of others ; we would have our ignorance , and inadvertencies , and mistakes , and all occasions and temptations and provocations considered ; and when we have done amiss , upon submission and acknowledgment of our fault , we would be received into favour : but god who is not at all liable to us , how ready is he to forgive ! if we confess our sins to him , he is merciful to forgive ; he pardons freely ; and such are the condescentions of his mercy , tho' he be the party offended , yet he offers pardon to us , and beseeches us to be reconcil'd ; if we do but come towards him , he runs to meet us , as in the parable of the prodigal , luke . . what reason have we then thankfully to acknowledge and admire the mercy of god to us ? vse . the great mercy of god to us , should stir up in us shame and sorrow for sin. the judgments of god may break us ; but the consideration of god's mercy should rather melt and dissolve us into tears , luke . . the woman that washed christ's feet with her tears , and wiped them with her hair , the account that our saviour gives of the great affection that she expressed to him , was , she loved much , because much was forgiven her ; and she grieved much , because much was forgiven her . especially we should sorrow for those sins , which have been committed by us after god's mercies received . mercies after sins should touch our hearts , and make us relent . it should grieve us that we should offend and provoke a god so gracious and merciful , so slow to anger , and so ready to forgive : but sin against mercies , and after we have received them , is attended with one of the greatest aggravations of sin. and as mercy raises the guilt of our sins , so it should raise our sorrow for them . no consideration is more apt to work upon human nature , than that of kindness , and the greater mercy has been shewed to us , the greater our sins , and the greater cause of sorrow for them ; contraries do illustrate , and set off one another ; in the great goodness and mercy of god to us , we see the great evil of our sins against him . every sin has the nature of rebellion and disobedience ; but sins against mercy have ingratitude in them . when ever we break the laws of god , we rebel against our soveraign ; but as we sin against the mercies of god , we injure our benefactor . this makes our sin to be horrid , and astonishing , isa . . . hear , o heavens ! and give ear , o earth ! i have nourished and brought up children , and they have rebelled against me . all the mercies of god are aggravations of our sins , sam. . , , . and nathan said to david , thus saith the lord god of israel , i anointed thee king over israel , and delivered thee out of the hands of saul , and i gave thee thy masters house , and thy masters wives into thy bosom , and gave thee the house of isreal , and of judah , and if that had been too little , i would moreover have given thee such and such things . wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the lord , to do evil in his sight ? god reckons up all his mercies , and from them aggravates david's sin ; kings . . he takes notice of all the unkind returns that we make to his mercy ; and 't is the worst temper in the world not to be wrought upon by kindness , not to be melted by mercy ; no greater evidence of a wicked heart , than that the mercies of god have no effect upon it ; esay . . let favour be shewn to the wicked ; yet will he not learn righteousness . vse . let us imitate the merciful nature of god. this branch of god's goodness is very proper for our imitation . the general exhortation of our saviour , matt. . . be ye therefore perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect , is more particularly expressed by st. luke , luke . . be ye therefore merciful , as your father which is in heaven is merciful . men affect to make images , and impossible representations of god ; but as seneca saith , crede deòs , cùm propitii essent , fictiles fuisse . we may draw this image and likeness of god ; we may be gracious and merciful as he is . christ , who was the express image of his father , his whole life and undertaking was a continued work of mercy ; he went about doing good to the souls of men , by preaching the gospel to them ; and to the bodies of men , in healing all manner of diseases . there is nothing that he recommends more to us in his gospel than this spirit and temper ; mat. . . blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy . how many parables doth he use to set forth the mercy of god to us , with a design to draw us to the imitation of it ? the parable of the prodigal ; of the good samaritan ; of the servant to whom he forgave talents . we should imitate god in this ; in being tender and compassionate to those that are in misery . this is a piece of natural , indispensable religion , to which positive and instituted religion must give way ; amos . . i desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; which is twice cited and used by our saviour . micah . . . he hath shewed thee , o man , what it is that the lord thy god requires of thee , to do justice , and love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god. this is always one part of the description of a good man , that he is apt to pity the miseries and necessities of others . psal . . . he is ever merciful and lendeth . he is far from cruelty , not only to men , but even to the brute creatures ; prov. . . a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast . there is nothing more contrary to the nature of god , than a cruel and savage disposition , not to be affected with the miseries and sufferings of others ; how unlike is this to the father of mercies , and the god of consolation ! when we can see cruelty exercised , and our bowels not be stirred within us , nor our hearts be pricked ; how unlike is this to god , who is very pitiful , and of tender mercies ! but to rejoyce at the miseries of others , this is inhumane and barbarous . hear how god threatens edom for rejoycing at the miseries of his brother jacob ; obadiah , , , , . but to delight to make others miserable , and to aggravate their sufferings , this is devilish ; this is the temper of hell , and the very spirit of the destroyer . it becomes man above all other creatures to be merciful , who hath had such ample and happy experience of god's mercy to him , and doth still continually stand in need of mercy from god. god hath been very merciful to us . had it not been for the tender mercies of god to us , we had all of us long since been miserable . now as we have receiv'd mercy from god , we should shew it to others . the apostle useth this as an argument why we should relieve those that are in misery and want , because we have had such experience of the mercy and love of god to us ; john . , . hereby perceive we the love of god , because he laid down his life for us . but whoso hath this worlds goods , and seeth his brother have need , &c. how dwelleth the love of god in him ? that man hath no sense of the mercy of god abiding upon his heart , that is not merciful to his brother . and 't is an argument why we should forgive one another ; eph. . . be ye kind one to another , tender hearted , forgiving one another , even as god for christ's sake hath forgiven you . chap. . . be ye therefore followers of god as dear children . col. . , . put on therefore ( as the elect of god holy and beloved ) bowels of mercies , kindness , humbleness of mind , meekness , long-suffering , forbearing one another , and forgiving one another , if any man have a quarrel against any : even as christ forgave you , so also do ye . and we continually stand in need of mercy both from god and man. we are lyable one to another , and in the change of human affairs , we may be all subject to one another by turns , and stand in need of one anothers pity and compassion ; and we must expect , that with what measure we mete to others , with the same it shall be measured to us again . to restrain the cruelties , and check the insolencies of men , god has so order'd in his providence , that very often in this world mens cruelties return upon their own heads , and their violent dealings upon their own pates . bajazet meets with a tamerlane . but if men were not thus liable to one another , we all stand in need of mercy from god. if we be merciful to others in suffering , and forgiving them that have injured us , god will be so to us , he will pardon our sins to us . prov. . . by mercy and truth iniquity is purged . . sam. . . with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful . prov. . . he that hath mercy on the poor , happy is he . prov. . . he that followeth after mercy findeth life . matth. . . if ye forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will also forgive you . but on the other hand , if we be malicious and revengeful , and implacable to those that have offended us , and inexorable to those who desire to be received to favour , and cruel to those who lye at our mercy , hard hearted to them that are in necessity ; what can we expect , but that the mercy of god will leave us , that he will forget to be gracious , and shut up in anger his tender mercy . mat. . . if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses . that is a dreadful passage , s. james . . he shall have judgment without mercy , that hath shewed no mercy . how angry is the lord with the servant who was so inexorable to his fellow servant , after he had forgiven him so great a debt , as you find in the parable , mat. . . he owed him ten thousand talents , and upon his submission and intreaty to have patience with him , he was moved with compassion and loosed him , and forgave him all : but no sooner had this favour been done to him by his lord , but going forth he meets his fellow servant , who owed him a small inconsiderable debt , an hundred pence , he lays hands on him , and takes him by the throat , and roundly demands payment of him ; he falls down at his feet , and useth the same form of supplication that he had used to his lord , but he rejects his request , and puts him in prison . now what saith the lord to him ? v. , , . o thou wicked servant , i forgave thee all the debt , because thou desiredst me . shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant , even as i had pity on thee ? and the lord was wroth , and deliver'd him to the tormentors , till he should pay all that was due unto him . now what application doth our saviour make of this ? v. . so likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you , if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses . god's readiness to forgive us should be a powerful motive and argument to us to forgive others . the greatest injuries that we can suffer from men , if we compare them to the sins that we commit against god , they bear no proportion to them , neither in weight nor number ; they are but as an hundred pence to ten thousand talents . if we would be like god , we should forgive the greatest injuries ; he pardoneth our sins tho' they be exceeding great : many injuries , tho' offences be renewed , and provocations multiplied ; for so god doth to us , he pardoneth iniquity , transgression , and sin , ex. . . is . . . he will have mercy , he will abundantly pardon . we would not have god only to forgive us seven times , but seventy seven times , as often as we offend him : so should we forgive our brother . and we should not be backward to this work ; god is ready to forgive us ; neh. . . and we should do it heartily , not only in word , when we retain malice in our hearts , and while we say we forgive , carry on a secret design in our hearts of revenging our selves when we have opportunity ; but we should from our hearts forgive every one ; for so god doth to us , who when he forgives us , casts our iniquities behind his back , and throws them into the bottom of the sea , and blots out our transgression , so as to remember our iniquity no more . if we do not do thus , every time we put up the petition to god , forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us , we do not pray for mercy , but for judgment ; we invoke his wrath , and do not put up a prayer , but a dreadful imprecation against our selves ; we pronounce the sentence of our own condemnation , and importune god not to forgive us . vse . if the mercy of god be so great , this may comfort us against despair . sinners are apt to be dejected , when they consider their unworthiness , the nature and number of their sins , and the many heavy aggravations of them ; they are apt to say with cain , that their sin is greater than can be forgiven . but do not look only upon thy sins ; but upon the mercies of god. thou canst not be too sensible of the evil of sin , and of the desert of it ; but whilst we aggravate our sins , we must not lessen the mercies of god. when we consider the multitude of our sins , we must consider also the multitude of god's tender mercies ; we have been great sinners , and god is of great mercy ; we have multiplied our provocations , and he multiplies to pardon . do but thou put thy self in a capacity of mercy , by repenting of thy sins , and forsaking of them , and thou hast no reason to doubt but the mercy of god will receive thee ; if we confess our sins , he is merciful and faithful to forgive them . if we had offended man as we have done god , we might despair of pardon ; but it is god and not man that we have to deal with ; and his ways are not as our ways , nor his thoughts as our thoughts ; but as the heavens are high above the earth , so are his ways above our ways , and his thoughts above our thoughts . we cannot be more injurious to god , than by hard thoughts of him , as if fury were in him , and when we have provoked him , he were not to be appeased and reconciled to us . we disparage the goodness and truth of god , when we distrust those gracious declarations which he has made of his mercy and goodness , if we do not think that he doth heartily pity and compassionate sinners , and really dedesire their happiness . doth not he condescend so low as to represent himself afflicted for the miseries of men , and to rejoyce in the conversion of a sinner ? and shall not we believe that he is in good earnest ? doth christ weep over impenitent sinners , because they will not know the things of their peace ? and canst thou think he will not pardon thee upon thy repentance ? is he grieved that men will undo themselves , and will not be saved ? and canst thou think that he is unwilling to forgive ? we cannot honour and glorifie god more , than by entertaining great thoughts of his mercy . as we are said to glorifie god by our repentance , because thereby we acknowledge god's holiness and justice ; so we glorifie him by believing his mercy , because we conceive a right opinion of his goodness and truth ; we set to our seal that god is merciful and true ; psal . . . 't is said , that god taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy . as he delights in mercy , so in our acknowledgments of it ; that sinners should conceive great hopes of it , and believe him to be what he is . provided thou dost submit to the terms of god's mercy , thou hast no reason to despair of it ; and he that thinks that his sins are more or greater than the mercy of god can pardon , must think that there may be more evil in the creature than there is goodness in god. vse . by way of caution against the presumptuous sinner . if there be any that trespass upon the goodness of god , and presume to encourage themselves in sin upon the hopes of his mercy , let such know , that god is just as well as merciful . a god all of mercy is an idol , such a god as men set up in their own imaginations ; but not the true god , whom the scriptures describe . to such persons the scripture describes him after another manner ; nah. . . god is jealous , the lord revengeth and is furious , the lord will take vengeance on his adversaries , and reserveth wrath for his enemies . if any man abuse the mercy of god to the strengthning of himself in his own wickedness , and bless himself in his heart , saying , i shall have peace , tho' i walk in the imagination of my own heart , and add drunkeness to thirst : the lord will not spare him , but the anger of the lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man , and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him , and he will blot out his name from under heaven , deut. . , . though it be the nature of god to be merciful , yet the exercise of his mercy is regulated by his wisdom ; he will not be merciful to those that despise his mercy , to those that abuse it , to those that are resolved to go on in their sins to tempt his mercy , and make bold to say , let us sin that grace may abound . god designs his mercy for those that are prepared to receive it ; is . . . let the wicked forsake his ways , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and turn unto the lord , and he will have mercy , and to our god , for he will abundantly pardon . the mercy of god is an enemy to sin , as well as his justice ; and 't is no where offer'd to countenance sin , but to convert the sinner ; and is not intended to encourage our impenitency , but our repentance . god hath no where said that he will be merciful to those , who upon the score of his mercy are bold with him , and presume to offend him ; but the mercy of the lord is upon them that fear him , and keep his covenant , and remember his commandments to do them . there is forgiveness with him , that he may be feared ; but not that he may be despised and affronted . this is to contradict the very end of god's mercy , which is to lead us to repentance , to engage us to leave our sins , not to encourage us to continue in them . take heed then of abusing the mercy of god ; we cannot provoke the justice of god more than by presuming upon his mercy . this is the time of god's mercy , use this opportunity ; if thou neglectest it , a day of justice and vengeance is coming ; rom. . , . despisest thou the riches of his goodness , not knowing that the goodness of god leads to repentance ? and treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god ? now is the manifestation of god's mercy ; but there is a time a coming , when the righteous judgment of god will be revealed against those who abuse his mercy , not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth to repentance . to think that the goodness of god was intended for any other end than to take us off from sin , is a gross and affected ignorance that will ruin us ; and they who draw any conclusion from the mercy of god , which may harden them in their sins , they are such as the prophet speaks of , is . . . a people of no understanding ; therefore he that made them will not save them , and he that formed them will have no mercy on them . mercy it self will rejoyce in the ruin of those that abuse it , and it will aggravate their condemnation . there is no person towards whom god will be more severely just , than toward such . the justice of god exasperated , and set on by his injured and abused mercy , like a razor set in oyl , will have the keener edge , and be the sharper for its smoothness . those that have made the mercy of god their enemy , must expect the worst his justice can do unto them . sermon vi. the patience of god. pet. iii. . the lord is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness ; but is long-suffering , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . in the beginning of this chapter , the apostle puts the christians , to whom he writes , in mind of the predictions of the ancient prophets , and of the apostles of our lord and saviour , concerning the general judgment of the world , which by many ( and perhaps by the apostles themselves ) had been thought to be very near , and that it would presently follow the destruction of jerusalem ; but he tells them , that before that , there would arise a certain sect , or sort of men , that would deride the expectation of a future judgment , designing probably the carpocratians ( a branch of that large sect of the gnosticks ) of whom st. austin expressly says , that they denied the resurrection , and consequently a future judgment . these st. peter calls scoffers , v. , . knowing this first , that there shall come in the last days scoffers , walking after their own lusts , and saying , where is the promise of his coming ? the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies a declaration in general , whether it be by way of promise or threatning . what is become of that declaration of christ so frequently repeated in the gospel , concerning his coming to judgment ? for since the fathers fell asleep , or , saving that the fathers are fallen asleep , except only that men die , and one generation succeeds another , all things continue as they were from the creation of the world ; that is , the world continues still as it was from the beginning , and there is no sign of any such change and alteration as is foretold . to this he answers two things . . that these scoffers , tho' they took themselves to be wits , did betray great ignorance , both of the condition of the world , and of the nature of god. they talk'd very ignorantly concerning the world , when they said , all things continued as they were from the creation of it , when so remarkable a change had already hapned , as the destruction of it by water ; and therefore the prediction concerning the destruction of it by fire , before the great and terrible day of judgment , was no ways incredible . and they shewed themselves likewise very ignorant of the perfection of the divine nature , to which , being eternally the same , a thousand years and one day are all one ; and if god make good his word some thousand of years hence , it will make no sensible difference , considering his eternal duration , it being no matter when a duration begins , which is never to have an end ; v. . be not ignorant of this one thing , that one day is with the lord as a thousand years , and a thousand years as one day . this , it seems , was a common saying among the jews , to signifie , that to the eternity of god , no finite duration bears any proportion ; and therefore with regard to eternity , it is all one whether it be a thousand years or one day . the psalmist hath an expression much to the same purpose , psal . . . for a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past ; and as a watch in the night . and the son of sirach likewise , ecclus. . . as a drop of water to the sea , and as a grain of sand to the sea shore , so are a thousand years to the days of eternity . the like expression we meet with in heathen writers ; to the gods no time is long , saith pythagoras : and plutarch , the whole space of a man's life to the gods is as nothing . and in his excellent discourse of the slowness of the divine vengeance , ( the very argument st. peter is here upon ) he hath this passage , that a thousand , or ten thousand years , are but as an indivisible point to an infinite duration . and therefore when the judgment is to be eternal , the delay of it , though it were for a thousand years , is an objection of no force , against either the certainty , or the terror of it ; for to eternity , all time is equally short ; and it matters not when the punishment of sinners begins , if it shall never have an end . . but because the distance between the declaration of a future judgment , and the coming of it , tho' it be nothing to god , yet it seemed long to them ; therefore he gives such an account of it , as doth not in the least impeach the truth and faithfulness of god , but is a clear argument and demonstration of his goodness . admitting what they said to be true , that god delays judgment for a great while , yet this gives no ground to conclude that judgment will never be ; but it shews the great goodness of god to sinners , that he gives them so long a space of repentace , that so they may prevent the terror of that day whenever it comes , and escape that dreadful ruin which will certainly overtake , sooner or later , all impenitent sinners ; the lord is not slack concerning his promise ; that is , as to the declaration which he hath made of a future judgment , as some men account slackness ; that is , as if the delay of judgment were an argument it would never come . this is a false inference from the delay of punishment , and an ill interpretation of the goodness of god to sinners , who bears long with them , and delays judgment , on purpose to give men time to repent , and by repentance to prevent their own eternal ruin ; god is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness ; but is long suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . in the handling of these words , i shall do these three things . first , i shall consider the patience and long-suffering of god , as it is an attribute and perfection of the divine nature ; god is long-suffering to us-ward . secondly , i shall shew , that the patience of god , and the delay of judgment , is no just ground why sinners should hope for impunity , as the scoffers , here foretold by the apostle , argued , that because our lord delayeth his coming to judgment so long , therefore he would never come ; god is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness . thirdly , i will consider the true reason of god's patience and long-suffering towards mankind , which the apostle here gives ; he is long-suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . first , i will consider the patience and long-suffering of god towards mankind , as it is an attribute and perfection of the divine nature ; god is long-suffering to us-ward . in the handling of this , i shall do these three things . i. i shall shew what is meant by the patience and long-suffering of god. ii. that this is a perfection of the divine nature . iii. i shall give some proof and demonstration of the great patience and long-suffering of god to mankind . i. what is meant by the patience and long-suffering of god. the hebrew word signifies one that keeps his anger long , or that is long before he is angry . in the new testament it is sometimes exprest by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies god's forbearance and patient waiting for our repentance ; some times by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies god's holding in his wrath , and restraining himself from punishing ; and sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies the extent of his patience , his long-suffering and forbearing for a long time the punishment due to sinners . so that the patience of god is his goodness to sinners , in deferring or moderating the punishment due to them for their sins ; the deferring of deserved punishment in whole or in part , which if it be extended to a long time , it is properly his long-suffering ; and the moderating , as well as the deferring of the punishment due to sin , is an instance likewise of god's patience ; and not only the deferring and moderating of temporal punishment , but the adjourning of the eternal misery of sinners , is a principal instance of god's patience ; so that the patience of god takes in all that space of repentance which god affords to sinners in this life ; nay , all temporal judgments and afflictions which befal sinners in this life , and are short of cutting them off and turning them into hell , are comprehended in the patience of god. whenever god punisheth , it is of his great mercy and patience that we are not consumed , and because his compassions fail not . i proceed to the ii. thing i proposed , which was to shew , that patience is a perfection of the divine nature . it is not necessarily due to us , but it is due to the perfection of the divine nature , and essentially belongs to it ; it is a principal branch of god's goodness , which is the highest and most glorious perfection of all other , and therefore we always find it in scripture , in the company of god's milder and sweeter attributes . when god would give the most perfect description of himself , and as he says to moses , make all his glory to pass before us , he usually does it by those attributes which declare his goodness ; and patience is always one of them , exod. . . the lord passed by before moses , and proclaimed , the lord , the lord god , merciful and gracious , long-suffering , abundant in goodness and truth . psal . . . but thou , o lord , art a god full of compassion , and gracious , long suffering , and plenteous in mercy and truth . psal . . . the lord is merciful and gracious , slow to anger , and plenteous in mercy . and the same you find , psal . . jonah . . joel . . sometimes indeed you find a severer attribute added to these , as that he will by no means clear the guilty , exod. . . but 't is always put in the last place , to declare to us , that god's goodness , and mercy , and patience , are his first and primary perfections ; and it is only when these fail , and have no effect upon us , but are abused by us to the encouragement of our selves in an impenitent course , that his justice takes place . nay , even among men it is esteemed a perfection to be able to forbear and to restrain our anger ; passion is impotency and folly , but patience is power and wisdom ; prov. . . he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly ; but he that is slow to wrath , is of great understanding . prov. . . he that is slow to wrath , is better than the mighty : and he that ruleth his spirit , than he that conquereth a city . rom. . . be not overcome of evil : but overcome evil with good . to be impatient is to be overcome , but to forbear anger and revenge is a victory . patience is an argument of great power and command of our selves , and therefore god himself , who is the most powerful being , is slow to anger , and of infinite patience ; and nothing doth more declare the power of god , than his patience , that when he is provoked by such vile and despicable creatures as we are , he can withhold his hand from destroying us . this is the argument which moses useth numb . . , . that the power of god , doth so eminently appear in his patience ; and now , i pray thee , let the power of my lord be great , as he hath spoken , saying , the lord is gracious and long-suffering . and yet power , where it is not restrained by wisdom and goodness , is a great temptation to anger ; because where there is power , there is something to back it and make it good . and therefore the psalmist doth recommend and set off the patience of god , from the consideration of his power ; psal . . . god is strong and patient , god is provoked every day ; god is strong , and therefore patient ; or he is infinitely patient , notwithstanding his almighty power to revenge the daily provocations of his creatures . among men , anger and weakness commonly go together ; but they are ill matched , as is excellently observed by the son of sirach , ecclus. . . pride was not made for man , nor furious anger for him that is born of a woman . so that anger and impatience is every where unreasonable . where there is power , impatience is below it , and a thing too mean for omnipotency ; and where there wants power , anger is above it ; it is too much for a weak and impotent creature to be angry . where there is power , anger is needless and of no use ; and where there is no power , it is vain and to no purpose . so that patience is every where a perfection , both in god and man. i proceed to the iii. thing i proposed , which was to give some proof and demonstration of the great patience and long-suffering of god to mankind . and this will evidently appear , if we consider these two things . . how men deal with god. . how , notwithstanding this , god deals with them . . how men deal with god. every day we highly offend and provoke him , we grieve and weary him with our iniquities , as the expression is in the prophet , isa . . . thou hast made me to serve with thy sins , thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities . every sin that we commit , is an affront to the divine majesty , and a contempt of his authority . by denying submission to his laws , we question his omnipresence , and say , doth god see ? and is there knowledge in the most high ? or if we acknowledge his omnipresence , and that he regards what we do , the provocation is still the greater , because then we affront him to his face ; we dare his justice , and challenge his omnipotency , and provoke the lord to jealousie , as if we were stronger than he . is not god patient , when the whole world lies in wickedness , and the earth is overspread with violence , and is full of the habitations of cruelty ? when he who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity , and is so highly offended at the sins of men , hath yet the patience to look upon them that deal treacherously , and to hold his peace ? when the wicked persecutes and devours the man that is more righteous than he ? when even that part of the world which professeth the name of god and christ , do by their vile and obominable lives , blaspheme that holy and glorious name whereby they are called ? every moment god hath greater injuries done to him , and more affronts put upon him , than were ever offered to all the sons of men ; and surely provocations are tryals of patience , especially when they are so numerous and so heinous ; for if offences rise according to the dignity of the person injured , and the meanness of him that doth the injury , then no offences are so great as those that are committed by men against god , no affronts like to those which are offered to the divine majesty by the continual provocations of his creatures . and is not this an argument of god's patience , that the glorious majesty of heaven should bear such multiplied indignities from such vile worms ? that he who is the former of all things , should endure his own creatures to rebel against him , and the work of his hands to strike at him ? that he who is our great benefactor should put up such affronts from those who depend upon his bounty , and are maintained at his charge ? that he , in whose hands our breath is , should suffer men to breath out oaths , and curses , and blasphemies against him ? surely these prove the patience of god to purpose , and are equally tryals and arguments of it . . the patience of god will further appear , if we consider how , notwithstanding all this , god deals with us . he is patient to the whole world , in that he doth not turn us out of being , and turn the wicked together into hell , with all the nations that forget god. he is patient to the greatest part of mankind , in that he makes but a few terrible examples of his justice , that others may hear and fear , and take warning by them . he is patient to particular persons , in that , notwithstanding our daily provocations , he prevents us daily with the blessings of his goodness , prolonging our lives , and vouchsafing so many favours to us , that by this great goodness we may be led to repentance . but the patience of god will more illustriously appear , if we consider these following particulars , which are so many evidences and instances of it . . that god is not obliged to spare and forbear us at all . it is patience that he doth not surprise us in the very act of sin , and let flye at us with a thunder-bolt so soon as ever we have offended ; that the wrath of god doth not fall upon the intemperate person , as it did upon the israelites , whilst the meat and drink is yet in their mouths ; that a man is not struck dead or mad whilst he is telling a lye ; that the soul of the prophane and false swearer does not expire with his oaths and perjuries . . that god spares us when it is in his power so easily to ruin us ; when he can with one word command us out of being , and by cutting asunder one little thread , let us drop into hell. if god were disposed to severity , he could deal with us after another manner ; and as the expression is in the prophet , ease himself of his adversaries , and be avenged of his enemies . . that god exerciseth this patience to sinners , flagrante bello , while they are up in arms against him , and committing hostilities upon him ; he bears with us , even when we are challenging his justice to punish us , and provoking his power to destroy us . . that he is so very slow and unwilling to punish , and to inflict his judgments upon us . as for eternal punishments , god defers them a long while ; and by all proper ways and means endeavours to prevent them , and to bring us to repentance . and as for those temporal judgments which god inflicts upon sinners , he carries himself so , that we may plainly see all the signs of unwillingness that can be ; he trys to prevent them , he is loth to set about this work ; and when he does , it is with much reluctance ; and then he is easily perswaded and prevail'd withal not to do it ; and when he does , he does it not rigorously , and to extremity ; and he is soon taken off after he is engaged in it . all which are great instances and evidences of his wonderful patience to sinners . ( . ) god's unwillingness to punish appears , in that he labours to prevent punishment ; and that he may effectually do this , he endeavours to prevent sin , the meritorious cause of god's judgments . to this end he hath threatened it with severe punishments , that the dread of them may make us afraid to offend ; and if this will not do , he does not yet give us over , but gives us a space of repentance , and invites us earnestly to turn to him , and thereby to prevent his judgments ; he expostulates with sinners , and reasons the case with them , as if he were more concerned not to punish , than they are not to be punished ; and thus by his earnest desire of our repentance , he shews how little he desires our ruine . ( . ) he is long before he goes about this work . judgment is in scripture call'd his strange work ; as if he were not acquainted with it , and hardly knew how to go about it on the sudden . he is represented as not prepared for such a work , deut. . . if i whet my glittering sword ; as if the instruments of punishment were not ready for us . nay , by a strange kind of condescention to our capacities , and to set forth to us the patience of god , and his slowness to wrath , after the manner of men , he is represented as keeping out of the way , that he may not be tempted to destroy us ; exod. . , . where he tells moses , that he would send an angel before them , but i will not go up in the midst of thee , lest i consume thee in the way . at works of mercy he is very ready and forward . when daniel prayed for the deliverance of the people of israel out of captivity , the angel tells him , that at the beginning of his supplication , the commandment came forth , to bring him a promise of their deliverance . the mercy of god many times prevents our prayers , and out-runs our wishes and desires : but when he comes to affliction , he takes time to do it ; he passeth by many provocations , and waits long in expectation , that by our repentance we will prevent his judgments ; he hearkned and heard ( saith god in the prophet jeremiah ) but they spake not aright , no man repented him of his wickedness , saying , what have i done ? he is represented as waiting and listning , to hear if any penitent word would drop from them ; he gives the sinner time to repent and reflect upon his actions , and to consider what he hath done , and space to reason himself into repentance . for this reason the judgments of god do often follow the sins of men at a great distance , otherwise he could easily make them mend their pace , and consume us in a moment . ( . ) when he goes about this work , he does it with much reluctance , amos . , . how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , israel ? mine heart is turned within me , and my repentings are kindled together . he is represented as making many essays and offers before he came to it . psal . . . many a time lifted he up his hand in the wilderness to destroy them . he made as if he would do it , and let fall his hand again , as if he could not find in his heart to be so severe . god witholds his judgments till he is weary of holding in , as the expression is , jer. . . till he can forbear no longer . jer. . . so that the lord could no longer bear , because of the evil of your doings , and because of the abominations , which ye have committed . ( . ) god is easily prevailed upon not to punish . when he seemed resolved upon it , to destroy the murmuring israelites , yet how often , at the intercession of moses , did he turn away his wrath ? that he will accept of very low terms to spare a very wicked people , appears by the instance of sodom , where if there had been but ten righteous persons , he would not have destroyed them for the ten 's sake . yea , when his truth seemed to have been pawn'd , ( at least in the apprehension of his prophet ) yet even then repentance took him off , as in the case of nineveh . nay , how glad is he to be thus prevented ! with what joy does he tell the prophet the news of ahab's humiliation ! seest thou how ahab humbleth himself ? because he humbleth himself , i will not bring the evil in his days . ( . ) when he punisheth , he does it very seldom rigorously , and to extremity , not so much as we deserve ; psal . . . he hath not dealt with us after our sins , nor rewarded us according to our iniquities . nor so much as he can ; he doth not let loose the fierceness of his anger , nor pour forth all his wrath ; psal . . . being full of compassion , he forgave their iniquity , and destroyed them not ; yea many a time turned he his anger away , and did not stir up all his wrath . ( . ) after he hath begun to punish , and is ingaged in the work , he is not hard to be taken off . there is a famous instance of this , . sam. . when god had sent three days pestilence upon israel for david's sin in numbring the people , and at the end of the third day , the angel of the lord had stretched forth his hand over jerusalem to destroy it , upon the prayer of david , it is said , that the lord repented of the evil , and said to the angel that destroyed , it is enough , stay now thine hand . nay , so ready is god to be taken off from this work , that he sets a high value upon those who stand in the gap to turn away his wrath ; numb . . , , . phinehas , the son of eleazar , hath turned my wrath away from the children of israel , that i consumed them not in my jealousie ; wherefore behold i give unto him my covenant of peace , and to his seed after him , because he was zealous for his god , and made an atonement for the children of israel . that which god values in this action of phinehas , next to his zeal for him , is , that he turned away his wrath , and made an atonement for the children of israel . . and lastly , the patience of god will yet appear with further advantage , if we consider some eminent and remarkable instances of it ; which are so much the more considerable , because they are instances , not only of god's patience extended to a long time , but to a great many persons . the long-suffering of god waited in the days of noah upon the whole world , as is probably conjectured , for the space of an hundred and twenty years . god bore with the people of israel in the wilderness , after they had tempted him ten times , for the space of forty years ; acts . . and about the space of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness . and this instance of god's patience will be the more remarkable , if we compare it with the great impatience of that people ; if they did but want flesh or water , they were out of patience with god ; when moses was in the mount with god but forty days , they presently fall to make new gods ; they had not the patience of forty days , and yet god bore their manners forty years . god had spared niniveh for some ages , and when his patience was even expired , and he seems to have past a final sentence upon it , yet he grants a reprieve for forty days , that they might sue out their pardon in that time , and they did so ; they turned from their evil ways , and god turned from the evil he said he would do to them , and he did it not . but the most remarkable instance of god's long-suffering is to the jews , if we consider it with all the circumstances of it ; after they had rejected the son of god , notwithstanding the purity of his doctrine , and the power of his miracles ; after they had unjustly condemned , and cruelly murdered the lord of life , yet the patience of god respited the ruin of that people forty years . besides all these , there are many instances of god's patience to particular persons ; but it were endless to enumerate these ; every one of us may be an instance to our selves of god's long-suffering . i shall only add , as a further advantage to set off the patience of god to sinners , that his forbearance is so great , that he hath been complained of for it by his own servants . job , who was so patient a man himself , thought much at it ; job . , . wherefore doth the wicked live , yea , become old ? their seed is establisht in their sight , and their posterity before their eyes . jonah challengeth god for it , ch. . . was not this that which i said when i was yet in my own country ? and therefore i fled before unto tarshish , because i knew thou art a gracious god , and merciful , slow to anger , &c. jonah had observed god to be so prone to this , that he was loth to be sent upon his message , least god should discredit his prophet , in not being so good ( shall i say ) so severe as his word . i have done with the first thing i proposed to speak to , viz. the great patience and long-suffering of god to mankind . sermon vii . the patience of god. pet. iii. . the lord is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness ; but is long-suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . i have made entrance into these words , in the handling of which , i propos'd to do these three things . first , to consider the patience and long-suffering of god , as it is an attribute and perfection of the divine nature ; god is long suffering to us-ward . secondly , to shew that the patience of god , and the delay of his judgment , is no just ground why sinners should hope for impunity ; god is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness . thirdly , to consider the true reason of god's patience and long-suffering towards mankind ; he is long-suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . i have already spoken to the first of these , namely , the patience and long-suffering of god , as it is an attribute and perfection of the divine nature . i proceed now to the second thing i proposed , namely , to shew that the patience of god , and the delay of judgment , is no just ground why sinners should hope for impunity ; god is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness ; that is , as the scoffers here mentioned by the apostle , did ignorantly and maliciously reason , that because our lord delayed his coming to judgment so long , therefore he would never come . there was indeed some pretence for this objection , because the christians did generally apprehend , that the day of judgment was very near , and that it would immediately follow the destruction of jerusalem ; and it seems the disciples themselves were of that perswasion before our saviour's death , when our saviour discoursing to them of the destruction of the temple , they put these two questions to him , mat. . . and as he sat upon the mount of olives , the disciples came unto him privately , saying , when shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign of thy coming , and of the end of the world ? when shall these things be ? that is , the things he had been speaking of immediately before , viz. the destruction of jerusalem , and the dissolution of the temple ; that is plainly the meaning of the first question , to which they subjoined another , and what shall be the sign of thy coming ? that is to judgment ; and of the end of the world ? which in all probability , was added to the former ; because they supposed that the one was presently to follow the other , and therefore the same answer would serve them both ; and it appears by our saviour's answer , that he was not concerned to rectifie them in this mistake , which might be of good use to them , both to make them more zealous to propagate the gospel , since there was like to be so little time for it ; and likewise to wean their affections from this world , which they thought to be so near an end . one thing indeed our saviour says , which ( had they not been prepossest with another opinion ) does sufficiently intimate that there might be a considerable space of time , betwixt the destruction of jerusalem and the day of judgment ; and this we find only in st. luke , ch. . . where speaking of the miseries and calamities that should come upon the jews , he says , they shall fall by the edge of the sword , and be carried into captivity into all nations ; and jerusalem shall be trodden down of the gentiles , until the time of the gentiles be fulfilled . so that here were a great many events foretold , betwixt the destruction of jerusalem and the end of the world , the accomplishment whereof might take up a great deal of time , as appears by the event of things , jerusalem being at this day still trodden down by the gentiles , and the jews still continuing disperst over the world : but the disciples it seems did not much mind this , being carryed away with a prejudicate conceit that the end of the world would happen before the end of that age ; in which they were much confirmed , by what our saviour , after his resurrection , said of st. john , upon occasion of peter's question concerning him ; john . , . lord , what shall this man do ? jesus saith unto him , if i will that he tarry till i come , what is that to thee ? upon which words of our saviour concerning him , st. john himself adds , v. . then went this saying abroad among the brethren , that that disciple should not die , that is , that he should live till the coming of our lord , and then be taken up with him into heaven ; from all which they probably ( as they thought ) concluded , that the day of judgment would happen before the end of that age , whilst st. john was alive ; but st. john , who writ last of all the evangelists ( as eusebius tells us ) and lived till after the destruction of jerusalem , as he acquaints us with this mistake , which was currant among the christians , so he takes care to rectifie it , telling us , that jesus said not , he should not die ; but if i will that he tarry till i come , what is that to thee ? he tells us , that our saviour did not affirm that he should not die ; but to repress st peter's curiosity , he says , if it were my pleasure that he should not die at all , but live till i come to judgment , what is that to thee ? and st. peter likewise ( or whoever was the author of this second epistle , or at least of this third chapter , which seems to be a new epistle by it self ) takes notice of this mistake , about the nearness of the day of judgment , as that which gave occasion to these scoffers to deride the expectation of a future judgment among the christians , because they had been already deceived about the time of it ; and this the scoffers twitted them with in that question , where is the promise of his coming ? and therefore the learned grotius conjectures very probably , that this last epistle ( contained in the third chapter ) was written after the destruction of jerusalem , which was the time fixt for christ's coming to judgment , and therefore there could be no ground for this scoff till after that time . st. peter indeed did not live so long , and therefore grotius thinks , that this epistle was writ by simeon , or simon , who was successor of st. james , in the bishoprick of jerusalem , and lived to the time of trajan . i have been the longer in giving an account of this , that we might understand where the ground and force of this scoff lay ; namely in this , that because the christians had generally been very confident , that the coming of christ to judgment would be presently after the destruction of jerusalem , and were now found to be deceived in that , therefore there was no regard to be had at all to their expectation of a future judgment ; because they might be deceiv'd in that , as well as in the other . but herein they argued very falsly , because our saviour had positively and peremptorily foretold his coming to judgment , but had never fixt and determined the time of it ; nay , so far was he from that , that he had plainly told his disciples , that the precise time of the day of judgment god had reserved as a secret to himself , which he had not imparted to any , no , not to the angels in heaven , nor to the son himself ; mark . , . but of that day and hour knoweth no man , no not the angels which are in heaven , neither the son , but the father . take ye heed , watch and pray : for ye know not when the time is . so that if they presumed to make any conjectures about the time when the day of judgment would be , they did it without any warrant from our lord ; it was great presumption in them to determine the time of it , when our saviour had so expresly told them , that the father had reserved this as a secret , which he had never communicated to any , and therefore if they were mistaken about it , it was no wonder . but their mistake in this , was no prejudice to the truth of our saviour's clear prediction of a future judgment , without any determination of the time of it , for that might be at some thousands of years distance , and yet be certain for all that ; and the delay of it was no sign of the uncertainty of our saviour's prediction concerning it , but only of god's great patience and long-suffering to sinners , in expectation of their repentance ; god is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness , but is long-suffering to us-ward . and this brings me to the third , and last particular in the text , namely , the true reason of god's patience and long-suffering to mankind ; he is long-suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . and for this st. peter cites st. paul , v. th of this chapter ; and account that the long-suffering of the lord is salvation , that is , that the great end and design of god's goodness and long-suffering to sinners , is that they may repent and be saved ; account that the long-suffering of our lord is salvation , even as our beloved brother paul also , according to the wisdom given unto him , hath written unto you . now these words are not expresly found in st. paul's writings ; but the sense and effect of them is , viz. in rom. . . despisest thou the riches of his goodness , and forbearance , and long-suffering , not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance ? god hath a very gracious and merciful design in his patience to sinners ; he is good , that he may make us so , and that his goodness may lead us to repentance ; he defers punishment on purpose , that he may give men time to bethink themselves , and to return to a better mind ; he winks at the sins of men , that they may repent , says the son of sirach . the patience of god aims at the cure and recovery of those , who are not desperately and resolutely wicked . this is the primary end and intention of god's patience to sinners ; and if he fail of this end through our hardness and impenitency , he hath other ends which he will infallibly attain . he will hereby glorifie the riches of his mercy , and vindicate the righteousness of his justice ; the damned in hell shall acknowledge , that the patience of god was great mercy and goodness to them , tho' they abused it ; for god does not lose the glory of his patience , tho' we lose the benefit of it , and he will make it subvervient to his justice one way or other . those great offenders whom he spares , after there are no hopes of their amendment , he many times makes use of , as instruments for the punishing of others , as rods of his wrath for the discipline of the world ; and he often reserves those who are incorrigibly bad for a more remarkable ruin . but however , they are reserved to the judgment of the great day ; and if after god hath exercised much patience towards sinners in this world , he inflict punishment on them in the next , it must be acknowledg'd to be most just ; for what can he do less , than to condemn those who would not be saved , and to make them miserable , who so obstinately refused to be happy ? before i come to apply this discourse concerning the patience and long-suffering of god to sinners , i must remove an objection or two . i. the severity of god to some sinners in this life , and to all impenitent sinners in the next , seems to contradict what hath been said concerning god's patience and long-suffering . as for the severity of god towards impenitent sinners in the next life , this doth not at all contradict the patience of god , because the very nature of patience , and forbearance , and long-suffering , does suppose a determinate time , and that they will not last always ; this life is the day of god's patience , and in the next world his justice and severity will take place . and therefore the punishment of sinners in another world , after god hath tryed them in this , and expected their repentance , is no ways contrary to his patience and goodness , and very agreeable to his wisdom and justice ; for it is no part of goodness , to see it self perpetually abused ; it is not patience , but stupidity and insensibleness , to endure to be always trampled upon , and to bear to have his holy and just laws for ever despised and contemned . and as for his severity to some sinners in this life ; as to lot's wife , to the israelites that gathered sticks on the sabbath-day , to nadab and abihu , to vzza , to ananias and sapphira , and to herod agrippa ; in all which instances god seems to have made quick work , and to have executed judgment speedily ; to these i answer , that this severity of god to some few , doth rather magnify his patience to the rest of mankind ; he may be severe to some few , for example and warning to many , that they may learn to make better use of his patience , and not to trespass so boldly upon it ; and perhaps he hath exercised much patience already towards those , to whom at last he is so severe ; as is plain in the case of herod , and it may well be supposed in most of the other instances ; or else the sin so suddenly and severely punisht , was very heinous and presumptuous , of a contagious and spreading nature , and of dangerous example . lot's wife sinned very presumptuously against an express and an easie command , and whilst god was taking care of her deliverance in a very extraordinary manner . that of nadab and abihu , and of the man that gathered sticks on the sabbath-day , were presently after the giving of the law ; in which case great severity is necessary ; and that of ananias and sapphira , at the first publishing of the gospel , that the majesty of the divine spirit , and the authority of the first publishers of it might not be contemned . that of vzza was upon the return of the ark of god from among the philistines , that the people might not lose their reverence for it after it had been taken captive ; so that these necessary severities to a few , in comparison of those many that are warned by them , are rather arguments of god's patience , than objections against it . ii. it is objected , that if god do not desire the ruin of sinners , but their repentance , whence comes it to pass , that all are not brought to repentance ? for who hath resisted his will ? to this i answer . . that there is no doubt but god is able to do this . he can , if he pleaseth , conquer and reclaim the most obstinate spirits ; he is able out of stones to raise up children unto abraham . and sometimes he exerts his omnipotence herein , as in the conversion of st. paul , in a kind of violent and irresistible manner : but he hath no where declared , that he will do this to all ; and we see plainly in experience , that he does not do it . . god may very well be said , not to be willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance , when he does on his part what is sufficient to that end ; and upon this ground , the scripture every where represents god as desiring the repentance of sinners , and their obedience to his laws ; deut. . . o that there were such a heart in them , that they would fear me , and keep all my commandments always , that it might be well with them ! so jer. . . o jerusalem , wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? is . . , . we find god there solemnly appealing to the people of israel , whether there had been any thing wanting on his part that was fit to be done ; and now , o inhabitants of jerusalem , and men of judah , judge , i pray you , betwixt me and my vineyard . what could have been done more to my vineyard , that i have not done to it ? wherefore when i looked it should bring forth grapes , brought it forth wild grapes ? god may justly look for the fruits of repentance and obedience from those , to whom he affords a sufficiency of means to that end. and if so , then . the true reason why men do not repent , but perish , is because they are obstinate , and will not repent ; and this account the scripture every where gives of the impenitency of men , and the ruin consequent upon it . psal . . . o that my people had hearkened unto me , and israel had walked in my statutes ! but my people would not hearken to my voice , and israel would none of me . ezek. . . why will ye dye , o house of israel ? prov. . , , . they hated knowledge , and did not chuse the fear of the lord. they would none of my counsels , they despised all my reproof . therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own ways , and be filled with their own devices . the ruin of sinners does not proceed from the counsel of god ; but from their own choice . and so likewise our saviour every where chargeth the ruin and destruction of the jews upon their own wilful obstinacy . the inferences from this discourse concerning the patience and long-suffering of god towards mankind , shall be these three . i. to stir us up to a thankful acknowledgment of the great patience of god towards us , notwithstanding our manifold and heinous provocations . we may every one of us take to our selves those words , lam. . . it is of the lords mercy that we are not consumed , because his compassions fail not . they are renewed every morning . when ever we sin ( and we provoke god every day ) it is of his patience that we are not destroyed ; and when we sin again , this is a new and greater instance of god's patience . the mercies of god's patience are no more to be numbred than our sins ; we may say with david , how great is the sum of them ? the goodness of god in sparing us , is in some respect greater than his goodness in creating us ; because he had no provocation not to make us , but we provoke him daily to destroy us . ii. let us propound the patience of god for a pattern to our selves . plutarch says , that god sets forth himself in the midst of the world for our imitation , and propounds to us the example of his patience , to teach us not to revenge injuries hastily upon one another . iii. let us comply with the design of god's patience and long-suffering towards us , which is to bring us to repentance . men are very apt to abuse it to a quite contrary purpose , to the encouraging themselves in their evil ways . so solomon observes , eccl. . . because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil : but this is very false reasoning ; for the patience of god is an enemy to sin , as well as his justice , and the design of it is not to countenance sin , but to convert the sinner ; rom. . . despisest thou the riches of his goodness , and forbearance , and long-suffering , not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance ? patience in god should produce repentance in us ; and we should look upon it as an opportunity given us by god to repent and be saved ; pet. . . account that the long-suffering of god is salvation . they that do not improve the patience of god to their own salvation , mistake the true meaning and intent of it . but many are so far from making this use of it , that they presume upon it , and sin with more courage and confidence because of it ; but that we may be sensible of the danger of this , i will offer these two or three considerations . . that nothing is more provoking to god , than the abuse of his patience . god's patience waits for our repentance , and all long attendance , even of inferiors upon their superiors , hath something in it that is grievous ; how much more grievous and provoking must it be to the great god , after he hath laid out upon us all the riches of his goodness and long-suffering , to have that despised ! after his patience hath waited a long time upon us , not only to be thrust away with contempt , but to have that which should be an argument to us to leave our sins , abused into an encouragement to continue in them ! god takes an account of all the days of his patience and forbearance ; luke . . behold , these three years i come seeking fruit , and find none ; cut it down ; why cumbreth it the ground ? . consider that the patience of god will have an end . tho' god suffers long , he will not suffer always ; we may provoke god so long , till he can forbear no longer without injury and dishonour to his wisdom , and justice , and holiness ; and god will not suffer one attribute to wrong the rest ; his wisdom will determine the length of his patience ; when his patience is to no purpose , when there is no hopes of our amendment , his wisdom will then put a period to it ; then the patience of his mercy will determine . how often would i have gathered you , and you would not ? therefore your house is left unto you desolate . and the patience of god's judgments will then determine . why should they be smitten any more ? they will revolt more and more . yea , patience it self , after a long and fruitless expectation , will expire . a sinner may continue so long impenitent , till the patience of god , as i may say , grows impatient , and then our ruin will make haste , and destruction will come upon us in a moment . if men will not come to repentance , the day of the lord will come as a thief in the night , as it follows in the next verse after the text ; the judgment of god will suddenly surprize those who will not be gained by his patience . . consider that nothing will more hasten and aggravate our ruin , than the abuse of god's patience . all this time of god's patience , his wrath is coming towards us , and the more we presume upon it , the sooner it will overtake us ; luke . , . the wicked servant , who said his lord delayed his coming , and fell to rioting and drunkenness , our saviour tells us , that the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him . and it will aggravate our ruin ; the longer punishment is a coming the heavier it will be ; those things which are long in preparation , are terrible in execution ; the weight of god's wrath will make amends for the slowness of it , and the delay of judgment will be fully recompensed in the dreadfulness of it when it comes . let all those consider this who go on in their sin , and are deaf to the voice of god's patience , which calls upon them every moment of their lives . there is a day of vengeance a coming upon those who trifle away this day of god's patience ; nothing will sooner and more inflame the wrath and displeasure of god against us , than his abused patience , and the despised riches of his goodness . as oyl , tho' it be soft and smooth , yet when it is once inflamed , burns most fiercely ; so the patience of god , when it is abused , turns into fury , and his mildest attributes into the greatest severities . and if the patience of god do not bring us to repentance , it will but prepare us for a more intolerable ruin . after god hath kept a long indignation in his breast , it will at length break forth with the greater violence . the patience of god increaseth his judgments by an incredible kind of proportion ; levit . . and if you will still ( says god to the people of israel ) walk contrary to me , and if ye will not be reformed by all these things , i will punish you yet seven times more . and v. . i will bring seven times more plagues upon you , according to your sins . at first god's justice accuseth sinners ; but after a long time of patience , his mercy comes in against us , and instead of staying his hand , adds weight to his blows ; rom. . . what if god willing to shew his wrath , and to make his power known , endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction . they , upon whom the patience of god hath no good effect , are vessels of wrath , preapred and fitted for destruction . if ever god display his wrath , and make his anger known , he will do it in the most severe manner upon those who have despised and abused his patience ; for these , in a more peculiar manner , do treasure up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. to conclude , let us all take a review of our lives , and consider how long the patience of god hath waited upon us , and born with us ; with some twenty , forty , perhaps sixty years , and longer . do we not remember how god spared us in such a danger , when we gave our selves for lost ? and how he recovered us in such a sickness , when the physician gave us up for gone ? and what use we made of this patience and long-suffering of god towards us ? it is the worst temper in the world , not to be melted by kindness , not to be obliged by benefits , not to be tamed by gentle usage . he that is not wrought upon , neither by the patience of his mercy , nor by the patience of his judgments , his case is desperate and past remedy . consider this all ye that forget god , left his patience turn into fury ; for god is not slack , as some men count slackness ; but long-suffering to sinners , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . sermon viii . the long-suffering of god. eccles . viii . . because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil . nothing is more evident , than that the world lies in wickedness , and that iniquity every where abounds ; and yet nothing is more certain , than that god will not acquit the guilty , and let sin go unpunished . all men , excepting those who have offer'd notorious violence to the light of their own minds , and have put the candle of the lord , which is in them , under a bushel , do believe , that there is a god in the world , to whose holy nature and will sin is perfectly contrary , who loves righteousness and hates iniquity , that his eyes are upon the ways of man , and he seeth all his goings , that there is no darkness nor shadow of death , where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves . all men , except those whose consciences are seared , as it were with a hot iron , are convinc'd of the difference of good and evil , and that it is not all one whether men serve god or serve him not , do well , or live wickedly . every man from his inward sense and experience is satisfied of his own liberty , and that god lays upon men no necessity of sinning , but that when ever we do amiss , it is our own act , and we chuse to do so ; and so far is he from giving the least countenance to sin , that he hath given all imaginable discouragement to it , by the most severe and terrible threatnings , such as one would think sufficient to deter men for ever from it , and to drive it out of the world ; and to make his threatnings the more awful and effectual , his providence hath not been wanting to give remarkable instances of his justice and severity upon notorious offenders , even in this life : and yet for all this , men do and will sin ; nay , they are zealously set and bent upon it . now here is the wonder ; what it is that gives sinners such heart , and makes them so resolute and undaunted in so dangerous a course . solomon gives us this account of it , because the punishments and judgments of god follow the sins of men so slowly , and are long before they overtake the sinner , because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil . the scope of the wise man's discourse is this , that by reason of god's forbearance and long-suffering toward sinners in this life , 't is not so easie to discern the difference between them and other men ; this life is the day of god's patience , but the next will be a day of retribution and recompence . now because god doth defer and moderate the punishment of sinners in this world , and reserve the weight of his judgments to the next , because through the long-suffering of god many great sinners live and dye without any remarkable testimony of god's wrath and displeasure against them , therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evil . if we render the text word for word from the original , it runs thus , because nothing is done as a recompence to an evil work , therefore the hearts of the sons of men are full in them to do evil ; that is , because men are not opposed and contradicted in their evil ways , because divine justice doth not presently check and controul sinners , because sentence is not immediately past upon them , and judgment executed , therefore the heart of the sons of men is full in them to do evil , that is , therefore men grow bold and presumptuous in sin ; for the hebrew word which we render , is fully set in them , we find esth . . . where ahashuerus says concerning haman , who is he ? and where is he , that durst presume in his heart to do so ? whose heart was full to do so , fervet in iis cor filiorum hominum ; so some render it , the hearts of men boil with wickedness , are so full of it , that it works over . men are resolute in an evil course , their hearts are strengthened and hardened in them to do evil , so others translate the words . the translation of the lxx is very emphatical , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the heart of the sons of men is fully perswaded and assured to do evil . all these translations agree in the main scope and sense , viz. that sinners are very apt to presume upon the long-suffering of god , and to abuse it , to the hardning and encouraging of themselves in their evil ways . in the handling of this , i shall first , briefly shew that it is so . secondly , whence this comes to pass , and upon what pretences and colours of reason , men encourage themselves in sin , from the patience of god. thirdly , i shall endeavour to answer an objection about this matter . first , that men are very apt to abuse the long-suffering of god , to the encouraging and hardning of themselves in an evil course , the experience of the world in all ages does give abundant testimony . thus it was with the old world , when the long-suffering of god waited in the days of noah , while he was preparing an ark , for the space of a hundred and twenty years , pet. . . for the wickedness of man , which was great upon the earth , a general deluge was threatned , but god was patient , and delayed his judgment a great while ; hereupon they grew secure in their impenitency , and went on in their course , as if they had no apprehension of danger , no fear of the judgment threatned . so our saviour tells us , matth. . , . as in the days that were before the flood , they were eating and drinking , marrying and giving in marriage , until the day that noah entred into the ark , and knew not until the flood came and took them all away . and so it was with sodom , luke . . and likewise also as it was in the days of lot , they eat , they drank , they bought , they sold , they planted , they built . and so our saviour tells us it will be in the end of the world ; even thus shall it be in the day when the son of man is revealed . so likewise the apostle st. paul , rom. . , . despisest thou the riches of his goodness , and forbearance , and long-suffering , not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance ? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart , treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. the goodness and long-suffering of god , which ought in all reason to lead men to repentance , is to many an occasion of greater hardness and impenitency . so also st. peter foretels , pet. . . that in the last days there should come scoffers , who should walk after their own hearts lusts , saying , where is the promise of his coming ? and we see in daily experience , that the greatest part of sinners grow more obstinate and confirmed in their wicked ways , upon account of god's patience , and because he delays the punishment due to them for their sins . let us consider in the second place , whence this comes to pass , and upon what pretence and colour of reason , men encourage themselves in sin , from the long-suffering of god. and there is no doubt but this proceeds from our ignorance and inconsiderateness , and from an evil heart of unbelief , from the temptation and suggestion of the devil , one of whose great arts it is , to make men question the threatnings of god , and to insinuate , as he did to our first parents , either that he hath not denounced such threatnings , or that he will not execute them so severely . all these causes do concur to the producing this monstrous effect ; but that which i design to enquire into , is , from what pretence of reason , grounded upon the long-suffering of god , sinners argue themselves into this confidence and presumption . for when the wise man saith , that because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil , he does not intend to insinuate , that god's long-suffering fills the hearts of men with wicked designs and resolutions , and does by a proper and direct efficacy , harden sinners in their course ; but that wicked men upon some account or other , do take occasion from the long-suffering of god , to harden themselves in sin ; they draw false conclusions from it to impose upon themselves , as if it were really a ground of encouragement ; they think they see something in the forbearance of god and his delay of punishment , which makes them hope for impunity in an evil course , notwithstanding the threatnings of god. and therefore i shall endeavour to shew , what those false conclusions are , which wicked men draw from the delay of punishment , and to discover the sophistry and fallacy of them ; and i shall rank them under two heads ; those which are more gross and atheistical , and those which are not so gross , but yet more common and frequent . i. those conclusions which are more gross and atheistical , which bad men draw to the hardening and encourageing of themselves in sin , from the delay of punishment ( which we who believe a god , call the patience or long-suffering of god ) are these three ; either that there is no god ; or if there be , that there is no providence ; or that there is no difference between good and evil. i shall speak more briefly of these , because i hope there are but few in the world of such irregular and besotted understandings , as to make such inferences as these from the delay of punishment . st . from hence some would fain conclude , that there is no god. that some are so absurd as to reason in this manner , the scripture tells us , psal . . . the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god : they are corrupt , and have done abominable works . now the argument that these men frame to themselves , is this ; god doth not take a speedy course with sinners , and revenge himself immediately upon the workers of iniquity , therefore there is no god ; for if there were , he would shew himself , and not bear the affronts of sinners , when it is so easie for him to vindicate himself by a swift and speedy vengeance . thus the poet represents the atheist arguing , nullos esse deos , inane coelum , affirmat selius , probatque , quod se factum , dum negat hoc , videt beatum . selius affirms there are no gods , and that heaven is an empty place , and proves it , because whilst he denys god , he sees himself in a very happy and prosperous condition . and here it is worthy our notice , at what a contradictious rate these men reason . first they would have no god , lest he should be just and punish them as they deserve ; and then in another mood , they would have him to be nothing but justice and severity , lest there should be a god ; as if no other notion could be framed of the divine nature , but of a ●a●h fury , and impetuous revenge , and an impotent passion , which when it is offended and provoked , cannot contain it self , and forbear punishment for a moment . justice is not such a perfection as doth necessarily exclude wisdom , and goodness , and patience ; it doth in no wise contradict the perfection of the divine nature , to bear with sinners in expectation of their repentance and amendment ; or if god foresees their final impenitency , to respit their punishment to the most fit and convenient season . god may suffer long , and yet be resolved , if sinners persist in the abuse of his goodness and patience , to execute vengeance upon them in due time . it is a pitiful ground of atheism , that because god is so much better than wicked men deserve , they will not allow him to be at all . dly , others infer from the delay of punishment , that there is no providence that administers the affairs of the world , and regards the good and bad actions of men. for tho' the being of god be acknowledged , yet if he do not regard what is done here below , nor concern himself in humane affairs , sinners are as safe and free to do what they please , as if there were no god ; and upon this ground , the scripture tells us , many encourage themselves in their wickedness ; psal . . . they encourage themselves in an evil matter , they commune of laying snares privately ; for they say , who shall see them ? and more expresly , psal . . , , , . how long shall the workers of iniquity boast themselves ? they break in pieces thy people , o lord , and afflict thine heritage , and slay the widow and the stranger , and murder the fatherless ; and yet they say , the lord shall not see , neither shall the god of jacob regard it . and if this were so , well might they encourage themselves . if it were true which epicurus saith , that god takes no knowledge of the actions of men , that he is far removed from us , and contented with himself , and not at all concerned in what we do ; if this were true , the inference which lucretius makes , were very just ; quare relligio pedibus subjecta vicissim obteritur ; men might trample religion under their feet , and live without any regard to the laws of it . but let us see how they infer this from the long-suffering of god , that he neglects the affairs of the world , and hath no consideration of the actions of men , because they see the ungodly to prosper in the world , equally with others that are strictly devout and virtuous , yea , many times to be in a more prosperous and flourishing condition ; they are not in trouble like other men , neither are they plagued like other men . so that if there be a god , it seems ( say they ) that he connives at the crimes of men , and looks on upon them that deal treacherously , and holds his peace , whilst the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than himself ; as the prophet expresseth it , hab. . . for answer to this , i shall only give this reasonable and credible account of the long-suffering of god , and the impunity of wicked men in this life , which not only the scripture gives us , but the heathen were able to give from the light of nature , and is agreeable to the common sense of mankind ; namely , that this life is a state of probation and tryal , wherein god suffers men to walk in their own ways without any visible check and restraint , and does not usually inflict present and remarkable punishments upon them for their evil deeds ; because this being a state of tryal of the dispositions and manners of men , is rather the proper season of patience , than of punishments and rewards ; and therefore it is very reasonable to suppose , that god reserves sinners for a solemn and publick tryal , at the great assises of the world , when he will openly vindicate the honour of his justice , upon the despisers of his patience and long-suffering , when he will make his judgment to break forth as the light , and his righteousness as the noon day . in the mean time the providence of god , when he sees it fit , gives some remarkable instances of his justice upon great and notorious offenders in this life , as a pledge and earnest of a future judgment ; and these sometimes more general , as in the destruction of the old world , by an universal deluge , when he saw the wickedness of men to be great upon the earth . and such was that terrible vengeance which was poured down upon sodom and gomorrah , and the cities about them ; which , as st. jude tells us , are set forth for an example , suffering the vengeance of eternal fire , that is , of a perpetual destruction by fire . dly , another gross and atheistical inference , which men are apt to make from the delay of punishment , is , that there is no such difference of good and evil as is pretended ; because they do not see the good and bad actions of men differenced in their rewards , because divine justice doth not presently manifest it self , and every transgression and disobedience doth not immediately receive a just recompence of reward , therefore they cannot believe , that the difference between good and evil is so great and evident . for answer to this . not to insist upon the difference which the providence of god sometimes makes between them in this life , i appeal to the consciences of men , whether they do not secretly and inwardly acknowledge a clear difference between good and evil . are not the worst of men apt to conceive better hopes of success , when they are about a just and honest undertaking , than when they are ingaged in a wicked design ? do not bad men feel a secret shame and horror , when no eye sees them , and the wickedness they are about to commit doth not fall under the cognisance and censure of any human court or tribunal ? have they not many checks and rebukes in their own spirits , much disturbance and confusion of mind , when they are enterprising a wicked thing ? and does not this plainly argue , that they are guilty to themselves , that they are about something which they ought not to do ? 't is very true that most men are more sensible of the evil of an action , when they feel the ill effects and consequences of it , and suffer the punishment that is due to it : but yet the sense of good and evil is so deeply imprest upon humane nature , that i think no man , remaining a man , can quite deface and blot out the difference of good and evil . so that if men will but attend to the natural dictates and suggestions of their own minds , they cannot possibly infer from the delay of punishment , that there is no difference of good and evil . but because those who argue thus are but few in comparison , there being not many in the world arrived to that degree of blindness and height of impiety , as to disbelieve a god and a providence , and i think none have attained to that perfect conquest of conscience , as to have lost all sense of good and evil ; therefore i shall rather insist ii. upon those kind of reasonings which are more ordinary and common among bad men , and whereby they cheat themselves into everlasting perdition ; and they are such as these . . because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed , therefore sin is not so great an evil. . therefore god is not so highly offended and provoked by it . or , . god is not so severe in his own nature , as he is commonly represented . . therefore the punishment of sin is not so certain . . or however it is at a distance , and may be prevented time enough , by a future repentance , in our old age , or at the hour of death ; by some such false reasonings as these , which men think may probably be collected from the patience and long-suffering of god , they harden and encourage themselves in an evil course . . because the punishment of sin is deferr'd , therefore they conclude it is not so great an evil ; they do not feel the ill effects of it at present , all things go well and prosperously with them , no less than with those who are so strict and conscientious ; and therefore they hope there is no such great evil in sin , as melancholy people are apt to fancy to themselves . for answer to this , ( . ) consider seriously what sin is ; and then thou wilt see reason enough to call it a great evil. to sin against god , is to contemn the greatest authority in the world , to contradict the greatest holiness and purity , to abuse the greatest goodness , and to provoke almighty justice to take vengeance upon thee , and to make thee as miserable as thou art capable of being . to sin against god , is to be disobedient to thy soveraign , and unthankful to thy best benefactor , and to act contrary to the greatest obligations , against thy best reason and truest interest ; to disoblige thy kindest friend , and to gratifie thy worst and bitterest enemy ; it is to disorder thy self , to create perpetual disquiet to thy own mind , and to do the greatest mischief possible to thy self ; to deprive thy self of the greatest happiness , and to draw down upon thy self extream and eternal misery . and what do we call a great evil , if this be not , which contains in it all the kinds , and all the aggravations of evil that can be , and hath all the circumstances of ugliness and deformity in it that can be imagined ? ( . ) what ever sin be in it self , yet from hence we can in no wise conclude , that it is not a great evil , because the punishment of it is deferr'd for a while ; from hence indeed it follows , that god is very good in deferring the punishment which is due to thee for thy sins , but by no means that sin is not very evil. the reprieve of a traytor does indeed argue the goodness and clemency of the prince , but doth not at all abate of the heinousness of the crime for which he is sentenced . the great evil of sin is evident , because the holy and just god hath forbidden it , and declared his hatred and detestation of it , and threatned it with most severe and direful punishments ; but that god respites the punishment which is due to sin , and does not immediately take vengeance upon sinners , but affords them a space , and means , and opportunity of repentance , this doth not at all lessen the evil of sin , but is rather an aggravation of it ; that we should offend and provoke that god , who is so patient and long-suffering towards us , so very loth to bring those evils upon us , which we are so rash and forward to pull down upon our selves . . if god doth not immediately punish sin upon the commission of it , and instantly let flye at the sinner , this they would construe to be a sign that he is not so highly offended and provok'd by it ; if he were , he would manifest his displeasure against it , by the sudden and violent effusions of his wrath. for answer to this , i desire these two things may be considered . ( . ) that god himself in his word every where plainly declares to us his great displeasure against sin ; psal . . , . thou art not a god that hast pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with thee . the foolish shall not stand in thy sight ; thou hatest all the workers of iniquity . thou art not a god that hast pleasure in wickedness . the words are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and less is spoken than is meant and intended , viz. that god is so far from taking pleasure in the sins of men , that he is highly displeased at them , and bears an implacable hatred against them . and do not the terrible threatnings of god against sin declare him to be highly offended at it ? when he says , that he will come in flaming fire , to render vengeance to all them that know not god , and that obey not the gospel of his son , and that they shall be punisht with everlasting destruction , from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power . can we think that all the threatnings of god's word , and all those direful curses which are written in his book , shall return empty , without doing any execution ? thou that now flatterest thy self with vain and groundless hopes , that none of these evils shall come upon thee , when thou comest to stand before the great judge of the world , and to behold the killing frowns of his countenance , and to hear those bitter words of eternal displeasure from the mouth of god himself , depart ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels , thou wilt then believe , that god is heartily angry and offended with thee for thy sins . we shall find in that day , that the threatnings of god's word , which we now hear so securely , and without terror , had a full signification , or rather , that no words could convey to us the terror of them . what the scripture says of the happiness and glory of the next life , is true also of the misery and punishments of the other world , that eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither have entred into the heart of man , those terrible things , which god hath reserved for the workers of iniquity . but above all , the direful sufferings of the son of god , when sin was but imputed to him , are a demonstration of god's implacable hatred of sin ; for that rather than sin should go unpunish'd , god was pleased to subject his own son to the sufferings due to it ; this plainly shews , that he hated sin as much as he loved his own son. but ( dly ) god may conceive a very great displeasure against sin , and be highly incensed and provoked by it , and yet suspend the effects of his displeasure , and defer the punishment of it for a great while ; and to imagine otherwise , argues a gross mistake of the nature of god , arising from our not considering the attributes and perfections of god in conjunction and consistency with one another . when we consider one attribute of god singly , and separate it from the rest , and frame such wide and large apprehensions of it , as to exclude his other perfections , we have a false notion of god ; and the reason of this mistake is , because among men , an eminent degree of any one excellency , doth commonly shut out others ; because in our narrow and finite nature , many perfections cannot stand together ; but 't is quite otherwise in the divine nature . in infinite perfection , all perfections do meet and consist together , one perfection doth not hinder and exclude another , and therefore in our conceptions of god , we are to take great heed , that we do not raise any one attribute or perfection of god upon the ruine of the rest . so that it is a false imagination of god , when we so attribute justice or anger to him , as to exclude his patience and long-suffering ; for god is not impotent in his anger , as we are ; every thing that provokes him , doth not presently put him out of patience , so that he cannot contain his wrath , and forbear immediately to revenge himself upon sinners . in this sense god says of himself , isa . . . fury is not in me . there is nothing of a rash and ungoverned passion in the wise and just god. every sin indeed kindles his anger , and provokes his displeasure against us , and by our repeated and continued offences , we still add fuel to his wrath ; but it doth not of necessity instantly break forth like a consuming fire , and a devouring flame . the holy and righteous nature of god makes him necessarily offended and displeased with the sins of men ; but as to the manifestation of his wrath , and the effects of his anger , his wisdom and goodness do regulate and determine the proper time and circumstances of punishment . . from the patience of god and the delay of punishment , men are apt to conclude , that god is not so severe in his nature as he is commonly represented . 't is true he hath declared his displeasure against sin , and threaten'd it with dreadful punishments , which he may do , in great wisdom , to keep the world in awe and order ; but great things are likewise spoken of his mercy , and of the wonderful delight he takes in the exercise of his mercy ; so that notwithstanding all the threatnings which are denounced against sin , it is to be hoped , that when sentence comes to be past , and judgment to be executed , god will remember mercy in the midst of judgment , and that mercy will triumph over judgment ; and that as now his patience stays his hand , and turns away his wrath , so at the last , the milder attributes of his goodness and mercy will interpose and moderate the rigor and severity of his justice ; and of this , his great patience and long-suffering towards sinners for the present , seems to be some kind of pledge and earnest ; he that is so slow to anger , and so loth to execute punishment , may probably be prevail'd upon by his own pity and goodness to remit it at the last , and this is the more credible , because it is granted on all hands , that no person is obliged to execute his threatnings , as he is to make good his promises ; he that promiseth passeth a right to another , but he that threatneth keeps the right and power of doing what he pleaseth in his own hands . i shall speak a little more fully to this , because it is almost incredible , how much men bear up themselves upon vain and groundless hopes of the boundless mercy of god , and bless themselves in their hearts , saying , they shall have peace , tho' they walk in the imagination of their hearts , to add drunkenness to thirst , that is , tho' they still persist in their vices , and add one degree of sin to another . now for answer to this ; ( . ) let it be granted , that a bare threatning does not necessarily infer the certainty of the event , and that the thing threatned shall infallibly come to pass ; no person is obliged to perform his threatnings , as he is his promises ; the threatnings of god declare what sin deserves , and what the sinner may justly expect if he continue impenitent and incorrigible . but then we are to take notice , that repentance is the only condition that is implyed in the threatnings of god , and will effectually hinder the execution of them , jer. . , , , . at what instant i speak ( says god ) concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdome , to pluck up , and to pull down , and to destroy it ; if that nation against whom i have pronounced , turn from their evil , i will repent of the evil that i thought to do unto them . and at what instant i shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdom , to build and to plant it ; if it do evil in my sight , and obey not my voice , then will i repent of the good , wherewith i said i would benefit them . now if when god hath promised to do good to a people , sin will hinder the blessing promised , and bring down judgments upon them , much more when it is particularly threatned . but as to the case of final impenitency and unbelief , god , that he might strengthen his threatnings , hath added a sign of immutability to them , having confirmed them with an oath , i have sworn ( saith the lord ) that they shall not enter into my rest ; which tho' it was spoken to the unbelieving jews , the apostle to the hebrews applys it to final unbelief and impenitency under the gospel , of which the infidelity of the israelites was a type and figure . now tho' god may remit of his threatnings ; yet his oath is a plain declaration that he will not ; because it signifies the firm and immutable determination of his will , and thereby puts an end to all doubts and controversies concerning the fulfilling of his threatnings . ( . ) it is certainly much the wisest and safest way , to believe the threatnings of god in the strictness and rigour of them , unless there be some tacite condition evidently implyed in them ; because if we do not believe them , and the thing prove otherwise , the consequence of our mistake is fatal and dreadful . 't is true indeed , that god by his threatnings did intend to keep sinners in awe , and to deter them from sin ; but if he had any where revealed , that he would not be rigorous in the execution of these threatnings , such a revelation would quite take off the edge and terror of them , and contradict the end and design of them ; for threatnings signifie very little , but upon this supposition , that in all probability they will be executed ; and if this be true , it is the greatest madness and folly in the world to run the hazard of it . ( . ) as for those large declarations which the scripture makes of the boundless mercy of god to sinners , we are to limit them , as the scripture hath done , to the time and season of mercy , which is this life , and while we are in the way . this is the day of mercy and salvation , and when this life is ended , the opportunities of grace and mercy are past , and the day of recompence and vengeance will begin . now god tries us , and offers mercy to us ; but if we obstinately refuse it , judgment will take hold of us . and then we must limit the mercy of god to the conditions upon which he offers it , which are repentance for sins past , and sincere obedience for the future : but if men continue obstinate and impenitent , and encourage themselves in sin from the mercy and patience of god , this is not a case that admits of mercy ; but , on the contrary , his justice will triumph in the ruin and destruction of those , who instead of embracing the offers of his mercy , do despise and abuse them . he will laugh at their calamity , and mock when their fear comes ; when their fear comes as desolation , and their destruction as a whirl-wind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon them ; then they may call upon him , but he will not answer ; they may seek him early , but they shall not find him . if we despise the riches of god's goodness , and long-suffering , and forbearance , he knows how to handle us , and will do it to purpose ; with the froward he will shew himself froward , and will be in a more especial manner severe towards those , who take encouragement from his mercy , to disbelieve and despise his threatnings . and this god hath as plainly told us , as words can express any thing , deut. . , . and if it come to pass , that when he heareth the words of this curse , he bless himself in his heart , saying , i shall have peace , tho' i walk in the imagination of my heart , to add drunkenness to thirst : the lord will not spare him , but then the anger of the lord , and his jealousie shall smoke against that man , and all the curses that are written in this book , shall lie upon him , and the lord shall blot out his name from under heaven . what ever right and power god hath reserved to himself about the execution of his threatnings , he hath plainly declared , that of all others , those who encourage themselves in a sinful course from the hopes of god's mercy , notwithstanding his threatnings , shall find no favour and mercy at his hand ; whatever he may remit of his threatnings to others , he will certainly not spare those , who believe so largely concerning the mercy of god , not with a mind to submit to the terms of it , but to presume so much the more upon it . ( . ) god hath not been wanting to shew some remarkable instances of his severity towards sinners in this world. as he is pleased sometimes to give good men some fore-tastes of heaven , and earnests of their future happiness ; so likewise by some present stroke to let sinners feel what they are to expect hereafter ; some sparks of hell do now and then fall upon the consciences of sinners . that fear which is sometimes kindled in men's consciences in this life , that horrible anguish and those unspeakable terrors which some sinners have had experience of in this world , may serve to forewarn us of the wrath which is to come , and to convince us of the reality of those expressions of the torments of hell , by the worm that dies not , and the fire that is not quenched . that miraculous deluge which swallowed up the old world , that hell which was rained down from heaven , in those terrible showers of fire and brimstone , to consume sodom and gomorrah ; the earth opening her mouth upon corah and his seditious company ; to let them down , as it were , quick into hell ; these and many other remarkable judgments of god in several ages upon particular persons , and upon cities and nations , may satisfie us in some measure of the severity of god against sin , and be as it were pledges to assure sinners of the insupportable misery and torments of the next life . ( . ) the argument is much stronger the other way , that because the punishment of sinners is delayed so long , therefore it will be much heavier and severer when it comes ; that the wrath of god is growing all this while , and as we fill up the measure of our sins , he fills the vials of his wrath ; rom. . . and according to thy hard and impenitent heart , treasurest up to thy self wrath , against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. god now keeps in his dis-pleasure ; but all the while we go on in an impenitent course , the wrath of god is continually increasing , and will at last be manifested by the righteous judgment of god upon sinners . god now exerciseth and displayeth his milder attributes , his goodness , and mercy , and patience ; but these will not always hold out , there is a dreadful day a coming , wherein ( as the apostle speaks ) god will shew his wrath , and make his power known , after he hath endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction . all this long time of god's patience and forbearance his wrath is kindling , and he is whetting his glittering sword , and making sharp his arrows ; and this long preparation doth portend a much more dreadful execution ; so that we should reason thus from the long-suffering of god ; god bears with us , and spares us at present , and keeps in his anger ; therefore if we go on to provoke him , time will come when he will not spare , but his anger will flame forth , and his jealousie smoak against us . this is but reasonable to expect , that they who in this world forsake their own mercies , the mercy of god in the next should forsake them . . another false conclusion which men draw from the delay of punishment is , that because it is delayed , therefore it is not so certain ; the sinner escapes for the present , and tho' he have some misgivings and fearful apprehensions of the future , yet he hopes his fears may be greater than his danger . 't is true indeed , we are not so certain of the misery of wicked men in another world , as if it were present , and we lay groaning under the weight of it ; such a certainty as this , would not only leave no place for doubting , but even for that which we properly and strictly call faith ; for faith is the evidence of things not seen . but sure we have other faculties besides sense to judge of things by ; we may be sufficiently certain of many things which are neither present nor sensible , of many things past and future , upon good ground and testimony ; we are sure that we were born , and yet we have no remembrance of it ; we are certain that we shall dye , tho' we never had the experience of it . things may be certain in their causes , as well as in their present existence ; if the causes be certain . the truth of god , who hath declared these things to us , is an abundant ground of assurance to us , tho' they be at a great distance . the certainty of things is not shaken by our wavering belief concerning them . besides , the very light of nature , and the common reason of mankind , hath always made a contrary inference from the long-suffering of god and the delay of present punishment . tho' men are apt to think , that because judgment is deferr'd , therefore it is not certain ; yet the very light of nature hath taught men to reason otherwise ; that because god is so patient to sinners in this life , therefore there will a time come when they shall be punisht ; that because this life is a time of tryal and forbearance , therefore there shall be another state after this life , which shall be a season of recompences . and by this argument chiefly it was that the wisest of the heathen satisfied themselves concerning another state after this life , and answer'd the troublesome objection against the providence of god , from the unequal administration of things in this world , so visible in the afflictions and sufferings of good men , and the prosperity of the wicked ; viz. that there would be another state that would adjust all these matters , and set them streight , when good and bad men should receive the full recompence of their deeds . the th and last false conclusion , which men draw from the long-suffering of god and the delay of punishment is this , that it is however probably at some distance , and therefore they may sin yet a while longer , and all this danger may be prevented time enough , by a future repentance in our old age , or at the hour of death ; and they are confirmed very much in this hope , because they see men much worse than themselves , great criminals and malefactors , upon two or three days warning , to perform this work of repentance very substantially , and to dye with great comfort and assurance of their salvation . this is the most common delusion of all the rest , and hath been , i am afraid , the ruin of more souls than all the other which i have mentioned ; they may have slain their thousands ; but this its ten thousands . for answer to this , be pleased seriously to lay to heart these following considerations , most of which i shall speak but briefly to , because i have , upon other occasions , spoken largely to them . ( . ) if there be a future judgment , then it is certain , at how great a distance soever it may be . that which shall be a thousand years hence will certainly be ; and 't is but very small comfort and encouragement , considering the vast disproportion between time and eternity , to think , that after twenty or forty years shall be past and gone , then must i enter upon eternal misery ; then will those intolerable torments begin which shall never have an end . ( . ) but it is not certain that it is at such a distance ; when we put from us the evil day , it is many times nearer to us than we are aware , and when we think the judgment of god is at a great distance , the judge may be near even at the door . our times are not in our own hands , but we are perfectly at the disposal of another , who when he pleaseth can put a period to them , and cause our breath to cease from our nostrils , and we shall not be ; there is no man hath power over the spirit , to retain the spirit , neither hath he power in the day of death , saith the wise man a little before the text. thou dreamest perhaps of many years continuance in this world , and perhaps in the height of this vain imagination , the decree is sealed , and the commandment come forth to summon thee out of this world , and thou art just dropping into that misery which thou fanciest to be at such a distance ; whilst thou art vainly promising thy self the ease of many years , god may say to thee , thou fool , this night shall thy soul be required of thee , and then where are all thy hopes ? ( . ) supposing the evil day were at a considerable distance , yet men run an infinite hazard in venturing all the hopes of their salvation upon a future repentance ; for what knowest thou , o man ! but thou mayst be surprized by a sudden stroke which may give thee no warning , leave thee no space of repentance ? a violent disease may seize upon thee , which may disorder thy understanding , and so weaken all thy faculties , as to render thee unfit for all reasonable operations . at the best , how unfit are we for the most serious work of our lives , when we are hardly fit to do any thing ? old age is a very unseasonable time for repentance , when we are full of weakness and infirmity , and our minds are crooked and bowed down by vice , as our bodies are by age , and as hard to be recovered to their first streightness ; much more is it an improper time for this work , when sickness and old age meet together . there are two things in which men , in other things wise enough , do usually miscarry ; in putting off the making of their wills , and their repentance , till it be too late . men had need then be of sound understanding and perfect memory , when they set about matters of so great consequence in respect of their temporal and eternal concernments ; especially when men have the happiness of all eternity to take care of and provide for , they had need have their understandings about them , and all the advantages of leisure and consideration , to make a sober reflection upon their past lives , and make up their accounts with god , and to set all things right between him and them ; and 't is well if after all a repentance wilfully deferr'd so long , so short and imperfect , so confused and hudled up , will at last be accepted as a tolerable atonement for the crimes and miscarriages of a long life . ( . ) suppose thou wert sure to repent before thou leavest the world , and to do this work throughly , which no man can promise to himself that deliberately delays it , yet this can be no reasonable encouragement to go on in an evil course , because we do but hereby aggravate our own trouble , and treasure up so much more sorrow and affliction to our selves against the day of repentance , and consequently sin on , in hopes of being hereafter so much the more troubled and grieved for what we have done ; as if a man should go on to break the laws , in hopes of a more severe and exemplary punishment ; sure this can be no encouragement or ground of hope to any reasonable and considerate man. lastly , as to the encouragement which men take from the sudden repentance of great criminals and malefactors , and their dying with so much comfort and assurance ; if this be well considered , there is little comfort to be fetched from such examples . for , st , tho' a sincere repentance in such circumstances be possible , yet it is almost impossible for the party himself concerned , much more for others , upon any good ground , to judge when it is sincere . god who knows the hearts of men , and whether , if they had lived longer , they would in the future course of their lives have justified and made good their repentance and good resolutions , only knows the sincerity of it . but , dly , no certain judgment is to be made from the comfort and confidence of the party concerned ; for the business is not what comfort and confidence men have , but what ground they have for it ; and whereas men are apt piously to suppose , that so extraordinary a comfort and assurance is wrought in them by the spirit of god , nothing is more uncertain ; because we sometimes see those who give no such testimony of their repentance , to dye with every whit as much courage , and comfort , and confident perswasion of their salvation , as those that do . but this certainly is not from the spirit of god ; a natural obstinacy and courage may carry men a great way ; and false and mistaken principles may fill men for the present with as much comfort and confidence , as well grounded hopes . in the church of rome , great numbers of those who have led very wicked lives , after a formal confession and absolution , and some good words of encouragement from the priest , dye as full of peace and comfort , to all appearance , as the best of men. indeed it is very natural to men , who find themselves in a desperate condition , to be strangely elevated and raised , upon any hopes given of escaping so great a danger as they apprehend themselves to be in ; especially if these hopes be given them by a grave man , of whose piety and judgment they have a venerable opinion . when men have the sentence of death in themselves , as all wicked livers must have , they are naturally apt to be overjoy'd at the unexpected news of a pardon . to speak my mind freely in this matter , i have no great opinion of that extraordinary comfort and confidence which some have , upon a sudden repentance for great and flagrant crimes , because i cannot discern any sufficient ground for it . i think great humility and dejection of mind , and a doubtful apprehension of their condition , next almost to despair of it , would much better become them ; because their case is really so very doubtful in it self . there is great reason for the repentance of such persons , and it becomes them well ; but i see very little reason for their great comfort and confidence , nor does it become their circumstances and condition . let them excercise as deep a repentance as is possible , and bring forth all the fruits meet for it that are possible in so short a time ; let them humble themselves before god , and pray incessantly to him day and night for mercy ; make all the reparation they can for the injuries they have done , by confession and acknowledgment , and by making satisfaction to the parties injured , if it be in their power , by giving alms to the poor , by warning others , and endeavouring to reclaim them to a better mind and course of life ; and for the rest humbly commit themselves to the mercy of god in jesus christ ; let them imitate , as near as they can , the behaviour of the penitent thief , the only example the scripture hath left us of a late repentance that proved effectual , who gave the greatest testimony that could be of a penitent sorrow for his sins , and of his faith in the saviour of the world , by a generous and couragious owning of him in the midst of his disgrace and suffering , when even his own disciples had denyed and forsaken him ; but we do not find in him any signs of extraordinary comfort , much less of confidence ; but he humbly commended himself to the mercy and goodness of his saviour , saying , lord remember me , when thou comest into thy kingdom . sermon ix . the long-suffering of god. eccles . viii . . because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil . i have considered how apt men are to abuse the long-suffering of god , to the hardening and encouraging of themselves in sin , and whence this comes to pass ; where i considered the several false conclusions which sinners draw from the delay of punishment , as if there were no god , or providence , or difference of good and evil ; or else , as is more commonly pretended , that sin is not so great an evil , and that god is not so highly offended at it , or that god is not so severe as he is represented , that the punishment of sin is not so certain , or however , it is at a distance , and may be prevented by a future repentance ; all which i have spoken fully to , and endeavoured to shew the fallacy and unreasonableness of them . i shall now proceed to the third and last thing i propounded , which was to answer an objection to which this discourse may seem liable ; and that is this . if the long-suffering of god be the occasion of men's hardness and impenitency , then why is god so patient to sinners , when they are so prone to abuse his goodness and patience ? and how is it goodness in god to forbear sinners so long , when this forbearance of his is so apt to minister to them an occasion of their further mischief and greater ruine ? it should seem according to this , that it would be much greater mercy to the greatest part of sinners , not to be patient toward them at all ; but instantly upon the first occasion and provocation , to cut them off , and so to put a stop to their wickedness , and to hinder them from making themselves more miserable , by increasing their guilt , and treasuring up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath . this is the objection , and because it seems to be of some weight , i shall endeavour to return a satisfactory answer to it in these following particulars . and i. i ask the sinner if he will stand to this ? art thou serious , and wouldest thou in good earnest have god to deal thus with thee , to take the very first advantage to destroy thee or turn thee into hell , and to make thee miserable beyond all hopes of recovery ? consider of it again . dost thou think it desirable , that god should deal thus with thee , and let fly his judgments upon thee so soon as ever thou hast sinned ? if not , why do men trifle , and make an objection against the long-suffering of god , which they would be very loth should be made good upon them ? ii. it is likewise to be considered , that the long-suffering of god toward sinners is not a total forbearance ; it is usually so mixt with afflictions and judgments of one kind or other , upon our selves or others , as to be a sufficient warning to us , if we would consider and lay it to heart , to sin no more , lest a worse thing come upon us ; lest that judgment which we saw inflicted upon others come home to us . and is not this great goodness , to warn us when he might destroy us , to leave room for a retreat , when he might put our case past remedy ? all this time of god's patience , he threatens sinners , to awaken them out of their security ; he punisheth them gently , that we may have no ground to hope for impunity ; he makes examples of some in a more severe and remarkable manner , that others may hear , and fear , and be afraid to commit the like sins , lest the like punishment overtake them ; he whips some offenders before our eyes , to shew us what sin deserves , and what we also may justly expect , if we do the same things ; and will nothing be a warning to us but our own sufferings ? nay , god doth usually send some judgment or other upon every sinner in this life ; he lets him feel the rod , that he may know that it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against him . he exerciseth men with many afflictions , and crosses , and disappointments , which their own consciences tell them are the just recompences of their deeds ; and by these lighter strokes , he gives us a merciful warning to avoid his heavier blows ; when mercy alone will not work upon us and win us , but being fed to the full , we grow wanton and foolish , he administers physick to us , by affliction and by adversity endeavours to bring us to consideration and a sober mind ; and many have been cured this way , and the judgments of god have done them that good , which his mercies and blessings could not ; for god would save us any way , by his mercy or by his judgment , by sickness or by health , by plenty or by want , by what we desire or by what we dread ; so desirous is he of our , repentance and happiness , that he leaves no method unattempted that may probably do us good ; he strikes upon every passion in the heart of man ; he works upon our love by his goodness , upon our hopes by his promises , and upon our fears , first by his threatnings , and if they be not effectual , then by his judgments ; he tries every affection and takes hold of it , if by any means he may draw us to himself ; and will nothing warn us , but what will ruine us , and render our case desperate and past hope ? and if any sinner be free from outward afflictions and sufferings , yet sin never fails to carry its own punishment along with it ; there is a secret sting and worm , a divine nemesis and revenge that is bred in the bowels of every sin , and makes it a heavy punishment to it self ; the conscience of a sinner doth frequently torment him , and his guilt haunts and dogs him where-ever he goes ; for when ever a man commits a known and willful sin , he drinks down poison , which tho' it may work slowly , yet it will give him many a gripe , and if no means be used to expel it , will destroy him at last . so that the long-suffering of god is wisely ordered , and there is such a mixture of judgment in it , as is sufficient to awaken sinners , and much more apt to deter them from sin , than to encourage them to go on and continue in it . iii. nothing is farther from the intention of god , than to harden men by his long-suffering . this the scripture most expresly declares , pet. . . he is long-suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . he hath a very gracious and merciful design in his patience towards sinners , and is therefore good , that he may make us so , and that we may cease to do evil . the event of god's long-suffering may , by our own fault and abuse of it , prove our ruin ; but the design and intention of it , is our repentance . he winks at the sins of men ( saith the son of syrach ) that they may repent . he passeth them by , and does not take speedy vengeance upon sinners for them , that they may have time to repent of them , and to make their peace with him , while they are yet in the way . nay , his long-suffering doth not only give space for repentance , but is a great argument and encouragement to it . that he is so loth to surprize sinners , that he gives them the liberty of second thoughts , time to reflect upon themselves , to consider what they have done , and to retract it by repentance , is a sufficient intimation that he hath no mind to ruin us , that he desires not the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live . and should not this goodness of his make us sorry that we have offended him ? doth it not naturally lead and invite us to repentance ? what other interpretation can we make of his patience , what other use in reason should we make of it , but to repent and return , that we may be saved ? iv. there is nothing in the long-suffering of god , that is in truth any ground of encouragement to men in any evil course ; the proper and natural tendency of god's goodness is to lead men to repentance , and by repentance to bring them to happiness ; rom. . . despisest thou the riches of his goodness , and patience , and long-suffering , not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance ? this st. peter , with relation to these very words of st. paul , interprets , leading to salvation ; pet. . . and account that the long-suffering of our lord is salvation , as our beloved brother paul also hath written unto you . now where did st. paul write so , unless in this text ; not knowing that the goodness of god leads to repentance ? 't is not only great ignorance , and a very gross mistake , to think that it is the design and intention of god's patience and long-suffering to encourage men in sin ; but likewise to think , that in the nature of the thing , goodness can have any tendency to make men evil ; not knowing that the goodness of god leads to repentance . v. that through the long-suffering of god sinners are hardned in their evil ways , is wholly to be ascribed to their abuse of god's goodness ; 't is neither the end and intention , nor the proper and natural effect of the thing , but the accidental event of it , through our own fault . and is this any real objection against the long-suffering of god ? may not god be patient , tho' sinners be impenitent ? may not he be good , tho' we be so foolish as to make an ill use of his goodness ? because men are apt to abuse the mercies and favours of god , is it therefore a fault in him to bestow them upon us ? is it not enough for us to abuse them , but will we challenge god also of unkindness in giving them ? may not god use wise and fitting means for our recovery , because we are so foolish as not to make a wise use of them ? and must he be charged with our ruin , because he seeks by all means to prevent it ? is it not enough to be injurious to our selves , but will we be unthankful to god also ? when god hath laid out the riches of his goodness and patience upon sinners , will they challenge him as accessory to their ruin ? as if a foolish heir that hath prodigally wasted the fair estate that was left him , should be so far from blaming himself , as to charge his father with undoing him . are these the best returns which the infinite mercy and patience of god hath deserved from us ? do we thus requite the lord , foolish people and unwise ? god's patience would save sinners , but they ruin themselves by their abuse of it ; let the blame then lie where it is due , and let god have the glory of his goodness , tho' men refuse the benefit and advantage of it . vi. and lastly , but because this objection pincheth hardest in one point ; viz. that god certainly fore-sees that a great many will abuse his long-suffering , to the increasing of their guilt , and the aggravating of their condemnation ; and how is his long-suffering any mercy and goodness to those , who he certainly fore-knows will in the event be so much the more miserable , for having had so much patience extended to them ? therefore for a full answer , i desire these six things may be considered . . that god designs this life for the tryal of our obedience , that according as we behave our selves he might reward or punish us in another world. . that there could be no tryal of our obedience , nor any capacity of rewards and punishments , but upon the supposition of freedom and liberty ; that is , that we do not do what we do upon force and necessity , but upon free choice . . that god , by virtue of the infinite perfection of his knowledge , does clearly and certainly foresee all future events , even those which are most contingent , such as are the arbitrary actions of free and voluntary agents . this i know hath been deny'd , but without reason ; since it is not only contrary to the common apprehensions of mankind from the very light of nature , that god should not fore-know future events , but to clear and express scripture ; and that in such instances , for the sake of which they deny god's fore-knowledge in general of the future actions of free and voluntary agents , i mean , that the scripture expresly declares god's determinate fore-knowledge of the most wicked actions ; as the crucifying of christ , who is said , according to the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of god , to have been by wicked hands crucified and slain . . that the bare fore-knowledge of things future hath no more influence upon them to make them to be , than the sight and knowledge of things present hath upon them to make them to be present . i may see or know that the sun is risen , without being the cause of its rising ; and no more is bare knowledge of future events the cause that they are , when they are . and if any man ask how god can certainly fore-know things , which depend upon free and arbitrary causes , unless he do some way decree and determine them ? i answer , that this is not a fair and reasonable demand , to ask of men , who have but finite understandings , to make out and declare all the ways that infinite knowledge hath of knowing and of fore-seeing the actions of free creatures , without prejudice to their liberty and freedom of acting . however , it is of the two much more credible to reason , that infinite knowledge should certainly fore-know things , which our understandings cannot imagine how they should be fore-known , than that god should any ways be the author of sin , by determining and decreeing the wicked actions of men. the first only argues the imperfection of our understandings ; but the other lays the greatest blemish and imperfection that can be upon the divine nature . so that this difficult controversie about the fore-knowledge of god is brought to this point , whether a man had better believe , that infinite knowledge may be able to fore-know things in a way which our finite understanding cannot comprehend : or to ascribe something to god , from whence it would unavoidably follow that he is the author of sin. the 〈◊〉 is only a modest and just acknowledgment of our own ignorance ; the lost is the utmost and greatest absurdity that a man can be brought to ; and to say that we cannot believe the fore-knowledge of god , unless we can make out the particular manner of it , is more unreasonable , than if an ignorant man should deny a difficult proposition in euclid or archimedes to be demonstrated , because he knows not how to demonstrate it . . and consequently fore-knowledge and liberty may very well consist ; and notwithstanding god's fore-knowledge of what men will do , they may be as free as if he did not fore-know it . and , lastly , that god doth not deal with men according to his fore-knowledge of the good or bad use of their liberty , but according to the nature and reason of things ; and therefore if he be long-suffering toward sinners , and do not cut them off upon the first provocation , but give them a space and opportunity of repentance , and use all proper means and arguments to bring them to repentance , and be ready to afford his grace to excite good resolutions in them , and to second and assist them , and they refuse and resist all this ; their wilful obstinacy and impenitency is as culpable , and god's goodness and patience as much to be acknowledged , as if god did not foresee the abuse of it ; because his fore-sight and knowledge of what they would do , laid no necessity upon them to do what they did . if a prince had the priviledge of fore-knowledge as god hath , and did certainly foresee , that a great many of his subjects would certainly incur the penalty of his laws , and that others would abuse his goodness and clemency to them ; yet if he would govern them like free and reasonable creatures , he ought to make the same wise laws to restrain their exorbitancy , and to use the same clemency in all cases that did fairly admit of it , as if he did not at all foresee what they would do , nor how they would abuse his clemency ; for it is nevertheless fit to make wise and reasonable laws , and to govern with equity and clemency , tho' it were certainly foreseen , that they that are governed would act very foolishly and unreasonably in the use of their liberty . it is great goodness in god to give men the means and opportunity of being saved , tho' they abuse this goodness to their farther ruin ; and he may be heartily grieved for that folly and obstinacy in men , which he certainly fore-sees will end in their ruin ; and may with great seriousness and sincerity wish they would do otherwise , and were as wise to do good , as they are wilful to do evil . and thus he is represented in scripture , as regretting the mischief which men wilfully bring upon themselves ; o that they were wise , o that they would understand , and consider their latter end ! and this is sufficient to vindicate the goodness of god in his patience and long-suffering to sinners , and to make them wholly guilty of all that befalls them for their wilful contempt and abuse of it . i shall draw some inferences from this whole discourse upon this argument . i. this shews the unreasonableness and perverse disingenuity of men , who take occasion to harden and encourage themselves in sin from the long-suffering of god , which above all things in the world should melt and soften them . thou hast sinned and art liable to the justice of god , sentence is gone forth , but god respites the execution of it , and hath granted thee a reprieve , and time and opportunity to sue out thy pardon . now what use ought we in reason to make of this patience of god towards us ? we ought certainly to break off our sins by a speedy repentance , lest iniquity be our ruin ; immediately to sue out our pardon , and to make our peace with god , while we are yet in the way , and to resolve , never any more willingly to offend that god who is so gracious and merciful , so long-suffering and full of compassion . but what use do men commonly make of it ? they take occasion to confirm and strengthen themselves in their wickedness , and to reason themselves into vain and groundless hopes of impunity . now what a folly is this , because punishment doth not come , therefore to hasten it , and to draw it down upon our selves ? because it hath not yet overtaken us , therefore to go forth and meet it ? because there is yet a possibility of escaping it , therefore to take a certain course to make it unavoidable ? because there is yet hope concerning us , therefore to make our case desperate and past remedy ? see how unreasonably men bring ruin upon themselves ; so that well might the psalmist ask that question , have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? but their folly and unreasonableness is not so great , but their perverseness and disingenuity is greater . to sin , because god is long-suffering , is to be evil , because he is good , and to provoke him , because he spares us ; it is to strive with god , and to contend with his goodness , as if we were resolved to try the utmost length of his patience ; and because god is loth to punish , therefore to urge and importune him to that which is so contrary to his inclination . ii. this may serve to convince men of the great evil and danger of thus abusing the long-suffering of god. it is a provocation of the highest nature , because it is to trample upon his dearest attributes , those which he most delights and glories in , his goodness and mercy ; for the long-suffering of god is his goodness to the guilty , and his mercy to those who deserve to be miserable . nothing makes our ruin more certain , more speedy , and more intollerable , than the abuse of god's goodness and patience . after god had born long with that rebellious people , the children of israel , and notwithstanding all their murmurings , all their infidelity and impenitency , had spared them ten times , at last he sets his seal to their ruin , heb. . , . harden not your hearts , as in the provocation , in the day of temptation in the wilderness : when your fathers proved me , and saw my works forty years . this was a high provocation indeed , to harden their hearts under the patience and long-suffering of god , after forty years tryal and experience of it ; v. . wherefore i was grieved with that generation , and said , they are a people that do err in their hearts , for they have not known my ways . and what was the issue of all this ? upon this god takes up a fixt resolution to bear no longer with them , but to cut them off from the blessings he had promised to bestow upon them ; he sware in his wrath , that they should not enter into his rest . to whom sware he , that they should not enter into his rest , but to them that believed not ? or as the word may be rendred , to them that were disobedient ? that is , to them who went on in their rebellion against him , after he had suffered their manners forty years . and as the abuse of god's patience renders our destruction more certain , so more speedy and more intollerable . we think that because god suffers long , he will suffer always ; and because punishment is delayed , therefore it will never come ; but it will come the sooner for this : so our lord tells us , luke . when the servant said , his lord delayed his coming , the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looks not for him , and at an hour when he is not aware , and shall cut him in sunder , and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites . none so like to be surprised by the judgment of god , as those who trespass so boldly upon his patience . iii. to perswade us to make a right use of the patience and long-suffering of god , and to comply with the merciful end and design of god therein . . it is the design of god's long-suffering , to give us a space of repentance . were it not that god had this design and reasonable expectation from us , he would not reprieve a sinner for one moment , but would execute judgment upon him so soon as ever he had offended : this our saviour declares to us by the parable of the fig-tree , luke . . were it not that god expects from us the fruit of repentance , he would cut us down , and not suffer us to cumber the ground ; after he had waited three years , seeking fruit and finding none , he spares it one year more , to see if it would bear fruit . . the long-suffering of god is a great encouragement to repentance . we see by his patience that he is not ready to take advantage against us ; that he spares us when we offend , is a very good sign that he will forgive us if we repent . thus natural light would reason , and so the king of nineveh , a heathen , reasons , who can tell if god will turn and repent ? but we are fully assured of this by the gracious declarations of the gospel , and the way of pardon and forgiveness which is therein establisht through faith in the blood of jesus christ , who was made a propitiation for the sins of the whole world . therefore the long-suffering of god should be a powerful argument to us to break off our sins by repentance : for this is the end of god's patience ; he is long-suffering to us ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked should turn from his way and live . god every where expresseth a vehement desire and earnest expectation of our repentance and conversion ; jer. . . o jerusalem ! wash thy heart from wickedness , that thou mayest be saved . and chap. . . woe unto thee jerusalem ! wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? he who is so patient as to the punishment of our sins , is almost impatient of our repentance for them ; wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? and can we stand out against his earnest desire of our happiness , whom we have so often and so long provoked to make us miserable ? let us then return into our selves , and think seriously what our case and condition is ; how we have lived , and how long the patience of god hath suffered our manners , and waited for our repentance , and how inevitable and intollerable the misery of those must be who live and dye in the contempt and abuse of it ; let us heartily repent of our wicked lives , and say , what have we done ? how careless have we been of our own happiness , and what pains have we taken to undo our selves ? let us speedily set about this work , because we do not know how long the patience of god may last , and the opportunities of our salvation be continued to us . this day of god's grace and patience will have an end , therefore , as the prophet exhorts , isa . . . seek the lord while he may be found , and call upon him while he is near . now god graciously invites sinners to come to him , and is ready to receive them ; nay , if they do but move towards him , he is ready to go forth and meet them half way ; but the time will come , when he will bid them depart from him , when they shall cry , lord , lord , open unto us , and the door of mercy shall be shut against them . all the while thou delayest this necessary work , thou venturest thy immortal soul , and puttest thy eternal salvation upon a desperate hazard , and should god snatch thee suddenly away in an impenitent state , what would become of thee ? thou art yet in the way , and god is yet reconcileable , but death is not far off , and perhaps much nearer to thee than thou art aware ; at the best thy life is uncertain , and death will infallibly put a period to this day of god's grace and patience . repentance is a work so necessary , that methinks no man should lose so much time as to deliberate , whether he should set about it or not ; de necessariis nulla est deliberatio ; no man deliberates about what he must do , or be undone if he do it not . 't is a work of so great consequence and concernment , and the delay of it so infinitely dangerous , that one would think no wise man could entertain a thought of deferring it . what greater folly and stupidity can there be , than for men to venture their immortal souls , and to run an apparent hazard in matters of everlasting consequence ? this day of god's patience is the great opportunity of our salvation , and if we let it slip , it is never to be recovered : if we mis-improve this time of our life , we shall not be permitted to live it over again to improve it better . our state of tryal ends with this life , after that god will prove us no more ; then we shall wish , o that i had known in that my day , the things which belonged to my peace , but now they are hid from mine eyes ; therefore to day , whilst it is called to day , harden not your hearts , make no tarrying to turn to the lord , and put not off from day to day , for suddenly shall the wrath of the lord break forth , and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed ; exercise repentance in the time of health , and defer not till death to be justified . sermon x. the power of god. psal. lxii . . god hath spoken once ; twice have i heard this , that power belongeth unto god. in treating of the attributes of god , i have consider'd those which relate to the divine vnderstanding , to which i referr'd his knowledge and wisdom ; those also which relate to the divine will ; viz. god's justice , truth , holiness , and goodness ; i come now to consider his power of acting , which is his omnipotency ; this i shall speak to from these words . in the beginning of this psalm , david declares that god was the great object of his trust and confidence , and that all his hopes and expectation of safety and deliverance were from him , v. , . and this makes him challenge his enemies for all their mischievous qualities and devices against him , as vain attempts , v. , . hereupon he chargeth himself to continue his trust and confidence in god , from whom was all his expectation , and who was able to save and deliver him ; v. , , . and from his example and experience , he encourageth and exhorts all others to trust in god , v. . and that from two arguments . . because all other objects of our trust and confidence are vain and insufficient , and will fail those that rely upon them . if we will rely upon any thing in this world , it must either be persons or things ; but we cannot safely repose our trust in either of these . not in persons : they may be reduced to one of these two heads , either high or low : those that are of a mean condition , it would be in vain to trust them ; they that cannot secure themselves from meanness , cannot secure others from mischief , men of low degree are vanity : but great ones of the world , they seem to promise something of assistance and security to us ; but if we depend upon them , they will frustrate us , men of high degree are a lie . as for the things of the world ; that which men usually place their confidence in , is riches ; these are either got by unlawful , or lawful means ; if they be ill gotten , by oppression or robbery , they will be so far from securing us from evil , that they will bring it upon us ; if they be well gotten , they are of an uncertain nature , that we have little reason to place our hopes in them ; if riches increase , set not your hearts upon them , that is , your hope ; for heart in scripture signifies any of the affections . . because god is the proper object of our trust and confidence . we may safely rely upon any one , in whom these two things concur , a power to help us , and goodness to incline him so to do . now david tells us , that both these are eminently in god , and do in a peculiar manner belong to him ; power , v. . and goodness , v. . i shall speak to that which david makes the first ground of our confidence , the power of god ; power belongs to god : for which he brings the testimony of god himself , once hath god spoken , yea twice have i heard this . some interpreters trouble themselves about the meaning of this expression , as if it did refer to some particular revelation of god ; and then again they are troubled how to reconcile god's speaking this but once , with david's hearing it twice ; but i do not love to spie mysteries in these expressions which are capable of a plain sense ; for i understand no more by it but this , that god hath several times revealed this ; he frequently declared himself by this attribute , once , yea twice , that is , he hath spoken it often , and david had heard it often . this is answerable to that phrase of the latins , semel atque iterum ; and it is usual in all writers , to use a certain number for an uncertain , and particularly among poets , felices ter & amplius , hor. and so in the poetical writers of scripture , job . . he hath delivered thee in six troubles , yea , in seven there shall no evil ●ouch thee ; that is , in several and various troubles . eccles . . . give a portion to seven and also to eight , that is , distribute thy charity to many ; and which is nearest to this , job . . once have i spoken , but i will not answer : yea twice , but i will proceed no further ; that is , i have had several discourses with my friends ; and . . god speaketh once , yea twice , in a dream , in a vision of the night ; that is , god reveals himself in several ways and manners to men ; so here , god hath spoken once , yea twice , that is , god hath often declared this . and if i would be so curious to refer to a particular declaration of god , i should think , that it related either to the preface to the law , i am the lord thy god , that is , the great and powerful god , that brought thee out of the land of egypt ; or rather to the declaration which god made of himself to abraham , isaac , and jacob , by the name of the almighty god , gen. . . concerning which revelation of god , it is said expresly , ex. . . i appeared unto abraham , and isaac , and jacob , by the name of god almighty , but by my name jehovah , was i not known to them . but that which i design to speak to , is the proposition it self , that power belongs to god ; that is , that the excellency of power , power in its highest degree and perfection ; all power belongs to god , that is , that omnipotence is a property or perfection of the divine nature . in the handling of this , i shall shew , first , what we are to understand by the omnipotence of god. secondly , that this perfection belongs to god. first , what we are to understand by the omnipotence of god. and this i shall consider , i. as to the principle . and , ii. as to the exercise of it . i. as to the principle , it is an ability to do all things ; the doing of which speaks power and perfection ; that is , whatever is not repugnant either to the nature of things , or of god ; whatever does not imply a contradiction in the thing , or an imperfection in the doer ; an ability to do all things which are consistent with it self , and with the divine nature and perfection ; by which we must mean an executive power , the effect whereof is without himself ; for what he is said to do within himself , the acts of his understanding and will , as we conceive his will to be distinct from his power , are not to be referr'd to his omnipotence . to have a right conception of omnipotence , we must imagine the most perfect active principle that we can , and 't is still something more perfect than that , or any thing we can imagine . to help our conception , . let us imagine a principle from which all other power is derived , and upon which it depends , and to which it is perfectly subject and subordinate . . a perfect active principle , which can do , not only what any finite being or creature can do , but what all beings joyned together can do ; nay more and greater things than they all can do . . a perfect active principle , to which nothing can make any considerable , much less effectual resistance , which can check and countermand at pleasure , and carry down before it , and annihilate all other powers that we can imagine besides this ; because we cannot imagine any other power , that is not derived from this , and does not depend upon it . . a perfect active principle , which can do all things in a most perfect manner , and can do all things at once and in an instant , and that with ease . we can but do one thing at once , and the greater and more considerable it is , the more time it will ask us to do it , and we find it the harder and more difficult to be done ; but god , to whose knowledge all things are present at once , and together ; and the acts of whose will are as quick and perfect as of his understanding , hath a power answerable to the perfection of both , and therefore 't is as easie to him to do all things , as one thing , at once , as successively , and in time ; for this is the priviledge of an infinite spirit , that it does not only act without hands and material engines or instruments , as every spirit doth , but without motion from one place to another , because he is every where and fills all places ; he acts per modum voluntatis , as if his actings were nothing else but a willing that such a thing be done , and ipso facto every thing is so , as he wills it should be , and when he wills it should be ; as if things did start up into being , or vanish out of being , as if they did break forth into being , and sculk again into nothing , and undergo such and such changes , ad nutum voluntatis , at the beck of his will. and this is the most perfect way of acting that can be imagined , which the scripture seems to express to us , when it represents god as making things by his word , upholding all things by the word of his power ; as if he did but speak the word , and say , let such a thing be , and it was so ; as if there were nothing more required to the doing of any thing , but an express act of the divine will , which is all we can understand by god's speaking , by his word , and voice , and saying , let things be ; but the least that it can signifie , is the quick and speedy manner of working , whereby god is able to do things in an instant , as soon as a word can be spoken . and as he can do all things at once , and in an instant ; so with ease , without any pain or laborious endeavour ; for what is it can object any difficulty to him ? at the first creation of things there was nothing to resist him ; and since the creation , there is nothing but what was made by him , and consequently all whose power is derived from him , and depends upon him , and is subject to him , and being finite and limited , is infinitely unequal to the infinite power of god ; so that we may imagine , the divine power would pass through all the resistance that all created power can make , and all the difficulties it can object to it , with more ease than a bullet passeth through the thin air , or a man would pass through a net of cobweb . . the most perfect active principle we can imagine , the utmost bounds and limits of whose perfection we cannot imagine , that is , when we have imagined it to be as perfect , and to act in as perfect a manner as we can imagine , yet we have not reached the perfection of it ; but after all this , that it can do many things more than we can imagine , and in a manner much more perfect than we can imagine . this is the omnipotence of god , as to the principle , which hath no bounds and limits . and , ii. as to the exercise of it , it is only limitted by the divine will and wisdom . the divine will determins it to its exercise , the divine wisdom directs and regulates the exercise of it ; that is , god exerciseth his power willingly , and not by necessity , and in such manner , for the producing such effects , and in order to such ends and purposes , as seem best to his wisdom . hence he is said to act all things according to his good pleasure , and according to the counsel of his will ; that is , freely and wisely . as to the extent of this power , i said it was an ability to do all things that are consistent with it self , and with the nature and perfection of god. first , that are consistent with it self , that is , with a power to do all things . it is a contradiction to imagine , that omnipotence can do that , which if it could be done , would render all power insignificant . upon this account , the divine power is not said to extend to the working of any thing which implies a contradiction , and the terms whereof speak a repugnancy to one another , and mutually destroy one another , and the doing whereof is contrary to the nature of the thing which is supposed to be done , that is , is nonsense , and cannot be imagined to be . for example , that a thing should be , and not be at the same time . for a power to make a thing to be , so as it should not be while it is , signifies nothing ; because such a being as is not , is nothing ; and to make such a being , would be to do nothing , and consequently such a power would signifie nothing . so likewise we cannot say , that the divine power can cause that the same thing should be made and not be made , that that which hath been , should not have been ; for the power which makes a thing so as that it was not made , and causeth a thing to have been , so as that it hath not been , does nothing ; and consequently is no power . nor can we say , that the divine power can effect that any thing should be made by it self , that is , be the cause of its own being ; for that would be to cause that a thing should be before it is , that is , be , when it is not , which signifies nothing . we cannot say that the divine power can effect , that twice two should not make four ; for that would be to cause that things should not be what they are , if they be at all , which is to cause that things should be and not be at all , when they are , which amounts to nothing . we cannot say , that the divine power can make a sound to be seen , and colour to be heard ; for that would be to make colour and sound all one , that is , things that differ , to be the same while they differ , which is to make colour and sound not to be colour and sound while they are so , which is to do nothing , and consequently argues no power . we cannot say the divine power can make that which is intrinsecally and essentially good , to be evil ; and on the contrary : or that which is necessarily true to be false ; and on the contrary . for to make that which is intrinsecally and essentially good to be evil , is to make that which is always good to be sometimes evil , that is , to be evil whilst it is good , that is to make good and evil all one ; which is to bring two things together , which so soon as they do exist , destroy one another , which is to no purpose , because it is to do just nothing ; and there is the same reason of true and false . we cannot say , that the power of god can cause that the same thing should be hot and cold , dead and alive at the same time ; because these destroy one another , and if they were both , neither of them would be , and so the effect we attribute to this power would be nothing . we cannot say , that the divine power can effect , that the same impression should give a thing two contrary motions , upward and downward at the same time ; that the same body should be in two contrary postures , in motion and at rest , and in several places , which are the contradictions of transubstantiation ; for , for the same body to be at the same time in two several places , is to be limited and circumscribed by each of these , that is , so to be in each of them , as not to be in the other , or in any other , so that if it be in this place , it is not in that , nor any other besides this ; if it be in that place , it is not in this , nor any other besides that ; but if it be in two , it is both in this and in that , and therefore in neither of them , nor any where else ; so that a power to make a body to be in two places at once , is a power to make it to be no where , that is , not to be at all , which is no power ; and there 's the same reason of the same body's being in contrary motion , or in motion and at rest , or in two contrary postures at the same time . so that by all these instances it appears , that a power to do any thing which implies a contradiction , and is repugnant to the nature of things , signifies nothing , and the supposed effect of it is only to bring terms together , which if they could be brought together , so soon as they meet , will mutually take away and destroy one another , which would be vain and to no purpose . i have the more explicitly laid open these contradictions , with relation to the gross doctrine of transubstantiation , in which all , or most of the contradictions which i have mentioned are involved . i know they stifly deny , that these contradictions follow from that doctrine , and use pitiful shifts to avoid them ; but being not able to satisfie themselves that way , if the worst should come to the worst , they can grant these contradictions , but then they flye to the power of god , which can do things which we call contradictions ; or else they say , there are as many contradictions in the doctrine of the trinity , which all christians believe . and thus they reproach christianity , to defend popery ; and if they cannot perswade men to be papists , do what they can to make them atheists , or at least , to hinder them from being christians : but there is not so much malice in this objection , but there is as little strength . is it any contradiction , that the same thing should be three and one in several respects ? which is all that the scripture teacheth concerning the trinity : but if men will undertake to explain this more particularly than god thought fit to do , and do it in such a manner , as that they cannot free themselves from contradiction , let them look to it , the christian religion is not at all concerned in this , further than to censure such mens boldness and curiosity . but against this exemption of things that imply a contradiction from the compass and extent of the divine power , there are two objections which are more considerable , and deserve to be taken notice of . i. we grant god's fore-knowledge of future events , which seem to us to be impossible to be foreknown ; now why may we not as well grant , that god can do things which seem to us impossible to be done by any power , as foreknow things which it is impossible for any understanding to know ? for why should we pretend to know the utmost of what infinite power can do , any more than the utmost of what infinite understanding can know ? ans . i know no reason but that the argument should be granted , if there were an equal necessity of granting the possibility of those things , which seem to us impossible to be done , that there is of granting the possibility of fore-knowing future contingencies , tho' they seem to us impossible to be known . we must grant the possibility of fore-knowing future contingencies , because the scripture , which we believe to be a divine revelation , expresly tells us , that god doth foreknow them , and gives us instances of it in several prophecies and predictions . now if any man can shew me as express texts , which say , that god can make a body to be in two places at once , i would believe it , tho' i do not see how it is possible ; because it is reasonable i should believe , that infinite power can do many things , the possibility of which my finite understanding cannot reach . now whereas the papists say , the scripture hath said that from which this necessarily follows , viz. this is my body ; this is not enough , unless they could either prove , that it is necessary to understand all texts of scripture in a rigorous and strict propriety of the letter , without admitting any trope or figure in the words ; which they do not pretend : or else shew a clear reason , why this should be understood so , more than a thousand others ; which they have not done , and i think never can do . but if it be further argued ; if we grant in one case , that those things which seem to be contradictions to us may be possible , why not in all cases ? unless we had some certain way of distinguishing between seeming contradictions and real ones . and if we grant all contradictions possible , then there is no reason to exempt these from the extent of the divine power ; but we may safely say , that the divine power can make a thing to be and not to be at the same time . to this i answer , . i do not grant , that any thing that seems to me to be a contradiction , ought to be granted by me to be possible , unless i have higher assurance and greater reason to believe it to be possible , than i have to believe it to be a contradiction ; for example , suppose it were clearly revealed in scripture , that two bodies may be in the same place at the same time ( which is not , nor any thing like it ) then having a revelation for this , and no revelation that it is not a contradiction , i have higher assurance and greater reason to believe it is possible , than that it is a contradiction ; and consequently i have reason to believe it is no contradiction , and that from thence it would not follow , that the same thing may be , and not be at the same time : but tho' in case of divine revelation , i may believe that to be no contradiction , which seems to me to be a contradiction ; yet i am not , without great necessity and clear evidence , to offer violence to reason , and affront the faculty of understading which god hath endowed me withal , by entertaining any thing which seems to me to be a contradiction ; which the papists do in the business of transubstantiation , without any evidence of revelation , and consequently without necessity . . but if this were revealed in scripture , that the same thing may be and not be at the same time , i could have no reason to believe that , because i could have no assurance , if that were true , that the scriptures were a divine revelation , or that it were to be believed if it were ; for if it were true , that the same thing may be and not be , then a divine revelation may be no divine revelation , and when i am bound to believe a thing , i may be bound at the same time not to believe it , and so all things would fall into uncertainty , and the foundation of all assurance , and of all duty and obedience , both of faith and practice , would be taken away . the ii. objection is from the power of creation , which is generally acknowledged to be a making of something out of nothing ; now say the objectors , this seems as palpable a contradiction as any thing else . ans . to us indeed , who converse with material things , and never saw any thing made , but out of pre-existent matter , it is very hard to conceive how any thing should be created , that is , produced out of nothing : but every thing that is strange is not a contradiction . it is strange to us , and hard to conceive , that there should be such a thing as a spirit , who never saw , nor can see any thing but matter ; and yet we grant there are spirits . it is hard to us to conceive how any thing should be made , but out of matter ; and yet spirit , if it were made of any thing pre-existent , cannot be made of matter : but if we will attend to those common dictates of reason , which every man , whether he will or no , must assent to , we may easily understand creation to be possible , and free from contradiction . for the clearing of this , i will proceed by these steps . . the true notion of creation , is the bringing of something into being , which before had no being at all ; for the phrase of making something out of nothing , or out of no pre-existent matter , does mislead our understandings into odd conceits , as if nothing could be the material cause of something , or as if nothing could be what is material . . every one must grant , that something is ; for we see that things are , however they came to be . . every one must grant , that something is of it self , whether matter , or that being which we call god. . every one must grant , that that which was of it self was always ; for nothing can begin to be of it self . . it is much more easie to conceive how a thing that once was not , might sometime be brought into being by another , than how a thing should be always of it self ; for that which once was not , is supposed to have something before it , by which it might be made , though not out of which it was made ; but that which was always , neither had , nor could have any thing by which , or out of which it could be made . and why cannot a thing come into a being , when there was nothing before it , out of which it was made , as well as a thing be always , when there could not be any thing before it , out of which it should be ? secondly , i exempt those things from the extent of omnipotence , which imply imperfection , which are contrary to the nature and perfection of god , both natural and moral imperfections ; for these also destroy power , because they are not arguments of power , but of impotence . natural imperfections ; as to dye , to be sick , to be in want , to eat , to sleep , to forget , &c. moral imperfections , those which contradict the holiness of god , as sin and vice , or to compel any to sin ; which contradict his goodness , as to be cruel ; which contradict his truth , as to lie , to deceive , to break his promise , to deny himself ; tit. . . tim. . . jam. . . he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . contrary to the constancy and immutability of his nature , as to change his decree , to repent ; contrary to justice and equity , as for ever to spare and to pardon obstinate sinners , eternally to punish innocent and good men ; for these are moral imperfections , and contradict the holiness , and truth , and goodness , and justice , and immutability of the divine nature ; and that distinction between god's absolute and ordinate power , that is , that god hath an absolute power of doing some things , which yet upon supposition of his decree , or promise , or goodness , or justice , he cannot do , is vain and frivolous , unless men mean by it only this , that some things which argue an imperfection , do not imply a contradiction , which is most true ; but both these are absolutely and equally impossible to god. i proceed to the second thing i proposed , that this perfection belongs to god ; and this i shall shew , i. from the dictates of natural light. ii. from the scripture , or divine revelation . i. from the dictates of natural light. this was one of the most usual titles which the heathens gave to their supreme deity , optimus maximus ; next to his goodness they placed his greatness , which does chiefly appear in his power ; and they did not only attribute a great power to him , but an omnipotence . nihil est quod deus efficere non potest , saith tully de div. now their natural reason did convince them , that this perfection did belong to god by these three arguments . . from those two great instances and expressions of his power , creation and providence ; for the heathens did generally acknowledge the making of the world , and the preservation and government of it , to be the effects of power , determined by goodness , and regulated by wisdom . hence they gave those titles to god of opifex rerum , and rector mundi . i say generally , i except aristotle , who supposed the world not to have been made , but to have been from eternity ; and epicurus with his followers , who ascribed the regular and orderly frame of nature to a happy casualty and fortunate concourse of atoms : but generally the wiser did look upon the vast frame of nature , this stately fabrick of the world , and the upholding and preserving of it , as an argument of a divine and invisible power . and so the apostle tells us , rom. . . that by the light of nature , the invisible things of god were clearly seen by the things that were made , even his eternal power and godhead . . because all other perfections without this would be insignificant and ineffectual , or else could not be at all . without this goodness would be an empty piece of good meaning , and not able to give any demonstration of it self ; knowledge would be an idle speculation ; and wisdom to contrive things , without power to effect them , would be an useless thing . there would be no such thing as justice , if the divine nature were without a power to reward and punish ; no such thing as faithfulness , if he had not a power to perform what he promises ; no providence , for it would be in vain for him that hath no power , to take upon him to govern and to intermeddle in the affairs of the world. . without this there could be no religion . take away the power of god , and there can be no foundation of faith and trust , no reason for fear ; all arguments from hope and fear would be taken away ; we could not expect any good , nor fear any harm from an impotent being that could do nothing . the sanction of god's laws would be taken away . to give authority to laws , there must not only be a right to command , but power to back those commands ; the grand security and last resort of all government and authority is power ; james . . there is one law-giver , who is able to save , and to destroy . none can be a law-giver , but he that hath this power , to reward and punish , to make men happy or miserable , to save , or to destroy . men would not pray to god , nor make any address to him , if they did not believe he were able to supply their wants , and relieve them in their straits ; nec in hunc furorem omnes mortales consensissent alloquendi surda numina & inefficaces deos , sen. there would be no encouragement for men to serve god , if they did not believe that he were able to reward them , and bring them to happiness , and to defend them against all the enemies of their welfare , so that it should not be in the power of the most malicious spirits to hinder them of their happiness . ii. from scripture or divine revelation . in producing texts to this purpose , i will proceed by these steps . . take notice of those which in general ascribe power , and might , and strength to god. psal . . . the lord strong and mighty . so girt with power ; the mighty god ; thine is the greatness and the power ; thine is the kingdom , and the power , and the glory . of the same nature are those places which call upon all creatures to ascribe this to god ; give unto the lord ye mighty , give unto the lord glory and strength . . those which ascribe this to god in an eminent degree . job . . he is mighty in strength ; excellent in power ; who is like unto him ? the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . . those texts which ascribe such a power as transcends any human or created power . such as those which express all the power which men have to be derived from god ; john . . thou couldest have no power at all , except it were given thee from above . and those which advance the power of god above the power of men ; luke . . the things which are impossible with men , are possible with god ; he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think . eph. . . chron. . . job . . according to his mighty power , whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself , phil. . . dan. . . those which declare all things to be equally easie to him , and nothing difficult ; there is nothing too hard for thee , jer. . . chron. . . sam. . . . those which ascribe all power to him , by the titles of almighty , alsufficient , gen. . . rev. . , . . . . . . . job . . . thou canst do all things . matth. . . mark. . . luke . . i have dispatch'd what i propos'd upon this argument , give me leave to apply all in the following particulars . use . first , the consideration of god's omnipotence may cause terror to wicked men. all this power which i have described , or rather , which is so great that i cannot describe it , is engaged against sinners ; his power and his wrath is against all that forsake him , ezra . . and who knows what those words signifie , psal . . . who knoweth the power of thine anger ? as is thy fear , so is thy wrath . there is no passion in the heart of man more infinite than our fear , it troubles us with jealousie and suspicion of the utmost that may happen ; but when we have extended our fears to the utmost , the power of god's wrath reacheth further . whenever we sin , we challenge the almighty , and dare infinite power to do its worst to us ; job . . speaking of the wicked man , he stretcheth out his hand against god , and strengtheneth himself against the almighty . whom wilt thou fear , if not him who can make thee extremely happy or miserable for ever ? will ye provoke the lord to jealousie ? are ye stronger than he ? because he doth nothing against thee for the present , thinkest thou he can do nothing ? nah. . . he is slow to anger , and great in power , and will not acquit the wicked . there is a day a coming , when the son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven , with power and great glory . secondly , the consideration of god's omnipotence should check the pride and vain confidence of men. what have we to be proud of ? what have we that we have not received ? where then is cause of boasting ? who may glory in his sight ? those that have the greatest power should remember whence it is derived , and render back the glory of it to the fountain of it . psal . . . give unto the lord , o ye mighty , give unto the lord glory and strength . so likewise it should take men off from relying upon their own strength , which at the best is but an arm of flesh , as the scripture calls it , for the weakness of it . do we not see , that many times the battel is not to the strong ? that things are not done by might and by power , but by the spirit of the lord. when he appears against the most potent , their hearts melt within them , and there is no more spirit left in them , as 't is said of the mighty inhabitants of canaan , josh . . . thirdly , we should make this omnipotence of god the object of our trust and confidence . this is the most proper use we can make of this doctrine , as david does in this psalm ; and this was used for a form of blessing the people in the name of god ; psal . . . the lord that made heaven and earth , bless thee . and david , when he magnifies god's deliverance of his people from the multitude of their enemies , resolves it into this , our help standeth in the name of the lord , who made heaven and earth . thus did the great pattern and example of faith incourage and support his confidence in god in a very difficult tryal ; he staggered not at it , because he believed god who quickeneth the dead , and calleth those things that be not as tho' they were ; therefore against hope he believed in hope , &c. rom. . . &c. this gives life to all our devotion , to be perswaded , that god is able to do for us exceedingly above what we can ask or think , and that his is the kingdom , the power , and the glory . i shall only caution two things as to our relyance on the power of god. i. labour to be such persons to whom god hath promised that he will engage and imploy his omnipotence for their good . if we hope for any good from the almighty , we must walk before him and be perfect , as he said to abraham . good men have a peculiar interest in god's power ; hence he is called the strength of israel , and the mighty one of israel . if we do what god requires of us , we may expect that he will put forth his power , and exert his arm for us ; but if we disobey , we must expect he will manifest his power against us , ez. . . when we do well , we may commit the keeping of our souls to him , pet. . . ii. our expectations from the omnipotence of god must be with submission to his pleasure , and goodness , and wisdom ; we must not expect that god will manifest his power , when we think there is occasion for it , but when it seems best to him ; he will so imploy his omnipotence , as to manifest his goodness and wisdom . and with these two cautions , we may rely upon him in all our wants , both spiritual and temporal ; for his divine power can give us all things that pertain to life and godliness ; pet. . . we may trust him at all times , for the omnipotent god neither slumbereth nor sleepeth , the almighty fainteth not , neither is he weary ; trust ye in the lord for ever , for in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . sermon xi . the spirituality of the divine nature . john . iv. . god is a spirit , and they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth . these are the words of our saviour to the woman of samaria , who was speaking to him of the difference between the samaritans and the jews concerning religion ; v. . our fathers worshipped in this mountain , but ye say , that in jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship . christ tells her , the time was coming , when the worshippers of god should neither be confined to that mountain , nor to jerusalem ; but men should worship the father in spirit and in truth , when this carnal , and ceremonial , and typical worship of god should be exalted into a more spiritual , a more real , and true , and substantial religion , which should not be confined to one temple , but should be universally diffused through the world. now such a worship as this , is most agreeable to the nature of god ; for he is a spirit , and those who worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth . in the words we have , first , a proposition laid down , god is a spirit . secondly , a corollary or inference deduced from it , they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth . i shall speak of the proposition , as that which concerns my present design ; and afterward speak something to the corollary or inference deduced from it , together with some other inferences drawn from this truth , by way of application . first , that god is a spirit . this expression is singular , and not to be parallell'd again in the scripture ; indeed we have often mention made in scripture of the spirit of god , and the spirit of the lord , which signifies a divine power and energy ; and of the holy spirit , signifying the third person in the trinity ; god is call'd the god of the spirits of all flesh ; numb . . . . . much in the same sense , as he is call'd the father of spirits , heb. . . that is , the creator of the souls of men ; but we no where meet with this expression , or any other equivalent to it , that god is a spirit , but only in this place ; nor had it been used here , but to prove that the best worship of god , that which is most proper to him , is spiritual ; so that the thing which our saviour here intends , is not to prove the spiritual nature of god , but that his worship ought to be spiritual ; nor indeed is there any necessity that it should have been any where said in scripture , that god is a spirit , it being the natural notion of a god ; no more than it is necessary that it should be told us , that god is good , or that he is infinite , and eternal , and the like ; or that the scripture should prove to us the being of a god. all these are manifest by the light of nature , and if the scripture mention them , it is ex abundanti , and it is usually in order to some further purpose . for we are to know , that the scripture supposeth us to be men , and to partake of the common notions of human nature , and therefore doth not teach us philosophy , nor solicitously instruct us in those things which are born with us , but supposeth the knowledge of these , and makes use of these common principles and notions which are in us concerning god , and the immortality of our souls , and the life to come , to excite us to our duty , and quicken our endeavours after happiness . for i do not find that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul , is any where expresly delivered in scripture , but taken for granted ; in like manner that the scripture doth not solicitously instruct us in the natural notions which we have of god , but supposeth them known to us ; and if it mention them , it is not so much in order to knowledge as to practice ; and therefore we need not wonder that this expression , which doth set forth to us the nature of god , is but once used in scripture , and that brought in upon occasion , and for another purpose ; because it is a thing naturally known . plato says , that god is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , without body . in like manner tully , nec enim deus ipse qui intelligitur a nobis alio modo intelligi potest , nisi mens quaedam soluta & libera , segregata ab omni concretione mortali ; we cannot conceive of god , but as of a pure mind , intirely free from all mortal composition or mixture . and plutarch after him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , god is a mind , an abstract being , pure from all matter , and disintangled from whatever is passible or capable of suffering . so that natural light informing us that god is a spirit , there was no need why the scripture should inculcate this ; it is an excellent medium or argument to prove that the worship of god should chiefly be spiritual ; and altho it was not necessary that it should have been mention'd for it self , that is , to inform us of a thing which we could not otherwise know , yet the wisdom of god , by the express mention of this , seems to have provided against an error which some weaker and grosser spirits might be subject to . you know god is pleased , by way of condescention and accommodation of himself to our capacity , to represent himself to us in scripture by human imperfections , and gives such descriptions of himself , as if he had a body , and bodily members ; now to prevent any error or mistake that might be occasion'd hereby , it seems very becoming the wisdom of god , somewhere in scripture expresly to declare the spiritual nature of god , that none through weakness or wilfulness might entertain gross apprehensions of him . in speaking to this proposition , i shall , i. explain what is meant by a spirit . ii. endeavour to prove to you , that god is a spirit . iii. answer an objection or two . iv. draw some inferences or corollaries from the whole . i. for the explication of the notion of a spirit . i shall not trouble you with the strict philosophical notion of it , as that it is such a substance as is penetrable , that is , may be in the same place with a body , and neither keep out the body nor be kept out by it ; and that the parts which we imagine in it cannot be divided , that is really seperated and torn from one another , as the parts of a body : but i will give you a negative description of it . a spirit is not matter , it doth not fall under any of our senses , it is that which we cannot see nor touch ; it is not a body , not flesh , and blood , and bones ; for so we find spirit in scripture opposed to flesh and body ; isa . . . their horses are flesh , and not spirit . so luke . when christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection , they were terrified , and supposed it had been a spirit , v. . but he said , behold my hands and my feet , that it is i my self ; handle me , and see , for a spirit hath not flesh and bones , as ye see me have . the most usual description of a spirit is by these negatives , it is not a body , hath not flesh and bones , doth not consist of matter , or of any thing that falls under our senses , that we can see or touch . ii. for the proof of this proposition , that god is a spirit . this is not to be proved by way of demonstration , for there is nothing before god , or which can be a cause of him ; but by way of conviction , by shewing the absurdity of the contrary . the first and most natural notion that we have of god , is , that he is a being every way perfect , and from this notion we must argue concerning the properties which are attributed to god , and govern all our reasonings concerning god by this ; so that when any thing is said of god , the best way to know whether it be to be attributed to him , is to enquire whether it be a perfection or not ; if it be , it belongs to him ; if it be not , it is to be removed from him ; and if any man ask , why i say god is so , or so , a spirit , or good , or just ; the best reason that can be given , is , because these are perfections , and the contrary to these are imperfections . so that if i shew that it would be an imperfection for god to be imagined to be a body , or matter , i prove that he is a spirit , because it is an imperfection , that is , an absurdity to imagine him any thing else . to imagine god to be a body , or matter , doth evidently codtradict four great perfections of god. . his infiniteness , or the immensity of his being . grant me but these two things , that there is something in the world besides god , some other matter , as the heavens , the air , the earth , and all those things which we see ; and grant me that two bodies cannot be in the same place at once , and then it will evidently follow , that where-ever these are , god is shut out ; and consequently god should not be infinite , nor in all places ; and so much as there is of another matter in the world besides god , so many breaches there would be in the divine nature , so many hiatus . . the knowledge and wisdom of god. it cannot be imagined how mere matter can understand , how it can distinctly comprehend such variety of objects , and at one view take in past , present , and to come . tully speaking of spirits , saith , animorum nulla in terris origo inveniri potest ; their original cannot be found upon earth ; for , saith he , there is no material or bodily thing , quod vim memoriae , mentis , cogitationis habeat , quod & praeterita teneat , & futura provideat , & complecti possit praesentia ; quae sola divina sunt ; which hath the power of memory , of vnderstanding , of thought ; which can retain things past , forsee things future , and comprehend things present ; all which powers are purely divine . . freedom and liberty . for the laws of matter are necessary , nor can we imagine any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , any arbitrary principle in it . this puzled the epicureans , as we see in lucretius , for if ( saith he ) all things move by certain and necessary laws , and there be a connexion of the parts of matter unto each other , so that if you move this , that must necessarily be moved ; whence , saith he , is liberty ? vnde est hec inquam fatis avulsa voluntas ; whence is this principle of will , whose motions are not under any law of necessity . . goodness . this follows from the former ; for he is not good who does not know what he does , nor does it freely ; so that take away understanding and liberty , and you take away goodness ; now take away from god infiniteness , and knowledge , and liberty , and goodness , and you divest him of his glory ; you take away his most essential perfections . so that these great absurdities following from the supposing of god to be mere matter or body , we are to conceive of him as another kind of substance , that is , a spirit . so that i wonder that the author of the leviathan , who doth more than once expresly affirm , that there can be nothing in the world , but what is material and corporeal , did not see that the necessary consequence of this position , is to banish god out of the world. i would not be uncharitable , but i doubt he did see it , and was content with the consequence , and willing the world should entertain it ; for it is so evident , that by supposing the divine essence to consist of matter , the immensity of the divine nature is taken away ; and it is also so utterly unimaginable how mere matter should understand , and be endowed with liberty , and consequently with goodness , that i cannot but vehemently suspect the man who denies god to be a spirit , either to have a gross and faulty understanding , or a very ill will against god , and an evil design to root out of the minds of men the belief of a god. i come in the iii. place , to consider the objections . obj. why then is god represented to us so often in scripture by the parts and members of mens bodies ? ans . i shall only say at present , that all these descriptions and representations of god , are plainly made to comply with our weakness , by way of condescention and accomodation to our capacities . obj. how is it said that man was made after the the image of god , if god be a spirit , of which there can be no likeness nor resemblance . ans . man is not said to be made after the image of god , in respect of the outward shape and features of his body ; but in respect of the qualities of his mind , as holiness and righteousness ; or of his faculties , as understanding and will ; or which the text seems most to favour , in respect of his dominion and soveraignty over the creatures ; for in the two former respects the angels are made after the image of god. now this seems to be spoken peculiarly of men ; gen. . . let us make man in our own image , after our own likeness , and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea , and the fowls of the air , &c. iv. i come now to draw some inferences or corollaries from hence , and they shall be partly speculative , partly practical . first , speculative inferences . . that god is invisible . the proper object of sight is colour , and that ariseth from the various dispositions of the parts of matter which cause several reflections of light ; now a spirit hath no parts nor matter , and therefore is invisible ; tim. . . vnto the eternal , immortal , invisible , the only wise god. heb. . . he endured , as seeing him who is invisible ; as seeing him by an eye of faith , who is invisible by an eye of sense . tim. . . whom no man hath seen , nor can see . when moses and the elders of israel are said to have seen god , and jacob to have seen him face to face , exod. . . gen. . . it is meant of an angel covered with divine glory and majesty , as we shall see if we compare these with other texts . when moses is said to have spoken to him face to face , that is familiarly ; and so micaiah , kings . . is said to have seen god upon his throne , and all israel scattered up and down ; this was in a vision . and it is promised , that in heaven we shall see god , that is , have a more perfect knowledge of him and full enjoyment ; as to see good days , is to enjoy them . those texts where it is said , no man can see god and live , exod. . . and john . . no man hath seen god at any time , do not intimate that god is visible , tho' we cannot see him ; but seeing is metaphorically used for knowing , and the meaning is , that in this life we are not capable of a perfect knowledge of god. a clear discovery of god to our understanding would let in joys into our souls , and create desires in us too great for frail mortality to bear . . that he is the living god. spirit and life are often put together in scripture . . that god is immortal . this the scripture attributes to him , tim. . . to the king immortal , invisible . tim. . . who only hath immortality . this also flows from god's spirituality ; a spiritual nature hath no principles of corruption in it , nothing that is liable to perish , or decay , or dye . now this doth so eminently agree to god , either because he is purely spiritual , and immaterial , as possibly no creature is ; or else because he is not only immortal in his own nature , but is not liable to be reduced to nothing by any other , because he hath an original and independent immortality , and therefore the apostle doth attribute it to him in such a singular and peculiar manner ; who only hath immortality . secondly , practical inferences . . we are not to conceive of god as having a body , or any corporeal shape or members . this was the gross conceit of the anthropomorphites of old , and of some socinians of late , which they ground upon the gross and literal interpretation of many figurative speeches in scripture concerning god , as where it speaks of his face , and hand , and arm , &c. but we are very unthankful to god , who condescends to represent himself to us according to our capacities , if we abuse this condescention to the blemish and reproach of the divine nature . if god be pleased to stoop to our weakness , we must not therefore level him to our infirmities . . if god be a spirit , we are not to worship god by any image or sensible representation . because god is a spirit , we are not to liken him to any thing that is corporeal ; we are not to represent him by the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above , that is , of any birds ; or in the earth beneath , that is , of any beast ; or in the waters under the earth , that is , of any fish ; as it is in the second commandment . for , as the prophet tells us , there is nothing that we can liken god to ; isa . : . to whom will ye liken god ? or what likeness will ye compare to him ? we debase his spiritual and incorruptible nature , when we compare him to corruptible creatures ; rom. . , . speaking of the heathen idolatry , who professing themselves wise , became fools , and changed the glory of the incorruptible god into an image made like to corruptible man , and to birds , and to fourfooted beasts , and creeping things . they became fools ; this is the folly of idolatry , to liken a spirit , which hath no bodily shape , to things that are corporeal and corruptible . so that however some are pleased to mince the matter , i cannot see how the church of rome , which worships god by or toward some image or sensible representation , can be excused from idolatry ; and the church of england doth not without very just cause challenge the romish church with it , and make it a ground of separation from her . . if god be a spirit , then we should worship him in spirit and in truth . this is the inference of the text , and therefore i shall speak a little more largely of it ; only i must explain what is meant by worshiping in spirit and in truth , and shew you the force of this consequence , how it follows , that because god is a spirit , therefore he must be worship'd in spirit and in truth . st . for the explication of it . this word spirit is sometimes apply'd to the doctrine of the gospel , and so it is opposed to letter , by which name the doctrine of moses is called ; cor. . . who hath made us able ministers of the new testament , not of the letter , but of the spirit ; not of the law which was written in tables of stone , but which christ by his spirit writes in the hearts of believers . sometimes to the worship of the gospel ; and so it is opposed to the flesh , gal. . . having begun in the spirit , are ye now made perfect by the flesh ? that is by the works of the ceremonial law , which is therefore call'd flesh , because the principal ceremony of it , circumcision , was made in the flesh , and because their sacrifices , a chief part of their worship , were of the flesh of beasts ; and because the greatest part of their ordinances , as washing , and the like , related to the body . hence it is the apostle calls the worship of the jews , the law of a carnal commandment , heb. . . and heb. . . carnal ordinances , speaking of the service of the law , which , saith he , stood in meats , and drinks , and divers washings , and carnal ordinances . now in opposition to this carnal and ceremonial worship , we are to worship god in the spirit . the worship of the jews was most a bodily service ; but we are to give god a reasonable service , to serve him with the spirit of our minds , as the apostle speaks ; instead of offering the flesh of bulls and goats , we are to consecrate our selves to the service of god ; this is a holy and acceptable sacrifice , or reasonable service . and in truth . either in opposition to the false worship of the samaritans ( as in spirit is opposed to the worship of the jews ) as our saviour tells the woman , that they worship'd they knew not what ; or ( which i rather think ) in opposition to the shadows of the law ; and so it is opposed , john . . the law was given by moses : but grace and truth came by jesus christ . not that the external service of god is here excluded , not that we are to show no outward reverence to him : but that as under the law , the service of god was chiefly external and corporeal , so now it should chiefly be inward and spiritual ; the worship of god under the gospel should chiefly be spiritual and substantial , not a carnal , and bodily , and ceremonious devotion . dly . for the force of the consequence , it doth not lie in this , that just such as god is , such must our worship of him be ; for this would exclude all bodily and outward worship ; our worship of god must therefore be invisible , eternal , &c. for so is he ; and besides the will of god seems rather to be the rule of his worship , than his nature : but the force of it is this , god is of a spiritual nature , and this is to be supposed to be his will , that our worship should be as agreable to the object of it , as the nature of the creature who is to give it will bear ; now saith christ to the woman , the jews and the samaritans they limit their worship to a certain place , and it consists chiefly in certain carnal rites and ordinances ; but , saith he , tho' god have permitted this for a time , because of the carnality and hardness of their hearts , yet the time is coming , when a more spiritual , and solid , and substantial worship of god is to be introduced , which will be free from all particular places and rites , not tyed to the temple , or to such external ceremonies , but consisting in the devotion of our spirits , even the inward frame and temper of our hearts ; all outward circumstances ( excepting those of the two sacraments which are positive ) being left by the gospel to as great a liberty , as natural necessity and decency will permit . we must worship god , and therefore it is naturally necessary that we should do it somewhere , in some place ; now seeing some body must determine this , it is most convenient that authority should determine it , according to the conveniency of cohabitation . we must not be rude , nor do any thing that is naturally undecent in the worship of god ; this authority should restrain ; but further than this , i doubt not but the gospel hath left us free ; and to this end , that the less we are tied to external observances , the more intent we should be upon the spiritual and substantial parts of religion , the conforming of our selves to the mind and will of god , endeavouring to be like god , and to have our souls and spirits ingaged in those duties we perform to him . so that our saviour's argument is this ; god is a spirit , that is , the most excellent nature and being , and therefore must be served with the best . we consist of body and soul , 't is true , and we must serve him with our whole man ; but principally with our souls , which are the most excellent part of our selves ; the service of our mind and spirit is the best we can perform , and therefore most agreeable to god who is a spirit , and the best and most perfect being . so that the inference is this , that if god be a spirit , we must worship him in spirit and in truth ; our religion must be real , and inward , and sincere , and substantial ; we must not think to put off god with external observances , and with bodily reverence and attendance ; this we must give him , but we must principally regard that our service of him be reasonable , that is , directed by our understandings , and accompanied with our affections . our religion must consist principally in a sincere love and affection to god , which expresseth it self in a real conformity of our lives and actions to his will ; and when we make our solemn approaches to him , in the duties of his worship and service , we must perform all acts of outward worship to god with a pure and sincere mind ; whatever we do in the service of god , we must do it heartily as to the lord. god is a pure spirit , present to our spirits , intimate to our souls , and conscious to the most secret and retired motions of our hearts ; now because we serve the searcher of hearts , we must serve him with our hearts . indeed if we did worship god only to be seen of men , a pompous and external worship would be very suitable to such an end ; but religion is not intended to please men , but god , and therefore it must be spiritual , and inward , and real . and where-ever the external part of religion is principally regarded , and men are more careful to worship god with outward pomp and ceremony , than in spirit and in truth , religion degenerates into superstition , and men embrace the shadow of religion , and let go the substance . and this the church of rome hath done almost to the utter ruin of christianity ; she hath clogged religion , and the worship of god , with so many rites and ceremonies , under one pretence or other , that the yoke of christ is become heavier than that of moses ; and they have made the gospel a more carnal commandment than the law ; and whatever christians or churches are intent upon external rites and observances , to the neglect of the weightier parts of religion , regarding meats and drinks , &c. to the prejudice of righteousness and peace , wherein the kingdom of god consists , they advance a religion as contrary to the nature of god , and as unsuitable to the genius and temper of the gospel , as can be imagined . it is an observation of sir edwin sands , that as children are pleas'd with toys , so , saith he , it is a pitiful and childish spirit that is predominant in the contrivers and zealots of a ceremonious religion . i deny not but that very honest and devout men may be this way addicted ; but the wiser any man is , the better he understands the nature of god and of religion , the further he will be from this temper . a religion that consists in external and little things , doth most easily gain upon and possess the weakest minds , and whoever entertain it , it will enfeeble their spirits , and unfit them for the more generous and excellent duties of christianity . we have but a finite heat , and zeal , and activity , and if we let out much of it upon small things , there will be too little left for those parts of religion which are of greatest moment and concernment ; if our heat evaporate in externals , the heart and vitals of religion will insensibly cool and decline . how should we blush who are christians , that we have not learnt this easie truth from the gospel , which even the light of nature taught the heathen ; cultus autem deorum est optimus itemque sanctissimus atque castissimus , plenissimusque pietatis , ut eos semper purâ integrâ & incorruptâ mente & voce veneremur , tully . the best , the surest , the most chast , and most devout worship of the gods , is that which is pay'd them with a pure , sincere , and uncorrupt mind , and words truly representing the thoughts of the heart . compositum jus fasque animi , &c. serve god with a pure , honest , holy frame of spirit , bring him a heart that is but generously honest , and he will accept of the plainest sacrifice . and let me tell you , that the ceremonious worship of the jews was never a thing in it self acceptable to god , or which he did delight in ; and tho' god was pleased with their obedience to the ceremonial law after it was commanded , yet antecedently he did not desire it ; but that which our saviour saith concerning the law of divorce , is true likewise of the ceremonial , that it was permitted to the jews for the hardness of their hearts , and for their proneness to idolatry . god did not command it so much by way of approbation , as by way of condescension to their weakness ; it was because of the hardness of their carnal hearts that god brought them under the law of a carnal commandment , as the apostle calls it . see psal . . , . jer. . . the reason why i have insisted so long upon this , is to let you understand , what is the true nature of christ's religion , and to abate the intemperate heat and zeal which men are apt to have for external and indifferent things in religion . the sacrifices and rites of the jews were very unagreeable and unsuitable to the nature of god ; psal . . . will i eat the flesh of bulls , or drink the blood of goats ? spirits neither eat nor drink ; it was a very unsuitable way of service to kill oxen and sheep for god ; and there 's the same reason of all other rites which either natural necessity or decency doth not require . can any man in earnest think , that god who is a spirit is pleased with the pompous bravery and pageantry which affects our senses ? so little doth god value indifferent rites , that even the necessary external service of god , and outward reverence , where they are separated from spirit and truth , from real holiness and obedience to the indispensable laws of christ , are so far from being acceptable to god , that they are abominable ; nay , if they be used for a cloak of sin , or in opposition to real religion , and with a design to undermine it , god accounts such service in the number of the most heinous sins . you who spend the strength and vigour of your spirits about external things , whose zeal for or against ceremonies is ready to eat you up , you who hate and persecute one another because of these things , and break the necessary and indispensable commands of love , as an indifferent and unnecessary ceremony , go and learn what that means , i will have mercy , and not sacrifice , which our saviour doth so often inculcate , and that rom. . . the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , &c. and study the meaning of this , god is a spirit , and they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth . sermon xii . the immensity of the divine nature . psal. cxxxix . , , , . whither shall i go from thy spirit ? or whither shall i flee from thy presence ? if i ascend up into heaven , thou art there ; if i make my bed in hell , behold , thou art there . if i take the wings of the morning , and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea , even there shall thy hand lead me , and thy right hand shall hold me . that attribute of god which i last discours'd of is most absolute , and declares his essence most immediately ; the spirituality of the divine nature . i shall in the next place speak of those which relate to the manner of his being , immensity and eternity , that is , the infiniteness of his essence , both in respect of space and duration ; that the divine nature hath no limits of its being , nor bounds of its duration . i shall at the present speak to the first of these , his immensity , and that from these words which i here read to you , whither shall i go from thy spirit , &c. the meaning of which is this , that god is a spirit , infinitely diffusing himself , present in all places , so that wherever i go , god is there ; we cannot flee from his presence . if i ascend into heaven , he is there ; if i go down into the grave , the place of silence and obscurity , he is there ; ( for that is the meaning of the expression , if i make my bed in hell . ) if i take the wings of the morning , and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea , even there shall thy hand lead me , and thy right hand shall hold me ; that is , if my motion should be as swift as that of the light , which when the sun riseth darts it self in an instant from one part of the world to another , over the earth and the sea , the remotest parts of the world which are unknown to us , yet would god be present to me in the motion , and all along as i go must i be led and upholden by him ; so that all these expressions do but signifie to us the immensity of god's essence , that his being is infinitely diffused and present in all places . in speaking to this attribute of god's immensity , i shall first explain it to you a little . secondly , prove that it doth belong to him . thirdly , answer an objection or two that may be made against it . fourthly , draw some doctrinal inferences from it . fifthly , make some use and improvement of it . first , for the explication of it . by the immensity of god , i mean that his being hath no bounds or limits , but doth every way spread and diffuse it self beyond what we can imagine ; so that you cannot define the presence of god by any certain place , so as to say here he is , but not there ; nor by any limits , so as to say , thus far his being reacheth , and no further ; but he is every where present after a most infinite manner , in the darkest corners and most private recesses ; the most secret closet that is in the whole world , the heart of man , darkness and privacy cannot keep him out ; the presence of another being , even of a body , which is the grossest substance , doth not exclude him ; the whole world doth not confine him ; but he fills all the space which we can imagine beyond this visible world , and infinitely more than we can imagine . secondly , for the proof of it . i shall attempt it , i. from the natural notions and dictates of our minds . ii. from scripture and divine revelation . iii. from the inconvenience of the contrary . i. from the natural notions and dictates of our minds . we find that the heathen , by the light of nature , did attribute this perfection to god. tully tells us , de nat. deor . that pythagoras thought , deum esse animam per naturam rerum omnem intentum & commeantem , that god is as it were a soul passing through and inspiring all nature . and in l. . de leg . that this was thales his opinion which he commends , homines existimare oportere deos omnia cernere , deorum omnia esse plena , that men ought to believe , that the gods see all things , that all things are full of them . so sen. epist . . vbique & omnibus praesto est ; he is every where present and at hand . & de benef. l. . quocunque te flexeris , ibi illum videbis occurrentem tibi , nihil ab illo vacat , opus suum ipse implet ; which way soever thou turnest thy self , thou shalt find him meeting thee , nothing is without him , he fills his own work . not much differing from the expression of the psalmist here . ii. from scripture and divine revelation . i shall instance in some remarkable places ; kings . . behold , the heaven , and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee . job . . , , . can'st thou by searching find out god ? canst thou find out the almighty unto perfection ? isa . . . thus saith the lord , behold , heaven is my throne , and the earth is my foot-stool : where is the house that ye build unto me ? and where is the place of my rest ? jer. . , . am i a god at hand , saith the lord , and not a god afar off ? can any hide himself in secret places that i shall not see him , saith the lord ? do not i fill heaven and earth , saith the lord ? amos . , . tho' they dig into hell , thence shall mine hand take them ; though they climb up to heaven , thence will i bring them down . and though they hide themselves in the top of carmel , i will search and take them out thence : and tho' they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea , thence will i command he serpent and he shall bite them . acts . , . tho he be not far from every one of us . for in him we live , and move , and have our being , as certain also of your own poets have said , for we are also his off-spring . iii. from the inconveniences of the contrary . and this is the most proper way of proving any of god's perfections ; for as i have told you formerly , there being nothing before god , nor any cause of his being , his perfections cannot be proved by way of demonstration , but of conviction , by shewing the absurdity of the contrary . the first and most easie notion that we have of god , is , that he is a being which hath all perfection , and is free from all imperfection ; now if i prove that the immensity of god's essence is a perfection , or which is the same , that the contrary is an imperfection , i do sufficiently prove the thing intended . now to suppose the divine essence to be limited , or confined , and his presence to be any where excluded , doth contradict both this necessary perfection of god , his universal providence ; and this necessary duty of creatures , to worship and trust in him ; and the voluntary manifestation and appearance of god , in the incarnation of jesus christ . . it contradicts the universal providence of god. the universal providence of god supposeth many perfections , viz. infinite knowledge , and infinite power , his omniscience and omnipotence , neither of which can be imagined without omnipresence . we find that all finite beings , have a finite knowledge , and a finite power ; and it cannot be conceived how infinite understanding and power can be founded any where else than in an infinite essence . to have an infinite knowledge of all things , even those things which are most secret and hidden , to be able to do all things , to steer and govern the actions of all creatures , and to have a perfect care of them , seems to all the reason of mankind to require immediate presence . . it contradicts the necessary duty of the creature , which is to worship god , to depend upon him for every thing , and in every thing to acknowledge him . now all worship of god is rendred vain , or at least uncertain , if god be not present to us to hear our prayers , to take notice of our wants , and receive our acknowledgments ; it will much abate our confidence in god , and our fear to offend him , if we be uncertain whether he be present to us or not , whether he sees our actions or not . . it contradicts a voluntary manifestation and appearance of god in the incarnation of christ . he that supposeth god not to be every where present by his essence , must in all reason confine his presence to heaven , and suppose him to be present elsewhere only by his virtue and power : but if this were so , how could the divinity be essentially united to the humane nature of christ , which was here upon earth ? how is god with us ; how does he pitch his tabernacle among men ; if his essential presence be confin'd to heaven ? thirdly , i come to answer objections against this doctrine . there are two objections against this . . from reason . . from scripture . . obj. reason will be ready to suggest , that this is a disparagement to the divine nature , to tye his presence to this vile dunghil of the earth , and fordid sink of hell. this is a gross apprehension of god , and a measuring of him by our selves . indeed if we look upon god as capable of injury , and suffering , and offence from the contagion of any thing here below , as we are , then indeed there were some strength in this objection : but he is a blessed and pure being , mens segregata ab omni concretione mortali , a mind free from all mortal composition or mixture . tully ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , disentangled from every thing passible ; as plut. those things that are nauseous to our senses , do not affect him : darkness is uncomfortable to us , but the darkness and the light are all one to him . wickedness may hurt a man , or the son of man ; but if we multiply our transgressions , we do nothing to god , as elihu speaks , job . . nothing can disquiet or discompose his happy and blessed nature , but he converseth here in this dark and troubled world with less danger of disturbance , or any impure contagion , than the sun-beams . . obj. does not the scripture tell us , that god sits in the heavens , and dwells on high , that heaven is his throne , and that it is the city of the great god ? doth not the lord's prayer teach us to say , our father which art in heaven ? is he not said to look down from heaven , and to hear in heaven his dwelling-place ? is it not said that he doth not dwell in temples made with hands ? and does not solomon , kings . . put it as a strange question , will god indeed dwell on the earth ? is he not said to come down and draw near to us , and to be afar off from us ? now how does this agree with his immensity and omnipresence ? for answer to this , i must distinguish the presence of god. there is , st , his glorious presence , that is , such a presence of god as is accompanied with an extraordinary manifestation of his glory , and that is especially and chiefly confined to heaven , in respect of which it is called his seat , and throne , and the habitation of his glory . some degree of this was in the temple , which is the reason of solomon's admiration , will god indeed dwell on earth ? dly , there is his gracious presence , which discovers it self by miraculous effects of his favour , and goodness , and assistance , and thereby he is said to dwell in the hearts of good men , and with them that are of an humble and contrite spirit , isa . . . and in respect of this he is said to draw near to us , to look down upon us ; and in respect of the absence of this to be far from us . dly , there is his essential presence , which is equally and alike in all places ; and this is not excluded by those former expressions which the scripture useth to denote to us the glorious and gracious presence of god. fourthly , to make some inferences . i will mention only such as the scripture here takes notice of , speaking of god's immensity . i. inf. that god is a spirit . this necessarily flows from his immensity ; for if the essence of god be every where diffused , the divine nature must be spiritual , otherwise it could not be in the same place were body and matter is , but must be shut out of the world. but this i spoke more largely to , in my discourse of god's being a spirit . this the psalmist observes here , where shall i go from thy spirit ? if he were not a spirit , we might go from him , and hide our selves from his presence . ii. inf. that god is incomprehensible . that which is infinite cannot be measured and comprehended by that which is finite ; and this also the psalmist takes notice of , in the verse before my text , such knowledge is too wonderful for me , it is high , i cannot attain it . iii. inf. that god is omniscient . if god be every where , then he knows all things , yea even the hidden things of darkness , the secrets of our hearts ; nothing can be hid from an infinite eye ; he is present to our thoughts , intimate to our hearts and reins ; this the psalmist takes notice of , , , , , and verses . iv. inf. that god is omnipotent . he can do all things . distance limits the power of creatures , and makes their hands short ; but god is every where , nothing is out of his reach ; and this also the psalmist intimates in the text , v. . even there shall thy hand lead me , and thy right hand hold me . fifthly , the use and improvement i shall make of this , shall be , . to awaken our fear of him . . to encourage our faith and confidence in him . . to awaken our fear of him . the consideration of god's presence should awaken in us a fear of reverence . the presence of an earthly majesty will awe our spirits , and compose us to reverence ; yea the presence of a wise and good man ; how much more should the presence of the great and glorious , the wise and the holy , and the just god strike an awe upon our spirits ? wherever we are god is with us , we always converse with him , and live continually in his presence ; now a heathen could say , cum diis verecunaè agendum , we must behave our selves modestly because we are in the presence of god. and it should awaken in us a fear to offend god , and a fear of the divine displeasure for having offended him . fear is the most wakeful passion in the soul of man , and is the first principle that is wrought upon in us from the apprehensions of a deity , it flows immediately from the principle of self-preservation which god hath planted in every man's nature ; we have a natural dread and horror for every thing that can hurt us , and endanger our being or happiness : now the greatest danger is from the greatest power , for where we are clearly over-match'd , we cannot hope to make opposition nor resistance with security and success , to r●bel with safety : now he that apprehends god to be near him , and present to him , believes such a being to stand by him as is possest of an infinite and irresistible power , and will vindicate all contempt of the divine majesty , and violation of his laws . if we believe god to be always present with us , fear will continually take hold of us , and we shall say of every place , as jacob did of bethel , surely god is in this place , how dreadful is this place ? when we have at any time provoked god , if we believe the just god is at hand to revenge himself , and if we believe the power of his anger , we shall say with david , psa . . . thou even thou art to be feared , and who may stand before thee when thou art angry ? psa . . . my flesh trembleth because of thee , and i am afraid of thy judgments . sinners consider this , it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god , and every time you sin , you are within his reach . let then the consideration of god's presence deter us from sin , and quicken us to our duty . the eye and presence of a superior will lay a great restraint upon men ; the eye of our prince , or our master , or our father , will make us afraid or asham'd to do any thing that is foolish or unseemly : and will we do that under the eye of god , which we should blush to do before a grave or wise person , yea before a child or a fool ? did but men live under this apprehension , that god is present to them , that an holy and all-seeing eye beholds them , they would be afraid to do any thing that is vile and wicked , to profane and pollute god's glorious name , by a trifling use of it in customary swearing and cursing . whenever you sin , you affront god to his face ; and provoke the omnipotent justice which is at the door , and ready to break in upon you . and the consideration of this should especially deter us from secret sins . this is the use the psalmist here makes of it . if we believe that god searcheth us and knows us , that he knows our down-sitting , and our up-rising , and understands our thoughts afar off , that he compasseth our path , and our lying down , and is acquainted with all our ways , that there is not a word in our tongue , but he knows it altogether , that he hath beset us behind and before , that the darkness hideth not from him , but the night shineth as the day , and the darkness and light are both alike ; i say , if we believe this , how should we live in an awful sense of the majesty which is always above us , and before us , and about us , and within us , and is as inseparable from us , as we are from our selves , whose eye is upon us from the beginning of our lives to the end of our days ? did men believe that god is always with them , that his eye pierceth the darkness , and sees through all those clouds with which they hide and muffle themselves , and pries into the most secret recesses of their hearts , how would this check and restrain them from devising mischief in their hearts , or in their bed chamber ? the holy presence , and the pure eye of god would be to us a thousand times more than to have our father , or our master , or our prince , or him whom we most revere , to stand by us . did but men representare sibi deum , make god present to them , by living under a continual sense of his presence , they would , as the expression of the wise man is , be in the fear of the lord all day . magna spes peccatorum tollitur , si peccaturis testis adsistat : aliquem habeat animus quem vereatur , cujus authoritate etiam secretum suum sanctius facit ; the main hope of sinners is to remain undiscover'd , let but some body be privy to their designs , and they are utterly disappointed : 't is fit for the mind of a man to have an awe of some being , whose authority may render even its privacy more solemn . this is the character of wicked men , psa . . . that they have not god before their eyes . one great cause of all the wickedness , and violence , and looseness that is upon the earth is , they do not believe that god is near them , and stands by them . and as the consideration of god's presence should deter us from sin , so it should quicken and animate us to our duty . it is ordinarily a great encouragement to men to acquit themselves handsomely , to have the eyes of men upon them , especially of those whose applause and approbation they value . god alone is amplum theatrum , he 's a greater theater than the world , and it should be more to us that he stands by us , than if the eyes of all the world were fix'd upon us . sen. adviseth it as an excellent means to promote virtue , to propound to our selves , and set before our eyes some eminently virtuous person , as cato or laelius , ut sic tanquam illo spectante vivamus , & omnia tanquam illo vidente faciamus : that we may live just as if he were locking upon us , and do all things just as if he beheld us . how much greater incitement will it be to us , to think that god looks upon us , and sees us , and really stands by us , than faintly to imagine the presence of laelius or cato ? this should have an influence upon all the duties we perform , and the manner of performing them , that we do it to him who stands by us , and is familiarly acquainted with us , and is more intimate to us than we are to our selves . this cic. in l. . de leg . looks upon as a great principle of religion , sit igitur hoc persuasum civibus , & qualis quisque sit , quid agat , quid in se admittat , quâ mente , quâ pietate religiones colat , deos intueri , & piorum impiorumque rationem habere : let men be throughly perswaded of this , that the gods observe , both the disposition and the actions of every particular man , what he consents to , what he allows himself in , particularly with what meaning , with what degree of inward devotion he performs his religious worship ; and that they distinguish between the pious and the impious . . to encourage our faith and confidence in him . when we are in straits , and difficulties , and dangers , god is with us ; when trouble is near to us , god is not far from us ; where ever we are , how remote soever from friends and companions , we cannot be banisht from god's presence ; if we dwell beyond the utmost parts of the sea , there his hand leads us , and his right hand holds us . psa . . . i have set the lord always before me ; because he is at my right hand , i shall not be moved . the consideration of god's presence is the great stay and support of our faith , psa . . , . god is our refuge and strength , a very present help in trouble ; therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed , and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. in the greatest commotions , and the most imminent and threatning dangers , this should charm and allay our fears , that god is a present help . this was the support of moses his faith in his sufferings , as the apostle tells us , heb. . . he endured , as seeing him who is invisible . to conclude all , when ever we are under any pressure or trouble , we should rebuke our own fears , and challenge our anxious thoughts , with david , psa . . . why art thou cast down , o my soul ? and why art thou so disquieted within me ? trust still in god ; believe that god is with thee , and that omnipotent goodness stands by thee , who can and will support thee , and relieve thee , and deliver thee when it seems best to his wisdom . sermon xiii . the eternity of god. psalm xc . . before the mountains were brought forth , or ever thou had'st formed the earth and the world , even from everlasting to everlasting thou art god. the immensity , and eternity of god are those attributes which relate to his nature , or manner of being . having spoken of the former , i proceed to consider the latter , from these words . the title of this psalm is the prayer of moses , the man of god. he begins his prayer with the acknowledgment of god's providence to his people from the beginning of the world ; lord , thou hast been our dwelling place from all generations ; in generation and generation ; so the hebrew . he was well acquainted with the history of the world , and the providence of god from the beginning of it , and as if he had spoken too little of god , in saying , that his providence had been exercised in all the ages of the world , he tells us here in the text , that he was before the world , and he made it , he was from all eternity , and should continue to all eternity the same . before the mountains were brought forth ; the most firm and durable parts of the world , the most eminent and conspicuous ; or ever thou had'st formed the earth and the world ; before any thing was created ; from everlasting to everlasting thou art god. in speaking of this attribute , i shall , first , give you the explication of it . secondly , endeavour to prove that it doth belong to god , and ought to be attributed to the divine nature . thirdly , draw some corollaries from the whole . first , for the explication of it . eternity is a duration without bounds or limits : now there are two limits of duration , beginning and ending ; that which hath always been is without beginning ; that which always shall be is without ending . now we may conceive of a thing always to have been , and the continuance of its being now to cease , tho' there be no such thing in the world : and there are some things which have had a beginning of their being , but shall have no end , shall always continue , as the angels , and spirits of men. the first of these the schoolmen call eternity , â parte ante , that is duration without beginning ; the latter eternity â parte post , a duration without ending : but eternity absolutely taken comprehends both these , and signifies an infinite duration which had no beginning , nor shall have any end ; so that when we say god is eternal , we mean that he always was , and shall be for ever ; that he had no beginning of life , nor shall have any end of days ; but that he is from everlasting to everlasting , as it is here in the text. 't is true indeed , that as to god's eternity , â parte ante , as to his having always been , the scripture doth not give us any solicitous account of it ; it only tells us in general , that god was before the world was , and that he created it ; it doth not descend to gratifie our curiosity , in giving us any account of what god did before he made the world , or how he entertaind himself from all eterninity ; it doth not give us any distinct account of his infinite duration ; for that had been impossible for our finite understandings to comprehend ; if we should have ascended upward millions of ages , yet we should never have ascended to the top , never have arrived at the beginning of infinity ; therefore the scripture , which was wrote to instruct us in what was necessary , and not to satisfie our curiosity , tells us this , that god was from everlasting , before the world was made , and that he laid the foundations of it . so that by the eternity of god , you are to understand the perpetual continuance of his being , without beginning or ending . i shall not trouble you with the inconsistent and unintelligible notions of the schoolmen ; that it is duratio tota simul , in which we are not to conceive any succession , but to imagine it an instant . we may as well conceive the immensity of god to be a point , as his eternity to be an instant ; and as according to our manner of conceiving , we must necessarily suppose the immensity of god , to be an infinite expansion of his essence , a presence of it to all places , and imaginable space ; so must we suppose the eternity of god to be a perpetual continuance , coexistent to all imaginable succession of ages . now how that can be together , which must necessarily be imagined to be coexistent to successions , let them that can conceive . secondly , for the proof of this , i shall attempt it two ways . i. from the dictates of natural light and reason . ii. from scripture and divine revelation . i. from the dictates of natural reason . this attribute of god is of all other least disputed among the philosophers ; indeed all agree that god is a perfect and happy being , but wherein that happiness and perfection consists , they differ exceedingly ; but all agree that god is eternal , and are agreed what eternity is , viz. a boundless duration : and however they did attribute a beginning to their heroes and demons , whence come the genealogies of their gods ; yet the supreme god , they look'd upon as without beginning ; and it is a good evidence , that this perfection doth clearly belong to god , that epicurus , who had the lowest and meanest conceptions of god , and robbed him of as many perfections , as his imperfect reason would let him , yet is forced to attribute this to him . tully de nat deor. l. . saith to the epicureans , ubi igitur vestrum beatum & aeternum quibus duobus verbis significatis deum ? where then is your happy and eternal being , by which two epithets you express god ? and lucretius , who hath undertaken to represent to the world the doctrine of epicurus , gives this account of the divine nature , omnis enim per se divûm naturae necesse est immortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur . 't is absolutely necessary to the nature of the gods , to pass an eternity in profound peace and quiet . the poets who had the wildest notions of god , yet they constantly give them the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : the heathen never mention the name of god without this attribute . dii immortales ! immortal gods ! was their ordinary exclamation ; and they swear constantly by this attribute , deos testor immortales ; and to mention no more , tully saith expresly , nos deum nisi sempiternum intelligere quî possumus ? how can we conceive of god , but as of an eternal being ? now the reason of this is evident , because it would be the greatest imperfection we could attribute to his being ; and the more perfect his being were otherwise , the greater imperfection would it be for such a being , to die ; so excellent a nature to cease to be ; it would be an infinite abasement to all his other perfections , his power , and wisdom , and goodness , that these should all be perishing . nay , it would hinder several of his perfections , and contradict their very being ; his self-existence ; had he not always been , he had not been of himself ; his necessary existence ; for that is not necessarily , which may at any time not be , or cease to be what it is ; and it would much abate the duty of the creature ; we could not have that assurance of his promise , and that security of the recompence of the next life , if the continuance of his being , who should be the dispenser of them , were uncertain . now these absurdities and inconveniences following from the denyal of this perfection to god , is sufficient evidence that it belongs to him ; for i told you the perfections of god cannot be proved by way of demonstration , but only by way of conviction , by shewing the absurdity of the contrary . ii. from scripture and divine revelation . there are innumerable places to this purpose which speak of the eternity of god directly , and by consequence : by consequence , those words , peter . . one day with the lord is as a thousand years , and a thousand years as one day , which words , however interpreters have troubled themselves about them , being afraid of a contradiction in them , yet the plain meaning of them is this , that such is the infinite duration of god , that all measures of time bear no proportion to it ; for that this is the plain meaning , appears by this psalm , out of which they are cited , for a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday , when it is past , and as a watch in the night ; that is , as the time past , as a few hours slept away , for that is the meaning of a watch in the night , that is as nothing ; now st. peter's conversion of the words , one day is as a thousand years , and a thousand years as one day , only signifies this , that the longest duration of time is so inconsiderable to god , that it is as the shortest , that is , bears no proportion to the eternity of god. but directly , the scripture frequently mentions this attribute , he 's called the everlasting god , gen. . . the eternal god , deut. . . and which is to the same purpose , he that inhabiteth eternity , isa . . . and this as it is attributed to him in respect of his being , so in respect of all his other perfections , psal . . . the mercy of the lord is from everlasting , to everlasting . rom. . . his eternal power . tim. . . the king eternal . those doxologies which the scripture useth , are but acknowledgments of this attribute , blessed be the lord for ever and ever . neh. . . to whom be glory , and honour , and dominion , for ever and ever . gal. . . and in many other places . hither we may refer all those places which speak of him as without beginning ; psal . . . thou art from everlasting . mich. . . whose goings forth have been from everlasting . hab. . . art not thou from everlasting ? o lord ! and those which speak of the perpetual continuance of his duration ; psal . . , , , . thy years are throughout all generations ; of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth , and the heavens are the work of thy hands ; they shall perish , but thou shalt endure ; yea all of them shall wax old like a garment , and as a vesture shalt thou change them , and they shall be changed ; but thou art the same , and thy years shall have no end . and those which speak of him as the first and the last ; isa . . before me there was no god formed , neither shall there be any after me . i am the first , and i am the last , and besides me there is no god. and to mention no more , those which speak of his being , as coexistent to all difference of time , past , present , and to come , rev. . . i am alpha , and omega , the beginning , and the ending , saith the lord which is , and which was , and which is to come . thirdly , i shall from hence draw , i. some doctrinal corollaries . ii. some practical inferences . i. doctrinal corollaries , that you may see how the perfections of god depend one upon another , and may be deduced one from another . . corol. from the eternity of god we may infer that he is of himself . that which always is , can have nothing before it to be a cause of its being . . corol. we may hence infer the necessity of his being . 't is necessary every thing should be , when it is ; now that which is always , is absolutely necessary , because always so . . corol. the immutability of the divine nature ; for being always , he is necessarily , and being necessarily , he cannot but be what he is ; a change of his being is as impossible as a cessation . therefore the psalmist puts his immutability and eternity together . psal . . . but thou art the same , and thy years shall have no end . ii. by way of practical inference or application . . the consideration of god's eternity may serve for the support of our faith. this moses here useth as a ground of his faith ; lord , thou hast been our dwelling place , in all generations , before the mountains were brought forth , &c. psal . . . trust in him at all times , ye people . his immensity is an argument why all should trust in him , he is a present help to all ; and why they should trust in him at all times , his eternity is an argument , deut. . . the eternal god is thy refuge , and underneath are the everlasting arms . there are two attributes which are the proper objects of our faith and confidence , god's goodness , and his power , both these are eternal ; the goodness of the lord endureth for ever , as it is frequently in the psalms : and his power is eternal ; the apostle speaks of his eternal power , as well as godhead ; rom. . . isa . . . trust ye in the lord for ever , for in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . isa . . . the everlasting god , the lord , the creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not , neither is weary . we cannot trust in men , because there is nothing in man to be a foundation of our confidence ; his good will towards us may change , his power may faint , and he may grow weary ; or if these continue , yet they that have a mind and a power to help us , themselves may fail ; therefore the psalmist useth this consideration of mens mortality , to take us off from confidence in man , psal . . , . put not your trust in princes , nor in the son of man , in whom there is no help ; his breath goeth forth , he returneth to his earth , in that very day his thoughts perish . isa . . . cease ye from man , whose breath is in his nostrils ; for wherein is he to be accounted of ? the greatest of the sons of men are but lying refuges to the everlasting god ; they are but broken reeds to the rock of ages . and this may support our faith , not only in reference to our own condition for the future , but in reference to our posterity , and the condition of god's church to the end of the world. when we die we may leave ours and the church in his hands , who lives for ever , and reigns for ever . the enemies of god's church , and those who have the most malicious designs against it , what ever share they may have in the affairs of the world , they can but domineer for a while , they must die , and that very day their thoughts perish : but thy throne , o god , is for ever and ever . . for the encouragement of our obedience . we serve the god who can give us an everlasting reward . the reward of the next life is called eternal life , an eternal weight of glory , cor. . . eternal salvation , heb. . .. an eternal inheritance , heb. . . that place where good men shall be rewarded is called , everlasting habitations , luke . . a house eternal in the heavens , cor. . . as the promise of our future reward is founded in the goodness of god , and the greatness of it in his power , so the duration of it in his eternity . now what an encouragement is this to us , that we serve him and suffer for him who lives for ever , and will make us happy for ever ? when we serve the great men of this world , tho' we be secure of their affection , yet we are uncertain of their lives ; and this discourageth many , and makes men worship the rising sun , and many times takes off mens eyes from the king to his successor : but he that serves god , serves the king everlasting , as the apostle calls him , who will live to dispence rewards to all those who are faithful to him . . for the terrour of wicked men . the sentence which shall be past upon men at the day of judgment , is call'd eternal judgment , heb. . . because it decides mens eternal state ; the punishment that shall follow this sentence which shall pass upon the wicked , is called , everlasting punishment , matt. . . everlasting fire . matt. . . everlasting destruction , thes . . . the vengeance of eternal fire , jude . the smoke of the bottomless pit , is said to ascend for ever and ever , rev. . . and the wicked to be tormented day and night , for ever and ever . rev. . . now as the punishment of wicked men is founded in the justice of god ; and the greatness of it in his power ; so the perpetuity and continuance of it in his eternity . the apostle saith heb. . . it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god ; because he that lives for ever , can punish for ever ; as the eternal demerit of sin feeds , and animates , and keeps alive the never dying worm , so the wrath of the eternal god blows up the eternal flame . how should this awaken in us a fear of the eternal god! sinners , what a folly is it , for the pleasures of sin , which are but for a season , to incense that justice which will punish and torment you for ever ! as good men shall have the everlasting god for their reward , and their happiness ; so wicked men shall have him for their judge and avenger . we fear the wrath of men , whose power is short , and whose breath is in their nostrils , who can afflict but a little , and for a little while . dost thou fear man that shall die , and the son of man that shall be made as grass ? and is not the wrath of the eternal god much more terrible ? luke . , . and i say unto you , my friends , be not afraid of them that kill the body , and after that have no more that they can do : but i will forewarn you whom ye shall fear ; fear him , who after he hath kill'd , hath power to cast into hell , yea i say unto you , fear him . the wrath of man is despicable , because it hath bounds and limits ; the fury of man can but reach to the body , it can go no further ; it expires with this life , it cannot follow us beyond the grave : but the wrath of the eternal god doth not only reach the body , but the soul ; it is not confin'd to this life , but pursues us to the other world , and extends it self to all eternity . fear him , who after he hath kill'd , hath power to cast into hell , that is , to inflict eternal torments ; yea , i say unto you , fear him . sermon xiv . the incomprehensibleness of god. job xi . . canst thou by searching find out god ? canst thou find out the almighty unto perfection ? in treating of the properties and perfections of god , i shall at present consider that which results from the infinite exellency of his nature and perfection , compared with the imperfection of our understandings , which is commonly call'd the incomprehensibleness of god. this you have expressed here in the words of zophar , canst thou by searching find out god ? &c. there is no great difficulty in the words ; canst thou by searching find out god , potesne pervestigare intima dei , so castalio translates it , dost thou know god intimately , and throughly , within and without ? canst thou pierce into the center of his perfections , and dive into the bottom of them ? and , canst thou find out the almighty to perfection ? canst thou find out the almighty , usque ad ultima , to the very last and utmost of him ? so as thou canst say after a thorough search and enquiry , there is no perfection in god beyond this , there is nothing of him now that remains to be known ; this he is , and no other ; that he is , and no otherwise ; this he can do , and no more ; hither doth his knowledge , and power , and wisdom reach , and no further . canst thou do this ? these interrogations have the force of a vehement negation ; as if he had said , no , thou canst not ; god is unsearchable , he is incomprehensible . the two questions in the text seem to be only two several expressions of the same thing . the first question is undoubtedly general , concerning the nature and perfections of god in general ; canst thou by searching find out god ? canst thou by the most diligent search and enquiry come to a perfect knowledge and undrestanding of him ? the second question may seem to be a particular instance to the general truth implied in the first question ; he seems to instance in his power ; as if he had said , god is unsearchable , and then had instanced in a particular perfection , the power of god. canst thou by searching find out god ? thou canst not comprehend the divine nature and perfections in general ; canst thou find out the almighty to perfection ? consider particularly his power , and see if thou canst know the utmost of that . but i rather think that the latter question is altogether the same in sense with the former ; and that the attribute of almighty , which is here given to god , is used by way of description , and not intended by way of instance . canst thou find out the almighty , that is god , to perfection ? which way soever we take the words , it is not much material ; we may ground this observation upon them . that god is incomprehensible . this term or attribute is a relative term , and speaks a relation between an object and a faculty , between god and a created understanding ; so that the meaning of it is plainly this , that no created understanding can comprehend god , that is , have a perfect and exact knowledge of him , such a knowledge as is adequate to the perfection of the object : or thus , the nature and perfections of god are above the understanding of any of his creatures ; it is only his own infinite understanding that can frame a perfect idea of his own perfection . god knows himself , his own understanding commprehends his own perfections : but he is incomprehensible to his creatures . indeed there is nothing more obvious than god ; for he is not far from every one of us , in him we live , and move , and have our being ; there need no great search to find out that there is a god ; an eternal power and deity are clearly seen in the things which are made , as the apostle tells us ; but the manner of the being , and proproperties , and perfections of this god , these cannot be comprehended by a finite understanding . i shall prove the doctrine , and then apply it . first , for the proof of it . i will attempt it these three ways . i. by way of instance , or induction of particulars . ii. by way of conviction . iii. by giving the clear reason of it . i. by way of instance . and i shall give you instances both on the part of the object ; and of the subject , or the persons who are capable of knowing god in any degree . . on the part of the object . the nature of god , the excellency and perfection of god , the works and ways of god are above our thoughts and apprehensions . the nature of god ; it is vast and infinite , job . . god is great , and we know him not . job . . touching the almighty , we cannot find him out . psal . . . his greatness is unsearchable . the excellencies and perfections of god ; his immensity , chron. . . the heaven of heavens cannot contain him : the eternity of his duration , from everlasting to everlasting he is god. we cannot imagine any limits of his presence , nor bounds of his duration : the infiniteness of his knowledge , psal . . . his understanding is infinite . when we think of the wisdom and knowledge of god , our best way is to fall into admiration , rom. . . o the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of god! where the scripture speaks of those perfections of god , which the creatures do in some measure and degree partake of , as his goodness , and power , and wisdom , and holiness , and immortality , it attributes them in such a peculiar and divine manner to god , as doth exclude and shut out the creature from any claim or share or title to them , matt. . , . why call'st thou me good ; there 's none good but one , that is god. tim. . , . who is the blessed and only potentate , who only hath immortality . tim. . . the only wise god. rev. . . for thou only art holy . in so inconceivable a manner doth god possess these perfections which he communicates , and we can only understand them as he communicates them , and not as he possesses them ; so that when we consider any of these divine perfections , we must not frame notions of them contrary to what they are in the creature , nor must we limit them by what they are in the creature , but say , the goodness and the wisdom of god are all this which is in the creature , and much more which i am not able to comprehend ; the transcendent degree , and the singularity of these divine perfections , which are communicable , is beyond what we are able to conceive . the works of god , they are likewise unsearchable ; the works of creation and of redemption . job . . which doth great things , and unsearchable , marvelous , things past finding out : and then he instanceth in the works of god , job . . lo these are part of his ways : but how little a portion is heard of him ? and the thunder of his voice who can understand ? so that he tells us expresly , we cannot find out the works of god , we do but know part of them . the question which he puts , job . . dost thou know the wondrous works of him that is perfect in knowledge ? can only be answered by the words of the psalmist , psal . . . o lord how wonderful are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all . the work of redemption : in this there shines forth such wisdom , mercy , and love , as our understandings cannot reach ; this work is called the wisdom of god in a mystery , hidden wisdom , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , cor. . . the mercy , and grace , and love of it is called , the riches of gods mercy , the exceeding riches of his grace , eph. . , . now riches is when you cannot tell the utmost of them , pauperis est numerare , eph. . , . that ye may be able to comprehend with all saints , what is the breadth , and length , and depth , and heighth , and to know the love of christ which passeth knowledge . when we have the largest apprehensions of this love , so that we think we comprehend it and know it , it passeth knowledge ; yea the effects of god's power and love which he manifests in believers are unspeakable ; for he is able to do for us exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think , according to the power which worketh in us , eph. . . the peace which guards their souls passeth all understanding , phil. . . those joys which fill their hearts are not to be expressed . pet. . . we read of joy unspeakable and full of glory . the happiness which they hope for is inconceivable , 't is that which eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor hath entred into the heart of man , which god hath laid up for us . the ways of god's providence , they are not to be traced , psal . . . thy way is in the sea , and thy paths in the great waters , and thy footsteps are not known . eccles . . . no man can find out the work that god maketh from the beginning to the end . we are but of yesterday , and know nothing . when we look upon gods providence , we take a part from the whole , and consider it by it self , without relation to the whole series of his dispensation ; we cannot see the whole of god's providence at one view , and never see from the beginning of the works of god to the end ; therefore our knowledge of them must needs be very imperfect , and full of mistakes , and false judgments of things ; we cannot by our petty and short-sighted designs , judge of the works of god , and the designs of providence ; for our ways are not as his ways , nor our thoughts as his thoughts . but as the heavens are high above the earth , so are his ways above our ways , and his thoughts above our thoughts , isa . . , . the ways of god's mercy , psal . . as the heavens are high above the earth , so great is god's mercy . psal . . , . how precious are thy thoughts unto me ? how great is the sum of them ? if i should count them , they are more in number than the sand . and the ways of god's judgments ; the severity and greatness of his judgment is not known , psal . . who knoweth the power of thy anger ? and who may stand before thee when thou art angry ? and the reasons of his judgments are unsearchable , psal . . . thy judgments are a great deep . rom. . . how unsearchable are his judgments , and his ways past finding out ! these are the instances on the part of the object . . on the part of the subject , or the persons capable of knowing god in any measure . the perfect knowledge of god is above a finite creature 's understanding . wicked men they are ignorant of god , and full of false apprehensions of him ; the scripture gives this description of them ; they are those that know not god , thess . . wicked men are so far from knowing god to perfection , that they have hardly any true knowledge of him ; for as the man himself is , so will god seem to be to him ; the idea and notion which men have of god , is but the picture of their own complexion . to a true knowledge there is required likeness ; a man's mind must be like the thing he would understand ; therefore the apostle tells us , the natural , or animal man , doth not receive the things of god , he is not capable of them , because his mind is unsuitable to them , he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , full of body , and he cannot relish spiritual things ▪ even those natural notions which wicked men have of god , they are strangely tinctur'd and obscured by the temper of the man ; they are lux sepulta in opacâ materiâ , light buried and hid in matter and darkness , in the blackness of a soul and impure heart ; so that there is no question of them , whither they comprehend god or not . but good men they cannot find out god , they have some false apprehensions of him ; all their apprehensions are dark , have much of obscurity in them ; they know god to salvation , but not to perfection ; in this life we do but know god in part , that is , in comparison of the knowledge which our natures are capable of . but i will instance yet higher ; the angels and the spirits of just men made perfect ; tho' they have true apprehensions of god , yet they do not arrive to perfect knowledge of him , they cannot pervestigare ultima , know the utmost of god ; the cherubims themselves are continually looking at the mercy seat. to which the apostle alludes , pet. . . when he tells us , the mystery of god's mercy in the gospel was a thing which the angels desired to pry into . in heaven that which is in part shall be done away , that is , our knowledge shall be perfect as our natures are capable ; but it shall be finite . when we shall see god face to face , that is , have an immediate vision of him , and see him as he is , that is , not having our understandings tinctur'd by any lust or passion that may darken our mind , or misrepresent the object ; for the apostle tells us , we shall see him , because we shall be like him ; yet then we shall have short and unadequate apprehensions of him , we shall still retain our limited natures and finite understandings . ii. by way of conviction . dost thou know perfectly the nature of a finite spirit , the perfection and the power of an angel , how being immaterial they can act upon matter , and move that which can make no resistance to a spirit ? dost thou know how they can move themselves to a great distance in a moment , and dart themselves from one part of the world to another ? dost thou know how man is formed in the lowest parts of the earth , as the psalmist expresseth it ; and the curious frame of our bodies is wrought from such rude principles in so dark a shop ? canst thou give an account how the soul is united to the body , by what bands or holds a spirit is so closely and intimately conjoyned to matter ? dost thou know how thy self understandest any thing , and canst retain the distinct ideas and notions of so many objects without confusion ? dost thou know the least parts of matter , how they are knit together , and by what cement they cleave so fast to one another , that they can hardly be separated ? now if the creatures be so unsearchable , and the knowledge of these be too hard for thee ; is not the creator of them much more incomprehensible , who possesseth all these perfections which he communicates , and many which cannot be communicated to a creature ? if in natural and sensible things , maxima pars eorum quae scimus , est minima pars eorum quae nescimus , how much more is it true of god , that our ignorance is more than our knowledge ; when the whole earth and all the creatures bear no proportion to him ? isa . . , . behold all the nations of the earth are as the drop of the bucket , and as the small dust of the ballance ; all nations before him are nothing , and are accounted to him less than nothing . iii. by shewing you the clear reason of it , which is this , the disproportion between the faculty and the object , the finiteness of our understandings , and the infiniteness of the divine nature and perfections . god is greater than our hearts , and therefore as he knows more than we do , as the apostle reasons , john . . so he is more than can be known by us ; he is too vast an object for our understanding to entertain , for our minds to receive thou may'st as well mete out the heaven with a span , and measure the waters in the hollow of thy hand , and comprehend the dust of the earth in a little urn , and weigh the mountains in some scales , and the hills in a little ballance ; as think to circumscribe god in the narrow limits of thy thoughts , or to bring that which is infinite within the compass of that which is finite . and there is not only the vastness and greatness of the object ; but the glory and resplendency of it does so dazle our sight , that we cannot perfectly see it , tim. . . he dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto , whom no man hath seen , nor can see . as god is too big , so he is too bright an object for our understandings ; the presence of his glory overpowers our minds , and bears down our faculties , and conquers our understandings . i come now to apply this doctrine of the incomprehensibleness of the divine nature . if the nature , and perfections , and ways , and works of god be incomprehensible , and past finding out , i. it calls for our admiration , and veneration , and reverence . these are the best apprehensions of him , that is incomprehensible ; a silent veneration of his excellencies , is the best acknowledgment of them . we must admire what we cannot apprehend or express , zach. . . how great is his goodness , and how great is his beauty ? the best way to celebrate the praises of god , is that which nehemiah useth nehem. . . and blessed be thy glorious name , which is exalted above all blessing and praise . when ever we speak or think of god , we necessarily detract from his perfections ; but even this necessity is glorious to him , and this speaks his perfection , that the highest finite understanding must have imperfect thoughts of him . we should make up in reverence and veneration what we fall short of in knowledge . reverence is an acknowledgment of distance ; by our reverence of the divine majesty , we should best awe our hearts , in a sense of the distance which is between his infinite nature and perfection , and our finite apprehensions . worldly greatness will cause wonder , the thoughts of earthly majesty will compose us to reverence ; how much more should those excellencies which are beyond what we can imagine ! isa . . you have there god represented sitting upon his throne , and the seraphims about him , which are described to us as having each six wings , and with twain they cover their faces . creatures of the brightest understanding , and the most exalted purity and holiness , cover their faces in the presence of god's glory , they choose rather to venerate god than look upon him ii. this calls for humility and modesty . the consideration of god's unsearchable perfections should make the haughtiness of man to stoop , and bring down his proud looks , and god alone should be exalted . the thought of god's excellency should abase us , and make us vile in our own eyes , it should make all those petty excellencies that we pride our selves in to vanish and disappear . those treasures of wisdom and knowledge which are in god , should hide pride from man. it should hide those little parts and gifts which we are so apt to glory in , as the sun hides the stars . when we consider god , we should be so far from admiring our selves , that we should with an humble thankfulness wonder that god should regard such inconsiderable nothings as we are . psal . . , , . o lord our god , how excellent is thy name in all the earth ! who hast set thy glory above the heavens . when i consider the heavens , the work of thy fingers , the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained ; what is man , that thou art mindful of him ? or the son of man , that thou visitest him ? he that considers the glory of god , and the greatness of his works , will think so meanly of himself , that he will be astonisht that god should mind him or visit him . this is a noble strain of humility in david , by which he acknowledgeth that the greatest king of the earth , how considerable soever he may be in respect of men , is yet but a pitiful thing to god. when we speak to god , we should do it with great humility , eccles . . , . let thy words be few , for god is in heaven , and thou upon earth . we should say to god , job . . teach us what we shall say unto thee , for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness . and when we think or speak of him , we should do it with great modesty ; we should not rashly pronounce or determine any thing concerning god. simonides being ask'd what god was , desired one days time to consider , then he desired two , and then four . the more we think of god , the less peremptory shall we be in defining him . he that considers that god is incomprehensible , will not pretend to know all the ways of infinite knowledge , and the utmost of infinite power , and all the reasons of god's ways and providences . he that rightly values his own short understanding , and the unlimited perfections of god , will not be apt to say , this god cannot do , this he cannot know , such ways are not agreeable to his wisdom . he that knows god and himself , will be modest in these cases , he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , abstain from all peremptory pronouncing in these matters ; he considers that one man many times differs so much from another in knowledge and skill of working , that he can do those things which another believes impossible : but we have pitiful thoughts of god , if we think the differerce between one man and another , is any thing to the vast distance that is between the divine understanding and our ignorance , the divine power and our weakness , the wisdom of god and the folly of men . iii. the incomprehensibleness of god's perfections calls for the highest degree of our affection . how should we fear this great and glorious god! psal . . . who knoweth the power of thine anger ? even according to thy fear , so is thy wrath . fear is the most infinite of all our passions , and fills us with the most endless jealousie and suspicions ; god's wrath is greater than our fear , according to thy fear so is thy wrath . how should we love him , when we are astonisht with admiration of god's goodness , and say , how great is thy goodness , and how great is thy beauty ! behold , what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us ! how great should our love be to him ! what manner of love should we return to him ! this calls for the highest degree of our faith. with what confidence should we rely upon him , who is able to do for us exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think ! to conclude , this requires the highest degree of our service : how should our hearts be enlarged to run the ways of his commandments , who hath laid up for us such things , that eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor have entred into the heart of man ! sermon xv. god the first cause , and last end. rom xi . . for of him , and through him , and to him are all things , to whom be glory for ever . amen . having consider'd the more eminent and absolute perfections of the divine nature , as also that which results from the infinite excellency and perfection of god , compar'd with the imperfection of our understandings , i come in the last place to treat of such as are merely and purely relative ; as that he is the first cause , and the last end of all things ; to which purpose i have chosen these words of the apostle , for the subject of my present discourse ; for of him , and through him &c , the dependence of these words upon the former is briefly this . the apostle had been speaking before in this chapter , several things that might tend to raise us to an admiration of the wisdom , and goodness , and mercy of god , in the dispensation of his grace , for the salvation of men , both jews and gentiles , and therefore would have us ascribe this work wholly to god ; the contrivance of it to his wisdom , and not to our own counsel , v. . for who hath known the mind of the lord ? and who hath been his counsellour ? and the bestowing this grace , to his free goodness and mercy , and not to any desert of ours , v. . or who hath first given to him , and it shall be recompensed to him again ? yea , and not only in the dispensation of grace , but of all good things ; not only in this work of redemption , but also of creation , god is the fountain , and original , and first cause , from whence every thing proceeds ; and the last end , to which every thing is to be referr'd . for of him , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from him , the efficient cause producing all things ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by , or through him , as the efficient conserving cause of all things ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and to him , as the final cause of all things , and the end for which they were made . the proposition i shall speak to is , that god is the first cause , and last end. first , i shall a little explain the terms . secondly , confirm the proposition . thirdly , apply it . first , for the explication of the terms . i. that god is the first cause signifies , . negatively , that he had no cause , did not derive his being from any other , or does depend upon any other being ; but that he was always , and eternally of himself . . positively , that he is the cause of all things besides himself , the fountain and original of all created beings , from whom all things proceed , and upon whom all things depend ; or , that i may use the expression of saint john , joh. . . which i know is appropriated to the second person in the trinity , by him all things were made , and without him was nothing made that was made . so that when we attribute to god , that he is the first , we mean , that there was nothing before him , and that he was before all things , and that all things are by him . ii. the last end , that is , that all things refer to him ; that is , the design and aim of all things that are made , is the illustration of god's glory some way or other , and the manifestation of his perfections . secondly , for the confirmation , i shall briefly , according to my usual method , attempt it these two ways . i. by natural light . the notion of a god contains in it all possible perfection . now the utmost perfection we can imagine is , for a being to be always of it self , before all other beings , and not only so , but to be the cause of all other beings ; that is , that there should be nothing , but what derives its being from him , and continually depends upon him ; from whence follows , that all things must refer to him , as their last end. for every wise agent acts with design , and in order to an end. now the end is that which is best , which is most worthy the attaining , and that is god himself . now his being and perfections are already , and the best next to the existence of his being and perfections , is the manifestation of them , which is called god's glory ; and this is the highest end that we can imagine , to which all the effects of the divine power and goodness , and wisdom do refer . and that these titles are to be attributed to god , is not only reasonable , when it is revealed and discovered , but was discovered by the natural light of the heathens . hence it was that aristotle gives to god those titles of the first being , the first cause , and the first mover ; and his master plato calls god the author , and parent of all things , the maker and architect of the world , and of all creatures ; the fountain and original of all things . porphyry calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first , from whence he reasons to this sense , that he is the ultimate end , and that all things move towards god , that all motions center in him ; because , saith he , it is most proper and natural for things to refer to their original , and to refer all to him , from whom they receive all . antoninus , the emperour and philosopher , speaking of nature ( which with the stoicks signified god ) hath these words , which are so very like these of the apostle , that they may seem to be taken from him ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of thee are all things , in thee are all things , to thee are all things . ii. from scripture . hither belong all those places where he declares himself to be the first , and the last , isa . . . who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning ? i the lord , the first , and with the last . i am he . isa . . . before me there was no god formed , ( or as it is in the margin ) there was nothing formed of god , neither shall there be after me . isa . . . i am the first , and i am the last , and besides me there is no god. isa . . , . i am the first , i also am the last , my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth , my right hand hath spread the heavens ; which is as much as to say , he made the world , and was the first cause of all things . rev. . . i am alpha and omega , the beginning and the end , saith the lord , which is , and which was , and which is to come . but more expresly , cor. . . but to us there is but one god , the father , of whom are all things , and we by him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and we to him , and for him . acts . . god that made the world , and all things therein . v. . he giveth to all life , and breath , and all things . v. . in him we live , and move , and have our being . v. . for as much then as we are the off-spring of god. hither we may refer those texts which attribute the same to the second person in the trinity , as the eternal wisdom and word of god , whereby all things were made , joh. . . all things were made by him , and without him was nothing made , that was made , v. . and the world was made by him . cor. . . and one lord jesus christ , by whom are all things , and we by him . eph. . . god , who created all things by jesus christ . col. . . by him were all things created that are in heaven , and that are in earth , visible and invisible , whether they be thrones , or dominions , or principalities , or powers , all things were created by him , and for him , and he is before all things , and by him all things consist . heb. . . by whom also he made the worlds . and , v. . vpholding all things by the word of his power . thirdly , and lastly , to apply this doctrine . vse . first , if god be the first cause of all things , who did at first produce all creatures , and does since preserve them and govern them , and disposeth of all their concernments , and orders all things that befal them , from hence let us learn , . with humility and thankfullness to own and acknowledge , and admire and bless god as the author and original of our being , as the spring and fountain of all the blessings and good things that we enjoy . if we do but consider what these words signifie , that god is the first cause of all things , we shall see great reason to own and acknowledge , to adore and praise him , and that with the greatest humility ; because we have not given him any thing , but have received all from him ; he is the cause of all things , who did freely and of his own good will and pleasure communicate beings to us , without any constraint or necessity , but what his own goodness laid upon him , rev. . . thou art worthy , o lord , to receive glory , and honour , and power ; for thou hast created all things , and for thy pleasure they are and were created . we could not , before we were , deserve any thing from him , or move him by any arguments , or importune him by intreaties to make us ; but he freely gave us being ; and ever since we depend upon him , and have been preserved by him , and cannot subsist one moment without the continued influence of the power and goodness which first called us out of nothing . he is the author of all the good , and the fountain of all those blessing , which for the present we enjoy , and for the future hope for . when he made us at first , he designed us for happiness ; and when we by our sin and wilful mascarriage fell short of the happiness which he design'd us for , he sent his son into the world for our recovery , and gave his life for the ransom of our souls . he hath not only admitted us into a new covenant , wherein he hath promised pardon , and eternal life to us ; but he hath also purchased these blessings for us , by the most endearing price , the blood of his own son , and hath saved us in such a manner as may justly astonish us . upon these considerations we should awaken our selves to the praise of god , and with the holy psalmist , call up our spirits , and summon all the powers and faculties of our souls , to assist us in this work , psal . . , , , . &c. bless the lord , o my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy name ; bless the lord , o my soul , and forget not all his benefits ; who forgiveth all thy iniquities , who healeth all thy diseases , who redeemeth thy life from destruction , who crowneth thee with loving kindness , and tender mercies ; 't is he that satisfies our souls with good things , and crowneth us with tender mercies , and loving hindness ; that hath promised eternal life and happiness to us , and must confer and bestow this upon us ; therefore our souls and all that is within us should bless his holy name . . if god be the first cause , that is , orders all things that befall us , and by his providence disposeth of all our concernments , this should teach us with patience , and quietness , to submit to all events , to all evils and afflictions , that come upon us , as being disposed by his wise providence , and coming from him . we are apt to attribute all things to the next and immediate agent , and to look no higher than second causes ; not considering that all the motions of natural causes are directly subordinate to the first cause , and all the actions of free creatures are under the government of god's wise providence , so that nothing happens to us besides the design and intention of god. and methinks this is one particular excellency of the style of the scripture above all other books , that the constant phrase of the sacred dialect is to attribute all events ( excepting sins only ) to god , so that every one that reads it cannot but take notice , that it is wrote with a more attentive consideration of god than any other book , as appears by those frequent and express acknowledgments of god as the cause of all events ; so that what in other writers would be said to be done by this or that person , is ascribed to god. therefore it is so often said , that the lord did this , and that , stirr'd up such an enemy , brought such a judgment . and we shall find that holy men in scripture make excellent use of this consideration , to argue themselves into patience and contentedness in every condition . so eli , sam. . . it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . so job , he did not so consider the sabeans and chaldeans who had carried away his oxen and his camels , and slain his servants ; nor the wind which had thrown down his house , and kill'd his sons , and his daughters ; but he looks up to god , the great governour and disposer of all these events ; the lord giveth , and the lord hath taken away , blessed be the name of the lord. so david , psal . . . i was dumb and spake not a word , because thou lord didst it . so our blessed saviour , when he was ready to suffer , he did not consider the malice of the jews , which was the cause of his death ; but looks to a higher hand ; the cup which my father gives me to drink , shall not i drink it ? he that looks upon all things as coming from second causes , and does not eye the first cause , the good and wise governour , will be apt to take offence at every cross and unwelcome accident . men are apt to be angry , when one flings water upon them as they pass in the streets ; but no man is offended , if he is wet by rain from heaven . when we look upon evils as coming only from men , we are apt to be impatient , and know not how to bear them ; but we should look upon all things as under the government and disposal of the first cause , and the circumstances of every condition as allotted to us by the wise providence of god ; this consideration , that it is the hand of god , and that he hath done it , would still all the murmurings of our spirits . as when a seditious multitude is in an uproar , the presence of a grave and venerable person will hush the noise , and quell the tumult ; so if we would but represent god as present to all actions , and governing and disposing all events , this would still and appease our spirits , when they are ready to riot and mutiny against any of his dispensations . vse the second . if god be the last end of all , let us make him our last end , and refer all our actions to his glory . this is that which is due to him , as he is the first cause , and therefore he does most reasonably require it of us . and herein likewise the scripture doth excel all other books , that is , doth more frequently and expresly mind us of this end , and calls upon us to propose it to our selves as our ultimate aim and design . we should love him as our chief end , mat. . . thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind . thus to love god is that which , in the language of the schools , is loving god as our chief end. so likewise the apostle requires , that we should refer all the actions of our lives to this end , cor. . . whether ye eat or drink , do all to the glory of god ; that we should glorifie him in our souls , and in our bodies , which are his . he is the author of all the powers that we have , and therefore we should use them for him ; we do all by him , and therefore we should do all to him . and that we may the better understand our selves as to this duty , i shall endeavour to give satisfaction to a question or two which may arise about it . first , whether an actual intention of god's glory be necessary to make every action that we do , good and acceptable to god ? answ . . it is necessary that the glory of god either formally or virtually should be the ultimate end and scope of our lives , and all our actions ; otherwise they will be defective in that which in moral actions is most considerable , and that is the end. if a man should keep all the commandments of the gospel , this excepted of making god's glory his supreme end , only with a design to gain reputation , or some other advantage in the world , this very thing would vitiate all , and render him unacceptable to god. . it is very requisite and convenient , as a good sign , that we should very frequently , actually think upon , and intend this end ; for if it be very much out of our thoughts , we have some reason to be jealous of our selves , that we do not intend it at all . . it is so far from being necessary , that we should in every action have this intention of god's glory , that it is not morally possible that we should ; no more than it is possible , that a man that goes a journey of a thousand miles , should every step he takes have actual thoughts of his journey 's end : nor is it more necessary ; for consideration of the end is only so far necessary , as it is necessary to guide and quicken us in the use of means ; as it is not necessary for a man to think of his journey's end , further than to direct and excite him to go thither . and this appears further by the contrary ; it is not necessary to make a sinful action , that a man should formally , much less actually intend god's dishonour ; it is enough to constitute a man a wicked man , if he willingly transgress god's law , the doing whereof does by consequence reflect a dishonour upon him : so on the other hand , it is sufficient to make an action good and acceptable , if it be conformable to god's law , and such as by consequence redounds to god's glory . second question . whether the glory of god may , or ought to be considered , as an end separate and distinct from our own happiness ? answ . i shall speak but briefly to this , because i have elsewhere spoken to it ; but in that little which i have to say for satisfaction to this question , i will proceed by these steps . i. by the glory of god , we mean the demonstration , or illustration , or manifestation of some or all of his perfections , more especially his goodness , and mercy , and justice , and wisdom , and power , and holiness . ii. it is plain that the manifestation of some of these perfections is a thing that may be separated from the happiness of a creature ; for his holiness , and justice , and power , may and shall be manifested in the final and eternal ruin of impenitent sinners . iii. the manifestation of any of god's perfections , ought many times to be propounded by us as an end distinct and separate from our respective happiness ; such a happiness , as respects only some particulars , and some particular duration , in opposition to absolute and eternal happiness . in this sense our saviour says , that he sought not his own glory , but the glory of him that sent him ; by which he does not mean , that he quitted everlasting glory and happiness ; but that in order to the glory of god , he did for a time lay aside his own glory , and divest himself of it while he was in this world ; for the apostle tells us , that he was encouraged to do this out of a respect to a greater glory , heb. . . who for the joy that was set before him , endured the cross , despising the shame , and is set down at the right hand of the throne of god. and in this sense , we are to understand the command of self-denial in the gospel , with reference to our particular or temporal , not our eternal interest ; and that it is no more , is plain from the argument our saviour uses to encourage this self-denial , the promise of a far greater happiness than that we deny ; no man that forsakes father and mother for my sake , but shall have eternal life ; and proportionably we are to understand those commands of loving christ more than our selves , that is , more than any temporal interest ▪ iv. the manifestation of any of god's perfections , neither ought nor can reasonably be propounded by us , as an end separated from , or opposite to our eternal blessedness ; that is , we cannot naturally or reasonably desire the glory of god should be advanced , tho' it were to our final ruin , either by annihilation , or eternal misery . . we cannot either naturally , or reasonably desire god should be glorified by our annihilation . ( . ) not naturally . because such a desire would be directly contrary to the natural desire of self-preservation , which god himself hath planted in us , and is most intimate and essential to our natures . ( . ) not reasonably . because it is utterly unimaginable , how god can be glorified by the annihilation of a creature . all the attributes that we can imagine can be manifested herein , are power and soveraignty ; his power hath already been as much manifested in creating and making the creature out of nothing , as it can be by reducing it into nothing ; for to create is the very same demonstration of power , as to annihilate . and as for his soveraignty , god will never manifest that in contradiction to his goodness , or wisdom , or any other perfection of the divine nature . to unmake a creature , and take away the being which he had given , would argue either a failure of his goodness toward the creature , or that he did repent he had made it , which would reflect upon his wisdom and constancy . i do not say , that in justice god cannot annihilate a creature ; far be it from me ; for what he gave was his own , and he may without any wrong to the creature take it again . . much less can we naturally desire that god should be glorified in our eternal misery . the reasons which i gave about annihilation are stronger here ; therefore we cannot naturally desire it ; nor reasonably , for the demonstration of his power , or soveraignty , or justice , or holiness , which i think are all the attributes which we can imagine to be glorified hereby . not as the manifestation of his power ; for that would be as much manifested in the happiness , as misery of the creature : not of his soveraignty ; for god will not manifest that in contradiction to his goodness , upon which nothing can reflect more , than merely , pro arbitrio , for his pleasure , to make an innocent creature for ever miserable : not his justice , and holiness ; for these presuppose sin and demerit in the creature , out of hatred to which he makes it miserable ; but god hath declared that he esteems himself more glorified by the obedience and happiness of his creatures , than by their sin and destruction ; and if it were reasonable to desire the justice and holiness of god might be glorified in my eternal ruin , which i have deserved by sin , this would plainly follow from it , that it were reasonable to sin , that justice might abound , which of the two is a greater absurdity , than that which the apostle condemns , of sinning that grace may abound . v. there is a strict and inviolable connexion between the greatest glory of god ; and our obedience and happiness : i say , between his greatest glory ; because he esteems himself more glorified by the obedience and happiness of his creatures , than by their ruin and misery ; and that we may believe it , we have his oath for it , as i live , saith the lord , i delight not in the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn , and live . and it is observable , that the apostle , in cor. . , , . whether ye eat or drink , or whatsoever ye do , do all to the glory of god , giving none offence , neither to the jews , nor to the gentiles , nor to the church of god ; even as i please all men , in all things , not seeking mine own profit , but the profit of many that they may be saved ; explains the glorifying of god , by edifying , and promoting the salvation of others . vi. we may consider the glory of god , as some ways distinct from our happiness ; that is , we may consider the manifestation of his goodness , and mercy , and wisdom , in our happiness , as that which results from it : but this is not enough to make it a distinct end , but the same diversly consider'd ; as the publick good is that which results from the general good of particular persons , but cannot reasonably be propounded by any man , as an end distinct from the general happiness of particular persons , without ruining and destroying the notion of publick good . vii . tho' considered as we are particular beings , we can have no greater end than our own happiness , in which god is eminently glorified , yet as we are part of the whole creation and workmanship of god , which is the noblest consideration of our selves , the glory of god which results from the manifestation of all his perfections in and about his creatures , is precisely our ultimate end , and yet not an end really distinct from our own happiness ; and therefore it is most proper , and becoming , and agreeable to the wise style of scripture , to give our end its denomination , not from the more particular and narrow , but the more noble consideration of our selves , as we are parts of the whole creation and workmanship of god ; as it is more generous and becoming for the members of a civil society to mention the publick good as their end , than their private happiness and advantage , tho' that be so really and effectually promoted by the publick good . thus i have finish'd what i propos'd on this argument , and concerning the attributes of god in general ; of whom , and through whom , and to whom are all things . to him be glory for ever . amen . finis . advertisement . the sermons concerning the divine attributes , contained in this , and the former volume , having not been transcrib'd , and consequently not printed , in the order in which they were preach'd , and there being also two other sermons publish'd by the most reverend author himself , relating to the divine being ; it may not be unacceptable to the reader , to present him with a scheme of the order in which they seem to have been design'd ; viz. serm. concerning the existence of god , or the unreasonableness of atheism . job . . serm. concerning the unity of the divine nature , and the b. trinity . tim. . . these two publish'd by the author . these following from the originals , by dr. barker .   vol. pag. the perfection of god. serm. matth. . . ● the happiness of god. serm. tim. . . the unchangeableness of god. serm. jam. . . the spirituality of the divine nature . serm. john . . the immensity of the divine nature . serm. ps . . , , , . the eternity of god. serm. ps . . . the knowledge of god. serm. sam. . . the wisdom of god. serm. * jude . the wisdom of god in the creation . serm. ps . . . the wisdom of god in his providence . serm. pet. . . the wisdom of god in the redemption of mankind . serm. cor. . . the justice of god , in the distribution of rewards and punishments . serm. gen. . . the truth of god. serm. deut. . . the holiness of god. serm. pet. ● . . the goodness of god. serm. ps . . . the mercy of god. serm. numb . . . the patience of god. serm. pet. . . the long-suffering of god. serm. eccl. . . the power of god. serm. psal . . . the incomprehensibleness of god. serm. job . . god the first cause , and last end. serm. rom. . . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . this sermon was preach'd before the late happy revolution . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii· notes for div a -e vol. vii· notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e vol. vii . notes for div a -e * [ in which also the majesty and glory , the dominion and soveraingty of god , are treated of . ] a seasonable vindication of the b. trinity being an answer to this question, why do you believe the doctrine of the trinity? : collected from the works of the most reverend, dr. john tillotson, late lord archbishop of canterbury, and the right reverend dr. edward stillingfleet, now lord bishop of worcester. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a seasonable vindication of the b. trinity being an answer to this question, why do you believe the doctrine of the trinity? : collected from the works of the most reverend, dr. john tillotson, late lord archbishop of canterbury, and the right reverend dr. edward stillingfleet, now lord bishop of worcester. tillotson, john, - . stillingfleet, edward, - . assheton, william, - . 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collected from the works of the most reverend , dr. john tillotson , late lord archbishop of canterbury . and the right reverend , dr. edward stillingfleet , now lord bishop of worcester . london : printed for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill . mdcxcvii . the preface . our modern socinians ( who are pleased to call themselves unitarians ) having not only disputed , but most blasphemously ridiculed the doctrine of the b. trinity ; for the conviction of such gainsayers , and the confirmation of others , it is thought fit to publish the following discourse , faithfully collected from the learned works of archbishop tillotson , and bishop stillingfleet . concerning bishop stillingfleet , i shall say nothing , because he is alive to answer for himself . but as to archbishop tillotson , i hope it will appear even from this collection , that his grace was very far from being a socinian ; however his memory hath been very unworthily reproached in that , as well as other respects , since his death . a vindication of the b. trinity . q. why do you believe the doctrine of the trinity ? a. because it is a very rational doctrine , that is , there is the highest reason to believe it . q. what do you mean by this word trinity ? and , what doctrines concerning it are proposed to our belief ? a. i shall answer this question in the very words of the church of england ; whose doctrine , i am fully perswaded , is orthodox and catholick . there is but one living and true god , everlasting , without body , parts , or passions ; of infinite power , wisdom and goodness , the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible . and in unity of this godhead there be three persons , of one substance , power and eternity ; the father , the son , and the holy ghost . art. . the catholick faith is this , that we worship one god in trinity , and trinity in unity ; neither confounding the persons ; nor dividing the substance . for there is one person of the father , another of the son , and another of the holy ghost . but the godhead of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost is all one ; the glory equal ; the majesty coeternal . the father is god , the son is god , and the holy ghost is god. and yet they are not three gods , but one god. athan. creed . it is very meet , right , and our bounden duty , that we should at all times , and in all places give thanks unto thee , o lord almighty , everlasting god. who art one god , one lord ; not one only person , but three persons in one substance . for that which we believe of the glory of the father , the same we believe of the son , and of the holy ghost , without any difference or inequality . pref. on the feast of trinity . o holy , blessed and glorious trinity , three persons and one god , have mercy upon us miserable sinners . lit. this is what we believe concerning the trinity . and that this is very rational doctrine ; and that we have the highest reason thus to believe , i shall endeavour to evince , when i have first explained the nature of faith in general , by shewing , what it is to believe ; and what this act believe doth denote when applied to any object . q. what is faith , or belief in general ? a. belief in general i define to be , an assent to that which is credible as credible . v. bishop pearson on the creed , p. . q. what is meant by this word assent ? a. by the word assent is expressed that act or habit of the understanding , by which it receiveth , acknowledgeth , and embraceth any thing as a truth , id. ib. q. but are there not several other kinds of assent , besides faith , by which the soul doth receive and embrace whatsoever appeareth to be true ? a. this assent , or judgment of any thing to be true , being a general act of the understanding , is applicable to other habits thereof as well as to faith. id. ib. q. how then is this assent which we call faith , specified and distinguished from those other kinds of assent ? a. it must be specified as all other acts are , by its proper object . id. ib. q. what is this object of faith ? a. this object of faith is that which is credible as credible . q. why do you repeat the word credible , and say credible as credible ? a. to denote the twofold object of faith , viz. material and formal . q. what is the material object of faith ? a. the material object of faith , is the thing to be believed , or something which is credible . q. what is the formal object of faith ? a. that whereby it is believed , or the reason why it is believed . q. what is it to be credible ? a. that is properly credible , which is not apparent of it self ( either in respect of our senses or understanding ) nor certainly to be collected , either antecedently by its cause , or reversely by its effect , and yet though by none of these ways , hath the attestation of a truth . v. bishop pearson , p. . q. what then is that kind of assent , which is called faith ? a. when any thing propounded to us is neither apparent to our sense , nor evident to our understanding in and of it self ; neither certainly to be collected from any clear and necessary connexion with the cause from which it proceedeth , or the effects which it naturally produceth ; nor is taken up upon any real arguments or relations to other acknowledged truths ; and yet notwithstanding appeareth to us true , not by a manifestation but attestation of the truth ; and so moveth us to assent , not of it self , but by virtue of the testimony given to it . in plain terms ; when we therefore acknowledge a thing to be true , for this only reason , because we are told that it is so : then , and in such a case we do properly believe it . and the assent that we give to such a truth thus attested , is neither science nor opinion , but faith. id. ib. q. the nature of faith in general being thus explained , i am now prepared to be instructed by you in this important question ; why do you believe the doctrine of the trinity ? a. though this doctrine of the trinity , viz. that there are three distinct persons in one and the same undivided divine essence , is neither apparent to my sense , nor evident to my understanding ( for being a great mystery , i could never have known it , unless it had been revealed ; and now it is revealed , i am not able to comprehend it ) yet since it is testified and declared by an all-knowing , and most just and faithful god , who can neither deceive nor be deceived , i do therefore give my assent unto it , as a most credible truth , and as such , i do firmly believe it . now that god , who is infinite in wisdom and knowledge , doth fully know himself , and perfectly understand his own nature : and also , that he who is infinitely good and faithful cannot deceive us ( for it is impossible for god to lye ) this i shall not pretend to prove , but can fairly suppose it , as being granted by the socinians themselves . the only thing therefore for us to prove , and which they deny , is this , viz. that the doctrine of the trinity is revealed by almighty god. for if we can make it appear , that an infinitely wise and faithful god hath revealed it ; we shall then easily convince them , that there is the highest reason to believe it . q. how then do you prove that god hath revealed it ? where hath god told us , that there are three distinct persons , in the same undivided divine essence and nature ? a. were i to discourse an atheist , or a deist , then , since all conviction must be ex concessis , i ought to prove these two things , . the possibility and necessity of divine revelation . . that the books of the old and new testament , which by way of eminency we call the scriptures , do contain this divine revelation . and that in these books god hath revealed so much of his own nature , as is necessary for us to know in order to our salvation . but since these unitarians do profess themselves christians , and consequently to believe the holy scriptures , i shall have so much charity for ▪ them at present , as to suppose it : and shall treat them as such . and then the only thing i am to prove , is this , viz. that the doctrine of the trinity is revealed in the scriptures . q. but neither the word trinity , nor the word person are to be found in scripture . how then can you pretend to prove a trinity of persons from the scriptures ? a. though neither the word trinity , nor perhaps person , in the sense in which it is used by divines when they treat of this mystery , be any where to be met with in scripture ; yet it cannot be denied but that three are there spoken of by the names of father , son , and holy ghost , in whose name every christian is baptized , and to each of whom the highest titles and properties of god are in scripture attributed . and these three are spoken of with as much distinction from one another , as we use to speak of three several persons . so that though the word trinity be not found in scripture , yet these three are there expresly and frequently mentioned . and trinity is nothing but three of any thing . and so likewise though the word person be not there expresly applied to father , son , and holy ghost ; yet it will be very hard to find a more convenient word whereby to express the distinction of these three . for which reason i could never yet see any just cause to quarrel at this term. for since the holy spirit of god in scripture hath thought fit in speaking of these three to distinguish them from one another , as we use in common speech to distinguish ▪ three several persons , i cannot see any reason why in the explication of this mystery , which purely depends upon divine revelation , we should not speak of it in the same manner as the scripture doth . and though the word person is now become a term of art , i see no cause why we should decline it , so long as we mean by it neither more nor less than what the scripture says in other words . v. archbishop tillotson's sermon on tim. . . p. . here then i fix my foot : that there are three differences in the deity , which the scripture speaks of by the names of father , son , and holy ghost , and every where speaks of them as we use to do of three distinct persons . and therefore i see no reason why in this argument we should nicely abstain from using the word person . id. sermon ii. on john . . p. . q. you confess then that the word trinity is not to be found in scripture . however , ( may these unitarians reply ) have you not found it in the athanasian creed ? and because the church of england hath owned this creed , by taking it into her liturgy , that you may approve your selves true sons of the church , therefore , say they , you are resolved to defend it . v. pref. to mr. milb . p. . a. we assert three persons in the godhead , not because we find them in the athanasian creed ; but because the scripture hath revealed that there are three , father , son , and holy ghost , to whom the divine nature and attributes are given . this we verily believe , that the scripture hath revealed ; and that there are a great many places , of which we think no tolerable sense can be given without it , and therefore we assert this doctrine on the same grounds , on which we believe the scriptures . and if there are three persons which have the divine nature attributed to them ; what must we do in this case ? must we cast off the unity of the divine essence ? no , that is too frequently and plainly asserted for us to call it into question . must we reject those scriptures which attribute divinity to the son and holy ghost , as well as to the father ? that we cannot do , unless we cast off those books of scripture , wherein those things are contained . v. bishop stillingfleet's vind. of the trinity , p. . q. but is it not trifling to prove a doctrine by scripture , which ( as the socinians pretend ) is contrary to reason ? it being a known rule ( which i shall express in the words of bishop stillingfleet ) that , whatever speaks a direct repugnancy to any of the fundamental dictates of nature , cannot be of divine revelation . v. orig. sacr. p. . for the law of nature , and of right reason , imprinted in our hearts , is as truly the law and word of god , as is that which is printed in our bibles . v. bishop sanderson's ser. . ad cl. p. . and therefore since truth is never contrary to it self , is it not impertinent to prove this doctrine of the trinity by the scriptures , which is not only above reason , but plainly contrary to it ? a. as to its being above reason , which they are loth to admit any thing to be ; this i think will bear no great dispute : because if they would be pleased to speak out , they can mean no more by this , but that our reason is not able fully to comprehend it . but what then ? are there no mysteries in religion ? that i am sure they will not say , because god , whose infinite nature and perfections , are the very foundation of all religion , is certainly the greatest mystery of all other , and the most incomprehensible . but we must not , nay they will not for this reason deny , that there is such a being as god. and therefore if there be mysteries in religion , it is no reasonable objection against them , that we cannot fully comprehend them : because all mysteries , in what kind soever , whether in religion , or in nature , so long , and so far as they are mysteries , are for that very reason incomprehensible . vid. archbishop tillotson , serm. ii. on joh. . . p. . i desire it may be considered , that it is not repugnant to reason to believe some things which are incomprehensible by our reason ; provided that we have sufficient ground and reason for the belief of them : especially if they be concerning god , who is in his nature incomprehensible ; and we be well assured that he hath revealed them . and therefore it ought not to offend us , that these differences in the deity are incomprehensible by our finite understandings ; because the divine nature it self is so , and yet the belief of that is the foundation of all religion . there are a great many things in nature which we cannot comprehend , how they either are , or can be . id. ser. on tim. . . pag. . for my own part , i confess it to be my opinion , that we converse every day with very many things , none of which we comprehend . who is he that comprehends either the structure , or the reason of the powers of seminal forms or seeds ? or how the parts of matter hold together ? or how , being in their own nature lifeless and sensless , they do ( for all that ) in some positures and textures , acquire life , sensation , and even volition , memory and reason ? or how the sun and other vast heavenly fires subsist for so many ages , without any nourishment or fuel ; which fire , of all other bodies , most requires ? or how , when the sun arrives at the tropicks , he never goes further , either northward or southward , but returns towards the equator , and thereby preserves the world by his vital warmth ? v. consider . on the trinity , to h. h. p. . there are many things likewise in our selves , which no man is able in any measure to comprehend , as to the manner how they are done and performed . as the vital union of soul and body . who can imagine by what device or means a spirit comes to be so closely united , and so firmly link'd to a material body , that they are not to be parted without great force and violence offer'd to nature ? the like may be said of the operations of our several faculties of sense and imagination , of memory and reason , and especially of the liberty of our wills. and yet we certainly find all these faculties in our selves , though we cannot either comprehend or explain the particular manner in which the several operations of them are performed . and if we cannot comprehend the manner of those operations , which we plainly perceive and feel to be in our selves , much less can we expect to comprehend things without us ; and least of all can we pretend to comprehend the infinite nature and perfections of god , and every thing belonging to him . thus you see , by these instances , that it is not repugnant to reason to believe a great many things to be , of the manner of whose existence we are not able to give a particular and distinct account . and much less is it repugnant to reason to believe those things concerning god , which we are very well assured he hath declared concerning himself , though these things by our reason should be incomprehensible . and this is truly the case as to the matter now under debate . we are sufficiently assured that the scriptures are a divine revelation , and that this mystery of the trinity is therein declared to us . now that we cannot comprehend it , is no sufficient reason not to believe it . for if it were a good reason for not believing it , then no man ought to believe that there is a god , because his nature is most certainly incomprehensible . but we are assured by many arguments that there is a god ; and the same natural reason which assures us , that he is , doth likwise assure us that he is incomprehensible ; and therefore our believing him to be so , doth by no means overthrow our belief of his being . in like manner , we are assured by divine revelation of the truth of this doctrine of the trinity : and being once assured of that , our not being able fully to comprehend it , is not reason enough to stagger our belief of it . a man cannot deny what he sees , though the necessary consequence of admitting it , may be something which he cannot comprehend . one cannot deny the frame of this world which he sees with his eyes , though from thence it will necessarily follow , that either that or something else must be of it self : which yet is a thing , which no man can comprehend how it can be . and by the same reason a man must not deny what god says , to be true ; though he cannot comprehend many things which god says : as particularly concerning this mystery of the trinity . it ought then to satisfy us that there is sufficient evidence , that this doctrine is delivered in scripture , and that what is there declared concerning it , doth not imply a contradiction . for why should our finite understandings pretend to comprehend that which is infinite , or to know all the real differences that are consistent with the unity of an infinite being ; or to be able fully to explain this mystery by any similitude or resemblance taken from finite beings ? v. archbishop tillotson's serm. on tim. . . p. . great difficulty i acknowledge there is in the explication of it , in which the further we go , beyond what god hath thought fit to reveal to us in scripture concerning it , the more we are entangled ; and that which men are pleased to call an explaining of it , does , in my apprehension , often make it more obscure , that is , less plain than it was before . which does not so very well agree with a pretence of explication . id. ser. on joh. . . p. . and therefore , though some learned and judicious men may have very commendably attempted a more particular explication of this great mystery by the strength of reason , yet i dare not pretend to that , knowing both the difficulty and danger of such an attempt , and mine own insufficiency for it . all that i ever designed upon this argument , was to make out the credibility of the thing from the authority of the holy scriptures ; without descending to a more particular explication of it than the scripture hath given us : lest by endeavouring to lay the difficulties which are already started about it , new ones should be raised , and such as may , perhaps , be much harder to be removed , than those we have now to grapple withal . nor indeed do i see that it is any ways necessary to do more ; it being sufficient that god hath declared what he thought fit in this matter , and that we do firmly believe what he says concerning it to be true , though we do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of all that he hath said about it . id. ser. on tim. . . p. . q. but these unitarians do urge the matter much further , and pretend ; that this mystery of the trinity , now under debate , is not only above reason , but plainly contrary to reason . for thus they expostulate with the bishop of worcester . he utterly mistakes ( to give you their own words ) in thinking , that we deny the articles of the new christianity , or athanasian religion , because they are mysteries , or because we do not comprehend them ; we deny them , because we do comprehend them ; we have a clear and distinct perception , that they are not mysteries , but contradictions , impossibilities , and pure nonsense . v. consid. on expl. of the trinity , in a letter to h. h. p. . now what reply hath his lordship made to this ? a. this is a very bold charge , and not very becoming the modesty and decency of such , who know at the same time that they oppose the religion publickly established , and in such things which they look on as some of the principal articles of the christian faith. v. vind. of the trinity . p. . these words contain in them so spiteful , so unjust , and so unreasonable a charge upon the christian church in general , and our own in particular , that i could not but think my self concerned , especially since they are addressed to me , to do what in me lay ( as soon as my uncertain state of health would permit ) towards the clearing the fundamental mystery of the athanasian religion , as they call it , viz. the doctrine of the trinity , which is chiefly struck at by them . v. pref. p. . q. 't is a seasonable service to the christian church in general , and our own in particular , that a person so eminent for learning and prudence , hath at this juncture undertaken the defence of the b. trinity . but in what manner doth his lordship propose to defend it ? a. without running into any new explications , or laying aside any old terms , for which he could not see any just occasion . for however thoughtful men may think to escape some particular difficulties better , by going out of the common roads ; yet they may meet with others , which they did not foresee , which may make them as well as others judge it , at last , a wiser and safer course to keep in the same way , which the christian church hath used ever since it hath agreed to express her sense in such terms , which were thought most proper for that purpose . why then are new explications started , and disputes raised and carried on so warmly about them ? we had much better satisfy our selves with that language which the church hath received ▪ and is expressed in the creeds , than go about with new terms , to raise new ferments , especially at a time , when our united forces are most necessary against our common adversaries . no wise and good men can be fond of any new inventions , when the peace of the church is hazarded by them . and it is a great pity , that any new phrases , or ways of expression , should cause unreasonable heats among those who are really of the same mind . vtd. pref. p. . and . and vind. p. . q. but how can these unitarians pretend , that the doctrine of the trinity is contrary to reason ? how , and in what manner have they attempted to prove it ? what grounds have they for such a charge as this , of contradiction and impossibility ? a. i shall draw up the charge in their own words : theirs , they say , is an accountable and reasonable faith , but that of the trinitarians is absurd , and contrary both to reason and to it self ; and therefore not only false but impossible . but wherein lies this impossibility ? that they soon tell us . because we affirm that there are three persons , who are severally and each of them true god , and yet there is but one true god. now , say they , this is an error in counting or numbring , which when stood in , is of all others the most brutal and inexcusable ; and not to discern it , is not to be a man. v. hist. of the unit. p. . n. . for we cannot be mistaken in the notion of one and three ; we are most certain that one is not three , and three are not one. v. def. of hist. of unit. p. . so that here is an arithmetical , as well as grammatical contradiction . for , in ▪ saying , god the father , god the son , and god the holy ghost , yet not three gods , but one god ; a man first distinctly numbers three gods , and then in summing them up , brutishly says , not three gods , but one god. v. acts of athanasius , p. . which is plainly , as if a man should say , peter , james , and john being three persons , are one man ; and one man is these three distinct persons , peter , james and john. is it not now a ridiculous attempt , as well as a barbarous indignity , to go about thus to make asses of all mankind , under pretence of teaching them a creed ? v. notes on athanasius's creed , p. . this is their charge . and 't is very freely spoken , with respect , not merely to our church , but the christian world ; which owns this creed to be a just and true explication of the doctrine of the trinity . but there are some creatures as remarkable for their untoward kicking , as for their stupidity . v. bishop of worcester's defence of the trinity , p. . it is strange boldness in men to talk thus of monstrous contradictions in things above their reach . but some have so used themselves to the language of jargon , nonsense , contradiction , impossibility , that it comes from them , as some men swear , when they do not know it . id. p. . but that the rudeness of these unitarians , in thus condemning the christian church , may more fully appear , let us proceed very distinctly to examine this matter . do you therefore , first , give their objection its full strength , and then , through divine assistance , i 'll return you my answer . q. are not peter , james , and john , three distinct humane persons ? a. 't is granted . q. are not peter , james , and john , three distinct different men ? a. who doubts it ? q. is it not a contradiction to say , that peter is james , or that james and john are peter ? a. this likewise must be acknowledg'd . q. is it not a contradiction to affirm , that peter , james and john , being three men , are but one man ? and is it not equally absurd to declare , that one man is these three men ? a. sure i cannot be mistaken in the notion of one and three . but am most certain , that one is not three , and three are not one. but what of all this ? q. observe what follows . are not the father , the son , and the holy ghost ( according to the athanasian creed ) three distinct different divine persons ? a. i firmly believe it . q. and if these three divine persons , father , son and holy ghost , are three gods , is it not a contradiction to say , there is but one god ? a. to say , there are three gods , and yet but one god , is doubtless a contradiction . but who affirms , there are three gods ? q. doth not the athanasian creed ? a. no. that creed expresly saith , there are not three gods , but one god. q. if you will not renounce your reason , i do thus prove it to you . the father is god , there is one. the son is god , there is two. the holy ghost is god , there is three . are not here three gods ? do you think me such a fool , that i cannot count , one , two , and three ? a. thus indeed the unitarians do wisely argue . but can these men of sense and reason think , that the point in controversy ever was , whether in numbers , one could be three , or three one ? if they think so , i wonder they do not think of another thing ; which is , the begging all trinitarians for fools ; because they cannot count one , two and three ; and an unitarian jury would certainly cast them . one would think such writers had never gone beyond shop-books ; for they take it for granted , that all depends upon counting . but these terrible charges were some of the most common and trite objections of infidels . st. augustin mentions it as such when he saith ; the infidels sometimes ask us , what do you call the father ? we answer , god. what the son ? we answer , god. what the holy ghost ? we answer , god. so that here the infidels make the same objection , and draw the very same inference . then , say they , the father , son , and holy ghost , are three gods. but what saith st. augustin to this ? had he no more skill in arithmetick , than to say , there are three , and yet but one ? he saith plainly that there are not three gods. the infidels are troubled , because they are not inlightned ; their heart is shut up , because they are without faith. by which it is plain , he look'd on these as the proper objections of infidels , and not of christians . but st. augustin doth not give it over so . when you begin to count , saith he , you go on ; one , two and three . but when you have reckon'd them , what is it you have been counting ? the father is the father , the son the son , and the holy ghost , the holy ghost . what are these three ? are they not three gods ? no. are they not three almighties ? no. they are capable of number as to their relation to each other ; but not as to their essence , which is but one . v. bishop stillingfleet's vindic. of the trin. p. . will men never learn to distinguish between numbers and the nature of things ? for three to be one is a contradiction in numbers ; but whether an infinite nature can communicate it self to three different subsistences , without such a division as is among created beings , must not be determined by bare numbers , but by the absolute perfections of the divine nature ; which must be owned to be above our comprehension . id. serm. on tim. . . p. . this is plain and convincing to all modest unprejudiced persons . but it seems our unitarians are not thus to be convinced : who do further object ; that it is as ridiculous to affirm ; that the father , the son , and the holy ghost , being three persons , are one god ; as it is to say , that peter , james , and john , being three persons , are one man. q. if i rightly apprehend them , their argument is this . three human persons are three men , therefore three divine persons are three gods. and this they repeat with great triumph in several of their pamphlets . what answer therefore can you return to this ? a. how can any man of sense be satisfied with such kind of arguments as these ? one would think , they wrote only for such as would take their words ; they join so much confidence with so very little appearance of reason . for is not this great skill in these matters , to make such a parallel between three persons in the godhead , and peter , james and john ? do they think there is no difference between an infinitely perfect being , and such finite limited creatures as individuals among men are ? do they suppose the divine nature capable of such division and separation by individuals , as human nature is ? q. no , they may say , but ye who hold three persons must think so . a. for what reason ? we do assert three persons , but it is on the account of divine revelation , and in such a manner , as the divine nature is capable of it . for it is a good rule of boethius , talia sunt praedicata , qualia subjecta permiserint . we must not say that there are persons in the trinity , but in such a manner as is agreeable to the divine nature ; and if that be not capable of division and separation , then the persons must be in the same undivided essence . id. vind. p. . so that herein lies the true solution of the difficulty , by considering the difference between the humane and divine nature . the humane nature , being finite , is capable of division , multiplication and separation . but the divine nature , being infinite , is not capable of any division , multiplication and separation . now the divine essence is that alone which makes god ; that can be but one , and therefore there can be no more gods than one. but because the same scripture , which assures us of the unity of the divine essence , doth likewise join the son and holy ghost in the same attributes , operations and worship , therefore as to the mutual relations , we may reckon three , but as to the divine essence , that can be no more than one. here then is the true reason why we affirm ; that three human persons , peter , james , and john , are three men ; and yet three divine persons , the father , the son , and the holy ghost , are but one god , because , the divine essence is not capable of such division and separation , as the human nature is . id. p. , & . q. this is full , and to the purpose ; and hath given great satisfaction to my self , as well as others . but is there nothing further objected against the doctrine of the b. trinity , wherein i may be instructed by you ? a. there is an objection lately started ; and i wonder you have not charged me with it . q. pray let me hear it ? a. 't is this . three divine substances are three gods. but three divine persons , are three divine substances . therefore , three divine persons are three gods. this hath most insultingly been repeated by our unitarians , and hath made no little noise in their late papers and pamphlets . q. who revived this old objection , and how came it now to be brought again upon the stage ? a. to understand this matter rightly , we must consider that when the socinian pamphlets first came abroad , some years since , a learned and worthy person of our church , who had appeared with great vigour and reason against our adversaries of the church of rome in the late reign ( which ought not to be forgotten ) undertook to defend the doctrine of the trinity against the history of the unitarians , and the notes of the athanasian creed : but in the warmth of disputing , and out of a desire to make this matter more intelligible , he suffer'd ▪ himself to be carried beyond the ancient methods ▪ which the church hath used to express her sense by , still retaining the same fundamental article of three persons in one undivided essence , but explaining it in such a manner , as to make each person to have a peculiar and proper substance of his own . v. bishop of worcester's pref. to vind. of trin. p. . q. let me hear the opinion of that learned person more distinctly . a. in short it is this : that the same author asserts , ( . ) that it is gross sabellianism to say , that there are not three personal minds , or spirits , or substances . ( . ) that a distinct substantial person must have a distinct substance of his own , proper and peculiar to his own person . but he owns , that although there are three distinct persons , or minds , each of whom is distinctly and by himself god , yet there are not three gods , but one god , or one divinity . which he saith , is intirely , and indivisibly , and inseparably in three distinct persons or minds . that the same one divine nature is wholly and intirely communicated by the eternal father , to the eternal son , and by the father and son to the eternal spirit , without any division or separation ; and so it remains one still . v. modest exam. p. , , , . this is the substance of this new explication , which hath raised such flames , that injunctions from authority were thought necessary to suppress them . v. pref. p. . q. pray tell me your thoughts with freedom . is this explication of the trinity , by three distinct infinite minds and substances , orthodox , or not ? a. now to deal as impartially in this matter as may be , i do not think our understandings one jot helped in the notion of the trinity by this hypothesis ; but that it is liable to as great difficulties as any other . q. you begin then to suspect his explication . a. none ought to be fond of it ; or to set it against the general sense of others , and the currant expressions of divines about these mysteries : nor to call the different opinions of others heresy or nonsense , which are provoking words , and tend very much to inflame mens passions , because their faith and understanding are both call'd in question , which are very tender things . v. pref. p. . q. is it then your opinion , that this hypothesis , of three distinct substances in the trinity , can scarce be defended ? a. i fear it will be impossible to clear this hypothesis as to the reconciling three individual essences with one individual divine essence ; which looks too like asserting , that there are three gods , and yet but one. id. p. . q. will you please to explain this more fully , that i may better understand it ? a. can one whole entire indivisible substance be actually divided into three substances ? for if every person must have a peculiar substance of his own , and there be three persons , there must be three peculiar substances . and how can there be three peculiar substances , and yet but one entire and indivisible substance ? i do not say , there must be three divided substances in place , or separate substances ; but they must be divided as three individuals of the same kind , which must introduce a specifick divine nature , which i think very inconsistent with the divine perfections . ib. p. . q. but every person must have his own proper substance , and so the substance must be divided if there be three persons . a. that every person must have a substance to support his subsistence is not denied . but the question is ; whether that substance must be divided , or not ? we say , where the substance will bear it , as in created beings , a person hath a separate substance ; that is , the same nature diversified by accidents , qualities , and a separate existence . but where these things cannot be , there the same essence must remain undivided ; but with such relative properties as cannot be confounded . v. vind. p. . when we speak of finite substances and persons , we are certain that distinct persons do imply distinct substances , because they have a distinct and separate existence . but this will not hold in an infinite substance , where necessary existence doth belong to the idea of it . id. p. . q. but say our unitarians , a person is an intelligent being : and therefore , three persons must needs be three intelligent beings . so true it is , that whosoever acknowledges three persons in the godhead ( if he takes the word in its proper sense ) ▪ must admit three gods. which the learned doctor cannot avoid , who says they are three distinct minds , three substantial beings , three intelligent beings : therefore unavoidably three gods. v. defence of hist. of unit. p. . a. the full and adequate definition of a person ( from which the learned doctor doth . draw his argument , and the unitarians their objection ) is not this , as they suppose , viz. a person is an intelligent substance . for this is but part of the definition . but the full and adequate definition of a person is this . a person is a compleat intelligent substance , with a peculiar manner of subsistence . so that , an individual intelligent substance , is rather supposed to the making of a person , than the proper definition of it . for a person relates to something which doth distinguish it from another intelligent substance in the same nature : and therefore the foundation of it lies in the peculiar manner of subsistence , which agrees to one , and to none else of the kind ; and this is it which is called personality . which doth not consist , i say , in a meer intelligent being , but in that peculiar manner of subsistence in that being , which can be in no other . so that the proper reason of personality , whereby one person is constituted and distinguished from another , it is the peculiar manner of subsistence , whereby one person hath such properties as are incommunicable to any other . v. vind. p. , & . from these premises we are instructed , why in the blessed trinity , the father , the son , and the holy ghost , are three persons , and yet but one god. the reason is this , god the father , god the son , and god the holy ghost , are but one god ; because the divine essence , nature , and substance , which alone makes god , is intirely one , and is not capable of any separation , multiplication or division . therefore , there can be no more gods than one. but since these three , father , son , and holy ghost , have each of them a peculiar manner of subsistence ; that is , each of these three hath a peculiar property , incommunicable to any other ; therefore as to their mutual relations and personalities they are three , but as to the divine essence and godhead , they are but one. and this is so far from being contrary to reason , as the socinians pretend , that it is highly rational to believe , a trinity in unity . that is , three distinct persons , and yet but one god. as i hope hath been fully proved , and that to your satisfaction . q. before you talk too much of satisfaction , you must answer me a question . a. what is it ? q. do you believe transubstantiation ? a. no , i do not . but what 's this to the purpose ? will you not allow me to believe the trinity , unless i will believe transubstantiation ? and must i renounce the trinity , because i reject transubstantiation ? q. the unitarians pretend that the case is parallel . a. pray give me their objection in their own words ; and then i shall instruct you , what answer to return to these men of sense and reason . q. i find that the belief of a trinity does contradict reason as much as transubstantiation . now who should not scruple an opinion perfectly parallel with transubstantiation , and equally fruitful in incongruities and contradictions ? well then , if the trinity implies no less contradiction than transubstantiation ; why can't we say , that it cannot be contained in scripture ? we say , transubstantiation cannot be found in scripture , because it is a plain contradiction to our reason ; but if the trinity be also a plain contradiction to our reason , why shan't we be allowed to say , that it cannot be contained in scripture ? v. def. of brief hist. of unit. p. , and . but oh ! were the press as free for the unitarians , as 't is for other protestants ; how easily would they make it appear , that the follies and contradictions so justly charged on transubstantiation ; are neither for number , consequence , nor clearness , any way comparable to those implied in the athanasian creed ; and that the trinity hath the same , and no other , foundation with transubstantiation ? so that we must of necessity admit both , or neither . v. acts of athanasius , p. . this is the sum of what they object . to which i expect an answer according to your promise . a. as preparatory to a just answer , i cannot but observe , how exactly these socinians do symbolize with the papists . for as on the one hand , they of the church of rome are so fondly and obstinately addicted to their own errors , how mishappen and monstrous soever , that rather than the dictates of their church , how absurd soever , should be called in question , they will question the truth even of christianity it self : and if we will not take in transubstantiation , and admit it to be a necessary article of the christian faith , they grow so sullen and desperate that they matter not what becomes of all the rest : and rather than not have their will of us in that which is controverted , they will give up that which by their own confession is an undoubted article of the christian faith , and not controverted on either side : in like manner ; these unitarians are so impertinently zealous in their designs against the trinity , that rather than admit that fundamental article of the christian faith , they will plead for transubstantiation ; and this even contrary to the light and dictate of their own conscience . for the socinians are hearty enemies to transubstantiation , and have exposed the absurdity of it with great advantage . v. arcbishop tillotson ' s serm. on tim. ii. . p. . q. have you nothing further to say in this matter ? a. you must give me leave to add ; i did not expect to have found this parallel so often insisted upon , without an answer to two dialogues purposely written on that subject , at a time when the doctrine of the trinity was used as an argument to bring in transubstantiation , as that is now now alledged for casting off the other . but i must do them that right to tell the world , that at that time a socinian answer was written to those dialogues , which i saw , and wished it might be printed , that the world might be satisfied about it and them . but they thought fit to forbear . and in all their late pamphlets where this parallel is so often repeated , there is but once , that i can find , any notice taken of those dialogues , and that in a very superficial manner : for the main design and scope of them is past over . v. vind. of trinit . p. . and i must needs remind these unitarians , that it is not fair nor scholar-like , so insultingly to repeat the parallel between the trinity and transubstantiation , which hath been so fully confuted in those two dialogues . q. you promised an answer , and you bring me a challenge : which i shall send to the unitarians . who indeed are obliged , in point of honour , to give satisfaction , by a just reply to those two dialogues . a. if they would consult their reputation , and credit their cause , they ought not to defer it . for those two dialogues were writ by an author , who ( to give you the very words of an unitarian ) hath all the properties , for which an adversary may be either feared , or reverenced . he understands perfectly the doctrine of the church ; and the points in question . he will commit no oversights through ignorance , hast , or inadversion . he is too experienced and judicious to hazard his cause , as others have lately done , on the success of a half-thought hypothesis , a crude invention , a pretty new querk . in a word , we can only say of him , since there is no remedy , contenti simus hoc catone . v. consid . &c. in a letter to h. h. p. . such an adversary as this is worthy the pens of their ablest writers . if therefore at this juncture , when the press is open , these unitarians shall not answer those dialogues , i must with freedom tell them , it is not because they dare not , but because they cannot . q. leaving these unitarians to defend their parallel at their leasure ; let me now hear your answer which you were pleased to promise . a. i shall endeavour to return a more particular answer to this objection ; and such a one as i hope will satisfy every considerate and unprejudiced mind , that after all this confidence and swaggering of theirs , there is by no means equal reason either for the receiving , or for the rejecting of these two doctrines of the trinity and transubstantiation . vid. archbishop tillotson's serm. on tim. ii. . p. . q. first ; let us examine , whether there be equal reason for the belief of these two doctrines ? a. if this suggestion of theirs be of any force , we must suppose that there is equal evidence and proof from scripture for these two doctrines . q. how do you prove there is not ? a. from the confession of our adversaries themselves . for several learned writers of the church of rome have freely acknowledged , that transubstantiation can neither be directly proved , nor necessarily concluded from scripture . but this the writers of the christian church did never acknowledge concerning the trinity , and the divinity of christ ; but have always appealed to the clear and undeniable testimonies of scripture for the proof of these doctrines . and then the whole force of the objection amounts to this ; that if i am bound to believe what i am sure god says , though i cannot comprehend it ; then i am bound by the same reason to believe the greatest absurdity in the world , though i have no manner of assurance of any divine revelation concerning it . q. you think then , that as there is not equal reason for the believing , so neither is there equal reason for the rejecting of these two doctrines . a. this the objection supposes ; which yet cannot be supposed but upon one or both of these two grounds . either . because these two doctrines are equally incomprehensible . or , . because they are equally loaded with absurdities and contradictions . q. as to the first ; is not the trinity as incomprehensible as transubstantiation , and as such equally to be rejected ? a. it is not good ground of rejecting any doctrine , merely because it is incomprehensible ; as i have abundantly shewed already . but besides this , there is a wide difference between plain matters of sense , and mysteries concerning god. and it does by no means follow , that if a man do once admit any thing concerning god which he cannot comprehend , he hath no reason afterwards to believe what he himself sees . this is a most unreasonable and destructive way of arguing , because it strikes at the foundation of all certainty , and sets every man at liberty to deny the most plain and evident truths of christianity , if he may not be humoured in having the absurdest things in the world admitted for true . the next step will be to persuade us , that we may as well deny the being of god , because his nature is incomprehensible by our reason , as deny transubstantiation because it evidently contradicts our senses . id. ib. p. . q. as transubstantiation evidently contradicts our senses ; so these unitarians pretend , that the trinity as evidently contradicts our reason . and then , say they , are not these two doctrines loaded with the like absurdities and contradictions ? a. so far from this , that the doctrine of the trinity , as it is delivered in the scriptures , and hath already been explained , hath no absurdity or contradiction either involved in it , or necessarily consequent upon it . but the doctrine of transubstantiation is big with all imaginable absurdity and contradiction . as the unitarians themselves do acknowledge : and therefore i am not now concerned to prove it . q. however you are concerned to defend the trinity . the contradictions and absurdities of which ( as these unitarians pretend ) are as great as those of transubstantiation . a. i cannot help their pretences . but if their prejudices will allow them to examine my reasons , i shall yet further endeavour their conviction . and that i may do it the more effectually , i shall desire you ( as their advocate , and in their name ) to produce those absurdities which appear the most dreadful . q. i shall reduce all to these two , which comprehend the rest . . how there can be three persons , and but one god. . how these can agree in a third , and not agree among themselves . for the first , it seems very absurd , that there should be three persons really distinct , whereof every one is god , and yet there should not be three gods. for nothing is more contradictious , than to make three not to be three ; or three to be but one. a. i hope now you will give me leave to make an answer to your difficulty , as distinct as possible . it is very true , that according to arithmetick , three cannot be one , nor one three . but we must distinguish between the bare numeration , and the things numbred . the repetition of three units , certainly makes three distinct numbers ; but it doth not make three persons to be three natures . and therefore as to the things themselves , we must go from the bare numbers to consider their nature . we do not say , that three persons are but one person , or that one nature is three natures ; but that there are three persons in one nature . if therefore one individual nature be communicable to three persons , there is no appearance of absurdity in this doctrine . and on the other side , it will be impossible there should be three gods , where there is one and the same individual nature . for three gods must have three several divine natures , since it is the divine essence which makes a god. v. two dial. part. ii. p. . but of this there hath been given so full an account in this collection , that those who shall seriously and attentively consider it , will , i hope , through god's blessing , receive satisfaction . q. but yet you have not answer'd the other great difficulty in point of reason , viz. that those things which agree or disagree in a third , must agree or disagree one with the other . and therefore if the father be god , the son god , and the holy ghost god ; then the father must be son and holy ghost , and the son and holy ghost must be the father . if not , then they are really the same , and really distinct ; the same as to essence , distinct as to persons ; and so they are the same , and not the same , which is a contradiction . a. now i think you have drawn out the most refined spirits of socinianism , to make the doctrine of the trinity and transubstantiation parallel , because , you say , it implies a contradiction ; which is the nearest parallel you have yet offered at . but this terrible argument is grounded on this mistaken supposition , viz. that the divine essence is no more capable of communicating it self to three distinct persons , than any created being is . the reason of that axiom being , that created things , by reason of their finite nature , cannot diffuse or communicate themselves to more than one ; and therefore those which agree in a third , must agree together . but supposing it possible that the same finite nature could extend it self to several individuals , it would be presently answered ; the axiom did hold only , where they did adequately and reciprocally agree , and not where they did agree only in essence , but differ'd in the manner of subsistence . for where a different manner of subsistence is supposed possible , in the same individual nature , the agreement in that cannot take away that difference which is consistent with it ; which we attribute to the unlimitedness and perfection of the divine nature . q. but you can bring no other instance but the thing in question ; and therefore this is a petitio principii , or taking that for granted which is in dispute . a. i do not think it to be so , where the reason is assigned from the peculiar properties of the divine nature , to which there can be no parallel . and i think it very unreasonable in the socinians , to send us to created beings for the rules and measures of our judgment , concerning a being acknowledg'd to be infinite . q. are not the divine persons infinite , as well as the divine nature ? and therefore as created persons do take in the whole nature , so infinite persons will do the infinite nature . a. no question , but the persons are infinite in regard of the nature which is so ; but if an infinite nature be communicable to more persons than one , every such person cannot appropriate the whole nature to it self . q. if the difference be on the account of infinity , then there must be an infinite number of persons in the divine essence . a. i answer ; that infiniteness of number is no perfection ; and as to the number of persons , we follow not our own conjectures , nor the authority of the church ; but divine revelation , which hath assured us , that there is but one god , and yet there are three that are one. which depends not merely on the place of st. john , but the form of baptism is remarkable to this purpose ; which joyns together the father , the son , and the holy ghost ; without any other distinction besides that of order and relation : and it is against the fundamental design of christianity , to joyn any created beings together with god in so solemn an act of religion . and st. paul joyns them together in his benediction : the grace of our lord jesus christ , and the love of god ▪ and the communion of the holy ghost be with you all . amen . cor. . . from whence the christian church hath always believed a trinity of persons in the unity of the divine nature . v. two dial. part ii. p. . the close . the unitarians themselves cannot deny , that many things certainly are , the particular manner of whose existence we can neither comprehend nor explain . therefore , though the particular manner of the existence of these three differences or persons in the divine nature , expressed in scripture by the names of father , son , and holy ghost , is incomprehensible by our finite understandings , and inexplicable by us ; that is , though the manner of the union and distinction between them , is above our reach and comprehension ; yet considering the infinite perfections of the divine nature , which are so far above our reach , god may justly oblige us to believe those things concerning himself , which we are not able to comprehend . and of this , i hope , i have given a sufficient account in the foregoing discourse . finis . the contents . the doctrine of the trinity is a very rational doctrine . p. what is meant by this word trinity , and what doctrines concerning it are proposed to our belief ? what is faith or belief in general ? why we believe the doctrine of the trinity ? how it can be proved that god hath revealed it ? object . neither the word trinity , nor the word person are to be found in scripture . answer'd . object . 't is the doctrine of the athanasian creed , therefore , the clergy of the church of england are resolved to defend it . answer'd . object . 't is above reason . answ. 't is not repugnant to reason to believe some things which are incomprehensible by our reason . object . 't is contrary to reason . answ. object . three divine persons , are three divine substances , therefore three gods. answ. the parallel between the trinity and transubstantiation largely considered . the close . catalogue of some books printed for b. aylmer . a conference with an anabaptist . being a defence of infant-baptism . in vo . price d. a theological discourse of last wills and testaments . in vo . price d. a discourse concerning a death-bed repentance . price d. a seasonable vindication of the b. trinity . being an answer to this question , why do you believe the doctrine of the trinity ? collected from the works of the most reverend , dr. john tillotson , late lord archbishop of canterbury . and the right reverend , dr. edward stillingsteet , now lord bishop of worcester . price d a short exposition ( of the preliminary questions and answers ) of the church catechism . being an introduction to a defence of infant-baptism . price d. directions in order to the suppressing of debauchery and prophaneneness . d. a discourse against blasphemy . being a conference with m. s. concerning . the rudeness of atheistical discourse . . the certainty and eternity of hell-torments . . the truth and authority of the holy scripture . d. a discourse against . drunkenness . . swearing and cursing . d. the plain man's devotion . part . being a method of daily devotion , fitted to the meanest capacities . d. the plain man's devotion . part . being a method of devotion for the lord's-day . d. these are the price of each of these small books single ; but for the encouragement of those that are so charitably inclined to give away some quantities of them , they may have them at ten shillings a hundred , at brab . aylmer ' s , in cornhill . these above , all writ by the reverend william assheton . d. d. six sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour ; his sacrifice and satisfaction : and of the unity of the divine nature in the b. trinity . by his grace , john , late lord archbishop of canterbury . in vo . certain propositions by which the doctrine of the h. trinity is so explained , according to the ancient fathers , as to speak it not contradictory to reason . a second defence of the propositions . both by edward , lord bishop of glocester . a brief exposition on the creed , the lord's prayer , and ten commandments . to which is added the doctrine of the sacraments . by isaac barrow , d. d. and late master of trinity college , cambridge . this on the creed never before published : being very different from the volume of sermons on it . in vo . now in the press . a defence of the blessed trinity . by isaac barrow , d. d. never before printed . price s. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e interrogant enim nos aliquando infideles , & dicunt , patrem quem dicitis , deum dicitis ? respondemus deum . filium quem dicitis , deum dicitis ? respondemus deum . spiritum sanctum quem dicitis , deum dicitis ? respondemus deum . ergo inquiunt , pater & filius , & spiritus sanctus tres sunt dii . respondemus , non. turbantur , quia non illuminantur , cor clausum habent quia clavem fidel non habent . aug. in job . tr. . ubi cogitare coeperis , incipis numerare : ubi numeraveris , quid numeraveris , non potes respondere . pater , pater est ; filius filius ; spiritus sanctus , spiritus sanctus est . quid sunt isti tres ? non tres dii ? non. non tres omnipotentes ? non , sed unus omnipotens . hoc solo numerum insinuant , quod ad invicem sunt , non quod ad se sunt . id. ib. the parable of the ten virgins in a sermon preached before her royal highness princess ann of denmark at tunbridge-wells, september the d, / by john lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing s ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the parable of the ten virgins in a sermon preached before her royal highness princess ann of denmark at tunbridge-wells, september the d, / by john lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . p. printed for b. aylmer and w. rogers, london : . reproduction of original in the british library. eng ten virgins (parable) bible. -- n.t. -- matthew xxv -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. a r (wing s ). civilwar no the declaration of the commissioners for the kingdom of scotland concerning the removall of his majestie from holdenby. together with a spee scotland. convention of estates c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the parable of the ten virgins . in a sermon preached before her royal highness the princess ann of denmark at tunbridge-wells september the d . . by john lord archbishop of canterbury . london : printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill : and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleet street . mdcxciv . the archbishop of canterbury's sermon preached before the princess ann of denmark at tunbridge-wells , september the d . . the parable of the ten virgins . matth. xxv . , . &c. then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins , which took their lamps , and went forth to meet the bridegroom . and five of them were wise , and five were foolish , &c. my design at present is to explain this parable , and to make such observations upon it as seem most naturally and without squeezing the parable to spring from it : and then to make some application of it to our selves . then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins ; by the kingdom of heaven is meant the state and condition of things under the gospel ; by the ten virgins , those who embraced the profession of it , which is here represented by their taking their lamps and going forth to meet the bridegroom : in allusion to the ancient custom of marriages , in which the bridegroom was wont to lead home his bride in the night by the light of lamps or torches . but this profession was not in all equally firm and fruitful ; and therefore those who persever'd and continued stedfast in this profession , notwithstanding all the temptations and allurements of the world , and all the fierce storms and assaults of persecution to which this profession was exposed ; and being thus firmly rooted in it , did bring forth the fruits of the spirit and abound in the graces and virtues of a good life , these are the wise virgins : but those who either deserted this profession , or did not bring forth fruits answerable to it , are the foolish virgins . and that this is the true difference between them will appear , if we consider how the parable represents them , vers. , . they that were foolish took their lamps , and took no oyl with them : but the wise took oyl in their vessels with their lamps . so that they both took their lamps , and both lighted them , and therefore must both be suppos'd to have some oyl in their lamps at first , as appears from verse . where the foolish virgins said unto the wise , give us of your oyl , for our lamps are gone out . they had it seems some oyl in their lamps at first , which kept them lighted for a little while , but had taken no care for a future supply . and therefore the difference between the wise and foolish virgins did not , as some have imagin'd , consist in this , that the wise virgins had oyl , but the foolish had none ; but in this , that the foolish had taken no care for a further supply , after the oyl which was at first put into their lamps was spent ; as the wise had done , who besides the oyl that was in their lamps carried likewise a reserve in some other vessel , for a continual supply of the lamp , as there should be occasion ; the wise took oyl in their vessels with their lamps . now the meaning of all this is , that they who are represented by the wise virgins had not only embraced the profession of the christian religion , as the foolish virgins also had done , for they both had their lamps lighted ; but they likewise persever'd in that profession , and brought forth fruits answerable to it . for by oyl in their lamps and the first lighting of them , which was common to them both , is meant that solemn profession of faith and repentance which all christians make in baptism : by that farther supply of oyl , which the wise virgins only took care to provide , is signified our constancy and perseverance in this profession , together with the fruits of the spirit , and the improvement of the grace received in baptism by the practice and exercise of all the graces and virtues of a good life whereby men are fitted and prepar'd for death and judgment , which are here represented to us by the coming of the bridegroom . this being plainly the main scope and intention of the parable , i shall explain the rest of it , as there shall be occasion , under the several observations which i shall raise from the several parts of it . and they shall be these . first , i observe the charitable decorum which our b. saviour keeps in this as well as in the rest of his parables ; as if he would fain suppose and hope , that among those who enjoy the gospel and make profession of it , the number of them that are truly good is equal to those that are bad . for our b. saviour here represents the whole number of the professors of christianity by ten virgins , the half whereof the parable seems to suppose to be truly and really good , and to persevere in goodness to the end , vers. , . then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins , which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom : and five of them were wise , and five were foolish . secondly , i observe how very common it is for men to neglect this great concernment of their souls , viz. a due preparation for another world ; and how willing men are to deceive themselves herein , and to depend upon any thing else , how groundless and unreasonable soever , rather than to take pains to be really good and fit for heaven . and this is in a very lively manner represented to us in the description of the foolish virgins , who had provided no supply of oyl in their vessels , and when the bridegroom was coming would have furnish'd themselves by borrowing or buying of others , vers. , , . thirdly , i observe , that even the better sort of christians are not careful and watchful as they ought to prepare themselves for death and judgment : whilst the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept ; even the wise virgins as well as the foolish . fourthly , i observe further , how little is to be done by us , to any good purpose , in this great work of preparation , when it is deferr'd and put off to the last . thus the foolish virgins did , and what a sad confusion and hurry they were in we may see vers. , , , . and at midnight there was a cry made , behold ! the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him . at midnight ; the most dismal and unseasonable time of all other : then all those virgins arose , and trimmed their lamps : and the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl for our lamps are gone out : but the wise ans●ered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you ; but go ye rather to them that sell , and buy for your selves . and how ineffectual all that they could do at that time prov'd to be , we find , verse , , ; and whilst they went to buy the bridegroom came , and they that were ready went in wi●h him to the marriage , and the door was shut . afterwards came also the other virgins , saying , lord , lord , open to us : but he answered and said , verily i say unto you , i know you not . fifthly , i observe that there is no such thing as works of super-erogation ; that no man can do more than needs , and is his duty to do , by way of preparation for another world . for when the foolish virgins would have begg'd of the wise some oyl for their lamps , the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you . it was only the foolish virgins that had entertain'd this foolish conceit , that there might be an over-plus of grace and merit in others sufficient to supply their want : but the wise knew not of any they had to spare , but suppos'd all that they had little enough to qualify them for the reward of eternal life ; not so , say they , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , lest at any time , lest when there should be need and occasion , all that we have done , or could do , should prove little enough for our selves . sixthly and lastly , i observe , that if we could suppose any persons to be so over-good , as to have more grace and goodness than needs to qualify them for the reward of eternal life , yet there is no assigning and transferring of this over-plus of grace and virtue from one man to another . for we see , verse , . that all the ways which they could think of , of borrowing , or buying oyl of others , did all prove ineffectual ; because the thing is in its own nature impracticable , that one sinner should be in a condition to merit for another . all these observations seem to have some fair and probable foundation in some part or other of this parable ; and most of them , i am sure , are agreeable to the main scope and intention of the whole . i shall speak to them severally , and as briefly as i can . first , i observe the charitable decorum which our b. saviour keeps in this , as well as in the rest of his parables ; as if he would fain suppose and hope , that among those who enjoy the gospel and make prof●ssion of it , the number of those who make a firm and sincere profession of it , and persevere in goodness to the end , is equal to the number of those who do not make good their profession , or who fall off from it . i shall not be long upon this , because i lay the least stress upon it , of all the rest . i shall only take notice , that our b. saviour in this parable represents the whole number of the professors of christianity by ten virgins , the half of which the parable seems to suppose to have sincerely embraced the christian profession , and to have persever'd therein to the last ; the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgin , which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom : and five of them were wise , and five were foolish . and this decorum our b. saviour seems carefully to observe in his other parables : as in the parable of the prodigal , luke . where for one son that left his father , and took riotous courses , there was another that stayed always with him and continued constant to his duty . and in the parable of the ten talents , which immediately follows that of the ten virgins , two are supposed to improve the talents committed to them , for one that made no improvement of his . he that had five talents committed to him made them five more , and he that had two gained other two ; and only he that had but one talent , hid it in the earth , and made no improvement of it . and in the parable which i am now upon , the number of the professors of christianity , who took care to fit and prepare themselves for the coming of the bridegroom , is supposed equal to the number of those who did not . and whether this be particularly intended in the parable or not , it may however be thus far instructive to us ; that we should be so far from lessening the number of true christians , and from confining the church of christ within a narrow compass , so as to exclude out of its communion the far greatest part of the professors of christianity ; that on the contrary , we should enlarge the kingdom of christ as much as we can , and extend our charity to all churches and christians , of what denomination soever , as far as regard to truth and to the foundations of the christian religion will permit us to believe and hope well of them ; and rather be contented to err a little on the favourable and charitable part than to be mistaken on the censorious and damning side . and for this reason perhaps it is , that our b. saviour thought fit to frame his parables with so remarkable a byass to the charitable side : partly to instruct us , to extend our charity towards all christian churches , and professors of the christian religion , and our good hopes concerning them , as far as with reason we can : and partly to reprove the uncharitableness of the jews , who positively excluded all the rest of mankind , besides themselves , from all hopes of salvation . an odious temper , which to the infinite scandal of the christian name and profession , hath prevail'd upon some christians to that notorious degree , as not only to shut out all the reform'd part of the western church , almost equal in number to themselves , from all hopes of salvation under the notion of hereticks ; but likewise to un-church all the other churches of the christian world , which are of much greater extent and number than themselves , that do not own subjection to the bishop of rome : and this they do , by declaring it to be of necessity to salvation for every creature to be subject to the roman bishop . and this supremacy of the bishop of rome over all christian churches bellarmin calls the sum of the christian religion . so that the roman communion is plainly founded in schism , that is , in the most unchristian and uncharitable principle that can be , namely , that they are the only true church of christ , out of which none can be saved : which was the very schism of the donatists . and in this they are so positive , that the learned men of that church , in their disputes and writings , are much more inclinable to believe the salvation of heathens to be possible ; than of any of those christians whom they are pleas'd to call hereticks . the faith of the church of rome is certainly none of the best ; but of one of the greatest and most essential vertues of the christian religion , i mean charity , i doubt they have the least share of any christian church this day in the world . secondly , i observe , not from any particular circumstance , but from the main scope and design of this parable , how very apt a great part of christians are to neglect this great concernment of their souls , viz. a careful and due preparation for another world ; and how willing they are to deceive themselves in this matter , and to depend upon any thing else , how groundless and unreasonable soever , rather than to take the pains to be really good and fit for heaven . and this is in a very lively manner represented to us in the description of the foolish virgins , who had provided no supply of oyl in their vessels , and when the bridegroom was coming would have furnish'd themselves by borrowing or buying of others , vers. , , . they contented themselves with having their lamps lighted at their first setting out to meet the bridegroom , that is , with their being admitted into the profession of christianity by baptism , but either were not stedfast in this profession , or were not careful to adorn it with the graces and vertues of a good life . and the true reason why men are so very apt to deceive themselves in this matter , and are so hardly brought to those things wherein religion mainly consists , i mean the fruits of the spirit and the practice of real goodness ; i say , the true reason of this is , because they are extremely desirous to reconcile , if it were possible , the hopes of eternal happiness in another world with a liberty to live as they list in this present world : they are loth to be at the trouble and drudgery of mortifying their lusts , and governing their passions , and bridling their tongues , and practising all those duties which are comprehended in those two great commandments of the love of god and of our neighbour : they would fain gain the favour of god , and make their calling and election sure , by some easier way than by giving all diligence to add to their faith and knowledge the graces and vertues of a good life . for the plain truth of the matter is , men had rather that religion should be any thing than what indeed it is , viz. the thwarting and crossing of their vicious inclinations , the curing of their evil and corrupt affections , the due care and government of their unruly appetites and passions , the sincere endeavour and the constant practice of all holiness and virtue in their lives : and therefore they had much rather have something that might handsomely palliate and excuse their evil inclinations and practices , than to be obliged to retrench and renounce them ; and rather than amend and reform their wicked lives , they would be contented to make an honourable amends and compensation to almighty god in some other way . this hath been the way and folly of mankind in all ages , to defeat the great end and design of religion , and to thrust it by , by substituting something else in the place of it which , as they think , may serve the turn as well , having the appearance of as much devotion and respect towards god , and really costing them more money and pains , than that which god requires of them . men have ever been apt thus to impose upon themselves , and to please themselves with a conceit of pleasing god full as well , or better , by some other way than that which he hath prescribed and appointed for them ▪ by this means , and upon this false principle , religion hath ever been apt to degenerate both among jews and christians , into external and little observances , and into a great zeal for lesser things with a total neglect of the greater and weightier matters of religion ; and , in a word , into infinite superstitions of one kind or other , and an arrogant conceit of the extraordinary righteousness and merit of these things : in which some have proceeded to that height , as if they could drive a strict bargain with god for eternal life and happiness ; and have treated him in so insolent a manner , by their doctrine of the merit of their devotions and good works , as if god were as much beholden to them for their service and obedience , as they are to him for the reward of them ; which they are not afraid to say they may challenge at god's hands as of right and justice belonging to them . nay , so far have they carried this doctrine in the church of rome , as not only to pretend to merit eternal life for themselves , but likewise to do a great deal more for the benefit and advantage of others who have not righteousness and goodness enough of their own : which was the silly conceit of the foolish virgins here in the parable , as i shall have occasion to shew more fully by and by . and it is no great wonder that such easy ways of religion and pleasing god are very grateful to the corrupt nature of man , and that men who are resolv'd to continue in an evil course are glad to be of a church which will assure salvation to men upon such terms : the great difficulty is , for men to believe that things which are so apparently absurd and unreasonable can be true ; and to persuade themselves that they can impose upon god by such pretences of service and obedience , as no wise prince or father upon earth is to be deluded withal by his subjects or children . we ought to have worthier thoughts of god , and to consider that he is a great king , and will be obey'd and observ'd by his creatures in his own way and make them happy upon his own terms : and that obedience to what he commands is better and more acceptable to him than any other sacrifice that we can offer , which he hath not required at our hands : and likewise , that he is infinitely wise and good ; and therefore that the laws , which he hath given us to live by , are much more likely and certain means of our happiness , than any inventions and devices of our own . thirdly , i observe that even the better and more considerate sort of christians are not so careful and watchful as they ought to prepare themselves for death and judgment ; whilst the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept . even the disciples of our saviour , whilst he was yet personally present with them , and after a particular charge given them from his own mouth , watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation ; yet did not keep that guard upon themselves as to watch with him for one hour . in many things , says st. james , we offend all ; even the best of us : and who is there that doth not , some time or other , remit of his vigilancy and care , so as to give the devil an advantage and to lye open to temptation , for want of a continual guard upon himself ? but then the difference between the wise and foolish virgins was this , that tho they both slept , yet the wise did not let their lamps go out ; they neither quitted their profession , nor did they extinguish it by a bad life : and tho when the bridegroom came suddenly upon them , they were not so actually prepar'd to meet him by a continual vigilancy , yet they were habitually prepar'd by the good disposition of their minds and the general course of a holy life : their lamps might burn dim for want of continual trimming , but they had oyl in their vessels to supply their lamps , which the foolish virgins had taken no care to provide . but surely the greatest wisdom of all is to maintain a continual watchfulness , that so we may not be surpriz'd by the coming of the bridegroom , and be in a confusion when death or judgment shall overtake us . and blessed are those servants , and wise indeed , whose lamps always burn bright , and whom the bridegroom when he comes shall find watching and in a fit posture and preparation to meet him . fourthly , i observe likewise , how little is to be done by us , to any good purpose , in this great work of preparation , when it is deferr'd and put off to the last . and thus the foolish virgins did , but what a sad confusion and hurry they were in at the sudden coming of the bridegroom , when they were not only asleep , but when after they were awaken'd they found themselves altogether unprovided of that which was necessary to trim their lamps and to put them in a posture to meet the bridegroom : when they wanted that which was necessary at that very instant , but could not be provided in an instant : i say , what a tumult and confusion they were in , being thus surpriz'd , the parable represents to us at large , vers. , , , . and at midnight there was a cry made , behold ! the bridegroom cometh , go ye out to meet him . then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps , that is , they went about it as well as they could ; and the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl , for our lamps are gone out . at midnight there was a cry made , that is , at the most dismal and unseasonable time of all other ; when they were fast asleep , and suddenly awaken'd in great terror , when they could not on the sudden recollect themselves , and consider what to do ; when the summons was so very short , that they had neither time to consider what was fit to be done , nor time to do it in . and such is the case of those who put off their repentance and preparation for another world , till they are surpriz'd by death or judgment ; for it comes all to one in the issue , which of them it be . the parable indeed seems more particularly to point at our lord's coming to judgment , but the case is much the same as to those who are surpriz'd by sudden death ; such as gives them but little , or not sufficient time for so great a work : because such as death leaves them , judgment will certainly find them . and what a miserable confusion must they needs be in , who are thus surpriz'd either by the one or the other ? how unfit should we be , if the general judgment of the world should come upon us on the sudden , to meet that great judge at his coming , if we have made no preparation for it before that time ? what shall we then be able to do , in that great and universal consternation , when the son of man shall appear in the clouds of heaven , with power and great glory ; when the sun shall be darken'd , and the moon turned into blood , and all the powers of heaven shall be shaken : when all nature shall feel such violent pangs and convulsions , and the whole world shall be in a combustion flaming and cracking about our ears : when the heavens shall be shrivel'd up as a scroll when it is roll'd together , and the earth shall be toss'd from its center , and every mountain and island shall be removed ? what thoughts can the wisest men then have about them , in the midst of so much noise and terror ? or if they could have any , what time will there then be to put them in execution ? when they shall see the angel , that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth , lifting up his hand to heaven and swearing by him that liveth for ever and ever that time shall be no longer ; as this dreadful day is described rev. . , . and chap. . . where sinners are represented at the appearance of this great judge , not as flying to god in hopes of mercy , but as flying from him in utter despair of finding mercy with him : the kings of the earth , and the great men , and the mighty men , and the rich men , and the great captains hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the earth ; and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne , and from the wrath of the lamb : for the great day of his wrath is come , and who shall be able to stand ? the biggest and the boldest sinners that ever were upon earth , shall then flee from the face of him whom they have so often blasphemed and denied ; and shall so far despair of finding mercy with him in that day , who would sue to him for it no sooner , that they shall address themselves to the mountains and rocks , as being more pitiful and exorable than he ; to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne , and from the wrath of the lamb : from the wrath of the lamb , to signify to us that nothing is more terrible than meekness and patience when they are throughly provok'd and turn'd into fury . in such dreadful confusion shall all impenitent sinners be , when they shall be surpriz●d by that great and terrible day of the lord : and the case of a dying sinner , who would take no care in the time of his life and health to make preparation for another world , is not much more hopeful and comfortable . for alas ! how little is it that a sick and dying man can do in such a strait of time ? in the midst of so much pain and weakness of body , and of such confusion and amazement of mind . with what heart can he set about so great a work , for which there is so little time ? with what face can he apply himself to god in this extremity , whom he hath so disdainfully neglected all the days of his life ? and how can he have the confidence to hope , that god will hear his cries and regard his tears that are forc'd from him in this day of his necessity ? when he is conscious to himself that in that long day of god's grace and patience he turned a deaf ear to all his merciful invitations , and rejected the counsel of god against himself . in a word how can he who would not know , in that his day , the things which belonged to his peace , expect any other but that they should now be for ever hid from his eyes , which are ready to be clos'd in utter darkness ? i will not pronounce any thing concerning the impossibility of a death-bed repentance : but i am sure that it is very difficult , and i believe very rare . we have but one example , that i know of , in the whole bible of the repentance of a dying sinner ; i mean that of the penitent thief upon the cross : and the circumstances of his case are so peculiar and extraordinary , that i cannot see that it affords any ground of hope and encouragement to men in ordinary cases . we are not like to suffer in the company of the son of god and of the saviour of the world ; and if we could do so , it is not certain that we should behave our selves towards him so well as the penitent thief did , and make so very good an end of so very bad a life . and the parable in the text is so far from giving any encouragement to a death-bed repentance and preparation , that it rather represents their case as desperate who put off their preparation to that time . how ineffectual all that the foolish virgins could do at that time did in the conclusion prove , is set forth to us at large in the parable ; they wanted oyl , but could neither borrow nor buy it : they would then fain have had it , and ran about to get it ; but it was not to be obtain'd neither by entreaty , nor for money : first they apply themselves to the wise virgins , for a share in the over-plus of their graces and virtues ; the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl for our lamps are gone out ; but the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : the wise virgins , it seems knew of none they had to spare : and then they are represented as ironically sending the foolish virgins to some famous market where this oyl was pretended to be sold ; go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves : and as dying and desperate persons are apt to catch at every twig , and when they can see no hopes of being saved , are apt to believe every one that will give them any ; so these foolish virgins follow the advice ; and whilst they went to buy , the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage , and the door was shut ; and afterwards came also the other virgins , saying , lord , lord , open to us ; but he answered and said , verily i say unto you , i know you not . you see how little , or rather no encouragement at all there is from any the least circumstance in this parable , for those who have delay'd their preparation for another world till they be overtaken by death or judgment , to hope by any thing that they can then do , by any importunity which they can then use , to gain admission into heaven . let those consider this with fear and trembling , who forget god and neglect religion all their life-time , and yet feed themselves with vain hopes by some device or other to be admitted into heaven at last . fifthly , i observe that there is no such thing as works of super-erogation , that is , that no man can do more than needs , and than is his duty to do , by way of preparation for another world . for when the foolish virgins would have begg'd of the wise some oyl for their lamps , the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : it was only the foolish virgins that in the time of their extremity , and when they were conscious that they wanted that which was absolutely necessary to qualify them for admission into heaven , who had entertain'd this idle conceit that there might be an overplus of grace and merit in others suff●cient to supply their want : but the wise knew not of any they had to spare , but supposed all that they had done , or could possibly do , to be little enough to qualify them for the glorious reward of eternal life : not so , say they , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} lest at any time , that is , lest when there should be need and occasion , all that we have done , or could do , should be little enough for our selves : and in this point they had been plainly instructed by the bridegroom himself , but ye , when ye have done all , say we are unprofitable servants , and have done nothing but what was our duty to do . and yet this conceit of the foolish virgins , as absurd as it is , hath been taken up in good earnest by a grave matron , who gives out her self to be the mother and mistress of all churches , and the only infallible oracle of truth , i mean the church of rome , whose avowed doctrine it is , that there are some persons so excellently good that they may do more than needs for their own salvation : and therefore when they have done as much for themselves as in strict duty they are bound to do , and thereby have paid down a full and valuable consideration for heaven , and as much as in equal justice between god and man it is worth ; that then they may go to work again for their friends , and begin a new score ; and from that time forwards may put the surplusage of their good works as a debt upon god , to be laid up in the publick treasury of the church , as so many bills of credit which the pope by his pardons and indulgences may dispense , and place to whose account he pleases : and out of this bank , which is kept at rome , those who never took care to have any righteousness of their own may be supplied at reasonable rates . to which they have added a further supply of grace , if there should be any need of it , by the sacrament of extreme vnction , never heard of in the christian church for many ages ; but devised , as it were on purpose , to furnish such foolish virgins with oyl as are here described in the parable . and thus by one device or other they have enervated the christian religion to that degree , that it hath almost quite lost its true virtue and efficacy upon the hearts and lives of men : and , instead of the real fruits of goodness and righteousness , it produceth little else but superstition and folly ; or if it produce any real virtues , yet even the virtue of those virtues is in a great measure spoil'd by their arrogant pretences of merit and super-erogation , and is render'd insignificant to themselves by their insolent carriage and behaviour towards god . sixthly and lastly , if we could suppose any persons to be so overgrown with goodness , as to have more than needs to qualify them for the reward of eternal life ; yet there can be no assigning and transferring of this overplus of grace and virtue from one man to another . for we see that all the ways that could be thought on of begging , or borrowing , or buying oyl of others , did all prove ineffectual ; because the thing is in its own nature impracticable , that one sinner who owes all that he hath , and much more to god , should have any thing to spare wherewithal to merit for another . indeed our b. saviour hath merited for us all the reward of eternal life , upon the conditions of faith and repentance and obedience : but the infinite merit of his obedience and sufferings will be of no benefit and advantage to us , if we our selves be not really and inherently righteous . so st. john tells us , and warns us to beware of the contrary conceit , little children , let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous . if we do sincerely endeavour to please god and to keep his commandments in the general course of a holy and virtuous life , the merit of christ's perfect obedience and sufferings will be available with god for the acceptance of our sincere though but imperfect obedience . but if we take no care to be righteous and good our-selves , the perfect righteousness of christ will do us no good ; much less the imperfect righteousness of any other man who is a sinner himself . and the holiest man that ever was upon earth can no more assign and make over his righteousness , or repentance , or any part of either , to another that wants it , than a man can bequeath his wisdom , or learning to his heir , or his friend : no more than a sick man can be restored to health by virtue of the ▪ physick which another man hath taken . let no man therefore think of being good by a deputy , that cannot be contented to be happy and to be saved the same way , that is , to go to hell and to be tormented there in person , and to go to heaven and be admitted into that place of bliss only by proxy . so that these good works with a hard name , and the making over the merit of them to others , have no manner of foundation either in scripture or reason , but are all mere fancy and fiction in divinity . the inference from all this shall be the application which our saviour makes of this parable , watch therefore , for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh ; as if he had said , the design of this parable is to instruct us that we ought to be continually vigilant , and always upon our guard and in a constant readiness and preparation to meet the bridegroom ; because we know not the time of his coming to judgment , nor yet , which will be of the same consequence and concernment to us , do any of us know the precise time of our own death . either of these may happen at any time , and come when we least expect them . and therefore we should make the best and speediest provision that we can for another world , and should be continually upon our watch and trimming our lamps , that we may not be surprized by either of these ; neither by our own particular death , nor by the general judgment of the world : because the son of man will come in a day when we look not for him , and at an hour when we are not aware . more particularly , we should take up a present and effectual resolution not to delay our repentance and the reformation of our lives , that we may not have that great work to do when we are not fit to do any thing ; no not to dispose of our temporal concernments , much less to prepare for eternity , and to do that in a few moments which ought to have been the care and endeavour of our whole lives : that we may not be forced to huddle up an imperfect , and i fear an insignificant repentance ; and to do that in great haste and confusion , which certainly does require our wisest and most deliberate thoughts , and all the consideration in the world . and we should provide store of oil in our vessels , wherewith to supply our lamps that they may burn bright to the last ; i mean , we should improve the grace which we received in baptism , by abounding in the fruits of the spirit and in all the substantial virtues of a good life ; that so an entrance may be ministred to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and saviour jesus christ . by this means , when we are called to meet the bridegroom , we shall not be put to those miserable and sharking shifts which the foolish virgins were driven to , of begging , or borrowing , or buying oyl ; which will all fail us , when we come to depend upon them : and though the dying man may make a hard shift to support himself with these false comforts for a little while , yet when the short delusion is over , which will be assoon as ever he is stepp'd into the other world , he will to his everlasting confusion and trouble find the door of heaven shut against him , and that notwithstanding all his vast treasure of pardons and indulgences , which have cost him so much and are worth so little , he shall never see the kingdom of god . and lastly , we should take great care that we do not extinguish our lamps by quitting the profession of our holy religion upon any temptation of advantage , or for fear of any loss or suffering whatsoever . this occasion will call for all our faith and patience , all our courage and constancy , nunc animis opus , aenea , nunc pectore firmo . when it comes to this trial , we had need to gird up the loins of our minds , to summon all our forces , and to put on the whole armour of god , that we may be able to stand fast in an evil day , and when we have done all to stand . and now , my brethren , to use the words of st. peter , i testify unto you , that this is the true grace of god wherein ye stand . the protestant reformed religion , which we in this nation profess , is the very gospel of christ , the true ancient christianity . and , for god's sake , since in this hour of temptation , when our religion is in so apparent hazard , we pretend to love it to that degree as to be contented to part with any thing for it , let us resolve to practise it ; and to testify our love to it in the same way that our saviour would have us shew our love to him , by keeping his commandments . i will conclude all with the apostle's exhortation , so very proper for this purpose , and to this present time , only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ , that is , chiefly and above all take care to lead lives suitable to the christian religion : and then , as it follows , stand fast in one spirit , with one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel : and in nothing terrified by your adversaries , which to them is an evident token of perdition , but to you of salvation , and that of god . now unto him that is able to stablish you in the gospel , and to keep you from falling ; and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy : to the only wise god our saviour , be glory and majesty , dominion and power , both now and ever . amen . finis . books published by his grace john lord archbishop of canterbury . thirty sermons and discourses upon several occasions , in three volumes . octavo . the rule of faith : or , an answer to the treatise of mr. sergeant , &c. octav. a discourse against transubstantiation , octavo . alone . price d. a persuasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper . octavo alone , price d. in twelves bound , price d . a sermon preached at lincoln's-iun chappel , on the st . of january , . being appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power a sermon preached before the queen at whitehall , on matth. . . a sermon preached before the king and queen at hampton court , on luke . . a sermon preached before the queen , on matth. . . a sermon preached before the house of commons upon a monthly fast , on eccles. . . a sermon preached before the lord mayor at bow-church , upon the monthly fast , on jer. . . a sermon preached before the queen , on acts . a sermon preached before the queen at whitehall , upon the monthly fast , septemb. , . on zech. . . a sermon preached before the queen at whitehall , march . . on psalm . . a thanksgiving sermon preached before the king and queen at whitehall , octob. . . on jer. . , . a sermon preached before the king and queen at whitehall , feb. th . / . being the first sunday in lent. on titus the d. and the d . sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour , octavo . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall , concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ , on heb. . . octavo . a sermon concerning the unity of the divine nature and trinity , on tim. . . octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- v. , , , , . v. . v . v. . v. . v . v . pet . . philip . . . a copy of arch-bishop tillotson's letter to his friend tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. b ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a copy of arch-bishop tillotson's letter to his friend tillotson, john, - . sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [london : ] caption title. imprint suggested by wing. reproduction of the original in the national library of scotland. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng tillotson, john, - -- correspondence. church of england -- bishops -- th century -- correspondence. christian life -- early works to . broadsides -- england -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a copy of arch-bishop tillotson's letter to his friend . sir , i am sorry to understand by mr. janeways letter to my son , that your distemper grows upon you , and that you seem to decline so fast . i am very sensible how much eaiser it is to give advice against trouble in the case of another , then to take it in our own . it hath pleased god to exercise me of late with a very sore tryal in the loss of my dear and only child , in which i do perfectly submit to his good pleasure , firmly believing that he does always what is best ; and yet tho' reason be satisfied , our passion is not so soon appeased ; and when nature hath received a wound , time must be allowed for the healing of it . since that god hath thought fit to give me a nearer summons and a closer of my mortality in the danger of an apoplexy , which yet i thank god hath occasioned no very melancholy reflections , but this perhaps is more owing to natural temper than to philosophy and wise considerations ; your case i know is very different , who are of a temper naturally melancholy , and under a distemper apt to increase it ; for both which , great allowances are to be made . and yet methinks both reason and religion do offer to us considerations of that solidity and strength , as may very well support our spirits under all the infirmities and frailties of the flesh , such as these ; that god is perfect love and goodness , that we are not only his creatures , but his children , and as dear to him , as to our selves , that he does not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men ; and that all evils and afflictions which shall befall us , are intended for the cure and preventions of greater evils , of sin and punishment : and therefore we ought not only to submit to them with patience , as being deserved by us , but to receive them with thankfulness , as being designed by him , to do us that good , and to bring us to that sence of him , and our selves , which perhaps nothing else would have done ; that the sufferings of this present time are but short and slight , with that extream and endless misery which we have deserved ; and with that exceeding and eternal weight of glory which we hope for in the other world : that if we be careful to make the best preparation we can for death and eternity , whatever brings us nearer to our end , brings us nearer to happiness ; and how rugged soever the way be , the comfort is that it leads to our fathers house , where we shall want nothing that we can wish . when we labour under a distemper , that threatens our life , what would we not be content to bear in order to a perfect recovery ? could we but be assured of it : and shou'd we not be willing to endure much more , in order to happiness , and that eternal life which god that cannot lye hath promised . nature i know is fond of life , and apt to be still lingering after a longer continuance here ; and yet a long life with the usual burdens and infirmities of it , is seldom desirable ; it is but the same thing over again or worse . so many more days and nights , summers and winters , a repetition of the same pleasure , but with less pleasure and relish , every day a return of the same , or greater painsor trouble , but with less patience and strength to bear them . these and the like considerations i use to entertain my self withall , not only with contentment , but with comfort , though with great inequality of temper at several times , and with much mixture of humane frailty , which will always stick to us while we are in this world. however by these kind of thoughts , death becomes more familiar with us , and we shall be able by degrees to bring our minds close up to it , without starting at it . the greatest tenderness i find with my self , is with regard to some near relations , especially the dear and constant companions of my life , which i must confess doth very sensibly touch me , but then i consider , and so i hope will they also , that this seperation will be but for a little while , and that though i leave them in a bad world , yet under the care of a good god. who can be more and better to them then all other relations , and will certainly be so to those that love him , and hope in his mercy . i shall not need to advise you what to do , and what use to make of this time of your visitation , i have reason to beleive that you have been careful in the time of your health to prepare for this evil day , and have been conversant in those books , which give the best directions to this purpose , and have not , as too many do , put of the great work of your life to the end of it : and then you have nothing now to do , but as well as you can under your present weakness and pains , to renew your repentance for all the errors and miscarriages of your life , and●ses of god , and the hope of tha● happiness which you are ready to enter into , and in the mean time to exercise faith and patience for a little while , be of good courage since you see land the storm you are in will quickly be over , and then it will be as if it had never been , or rather the remembrance of it will be a pleasure . i do not use to write such long letters , but i do heartily compassionate your case , and should be glad if i could suggest any thing that might help to mitigate your troubles , and make that sharp and rough way , through which you are to pass into a better world , more smooth and easie . i pray god , fit us both for that great change which we must once undergoe , and if we be but in any good measure fit for it , sooner or later makes no great difference . i commend you to the father of mercies , and the god of all consolation , beseeching him to increase your faith and patience , and to stand by you in the last and great conflict , that when you walk through the valley of the shaddow of death , you may fear no evil , and when your heart fails , and strength fails , you may find him the strength of your heart and your portion for ever . farwel my good friend , and while we are here let us pray for one another , that we may have a joyful meeting in another world. i rest your truly affectionate friend and servant , john tlllotson . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall, march the th, / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall, march the th, / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., will. rogers ..., and john tillotson ..., london : . half-title: dr. tillotson's sermon before the queen, march the th, / . advertisement: p. . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- matthew xxv, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dr. tillotson's sermon before the queen . march the th . / . a sermon preach'd before the queen at white-hall , march the th , / . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of st. paul's : and clerk of the closet to his majesty . published by their majesties special command . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil : will. rogers , at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleet-street : and john tillotson bookseller in london . m dc xc . a sermon preached at white-hall . matth . . . and these shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . among all the arguments to repentance and a good life , those have the greatest force and power upon the minds of men , which are fetch'd from another world ; and from the final state of good and bad men after this life . and this our saviour represents to us in a most lively manner , in that prospect which , in the later part of this chapter , he gives us of the judgment of the great day , namely , that at the end of the world the son of man shall come in his glory , with his holy angels , and shall sit upon the throne of his glory ; and all nations shall be gathered before him , and shall be separated into two great companies , the righteous and the wicked ; who shall stand the one on the right hand , and the other on the left of this great judge ; who shall pronounce sentence severally upon them according to the actions which they have done in this life : the righteous shall be rewarded with eternal happiness , and the wicked shall be sentenc'd to everlasting punishment . and these , that is , the wicked , shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . the words are plain and need no explication . for i take it for granted , that every one , at first hearing of them , does clearly apprehend the difference between the righteous and the wicked , and between endless happiness and misery : but although these words be so very easie to be understood , they can never be too much consider'd by us . the scope and design of them is , to represent to us the different fates of good and bad men in another world , and that their ends there , will be as different , as their ways and doings have been here in this world : the serious consideration whereof is the greatest discouragement to sin , and the most powerful argument in the world to a holy and vertuous life : because it is an argument taken from our greatest and most lasting interest , our happiness or our misery to all eternity : a concernment of that vast consequence , that it must be the greatest stupidity and folly in the world for any man to neglect it . this eternal state of rewards and punishments in another world , our blessed saviour hath clearly revealed to us . and as to one part of it , viz. that good men shall be eternally happy in another world , every one gladly admits it : but many are loth that the other part should be true , concerning the eternal punishment of wicked men . and therefore they pretend that it is contrary to the justice of god to punish temporary crimes with eternal torments : because justice always observes a proportion between offences and punishments : but between temporary sins and eternal punishments there is no proportion . and as this seems hard to be reconcil'd with justice , so much more with that excess of goodness which we suppose to be in god. and therefore they say , that though god seem to have declar'd that impenitent sinners shall be everlastingly punish'd , yet these declarations of scripture are so to be mollified and understood , as that we may be able to reconcile them with the essential perfections of the divine nature . this is the full force and strength of the objection . and my work at this time shall be to clear , if i can , this difficult point . and that for these two reasons . first , for the vindication of the divine justice and goodness . that god may be justified in his sayings , and appear righteous when he judgeth . and secondly , because the belief of the threatnings of god in their utmost extent is of so great moment to a good life , and so great a discouragement to sin : for the sting of sin is the terrour of eternal punishment ; and if men were once set free from the fear and belief of this , the most powerful restraint from sin would be taken away . so that in answer to this objection , i shall endeavour to prove these two things . first , that the eternal punishment of wicked men in another world is plainly threatned in scripture . secondly , that this is not inconsistent either with the justice or the goodness of god. first , that the eternal punishment of wicked men in another world is plainly threatned in scripture , namely , in these following texts , matth. . . it is better for thee to enter into life halt and maimed , than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire . and matth. . . depart ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . and here in the text , these , that is the wicked , shall go away into everlasting punishment . and mark . it is there three several times with great vehemency repeated by our saviour , where their worm dyeth not , and the fire is not quenched . and thess. . . speaking of them that know not god and obey not the gospel of his son , it is said of them , who shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction . i know very well that great endeavour hath been us'd to avoid the force of these texts , by shewing that the words , for ever and everlasting , are frequently us'd in scripture in a more limited sence , only for a long duration and continuance . thus , for ever , doth very often in the old testament only signifie for a long time and till the end of the jewish dispensation . and in the epistle of st. jude , verse th . the cities of sodom and gomorrah are said to be set forth for an example , suffering the vengeance of eternal fire , that is , of a fire that was not extinguish'd till those cities were utterly consumed . and therefore to clear the meaning of the forementioned texts . first , i shall readily grant , that the words , for ever and everlasting , do not always in scripture signifie an endless duration ; and that this is sufficiently proved by the instances alledg'd to this purpose . but then , secondly , it cannot be denyed on the other hand , that these words are often in scripture used in a larger sence and so as necessarily to signifie an interminable and endless duration . as where eternity is attributed to god , and he is said to live for ever and ever : and where eternal happiness is another world is promised to good men , and that they shall be for ever with the lord. now the very same words and expressions are used concerning the punishment of wicked men in another life , and there is great reason why we should understand them in the same extent : both , because if god had intended to have told us that the punishment of wicked men shall have no end , the languages wherein the scriptures are written do hardly afford fuller and more certain words , than those that are used in this case , whereby to express to us a duration without end : and likewise , which is almost a peremptory decision of the thing , because the duration of the punishment of wicked men is in the very same sentence express'd by the very same word which is us'd for the duration of the happiness of the righteous : as is evident from the text , these , speaking of the wicked , shall go away , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into eternal punishment , but the righteous , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into life eternal . i proceed to the second thing i propos'd ; namely , to shew that this is not inconsistent either with the justice or the goodness of god. for in this the force of the objection lies . and it hath been attempted to be answered several ways , none of which seems to me to give clear and full satisfaction to it . first , it is said by some , that because sin is infinite in respect of the object against whom it is committed , which is god , therefore it deserves an infinite punishment . but this i doubt will upon examination be found to have more of subtlety than of solidity in it . 't is true indeed , that the dignity of the person against whom any offence is committed is a great aggravation of the fault . for which reason all offences against god are certainly the greatest of all other . but that crimes should hereby be heighten'd to an infinite degree can by no means be admitted ; and that for this plain reason ; because then the evil and demerit of all sins must necessarily be equal ; for the demerit of no sin can be more than infinite : and if the demerit of all sins be equal , there can then be no reason for the degrees of punishment in another world : but to deny that there are degrees of punishment there , is not only contrary to reason , but to our saviours express assertion , that some shall be beaten with many stripes and some with fewer , and that it shall be more tolerable for some in the day of judgment than for others . besides , that by the same reason that the lest sin that is committed against god may be said to be infinite because of its object , the least punishment that is inflicted by god may be said to be infinite because of its author ; and then all punishments from god as well as all sins against him would be equal ; which is palpably absurd . so that this answer is by no means sufficient to break the force of this objection . secondly , it is said by others , that if wicked men lived for ever , in this world they would sin for ever , and therefore they deserve to be punish'd for ever . but this hath neither truth nor reason enough in it to give satisfaction . for who can certainly tell that if a man lived never so long he would never repent and grow better ? besides , that the justice of god doth onely punish the sins which men have committed in this life , and not those which they might possibly have committed if they had lived longer . thirdly , it is said in the last place , that god hath set before men everlasting happiness and misery , and the sinner hath his choice . here are two things said which seem to bid fairly towards an answer . first , that the reward which god promiseth to our obedience is equal to the punishment which he threatens to our disobedience . but yet this i doubt will not reach the business : because though it be not contrary to justice to exceed in rewards , that being matter of meer favour ; yet it may be so , to exceed in punishments . secondly , it is further said , that the sinner in this case hath nothing to complain of , since he hath his own choice . this i confess is enough to silence the sinner , and to make him to acknowledge that his destruction is of himself ; but yet for all that , it does not seem so clearly to satisfie the objection from the disproportion between the fault and the punishment . and therefore i shall endeavour to clear , if it may be , this matter yet a little further by these following considerations . first , let it be consider'd , that the measure of penalties with respect to crimes is not onely , nor always , to be taken from the quality and degree of the offence , much less from the duration and continuance of it , but from the ends and reasons of government ; which require such penalties as may , if it be possible , secure the observation of the law and deter men from the breach of it . and the reason of this is evident , because if it were once declar'd that no man should suffer longer for any crime than according to the proportion of the time in which it was committed , the consequence of this would be that sinners would be better husbands of their time & sin so much the faster , that they might have the greater bargain of it , and might satisfie for their sins by a shorter punishment . and it would be unreasonable likewise upon another account ; because some of the greatest sins may perhaps be committed in the shortest time ; for instance , murther ; the act whereof may be over in a moment , but the effects of it are perpetual . for he that kills a man once kills him for ever . the act of murther may be committed in a trice , but the injury is endless and irreparable . so that this objection of temporary crimes being punish'd with so much longer sufferings is plainly of no force . besides , that whoever considers how ineffectual the threatning even of eternal torments is to greatest part of sinners , will soon be satisfi'd that a less penalty than that of eternal suffering would to the far greatest part of mankind have been in all probability of little or no force . and therefore if any thing more terrible than eternal vengeance could have been threatned to the workers of iniquity , it had not been unreasonable , because it would all have been little enough to deter men effectually from sin . so that what proportion crimes and penalties ought to bear to each other , is not so properly a consideration of justice , as of wisdom and prudence in the lawgiver . and the reason of this seems very plain , because the measure of penalties is not taken from any strict proportion betwixt crimes and punishment ; but from one great end and design of goverment , which is to secure the observation of wholesome and necessary laws ; and consequently whatever penalties are proper and necessary to this end are not unjust . and this consideration i desire may be more especially observed , because it strikes at the very foundation of the objection . for if the appointing and apportioning of penalties to crimes be not so properly a consideration of justice , but rather of prudence in the lawgiver ; then whatever the disproportion may be between temporary sins and eternal sufferings justice cannot be said to be concern'd in it . justice indeed is concern'd , that the righteous and the wicked should not be treated alike ; and farther yet , that greater sins should have a heavier punishment , and that mighty sinners should be mightily tormented ; but all this may be consider'd and adjusted in the degree and the intenseness of the suffering , without making any difference in the duration of it . the case then in short stands thus . whenever we break the laws of god we fall into his hands and lye at his mercy , and he may without injustice inflict what punishment upon us he pleaseth : and consequently , to secure his law from violation , he may beforehand threaten what penalties he thinks fit and necessary to deter men from the transgression of it . and this is not esteemed unjust among men , to punish crimes that are committed in an instant with the perpetual loss of estate , or liberty , or life . secondly , this will yet appear more reasonable when we consider , that after all he that threatens hath still the power of execution in his own hands . for there is this remarkable difference between promises and threatnings , that he who promiseth passeth over a right to another , and thereby stands obliged to him in justice and faithfulness to make good his promise ; and if he do not , the party to whom the promise is made is not onely disappointed but injuriously dealt withal : but in threatnings it is quite otherwise . he that threatens keeps the right of punishing in his own hand , and is not obliged to execute what he hath threatned any further than the reasons and ends of government do require : and he may without any injury to the party threatned remit and abate as much as he pleaseth of the punishment that he hath threatned : and because in so doing he is not worse but better than his word , no body can find fault , or complain of any wrong or injustice thereby done to him . nor is this any impeachment of gods truth and faithfulness , any more than it is esteem'd among men a piece of falshood not to do what they have threatned . god did absolutely threaten the destruction of the city of niniveh , and his peevish prophet did understand the threatning to be absolute , and was very angry with god for employing him in a message that was not made good . but god understood his own right , and did what he pleas'd notwithstanding the threatning he had denounc'd , and for all jonah was so touch'd in honour that he had rather have dyed himself , than that niniveh should not have been destroy'd , onely to have verifi'd his message . i know it is said in this case , that god hath confirm'd these threatnings by an oath , which is a certain sign of the immutability of his counsel ; and therefore his truth is concern'd in the strict and rigorous execution of them . the land of canaan was a type of heaven , and the israelites who rebell'd in the wilderness were also a type of impenitent sinners under the gospel ; and consequently the oath of god concerning the rebellious israelites , when he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest , that is , into the land of canaan , doth equally oblige him to execute his threatning upon all impenitent sinners under the gospel , that they shall never enter into the kingdom of god. and this is very truly reason'd , so far as the threatning extends ; which if we attend to the plain words of it , beyond which threatnings are never to be stretch'd , doth not seem to reach any further than to the exclusion of impenitent sinners out of heaven and their falling finally short of the rest and happiness of the righteous : which however , directly overthrows the opinion ascrib'd to origen that the devils and wicked men shall all be saved at last ; god having sworn in his wrath that they shall never enter into his rest . but then , as to the ete●nal misery and punishment threatned to wicked men in the other world , though it be not necessarily comprehended in this oath that they shall not enter into his rest : yet we are to consider , that both the tenour of the sentence which our blessed saviour hath assur'd us will be pass'd upon them at the judgment of the great day , depart ye cursed into everlasting fire ; and likewise this declaration in the text , that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment , though they do not restrain god from doing what he pleases , yet they cut off from the sinner all reasonable hopes of the relaxation or mitigation of them . for since the great judge of the world hath made so plain and express a declaration , and will certainly pass such a sentence , it would be the greatest folly and madness in the world for the sinner to entertain any hope of escaping it , and to venture his soul upon that hope . i know but one thing more , commonly said upon this argument , that seems material . and that is this , that the words death and destruction and perishing , whereby the punishment of wicked men in the other world is most frequently express'd in scripture , do most properly import annihilation and an utter end of being ; and therefore may reasonably be so understood in the matter of which we are now speaking . to this i answer , that these words , and those which answer them in other languages , are often , both in scripture and other authors , used to signifie a state of great misery and suffering without the utter extinction of the miserable . thus god is often in scripture said to bring destruction upon a nation when he sends great judgments upon them , though they do not exterminate and make an utter end of them . and nothing is more common in most languages , than by perishing to express a person's being undone and made very miserable . as in that known passage in tiberius his letter to the roman senate , * let all the gods and goddesses , saith he , destroy me worse than at this very time i feel my self to perish , &c. in which saying , the words , destroy and perish , are both of them us'd to express the miserable anguish and torment which at that time he felt in his mind , as tacitus tells us at large . and as for the word death ; a state of misery which is as bad or worse than death may properly enough be call'd by that name : and for this reason the punishment of wicked men after the day of judgment is in the book of the revelation so frequently and fitly call'd the second death . and the lake of fire , into which the wicked shall be cast to be tormented in it , is expressely call'd the second death . but besides this , they that argue from the force of these words , that the punishment of wicked men in the other world shall be nothing else but an utter end of their being , do necessarily fall into two great inconveniencies . first , that hereby they exclude all positive punishment and torment of sinners . for if the second death , and to be destroy'd , and to perish , signifie nothing else but the annihilation of sinners and an utter extinction of their being ; and if this be all the effect of that dreadful sentence which shall be pass'd upon them at the day of judgment , than the fire of hell is quench'd all at once , and is only a frightful metaphor without any meaning . but this is directly contrary to the tenour of scripture , which doth so often describe the punishment of wicked men in hell by positive torments : and particularly our blessed saviour , describing the lamentable state of the damned in hell , expressely says that there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth ; which cannot be , if annihilation be all the meaning and effect of the sentence of the great day . secondly , another inconvenience of this opinion is , that if annihilation be all the punishment of sinners in the other world , then the punishment of all sinners must of necessity be equal , because there are no degrees of annihilation or not-being . but this also is most directly contrary to scripture , as i have already shewn . i know very well that some who are of this opinion do allow a very long and tedious time of the most terrible and intolerable torment of sinners , and after that they believe that there shall be an utter end of their being . but then they must not argue this from the force of the words before mentioned , because the plain inference from thence is , that annihilation is all the punishment that wicked men shall undergo in the next life ; and if that be not true , as i have plainly shewn that it is not , i do not see from what other words or expressions in scripture they can find the lest ground for this opinion , that the torment of wicked men shall at last end in their annihilation . and yet admitting all this , for which i think there is no ground at all in scripture , i cannot see what great comfort sinners can take in the thought of a tedious time of terrible torment , ending at last in annihilation and the utter extinction of their beings . thirdly , we may consider further , that the primary end of all threatnings is not punishment , but the prevention of it . for god does not threaten that men may sin and be punish'd , but that they may not sin , and so may escape the punishment threatn'd . and therefore the higher the threatning runs , so much the more mercy and goodness there is in it ; because it is so much the more likely to hinder men from incurring the penalty that is threatn'd . fourthly , let it be consider'd likewise , that when it is so very plain that god hath threatn'd eternal misery to impenitent sinners , all the prudence in the world obliges men to believe that he is in good earnest and will execute these threatnings upon them , if they will obstinately stand it out with him and will not be brought to repentance . and therefore in all reason we ought so to demean our selves , and so to perswade others , as knowing the terrour of the lord , and that they who wilfully break his laws are in danger of eternal death . to which i will add in the fifth and lást place , that if we suppose that god did intend that his threatnings should have their effect to deter men from the breach of his laws , it cannot be imagin'd that in the same revelation which declares these threatnings any intimation should be given of the abatement or non-execution of them . for by this god would have weaken'd his own laws , and have taken off the edge and terrour of his threatnings : because a threatning hath quite lost its force , if we once come to beleive that it will not be executed : and consequently , it would be a very impious design to go about to teach or perswade any thing to the contrary , and a betraying men into that misery which had it been firmly believ'd might have been avoided . we are all bound to preach , and you and i are all bound to believe the terrours of the lord. not so , as sawcily to determine and pronounce what god must do in this case ; for after all , he may do what he will , as i have clearly shewn : but what is fit for us to do , and what we have reason to expect , if notwithstanding a plain and express threatning of the vengeance of eternal fire , we still go on to treasure up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god ; and will desperately put it to the hazard , whether , and how far , god will execute his threatnings upon sinners in another world. and therefore there is no need why we should be very sollicitously concern'd for the honour of god's justice or goodness in this matter . let us but take care to believe and avoid the threatnings of god ; and then , how terrible soever they are , no harm can come to us . and as for god , let us not doubt but that he will take care of his own honour ; and that he , who is holy in all his ways , and righteous in all his works , will do nothing that is repugnant to his eternal goodness and righteousness ; and that he will certainly so manage things at the judgment of the great day , as to be justified in his sayings , and to be righteous when we are judged . for , notwithstanding his threatnings , he hath reserved power enough in his own hands to do right to all his perfections : and therefore we may rest assur'd , that he will judge the world in righteousness ; and if it be any wise inconsistent either with righteousness or goodness , which he knows much better than we do , to make sinners miserable for ever , that he will not do it . but let sinners always be afraid of it , and reckon upon it : and always remember , that there is great goodness and mercy in the severity of god's threatnings ; and that nothing will more justifie the infliction of eternal torments , than the foolish presumption of sinners in venturing upon them , notwithstanding such plain and terrible threatnings . this , i am sure , is a good argument to all of us , to work out our salvation with fear and trembling ; and with all possible care to endeavour the prevention of that misery which is so terribly severe , that at present we can hardly tell how to reconcile it with the justice and goodness of god. this god heartily desires we would do ; and hath solemnly sworn , that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live . so that here is all imaginable care taken to prevent our miscarriage , and all the assurance that the god of truth can give us of his unwillingness to bring this misery upon us . and both these , i am sure , are arguments of great goodness . for what can goodness do more , than to warn us of this misery , and earnestly to persuade us to prevent it ; and to threaten us so very terribly , on purpose to deter us from so great a danger ? and if this will not prevail with us , but we will still go on to despise the riches of god's goodness , and long-suffering , and forbearance ; what in reason remains for us , but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to consume us ? and what almost can justice , or even goodness it self do less , than to inflict that punishment upon us , which with eyes open we would wilfully run upon ; and which no warning , no persuasion ▪ no importunity could prevail with us to avoid ? and when , as the apostle says , knowing the judgment of god , that they which commit such things are worthy of death ; yet for all that , we would venture to commit them . and therefore , whatever we suffer , we do but inherit our own choice ; and have no reason to complain of god , who hath set before us life and death , eternal happiness and misery , and hath left us to be the carvers of our own fortune : and if , after all this , we will obstinately refuse this happiness , and wilfully run upon this misery , wo unto us ! for we have rewarded evil to our selves . you see then , by all that hath been said upon this argment , what we have all reason to expect , if we will still go on in our sins , and will not be brought to repentance . you have heard , what a terrible punishment the just god hath threaten'd to the workers of iniquity : and that in as plain words as can be used to express any thing . these , that is , the wicked , shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . here are life and death , happiness and misery set before us . not this frail and mortal life , which is hardly worth the having , were it not in order to a better and happier life ; nor a temporal death , to get above the dread whereof should not me thinks be difficult to us , were it not for the bitter and terrible consequences of it : but an eternal life , and an eternal enjoyment of all things which can render life pleasant and happy ; and a perpetual death , which will for ever torment us , but never make an end of us . these god propounds to our choice : and if the consideration of them will not prevail with us to leave our sins , and to reform our lives , what will ? weightier motives cannot be propos'd to the understanding of man , than everlasting punishment , and life eternal ; than the greatest and most durable happiness , and the most intolerable and lasting misery that human nature is capable of . now , considering in what terms the threatnings of the gospel are express'd , we have all the reason in the world to believe that the punishment of sinners in another world will be everlasting . however , we cannot be certain of the contrary , time enough to prevent it ; not till we come there , and find by experience how it is : and if it prove so , it will then be too late either to prevent that terrible doom , or to get it revers'd . some comfort themselves with the uncomfortable and uncertain hope of being discharg'd out of being , and reduc'd to their first nothing ; at least after the tedious and terrible suffering of the most grievous and exquisite torments for innumerable ages . and if this should happen to be true , good god! how feeble , how cold a comfort is this ? where is the reason and understanding of men , to make this their last refuge and hope ; and to lean upon it as a matter of mighty consolation , that they shall be miserable beyond all imagination , and beyond all patience , for god knows how many ages ? have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? no right sense and judgment of things ? no consideration and care of themselves , no concernment for their own lasting interest and happiness ? origen , i know not for what good reason , is said to have been of opinion , that the punishment of devils and wicked men , after the day of judgment , will continue but for a thousand years ; and that after that time , they shall all be finally saved . i can very hardly persuade my self , that so wise and learned a man as origen was , should be positive in an opinion for which there can be no certain ground in reason , especially for the punctual and precise term of a thousand years ; and for which there is no ground at all , that i know of , from divine revelation . but upon the whole matter , however it be ; be it for a thousand years , or be it for a longer and unknown term , or be it for ever , which seems to be plainly threaten'd in the gospel : i say , however it be , this is certain , that it is infinitely wiser to take care to avoid it , than to dispute it , and to run the final hazard of it . put it which way we will , especially if we put it at the worst , as in all prudence we ought to do , it is by all possible means to be provided against : so terrible , so intolerable is the thought , yea the very least suspicion of being miserable for ever . and now give me leave to ask you , as st. paul did king agrippa , do you believe the scriptures ? and i hope i may answer my self as he did , i know you do believe them . and in them these things are clearly revealed , and are part of that creed of which we make a solemn profession every day . and yet when we consider how most men live , is it credible that they do firmly believe this plain declaration of our saviour and our judge , that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal ? or if they do in some sort believe it , is it credible that they do at all consider it seriously , and lay it to heart ? so that if we have a mind to reconcile our belief with our actions , we must either alter our bible and our creed , or we must change our lives . let us then consider , and shew our selves men . and if we do so , can any man to please himself for a little while be contented to be punish'd for ever ; and for the shadow of a short and imperfect happiness in this life , be willing to run the hazard of being really and eternally miserable in the next world ? surely this consideration alone , of the extreme and endless misery of impenitent sinners in another world , if it were but well wrought into our minds , would be sufficient to kill all the temptations of this world , and to lay them dead at our feet ; and to make us deaf to all the enchantments of sin and vice : because they bid us so infinitely to our loss , when they offer us the enjoyment of a short pleasure , upon so very hard and unequal a condition as that of being miserable for ever . the eternal rewards and punishments of another life , which are the great sanction and security of god's laws , one would think should be a sufficient weight to cast the scales against any pleasure , or any pain , that this world can tempt , or can threaten us withal . and yet , after all this , will we still go on to do wickedly ; when we know the terrours of the lord , and that we must one day answer all our bold violations of his law , and contempts of his authority , with the loss of our immortal souls , and by suffering the vengeance of eternal fire ? what is it then that can give men the heart and courage ; but i recall that word , because it is not true courage , but fool-hardiness , thus to outbrave the judgment of god , and to set at nought the horrible and amazing consideration of a miserable eternity ? how is it possible that men that are awake , and in their wits , should have any ease in their minds , or enjoy so much as one quiet hour , whil'st so great a danger hangs over their heads , and they have taken no tolerable care to prevent it ? if we have any true and just sense of this danger , we cannot fail to shew that we have it , by making haste to escape it , and by taking that care of our souls , which is due to immortal spirits that are made to be happy or miserable to all eternity . let us not therefore estimate and measure things as they appear now to our sensual and deluded and deprav'd judgments ; but let us open our eyes , and look to the last issue and consequence of them : let us often think of these things , and consider well with our selves , what apprehensions will then probably fill and possess our minds , when we shall stand trembling before our judge , in a fearful expectation of that terrible sentence which is just ready to be pronounced , and as soon as ever it is pronounc'd to be executed upon us : when we shall have a full and clear sight of the unspeakable happiness , and of the horrible and astonishing miseries of another world : when there shall be no longer any veil of flesh and sense to interpose between them and us , and to hide these things from our eyes : and , in a word , when heaven with all the glories of it , shall be open to our view ; and , as the expression is in job , hell shall be naked before us , and destruction shall have no covering . how shall we then be confounded , to find the truth and reality of those things which we will not now be persuaded to believe ? and how shall we then wish , that we had believed the terrors of the lord ; and instead of quarrelling with the principles of religion , and calling them into question , we had lived under the constant sense and awe of them ? blessed be god , that there is yet hope concerning us , and that we may yet flee from the wrath to come ; and that the miseries of eternity may yet be prevented in time : and that for this very end and purpose , our most gracious and merciful god hath so clearly revealed these things to us , not with a mind to bring them upon us , but that we being warned by his threatnings , might not bring them upon our selves . i will conclude all with the counsel of the wise man ; seek not death in the errour of your life , and pull not upon your selves destruction with the works of your own hands . for god made not death , neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living : but ungodly men with their works and words have called it down upon themselves . which that none of us may do , god of his infinite goodness grant , for his mercies sake in jesus christ : to whom , with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , thanksgiving and praise , both now and for ever . amen . finis . books published by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of st. pauls thirty sermons and discourses upon several occasions , in three volumes , in octavo . the rule of faith ; or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. serjeant , by dr. tillotson . to which is adjoyned , a reply to mr. j. s. his third appendix , &c. by edward stilling fleet , d. d. late dean of st. paul's , now the right reverend bishop of worcester . . a discourse against transubstantiation , in . price d. a persuasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lord's supper , in . price d. a sermon preached at lincolns-inn-chappel , on the st of january . being appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power . . a sermon preach'd before the queen at whitehall . . a sermon preach'd before the king and queen at hampton-court . . printed for b. aylmer , and w. rogers . a practical discourse concerning death , by william sherlock , d. d. master of the temple . the third edition , . printed for w. rogers . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ii. * ita me dij deaeque omnes ●ejùs perdant quàm hodiè perire me sentio , &c. rev. . ▪ wisd. of solomon , chap. . ver . , , . several discourses viz. of the great duties of natural religion. instituted religion not intended to undermine natural. christianity not destructive; but perfective of the law of moses. the nature and necessity of regeneration. the danger of all known sin. knowledge and practice necessary in religion. the sins of men not chargeable on god. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the fourth volume; published from the originals, by ralph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) several discourses viz. of the great duties of natural religion. instituted religion not intended to undermine natural. christianity not destructive; but perfective of the law of moses. the nature and necessity of regeneration. the danger of all known sin. knowledge and practice necessary in religion. the sins of men not chargeable on god. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson, late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the fourth volume; published from the originals, by ralph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace. tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - . white, robert, - , engraver. [ ], p. : : ill. (port.) printed for ri. chiswell, at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard, london : . with two preliminary contents leaves. consists of fifteen sermons, each with caption title; register and pagination are continuous. reproduction of the original in the lambeth palace library, london. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the most reverend d r. iohn tillotson late arch-bishop of canterbury . several discourses , viz. of the great duties of natural religion . instituted religion not intended to undermine natural . christianity not destructive ; but perfective of the law of moses . the nature and necessity of regeneration . the danger of all known sin. knowledge and practice necessary in religion . the sins of men not chargeable on god. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . being the fourth volume ; published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . london , printed for ri. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard , . the contents . serm. i. of the great duties of natural religion , with the ways and means of knowing them . micah vi. , , . wherewith shall i come before the lord , and bow my self before the high god ? shall i come before him with burnt-offerings , with calves of a year old ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? shall i give my first-born for my transgression , the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? page . serm. ii. instituted religion not intended to undermine natural . matth . ix . . but go ye and learn what that meaneth ; i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . p. . serm. iii , iv. christianity doth not destroy , but perfect the law of moses . matth . v. . think not that i am come to destroy the law or the prophets . i am not come to destroy ; but to fulfill . p. , . serm. v , vi , vii , viii , ix . of the nature of regeneration , and its necessity , in order to justification , and salvation . galat. vi. . for in christ jesus , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature . p. , , , , . serm. x , xi . the danger of all known sin , both from the light of nature , and revelation . rom . i. , . for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; because that which may be known of god is manifest in them , for god hath shewed it unto them . p. , . serm. xii . knowledge and practice necessary in religion . john xiii . . if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . p. . serm. xiii . practice in religion necessary , in proportion to our knowledge . luke xii . , . and that servant which knew his lord's will , and prepar●d not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes : but he that knew not , and did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . for unto whomsoever much is given , of him shall be much required ; and to whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . p. . serm. xiv , xv. the sins of men not chargeabl● upon god ; but upon themselves . james i. , . let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man : but every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lust , and enticed . p. , . sermon i. of the great duties of natural religion , with the ways and means of knowing them . micah . . , , . wherewith shall i come before the lord , and bow my self before the high god ? shall i come before him with burnt offerings , with calves of a year old ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? shall i give my first born for my transgression , the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? in the beginning of this chapter , the prophet tells the people of israel , that the lord had a controversie with them ; and that he might direct them how to take up this quarrel , he brings in one making this enquiry in the name of the people ; wherewith shall i come before the lord , and bow my self before the high god ? that is , by what kind of worship or devotion may i address my self to him in the most acceptable manner ? by what means may i hope to appease his displeasure ? to satisfie this enquiry , he first instanceth in the chief kinds of sacrifices and expiations that were in use among the jews and heathens ; shall i come before him with burnt-offerings ? the constant sacrifice that was off●red to god by way of acknowledgment of his dominion over the creatures ; with calves of a year old ? which was the sin-offering which the high-priest offered for himself . or will he rather accept of those great and costly sacrifices which were offered upon solemn and publick occasions , such as that was which solomon offered at the dedication of the temple ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? or if none of these will do , shall i try to attone him after the manner of the heathen , by the dearest thing in the world , the first-born of my children ? shall i give my first-born for my tran●gression , the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? if god was to be appeased at all , surely they thought it must be by some of these ways , for beyond these they could imagine nothing of greater value and efficacy . but the prophet tells them that they were quite out of the way , in thinking to pacifie god upon these terms , that there are other things which are much better and more pleasing to him than any of these sacrifices . for some of them were expresly forbidden by god , as the offering up of our children ; and for the rest , they were not good in themselves , but meerly by vertue of their institution , and because they were commanded . but the things which he would recommend to them , are such as are good in their own nature , and required of us by god upon that account . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mer●y , and to walk humbly with thy god ? so that in these words you have , first , an enquiry which is the best way to appease god when he is offended ; wherewith shall i come before the lord , and bow my self before the high god ? secondly , the way that men are apt to take in this case ; and that is by some external piece of religion and devotion ; such as sacrifice was both among jews and heathen . shall i come before him with burnt-offerings , &c. by which questions the prophet intimates that men are very apt to pitch upon this course . thirdly , the course which god himself directs to , and which will effectually pacifie him . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord thy god require of thee , &c. the first being a meer question , there needs no more to be said of it ; only that it is a question of great importance ; what is the most effectual way to appease god when we have offended him ? for who can bear his indignation , and who who can stand before him , when once he is angry ? let us consider then , in the second place , the way that men are apt to take to pacifie god ; and that is by some external piece of religion and devotion , such as were sacrifices among the jews and heathen . shall i come before him with burnt-offerings ? this is the way which men are most apt to chuse . the jews , you se● , pitched upon the external parts of their religion , those which were most pompous and solemn , the richest and most costly sacrifices ; so they might but keep their sins , they were well enough content to offer up any thing else to god ; they thought nothing too good for him , provided he would not oblige them to become better . and thus it is among our selves , when we apprehend god is displeased with us , and his judgments abroad in the earth , we are content to do any thing , but to learn righteousness ; we are willing to submit to any kind of external devotion and humiliation , to fast , and pray , to afflict our selves , and to cry mightily unto god ; things some of them good in themselves , but the least part of that which god requires of us . and as for the church of rome , in case of publick judgments and calamities , they are the inquisitive and ( as they pretend ) the most skilful people in the world to pacifie god ; and they have a thousand solemn devices to this purpose . i do not wrong them , by representing them enquiring after this manner . shall i go before a crucifix , and bow my self to it , as to the high god ? and , because the lord is a great king , and it is perhaps too much boldness and arrogance to make immediate addresses always to him ; to which of the saints or angels shall i go to mediate for me , and intercede on my behalf ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of pater-nosters , or with ten thousands of ave-marys ? shall the host travel in procession , or my self und●rtake a tedious pilgrimage ? or shall i list my self a souldier for the holy war , or for the extirpation of hereticks ? shall i give half my estate to a convent for my transgression , or chastise and punish my body for the sin of my soul ? thus men deceive themselves , and will submit to all the extravagant severities , that the petulancy and folly of men can devise and impose upon them . and indeed it is not to be imagined , when men are once under the power of superstition , how ridiculous they may be , and yet think themselves religious ; how prodigiously they may play the fool , and yet believe they please god ; what cruel and barbarous things they may do to themselves and others , and yet be verily perswaded they do god good service . and what is the mystery of all this , but that men are loath to do that , without which , nothing else that we do is acceptable to god ? they hate to be reformed ; and for this reason , they will be content to do any thing , rather than be put to the trouble of mending themselves ; every thing is easie in comparison of this task , and god may have any terms of them , so he will let them be quiet in their sins , and excuse them from the real virtues of a good life . and this brings me to the third thing , which i principally intended to speak to . the course which god himself directs to , and which will effectually pacifie him . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? in the handling of which , i shall , first , consider those several duties which god here requires of us , and upon the performance of which he will be pacified towards us . secondly , by what ways and means god hath discovered these duties to us , and the goodness of them ; he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good , &c. i. we will briefly consider the several duties which god here requires of us , and upon the performance of which he will be pacified towards us ; what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? it was usual among the jews to reduce all the duties of religion to these three heads , justice , mercy , and piety ; under the first two , comprehending the duties which we owe to one another , and under the third the duties which we owe to god. . justice . and i was going to tell you what it is , but i considered that every man knows it , as well as any definition can explain it to him . i shall only put you in mind of some of the principal instances of it , and the several virtues comprehended under it . and , first , justice is concerned in the making of laws ; that they be such as are equal and reasonable , useful and beneficial , for the honour of god and religion , and for the publick good of humane society . this is a great trust , in the discharge of which , if men be byassed by favour or interest , and drawn aside from the consideration and regard of the publick good , it is a far greater crime , and of worse consequence , than any private act of injustice between man and man. and then , justice is also concerned in the due execution of laws ; which are the guard of private property , the security of publick peace , and of religion and good manners . and , lastly , in the observance of laws , and obedience to them ; which is a debt that every man owes to humane society . but more especially justice is concerned in the observance of those laws , whether of god or man , which respect the rights of men , and their mutual commerce and intercourse with one another . that we use honesty and integrity in all our dealings , in opposition to fraud and deceit ; truth and fidelity , in opposition to falshood and breach of trust ; equity and good conscience , in opposition to all kind of oppression and exaction . these are the principal branches , and instances of this great and comprehensive duty of justice ; the violation whereof is so much the greater sin , because this virtue is the firmest bond of humane society , upon the observation whereof , the peace and happiness of mankind does so much depend . . mercy , which does not only signifie the inward affection of pity and compassion towards those that are in misery and necessity , but the effects of it , in the actual relief of those whose condition calls for our charitable help and assistance ; by feeding the hungry , and cloathing the naked , and visiting the sick , and vindicating the oppressed , and comforting the afflicted , and ministring ease and relief to them if it be in our power . and this is a very lovely virtue , and argues more goodness in men than mere justice doth . for justice is a strict debt ; but mercy is favour and kindness . and this perhaps may be the reason of the different expressions in the text , that when god barely commands us to do justly , he requires we should love mercy , that is , take a particular pleasure and delight in the exercise of this virtue , which is so proper and agreeable to mankind , that we commonly call it humanity , giving it its name from our very nature . in short , it is so excellent a virtue , that i should be very sorry that any religion should be able to pretend to the practice of it more than our own . . piety ; to walk humbly with thy god. to walk humbly in the fear of the lord ; so the chaldee paraphrase renders these words . and this phrase may comprehend all those acts of religion which refer immediately to god ; a firm belief of his being and perfections ; an awful sense of him , as the dread soveraign and righteous judge of the world ; a due regard to his service , and a reverent behaviour of our selves towards him in all acts of worship and religion , in opposition to atheism and a prophane neglect and contempt of god and religion ; a new and monstrous kind of impiety ! which of late years hath broke in upon us , and got head among us , not only contrary to the example of former ages , but in despight of the very genius and temper of the nation , which is naturally devout and zealous in religion . or else this phrase of walking humbly with god , may refer more particularly to the posture and condition of the people of israel at that time , who were fallen under the heavy displeasure of god for their sins . and then the duty required is , that being sensible how highly god hath been offended by us , by the general corruption and viciousness of the age , which like a leprosie hath spread it self almost over the whole body of the nation , and by that open lewdness and those insolent impieties which are daily committed amongst us ; i say , that being deeply sensible of this , we do with all humility acknowledge our sins to god , and repent of them , and implore his mercy and forgiveness , and resolve by his grace to turn every one from the evil of our ways , and from the wickedness that is in our hands ; which god grant we may every one do * this day , according to the pious design and intention of it . and if we be sincere in this resolution , who can tell but god may turn and repent , and turn away his anger from us , that we perish not . nay , we have great reason to believe , that he will be pacified towards us . so he hath declared , isa . . . wash ye , make you clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes , cease to do evil , learn to do well , seek judgment , relieve the oppressed , judge the fatherless , plead for the widdow ; come now and let us reason together , saith the lord ; though your sins be as scarlet , they shall be as white as snow , though they be red like crimson , they shall be as wooll . but if we continue unreformed , god will say to us , as he does there to the people of israel , to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me ? your calling of assemblies i cannot away with , it is iniquity , even the solemn meeting ; and when ye spread forth your hands , i will hide mine eyes from you ; when ye make many prayers , i will not hear . to which , let me add that excellent saying of the son of syrach to this purpose , ecclesiastic . . , . he that washeth himself after the touching of a dead body , if he touch it again , what availeth his washing ? so is it with a man that fasteth for his sins , and goeth again and doth the same things . who will hear his prayer , or what doth his humbling profit him ? ii. let us consider by what ways and means god hath made known these duties to us , and the goodness and the obligation of them . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee ? i shall mention five ways whereby god hath discovered this to us . . by a kind of natural instinct . . by natural reason . . by the general vote and consent of mankind . . by external revelation . . by the inward dictates and motions of god's spirit upon the minds of men. first , by a kind of natural instinct , by which i mean a secret impression upon the minds of men , whereby they are naturally carried to approve some things as good and fit , and to dislike other things , as having a native evil and deformity in them . and this i call a natural instinct , because it does not seem to proceed so much from the exercise of our reason , as from a natural propension and inclination , like those instincts which are in brute creatures , of natural affection and care towards their young ones . and that these inclinations are precedent to all reason and discourse about them , evidently appears by this , that they do put forth themselves every whit as vigorously in young persons , as in those of riper reason ; in the rude and ignorant sort of people , as in those who are more polish'd and refin'd . for we see plainly that the young and ignorant have as strong impressions of piety and devotion , as true a sense of gratitude and justice and pity , as the wiser and more knowing part of mankind . a plain indication , that the reason of mankind is prevented by a kind of natural instinct and anticipation concerning the good or evil , the comeliness or deformity of these things . and though this do not equally extend to all the instances of our duty , yet as to the great lines and essential parts of it , mankind hardly need to consult any other oracle , than the meer propensions and inclinations of their nature ; as , whether we ought to reverence the divine nature , to be grateful to those who have conferred benefits upon us , to speak the truth , to be faithful to our promise , to restore that which is committed to us in trust , to pity and relieve those that are in misery , and in all things to do to others as we would have them do to us . and this will further appear , if we consider these two things . . that men are naturally innocent or guilty to themselves , according to what they do in these things . so the apostle tells us , rom. . , . when the gentiles which have not the law , do by nature the things contained in the law , these having not the law , are a law unto themselves , and do shew the effect of the law written in their hearts , their consciences also bearing witness , and their thoughts by turns ( that is , according as they do well or ill ) accusing or excusing them . there is a secret comfort in innocence , and a strange pleasure and satisfaction in being acquitted by our own minds for what we do . but on the contrary , when we contradict these natural dictates , what uneasiness do we find in our own breasts ? nay even before the fact is committed , our conscience is strangely disquieted at the thoughts of it . when a man does but design to do a bad thing , he is guilty to himself , as if he had committed it . of this we have a considerable instance , in the first violence that was offered to nature , gen. . . the lord said unto cain , why art thou wroth , and why is thy countenance fallen ? the very thought of that wickedness which he did but then design , did disorder his mind , and make a change in his very countenance . guilt is the natural concomitant of heinous crimes , which so soon as ever a man commits , his spirit receives a secret wound , which causeth a great deal of smart and anguish . for guilt is restless , an● puts the mind of man into an unnatural working and fermentation , never to be settled again but by repentance . the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest ; which plainly shews that the mind of man hath a kind of natural sense of good and evil ; because when ever we offend against nature , our consciences are touched to the quick , and we receive a sting into our soul , which shoots and pains us , when ever we reflect upon what we have done . i appeal to that witness which every man carries in his breast , whether this be not true . . men are naturally full of hopes and fears , according as they follow or go against these natural dictates . a good conscience is apt to fill men with confidence and good hopes . it does not only give ease ; but security to the mind of man , against the dread of invisible powers , and the fearful apprehensions of a future judgment . whereas guilt fills men with dismal apprehensions of danger , and continual misgivings concerning their own safety . thus it was with cain after he had slain his brother ; it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall s●ay me . nay , when a man hath done a secret fault , which none can accuse him of , yet then is he haunted with the terrors of his own mind , and cannot be secure in his own apprehensions ; which plainly shews that men are conscious to themselves , when they do well , and when they do amiss ; and that the same natural instinct which prompts men to their duty , fills them with good hopes when they have done it , and with secret fears and apprehensions of danger when they have done contrary to it . secondly , god shews men what is good , by natural reason ; and that two ways . by the convenience of things to our nature ; and by their tendency to our happiness and interest . first , reason shews us the convenience of things to our nature ; and whatever is agreeable to the primitive design and intention of nature , that we call good ; whatever is contrary thereto , we call evil . for example , to honour and love god. it is natural to honour great power and perfection , and to love goodness wherever it is . so likewise , gratitude is natural , to acknowledge benefits received , and to be ready to requite them , and the contrary is monstrous , and universally abhorred ; and there is no greater sign that any thing is contrary to nature , than if it be detested by the whole kind . it is agreeable also to nature to be just , and to do to others , as we would have them do to us ; for this is to make our own natural inclinations and desires , the rule of our dealing with others ; and to be merciful ; for no man that hath not devested himself of humanity , can be cruel and hard-hearted to others , without feeling a pain in himself . secondly , reason shews us the tendency of these things to our happiness and interest . and indeed the notion of good and evil does commonly refer to the consequences of things , and we call that good , which will bring some benefit and advantage to us , and that evil which is likely to produce some mischief and inconvenience ; and by this rule reason discovers to us that these duties are good . to begin with piety towards god. nothing can more evidently tend to our interest , than to make him our friend , upon whose favour our happiness depends . so likewise for gratitude ; it is a virtue , to which if nature did not prompt us , our interest would direct us ; for every man is ready to place benefits there where he may hope for a thankful return . temperance does apparently conduce to our health , which , next to a good conscience , is the most pleasant and valuable thing in the world ; whereas the intemperate man is an open enemy to himself , and continually making assaults upon his own life . mercy and pity are not more welcome to others , than they are delightful and beneficial to our selves ; for we do not only gratifie our own nature and bowels , by relieving those who are in misery , but we provoke mankind by our example to the like tenderness , and do prudently bespeak the commiseration of others towards us , when it shall be our turn to stand in need of it . and if we be wise enough , our reason will likewise direct us to be just , as the surest art of thriving in this world ; it gives a man a reputation , which is a powerful advantage in all the affairs of this world ; it is the shortest and easiest way of dispatching business , the plainest , and least entangled ; and though it be not so sudden a way of growing rich , as fraud and oppression ; yet it is much surer and more lasting , and not liable to those terrible back-blows and after-reckonings , to which estates got by injustice are . and natural reason does not only shew us that these things are good , but that the lord requires them of us , that is , that they have the force and obligation of laws . for there needs nothing more to make any thing a law , than a sufficient declaration , that it is the will of god ; and this god hath sufficiently signified to mankind by the very frame of our natures , and of those principles and faculties which he hath endued us withall ; so that whenever we act contrary to these , we plainly disobey the will of him that made us , and violate those laws which he hath enacted in our natures , and written upon our hearts . and this is all the law that the greatest part of mankind were under , before the revelation of the gospel . from adam to moses , the world was almost solely governed by the natural law ; which seems to be the meaning of that hard text , rom. . . for until the law sin was in the world , that is , before the law of moses was given , men were capable of offending against some other law , for otherwise sin could not have been imputed to them , for sin is not imputed wh●re there is no law. and then it follows ; nevertheless death reigned from adam to moses , even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of adam's transgression ; that is , during that space from adam to moses men sinned against the natural law , and were liable to death upon that account , though they had not offended against an express revelation from god , as adam had done ; for that the apostle seems to mean , by sinning after the similitude of adam 's transgression . thirdly , god hath shewn us what is good , by the general vote and consent of mankind . not that all mankind do agree concerning virtue and vice ; but that as to the greater duties of piety , justice , mercy , and the like , the exceptions are but few in comparison , and not enough to infringe a general consent . and of this i shall offer to you this threefold evidence . . that these virtues are generally praised and held in esteem by mankind , and the contrary vices generally reproved and evil spoken of . now to praise any thing , is to give testimony to the goodness of it , and to censure any thing , is to declare that we believe it to be evil . and if we consult the history of all ages , we shall find that the things which are generally praised in the lives of men , and recommended to the imitation of posterity are piety and devotion , gratitude and justice , humanity and charity ; and that the contrary to these are marked with ignominy and reproach ; the former are commended even in enemies , and the latter are branded even by those who had a kindness for the persons that were guilty of them . so constant hath mankind always been in the commendation of virtue , and in the censure of vice. nay we find not only those who are virtuous themselves , giving their testimony and applause to virtue , but even those who are vicious ; not out of love to goodness , but from the conviction of their own minds , and from a secret reverence they bear to the common consent and opinion of mankind . and this is a great testimony , because it is the testimony of an enemy extorted by the meer light and force of truth . and on the contrary ; nothing is more ordinary than for vice to reprove sin , and to hear men condemn the like , or the same things in others , which they allow in themselves . and this is a clear evidence , that vice is generally condemned by mankind , that many men condemn it in themselves ; and those who are so kind as to spare themselves , are very quick-sighted to spie a fault in any body else , and will censure a bad action done by another , with as much freedom and impartiality , as the most virtuous man in the world. and to this consent of mankind about virtue and vice , the scripture frequently appeals . as when it commands us to provide things honest in the sight of all men ; and by well-doing to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men ; intimating that there are some things so confessedly good , and owned to be such by so general a vote of mankind , that the worst of men have not the face to open their mouths against them . and it is made the character of a virtuous action , if it be lovely , and commendable , and of good report . philip. . whatsoever things are lovely , whatsoever things are of good report , if there be any virtue , if there be any praise , make account of these things ; intimating to us , that mankind do generally concur in the praise and commendation of what is virtuous . . men do generally glory and stand upon their innocency , when they do virtuously ; but are ashamed , and out of countenance , when they do the contrary . now glory and shame are nothing else but an appeal to the judgment of others concerning the good or evil of our actions . there are indeed some such monsters as are impudent in their impieties , but these are but few in comparison . generally mankind is modest , the greatest part of those who do evil are apt to blush at their own faults , and to confess them in their countenance , which is an acknowledgment that they are not only guilty to themselves that they have done amiss , but that they are apprehensive that others think so . for guilt is a passion respecting our selves , but shame regards others . now it is sign of shame , that men love to conceal their faults from others , and commit them secretly , in the dark and without witnesses , and are afraid even of a child or a fool : or if they be discovered in them , they are solicitous to excuse and extenuate them , and ready to lay the fault upon any bodyelse , and to transfer their guilt , or as much of it as they can , upon others . all which are certain tokens , that men are not only naturally guilty to themselves , when they commit a fault ; but that they are sensible also what opinions others have of these things . and on the contrary , men are apt to stand upon their justification , and to glory when they have done well . the conscience of a man 's own virtue and integrity , lifts up his head and gives him confidence before others , because he is satisfied they have a good opinion of his actions . what a good face does a man naturally set upon a good deed ? and how does he sneak , when he hath done wickedly , being sensible that he is condemned by others , as well as by himself ? no man is afraid of being upbraided for having dealt honestly or kindly with others , nor does account it any calumny or reproach , to have it reported of him , that he is a sober and chast man. no man blusheth , when he meets a man with whom he hath kept his word , and discharged his trust : but every man is apt to do so , when he meets one with whom he has dealt dishonestly , or who knows some notorious crime by him . . vice is generally forbidden and punished by humane laws : but against the contrary virtues there never was any law. some vices are so manifestly evil in themselves , or so mischievous to humane society , that the laws of most nations have taken care to discountenance them by severe penalties . scarce any nation was ever so barbarous , as not to maintain and vindicate the honour of their gods and religion by publick laws . murder and adultery , rebellion and sedition , perjury and breach of trust , fraud and oppression , are vices severely prohibited by the laws of most nations . a clear indication , what opinion the generality of mankind , and the wisdom of nations have always had of these things . but now against the contrary virtues there never was any law. no man was ever impeached for living soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world. a plain acknowledgment , that mankind always thought them good , and never were sensible of the inconvenience of them ; for had they been so , they would have provided against them by laws . this st. paul takes notice of as a great commendation of the christian virtues ; the fruit of the spirit is love , joy , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , kindness , fidelity , meekness , temperance ; against such there is no law ; the greatest evidence that could be given , that these things are unquestionably good in the esteem of mankind , against such there is no law. as if he had said , turn over the law of moses , search those of athens , and sparta , and the twelve tables of the romans , and those innumerable laws that have been added since ; and you shall not in any of them find any of those virtues that i have mentioned , condemned and forbidden . a clear evidence that mankind never took any exception against them , but are generally agreed about the goodness of them . fourthly , god hath shewn us what is good by external revelation . in former ages of the world , god revealed his will to particular persons in an extraordinary manner , and more especially to the nation of the jews , the rest of the world being in a great measure left to the conduct of natural light. but in these later ages he hath made a publick revelation of his will by his son. and this as to the matter of our duty , is the same in substance with the law of nature ; for our saviour comprehends all under these two general heads , the love of god , and of our neighbour . the apostle reduceth all to three , sobriety , justice , and piety ; the grace of god that brings salvation hath appeared to all men , teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world. so that if we believe the apostle , the gospel teacheth us the very same things which nature dictated to men before ; only it hath made a more perfect discovery of them . so that whatever was doubtful and obscure before , is now certain and plain ; the duties are still the same , only it offers us more powerful arguments , and a greater assistance to the performance of those duties ; so that we may now much better say , than the prophet could in his days , he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what it is that the lord requires of thee . fifthly , and lastly , god shews us what is good by the motions of his spirit upon the minds of men. this the scripture assures us of , and good men have experience more especially of it ; though it be hard to give an account of it , and to say what motions are from the spirit of god , and what from our own minds ; for , as the wind blows where it listeth , and we hear the sound of it , but know not whence it comes , nor whither it goes ; so are the operations of the spirit of god upon the minds of men , secret and imperceptible . and thus i have done with the three things i propounded to speak to . all that now remains , is to make some inferences from what hath been said , by way of application . first , seeing god hath so abundantly provided that we should know our duty , we are altogether inexcusable , if we do not do it . because he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good , and what the lord requires of thee ; therefore thou art inexcusable , o man , whosoever thou art , who livest in a contradiction to this light . god hath acquainted us with our duty , by such ways as may most effectually both direct and engage us to the practice of it ; we are prompted to it by a kind of natural instinct , and strong impressions upon our minds of the difference of good and evil ; we are led to the knowledge , and urged to the practice of it , by our nature , and by our reason , and by our interest , and by that which is commonly very prevalent among men , the general voice and consent of mankind ; and by the most powerful and governing passions in humane nature , by hope , and by fear , and by shame ; by the prospect of advantage , by the apprehension of danger , and by the sense of honour ; and to take away all possible excuse of ignorance from us , by an express revelation from god , the clearest and most perfect that ever was made to the world. so that when ever we do contrary to our duty , in any of these great instances , we offend against all these , and do in the highest degree fall under the heavy sentence of our saviour , this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men loved darkness rather than light . secondly , you see hence what are the great duties of religion , which god mainly requires of us , and how reasonable they are ; piety towards god , and justice and charity towards men ; the knowledge whereof is planted in our nature , and grows up with our reason . and these are things which are unquestionably good , and against which we can have no exception ; things that were never reproved , nor found fault with by mankind , neither our nature nor our reason riseth up against them , or dictates any thing to the contrary . we have all the obligation , and we have all the encouragement to them , and are secure on all hands in the practice of them . in the doing of these things , there is no danger to us from the laws of men , no fear of displeasure from god , no offence or sting from our own minds . and these things which are so agreeable to our nature , and our reason , and our interest , are the great things which our religion requires of us , more valuable in themselves , and more acceptable to god , than whole burnt-offerings and sacri●ices , more than thousands of rams , and ten thousands of rivers of oyl ; more than if we offered to him all the beasts of the forest , and the cattle upon a thousand hills . we are not to neglect any institution of god ; but above all , we are to secure the observance of those great duties to which we are directed by our very nature , and tyed by the surest and most sacred of all other laws , those which god hath riveted in our souls , and written upon our hearts . and that mankind might have no pretence left to excuse them from these , the christian religion hath set us free from those many positive and outward observances , that the jewish religion was incumbred withall ; that we might be wholly intent upon these great duties , and mind nothing in comparison of the real and substantial virtues of a good life . thirdly , you see , in the last place , what is the best way to appease the displeasure of god towards a sinful nation . god seems to have as great a controversie with us , as he had with the people of israel , and his wrath is of late years most visibly gone out against us ; and proportionably to the full measure of our sins , it hath been poured out upon us in full vials . how have the judgments of god followed us ? and how close have they followed one another ? what fearful calamities have our eyes seen ? enough to make the ears of every one that hears them to tingle . what terrible and hazardous wars have we been ingaged in ? what a raging pestilence did god send among us , that swept away thousands , and ten thousands in our streets ? what a dreadful and fatal fire , that was not to be checked and resisted in its course , 'till it had laid in ashes one of the greatest and richest cities in the world ? what unseasonable weather have we had of late ? as if for the wickedness of men upon the earth , the very ordinances of heaven were changed , and summer , and winter , seed-time , and harvest , had forgotten their appointed seasons . and , which is more and sadder than all this , what dangerous attempts have been made upon our religion , by the restless adversaries of it ? and now surely , after all this is come upon us for our sins , it is time for us to look up to him that smites us , and to think of taking up this quarrel . 't is time to enquire as they do in the text , werewith shall we come before the lord , and bow our selves before the high god ? and we are apt to take the same course they did , to endeavour to appease god by some external devotion . we have now betaken our selves to prayer and fasting , and 't was very fit , nay necessary we should do so ; but let us not think this is all god expects from us . these are but the means to a further end , to oblige us for the future to the practice of a good life . the outward profession of religion is not lost amongst us , there appears still in men a great and commendable zeal for the reformed religion , and there hath been too much occasion for it ; but that which god chiefly expects from us , is reformed lives . piety and virtue are in a great measure gone from among us , the manners of men are strangely corrupted , the great and weighty things of the law are neglected , justice and mercy , temperance and chastity , truth and fidelity ; so that we may take up david's complaint , help lord ! for the righteous man ceaseth , for the faithful fa●l from among the children of men. and 'till the nation be brought back to a sober sense of religion , from an airy and phantastical piety , to real and unaffected devotion , and from a factious contention about things indifferent , to the serious practice of what is necessary ; from our violent heats and animosities , to a more peaceable temper , and by a mutual condescension on all sides , to a nearer and st●onger union among our selves ; 'till we recover in some measure , our ancient virtue and integrity of manners , we have reason to fear , that god will still have a controversie with us , notwithstanding all our noise and zeal about religion . this is the true , this is the only course to appease the indignation of god , and to draw down his favour and blessing upon a poor distracted and gasping nation . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? i have but one word more , and that is to put you presently upon the practice of one of these duties that i have been perswading you to , and that is mercy , and alms to the poor . if what i have already said , have had its effect upon you , i need not use any other arguments ; if it have not , i have hardly the heart to use any . i shall only put you in mind again , that god values this above all our external devotion , he will have mercy rather than sacrifice ; that this is the way to find mercy with god , and to have our prayers speed in heaven ; and without this , all our fasting and humiliation signifies nothing . and to this purpose i will only read to you those plain and perswasive words of the prophet , which do so fully declare unto us the whole duty of this day , and particularly urge us to this of charity , isa . . , , , , . is it such a fast that i have chosen ? a day for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush , and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast , and an acceptable day unto the lord ? is not this the fast that i have ●hosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness , to undoe the heavy burthens , and to let the oppressed go free , and that ye break every yoke ? is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ? when thou seest the naked , that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh ? then shall thy light break forth as the morning , and thy salvation shall spring forth speedily , and thy righteousness shall go before thee , and the glory of the lord shall be thy rereward . then thou shalt call , and the lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry , and he shall say , here i am . sermon ii. instituted religion not intended to undermine natural . matth . ix . . but go ye and learn what that meaneth ; i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . one of the most successful attempts that have been made upon religion , by the devil and his instruments , hath been by setting the laws of god at variance with themselves , and by dashing the several parts of religion , and the two tables of the law against one another , to break all in pieces ; and under a pretence of advancing that part of religion which is instituted and revealed , to undermine and destroy that which is natural , and of primary obligation . to manifest and lay open the mischievous consequences of this design , i shall at this time ( by god's assistance ) endeavour to make ou●●●ese two things . first , that natural religion is the foundation of all instituted and revealed religion . secondly , that no revealed or instituted religion was ever designed to take away the obligation of natural duties , but to confirm and establish them . and to this purpose , i have chosen these words of our saviour for the foundation of my following discourse ; but go ye and learn , what that meaneth ; i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . the occasion of which words was briefly this ; the pharisees found fault with him for keeping company , and eating with publicans and sinners . he owns the thing which they objected to him , and endeavours to vindicate himself from any crime ot fault in so doing ; and that , these two ways . . by telling them , that it was allowed to a physician , and proper for his office and profession , to converse with the sick , in order to their cure and recovery . he may abstain , if he pleaseth , from the conversation of others ; but the sick have need of him , and are his proper care , and his business and employment lies among them ; he said unto them , they that be whole need not a physician , but they that are sick ; i came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance ; they who were already good , needed not to be call'd upon to amend and reform their lives ; and they that were so conceited of their own righteousness , as the pharisees were , and so confident that they were sound and whole , would not admit of a physician , and thereby rendred themselves incapable of cure ; and therefore he did not apply himself to them ; but to the publicans and sinners , who were acknowledged on all hands , both by themselves and others , to be bad men ; so that it could not be denyed to be the proper work of a spiritual physician to converse with such persons . . by endeavouring to convince them of their ignorance of the true nature of religion , and of the rank and order of the several duties thereby required ; but go ye and learn what that meaneth ; i will have mercy and not sacrifice ; which saying is quoted by him , out of the prophet hosea , chap. . . i desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of god more than burnt offerings ; which text our saviour cites and applies upon two several occasions ; the considering and comparing of which , will give full light to the true meaning of it . the first is here in the text , upon occasion of the pharisees finding fault with him , for conversing with publicans and sinners ; the other is , matth. . . where the pharisees blaming the disciples of our saviour for plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day , our saviour tells them , if ye had known what this meaneth , i will have mercy and not sacrifice , ye would not have comdemned the guiltless ; that is , if they had understood the true nature of religion , and what duties of it are chiefly and in the first place to be regarded , they would not have been so forward to censure this action of his disciples . so that the plain meaning of this saying is this , that in comparing the parts of religion and the obligation of duties together , those duties which are of moral and natural obligation are most valued by god , and ought to take place of those which are positive and ritual . i will have mercy , and not sacrifice , that is , rather than sacrifice , according to the true meaning of this hebrew phrase , which is to be understood in a comparitive sense , as is evident from the text it self in hosea , i desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of god rather than burnt offerings ; if they cannot be observed together , let sacrifice be neglected , and the work of mercy be done . and the reason of this seems very plain ; because shewing mercy , or doing good in any kind is a prime instance of those moral duties , which do naturally and perpetually oblige ; but sacrifice is an instance of positive and ritual observances , and one of the chief of the kind ; so that when moral duties , and ritual observances come in competition , and do clash with one another , the observation of a rite , or positive institution , is to give way to a moral duty ; and it is no sin in that case to neglect the observation of such a rite , yea though it were commanded and appointed by god himself . and though this may seem to be a breach of the letter of the law ; yet it is according to the true mind and meaning of the law ; it being a tacit condition implyed in all laws of a ritual and positive nature , provided the observance of them be not to the hindrance and prejudice of any duty , which is of a higher and better nature ; in that case the obligation of it does for that time give way and is suspended . and this will appear to be the true meaning of this rule , by comparing more particularly the instances to which our saviour applies it . his disciples passing through the corn on the sabbath day , and being hungry , pluckt the ears and did eat ; this our saviour does justifie to be no breach of the law of the sabbath ; because in that case , and in such circumstances , it did not oblige : for the disciples being call'd to attend upon our saviour , to be instructed by him in the things which concerned the kingdom of god , that is , in the doctrine of the gospel , which they were to publish to the world , this attendance hindred them from making necessary provisions against the sabbath , they , in obedience to their master , being intent upon a better work ; but that they might not starve , the necessities of nature must be provided for ; and therefore it was fit , that the law of the sabbath , which was but positive and ritual , should give way to an act of mercy , and self-preservation ; if ye had known what this meaneth , i will have mercy and not sacrifice , ye would not have condemned the guiltless . and the reason is the same as to any instrumental part of religion , by which i mean any thing which may be a means to promote piety and goodness ; as prayer , hearing the word of god , keeping good company , and avoiding bad ; the duties of this kind , our saviour here in the text ( where he likewise applies this rule ) compares with moral duties . to avoid the company of vicious and wicked persons , is a good means to preserve men from the contagion of their vices , and was always esteemed a duty among prudent men , both jews and heathens , and is in no wise disallowed by our saviour : but yet not so a duty , as to hinder a greater duty , nor so strictly and perversely to be insisted upon , as if one ought not to converse with bad men in any case , or upon any account , no not for so great and good an end as to reclaim them from their vices . in this case we ought to consider , that our first and highest obligation is to moral duties , comprehended under the love of god and our neighbour ; among which one of the chief is to do good to men , and to shew mercy and pity to those that are in misery ; and the greatest good that one man can do to another , is to be instrumental to reclaim him from the evil and error of his way ; because this is to save his soul from death ; and we cannot imagine that god ever intended , by any rule of prudence , or positive constitution of the jewish law , so to forbid their accompaning with bad and scandalous men , that it should be unlawful to converse with them in order to their recovery and amendment ; go ye and learn what that meaneth , i will have mercy and not sacrifice . and st. paul was of the same mind in the precepts he gives concerning avoiding the company of scandalous christians , thes . . , . and if any man obey not our word by this epistle , note that man , and have no company with him , that he may be ashamed ; yet count him not as an enemy , but admonish him as a brother . st. paul qualifies his precept , lest christians should mistake it , and fall into the jewish extream , not to converse with those whom they esteemed scandalous and wicked upon any account whatsoever , no not in order to their amendment and reformation . the bond of intimacy and friendship with bad men ought to be broken ; and yet the bond of common humanity may be as strong as ever . it is one thing to discountenance bad men , to bring them to shame , and a sense of their fault ; and quite another thing to abandon them to ruin ; and even in case of notorious heresie , or wickedness of life , it is one thing to cut them off from the society and communion of christians ; and quite another , to cut them off from humane society , to cut their throats , and to extirpate them out of the world. and yet the matter was carried thus far by the furious zeal of the jews , when christianity first appeared in the world ; they thought that no mercy in such cases was the best service that could be done , and the best sacrifice that could be offered to almighty god ; and this pattern hath been since , not only closely followed , but out-done by the doctrines and practices of the church of rome ; as we have too much reason to remember upon * this day . but to proceed in the farther explication of the text , the meaning whereof in short is this ; that the ritual and instrumental parts of religion , and all laws and duties concerning them , are of less value and esteem with god , than those which are of a moral nature , especially the great duties and offices of piety and humanity , of the love of god , and of our neighbour . and if we consider the matter well , we shall see the reason of it to be very plain ; because natural and moral duties are approved of god for themselves and for their own sake , upon account of their own natural and intrinsical goodness ; but the ritual and instrumental parts of religion , are only pleasing to god in order to these , and so far as they tend to beget and promote them in us ; they are not naturally good in themselves , but are instituted and appointed by god for the sake of the other ; and therefore great reason there is that they should be subordinate , and give way to them , when they come in competition with one another . for this is a known rule , which takes place in all laws , that laws of less importance should give way to those that are of greater ; quoties leges ex circumstanti● colliduntur , ita ut utraque servari non potest , servanda est lex potior . when ever two laws happen to be in such circumstances as to clash with one another , so that both of them cannot be observed , that law which is better and of greater consequence is to be kept . and tully gives much the same rule in this matter . in comparing of laws ( says he ) we are to consider which law is most useful , and just , and reasonable to be observed . from whence it will follow , that when two laws , or more , or how many soever they be , cannot be observed , because they clash with one another ; ea maxime conservanda putetur , quae ad maximas res pertinere videatur . it is reasonable that that law should be observed , which is of greatest moment and concernment . by what hath been said , we may learn what is the meaning of this saying , which our saviour more than once cites out of the prophet , i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . from the words thus explained , i shall take occasion to prosecute the two propositions which i mentioned before ; namely , first , that natural religion is the foundation of instituted and revealed religion . secondly , that no instituted religion was ever designed to take away the obligation of natural duties ; but is intended to establish and confirm them . and both these are sufficiently grounded in the reason of our saviour's discourse from this rule , i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . i. that natural religion is the foundation of instituted and revealed religion , and all revealed religion does suppose , and take for granted , the clear and undoubted principles and precepts of natural religion , and builds upon them . by natural religion , i mean obedience to the natural law , and the performance of such duties as natural light , without any express and supernatural revelation , doth dictate to men. these lye at the bottom of all religion , and are the great and fundamental duties which god requires of all mankind ; as , that we should love god , and behave our selves reverently towards him ; that we should believe his revelations ; and testifie our dependance upon him , by imploring his aid and direction in all our necessities and distresses ; and acknowledge our obligations to him for all the blessings and benefits which we receive ; that we should moderate our appetites , in reference to the pleasures and enjoyments of this world , and use them temperately and chastly ; that we should be just and upright in all our dealings with one another ; true to our word , and faithful to our trust ; and in all our words and actions observe that equity towards others , which we desire they should use towards us ; that we should be kind , and charitable , merciful , and compassionate one towards another ; ready to do good to all , and apt not only to pity , but to relieve them in their misery and necessity . these , and such like , are those which we call moral duties ; and they are of eternal and perpetual obligation , because they do naturally oblige , without any particular and express revelation from god. and these are the foundation of revealed and instituted religion , and all revealed religion does suppose them , and build upon them ; for all revelation from god , supposeth us to be men , and alters nothing of those duties to which we were naturally obliged before . and this will clearly appear , if we consider these three things ; first , that the scripture every where speaks of these , as the main and fundamental duties of the jewis● religion . secondly , that no instituted service of god , no positive part of religion , was ever acceptable to him , when these were neglected . thirdly , that the great design of the christian religion , was to restore and reinforce the practice of the natural law. . that the scripture every where speaks of these as the main and fundamental duties of the jewish religion . when our saviour was ask'd , which was the first and great commandment of the law ; he answered , thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy strength ; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . one would have expected he would have given quite another answer , and have pitched upon some of those things which were so much magnified among the jews , and which they laid so much weight upon ; that he should have instanced in sacrifice , or circumcision , or the law of the sabbath : but he overlooks all these as inconsiderable in comparision , and instances only in those two great heads of moral duty , the love of god , and our neighbour ; which are of natural and perpetual obligation , and comprehend under them all other moral duties . and these are those which our saviour calls the law and the prophets , and which he says he came not to destroy , but to fulfill , mat. . , , , . think not that i am come to destroy the law or the prophets . i am not come to destroy ; but to fulfill : for verily i say unto you , 'till heaven and earth pass , one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law , 'till all be fulfilled . whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be call'd the least in the kingdom of heaven ; but whosoever shall do and teach them , the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven . for i say unto you , that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven . that our saviour doth not here speak of the judicial or ceremonial law of the jews , but of the duties of the moral law , will , i think , be very plain , from these following considerations . first , that the judicial or ceremonial laws of the jews were to pass away , and did so , not long after ; but this law , which our saviour speaks of , was to be perpetual and immutable ; for he tells us , that heaven and earth should pass away , but one jot or one title of this law should not pass . secondly , the observation of the law our saviour speaks of , consisted in such things as the scribes and pharisees neglected ; for he tells his disciples , upon this occasion , that except their righteousness did exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , they should in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven . but now the scribes and pharisees were the most accurate and punctual people in the world , in observing the precepts of the judicial and ceremonial law ; they were so far from taking away any thing from these observances , that they had added to them , and enlarged them , by innumerable traditions of their own ; so exact were they , that they would pay tithe of mint , and anise , and cummin , as our saviour observes ; but then they were extreamly defective in moral duties ; they were unnatural to their parents , and would pretend that their estates were consecrated to god , that under this pretence of positive religion , they might excuse themselves from a natural duty , and let their parents starve for god's sake ; they were covetous , and unjust , and devoured widows houses ; in a word , our saviour tells us , they neglected the weightier matters of the law , mercy , judgment , and the love of god , and keeping faith with men ; so that it is in these things , that our saviour means , that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , viz. in the practice of moral duties , which were neglected by them ; and consequently 't is the moral law which our saviour came to confirm and establish . thirdly , if we consider the instances which our saviour gives in his following discourse , by which we may best judge what he means . he instances in murder , and adultery , and perjury , which are undoubtedly forbidden by the natural law ; and then he i●stances in several permissions which were indulged to them for the hardness of their hearts , but yet did intrench upon the dictates of right reason , and the first and original constitution of things ; as the permission of divorce upon every slight occasion , and of revenge , and retaliation of injuries . fourthly , if we consider , that by the law and the prophets , our saviour means that which was principally designed and ultimately intended by them ; which was the observation of moral duties ; which as they were written in the two tables by the immediate finger of god himself , so are chiefly inculcated by the prophe●s . and so we find this phrase of the law and the prophets , elsewhere used by our saviour , when he mentions that great rule of equity , that we should do to others as we would have them do to us . matth. . . therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and the prophets . but how was this the law and the prophets , when this rule was never so much as mentioned in either ? our saviour means , that this is the foundation of all those duties of justice and mercy , which are so much inculcated in the law and the prophets . so that our saviour makes the observation of moral duties to be the principal design of the jewish law , and as it were the foundation of it ; and therefore he calls moral duties , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the weightier matters of the law , matth. . . but ye ( says he to the scribes and pharisees ) have neglected the weightier things of the law , judgment , and mercy , and fidelity . the scribes and pharisees busied themselves chiefly about ritual observances ; but our saviour tells them , that those other were the most considerable and important duties of the law , and lay at the bottom of the jewish religion . and much the same enumeration the prophet makes , where he compares sacrifices and these moral duties together , mic. . , , . wherewith ●hall i come before the lord , and bow my self before the high god ? shall i come before him with burnt offerings , with calves of a year old ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? shall i give my first born for my transgression , the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? he had required sacrifices , but had no regard to them in comparison with these . ii. no instituted service of god , no positive part of religion whatsoever , was ever acceptable to god , when moral duties were neglected ; nay , so far from being acceptable to him , that he rejects them with disdain and abhorrence . to this purpose there are almost innumerable passages in the prophets . isa . . . &c. to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me ? when ye come to appear before me , who hath required this at your hands , to tread my courts ? bring no more vain oblations ; incense is an abomination to me ; the new moons and sabbaths , the calling of assemblies , i cannot away with ; it is iniquity , even the solemn meeting , and when ye spread forth your hands , i will hide mine eyes from you ; when ye make many prayers i will not hear . what is the reason of all this ? because they were defective in the moral duties of religion ; so it follows ; your hands are full of blood , wash ye , make ye clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes , cease to do evil , learn to do well ; seek judgment , relieve the oppressed , judge the fatherless , plead for the widow ; come now and let us reason together , saith the lord ; implying that till they had respect to moral duties , all their external worship and sacrifices signified nothing . and so likewise , isa . . . he tells them that nothing could be more abomible than their sacrifices , so long as they allowed themselves in wicked practises ; he that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man ; he that sacrificeth a lamb , as if he cut off a dog's neck ; he that offereth an oblation , as if he offered swine's blood ; and he that burneth incense , as if he blessed an idol ; yea , they have chosen their own ways , and their soul delighteth in their abominations . and to mention but one text more out of the old testament , jer. . , . trust ye not in lying words , saying , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord are these . throughly amend your ways and your doings , throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour ; oppress ●ot the stranger , the fatherless and the widow , and shed not innocent blood . if they did not practise these duties , and forbear those sins , all the reverence for the temple and the worship of god signified nothing . you see in the jewish religion what it was that was acceptable to god for it self and its own sake , viz. the practice of moral duties ; and that all instituted religion , that did not promote and further these , or was destitute of them , was abominable to god. and under the gospel our saviour prefers a moral duty before any gift we can offer to god , and will have it to take place , mat. . , . if thou bring thy gift unto the altar , and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee , leave there thy gift before the altar , and go thy way , first be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . but it should seem by this , and what ha●h been said before , that god prefers goodness and righteousness to men , before his own worship ; and obedience to the precepts of the second table , before obedience to those of the first . but this does but seem so ; all that can be collected from this passage of our saviour , or any thing that hath been already said , are only these two things . . that god prefers the practice of the moral duties of the second table , before any instituted worship , such as sacrif●ce was ; and before obedience to the laws of religion , which are meerly positive , tho' they do immediately concern the worship of god. . that if we neglect the duties of the second table , of goodness and righteousness towards men , god will not accept of our obedience to the precepts of the first , nor of any act of religious worship that we can perform . this our saviour means , when he says , leave there thy gift before the altar , first be reconciled to thy brother , then come and offer thy gift ; intimating , that so long as we bear a revengeful mind towards our brethren , god will not accept of any gift or sacrifice that we can offer to him ; or indeed of any act of religious worship that we can perform . thirdly , the great design of the christian religion is to restore and reinforce the practice of the natural law , or which is all one , of moral duties ; and therefore our saviour begins his first sermon , by promising blessedness to the practice of these duties ; of purity , and meekness , and righteousness , and peaceableness , and mercifulness , and patience , and submission to the will of god under persecutions and sufferings for righteousness sake ; and tells us ( as i shew'd before ) that he came not to release men from the practice of these duties , but to oblige them thereto more effectually ; and that as these were the law and the prophets , that is , the main duties and the foundation of the jewish religion , so were they much more to be so of the christian . this the scriptures of the new testament do every where declare to be the great design of the gospel , and the christian religion , to instruct us in these duties , and to engage us effectually to the practice of them . in that known and excellent text , tit. . , ● the grace of god ( which is in and by the doctrine of the gospel ) hath appeared to all men , teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldy lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godlily in this present world . and herein st. james tell us , the true nature , and the force and vertue of the christian religion doth consist , jam. . . pure religion , and undefiled before god and the father is this , to visit the fatherless and the widows in their ●ffliction , and to keep our selves unspotted from the world. and chap. . . the wisdom which is from above ( that is , that heavenly and divine knowledge revealed to us by the gospel ) hath these properties , and is apt to produce these effects ; it is first pure , and then peaceable , gentle , and easie to be intreated , full of mercy , and of good fruits . and the planting of these dispositions in us is that which the scripture calls the new creature , and the image of god , eph. . , &c. the apostle speaking there of the vices and lusts wherein the gentiles lived , tells christians that they were otherwise instructed by the gospel ; but ye have not so learned christ , if so be that ye have heard him , and have been taught by him , as the truth is in jesus , that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is cor●upt according to deceitful lusts , and be renewed in the spirit of your mind , and that ye put on the new man , which after god is created in righteousness , and true holiness , or , ( as the words perhaps may better be rendred ) in the holiness of truth ; for it immediately follows , wherefore putting away lying , speak every man truth with his neighbour . and this is that which the apostle elsewhere makes to be all in all in the christian religion . in christ jesus , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature , gal. . . which the apostle in the chapter before expresseth thus ; in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision , but faith which worketh ( or is inspired ) by charity . and yet more expresly , cor. . . circumcision is nothing , and uncircumcision is nothing ; but the keeping of the commandments of god. by the comparing of which texts , it appears , that the main thing in christianity , is the practice of moral duties , and this is the new creature , and this the proper effect of the christian faith to produce these virtues in us . and indeed , the great design of the christian religion and every thing in it , of the love of god in giving his son to die for us , of the pardon of our sins , and justification in his blood , of all the promises and threatnings of the gospel , and of the assistance therein promised , is to engage , and encourage and enable to the practice of mora● duties . and thus i have done with the first thing i proposed to speak to , namely , that natural religion is the foundation of instituted and revealed religion ; and all revealed religion does suppose it , and builds upon it . i proceed to the second , namely , that no revealed and instituted religion was ever designed to take away the obligation of natural duties , but was intended to confirm and establish them . and this also will be evident , if we consider these three things . . that all revealed religion calls men to the practice of natural duties . thus the jewish religion did . the first laws which god gave them , and which h● distinguish'd from the rest , by writing them in tables of stone with his own finger , were the precepts of the moral law. and the great business of the prophets whom god raised up among them from time to time , was to reprove not so much their defects in their sacrifices , and in the duties of instituted worship , as the breach of the natural law by their vices and immoralities ; and to threaten them with the judgments of god , if they did not reform and amend these faults . and now under the gospel , the preceptive part of it is almost wholly made up of moral duties , namely , those which are comprehended under those two great commandments , of the love of god , and our neighbour . in the christian religion there is very little that is meerly positive and instituted , besides the two sacraments , and praying to god in the name and mediation of jesus christ . . the most prefect revelation that ever god made to mankind ( i mean that of the christian religion ) doth furnish us with the best helps and advantages for the performance of moral duties ; it discovers our duty more clearly to us ; it offers us the greatest assistance to enable us to the performance of it ; it presents us with the most powerful motives and arguments to engage us thereto ; so that this revelation of the gospel is so far from weakning the obligation of natural duties , that it confirms and strengthens it , and urgeth us more forcibly to the practice of them . . the positive rites and institutions of revealed religion are so far from entrenching upon the laws of nature , that they were always designed to be subordinate and subservient to them ; and when ever they come in competition , it is the declared will of god , that positive institutions should give way to natural duties ; and this i have shewn to be plainly the meaning of this saying in the text , i will have mercy , and not sacrifice . if circumstances be such , that one part of religion must give place , god will have the ritual and instituted part to give way to that which is natural and moral . it is very frequent in scripture , when the duties of natural religion , and rites of divine institution come in competition , to slight and disparage these in comparison of moral duties , and to speak of them as things which god hath no pleasure in , and which in comparison of the other he will hardly own that he hath commanded . when ye come to appear before me , who hath required this at your hands ? isa . . . thou desirest not sacrifice , thou delightest not in burnt-offerings , psal . . . will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , or ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? he hath shewn thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy ? but god no where makes any comparison to the disadvantage of natural duties ; he never derogated from them in any case ; he never said he would have such a thing , and not mercy , or that he had rather such a rite of religion should be performed , than that men should do the greatest good , and shew the greatest charity to one another . it is no where made a question , will the lord be pleased that we deal justly every man with his neighbour , and speak the truth one to another ? that we be kind and tender-hearted , and ready to forgive ? that we be willing to distribute and give alms to those that are in need ? there is no such question as this put in scripture ; nay it is positive in these matters , that with such sacrifices god is well pleased . i instance in this vertue more especially of kindness and compassion , because it is one of the prime instances of moral duties ; as sacrifice is put for all the ritual and instituted part of religion ; and this disposition of mind our saviour makes the root of all moral duties ; love is the fulfilling of the law ; and the apostle speaks of it as the great end and scope of the gospel ; the end of the commandment is charity . and this temper and disposition of mind he advanceth above knowledge , and faith , and hope ; the greatest of these is charity ; and without this , he will not allow a man to be any thing in christianity ; this he makes our highest perfection and attainment , and that which abides and remains in the future state ; charity never fails . this our saviour most effectually recommends to us , both in his doctrine , and by his example ; this he presseth as the peculiar law of his religion , and the proper mark and character of a disciple . this he requires us to exercise towards those who practice the contrary towards us ; to love our enemies , and to do good to them that hate us . and of this , he hath given us the greatest example that ever was ; when we were enemies to him , he loved us so as hardly ever any man did his friend , so as to lay down his life for us ; and he instituted the sacrament for a memorial of his love to mankind , and to put us in mind how we ought to love one another . and now the application of what hath been said upon this argument , to the occasion of this day , is very obvious , and there are two very natural inferences from it . first , from what hath been said upon this argument , it plainly appears what place natural and moral duties ought to have in the christian religion ; and of all natural duties , mercy , and goodness . this is so primary a duty of humane nature , so great and considerable a part of religion , that all positive institutions must give way to it , and nothing of that kind can cancel the obligation of it , nor justifie the violation of this great and natural law. our blessed saviour in his religion hath declared nothing to the prejudice of it ; but on the contrary , hath heightned our obligation to it , as much as is possible , by telling us that the son of man came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them . so that they know not what manner of spirit they are of , who will kill men to do god service ; and to advance his cause and religion in the world , will break through all obligations of nature , and civil society , and disturb the peace and happiness of mankind . nor did our saviour by any thing in his religion design to release men from the obligation of natural and civil duties . he had ( as one would imagine ) as much power as the pope ; but yet he deposed none of the princes of this world , nor did absolve their subjects from their fidelity and obedience to them , for their opposition to his religion ; he assumed no such power to himself ( no not in ordine ad spiritualia ) nor , that ever we read of , did he give it to any other . whence then comes his pretended vicar to have this authority ? and yet the horrid attempt of this day was first designed , and afterwards carried on , in prosecution of the popes bull of excommunication , and was not so much the effect of the despair and discontent of that party here in england , as the natural consequence of their doctrines of extirpating hereticks , and deposing kings , and absolving subjects from their allegiance to them . no zeal for any positive institution in religion , can justifie the violation of the natural law , the precepts whereof are of primary and indispensable obligation . the pope's supremacy is not so clear , as the duty of obedience to civil government ; nor is transubstantiation so plainly revealed in scripture , as it is both in nature and scripture , that we should do no murder . and yet how many thousands have been put to death , because they could not understand this hardword , and believe this impossible thing ! and yet if the supremacy of the pope were clearly of divine right , and the doctrine of transubstantiation as plain as the institution of the sacrament ; yet these being but positive matters in religion , there would be no reason to kill men for not understanding and believing these things ; nay it would be contrary to religion to do it ; because the law of mercy and humanity , which is the law of nature , ought not to be violated for the promoting of any positive institution ; and god hath plainly said , that he will have mercy rather than sacrifice ; yea rather than the sacrifice of the mass , if it were what they pretend it is , the offering of the natural body and bloo● of christ ; because it would be needless : for propitiation of sin being once made by christ's offering himself once for all upon the cross , there needs no more sacrifice for sin. nay , i will go further yet ; i had rather never administer the sacrament , nor ever receive it , than take away any man's life about it ; because the sacrament is but a positive rite and institution of the christian religion , and god prefers mercy , which is a duty of natural religion , before any rite or institution whatsoever . besides , that all acts of malice and cruelty are directly contrary to the particular nature and design of this blessed sacrament , which is to commemorate the sufferings of the son of god , for our sakes , and to give us an example of the greatest love that ever was , and thereby to excite us to the imitation of it . . what hath been said gives us a right notion and character of that church and religion , which prefers the positive rites and institutions of religion , and the observance of them , to those duties which are of natural and eternal obligation , mercy and goodness , fidelity and justice ; and which for the sake of a pretended article of religion , or rite of worship , ( which if it were certain that they were revealed , and instituted by god are yet meerly positive ) will break the greatest of god's commandments , and teach men so . it is too plain to be denyed , that the principles and precepts of natural religion were never so effectually undermined , and the morality of the christian religion never so intolerably corrupted and debauched , by any thing that ever yet had the face of religion in the world , as by the allowed doctrines and practices of the church of rome , and this out of a blind and furious zeal for some imaginary doctrines and rites of the christian religion , which at the best are of meer positive institution , and of the same rank among christians , that sacrifices were in the jewish religion . for which we need go no further for an instance , than in the occasion of th●s day 's solemnity ; upon which day , ( about fourscore years ago ) there was designed a mighty sacrifice indeed , the greatest and richest burnt-offering that ever was pretended to be offered up to almighty god , by those of any religion whatsoever ; not the blood of bulls and goats , but of king , and princes , and nobles , more in value , than thousands of rams , and ten thousands of rivers of oyl , than all the beasts of the forrest , and the cattle upon a thousand hills . here was a prodigious sacrifice indeed ; but where was mercy ? the thing god chiefly desires , and which above all other things is acceptable to him ; no mercy , not even to those of their own religion , whom these nice and tender casuists , after a solemn debate of the case , had resolved to involve in the same common destruction with the rest ; rather no mercy , than that this sacrificewhich their mad zeal had prompted them to , should be omitted . to conclude , they that can do such inhumane things , and think them to be religion , do not understand the nature of it , but had need to be taught the first rudiments of natural religion ; that natural duties are not to be violated upon pretence , no , nor for the sake of positive institutions ; because natural religion is the foundation of that which is instituted ; and therefore to violate any natural duty for the sake of that which is instituted , is for religion to undermine and blow up it self . let those who do such things , and teach men so , go and learn what that meaneth ; i will have mercy and not sacrifice . sermon iii. christianity doth not destroy , but perfect the law of moses . matthew . v. . think not that i am come to destroy the law or the prophets . i am not come to destroy ; but to fulfil . there is no saying in the whole gospel , which the jews did so frequently object to the christians , as this of our blessed saviour , as if his words and actions were plainly repugnant , and contrary to one another : for when it is evident , say they , that he took away so many ceremonies , purifications , distinctions of meats , sacrifices , judicial laws , and many other things ; yet he says , he came not to destroy the law or the prophets ; so that it is plain , that he did throw down the law of moses , and in so doing contradicted his own saying , that he did not intend to destroy the law. to clear our saviour's words of this objection , it will be requ●site to consider the scope and design of his discourse in this chapter , by which we shall fully understand the sence and meaning of these words in the text. our saviour in this sermon , ( which contains the sum and substance of his religion ) doth earnestly recommend to his disciples and followers , and strictly enjoyns the perfect practice of all goodness and virtue , declaring to them , that he came to bring in and establish that righteousness , which the jewish religion indeed aimed at , but through the weakness and imperfection of that dispensation , was not able to effect and accomplish . and to take away all suspicion of a design , to contradict the former revelations of god , made to the jews by moses and the prophets or to destroy their divine authority , by carrying on a design contrary to them , i say , to prevent any imagination of this kind , he does here in the text expresly declare the contrary ; think not , &c. intimating that some either did , or at least might be apt to suspect , that his design was to destroy the obligation of the law , and to undermine the authority of moses and the prophets ; to free them from this jealousie , he declares plainly , that he had no such thought and intention , it was far from him . i am not come to destroy , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to abrogate or dissolve the law , to encourage men to the breach and violation of it ; for the word is of the same sense with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , at the . ver . whosoever shall break one of these least commandments ; and with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , do we then make void the law by faith ? which is the same question with that of the same apostle , gal. . . is the law then against the promises of god ? that is , are the law and the gospel contrary ? do they contradict one another ? so that the meaning of our saviour's declaration is this , that he was not come to dissolve , and abrogate , and make void the law , or to encourage men to the breach of it ; that the precepts of his religion were in no wise contrary to those of the law and the prophets , did not thwart and oppose them , or any ways contradict the main design and intention of the law and the prophets , that is , of the jewish religion ; for so the law and the prophets do frequently signifie , mat. . . therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and the prophets ; that is , this is the main scope and intention of what your religion , contained in the law and the prophets , teacheth , concerning your duty to one another . so likewise , mat. . . on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets ; that is , this is the sum of all the duties of religion ; to these two laws , all that the jewish religion teacheth , may be refer'd . i am not come to destroy ; but to fulfill ; to carry on the same design which was intended by the jewish religion , and to perfect and accomplish it ; to supply all the defects and weaknesses and imperfections of that dispensation ; this is the plain meaning of this caution and declaration of our saviours ; think not , &c. for the clearing of this matter , viz. that the design of our saviour's doctrine and religion , is not contrary to those former revelations , which god made to the jews by moses and the prophets ; this will evidently appear , whether we consider the prophesies and predictions of the old testament , or the laws and precepts therein contained . first , the prophesies and predictions of the old testament ; our saviour came not to contradict and overthrow these ; but to fulfill them . the chief predictions of the law and the prophets were concerning the messias , and his spiritual kingdom . in the law it was foretold , that god would raise to them a prophet like unto moses , whom they ought to hear and obey ; and to him all the prophets of the old testament gave witness , foretelling the time of his coming , his extraction , the manner and circumstances of his birth , the purity and efficacy of his doctrine , the actions and miracles of his life , his passion , death , and burial , with the particular circumstances of them , his resurrection from the dead , and his ascension into heaven , and exaltation at the right hand of god ; so that this part of the law and prophets he did accomplish and fulfill in a most eminent and remarkable manner ; all things that the prophets had foretold concerning the messias , were punctually made good in the person , and actions , and sufferings of our saviour . secondly , as to the laws and precepts of the jewish religion , the doctrine and the laws of christianity did not clash with them , nor properly abrogate them , and make them void , especially as to the moral precepts , which were the very life and spirit , the ultimate scope and design of that religion ; nay , so far was it from doing so , that the main and proper intention of christianity , was to clear and establish that , which was the main design of the law and prophets , to perfect the law in this part , and to raise and advance morality to its highest pitch , to supply all the defects and imperfections of the jewish religion , and to make men much better than that weak and imperfect institution was able to do . this was the great design of christianity , and it is very probable that our saviour had a principal , if not a sole respect to the precepts of the moral law , when he here says , that he came not to destroy the law and the prophets ; but to perfect and fulfill them ; as i shall have occasion by and by to shew more at large . but that we may give a full answer to the objection of the jews against this saying of our saviour's , i shall shew that he did not come to thwart and contradict , and properly to abrogate and make void the jewish law , in any part of it , neither the civil and judicial , nor the ritual and ceremonial , much less the moral and natural precepts of it . this is more than i think to be absolutely necessary , to reconcile this saying of our saviour with the rest of his doctrine and actions ; for tho' he had properly abrogated the ceremonial law , and in no sence fulfill'd it ; yet , notwithstanding this , it may be true , that he came not to destroy the law and the prophets ; that is , to destroy the obligation of moral duties , which he speaks of in this chapter , and elsewhere declares to be the ultimate scope , the sum and substance of the law and the prophets . for if the ceremonial law was not designed by god to be perpetual , but to give way to a more perfect dispensation ; then our saviour did no way thwart and contradict the law and the prophets , by abrogating the ceremonial law , at that time , when god designed that a period should be put to it . but yet for the fuller satisfaction to this objection , i shall shew that our saviour did not properly abrogate any part of the jewish law , no not the ritual and ceremonial part of it ; but did fulfill it . first , not their civil and judicial laws . these , in the original intention of them , were not laws designed for mankind , but suited and fitted to the disposition and temper , the condition and circumstances of a particular people and nation ; to these our saviour taught obedience , and paid it himself , and never did any thing contrary to them , nor in the least weaken the obligation of them ; but they continued in full force , 'till that nation and commonwealth was dissolved . so that these laws were no way impeached or abrogated by the christian religion ; but they fell , for want of a subject to exercise their power upon , and because the people that were to be governed by them were destroyed or dissipated ! and tho' they neither are , nor ever were obligatory to other nations , as given by moses , and as they were the peculiar laws of a particular nation ; yet the natural reason and equity of them , so far as it concerned mankind , is duly considered and regarded by us , and many of these laws are adopted into the laws of most christian nations . it is plain then , that this part of the jewish law received no prejudice by christianity , but continued in full force , so long as that nation and commonwealth lasted , which was to be governed by it . secondly , as to the ritual and ceremonial part of the jewish law , which consisted in circumcision , and purifications , and sacrifices , in distinction of meats , and times , and innumerable other rites and observances ; this was not properly abrogated and made void by the coming of christ , but fulfill'd and made good by him . the rites and ceremonies of the law , were the types and shadows of those future good things which were promised under the gospel , a kind of rude draught of a better and more perfect institution , which was designed , and at last fin●sht and perfected by the christian religion . this account the apostle gives of the legal rites and observances , col. . , . let nb ma●● judge you in meat or in drink , or in respect of a holy day , or of the new moon , or of the sabbath days , which are a shadow of things to come , b●t the body is of christ ; that is , he is the substance and reality of all those things , which were sh●dowed and figured by those legal observances , and so the apostle to the heb. calls the priests and sacrifices of the law , the examples and shadows of heavenly things , chap. . . and so chap. . . the law having a shadow of good things to come , and not the very image of the things , that is , being but an obscure type , and not a perfect representation of the blessings and benefits of the gospel , which we now have in truth and reality . now reason will tell us , that the laws concerning these types and shadows , were only to continue 'till the substance of the things signified by them should come , and that they would be of no longer use , when that more perfect institution , which was figured by them , should take place , and then they would expire , and become void of themselves , because the reason and use of them ceasing , they must necessarily fall . but they did not expire immediately upon the coming of christ , and therefore he himself submitted to these laws , so long as they continued in force ; he was circumcised , and presented in the temple , and performed all other rites required by the law , that first covenant to which these laws and ordinances belonged , continuing in force , 'till the ratification of the second covenant by the death of christ , and then these laws expired , or rather were fulfill'd , and had their accomplishment in the sacrifice of christ , which made all the sacrifices and other rites of the jewish religion needless , and of no use for the future ; christ having by this one sacrifice of himself , perfected for ever them that are sanctified , as the same apostle speaks , heb. . . so that christ did not properly abrogate and repeal those ritual and ceremonial laws ; but they having continued as long as they were designed to do , and there was any use of them , they abated and ceased of themselves . and that the death of christ was the time of their expiration , because then the new covenant took place , st. paul expresly tells us , eph. . . having abolisht or voided in his flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances ; and this v. . he is said to have done by his cross ; and more plainly , col. . . blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances , which was against us , and took it out of the way , nailing it to his cross . so that you see that even the ceremonial law was not so properly abrogated by the sacrifice and death of christ , but rather had its accomplishment , and attained its end in the sacrifice of christ , which by the eternal efficacy of it to the expiation of sin , and the purifying of our consciences , hath made all the sacrifices and washings , and other rites of the ceremonial law , for ever needless and superfluous . thirdly , but especially as to the moral law , and those precepts which are of natural and perpetual obligation , our saviour did not come either to dissolve , or to lessen and slacken the obligation of them . and of this i told you our saviour doth principally , if not solely speak here in the text , as will appear to any one that shall attentively consider the scope of his discourse . in the beginning of his sermon , he promiseth blessing to those , and those only who were endowed with those virtues which are required by the precepts of the moral law , or comprehended in them ; and then he tells them , that christians must be very eminent and conspicuous for the practice of them , v. . let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good works , and glorifie your father which is in heaven ; and then he cautions them not to entertain any such imagination , as if he intended to dissolve the obligation of the law , and to free men from the practice of moral duties , which probably some might have suggested against him ; think not that i am come to destroy the law and the prophets ; as if he had said , you cannot entertain any such conceit , if you consider that the precepts which i inculcate upon you , and those virtues , the practice whereof i recommend to you , are the same which are contained in the law and the prophets . so that i am so far from crossing the main design of the law and the prophets , and taking away the obligation of moral duties enjoyned by the jewish religion , that i come purposely to carry on the same design to further perfection , to give a more perfect and clear law , and to give a greater enforcement and encouragement to the practice of moral duties ; these were always the sum and substance of religion , the ultimate design of the law and the prophets , and therefore i am so far from discharging men from the obligation of the moral precepts of the law , that i come to bind them more strongly upon you . and verily i say unto you , that is , i solemnly declare , that whosoever shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven ; that is , he shall in no wise enter therein . you think the scribes and pharisees very pious and excellent men , and to have attained to a high pitch of righteousness ; but i say unto you , that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven . and then he instanceth in several precepts of the moral law , which in the letter of them , especially as they were interpreted by the teachers of the law among the jews , were very much short of that righteousness and perfection which he now requires of his disciples and followers . so that his whole discourse is about precepts and obligations of the moral law , and not a word concerning the ritual and ceremonial law ; which makes me very prone to think , that our saviour's meaning in the text is this , that his religion was so far from thwarting and opposing that which was the main design of the law and the prophets , that is , of the jewish religion , that the principal intention of christianity was to advance the practice of goodness and virtue , by strengthning the obligation of moral duties , and giving us a more perfect law and rule of life , and offering better arguments , and greater encouragements to the obedience of this law. therefore for the fuller explication and illustration of this matter , i shall endeavour to clear these three points . first , that the main and ultimate design of the law and the prophets , was to engage men to the practice of moral duties , that is , of real and substantial goodness . secondly , that the law of moses , or the dispensation of the jewish religion , was comparatively very weak , and insufficient to this purpose . thirdly , that the christian religion hath supplied all the defects , and weaknesses and imperfections of that dispensation ; these three particulars will fully clear our saviour's meaning in this text. first , that the main and ultimate design of the law and the prophets , was to engage men to the practice of moral duties ; that is , of real and substantial goodness , consisting in those virtues which our saviour mentions at the beginning of this sermon ; humility , and meekness , and mercy , and righteousness , and purity , and peaceableness . this our saviour more than once tells us was the sum and substance , the main scope and design of the whole doctrine of the law and the prophets . mat. . . therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you , do ye even so unto them , for this is the law and the prophets . and mat. . . that the love of god and our neighbour , those two great commands , to which all moral duties are reduced , are the two great hinges of the jewish religion , on these two hang all the law and the prophets . st. paul calls love , the fulfilling of the whole law , rom. . . st. james , the perf●ct and the royal law , as that which hath a soveraign influence upon all parts of religion . and therefore the apostle rom. . . tells us , that this more perfect righteousness which was brought in by the gospel , or the christian religion , is witnessed by the law and the prophets . and indeed the prophets every where do slight and undervalue the ritual and ceremonial part of religion , in comparison of the practice of moral duties . isa . . . to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me ? bring no more vain oblations , your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth . but what then are the things that are acceptable to god ? he tells us at the th ver . wash ye , make you clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes , cease to do evil , learn to do well ; seek judgment , relieve the oppressed , judge the fatherless , plead for the widow . and by the prophet jeremiah god tells that people , that the business of sacrifices was not the thing primarily designed by god , but obedience to the moral law ; the ritual law came in upon occasion , for the prevention of idolatry , and by way of condescention to the temper of that people ; and thus maimonides and the learned jews understand these words , jer. . , . i spake not unto your fathers , nor commanded them in the day that i brought them out of the land of egypt , concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices ; but this thing commanded i them , saying , obey my voice , and walk in all the ways that i have commanded , and i will be your god , and ye shall be my people . so likewise in the prophet hosea , god plainly prefers the moral before the ritual part of religion , as that which was principally designed and intended by him , hos . . . i desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of god more than burnt-offerings ; but most plainly and expresly , mich. . . wherewith shall i come before the lord ? shall i come before him with burnt-offerings ? wi● the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , and ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do ●ustly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? these it seems were the great things which god stood upon and required of men even under that imperfect dispensation ; and these are the very things which the christian religion doth so strictly enjoyn and command ; so that this righteousness which the gospel requires , was witnessed to by the law and the prophets . i proceed to the second point , that the law of moses , or the dispensation of the jewish religion , was comparatively very weak , and insufficient to make men truly good , and for the promoting of real and inward righteousness ; it gave laws indeed to this purpose , but those not so clear and perfect , or at least not so clearly understood , as they are now under the gospel ; and it made no express promises of inward grace , and assistance , to quicken and strengthen us in the doing of our duty ; it made no explicit promises of any blessing and reward to the doing of our duty beyond this life ; so that the best and most powerful arguments and encouragements to obedience , were either wholly wanting , or very obscurely revealed under this dispensation . and this insufficiency of the jewish dispensation , both to our justification and sanctification , to the reconciling of us to god , and the making of us really good , the apostle frequently inculcates in the new testament ; st. paul , acts . , . be it known unto you therefore , men and brethren , that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins , and by him all that believe are justified , from all those things , from which ye could not be justified by the law of moses ; and rom. . . what the law could not do , in that it was weak through the flesh ; that is , by reason of the carnality of that dispensation , consisting in the purification of the body . gal. . . he calls it a law unfit to give life ; if there had been a law which could have given life , verily righteousness had been by the law. and the apostle to the hebrews , ch. . , , , &c. finds fault with the dispensation of the law , for the lowness and meanness of its promises , being only of temporal good things ; and for want of conferring an inward and a powerful principle to enable men to obedience ; but now hath he obtained ( speaking of christ ) a more excellent ministry , by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant , which was established upon better promises ; for if that first covenant had been faultless , then should no place have been sought for a second ; and this second and better covenant , he tells us , was foretold by the prophets of the old testament ; for finding fault with them , he saith , behold the days come saith the lord , when i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , and the house of judah ; not according to the covenant which i made with their fathers . for this is the covenant which i will make with the house of israel after those days , saith the lord. i will put my laws into their minds , and write them in their hearts . and chap. . , . he shews the inefficacy of their sacrifices for the real expiation of sin , the law having but a shadow of good things to come , and not the lively representation of the things themselves , can never with those sacrifices which they offer'd year by year continually , make the comers thereunto perfect ; for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins . i should now have proceeded to the third particular ; namely , that the christian religion hath supplied all the defects and weakness and imperfection of the jewish dispensation ; but that i shall not now enter upon , but make one plain inference from the substance of what i have already discoursed upon this argument . if our saviour came not to dissolve and loosen the obligation of moral duties , but to confirm and establish it , and to enforce and bind the practice of these duties more strongly upon us , then they do widely and wilfully mistake the design of christianity , who teach that it dischargeth men from the obligation of the moral law , which is the fundamental and avowed principle of the antinomian doctrine , but directly contrary to this declaration of our saviour in the text , that he came not to destroy the law and the prophets , but to perfect and fulfill them ; ( for to take away the obligation of a law , is plainly to destroy and make it void ; ) and contrary to the apostle's solemn resolution of this matter , rom. . . do we then make void the law through faith ? that is , does the gospel destroy and take away the obligation of the law ? god forbid , yea we establish the law ; the christian religion is so far from designing or doing any such thing , that it gives new strength and force to it . but surely they that teach this doctrine , did never duly consider that terrible threatning of our saviour after the text , which seems to be so directly level'd at them ; whosoever shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be call'd the least in the kingdom of heaven ; for how can men more effectually teach the violation , not only of the least , but of the greatest of gods commandments , than by declaring that the gospel hath set men free from the obligation of the moral law ? which is in effect to say , that christians may act contrary to all the duties of morality , that is , do the most impious things in the world , without any offence against god , and notwithstanding this , continue to be his children , and highly in the favour of god. and all the security they have against this impious consequence , is that weak and slender pretence , that gratitude and love to god , will preserve them from making this ill use of the grace of the gospel , and oblige them to abstain from sin , and to endeavour to please god as much as any law could do . but then they do not consider the nonsense of this ; for there can be no such thing as sin , if the obligation of the law be taken away ; for where there is no law , there can be no transgression , as the apostle , and common reason likewise tells us ; so that the law being removed and taken away , all actions become indifferent , and one thing is not more a sin or offence against god than another . and what then is it they mean that gratitude will oblige men to , or preserve them from ? when there can be no such thing as sin or duty , as pleasing or offending god , if there be no law to oblige us to the one , or restrain us from the other . and what is , if this be not , to turn the grace of god into wantonness , and to make christian liberty a cloke for all sorts of sins ? a man cannot do a greater despite to the christian religion , nor take a more effectual course to bring it into contempt , and to make it to be hiss'd out of the world , than to represent it as a lewd and licentious doctrine , which gives men a perfect discharge from all the duties of morality , and obligeth them only to believe confidently , that christ hath purchased for them a liberty to do what they will , and that upon these terms , and no other , they are secure of the favour of god in this world , and eternal salvation in the other . this is the sum and the plain result of the antinomian doctrine , the most pernicious heresie , and most directly destructive of the great end and design of christianity , that ever yet was broached in the world. but ye have not so learned christ , if so be ye have heard him , and have been taught by him , as the truth is in jesus , that ye put off concerning your former conversation , the old man , which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts , and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind , and put on the new man , which after god is created in righteousness , and true holiness . sermon iv. christianity doth not destroy , but perfect the law of moses . matthew . v. . think not that i am come to destroy the law and the prophets . i am not come to destroy ; but to fulfil . i have consider'd this saying of our saviour's with respect to the moral law , and those precepts which are of natural and perpetual force , and that our saviour did not come either to dissolve or loosen the obligation of them ; for the illustration of which , i propounded to clear these three points . first , that the main and ultimate design of the law and the prophets , was to engage men to the practice of moral duties , that is , of real and substantial goodness . secondly , that the law of moses , or the dispensation of the jewish religion , was comparatively very weak , and insufficient to make men truly good , and ineffectual to promote inward and real righteousness . these two points i have spoken to . i shall now proceed to the third , namely , that the christian religion doth supply all the defects and weaknesses and imperfections of the jewish dispensation . the jewish religion had very considerable advantages above the meer light of nature , which was all that the heathen world had to conduct them towards eternal happiness ; the jews had the knowledge of the one true god , and very signal and particular testimonies of the divine providence , which did naturally tend to beget in them good hopes of a future life , and the rewards of another world ; they had the natural law revealed , and the main precepts of it written with god's own hand , and by moses delivered to them ; by which means they had a more certain and distinct knowledge of their duty ; they had prophets frequently sent to them , to admonish them of their duty , and to exhort them to repentance , and to warn them of approaching judgments . they had good encouragement given to hope for the pardon of sin , by god's appointment of several ways of expiation ; which , how unlikely soever they were to be available to the effectual expiation of sin , yet they did signifie that the divine nature was placable , and did seem to figure some more effectual way , designed by god for that purpose , that should be exhibited in due time . and finally they had most express promises and threatnings of temporal blessings and judgements , to encourage them in their obedience , and to deter them from the transgression of god's laws . these advantages the jews plainly had above the rest of the world , god did not deal so with other nations , neither had the heathen such a knowledge of god's laws . but notwithstanding this , the jewish religion was very short and defective , very weak and infectual to the great end of righteousness and true holiness , and to raise men to that perfection of goodness , of which humane nature through the grace of god is capable ; and therefore there wanted a more perfect institution , to supply the defects and weakness and imperfection even of that divine revelation which god had made to the jews , and really to effect and accomplish that which the jewish religion attempted and aimed at , and was but , as i may say , rudely begun under that imperfect institution . and this the gospel , or the christian religion revealed by our lord and saviour jesus christ hath fully effected , as will evidently appear by a particular survey and consideration of the main defects of the jewish religion , which i shall shew to be all perfectly made up by the revelation of the gospel , and the doctrine of christianity , in these following particulars . first , it was a great defect of the jewish religion , that a considerable part of it was meerly external , concerning the purification of the body and the flesh , and only figurative of that inward purity and real righteousness , which renders men truly good , and like to god ; for which reason the jewish institution is by the apostle to the hebrews call'd the law of a carnal commandment , heb. . ; and ch. . , is said to consist only ( that is chiefly ) in meats and drinks , and divers washings , and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation ; that is , 'till the messias should come , and give such laws as should really tend to reform the hearts and lives of men ; and therefore these laws and ordinances are call'd poor pitiful elements , and the rudiments of the world , fitted rather for children in understanding and goodness , than to bring men to any maturity and perfection in goodness . all their rites of purification did only sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh ; but did not purge the conscience from dead works , as the apostle to the hebrews speaks , ch. . , . they could not make those that performed and observed them perfect , as pertaining to the conscience , v. . that is , these laws had no effect upon the minds of men , to make them really better , to cure them of their moral defects and impurities , their sins and vices . but the christian institution doth perfectly supply this defect , by taking us off from those carnal and external observances , and principally requiring that we worship god in spirit and in truth ; by giving us such laws as wholly tend to advance real and substantial goodness , purity and holiness of heart and life , such as mainly tend to reform the minds and manners of men , and to make us like to that holy and perfect being whom we worship : and besides an external humble and reverent demeanour of our selves in the worship of god , ( to which natural religion doth likewise direct ; ) christianity hath only instituted two solemn external rites , viz. baptism , and the lords supper ; whereby we solemnly oblige our selves to the practice of all virtue and goodness , i say only these two , that by the multitude of external observances , christians might not be taken off from the minding of the real and substantial duties of religion . and therefore the church of rome have extreamly abated and weakned the force of christianity upon the hearts and lives of men , by amusing them with external rites , which they have multiplied to that excessive degree , as to make the yoke of christ really heavier than that of moses , and the christian religion , a more external and carnal commandment than that of the law , and by this means have diverted and taken off the minds of men from the main design of christianity , insomuch that they are so employed and taken up with matters of external ceremony , that they have no leisure to think of being good men , and to mind the great and substantial duties and virtues of the christian life ; so that they have spoil'd the christian religion of one of its chief excellencies and perfections , i mean the simplicity of its worship , which they have now encumbred with so many foolish and frivolous rites and observances , as do not only render it more burthensom , but less apt to make men inwardly and substantially good , than even judaism itself . this is so true and so visible , that the wiser and better sort of them have complain'd of it for several ages , and still do , as much as they dare for fear of the inquisition , or some other censure . secondly , another defect of the law of moses was , that it did not give encouragement enough to repentance , by declaring and assuring to us any certain way and method for the expiation and forgiveness of sin. this the rites of all religion aimed at , and pretended to ; but were very ineffectual to that end . the heathen sacrifices , and all the cruel and barbarous rites belonging to them , did all pretend to be so many ways of appeasing the offended deity , and of making atonement and expiation for sin ; and the sacrifices of the jews were instituted by god himself , to make an external and legal expiation , and to be types and shadows of a better and more perfect sacrifice , which should really expiate sin ; but even this was very darkly and imperfectly discovered to them ; besides , that the expiations of the law did only extend to the least sorts of sins , those of ignorance and inadvertency , but not at all to presumptuous sins , and such as were committed with a high hand , not to wilfull and deliberate sins , except in some very few and rare cases particularly mentioned in the law ; so that tho' a great part of the religious rites both of the pagan and jewish religion , aimed at the expiation of sin , yet were they really ineffectual to that end ; and upon the whole matter , mankind , tho' they conceived good hope of god's mercy and forgiveness in case of repentance ( who can tell if god will turn and repent , and turn away from his anger ? ) yet they were unacquainted with any certain and effectual means to that purpose . it remains then , that this great blessing of the forgiveness of sins , was never sufficiently declared and assured to mankind , but through jesus christ in the gospel . so st. paul expresly asserts , acts . , . be it known unto you therefore , men and brethren , that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins , and by him all that believe are justified from all things , from which ye could not be justified by the law of moses . the gospel hath provided an expiation for all sins in general , and that by a sacrifice of inestimable value , the blood of the son of god. and this is a mighty encouragement to repentance , and one most effectual means to reclaim men from their sins , to be assured that they are indemnified for what is past . and this the apostle means , when he says , gal. . . that christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law , being made a curse for us ; that is , whereas the law left sinners , as to those sins which stood most in need of pardon , under a curse , having provided no expiation for them , christ hath redeemed them from that curse , by making a general expiation for sin ; and in this sense it is that the author to the hebrews says , ch. . . that christ died for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant ; that is , for those sins for which the covenant of the law had provided no way of forgiveness ; and therefore st. john says emphatically , joh. . . that the blood of jesus christ cleanseth us from all sin. thirdly , the law did not afford sufficiently plain and certain rules and directions for a good life . as the corruption and degeneracy of mankind grew worse , so the light of nature waxed dimmer and dimmer , and the rule of good and evil was more doubtful and uncertain , and that in very considerable instances of our duty . the law of moses was peculiar to the jews ; and even to them , who only had the benefit and advantage of it , it did not give clear and perfect light and direction as to moral duties , and those things which are of an eternal and immutable reason and goodness . and therefore our saviour in this sermon explains it to a greater perfection than it was understood to have among the jews , or the letter of it seemed to intend , and hath not only forbidden several things permitted by that law , as divorce , and retaliation of injuries ; but hath heightned our duty in several instances of it , requiring us to love our enemies , and to forgive the greatest injuries and provocations , tho' never so often repeated , and not only not to revenge them , but to requite them with good turns , which were not understood by mankind to be laws before , but yet when duly consider'd , are very agreeable to right reason , and the sense of the wisest and b●st men. so that the christian religion ●ath not only fixt and determined our duty , and brought it to a greater certainty , but hath raised it to a greater perfection , and rendered it every way fit to bring the minds of men to a more divine temper , and a more reasonable and perfect way of serving god , than ever the world was instructed in before . fourthly , the promises and threatnings of the law were only of temporal good and evil things , which are , in comparison of the endless rewards and punishments of another world , but very languid and faint motives to obedience . not but that the jews under the law , had such apprehensions of their own immortality , and of a future state of happiness and misery after this life , as natural light suggested to them ; which was in most but a wavering and uncertain perswasion , and consequently of small efficacy to engage men to their duty ; but the law of moses added little or nothing to the clearness of those natural notions concerning a future state , and the strengthning of this perswasion in the minds of men ; it did rather suppose it , than give any new force and life to it . and for this reason more particularly the apostle tells us that the law was but weak to make men good ; because it did not work strongly enough upon the hopes and fears of men , by the weight of its promises , and the terrour of its threatnings ; and that for this weakness and imperfection of it , it was removed , and a more powerful and awakening dispensation brought in in the place of it ; heb. . , . for there is verily a disannulling of the commandment that was before ( that is of the jewish law ) for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof ; for the law made nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope did ; that is , the covenant of the gospel , which promiseth eternal life . and ch. . . for this reason more especially the apostle says , that christ had obtained a more excellent ministry , being the mediator of a better covenant , which was establish'd upon better promises . and rom. . , . st. paul tell us , that for this reason the gospel is the power of god unto salvation , because therein the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. the clear revelation of a future judgment , was that which made the gospel so proper and so powerful an instrument for the salvation of men. the great impiety of mankind , and their impenitency in it , was not so much to be wondred at before , while the world was in a great measure ignorant of the infinite danger of a wicked life ; and therefore god is said in some sort to overlook it ; but now he commands all men every where to repent , because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man , whom he hath ordained , whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead , acts . , . the clear discovery and perfect assurance of a future judgment , calls loudly upon all men to leave their sins , and turn to god. fifthly , the covenant of the law had no spiritual promises contained in it , of the grace and assistance of god's holy spirit , for the mortifying of sin , and enabling men to their duty , and supporting them under sufferings : but the gospel is full of clear and express promises to this purpose . our saviour hath assured us , that god will give his holy spirit to them that ask him , luke . . and this the apostle tells us is actually confer'd upon all true christians , those who do sincerely embrace and believe the gospel , rom. . . if any man have not the spirit of christ , he is none of his . hence the gospel is call'd by the same apostle the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus , v. d of that chap. the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus , hath made me free from the law of sin and death ; and in the next words he tells us , that herein manifestly appeared the weakness of the law , that it left men destitute of this mighty help and advantage ( at least as to any special promise of it ) what the law could not do , in that it was weak through the flesh , god sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh , and by making him a sacrifice for sin , condemned sin in the flesh , that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us , who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit ; that is , that that righteousness which the law aimed at and signified , but was too weak to effect , might be really accomplisht in us , who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit ; that is , who are acted and assisted by a higher and better principle than men either have in nature , or the carnal dispesnation of the law did endow men withall . and because of this great defect , the law is said to be a state of bondage and servitude ; and on the contrary , the gospel , by reason of this mighty advantage , is call'd a state of adoption and liberty , ver . . for ye have not received the spirit of bondage , but the spirit of adoption , whereby we cry abba father ; and cor. . . where the spirit of the lord is , there is liberty . and to this very thing st. paul appeals , as that whereby men might judge whether the law or the gospel were the more excellent and powerful dispensation , gal. . . this only would i learn of you , received ye the spirit by the works of the law , or by the hearing of faith ? as if he had said , let this one thing determine that whole matter ; were ye made pertakers of this great priviledge and blessing of the spirit , while ye were of the jewish religion , or since ye became christians ? and ver . . he calls it the blessing of abraham ; that is , the blessing promised to all nations by abraham's seed , namely , the m●ssias ; that the blessing of abraham might come on the gentiles through jesus christ● that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith. and then for the supporting us under afflictions , the gospel promise●h an extraordinary assistance of god●s holy spirit to us , pet. . . if ye be reproached for the name of christ , happy are ye , for the spirit of glory and of god res●eth upon you . but were the●e no good men unde● the dispensation of the law ? yes certainly there were , and they were so by the grace and assistance of god's holy spirit : but ●hen this was an effect of the divine goodness ; but not of any special promise , contained in that covenant , of divine grace and assistance to be conferred on all those that were admitted into it . but thus it is in the new covenant of the gospel ; and therefore the law is call●d a dead letter , the oldness of the letter , and the ministration of the letter , in opposition to the gosp●l , which is call'd the ministration of the spirit . and this the apostle lays special weight upon , as a main difference between these two covenants , that the first gave an external law , but the new covenant offers inward grace and assistance to enable men to obedience , and hath an inward and powerful efficacy upon the minds of men , accompanying the ministration of it , heb. . , , , . for if that first covenant had been faultless , then should no place have been sought for the second . for finding fault with them , he saith , behold the days come , saith the lord , when i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , and with the house of judah , not according to the covenant which i made with their fathers , &c. for this is the covenant which i will make with the house of israel after those days , saith the lord ; i will put my laws into their minds , and write them in their hearts . and of this inward grace and assistance we are further secured , by the powerful and prevalent and perpetual intercession of our high-priest for sinners , at the right hand of god ; not like the intercession of the priests under the law , who being sinners themselves , were less fit to intercede for others ; but we have an high-priest that is holy , harmless , undefiled , and seperate from sinners , who by the eternal spirit offer'd himself without spot to god , to purchase for us those blessings which he intercedes for . the priests under the law were intercessors upon earth ; but christ is entered into heaven it self , now to appear in the presence of god for us , heb. . . the priests under the law were removed from this office by death ; but christ , because he continues for ever , hath an unchangeable priesthood , and is an everlasting advocate and intercessor for us , in the virtue of his most meritorious sacrifice continually presented to his father , where he is always at the right hand of god , to present our prayers to him , and to obtain pardon of our sins , and grace to help in time of need , and by his intercession in heaven , to procure all those blessings to be actually con●er'd upon us , which he purchased for us by his blood upon earth ; wherefore he is able to save to the utmost all those that come to god by him , seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them , as the same apostle speaks , heb. . . and thus i have as briefly as well i could shewed , how the christian religion doth supply all the weaknesses and defects and imperfections of the jewish religion , and consequently , does in no wise contradict or interfeer with the great design of the law and the prophets , but hath perfected and made up whatever was weak or wanting in that institution to make men truly good , or , as the expression is in the prophet daniel , to bring in everlasting righteousness ; that is , to clear and confirm those laws of holiness and righteousness , which are of indispensible and eternal obligation . and if this be the great design of our saviour's coming , and the christian doctrine be every way fitted to advance righteousness and true holiness , and to make us as excellently good as this imperfect state of mortality will admit , since it hath many advantages incomparably beyond any religion or institution that ever was in the world , both in respect of the perfection of its laws , and the force of its motives and arguments to repentance , and a holy life , and in respect of the encouragements which it gives , and the examples which it sets before us , and the powerful assistance which it offers to us , to enable us to clean●e our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and to perfect holiness in the fear of god ; what a shame is this to us , who are under the power of this excellent institution , if the temper of our minds , and the tenour of our conversation be not in some measure answerable to the gospel of christ ! the greater helps and advantages we have of being good , the greater things may justly be expected from us ; for to whomsoever much is given , of him much shall be required . christianity is the fulfilling of the righteousness of the law , by walking not after the flesh , but after the spirit , by mortifying the deeds of the flesh , and by bringing forth the fruits of the spirit , which are love , joy , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , fidelity , meekness , and temperance . the righteousness of faith doth not consist in a barren and ineffectual belief of the gospel , in a meer embracing of the promises of it , and relying upon christ for salvation , in a faith without works , which is dead ; but in a faith which worketh by love , in becoming new creatures , and in keeping the commandments of god. the righteousness of faith speaketh on this wise . this is his commandment , that we should believe on the name of his son jesus christ , and love one another , as he gave us commandment , john . . and this commandment have we from him , that he who loveth god , love his brother also , john . . that we approve the things that are excellent , being filled with the fruits of righteousness , which are by jesus christ to the glory and the praise of god , phil. . , . whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are just , whatsoever things are pure , whatsoever things are lovely , whatsoever things are of good report , if there be any virtue , if there be any praise , mind these things , ch. . . and then considering what abundant provision the gospel hath made for our attainment of everlasting salvation , we are altogether without excuse , if we perish . since god hath raised up so mighty a salvation for us ; how shall we escape ? if we die in our sins , it is not because god would not forgive them , but because we would not repent and be saved ; the fault is all our own , and we owe it wholly to our selves , if we be lost and undone for ever . if when life and death , heaven and hell , are so plainly set before us , eternal misery and perdition fall to our lot and portion , it is not because we were not warned of our danger , or because happiness and the things of our peace were hid from our eyes , but because we have made death and destruction our obstinate and final choice . but , beloved , i hope better things of you , and things which accompany salvation , tho' i thus speak . only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ ; and if we be careful to perform the conditions which the gospel requires on our part , we shall not fail to be made partakers of that eternal life , which god , that cannot lie , hath promised to us , for his mercy 's sake in jesus christ . sermon v. of the nature of regeneration , and its necessity , in order to justification , and salvation . galat. vi. . for in christ jesus , neither circumciston availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature . there are two epistles of st. paul , namely , that to the romans , and this to the galatians , which are principally and particularly design'd to confute a false perswasion , which had prevailed amongst many christians , especially those who were converted from judaism ; that it was not enough for men to embrace and confess the christian religion , unless they kept the law of moses , or at least submitted to that great precept of circumcision ; the neglect whereof among all the affirmative precepts of the law , was only threatned with excision , or being cut off from among the people . and of the prevalency of this errour , and the great disturbance which it made in the christian church , we have a particular account , acts . where a general council of the apostles is call'd , and a letter written in their names to all the christian churches , to rectifie their apprehensions in this matter , ver . . of that chap. for as much as we have heard , that certain which went out from us , have troubled you with words , subverting your souls , saying ye must be circumcis'd , and keep the law , to whom we gave no such commandment , &c. and upon this occasion likewise it was , that st. paul wrote this epistle to the galatians , as likewise that to the romans ; in the former of which , after he had at large confuted this errour , ( which he calls the preaching of another gospel , than what the apostles had preached , and the christians first received ) in the beginning of the th chapt. he exhorts them to assert the liberty , which christ had purchas'd for them , from the obligation of the law of moses , ver . , . stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith christ hath made us free , and be not entangled again with the yoak of bondage . behold , i paul say unto you , that if ye be circumcised , christ shall profit you nothing . not that hereby he condemneth circumcision , as a thing evil in it self ; for god never instituted or commanded any thing that was so ; but he opposeth the opinion of the necessity of it to our justification and salvation , when the gospel had so plainly taken away the obligation and use of it ; and consequently to affirm still the necessity of it , was really to renounce christianity . for if judaism was still the way to salvation , christianity was to no purpose ; and if christianity be now the way , then the obligation to the jewish religion was ceased . to avoid the force of this reasoning , it was not enough for the false apostles to say ( as it seems they did ) that christians were not obliged universally to the whole law of moses , but principally to the law of circumcision ; because circumcision being the sign and badge of that covenant , whoever took that upon him , did thereby own his obligation to the whole law , ver . ● . . for i testifie again to every man that is circumcised , that he is a debtor to do the whole law ; christ is become of no effect to you , whosoever of you are justified by the law , ye are fallen from grace ; that is , whoever of you expect and profess to be justified by the law of moses , ye take away the necessity and use of the christian religion ; and are fallen from grace , : that is , do in effect renounce the gospel ; for we , through the spirit , wait for the hope of righteousness by faith , ver ▪ ▪ we by the spirit , in opposition to circumcision , which was in the flesh ▪ do expect to be justified by the belief of the gospel . for in jesus christ , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision , ver . . that is , now under the dispensation of the gospel by christ jesus , it signifies nothing to a man's justification or salvation , whether he be circumcised , or not circumcised , whether he be a jew or a gentile . all that the gospel requires as necessary to these purposes , is , that we perform the conditions of the gospel , that so we may be capable of being made partakers of the blessings of it . now as the great blessing and benefit of the gospel is variously exprest , as by the forgiveness of our sins , by our acceptance with god , or ( which comp●ehends both , ) by our justification , sometimes by adoption , and our being● made the sons and children of god , sometimes by redemption , and ( which is the consummation of all , ) by salvation and eternal life ; i say , as the ble●sing and benefit of the gospel , is in scripture exprest to us by these several terms , which do in eff●ct , all signifie the same thing ! so our duty , and the condition the gospel requires on our part , is likewise as variously exprest , sometimes , and that very frequently , by the word faith , as being the great source and principle of all religious acts and performances ; but then this faith must not be a bare assent and perswasion of the truth of the gospel , but such an effectual belief , as expresseth it self in suitable acts of obedience and holiness , such as the apostle here calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faith whick worketh by love , a faith that is inspir'd and acted , or rather consummate and made perfect by charity , ( for so the word doth often signifie , ) and then this phrase will be just of the same importance with that of st. james , chap. . . by works is faith made perfect . sometimes , and that also very frequently , the condition of the gospel is exprest by words which import and signifie the change of our state , as by repentance , conversion , regeneration , renovation , sanctification , the new creature , and the new man , which expressions are all so well known , that i need not referr to particular texts ; sometimes the condition of the gospel is exprest by the visible and sensible effects of this inward change in our outward li●e and actions ; as namely by obedience , and keeping the commandments of god. so heb. . . christ is said to be the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him ; where obedience is plainly put for the whole condition of the gospel , the performance whereof entitles us to eternal life and happiness . now that by these various expressions , one and the same thing is certainly intended and meant , viz. the condition of the gospel ; that which is requir'd on our part , in order to our full and perfect justification and acceptance with god , is evident beyond all denial ; by comparing the three different ways whereby st. paul doth express the same proposition for sense and substance ; in which he tells us , what it is that will avail to our justification under the gospel , that is according to the terms of the christian religion ; that it is neither here nor there , that it signifies nothing whether a man be circumcised or not , but that we be so qualified as the gospel requires , that the conditions upon which the blessings of the gospel are promised be found in us . and there are three texts wherein the same thing is plainly intended , in three very different expressions . gal. . . in jesus christ neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision : but faith , which is consummate , or made perfect by charity . gal. . . for in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision : but a new creature . cor. . . circumcision is nothing , and uncircumcision is nothing : but the keeping of the commandments of god. it is evident , that in these three texts the apostle designs to say the same thing , and consequently that faith which is made perfect by charity , and the new creature , and keeping of the commandments of god , are the same in sense and substance , viz. the condition of our justification and acceptance with god under the covenant of the gospel , or in the christian religion . i shall at present , by god's assistance , handle the second of these texts . in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision : but a new creature . and here the condition of the gospel is exprest to us , by the change of our state , which in scripture is call'd our regeneration , or becoming new creatures , and new men. circumcision was but an outward sign and mark upon the body , and the flesh , though it did indeed prefigure and typifie the inward circumcision of the heart , the giving of men new hearts , and new spirits , under the more perfect dispensation of the gospel ? but now in christ jesus , that is , in the christian religion , the presence or the want of this outward mark will avail nothing to our justification ; but that which was signified by it , the renovation of our hearts and spirits , our becoming new creatures , is now the condition of our justification and acceptance with god. the false apostles indeed did lay great stress upon the business of circumcision , not so much out of zeal to the law of moses , as to avoid persecution , ver . . they constrain you to be circumcised , only left they should suffer persecution for the cross of christ . for at that time , though the christians were persecuted , yet the jews by the roman edicts had the free exercise of their religion , and therefore they gloried in this external mark of circumcision , because it exempted them from suffering ; but st. paul gloried in his sufferings for christ , and the marks of that upon his body , ver . . god forbid that i should glory save in the cross of our lord jesus christ ; and v. . i bear in my body the marks of the lord jesus . he tells them , what necessities soever they might pretend of circumcision , either for their justification , or salvation , the true ground of all was to save themselves from temporal sufferings ; and that in the christian religion it signified nothing to recommend them to the favour of god , whether they were circumcised or not ; nothing would be available to this purpose , but the renovation and change of their hearts and lives . for in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision : but a new creature , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a new creation , to intimate the greatness of the change , which christianity , throughly entertained , made in men. having thus cleared the occasion and mea●ing of these words , i come now to consider the particulars contained in them , namely , these two things . first , that the gospel hath taken away the obligation of the law of moses ; in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision . secondly , that according to the terms of the christian religion , nothing will avail to our justification and acceptance with god , but the real renovation of our hearts and lives ; neither circumcision , nor uncircision : but a new creature . . that the gospel hath taken away the obligation of the law of moses . in christ jesus , that is , now under the dispensation of the gospel , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision . there was never any general obligation upon mankind to this rite of circumcision , but only upon the seed of abraham ; but yet upon the preaching of the gospel , many of the jewish christians would have brought the gentiles under this yoak ; pretending that christianity was but a superstructure upon the law of moses , which together with the gospel , was to be the religion of the whole world ; and there was some colour for this , because our saviour himself submitted to this rite , and was circumcised ; which the apostle takes notice of in the th chap. of this epist . ver . when the fullness of time was come , god sent forth his son made of a woman , made under the law , that is , circumcised . and 't is true indeed , that our blessed saviour was circumcised , but not to signifie to us the perpetuity of circumcision , and the continuance of it under the christian religion , but for a quite different end ; as a testimony of his obedience to that law , which tho' afterwards it was to expire , yet was to be obeyed whilst it was in force , by all that were born under it ; he was made under the law , and it became him , who came to teach mankind obedience to the laws of god , to fulfill all righteousness himself . and therefore the apostle in this epistle , where he takes notice of this , that christ was made under the law , gives this reason of it , that he might be the ●itter to free those who were under it , from the servitude of it ; he was made under the law , that he might redeem them that were under the law ; and that those who were in the condition of servants before , might be set at liberty , and receive the adoption of sons . but how did his being made under the law , qualifie him to redeem those who were under the law ? thus ; by submitting to it himself , he shewed that he owned the authority of it , and that he had no malice or enmity against it ; or as he himself expresses it , that he came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it . and being fulfill'd , and having serv'd the time and end for which god intended it , it expir'd of it self ; like a law which is not made for perpetuity , but limited to a certain period . and our blessed saviour , who came with greater authority than moses , and gave greater testimony of his divine authority , had sufficient power to declare the expiration of it ; and by commissioning his disciples before and after his death to preach the gospel to the whole world , he put an end to that particular law and dispensation , which only concern'd the jewish nation , by giving a general law to all mankind . so that from the death of our saviour , and his ascension into heaven , upon which followed the general publication of the gospel , the law of moses ceased , and according to our saviour's express appointment , proselytes were to be admitted into the christian church only by baptism , and not by circumcision . and ●f circumcision , which was the sign of that covenant , was laid aside , then the whole obligation of that law and covenant which god had made with the jews , was also ceased . it was once indeed the mark of god's chosen and peculiar people ; but now that god hath revealed himself to the whole world by his son , and offers salvation to all mankind , gentiles as well as jews , the wall of separation is broken down , and circumcision , which was the mark of distinction between jews and gentiles , is taken away ; and therefore he is said to have made peace by his cross , and to have blotted out , and taken away the hand-writing of ordinances , nailing it to his cross ; that is , from the time of his death to have taken away the obligation of the law of moses , tho' it was a good while after , before the jews were wholly weaned from the veneration and use of it . nay , it was some time before the apostles were clearly convinc'd , that the gospel was to be preach'd to the gentiles ; this being one of those truths , which our saviour promised after his departure , his spirit should lead them into the perfect knowledge of ; and then they were fully instructed , that the law of moses was expir'd , and that it was no longer necessary to the salvation of men , that they should be circumcised , and keep that law. and tho' it was once enjoyn'd by god himself to the jews , and their obedience to it was necessary to their acceptance with god , yet now by christ jesus , god had offered salvation to men upon other terms ; and whether they were circumcised , or not , was of no moment to their justification or salvation one way or other ; but provided they perform'd the condition of this new covenant of the gospel , they were all alike capable of the divine favour and acceptance . but i proceed to that , which i mainly intended to prosecute from these words ; and that is the second particular in the text , namely , that according to the terms of the gospel , and the christian religion , nothing will avail to our justification and acceptance with god , but the real renovation of our hearts and lives ; neither circumcision , nor uncircumcision : but a new creature . for the full explication of this , i shall do these three things . first , shew what is imply'd in this phrase of a new creature . secondly , that this is the great condition of our justification and acceptance with god , and that it is the same in substance with faith perfected by charity , and with keeping the commandments of god. thirdly , that it is very reasonable it should be so . . what is imply'd in this phrase of a new creature . it is plain at first sight , that it is a metaphorical expression of that great and thorough change which is made in men by the gospel , or the christian religion . the scripture sets forth to us this change by great variety of expressions , by conversion , and turning from our iniquities unto god ; by repentance , ( which signifies a change of our mind and resolution , and is in scripture call'd repentance from dead works , and repentance unto life ; ) by regeneration , or being born again ; by resurrection from the dead , and rising to newness of life ; by sanctification , and being wash'd and cleans'd from all filthiness and impurity , ( which three last metaphors are imply'd in baptism , which is call'd regeneration , tit. . . according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the ●oly ghost ; and our being born again of water and the holy ghost , john . . except a man be born again , &c. and ver . . except a man be born of water and of the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; and the purifying of our consciences , heb. . . having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience , and our bodies wash'd with pure water ; and the answer of a good conscience towards god , pet. . . baptism doth now save us ; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh , but the answer of a good conscience towards god ; and finally , our being baptiz'd into the death and resurrection of christ , rom. . , . know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into jesus christ , were baptized into his death ; therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death , that like as christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father , even so we also should walk in newness of life . ) and lastly , this change is set forth to us by renovation , and our being made new creatures , and new men , cor. . . therefore if any man be in christ , that is , professeth himself a christian , he is a new creature ; old things are past away , behold all things are become new . and so likewise , ephes . . , , . this great change is exprest by putting off concerning the former conversation , the old man , which is corrupt according to the lusts of deceit , and being renewed in the spirit of our minds , and putting on that new man , which after god is created in righteousness , and true holiness . the expression is very emphatical , renewed in the spirit of our minds , that is , in our very minds and spirits , to signifie to us that it is a most inward and thorough change , reaching to the very center of our souls and spirits . and , colos . . , , th verses , it is represented much after the same manner , seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds , and have put on the new man , which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him , where there is neither greek nor jew , circumcision nor uncircumcision , barbarian , s●ythian , bond nor free ; but christ is all and in all . which is the same with what the apostle says here in the text , that in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision : but a new creature ; that is , these external marks and differences signifie nothing : but this inward change , the new creature , christ formed in us , this in the christian religion is all in all . but that we may the more clearly understand the just importance of this metaphor of a new creature , or a new creation , i shall , first , consider what it doth certainly signifie , by comparing this metaphorical phrase with other plain texts of scripture . and secondly , that it doth not import what some would extend it to , so as to found doctrines of great consequence upon the single strength of this , and the like metaphors in scripture , without any manner of countenance from plain texts . first , i shall consider what this metaphor doth certainly import , so as to be undeniably evident from other more clear and full texts of sripture , namely , these two things . . the greatness of this change. . that it is effected and wrought by a divine power . . the greatness of this change ; it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a new creation ; as if the christian doctrine , firmly entertained and believed , did as it were mould and fashion men over again , transforming them into a quite other sort of persons than what they were before , and made such a change in them , as the creating power of god did , in bringing this beautiful and orderly frame of things out of their dark and rude chaos . thus the apostle represents it , cor. . . god who commanded the light to shine out of darkness , ( alluding to the first creation ) hath shined into our hearts , to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ . we are translated from one extream to another , acts . . when our lord sends paul to preach the gospel to the gentiles , he tells him what a change it would make in them , by opening their eyes , and turning them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god. and st. peter expresses the change which christianity makes in men , by their being call'd out of darkness into a marvellous light , pet. . . and so st. paul. eph. . . ye were sometimes darkness , but now are ye light in the lord. and indeed , wherever the doctrine of christ hath its full effect , and perfect work , it makes a mighty change both in their inward principles , and outward practice ; it darts a new light into their minds , so that they see things otherwise than they did before , and form a different judgment of things from what they did before ; it endues them with a new principle , and new resolutions , gives them another spirit , and another temper , a quite different sense and gust of things from what they formerly had . and this inward change of their minds necessarily produceth a proportionable change in their lives and conversations , so that the man steers quite another course , acts after another rate , and drives on quite other designs from what he did before . and this is remarkably seen in those who are reclaimed from impiety and prophaneness to religion , and from a vicious to a virtuous course of life . the change is great and real in all ; but not so sensible and visible in some , as others : in those who are made good by the insensible steps of a pious and virtuous education ; as in those who are translated out of a quite contrary state , and t●rn'd from the power of satan unto god , and translated out of the kingdom of darkness , into the kingdom of christ ; which was the case of the heathen world , in their first conversion to christianity . secondly , this change is effected and wrought by a divine power , of the same kind with that , which created the world , and raised up christ jesus from the dead ; two great and glorious instances of the divine power ; and to these the scripture frequently alludes , when it speaks of this new creation . god , who commanded the light to shine out of darkness , hath shined into our hearts . like as christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father , so we also are raised to newness of life , saith st. paul , rom. . . and to the same purpose the same apostle speaks , ephes . . , . and that ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe , according to the operation of his mighty power , which he wrought in christ , when he raised him from the dead . so that our renovation , and being made new creatures , is an instance of the same glorious power , which exerted it self in the first creation of things , and in the resurrection of our lord jesus christ from the dead ; but not altogether after the same manner , as i shall shew under the next head. i should now in the second place proceed to shew , that this metaphor of a new creation doth not import what some men would extend it to , so as to found doctrines of great consequence upon the single strength of this and other like metaphors of scripture , without any manner of countenance and confirmation from plain texts . but this i reserve to another discourse . sermon vi. of the nature of regeneration , and its necessity , in order to justification and salvation . galat. vi. . for in christ jesus , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature . in these words are contained these two things . first , that the gospel hath taken away the obligation of the law , having taken away the sign of that covenant , which was circumcision . secondly , that according to the terms of the gospel , and the christian religion , nothing will avail to our justification and acceptance with god , but the real renovation of our hearts and lives . for the full explication of this , i propounded to do these three things . i. to shew what is imply'd in this phrase of a new creature . ii. that this is the great condition of our justification and acceptance with god , and that it is the same in sense and substance with those other expressions , in the two parallel texts of faith perfected by charity , and keeping the commandments of god. iii. that it is very reasonable that this should be the condition of our justification , and acceptance to the favour of god. i began with the first of these , viz. to shew what is imply'd in this phrase of a new creature ; as to which i shew'd , first , what this metaphor doth certainly import , so as to be undeniably evident from other more clear and full texts of scripture ; namely , the greatness of this change ; and that it is effected by a divine power . i now proceed ; secondly , to shew that it doth not import what some would extend it to , and that so as to found doctrines of great consequence upon the meer and single strength of this and other like metaphors of scripture , without any manner of countenance and confirmation from plain texts ; such doctrines as these three . . that as the creation was by an irresistible act of the divine power , so is this new creation , or conversion of a sinner . . that as creatures were meerly passive in their being made , and contributed nothing at all to it ; no more do we to our conversion and regeneration . . that as the creation of the several ranks and kinds of creatures was in an instant , and effected by the powerful word of god , only saying , let such and such things be , and immediately they were ; so this new creation , or the work of regeneration is in an ins●ant , and admits of no degrees . concerning these three doctrines of great mom●nt and consequence in divinity , i shall shew , with all the clearness and b●evity i can , that they are built sol●ly ●pon metaphors of scriptu●e , ●or●●●'d a●d strain'd too far , withou● any real ground and foundatio● from scripture or reason , nay , contrary to the tenor of the one , and the dictates of the other ; nay indeed contrary to the general experience of the operation of god's grace upon the minds of men in their conversion . first , it is pretended , that as the creation was by an irresistible act of the divine power , so is the new creation , or the conversion of a sinner ; and this is solely argued from the metaphorical expressions of scripture concerning conversion ; such as being called out of darkness into light , alluding to that powerful word of god , which in the first creation commanded the light to shine out of darkness ; being quicken'd and rais'd to a new life ; and from this metaphor here in the text , of a new creation . but surely it is a dangerous thing in divinity , to build doctrines upon metaphors , especially if we strain them to all the similitudes which a quick and lively imagination can find out ; whereas some one obvious thing is commonly intended in the metaphor , and the meaning is absolv'd and acquitted in that , and it is folly to pursue it into all those similitudes , which a good fancy may suggest . when our saviour says , that he will come as a thief in the night , it is plain what he means ; that the day of judgment will surprize the careless world , when they least look for it , that he will come at an hour when they are not aware ; and tho' he resemble his coming to that of a thief in the night , yet here is nothing of robbery in the case . so here when the change which christianity makes in men , is called a new creation , this only imports the greatness of the change , which by the power of god's grace is made upon the hearts and lives of men ; and the metaphor is sufficiently absolv'd in this plain sense and meaning of it , agreeable to the literal expressions of scripture concerning this thing , and there is no need that this change should in all other respects answer the work of creation ; and consequently there is no necessity that it should be effected in an irresistible manner , or that we should be altogether passive in this change , and that we should no ways concur to it by any act of our own , or that this work should be done in an instant , and admit of no steps and degrees . it is not necessary that this change should be effected in an irresistible manner . god may do so , when he pleaseth , without any injury to his creatures ; for it is certainly no wrong to any man to be made good and happy against his will ; and i do not deny , but that god sometimes does so . the call of the disciples to follow christ seems to have been a very sudden and forcible impression upon their minds , without any appearing reason for it ; for it is not reasonable for any man to leave his calling , and follow every one that bids him do so . the conversion of saul from a persecutor of christianity , to a zealous preacher of it , was certainly effected , if not in an irresistible , yet in a very forcible and violent manner . the conversion of three thousand at one sermon , when the holy ghost descended in a visible manner upon the apostles , was certainly the effect of a mighty and over-powering degree of god's grace . and the like may be said of the sudden conversion of so many persons from heathenism , and great wickedness and impiety of life , to the sincere profession of christianity , by the preaching of the apostles afterwards . but that this is not of absolute necessity , nor the ordinary method of god's grace , to work upon the minds of men in so over-powering , much less in an irresistible manner , is as plain as any thing of that nature can be , both from experience , and the reason of the thi●g , and the constant tenour of the scripture . we find that many ( perhaps the greatest part ) of those that are good are made so by the insensible steps and degrees of a religious education , and having been never vicious , can give no great account of any sensible change , only that when they came to years of understanding , they consider'd things more , and the principles that were instill'd into them in their younger years , did put forth themselves more vigorously at that time , as seeds sprout out of the ground , after they have a good while been buried , and lain hid in the earth . and it is contrary to reason , to make an irresistible act of divine power necessary to our repentance , and conversion ; because this necessarily involves in it two things which seem very unreasonable . first , that no man repents upon consideration and choice , but upon meer force and violent necessity , which quite takes away the virtue of repentance , whatever virtue there may be in the consequent acts of a regenerate state. secondly , it implies that the conversion and repentance of those , upon whom god doth not work irresistibly is impossible , which is the utmost can be said to excuse the impenitency of men , by taking it off from their own choice , and laying it upon the impossibility of the thing , and an utter disability in them to choose and do otherwise . and it is likewise contrary to the constant tenour of the bible , which supposeth that men do very frequently resist the grace and holy spirit of god. it is said of the pharisees by our saviour , luke . . that they rejected the counsel of god against themselves ; that is , the merciful design of god for their salvation . and of the jews , acts . . that they always resisted the holy ghost . so that some operations of god's grace and holy spirit are resistible , and such , as if men did not resist them , would be effectual to bring them to faith and repentance ; else why are the pharisees said to reject the counsel of god against themselves , that is , to their own ruine ; implying , that if they had not rejected it , they might have been saved ; and if they had , it had been without irresistible grace ; for that which was offered to them , was actually resisted by them . other texts plainly shew , that the reason of mens impenitency and unbelief is not any thing wanting on god's part , but on theirs ; as those known texts , wherein our saviour laments the case of jerusalem , because they obstinately brought destruction upon themselves . luke . . if thou hadst known in this thy day , the things that belong to thy peace ; intimating that they might have known them , so as to have prevented that desolation which was coming upon them , and was a forerunner of their eternal ruine ; but now they are hid from thine eyes ; intimating , that then god gave them up to their own blindness and obstinacy , but the time was , when they might have known the things of their peace ; which cannot be upon the supposition of the necessity of an irresistible act of god's grace to their conversion , and repentance ; because then without that they could not have repented , and if that had been afforded to them , they had infallibly repented . so likewise in that other text , matth. . . oh! jerusalem , jerusalem , how often would i have gathered thee , even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , and you would not . and in john . . ye will not come unto me that ye might have life . he would have gathered them , and they would not ; he would have given them life , but they would not come to him . are these serious and compassionate expostulations and declarations of our saviour's gracious intention towards them , any ways consistent with an impossibility of their repentance ? which yet must be said , if irresistible grace be necessary thereto ; for then repentance is impossible without it , and that it was not afforded to them is plain , because they did not repent . the same may be said of that solemn declaration of god , ezek. . . as i live , saith the lord god , i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked turn from his way and ●ive . can it be said that god hath no pleasure in the death of sinners , and yet be true , that he denys to the greatest part of them , that grace which is necessary to their repentance ? upon this supposition , how can it be true , that if the mighty works that were done in chorazin , and bethsaida , had been done in tyre and sidon , they would have repented , matth. . . since irresistible grace did not accompany those miracles ? for if it had , chorazin and bethsaida had repented , and without it tyre and sidon could not repent . the same difficulty is in those texts , wherein god is represented as expecting the repentance and conversion of sinners ; and our saviour wondering at their unbelief and hardness of heart , and upbraiding them with it , isa . . . what could i have done more to my vineyard , that i have not done in it ? wherefore when i looked that it should bring forth grapes , brought it forth wild grapes ? mark . . 't is said our saviour marvell'd at the unbelief of the jews . and chap. . . that he upbraided his disciples with their unbelief , and hardness of heart . but why should the repentance of sinners be expected , or their unbelief marvell'd at , or indeed be upbraided to them , by him who knew it impossible to them , without an irresistible power and grace , which he knew likewise was not afforded to them ? neither god nor men have reason to wonder ●hat any man does not do that , which at the same time they certainly know he cannot do . the bottom of all that is said to avoid this pressing difficulty , is this ; that this impotency and disability of sinners is their sin , and therefore cannot be pleaded in their excuse , for their impenitency ; but god may still justly require that of them , which they had once a natural power to do , but wilfully forfeited and lost it ; they had this power in adam , and forfeited it by his disobedience . to shew how slight this evasion is , i need not run into that argument , how far we are guilty of the sin of our first parents . that by that first transgression and disobedience all mankind suffers , and our natures are extreamly corrupted and depraved , cannot be denied : but the corruption of our natures is a thing very different from personal guilt , strictly and properly so call'd . i will take the business much shorter , and granting that mankind had in adam a natural power to have continued obedient to the laws of god , yet since by one man sin enter'd into the world , and all are now sinners , here is an obligation to repentance , as well as to obedience , and men shall be condemned for their impenitency . i ask now , whether in adam we had a power to repent ? 't is certain adam had not this power , and therefore i cannot see how we could lose it , and forfeit it in him . adam indeed had a natural power not to have sinned , and so not to have needed repentance ; but no power to repent in the state of innocency , because in that state repentance was impossible , because there could be no occasion for it : he had it not after his fall , because by that he forfeited all his power to that which is spiritually good . 't is said indeed he had it in innocency , but forfeited it by his fall ; so that he had it , when there was no occasion or possibility of the exercise of it , and lost it when there was occasion for it : or if he did not lose it by his fall , we have it still , and then there is no need of any supernatural , much less irresistible grace to repentance ; so that our impotency , as to the particular duty of repentance , cannot be charg'd upon us as our fault , not so much as upon the account of original sin. but the want of this power is the consequent and just punishment of our first transgression . be it so ; but if this impotency still remain in all those to whom god doth not afford his irresistible grace , how comes th grace offer'd in the gospel to aggravate the impenitency of men , and encrease their condemnation ? for if it be no remedy against this impotency , how comes it to inflame the guilt of impenitency ? or how is it grace to offer mercy to those upon their repentance , who are out of a possibility of repenting ; and yet to punish them more severely for their impenitency after this offer made to them , which they cannot accept without that grace which god is resolved not to afford them ? if this be the case , the greatest favour had been to have had no such offer made to them , and it had been happier for mankind , that the grace of god had not appear'd to all men , but only to those who shall irresistibly be made partakers of the benefit of it . secondly , another doctrine grounded upon this metaphor of a new creation , is , that we are meerly passive in the work of conversion , and regeneration , and contribute nothing to it ; that god does all , and we do nothing at all ; and this follows from the former , especially if we allow the metaphor as far as it will carry us . for as the first creation of things was by an irresistible act of divine power , so the things that were made , were only passive in their creation ; and as they could make no resistance , so neither could they contribute any thing ●o their being what they are . and this doctrine is not only argued from the metaphor of a new creation , but from several other metaphors used in scripture to describe our natural state ; as namely , darkness , blindness , and our being dead in trespasses and sins ; from whence it is inferr'd , that we contribute no more to our renovation , than darkness doth to the introduction of light , than a blind man can do to the recovery of his sight , or a dead man to his own resurrection ; but are wholly passive in this work . and to countenance this notion , they make great advantage of the character which is given in scripture of the most degenerate heathen , taking it for granted , that their condition is the true standard of a natural and unregenerate state ; and to this purpose they insist particularly upon that description of the gentile idolaters , eph. . , . having the understanding darken'd , being alienated from the life of god , through the ignorance that is in them , because of the blindness of their hearts ; who being past feeling , have given themselves over to lasciviousness , to work all uncleanness with greediness . which is indeed a description of men in their natural state , but not of all , but of such as by the worst sort of vicious practices of the grossest idolatry , and most abominable lewdness , were degerated to the utmost , so that their condition seemed desperate , without a miraculous and an extraordinary grace of god , which was probably afforded to many of these . in like manner they argue the common condition of mankind , from the description which is given of the wickedness of men , before god brought the flood upon them , g●n . . . god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth , and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually . this they make the character of all men in their natural state , whereas this is a description of an extraordinary degeneracy of men , signifying that the world was then extreamly bad , and depraved to the highest degree ; for god gives this as a reason why he was resolved to drown the world , and to destroy man from the face of the earth , because their wickedness was grown to so great an height . but if this were a description of the natural state of mankind , this could be no particular reason for bringing a flood upon the world at that time , there being the same reason for it for fifteen hundred years before , and ever will be the same reason to the end of the world , that is , that men are naturally corrupt and depraved . surely they consider the scripture very superficially , that interpret it at this rate . 't is too true , that the nature of man is sadly corrupted and depraved ; but not so bad as by vicious practices and habits it may be made ; all men are not equally at the same distance from the grace of god ; some are nearer to the kingdom of god than others , and less force and violence will serve to rescue them from the power of satan , and to transplant them into the kingdom of christ . the prevalency and dominion of sin makes an unregenerate state , as the prevalency of grace puts a man into a regenerate state . an unregenerate man is not necessarily as bad as is poss●ble , no more than it is necessary to a regenerate state , that a man be per●ectly good ; so that it is a great mistake to argue the common condition of all mankind , from the descriptions that are given in the scripture of the worst of men ; and therefore if it were granted that irresistible grace were necessary for the conversion of such , it will not follow that the same is necessary to all . all unregenerate men are not equally devoid of a sense of god , and spiritual things , they have many convictions of what they ought to be and do , and under those convictions are very capable of perswasion , which dead men are not . the grace of god is necessary to the conversion of a sinner , but it is not necessary that he should be only passive in this work . experience tells us the contrary , that we can do something , that we can cooperate with the grace of god ; and the scripture tells us the same , and makes it an argument and encouragement to us to work out our own salvation , because god works in us both to will and to do of his own goodness . phil. . , . besides that , it is the greatest and justest discouragement in the world to all endeavours of repentance and reformation , to tell men that they can do nothing in it . he that is sure of this , that he can do nothing in this work , is a fool if he make any attempt to become better , because he struggles with an impossibility , and if the work will be done at all , it will be done without him , and he neither can , nor ought to have any hand in it . but will any metaphor bear men out against so palpable an absurdity as this ? and yet after all , there is no force in these metaphors , to prove what they aim at by them . for if to be dead in sin signifies an utter impotency to goodness , then to be dead to sin must on the contrary signifie an impossibility of sinning ; for just as the unregenerate man is dead in sin , so he that is regegenerate is said in scripture to be dead to sin : but yet the best of regenerate men , notwithstanding they are dead to sin , and alive to god , do offend in many things , and too frequently fall into sin . why then should the metaphor be so strong on the one side , that a man who is said to be dead in sin , should not be able so much as to cooperate with the grace of god in the work of repentance and conversion ? in s●ort , if this be true , that men in an unregenerate and unconverted state are perfectly dead , and have no more sense of spiritual things , than a dead man hath of natural objects , then all precepts and exhortations to repentance , and all promises and threatnings to argue and perswade men thereto are vain , and to no purpose ; and it would be every whit as proper and reasonable for us to preach in the church-yard , over the graves of dead men , as in the church to the unregenerate ; because they can no more act and move towards their own recovery out of a state of sin and death , than the dead bodies can rise out of their graves . but it is said , that the end of exhortations and promises is not to declare to men their power , but their duty . but if they be insensible , it is to as little purpose to declare to them their duty , as their power . besides , it will be an hard thing to convince men that any thing is their duty , which at the same time we declare to them to be out of their power . but this is pelagianism , to say that of our selves we can repent and turn to god. and who says we can of our selves do this besides the pelagians ? we affirm the necessity of god's grace hereto , and withall , the necessity of our co-operating with the grace of god. we say that without the powerful excitation and aid of god's grace , no man can repent , and turn to god ; but we say likewise , that god cannot be properly said to aid and assist those , who do nothing themselves . but men can do more than they do , and therefore are justly condemned . not in the work of conversion sure ; if they can do nothing at all . but they can do more by way of preparation towards it . suppose they do all they can towards it , will this save them , or will god upon this irresistibly work their conversion ? no , they say , notwithstanding any preparatory work that we can do , conversion may not follow ; how then does this mend the matter ? but still they say the fault is in men's want of will , and not of power ; you will not come unto me , that ye might have life . but can they will to come ? no , that they cannot neither . why then it is still want of power that hinders them . the offer of life is a very gracious offer to them that are guilty , and liable to death , as we all are ; but not if the condition be utterly impossible to us , tho' the impossibility springs from our own fault , as i will plainly shew by a fair instance . a prince offers a pardon to a traytor fast lockt in chains , if he will come to him and submit himself ; but if he be still detained in chains , and the prince do not some way or other help him to his liberty , 't is so far from being a favour to offer him a pardon upon these terms , that it is a cruel derision of his misery , to say to him you will not come to me that you may be pardon'd ; and this notwithstanding that his being cast into chains , was the effect of his own crime and fault ; the application is obvious . i should now proceed to answer an objection or two , and then to give a clear state of this matter , so as is most agreeable to scripture , and the attributes and perfections of god ; but this i shall reserve for another discourse . sermon vii . of the nature of regeneration , and its necessity , in order to justification and salvation . galat. vi. . for in christ jesus , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature . the point which i am upon from these words is , that according to the terms of the gospel , nothing will avail to our justification , but the real renovation of our hearts and lives . for the full explication of this , i propounded to shew , first , what is implied in this expression of the new creature . secondly , that this is the great condition of our justification and acceptance with god. thirdly , that it is highly reasonable that this should be the condition of our justification . in speaking to the first of these , i have shewed , st . what this metaphor doth certainly import ; and dly , that it doth not import what some would extend it to , whereon to found such doctrines as these . first , that as the creation was an irresistible act of the divine power , so is this new creation , or the conversion of a sinner . secondly , as creatures were meerly passive in their being made , and contributed nothing at all to it , no more do we in our conversion , and regeneration . thirdly , that as the creation of the several kinds and ranks of creatures was effected in an instant , by the powerful word of god , saying , let such and such things be , and immediately they were ; so this new creation is in an instant , and admits of no degrees . the first of these i have consider'd , and enter'd upon the second ; namely , that as the creatures were meerly passive in their being made , and contributed nothing at all thereto , no more do we in our conversion and regeneration . this i told you does plainly make void all the precepts and exhortations , and all the promises and threatnings of scripture , to argue and perswade men to repentance . that which remains to be done upon this argument , is , first , to answer an objection or two , which are commonly urged by the assertors of this doctrine , that we are meerly passive in the work of conversion . secondly , to give a clear state of this matter , so as is most agreeable to scripture , and the attributes and perfections of god. for the first . the objections are these three . . that if we be not meerly passive in the work of regeneration and conversion , we ascribe the whole glory of this work to our selves , and not to god. or , dly , we do however extenuate or lessen the grace of god , if there be any active concurrence and endeavours of our own towards this change. dly , they ask st. paul's question , who maketh thee to differ ? and think it impossible to be answer'd , if the efficacy of god's grace to depend upon our concurrence and compliance with it . these are all the material objections i know ; to every one of which i hope to give a very clear and sufficient answer . . objection . if we be not meerly passive in the work of regeneration and conversion , we ascribe the whole glory of this work to our selves , and not to god. but that i certainly know this objection is commonly made , and have seen it in very considerable authors , i could not believe that men of so good sense could make it . for this is to say , that if we do any thing in this work , tho' we acknowledge that what we do in it , we do by the assistance of god's grace , we ascribe it wholly to our selves , and rob god altogether of the glory of his grace ; or in plainer terms , it is to say , that tho' we say god does never so much , and we but very little in this work , yet if we do not say that god does all , and we nothing at all , we take the whole work to our selves , and say god does nothing at all ; which let any one that considers what we ●ay judge , whether we say so or no. the scripture , which never robs god of the glory of his grace , does i'm sure ascribe our conversion and repentance , our regeneration and sanctification to several causes ; to the holy spirit of god , to his ministers , to his word , and to our selves . to the holy spirit of god , as the principal author , and efficient . hence we are said to be born of the spirit , to be sanctified by the renewing of the holy ghost . to the ministers of god , as the instruments of our conversion . hence they are said to turn men to righteousness , to convert a sinner from the evil of his ways , to save souls from death , to save themselves , and them that hear them ; to be our spiritual fathers , and to beget us in christ . to the word of god , as the subordinate means and instruments of our conversion . hence we are said to be begotten by the word of truth , to be sanctified by the truth . and lastly , to our selves , as concurring some way or other to this work . hence we are said to believe and repent , to turn from our evil ways , and to turn to the lord , to cleanse and purifie our selves . hence likewise are those frequent commands in scripture , to amend our ways and doings , to wash our hearts from wickedness , to repent and turn our selves , and to make our selves new hearts , and new spirits . so that all these causes , the spirit of god , his ministers , his word , and we our selves , do all some way or other concur and contribute to this effect . god indeed is the principal , and hath so great an hand in this work from beginning to end , that all the rest are nothing in comparison , and we do well to ascribe to him the whole glory of it , that no flesh may glory in his sight : but nevertheless in strictness of speech sufficiently warranted by scripture , the ministers of god , and the word of god , and we our selves do all co-operate some way or other to our conversion , and regeneration ; and by ascribing to any of these such parts as they truly have in this work , god is not robbed of any part of the glory of his grace , much less of the whole . much less is it the ascribing it all to our selves , whom we affirm to have the least part in it , not worthy to be mention'd , in comparison of the riches of god's grace towards us . and yet unless we do something , what can be the meaning of making our selves new hearts and new spirits ? is it only that we should be passive to the irresistible operation's of god's grace ? that is , that we should not hinder , what we can neither hinder nor promote ; that we should so demean our selves , as of necessity we must whether we will or no. so then to make our selves new hearts and new spirits , is to do nothing at all towards the hinderance or furtherance of this work ; and if this be th● meaning of it , it is a precept and e●hortation just as fit for stones , as for men ; that is , very improper for either . . objection . but however , we do extenuate and lessen the grace of god , if there be any active concurrence and endeavours on our part towards this change. for answer to this , three things deserve to be consider'd . first , it is very well worthy our consideration , that they who make this objection , have the confidence to pretend that they do not d●minish the grace of god , by confining it to a very small part of mankind in comparison ; nay , they will needs face us down , that by this very thing they do very much exalt and magnifie it , and that the grace of god is so much the greater , by how much the fewer they are that are partakers of it . but i hope they only mean that the grace is greater to themselves ; ( in which conceit there is commonly as much of envy as gratitude ) but surely they cannot mean that the grace which is limited to a few , is greater in it self , and upon the whole matter , than that which is extended to a great many ; it being a down-right contradiction , to say that the grace of god is magnified by being confined . for at this rate of reasoning , the lesser it is , the greater it must be , and by undeniable consequence would be greatest of all , if it were none at all . so that it seems the grace of god may be extenuated in favour of our selves ; but when we do so , we must say we magnifie it . secondly , but to come close to the objection ; tho' it be true , that if god's grace in our conversion do not do all , it does not do so much as if it did all ; yet this is really no injury or dishonour to the grace of god ; and tho' in some sense it doth extenuate it , it doth not in truth and reality take off from the glory of it . in my opinion , the grace and favour of a prince is not the less in offering a pardon to a traytor , who puts forth his hand and gladly receives it , than if he forc'd it upon him whether he would or no. i am sure it is in the first case much fitter to give it , and he on whom it is conferr'd much better qualified to receive it . 't is no disparagement to a prince's favour , that it is bestow'd on one who is in some measure qualified to receive it . but be it more or less in one case than the other , this is certain , that in both cases the man ows his life to the great grace and goodness of his prince ; and i cannot see how it lessens the grace , that the miserable object of it , the guilty and condemned person , was either by his humble submission , or thankful acceptance of it , in some degree better qualified to receive such a favour , than an obstinate refuser of it . thirdly , which is the principal consideration of all , we must take great heed , that while we endeavour to make god to do all in the conversion of sinners , we do not by this means charge upon him the ruine and destruction of impenitent sinners , which i doubt we should do , if we make the reason of their impenitency and ruine their utter impotency and disability to repent ; and we certainly make this the reason of their impenitency and ruine if there be no other difference but this between penitent and impenitent sinners , namely , that in the one god works repentance by an irresistible act of his power , so that he cannot but repent , and denys this grace to the other , without which he cannot possibly repent . but the scripture chargeth the destruction of men upon themselves , and lays their impenitency at their own door . oh israel ! thou hast destroyed thy self ; but in me is thy help , hosea . . but where is the help , when the grace absolutely necessary to repentance is denied ? and how is their destruction of themselves , if it is unavoidable , let them do what they can ? isa . . , . god appeals to his people israel , that nothing was wanting on his part , that was fit and necessary to be done , that they might bring forth the fruits of repentance , and better obedience . and now , o inhabitants of jerusalem , and men of judah , judge , i pray you , between me and my vineyard ; what could have been done more to my vineyard , that i have not done in it ? wherefore when i looked that it should bring forth grapes , brought it forth wild grapes ? is it true that god hath done all that was necessary to have brought them to repentance ? then if irresistible grace be necessary , he afforded them that ; but that was not afforded them , because then they must unavoidably have repented , and there had been no cause for this complaint : if he did not afford it , but only the outward means of repentance without the inward grace ( as some say ; ) then it is easie to judge why they did not repent ; because they could not ; and there seems to be no cause either of wonder , or complaint . besides that it will be hard to justifie that saying , what could i have done more to my vineyard , that i have not done in it ? when it is acknowledg'd by the assertors of this doctrine , that the main thing was not done , and that without which all the rest signify'd nothing , leaving them under the same impossibility of repentance , as if nothing at all had been done to them . but now upon our supposition , that sufficient grace was afforded to them , which they wilfully neglected to make use of , the reason and equity of this complaint is evident , and god is acquitted , as having done what was needful on his part , and the sinner justly condemned , for not concurring with the grace of god as he might have done ; which shews that we are not meerly passive in this work , but something is expected from us , after god hath done his part , which if we neglect to do , our destruction is of our selves . whereas the contrary supposition , upon pretence of glorifying god's grace , by making him to do all in the conversion of sinners , indangers the honour of his justice , by laying the impenitency of sinners , and their ruine consequent upon it , at his door ; which is to advance one attribute of god upon the ruine of another ; whereas it is a fundamental principle of religion , to take care to reconcile the attributes and perfections of god to one another ; for that is not a divine perfection , which contradicts any other perfection . the d objection is grounded upon that question of st. paul , cor. . . who maketh thee to differ ? which they think impossible to be answer'd , if the efficacy of god's grace depend upon our concurrence and compliance with it . for , say they , when god offers his grace to two persons for their repentance , if the true reason why the one repents , and the other remains impenitent , be this , that the one complieth with this grace of god , and yieldeth to it , the other resists and stands out against it ; then it is not the grace of god which makes the difference , for that is equal to both , but something in themselves , and so it is not god that makes them to differ , but they themselves . but this question is impertinent to this case . the apostle speaks it concerning spiritual gifts , upon account of which , they factiously admir'd some of the apostles above others , and concerning them the question is very proper , who maketh thee to differ ? miraculous gifts were so order'd by god , that men were meerly passive in the receiving of them , and contributed nothing to the obtaining of them ; and therefore if one had greater gifts than another , it was meerly the pleasure of god that made the difference . but the case is not the same in the graces of god's spirit , towards the obtaining and improving whereof , we our selves may contribute something ; our saviour having assur'd us , that to him that hath , shall be given . and here the question is not proper , nor is it true that the grace of god makes all the difference . it is indeed the foundation of all the good that is in us : but our different improvement makes different attainments in grace and goodness . among those to whom the talents were intrusted , what made the difference between the man who wrapt his talent in the napkin , and buried it , and those who gained double by theirs , but that the one improv'd the grace conferr'd on him , the other neglected it , and this without any manner of reflection upon , or diminution of the grace of god , or any danger from st. paul's question , who maketh thee to differ ? put the case a pardon is offered to two malefactors , the one accepts , the other refuses it ; their own choice makes the difference between them ; but he that is saved is nevertheless beholden to the king's pardon for his life , and it were a senseless ingratitude in him , because he accepts the pardon , when the other refuseth it , to say that he did not owe his life to the grace and favour of his prince , but might thank himself for it ; whereas that he was in a capacity to accept a pardon , was wholly due to the clemency of his prince , who offer'd it to him when he no wise deserved it . in this case the thing plainly appears as it is , by which every man may see , that it is against common sense to pretend that the grace of god is destroyed , if there be any compliance on our part with it ; that it is no grace , if it be not forc'd upon us , and we be not meerly passive in the reception of it . i proceed in the second place , to give a clear state of this matter , so as is most agreeable to the doctrine of the holy scriptures , and the essential attributes and perfections of god. in order to which , i will give you a short view of the several opinions concerning this matter . and there are two extream , and two middle opinions , concerning the operation of god's grace in the conversion of a sinner . the first of the extream opinions is that which all this while i have been arguing against , namely , that all that are conv●●ted and regenerated , are wrought upon in an irresistible manner , and are meerly passive in it ; and that those who are not thus wrought upon , their repentance and conversion is impossible . what the inconveniencies of this opinion are , i have shewed at large . the other extream opinion is , that none are thus wrought upon , because it would be a violence and injury to man's natural liberty ; but that sufficient grace is offered to all , one time or other , who live under the gospel , which they may comply with or resist ; and consequently if they be not brought to repentance , their impenitency and ruine is the effect of their own choice , and god is free from the blood of all men. but this opinion , tho' infinitely more reasonable than the other , seems not to have any necessary foundation either in scripture or reason . there are some instances in scripture of the conversion of men after a very violent , if not an irresistible manner , which seems to be attributed to a particular predestination of god ; as that of st. paul , who says of himself , gal. . . that he was separated from his mother's womb to that work to which he was called ; and the manner of his conversion was answerable to such a predestination ; and there is nothing in reason against this , since it is no injury to any man to be made good and happy against his will. the two middle opinions are these . first , that irresistible grace is afforded to all the elect , and sufficient grace to all others who live under the gospel ( for of those only we speak , the case of others being peculiar , and belonging to the extraordinary mercy of god ) but then they say , that none of those to whom this sufficient grace is afforded , shall effectually comply with it , and be saved . this opinion seems more moderate , and hath this advantage in it , that it acquits the justice of god in the condemnation of those , who having sufficient grace afforded to them , did yet notwithstanding continue impenitent ; but yet it hath two great inconveniencies in it . first , that this supposition is to no purpose , as to any real effect for the salvation of men , because not one person more is saved , notwithstanding this universal sufficient grace , which they say is afforded to all ; for they take it for granted it is never effectual , and then it seems very unreasonable to suppose , that a means sufficient to its end should universally prove ineffectual ; nay , on the contrary , it is next to a demonstration against the sufficiency of a means , if perpetually and in all instances it fails of its end. this would tempt any man to think , that surely there is some defect in it , or something that hinders the efficacy of it ; if being perpetually and generally afforded , it doth perpetually and universally miscarry , without so much as one instance among so many millions to the contrary . so that this opinion seems rather to be contriv'd for a colour and shelter against some absurdity , which men know not how to avoid otherwise , than to s●rve any good purpose , or to be embraced for the truth and probability of it . the other middle opinion is , that some are converted in an irresistible manner , when god pleaseth , and whom he designs to be extraordinary examples and instruments for the good of others , and that sufficient grace is afforded to others , which is effectual to the salvation of many , and rejected by a great many . and this avoids all the inconveniency of the other opinion , and is evidently most agreeable both to the tenour of scripture , and to the best notions which men have concerning the attributes and perfections of god , and gives greatest encouragement to the endeavours of men. it agrees very well with the solemn declarations of scripture , that god is not wanting on his part , to afford men sufficient means to bring them to repentance ; that he desires not the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live ; that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth ; that he would not that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance ; that mens destruction is of themselves . and this makes all the exhortations and motives of scripture to repentance to be of some force and significancy , and gives encouragement to the resolutions and endeavours of men to become better . this clearly acquits the justice of god in the condemnation of impenitent sinners , and sixeth the reason of their ruine upon their own choice . this perfectly reconciles the operation and assistance of god's grace in our conversion and regeneration , in our sanctification and perseverance in a good course , with the concurrence of our own endeavours , and makes those plain texts of scripture have some sense and significancy in them ; work out your own salvation ; repent and turn your selves from all your evil ways ; make ye new hearts and new spirits . these are more than a thousand metaphors to convince a man , that we may and ought to do something towards our repentance and conversion . and if any man be sure that we neither do nor can do any thing in this work , then i am sure that these texts signifie nothing . finally , these texts which speak most clearly of the necessity of the divine grace and as●●stance , to our doing of any thing that is spiritually good , do suppose something to be done on our part . that of our saviour , without me you can do nothing , implies that with his grace and assistance we can . that of st. paul , i am able to do all things through christ strengthning me , implies , that what we do by the strength of christ is truly our own act ; i am able to do all things . and this does not in the least prejudice nor obscure the glory of god's grace . st. paul it seems knew very well how to reconcile these two , and to give the grace of god its due , without rejecting all concurrence of our own industry and endeavour , corin. . . but by the grace of god i am what i am ; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain ; not because it was irresistible , and he meerly passive in the reception of it ; but because he did concurr and co-operate with it . so he tells us , his grace that was bestowed upon me was not in vain , but i laboured more abundantly than they all ; yet not i , but the grace of god which was with me . so that our concurrence and endeavour in the doing of any thing that is good , does not derogate from the grace of god , provided that we ascribe the good which we do to the assistance of divine grace , to which it is incomparably more due , than to our own activity and endeavour . and so st. paul does , i labour'd abundantly ; yet not i , but the grace of god , which was with me . so that the glory of god's grace may be advanced to its due pitch , without asserting that we are meerly passive to the operations of it . god's grace may be abundantly bestowed upon us , and yet we may labour abundantly ; god may work in us to will and to do , and yet we may work out our own salvation . i have done with the second doctrine grounded upon this metaphor of a new creature . sermon viii . of the nature of regeneration , and its necessity , in order to justification and salvation . galat. vi. . for in christ jesus , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature . in discoursing on these words , that which i was last upon was to shew , that this metaphor of a new creature doth not import what some would extend it to , and that so as to found doctrines of great consequence upon the single strength of this , and other like metaphors , viz. such doctrines as these three . first , that as the creation was by an irresistible act of the divine power , so is this new creation , or the conversion of a sinner . secondly , that as creatures were meerly passive in their being made , and contributed nothing at all thereto , no more do we to our conversion and regeneration . thirdly , that as the creation was in an instant , only by the powerful word of god , so this new creation is in an instant , and admits of no degrees . the two first of these i have spoken to , and shewed , that as they had no necessary foundation in this and the like metaphors of scripture , so they are contrary to reason and experience , and the plain and constant tenour of scripture , which is the rule and measure of christs doctrine . i proceed now to consider the third doctrine , which is grounded upon this metaphor , namely , that as the creation of the several ranks and orders of creatures was in an instant , and effected by the powerful word of god , saying let such and such things be , and immediately they were ; so this new creation is in an instant , and admits of no steps and degrees . and this doctrine is nothing else but a farther pursuit of the metaphor ; and admitting the two former doctrines to be true , and well grounded upon this metaphor , this third doctrine follows well enough from them ; for it is agreeable enough , that that which is effected by an irresistible act of omnipotence , without any concurrence or operation on our part , should be done in an instant , and all at once . not that this is necessary , but that it is reasonable ; for why should omnipotence use delays , and take time , and proceed by degrees in the doing of that , which with the same ease it can do at once , and in an instant ? especially considering how well this suits with the other metaphors of scripture , as well as with this of a new creation , viz. the metaphor of regeneration , and resurrection . a child is born at once , and the dead shall be raised in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye . but notwithstanding all this plausible appearance and conspiracy of metaphors , i shall shew that this doctrine of the conversion and regeneration of a sinner being effected in an instant , and all at once , is not well grounded either upon scripture , or experience . not but that god can do so if he pleaseth , and works this change in some much sooner and quicker than in others ; but there is nothing either in scripture or experience to perswade us that this is the usual , much less the constant and unalterable method of god's grace in the conversion of a sinner , to bring it about in an instant , without any sensible steps and degrees . but for the full clearing of this matter , i shall proceed by these steps . first , i shall shew upon what mistaken grounds and principles this doctrine relies , besides the metaphors already mention'd , which i have shewn to be of no force to prove the thing . secondly , i shall plainly shew what regeneration is ; by which it will appear , that it is not necessarily effected in an instant , and at once , but admits of degrees . thirdly , that it is evidently so in experience of the ordinary methods of god's grace , both in those who are regenerated by a pious and religious education , and in those who are reclaimed from a vitious course of life . fourthly , that all this is very consonant and agreeable to what the scripture plainly and constantly declares concerning it . first , i shall discover several mistakes upon which this doctrine is grounded , besides the metaphors already mention'd , and which i have shewn to be of no force to prove the thing , viz. that regeneration is in an instant , and admits of no degrees . as , . that regeneration and sanctification are not only different expressions , but do signifie two things really different . but this is a gross mistake ; for regeneration and sanctification are but different expressions of the self self same thing ; for regeneration is a metaphor which the scrip●ure useth to express our translation and change from one state to another , from a state of sin and wickedness , to a state of grace and holiness , as if we were born over again , and were the children of another father , and from being the children of the devil , did become the children of god ; and sanctification is our being made holy , our being purified and cleansed from sin and impurity . and hence it is that regeneration and sanctification are attributed to the same causes , principal , and instrumental , to the spirit of god , and to the word of god ; we are said to be born again of the spirit , and to be sanctified by the holy ghost ; to be begotten of the word of truth , and to be sanctified by the truth , which is the word of god. so that the scripture speaks of them as the same thing ; and they must needs be so , for if sanctification be the making of us holy , and regeneration make us holy ; then regeneration is sanctification . . it is said , that regeneration only signifies our first entrance into this state , and sanctification our progress and continuance in it . but this likewise is a great mistake . for tho' it be true , that regeneration doth signifie our first entrance into this state , yet it is not true , that it only signifies that ; for it is used likewise in scripture to signifie our continuance in that state ; for christians are said to be the children of god , and consequently in a regenerate state , not only in the instant of this change , but during their continuance in it . besides that our first change is as well call'd our sanctification , as our progress and continuance in a state of holiness . so that neither in this is there any difference between regeneration , and sanctification . they do both of them signifie both our first entrance into an holy state , and our continuance and progress in it ' tho' regeneration do more frequently denote the making of this change , and our first entrance into it . . it is said that one of the main differences between regeneration and sanctification is this , that regeneration is incapable of degrees , and all that are regenerate are equally so , and one regenerate person is not more or less regenerate than another ; whereas sanctification is a gradual progress from one degree of holiness to another , and of ●hem that are truly sanctified and holy , one may be more sanctified and more holy than another . but this likewise is a meer fancy and imagination , without any real ground . for as an unregenerate state does plainly admit of degrees , so likewise doth the regenerate , and for the same reason . that an unregenerate state admits of degrees , is evident , in that some unregenerate persons are more wicked than others , and thereby more the children of wrath , and the devil , than others , which are the scripture expressions concerning the degrees of mens wickedness and impi●ty . in like manner , they that are more holy , and more like god , are more the children of god ; and to be more a child of god , is surely to be more regenerate , that is , more renewed after the image of god , which consists in righteousness , and true holiness . so that it is a meer precarious assertion , and evidently false to affirm , that regeneration doth not admit of degrees , and that one is not more regenerate than another . thly , and lastly , they ground this conceit upon the doctrine of the schools , which teach , that in regeneration and conversion all the habits of grace are infused , simul & semel , together , and at once . i confess i have no regard , much less a veneration for the doctrine of the schools , where it differs from that of the holy scriptures , which says not one word of infused habits , which yet are much talk'd of in divinity ; and to speak the truth , these words serve only to obscure the thing . for to say that in conversion the habits of all graces and virtues are infused together and at once , is to say , that in an instant men that were vicious before in several kinds , are by an omnipotent act of god's grace , and by a new principle infused into them , endued with the habits of the contra●y graces and virtues , and are as chast , and temperate , and just , and meek , and humble , as if by the frequent practice of these virtues they had become so . that this may be , and sometimes is , i am so far from denying , that i believe it to be so . some men , by an extraordinary power of god's grace upon their hearts , are suddenly changed , and strangely reclaimed from a very wicked and vicious , to a very religious and virtuous course of life , and that which others attain to by slower degrees , and great conflicts with themselves , before they can gain the upper hand of their lusts , these arrive at all on the sudden , by a mighty resolution wrought in them by the power of god's grace , and as it were a new byass and inclination put● upon their souls , equal to an habit gain'd by long use and custom . this god sometimes does , and when he does this , it may in some sense be call'd the infusion of the habits of grace and virtue together and at once ; because the man is hereby endowed with a principle of equal force and power with habits that are acquir'd by long use and practice . a strong and vigorous faith is the principle and root of all graces and virtues , and may have such a powerful influence upon the resolutions of our minds , and the government of our actions , that from this principle all graces and virtues may spring and grow up by degrees into habits ; but then this principle is not formally but virtually , in the power and efficacy of it ; the infusion of the habits of every grace and virtue ; and even in those persons in whom this change is so suddenly , and as it were at once , i doubt not but that the habits of several graces and virtues are afterwards attained by the frequent practice of them , in the virtue of this powerful principle of the faith of the gospel , as i shall shew in the progress of this discourse . and this i doubt not was very frequent and visible in many of the first converts to christianity ; especially of those , who from the abominable idolatry and impiety of heathenism were gained to the christian religion . the spirit of god did then work very miraculously , as well in the cures of spiritual as of bodily diseases . but then to make this the rule and standard of god's ordinary proceedings in the conversion and regeneration of men , is equally unreasonable , as still to expect miracles for the cure of diseases ; and 't is certain in experience , that this is not god's ordinary method in the conversion of sinners , as i shall fully shew by and by . secondly , i shall shew what regeneration is , by which it will plainly appear , that there is no necessity that it should be effected in an instant , and at once , but that it will admit of degrees . i do not deny that it may be in an instant , and at once . the power of god is able to do this , and sometimes does it very thoroughly , and very suddenly . but the question is , whether there be a necessity it should be so , and always be so . now regeneration is the change of a man's state , from a state of sin , to a state of holiness ; which because it is an entrance upon a new kind or course of life , it is fitly resembled to regeneration , or a new birth ; to a new creation , the man being as it were quite charged , or made over again , so as not to be , as to the main purpose and design of his life , the same man he was before . this is a plain sensible account of the thing , which every one may easily understand . now there is nothing in reason , why a man may not gradually be changed , and arrive at this state by degrees ; as well as after this change is made , and he arrived at this state of a regenerate man , he may by degrees grow and improve in it . but the latter no man doubts of , but that a man that is in a state of grace , may grow and improve in grace ; and there is as little reason to question why a man may not come to this state by degrees , as well as leap into it at once . all the difficulty i know of in this matter , is a meer nicety , that there is an instant in which every thing begins , and therefore regeneration is in an instant ; so that the instant before the man arrived at this state , it could not be said that he was regenerate , and the instant after he is in this state , it cannot be denied that he is so . but this is idle subtilety , just as if a man should prove that an house was built in an instant , because it could not be said to be built , 'till the instant it was finish'd ; tho' for all this , nothing is more certain than that it was built by degrees . or , suppose the time of arriving at man's estate be at one and twenty , does it from hence follow , that a man does not grow to be a man by degrees , but is made a man in an instant ; because just before one and twenty he was not at man's estate , and just then he was ? not but that god , if he please , can make a man in an instant , as he did adam ; but it is not necessary from this example , that all men should be made so , much less does it follow from this vain subtilety . this is just the case . all the while the man is tending towards a regenerate state , and is strugling with his lusts , 'till by the power of god's grace , and his own resolution he get the victory ; all the while he is under the sense and conviction of his sinful and miserable state , and sorrowing for the folly of his past life , and coming to an effectual purpose and resolution of changing his course ; and it may be several times thrown back by the temptations of the devil , and the power of evil habits , and the weakness and instability of his own purpose ; 'till at last , by the grace of god following and assisting him , he comes to a firm resolution of a better life , which resolution governs him for the future ; i say all this while , which in some persons is longer , in others shorter , according to the power of evil habits , and the different degrees of god's grace afforded to men ; all this time the work of regeneration is going on , and tho' a man cannot be said to be in a regenerate state , 'till that very instant that the principle of grace and his good resolution have got the upper hand of his lusts , yet it is certain for all this , that the work of regeneration was not effected in an instant . this is plainly and truly the case , as i shall shew in the third particular i propounded , namely , that it is evident from experience of the ordinary methods of god's grace , both in those who are regenerated by a pious and religious education , and those who are reclaimed from a vicious course of life . the first sort , namely those who are brought to goodness by a religious and virtuous education ; these ( at least , so far as my observation reacheth ) make up a very considerable part of the number of the regenerate , that is , of good men. and tho' it be certain , considering the universal corruption and degeneracy of humane nature , that there is a real change made in them , by the operation of god's grace upon their minds , yet it is as certain in experience , that this change is made in very many , by very silent and insensible degrees , 'till at length the seeds of religion , which were planted in them by a good education , do visibly prevail over all the evil inclinations of corrupt nature , so as to sway and govern the actions of their lives ; and when the principles of grace and goodness do apparently prevail , we may conclude them to be in a regenerate s●ate , tho' perhaps very few of these can give any account of the particular time and occasion of this change. for things may be seen in their effect , which were never very sensible in their cause . and it is very reasonable , that such persons who never lived in any evil course , should escape those pangs and terrours which unavoidably happen unto others , from a course of actual sin , and the guilt of a wicked life ; and if there be any such persons as i have described , who are in this gradual and insensible manner regenerated , and made good , this is a demonstration , that there is no necessity that this change should be in an instant , it being so frequently found to be otherwise in experience . and as for others , who are visibly reclaimed from a notorious wicked course , in these we likewise frequently see this change gradually made , by strong impressions made upon their minds , most frequently by the word of god , sometimes by his providence , whereby they are convin●'d of the evil and danger of their course , and awakened to consideration , and melted into sorrow and repentance , and perhaps exercis'd with great terrours of conscience , 'till at length by the grace of god , they come to a fixt purpose and resolution of forsaking their sins , and turning to god ; and after many struglings and conflicts with their lusts , and the strong byass of evil habits , this resolution assisted by the grace of god , doth effectually prevail , and make a real change both in the temper of their minds , and the course of their lives ; and when this is done , and not before , they are said to be regenerate . but all the while this was a doing , the new man was forming , and the work of regeneration was going on ; and it was perhaps a very considerable time from the first beginning of it , 'till it came to a fixt and setled state . and this i doubt not in experience of most persons who are reclaim'd from a vicious course of life , is found to be the usual and ordinary method of god's grace in their conversion . and if so , it is in vain to pretend that a thing is done in an instant , which by so manifold experience is found to take up a great deal of time , and to be effected by degrees . and whereas some men are pleased to call all this the preparatory work to regeneration , but not the regeneration it self , this is an idle contention about words . for if these preparations be a degree of goodness , and a gradual tendency towards it , then the work is begun by them , and during the continuance of them , is all the while a doing , and tho' it be hard to fix the point or instant when a man just arrives at this state , and not before , yet it is very sensible when a man is in it , and this change when it is really made , will soon discover it self by plain and sensible effects . fourthly , and lastly , all this is very agreeable to the plain and constant tenour of scripture . isa . . . where the prophet exhorts to this change , he speaks of it as a gradual thing , wash ye , make you clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes , cease to do evil , learn to do well ; that is , break off evil and vicious habits , and gain the contrary habits of virtue and goodness by the exercise of it . the scripture speaks of some , as farther from a state of grace than others , jer. . . can the ethiopian change his skin , or the leopard his spots , then may ye also do good , that are accustomed to do evil ; plainly declaring the great difficulty , equal almost to a natural impossibility , of reclaiming those to goodness , who have been long habituated to an evil course . and the scripture speaks of some as nearer to a state of grace than others . our saviour tells the young man in the gospel , who said he had kept the commands of god from his youth ; that he was not far from the kingdom of god. but now if by an irresistible act of god's power , this change be made in an instant , and cannot otherwise be made , how is one man nearer to a state of grace , or farther from it than another ? if all that are made good , must be made so in an instant or not at all , then no man is nearer being made good than another ; for if he were nearer to it , he might sooner be made so ; but that cannot be , if all must be made good in an instant , for sooner than that no man can be made so . if the similitude of our being dead in sins and trespasses be strictly taken , no man is nearer a resurrection to a new life than another ; as he that died but a week ago , is as far from being raised to life again , as he that died a thousand years ago ; the resurrection of both requires an omnipotent act , and to that both are equally easie . the two parables of our saviour , matth. . , . are by many interpreters understood of the gradual operation of grace upon the hearts of men. that wherein the kingdom of heaven is likened to a grain of mustard-seed , which being sown , was the least of all seeds , but by degrees grew up to be the greatest of herbs ; and to leaven , which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal , 'till the whole was leavened ; intimating the progress of god's grace , which by degrees diffuseth it self over the whole temper of a man's mind , into all the actions of his life . to be sure the parable of the seed which fell upon good ground , does represent the efficacy of the word of god , accompanied by his grace upon the minds of men , and that is said to spring up and increase , and to bring forth fruit with patience ; which surely does express to us the gradual operation of god's word and grace iu the renovation and change of a man's heart and life . the new testament indeed speaks of the sudden change of many upon the first preaching of the gospel , which i have told you before is not a standard of the ordinary method of god's grace , the not considering of which , hath been a great cause of all the mistakes in this matter . 't is true , those which were thus converted to the belief of the gospel , their faith was a virtual principle of all grace and virtue , tho' not formally the habit of every particular grace . st. paul himself , who was a prime instance of this kind , speaks as if he acquir'd the grace of contentment by great consideration , and diligent care of himself in several conditions ; not as if the habit of this grace had been infused into him at once , phil. . , . i have learn'd in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . i know both how to be abased , and i know how to abound ; every where and in all things i am instructed , both to be full , and to be hungry , both to abound , and to suffer need . and thus i have done with the first thing i propounded to consider , namely , the true and just importance of this metaphor of the new creation . the two particulars which remain , i shall by god's assistance finish in my next discourse . sermon ix . of the nature of regeneration , and its necessity , in order to justification and salvation . galat. vi. . for in christ jesus , neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but a new creature . the observation i am still upon from these words is this , viz. that in the christian religion nothing will avail to our justification , but the renovation of our hearts and lives , exprest here by a new creature . in treating of which , i propos'd the doing of three things . first , to shew the ●rue import of this metaphor of a new creature . secondly , to shew that this is the great condition of o●● justification ; and , thirdly , that it is highly reasonable that it should be so . in treating of the first of these particulars , i have consider'd some doctrines as founded upon this metaphor , which i have shewn at large , not only to have no foundation in scripture , or reason , or experience ; but also to be very unreasonable in themselves , and contrary to the plain and constant tenour of scripture , and to the ordinary method of god's grace in the regeneration of men , whether by a religious and virtuous education , or in those who are reclaim'd from a notorious wicked course of life . and that i have so long insisted upon this argument , and handled it in a more contentious way than is usual with me , did not proceed from any love to controversie , which i am less fond of every day than other ; but from a great desire to put an end to these controversies , and quarrellings in the dark , by bringing them to a clear state and plain issue , and likewise to undeceive good men concerning some current notions and doctrines , which i do really believe to be dishonourable to god , and contrary to the plain declarations of scripture , and a cause of great perplexity and discomfort to the minds of men , and a real discouragement to the resolutions and endeavours of becoming better . upon which considerations i was strongly urgent to search these doctrines to the bottom , and to contribute what in me lay , to the rescuing of good men from the disquiet and entanglement of them . i will conclude this matter with a few cautions not unworthy to be remembred by us ; that we would be careful so to ascribe all good to god ; that we be sure we ascribe nothing to him that is evil , or any ways unworthy of him ; that we do not make him the sole author of our salvation , in such a way , as will unavoidably charge upon him the final impenitency and ruine of a great part of mankind ; that we do not so magnifie the grace of god , as to make his precepts and exhortations s●gnifie nothing , such as these , make ye new he●●ts , and new spirits ; strive to enter in at the strait gate ; where , if by the strait gate be meant the difficulty of our first entrance upon a religious course , that is , of our conversion and regeneration , i cannot imagine how it is possible to reconcile our being meerly passive in this work , and doing nothing at all in it , with our saviour's precept of striving to enter in at the strait gate ; unless to be very active , and to be meerly passive about the same thing be all one , and an earnest contention and endeavour be the same thing with doing nothing . again , that we do not make the utmost degeneracy and depravation which men ever arrived at by the greatest abuse of themselves , and the most vile and wicked practices , the standard of an unregenerate state , and of the common condition of all men by nature . and lastly , that we do not make some particular instances in scripture , of the strange and sudden conversion of some persons ( as namely , of st. paul and the jaylor in the acts ) the common rule and measure of every man's conversion ; so that unless a man be as it were struck down by a light and power from heaven , and taken with a fit of trembling , and frighted almost out of his wits , or find in himself something equal to this , he can have no assurance of his conversion ; whereas a much surer judgment may be made of the sincerity of a man's conversion , by the real effects of this change , than by the manner of it . this our saviour hath taught us , by that apt resemblance of the operation of god's spirit to the blowing of the wind , of the original cause whereof , and of the reason of its ceasing or continuance , and why it blows stronger or gentler , this way or that way , we are altogether ignorant ; but that it is , we are sensible from the sound of it , john . . the wind bloweth where it listeth , and thou hearest the sound of it , but canst not tell whence it cometh , nor whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the spirit . the effects of god's holy spirit in the regeneration of men are sensible , tho' the manner and degrees of his operation upon the souls of men are so various , that we can give no account of them ; by which , one wou'd think our saviour had sufficiently caution'd us , not to reduce the operations of god's grace and holy spirit in the regeneration of men , to any certain rule or standard , but chiefly to regard the sensible effects of this secret work upon the hearts and lives of men. and after all , it is in vain to contend by any arguments against clear and certain experience . if we plainly see that many are insensibly changed , and made good by pious education , in the nurture aud admonition of the lord , and that som● who have long lived in a prophane neglect and contempt of religion , are by the secret power of god's word and holy spirit , upon calm consideration , without any great terrours and amazement , visibly changed and brought to a better mind and course ; it is in vain in these cases to pretend that this change is not real , because the manner of it is not answerable to some instances which are recorded in scripture , or which we have observ'd in our experience , and because these persons cannot give such an account of the time and manner of their conversion , as is agreeable to these instances ; which is just as if i should meet a man beyond sea , whom i had known in england , and would not believe that he had crost the seas , because he said he had a smooth and easie passage , and was wa●ted over by a gentle wind , and could tell no stories of storms and tempests . and thus i have fully and faithfully endeavour'd to open to you the just importance of this phrase or expression in the text , of the new creature , or the new creation . i proceed to the second particular i propounded , namely , that the real renovation of our hearts and lives is , according to the terms of the gospel , and the christian religion , the great condition of our justification and acceptance with god , and that this is the same in sense and substance with those phrases in the parallel texts to this , of faith perfected by charity , and of keeping the commandments of god. that according to the terms of the gospel , the great condition of our justification and acceptance with god , is the real renovation of our hearts and lives , is plain , not only from this text , which affirms , that in th● christian religion nothing will avail us but the new creature ; but likewise from many other clear texts of scripture ; and this , whether by justification be meant our first justification upon our faith and repentance , or our continuance in this state , or our final justification by our solemn acquital and absolution at the great day , which in scripture is called salvation , and eternal life . that this is the condition of our first justification , that is , of the forgiveness of our sins , and our being received into the grace and favour of god , is plain from all those texts , where this change is exprest by our repentance and conversion , by our regeneration and renovation , by our purification and sanctification , or by any other terms of the like importance . for under every one of these notions , this change is made the condition of the forgiveness of our sins , and acceptance to the favour of god. under the notion of repentance and conversion , acts . . repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ , for the remission of sins . acts . . repent , and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out . upon the same account , a penitent acknowledgement of our sins , which is an essential part of repentance , is made a condition of the forgiveness of them , john . . if we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness . under the notion of regeneration and renovation , cor. . . if any man be in christ , that is , become a true christian , which is all one with being in a justified state ; he is a new creature , old things are past away , behold all things are became new . tit. . , , , , . where the apostle declares at large , what change is requir'd to put us into a justified state , and to entitle us to the inheritance of eternal life . for we our selves were also sometimes foolish , disobedient , deceived , serving divers lusts and pleasures , living in malice and envy , hateful , and hating one another . but after that the kindness and love of god our saviour towards man appeared , not by works of righteousness which we have done , that is , not for any precedent righteousness of ours , for we were great sinners , but according to his mercy he saved us , by the washing of regeneration , and the renewing of the holy ghost , which he shed on us abundantly , through jesus christ our saviour , that being justified by his grace , we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life . so that the change of our former temper , and conversion , and regeneration , and the renewing of the holy ghost , is antecedently necessary to our justification , that is , to the pardon of our sins , and our restitution to the favour of god , and the hope of eternal life . so likewise under the notion of purification and sanctification , cor. . , , . where the apostle enumerates several sins and vices , which will certainly exclude men from the favour and kingdom of god , from which we must be cleansed , before we can be justified or saved . know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god ? be not deceived ; neither fornicators , nor idolaters , nor adulterers , nor thieves , nor covetous , nor drunkards , nor revilers , nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of god. and such were some of you : but ye are washed , but ye are sanctified , but ye are justified , in the name of the lord jesus , and by the spirit of our god. cor. . , . where the apostle likewise makes our purification a condition of our being received into the favour of god , and reckon'd into the number of his children . touch not the unclean thing , and i will receive you , and will be a father unto you , and ye shall be my sons and daughters , saith the lord almighty . and that by not touching the unclean thing , is here certainly meant our sanctification and purification from sin , is evident from what immediately follows in the beginning of the next chapter ; having therefore these promises , dearly beloved ! let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of god ; that is , having this encouragement , that upon this condition we shall be received to the favour of god , let us purifie our selves , that we may be capable of this great blessing . and our continuance in this state of grace and favour with god , depends upon our perseverance in holiness ; for if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . and lastly , this is also the condition of our final justification , and absolution by the sentence of the great day , mat. . . blessed are the pure in heart ; for they shall see god. joh. . . except a man be born again , he cannot see the kingdom of god. heb. . . follow holiness , without which , no man shall see the lord. john . . the apostle there speaking of the blessed sight and enjoyment of god , tells us what we must do , if ever we hope to be partakers of it ; every man that hath this hope in him , purifieth himself , even as he is pure . and this condition here mentioned in the text , of our being new creatures , is the same in sense and substance with those expressions which we find in the two parallel texts to this , where faith which is perfected by charity , and keeping the commandments of god , are made the condition of our justification and acceptance with god. gal. . . in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision ; but faith , which is consummate , or made perfect by charity ; and cor. . . circumcision is nothing , and uncircumcision is nothing ; but the keeping of the commandments of god. it is evident that the design and meaning of these three texts is the same , and therefore these three expressions of the new creature , and of faith perfected by charity , and of keeping the commandments of god , do certainly signifie the same thing . that the new creature signifies ●he change of our state , from a state of disobedience and sin , to a state of obedience and holiness of life , i have shewn at large ; and the apostle explaining this new creation , most expresly tells us , ephes . . we are his wormanship , created in christ jesus unto good works , which god ●ath before ordained , that we should walk in them ; and colos . . , , , . where the apostle tells them , that they ought to give testimony of their renovation , and having put on the new man , by all the fruits of obedience and goodness ; ye have put on the new man , which is renewed in knowledge , after the image of him that created him . put on therefore as the elect of god , holy and beloved , bowels of mercy , kindness , humbleness of mind , meekness , longsuff●ring , forbearing one another , and forgiving one another ; and above all these things put on charity , which is the bond of perfection . and the apostle st. peter tells us , that our regeneration , which he calls sanctification of the spirit , is unto obedience , pet. . . so that our renovation consisteth in the principle and practice of obedience , and a good life ; and what is this but faith perfected by charity ? and charity the apostle tells us is the fulfilling of the law ; and what is the fulfilling of the law , but keeping the commandments of god ? and keeping the commandments of god , or at least a sincere resolution of obedience , when there is not time and opportunity for the tryal of it , is in scripture as expresly made a condition both of our present and final justification and acceptance with god , as faith is , and in truth is the same with a living and operative faith , and a faith that is consummate , and made perfect by charity . acts . , . of a truth i perceive ( saith st. peter ) that god is no respecter of persons , but in every nation he that feareth him , and worketh righteousness , is accepted with him ; which speech does as plainly , as words can do any thing , declare to us , upon what terms all mankind , of what condition or nation soever , may find acceptance with god. rom. . , , , , . who will render to every man according to his deeds , to them who by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for glory , and honour , and immortality , eternal life : but to them who are contentious , and obey not the truth , but obey unrighteousness , indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil ; of the jews first , and also of the gentiles : but glory , honour , and peace to every man that worketh good , to the jew first , and also to the gentile . as to our acceptance with god , and the rewards of another world , it matters not whether jew or gentile , circumcised , or uncircumcised ; that which maketh the difference , is obeying the truth , or obeying unrighteousness , working good , or doing evil ; these are the things which will avail to our justification , or condemnation at the great day . to the same purpose is that saying of the apostle to the hebrews , chap. . . that christ is the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him . i will conclude this matter with two remarkable sayings , the one towards the beginning , the other towards the ●nd of the bible , to satisfie us that this is the tenour of the holy scriptures , and the constant doctrine of it from the beginning to the end . gen. . . it is god's speech to cain , if thou dost well , shalt thou not be accepted ? and rev. . . blessed are they that do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life , and may enter in through the gates into the city . and thus i have done with the second thing i propounded , which was to shew , that according to the terms of the gospel , and the christian religion , the real renovation of our hearts and lives is the great condition of our justification and acceptance with god , and that this in sense and substance is the same with faith made perfect by charity , and keeping the commandments of god. the third and last particular remains to be spoken to , namely , that it is highly reasonable that this should be the condition of our justification , and acceptance to the favour of god ; and that upon these two accounts . first , for the honour of god's holiness . secondly , in order to the qualifying of us for the favour of god , and the enjoyment of him ; for the pardon of our sins , and the reward of eternal life . first , for the honour of god's holiness . for should god have received men to his favour , and rewarded them with eternal glory and happiness , for the meer belief of the gospel , or a confident perswasion that christ would save them without any change of their hearts and lives , without repentance from dead works , and fruits meet for repentance , and amendment of life ; he had not given sufficient testimony to the world of his love to holiness and righteousness , and of his hatred of sin and iniquity . the apostle tells us , that god in the justifi-fication of a sinner declares his righteousness ; but should he justifie men upon other terms , this would not declare his righteousness and love of holiness , but rather an indifferency , whether men were good and righteous or not . for a bare assent to the truth of the gospel , without the fruits of holiness and obedience , is not a living , but a dead faith , and so far from being acceptable to god , that it is an affront to him ; and a confident reliance upon christ for salvation , while we continue in our sins , is not a justifying faith , but a bold and impudent presumption upon the mercy of god , and the merits of our saviour ; who indeed justifies the ungodly , that is , those that have been so , but not those that continue so . and if god should pardon sinners , and reward them with eternal life , upon any other terms than upon our becoming new creatures , than upon such a faith as is made perfect by charity , that is , by keeping the commands of god ; this would be so far from declaring his righteousness , and being a testimony of his hatred and displeasure against sin , that it would give the greatest countenance and encouragement to it imaginable . secondly , it is likewise very reasonable , that such a faith , that makes us new creatures , and is perfected by charity , and keeping the commandments of god , should be the condition of justification , in order to the qualifying of us for the pardon of our sins , and the reward of eternal life ; that is , for the favour of god , and for the enjoyment of him . to forgive men upon other terms , were to give countenance and encouragement to perpetual rebellion and disobedience . that man is not fit to be forgiven , who is so far from being sorry for his fault , that he goes on to offend ; he is utterly incapable of mercy , who is not sensible that he hath done amiss , and resolved to amend . no prince ever thought a rebellious subject capable of pardon upon lower terms than these . it is in the nature of the thing unfit that an obstinate offender should have any mercy or favour shewn to him . and as without repentance and resolution of better obedience , we are unfit for forgiveness , so much more for a reward ; as we cannot expect god's favour , so we are incapable of the enjoyment of him without holiness . holiness is the image of god , and makes us like to him ; and 'till we be like him , we cannot see him , we can have no enjoyment of him . all delightful communion and agreeable society is founded in a similitude of disposition and manners , and therefore so long as we are unlike to god in the temper and disposition of our minds , and in the actions and course of our lives , neither can god take pleasure in us , nor we in him , but there will be a perpetual jarring and discord between him and us ; and tho' we were in heaven , and seated in the place of the blessed , yet we should not , nay we could not be happy ; because we should want the necessary materials and ingredients of happiness . for it is with the soul in this respect , as it is with the body ; tho' all things be easie without us ; and no cruelty be exercis'd upon us , to give torment and vexation to us , yet if we be inwardly diseased , we may have pain and anguish enough , we may be as it were upon the rack , and feel as great torment from the inward disorder of our humours , as if we were tortur'd from without . so it is with the soul , sin and vice are internal diseases , which do naturally create trouble and discontent , and nothing but diversion , and the variety of objects and pleasures which entertain men in this world , hinders a wicked man from being out of his wits , whenever he reflects upon himself ; for all the irregular appetites and passions , lust , and malice , and revenge , are so many furies within us , and tho' there were no devil to torment us , yet the disorder of our own minds , and the horrours of a guilty conscience would be a hell to us , and make us extreamly miserable in the very regions of happiness . so that it is necessary that our faith should be made perfect by charity , and that we should become new creatures ; not only from the arbitrary constitution and appointment of god , but from the nature and reason of the thing ; because nothing but this can dispose us for that blessedness , which god hath promis'd to us , and prepared for us . faith consider'd abstractly from the fruits of holiness and obedience , of goodness and charity , will bring no man into the favour of god. all the excellency of faith is , that it is the principle of a good life , and furnisheth us with the best motives and arguments thereto , the promises and threatnings of the gospel ; and therefore in heaven , when we come to sight and enjoyment , faith and hope shall cease , but charity never faileth ; for if it should , heaven would cease to be heaven to us , because it is the very frame and temper of happiness ; and if this disposition be not wrought in us in this world , we shall be altogether incapable of the felicity of the other . you see then what it is that must recommend us to the favour of god ; the real renovation of our hearts and lives , after the image of him that created us . this must be repaired in us , before ever we can hope to be restored to the grace and favour of god , or to be capable of the reward of eternal life . and what could god have done more reasonable , than to make these very things the terms of our salvation , which are the necessary causes and means of it ? how could he have dealt more mercifully and kindly with us , than to appoint that to be the condition of our happiness , which is the only qualification that can make us capable of it ? i will conclude all with that excellent passage in the wisdom of solomon , chap. . , . the very true beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline , and the care of discipline is love , and love is the keeping of her laws , and taking heed to her laws is the assurance of incorruption . the summ of what i have said upon this argument amounts to this , that upon the terms of the gospel we can have no hope of the forgiveness of our sins , and eternal salvation , unless our nature be renewed , and the image of god , which is defaced by sin , be repaired in us , and we be created in christ unto good works ; that no faith will avail to our justification and acceptance with god , but that which is made perfect by charity , that is , by fulfilling of the law , and keeping the commandments of god ; by sincere obedience and holiness of life , which notwithstanding the inavoidable imperfection of it in this state , will nevertheless be accepted with god , through the merits of our blessed saviour , who hath loved us , and washt us from our sins in his own blood . to whom be glory for ever . amen . sermon x. the danger of all known sin , both from the light of nature , and revelation . rom . i. , . for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; because that which may be known of god is manifest in them , for god hath shewed it unto them . in the beginning of this chapter , the apostle declares that he was particularly design'd and appointed by god to preach the gospel to the world , and that he was not ashamed of his ministry , notwithstanding all the reproach and persecution it was attended withall , and notwithstanding the slight and undervaluing opinion which the world had of the doctrine which he preached , it being to the jews a stumbling block , and to the greeks foolishness ; for tho' this might reflect some disparagement upon it in the esteem of sensual and carnal men , yet to those who weighed things impartially , and consider'd the excellent end and design of the christian doctrine , and the force and efficacy of it to that end , it would appear to be an instrument admirably fitted by the wisdom of god , for the reformation and salvation of mankind . and therefore he tells us , ver . . that how much soever it was despised by that ignorant and inconsiderate age , he was not ashamed of the gospel of christ ; because it is the power of god unto salvation , to every one that believeth , to the jew first , and also to the greek ; that is , the doctrine of the gospel sincerely believed and embraced , is a most proper and powerful means , designed by god for the salvation of mankind ; not only of the jews , but also of the gentiles . the revelations which god had formerly made , were chiefly restrained to the jewish nation ; but this great and last revelation of the gospel , was equally calculated for the benefit and advantage of all mankind . the gospel indeed was first preached to the jews , and from thence publish'd to the whole world ; and as this doctrine was design'd for the general benefit of mankind , so it was very likely to be effectual to that end , being an instrument equally fitted for the salvation of the whole world , gentiles as well as jews ; it is the power of god to salvation to every one that believes , to the jew first , and also to the greek . and to shew the efficacy of it , he instanceth in two things , which render it so powerful and effectual a means for the salvation of mankind . first , because therein the grace and mercy of god in the justification of a sinner , and declaring him righteous , is so clearly revealed , ver . . for therein is the righteousness of god revealed , from faith to faith , as it is written , the just shall live by faith. this is very obscurely exprest , but the meaning of this text will be very much cleared , by comparing it with another in the d chapter of this epistle , ver . , , , &c. where the apostle speaks more fully and expresly of the way of our justification by the faith of jesus christ , that is , by the belief of the gospel . he asse●ts at the th verse , that by the ●●eds of the law there shall no flesh be ●●stified in the sight of god. to this ●ay of justification by the deeds of the ●●w● he opposeth the righteousness of ●od , by the faith of jesus christ , to all , and upon all them that believe , which is the gospel way of justification , ver . , . but now the righteousness of god without the law is manifested , being witnessed by the law and the prophets , even the righteousness of god , which is by the faith of jesus christ , unto all , and upon all them that believe . the righteousness of god without the law is manifested ; that is , the way which god hath taken to justifie sinners , and declare them righteous , without the deeds of the law , that is , without observing the law of moses , is manifested , that is , is clearly revealed in the gospel , ( which is the same with what the apostle had said before , that the righteousness of god is revealed in the gospel ) being witnessed by the law and the prophets , that is , the righteousness of god , or the justification of sinners by jesus christ , is clearly revealed in the gospel , being also in a more obscure manner attested or foretold in the old testament , which he calls the law and the prophets ; and this fully explains that difficult phrase of the righteousness of god being revealed by the gospel from faith to faith ; that is , by a gradual revelation , being more obscurely foretold in the old testament , and clearly discovered in the new ; so that these two passages are equivalent ; in the gospel , the righteousness of god is revealed from faith to faith ; and the righteousness of god without the works of the law is manifested , being witnessed by the law and the prophets . there is the first and more imperfect revelation of it , but the clear revelation of it is in the gospel ; this the apostle calls a revelation from faith to faith , that is , from a more imperfect and obscure , to a more express and clear discovery and belief of it . and then the citation which follows is very pertinent , as it is written , the just shall live by faith ; for this citation out of the old testament plainly shews , that the way of justification by faith was there mentioned ; or , as our apostle expresseth it , was witnessed by the law and the prophets ; and consequently that this was a gradual discovery , which he calls a revelation from faith to faith . the just shall live by faith ; that is , good men shall be saved by their faith , shall be justified and esteemed righteous in the sight of god , and finally saved by their faith. and so the apostle in the th chapt. of this epistle , ver . . calls our justification by the faith of the gospel , the justification of life , in opposition to condemnation and death , which very well explains that saying of the prophet , the just shall live by faith. i have been the longer upon this , that i might give some light to a very difficult and obscure text. secondly , the other instance whereby the apostle proves the gospel to be so powerful a means for the recovery and salvation of men is , that therein also the severity of god against impenitent sinners , as well as his grace and mercy in the justification of the penitent , is clearly revealed , ver . . for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; because that which may be known of god is manifested in them , for god hath shewed it unto them . the first , viz. the grace of god in our justification and the remission of sins past , is a most proper and powerful argument to encourage us to obedience for the future , nothing being more likely to reclaim men to their duty , than the assurance of indemnity for past crimes ; and the other is one of the most effectual considerations in the world to deter men from sin , that the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , &c. from which words i shall observe these six things . first , the infinite danger that a wicked and sinful course doth plainly expose men to . the wrath of god is here said to be revealed against the impiety and unrighteousness of men. secondly , the clear and undoubted revelation which the gospel hath made of this danger . the wrath of god against the sins of men , is said to be revealed from heaven . thirdly , that every wicked and vicious practice doth expose men to this great danger . the wrath of god is said to be revealed against all ungodliness , and unrighteousness of men. fourthly , that it is a very great aggravation of sin , for men to offend against the light of their own minds . the apostle here aggravates the impiety and wickedness of the heathen world , that they did not live up to the knowledge which they had of god , but contradicted it in their lives , which he calls holding the truth in unrighteousness . fifthly , the natural knowledge which men have of god , if they live wickedly , is a clear evidence of their holding the truth in unrighteousness . the apostle therefore chargeth them with holding the truth in unrighteousness , because that which may be known of god , is manifested in them , god having shewed it to them . sixthly , and lastly , that the clear revelation of the wrath of god in the gospel , against the impiety and wickedness of men , renders it a very powerful and likely means for the recovery and salvation of men. for the apostle proves the gospel of christ to be the power of god to salvation , because therein the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; that is , against all impenitent sinners . i shall at the present , by god's assistance , speak to the three first of these particulars . first , the infinite danger that a wicked and sinful course doth plainly expose men to . if there be a god that made the world , and governs it , and takes care of mankind , and hath given them laws and rules to live by , he cannot but be greatly displeased at the violation and transgression of them ; and certainly the displeasure of god is the most dreadful thing in the world , and the effects of it the most insupportable . the greatest fear is from the greatest danger , and the greatest danger is from the greatest power offended and enraged ; and this is a consideration exceeding full of terror , that by a sinful course we expose our selves to the utmost displeasure of the great and terrible god ; for who knows the power of his wrath ? and who may stand before him when once he is angry ? according to thy fear , so is thy wrath ( saith the psalmist . ) there is no passion in the mind of man that is more boundless and infinite than our fear , it is apt to make wild and frightful representations of evils , and to imagine them many times greater than really they are ; but in this case our imagination must fall short of the truth and terrour of the thing ; for the wrath of god doth far exceed the utmost jealousie and suspicion of the most fearful and guilty conscience , and the greatest sinner under his greatest anguish and despair , cannot apprehend or fear it more than there is reason for ; according to thy fear , so is thy wrath . if it were only the wrath and displeasure of men that the sinner were exposed to , there might be reason enough for fear , because they have many times power enough to crush an o●fender , and cruelty enough to fret every vein of his body , and to torment him in every part : but the wrath and vengeance of men bears no comparison with the wrath of god● their passions are many times strong and blustering ; but their arm is but short , and their power small , they have not an arm like god , nor can they thunder with a voice like him . they may design considerable harm and mischief to us ; but it is not always in the power of their hand to wreak their malice upon us , and to execute all the mischief which their enraged minds may prompt them to ; the very utmost they can design , is to torment our bodies , and to take away our lives , and when they have designed this , they may die first , and return to their dust , and then their thoughts perish with them , and all their malicious designs are at an end ; they are always under the power and government of a superiour being , and can go no further than he gives them leave . however if they do their worst , and shoot all their arrows at us , we cannot stand at the mark long , their wrath will soon make an end of us , and set us free from all their cruelty and oppression ; they can but kill the body , and after that they have no more that they can do ; their most refined malice cannot reach our spirits , no weapon that can be formed by the utmost art of man can pierce and wound our souls ; they can drive us out of this world , but they cannot pursue us into the other ; so that at the worst the grave will be a sanctuary to us , and death a safe retreat from all their rage and fury . but the wrath of god is not confined by any of these limits . once hath god spoken ( saith david by an elegant hebrew phrase to express the certainty of the thing ) once hath god spoken , and twice i have heard this , that power belongs to god , psal . . . he hath a mighty arm , and when he pleaseth to stretch it out , none may stay it , nor say unto him what dost thou ; he hath power enough to make good all his threatnings ; whatever he says , he is able to effect , and whatever he purposeth he can bring to pass ; for his counsel shall stand , and he will accomplish all his pleasure ; he need but speak the word , and it is done ; for we can neither resist his power , nor flye from it ; if we flye to the utmost parts of the earth , his hand can reach us , for in his hand are all the corners of the earth ; if we take refuge in the grave ( and we cannot do that without his leave ) thither his wrath can follow us , and there it will overtake us ; for his power is not confined to this world , nor limited to our bodies ; after he hath kill'd , he can destroy both body and soul in hell. and this is that wrath of god which is revealed from heaven , and which the apostle chiefly intends , viz. the misery and punishment of another world , this god hath threatned sinners withall ; to express which to us , as fully as words can do , he heaps up in the next chapter so many weighty and terrible words , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil ; in opposition to that great and glorious reward of immortality and eternal life , which is promised to a patient continuance in well-doing . so that the wrath of god which is here denounced against the impiety and unrighteousness of men , comprehends all the evils and miseries of this and the other world , which every sinner is in danger of whilst he continues impenitent ; for as according to the tenour of the gospel , godliness hath the promise of this life , and of that which is to come , so impenitency in sin exposeth men to the evils of both worlds , to the judgments of the life that now is , and to the endless and intolerable torments of that which is to come . and what can be more dreadful than the displeasure of an almighty and eternal being ? who can punish to the utmost , and who lives for ever , to execute his wrath and vengeance upon sinners ; so that well might the apostle say , it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. consider this all ye that forget god , that neglect him , and live in continual disobedience to his holy and righteous laws ; much more those who despise and affront him , and live in a perpetual defiance of him . will ye provoke the lord to jealousie ? are ye stronger than ●e ? think of it seriously , and forget him if you can , despise him if you dare ; consider this , lest he take you into consideration , and rouze like a lion out of sleep , and tear you in pieces , and there be none to deliver . this is the first observation , the infinite danger that a wicked and sinful course doth expose men to , the wrath of god , which doth not only signifie more than all the evils that we know , but than all those which the wildest fears and suspicions of our minds can imagine . secondly , the next thing observable , is the clear and undoubted revelation which the gospel hath made of this danger , the wrath of god is revealed , &c. by which the apostle intimates to us , that this was but obscurely known to the world before , at least in comparison of that clear discovery which the gospel hath now made of it ; so that i may allude to that expression in job , which he applies to death and the grave , that hell is naked before us , and destruction hath no covering . not but that mankind had always apprehensions and jealousies of the danger of a wicked life , and sinners were always afraid of the vengeance of god pursuing their evil deeds , not only in this life , but after it too ; and tho' they had turned the punishments of another world into ridiculous fables , yet the wiser sort of mankind could not get it out of their minds , that there was something real under them ; and that ixion's wheel , which by a perpetual motion carried him about , and sisyphus his stone , which he was perpetually rolling up the hill , and when he had got it near the top tumbled down , and still created him a new labour ; and tantalus his continual hunger and thirst , aggravated by a perpetual nearness of enjoyment , and a perpetual disappointment ; and prometheus his being chained to a rock , with an eagle or vulture perpetually preying upon his liver , which grew as fast as it was gnawed ; i say even the wiser among the heathens lookt upon these as fantastical representations of something that was real , viz. the grievous and endless punishment of sinners , the not to be endured , and yet perpetually renewed torments of another world ; for in the midst of all the ignorance and degeneracy of the heathen world , mens consciences did accuse them when they did amiss , and they had secret fears and misgivings of some mighty danger hanging over them , from the displeasure of a superior being , and the apprehension of some great mischiefs likely to follow their wicked actions , which some time or other would overtake them ; which because they did not always in this world , they dreaded them in the next . and this was the foundation of all those superstitions , whereby the ancient pagans endeavoured so carefully to appease their offended deities , and to avert the calamities which they feared they would send down upon them . but all this while they had no certain assurance by any clear and express revelation from god to that purpose , but only the jealousies and suspicions of their own minds , naturally consequent upon those notions which men generally had of god , but so obscured and depraved by the lusts and vices of men , and by the gross and false conceptions which they had of god , that they only serv'd to make them superstitious , but were not clear and strong enough to make them wisely and seriously religious . and to speak the truth , the more knowing and inquisitive part of the heathen world had brought all these things into great doubt and uncertainty , by the nicety and subtilty of disputes about them ; so that it was no great wonder , that these principles had no greater effect upon the lives of men , when their apprehensions of them were so dark and doubtful . but the gospel hath made a most clear and certain revelation of these things to mankind . it was written before upon men's hearts as the great sanction of the law of nature , but the impressions of this were in a great measure blurred and worn out , so that it had no great power and efficacy upon the minds and manners of men : but now it is clearly discovered to us , the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , which expression may well imply in it these three things . first , the clearness of the discovery ; the wrath of god is said to be revealed . secondly , the extraordinary manner of it ; it is said to be revealed from heaven . thirdly , the certainty of it ; not being the result of subtle and doubtful reasonings , but having a divine testimony and confirmation given to it , which is the proper meaning of being revealed from heaven . first , it imports the clearness of the discovery . the punishment of sinners in another world is not so obscure a matter as it was before , it is now expresly declared in the gospel , together with the particular circumstances of it , namely , that there is another life after this , wherein men shall receive the just recompence of reward for all the actions done by them in this life ; that there is a particular time appointed , wherein god will call all the world to a solemn account , and those who are in their graves shall by a powerful voice be raised to life , and those who shall then be found alive shall be suddenly changed ; when our lord jesus christ , the eternal and only begotten son of god , who once came in great humility to save us , shall come again in power , and great glory , attended with his mighty angels , and all nations shall be gathered before him , and all mankind shall be separated into two companies , the righteous and the wicked , who after a full hearing , and fair tryal , shall be sentenced according to their actions , the one to eternal life and happiness , the other to everlasting misery and torment . so that the gospel hath not only declared the thing to us , that there shall be a future judgment ; but for our farther assurance and satisfaction in this matter , and that these things might make a deep impression , and strike a great awe upon our minds , god hath been pleased to reveal it to us with a great many particular circumstances , such as are very worthy of god , and apt to fill the minds of men with dread and astonishment , as often as they think of them . for the circumstances of this judgment revealed to us in the gospel , are very solemn and awful , not such as the wild fancies and imaginations of men would have been apt to have drest it up withal , such as are the fictions of the heathen poets , and the extravagancies of mahomet ; which tho' they be terrible enough , yet they are withal ridiculous ; but such as are every way becoming the majesty of the great god , and the solemnity of that great day , and such as do not in the least ●avour of the vanity and lightness of humane imagination . for what more fair and equal , than that men should be tried by a man like themselves , one of the same rank and condition , that had experience of the infirmities and temptations of humane nature . so our lord tells us , that the father hath committed all judgment to the son , because he is the son of man , and therefore cannot be excepted against , as not being a fit and equal judge . and this st. paul offers as a clear proof of the equitable proceedings of that day ; god ( says he ) hath appointed a day , in which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained . and then what more congruous , than that the son of god , who had taken so much pains for the salvation of men , and came into the world for that purpose , and had used all imaginable means for the reformation of mankind , i say what more congruous , than that this very person should be honoured by god to sit in judgment upon the world , and to condemn those , who after all the means that had been tried for their recovery , would not repent and be saved . and what more proper , than that men , who are to be judged for things done in the body , should be judged in the body , and consequently that the resurrection of the dead should precede the general judgment . and what more magnificent and suitable to this glorious solemnity , than the awful circumstances which the scripture mentions of the appearance of this great judge ; that he shall descend from heaven in great majesty and glory , attended with his mighty angels , and that every eye shall see him ; that upon his appearance , the frame of nature shall be in an agony , and the whole world in flame and confusion ; that those great and glorious bodies of light shall be obscured , and by degrees extinguish'd ; the sun shall be darkned , and the moon turned into blood , and all the powers of heaven shaken ; yea , the heavens themselves shall pass away with a great noise● and the elements dissolve with ●ervent heat ; the earth also , and all the works that are therein shall be burnt up . i appeal to any man , whether this be not a representation of things very proper and suitable to that great day● wherein he who made the world shall come to judge it ? and whether the wit of man ever devised any thing so awful , and so agreeable to the majesty of god , and the solemn judgement of the whole world ? the description which virgil makes of the judgment of another world , of the elisian fields , and the infernal regions , how infinitely do they fall short of the majesty of the holy scripture , and the description there made of heaven and hell , and of the great and terrible day of the lord ! so that in comparison they are childish and trifling ; and yet perhaps he had the most regular and most govern'd imagination of any man that ever lived , and observed the g●eatest decorum in his characters and descriptions . but who can declare the great things of god , but he to whom god shall reveal them ! secondly , this expression of the ●●ath of god being revealed from heaven , doth not only imply the clear discovery of the thing , but likewise something extraordinary in the manner of the discovery . it is not only a natural impression upon the minds of men , that god will severely punish ●inners ; but he hath taken care that mankind should be instructed in this matter in a very particular and extraordinary manner . he hath not left it to the reason of men to collect it from the consideration of his attributes and perfections , his holiness and justice , and from the consideration of the promiscuous administration of his providence towards good and bad men in this world ; but he hath been pleased to send an extraordina●y person from heaven , on purpose to declare this thing plainly to the world , the wrath of god is revealed from heaven ; that is , god sent his own son from heaven , on purpose to declare his wrath against all obstinate and impenitent sinners , that he might effectually awaken the drouzie world to repentance ; he hath sent an extraordinary ambassador into the world , to give warning to all those who continue in their sins , of the judgment of the great day , and to summon them before his dreadful tribunal . so the apostle tells the athenians , acts . , . now he commandeth all men ●very where to repent ; because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained , whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . thirdly , this expression implies likewise the certainty of this discovery . if the wrath of god had only been declared in the discourses of wise men , tho' grounded upon very probable reason , yet it might have been brought into doubt by the contrary reasonings of subtle and disputing men : but to put the matter out of all question , we have a divine testimony for it , and god hath confirmed it from heaven , by signs , and wonders , and miracles , especially by the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead ; for by this he hath given assurance unto all men , that it is he who is ordained of god to judge the quick and dead . thus you see in what respect the wrath of god is said to be reveal'd from heaven , in that the gospel hath made a more clear , and particular , and certain discovery of the judgment of the great day , than ever was made to the world before . i proceed to the third observation , which i shall speak but briefly to ; namely , that every wicked and vicious practice doth expose men to this dreadful danger . the apostle instanceth in the two chief heads to which the sins of men may be reduced , impiety towards god , and unrighteousness towards men● and therefore he is to be understood to denounce the wrath of god against every particular kind of sin , comprehended under these general heads ; so that no man that allows himself in any impiety and wickedness of life , can hope to escape the wrath of god. therefore it concerns us to be entirely religious , and to have respect to all god's commandments , and to take heed that we do not allow our selves in the practice of any kind of sin whatsoever ; because the living in any one known sin , is enough to expose us to the dreadful wrath of god. tho' a man be just and righteous in his dealing● with men , yet if he neglect the worship and service of god , this will certainly bring him under condemnation : and on the other hand , tho' a man may serve god never so diligently and devoutly , yet if he be defective in righteousness toward men , if he deal falsly and fraudulently with his neighbour , he shall not escape the wrath of god ; tho' a man pretend to never so much piety and devotion , yet if he be unrighteous , he shall not inherit the kingdom of god ; if any man over-reach and defraud his brother in any matter , the lord is the avenger of such , saith st. paul , thes . . . so that here is a very powerful argument to take men off from all sin , and to engage them to a constant and careful discharge of their whole duty toward god and men , and to reform whatever is amiss either in the frame and temper of their minds , or in the actions and course of their lives ; because any kind of wickedness , any one sort of vicious course , lays men open to the vengeance of god , and the punishments of another world ; the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness , and unrighteousness of men ; there is no exception in the case , we must forsake all sin , subdue every lust , be holy in all manner of conversation , otherwise we can have no reasonable hopes of escaping the wrath of god , and the damnation of hell. but i proceed to the fourth observation ; namely , that it is a very great aggravation of sin , for men to offend against the light of their own minds . the apostle here aggravates the wickedness of the heathen world , that they did not live up to that knowledge which they had of god , but contradicted it in their lives , holding the truth of god in unrighteousness . and that he speaks here of the heathen , is plain from his following discourse , and the character he gives of those persons of whom he was speaking , who hold the truth of god in unrighteousness ; because that which may be known of god is manifest in them , for god hath shewn it unto them ; and this he proves , because those who were destitute of divine revelation , were not without all knowledge of god , being led by the sight of this visible world , to the knowledge of an invisible being and power that was the author of it , ver . , . for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen , being understood by the things which are made , even his eternal power and godhead , so that they are without excuse ; because that when they knew god , they glorified him not as god. ( haec est summa delicti , nolle agnoscere , quem ignorare non possis , saith tertullian to the heathen ; this is the height of thy fault , not to acknowledge him , whom thou canst not but know , not to own him , of whom thou canst not be ignorant if thou wouldst ; ) neither were thankful ; they did not pay those acknowledgments to him which of right were due to the author of their being , and of all good things ; but became vain in their imaginations ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they were fool'd with their own reasonings . this he speaks of the philosophers , who in those great arguments of the b●ing and providence of god , the immo●allity of the soul , and the rewards of another world , had lost the truth by too much subtlety about it , and had disputed themselves into doubt and uncertainty about those things which were naturally known ; for nimium alter●ando veritas amittitur ; truth is many times ●lost by too much contention and dispute about it ; and by too eager a pursuit of it , men many times out-run it , and leave it behind ; ver . . and professing themselves to be wise , they became fools . men never play the fools more , than by endeavouring to be over subtle and wise ; ver . . and changed the glory of the incorruptible god , into an image made like to corruptible man , and to birds , four footed beasts , and creeping things ; here he speaks of the sottishness of their idolatry , whereby they provoked god to give them up to all manner of lewdness and impurity ; ver . . wherefore god also gave them up unto uncleanness , through the lusts of their own hearts ; and again , ver . . for this cause god gave them up to vile affections ; and then he innumerates the abominable lusts and vices they were guilty of , notwithstanding their natural acknowledgment of the divine justice , ver . . who knowing the judgment of god , that they which commit such things are worthy of death , not only do the same , but have pleasure in them that do them . by all which it appears that he speaks of the heathen , who offended against the natural light of their own minds , and therefore were without excuse . quam sib● veniam sperare possun● impie●atis suae , qui non agnoscunt cultum ejus , quem prorsùs ignorari ab hominibus fas non est ? saith lactantius , how can they hope for pardon of their impiety , who deny to worship that god , of whom it is not possible mankind should be wholly ignorant ? so that this is to hold the truth in unrighteousness , injuriously to suppress it , and to hinder the power and efficacy of it upon our minds and actions ; for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies , as well as to hold fast ; and this every man does , who acts contrary to what he believes and knows ; he offers violence to the ligh● of his own mind , and does injury to the truth , and keeps that a prisoner , which would set him free ; ye shall know the truth ( says our lord ) and the truth shall make you free . and this is one of the highest aggravations of the sins of men , to offend against knowledge , and that light which god hath set up in every man's mind . if men wander and stumble in the dark , it is not to be wondred at , many times it is unavoidable , and no care can prevent it : but in the light it is expected men should look before them , and discern their way . that natural light which the heathens had , tho' it was but comparatively dim and imperfect , yet the apostle takes notice of it as a great aggravation of their idolatrous and abominable practices . those natural notions which all men have of god , if they had in any measure attended to them , and govern'd themselves by them , might have been sufficient to have preserved them from dishonouring the deity , by worshiping creatures instead of god ; the common light of nature was enough to have discovered to them the evil of those lewd and unnatural practices , which many of them were guilty of : but they detained and supprest the truth most injuriously , and would not suffer it to have its natural and proper influence upon them ; and this is that which left them without excuse , that from the light of nature they had knowledge enough to have done better , and to have preserved them from those great crimes which were so common among them . and if this was so great an aggravation of the impiety and wickedness of the heathen , and left them without excuse ; what apology can be made for the impiety and unrighteousness of christians , who have so strong and clear a light to discover to them their duty , and the danger of neglecting it , to whom the wrath of god is plainly revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ? the truths of the gospel are so very clear and powerful , and such an improvement of natural light , that men must use great force and violence to suppress them , and to hinder the efficacy of them upon their lives . and this is a certain rule , by how much the greater our knowledge , by so much the less is our excuse , and so much the greater punishment is due to our faults . so our lord hath told us , luke . . that servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes . and john . . if ye were blind ( says our saviour to the jews ) ye should have no sin . so much ignorance as there is of our duty , so much abatement of the wilfulness of our faults : but if we sin wilfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth , there remains no more sacrifice for sin , but a fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation , says the apostle to the hebrews , chap. . , . if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth ; implying , that men cannot pretend ignorance for their faults , after so clear a revelation of the will of god , as is made to mankind by the gospel . and upon this consideration it is , that our saviour doth so aggravate the impenitency and unbelief of the jews , because it was in opposition to all the advantages of knowledge , which can be imagined to be afforded to mankind , john . , , . if i had not come and spoken unto them , they had not had sin ; that is , in comparison their sin had been much more excusable ; but now they have no cloak for their sin . he that hateth me , hateth my father also . if i had not done among them the works which none other man did , they had not had sin ; but now have they both seen , and hated both me , and my father . how is that ? our saviour means , that they had now sinned against all the advantages of knowing the will of god , that mankind could possibly have ; at once opposing natural light , which was the dispensation of the father ; and the clearest revelation of god's will , in the dispensation of the gospel by his son ; now have they both seen and hated both me and my father . the two remaining observations i shall reserve to another opportunity . sermon xi . the danger of all known sin , both from the light of nature , and revelation . rom . i. , . for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; because that which may be known of god is manifest in them ; for god hath shewed it unto them . i have handled four of the observations which i rais'd from these words , and shall now proceed to the other two that remain . fifth observation , that the natural knowledge which men have of god , if they live contrary to it , is a sufficient evidence of their holding the tr●th of god i● un●●ghteousness . for th●●eason why the apostle chargeth them with this , is , because that which may be known of god is manifest , in that god hath shewed it ●nto them . there is a natural knowledge of god , and of the duty we owe to him , which the apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that of god which is obvious to be known by the light of nature , and is as much as is absolutely necessary for us to know . there is something of god that is incomprehensible , and beyond the reach of our understandings ; but his being and essential perfections may be known , which he calls his eternal power and godhead ; th●se he tells us are clearly seen , being understood by the things which are made ; that is , the creation of the world is a plain demonstration to men , of the being and power of god ; and if so , then god is naturally ●nown to men ; the contrary whereof socinus positively maintains , tho' therein he be forsaken by most of his followers ; an opinion , in my judgment , very unworthy of one , who , not without reason , was esteemed so great a master of reason ; and ( tho' i believe he did not see it ) undermining the strongest and surest foundation of all religion , which , when the natural notions of god are once taken away , will certainly want its best support . besides that by denying any natural knowledge of god , and his essential perfections , he freely gives away one of the most plausible grounds of opposing the doctrine of the trinity . but because this is a matter of great consequence , and he was a great man , and is not to be confuted by contempt , but by better reason , if it can be found ; i will consider his reasons for this opinion , and return a particular answer to them . first , he says that if the knowledge of god were natural , it would not be of faith ; but the apostle says , that we must believe that he is . the force of which argument , if it have any , lies in this , that the object of faith is divine revelation , and therefore we cannot be said to believe what we naturally know . the schoolmen indeed say so ; but the scripture useth the word faith more largely , for a rela perswasion of any thing , whether grounded upon sense , or reason , or divine revelation . and our saviour's speech to thomas , because thou hast seen , thou hast believed , does sufficiently intimate , that a man may believe what he sees ; and if so , what should hinder , but that a man may be said to believe what he naturally knows ; that is , be really perswaded that there is a god from natural light ? secondly , his next argument is , because the same apostle concludes enoch to have believed god , because he pleased god , and without faith it is impossible to please him . from whence he says it is certain that men may be without this belief , which if it be natural they cannot . indeed if the apostle had said , that whoever believes a god , must of necessity obey and please him , then the inference had been good , that all men do not naturally believe a god , because it is certain they do not please him : but it is not good the other way , no more than if a man should argue thus , that because whoever acts reasonably , must be endowed with reason , therefore men are not naturally endowed with reason . for as men may naturally be endowed with reason , and yet not always make use of it ; so men may naturally know and believe a god , and yet not be careful to please him . his third argument is , that the scripture says that there are some that do not believe a god , for which he cites that of david , the fool hath said in his heart there is no god ; which certainly proves , that bad men live so , as if they believed there were no god ; nay , it may farther import , that they endeavour as much as they can , to stifle and extinguish the belief of a god in their minds , and would gladly perswade themselves there is no god , because it is convenient for them there should be none ; and whether david meant so or not , it is very probable that some may arrive to that height of impiety , as for a time at least , and in some moods , to disbelieve a god , and to be very confident of the arguments on that side . but what then ? is the knowledge and belief of a god therefore not natural to mankind ? nature it self , as constant and uniform as it is , admits of some irregularities and exceptions , in effects that are meerly natural , much more in those which have something in them that is voluntary , and depends upon the good or bad use of our reason and understanding ; and there is no arguing from what is monstrous , against what is natural . it is natural for men to have five fingers upon a hand , and yet some are born otherwise : but in voluntary agents , that which is natural may be perverted , and in a great measure extinguisht in some particular instances ; so that there is no force at all in this objection . his fourth and last argument is , that there have not only been particular persons , but whole nations who have had no sense , nor so much as suspicion of a deity . this i confess were of great force , if it were true ; and for the proof of this , he produceth the instance of brasil in america . but i utterly deny the matter of fact and history , and challenge any man to bring good testimony , not only of any nation , but of any city in the world , that ever were professed atheists . i know this was affirmed of some part of brasil , by some of the first discoverers , who yet at the same time owned , that these very people did most expresly believe the immortality of the soul , and the rewards and punishments of another life ; opinions which no man can well reconcile with the denial and disbelief of a deity . but to put an end to this argument , later and more perfect discoveries have found this not to be true , and do assure us upon better acquaintance with those barbarous people , that they are deeply possest with the belief of one supream god , who made and governs the world. having thus given a particular answer to socinus his arguments against the natural knowledge of a god , i will now briefly offer some arguments for it . and to prove that the knowledge and belief of a god is natural to mankind , my first argument shall be from the universal consent in this matter , of all nations in all ages . and this is an argument of great force , there being no better way to prove any thing to be natural to any kind of being , than if it be generally found in the whole kind . omnium consensus naturae vox est , the consent of all is the voice of nature , saith tully . and indeed by what other argument can we prove that reason , and speech , and an inclination to society are natural to men ; but that these belong to the whole kind ? secondly , unless the knowledge of god and his essential perfections be natural , i do not see what sufficient and certain foundation there can be of revealed religion . for unless we naturally know god to be a being of all perfection , and consequently that whatever he says is true , i cannot see what divine revelation can signifie . for god's revealing or declaring such a thing to us , is no necessary argument that it is so , unless antecedently to this revelation , we be possest firmly with this principle , that whatever god says is true . and whatever is known antecedently to revelation , must be known by natural light , and by reasonings and deductions from natural principles . i might further add to this argument , that the only standard and measure to judge of divine revelations , and to distinguish between what are true , and what are counterfeit , are the natural notions which men have of god , and of his essential perfections . thirdly , if the notion of a god be not natural , i do not see how men can have any natural notion of the difference of moral good and evil , just , and unjust . for if i do not naturally know there is a god , how can i naturally know that there is any law obliging to the one , and forbidding the other ? all law and obligation to obedience , necessarily supposing the authority of a superiour being . but the apostle expresly asserts , that the gentiles who were destitute of a revealed law , were a law unto themselves ; but there cannot be a natural law obliging mankind , unless god be naturally known to them . and this socinus himself in his discourse upon this very argument is forced to acknowledge . in all men ( says he ) there is naturally a difference of just , and unjust , or at least there is planted in all men an acknowledgment that just ought to be preferr'd be●ore unjust , and that which is honest , before the contrary ; and this is nothing else but the word of god wit●in a man , which whosoever obeys , in so doing obeys god , tho' otherwise he neither know nor think there is a god ; and there is no doubt but he that thus obeys god , is accepted of him . so that here is an acknowledgement of a natural obligation to a law , without any natural knowledge of a superior authority ; which i think cannot be ; and which is worse , that a man may obey god acceptably , without knowing and believing there is a god ; which direc●ly thwarts the ground of his first argument , from those words of the apostle , without faith it is impossible to please god ; for he that cometh to god , that is , he that will be religious and please god , must believe that he is ; so hard is it for any man to contradict nature , without contradicting himself . fourthly , my last argument i ground upon the words of the apostle in my text , that which may be known of god , is manifest in them ; for god hath shewed it unto them . is manifest in them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among them , god hath sufficiently manifested it to mankind . and which way hath god done this ? by revelation ? or by the natural light of reason ? he tells us at the th ver . for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen ; that is , god , who in himself is invisible , ever since he hath created the world , hath given a visible demonstration of himself , that is , of his eternal power and godhead , being understood by the things which are made . the plain sense of the whole is , that this wise and wonderful frame of the world , which cannot reasonably be ascribed to any other cause but god , is a sensible demonstration to all mankind , of an eternal and powerful being that was the author and framer of it . the only question now is , whether this text speak of the knowledge of god by particular revelation , or by natural light and reason , from the contemplation of the works of god ? socinus having no other way to avoid the force of this text , will needs understand it of the knowledge of god by the revelation of the gospel . his words are these ; the apostle therefore says in this place , that the eternal godhead of god , that is , that which god would always have us to do ( for the godhead is sometimes taken in this sense ) and his eternal power , that is , his promise which never fails , ( in which sense he said a little before that the gospel is the power of god ) these i say , which were never seen by men , that is , were never known to them since the creation of the world , are known by his works ; that is , by the wonderful operation of god , and divine men , especially of christ and his apostles . these are his very words , and now i refer it to any indifferent judgment , whether this be not a very forced and constrained interpretation of this text ; and whether that which i have before given , be not infinitely more free and natural , and every way more agreeable to the obvious sense of the words , and the scope of the apostle's argument . for he plainly speaks of the heathen , and proves them to be inexcusable , because they held the truth in unrighteousness , and having a natural knowledge of god , from the contemplation of his works , and the things which are made , they did not glorifie him as god. and therefore i shall not trouble my self to give any other answer to it ; for by the absurd violence of it in every part , it confutes it self more effectually than any discourse about it can do . i have been the larger upon this , because it is a matter of so great consequence , and lies at the bottom of all religion . for the natural knowledge which men have of god , is , when all is done , the surest and fastest hold that religion hath on humane nature . besides , how should god judge that part of the world who are wholly destitute of divine revelation , if they had no natural knowledge of him , and consequently could not be under the direction and government of any law ? for where there is no law , there is no transgression ; and where men are guilty o● the breach of no law , they cannot be judged and condemned for it ; for the judgment of god is according to truth . and now this being establisht , that men have a natural knowledge of god ; if they contradict it by their life and practice , they are guilty of detaining the truth of god in unrighteousness . for by this argument the apostle proves the heathen to be guilty of holding the truth in unrighteousness , because notwithstanding the natural knowledge which they had of god by the things which were made , they lived in the practice of gross idolatry , and the most abominable sins and vices . and this concerns us much more , who have the glorious light of the gospel added to the light of nature . for if they who offended against the light of nature , were liable to the judgment of god , of how much sorer punishment shall we be thought worthy , if we neglect those infinite advantages which the revelation of the gospel hath superadded to natural light ? he hath now set our duty in the clearest and strongest light that ever was afforded to mankind , so that if we will not now believe and repent , there is no remedy for us , but we must die in our sins ; if we sin wilfully , after so much knowledge of the truth , there remains no more sacrifice for sin ; but a fearful looking for of judgment , and fiery indignation to consume us . the summ of what hath been said on this argument , is briefly this ; that men have a natural knowledge of god , and of those great duties which result from the knowledge of him ; so that whatever men say and pretend , as to the main things of religion , the worship of god , and justice and righteousness toward men , setting aside divine revelation , we are all naturally convinc'd of our duty , and of what we ought to do , and those who live in a bad course , need only be put in mind of what they naturally know , better than any body else can tell them , that they are in a bad course ; so that i may appeal to all wicked men from themselves , rash , and heated , and intoxicated with pleasure and vanity , transported and hurried away by lust and passion ; to themselves serious and composed , and in a cool and considerate temper . and can any sober man forbear to follow the convictions of his own mind , and to resolve to do what he inwardly consents to as best ? let us but be true to our selves , and obey the dictates of our own minds , and give leave to our own consciences to counsel us , and tell us what we ought to do , and we shall be a law to our selves . i proceed to the sixth and last observation , namely , that the clear revelation of the wrath of god in the gospel , against the impiety and unrighteousness of men , is one principal thing , which renders it so very powerful and likely a means for the salvation of mankind . for the apostle instanceth in two things , which give the gospel so great an advantage to this purpose , the mercy of god to penitent sinners , and his severity toward the impenitent ; both which are so fully and clearly revealed in the gospel . the gospel is the power of god to salvation , to every one that believeth , beca●se therein the righteousness of god is revealed ; that is , his great grace and mercy in the justification and pardon of sinners by jesus christ , which i have already shewn to be meant by the righteousness of god , by comparing this with the explication which is given of the righteousness of god , chap. . ver . . the other reason which he gives of the gospel's being the power of god to salvation , is the plain declaration of the severity of god toward impenitent sinners , because therein also the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. the force of which argument will appear , if we consider these following particulars . first , that the declarations of the gospel in this matter are so plain and express . secondly , that they are very dreadful , and terrible . thirdly , that there is no safety or hope of impunity for men that go on and continue in their sins . fourthly , that this argument will take hold of the most desperate and pro●ligate sinners , and still retain its force upon the minds of men , when all other considerations fail , and are of little or no efficacy . and , fifthly , that no religion in the world can urge this argument with that force and advantage that christianity does . first , that the declarations of the gospel in this matter , are most plain and express ; and that not only against sin and wickedness in general , but against particular sins and vices ; so that no man that lives in any evil and vicious course , can be ignorant of his danger . our lord hath told us in general , what shall be the doom of the workers of iniquity , yea , tho' they may have owned him , and made profession of his name , mat. . . not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven , but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . many will say unto me in that day , lord , lord , &c. then will i profess unto them , i never knew you , depart from me ye that work iniquity . math. . , . so shall it be at the end of the world , the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just , and shall cast them into the furnace of fire , there shall be wailing , and gnashing of teeth , math. . . the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . joh. . , . the hour is coming , in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice , and shall come forth ; they that have done good , unto the resurrection of life , and they that have done evil , unto the resurrection of damnatiom . rom. . . st. paul tells us that there is a day of wrath , and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of god , who will render to every man according to his deeds ; to them who obey not the truth , but obey unrighteousness , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil . thes . . , , . that the lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven , with his mighty angels in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god , and that obey not the gospel of our lord jesus christ ; who shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power . nothing can be more plain and express than these general declarations of the wrath of god against sinners ; that there is a day of judgment appointed , and a judge constituted to take cognisance of the actions of men , to pass a severe sentence , and to inflict a terrible punishment upon the workers of iniquity . more particularly our lord and his apostles have denounced the wrath of god against particular sin● and vices . in several places of the new testament , there are catalogues given of particular sins , the practice whereof will certainly shut men out of the kingdom of heaven , and expose them to the wrath and vengeance of god. cor. . , . know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god ? be not deceived , neither fornicators , nor idolaters , nor adulterers , nor effeminate , nor abusers of themselves with mankind , nor thieves , nor covetous , nor drunkards , nor revilers , nor extortioners , shall inherit the kingdom of god. so likewise , gal. . , , . the works of the flesh are manifest , which are these , adultery , fornication , witchcraft , hatred , variance , emulations , wrath , strife , seditions , heresies , envyings , murthers , drunkenness , revellings , and such like , of which i tell you before , as i have likewise told you in times past , that they that do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of god. col. . , . morti●ie therefore your members upon earth , fornication , uncleanness , inordinate affection , evil concupiscence , and covetousness , which is idolatry , for which things sake the wrath of god cometh on the children of disobedience . rev. . . the fearful and unbelieving , ( that is , those who rejected the christian religion , notwithstanding the clear evidence that was offer'd for it , and those who out of fear should apostatize from it , ) the fearful and unbelieving , and the abominable , ( that is , those who were guilty of unnatural lusts , not fit to be named ) and murderers , and whoremongers , and sor●erers , and idolaters , and all liars ( that is , all sorts of false and deceitful and perfidious persons ) shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone , whi●h is the second death . and not only these gross and notorious sins , which are such plain violations of the law and light of nature ; but those wherein mankind have been apt to take more liberty , as if they were not sufficiently convinced of the evil of them ; as the resisting of civil authority , which the apostle tells us , they that are guilty of , shall receive to themselves damnation , rom. . . profane swearing in common conversation , which st. james tells us brings men under the danger of damnation , ch. . . above all things , my brethren , swear not , lest ye fall under condemnation . nay , our saviour hath told us plainly , that not only for wicked actions , but for every evil and sinful word , men are obnoxious to the judgment of god. so our lord assures us , mat. . , . i say unto you , that every idle word that men shall speak , they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment . for by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemned . he had spoken before of that great and unpardonable sin of blaspheming the holy ghost ; and because this might be thought great severity for evil words , he declares the reason more fully , because words shew the mind and temper of the man , ver . . for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . the character of the man is shewn by his words , saith menander . profert enim mores plerumque oratio ( saith quintilian ) & animi secreta detegit ; a man's speech discovers his manners , and the secrets of his heart ; ut vivit etiam quemque dicere , men commonly speak as they live ; and therefore our saviour adds , a good man out of the good treasure of his heart , bringeth forth good things ; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things : but i say unto you , that every idle word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by which i do not think our saviour means , that men shall be call'd to a solemn account at the day of judgment , for every trifling and impertinent and unprofitable word , but every wicked and sinful word of any kind ; as if he had said , do you think this severe to ma●e words an unpardonable fault ? i say unto you , that men shall not only be condemned for their mali●ious and blasphemous speeches against the holy ghost ; but they shall likewise give a strict account for all other wicked and sinful speeches in any kind , tho' much inferiour to this . and this is not only most agreeable to the scope of our saviour , but is confirmed by some greek copies , in which it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , every wicked word which men shall speak , they shall be accountable for it at the day of judgment . but this by the by . our saviour likewise tells us , that men shall not only be proceeded against for sins of commission , but for the bare omission and neglect of their duty , especially in works of mercy and charity ; for not feeding the hungry , and the like , as we see mat. . and that for the omission of these , he will pass that terrible sentence , depart ye cursed , &c. so that it nearly concerns us to be careful of our whole life , of all our words and actions , since the gospel hath so plainly and expresly declared , that for all these things god will bring us into judgment . and if the threatnings of the gospel be true , what manner of persons ought we to be , in all holy conversation and godliness ? secondly , as the threatnings of the gospel are very plain and express , so are they likewise very dreadful and terrible . i want words to express the least part of the terrour of them ; and yet the expressions of scripture concerning the misery and punishment of sinners in another world , are such as may justly raise amazement and horror in those that hear them . sometimes it is exprest by a departing from god , and a perpetual banishment from his presence , who is the fountain of all comfort , and joy , and happiness ; sometimes by the loss of our souls , or our selves . what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or , ( as it is in another evangelist ) to lose himself ? not that our being shall be destroyed ; that would be a happy loss indeed , to him that is sentenced to be for ever miserable ; but the man shall still remain , and his body and soul continue to be the foundation of his misery , and a scene of perpetual woe and discontent , which our saviour calls the destroying of body and soul in hell , or going into everlasting punishment , where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth , where the worm dies not , and the fire is not quenched . could i represent to you the horror of that dismal prison , into which wicked and impure souls are to be thrust , and the misery they must there endure , without the least spark of comfort , or glimering of hope , how they wail and groan under the intolerable wrath of god , the insolent scorn and cruelty of devils , the severe lashes and stings , the raging anguish and horrible despair of their own minds , without intermission , without pity , and without hope of ever seeing an end of that misery , which yet is unsupportable for one moment ; could i represent these things to you according to the terror of them , what effect must they have upon us ? and with what patience could any man bear to think of plunging himself into this misery ? and by his own wilful fault and folly to endanger his coming into this place and state of torments ? especially if we consider in the third place , that the gospel hath likewise declared , that there is no avoiding of this misery , no hopes of impunity , if men go on and continue in their sins . the terms of the gospel in this are peremptory , that except we repent , we shall perish ; that without holiness , no man shall see the lord , that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and this is a very pressing consideration , and brings the matter to a short and plain issue . either we must leave our sins , or die in them ; either we must repent of them , or be judged for them ; either we must ●orsake our sins , and break off that wicked course which we have lived in , or we must quit all hopes of heaven and happiness , nay we cannot escape the damnation of hell. the clear revelation of a future judgment is so pressing an argument to repentance , as no man can in reason resist , that hath not a mind to be miserable . now ( saith st. paul to the athenians ) he straightly chargeth all men every where to repent , because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness . men may cheat themselves , or suffer themselves to be deluded by others , about several means and devices of reconciling a wicked life , with the hopes of heaven and eternal salvation ; as by mingling some pangs of sorrow for sin , and some hot fits of devotion , with a sinful life ; which is only the interruption of a wicked course , without reformation and amendment of life : but let no man deceive you with vain words ; for our blessed saviour hath provided no other ways to save men , but upon the terms of repentance , and obedience . fourthly , this argument takes hold of the most desperate and profligate sinners , and still retains its force upon the minds of men , when almost all other considerations fail , and have lost their efficacy upon us . many men are gone so far in an evil course , that neither shame of their vices , nor the love of god and virtue , nor the hopes of heaven are of any force with them , to reclaim them and bring them to a better mind : but there is one handle yet left , whereby to lay hold of them , and that is their fear . this is a passion that lies deep in our nature , being founded in self-preservation , and sticks so close to us , that we cannot quit our selves of it , nor shake it off . 〈…〉 may put off ingenuity , and 〈…〉 all obligations of gratitude , men may harden their foreheads , and conquer all sense of shame : but they can never perfectly sti●le and subdue their fears , they can hardly so extinguish the fear of hell , but that some sparks of that fire will ever and anon be flying about in their consciences , especially when they are made sober , and brought to themselves by affliction , and by the present apprehensions of death , have a nearer sight of another world. and if it was so hard for the heathen to conquer these apprehensions , how much harder must it be to christians , who have so much greater assurance of these things , and to whom the wrath of god is so clearly revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. fifthly , no religion in the world ever urged this argument upon men , with that force and advantage which christianity does . the philosophy of the heathen gave men no steady assurance of the thing ; the most knowing persons among them were not agreed about a future state ; the greatest part of them spake but doubtfully concerning another life . and besides the natural jealousies and suspicions of mankind concerning these things , they had only some fair probabilities of reason , and the authority of their poets , who talkt they knew not what about the elizian fields , and the infernal regions , and the three judges of hell ; so that the wisest among them , had hardly assurance enough in themselves of the truth of the thing , to press it upon others with any great confidence , and therefore it was not likely to have any great efficacy upon the generality of mankind . as for the jewish religion , tho' that supposed and took for granted the rewards of another world , as a principle of natural religion ; yet in the law of moses there was no particular and express revelation of the life of the world to come ; and what was deduced from it , was by remote and obscure consequence . temporal promises and threatnings it had many and clear , and their eyes were so dazled with these , that it is probable that the generality of them did but little consider a future state , 'till they fell into great temporal calamities under the grecian and roman empires , whereby they were almost necessarily awakened to the consideration and hopes of a better life , to relieve them under their present evils and sufferings ; and yet even in that time they were divided into two great factions about this matter , the one affirming , and the other as considently denying any life after this . but the gospel hath brought life and immortality ●o light , and we are assured from heaven of the truth and reality of another state , and a future judgment . the son of god was sent into the world to preach this doctrine , and rose again from the dead , and was taken up into heaven , for a visible demonstration to all mankind of another life after this , and consequently of a future judgment , which no man ever doubted of , that did firmly believe a future state. the sum of all that i have said is this ; the gospel hath plainly declared to us , that the only way to salvation is by forsaking our sins , and living a holy and virtuous life ; and the most effectual argument in the world to perswade men to this , is the consideration of the infinite danger that a sinful course exposeth men to , since the wrath of god continually hangs over sinners , and if they continue in their sins , will certainly fall upon them , and overwhelm them with misery ; and he that is not moved by this argument , is lost to all intents and purposes . all that now remains , is to urge this argument upon men , and from the serious consideration of it , to perswade them to repent , and reform their wicked lives . and was there ever age wherein this was more needful ? when iniquity doth not only abound , but even rage among us ; when infidelity and profaneness , and all manner of lewdness and vice appears so boldly and openly , and men commit the greatest abominations without blushing at them ; when vice hath got such head , that it can hardly bear to be ●keckt and controll'd , and when , as the roman historian complains of his times , ad ea tempora , quibus nec vitia nostra nec remedia pati possumus , perventum est ; things are come to that pass , that we can neither bear ou● vices , no● the remedies of them . our vices are grown to a prodigious and intolerable height , and yet men hardly have the patience to hear of them ; and surely a disease is then dangerous indeed , when it cannot bear the severity that is necessary to a cure. but yet , notwithstanding this , we who are the messengers of god to men , to warn them of their sin and danger , must not keep silence , and spare to tell them both of their sins , and of the judgment of god which hangs over them ; that god will visit for these things , and that his soul will be avenged on such a nation as this . at least we may have leave to warn others , who are not yet run to the same excess of riot , to save themselves from this untoward generation . god's judgments are abroad in the earth , and call aloud upon us , to learn righteousness . but this is but a small consideration , in comparison of the judgment of another world , which we who call our selves christians , do profess to believe , as one of the chief articles of our faith. the consideration of this should check and cool us in the heat of all our sinful pleasures ; and that bitter irony of solomon should cut us to the heart ; rejoyce o young man in thy youth , and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth , and walk in the ways of thy heart , and in the sight of thine eyes ; but know , that for all these things god will bring thee into judgment . think often and seriously on that time , wherein the wrath of god , which is now revealed against sin , shall be executed upon sinners ; and if we believe this , we are strangely stupid and obstinate , if we be not moved by it . the assurance of this made st paul extreamly importunate in exhorting men to avoid so great a danger . cor. . , . we must all appear before the judgment seat of christ , that every one may receive the things done in the body , according to what he hath done , whether it be good , or evil . knowing therefore the terrors of the lord , we perswade men. and if this ought to move us to take so great a care of others , much more of our selves . the judgment to come is a very amazing consideration , it is a fearful thing to hear of it , but it will be much more terrible to see it , especially to those whose guilt must needs make them so heartily concern'd in the dismal consequences of it ; and yet as sure as i stand , and you sit here , this great and terrible day of the lord will come , and who may abide his coming ! what will we do , when that day shall surprize us careless and unprepared ! what unspeakable horror and amazement will then take hold of us ! when lifting up our eyes to heaven , we shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of it , with power , and great glory ; when that powerful voice which shall pierce the ears of the dead shall ring through the world , arise ye dead , and come to judgment ; when the mighty trumpet shall sound , and wake the sleepers of a thousand years , and summon the dispersed parts of the bodies of all men that ever lived , to rally together and take their place ; and the souls and bodies of men which have been so long strangers to one another , shall meet and be united again , to receive the doom due to their deeds ; what fear shall then surprize sinners , and how will they tremble at the presence of the great judge , and for the glory of his majesty ! how will their consciences flye in their faces , and their own hearts condemn them , for their wicked and ungodly lives , and even prevent that sentence which yet shall certainly be past and executed upon them . but i will proceed no further in this argument , which hath so much of terror in it . i will conclude my sermon , as solomon doth his ecclesia●tes , ch. . , . let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter ; fear god , and keep his commandments , for this is the whole of man ; for god shall bring every work into judgment , and every secret thing , whether it be good , or whether it be evil . to which i will only add that serious and merciful admonition of a greater than solomon , i mean the great judge of the whole world , our blessed lord and saviour , luke . , , . take heed to your selves , lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting , and drunkenness , and the cares of this life , and so that day come upon you at unawares ; for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth . watch ye therefore , and pray always , that ye may be accouuted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass , and to stand before the son of man ; to whom with the father , and the holy ghost , &c. sermon xii . knowledge and practice necessary in religion . john xiii . . if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . two things make up religion , the knowledge , and the practice of it ; and the first is wholly in order to the second ; and god hath not revealed to us the knowledge of himself and his will , meerly for the improvement of our understanding , but for the bettering of our hearts and lives ; not to entertain our minds with the speculations of religion and virtue , but to form and govern our actions . if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . in which words , our blessed saviour does from a particular instance take occasion to settle a general conclusion , namely , that religion doth mainly consist in practice , and that the knowledge of his doctrine , without the real effects of it upon our lives , will bring no man to heaven . in the beginning of this chapter , our great lord and master , to testifie his love to his disciples , and to give them a lively instance and example of that great virtue of humility , is pleased to condescend to a very low and mean office , such as was used to be performed by servants to their masters , and not by the master to his servants ; namely , to wash their feet ; and when he had done this , he asks them if they did understand the meaning of this strange action . know ye what i have done unto you ? ye call me master , and lord , and ye say well , for so i am ; if i then your lord and master have washed your feet , ye also ought to wash one anothers feet ; for i have given you an example , that ye should do as i have done to you . verily , verily , i say unto you , the servant is not greater than the lord , neither he that is sent , greater than he that sent him ; if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . as if he had said , this which i have now done , is easie to be understood , and so likewise are all those other christian graces and virtues , which i have heretofore by my doctrine and example recommended to you ; but it is not enough to know these things , but ye must likewise do them . the end and the life of all our knowledge in religion , is to put in practice what we know . it is necessary indeed that we should know our duty , but knowledge alone will never bring us to that happiness , which religion designs to make us partakers of , if our knowledge have not its due and proper influence upon our lives . nay , so far will our knowledge be from making us happy , if it be separated from the virtues of a good life , that it will prove one of the heaviest aggravations of our misery ; and it is as if he had said , if ye know these things , wo be unto you , if ye do them not . from these words then , i shall observe these three things , which i shall speak but briefly to . first , that the knowledge of god's will , and our duty , is necessary to the practice of it ; if ye know these things , which supposeth that we must know our duty , before we can do it . secondly , that the knowledge of our duty , and the practice of it , may be , and too often are separated . this likewise the text supposeth , that men may know their duty , and yet not do it , and that this is very frequent , which is the reason why our saviour gives this caution . thirdly , that the practice of religion , and the doing of what we know to be our duty , is the only way to happiness ; if ye know these things , happy ●re ye if ye do them . i begin with the first of these , namely , that the knowledge of god's will and our duty , is necessary in order to the practice of it . the truth of this proposition is so clear and evident at first view , that nothing can obscure it , and bring it in question , but to endeavour to prove it ; and therefore instead of spending time in that , i shall take occasion from it , justly to reprove that preposterous course which is taken , and openly avowed and justified by some , as the safest and best way to make men religious , and to bring them to happiness ; namely , by taking away from them the means of knowledge ; as if the best way to bring men to do the will of god , were to keep them from knowing it . for what else can be the meaning of that maxim so currant in the church of rome , that ignorance is the mother of devotion ? or of that strange and injurious practice of theirs , of locking up from the people that great storehouse and treasury of divine knowledge , the holy scriptures , in an unknown tongue . i know very well , that in justification of this hard usage of their people , it is pretended that knowledge is apt to puff men up , to make them proud and contentious , refractory and disobedient , and heretical , and what not ? and particularly , that the free and familiar use of the holy scriptures permitted to the people , hath ministred occasion to the people , of falling into great and dangerous errors , and of making great disturbance and divisions among christians . for answer to this pretence , i desire these four or five things may be considered . first , that unless this be the natural and necessary effect of knowledge in religion , and of the free use of the holy scriptures , there is no force in this reason ; and if this be the proper and natural effect of this knowledge , then this reason will reach a great way farther , than those who make use of it are willing it should . secondly , that this is not the natural and necessary effect of knowledge in religion , but only accidental , and proceeding from men's abuse of it ; for which the thing it self is not to be taken away . thirdly , that the proper and natural effects and consequences of ignorance , are equally pernicious , and much more certain and unavoidable , than those which are accidentally occasioned by knowledge . fourthly , that if this reason be good , it is much stronger for withholding the scriptures from the priests and the learned , than from the people . fifthly , that this danger was as great , and as well known in the apostles times , and yet they took a quite contrary course . first , i desire it may be consider'd , that unless this be the natural and necessary effect of knowledge in religion , and of the free use of the holy scriptures , there is no force in this reason ; for that which is necessary , or highly useful , ought not to be taken away , because it is liable to be perverted , and abused to ill purposes . if it ought , then not only knowledge in religion , but all other knowledge ought to be restrained and supprest ; for all knowledge is apt to puff up , and liable to be abused to many ill purposes . at this rate , light , and liberty , and reason , yea and life it self , ought all to be taken away , because they are all greatly abused by many men , to some ill purposes or other ; so that unless these ill effects do naturally and necessarily spring from knowledge in religion , the objection from them is of no force ; and if they do necessarily flow from it , then this reason will reach a great way further than those that make use of it are willing it should ; for if this be true , that the knowledge of religion , as it is revealed in the holy scriptures , is of its own nature so pernicious , as to make men proud and contentious , and heretical , and disobedient to authority , then the blame of all this would fall upon our blessed saviour , for revealing so pernicious a doctrine , and upon his apostles , for publishing this doctrine in a known tongue to all mankind , and thereby laying the foundation of perpetual schisms and heresies in the church . secondly● but this is not the natural and necessary effect of knowledge in religion , but only accidental , and proceeding from mens abuse of it , for which the thing it self ought not to be taken away . and thus much certainly they will grant , because it cannot with any face be denied ; and if so , then the means of knowledge are not to be denied , but only men are to be cautioned not to prevert and abuse them . and if any man abuse the holy scriptures to the patronizing of error or heresie , or to any other bad purpose , he does it at his peril , and must give an account to god for it , but ought not to be deprived of the means of knowledge , for fear he should make an ill use of them . we must not hinder men from being christians , to preserve them from being hereticks ; and put out mens eyes , for fear they should some time or other take upon them to dispute their way with their guides . i remember that st. paul , cor. . . takes notice of this accidental inconvenience of knowledge , that it puffeth up , and that this pride occasioned great contentions and divisions among them : but the remedy which he prescribes against this mischief of knowledge , is not to with-hold from men the means of it , and to celebrate the service of god , the prayers of the church , and the reading of the scriptures in an unknown tongue , but quite contrary , chap. . of that epistle , he strictly enjoyns that the service of god in the church be so performed , as may be for the edification of the people , which he says cannot be , if it be celebrated in an unknown tongue ; and the remedy he prescribes against the accidental mischief and inconvenience of knowledge , is not ignorance ; but charity , to govern their knowledge , and to help them to make a right use of it ; ver . . of that chapt. after he had declared that the service of god ought to be performed in a known tongue , he immediately adds , brethren be not children in understanding ; how-be-it in malice be ye children , but in understanding be ye men. he commends knowledge , he encourageth it , he requires it of all christians ; so far is he from checking the pursuit of it , and depriving the people of the means of it . and indeed there is nothing in the christian religion , but what is fit for every man to know , because there is nothing in it , but what is designed to promote holiness , and a good life ; and if men make any other use of their knowledge , it is their own fault , for it certainly tends to make men good ; and being so useful and necessary to so good a purpose , men ought not to be debarr'd of it . thirdly , let it be consider'd , that the proper and natural effects and consequences of ignorance are equally pernicious , and much more certain and unavoidable , than those which are accidentally occasioned by knowledge ; for so far as a man is ignorant of his duty , it is impossible he should do it . he that hath the knowledge of religion , may be a bad christian , but he that is destitute of it , can be none at all . or if ignorance do beget and promote some kind of devotion in men , it is such a devotion as is not properly religion , but superstition ; the ignorant man may be zealously superstitious , but without some measure of knowledge , no man can be truly religious . that the soul be without knowledge it is not good , says solomon , prov. . . because good practices depends upon our knowledge , and must be directed by it ; when as a man that is trained up only to the outward performance of some things in religion , as to the saying over so many prayers in an unknown tongue , this man cannot be truly religious , because nothing is religious , that is not a reasonable service ; and no service can be reasonable , that is not directed by our understandings . indeed , if the end of prayer were only to give god to understand what we want , it were all one what language we prayed in , and whether we understood what we asked of him or not : but so long as the end of prayer is to testifie the sense of our own wants , and of our dependance upon god for the supply of them , it is impossible that any man should in any tolerable propriety of speech be said to pray , who does not understand what he asks ; and the saying over so many pater nosters by one that does not understand the meaning of them , is no more a prayer , than the repeating over so many verses in virgil. and if this were good reasoning , that men must not be permitted to know so much as they can in religion , for fear they should grow troublesome with their knowledge , then certainly the best way in the world to maintain peace in the christian church , would be to let the people know nothing at all in religion ; and the best way to secure the ignorance of the people would be to keep the priests as ignorant as the people , and then to be sure they could teach them nothing : but then the mischief would be , that out of a fondness to maintain peace in the christian church , there would be no church , nor no christianity ; which would be the same wise contrivance , as if a prince should destroy his subjects , to keep his kingdom quiet . fourthly , let us likewise consider , that if this reason be good , it is much stronger for withholding the scriptures from the priests , and the learned , than from the people ; because the danger of starting errors and heresies , and countenancing them from scripture , and managing them plausibly and with advantage , is much more to be feared from the learned , than from the common people ; and the experience of all ages hath shewn , that the great broachers and abettors of heresie in the christian church , have been men of learning and wit ; and most of the famous heresies , that are recorded in ecclesiastical history , have their names from some learned man or other ; so that it is a great mistake to think that the way to prevent error and heresie in the church , is to take the bible out of the hands of the people , so long as the free use of it is permitted to men of learning and skill , in whose hands the danger of perverting it is much greater . the ancient fathers , i am sure , do frequently prescribe to the people the constant and careful reading of the holy scriptures , as the surest antidote against the poison of dangerous errors , and damnable heresies ; and if there be so much danger of seduction into error from the oracles of truth , by what other or better means can we hope to be sec●red against this danger ? if the word of god be so cross and improper a means to this end , one would think that the teachings of men should be much less effectual ; so that men must either be left in their ignorance , or they must be permitted to learn from the word of truth ; and whatever force this reason of the danger of heresie hath in it , to deprive the common people of the use of the scriptures , i am sure it is much stronger to wrest them out of the hands of the priests and the learned , because they are much more capable of perverting them to so bad a purpose . fifthly , and lastly , this danger was as great and visible in the age of the apostles , as it is now ; and yet they took a quite contrary course ; there were heresies then , as well as now , and either the scriptures were not thought by being in the hands of the people to be the cause of them , or they did not think the taking of them out of their hands a proper remedy . the apostles in all their epistles , do earnestly exhort the people to grow in knowledge , and commend them for searching the scriptures , and charge them that the word of god should dwell richly in them . and st. peter takes particular notice of some men wresting some difficult passages in st. paul's epistles , as likewise in the other scriptures , to their own destruction , pet. . . where speaking of st paul's epistles , he says there are some things hard to be understood , which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest , as they do also the other scriptures , to their own destruction . here the danger objected is taken notice of ; but the remedy prescribed by st. peter , is not to take ●●om the people the use of the scrip●ures , and to keep them in ignorance ; ●ut after he had cautioned against the like weakness and errors , he exhorts them to grow in knowledge , ver . , . ye therefore , beloved , seeing ye know these things before ( that is , seeing ye are so plainly told and warned of this danger ) beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked , fall from your own stedfastness ; but grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ , ( that is of the christian religion ; ) believing , it seems , that the more knowledge they had in religion , the less they would be in danger of falling into damnable errors . i proceed to the second observation , viz. that the knowledge of our duty , and the practice of it , may and often are separated . this likewise is supposed in the text , that men may , and often do know the will of god , and their duty , and yet fail in the practice of it . our saviour elsewhere supposeth , that many know their master's will , who do not do it ; and he compares those that hear his sayings , and do them not , to a foolish man that built his house upon the sand . and st. james speaks of some , who are hearers of the word only , but not doers of it , and for that reason fall short of happiness . and this is no wonder , because the attaining to that knowledge of religion which is necessary to salvation is no difficult task . a great part of it is written in our hearts , and we cannot be ignorant of it if we would ; as that there is a god , and a providence , and another state after this life , wherein we shall be rewarded , or punished , according as we have lived here in this world ; that god is to be worshipped , to be prayed to for what we want , and to be praised for what we enjoy . thus far nature instructs men in religion , and in the great duties of morality , as justice , and temperance , and the like . and as for revealed religion , as that jesus christ the son of god came in our nature to save us , by revealing our duty more clearly and fully to us , by giving us a more perfect example of holiness and obedience in his own life and conversation , and by dying for our sins , and rising again for our justification ; these are things which men may easily understand ; and yet for all that , they are difficulty brought to the practice of religion . i shall instance in three sorts of persons , in whom the knowledge of religion is more remarkably separated from the practice of it ; and for distinction sake , i may call them by these three names ; the spe●ulative , the formal , and the hypocritical christian . the first of these makes religion only a science , the second takes it up for a fashion , the third makes some worldly advantage of it , and serves some secular interest and design by it . all these are upon several accounts concerned to understand something of religion ; but yet will not be brought to the practice of it . the first of these whom i call the specul●tive christian , is he who makes religion only a science , and studies it as a piece of learning , and part of that general knowledge in which he affects the reputation of being a master ; he hath no design to practice it , but he is loth to be ignorant of it , because the knowledge of it is a good ornament of conversation , and will serve for discourse and entertainment among those who are disposed to be grave and serious ; and because he does not intend to practice it , he passeth over those things which are plain and easie to be understood , and applies himself chiefly to the consideration of those things which are more abstruse , and will afford matter of controversie and subtle dispute , as the doctrine of the trinity , predestination , free-will , and the like . of this temper seem many of the school-men of old to have been , who made it their great study and business to puzzle religion , and to make every thing in it intricate , by starting infinite questions and difficulties about the plainest truths ; and of the same rank usually are the heads and leaders of parties and factions in religion , who by needless controversies , and endless disputes about some thing or other , commonly of no great moment in religion , hinder themselves and others from minding the practice of the great and substantial duties of a good life . secondly , there is the formal ch●istian , who takes up religion for a fashion . he is born and bred in a nation where christianity is profest , and countenanced , and therefore thinks it convenient for him to know something of it . of this sort there are , i fear , a great many , who read the scriptures sometimes as others do , to know the history of it ; and go to church , and hear the gospel preached , and by this means come in some measure to understand the history of our saviour , and the christian doctrine ; but do not at all bend themselves to comply with the great end and design of it ; they do not heartily endeavour to form and fashion their lives according to the laws and precepts of it ; they think they are very good christians , if they can give an account of the articles of their faith , profess their belief in god and christ , and declare that they hope to be saved by him , tho' they take no care to keep his commandments . these are they of whom our saviour speaks , luke . . who call him , lord , lord ; but do not the things which he said . thirdly , hypocritical christians , who make an interest of religion , and serve some worldly design by it . these are concerned to understand religion more than ordinary , that they may counterfeit it handsomly , and may not be at a loss when they have occasion to put on the garb of it . and this is one part of the character which the apostle gives of those persons , who he foretels would appear in the last days , tim. . . he says they should be lovers of their own selves , covetous , heady , high-minded , lovers of pleasure more than lovers of god , having a form of godliness , but denying the power of it . now these men do not love religion , but they have occasion to make use of it ; and therefore they will have no more of it than will just serve their purpose and design . and indeed he that hath any other design in religion than to please god , and save his soul , needs no more than so much knowledge of it , as will serve him to act a part in it upon occasion . i come to the third and last observation , viz. that the practice of religion , and the doing of what we know to be our duty , is the only way to happiness ; if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them ; not if ye know these things happy are ye ; but if ye know and do them . now to convince men of so important a truth , i shall endeavour to make out these two things . first , that the gospel makes the practice of religion a necessary condition of our happiness . secondly , that the nature and reason of the thing makes it a necessary qualification for it . first , the gospel makes the practice of religion a necessary condition of our happiness . our saviour in his first sermon , where he repeats the promise of blessedness so often , he makes no promise of it to the meer knowledge of religion , but to the habit and practice of christian graces and virtues , of meekness , and humility , and mercifuln●s● , and righteousness , and peaceableness , and p●r●ty , and patience under suff●rings and persecutions for righteousness sake . and matth. . . our saviour doth most fully declare , that the happines● which he promises , did not belong to those who made profession of his name , and were so well acquainted with his doctrine , as to be able to instruct others , if themselves in the mean time did not practise it ; not every one that ●aith unto me lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . many will say unto me in that day , lord , lord , have we not prophesied in thy name , and in thy name cast out devils , and done many wondrous works ; and then will i profess unto them , i never knew you , depart from me ye workers of iniquity . tho' they profess to know him , yet because their lives were not answerable to the knowledge which they had of him , and his doctrine , he declares that he will not know them , but bid them depart from him . and then he goes on to shew , that tho' a man attend to the doctrine of christ , and gain the knowledge of it ; yet if it do not descend into his life , and govern his actions , all that man's hopes of heaven are fond and groundless ; and only that man's hopes of heaven are well grounded , who knows the doctrine of christ , and does it , ver. . whosoever heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them , i will liken him to a wise man , who built his house upon a rock , and the rain descended , and the floods came , and the winds blew , and beat upon that house , and it fell not , for it was founded upon a roc● ; and every one that heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them not , shall be liken'd to a foolish man , who built his house upon the sand , and the rain descended , and the floods came , and the winds blew , and beat upon that house , and it fell , and great was the fall of it . tho' a man had a knowledge of religion as great and perfect as that which solomon had of natural things , large as the sand upon the sea shore ; yet all th●s knowledge separated from practice , would be like the sand also in another respect , a weak foundation for any man to build his hopes ●f happiness upon . to the same purpose st. paul speaks , rom. . . not the hearers of the law are just before god ; but the d●ers of the law shall be justified . so likewise st. james , chap. . . be ye doers of the word , and not hearers only , deceiving your own selves ; and ver . . who 's looketh into the perfect law of libert ( that is the law or doctrine of the gospel , ) and continueth therein , he being not a forgetful hearer , but a doer of the work , this man shall be blessed in his deed ; and therefore he adds , that the truth and reality of religion is to be measured by the effects of it , in the government of our words , and ordering of our lives , ver. . if any man among you seem to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , this man's religion is vain . pure religion , and undefiled before god and the father is this ; to visit the fatherless and widow in their aff●iction , and to keep himself unspotted from the world. men talk of religion , and keep a great stir about it ; but nothing will pass for true religion before god , but the virtuous and charitable actions of a good life ; and god will accept no man to eternal life upon any other condition . so the apostle tells us most expresly , heb. . . follow peace with all men , and holiness , without which no man shall see the lord. secondly , as god hath made the practice of religion a necessary condition of our happiness , so the very nature and reason of the thing makes it a necessary qualification for it . it is necessary that we become like to god , in order to the enjoyment of him ; and nothing makes us like to god , but the practice of holiness and goodness . knowledge indeed is a divine perfection ; but that alone , as it doth not render a man like god , so neither doth it dispose him for the enjoyment of him . if a man had the understanding of an angel , he might for all that be a devil ; he that committeth sin is of the devil , and whatever knowledge such a man may have , he is of a devilish temper and disposition : but every one that doth righteousness is born of god. by this we are like god , and only by our likeness to him , do we become capable of the ●ight and enjoyment of him ; therefore every man that hopes to be happy by the blessed ●ight of god in the next life , must endeavour after holiness in this life . so the same apostle tells us , john . . every man that hath this hope in him , purifieth himself , even as he is pure . a wicked temper and disposition of mind is , in the very nature of the thing , utterly inconsistent with all reasonable hopes of heaven . thus i have shewn that the practice of religion , and the doing of what we know to be our duty , is the only way to happiness . and now the proper inference from all this is , to put men upon the careful practice of religion . let no man content himself with the knowledge of his duty , unless he do it ; and to this purpose i shall briefly urge these three considerations . first , this is the great end of all our knowledge in religion , to practise what we know . the knowledge of god and of our duty hath so essential a respect to practice , that the scripture will hardly allow it to be properly called knowledge , unless it have an influence upon our lives . john . , . hereby we do know that we know him , if we keep his commandment● . he that saith i know him , and keepeth not his commandments , is a lyar , and the truth is not in him . secondly , practice is the best way to increase and perfect our knowledge . knowledge directs us in our practice , but practice confirms and increaseth our knowledge , john . . if any man will do the will of god , he shall know of the doctrine . the best way to know god , is to be like him our selves , and to have the lively image of his perfections imprinted upon our souls ; and the best way to understand the christian religion , is seriously to set about the practice of it ; this will give a man a better notion of christianity , than any speculation can . thirdly , without the practice of religion , our knowledge will be so far from being any furtherance and advantage to our happiness , that it will be one of the unhappiest aggravations of our misery . he that is ignorant of his duty , hath some excuse to pretend for himself : but he that understands the christian religion , and does not live according to it , hath no cloak for his sin . the defects of our knowledge , unless they be gross and wilful , will find an easie pardon with god : but the faults of our lives shall be severely punisht , when we knew our duty and would not do it . i will conclude with that of our saviour , luke . , . that servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes ; for unto whomsoever much is given , of him much shall be required . when we come into the other world , no consideration will sting us more , and add more to the rage of our torments than this , that we did wickedly , when we understood to have done better ; and chose to make our selves miserable , when we knew so well the way to have been happy . sermon xiii . practice in religion necessary in proportion to our knowledge . luke xii . , . and that servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes : but he that knew not , and did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes ; for unto whomsoever much is given , of him shall be much required ; and to whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . in prosecution of the argument which i handled in my last discourse , namely , that the knowledge of our duty , without the practice of it , will not bring us to happiness , i shall proceed to shew , that if our practice be not answerable to our knowledge , this will be a great aggravation both of our sin and punishment . and to this purpose , i have pitched upon these words of our lord , which are the application of two parables , which he had delivered before , to stir up men to a diligent and careful practice of their duty , that so they may be in a continual readiness and preparatio● for the coming of their lord. the first parable is more general , and concerns all men , who are represented as so many servants in a great family , from which the lord is absent , and they being uncertain of the time of his return , should always be in a condition and posture to receive him . upon the hearing of this parable , peter enquires of our saviour , whether he intended this only for his disciples , or for all ? to which question our saviour returns an answer in another parable , which more particularly concerned them ; who because they were to be the chief rulers and governours of his church , are represented by the stewards of a great family , ver. . who then is that faithful and wise steward , whom his lord shall make ruler over his household , to give them their portion of meat in due season ? if he discharge his duty , blessed is he ; but if he shall take occasion in his lord's absence , to domineer over his fellow servants , and riotously to waste his lords goods , his lord , when he comes , will punish him after a more severe and exemplary manner . and then follows the application of the whole , in the words of the text , and that servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes . as if he had said , and well may such a servant deserve so severe a punishment , who having such a trust committed to him , and knowing his lord's will so much better , yet does contrary to it ; upon which our saviour takes occasion to compare the fault and punishment of those who have greater advantages and opportuniti●s of knowing their duty , with those wh● are ignorant of it ; that servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to it , shall be beaten with many stripes : but he that knew not , but did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . and then he adds the reason and the equity of this proceeding , for unto whomsoever much is given , of him shall be much required ; and to whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . the words in general do allude to that law of the jews , mentioned deut. . . where the judge is required to se● the malefactor punish'd according to his fault , by a certain number of stripes ; in relation to which known law among the jews , our saviour here says , that those who knew their lord's will , and did it not , should be beaten with many stripes : but those who knew it not , should be beaten with few stripes . so that there are two observations lie plainly before us in the words . first , that the greater advantages and opportunities and man hath of knowing his duty , if he do it not , the greater will be his condemnation ; the servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to it , shall be beaten with many stripes . secondly , that ignorance is a great excuse of mens faults , and will lessen their punishment ; but he that knew not , but did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . i shall begin with the latter of these first , because it will make way for the other ; viz. that ignorance is a great excuse of men's faults , and will lessen their punishment ; he that knew not , but did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . for the clearing of this , it will be requisite to consider what ignorance it is which our saviour here speaks of ; and this is necessary to be enquired into , because it is certain that there is some sort of ignorance which doth wholly excuse and clear from all manner of guilt ; and there is another sort , which doth either not at all , or very little extenuate the faults of men , so that it must be a third sort , different from both these , which our saviour here means . first , there is an ignorance which doth wholly excuse and clear from all manner of guilt , and that is an absolute and invincible ignorance , when a person is wholly ignorant of the thing , which if he knew , he should be bound to do , but neither can nor could have helpt it , that he is ignorant of it ; that is , he either had not the capacity , or wanted the means and opportunity of knowing it . in this case a person is in no fault , if he did not do what he never knew , nor could know to be his duty . for god measures the faults of men by their wills , and if there be no defect there , there can be no guilt ; for no man is guilty , but he that is conscious to himself that he would not do what he knew he ought to do , or would do what he knew he ought not to do . now if a man be simply and invincibly ignorant of his duty , his neglect of it is altogether involuntary ; for the will hath nothing to do , where the understanding doth not first direct . and this is the case of children who are not yet come to the use of reason ; for tho' they may do that which is materially a fault , yet it is none in them , because by reason of their incapacity , they are at present invincibly ignorant of what they ought to do . and this is the case likewise of ideots , who are under a natural incapacity of knowledge , and so far as they are so , nothing that they do is imputed to them as a fault . the same may be said of distracted persons , who are deprived either wholly , or at some times , of the use of their understandings ; so far , and so long as they are thus deprived , they are free from all guilt ; and to persons who have the free and perfect use of their reason , no neglect of any duty is imputed , of which they are absolutely and invincibly ignorant . for instance , it is a duty incumbent upon all mankind , to believe in the son of god , where he is sufficiently manifested and revealed to them ; but those who never heard of him , nor had any opportunity of coming to the knowledge of him , shall not be condemned for this infidelity , because it is impossible they should believe on him , of whom they never heard ; they may indeed be condemned upon other accounts , for ●inning against the light of nature , and for not obeying the law which was written in their hearts ; for what the apostle says of the revelation of the law , is as true of any other revelation of god , as many as have sinned without law , shall also perish without law ; and as many as have sinned under the law , shall be judged by the law , rom. . . in like manner , those who have ●inned without the gospel , ( that is , who never had the knowledge of it ) shall not be condemned for any offence against that revelation which was never made to them , but for their violation of the law of nature ; only they that have sinned under the gospel , shall be judged by it . secondly , there is likewise another sort of ignorance , which either does not at all , or very little extenuate the faults of men , when men are not only ignorant , but chuse to be so ; that is , when they wilfully neglect those means and opportunities of knowledge which are afforded to them ; such as job speaks of , job . . who say unto god depart from us , for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways . and this sort of ignorance many among the jews were guilty of , when our saviour came and preached to them , but they would not be instructed by him ; the light came among them , but they loved darkness rather than light , as he himself says of them ; and as he says elsewhere of the pharisees , they rejected the counsel of god against themselves , they wilfully shut their eyes against that light which offered it self to them ; they would not see with their eyes , nor hear with their ears , nor understand with their hearts , that they might be converted , and healed . now an ignorance in this degree wilful , can hardly be imagined to carry any excuse at all in it . he that knew not his lord's will , because he would not know it , because he wilfully rejected the means of coming to the knowledge of it , deserves to be beaten with as many stripes , as if he had known it ; because he might have known it , and would not . he that will not take notice of the king's proclamation , or will stop his ears when it is read , and afterwards offends against it , does equally deserve punishment with those who have read it , and heard it ; and disobey'd it , because he was as grosly faulty in not knowing it ; and there is no reason that any man 's gross fault should be his excuse . so that it is neither of these sorts of ignorance that our saviour means , neither absolute and invincible ignorance , nor that which is grosly wilful and affected ; for the first , men deserve not to be beaten at all , because they cannot help it ; for the latter they deserve not to be excused , because they might have helped their ignorance , and would not . but our saviour here speaks of such an ignorance as does in a good degree extenuate the fault , and yet not wholly excuse it ; for he says of them , that they knew not their lord's will , and yet that this ignorance did not wholly excuse them from blame , nor exempt them from punishment , but they should be beaten with few stripes . in the third place then , there is an ignorance which is in some degree faulty , and yet does in a great measure excuse the faults which proceed from it ; and this is when men are not absolutely ignorant of their duty , but only in comparison of others , who have a far more clear and distinct knowledge of it ; and tho' they do not grosly and wilfully neglect the means of further knowledge , yet perhaps they do not make the best use they might of the opportunities they have of knowing their duty better ; and therefore in comparison of others , who have far better means and advantages of knowing their lord's will , they may be said not to know it , tho' they are not simply ignorant of it , but only have a more obscure and uncertain knowledge of it . now this ignorance does in a great measure excuse such persons , and extenuate their crimes , in comparison of those who had a clearer and more perfect knowledge of their master's will ; and yet it does not free them from all guilt ; because they did not live up to that degree of knowledge which they had ; and perhaps if they had used more care and industry , they might have known their lord's will better . and this was the case of the heathen , who in comparison of those who enjoyed the light of the gospel , might be said not to have known their lord's will , tho' as to many parts of their duty , they had some directions from natural light , and their consciences did urge them to many things by the obscure apprehensions and hopes of a future reward , and the fear of a future punishment . but this was but a very obscure and uncertain knowledge , in comparison of the clear light of the gospel , which hath discovered to us our duty so plainly by the laws and precepts of it , and hath presented us with such powerful motives and arguments to obedience in the promises and threatnings of it . and this likewise is the case of many christians , who either through the natural slowness of their understandings , or by the neglect of their parents and teachers , or other circumstances of their education , have had far less means and advantages of knowledge than others . god does not expect so much from those , as from others , to whom he hath given greater capacity , and advantages of knowledge ; and when our lord shall come to call his servants to an account , they shall be beaten with fewer stripes than others ; they shall not wholly escape , because they were not wholly ignorant ; but by how much they had less knowledge than others , by so much their punishment shall be lighter . and there is all the equity in the world it should be so , that men should be accountable according to what they have received , and that to whom less is given , less should be required at their hands . the scripture hath told us , that god will judge the world in righteousness ; now justice does require , that in taxing the punishment of offenders , every thing should be consider'd , that may be a just excuse and extenuation of their crimes , and that accordingly their punishment should be abated . now the greatest extenuation of any fault is ignorance , which when it proceeds from no fault of ours , no fault can proceed from it ; so that so far as any man is innocently ignorant of his duty , so far he is excusable for the neglect of it ; for every degree of ignorance takes off so much from the perverseness of the will ; & nihil ardet in inferno , nisi propria voluntas , nothing is punisht in hell , but what is voluntary , and proceeds from our wills. i do not intend this discourse for any commendation of ignorance , or encouragement to it . for knowledge hath many advantages above it , and is much more desirable , if we use it well ; and if we do not , it is our own fault ; if we be not wanting to our selves , we may be much happier by our knowledge , than any man can be by his ignorance ; for tho' ignorance may plead an excuse , yet it can hope for no reward ; and it is always better to need no excuse , than to have the best in the world ready at hand to plead for our selves . besides , that we may do well to consider , that ignorance is no where an excuse where it is cherisht ; so that it would be the vainest thing in the world for any man to foster it , in hopes thereby to excuse himself ; for where it is wilful and chosen , it is a fault , and ( as i said before ) it is the most unreasonable thing in the world , that any man's fault should prove his excuse . so that this can be no encouragement to ignorance , to say that it extenuates the faults of men ; for it does not extenuate them , whenever it is wilful and affected ; and when ever it is designed and chosen , it is wilful ; and then no man can reasonably design to continue ignorant , that he may have an excuse for his faults , because then the ignorance is wilful , and whenever it is so , it ceaseth to be an excuse . i the rather speak this , because ignorance hath had the good fortune to meet with great patrons in the world , and to be extol'd , tho' not upon this account , yet upon another , for which there is less pretence of reason ; as if it were the mother of devotion . of superstition i grant it is , and of this we see plentiful proof , among those who are so careful to preserve and cherish it : but that true piety and devotion should spring from it , is as unlikely , as that darkness should produce light. i do hope indeed , and charitably believe , that the ignorance in which some are detained by their teachers and governours , will be a real excuse , to as many of them as are otherwise honest and sincere ; but i doubt not , but the errors and faults which proceed from this ignorance , will lie heavy upon those who keep them in it . i proceed to the second observation , that the greater advantages and opportunities any man hath of knowing the will of god , and his duty , the greater will be his condemnation if he do not do it . the servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to it , shall be beaten with many stripes . which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself ; the preparation of our mind to do the will of god , whenever there is occasion and opportunity for it , is accepted with him ; a will rightly disposed to obey god , tho' it be not brought in to act , for want of opportunity , does not lose its reward : but when , notwithstanding we know our lord's will , there are neither of these , neither the act , nor the preparation and resolution of doing it , what punishment may we not expect ? the just god , in punishing the sins of men , proportions the punishment to the crime , and where the crime is greater , the punishment riseth ; as amongst the jews , where the crime was small , the malefactor was sentenced to a few stripes ; where it was great , he was beaten with many . thus our saviour represents the great judge of the world dealing with sinners ; according as their sins are aggravated , he will add to their punishment . now after all the aggravations of sin , there is none that doth more intrinsically heighten the malignity of it , than when it is committed against the clear knowledge of our duty , and that upon these three accounts . first , because the knowledge of god's will is so great an advantage to the doing of it . secondly , because it is a great obligation upon us to the doing of it . thirdly , because the neglect of our duty in this case , cannot be without a great deal of wilfulness and contempt . i shall speak briefly to these three . first , because the knowledge of god's will is so great an advantage to the doing of it ; and every advantage of doing our duty , is a certain aggravation of our neglect of it . and this is the reason which our saviour adds here in the text , for to whomsoever much is given , of them much will be required ; and to whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . it was , no doubt , a great discouragement and disadvantage to the heathen , that they were so doubtful concerning the will of god , and in many cases left to the uncertainty of their own reason , by what way and means they might best apply themselves to the pleasing of him ; and this discouraged several of the wisest of them from all serious endeavours in religion , thinking it as good to do nothing , as to be mistaken about it . others that were more naturally devout , and could not satisfie their consciences without some expressions of religion , fell into various superstitions , and were ready to embrace any way of worship which custom prescribed , or the fancies of men could suggest to them ; and hence sprang all the stupid and barbarous idolatries of the heathen . for ignorance growing upon the world , that natural propention which was in the minds of men to religion , and the worship of a deity , for want of certain direction , exprest it self in those foolish and abominable idolatries , which were practiced among the heathen . and is it not then a mighty advantage to us , that we have the clear and certain direction of divine revelation ? we have the will of god plainly discovered to us , and all the parts of our duty clearly defined and determined , so that no man that is in any measure free from interest and prejudice , can easily mistake in any great and material part of his duty . we have the nature of god plainly revealed to us , and such a character of him given , as is most suitable to our natural conceptions of a deity , as render him both awful and amiable ; for the scripture represents him to us as great and good , powerful and merciful , a perfect hater of sin , and a great lover of mankind ; and we have the law and manner of his worship ( so far as was needful ) and the rules of a good life clearly exprest and laid down ; and as a powerful motive and argument to the obedience of those laws , a plain discovery made to us of the endless rewards and punishments of another world. and is not this a mighty advantage to the doing of god's will , to have it so plainly declared to us , and so powerfully enforced upon us ? so that our duty lies plainly before us , we see what we have to do , and the danger of neglecting it ; so that considering the advantage we have of doing god's will , by our clear knowledge of it , we are altogether inexcusable if we do it not . secondly , the knowledge of our lord's will is likewise a great obligation upon us to the doing of it . for what ought in reason to oblige us more to do any thing , than to be fully assur'd that it is the will of god , and that it is the law of the great soveraign of the world , who is able to save , or to destroy ? that it is the pleasure of him that made us , and who hath declared that he designs to make us happy , by our obedience to his laws ? so that if we know these things to be the will of god , we have the greatest obligation to do them , whether we consider the authority of god , or our own interest ; and if we neglect them , we have nothing to say in our own excuse . we knew the law , and the advantage of keeping it , and the penalty of breaking it , and if after this we will transgress , there is no apology to be made for us . they have something to plead for themselves , who can say , that tho' they had some apprehension of some parts of their duty , and their minds were apt to dictate to them that they ought to do some things , yet the different apprehensions of mankind about several of these things , and the doubts and uncertainties of their own minds concerning them , made them easie to be carried off from their duty , by the vicious inclinations of their own nature , and the tyranny of custom and example , and the pleasant temptations of flesh and blood ; but had they had a clear and undoubted revelation from god , and had certainly known these things to be his will , this would have conquered and born down all objections and temptations to the contrary ; or if it had not , would have stopt their mouths , and taken away all excuse from them . there is some colour in this plea , that in many cases they did not know certainly what the will of god was : but for us who own a clear revelation from god , and profess to believe it , what can we say for our selves , to mitigate the severity of god toward us ; why he should not pour forth all his wrath , and execute upon us the fierceness of his anger ? thirdly , the neglect of god's will when we know it , cannot be without a great deal of wilfulness and contempt . if we know it , and do it not , the fault is solely in our wills , and the more wilful any sin is , the more hainously wicked is it . there can hardly be a greater aggravation of a crime , than if it proceed from meer obstinacy and perverseness ; and if we know it to be our lord's will , and do it not , we are guilty of the highest contempt of the greatest authority in the world. and do we think this to be but a small aggravation , to affront the great soveraign and judge of the world ? not only to break his laws ; but to trample upon them and despise them , when we know whose laws they are ? will we provoke the lord to jealousie ? are we stronger than he ? we believe that it is god who said , thou shalt not commit adultery ; thou shalt not steal ; thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour ; thou shalt not hate , or oppress , or defraud thy brother in any thing ; but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ; and will we notwithstanding venture to break these laws , knowing whose authority they are stampt withal ? after this contempt of him , what favour can we hope for from him ? what can we say for our selves , why any one of those many stripes which are threatned should be abated to us ? ignosci aliquatenus ignorantiae potest ; contemptus veniam non habet ; something may be pardoned to ignorance ; but contempt can expect no forgiveness . he that strikes his prince , not knowing him to be so , hath something to say for himself , that tho' he did a disloyal act , yet it did not proceed from a disloyal mind : but he that first acknowledgeth him for his prince , and then affronts him , deserves to be prosecuted with the utmost severity , because he did it wilfully , and in meer contempt . the knowledge of our duty , and that it is the will of god which we go against , takes away all possible excuse from us ; for nothing can be said , why we should offend him , who hath both authority to command us , and power to destroy us . and thus i have , as briefly as i could , represented to you the true ground and reason of the aggravation of those sins , which are committed against the clear knowledge of god's will , and our duty ; because this knowledge is so great an advantage to the doing of our duty ; so great an obligation upon us to it ; and because the neglect of our lord's will in this case , cannot be without great wilfulness , and a down-right contempt of his authority . and shall i now need to tell you , how much it concerns every one of us , to live up to that knowledge which we have of our lord's will , and to prepare our selves to do according to it ; to be always in a readiness and disposition to do what we know to be his will , and actually to do it , when there is occasion , and opportunity ? and it concerns us the more , because we , in this age and nation , have so many advantages , above a great part of the world , of coming to the knowledge of our duty . we enjoy the clearest and most perfect revelation which god ever made of his will to mankind , and have the light of divine truth plentifully shed amongst us , by the free use of the holy scriptures , which is not a sealed book to us , but lies open to be read , and studied by us ; this spiritual food is rained down like manna round about our tents , and every one may gather so much as is sufficient ; we are not stinted , nor have the word of god given out to us in broken pieces , or mixt and adulterated , here a lesson of scripture , and there a legend ; but whole and entire , sincere and uncorrupt . god hath not left us , as he did the heathen for many ages , to the imperfect and uncertain direction of natural light ; nor hath he revealed his will to us , as he did to the jews , in dark types and shadows : but hath made a clear discovery of his mind and will to us . the dispensation which we are under , hath no vail upon it , the darkness is past , and the true light now shineth ; we are of the day , and of the light , and therefore it may justly be expected that we should put off the works of darkness , and walk as children of the light. every degree of knowledge which we have , is an aggravation of the sins committed against it , and when our lord comes to pass sentence upon us , will add to the number of our stripes . nay , if god should inflict no positive torment upon sinners ; yet their own minds would deal most severely with them upon this account , and nothing will gall their consciences more , than to remember against what light they did offend . for herein lies the very nature and sting of all guilt , to be conscious to our selves , that we knew what we ought to have done , and did it not . the vices and corruptions which reigned in the world before , will be pardonable , in comparison of ours . the times of that ignorance god winked at : but now he commands all men every where to repent . mankind had some excuse for their errors before , and god was pleased in a great measure to overlook them : but if we continue still in our sins , we have no cloak for them . all the degrees of light which we enjoy , are so many talents committed to us by our lord , for the improving whereof , he will call us to a strict account ; for unto whomsoever much is given , of him much shall be required ; and to whom he hath committed much , of him he will ask the more . and nothing is more reasonable , than that men should account for all the advantages and opportunities they have had of knowing the will of god ; and that as their knowledge was increased , so their sorrow and punishment should proportionably rise , if they sin against it . the ignorance of a great part of the world is deservedly pitied and lamented by us ; but the condemnation of none is so sad , as of those , who having the knowledge of god's will , neglect to do it ; how much better had it been for them not to have kuown the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them ! if we had been born , and brought up in ignorance of the true god and his will , we had had no sin , in comparison of what now we have : but now that we see , our sin remains . this will aggravate our condemnation beyond measure , that we had the knowledge of salvation so clearly revealed to us . our duty lies plainly before us , we know what we ought to do , and what manner of persons we ought to be , in all holy conversation and godliness . we believe the coming of our lord to judgment , and we know not how soon he may be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels , not only to take vengeance on them that know not god , but on them that have known him , and yet obey not the gospel of his son. and if all this will not move us to prepare our selves to do our lord's will , we deserve to have our stripes multiplied . no condemnation can be too heavy for those who offend against the clear knowledge of god's will , and their duty . let us then be perswaded to set upon the practice of what we know ; let the light which is in our understandings , descend upon our hearts and lives ; let us not dare to continue any longer in the practice of any known sin , nor in the neglect of any thing which we are convinced is our duty , and if our hearts condemn us not , neither for the neglect of the means of knowledge , nor for rebelling against the light of god's truth shining in our minds , and glaring upon our consciences , then have we confidence towards god : but if our hearts condemn us , god is greater than our hearts , and knows all things . sermon xiv . the sins of men not chargeable upon god ; but upon themselves . james i. , . let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man : but every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lust , and enticed . next to the bel●ef of a god , and his providence , there is nothing more fundamentally necessary to the practice of a good life , than the belief of these two principles , that god is not the author of sin , and that every man's sin lies at his own door and he hath reason to blame himself for all the evil that he does . first , that god is not the author of sin , that he is no way accessary to our faults , either by tempting or forcing us to the commission of them . for if he were , they would neither properly be sins , nor could they be justly punished . they would not properly be sins , for sin is a contradiction to the will of god ; but supposing men to be either tempted or necessitated thereto , that which we call sin , would either be a meer passive obedience to the will of god , or an active compliance with it , but neither way a contradiction to it . nor could these actions be justly punished ; for all punishment supposeth a fault , and a fault supposeth liberty and freedom from force and necessity ; so that no man can be justly punished for that which he cannot help , and no man can help that , which he is necessitated and compel'd to . and tho' there were no force in the case , but only temptation , yet it would be unreasonable for the same person to tempt and punish . for as nothing is more contrary to the holiness of god , than to tempt men to sin ; so nothing can be more against justice and goodness , than first to draw men into a fault , and then to chastize them for it . so that this is a principle which lies at the bottom of all religion , that god is not the author of the sins of men. and then , secondly , that every man's fault lies at his own door , and he has reason enough to blame himself for all the evil that he does . and this is that which makes men properly guilty , that when they have done amiss , they are conscious to themselves it was their own act , and they might have done otherwise ; and guilt is that which makes men liable to punishment ; and fear of punishment is the great restraint from sin , and one of the principal arguments for virtue and obedience . and both these principles our apostle st. james does here fully assert in the words which i have read unto you . l●t no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man : but every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lust , and enticed . in which words , these two things are plainly contained . first , that god doth not tempt any man to sin. let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man. secondly , that every man's fault lies at his own door , and he is his own greatest tempter . but every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lust , and enticed . i. that god doth not tempt any man to sin. let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man. in which words , there are three things to be considered . first , the proposition which the apostle here rejects , and that is , that god tempts men. let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god. secondly , the manner in which he rejects it . let no man say so . by which manner of speaking , the apostle insinuates these two things . . that men are apt to lay their faults upon god : for when he says , l●t no man say so , he intimates , that men are apt to say so , and it is very probable that some did say so ; and , dly . that it is not only a fault , but an impious assertion to say that god tempts men. he speaks of it as a thing to be rejected with detestation . let no man say ; that is , far be it from us to affirm a thing so impious and dishonourable to god. thirdly , the reason and argument that he brings against it , for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man. first , the proposition which the apostle here rejects , and that is , that god tempts men : let no man say , when he is tempted , i am tempted of god. now that we may the more distinctly understand the meaning of the proposition , which the apostle here rejects , it will be very requisite to consider what temptation is , and the several sorts and kinds of it . to tempt a man , is in general , nothing else but to make trial of him in any kind what he will do . in scripture temptation is commonly confin'd to the trial of a man's good or bad , of his virtuous or vicious inclinations . but then it is such a trial as endangers a man's virtue , and if he be not well resolved , is likely to overcome it , and to make him fall into sin. so that temptation does always imply something of danger the worst way . and men are thus tempted , either from themselves , or by others ; by others chiefly these two ways . first , by direct and down-right perswasions to sin. secondly , by being brought into such circumstances as will greatly endanger their falling into it , tho' none solicit and perswade them to it . first , by direct and down-right perswasions to sin. thus the devil tempted our first parents , by representing things so to them , as might on the one hand incite them to sin , and on the other hand , weaken and loosen that , which was the great curb and restraint from it . on the one hand , he represents to them the advantages they should have by breaking god's command . god doth know that in the day ye eat thereof , then your eyes shall be opened , and ye shall be as gods , knowing good and evil . on the other hand , he represents the danger of offending not to be so great and certain as they imagined . the serpent said unto the woman , ye shall not surely dye . and the devil had so good success in this way of tempting the first adam , as to encourage him to set upon the second , our blessed saviour , in the same manner ; for he would have perswaded him to fall down and worship him , by offering him all the kingdoms of the world , and the glory of them . and thus bad men many times tempt others , and endeavour to draw them into the same wicked courses with themselves . solomon represents to us the manner and the danger of it , prov. . , , , . my son , if sinners entice thee , consent thou not ; if they say , come with us , let us lay wait for blood , let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause ; we shall find all precious substance , we shall fill our houses with spoil . cast in thy lot amongst us , let us all have one purse . this is the first way of temptation . and to be sure god tempts no man this way . he offers no arguments to man to perswade him to sin ; he no where proposeth either reward or impunity to sinners : but on the contrary , gives all imaginable encouragement to obedience , and threatens the transgression of his law with most dreadful punishments . secondly , men are likewise tempted , by being brought into such circumstances , as will greatly endanger their falling into sin , tho' none perswade them to it ; and this happens two ways ; when men are remarkably beset with the allurements of the world , or assaulted with the evils and calamities of it ; for either of these conditions are great temptations to men , and make powerful assaults upon them , especially when they fall upon those who are ill disposed before , or are but of a weak virtue and resolution . the allurements of the world are strong temptations ; riches , and honours , and pleasures , they are the occasions and incentives to many lusts . honour and greatness , power and authority over other● , especially when men are suddenly lifted up , and from a low condition , are apt to transport men to pride and insolency towards others . power is a strong liquor which does easily intoxicate weak minds , and make them apt to say and do undecent things . man that is in honour and understands not , is like the beasts that perish ; intimating that men who are exalted to an high condition , are very apt to forget themselves , and to play the fools and beasts . it requires great consideration , and a well-poised mind , not to be lifted up with one's condition . weak heads are apt to turn and grow dizzy , when they look down from a great height . and so likewise ease and prosperity are a very slippery condition to most men , and without great care , do endanger the falling into great sins . so solomon observes , prov. . . for the turning away of the simple shall slay them , and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them . for this reason agur maketh his prayer to god , that he would give him neither poverty nor riches , but keep him in a mean condition , because of the danger of both extreams , prov. . , . give me not riches , lest i be full , and deny thee . both the eager desire , and the possession and enjoyment of riches do frequently prove fatal to men. so our saviour tells us elsewhere very emphatically , mat. . , . verily i say unto you , that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven : and again i say unto you , it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle , than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of god. st. paul likewise very fully declares unto us the great danger of this condition , tim. . , . but they that will be rich , fall into temptation , and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtful lusts , which drown men in destruction and perdition ; for the love of mony is the root of all evil , which while some coveted after , they have erred from the faith , and pierced themselves through with many sorrows . but the greatest bait of all to flesh and blood , is sensual pleasures ; the very presence and opportunity of these , are apt to kindle the desires , and to inflame the lusts of men , especially where these temptations meet with suitable tempers , where every spark that falls catcheth . and on the other hand , the evils and calamities of this world , especially if they threaten or fall upon men in any degree of extremity , are strong temptations to human nature . poverty and want , pain and suffering , and the fear of any great evil , especially of death , these are great straits to humane nature , and apt to tempt men to great sins , to impatience and discontent , to unjust and dishonest shifts , to the forsaking of god , and apostacy from his truth and religion . agur was sensible of the dangerous temptation of poverty , and therefore he prays against that , as well as against riches ; give me not poverty , lest being poor i steal , and take the name of the lord my god in vain ; that is , lest i be tempted to theft , and perjury . the devil , whose trade it is to tempt men to sin , knew very well the force of these sorts of temptations , when he desired god first to touch job in his estate , and to see what effect that would have , job . . but put forth thine hand now , and touch all that he hath , and he will curse thee to thy face . and when he found himself deceived in this , surely he thought , that were he but afflicted with great bodily pains , that would put him out of all patience , and flesh and blood would not be able to withstand this temptation , chap. . ver . . but put forth thine hand now , and touch his bone and his flesh , and he will curse thee to thy face . and this was the great temptation that the primitive christians were assaulted withal ; they were tempted to forsake christ and his religion , by a most violent persecution , by the spoiling of their goods , by imprisonment , and torture , and death . and this is that kind of temptation which the apostle particularly speaks of before the text , blessed is the man that endureth temptation ; for when he is tried , he shall receive the crown of life , which the lord hath promised to them that love him ; and then it follows , let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god. and thus i have given an account of the several sorts of temptations comprehended under this second head , namely , when men are tempted by being brought into such circumstances as do greatly endanger their falling into sin , by the allurements of this world , and by the evils and calamities of it . now the question is , how far god hath an hand in these kind of temptations , that so we may know how to limit this proposition , which the apostle here rejects , that men are tempted of god. let no man say , when he is tempted , i am tempted of god. that the providence of god does order , or at least permit men to be brought into these circumstances i have spoken of , which are such dangerous temptations to sin , no man can doubt , that believes his providence to be concern'd in the affairs of the world. all the difficulty is , how far the apostle does here intend to exempt god from an hand in these temptations . now for the clearer understanding of this , it will be requisite to consider the several ends and reasons , which those who tempt others may have in tempting them ; and all temptation is for one of these three ends or reasons ; either for the trial and improvement of men's virtues ; or by way of judgment and punishment for some former great sins and provocations ; or with a direct purpose and design to seduce men to sin ; these i think are the chief ends and reasons that can be imagined , of exercising men with dangerous temptations . first , for the exercise and improvement of men's graces and virtues . and this is the end which god always aims at , in bringing good men , or permitting them to be brought into dangerous temptations . and therefore st. james speaks of it as a matter of joy , when good men are exercised with afflictions ; not because afflictions are desirable for themselves , but because of the happy consequences of them , ver. , . of this chap. my brethren , count it all joy , when ye fall into divers temptations ; knowing this , that the trying of your faith worketh patience . and to the same purpose st. paul , rom. . , , . we glory in tribulation , knowing that tribulation worketh patience , and patience experience ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , patience trieth a man , and this trial worketh hope , and hope maketh not ashamed . these are happy effects and consequences of affliction and suffering , when they improve the virtues of men , and increase their graces , and thereby make way for the increase of their glory . upon this account , st. james pronounceth those blessed , who are thus tempted . blessed is the man that endureth temptation ; for when he is tried , he shall receive the crown of life , which the lord hath promised to them that love him . and this certainly is no disparagement to the providence of god , to permit men to be thus tempted , when he permits it for no other end , but to make them better men , and thereby to prepare them for a greater reward : and so the apostle assures us , rom. . , . if so be we suffer with him , we shall also be glorified with him ; for i reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us . and ver . . for we know that all things shall work together for good to them that love god. and this happy end and issue of temptations to good men the providence of god secures to them ( if they be not wanting to themselves ) one of these two ways , either by proportioning the temptation to their strength ; or if it exceed that , by ministring new strength and support to them , by the secret and extraordinary aids of his holy spirit . first , by proportioning the temptation to their strength ; ordering things so by his secret and wise providence , that they shall not be assaulted by any temptation , which is beyond their strength to resist and overcome . and herein the security of good men doth ordinarily consist ; and the very best of us , those who have the firmest and most resolute virtue were in infinite danger , if the providence of god did not take this care of us . for a temptation may set upon the best men with so much violence , or surprize them at such an advantage , as no ordinary degree of grace and virtue is able to withstand : but where men are sincerely good , and honestly resolv'd , the providence of god doth ward off these fierce blows , and put by these violent thrusts , and by a secret disposal of things , keep them from being assaulted by these irresistible kinds of temptations . the consideration whereof , as it is a great encouragement to men to be sincerely good , so likewise a great argument for a continual dependance upon the providence of god , and to take us off from confidence in our selves , and our own strength . and this use the apostle makes of it , cor. . . wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth , ( that is confident that nothing shall be able to shake him , or throw him down ) take heed lest he fall ; there hath no temptation taken you , but such as is common to men ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but what is humane ; nothing but what an humane strength , assisted by an ordinary grace of god , may be able to resist and conquer . but there are greater and more violent temptations than these , which you have not yet been tried with ; and when those happen , we must have recourse to god for an extraordinary assistance . and this is the second way i mention'd , whereby the providence of god does secure good men in case of extraordinary temptations , which no humane strength can probably resist . and this the same apostle assures us of in the very next words , god is faithful , who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able , but will with the temptation also make a way to escape , that you may be able to bear it . that is , in case of great and violent temptations ( such as the christians in the height of their persecutions were exposed to ) god will secretly minister strength and support equal to the force and power of the temptation . and this god did in an extraordinary manner to the christian martyrs , and that to such a degree , as made them joyfully to embrace their sufferings , and with the greatest chearfulness in the world to endure those torments , which no humane patience was able to bear . and where god doth thus secure men against temptations , or support them under them , it is no reflection at all upon the goodness or justice of his providence , to permit them to be thus tempted . secondly , god permits others to be thus tempted , by way of judgment and punishment for some former great sins and provocations which they have been guilty of . and thus many times god punisheth great and notorious offenders , by permitting them to fall into great temptations , which meeting with a vicious disposition , are likely to be too hard for them , especially considering how by a long habit of wickedness , and wilful commission of great and notorious sins , they have made themselves an easie prey to every temptation , and have driven the spirit of god from them , and deprived themselves of tho●e aids and restraints of his grace , which he ordinarily affords , not only to good men , but likewise to those who are not very bad . and thus god is said to have hardened pharaoh by those plagues and judgments which he sent upon him and his kingdom . but if we carefully read the story , it is said that he first harden'd himself , and then that god hardened him ; that is , he being hardened under the first judgments of god , god sent more , which meeting with his obstinacy , had this unnatural effect upon him , to harden him yet more ; not that god did infuse any wickedness or obstinacy into him , but by his just judgments sent more plagues upon him , which hardened him yet more , and which were likely to have that effect upon him , considering the ill temper of the man. and it was just by way of punishment that they should . and so likewise , joshua . , . it is said that the cities of the canaanites did not make peace with joshua , because it was of the lord to harden their hearts , that they should come against israel in battel , that he might destroy them utterly ; that is , for their former iniquities , the measure whereof was now full , the providence of god did justly bring them into , and leave them under those circumstances , which made them obstinate against all terms of peace , and this proved fatal to them . and in the like sense we are to understand several other expressions in scripture , which likewise might seem very harsh . as isaiah . . make the heart of this people fat , and make their ears heavy , and shut their eyes , lest they see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , and understand with their hearts , and convert and be healed ; all which expressions signifie no more , but that god , for the former provocations and impenitency of that people , did leave them to their own hardness and blindness , so that they did not desire to understand and make use of the means of their recovery . so likewise , rom. . . god is said to have given up the idolatrous heathen to uncleanness , to vile and unnatural lusts ; and ver. . to a reprobate and injudicious mind ; that is , as a punishment of their idolatry , he left them to the power of those temptations , which betrayed them to the vilest lusts . and to mention but one text more , thes . . . the apostle threatens those that rejected the truth , that for this cause god would send them strong delusions , ( the efficacy of error ) that they should believe a lye , that they all might be damned , who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness ; that is , as a just punishment for their renouncing the truth , god gave them over to the power of delusion ; their error had its full scope at them , to tempt them with all its colours and pretences . but it is observable , that , in all these places which i have mention'd , god is said to give men up to the power of temptation , as a punishment of some former great crimes and provocations . and it is not unjust with god thus to deal with men , to leave them to the power of temptation , when they had first wilfully forsaken him ; and in this case god doth not tempt men to sin , but leaves them to themselves , to be tempted by their own hearts lusts ; and if they yield and are conquered , it is their own fault , because they have neglected god's grace , whereby they might have been able to have resisted those temptations ; and have forced his holy spirit to withdraw himself from them , and to leave them open and naked to those assaults of temptation , against which they might otherwise have been sufficiently armed . thirdly , the last end of temptation which i mentioned , is to try men , with a direct purpose and intention to seduce men to sin. thus wicked men tempt others , and thus the devil tempts men. thus he tempted our first parents , and seduced them from their obedience and allegiance to god. thus he tempted job , by bringing him into those circumstances , which were very likely to have forc'd him into impatience , and discontent . and thus he tempted our blessed saviour ; but found nothing in him to work upon , or to give him any advantage over him . and thus he daily tempts men , by laying all sorts of baits and snares before them , going about continually , seeking whom he may seduce and destroy ; and as far as god permits him , and his power reacheth , he suits his temptations as near as he can to the humours and appetites and inclinations of men , contriving them into such circumstances , as that he may ply his temptations upon them to the greatest advantage ; propounding such objects to them , as may most probably draw forth the corruptions of men , and kindle their irregular desires , and inflame their lusts , and tempt their evil inclinations that way , which they are most strongly bent . he tempts the covetous man with gain , the ambitious man with preferment , the voluptuous man with carnal and sensual pleasures ; and where none of these baits will take , he stirs up his instruments to persecute those , who are stedfast and confirmed in resolutions of piety and virtue , to try if he can work upon their fear , and shake their constancy and fidelity to god and goodness that way ; and all this he doth with a direct design and earnest desire to seduce men from their duty , and to betray them to sin. but thus god tempts no man , and in this sense it is that the apostle means , that no man when he is tempted , is tempted of god. god hath no design to seduce any man to sin. he often proves the obedience of men , and suffers them to fall into divers temptations , for the trial of their faith , and exercise of their obedience , and other virtues ; and he permits bad men to be assaulted with great temptations , and as a punishment of their former obstinacy and impiety , withdraws the aids and assistances of his grace from them , and leaves them to their own weakness and folly ; but not so as to take away all restraint of his grace even from bad men , unless it be upon very high provocation , and a long and obstinate continuance in sin : but god never tempts any man , with any intention to seduce him to sin , and with a desire he should do wickedly . this is the proper work of the devil and his instruments ; in this sense it is far from god to tempt any man ; and whenever in the ordinary course , and by the common permission of his providence , men fall into temptation , the utmost that god does , is to leave them to themselves ; and he does not do this neither , but to those who have highly provoked him to depart from them ; that is , to those who have justly deserved to be so dealt withal . and thus i have consider'd the proposition which the apostle here rejects , namely , that god tempts men , and have shewn as clearly as i can , how it is to be limited and understood . i now proceed to the second thing which i propounded to consider , viz. the manner in which the apostle rejects this proposition , let no man say , when he is tempted , i am tempted of god. by which manner of speaking , he insinuates two things . first , that men are apt to lay their faults upon god. for when he says , let no man say so , he intimates that men were apt to say thus ; and 't is probable some did say so , to excuse themselves for their deserting their religion upon the temptation of persecution and suffering . 't is not unlikely , that men might lay the fault upon god's providence , which exposed them to these difficult trials , and thereby tempted them to forsake their religion . but however this be , we find it very natural to men , to transfer their faults upon others . men are naturally sensible when they offend , and do contrary to their duty ; and the guilt of sin is an heavy burthen , of which men would be glad to ease themselves as much as they can ; and they think it is a mitigation and excuse of their faults , if they did not proceed only from themselves , but from the violence and compulsion , the temptation and instigation of others . but especially men are very glad to lay their faults upon god , because he is a full and sufficient excuse , nothing being to be blamed that comes from him . thus adam did , upon the commission of the very first sin that mankind was guilty of . when god charged him for breaking of his law , by eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree , he endeavours to excuse himself , by laying the fault obliquely upon god ; the woman whom thou gavest to be with me , she gave me of the tree , and i did eat . the woman whom thou gavest to be with me ; he does what he can to derive the fault upon god. and tho' this be very unreasonable , yet it seems it is very natural . men would fain have the pleasure of committing sin , but then they would be glad to remove as much of the trouble and guilt of it from themselves as they can . secondly , this manner of speech , which the apostle here useth , doth insinuate further to us , that it is not only a false , but an impious assertion , to say that god tempts men to sin. he speaks of it , not only as a thing unfit to be said , but fit to be rejected with the greatest indignation ; let no man say , that is , far be it from us to affirm any thing so impious and so dishonourable to god. for nothing can be more contrary to the holy and righteous nature of god , and to those plain declarations which he hath made of himself , than to seduce men to wickedness ; and therefo●e no man , that hath any regard to the honour of god , can entertain the least suspicion of his having any hand in the sins of men , or give heed to any principles or doctrines , from whence so odious and abominable a consequence may be drawn . i proceed to the third thing i propounded to consider , viz. the reason or argument which the apostle brings against this impious suggestion ; that god cannot be tempted with evil , and therefore no man can imagine that he should tempt any man to it ; let no man say , when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man. and in speaking to this , i shall first consider the strength and force of this argument ; and secondly , the nature and kind of it . first , the strength and force of this argument , god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he is untemptable by evil ; he cannot be drawn to any thing that is bad himself , and therefore it cannot be imagined he should have any inclination or design to seduce others . and this will appear to be a strong and forcible argument , if we consider , first , the proposition upon which it is grounded , that god cannot be tempted by evil . secondly , the consequence that clearly follows from it ; and that is , that because god cannot be tempted by evil , therefore he cannot tempt any man to it . first , we will consider the proposition upon which this argument is built , and that is , that god cannot be tempted by evil . he is out of the reach of any temptation to evil . whoever is tempted to any thing , is either tempted by his own inclination , or by the allurement of the object , or by some external motive and consideration : but none of all these can be imagined to have any place in god , to tempt him to evil . for , first , he hath no temptation to it from his own inclination . the holy and pure nature of god is at the greatest distance from ●vil , and at the greatest contrariety to it . he is so far from having any inclination to ●vil , that it is the only thing in the world to which he hath an irreconcilable antipathy . this the scripture frequently declares to us , and that in a very emphatical manner . psal . . . he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him . the words are a diminution , and less is said , than is intended by them ; the meaning is , that god is so far from taking pleasure in sin , that he hath a perfect hatred and abhorrence of it . hab. . . thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil , and canst not look upon iniquity . as when men hate a thing to the highest degree , they turn away their eyes , and cannot endure to look upon it . light and darkness are not more opposite to one another , than the holy nature of god is to sin. what fellowship hath light with darkness , or god with belial ? secondly , there is no allurement in the object , to stir up any inclination in him towards it . sin in its very nature is imperfection , and irregularity , crookedness , and deformity ; so that unless there be an inclination to it before-hand , there is nothing in it to move any ones liking or desire towards it ; it hath no attractives or enticements in it , but to a corrupt and ill-disposed mind . thirdly , neither are there external motives and considerations , that can be imagined to tempt god to it . all arguments that have any temptation , are either founded in hope or fear ; either in the hope of gaining some benefit or advantage , or in the fear of falling into some mischief or inconvenience . now the divine nature being perfectly happy , and perfectly secured in its own happiness , is out of the reach of any of these temptations . men are many times tempted to evil very strongly by these considerations ; they want many things to make them happy , and they fear many things which may make them miserable ; and the hopes of the one , and the fears of the other , are apt to work very powerfully upon them , to seduce them from their duty , and to draw them to sin : but the divine nature is firm against all these attempts , by its own fullness and security . so that you se● now the proposition , upon which the apostle grounds his argument , is evidentally true , and beyond all exception , that god cannot be tempted with evil . let us then in the second place , consider the consequence that clearly follows from it ; that because god cannot be tempted with evil , therefore he cannot tempt any man to it . for why should he desire to draw men into that , which he himself abhors , and which is so contrary to his own nature and disposition ? when men tempt one another to sin , they do it to make others like themselves ; and when the devil tempts men to sin , it is either out of direct malice to god , or out of envy to men. but none of these considerations can have any place in god , or be any motive to him to tempt men to sin. bad men tempt others to sin , to make them like themselves , and that with one of these two designs ; either for the comfort or pleasure of company , or for the countenance of it , that there may be some kind of apology and excuse for them . for the comfort and pleasure of company . man does not love to be alone ; and for this reason bad men endeavour to make others like themselves , that agreeing with them in the same disposition and manners , they may be fit company for them . for no man takes pleasure in the society and conversation of those , who are of contrary tempers and inclinations to them , because they are continually warring and clashing with one another . and for this reason bad men hate and persecute those that are good . let us lie in wait ( say they ) for the righteous , because he is not for our turn , and he is contrary to our doings ; he is grievous unto us even to behold ; for his life is not like other mens , and his ways are of another fashion ; as it is exprest in the wisdom of solomon . so that wicked men tempt others to sin , that they may have the pleasure and contentment of their society . but now for this reason god cannot be imagined to tempt men to sin ; because that would be the way to make them unlike himself , and such as his soul could take no pleasure in . another design that bad men have in seducing others to sin , is thereby to give countenance to their bad actions , and to be some kind of excuse and apology for them . among men , the multitude of offenders does sometimes procure impunity , but it always gives countenance to vice ; and men are apt to alledge it in their excuse , that they are not alone guilty of such a fault , that they did not do it without company and example ; which is the reason of that law , exod. . . thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil ; implying , that men are very apt to take encouragement to any thing that is bad , from company and example . but neither hath this reason any place in god , who being far from doing evil himself , can have no reason to tempt others to do so , by way of excuse , and vindication of himself . and when the devil tempts men to sin , it is either out of direct malice to god , or out of envy to men. out of malice to god , to spoil his workmanship , and to pervert that which came innocent and upright out of his hands ; to rob god of his subjects , and to debauch them from their duty and allegiance to him ; to strengthen the rebellion which he has raised against god , and to make him as many enemies as he can . but for this end god cannot tempt any man ; for this would be to procure dishonour to himself , and to deface the work of his own hands . another reason why the devil tempts men , is envy . when he was fallen from god , and happiness , and by his own rebellion had made himself miserable , he was discontented to see the happy condition of man , and it grieved him at his very heart ; and this moved him to tempt man to sin , that he might involve him in the same misery into which he had plunged himself . it is a pleasure to envy to over-turn the happiness of others , and to lay them level with themselves . but the divine nature is full of goodness , and delights in the happiness of all his creatures . his own incomparable felicity has placed him as much above any temptation to envying others , as above any occasion of being contemned by them . he grudges no man's happiness , and therefore cannot tempt men to sin , out of a desire to see them miserable . so that none of those considerations which move the devil to tempt men to sin , and evil men to tempt one another to do wickedly , can be imagined to have any place in god. and thus you see the force of the apostle's argument , that because god cannot be tempted to evil , therefore he can tempt no man. none tempt others to be bad , but those who are first so themsemselves . i shall now in the second place , consider the nature and kind of the argument , which the apostle here useth , let no man say , when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man. he does not reject this impious proposition barely upon his own authority ; but he argues against it from the nature and perfection of god ; and therein appeals to the common notions of mankind concerning god. we might very well have rested in his authority , being an apostle commissioned by our saviour , and extraordinarily assisted and witnessed to , by the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost , wherewith he was endowed . but he condescends to give a reason of what he says , and appeals to the common principles of mankind . for all men will readily agree to this , that god hath all imaginable perfection : but it is a plain imperfection to be liable to be tempted to evil , and therefore god cannot be tempted to evil. and if so , it is as impossible that he should tempt others to it ; for none can have either an inclination or interest to seduce others to evil , but those who have been first seduced to it themselves . now in this method of arguing , the apostle teacheth us one of the surest ways of reasoning in religion ; namely , from the natural notions which men have of god. so that all doctrines plainly contrary to those natural notions which men have of god , are to be rejected , what authority soever they pretend to ; whatever plainly derogates from the goodness or justice of god , or any other of his perfections , is certainly false , what authority soever it may claim from the judgment of learned and pious men ; yea tho' it pretend to be countenanc'd from the texts and expressions of holy scripture . because nothing can be entertain'd as a divine revelation , which plainly contradicts the common natural notions which mankind have of god. for all reasoning about divine revelation , and whether that which pretends to be so , be really so or not , is to be govern'd by those natural notions . and if any thing that pretends to be a revelation from god , should teach men that there is no god , or that he is not wi●e , and good , and just , and powerful ; this is reason enough to reject it , how confident soever the pretence be , that it is a divine revelation . and if any thing be , upon good grounds in reason , received for a divine revelation , ( as the holy scriptures are amongst christians ) no man ought to be regarded , who from thence pretends to maintain any doctrine contrary to the natural notions , which men have of god ; such as clearly contradict his holiness , or goodness , or justice , or do by plain and undeniable consequence make god the author of sin , or the like ; because the very attempt to prove any such thing out of scripture , does strike at the divine authority of those books . for if they be from god , it is certain they can contain no such thing . so that no man ought to suffer himself to be seduced into any such opinions , upon pretence that there are expressions in scripture , which seem to countenance them . for if they really did so , the consequence would not be the confirming of such opinions ; but the weakning of the authority of the scripture it self . for just so many arguments as any man can draw from scripture for any such opinion , so many weapons he puts into the han●s of atheists against the scripture it self . i do not speak this , as if i thought there were any ground from scripture for any such doctrine , i am very certain there is not . and if there be any par●●cular expressions , which to prejudic'd men may seem to import any such thing , every man ought to govern himself in the interpretation of such passages , by what is clear and plain , and agreeable to the main scope and tenour of the bible , and to those natural notions which men have of god , and of his perfections . for when all is done , this is one of the surest ways of reasoning in religion ; and whoever guides himself , and steers by this compass , can never err much : but whoever suffers himself to be led away by the appearance of some more obscure phrases in the expressions of scripture , and the glosses of men upon them , without regard to this rule , may run into the greatest delusions , may wander eternally , and lose himself in one mistake after another , and shall never find his way out of this endless labyrinth , but by this clue . if st. james had not been an apostle , the argument which he useth would have convinced any reasonable man , that god tempts no man to sin , because he cannot be tempted with evil himself , and therefore it is unreasonable to imagine he should tempt any man. for he argues from such a principle , as all mankind will , at first hearing , assent to . and thus i have done with the first thing asserted by the apostle here in the text ; that god tempts no man to sin. let no man say , when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted of evil , neither tempteth he any man. before i proceed to the second assertion , that every man is his own greatest tempter , i should draw some useful inferences from what hath been already delivered : but i reserve both the one and the other to the next opportunity . sermon xv. the sins of men not chargeable upon god : but upon themselves . james i. , . let no man say when he is tempted , i am tempted of god ; for god cannot be tempted with evil , neither tempteth he any man : but every man is tempted , when he is drawn away of his own lust , and enticed . when i made entrance upon these words , i told you , that next to the belief of a god and a providence , nothing is more fundamentally necessary to the practice of a good life , than the belief of these two principles ; that god is not the author of the sins of men ; and that every man's fault lies at his own door . and both these principles st. james does clearly and fully assert in these words . first , god tempts no man to sin. secondly , every man is his own greates● tempter . the first of these i have largely spoken to in my former discourse ; and from what i then said , i shall only draw a few useful inferences , before i proceed to the second ; viz. these which follow . first , let us beware of all such doctrines , as do any ways tend to make god the author of sin ; either by laying a necessity upon men of sinning , or by laying secret designs to tempt and seduce men to sin. nothing can be farther from the nature of god , than to do any such thing , and nothing can be more dishonourable to him , than to imagine any such thing of him ; he is of purer eyes than to behold evil ; and can we think , that he who cannot endure to see it , should have any hand in it ? we find that the holy men in scripture are very careful to remove all thought and suspicion of this from god. elihu , job . . before he would argue about god's providence with job , he resolves in the first place , to attribute nothing to god , that is unworthy of him . i will ( says he ) ascribe righteousness to my maker . so likewise st. paul , rom. . . what shall we say then ? is the law sin ? god forbid . is the law sin ? that is , hath god given men a law to this end , that he might draw them into sin ? far be it from him . gal. . . is christ the minister of sin ? god ●orbid . you see then how tender good men have always been of ascribing any thing to god , that might seem to render him the author of sin. so that we have reason to take heed of all doctrines that are of this tendency ; such as are the doctrines of an absolute and irrespective decree to damn the greatest part of mankind ; and in order to that , and as a means to it , efficaciously to permit men to sin. for if these things be true , that god hath absolutely decre●d to damn the greatest part of men , and to make good this decree , he permits them to sin , not by a bare permission of leaving them to themselves , but by such a permission as shall be efficacious ; that is , he will so permit them to sin , as they cannot avo●d it ; then those who are under this decree of god , are under a necessity of sinning ; which necessity , since it does not proceed from themselves , but from the decree of god , does by consequence make god the author of sin. and then that other doctrine , which is subservient to this , that god does by a physical and natural influence upon the minds and wills of men , determine them to every action that they do , to bad actions as well as good . i know they who say so , tell us that god only determines men to the action , but not to the evil of it . for instance , when cain kill'd his brother , god determin'd him ( they say ) to the natural action of taking away a man's life , which in many cases may be done without sin. very true : but if in these circumstances the natural action could not be done without committing the sin , he that determin'd him to the natural action , determin'd him likewise to the sin. i am far from any thought that those that maintain these doctrines , had any intention to make god the author of sin : but if this be the necessary consequence of these doctrines , there is reason enough to reject them , how innocent soever the intention be of those who maintain them . secondly , let not us tempt any man to sin. all piety pretends to be an imitation of god , therefore let us endeavour to be like him in this . 't is true indeed , we may be tempted with evil , and therefore we are likely enough to tempt others : but we ought not to do so . it is contrary to holiness and goodness , to the temper and disposition of the most perfect being in the world. god tempts no man ; nay , it is the proper work and employment of the devil , 't is his very trade and profession ; he goes about , seeking whom he may betray into sin and destruction . to this end he walks up and down the earth , waiting all opportunities and advantages upon men to draw them into sin ; so that we are his factors and instruments , whenever we tempt men to sin. let those consider this , who are so active and busie to seduce men into any kind of wickedness , and to instruct them in the arts of iniquity , who tempt men into bad company and courses , and take pleasure in debauching a virtuous person , and make it matter of great triumph to make a sober man drunk , as if it were so glorious an action to ruine a soul , and destroy that , which is more worth than the whole world. whenever you go about this work , remember whose instruments you are , and whose work you do , and what kind of work it is . tempting others to sin is in scripture called murder , for which reason , the devil is said to be a murderer from the beginning , because he was a tempter . whosoever committeth sin is of the devil : but whosoever tempts others to sin , is a sort of devil himself . thirdly , since god tempts no man , let us not tempt him . there is frequent mention in scripture of men's tempting god , i. e. trying him as it were , whether he will do any thing for their sakes , that is mis-becoming his goodness , and wisdom , and faithfulness , or any other of his perfections . thus the israelites are said to have tempted god in the wilderness forty years together , and in that space , more remarkably ten times . the meaning of which expressions is , that when god had promised abraham to bring his seed into the land of canaan , that people , by their great and repeated provocations of god , did often provoke him to have destroyed them , and consequently to have fail'd of the promise which he made to the fathers . the devil likewise tempted our saviour to tempt god , by casting himself down from the pinacle of the temple , in confidence that the angels would take care of him : but our saviour answers him , it is written , thou shalt not tempt the lord thy god. from which instance it appears , that men are said to tempt god , whenever they expect the protection of his providence in an unwarrantable way . god hath promised to take care of good men : but if they neglect themselves , or willingly cast themselves into danger , and expect his providence and protection , they do not trust god , but tempt him ; they try whether god's providence will countenance their rashness , and provide for them , when they neglect themselves ; and protect them from those dangers , to which they wilfully ●xpos● themselves . so likewise if we be negligent in our callings , whereby we should provide for our families , if we lavish away that which we should lay up for them , and th●n depend upon the providence of god to supply them , and take care of them , we tempt god to that which is unworthy of him ; which is to give approbation to our folly , and to countenance our sloth and carelesness . we cannot seduce god , and draw him to do any thing that mis-becomes him , but we tempt him , in expecting the care and protection of his providence , when we wilfully run our selves into danger , and neglect the means of providing for our own safety . and thus i have done with the first great principle contain'd in the text ; viz. that god is not the author of the sins of men. i proceed now to the second , that every man is his own greatest tempter . but every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust , and enticed . god does not tempt any man to sin : but every man is then tempted , when by his own lust , his irregular inclination and desire , he is seduced to evil , and enticed ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is caught as it were with a bait , for so the greek word signifies . in which words the apostle gives us a true account of the prevalency and efficacy of temptation upon men. it is not because god has any design to ensnare men in sin ; but their own cor●uption and vicious inclination seduce them to that which is evil . to instance in the particular temptation the apostle was speaking of , persecution & suffering for the cause of religion , to avoid which , many did then forsake the truth , and apostatiz'd from their christian profession . the true cause of which , was not the providence of god , which permitted them to be exposed to those sufferings ; but their inordinate love of the good things of this life , and their unreasonable fears of the evils and sufferings of it ; they valued the enjoyments of this present life , more than the favour of god , and that eternal happiness which he had promised to them in another life ; and they feared the persecutions of men , more than the threatnings of god , and the dreadful punishments of another world. they had an inordinate affection for the ease and pleasure of this life , and their unwillingness to part with ease , was a great temptation to them to quit their religion ; by this bait they were caught , when it came to the trial : and thus it is proportionably in all other sorts of temptations . men are betrayed by themselves , and the t●mptation without hath a party within them , with which it holds a secret correspondence , and which is ready to yield and give consent to it ; so that it is our own consent , and treachery to our selves , that makes any temptation master of us , and without that we are not to be overcome ; every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust , and enticed . it is the lust of men complying with the temptations which are offer'd to us , which renders them effectual , and gives them the victory over us . in the handling of this argument , i shall from these words of the apostle observe to you these two things . first , that as the apostle doth here acquit god from any hand in tempting men to sin , so he does not ascribe the prevalency of temptation to the devil . secondly , that he ascribes the prevalency of temptation to the lust and vicious inclinations of men , which seduce them to a compliance with the temptations that are presented to them ; every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust , and enticed . these two observations shall be the subject of my present discourse . first , that as the apostle doth here acquit god from any hand in tempting m●n to sin , so he does not ascribe the prevalency and efficacy of temptation to the devil . that he acquits god , i have shewn at large in my former discourse . it is evident likewise , that he does not ascribe the efficacy and prevalency of temptation to the devil ; for the apostle in this discourse of his concerning temptations , makes no express mention of the devil ; he supposeth indeed , that baits are laid for men , every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust , and enticed . i. e. when he plays with the baits that are laid for him , and swallows them . and the scripture elsewhere frequently tells us , that the devil is very active and busie to tempt men , and is continually laying baits before them : but their own lusts are the cause why they are caught by them . and i do the rather insist upon this , because men are apt to lay great load upon the devil , in the business of temptation , hoping thereby either wholly , or at least in a great measure to excuse themselves ; and therefore i shall here consider , how far the devil by his temptations is the cause of the sins which men by compliance with those temptations are drawn into . first , it is certain that the devil is very active and busie to minister to them the occasions of sin , and temptations to it . for ever since he fell from god , partly out of enmity to him , and partly out of envy and malice to mankind , he hath made it his great business and employment to seduce men to sin ; and to this end he walks up and down the earth , and watcheth all occasions and opportunities to tempt men to sin ; and so far as his power reacheth , and god permits him , he lays baits and temptations before them in all their ways , presenting them wi●h the occasions and opportunities to sin , and with such baits and allurements as are most ●uitable to their tempers , and most likely to prevail with their particular inclinations , and as often as he can , surprizing men with these at the easiest time of access , and with such circumstances , as may give his temptations the greatest force and advantage . of this the scripture assures us in general , when it tells us of these wiles and devices of satan , and of the methods of his temptations ; so that tho' we do not particularly discern how and when he doth this , yet we have no reason to doubt of the thing , if we believe that there is such a spirit in the world , as the scripture particularly tells us there is , that works in the children of disobedience , and that god , from whom nothing is hidden , and who sees all the secret engines which are at work in the world , to do us good or harm , hath in mercy to mankind , given us particular warning of it , that we may not be wholly ignorant of our enemies , and their malicious designs upon us , and that we may be continually upon our guard , aware of our danger , and armed against it . secondly , the devil does not only present to men the temptations and occasions of sin ; but when he is permitted to make nearer approaches to them , does excite and stir them up to comply with these temptations , and to yield to them . and this he does , not only by employing his instruments to solicit for him , and to draw men to sin by bad counsel and example , which we see frequently done , and probably very often by the devil's instigation ; ( those who are very wicked themselves , and consequently more enslaved to the devil , and under his power , being as it were factors for him to seduce others ; ) but besides this , 't is not improbable but the devil himself does many times immediately excite men to sin , by working upon the humours of their bodies , or upon their imaginations ; and by that means infusing and suggesting evil motions into them ; or by diverting them from those thoughts and considerations , which might check and restrain them from that wickedness to which he is tempting them ; or by some other ways and means more secret and unknown to us . for the power of spirits , whether good or bad , and the manner of their operation upon our minds , are things very secret , and of which we can give little or no account ; but yet for all that , we have many times reason sufficient to believe a thing to be so , when we are wholly ignorant of the manner of it . and there is reason from what is said in scripture to believe , that the devil , in some cases , hath a more immediate power and influence upon the minds of men , to excite them to sin , and , where he discovers a very bad inclination or resolution , to help it forward , and to keep men to it ; as when it is said , john . . that the devil enter'd into judas , to push him on in that ill design which he had already engaged in , of betraying our saviour . and acts . . satan is said to have filled the heart of ananias , to lie to the holy-ghost , and to keep back part of the price for which he had sold his estate ; which expressions do seem to intimate to us some more immediate power and influence which the devil had upon those persons : but then 't is very observable , that this power is never ascribed to the devil , but in the case of great and horrid sins , and wh●re men are before-hand notoriously depraved , and either by the actual commission of some former great sin , or by entertaining some very wicked design , have provoked god to permit the devil a nearer access to them . for judas had first taken council how to betray christ , before it is said the devil entered into him , to push him on to the execution of it . and ananias his covetousness had first tempted him to keep back part of his estate , before it is said the devil fill'd his heart to lie to the holy ghost ; so that what power the devil hath over men , they first give it him● they consent to his outward temptations , before he can get within them . hence it is that in scripture great sinners are described , as being more immedi●tely under the government and influence of the devil . ephes . . , , where the apostle speaking of those , who from heat●enisin were converted to christianity , you ( says he ) hath he quickned , who were once dead in trespasses and sins ; wherein in times past ye walked , according to the course of this world , according to the prince of the power of the air , the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience , or unbelief ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the spirit th●t s●●ll acts and inspires the children of unbelief● that is , those who continue in their infidelity , and would not believe and obey the gospel . when men are notoriously wicked , and disobedient to the counsels of god , the devil is said to act and inspire them , which certainly signifies some more immediate power and influence which he hath over such persons . for as it is very probable , that the devil is sometimes permitted to come near good men , so as to tempt them ; so by notorious wickedness and impiety , men do give admission to him , and he is permitted by the just judgment of god , to exercise greater dominion over them . by resisting his temptations , we drive him from us . so st. james tells us , chap. . ver . . resist the devil , and he will flee from you : but as we yield to his temptations , he continually makes nearer approaches to us , and gains a greater power over us . thirdly , but for all this , the devil can force no man to sin ; his temptations may move and excite men to sin , but that they are prevalent and effectual , proceeds from our own will and consent ; 't is our own lusts closing with his temptations , that produce sin. the devil hath more or less power over men , according as they give way to him ; but never so much as to force their wills , and to compel them to consent to , and comply with his temptations . the grace of god doth hardly offer this violence to men for their good , in order to their salvation ; and therefore much less will he permit the devil to have this power over men , to their ruine and destruction . god's commanding us to resist the devil , supposeth that his temptations are not irresistible . fourthly , from what hath been said , it appears , that tho' the devil be frequently accessary to the sins of men , yet we our selves are the authors of them ; he tempts us many times to sin , but it is we that commit it . his temptations may sometimes be so violent as to extenuate our fault , but never so forcible as wholly to excuse us ; for we are so far guilty of sin , as we give our consent to it ; and how powerful soever the temptation be to any kind of evil , there is always enough of our own will in it to render us guilty . i am far from thinking that the devil tempts men to all the evil that they do . i rather think that the greatest part of the wickedne●● that is committed in the world , springs from the evil motions of mens own minds . mens own lusts are generally to them the worst devil of the two , and do more strongly incline them to sin , than any devil without them can tempt them to it . it is not to be doubted , that the devil does all the mischief he can to the souls of men , so far as god permits him ; and tho' the number of evil angels be probably very great , yet it is but finite , and every one of them hath a limited power ; and tho' they be very active , yet they can be but one where at once ; so that his malice at the utmost does only all the evil that it can , not all that it would ; he plyes where he has the best custom , where he has the fairest opportunity , and the greatest hopes ; he leaves men many times for a season ( as it is said ) he did our saviour , because he despairs of success at that time ; and it may be sometimes when he is gone , these persons grow secure , and through their own security and folly fall into those sins , which the devil with all his baits and wiles , whilst they were upon their guard , could not tempt them to commit . others after he has made them sure , and put them into the way of it , will go on of themselves , and are as mad of sinning , and as forward to destroy themselves , as the devil himself could wish ; so that he can hardly tempt men to any wickedness , which he does not find them inclin'd to of themselves . these he can trust with themselves , and leave them to their own inclinations and conduct , finding by experience , that they will do as ill things of their own motion , as if satan stood continually at their right hand to prompt them , and put them on , so that he can go into a far country , and employ himself elsewhere , and leave them for a long time , being confident that in his absence they will not bury their talent , and hide it in a napkin , but will improve it to a great advantage . and i wish that our own age did not afford us too many instances of this kind , of such forward and expert sinners as need no tempter either to instruct or excite them to that which is evil . now in this case the devil betakes himself to other persons , and removes his snares and baits where he thinks there is more need and occasion for them . so that we may reasonably conclude , that there is a great deal of wickedness committed in the world , which the devil hath no immediate hand in , tho' he always rejoyceth in it when it is done ; and that there is a great deal more reason to attribute all good to the motions and operations of the spirit of god , than to ascribe all sin and wickedness in the world to the devil ; because the spirit of god is more powerful , and is always every where , and is more intent upon his design , and as forward to promote it , as the devil can be to carry on his work ; nay , i doubt not but he is more active to excite men to good , than the devil can be to tempt them to evil. and yet for all this , i think there is no great reason to doubt , but that good men do many good actions of their own inclination , without any special and immediate motion from the spirit of god. they are indeed at first regenerate , and sanctified by the holy ghost , and are continually afterwards under the conduct of the same spirit : but where there is a new nature , it is of it self inclinable to that which is good , and will bring forth fruits , and do actions answerable . much less do i think that the devil tempts every man to all the evil that he does , or the greatest part . when the lusts of men , and the habits of vice are grown strong and confirmed , the devil may spare his temptations in a great measure ; for after wicked men are wound up to such a pitch of impiety , they will go a great while of themselves . i have done with the first observation , that as the apostle acquits god from having any hand in tempting men to sin , so neither does he ascribe the efficacy and prevalency of temptation to the devil . i proceed to the second observation , that he ascribes the efficacy and success of temptation to the lusts and vicious inclinations of men , which seduce them to a consent and compliance with the temptations which are offered to them . every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed . we have many powerful enemies ; but we are much more in danger of treachery from within , than of assaults from without . all the power of our enemies could not destroy us , if we were but true to our selves ; so that the apostle had great reason to ascribe the efficacy of temptation , to the irregular desires and vicious inclinations of men , rather than to those temptations which the providence of god permits them to be assaulted with , and consequently to lay the blame of mens sins chiefly upon themselves . and that chiefly upon these two accounts . first , because the lusts of men are in a great measure voluntary . secondly , god hath put it in our power to resist these temptations , and overcome them . now so far as the lusts of men are voluntary , it is their own fault that they are seduced by them ; and if god hath put it in our power to resist and overcome temptations , we may blame our selves , if we be overcome and foiled by them . first , the lusts of men are in a great measure voluntary . by the lusts of men , i mean their irregular desires , and vicious inclinations . i grant that the nature of man is very much corrupted , and degenerated from its primitive integrity and perfection● but we who are christians , have received that grace in baptism , whereby our natures are so far healed , as if we be not wanting to our selves , and do not neglect the means which god hath appointed to us , we may mortifie our lusts , and live a new life ; so that if our lusts remain unmortified , we our selves are in fault , much more if they gain new strength , and proceed to habits ; for this could not be , if we did not after we come to age , and are able to discern between , and to chuse good and evil , voluntarily consent to iniquity , and by wilful and deliberate practice of known sins , improve the evil inclinations of our nature into vicious habits : but if instead of mortifying and subduing the evil propensions of our nature ( which is no very difficult work to most persons , if they begin it betimes ) we will cherish and give new life and power to them , we forfeit the grace which we received in baptism , and bring our selves again under the power and dominion of sin ; and no wonder then , if our lusts seduce us , and make us ready to comply with the temptations of the world , and the devil . nay , and after this it is still our own fault , if we do not mortifie our lusts ; for if we would hearken to the counsel of god , and obey his calls to repentance , and sincerely beg his grace and holy spirit to this purpose , we might yet recover our selves , and by the spirit mortify the l●sts of the flesh ; for tho' we have left god , he hath not quite forsaken us , but is ready to afford his grace again to us , tho' we have neglected and abused it , and to give his holy spirit to those that ask him , tho' they have forfeited it ; so that tho' our lusts spring from something which is natural , yet that they live and have dom●●ion over us , is voluntary , because we ●ight remedy it if we would , and make use of those means which god in the gospel offers to us . secondly , god hath put it in our power to resist these temptations , and overcome them ; so that it is our own fault , if we yield to them , and be overcome by them . it is naturally in our power to resist ma●y sorts of temptations ; and the grace of god , if we do not neglect it , and be not wanting to ou● selves , puts it into our power to resist any temptation that may happen to us . first , it is naturally in our power to resist many sorts of temptations . if we do but make use of our natural reason , and those considerations which are common and obvious to men , we may easily resist the temptations to a great many sins . some sins are so horrid in their nature , that when we have the strongest temptatio●s to them , we cannot but have a natural aversion from them ; as deliberate murder , the danger and guilt whereof , are both so great , as make it easie for any considerate man to resist the strongest temptation to it , even that of revenge . a plain act of injustice , whether by great fraud , or by down right oppression , is so base and disgraceful , so odious and abhorred by humane nature , that it is not difficult to a man that hath but a common understanding , and common inclination to be honest , to overcome the greatest temptation of gain and advantage ; nay he must offer considerable violence to his nature and reason , to bring himself to it at first . prophaneness and contempt of god and religion is so monstrous a fault , and of so dreadful an appearance , that every man that will but use his reason , can have no temptation to it , either from gratifying his humour , or pleasing his company , or shewing his wit , that can be of equal force with the arguments which every man's mind and conscience is apt to suggest to him against it . nay , there are many sins much inseriour to these , the temptations whereto may by the ordinary reasons and considerations of prudence and interest , be baffled and put out of countenance . to instance in common swearing , to which i think there is no temptation , either from pleasure or advantage , but only from fashion and custom . now this temptation is easie to be conquer'd , by considering that every man that professeth to believe the bible , must acknowledge it to be a sin ; and if any man be convin'd that it is a sin , i dare undertake to convince him that he can leave it . he that can chuse at any time whether he will speak or not ( which it is certainly in every man's power to do ) can chuse whether he will swear when he speaks . if he says he does it by custom and habit , and when he does not think of it ; a very little care and resolution will in a short time cure any man of that custom ; so that it is naturally in every man's power to break off this sin. secondly , the grace of god puts it into our power , if we do not neglect it , and be not wanting to our selves , to resist any temptation that may happen to us ; and what the grace of god puts into our power , is as truly in our power , as what we can do our selves . god offers his grace to every man under the gospel , for he has promised to give his holy spirit to them that ask him ; and it is naturally in every man's power to ask it , otherwise the promise signifies nothing ; for if no man can ask the spirit of god , 'till he first have it , then to promise it to them that ask it , is to promise it to them who have it already , and then 't is needless to ask it . and if god offer his grace to every man , then 't is every man's fault if he have it not ; and every man that hath it , may by the ordinary assistance of that grace , resist any ordinary temptation . and if at any time god suffers good men to be assaulted , he hath promised in such cases an extraordinary grace and assistance ; and that either he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able , or , that with the temptation he will find a way to escape , that we may be able to bear it . and thus i have done with the second thing i propounded to speak to from these words , that every man is his own greatest tempter . every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed . and now the proper inferences from what i have been all this while discoursing to you , are these three . first , not to think to excuse our selves , by laying the blame of our sins upon the temptation of the devil . that the devil tempts us is not our fault , because we cannot help it ; but it is our voluntary compliance with his temptations , our consenting to that evil which he solicits us to , which makes us guilty . every man is tempted , when he is drawn aside of his own lust ; the lusts of our own hearts give the efficacy to the temptations of the devil . men many times sin upon the motions and suggestions of the devil : but tho' he be guilty of tempting us , we are guilty of consenting to his temptations . many times we are not sure that the devil tempts us to such a sin ; but we are sure that we commit it , and consequently that we are guilty of it . nay it is certain , if there were no devil , many would be wicked , and perhaps not much less wicked than they are . the lusts and vicious inclinations of men would yield to the temptations of the world , tho' there were none to manage them , and to set them on to the greatest advantage ; so that we cannot excuse our faults upon this account , that we are tempted by the devil . if this were a sufficient excuse for us , the devil would take no pleasure in tempting us ; the whole design of his temptation being to make us guilty , and by the guilt of sin to make us miserable . secondly , from hence we learn what reason we have to pray to god , that he would not lead us into temptation ; i. e. not permit us to fall into it ; for in the phrase of scripture , god is many times said to do those things , which his providence permits to be done . the best of us have some remainders of lust , some irregular desires and appetites , which will be apt to betray us to sin , when powerful temptations are presented to us ; so that it is a great happiness to the best of men , to be kept by the providence of god out of the way of violent temptations ; for our own strength to resist them is but small , and we are apt to be secure , and to neg●●ct our guard ; we are easie to be surp●ized , and in continual danger through our own weakness or carelesness . our greatest security is , if we be sincere , and heartily desirous to do well , and firmly resolved against sin , and do depend upon god for his grace and assistance , that his providence will not suffer us to fall into the hands of dangerous and violent temptations , which probably would be too hard for us ; he who knows what our strength is , will not suffer us to be tempted , above what we are able . thirdly , from hence we may learn the best way to disarm temptations , and to take away the power of them , and that is by mortifying our lusts , and subduing our vicious inclinations . when this is done , ( which by the grace of god may be done ) temptation hath lost its greatest advantage upon us . 't is the conspiracy of our lusts , with the temptations that set upon us , that betrays us into their power . the true reason why men fall into sin , is not because they are tempted , but because there is something within them , which inclines and disposes them to comply with the temptation , and to yield to it . it is said , when the devil came to our saviour to tempt him , that he found nothing in him , and therefore his temptations had no force upon him . the more we mortifie our lusts , the less the devil will find in us , for his temptations to work upon . every spark is dangerous , when it falls upon combustible matter ; but tho' sparks fly never so thick , there is no danger , so long as there is nothing about us to catch fire . if we will not be drawn aside and enticed to sin , let us mortifie our lusts ; for so far as we are mortified , we are out of the power of temptation . men are apt to complain of temptations , that they are too hard for them , and that they are not able to resist them , tho' they pray to god continually for his grace to that purpose . this indeed is one means very proper and necessary to be used ; but this is not all that we are to do ; we must break off habits of sin , and subdue our lusts , and keep under our inclinations , and then we shall find our selves able to resist and encounter temptations with more success . and 'till we do this , in vain do we pray for god's grace , and depend upon him for strength to overcome the temptations that do assault us ; for god's grace was never design'd to countenance the sloath and negligence of men , but to encourage and second our resolutions and endeavours of well-doing . if we expect god's grace and assistance upon other terms , we tempt god , and provoke him to leave us to the power of temptations , to be drawn away and enticed by our own lusts . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * this sermon was preach'd upon occasion of a publick f●●●● notes for div a -e * prea●h'd nov. . . a true copy of a letter from the right honourable the earl of mulgrave, to doctor tillotson, dean of canterbury buckingham, john sheffield, duke of, - or . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a true copy of a letter from the right honourable the earl of mulgrave, to doctor tillotson, dean of canterbury buckingham, john sheffield, duke of, - or . tillotson, john, - . p. printed, and are to be sold by randal taylor ..., london : . caption title. imprint from colophon. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a true copy of a letter from the right honourable the earl of mulgrave , to doctor tillotson dean of canterbury . sir , nothing in this world is , or ought to be so dear to any man , as his reputation ; and consequently the defence of it is the greatest obligation that one man can lay on another : there are also some circumstances , that render this obligation yet more acceptable and valuable ; as when 't is confer'd generously , without any self-interest , or the least desire or invitation from the person so defended . all this happens to be my case at this time ; and therefore i hope you will not be surpriz'd to find i am not the most ungrateful , and insensible man living ; which certainly i should be , if i did not acknowledge all your industrious concern for me , about the business of the ecclesiastical commission , which now makes so much noise in the world. you have , as i am told , so cordially pleaded my cause , that 't is almost become your own ; and therefore , as unwilling as i am to speak of my self , especially in a business which i cannot wholly excuse ; yet i think my self now a little obliged to shew my part in this matter ; though imprudent enough , yet is not altogether unworthy of so just , and so considerable an advocate . the less a man says of himself , the better ; and 't is so well known already , how i was kept out of all the secret councils , that i need not justifie my self , or trouble you as to those matters ; only i appeal to the unquestionable testimony of the spanish ambassador , if i did not zealously and constantly take all occasions to oppose the french interest ; because i knew it directly opposite both to the king and kingdom 's good , which are indeed things inseperable , and ought to be so accounted , as a fundamental maxim in all councils of princes . this , i hope , will prepare the way a little for what i have to say concerning my being one of the ecclesiastical commissioners ; of which error i am now as sensible , as i was at first ignorant , being so unhappily conversant in the midst of a perpetual court-flattery , as never to have heard the least word of any illegality in that commission , before i was unfortunately engaged in it . for , thô my lord of canterbury had very prudently refus'd to be of it , yet it was talked at court , it proceeded only from his unwillingness to act at that time , and not from any illegality he suspected in the commission ; having excused himself from it the most respectful way , by the infirmities he lay under . being thus ignorant of the laws , and in such a station at court , i need not desire a man of your judgment and candor , to consider the hardness of my case , when i was commanded to serve in a commission with a lord chancellor , a lord chief justice , and two bishops , who had all of them already acted some time there , without shewing the least diffidence of their power , or any hesitation in the execution of it . and perhaps a man of more discretion than i can pretend to , might have been easily perswaded to act in such a conjunction , and to think he might do it safely , both in law and conscience . but i need not say much to shew my desire to have avoided , if possible , a troublesome employment , that had not the least temptation of honour or profit to recommend it ; and which therefore i continued in upon no account in the world , but to serve both king and clergy with the little ability i had , in moderating those councils , which i thought might grow higher , if i left my place to be fill'd by any of those who waited for it greedily , in order to their ill designs . and i may expect the more credit in this , when 't is consider'd that the two important affairs which passed in that ecclesiastical court , being the bishop of london's suspension , and the incapacitating the members of magdalen colledge ; the first was done some months before i was a commissioner , and i opposed the last , both in voting and speaking , and with all the interest i was able to make use of , which indeed was but little after that opposition ; in which being out-voted , i seldome came , and never acted in that court after , except to restore the bishop of london , thô sent for continually , by reason of my lodging so near it . and since i have been forced to mention my good-will at least , if not my service , to such learned men of the clergy who i thought deserv'd it , it may be allow'd me to give this one instance more of it ; that althô in preferring men to all other places of the houshold , i ever us'd to ask permission first , and accordingly was often refus'd , for the sake of roman catholics and others , who were recommended by persons more in favour than my self ; yet i was so careful of keeping that considerable part of the family unmix'd with mean or unworthy chaplains , whom others i fear'd wou'd have impos'd on his majesty , that i constantly fill'd up those vacancies without giving him the least notice or trouble about it , and supply'd them with the ablest approv'd divines , i could possibly find , most commonly recommended to me by the bishops who were not of the court : which i conceiv'd the most proper course , in a matter concerning clergymen , with a king of a different perswasion from theirs , and intended for his real service , believing it had been better for him , as well as the kingdom , if the greater ecclesiastical dignities had been dispos'd of by others with as much caution . and thus , sir , i have endeavour'd to confirm you in your favourable opinion of me , which must be acknowledg'd by every-body an approbation of such weight , that as i hope it may be an example of authority to many , so 't is sufficient of itself to ballance the censoriousness of others . i am , sir , white-hall , mar. . . your obliged humble servant , mulgrave . london : printed , and are to be sold by randal taylor near stationers-hall . . of the principles and duties of natural religion two books / by the right reverend father in god, john, late lord bishop of chester ; to which is added, a sermon preached at his funerals, by william lloyd ... wilkins, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing w wing l _partial estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) of the principles and duties of natural religion two books / by the right reverend father in god, john, late lord bishop of chester ; to which is added, a sermon preached at his funerals, by william lloyd ... wilkins, john, - . lloyd, william, - . sermon preached at the funeral of john, late lord bishop of chester. tillotson, john, - . pts. ([ ], , [ ], p.) : port. printed by a. maxwell for t. basset, h. brome, r. chiswell ..., london : . preface signed: j. tillotson. "a sermon preached at the funeral of ... john, late lord bishop of chester" has special t.p., separate paging, and is cataloged separately at reel : . page faded in the filmed copy. pages - photographed from newberry library copy and inserted at the end. reproduction of original in rutgers university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng wilkins, john, - . natural theology. funeral sermons. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion of the principles and duties of natural religion : two books . by the right reverend father in god , john late lord bishop of chester . to which is added , a sermon preached at his funerals , by william lloyd , d. d. dean of bangor , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . london , printed by a. maxwell , for t. basset , h. brome , r. chiswell , at the george in fleetstreet , the gun at the west-end of st. pauls , and the rose and crown in st. pauls church-yard , . the preface . the ensuing treatise is sufficiently recommended to the world by the name of the author , and needs nothing else to make way for its entertainment . i shall only therefore give a short account of these remains of that learned and excellent person , and of the particular design and intention of them . he was pleased by his last will to commit his papers to my care , and out of his great friendship , and undeserved good opinion of me , to leave it wholly to my disposal , whether any , or what part of them , should be made publick . this treatise , i knew , he always designed for that purpose ; and if god had been pleased to have granted him but a little longer life , he would have published it himself : and therefore though a considerable part of it wanted his last hand , yet neither could i be so injurious , to deprive the world of it , because it was less perfect than he intend ed it ; nor durst i be so bold , to attempt to finish a piece designed and carried on so far by so great a master . the first twelve chapters were written out for the press , in his life-time . the remainder hath been gather'd and made up out of his papers , as well as the materials left for that purpose , and the skill of the compiler would allow : so that it cannot be expected , that the work should be of equal strength and beauty in all the parts of it . however , such as it is , i hope it may prove of considerable use and benefit to the world , and not altogether unworthy of its author . the design of it is threefold . first , to establish the great principles of religion , the being of god , and a future state ; by shewing how firm and solid a foundation they have in the nature and reason of mankind ; a work never more necessary than in this degenerate age , which hath been so miserably over-run with scepticisme and infidelity . secondly , to convince men of the natural and indispensable obligation of moral duties ; those i mean , which are comprehended by our saviour under the two general heads of the love of god and of our neighbour . for all the great duties of piety and justice are written upon our hearts , and every man feels a secret obligation to them in his own conscience , which checks and restrains him from doing contrary to them , and gives him peace and satisfaction in the discharge of his duty , or in case he offend against it fills him with guilt and terrour . and certainly it is a thing of very considerable use , rightly to understand the natural obligation of moral duties , and how necessarily they flow from the consideration of god and of our selves . for it is a great mistake , to think that the obligation of them doth solely depend upon the revelation of gods vvill made to us in the holy scriptures . it is plain that mankind was always under a law , even before god had made any external and extraordinary revelation ; else , how shall god judge the world ? how shall they to whom the word of god never came be acquitted or condemned at the great day ? for where there is no law , there can neither be obedience nor transgression . it is indeed an unspeakable advantage which we who are christians do enjoy , both in respect of the more clear and certain knowledg of our duty in all the branches of it , and likewise in regard of the powerful motives and assistance which our blessed saviour in his gospel offers to us , to enable and encourage us to the discharge of our duty : but yet it is nevertheless very useful for us to consider the primary and natural obligation to piety and virtue , which we commonly call the law of nature ; this being every whit as much the law of god , as the revelation of his vvill in his word ; and consequently , nothing contained in the word of god , or in any pretended revelation from him , can be interpreted to dissolve the obligation of moral duties plainly required by the law of nature . and if this one thing were but well consider'd , it would be an effectual antidote against the pernicious doctrines of the antinomians , and of all other libertine-enthusiasts whatsoever : nothing being more incredible , than that divine revelation should contradict the clear & unquestionable dictates of natural light ; nor any thing more vain , than to fancy that the grace of god does release men from the laws of nature . this the author of the following discourses was very sensible of , and wisely saw of what consequence it was to establish the principles and duties of religion upon their true and natural foundation ; which is so far from being a prejudice to divine revelation , that it prepares the way for it , and gives it greater advantage and authority over the minds of men . thirdly , to perswade men to the practice of religion , and the vertues of a good life , by shewing how natural and direct an influence they have not , only upon our future blessedness in another vvorld , but even upon the happiness and prosperity of this present life . and surely nothing is more likely to prevail with wise and considerate men to become religious , than to be throughly convinced , that religion and happiness , our duty and our interest , are really but one and the same thing considered under several notions . j. tillotson . the contents . first book : of the reasonableness of the principles and duties of natural religion . chap. i. concerning the several kinds of evidence and assent . pag. . chap. ii. two schemes of principles , relating to practical things , whether natural or moral ; proposed in the method used by mathematicians , of postulata , definitions and axioms . p. . chap. iii. some propositions necessary to be premised for the removing of several prejudices in debates about religion . p. . chap. iv. concerning the existence of a deity ; and the arguments for it . . arg. from the universal consent and agreement of mankind : and the objections against it answered . p. . chap. v. . arg. from the original of the world. p. . chap. vi. . arg. from the admirable contrivance of natural things . p. . chap. vii . . arg. from providence , and the government of the world. p. . chap. viii . concerning the excellencies and perfections of the divine nature : and first , of those which are commonly called incommunicable ; namely , simplicity , unity , immutability , infiniteness , immensity ,   eternity . p. . chap. ix . of the communicable perfections of god : and first of those which relate to the divine understanding , viz. knowledg , wisdom , particular providence . p. . chap. x. of the perfections relating to the divine will ; goodness , justice , faithfulness . p. . chap. xi . of the perfections belonging to the powers and faculties of acting , viz. power , dominion , distribution of future rewards and punishments . p. . chap. xii . concerning the duties of religion naturally flowing from the consideration of the divine nature and perfections : and first , of adoration and worship . p. . chap. xiii . of faith or affiance . p. . chap. xiv . of love. p. . chap. xv. of reverence and fear . p. . chap. xvi . of active obedience to the laws of god. p. . chap. xvii . of passive obedience ; or patience and submission to the will of god. p. . second book . of the wisdom of practising the duties of natural religion . chap. i. shewing in general , how religion conduces to our happiness . p. . chap. ii. how it conduces to our present happiness in this world : and first to the happiness of the outward-man . . in respect of health . p. . chap. iii. in respect of liberty , safety , and quiet . p. . chap. iv. in respect of our estates and possessions ; riches . p. . chap. v. in respect of pleasure ; or the chearful enjoyment of outward blessings . p. . chap. vi. in respect of honour and reputation . p. . chap. vii . how religion conduces to the happiness of the inward-man . as it tends to the perfecting and regulating of our faculties ; and to the peace and tranquility of our minds . p. . chap. viii . how religion conduces to our happiness in the next world. p. . chap. ix . the conclusion of the whole , shewing the excellency of the christian religion and the advantages of it , both as to the knowledg and practice of our duty , above the mere light of nature . p. . the first book : shewing the reasonableness of the principles and duties of natural religion . chap. i. concerning the several kinds of evidence and assent . i intend , by gods assistance , in this first book , to treat concerning the reasonableness and the credibility of the principles of natural religion , in opposition to that humour of scepticism and infidelity , which hath of late so much abounded in the world , not only amongst sensual men of the vulgar sort , but even amongst those who pretend to a more than ordinary measure of wit and learning . in my entrance upon this work , i am sensible of what ill consequence it may be , to lay the stress of a weighty cause upon weak or obscure arguments , which instead of convincing men , will rather harden and confirm them in their errors . and therefore i cannot but think my self obliged in the management of this argument , to use my utmost caution and endeavour , that it be done with so much strength and perspicuity , as may be sufficient to convince any man , who hath but an ordinary capacity , and an honest mind ; which are no other qualifications than what are required to the institution of men , in all kinds of arts and sciences whatsoever . in order to this , i judg it expedient to premise something concerning the several kinds and degrees of evidence and assent , and to lay down some common principles , which may serve as a foundation to the following discourse . the several ways whereby men come to the knowledg or belief of any thing without immediate revelation , are either by such evidence of things as is more simple , relating to the senses , outward . inward . understanding , arising either from the nature of the things in themselves . testimony of others concerning them . mixed , relating both to the senses and understanding . i. by senses i mean those faculties whereby we are enabled to discern and know such particular objects as are present . these are either . outward , by which we can apprehend external objects , as when we see , or hear , or touch any thing presented to us . . inward , by which we can discern internal objects , and are conscious to our selves , or sensible both of the impressions that are made upon our outward senses , and of the inward motions of our minds ; namely , our apprehensions , inclinations , and the power of determining our selves , as to our own actions ; and by which we can at any time be assured of what we think , or what we desire , or purpose . ii. by understanding , i mean that faculty whereby we are enabled to apprehend the objects of knowledg , generals as well as particulars , absent things as well as present ; and to judg of their truth or falshood , good or evil. that kind of evidence may be said to arise from the nature of things , when there is such a congruity or incongruity betwixt the terms of a proposition , or the deductions of one proposition from another , as doth either satisfie the mind , or else leave it in doubt and hesitation about them . that kind of evidence is said to arise from testimony , when we depend upon the credit and relation of others for the truth or falshood of any thing . there being several things which we cannot otherwise know , but as others do inform us of them . as namely matters of fact , together with the account of persons and places at a distance . which kind of evidence will be more or less clear , according to the authority and credit of the witness . besides these , there is a mixed kind of evidence relating both to the senses and understanding , depending upon our own observation and repeated trials of the issues and events of actions or things , called experience . these are the several kinds of evidence , whereby we attain to the knowledg or belief of things . the kinds of assent proceeding from them are reducible to these two heads . i. knowledg or certainty , which may be distinguished into three kinds , which i crave leave to call by the names of , physical . mathematical . moral . ii. opinion or probability . i. that kind of assent which doth arise from such plain and clear evidence , as doth not admit of any reasonable cause of doubting , is called knowledg or certainty . . i call that physical certainty which doth depend upon the evidence of sense , which is the first and highest kind of evidence , of which humane nature is capable . nothing can be more manifest and plain to me , than that i now see somewhat which hath the appearance of such a colour or figure , than that i have in my mind such a thought , desire or purpose , and do feel within my self a certain power of determining my own actions , which is called liberty . to say that we cannot tell whether we have liberty because we do not understand the manner of volition , is all one as to say , that we cannot tell whether we see or hear , because we do not understand the manner of sensation . he that would go about to confute me in any of these apprehensions , ought to bring a medium that is better known , and to derive his argument from somewhat that is more evident and certain than these things are , unless he can think to overthrow and confute that which is more plain and certain , by that which is less plain and certain , which is all one , as to go about to out-weigh a heavy body by somewhat that is lighter , or to attempt the proving of ten to be more than eleven , than which nothing can be more absurd . . i call that mathematical certainty , which doth more eminently belong to mathematical things , not intending hereby to exclude such other matters as are capable of the like certainty ; namely , all such simple abstracted beings , as in their own natures do lie so open , and are so obvious to the understanding , that every man's judgment ( though never so much prejudiced ) must necessarily assent to them . 't is not possible for any man in his wits , ( though never so much addicted to paradoxes ) to believe otherwise , but that the whole is greater than the part ; that contradictions cannot be both true ; that three and three make six ; that four is more than three . there is such a kind of connexion betwixt the terms of some propositions , and some deductions are so necessary as must unavoidably enforce our assent . there being an evident necessity that some things must be so , or not so , according as they are affirmed or denied to be , and that supposing our faculties to be true , they cannot possibly be otherwise , without implying a contradiction . . i call that moral certainty , which hath for its object such beings as are less simple , and do more depend upon mixed circumstances . which though they are not capable of the same kind of evidence with the former , so as to necessitate every man's assent , though his judgment be never so much prejudiced against them ; yet may they be so plain , that every man whose judgment is free from prejudice will consent unto them . and though there be no natural necessity , that such things must be so , and that they cannot possibly be otherwise , without implying a contradiction ; yet may they be so certain as not to admit of any reasonable doubt concerning them . under each of these heads there are several propositions which may be styled self-evident and first principles . self-evident , because they are of themselves so plain , as not to be capable of proof from any thing that is clearer or more known . first principles , because they cannot be proved à priori ; that which is first can have nothing before it . only they may receive some kind of illustration , by instances , and circumstances , and by such universal effects as do proceed from them ; and from the monstrous absurdities that will follow upon the denial of them . such deductions as do necessarily flow from these principles have the same kind of certainty , whether physical , mathematical , or moral , with the principles themselves from which they are deduced . the two first of these , namely , physical and mathematical certainty may be styled infallible ; and moral certainty may properly be styled indubitable . by infallible certainty , i do not mean absolute infallibility , because that is an incommunicable attribute . and it were no less than a blasphemous arrogance , for any man to pretend to such a perfect unerring judgment on which the divine power it self could not impose . but i mean a conditional infallibility , that which supposes our faculties to be true , and that we do not neglect the exerting of them . and upon such a supposition there is a necessity that some things must be so as we apprehend them , and that they cannot possibly be otherwise . by indubitable certainty , i mean that which doth not admit of any reasonable cause of doubting , which is the only certainty of which most things are capable ; and this may properly be ascribed both to that kind of evidence arising from the nature of things , and likewise to that which doth arise from testimony , or from experience . i am from the nature of the things themselves morally certain , and cannot make any doubt of it , but that a mind free from passion and prejudice is more sit to pass a true judgment , than such a one as is byassed by affections and interests . that there are such things as vertue and vice. that mankind is naturally designed for a sociable life . that it is most agreeable to reason and the common interests of those in society , that they should be true to their compacts , that they should not hurt an innocent person , &c. and as for the evidence from testimony which depends upon the credit and authority of the witnesses , these may be so qualified as to their ability and fidelity , that a man must be a fantastical incredulous fool to make any doubt of them . and by this it is that i am sufficiently assured , that there was such a person as queen elizabeth ; that there is such a place as spain . and so for the evidence of experience , i am by that to a great degree assured of the succession of night and day , winter and summer . and have no such reason to doubt , whether the house wherein now i am , shall this next minute fall upon me , or the earth open and swallow it up , as to be in continual fear of such accidents . ii. that kind of assent which doth arise from such evidence as is less plain and clear , is called opinion and probability . when though the proofs for a thing may preponderate any thing to be said against it , yet they are not so weighty and perspicuous as to exclude all reasonable doubt and fear of the contrary . and this doth arise from a more imperfect and obscure representation and conception of things , either by our senses or understandings , by testimony or by experience . when the evidence on each side doth equiponderate , this doth not properly beget any assent , but rather a hesitation or suspension of assent . chap. ii. two schemes of principles relating to practical things , whether natural or moral , proposed in the method used by mathematicians of postulata , definitions and axioms . having premised these things in general , concerning several kinds of evidences and assents : i shall in the next place offer some particular schemes of principles , relating to practical things , whether natural or moral , in the same way and method as is used in the mathematics , consisting of postulata , definitions and axioms . a scheme of natural principles . every thing is endowed with such a natural principle , whereby it is necessarily inclined to promote its own preservation and well-being . that which hath in it a fitness to promote this end is called good. and on the contrary that which is apt to hinder it is called evil. amongst which there are several degrees , according as things have more or less fitness to promote or hinder this end . the lessening or escaping of evil is to be reckoned under the notion of good. the lessening or loss of good is to be reckoned under the notion of evil. that which is good is to be chosen and prosecuted , that which is evil to be avoided . the greater good is to be preferred before the less , and the lesser evil to be endured rather than the greater . such kinds of things or events , whether good or evil , as will certainly come to pass , may fall under computation , and be estimated as to their several degrees , as well as things present . because when such a space of time is elapsed , that which is now future , will become present . which is the ground of mens dealing for reversions . and thus likewise is it for such things as may probably come to pass ; though this probability should be somewhat remote . it is counted a valuable thing , and may be estimated at a certain rate , for a man to be one amongst four or five equal competitors for a place , to be the fourth or fifth expectant of an inheritance ; though in such cases there be the odds of three or four to one , yet the price that is set upon this , may be so proportioned , as either to reduce it to an equality , or make it a very advantageous bargain . a present good may reasonably be parted with , upon a probable expectation of a future good which is more excellent . which is the case of merchants , who have large estates in their own possession , which they may safely keep by them ; and yet chuse to venture them upon a thousand hazards , out of an apprehension that there is a greater probability of their gaining , than of their losing by such adventures . and this would be much more reasonable , if besides the probability of gaining by these adventures , there were the like probability of their being utterly undone and ruined , if they should neglect or refuse to venture . the greater the advantage is , the more reasonable must it be to adventure for it . if it be reasonable for a man to run the venture of l. for the gain of a hundred pounds , much more for a thousand . the reason why men are moved to believe a probability of gain by adventuring their stocks into such forraign countries as they have never seen , and of which they have made no trial , is from the testimony of other credible persons , who profess to have known those places , and the advantages of traffick thither by their own experience . and this is generally accounted a sufficient argument to perswade others unto the like trials . the reason which moved men to adventure for the first discovery of unknown countries , is , because they had fair probabilities to perswade them , that there were such places , which would probably afford very gainful traffique . and upon the same ground , if any considerable number of men , such whom we esteem the most wise and the most honest , should assure us , that they did firmly believe , ( though they did not know it by experience ) , that there was such an undiscovered country , to which if men would make any ventures , their gains would be a thousand times more than could be expected by any other way of traffique ; and that upon this perswasion . they themselves did resolve to venture their estates , and should withal offer such arguments for the reasonableness of what they assert , as to any men , whose judgments were unprejudiced , would render it much more probable than the contrary : in this case , he that would act rationally , according to such rules and principles as all mankind do observe in the government of their actions , must be perswaded to do the like , unless he would be counted foolish , and one that did affect singularity . a present evil is to be endured , for the avoiding of a probable future evil , which is far greater . which is the reason of mens undergoing the mischiefs and hardships of war , the charges and vexations of law-suits , the trouble of fasting and physick . a man will endure the pain of hunger and thirst , and refuse such meats and drinks as are most grateful to his appetite , if he be perswaded that they will endanger his health , especially if he believe that they are poisoned . he will chuse to take nauseous offensive physick , upon a probable expectation , that he may thereby prevent or cure a dangerous sickness . the greater the evil is , the more reason is there to venture the loss of a less good , or the suffering of a less evil , for the escaping of it . a scheme of moral principles . there are several kinds of creatures in the world , and several degrees of dignity amongst them , some being more excellent than others , animate more than inanimate , sensitives more than vegetatives , and men more than brutes . it is a greater preheminence to have life , than to be without it ; to have life and sense , than to have life only ; to have life , sense , and reason , than to have only life and sense . that which doth constitute any thing in its being , and distinguish it from all other things , is called the form or essence of such a thing . that state or condition by which the nature of any thing is advanced to the utmost perfection of which it is capable according to its rank and kind , is called the chief end or happiness of such a thing . the nature of plants doth consist in having a vegetative soul , by which they receive nourishment and growth , and are enabled to multiply their kind . the utmost perfection which this kind of being is capable of , is to grow up to a state of maturity , to continue unto its natural period , and to propagate its kind . the nature of brutes ( besides what is common to them with plants ) doth consist in having such faculties , whereby they are capable of apprehending external objects , and of receiving pain or pleasure from them . the perfection proper to these doth consist in sensitive pleasures , or the enjoying of such things as are grateful to their appetites and senses . the nature of man ( besides what is common to him with plants and brutes ) doth consist in that faculty of reason , whereby he is made capable of religion , of apprehending a deity , and of expecting a future state of rewards and punishments . which are capacities common to all mankind , notwithstanding the utmost endeavours that can be used for the suppressing of them ; and which no other creature in this visible world , except man , doth partake of . the happiness of man doth consist in the perfecting of this faculty ; that is , in such a state or condition as is most agreeable to reason , and as may entitle him to the divine favour , and afford him the best assurance of a blessed estate after this life . that which every man doth and must propose unto himself , is the being in as good a condition as he is capable of , or as is reasonable for him to expect . and the desire of this is not properly a duty or a moral vertue , about which men have a liberty of acting , but 't is a natural principle , like the descent of heavy bodies , it flows necessarily from the very frame of our natures ; men must do so , nor can they do otherwise . the customary actions of men , considered as voluntary , and as capable of reward or punishment , are styled moral . as that which hath a fitness to promote the well-fare of man considered as a sensitive being , is styled natural good ; so that which hath a fitness to promote the well-fare of man as a rational voluntary and free agent , is styled moral good. and the contrary to it moral evil. that which is morally good is to be desired and prosecuted , that which is evil is to be avoided . the greater congruity or incongruity there is in any thing to the reason of mankind , and the greater tendency it hath , to promote or hinder the perfection of mans nature , so much greater degrees hath it of moral good or evil. to which we ought to proportion our inclination or aversion . there is in some things such a natural decency and fitness , as doth render them most agreeable to our reason , and will be sufficient to recommend them to our practice , abstracting from all considerations of reward . as in loving those who are kind to us , and from whom we receive benefit : in compensating good with good , and not with evil. it is most suitable both to the reason and interest of mankind , that every one should submit themselves to him , upon whom they depend for their well-being , by doing such things as may render them acceptable to him . it is a desireable thing for a man to have the assistance of others in his need and distress . and 't is not reasonable for him to expect this from others , unless he himself be willing to shew it to others . the rational nature and the perfection belonging to it being more noble than the sensitive , therefore moral good is to be preferred before natural , and that which is morally evil is more to be hated and avoided , than that which is natural . a present natural good may be parted with upon a probable expectation of a future moral good . a present natural evil is to be endured for the probable avoiding of a future moral evil. chap. iii. some propositions necessary to be premised for the removing of several prejudices in debates about religion . besides what hath been already suggested concerning the first foundations to be laid , in order to a discourse about natural religion , i shall in the next place offer to consideration these seven following propositions , as being very proper to prevent or obviate the cavils of sceptical captious men . . such things as in themselves are equally true and certain , may not yet be capable of the same kind or degree of evidence as to us . as for instance , that there was such a man as king henry the eighth , that there are such places as america , or china . i say these things may in themselves be equally true and certain with those other matters , that we now see and are awake , that the three angles in a triangle are equal to two right ones . though for the first of these we have only the testimony of others , and humane tradition , whereas for the other we have sensitive proof , and mathematical demonstration . and the reason is because all truths are in themselves equal , according to that ordinary maxim , veritas non recipit magis & minus . and therefore nothing can be more irrational than for a man to doubt of , or deny the truth of any thing , because it cannot be made out , by such kind of proofs of which the nature of such a thing is not capable . a man may as well deny there is any such thing as light or colour , because he cannot hear it ; or sound , because he cannot see it , as to deny the truth of other things because they cannot be made out by sensitive or demonstrative proofs . the kinds of probation for several things being as much disproportioned , as the objects of the several senses are to one another . . things of several kinds may admit and require several sorts of proofs , all which may be good in their kind . the philosopher hath long ago told us , that according to the divers nature of things , so must the evidences for them be ; and that 't is an argument of an undisciplined wit not to acknowledge this . he that is rational and judicious will expect no other kind of arguments in any case than the subject-matter will bear . h●w incongruous would it be for a m●●●●●atician to perswade with eloquence , to 〈◊〉 all imaginable insinuations and 〈◊〉 that he might prevail with his hearers to believe that three and three make six . it would be altogether as vain and improper in matters belonging to an orator to pretend to strict demonstration . all things are not capable of the same kind of evidence . though the conclusions in mathematicks , by reason of the abstracted nature of those sciences , may be demonstrated by the clearest and most unquestionable way of probation to our reason , yet it is not rational to expect the like proof , in such other matters as are not of the like nature . this he himself applys to moral things , which being not of such simple abstracted naturès , but depending upon mixed circumstances , are not therefore capable of such kind of demonstrative proofs . 't is a saying of jamblicus , that demonstrations are not to be expected in matters concerning god and divine things . nor is this any greater prejudice to the certainty of such things , than it is that god is invisible . and thus likewise it is , for the same reason , with many particular conclusions in natural philosophy . and as for matters of fact , concerning times , places , persons , actions , which depend upon story and the relation of others , these things are not capable of being proved by such scientifical principles as the others are . now no sober man can deny but that several things in moral and in natural philosophy are in themselves as absolutely and as certainly true , and as firmly believ'd by us , as any mathematical principle or conclusion can be . from whence i infer this , that it is not , ought not to be , any prejudice to the truth or certainty of any thing , that it is not to be made out by such kind of proofs , of which the nature of that thing is not capable , provided it be capable of satisfactory proofs of another kind . . when a thing is capable of good proof in any kind , men ought to rest satisfy'd in the best evidence for it , which that kind of things will bear , and beyond which better could not be expected , supposing it were true . they ought not to expect either sensible proof , or demonstration for such matters as are not capable of such proofs , supposing them to be true . because otherwise nothing must be assented to and believed , but that which hath the highest evidence : all other things being to be looked upon , as uncertain and doubtful , and wholly excluded from all possibility of being known . and at this rate , men must believe nothing at all in story , because such things cannot be demonstrated ; and 't is possible that the rest of mankind might have combined together to impose upon them by these relations . and how abhorrent such sceptical principles must needs be to common reason , i need not say . those who will pretend such kind of grounds for their disbelief of any thing , will never be able to perswade others , that the true cause why they do not give their assent is because they have no reason for it , but because they have no mind to it . nolle in causa est , non posse praetenditur . and on the other side , when we have for the proof of any thing , some of the highest kinds of evidence , in this case it is not the suggestion of a meer possibility , that the thing may be otherwise , that ought to be any sufficient cause of doubting . to which i shall only add , that we may be unquestionably sure of many things as to their existence , and yet we may not be able to explain the nature of them . no man in his wits can make any doubt , whether there be such things as motion , and sensation , and continuity of bodies : and yet these things are commonly esteemed inexplicable . so that our not being able to see to the bottom of things , and to give a distinct account of the nature and manner of them , can be no sufficient cause to doubt of their being . . the mind of man may and must give a firm assent to some things , without any kind of hesitation or doubt of the contrary , where yet the evidences for such things are not so infallible , but that there is a possibility , that the things may be otherwise . ( i. e. ) there may be an indubitable certainty , where there is not an infallible certainty . and that kind of certainty which doth not admit of any doubt , may serve us as well to all intents and purposes , as that which is infallible . a man may make no doubt , whether he himself were baptized , whether such persons were his parents , of which yet he can have no other evidence than tradition , and the testimony of others . who is there so wildly sceptical as to question , whether the sun shall rise in the east , and not in the north or west , or whether it shall rise at all : because the contrary is not impossible , and doth not imply any contradiction ? suppose that in digging of the earth amongst some ancient ruins , a man should find a round flat piece of metal , in the exact shape of an old medal , with the image and inscription of one of the roman emperours . or suppose he should dig up a large stone , of the shape of an ancient tomb-stone , with a distinct inscription upon it , of the name and quality of some person said to be buried under it . can any rational man doubt , whether one of these were not a piece of coyn , and the other a grave-stone ? or should a man be bound to suspend his assent and belief of this , barely upon this ground , because 't is possible that these might have been the natural shapes of that particular metal and stone , and that those which seem to be letters or figures engraven or embossed upon it , may be nothing else but some casual dents or cavities , which by the various motions and temper of the matter did happen to them , amongst those many millions of other figures which they were capable of ? who would not think such a man to be strangely wild , and irrational , who could frame to himself any real scruples from such considerations as these ? why , 't is the same kind of absurd dotage that scepticks in religion are guilty of , in suspending their assent meerly upon this ground , because some arguments for it do not so infallibly conclude , but that there is a possibility things may be otherwise . he that will raise to himself , and cherish in his mind , any real doubts , according to the meer possibility of things , shall not be able to determine himself to the belief or practice of any thing . he must not stay within doors , for fear the house should fall upon him , for that is possible : nor must he go out , lest the next man that meets him should kill him , for that also is possible . and so must it be for his doing or forbearing any other action . nay i add further , that man is sure to be deceived in very many things , who will doubt of every thing , where 't is possible he may be deceived . i appeal to the common judgment of mankind , whether the humane nature be not so framed , as to acquiesce in such a moral certainty , as the nature of things is capable of ; and if it were otherwise , whether that reason which belongs to us , would not prove a burden and a torment to us , rather than a priviledg , by keeping us in a continual suspense , and thereby rendring our conditions perpetually restless and unquiet ? would not such men be generally accounted out of their wits , who could please themselves , by entertaining actual hopes of any thing , meerly upon account of the possibility of it ; or torment themselves with actual fears , of all such evils as are possible ? is there any thing imaginable more wild and extravagant amongst those in bedlam , than this would be ? why , doubt is a kind of fear , and is commonly styled formido oppositi , and 't is the same kind of madness for a man to doubt of any thing , as to hope for , or fear it , upon a meer possibility . . 't is sufficient that matters of faith and religion be propounded in such a way , as to render them highly credible , so as an honest and teachable man may willingly and safely assent to them , and according to the rules of prudence be justified in so doing . nor is it either necessary or convenient , that they should be established by such cogent evidence , as to necessitate assent . because this would not leave any place for the vertue of believing , or the freedom of our obedience ; nor any ground for reward and punishment . it would not be thank-worthy for a man to believe that which of necessity he must believe , and cannot otherwise chuse . rewards and punishments do properly belong to free actions , such as are under a mans power , either to do or forbear ; not to such as are necessary . there is no more reason to reward a man for believing that four is more than three , than for being hungry or sleepy ; because these things do not proceed from choice , but from natural necessity . a man must do so , nor can he do otherwise . i do not say , that the principles of religion are meerly probable , i have before asserted them to be morally certain . and that to a man who is careful to preserve his mind free from prejudice , and to consider , they will appear unquestionable , and the deductions from them demonstrable : but now because that which is necessary to beget this certainty in the mind , namely , impartial consideration , is in a mans power , therefore the belief or disbelief of these things is a proper subject for rewards and punishments . there would be little reason for the scripture so much to magnifie the grace of faith , as being so great a vertue and so acceptable to god , if every one were necessitated to it , whether he would or no. and therefore god is pleased to propose these matters of belief to us in such a way , as that we might give some testimony of our teachable dispositions , and of our obedience by our assent to them . ut sermo evangelii tanquam lapis esset lydius , ad quem ingenia sanabilia explorarentur , as the learned grotius speaks concerning the doctrine of the gospel , whereby god was pleased as with a touch-stone to prove and try what kind of tempers men are of , whether they are so ingenuous as to accept of sufficient evidence , in the confirmation of a holy doctrine . and the scripture doth in several places make use of the word faith , according to this notion of it , as it consists in a readiness of mind to close with and give assent unto things upon such evidence as is in it self sufficient . to which purpose is that expression of our saviour to thomas , blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed , joh. . . signifying it to be a more excellent commendable and blessed thing for a man to yield his assent , upon such evidence as is in it self sufficient , without insisting upon more ; it denotes good inclinations in men towards religion , and that they have worthy thoughts of the divine power and goodness , when they are willing to submit unto such arguments in the confirmation of a holy doctrine , as to unprejudiced persons are in themselves sufficient to induce belief . it was this disposition that was commended in the bereans , for which they are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , more ingenuous , teachable and candid , more noble than others , because they received the word with all readiness of mind . ( i. e. ) were ready and willing to assent to the gospel , upon such evidence as was in it self sufficient to convince reasonable and unprejudiced men . and on the other side , it was the want of this disposition which is condemned , mat. . . where 't is said that our saviour did not many mighty works in his own country , because of their unbelief : ( i. e. ) that prejudice which there was upon them , by their knowledg of his mean parentage and birth , and their ignorance of his divine commission and high calling , did indispose them for an equal judgment of things , and render them unteachable . and having tried this by doing some mighty works amongst them he would not do many , because of their incapacity of receiving benefit by them . wicked men are in the scripture phrase styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , filii insuasibilitatis , unperswadable men , such as no reason can convince . and else-where they are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we translate unreasonable men . but the word may signifie absurd , contumacious persons , who are not to be fixed by any principles , whom no topics can work upon , being directly opposite to this vertue of faith , as appears by the next clause , for all men have not faith. supposing mankind to be endowed ( as all other things are ) with a natural principle , whereby they are strongly inclined to seek their own preservation and happiness ; and supposing them to be rational and free creatures , able to judg of , and to chuse the means conducing to this end : nothing can be more reasonable in this case , than that such creatures should be under the obligation of accepting such evidence , as in it self is sufficient for their conviction . . when there is no such evident certainty , as to take away all kind of doubting ; in such cases , a judgment that is equal and impartial must incline to the greater probabilities . that is no just ballance , wherein the heaviest side will not preponderate . in all the ordinary affairs of life men use to guide their actions by this rule , namely , to incline to that which is most probable and likely , when they cannot attain to any clear unquestionable certainty . and that man would be generally counted a fool who should do otherwise . now let it be supposed , that some of the great principles in religion , should not seem to some men altogether so evident as to be wholly unquestionable , yet ought their assent still to incline to the greater probability . when it is said to be a duty for men to believe any thing , or to acquiesce in such kind of evidence as is sufficient for the proof of it : the meaning is not , as if there were any moral obligation upon the understanding , which is proper only unto the will ; but the meaning is , that men should be careful to preserve their minds free from any wilful prejudice and partiality , that they should seriously attend to , and consider the evidence proposed to them , so as to take a just estimate of it . for though it be true , that the judgments of men must by a natural necessity , preponderate on that side where the greatest evidence lies ; supposing the mind to be equally disposed , and the ballance to be just ; yet must it withal be granted to be a particular virtue and felicity to keep the mind in such an equal frame of judging . there are some men , who have sufficient abilities to discern betwixt the true difference of things ; but what through their vicious affections and voluntary prejudices , making them unwilling that some things should be true ; what through their inadvertency or neglect to consider and compare things together , they are not to be convinced by plain arguments ; not through any insufficiency in the evidence , but by reason of some defect or corruption in the faculty that should judg of it . now the neglect of keeping our minds in such an equal frame , the not applying of our thoughts to consider of such matters of moment , as do highly concern a man to be rightly informed in , must needs be a vice . and though none of the philosophets ( that i know of ) do reckon this kind of faith ( as it may be styled ) , this teachableness and equality of mind in considering and judging of matters of importance , amongst other intellectual virtues ; yet to me it seems , that it may justly challenge a place amongst them ; and that for this reason , because the two extremes of it by way of excess and defect , i mean the assenting unto such things upon insufficient evidence which is called credulity , and the not assenting unto them upon sufficient evidence , which is called incredulity or unbelief , are both of them vices . now where the excess and defect do make vices , or such things as ought not to be , there the mediocrity must denote something that ought to be , and consequently must be a virtue , and have in it the obligation of duty . . if in any matter offered to consideration , the probabilities on both sides be supposed to be equal : ( in this case , though an impartial judgment cannot be obliged to incline to one side rather than to the other , because our assent to things must by a necessity of nature , be proportioned to our evidence for them ; and where neither side doth preponderate , the ballance should hang even ) yet even in this case , men may be obliged to order their actions in favour of that side , which appears to be most safe and advantageous for their own interest . suppose a man travelling upon the road to meet with two doubtful ways , concerning neither of which he can have any the least probability to induce him to believe that one is more like to be the true way to his journey's end , than the other ; only he is upon good grounds assured , that in one of these ways he shall meet with much trouble , difficulty , danger , which the other is altogether free from : in this case , though a man be not bound to believe that one of them is a truer way than the other , yet is he obliged in prudence to take the safest . nay i add further , if the probabilities on the one hand should somewhat preponderate the other , yet if there be no considerable hazard on that side which hath the least probability , and a very great apparent danger in a mistake about the other : in this case , prudence will oblige a man to do that which may make most for his own safety . these are those preparatory principles which i thought fit to premise , as a necessary foundation for any debate with captious men about these first grounds of religion . and they are each of them ( i think ) of such perspicuity , as to need little more than the bare proposal of them , and the explication of their terms , to evince the truth of them . chap. iv. concerning the existence of a deity , and the arguments for it . the i. argument , from the universal consent and agreement of mankind ; and the objections answered . these things being premised , i betake my self to that which was at first proposed as the chief design of this book , namely , to prove the reasonableness and the credibility of the principles of natural religion . by religion , i mean that general habit of reverence towards the divine nature , whereby we are inabled and inclined to worship and serve god after such a manner as we conceive most agreeable to his will , so as to procure his favour and blessing . i call that natural religion , which men might know , and should be obliged unto , by the meer principles of reason , improved by consideration and experience , without the help of revelation . this doth comprehend under it , these three principal things : . a belief and an acknowledgment of the divine nature and existence . . due apprehensions of his excellencies and perfections . . suitable affections and demeanour towards him . concerning each of which i shall treat in order . i. there must be a firm belief of the divine nature and existence . primus est deorum culius , deos credere , saith seneca . answerable to that of the apostle , he that comes to god , must believe that he is . now that this is a point highly credible , and such as every sober rational man , who will not offer violence to his own faculties , must submit unto , i shall endeavour to evince by the plainest reason . in treating concerning this subject , which both in former and later times hath been so largely discussed by several authors , i shall not pretend to the invention of any new arguments , but content my self with the management of some of those old ones , which to me seem most plain and convincing . namely , from . the universal consent of nations , in all places and times . . the original of the world. . that excellent contrivance which there is in all natural things . . the works of providence in the government of the world. . from the universal consent of nations in all places and times , which must needs render any thing highly credible to all such as will but allow the human nature to be rational , and to be naturally endowed with a capacity of distinguishing betwixt truth and falshood . it is laid down by the * philosopher as the proper way of reasoning from authority , that what seems true to some wise men , may upon that account be esteemed somewhat probable ; what is believed by most wise men , hath a further degree of probability ; what most men , both wise and unwise , do assent unto , is yet more probable : but what all men have generally consented to , hath for it the highest degree of evidence of this kind , that any thing is capable of : and it must be monstrous arrogance and folly for any single persons to prefer their own judgments before the general suffrage of mankind . it is observed by aelian , that the notions concerning the existence and nature of god , and of a future state , were more firmely believed , and did usually make deeper impression upon the illiterate vulgar , who were guided by the more simple dictates of nature , than upon several of the philosophers , who by their art and subtilty were able to invent disguises , and to dispute themselves into doubts and uncertainties concerning such things as might bring disquiet to their minds . that all nations of men now do , and have formerly owned this principle , may appear both from present experience , and the history of other times and places . and here i might cite abundance of the best authors that are extant , concerning the truth of this in all other ages and nations . but for brevity's sake i shall mention only two , tully and seneca . quae gens est , aut quod genus hominum , quod non habeat sine doctrinâ , anticipationem quandam deorum , quam appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 epicurus . what kind of men are there any where , who have not of themselves this prenotion of a deity ? and in another place : nulla gens est , neque tam immansueta neque tam fera , quae non etiamsi ignoret qualem habere denm deceat , tamen habendum sciat . amongst all mankind there is no nation so wild and barbarous , who though they may mistake in their due apprehensions of the nature of god , do not yet acknowledg his being . and elsewhere : nulla est gens tam fera , nemo omnium tam immanis , cujus mentem non imbuerit deorum timor . there is no nation so immensely barbarous and savage , as not to believe the existence of a deity , and by some kind of services to express their adoration of him . so seneca , nulla gens usquam est , adeo extra leges moresque projecta , ut non aliquos deos credat . there is no where any nation so utterly lost to all things of law and morality , as not to believe the existence of god. he that shall traverse over all this habitable earth , with all those remote corners of it , reserved for the discovery of these later ages , may find some nations without cities , schools , houses , garments , coin ; but none without their god. they may , and do vastly differ in their manners , institutions , customs : but yet all of them agree in having some deity to worship . and besides this universality as to nations and places , it hath been so likewise as to times . religion was observed in the beginning of the world , before there were civil laws amongst men , i mean any other than the meer wills of their princes and governours . the works of moses are by general consent acknowledged to be the most ancient writings in the world . and though the design of them be to prescribe doctrines and rules for religion , yet there is nothing offered in them by way of proof or perswasion concerning the existence of god ; but it is a thing taken for granted , as being universally acknowledged and believed . nor do we read that any of the other ancient law-givers or founders of commonwealths , who thought fit to prescribe rules for the worship of god , have endeavoured to perswade the people concerning his being ; which yet had been most necessary , if any doubt or question had then been made of it ; as being the very foundation of religion , and a disposition so requisite to qualifie men for society and government . and as it hath been thus in former times , so is it now amongst the nations more lately discovered , and not known to former ages . 't is excellently said by tully , opinionum commenta delet dies , naturae judicia confirmat : that time wears out the fictions of opinion , and doth by degrees discover and unmask the fallacy of ungrounded perswasions , but confirms the dictates and sentiments of nature ; and 't is a good sign that those notions are well established which can endure the test of all ages . there are two things may be objected against this argument . . that there is no such universal consent as is pretended . . if there were , this would signifie but little , because it may as well be urged for polytheism and idolatry . . that there is no such universal consent as is pretended , because there are some nations in the world so wild and savage , as not to acknowledg any deity ; which by several historians is reported of the cannibals in america , and the inhabitants of soldania in africk , who are so sottish and grosly ignorant , that they differ very little from brutes , having scarce any thing amongst them of civil policy , and nothing at all of religion , or any publick assemblies for worship : besides such particular persons , pretending to learning and philosophy , as in several ages have openly asserted , and professedly maintained atheistical principles , as diagoras , theodorus , pherecides , and others are said to have done . to this it may be said , that supposing these reports to be true , there may almost in all kinds be some few instances , besides and against the general course of things , which yet can no more be urged as prejudices against the common and most usual order belonging to them , than prodigies may to prove , that there is no regularity in the laws of nature . is there any equity or the least colour of reason in this ? for a man to take an essay of the nature of any species of things from such particular instances , as in their kinds are monstrous ? because beasts may sometimes be brought forth with five legs , and it may be two heads , is it reason therefore to conclude , that no other shape is natural to their kind ? specimen naturae cujuslibet , a naturâ optimâ sumendum est , ( saith tully ) the essay of any kind is rather to be taken from the best and most usual , than from the worst and most depraved part of it . will it therefore follow , that honey is not naturally sweet to our taste , because a sick palate doth not judg it to be so ? such dissolute persons , as are altogether immersed in sensuality , whereby they have besotted their judgments , cannot be looked upon as the most competent instances of what belongs to humane nature . where there is either a defect of reason , or a gross neglect in exciting a mans natural faculties , or improving his reason , by a due consideration of such consequences as do most naturally result from it : in such cases , it cannot otherwise be expected , but that he must come short of that knowledg which he is naturally capable of , and should have , were it not for these defects . some men are born blind , or have lost their sight , will it hence follow , that there is no such thing in nature as light or colour ? others are lunaticks or ideots , should any man from hence infer , that there is no such thing as reason ? no man may raise any doubt from such instances as these , but he that will make it a serious question , who are the mad men , whether those in bedlam , or those out of it ? whether ideots are not the wisest of men , and all others the veryest fools , according as they are at the widest distance from them ? can that man be thought to need any further confutation or pursuit , who is forced to fly to such a retreat ? as for those instances of particular persons , whom stories deliver down to us , as being professed atheists , it may be said . . 't is plain , that some of these were counted atheists and despisers of religion , because they did endeavour to confute the fopperies of the heathen worship , and deny the sun and moon , and the several idols that were adored in their countries , to be true gods : the loose and vitious poets , having so far debaucht the understandings of the vulgar , in those darker ages , as to make them believe vile and filthy things of their gods , unsuitable to all principles of sobriety and common reason . upon this , several men , who were more judicious and virtuous than others , thought themselves obliged to reclaim the people from such mischievous fopperies : in order to which , besides the more serious arguments which they made use of , they did likewise by jeers and scoffs endeavour to render these vitious deities contemptible , and to deride them out of the world . and for this were they by the foolish superstitious multitude counted atheists , which was the case of anaxagoras , socrates , and others . . let it be supposed , that some men have declared a disbelief of the divine nature in general ; yet as there have been always some monsters amongst men , in respect of their bodies , so may there be likewise in respect of their minds . and this no prejudice to the standing laws of nature . and besides it ought to be considered , that the same stories which mention such persons as profest atheists , do likewise give an account of divers signal judgments , whereby they were witnessed against from heaven . . but i add further , there never yet was any such person , who had any full and abiding conviction upon his mind , against the existence of god. mentiuntur qui dicunt se non sentire esse deum , nam etsi tibi affirment interdin , noctu tamen & sibi dubitant . they lye who say that they believe there is no god ( saith seneca ) though they may profess this somewhat confidently in the day-time , when they are in company , yet in the night and alone they have doubtful thoughts about it . 't is their wish , but not their opinion . the interest of their guilt doth make them desire it . but they are never able with all their endeavours wholly to extinguish their natural notions about it . witness those continual fears and terrors , whereunto such kind of men are above all others most obnoxious . the second objection was , that if the consent of nations be a sufficient evidence to prove the existence of god , it may as well prove polytheism and idolatry , for which the like consent may be pleaded . to this two things may be answered : . though the unity of the godhead , and the unfitness of worshipping him by idols , be discoverable by the light of nature ; yet these things are not so immediate , and so obvious to every ones understanding as the being of god is , but will require some deeper consideration , and some skill in the rules of reasoning . now it could not be reasonably expected , that either the generality , or any considerable number of the vulgar , should attain to such a degree of knowledg as their own natural reason , duly exercised and improved , might have furnished them with . partly by reason of the prejudice of education , which must needs incline them to acquiesce in what is delivered down to them , as the belief or practice of their forefathers ; and consequently hinder them from an impartial enquiry into the nature of things : but chiefly for want of sufficient leisure to apply themselves to the business of contemplation , by reason of their being immersed in the affairs of the world , either pleasures , ambition , riches , or else being wholly taken up with cares , about providing the necessaries of life for themselves and their families ; which must needs much divert them , from the serious consideration of things , and hinder them from the improvement of their natural light to all the due consequences of it . . the most considering and the wisest men in all ages and nations , have constantly differed from the vulgar in their thoughts about these things , believing but one supreme deity , the father of all other subordinate powers : — hominum sator atque deorum . whom they called jupiter or jove , with plain reference to the hebrew name jehovah . and to this one god did they ascribe several names , according to those several virtues they suppos'd to be in him , or benefits they expected from him . bacchus , and neptune , nature , fortune , fate : omnia quidem dei nominasunt , varie utentis suâ potestate , saith seneca . so likewise pythagoras , socrates , plato , aristotle , &c. and they advise men , to worship this god not so much by images , or by sacrifices , as by inward goodness , by endeavouring to be like him ; as i shall shew more largely afterwards . now though the opinion of the vulgar , with the consent of the wise , may be of great authority ; yet being separated from or especially opposed unto , their opinion , who are best able to judg , it must needs signifie but little . if the question should here be proposed , how comes it to pass , that mankind should thus consent and agree in the notion of a deity , and to what ground or cause may it be ascribed ? to this i shall suggest something by way of answer , both negatively , and positively . . negatively , from what hath been said it may appear , that this belief doth not proceed from any particular infirmity , or occasional prejudice in the judgment , because it hath been so constant and universal amongst mankind . and besides , there is not the least probability for those things which are assigned as the grounds of this prejudice , namely , fear , policy , stipulation . . not fear , or a certain jealousie of the worst that may happen . for though it must be granted natural to the minds of men , to be possessed with an awe towards such things as are able to hurt them ; yet 't is much more probable , that the fear of a supreme being , is rather the consequence and effect of such a belief , than the cause of it . for this reason , because the notion of a deity doth comprehend under it infinite goodness and mercy , as well as power and justice ; and there is no reason why fear should dispose a man to fancy a being that is infinitely good and merciful . . not policy or the device of statists , to keep mens consciences in awe and oblige them to subjection . . because the greatest princes and politicians themselves , have in all ages been as much under this conviction of a deity , and the lashes of conscience , as any other persons whatsoever ; which could not be , had they known this business of religion to have been a device or state engine , whereby their subjects were to be imposed upon . . because this belief is amongst the more rude and savage nations , such as in all other regards are ignorant and wild and utterly destitute of all common policy . . not stipulation or mutual agreement , for the same reason ; because 't is amongst those barbarous and savage people , who decline all kind of commerce with others . nor is it imaginable , how such kind of persons should agree together to promote any opinion , who are wildly separated from one another , by seas , and mountains , and desarts ; and yet not at so great a distance in their habitations , as in their customs and manners . from all which it may appear , that this opinion or belief which is so general amongst men , doth not arise from any prejudice or partiality upon their minds ; but rather the doubting or questioning of these things , which belongs but to few . there is reason enough to believe , that this may be founded in prejudice . nor is it difficult to determine whence their prejudice doth arise , namely , from the vitious inclinations of men , which will corrupt and byass their judgments . when once men are immersed in sensual things , and are become slaves to their passions and lusts , then are they most disposed to doubt of the existence of god. whereas on the contrary , the more just and honest any man is , the more willing and careful he is to walk up to the dictates of his natural light , by so much the more firmely are such persons convinced of this truth . 't is the conscience of guilt which makes it the interest of some that there should be no god. and consequently being desirous to have it so , this makes them studious how to find out some doubt and obscurity about it . . affirmatively . it is a known rule , that the cause must be as universal as the effect is . if this belief have been one and constant in all places and times , then must the cause of it be so likewise . and what is there imaginable that hath a fairer pretence to this , than the very nature of our minds , which are of such a frame as in the ordinary exercise of their faculties , will easily find out the necessity of a supreme being . and it seems very congruous to reason , that he who is the great creator of the world , should set some such mark of himself upon those creatures that are capable of worshipping him , whereby they might be led to the author of their being , to whom their worship is to be directed ; as is observed in a late discourse , wherein there are many other things to this purpose . such kind of notions as are general to mankind , and not confined to any particular sect , or nation , or time , are usually styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , common notions , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , seminal principles ; and lex nata , by the roman . orator , an innate law , in opposition to lex scripta , and in the apostles phrase , the law written in our hearts . which kind of notions , though they are of themselves above all other matters most plain and perspicuous , yet because learned men do somewhat differ in their apprehensions concerning the first rise and original of them , i shall therefore take this occasion to suggest briefly , that which to me seems the most easie and natural way for the explaining of this , namely , by comparing the inward sensation of our minds and understandings , with that of our outward senses . it hath been generally agreed upon , and we find it by sufficient experience , that the acts of our minds are reducible to these three kinds . . perception of such single objects as are proposed to them , which is called simple apprehension . . putting together such single objects , in order to our comparing of the agreement or disagreement betwixt them , by which we make propositions , which is called judging . . the discerning of that connexion or dependence which there is betwixt several propositions , whereby we are enabled to infer one proposition from another , which is called ratiocination , or discourse . now as there is an universal agreement in the sensation of outward objects ; the eye and the ear of all sensitive creatures , having the same kind of perception of visible and audible things . those things which appear green , blew , or red to one , having the same appearance to all others . so must it be with the understandings of men likewise , which do agree in the same kind of perception or simple apprehension of intelligible objects . and as in making of propositions , or compounding our apprehensions about sensible things , we determine that the green in this object is like the green in that other , and unlike the yellow or blew in a third ; that it is more , or less , or equal , to something else , with which we compare it : so likewise is it for compounding other simple notions belonging to the understanding , by which we judg one thing to be like or unlike , agreeable or disagreeable , equal , or more or less , in respect to something else compared with it . now those kind of apprehensions wherein all men do agree , these are called natural notions . and of this kind are all those opinions which have in them such a suitableness to the minds of men , as to be generally owned and acknowledged for true , by all such as apply their thoughts to the consideration of them . as for such doctrines as depend meerly upon institution and the instruction of others , men do frequently differ both from themselves , and from one another about them ; because that which can plant , can supplant . if meer institution be able to fix such opinions , it may be able to unsettle them again . whereas no kind of institution will be sufficient to eradicate these natural notions out of the minds of men . but now , though the understanding have naturally this power belonging to it , of apprehending , and comparing , and judging of things ; yet is it not to be expected , either from infants or from dull sottish people , or from such as are destitute of all the advantages of education , that they should improve this natural ability , to all the due consequences of it . but in order to this , 't is necessary that men should first be out of their non-age , before they can attain to an actual use of this principle . and withal , that they should be ready to exert and exercise their faculties to observe and consider the nature of things , to make use of that help which is to be had , by the instruction and experience of those with whom they converse . nor can this be any just exception against the naturalness of such notions , that they are promoted by the experience and instruction of others ; because mankind is naturally designed for a sociable life , and to be helpful to one another by mutual conversation . and without this advantage of discourse and conversation , whereby they communicate their thoughts and opinions to one another , it could not otherwise be , but that men must needs be strangely ignorant , and have many wild and gross apprehensions of such things as are in themselves very plain and obvious , and do appear so to others . for the better understanding of this , let us suppose a person bred up in some deep cavern of the earth , without any instruction from others , concerning the state of things in this upper surface of the world : suppose this person , after he is arrived to a mature age , to be fetched up from this solitary abode , to behold this habitable world , the fields , and towns , and seas , and rivers , the various revolutions of seasons , together with the beautiful host of heaven , the sun , and moon , and stars : it could not otherwise be , but that such a person must at first view have many wild imaginations of things . he might conceive those useful and beautiful contrivances of houses and towns , to spring up and grow out of the earth , as well as trees ; or else that trees were made and built by men , as well as houses . but supposing him to be a man , he must be endowed with such a natural faculty , as upon further consideration and experience will quickly satisfie him , that one of these was natural , and the other artificial ; and that the buildings were framed to that elegance and convenience by the art and skill of men . it would not at first seem credible to him , that a large tree should proceed from a small seed or kernel : that an egg should produce a bird. and as for man himself , he would not be able to have any conception of his true original ; how it could be possible , that a young infant should be bred in his mothers womb , where it should continue for so many months inclosed in a bag of water , without breathing ; yet upon experience these things would appear to him unquestionable , and of natural evidence . from what hath been said , it will follow , that such things are evident by natural light , which men of a mature age , in the ordinary use of their faculties , with the common help of mutual society , may know and be sufficiently assured of , without the help of any special revelation . and when it is said that the notion of god is natural to the soul , the meaning of it is , that there is such a faculty in the soul of man , whereby upon the use of reason he can form within himself a setled notion of such a first and supreme being , as is endowed with all possible perfection . which is all i shall say as to this first argument . i shall be briefer in the rest . chap. v. . arg. from the original of the world. nothing can be more evident , than that this visible frame which we call the world , was either from all eternity , or else that it had a beginning . and if it had a beginning , this must be either from chance or from some wise agent . now if from clear principles of reason , it can be rendered more credible , that the world had a beginning , and that from some wise agent , this may be another argument to this purpose . i cannot here omit the mention of a late discourse , wherein this subject hath been so fully treated of , that i shall need to say the less of it , having little that is material to add to what is there delivered . in the discussing of this , i shall purposely omit the mention of those arguments which relate to infinity , as being not so easily intelligible , and therefore more apt to puzzle and amuse , than to convince . let it be supposed , that each of the two theories , whether about the eternity of the world , or its having a beginning , are not impossible , and that neither of them does imply a contradiction . and further , that neither of them can be infallibly demonstrated by the meer principles of reason . in this case the question must be , which of them is most credible . he that would rationally fix his opinion and belief about this matter , hath but these two kind of proofs to enquire after . . testimony , or the tradition of the most antient times . . reason , or such probabilities as do arise from the nature of the thing . for the first of these opinions , concerning the eternity of the world , there is very little to be said from either of these . . as to testimony . aristotle , who was a great patron of this opinion , and held that the world was a necessary emanation from god , as light is from the sun ; doth of himself acknowledg , that the philosophers before him , were of opinion that the world had a beginning ; which acknowledgment of his , is no small prejudice to the autority of his opinion , as i shall shew afterwards . and then , . as to reason , it is a meer precarious hypothesis , having no sufficient argument that i know of , to render it probable . but now for the other opinion , namely , the beginning of the world , there are as fair and convincing proofs for it , of several kinds , as the nature of the thing is well capable of . . from tradition . if the world were made and had a beginning , it is but reasonable to expect , that so memorable a thing as this , should be recorded in some of the most ancient histories ; and that some extraordinary means should be used to perpetuate the memory of it , and to convey it down from one generation to another by universal tradition : and if it shall appear , that all the evidence of this kind is for this opinion , this must needs render it highly credible . now the history of moses , hath been generally acknowledged , to be the most ancient book in the world , and always esteemed of great autority , even amongst those heathens who do not believe it to be divinely inspired : and there is no man of learning , but must allow to it ( at least ) the ordinary credit of other ancient histories ; especially , if he consider what ground there is for the credibility of it , from the theology of the darker times , which is made up of some imperfect traditions and allusions , relating to those particular stories which are more distinctly set down in the writings of moses . now moses doth give such a plain , brief , unaffected account of the creation of the world , and of the most remarkable passages of the first ages , particularly of the plantation of the world by the dispersion of noah's family , so agreeable to the most antient remains of heathen writers , as must needs very much recommend it to the belief of every impartial man. though the jews were but a small nation , and confined to a narrow compass in the world ; yet the first rise of letters and languages is truly to be ascribed to them . it is attested by several of the best and most antient heathen writers , that the hebrew alphabet , or ( which is all one ) the phaenician , is that from which both the greek and the latin , and consequently the generality of the rest now known , are derived , so herodotus , plutarch , pliny , curtius , lucan , &c. from whence it may be probably infer'd , that the account given by the first language , is the most ancient , and therefore the most likely to be a true account of the first original of things . the usual course observed by all nations to preserve the memory of things most remarkable , which might otherwise in tract of time be forgotten , especially amongst such as are not acquainted with letters , hath been by some practical institution , as by appointing some festival for the commemoration of such things . and thus likewise hath it been in the present case ; the sabbath ( as moses expresly tells us ) was instituted for this very purpose , to keep up the memory of the creation . and though perhaps it may be difficult to prove , that this day hath upon this account been observed by any other nation , but the jews ; yet the division of time by weeks , hath been universally observed in the world , not only amongst the civiliz'd , but likewise amongst the most barbarous nations . and there being no foundation in nature for this kind of distribution of days , it must therefore depend upon some antient general tradition , the original whereof , together with the particular reason of it , is preserv'd in the most ancient of all other histories , viz. that of moses . as for the derivation of this from the seven planets , whose names have been anciently assigned to them ; this being well considered , will appear to be so far from invalidating what i now assert , that it will rather contribute to the probability of it . it is commonly believed , that the assignation of the names of the planets to the days of the week , was by the chaldeans , who were much devoted to astrological devices , and had an opinion that every hour of the day was governed by a particular planet , reckoning them according to their usual order , saturn , jupiter , mars , sol , venus , mercury , luna ; that planet which was ascribed to the first hour , giving name to the whole day ; supposing saturn to belong unto the first hour of saturday , then the second hour will belong to jupiter , the third to mars , &c. and according to this order , the fifteenth hour will belong likewise to saturn , and so will the twenty-second , the twenty-third to jupiter , the twenty-fourth to mars ; and so the first hour of the next day must belong to sol , which must accordingly give the denomination to that day ; and so for the other days of the week . now if it may appear , that in this very account , which all sorts of learned men do agree in , there is such a special regard to the jewish sabbath , or seventh-day , as cannot be pretended for any other , this will still render it more credible , that the tradition of the sabbath did precede these astrological names . if we suppose these astrologers to reckon from the first day of the creation , and to begin with the most noble planet the sun ; then the seventh-day will be saturday , or the jewish sabbath : or ( which is more probable ) if we suppose them to begin their computation , from the first day after the creation was finished , and from the highest planet , of slowest motion , and so more proper to signifie a day of rest ; according to this way of computation , there is a peculiar priviledg belongs to the jewish sabbath , which cannot be said of any of the other days . the testimony of greatest antiquity next to the books of moses , must be sought for amongst those ancient nations , the egyptians , chaldeans , phenicians , from whom the grecians derived their learning , and amongst whom the first and most famous philosophers of greece were wont to travel , for the improving of their knowledg ; it being probable that some memorials might be preserved amongst those ancient nations , concerning the first beginning of things ; and that they were acquainted with what was the universal tradition of the first ages . upon which account , those grecian philosophers before aristotle , such as thales , anaxagoras , pythagoras , &c. who by their travel were conversant amongst these nations , must by this advantage be more competent judges than he was , concerning the general belief and opinion of former times , and what grounds they had for it . now it is well known to have been a general tradition amongst these nations , that the world was made , and had a beginning . and though there be some prodigious accounts amongst them , which may seem inconsistent with the writings of moses , as namely that of the chaldeans , who reckon forty-three thousand years from the beginning of the world to the time of alexander : yet this way of computation is acknowledged by diodorus siculus and plutarch , to be meant of lunary years , or months ; which being reduced to solary years , will fall out to be much about the time assigned by moses for the creation . but besides these testimonies of the ancient nations , and the first grecian philosophers who conversed amongst them ; this hath been likewise believed and professed by the most eminent writers since , socrates , and plato , and tully , and seneca , and the generality of the rest , whether philosophers or poets , of greatest repute for their learning , who have asserted , that god was the maker of the world. there are several passages to this purpose amongst those ancient greek poets , linus , hesiod , orpheus , epicharmus , aristophanes , which relate to the creation of the world ; and ovid particularly , who fetched his matter from the grecian writers , doth give such a plain description of it , as if he had been acquainted with the books of moses ; in those known verses : ante mare & terras , & quod tegit omnia coelum , &c. nor hath it been thus only amongst the more civilized nations ; but the barbarous indians likewise have owned this tradition , and professed the belief of it . now it is not easie to imagine , how any such tradition could arise so early , and spread so universally , if there were not a real ground for it . as for the arguments from reason , i would offer these things to consideration : . if the world had been either without a beginning , or else very old , much older than the time assigned for it in the history of moses ; 't is not likely , but there should be some kind of memorials of those former ages , or some real evidence that there had been such . quis dubitet , quin mundus recens ac novus sit , cum historia graeca , bis mille annorum historiam vix contineat ? saith macrobius . the world cannot be very old , because the grecian history doth scarce extend to two thousand years . this was that which convinced lucretius , that the world could not be eternal , because there were such obscure footsteps or reliques in any credible story , either amongst the grecians or romans , concerning any persons that lived , or any considerable action that was done , much before the trojan wars . . the first rise and progress of arts and sciences in the world , may likewise afford another fair probability to this purpose . seneca asserts , that there was not above a thousand years since the beginning of arts and sciences , to the time wherein he lived . there is scarce any one of them so ancient , but that the original and first inventors of them are recorded in story . nor is there any nation in the world , now accounted civil , but within the memory of books , were utterly rude and barbarous . now it is not imaginable , that so sagacious , so busie a creature as mankind is , could all of them have lived an infinity of ages , destitute of those arts , so advantageous for the comfort and benefit of human life , without some successful attempts for the supplying of their wants by them . if it be said , that it is possible there might have hapned many general inundations , by which former inventions might be lost and forgotten , and such a kind of simplicity introduced into the world , as is proper to the first and ruder ages of it . to this , i have shewed before , that a meer possibility to the contrary , can by no means hinder a thing from being highly credible . to which i shall presently add something further . . if the world had been eternal , how comes it to pass , that it is not every-where inhabited and cultivated ? how is it , that very probably a considerable part of it is yet unknown ? it is not yet two hundred years since , that one half of that which is now known lay undiscovered . whereas if we judg of its beginning by the present plantations and fulness of it , according to those proportions wherein men and families are now multiplied , allowing for such kind of devastations , by war , famine , pestilence , inundations , as are recorded in credible story to have hapned in former times ; i say according to this , it will appear highly credible , that the beginning of the world was much about the time mentioned by moses for the creation of it ; whereas had it been eternal , it must long ere this have been over-stocked , and become too narrow for the inhabitants , though we should suppose the addition but of one man every year . nay , though we suppose but the addition of one man for every thousand years , yet long before this time there should have been a far greater number than there could be sands in the earth , though the whole globe were made up of nothing else . if it be said , that there may have been great checks given to the encrease of mankind by wars , famines , pestilences , and inundations . to this it may be replied , that either these extraordinary devastations of mankind , must fall out regularly , so as not to be too much or too little ; and in this case , they must be ordered by some wise agent , which is god ; or else they must be purely casual ; and then it is by no means credible , but that the world must long ere this have been wholly wasted , and left desolate of inhabitants , or else frequently too much replenished . but the most plausible shift against the force of this argument , is fetched from the instance of noah's flood , by which the whole world was destroyed , excepting one family . the like whereto may frequently have hapned before , when perhaps one only family did escape , and those such ignorant persons , as could give no true account of what was before . but neither will this shift serve the turn . because no man can give any rational account , how 't is possible that such a general flood should come , by any natural means . and if it be supernatural , that grants the thing i am proving , namely such a supreme being as can alter the course of nature ? but let it be supposed natural , how comes it to pass that so much as one family doth escape . such kind of deluges , as must prevent the over-stocking of the world , must be necessary once every ten or twenty thousand years . and there must have happened many millions of them , from all eternity . and who shall take care for the adjudging of them to their proper season ? or for preventing the total destruction of mankind ? though we should grant this possible casualty , yet he who can believe that to be a probable casualty which hath never come to pass in an eternal duration , must not pretend to be an enemy to credulity . by what hath been said it may appear , that there is a very great advantage in the proofs for this opinion , concerning the beginning of the world , above the other for the eternity of it . now for the difficulties on each side : those relating to the eternity of the world , have been already discussed , in the proofs i have lately insisted upon . and as for the opinion , concerning the creation of it , the chief difficulty which aristotle doth mention , is from that principle of his , ex nihilo nihil fit , which is generally acknowledged to be true concerning natural generations , but must not necessarily be extended to supernatural productions . it is one of the natural notions belonging to the supreme being , to conceive of him that he is omnipotent . and it is very reasonable for us to believe , that our finite understandings cannot comprehend the utmost extent of omnipotence . and though the making of something out of nothing do argue an inconceivable power , yet there is no contradiction in it . and if such things must be denyed which our reasons cannot comprehend , we must then deny that any thing can be self-existent , which yet is and must be supposed , on both sides ; it being altogether as difficult for us to conceive , how any thing should be of it self , as how any thing should be made of nothing . so that this difficulty is not sufficient to overthrow this opinion , and withal it doth extend equally to both sides . so then if it do appear , that betwixt these two opinions the least and fewest difficulties do lye , on that side which hath the plainest and strongest proofs , there is no question to be made , which way every impartial man will determine his opinion . i do not pretend that these arguments are demonstrations , of which the nature of this thing is not capable : but they are such strong probabilities , as ought to prevail with all those , who are not able to produce greater probabilities to the contrary . as for that other opinion , concerning epicurus his atoms , it is so extravagant and irrational , and hath been so abundantly confuted by others , that i cannot think it expedient to spend any time in the discussing of it . chap. vi. . arg. from the admirable contrivance of natural things . . from that excellent contrivance which there is in all natural things . both with respect to that elegance and beauty which they have in themselves separately considered , and that regular order and subserviency wherein they stand towards one another ; together with the exact fitness and propriety , for the several purposes for which they are designed . from all which it may be inferred , that these are the productions of some wise agent . the most sagacious man is not able to find out any blot or error in this great volume of the world , as if any thing in it had been an imperfect essay at the first , such as afterwards stood in need of mending : but all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation . tully doth frequently insist upon this , as the most natural result from that beauty and regularity to be observed in the universe . esse praestantem aliquam , aeternamque naturam , & eam suspiciendam adorandamque hominum generi , pulchritudo mundi ordoque rerum caelestium cogit confiteri . the great elegance and order of things in the world , is abundantly enough to evince the necessity of such an eternal and excellent being , to whom we owe adoration . and in another place , quid potest esse tam apertum , tamque perspicuum , cum coelum suspeximus , coelestiaque contemplati sumus , quàm aliquod esse numen praestantissimae mentis , quo haec regantur . what can be more obvious than to infer a supreme deity , from that order and government we may behold amongst the heavenly bodies ? the several vicissitudes of night and day , winter and summer , the production of minerals , the growth of plants , the generation of animals according to their several species ; with the law of natural instinct , whereby every thing is inclined and enabled , for its own preservation : the gathering of the inhabitants of the earth into nations , under distinct policies and governments ; those advantages which each of them have of mutual commerce , for supplying the wants of each other , are so many distinct arguments to the same purpose . i cannot here omit the observations which have been made in these later times , since we have had the use and improvement of the microscope , concerning that great difference which by the help of that doth appear , betwixt natural and artificial things . whatever is natural doth by that appear , adorned with all imaginable elegance and beauty . there are such inimitable gildings and embroideries in the smallest seeds of plants , but especially in the parts of animals , in the head or eye of a small fly : such accurate order and symmetry in the frame of the most minute creatures , a lowse or a mite , as no man were able to conceive without seeing of them . whereas the most curious works of art , the sharpest finest needle , doth appear as a blunt rough bar of iron , coming from the furnace or the forge . the most accurate engravings or embossments , seem such rude bungling deformed works , as if they had been done with a mattock or a trowel . so vast a difference is there betwixt the skill of nature , and the rudeness and imperfection of art. and for such kind of bodies , as we are able to judg of by our naked eyes , that excellent contrivance which there is in the several parts of them ; their being so commodiously adapted to their proper uses , may be another argument to this purpose . as particularly those in humane bodies , upon consideration of which , galen himself , no great friend to religion , could not but acknowledg a deity . in his book de formatione foetus , he takes notice , that there are in a humane body above several muscles , and there are at least ten several intentions , or due qualifications , to be observed in each of these ; proper figure , just magnitude , right disposition of its several ends , upper and lower position of the whole , the insertion of its proper nerves , veins , and arteries , which are each of them to be duly placed ; so that about the muscles alone , no less than several ends or aims are to be attended to . the bones are reckoned to be ; the distinct scopes or intentions in each of these , are above forty , in all about . and thus is it in some proportion with all the other parts , the skin , ligaments , vessels , glandules , humors ; but more especially with the several members of the body , which do in regard of the great variety and multitude of those several intentions required to them , very much exceed the homogeneous parts . and the failing in any one of these , would cause an irregularity in the body , and in many of them , such as would be very notorious . and thus likewise is it in proportion with all other kinds of beings ; minerals , vegetables : but especially with such as are sensitive ; infects , fishes , birds , beasts ; and in these yet more especially , for those organs and faculties that concern sensation ; but most of all , for that kind of frame which relates to our understanding power , whereby we are able to correct the errors of our senses and imaginations , to call before us things past and future , and to behold things that are invisible to sense . now to imagine , that all these things , according to their several kinds , could be brought into this regular frame and order , to which such an infinite number of intentions are required , without the contrivance of some wise agent , must needs be irrational in the highest degree . and then , as for the frame of humane nature it self . if a man doth but consider how he is endowed with such a natural principle , whereby he is necessarily inclined to seek his own well-being and happiness : and likewise with one faculty whereby he is enabled to judg of the nature of things , as to their fitness or unfitness for this end : and another faculty whereby he is enabled to chuse and prosecute such things as may promote this end , and to reject and avoid such things as may hinder it . and that nothing properly is his duty , but what is really his interest : this may be another argument to convince him , that the author of his being must be infinitely wise and powerful . the wisest man is not able to imagine how things should be better than now they are , supposing them to be contrived by the wisest agent ; and where we meet with all the indications and evidences of such a thing as the thing is capable of , supposing it to be true , it must needs be very irrational to make any doubt of it . now i appeal unto any considering man , unto what cause all this exactness and regularity can be reasonably ascribed , whether to blind chance , or to blind necessity , or to the conduct of some wise intelligent being . though we should suppose both matter and motion to be eternal , yet is it not in the least credible , that insensible matter could be the author of all those excellent contrivances which we behold in these natural things . if any one shall surmize , that these effects may proceed from the anima mundi ; i would ask such a one , is this anima mundi an intelligent being , or is it void of all perception and reason ? if it have no kind of sense or knowledg , then 't is altogether needless to assert any such principle , because matter and motion may serve for this purpose as well . if it be an intelligent wise eternal being , this is god , under another name . as for fate or necessity , this must needs be as blind and as unfit to produce wise effects , as chance it self . from whence it will follow , that it must be a wise being that is the cause of these wise effects . by what hath been said upon this subject , it may appear , that these visible things of the world are sufficient to leave a man without excuse , as being the witnesses of a deity , and such as do plainly declare his great power and glory . chap. vii . . arg. from providence , and the government of the world. . from the works of providence in the government of the world ; and that continual experience which we have of some wise and powerful being , who doth preside over and govern all things ; not only by his general concourse , in preserving all kinds of things in their beings , and regulating them in their operations : but chiefly in his wise and just government over mankind and humane affairs , which may appear by such effects as are ordinary ,   extraordinary . . for the more common effects of it , namely that general success which in the ordinary course of things doth accompany honest and virtuous actions : and the punishment and vengeance that doth one time or other in this world usually befall such as are wicked : both virtue and vice being generally , and for the most part , sufficiently distinguished by rewards and punishments in this life . there are indeed some instances to the contrary , concerning the miseries of good men , and the prosperity of the wicked ; but these have been by several of the wisest heathen , plato , plutarch , tully , seneca &c. sufficiently vindicated , by the clearest principles of reason , from being any prejudice to the wise government of providence . it is not either necessary or convenient , that happiness and prosperity in this life , which is the usual reward of virtue , should have either such a physical or mathematical certainty , as could not possibly fail . because , . it would not be consistent with our dependent conditions , that worldly prosperity should be so infallibly under the power of our own endeavours , as that god himself might not sometimes interpose for our disappointment . if i may have leave to suppose , what i am now proving , namely a wise and omnipotent providence , it must needs appear highly reasonable , that it should be left to his infinite wisdom and power , to make what reserved cases he pleases , from the ordinary course of things . from whence it will follow , that these unequal dispensations can be no sufficient ground for the disbelief of providence . . it would very much prejudice another great principle of religion , which is of mighty influence for the regulating of mens lives and actions in this world , namely , the belief and expectation of a future state of rewards and punishments . . if temporal prosperity did infallibly attend all good actions , this would be a diminution to virtue it self . men would do good by a kind of natural necessity , which would abate just so much from the virtue of their actions , as it does from the liberty of them . it is sufficient , that moral actions should have moral motives . and that virtue doth generally and for the most part , make men prosperous and happy in this world . we know by experience , that all mankind do in their most weighty affairs , think it sufficient to depend upon such causes as do commonly and for the most part prove effectual to the ends for which they are designed . so that this very thing which is usually looked upon as the greatest objection against providence , is really and truly an argument for it . . for extraordinary effects of it . if we give any credit to the universal history of all ages and nations , it will by that appear , . that there have many times happened such special signal providences for the punishing of obstinate sinners , and for the deliverance of such as were religious , in answer to their prayers , whereby the supreme governour of the world hath so visibly pointed out his will and meaning , and so plainly manifested his power , that every impartial man must be forced to say , doubtless there is a god that judges in the earth . . that sometimes miracles have been wrought , which could not be effected without the help of some superior power ; and sometimes there have been plain prophesies and predictions concerning such future things , as in their various circumstances were contingent . of which the annals of all ages and nations , as well heathens as christians , do give very particular and large accounts . and though we may safely grant , that some of the stories to this purpose , delivered either from the more ancient or later times , were fabulous and vain ; yet for a man to deny that ever such things happened in the world , but that they were all meer forgeries and designs to cheat posterity , this were to subvert the credit of all history ; which is so immodest a thing , as any sober man would be ashamed of . these arguments are more largely discussed by others , who have writ upon this subject : but there is one particular which to me seems very considerable to this purpose , though but little notice of it be taken by others : and that is , the state of the jewish nation , who for these years have been driven out of their own countrey , having now no particular place of abode , belonging to them as a nation ; but are scattered and dispersed over all the habitable world , hated and despised where-ever they are permitted to dwell ; very frequently persecuted , impoverished , banished , murdered in vast multitudes ; and notwithstanding all this , they are not yet so mixed and blended with other nations , as to be lost amongst them ; but are still kept up a distinct people , there being no instance like this in any story . as if they were intended for a standing memorial and example to the world , of the divine power and vengeance . to me it seems , amongst rational arguments one of the plainest , not only for the proof of a deity , and a just providence in pursuing that nation with such exemplary vengeance ; but likewise for the autority of scripture , and the truth of the christian religion . i might here add another argument to the same purpose , from natural conscience , which is gods deputy , and doth internally witness for him , as other creatures do externally . 't is plain , that all mankind are in some measure endowed with this ; and one may as well assert , that hope and fear are not natural to men , as that conscience is not . to this purpose i might further argue , from those natural notions of our minds concerning good and evil , the bounds of which are fixed in the nature of things , and do not depend either upon custom or positive law. those things which have in them a fitness to promote our chief end , being styled good , and implying in the very definition of them , comeliness and reward ; those things which have in them a natural aptitude to hinder our chief end being styled evil , and implying in the definitions of them , turpitude and punishment . from whence it will follow , that there must be some superior power , who by framing things with such respects towards one another , may be said to have declared this law of nature , and to have taken care to enforce the observance of it ; both these belonging to the nature of a law. but i may perhaps have occasion to speak more particularly to this afterwards . these things put together , are so strong an evidence , and so sufficient to convince the existence of a deity , that that man must be very wilful , who doth not submit and acquiesce in it . and for this reason is it ( saith a noble author ) that god never yet wrought any miracle to convince an atheist ; because to a man that is capable of being convinced , his ordinary works are sufficient to this purpose . and i should think it much more easie and rational ( saith the same author ) to believe all the fables in the poets , the legend , the talmud , and the alchoran , than that this universal frame should be without a creator and governour . and now it may not be improper to look back , and take a review of what kind of evidence hath been produced in this matter . as for any immediate proof from our outward senses , this cannot be pretended to for the demonstration of such a being as is supposed to be a pure spirit and invisible ; but for the mediate proofs from the effects of a wise omnipotent agent , we can look no where about us , but every object doth afford evidence of it . there is no conclusion in philosophy ( not immediately apparent to the sense ) that is capable of so full and unquestionable an evidence from plain effects , as this . as for that kind of inward sensation , whereby we can discern the impressions of our own minds , they that have any sense of a law written in their hearts , or any natural notions about good and evil , must by these effects be convinced of a supreme being . and as for that kind of evidence which belongs to our understandings , if the universal consent of mankind be of any autority : if this visible world , replenished with such admirable variety of creatures , preserved and governed in such an excellent order , be any evidence of infinite power and wisdom : if besides what we our selves have known by our own experience , any credit be to be given to universal history , attesting to many signal providences that have happened in the world : besides the several miracles and prophesies , that have been taken notice of in several ages and nations . i say if any , or all of these things be of any force , they must needs render the thing i am proving to be credible in the highest degree , and even altogether unquestionable . in so much , that if a deity be supposed , it is not imaginable by what other kind of evidence we should be assured of it , than what we are now furnished withall . and it was before laid down as a principle , that when a thing is capable of good proof in any kind , men ought to rest satisfied in the best evidence for it which that kind of things will bear , and beyond which better could not be expected supposing it were true . if any should imagine , that frequent miracles might be a more powerful means to convince men of this principle . to this it may be said , . that this is not fitting : the proper work of miracles being for the confirmation of such doctrines as are not knowable by natural light , not for such things of which men may be sufficiently convinced by reason . . 't is not so certain , that this would be effectual . those frequent miracles in the passage of israel out of egypt , the dividing of the red-sea , the waters out of the rock , the cloud and pillar of fire , the mannah , the quails , the destruction of korah , &c. did not prevail with the generality of the israelites . those constant miracles under the mosaical dispensation ; the waters of jealousie ; the extraordinary plenty of the sixt year ; the urim and thummim ; the special protection of the coasts of israel every third year , when all the males were to go up to jerusalem to worship ; which custom of theirs must needs be known to their enemies , who lived round about them : none of all these , did prove effectual for the conviction of obstinate men . those occasional miracles wrought by our saviour , though they were so many and so great , as were never before wrought by any one , yet did they not prevail with many of the jews . if it be said , that none of these proofs do so infallibly conclude , but that there doth still remain a possibility that the thing may be otherwise . to this i have shewed before , that there may be an indubitable certainty , where there is not an infallible certainty : and that a meer possibility to the contrary , is not a sufficient cause of doubting . to which i now add , that if it should be supposed , that a man could not be sure of the being of god , yet 't is most evident that he could not be sure of the contrary : for this plain reason , because no man can be sure of a pure negative , namely , that such a thing is not ; unless he will either pretend , to have a certain knowledg of all things that are or may be , than which nothing can be more monstrously and ridiculously arrogant ; or else , unless he be sure that the being of what he denies doth imply a contradiction , for which there is not the least colour in this case ; the true notion of god consisting in this , that he is a being of all possible perfection . if it be supposed , that notwithstanding all that hath been said , there may yet be some probabilities to the contrary . to this it may be answered , that unless these probabilities were greater and stronger than those on the other side , no man who acts rationally will incline to them . and if there be any such , why are they not produced ? where are they to be found ? if men shall yet pretend , that though they cannot answer these arguments , yet they do really find some doubt in their own minds . i would ask such , have you seriously and impartially considered , what is alledged in this case ? it should be no prejudice to any proposition in philosophy or mathematicks , that an ignorant man who never applied his thoughts to such things , doth pretend to doubt of it . if you do in some measure understand , and have considered these arguments , i would then ask , have you not as much reason for this , as you your selves would think sufficient , for the proof of any thing you were not unwilling to believe ? do you not knowingly and wilfully entertain prejudices against such things ? have you been true to so much light as you have received ? or have you not rather with-held it in unrighteousness ? if so , 't is plain that you have dishonest minds , that you measure by an unjust balance , and therefore cannot be competent judges of truth or falshood . if it be supposed yet further , that the probabilities on each side should be equal , or that those on the other side should somewhat preponderate ; yet if there be no considerable hazard on that side which hath the least probability , and a very great and most apparent danger in a mistake about the other : in this case , every rational and prudent man is bound to order his actions in favour of that way which appears to be most safe and advantageous for his own interest ; as i have shewed before . so that in such cases , as may seem unto us not altogether free from some kind of doubt , and which we could not so far clear up to our selves , as to make them appear wholly unquestionable ; i say , in such cases , men that would act prudently , should enquire , where lies the danger of mistaking ? why , on the one side , all the inconvenience of believing this ( if it be not so ) , will be , that we are hereby occasioned to tye our selves up to some needless restraints during this short time of our lives , wherein notwithstanding there is as to the present , much peace , quiet , and safety ; and as for the future , our error shall dye with us , there being none to call us to an account for our mistake . but now on the other side , what if there should be a deity so holy , and just , and powerful , as is supposed ? if this should prove to be a real truth ( and no man can be sure of the contrary ) , what vengeance and indignation may such vile miscreants and traitors expect , who have made it their business to banish him out of the world , who is the great creator and governour of it , to undermine his being , to eradicate all notions of him out of the minds of men ; to provoke his creatures and vassals to a contempt of him , a slighting of his fear and worship , as being but such imaginary chimaera's as are fit only to keep fools in awe ? certainly , as this is the highest provocation , that any man can be guilty of , so shall it be punished with the sorest vengeance . there are two things that atheistical men propose to themselves by their prophane loose principles , namely , to avoid the imputation of credulity , and the fears and perplexities of mind , to which religion makes men obnoxious . but their principles are not more irrational , than their design is foolish ; for of all mankind these prophane persons are , . the most credulous , who can believe themselves to be wiser than all the world , who can believe the eternity of the world , or its production by a casual concourse of atoms , without any kind of argument for it , against the many reasons that are urged to the contrary . who if they should demean themselves about matters of the world , as they do about religion , would be counted ridiculous , senseless persons , and altogether unfit for humane conversation . . the most timorous . tully hath observed , that no kind of men are more afraid of god , than such as pretend not to believe his being . these are the men who above all others are most liable to be affected with dread and trembling , at thunder and lightning , at solitude and darkness , and more especially then when it doth most concern them to be freed from such disquiets , namely , in the time of sickness , and the approaches of death . from whence it will follow , that upon all accounts atheism may justly be accounted folly ; both as it is directly contrary to the principles of reason , and the rules of wisdom . i have now done with the first thing required to a state of religion , namely , a belief and an acknowledgment of the divine nature and existence . chap. viii . concerning the excellencies and perfections of the divine nature : and first , of those which are commonly called incommunicable , namely , simplicity , unity , immutability , infiniteness , immensity ,   eternity . i proceed to the second thing proposed as a principal part of natural religion , namely , due apprehensions of the divine excellency and perfections . without which , the meer belief of his being , will contribute but little to a true state of religion . a man may have such unworthy notions of a deity , that it would in some respects be as good , nay much better , to be without a god , than to have such a one , as he may frame . it would be better ( saith a great author ) to have no opinion of god , than such a one as is unworthy of him ; the one is but meer unbelief , the other is contumely . 't is a common saying cited out of plutarch's book of superstition , where he professeth it much more desirable to him , that posterity should say , that there never was any such man as plutarch , rather than that he was a fierce , unconstant , revengeful man , one who upon the least omission of any small circumstance towards him , by men otherways virtuous and worthy , would tear out their hearts , destroy their families and children , blast their fields , spoil their cattel with lightning and thunder . this would be such a representation as would make the notion and remembrance of him hateful ; and it were better to be forgotten , than to be remembred with infamy . now there are some opinions which do thus reproach the deity , and render him under such a notion , that if the gyants had prevailed in their attempt against heaven , that place had not been worse supplied . this therefore ought to be most carefully avoided . whereas the divine nature is supposed to be the first and supreme good , therefore the idea of all absolute perfection must be essential to the notion of him . and though it be very difficult for us to raise our minds to any due apprehensions of this ; yet we must endeavour in our thoughts of him , so far as our finite understandings are capable , to remove and separate from him whatever is in any kind evil or unworthy , and to ascribe unto him the utmost degree of all goodness and perfection . the most general notion that men have of god , is that he is the first cause , and a being of all possible perfection . some of his principal excellencies discoverable by the light of nature , may be reduced to these heads ; namely , such as are incommunicable ; absolute simplicity . essential unity . immutability . infiniteness , both in respect of place and time. immensity . eternity . communicable ; belonging either to the divine understanding , knowledg . wisdom . particular providence . will , namely , his goodness . justice . faithfulness . faculties of acting , his power . dominion over us in this life . distributing of future rewards and punishments . each of these attributes are upon this account of very great consequence to be believed and considered , because they are the foundations of those duties of religion which we owe to him . according as a man apprehends god to be , so must his esteem be of him , and his demeanour towards him . and whereas these great and necessary points , of so much influence to religion , have been usually treated of by others either too largely , by the inserting of several things less pertinent ; or too obscurely , by offering such proofs concerning them as are less intelligible , or intermixing the discourses about them , with such niceties as are neither very easie to be solved , nor material for men to know : i shall therefore in this place endeavour to avoid both these inconveniences , by treating concerning each of them with all imaginable brevity and plainness : observing this method . first , i shall endeavour to explain and describe , what is meant by each attribute ; and then prove , that these attributes so explained , must belong to the natural notion of god. which i shall make out , both by the consent of the wisest heathen , expressed by their declared opinions , and by their general practice suitable thereunto : and from the nature of the things themselves ; their congruity to the principles of reason , and the absurdities that will follow upon the denial of them . those are called incommunicable attributes , which are proper to god alone , and not communicated to any creature . the first of these i have proposed to treat of , is his absolute simplicity . by which i mean his freedom from all kind of composition or mixture , either of principles or of parts : and that this doth belong to the natural notion of the deity , may be evident , . from testimony of the heathen philosophers , who do generally acknowledg him to be the first cause and the most simple being , and do frequently style him mens pura & sincera segregata ab omni concretione mortali , &c. and not only scripture , but the very heathen likewise do express this attribute by the similitude of light , amongst all visible things the most pure and simple . . from natural reason , by which it will appear , that god cannot be compounded of any principles , because the principles and ingredients which concur to the making of any thing , must be antecedent to that thing . and if the divine nature were compounded , it would follow that there must be something in nature before him . which is inconsistent with his being the first cause . and here i shall take occasion to speak somewhat concerning the spirituality of the divine nature , as having some affinity with this , though it be none of the incommunicable attributes . i know it hath been said , with confidence enough , that the notion of a spirit , or immaterial substance , doth imply a contradiction ; and that there is an utter impossibility of any other being besides matter . but though this hath been said , yet was it never proved , nor can it be , till either a man be able to evince , that the notion of the word substance , according to the most general use of it , ( which gives signification to words ) , doth necessarily imply corporeity , than which nothing can be more false ; or unless a man shall pretend to the certain knowledg and comprehension of all things that are or may be , than which nothing can be more vain . what the positive notion of a spirit is , is not so necessary to enquire after , or determine . 't is sufficient , that we conceive of it by way of negation , namely , that it is a powerful intelligent being that is not matter , without figure or parts , not capable of rarefaction or condensation , not visible to our bodily eyes , and therefore not to be represented by any kind of sensible image : not subject to those necessary laws of matter , which cannot move unless it be moved , and cannot but move when impelled by another . i say , it may be sufficient in our apprehending the spirituality of god , to remove all corporeity and figure in our conceptions of him . now that this attribute doth belong to the divine nature , may be made evident both by testimony and by reason . . it hath been generally owned , by the wisest and most learned heathen . pythagoras is often cited for this ; by whom ( saith lactantius ) god was wont to be styled incorporalis mens , an incorporeal mind ; and by plato frequently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , without a body ; by other graecian philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the mind that made the world . plutarch styles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a separated form , not mixed with matter , without any thing in him that is passible . the latin philosophers do frequently give him the attribute of mens divina , mens pura & sincera , mens soluta & libera , segregata ab omni concretione mortali . . by reason . that spirituality is a perfection , and therefore to be ascribed unto god ; or rather , that corporeity is an imperfection , and therefore to be removed from him , may appear from hence . because the supposing of him to be matter is inconsistent with divers of his other most essential perfections ; as , . his immensity , if we do suppose these two reasonable postulata . . that there are some other things in the world besides god. and . that two bodies cannot be both at the same time in the same place . from whence it will follow , that wherever any other body or matter is , from thence god must be excluded ; and so many chasmes or breaches must there be in the divine nature . . his knowledg and wisdom , it being not imaginable , how meer matter should be able to comprehend , much less to contrive all that variety of things in the world , past , present , and to come . . his liberty and freedom , and consequently with his goodness . that action not being properly good , which is not done freely and out of choice . now the laws of matter are necessary , there can be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or arbitrary principle in meer matter . and it is worth observation , how this very argument puzzled epicurus and his followers , as is represented by lucretius . if all material things move by necessary laws , and the parts of matter be naturally so dispos'd , that they do not move unless they be moved , and cannot but move when press'd upon by other parts that are in motion ; whence comes that liberty which we may by an inward sensation perceive to be within us ? unde est haec inquam fatis avolsa voluntas ? to which he gives so wild and irrational an answer , from the motion of declining atoms , as doth sufficiently manifest him to be baffled by this objection . the second incommunicable attribute to be treated of , is the essential unity of the divine nature . by which i mean , his being one and no more . and that this perfection doth belong to the natural notion of god , may be made evident both by testimony and by reason . . by testimony . i have shewed before , how that notwithstanding that polytheism which did so generally abound amongst the heathen , yet the wiser and more considerate persons amongst them , have in all ages acknowledged one supreme deity . the egyptians of old , though of all others the most infamous for their multiplicity of gods , yet did assert one maker and chief governour of the world , under whom they did suppose several subordinate deities , who as his deputies did preside over several parts of the universe . the first occasion of these lesser deities , was probably from a desire that men had , to express their gratitude to , and to honour the memories of , such heroical persons , as in those first and ruder ages of the world , had either by their inventions or their prowess , been highly beneficial to mankind , or to their own countries ; who thereupon were for such publick services , thought fit to be advanced to the highest honour after their deaths , and admitted in a subordinate way , to some share of government , especially in taking care of the welfare of their countries . and to this doth the apostle seem to allude , cor. . , . where he saith , we know there is no other god but one , for though there be that are called gods , both in heaven and in earth , ( as there be gods many , and lords many ) : but to us there is but one god , the father , of whom are all things , and we in him . there are many attestations amongst the heathen writers concerning this attribute , the unity of the godhead . it is observed , that orpheus was the first amongst them that wrote concerning the genealogy of the gods , where he reduces them to the number of . but he was afterwards so sensible of this impious folly , that he writes a particular discourse to his son musaeus , and his other friends , wherein he doth solemnly recant these wild absurd fables , professing to them , that he thought himself obliged to rectifie these errors and abuses , which his former poem might have occasioned . and here he doth in the first place admonish them , that there is but one god , of himself , and none besides him ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by whom all other things are made , and upon whom they depend . and then he goes on to shew , that god is invisible , and yet sees and knows all things ; that as he is merciful , so is he just , being the author of those judgments which befal wicked men , with several other things to this purpose . and though homer do too often follow orpheus in these fictions , concerning a multitude of deities , yet when he is most serious , he supposes but one , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so sophocles , — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . there is but one god , who made the heaven and the earth . so pythagoras , and several others after him , style god by the name of monas or unity . it is commonly said , that socrates was put to death for his endeavouring to undeceive his country-men in that vanity they were addicted to , of worshipping a multitude of deities ; and that this made the writers after him , more shy in speaking their thoughts about this matter : but though plato do in some places ( for fear of incurring the same danger ) seem to favour this popular error , by defending polytheism , yet he acknowledges these subordinate deities to be begotten ; and he lays it down in another place as a principle , that whatever is begotten is corruptible , and therefore incapable of being properly a god. and ( if the th epistle be truly his ) , there is a remarkable passage in it to this purpose , where he gives this note , that in those epistolary discourses , where he designs to be more serious , he doth mention the name of god in the singular number ; but when he is not so , then he mentions gods in the plural . hierocles in his comment upon pythagoras golden verses , doth style him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , god of gods , the only maker of all things . arrian in his dissertations of epictetus , doth assure us , that in his time ( which was about years after christ ) , it was an usual form in the prayers of the heathen , to say , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lord have mercy upon us , whereby they did acknowledg the unity of that god whom they did invoke in their prayers . which clause is thought to be from that usage taken into the liturgies of the christians . so far then as the consent of the wisest and best men , in former times , is of any autority , so far is this attribute rendered highly credible . i shall only add that remarkable passage in maximus tyrius : though men differ much in their opinions about other matters , yet in this they all agree , that there is one god , the king and father of all ; under whom there are subordinate deities , his offspring , who are admitted to some share of government with him . in this the grecian consents with the barbarian , the inhabitants of the continent with the islanders , the wise with the unwise . . but besides the testimonies to this purpose , it may likewise be made evident by reason , that a plurality of gods is not only unnecessary , and therefore improbable ; but that it is such a supposition as doth imply in it many inconsistencies , and therefore is impossible . . 't is unnecessary , and therefore highly improbable . those have been always esteemed good rules , frustra fit per plura , &c. entia non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate . it is most suitable to that common analogy to be observed amongst natural things , even in lesser matters , that there is nothing amongst them superfluous or redundant ; and therefore much more ought it to be so , in the greatest and highest matters of all . now nothing can be more evident , than that one infinite being may be sufficient to all purposes whatsoever ; for if it had any limits , it were not infinite ; and nothing can be more absurd , than to suppose more gods than are necessary . . 't is not possible , that there should be two such infinite beings . because either they must have several perfections , or the same : neither of which is consistent with the most obvious notion of god , that he is a being of all possible perfections . to suppose two gods , with several perfections , some belonging to one , and some to another , will plainly prove , that neither of them can be god , because neither of them have all possible perfections . to suppose two gods of the same and equal perfections , would likewise prove , that neither of them can be god , ( i. e. ) , not absolutely perfect ; because it is not so great a priviledg , to have the same equal perfections with another , and in a kind of partnership , as to be alone and superior above all others . and to suppose one of them , whether of several or the same kinds of perfections with the other , but only in an inferior degree , may sufficiently evince that one of them is not properly god , because not supreme . . the third attribute to be discussed , is the divine immutability . by which i mean a freedom from all kind of change or inconstancy , both as to his nature and his purposes . and that this attribute is likewise very suitable to those natural notions which men have of god , may appear , . by testimony . plato having proposed the question , whether god be mutable and inconstant , answers expressly . 't is most necessary that he should be always the same and alike . his words are most emphatical , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he is never in any wise capable of any kind of change whatsoever . and in another place , he mentions these two things , as being the grand principles of religion . . that god is the cause of all good , and in no wise of any evil . . that he is constant and immutable , and cannot deceive by making various representations of himself . so seneca , speaking of the necessity of ascribing this attribute to the divine nature as to his purposes or counsels , hath this passage ; statuerunt quae non mutarunt , nec unquam primi consilii deos paenitet . god is always constant to his own decrees , and doth never repent of his purposes . and in another place , necesse est ei eadem placere , eui nisi optima placere non possunt ; nec ob hoc minus liber ac potens est , ipse enim est necessitas sua . 't is necessary that he should be always pleased with the same things , who can be pleased with nothing but what is best : nor can this be any prejudice to his liberty or his power , since he is his own necessity , i. e. nothing from without , but his own natutural perfection lays this necessity upon him . . by reason . there is an excellent argument to this purpose , in that place before-cited out of plato , which according to his manner , he delivers in a more copious way of expression . but the substance of it is this ; all change must be either involuntary and upon necessity , or voluntary and upon choice . now god being the most powerful being , cannot by any thing be necessitated to an involuntary change . and for any voluntary change , whereas it must be either for the better or the worse , it is not imaginable , that any wise being should be willing to change for the worse ; nor is it possible that any perfect being should change for the better . and therefore 't is necessary that the divine nature should be immutable . we esteem changeableness in men either an imperfection , or a fault . their natural changes , as to their persons , are from weakness and vanity ; their moral changes , as to their inclinations and purposes , are from ignorance or inconstancy . and therefore there is very good reason , why we should remove this from god , as being that which would darken all his other perfections . the greater the divine perfections are , the greater imperfection would mutability be . besides , that it would take away the foundation of all religion , love and fear , and affiance and worship : in which men would be very much discouraged , if they could not certainly rely upon god , but were in doubt that his nature might alter , and that hereafter he might be quite otherwise from what we now apprehend him to be . . infiniteness is another attribute most natural to the notion of god. by which is meant , his not being bounded by place , or space , or by duration , but being immense and eternal . . this attribute of gods immensity doth signifie his not being so confined by any bounds of space , but that he doth spread himself to all places that we can see or can imagine , and infinitely beyond : so as we cannot say , he is here and not there , thus far he reaches and not farther . some have thought , that it is not absolutely necessary to believe such a kind of omnipresence of the divine substance , as to be actually present in every place . but this is most necessary to be believed , that god is every-where in respect of his power and providence , whereby he doth influence and govern all things , ( which is hardly possible to conceive without his actual presence in all places ) and in respect of his knowledg , whereby he doth see and take notice of every thing , though never so secret ; and that he can pierce through all these created things , with greater facility than the light doth through the air. and that this doth belong to the natural notion of god , may appear , . by the general consent of the heathen , testified by their praying to him at any place or time , which shews that they were perswaded that he was always and every-where present , at least by his knowledg and his power . tully cites pythagoras affirming , deum esse animum per naturam rerum omnium intentum & commeantem , that god is a spirit or mind , which doth pass through all things . and in another place , he cites it as thales his saying , which he commends , homines existimare oportere , deos omnia cernere , deorum omnia esse plena , that men ought to think , that god beholds every thing , and fills every place . plato affirms , that god doth see and take notice of all our actions , words , and thoughts . so virgil , — jovis omnia plena . and in another place , — deum namque ire per omnes terrasque tractusque maris , coelumque profundum . so seneca speaking of god , saith , ubique & omnibus praesto est . he is every-where , and always at hand . and in another place , quocunque te flexeris , ibi illum videbis occurrentem tibi , nihil ab illo vacat , opus suum ipse implet . we can turn our selves no-whither but we shall meet him , no place is without him , he fills his own work. . by the principles of reason . if it were otherwise , and the divine nature should be limited , this would contradict his universal providence , and render all worship of him vain and useless . why should a man either fear him , or serve him , if he could neither hear our prayers , nor take notice of our wants , nor receive our acknowledgments . . for the attribute of eternity , whereby is signified gods being of infinite duration , without beginning or end ; that this likewise doth belong to the natural notion of god , may be evident , . by the general consent of the heathen philosophers . and though there have been disputes amongst them , about some of his other attributes , yet in this all of them have agreed . they do indeed describe the genealogies of their heroes and subordinate gods , but for the supreme deity , he is constantly acknowledged to be without beginning of time or end of days . epicurus himself , who had the lowest and meanest opinion of god , and robbed him of as many of his other perfections , as by the utmost straining of his wit he was able to do ; yet is forced to leave him this attribute . so tully relates of him , speaking to those of that sect , ubi igitur vestrum beatum & aeternum , quibus duobus verbis significatis deum ? where is that blessed and eternal being of yours ? which are the two usual words whereby you describe the nature of god ? and lucretius , who made it his design to represent to the world the doctrine of that philosopher , doth from him give this account of the divine nature , omnis enim per se divum natura necesse est immortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur . it is essential to the notion of god , that he should be happy and immortal . the poets themselves , who amongst all others had the wildest thoughts of god , yet do continually give him the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and seldom mention his name without it . and the oath most usual amongst them , was in this form , deos testor immortales , i appeal to the immortal gods. aristotle doth in several places , make eternity to be essential to the notion of god. and tully asserts it impossible to conceive of god without this perfection ; nos deum nisi sempiternum intelligere quî possumus ? how is it possible for us to conceive of god , but as being eternal ? there never yet was any man , that had any conception of god , who did not esteem him to be everlasting . to speak of a god that should be corruptible and mortal , is so monstrous an absurdity , that a man could not , though he should purposely study for it , devise any thing more wild and extravagant , saith plutarch . . there is very good reason , why this attribute should not by the most sceptical atheistical men be esteemed impossible , because they themselves are willing to grant it to the world , or at least to matter . and if we suppose god to be the first cause or mover , it will thence necessarily follow , that he must always be , and could not have a beginning ; because if he ever were only in possibility , he could not from thence pass into actual being , without some precedent cause and mover , which is inconsistent with his being the first cause . and if nothing could cause his being , then nothing can take it away , and consequently he must be everlasting . it would be a great abatement to all the other divine perfections , if they were finite and perishing . besides , that it would be altogether inconsistent with some of them , namely , his self-existence , and necessary existence . and withall , it must needs take off from the obligation to duty on the creatures part , if they were uncertain of the continuance of his being , by whom rewards and punishments were to be distributed in the world . chap. ix . of the communicable perfections of god : and first , of those which relate to the divine understanding , viz. knowledg , wisdom , particular providence . besides those incommunicable attributes already insisted upon , there are others styled communicable , because they are in some lower degree , and by way of participation , communicated to other inferior beings . and concerning these , there is a necessity that we should make an estimate of them , by such rules and measures as our natures are capable of . and because the chief perfections that we can apprehend in any reasonable essence , must refer to one of these three things , the understanding , the will , the faculties of working ; for this reason , these divine perfections may be reduced to these three heads . and whatever is the most excellent of rational beings , must excel in each of these , ( i. e. ) , there is no kind or degree of perfection that our imaginations are able to conceive , but these excellencies of the divine nature , must run out still beyond it , so as not to be determined by any real or imaginary bounds . i purpose to treat particularly concerning each of them , beginning with those perfections that belong to the divine understanding , namely , his knowledg , wisdom , and particular providence . . by the knowledg of god , i mean that perfection or faculty whereby he understands and considers things absolutely and as they are in their own natures , their powers , properties , differences , together with all the circumstances belonging to them . and 't is necessary to the notion of god , that this should be ascribed to him , in the utmost perfection of it , infinitely beyond what the most knowing and the most learned men can pretend unto . . his knowledg is most deep and intimate , reaching to the very essence of things , ours but slight and superficial . . his is clear and distinct , ours but confused and dark . . his infallible , ours doubtful and liable to mistakes . . his easie , and without labour and difficulty , always present and actual ; ours gotten by sore travail , and easily lost again by the defects of memory or age . . his universal , extending to all objects ; ours short and narrow , reaching only to some few things , that which is wanting cannot be numbred . he hath a perfect comprehension of all things , that have been , that are , or shall be , according to all the various relations , dependencies , circumstances , belonging to each of them . so that this attribute of his must be infinite and unbounded , both extensivè , with respect to the several kinds of objects which it comprehends ; and likewise intensivè , as it sees every single object with a most perfect infallible view . he doth not only understand all particulars ; but he knows every particular so exactly , as if he were wholly taken up and intent in his thoughts upon that alone . there is a vast difference betwixt the wisest of men , and such as are grosly ignorant and sottish ; and much greater betwixt men and other creatures , the little insects , ants and worms , which are no ways fit to pass a judgment concerning humane counsels and designs . and yet these things hold some proportion to one another , being both finite ; whereas betwixt gods knowledg and mans , the distance is infinite . and that this attribute doth belong to the natural notion of god , may appear , . from the acknowledgment of the heathen . tully mentions it as an usual saying of thales , deos omnia cernere , god beholds all things . so seneca , nihil deo clausum , interest animis nostris , & mediis cogitationibus intervenit . nothing is hid from god , he is intimate to our minds , and mingles himself with our very thoughts . besides , that general practice amongst them of swearing by him , and attesting him in their most solemn compacts , doth sufficiently imply their belief of his omniscience . . from natural reason . nothing can be more manifest , than that knowledg is a perfection , and therefore ought to be ascribed to that being which is supposed to have all possible perfection . 't is a perfection that we know to be in some of the creatures , and therefore must be much more in the creator himself . he that made the eye , shall be not see ? he that gives to men understanding , shall not be know ? besides , that the denial of this perfection , would necessarily infer many other imperfections in the divine nature . it would destroy his wisdom , providence , dominion . where there is no knowledg , there can be no forecast or provision for the future , nor any kind of regular government . in brief , the denial of this attribute must take away his goodness , veracity , justice . that being cannot properly be said to be good , which doth act either out of ignorance or blind necessity . . as knowledg doth respect things absolutely ; so wisdom doth consider the relations of things one to another , under the notion of means and end , and of their fitness or unfitness for the various purposes to which they are designed . and this likewise doth belong to the natural notion of god , may be evident , . by testimony . the heathen writers are full of expressions to this purpose . plato asserts wisdom to be a thing of that excellency , that it cannot properly be ascribed to any , but god. it is a saying of tully , sapiens est homo , & proptereae deus ; man is wise , and therefore much more god. and in the same book , deo tribuenda est ratio recta , constansque ; to god is to be ascribed right and steady reason ; and a little after he says , it must be such as is perfect and absolute . nothing more frequent in seneca , epictetus , antoninus , than to perswade men to an acquiescence under all the dispensations of providence , because they are ordered by the highest wisdom . . by reason . the want of wisdom is counted a very great imperfection , and one of the worst defects belonging to men ; and that which every one is most unwilling to own , being content to be counted any thing rather than a fool. and therefore there is very good reason , why we should remove this imperfection from that being , which is supposed to have all possible perfections . and what was said before concerning the denial of his knowledg , must be equally true likewise in this case , that it must necessarily destroy his other perfections , or render them insignificant . what reason would there be for men to trust either to his goodness , or his justice , or his providence in the managing of things , if he were not withall infinitely wise . and as for his power , that without wisdom , would be but a kind of a blind force , as much to be feared and hated , as loved and trusted to . . the third attribute to be considered is his particular providence , whereby he does superintend and take care of every individual thing in the world ; continuing them in their beings , disposing of their operations and effects in such a wise order , as may be most suitable to those ends and purposes for which they are designed . this likewise doth belong to the natural notion of god. though it must be granted , that the belief of this attribute hath met with some opposition from several of the philosophers , chiefly epicurus , who in truth was an atheist , and out of a pretended respect to the deity , did think it to be below his greatness ; and for the trouble of it , inconsistent with his happiness , to have any regard to these inferiour things , which he therefore imagined to be left to their own courses , whilst the divine nature is wholly taken up in the contemplation of it self . semota a nostris rebus sejunctaque longè . as lucretius speaks . but because this might seem to argue too slight and narrow apprehensions of the deity , therefore others to mend the matter , have thought that he might have leisure , and perhaps an inclination , to extend his providence to heavenly things , but not to earthly . others yet more bountiful , will allow it to reach both to celestial and terrestrial things : but then it must be only to the general kinds of them , which are to be put into a natural course ; not to every particular of each kind by it self , which they conceived must needs prove too great a trouble and distraction to his mind . but 't is evident that all these wild conceits did proceed from a misapprehension of what kind of knowledg or wisdom does belong to the deity , namely , infinite and absolutely perfect , not to be limited , nor capable of any difficulty to be put upon it , by the nature or number of things . any particular man , whom we know to be a person of diligence and sagacity , may without any trouble to himself undertake the management of any single business . why , god can with far greater facility provide for all , than any single man can for one . though we should suppose that the particulars to be taken care of , are infinite , yet so is his wisdom likewise ; and there is the same proportion of infinite to infinite , as of one to one . and that this attribute doth belong to the natural notion of god , may be made evident , . by the more general consent of the wise and learned heathen writers ( notwithstanding the dissent of some amongst them ) . aristotle himself , or whoever else was the author of that book de mundo , amongst other testimonies he gives of the divine providence , hath this for one , that as a governour is to a ship , as a law to a city , as a general in an army , so is god in the world ; but with this difference , that they perform their business not without labour , care and difficulty ; whereas the divine providence doth dispose of all and every particular thing , without the least kind of trouble . tully doth acknowledg that the providence of god doth extend not only , universo generi hominum , sed etiam singulis , to mankind in general , but likewise to every particular person . and in another place , deorum providentiâ mundus administratur , iidemque consulunt rebus humanis , neque solum universis , sed etiam singulis . the whole world is governed by divine providence , and not only human affairs in general , but likewise every particular business . seneca speaking of such as denied particular providence , hath this remarkable passage , sunt qui putant , &c. there are some who think so well of their own minds , that they are able to take care of their own business , and to provide for other mens affairs likewise ; and yet are so absurd as to question , whether this great universe , whereof they themselves are but a very inconsiderable part , be managed by any kind of wisdom or counsel , and not left wholly to chance . hierocles doth acknowledg , that the providence of god doth extend to contingencies . and to say no more by way of testimony , this may sufficiently appear , by the general practice of swearing by him , and praying to him , which doth sufficiently evince their belief of his particular providence . . by reason . the denial of this attribute will evacuate several others , namely , his goodness , justice , dominion , which must all signifie nothing without providence in the application of them . and withall , the denial of this , doth take away the ground of worship . the belief of a particular providence , being necessary unto that adoration which we owe to the divine nature . the greatness and the excellency of the deity in it self , abstracted from any concernment of our own , will have but a very flat and jejune operation upon our hearts . do we not find by experience , that men have but little regard to the great mogul , the cham of tartary , the emperors of china and persia , and such other potentates of remote countreys ? who though they are princes of great power and magnificence , able to bring many hundred thousands of fighting-men into the field ; yet they having nothing to do with us , nor we with them , we have therefore but a small regard for them . whereas the next ordinary gentleman , who is but lord of a mannour , or justice of peace , with whom we are concerned to deal , and who hath any power of punishing or rewarding , of doing us either a kindness or a discourtesie , we use to be accordingly affected in our esteem and veneration towards him . and thus must it be likewise for our adoration of the divine nature , which will be either more or less , according as we conceive our selves more or less concerned in his providence towards us . chap. x. of the perfections relating to the divine will ; goodness , justice , faithfulness . . the perfections belonging to the divine will , were before reckoned to be , . his goodness . . his justice . . his truth and faithfulness . . his goodness . by which word is sometimes signified , the notion of perfection in general ; and sometimes it denotes moral goodness , in opposition to all kind of moral imperfections . of both which kinds of goodness , god is the fountain and author , the rule and measure , from whom all created goodness is derived , and by conformity to whom it is to be estimated . but that more particular sense of this word , according to which it is now to be treated of , doth respect the inclination of the divine will toward his creatures ; that propension of his , whereby he is generally disposed to procure their happiness : in opposition to envy or malice , which delights in withholding good from others , or doing mischief to them . and that this attribute is natural to the notion of god , may appear , . by testimony . there being no one perfection about which the generality of men are more agreed than about this , ( excepting only the epicureans ) , who attribute nothing to god but everlasting happiness and blessedness , which yet cannot be without goodness . plato styles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the best being . and his common title amongst the latins , was deus optimus maximus . and our forefathers in this nation , seem to have given this very name of god from good. that is a known and an excellent passage in seneca , primus est deorum cultus , deos credere ; deinde reddere illis majestatem suam , reddere bonitatem sine qua nulla majestas . the most fundamental thing in religion , is to acknowledg the being of god , and then to demean our selves towards him suitably to the greatness of his majesty , and to his goodness , without which there can be no majesty . and in another place , he that doth not acknowledg the goodness of the divine nature , doth not take notice of the general custom amongst men , of praying to him in their distress , and making vows both publick and private , which would not be , unless they had this perswasion well fixed within them , that god was ready to hear and to help them , and that he is in his own nature propense to kindness and pity . nec in hunc furorem omnes mortales consensissent , alloquendi surda numina & inefficaces deos. nor is it possible , that all mankind should so unanimously agree together in so great a madness , of praying to such deities as they did not believe could either hear or help them . and in another place , quaedam sunt quae nocere non possunt , &c. some things there are of so benign and helpful a nature , so mild and beneficial , that nothing of evil or hurt can proceed from them : such is the deity , who neither can , nor will , do any thing that is mischievous ; being as remote from any action , that is injurious to others as to it self . and elsewhere , ecce sceleratis sol oritur , & piratis patent maria . he causeth his sun to shine upon the just and unjust , and the seas are open to pirates as well as merchants . he communicates his bounty to us in our infancy and childhood , when we can have no sense of it : nor doth he presently withdraw and cease his favours towards such wretches , as make a question and doubt concerning the author of them : nor is there any person so miserable and wretched , who hath not in several respects had experience of the divine bounty . hierocles asserts , that god is essentially good ; not by accident and from external motives and considerations . . by reason . it is so plain , so fundamental a notion , that goodness must belong to god , that i know not how to go about the proof of it . 't is the brightest ray of the deity , the first and clearest notion we have of god. we may see every day many thousand visible effects of this goodness in the world . and there are some glimpses and weak impressions of it amongst the creatures , and therefore much more must it be in the creator himself . this is the foundation of all worship and religion amongst men , the reason of their prayers to god , and praises of him . without this , his other attributes would not afford any sufficient ground for our love and adoration of him . knowledg and power without goodness , would be but craft and violence . he can by his wisdom out-wit his creatures , and easily impose upon them ; and by his power he could tyrannize over them , and play with their misery ; but that he will not do thus , we are assured by his goodness . this is so essential to him , that to imagine him without goodness , were to imagine a god without a deity , i. e. without that which chiefly constitutes him what he is : nay , it were to imagine instead of a god , a worse devil , and more qualify'd to do mischief , than any is now in the world . . the second attribute belonging to the divine will , is his justice . by which is meant not only the rectitude of his nature in general , but more specially his dealing with his creatures according to the desert of their deeds . and that this perfection is natural to the notion of god , may appear , . by testimony . it is an assertion of plato , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , god cannot be said in any kind or respect whatsoever to be unjust , but so far as is possible to be most just . tully lays it down as a principle , that before men are fit to associate under government , they ought to be first convinced , that god is the supreme governour of the world , and doth take particular notice , qualis quisque sit , quid agat , quid in se admittat , quâ mente , quâ pietate religiones colat , piorumque & impiorum habere rationem ; what kind of person every one is , what he doth , and what he thinks , how his heart stands inclined to the duties of religion , and will deal with every one according to his reality or hypocrisie in such matters . and that this was the general belief amongst them , may appear by the universal custom of attesting him by solemn oaths ; whereby they did-appeal to him as a righteous judg , who would certainly revenge all falshood and injustice . . from reason . and that not so much because justice is a perfection , as because injustice is so great a blemish and imperfection ; especially in the great soveraign and judg of the world , who having all power and authority in his hands , can have no temptation or byass imaginable to do any thing that is unjust . . his truth and faithfulness . by which is meant , the congruity of his words to his intentions , especially in respect of any promises which he hath made . and that this doth belong to the natural notion of god , may be made evident , . from testimony . plato asserts , all kind of lying and falshood to be imperfections most odious both to god and man , and that the divine nature is absolutely free from all kind of temptation to it ; so that there can be no imaginable reason why god should falsifie . porphyrie in the life of pythagoras tells us , that it was one of his precepts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that men should most of all endeavour after truth , because this only can make them like god. and he adds afterwards , that truth is so great a perfection , that if god would render himself visible to men , he would chuse light for his body , and truth for his soul. . from reason . it is one of the greatest reproaches , and an argument of baseness amongst men , to be counted a lyar : and therefore must it necessarily be removed from that being which is supposed to have all possible perfections , and to be the father of truth , as the devil is of lyes . that which tempts men to falsifie , is usually either the fear of some evil , or the hope of some advantage . the reason why they break their words , is either because of their rashness and inconsiderateness in making promises , or their forgetfulness in not minding them , or their inconstancy in not keeping to them , or their impotence to perform them . but now the divine nature being infinitely wise and allsufficient , can have no temptation to be otherwise than true and faithful . his infinite knowledg and wisdom doth secure him , from being deceived himself ; his omnipotence doth exempt him , from standing in need of deceiving others ; and his goodness secures us , from the lest suspition of any inclination thereto . chap. xi . of the perfections belonging to the powers and faculties of acting , viz. power , dominion , distribution of future rewards and punishments . those perfections which are essential to the notion of god , with respect to his faculties of working , are likewise three fold : . his power or omnipotence . . his dominion or right to govern us in this life . . his distributing of future rewards and punishments after this life . . by the power or omnipotence of god is meant , an ability of doing all such things , the doing of which may argue perfection , and which do not imply a contradiction , either in the things themselves , or to the nature and perfection of the doer . some things are repugnant to the perfection of god , either naturally , as that he should be sick or dye ; or else morally , as that he should lye or deceive : both which imply imperfection . and some other things may imply contradiction , either directly , or by plain consequence . and of such matters it is not so proper to say , that he cannot do them , as that they cannot be done . as the object of the understanding , the eye , and the ear , is that which is intelligible , visible , audible : so the object of power , must be that which is possible . and as it is no prejudice to the most perfect understanding , or sight , or hearing , that it doth not understand what is not intelligible , or see what is not visible , or hear what is not audible ; so neither is it to the most perfect power , that it doth not do what is not possible . every kind of faculty being necessarily determined to its own proper object . but as for all possible things , it is natural and necessary to apprehend of god , that he can do whatsoever any other single thing , or a combination of all other things put together , can perform , and infinitely more ; and that without any kind of labour or difficulty : so that his power must be infinite extensively , with respect to all objects ; and intensively , with respect to the acts of it , together with the manner and degrees of them . that this kind of omnipotence doth belong to the natural notion of god , may appear , . by testimony . it is a frequent title given unto god by the grecian philosophers , who style him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , omnipotent . and nothing is more frequent amongst the latines , than the titles of jupiter omnipotens , optimus-maximus : he is generally acknowledged to be the creator and governour of the world , upon which account they call him , opifex rerum , and rector mundi . it is an acknowledgment of tully , nihil est quod deus efficere non possit , & quidem sine ullo labore . there is nothing which god cannot do , and that without any kind of labour . . by reason . if the power of god could be limited or circumscribed , it must either be by something of greater power , which is inconsistent with the notion of his being supreme and soveraign : or else by the difficulty and repugnancy which there is in the nature of things ; which could not be in the first creation of them , because there was nothing then to make any resistance , and since that , there is nothing but what was made by him , derived from him , and is dependant upon him , and therefore must be subject to him . and besides , all such things being finite , must therefore be at a vast distance of inequality from the infinite power of god. to which may be added , that all his other perfections would be insignificant and ineffectual , if his power of acting , whereby they were to be communicated to inferior natures , were not answerable to them . meer knowledg without power would be but an idle speculation ; wisdom to contrive , without power to effect , would be but vain and useless . what could his goodness and mercy signifie to us , if he were not able to give any proofs of it . and so likewise for his justice and faithfulness , which there would be no reason to fear or to depend upon , if rewards and punishments were not at his disposal , and he had not sufficient power to perform what he promises . nor could there be any sufficient ground for his being acknowledged the supreme lawgiver . for why should any one take upon him to intermeddle in the affairs of the world , and to prescribe laws to others , who had no power to dispose of things , and were not able to enforce obedience to his own laws ? in brief , without the belief of this attribute , there can be no foundation for religion , amongst men ; because there could be no ground for our faith or trust , no reason for our hope or fear . . besides this absolute consideration of the divine power , there is likewise a relative notion of it , respecting that dominion and jurisdiction which he hath over reasonable creatures , his right to govern them in this life ; to command , prohibit what he pleases , to reward and punish as shall seem good unto him . and that this doth belong to the natural notion of god , may appear , . by testimony . plato , and tully , and plutarch , do often style him , the lord of all things , the eternal god , father and creator of the world , and all things in it . deo nihil praestantius , ab eo igitur necesse est mundum regi , saith tully , god is the most excellent being , and therefore is it necessary that he should be the governour of the world . and in another place , deorum immortalium numine , omnia regi gubernarique credimus . we believe that god is the governour of all things . to which i shall add that testimony of a heathen king , nebuchadnezzar , in that remonstrance which he published to all people , nations , and languages , that dwell in all the earth , viz. that gods dominion is an everlasting dominion , and his kingdom is from generation to generation , and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him . and he doth according to his will , in the armies of heaven , and amongst the inhabitants of the earth , and none can stay his hand , or say unto him , what dost thou ? and as this was their declared opinion , so was their practice suitable to it ; by owning that to be their duty which they supposed to be agreeable to his will , and which would render them acceptable to him . . by reason . if we consider those several titles which can give right to dominion amongst men , we shall find them all to concur in god. now men claim a right of government , either by conquest , or purchase , or compact , or by having others born in a state of subjection under them , or by their having oblig'd others with any special bounty or favour ; but above all these , there is another ground of subjection , which men cannot pretend to , namely , the giving of being to a thing . and this must needs , above all other claims , be the greatest imaginable right , for the government and disposal of that thing , according to the pleasure of him that made it . it is he that made us , ( says the psalmist ) and not we our selves ; and therefore we are his people , and 't is reasonable that we should be under his dominion and government . . the distribution of future rewards and punishments to men , according as their lives and actions have been in this world . that this likewise doth belong to the natural notion of god , may appear , . by testimony . from all kind of heathen writers . nothing hath been more universally believed in all places and times , not only amongst the civilized nations , the grecians and romans ; but likewise amongst such as were most wild and barbarous . all sorts and professions of men , of any special eminence , as princes , statesmen , souldiers , philosophers , poets , artists , have had great impressions upon their minds concerning a future state . and it may be reasonably presumed ( as tully observes ) , that those who do so much excel others in their parts and their virtue , are not generally mistaken in their judgments about a natural truth . whereas several other opinions and doctrines , which at some times have prevailed , have afterwards been rejected ; this hath still kept up in its vigor and authority , amidst all the various revolutions of government and religion , of nations and churches . the most ancient philosophers amongst the grecians , who reduced that people to civility , were thales , pherecides , pythagoras ; the last of whom was for a long time of so great authority , that no others were counted learned but such as were his followers . and each of these have most expresly asserted this doctrine . and besides there are many other testimonies to this purpose , cited out of plato , empedocles , plutarch , together with homer , euripides , sophocles , for the grecians ; the ancient druids amongst the gauls ; the brachmans amongst the indians , who are all mention'd as bearing witness to this truth , by justin martyr , clemens alexandrinus , and others . and as for the latines , i shall mention only two testimonies ; that of tully , permanere animos arbitramur , consensu nationum omnium . we do believe that the souls of men do abide after death , by the consent of all nations . and that of seneca , cum de animarum aeternitate disserimus , non leve momentum apud nos babet , consensus omnium , aut timentium inferos , aut colentium . when we dispute about the immortality of the soul , the general consent of men , either fearing or worshipping the infernal powers , is of no small moment with us . that common practice amongst the heathen , of worshipping their departed heroes , doth suppose a general belief that their souls did remain after death , and were advanced unto a higher state of happiness and power . in brief , all the attestations amongst them , concerning the souls immortality , are founded in their belief of the necessity of this principle , that there must be a future state of rewards and punishments . though it must be granted , that this state as to the manner of it , is by them described in such a poetical way , as is more fit to amuse and make impression upon the vulgar , than to satisfie the reason of the judicious . they tell us , that good men shall after their death be received into the elysian fields and gardens , which are always flourishing and pleasant , where men shall be continually exercised in such kind of employments as are most suitable to their inclinations ; some in combats , running , wrestling ; others in philosophical discourses ; others in dancing or musick ; where such kinds of actions or things , whether in themselves worthy , or meerly innocent , in which good men during the time of their lives , did find any special pleasure , should be enjoyed by them in the utmost perfection . and as this shall be the state of such as have been virtuous , so those who have been wicked shall be thrust down into the infernal regions , into prisons and dark caverns , where furies are appointed for their tormentors , who shall inflict upon them various kinds of punishments , according to the nature and quality of the crimes of which they have been guilty . and though such kind of enjoyments wherein these heathen placed their future happiness , be not altogether so sensual as the turkish paradise , yet are they too earthly and gross for any rational man to rest in as his chief felicity . and must , even to the judgment of meer reason , seem altogether despicable in comparison to the christians heaven ; which consists in the raising of our natures to the highest perfection of which they are capable , in a perpetual vision and fruition of the supreme good. it must be granted , that the principal evidence for this doctrine concerning a future state of rewards and punishments , is to be derived from scripture , especially from the new testament , where 't is said that life and immortality is brought to light by the gospel . not but that there is evidence for it , both from the old testament , and from the light of nature . 't is true indeed , that temporal things are more expresly insisted upon in the promises and threats of the old testament , upon account of the grosness and dulness of the people of the jews , who being more immersed in sensible things , were therefore more easie to be wrought upon by such considerations . but that these things were not then intended for the chief motives of religion , may appear from the histories concerning such religious persons as lived in those first ages . amongst whom , there were but very few ( if any ) that did attain to any such perfect felicity in respect of worldly things , but that they might very well apply to themselves the words of old jacob , and say with him , few and evil have the days of my life been . and if god had intended these temporal enjoyments , for the chief felicity which that religion was to entitle them unto ; those very histories upon record , where these promises are mentioned , concerning the sufferings of the best men in those times , must needs have been a disparagement and confutation to these promises themselves . but besides the testimonies to this purpose from scripture and revelation , it is not imaginable that in a point of so great moment , and so universal consequence as this is , god should have left himself without a witness unto all the nations of the world ; but that all men should be endowed with such natural capacities and notions , as being improved by consideration , will afford sufficient evidence for the belief of this great and fundamental principle . as for such men who live under the sense of guilt , whose interest it is that there should be no future account ; it cannot be otherwise expected from such , but that they should be willing to disbelieve this . and from hence it is , that some of the ancient philosophers have employed their learning and subtilty , to dispute themselves into some kind of doubt and uncertainty about it . and yet the generality even of these , have been forced to acknowledg it much more probable than the contrary . and as for the vulgar sort of people , who are guided by the more simple dictates of nature , these have in all ages and nations submitted themselves to this doctrine , and professed a firm belief of it . and though vulgar opinion be but a very bad topick , about such matters as may gratifie men in their ease and sensual appetites ; yet in such other opinions as are cross to their worldly interests , it may argue such things to be from some natural impression upon their minds , which they must believe , and cannot otherwise chuse . the arguments i would make use of to this purpose , may be reduced to these three general heads : . the suitableness of this principle , to the most natural notions of our minds . . the necessity of it to the government of mens lives and actions in this world . . the necessity of it for the vindication of divine providence . . i begin with the first , the suitableness of it to the most natural notions of our minds , and those kind of impressions which belong to us , as we are reasonable creatures . we see by experience , that all other things ( so far as we are able to judg ) minerals , plants , beasts , &c. are naturally endowed with such principles as are most fit to promote the perfection of their natures , in their several kinds . and therefore it is by no means credible , that mankind only , the most excellent of all other creatures in this visible world , for the service of whom so many other things seem to be designed , should have such kind of principles interwoven in his very nature , as do contain in them meer cheats and delusions . and therefore whatsoever those things are , which the generality of mankind , especially the most wise and the most considerate part of them , do agree in , ought to be allowed for highly credible ; otherwise it must follow , that we are framed with such kind of faculties , as in our most cautious exercise of them , are more likely to seduce us and expose us to error , than to direct and lead us to the truth . but i shall endeavour to manifest this more particularly , by these three considerations . . this principle is most suitable to the general apprehensions of mankind , concerning the nature of good and evil . . to those natural hopes and expectations which the generality of good men have , concerning a state of future happiness . . to those natural fears and expectations which the generality of wicked men are possessed with , concerning a future state of punishment and misery . . this principle is most suitable to the general apprehensions of mankind , concerning the nature of good and evil . all men heretofore have agreed , that there is such a thing as the law of nature , whereby things are distinguished into good and bad ; according to which , the actions of men are determined to be either virtuous or vicious . and as the one of these doth in the essence of it imply comeliness and reward , so doth the other denote turpitude and punishment ; these things being implied in the very definitions of virtue and vice . and from hence it will follow , that as there is some superiour power who hath put this law into our natures , so will he take care to enforce the observance of it , by rewarding and punishing men accordingly . this being implied in the nature of a law. if there be nothing in the naked essence of things that makes them to differ , but what doth meerly arise from custom and positive laws ; why then custom and law would be able to render it a very virtuous and commendable thing , for a man to be ingrateful , a breaker of compacts , a false witness , a perjured person ; which is so monstrous a position , that the common reason of mankind will abhor it , upon the first proposal . nothing is more obvious , than that there is an universal desire amongst men , of seeming honest : the most impudent and profligate wretch being loth to be esteemed what really he is . the very sin of hypocrisie , so general amongst men , doth give a large testimony to the beauty of goodness , and the deformity of vice . nor is there any account to be given , why there should be impressed upon the nature of men such a value for the one , and dislike for the other , if there were not in the things themselves , something suitable to those contrary affections . we see by experience , that there is such a kind of rest and acquiescence in the mind , upon the discovery of truth , and the doing of virtuous actions , as belongs to natural bodies when they are in their proper places ; which may argue these things to have some peculiar suitableness to the soul of man , and that the opposites to them do offer violence to some natural principle belonging to it . . this principle is most suitable to those natural hopes and expectations , which the generality of good men have concerning a state of future happiness . from whence doth arise that confidence and courage , whereby those of meanest quality and abilities ( if otherwise virtuous persons ) can support themselves in their sufferings for that which is good ; which doth necessarily suppos● in them a strong and even a natural belief and perswasion of such a future state , wherein their sufferings shall be considered and rewarded . besides that , there is a strong aversion amongst men , against a dark state of annihilation , which no man can think of without great regret of mind : and likewise a natural desire in all men after a state of happiness and perfection . and no natural desire is in vain . all other things have somewhat to satisfie their natural appetites . and if we consider the utter impossibility of attaining to any such condition in this life , this will render it highly credible , that there must be another state wherein this happiness is attainable ; otherwise mankind must fail of his chief end , being by a natural principle most strongly inclined to such a state of happiness as he can never attain to ; as if he were purposely framed to be tormented betwixt these two passions , desire and despair ; an earnest propension after happiness , and an utter incapacity of ever enjoying it ; as if nature it self , whereby all other things are disposed to their perfection , did serve only in mankind to make them miserable . and which is yet more considerable , the better and the wiser any man is , the more earnest desires and hopes hath he after such a state of happiness . and if there be no such thing , not only nature , but virtue likewise must contribute to make men miserable ; than which , nothing can seem more unreasonable , to those who believe a just and a wise providence . . this principle is most suitable to those fears and expectations which the generality of wicked men are possessed with , concerning a future state of misery . witness those natural suggestions of conscience in the worst of men , that upon any wicked actions ( though never so private ) are oftentimes startling of them , with the apprehensions of another judicature and tribunal , before which they shall be called to an account for the closest sins . all that secret regret , and those inward smitings , laniatus & ictus , which are so often felt in the minds of men , upon the commission of any great sin , do argue some common intimations , even in the light of nature , of another judgment after this life , wherein they shall be accountable for such actions as men do not punish or take notice of . and these natural fears do usually seize upon all kind of men promiscuously : even those who are most potent , who by their own will can give laws to nations , and command mighty armies ; yet cannot they avoid these checks and lashes of conscience , but that they will seize upon them , and shake them as well as the poorest meanest subject . nor can such as are most obstinately wicked , who with their utmost study and endeavour , apply themselves to the suppressing and disbelief of these notions , so wholly stifle them , but that they will be continually rising up in their minds and pursuing of them . now as there is no man whatsoever , that is wholly freed from these fears , of future misery after death ; so there is no creature below man , that hath any fears of this kind . and if there be no real ground for this , then must it follow , that he who framed all his other works with such an excellent congruity , did yet so contrive the nature of man , the most noble amongst them , as to prove a needless torment and burden to it self . if it be said , that these notions may proceed from such principles as men have derived from institution and the teaching of others , but that they do not imply a necessity of any such natural impressions . to this it may be answered , that it is sufficient to denominate them natural notions , if they have such a suitableness to the minds of men , as makes them to be generally owned by all those who apply their thoughts to the consideration of them : and that they have such a natural suitableness , may appear , because institution cannot so easily eradicate these notions , as it can fix them . now if the meer teaching of others were it self sufficient to impress these notions , without any such peculiar congruity in the things themselves , it would be as sufficient to deface them again : especially considering the advantage on this side , from that natural repugnancy which we have to any thing which brings disquiet to our minds . and nothing is more troublesome in this kind , than the fear which follows upon guilt . but now , though there have been several men of no mean abilities , in several ages , who have made it their business to root out of the minds of men all such troublesome notions about a future state , endeavouring to perswade themselves and others , that as there was a time before they were born into the world , when they were not ; so at their dying or going out of it , they shall exist no more . and yet , though it be their interest to believe this , though they make it their study and business to perswade themselves and others of it ; it may reasonably be doubted , whether ever yet there hath been so much as one person , that hath hereby become absolutely free from these fears : but for the most part , those who would have them esteemed vain and imaginary , without any foundation in nature , these are the persons who are most assaulted with them . hi sunt qui trepidant , & ad omnia fulgura pallent . so powerful and unconquerable are these impressions , and therefore natural . . the second reason i proposed to speak to , was from the necessity of this principle , to the right government of mens lives and actions in this world , and the preserving of society amongst them . nothing can be more evident , than that humane nature is so framed , as not to be regulated and kept within due bounds , without laws ; and laws must be insignificant , without the sanction of rewards and punishments , whereby men may be induced to the observance of them : now the temporal rewards and punishments of this life , cannot be sufficient to this end ; and therefore there is a necessity , that there should be another future state of happiness and misery . all the rewards and punishments of this life are to be expected , either from the civil magistrate , who by virtue of his place and calling is obliged to the duty of distributive justice : or else from divine providence , according to that most usual course which we find by experience to be observed by him , in his dispensation of these temporal things . now neither of these can afford sufficient motives , for the government of mens lives and actions . . not all that may be expected from the civil magistrates , because there may be many good and evil actions which they cannot take notice of ; and they can reward and punish only such things , as come under their cognizance . and if this were the only restraint upon men , it could be no hinderance from any such mischiefs or villanies which men had the opportunity of committing secretly . nor would it extend to those , who had power and strength enough to defend themselves from the law , and escape the penalty of it , but that such might without any kind of check or fear follow the inclinations of their own appetites : nor would it afford any remedy in the case of such wicked magistrates as should invert the order of their institution , proving terrors to well-doers , and encouragers to those that do ill . . not all that may be expected from common providence : for though it should be granted , that according to the most usual and general course of things , both virtuous and vicious actions are rewarded and punished in this life ; yet there may be many particular cases , which this motive would not reach unto ; namely , all such cases where a mans reason shall inform him , that there is far greater probability of safety and advantage by committing a sin , than can be reasonably expected ( according to his experience of the usual course of things in the world ) by doing his duty . suppose the case of the three children , or of any other called to martyrdom , who may be threatned with torments and death , unless they will blaspheme god and renounce their religion ; if it appear to them very probable ( suppose a hundred to one ) , that upon their refusal , their persecutors will really execute what they threaten : and if on the other side , it prove very improbable ( suppose ten thousand to one ) that they shall be delivered by a miracle : in such cases , it is not to be expected , that the consideration of the ordinary course of providence in the dispensation of rewards and punishments , should be sufficient to restrain a man from any kind of blasphemy or villany whatsoever . but the thing i am speaking to , will more fully appear , by consideration of those horrid mischiefs of all kinds , that would most naturally follow from the denial of this doctrine . if there be no such thing to be expected as happiness or misery hereafter , why then the only business that men are to take care of , is their present well-being in this world. there being nothing to be counted either good or bad , but in order to these : those things which we conceive to be conducible to it , being the only duties ; and all other things that are cross to it , being the only sins . and therefore whatever a man's appetite shall incline him to , he ought not to deny himself in it ( be the thing what it will ) so he can have it , or do it , without probable danger . suppose it be matter of gain or prosit he is disposed to ; if he can cheat or steal securely , this will be so far from being a fault , that it is plainly his duty , that is , reasonable for him to do . because it is a proper means to promote his chief end . and so for other cases of anger , hatred , revenge , &c. according to this principle a man must take the first opportunity of satisfying these passions , by doing any kind of mischief to the person he is offended with ; whether by false accusation and perjury , or ( if need be ) by poysoning or stabbing of him ; provided he can do these things so , as to escape the suspition of others , and humane penalties . now let any man judg , what bears , and wolves , and devils , men would prove to one another , if every thing should be not only lawful , but a duty , whereby they might gratifie their impetuous lusts ; if they might either perjure themselves , or steal , or murder , as often as they could do it safely , and get any advantage by it . but these things are so very obvious and undeniable , that the most prophane atheistical persons do own the truth of them . and upon this they are willing to acknowledg , that religion and the belief of another life , is a very politick invention , and needful for the well-governing of the world , and for the keeping of men in awe , from the doing any secret mischiefs . which ( by the way ) is a concession of no small advantage to the honour of religion , considering that it proceeds from the greatest professed enemies to it . whereby they grant , that it is fit these things should be true , if they are not ; or at least , that it is fit that the generality of men should believe them to be true . and though themselves pretend to believe otherwise , yet are they not so far out of their wits , as to be willing that those with whom they converse , their wives , and children , and servants , should be of the same opinion with them ; because then they could have no reason to expect any safety amongst them . what security could any man have of his estate , or honour , or life , if such with whom he is most familiar and intimate , might think themselves at liberty to do all the secret mischiefs to them which they had the opportunity to commit ? but there is one thing more , which those who profess to disbelieve this principle , should do well to consider ; and that is this , that there is no imaginable reason , why ( amongst those that know them ) they should pretend to any kind of honesty or conscience , because they are wholly destitute of all such motives as may be sufficient to oblige them to any thing of this nature : but according to them , that which is called virtue and religion must be one of the most silly and useless things in the world . as for the principle of honour , which some imagine may supply the room of conscience . this relates only to external reputation , and the esteem which we have amongst others ; and therefore can be of no influence , to restrain men from doing any secret mischief . from what hath been said it will follow , that those who have any regard to their own safety , ought to abandon all kind of society with such pernicious persons , who according to their own principles , must take all opportunities of doing any mischief to others , which they are able to effect with any advantage to themselves . now if this be so ( as i have proved ) , that the nature of man is so framed , as not to be effectually perswaded and wrought upon , without the consideration of such a future state ; if it be necessary , to add everlasting motives , as the sanctions of that law , by which the humane nature is to be governed ; this must render it highly credible , that there is such a state , because it must needs be very unworthy of god , to conceive of him , that he hath contrived the nature of one of his best and most noble creatures after such a manner , as to make it incapable of being governed without falshood and deceit . the necessity of this principle to the government of mens lives and actions , is the ground of that saying amongst the rabbins , that paradise and hell are two of the seven pillars upon which god is said to have founded the world. as if it could not be upheld without such a support . . the third and last argument , i proposed to speak to , was from the necessity of this principle to the vindication of divine providence . nothing is more universally acknowledged , than that god is good and just ; that well-doing shall be rewarded , and evil actions punished by him . and yet we see , that his dispensations in this life are many times promiscuous and uncertain , so that a man cannot judg of love or hatred , by all that is before him . the worst of men are sometimes in the best condition , if in this life only we had hope , we should be of all men most miserable , saith the apostle , speaking concerning those primitive times of persecution , when the better any man was , the more was he exposed to suffering . nor is it thus only in the case of particular persons , or in the success of private differences betwixt men and men ; but likewise for some of those decisions that are made by the sword , in the publick contests of princes and nations ; these may sometimes be so stated , as to the event of them , as may in the judgment of wise and good men seem unequal , and not according to justice and the right of the cause . now the greater uncertainty there is as to the present affairs of this world , by so much greater is the certainty of a future judgment . it is true indeed , that virtue may be said to be a reward to it self , and vice a punishment ; in regard of that satisfaction , or that regret of mind which doth accompany such things . but these are not such kind of rewards and punishments , as lawgivers are to take care of ; by which they are to excite those under the government , to overcome the labours and difficulties that they may sometimes meet with in doing their duty , and to restrain others from wicked actions . it would seem a wild extravagant law , which should propose by way of reward , that those who had upon account of religion or virtue , undergone any great dangers and troubles , should for their reward be put again to undergo more and greater . that they who had been guilty of robbery , should by way of punishment be obliged to commit murder . besides those moral advantages or mischiefs , which are properly the effects of virtue and vice ; there is likewise some physical good or evil , that may be expected as the reward and punishment of them . would it become a just governour , to permit his rebellious subjects , those who contemn his laws , to persecute such as were obedient to him , with all kind of scorn and violence , stripes , imprisonment , torments , and death it self ; and that for this very reason , because they were willing to do their duties , and to observe the laws ? would it be a reasonable excuse for such a ruler to say , that one of these had received sufficient , punishment in the very commission of such crimes ; and that the other had a sufficient reward , both in the doing of his duty , and in his suffering for it ? what could be more inconsistent with the rules of justice , and the wise ends of government ? what could be a greater disparagement to divine providence , than to permit the calamities and sufferings which good men undergo in this world , many times upon the account of religion , to pass unrewarded ; and the many mischiefs and prophanations , which wicked men take the advantage of committing by their greatness and prosperity in this world , to go unpunished ? what great glory would it be , to preside over this material world , stars and meteors , sea and land , plants and beasts , to put these things into such a regular course as may be suitable to their natures , and the operations for which they are designed ; and in the mean space to have no proportionable regard , either for those that reverence the deity , or those who contemn him ? 't is very well said to this purpose by a late author , that not to conduct the course of nature in a due manner , might speak some defect of wisdom in god ; but not to compensate virtue and vice , besides the defect of wisdom in not adjusting things suitably to their qualifications , but crosly coupling prosperity with vice , and misery with virtue , would argue too great a defect of goodness and of justice . and perhaps it would not be less expedient ( saith he ) with epicurus , to deny all providence , than to ascribe to it such defects : it being less unworthy of the divine nature , to neglect the universe altogether , than to administer humane affairs with so much injustice and irregularity . and therefore 't is necessary for the vindication of divine providence , that there should be a future state , and day of accounts , wherein every man shall be forced to acknowledg , that verily there is a reward for the righteous , doubtless there is a god that judgeth the earth . chap. xii . concerning the duties of religion naturally flowing from the consideration of the divine nature and perfections : and first , of adoration and worship . having dispatched the two first things i proposed as the principal ingredients to a state of religion , namely , . a belief and an acknowledgment of the divine nature and existence . . due apprehensions of his excellencies and perfections . i proceed now to the third , namely , suitable affections and demeanour towards him . which must naturally follow from the former . the serious belief and consideration of those incomparable excellencies which there are in the divine nature , ought not to be terminated in meer speculation , but must derive an influence upon the heart and affections ; it being natural for men to proportion their esteem of things , according to that worth and dignity which they apprehend to be in them . and therefore that being which hath in it all possible perfections , may justly challenge all possible esteem and veneration , as due to it . in the enumerating of those several affections and duties , i shall observe the same method which i have formerly used in reckoning up the attributes themselves . . gods incommunicable excellencies should dispose our minds to adoration and worship . . the communicable attributes , which belong to the divine . understanding , namely , his infinite knowledg and wisdom , and his particular providence , should work in us , faith , affiance , hope , confidence . . will , namely , his goodness , justice , faithfulness , are naturally apt to excite in us , love , desire , zeal . . eaculties of acting , namely , his power , which should produce in us reverence and fear : his dominion over us , and distributing of future rewards and punishments , which calls for our obedience , both active and passive . though i cannot say , that each of these affections and duties are so to be restrained to those respective attributes unto which i have ascribed them , but that the consideration of any of the rest , may have a proper influence to dispose men to any , or to all of them ; yet that there is some more peculiar reference and correspondence betwixt these attributes and these affections and duties , as they are here conjoined , i shall endeavour to shew in treating concerning each of them . . those incommunicable and superlative excellencies of the divine nature , whereby god doth infinitely transcend all other beings , are naturally apt to work in us , a high esteem and admiration of him ; a readiness of mind , upon all occasions , to express our adoration and worship towards him . that worship is due to god , hath been universally acknowledged , in all ages and nations . and aristotle asserts , that whosoever doth doubt of , or deny this , ought not to be dealt with by arguments , but by punishments . that it is the excellency of any being which is the proper ground of the worship we pay to it , hath been generally acknowledged . the philosophers have owned this . so tully , praestans deorum natura , &c. the nature of god may justly challenge the worship of men , because of its superlative excellency , blessedness , eternity . for whatsoever excels , hath upon that account a veneration due to it . so seneca , deus colitur propter majestatem eximiam , singularemque naturam . god is therefore worshipped , because of his excellent majesty and incomparable nature . and to this the scripture likewise doth attest . all nations whom thou hast made , shall come and worship before thee , and shall glorifie thy name , for thou art great , and dost wonderous things , thou art god alone . and again , psal. . , having said , for the lord is a great god , and a great king above all gods , it is presently subjoined , o come let us worship , and fall down , and kneel before the lord our maker . and yet again , psal. . . worship him all ye gods : and the reason is given presently after , for thou lord art high above all the earth , thou art exalted far above all gods . by worship , i mean in the general , the highest esteem and admiration of him in our minds , whereby we do continually bow down our souls before him , in the acknowledgment of his excellencies ; depending upon him , invoking of him in our necessities , making our acknowledgments to him , as being the author of all the mercies we enjoy ; together with such external services , as may be fit to testifie unto others that inward veneration which we have for him , whether by the humblest gestures , of prostration or bowing our selves before him , kneeling , lifting up our hands and eyes unto him ; being always ready to speak good of his name , to make his praise glorious . which must be accompanied with a hearty zeal and indignation , against all such things as reflect dishonour upon him . besides this general habit of worship , with which our minds should always be possessed , there are likewise some particular actions and services , which by the light of nature , and the consent of nations have been judged proper to express our honouring of him : as the setting apart of particular persons , and places , and times , peculiarly for his worship . it hath been the general practise of all nations , to have amongst them a distinct calling of men , set apart to officiate in sacris , to assist the people in their publick worship , to instruct them in their duties , and to excite them to the performance of them . which being a work of so publick usefulness and general necessity , common reason will assure us , that the best way of providing for it , is by such persons as are bred up to it , and set apart for it . such men are like to have the greatest skill , who have made it their business and their greatest care , and who are obliged to it by way of office. it is natural for men who are joined together in civil societies , to join likewise in religious worship . and in order to this , 't is necessary that there should be publick places , and solemn times set apart for such assemblies . which hath accordingly been the practice of all civilized nations . and in the manner of performing their publick worship , it was still required to be done with all imaginable submission and reverence . this the stoick commends , and cites aristotle for it ; egregiè aristoteles ait , nunquam nos verecundiores esse debere , quam cum de diis agitur , &c. men are never more concerned to be humble and modest , than when they have to do about god. we should enter the temples , with an humble and composed demeanour . when we approach to sacrifice , it should be with all imaginable expressions of reverence and modesty , in our countenance and carriage . as for the chief matter and substance of natural worship , unto which the light of reason will direct , i know no other , than invoking of the deity , returning thanks to him , and inquiring after his will. those things which are superadded to these , in that most acceptable way of worship revealed in the gospel , are not proper to be discoursed of here , because they depend meerly upon revelation . it is true indeed , that all nations pretending to any religion , from the most ancient times to which any record doth extend , have agreed in the way of worship by sacrifice . and from this general practise , there may seem to be some ground to infer , this way of worship to have been directed by the light of nature . but when 't is well considered , what little ground there is to perswade a man , left to his own free reason , that god should be pleased with the killing and burning of beasts , or with the destroying of such things by fire of which better use might be made , if they were disposed of some other way ; i say , when it is well considered , what little reason there is to induce such a man to believe , that the killing or burning of beasts or birds , or any other thing useful to mankind , should of it self be a proper and natural means to testifie our subjection to god , or to be used by way of expiation from sin ; it will rather appear probable , that the original of this practice was from institution , and that our first parents were by particular revelation instructed in this way of worship , from whom it was delivered down to their successive generations by verbal tradition ; and by this means was continued in those families , who departed from the church , and proved heathen in the first ages of the world ; amongst whom this tradition was in course of time , for want of care and frequent renewals , corrupted with many humane superinducements , according to the genius or interests of several times , or nations . as for the reasons , why god was pleased to institute to his own people this way of worship , there are these two things may be suggested . . sacrifices had a typical reference unto that great design which was to be accomplished in the fulness of time , by the sacrifice of christ upon the cross , which is at large explained and applied in several parts of the new testament , particularly in the epistle to the hebrews , from whence many strong arguments may now be deduced , for confirmation of the truth of the gospel . . because this way of worship was most suitable to those ages ; the providence of god having purposely adapted his own institutions of worship , unto the abilities and capacities of men in several times . discovering himself to his people in divers manners , according to sundry times . and therefore in those first and ruder ages of the world , when people were more generally immersed in sensible things , and stood in need of somewhat to raise and fix their imaginations , god was pleased to amuse them with external pomp and solemnities , and to employ that time of their nonage , about these plainer rudiments or elements of the world . but when they were grown up from this nonage , when the generality of men became more notional , better able to consider and abstract things ; when by the spreading of the roman conquests , which extended to the most considerable parts of the world , they had likewise spread their arts and civilities , reducing the provinces which came under their power , from that savageness and barbarism with which they had formerly been overspread , to the love and desire of all peaceful arts , and the study of all useful knowledg , whereby the minds of men were rendered more rational and inquisitive than before they had been , and consequently better prepared for the reception of the christian religion : in this fulness of time ( as the scripture styles it ) did the providence of god think fit to introduce christian religion , a more rational and spiritual way of worship , whose precepts are most agreeable to the purest and sublimest reason ; consisting chiefly in a regulation of the mind and spirit , and such kind of practices as may promote the good of humane society , and most effectually conduce to the perfecting of our natures , and the rendering of them happy . and that the most rational kind of worship doth consist in such kind of qualifications and services , besides the attestation of several scriptures to this purpose , may likewise be made evident by the acknowledgment of the wisest heathens . eusebius quotes menander a greek poet to this purpose , ( sometimes cited by st. paul ) , men do in vain , saith he , endeavour to make the gods propitious by their costly sacrifices ; if they would have the divine favour , let them love and adore god in their hearts , be just and holy in their conversations . and in another place , he cites the like sayings out of porphyrie , in his book de sacrificiis , & apollonius , &c. so maximus tyrius , speaking concerning those divers solemnities wherewith several nations did honour their gods , saith , he would be loth , by denying any of these , to derogate from the honour of the deity ; but men should chiefly labour to have him in their minds , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they should principally endeavour to know him , and to love him . so seneca , having discoursed concerning those external adorations and ceremonies , whereby several men were wont to express their devotion , he says , humana ambitio iftis capitur officiis , deum colit qui novit ; such formalities may be acceptable to the ambition of men , but he only can truly worship god who knows him . the first step ( saith he ) unto divine worship , is to believe the being of god , and then to demean our selves towards him suitably to the greatness of his majesty . vis deos propitiare , bonus esto ; satis illos coluit quisquis imitatus est . would you render him propitious to you , endeavour to be good ; that man only doth truly worship him , who labours to be like him . so tully , cultus antem deorum est optimus , idemque castissimus , atque sanctissimus , plenissimusque pietatis , ut eos semper purâ , integrâ , incorruptâ mente & voce veneremur . to which i shall only add that saying of persius , where he prefers an honest and a virtuous mind , above all other costly sacrifices and offerings . compositum jus fasque animi , sanctosque recessus mentis , & incoctum generoso pectus honesto , haec cedo , ut admoveam templis , & farre litabo . if true worship did consist only in costly sacrifices , then such alone as were rich , could be religious ; whereas god is more ready to accept the meanest offering , from a person of a just and worthy and generous mind , who doth truly love and devote himself to him , than of the most pompous costly sacrifices from others . and thus have i done treating of those kind of affections , which naturally follow from due apprehensions of the incommunicable attributes belonging to the divine nature , namely , adoration and worship . chap. xiii . of faith or affiance in god. i proceed to those other affections whereby we are to give unto god ( so far as creatures are capable ) that honour which is due to those communicable perfections belonging to the divine understanding , will , faculties of acting , namely , his wisdom , goodness , power , dominion , and superiority over us , and his distribution of future rewards and punishments ; which should respectively excite in us , affiance , love , reverence , and obedience , both active and passive . and though each of these graces , have sufficient foundation in every one of the divine excellencies promiscuously , yet there is some more peculiar reference and correspondence amongst them , according to this order . i purpose to speak to each of them , severally and briefly . first , concerning affiance ; by which i mean an acquiescence of the mind , whereby it is supported against all unnecessary doubts and fears , upon account of the divine all-sufficiency in general , with more special respect to his knowledg and wisdom and providence , whereby he doth take notice of our conditions , and is able to order all things for the best , and doth not permit any thing to befall us without his knowledg of it , and being concerned for it . this grace , according to its different relations , is usually distinguished into these three branches : . as it respects an act of the judgment in assenting to all divine truths , whether discoverable by reason or by revelation , so 't is styled faith. . as it imports a resting of the will and affections in the divine goodness , whether discovered to us by the light of nature or by revelation , so 't is styled trust ; and according to the greater measure or degree of it , confidence and plerophory . so the heathen , who have no revelation , can support themselves in their sufferings for that which is good , with the consideration that god will take care of them . . as it relates to the expectation and desire after some future good which we stand in need of , or the escaping of some evil we are obnoxious unto , so 't is styled hope . but i shall treat of these promiscuously , because they agree in the general nature of affiance . and how reasonable and proper this affiance in god is , will appear from these considerations . . 't is necessary to our present state in this world , that there should be something for us , to lean upon , and have recourse unto , as our support and refuge . . god alone is an all-sufficient stay , upon which the mind of man can securely repose it self in every condition . . 't is necessary to our present state in this world , that there should be something for us to lean upon , and have recourse unto , as our support and refuge . this the ancient poets have signified in their fable of pandora's box , which when epimetheus had opened , and saw all manner of evils flying out of it , he suddenly closed it again , and so kept in hope at the bottom of it , as being the only remedy left to mankind , against all those evils to which they are obnoxious . every man at his best estate , is but a feeble infirm creature ; what from the impotence of his mind , and the disorder of his passions from within ; together with the troubles and difficulties that he shall meet withall from without ; the great obscurity which there is in the nature of things , that uncertainty which attends the issues and events of them ; the mutability of all humane affairs , which cannot possibly be secured by all the imaginable wisdom and foresight which men are capable of . from all which it sufficiently appears , that faith and hope and trust are altogether necessary to the state of men in this world ; and that they must always be in an unsafe , unquiet condition , unless they have somewhat to support and relieve them in their exigences . 't is observed of the hopp , and other such climbing plants , which are not of strength enough to bear up themselves , that they will by natural instinct lean towards and clasp about any thing that is next , which may help to bear them up ; and in the want of a tree or a pole , which is their proper support , they will wind about a thistle or a nettle , or any other weed , though in the issue it will help to choak and destroy the growth of them , instead of furthering it . the application is easie , all flesh is grass , and the glory thereof , as the flower of the field , of a fading impotent condition , standing in need of something without it self for its protection and support . and a mistake in the choice of such helps , may sometimes prove fatal . our conditions in this world are often in scripture represented by a state of warfare , wherein the virtues of faith and hope are said to be our brest-plate , our shield , and our helmet , the chief defensive arms , whereby we are to be guarded against all assaults . and sometimes by a state travelling by sea , wherein hope is our anchor , that which must fix and keep us steddy in the midst of all storms . . god alone is an all-sufficient stay , upon which the mind of man can securely repose it self in every condition . for which reason he is in the scripture phrase styled the hope of israel , the confidence of all the ends of the earth , and of such as are afar off upon the sea , the god of hope . which titles he hath been pleased to assume unto himself , to teach us this lesson , that our faith and hope should be in god. the principal conditions requisite in that person , who is fit to be a proper object of our confidence are these four : . perfect knowledge and wisdom , to understand our conditions , and what may be the most proper helps and remedies for them . . unquestionable goodness , love , faithfulness , to be concerned for us , and to take care of us . . sufficient power , to relieve us in every condition . . everlastingness , that may reach to us and our posterity to all generations . all which are only to be found in god. from whence it will appear , that as he is the only proper object of our trust , so by not-trusting in him , we do deny to him the honour which is due to these divine excellencies , and consequently are deficient in one of the chief parts of religion . . he alone hath perfect knowledg and wisdom to understand our conditions , and what may be the most proper remedy for them . his understanding is infinite . our most secret thoughts and inward groanings are not hid from him . he knows our diseases , and what physick is fittest for us , the best means of help , and the most fitting season to apply those means . he is infinitely wise to contrive such ways of safety and deliverance , as will surmount all those difficulties and perplexities which would put humane wisdom to a loss . he doth sometimes accomplish his ends without any visible means ; filling mens bellies with his hid treasure , making them to thrive and prosper in the world , by such secret ways as men understand not . and sometimes he doth blast the most likely means , so that the battel is not to the strong , nor yet bread to the wise , nor riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill ; but it may happen to them , as the prophet speaks , that though they sow much , yet they bring in but little , they eat and have not enough , they drink but are not filled , they are clothed but not warm , earn wages but put it into a bag with holes . and therefore upon this account , there is very good reason why god should be the object of our confidence . . he is likewise infinite as to his goodness , love , truth , faithfulness , whereby he is concerned for our welfare , and doth take care for us . the nearest and dearest relations which we have in the world , in whom we have most reason to be confident , our father and mother may forsake us : and as for such whom we have obliged by all imaginable kindness , they may deal deceitfully with us , and prove like winter brooks , which in wet seasons , when there is no need of them , will run with a torrent , but are quite vanished in a time of drought . whilst we are in a prosperous condition they will be forward to apply themselves to us , with great professions of kindness and zeal ; but if our condition prove any way declining , they presently fall off and become strangers , forgetting and renouncing all obligations of friendship and gratitude , rather than run the least hazard or trouble to do us a kindness . that man hath had but little experience in the world , to whom this is not very evident . but now the mercy and goodness of god is over all his works , and more especially extended to such as are in a state of misery , the fatherless and widows , the prisoners , the poor , and the stranger . he is the helper of the friendless . that which amongst men is usually the chief occasion to take off their affection and kindness , namely , misery and affliction , is a principal argument to entitle us to the favour of god , and therefore is frequently made use of by good men in h. scripture to that purpose . o go not far from me , for trouble is nigh at hand , and there is none to help me ; i am in misery , o hear me speedily . . he is of infinite power , for our relief and supply in every condition ; being able to do whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and in earth , and in the sea , and in all deep places . he is the first cause of every thing , both as to its being and operation . we depend wholly upon his power , not only for the issues and events of things , but likewise for the means . and therefore 't is in scripture made an argument why we should not trust in riches , or in any worldly thing , because power belongs to god. and 't is elsewhere urged for a reason why we should trust in the lord for ever , because in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . and upon this consideration abraham is said to have hoped against hope , being fully perswaded that what god had promis'd he was able to perform . . he is everlasting , whereas all other helps and comforts which we can propose to our selves are transient and fading . as for our fathers , where are they ? and do the prophets , or princes , live for ever ? their days upon earth are a shadow that fleeteth away , their breath goeth forth , and they return to the earth , and then all their thoughts perish : whereas he is from everlasting to everlasting , god blessed for ever ; and his righteousness extendeth to childrens children , even to all generations . we see by daily experience , persons of great hopes and expectations , when their patrons dye upon whom they had their dependance , to what a forlorn and helpless condition they are reduced : but now this can never befall the man who trusteth in the lord , and whose hope the lord is . and 't is one of the greatest priviledges of religion , that it doth furnish a man with such a sure refuge and support against all kind of exigences , whereby he may bear up his spirit under those difficulties wherewith others are overwhelmed . 't is true indeed , it cannot be denied , but that god doth expect , and the nature of things doth require , that men should be suitably affected with joy or sorrow , according as their conditions are ; but yet with this difference , that those who believe the providence of god , should not be so deeply affected with these things as other men , they should weep as not weeping , and rejoice as not rejoicing . they should not upon any occasion fear or sorrow as men without hope , but should demean themselves as persons that have an higher principle to be acted by , and to live upon , than any of these sensible things . i cannot omit to suggest one observation concerning this duty of affiance , which i have now been insisting upon ; that though this particular virtue , and others of the like affinity , be evidently moral duties , our obligation to them being clearly deducible from the light of nature and the principles of reason , and consequently must be owned by the heathen philosophers ; yet they do in their writings , speak but sparingly , concerning those kind of virtues which are of a more spiritual nature , and tend most to the elevating and refining of the mind . and on the other side , the scripture doth most of all insist upon the excellency and necessity of these kind of graces . which is one of the main differences , betwixt the scripture and other moral writings . and for this reason it is , that in speaking of these graces and virtues , i do more frequently allude to scripture expressions . chap. xiv . of the love of god. secondly , as for those perfections belonging to the divine will , namely , his goodness , his justice , his truth and faithfulness : the due apprehension of these , should excite in us the virtue of love , with all the genuine fruits of it . by love , i mean an esteeming of him , and a seeking after him as our only happiness . so that there are two ingredients of this virtue of love , estimation and choice . . an estimation of the judgment ; a due valuation of those excellencies which are in the divine nature , whereby we look upon god as the supreme being in genere boni : from whom all created goodness is derived , and by conformity to whom it is to be measured . and this notion is the proper importance of the word charity , whereby we account a thing dear or pretious . and in this sense doth our saviour oppose despising to loving , either he must hate the one , and love the other ; or he must hold to the one , and despise the other . now these perfections of the divine nature may be considered , either absolutely or relatively . . absolutely , as they are in themselves , abstracting from any benefit that we our selves may have by them . and in this sense they can only produce in us an esteem of our judgments , without any desire or zeal in our will or affections . the devil doth understand these absolute perfections of the divine nature , that god is in himself most wise , most just , and powerful : and he knows withal that these things are good , deserving esteem and veneration ; and yet he doth not love god for these perfections , because he himself is evil , and is not like to receive any benefit by them . . relatively , with reference to that advantage which may arrive to us from the divine goodness . when men are convinced of their infinite need of him , and their misery without him ; and that their utmost felicity doth consist in the enjoyment of him : this is that which properly provokes affection and desire , namely , his relative goodness as to us . there is scarce any one under such transports of love , as to believe the person whom he loves , to be in all respects the most virtuous , wise , beautiful , wealthy that is in the world . he may know many others , that do in some , if not in all these respects , exceed . and yet he hath not an equal love for them , because he hath not the same hopes of attaining an interest in them , and being made happy by them . so that this virtue doth properly consist in such a kind of esteem , as is withal accompanied with a hope and belief of promoting our own happiness by them . and this is properly the true ground and original of our love to god. from whence will follow . our choice of him , as being the only proper object of our happiness , preferring him before any thing else that may come in competition with them . not only ( as the scripture expresseth it ) loving him above father and mother , but hating father and mother , yea and life it self for his sake : counting all other things but dross and dung , in comparison of him . now it cannot otherwise be , but that a due apprehension of the divine excellencies in general , especially of his particular goodness to us , must excite in the soul suitable affections towards him . and hence it is , that the misapprehension of the divine nature , as to this attribute , doth naturally produce in men that kind of superstition styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which imports a frightful and over-timorous notion of the deity , representing god as austere and rigorous , easily provoked by every little circumstantial mistake , and as easily appeased again by any flattering and slight formalities . not but that there is sufficient evidence from the principles of natural reason , to evince the contrary ; but the true ground of their mistake in this matter , is from their own vitious and corrupt affections . 't is most natural for selfish and narrow men , to make themselves the rule and measure of perfection in other things . and hence it is , that according as a mans own inclinations are , so will he be apt to think of god ; thou thoughtest that i was altogether such an one as thy self . those that are of ill natures and of little minds , whose thoughts are fixed upon small and low matters , laying greater weight upon circumstances , salutes , addresses , than upon the real worth of persons and substantial duties , being themselves apt to be provoked unto wrath and fierceness , upon the omission of these lesser circumstances , and to be pacified again by any flattering and formal services ; such men must consequently think themselves obliged to deal just so towards god , as they expect that others should deal with them . and according to the different natures and tempers of those men who do mistake this notion of the divine goodness , so are the effects and consequences of this mistake various ( as a learned man hath well observed ) when it meets with stout and sturdy natures , who are under a consciousness of guilt , it works them to atheism , hardens them to an opposition of him , to an endeavour of undermining and destroying the notion of that deity , by whom they are not like to be safe or happy . if with more soft and timorous natures , men of base and slavish minds , it puts such men on to flatter and collogue with him , and to propitiate his favour by their zeal in lesser matters . and though in this kind of temper and carriage there may be a shew of religion , yet the terminating of it in such things is most destructive to the nature of it , rendring all converse with the deity irksom and grievous , begetting a kind of forced and praeternatural zeal , instead of that inward love and delight , and those other genuine kindly advantages which should arise to the soul from an internal frame of religion . and that the perfections of the divine nature , and particularly his goodness , should excite our love of him , may be made evident by all kind of proofs . there being no kind of motive to affection , whether imaginary or real , but 't is infinitely more in god than in any thing else besides . i shall mention only these three things . . his absolute goodness and excellency . . his relative goodness and kindness to us . . the necessity we are under of being utterly lost and undone , without an interest in his favour . . his absolute perfections are infinite , being the original of all that good which we behold in other things . whatever attractives we find diffused amongst other creatures , by which they are rendred amiable , they are all derived from him , and they are all , in comparison to him , but as little drops to the ocean . there is much of loveliness in the fabrick of this beautiful world , the glorious sun , the moon and the stars which he hath ordained ; which is abundantly enough to render the notion and the name of him excellent in all the earth . we may perhaps know some particular persons so very eminent for all kind of accomplishments , virtue , and wisdom , and goodness , &c. as to contract an esteem and veneration from all that know them . but now the highest perfections that are in men , besides that they are derived from him , are so infinitely disproportionable to his , that they may be said not to be in any of the creatures . there is some kind of communicated goodness , and wisdom , and power , and immortality in men ; and yet these perfections are in scripture appropriated to the divine nature in such a manner , as if no creature did partake of them . there is none good , or wise , but he . he is the only potentate ; who only hath immortality . no man can take a serious view of the works he hath wrought , whether they concern creation or providence , but he must needs acknowledg , concerning the author of them , that he is altogether lovely , and say with the prophet , how great is his goodness ? and how great is his bounty ? the comeliness of them is upon all accounts so eminent and conspicuous , as cannot but be owned by every one who considers them . for any man to ask , what beauty is , this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as aristotle speaks , the question of a blind man. every man who hath eyes , may judg of it at first view . not to discern it , is a sure argument of blindness and darkness . and that the divine nature is not more amiable to us , shews the great imperfection of our present condition . it shall be the perpetual employment of our future state in heaven , to celebrate these excellencies of the divine nature . the blessed angels , and the spirits of just men made perfect , do receive a chief part of their felicity , by contemplating these divine perfections in the beatifical vision . . his relative goodness and kindness to us ; testified in so many particulars , that when we would reckon them up , they are more in number than the sand . he is the author of our beings and our well-beings . it is he that made us , and not we our selves . he spreads our tables , and fills our cups , in him we live , and move , and have our beings . he doth daily follow us , compass us about , load us with his benefits . he gives us all that we enjoy , and he is willing upon our repentance to forgive us all that we offend . and to whom much is given , or forgiven , they should love much . to love them that love us , is a duty but of a low attainment , the publicans and sinners do the same ; nay , the very beasts will do it , the oxe knows his owner , and the ass his masters crib . that person must be void of the reason of a man , who will not admire and love god for his excellencies ; but he that doth not love him for his kindness , must be more stupid and senseless than the brute creatures . . we are utterly undone , without an interest in his favour . so that if the apprehension of his absolute goodness cannot work upon our reason , nor the sense of his relative goodness or kindness upon our ingenuity and gratitude ; yet the consideration of our undone estate without him , ought to prevail with all such , as have not forfeited the first and most universal principle of self-preservation . the not having him for our friend , and much more the having him for our enemy , putting a man into an absolute incapacity of all kind of happiness . 't is a question proposed by st. austin , why we are so often in scripture enjoyned to love god and our neighbours , but have no-where any precept commanding us to love our selves ? to which he gives this answer , fingi non potest major dilectio sui , quàm dilectio dei ; the highest and truest self-love , is to love that which can alone make us happy . men do not need any motive or argument to perswade them to love themselves . 't is a natural principle , rather than a moral duty ; they must do so , nor can they do otherwise . only this is that wherein they stand in greatest need of direction , how to set this natural principle on work upon its due object . felicity must be every mans chief end , there is no need of perswading any one to that ; all the difficulty is to convince men , wherein this happiness doth consist . and there is no rational considering man , but must needs grant it to be in the fruition of the first and supreme good ; so that to love god as our happiness is to love our selves , beyond which there is nothing to be said or fancyed by way of motive or perswasion . 't is a duty this , upon all accounts , so plain and reasonable , that no man whatsoever can pretend to any kind of doubt or dispute about it . and therefore i shall add no more by way of proof or confirmation of the necessity of it . i shall only offer two considerations , which should engage mens utmost diligence and caution in this matter . . 't is a business of greatest consequence , to know whether we truly love god. . 't is a matter wherein we are very liable to mistake . . 't is a business of unspeakable concernment , to understand whether we love god or not : it being the same thing as to enquire , whether there be any thing in us of true religion , or not . 't is not a question about the fruits or the branches , but about the root ; not about the degrees , but about the very essence of grace and holiness . there being no medium betwixt loving god and hating of him . he that is not with me , is against me , ( saith our saviour ) , luke . . . and then 't is a matter wherein men are liable to mistake . there is naturally in all nations of men , who dwell on the face of the earth , a kind of confused inclination towards god , whereby they seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him , as the apostle speaks . and men are apt to mistake this natural propension for the grace of love ; whereas this is rather an inclination , than a firm choice and resolution ; rather a natural disposition , than an acquired or infused habit . none could have more confident perswasions of their love to god , and their zeal for him , than the jews had ; and yet our saviour tells them , but i know you , that you have not the love of god in you . 't is not an outward profession , though accompanied with zeal , that is a sufficient argument of our love . though there are many in the world , who both live and dye under this delusion , mat. . . many will say unto me in that day , lord , lord , have we not prophesied in thy name , and in thy name have cast out devils , and in thy name done many wonderful works . and then will i profess unto them , i never knew you , depart from me you that work iniquity . 't is not the being gifted and called , for these extraordinary works of prophesying and miracles ; 't is not an ability to undergo the flames of martyrdom , and the giving our bodies to be burned : neither gifts nor priviledges , nor some particular acts of duty , though of the most noble kind and greatest difficulty , can be a sufficient evidence of this love . so that 't is a matter wherein men are very liable to mistake , and where a mistake will prove of infinite consequence . and therefore will it concern us , to be very considerate and cautious in our enquiry about it . there is one kind of affection seated in the rational part of the soul , the understanding and will ; and another in the sensitive , the fancy and appetite . the one consisting in a full conviction , deliberate choice , and firm resolution ; the other consisting more in some sudden impetus and transport of desire after a thing . the first of these may be styled the virtue , the other the passion of love . now though a man should , in some fits of devotion , love god with as great a degree of fervor , as to passionate sensitive love , as some martyrs have done ; yet were it possible for him in his judgment , to esteem any thing else but equally , or never so little more than god ; such a kind of affection , though it were sufficient to make the other a martyr , yet could not preserve him from being an apostate , and renouncer or blasphemer of religion ( as a learned author hath proved more at large ) ; nay , i add further , from the same author , though a man should love god with an equal degree of affection , yet because the objects are so infinitely disproportionable , and 't is the nature of moral duties to be measured from those motives by which we are to be induced to them ; therefore of such an one it may be affirmed , that he doth not love god. he that makes him but equal to any worldly thing ▪ may be said infinitely to despise and undervalue him . for the further explication of this , i shall suggest to you a distinction , not commonly ( if at all ) taken notice of by others , betwixt natural principles and moral duties . the misunderstanding of which is the occasion of many difficulties and confusions , about this and some other points . . by natural principles , i mean such kind of impressions as are originally stamped upon the nature of things , whereby they are fitted for those services to which they are designed in their creation ; the acts of which are necessary , and under no kind of liberty of being suspended : all things must work according to their natural principles , nor can they do otherwise ; as heavy bodies must tend downwards . the beauty of the world , and the wisdom of the creation , is generally acknowledged to consist in this , that god was pleased to endue the kinds of things , with such natures and principles , as might accommodate them for those works to which they were appointed . and he governs all things by such laws , as are suited to those several natures which he had at first implanted in them . the most universal principle belonging to all kind of things , is self-preservation , which in man ( being a rational agent ) is somewhat farther advanced to strong propensions and desires of the soul after a state of happiness , which hath the predominancy over all other inclinations , as being the supreme and ultimate end , to which all their designs and actions must be subservient by a natural necessity . . whereas on the other hand , those rules or means which are most proper for the attaining of this end , about which we have a liberty of acting , to which men are to be induced in a moral way , by such kind of motives or arguments as are in themselves sufficient to convince the reason : these i call moral duties ; duties , as deriving their obligation from their conducibility to the promoting of our chief end ; and moral , as depending upon moral motives . so that self-love , and the proposing of happiness as our chief end , though it be the foundation of duty , that basis or substratum upon which the law is founded , yet it is not properly a moral duty , about which men have a liberty of acting . they must do so , nor can they do otherwise . the most vile and profligate wretches that are , who are most opposite to that which is their true happiness , they are not against happiness it self , but they mistake about it , and erroneously substitute something else in the room of it . so that if men were upon all accounts firmly convinced , that god was their chief happiness , they would almost as necessarily love him , as hungry men do eat , and thirsty men do drink . i have enlarged somewhat the more upon this particular , the better to manifest the true cause or ground of this love , to consist in this perswasion , that our chief happiness is in the favour of god , and the enjoyment of him . chap. xv. of reverence and the fear of god. thirdly , as for those kind of affections , which should be wrought in us , more especially from the apprehension of the divine power ; these are reverence , fear , humility , a submissive and filial awe , which is so suitable to the notion of omnipotence , and so necessary a consequence from it , as not to be separated . by this reverence , i mean , such an humble , aweful , and ingenuous regard towards the divine nature , proceeding from a due esteem and love of him , whereby we are rendred unwilling to do any thing which may argue contempt of him , or which may provoke and offend him . 't is a duty which we owe to such as are in a superior relation , and is in the fifth commandment enjoined under the name of honour ; which in the notion of it doth imply a mixture of love and fear , and in the object of it doth suppose goodness and power . that power which is hurtful to men , and devoid of goodness , may raise in their minds a dread and terror , but not a reverence and an honour . and therefore all such doctrines as ascribe unto god what is harsh , and rigorous , and unworthy of his infinite goodness , instead of this filial , do beget a servile fear in men . this is the meaning of that citation in st. austin , where he mentions it as varro's judgment , deum a religioso vereri , a superstitioso timeri . the passion of fear and dread belongs to superstitious persons , but the virtue of reverence to those that are religious . and that of seneca , deos nemo sanus timet , furor enim est metuere salutaria , nec quisquam amat quos timet . no man in his right mind will fear god in this sense ; 't is no less than madness to have frightful apprehensions of that which is most benign and beneficial ; nor can true love consist with this kind of fear . but as for this reverence , or filial fear , it is so essential to a state of religion , that not only the scripture , but the heathen moralists likewise do describe religion it self by this very name of fearing god. and men who are pious and devout , are by the gentiles styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , men of reverence and fear . now though every one of the divine perfections may justly challenge this affection as due to it , particularly his infinite wisdom and goodness , yet doth it more particularly belong to his power . i shall speak briefly of each of these . . for his infinite knowledg and wisdom , which are things that have been always counted venerable . he knows all our infirmities and most secret faults , and therefore ought to be feared upon that account . 't is a notable saying in cicero to this purpose ; quis non timeat omnia providentem & cogitantem , & animadvertentem , & omnia ad se pertinere putantem , curiosum & plenum negotii deum . who would not fear that god who sees and takes notice of all things , so curious and full of business , as to have a particular concern for every action and person in the world . and in another place he makes this notion of the deity , and the fear consequent thereupon , to be the chief basis of government , the first foundation of that civil policy whereby men are gathered together and preserved in regular societies . sit persuasum civibus , deos , qualis quisque sit , quid in se admittat , quâ mente , quâ pietate religiones colat , intueri ; piorumque & impiorum habere rationem . this is one of the first principles , which men who would associate under government , ought to be convinced of , that god takes particular notice , what kind of person every one is , with what mind and devotion he applies himself to the duties of religion , and will deal with men according as they are pious or impious . from whence will follow , such a fear of offending him by any dishonest action , as must make men capable of living under government . . his goodness , holiness , kindness , and mercy , do afford another reason why he ought to be feared ; though these are the most immediate objects of our love and joy , yet will they likewise afford ground for our reverence . we read in one text , of fearing the lord and his goodness ; which is , when men have such a sense of his goodness , as thereby to be affected with an holy awe and fear of offending him . and elsewhere 't is said , there is forgiveness with him , that he ought to be feared . the meaning of which place may be this , we stand in continual need of pardon and remission , being utterly undone without it ; and god only doth give this , and therefore upon this account we ought to reverence and fear him . . this duty doth more especially refer to that attribute of his power , together with the effects of it , in the judgments which he executes in the world . now nothing is more natural to men , than to fear such as have power over them , and are able to help or to hurt them . the civil magistrate is to be feared and reverenced upon this account , because he bears the sword , and is a revenger : much more the supreme governour of the world . men can but kill the body , and after that must dye themselves ; but god lives for ever , and can punish for ever ; he can cast both body and soul into hell : and therefore we have very great reason to fear him . 't is mentioned in scripture , as one of those attributes and titles whereby the divine nature is described , the fear of israel , he that ought to be feared . and that by those who need not to fear others , the princes and potentates of the world . those very persons , whom others are most afraid of , ought themselves to stand in fear of him ; for he cuts off the spirits of princes , and is terrible to the kings of the earth , as it follows in that place . the great prejudice which ignorant men have against this affection of fear , is , that it is a check and restraint to a man in his liberty , and consequently brings disquiet to his mind ; which is so far from truth , that on the contrary it may be manifested , that one of the greatest priviledges belonging to a state of religion , doth arise from this true fear of god , as being that which must set us at liberty from all other tormentful fears . that which hath the greatest influence upon the troubles and discontents of men in the world , whereby their conditions are rendred uncomfortable , is their inordinate fear , those misgiving thoughts and surmises , whereby they are apt to multiply their own dangers , and create needless troubles to themselves . and whatever a mans outward condition may be , as to the security and flourishing of it , yet whilst such fears are in his mind , his soul doth not dwell at ease , as the phrase is ; whereas , he that fears the lord , his soul shall dwell at ease , i. e. such an one need not be afraid of any thing else . discat timere , qui non vult timere ; discat ad tempus esse solicitus qui vult esse semper securus , saith st. austin ; he that would not fear other things , let him learn to fear god ; let him be cautious and solicitous for a time , that would be everlastingly secure . and in another place , homo time deum & minantem mundum ridebis ; o man , learn to fear god , and thou wilt despise the threatnings of the world . and again , exhorresce quod minatur omnipotens , ama quod promittit omnipotens , & vilescet mundus sive promittens sive terrens ; he that hath a true fear of what the omnipotent god doth threaten , and a love to what he promises , to such an one the world whether smiling or frowning will seem contemptible . the heaven , and earth , and men , are all but his instruments , and cannot do any thing otherwise than as they are permitted or acted by him . though they should seem to be angry with us , yet he can restrain their wrath , and when he pleaseth can reconcile them to us . but if he himself be offended , none of these things will be able to afford us any comfort or relief . 't is above all other things the most fearful to fall into the hands of the living god. that 's a notable speech to this purpose , which i find cited out of plutarch ; they that look upon god as the chief rewarder of good and evil , and fear him accordingly , are thereby freed from other perplexing fears . such persons , minùs animo conturbantur , quam qui indulgent vitiis audentque scelera , have more inward peace than others who indulge themselves in their vices , and dare commit any wickedness . and as on the one side , the more men have of this fear towards god , the less they have of other fears : so the less they have of this , the more subject are they to other fears . amongst the many judgments denounced against the want of this fear of god , the scripture particularly mentions a fearful mind , if thou wilt not fear that glorious and fearful name , the lord thy god , the lord will make thy plagues wonderful , &c. and this is reckoned as one of them , the lord shall give thee a trembling heart . and if we consult experience , there are none more obnoxious in this kind , than prophane atheistical persons , who by their vile doctrines and practices , endeavour to harden themselves and others against this fear of god. none so cowardly and timorous as these , none so easily frightened with the least appearance of danger . the satyrist of old observed it of them : hi sunt qui trepidant , & ad omnia fulgura pallent . none are so fearful , as those that pretend not to fear god at all . and 't is but justice , that those who will not reverence him as sons , should be overwhelmed with dread and astonishment towards him as slaves . and this consideration ought to be no small inducement to men , to labour after this disposition . as abimelech said to the men of sichem , judg i pray you , whether it be better for you , that threescore and ten persons reign over you , or that one reign over you . so in this case , consider whether it be better for you , to be distracted by the great variety of worldly cares and fears , which as so many tyrants , will domineer over you , and keep you in perpetual slavery , or to submit your selves to this one fear , the fear of god , which is perfect peace and liberty . to all which may be added , that it is by this fear that we are to give unto god the glory of his power and justice . 't is this that must make us pliable to his will , and effectually remove all such obstacles as may hinder us from submitting to him ; subdue our reluctancies , and make us bow down before him . upon which account this expression of fearing god is frequently used in scripture for the whole business of worship and religion ; because where this fear is well fixed in the heart , all other parts of holiness and righteousness will naturally follow . it hath a more peculiar influence to stir up in us watchfulness and caution , and like a wary friend is apt to suggest to us the safest counsel and advice . 't is the vigilant keeper of all virtues , that which must fortifie us in our temptations , and restore us in our lapses . he that will but seriously ponder upon what the meer light of nature dictates , concerning the omnipotence of him who is the great creator and governour of the world , his infinite holiness and justice , and that wise providence which extends to every particular person and action , whereby he takes notice of them , and will be sure to reward or punish them , according as they are good or evil : such an one , must needs have his heart affected with a great awe and dread towards the divine nature . the very heathens were wont upon this account , to paint their jupiter with a thunderbolt in his hand ; to strike an awe into men , from daring to offend him who stands always ready armed with vengeance against such as provoke him . chap. xvi . of obedience : and first of active obedience to the laws of god. having dispatched the duties we are more especially obliged to , with regard to gods wisdom , goodness , power ; i shall now treat concerning such other duties , as refer more particularly to his dominion and superiority over us , his right to command and govern us , which are comprehended under the general name of obedience . the habit of which may be described to consist , in such a submissive frame of spirit , whereby a man doth always devote and resign up himself unto the disposal of his maker , being ready in every condition , to do or suffer that which he apprehends to be most reasonable and acceptable , and whereby he may best express his love and subjection . by which description it may appear , that this obedience is of two kinds active .   passive . . active . which consists in a readiness of mind to do what god shall injoin . . passive . in an acquiescence of mind under what he shall inflict . both which do necessarily flow from the apprehension of gods dominion over us , his right to govern and dispose of us as he pleaseth . obedience , in the true notion of it , being nothing else but that homage which we owe to such as are in a superior relation , who have a right to command us . every relation of superiority and dominion being a distinct engagement to subjection ; whether oeconomical , as that betwixt parent and child ; political , as betwixt magistrate and subject ; moral , as betwixt benefactor and beneficiary ; or lastly , that which is natural , which above all other things gives the highest title to dominion , as that betwixt the maker and his work , the first cause and that which he bestows being upon . and god by all these titles , and many more , may justly challenge dominion over us . under this first kind of obedience , styled active , are comprehended these three particulars : . a knowledg of , and an acquaintance with those laws which we are to observe . . a consent to them , or an approbation of them . . a conformity to them . . an acquaintance with the laws of god ; whether discovered to us by revelation ( the principles of nature obliging us , to observe and submit to all things which we have reason to believe do proceed from god ) ; or by natural light , abstracting from scripture and revelation , as the substance of that which we call the moral law is . now though such persons only , are under the obligation of those laws which depend upon revelation , to whom a revelation is made and sufficiently proposed ; because promulgation is essential to a law : yet the moral law being discoverable by natural light , to every man , who will but excite the principles of his own reason , and apply them to their due consequences ; therefore there must be an obligation upon all men , who have but the use of their reason , to know these moral laws ; and the ignorance of them must be an inexcusable sin . ignorantia juris can be no plea in this case , because the law is written in every mans heart by nature , and the ignorance of mankind , as to any part of it , hath been wilfully contracted . the duties concerning natural worship , our adoration of the deity by affiance , love , reverence , praying to him , expecting mercies from him , returning to him our thanks and acknowledgments , being reverent and solemn in all our addresses towards him , our thoughts and speeches of him , and of the things that refer to his service , may be evidently inferred from those natural notions , which we have concerning the excellencies of his nature , and our own dependance upon him . the duties which concern the promoting of our own and our neighbours wellfare , that mutual justice , charity , helpfulness , which we are to exercise towards one another ; these may each of them be deduced from that common principle of self-love , whereby every one doth naturally seek his own well-fare and preservation . we are all of us desirous that others should be just to us , ready to help us , and do good to us ; and because 't is a principle of the highest equity and reason , that we should be willing to do to others , as we desire and think them obliged to deal with us , this must therefore oblige us to the same acts of charity and helpfulness towards them . now the drawing out of these general rules , and fitting them to particular cases ; a studious and inquisitive endeavour , to find out what our masters will is , in several relations and circumstances , this i call the duty of knowing the commandments . and 't is necessary , that they should be thus distinctly known , before a man can keep them . . a consent to them , or approbation of them , as being haly , just , and good . which will necessarily follow from a true notion of the ground and reason of them , and must necessarily precede a genuine obedience and conformity to them . he that looks upon them as fetters and bonds , doth rather indure them out of necessity , than obey them out of choice and love . i consent to the law , that it is good , saith the apostle , that is , i do in my judgment own the fitness and reasonableness of the things therein injoined , as being the most proper means to advance the perfection of our natures . the law of the lord is perfect ( saith the psalmist ) ; not only formaliter , in it self , but also effectivè as to us , it makes us to be so . and in another place , thy law is the truth , namely , such as it ought to be . there is a congruity betwixt our well-beings , and the nature of the things enjoined . and it is this conviction alone , that must beget in us , a love of it , and a delight to practise it . he that harbours any prejudice in his mind against the ways of god , as if they were unprofitable , or unequal , can never submit to them willingly , but out of a constraint ; he may look upon them as his task and burden , but not as his joy and delight . our external submission to the law , can never be kindly and regular ▪ till our minds be cast into the same mould with it , and framed unto a suitableness and conformity to it . and such a temper doth , in the judgment of seneca , render the mind truly great and noble , hic est magnus animus qui se deo tradidit . and in another place , in regno nati sumus , deo parere libertas est . such a man hath a truly great and generous mind , who can resign up himself to gods disposal . the greatest liberty is to submit to the laws of our soveraign . his service is perfect freedom . . an observance of them , and conformity to them in our lives . this is the end both of the commandments themselves , and likewise of our knowleldg and approbation of them , namely , the practice of holiness and virtue in the conduct of our lives ; whereby we are to be advanced unto that state of happiness , wherein the perfection of our natures , and our resemblance of the deity doth consist . and because the best of men do frequently fall short of that obedience , which is due to the laws of god ; therefore in case of transgression , natural light doth direct men to repentance , which is an hearty sorrow for our neglects and violations of the divine law , accompanied with a firm and effectual purpose and resolution of amendment for the future . which though it do suppose the commandments of god not to have been duly observed , yet is it the only remedy left in such cases . some have questioned , whether there be any obligation upon us for this , by the light of nature ; partly , because the stoicks deny it ; and partly , because reason will tell a man that it cannot afford any compensation to divine justice . to which i should say , that the stoicks indeed do deny this , because it implies passion , which their wise man must be without ; yet they will admit a man to be displeased with himself for any error or mistake , which is much the same thing with sorrow , though under another name . and though this be not enough to satisfie infinite justice , yet it is that which reason doth oblige us to . we expect from those who offend us , that they should profess their sorrow and shame , beg pardon , and promise amendment . and the men of nineveh did upon a natural principle betake themselves to this remedy , and with good success , though they were doubtful of it , who can tell if god will turn and repent ? this conformity to the law of god requires a twofold condition , universality . regularity . . universality ; both as to the time , and the duties themselves ; without any such picking and chusing amongst them , as may bend the laws to make them suitable to our own interests and humours . . regularity ; in the due proportioning of our love , and zeal , and observance , according to that difference which there is in the true nature and consequence of the things themselves ; preferring mercy and obedience , before sacrifice ; and the weighty matters of the law , before tything of mint and cummin ; righteousness and peace , before meat and drink . 't is true , the least commandment is not to be neglected , as having stamped upon it the autority of the great god : but then we are to consider , that the same autority by which that is injoined , doth oblige us to prefer other things before it . so that a man doth disobey in doing a good thing , when upon that account he neglects what is far better . and the mistake of men about this , is the true cause of that which we call superstition which is one of the opposites to religion , and so destructive to the true nature of it . men being apt to think themselves priviledged for their neglects and failings in some greater matters , by their zeal about lesser things . now nothing will contribute more to banish this superstition out of the world , than a sober enquiry into the nature and causes of things , whereby we may be able to take a just estimate of their evidence and importance , and consequently to proportion our zeal about them . i mention this the rather , because it hath been by some objected , that humane learning and philosophy doth much indispose men for this humble submission to divine laws , by framing their minds to other notions and inclinations than what are agreeable to religion . but that this is a false and groundless prejudice , may be made very evident ; the true knowledg of the nature of things , being amongst natural helps , one of the most effectual to keep men off from those two extremes of religion , superstition and prophaneness . . for superstition ; this doth properly consist in a misapprehension of things , placing religion in such things as they ought not for the matter , or in such a degree as they ought not for the measure ; which proceeds from ignorance . . for prophaneness ; this doth consist in a neglect or irreverence towards sacred things and duties , when such matters as ought to have our highest esteem , are rendered vile and common . and this likewise doth proceed from ignorance of the true nature of things . now one of the best remedies against this , is the study of philosophy , and a skill in nature , which will be apt to beget in men , a veneration for the god of nature . and therefore to those nations who have been destitute of revelation , the same persons have been both their philosophers and their priests ; those who had most skill in one kind of knowledg , being thought most fit to instruct and direct men in the other . and if we consult the stories of other places and times , we shall constantly find those nations most solemn and devout in their worship , who have been most civilized and most philosophical . and on the contrary , those other nations in america and africa , whom navigators report to be most destitute of religion , are withall most brutish and barbarous as to other arts and knowledg . it cannot be denyed indeed , but that a slight superficial knowledg of things , will render a man obnoxious either to superstition , or to atheistical thoughts ; especially if joined with a proud mind and vicious inclinations . he that hath made some little progress in natural enquiries , and gotten some smattering in the phrases of any theory , whereby ( as he conceives ) he can solve some of the common phaenomena , may be apt to think , that all the rest will prove as easie as his first beginning seems to be ; and that he shall be able to give an account of all things : but they that penetrate more deeply into the nature of things , and do not look upon second causes , as being single and scattered , but upon the whole chain of them as linked together , will in the plainest things , such as are counted most obvious , acknowledg their own ignorance , and a divine power ; and so become more modest and humblé in their thoughts and carriage . such inquisitive persons will easily discern ( as a noble author hath well expressed it ) that the highest link of natures chain is fastened to jupiter's chair . this ( notwithstanding it be a digression ) i thought fit to say , by way of vindication and answer to those prejudices , which some men have raised against humane learning and the study of philosophy , as if this were apt to dispose men unto atheistical principles and practices . whereas a sober enquiry into the nature of things , a diligent perusal of this volume of the world , doth of it self naturally tend to make men regular in their minds and conversations , and to keep them off from those two opposites of religion , superstition and prophaneness . chap. xvii . of passive obedience , or patience and submission to the will of god. thus much may suffice concerning the nature and duty of active obedience . i proceed to that of passive obedience , or patient submission under the afflicting hand of god. and though this may seem one of the most difficult of all other duties , and most repugnant to humane nature ; yet is there no subject more excellently discussed by the heathen moralists , and wherein they seem more to exceed themselves , than this . i shall mention out of them some of those passages , which seem to me most apposite and material to this purpose , under these four heads , which contain the several arguments to this duty ; viz. . such as refer to god , by whose providence all our sufferings are procur'd , or permitted . . such as concern our selves . . such as may be derived from the nature of affliction . . and lastly , such as refer to this grace of patience . . there are many arguments to convince us of the reasonableness of this duty , from the nature and attributes of god , who either sends affliction , or permits them to fall upon us . i shall rank them under these three heads : . his infinite knowledg and wisdom . . his goodness and patience towards us . . his power and dominion over us . . from the consideration of his infinite knowledg and wisdom , whereby he takes notice of , and doth concern himself about every particular event in the world , making all things beautiful , and in their time , disposing of all to the best . which is an argument , that divers of the heathen philosophers do very largely insist upon . particularly , antoninus , who hath this passage : if god ( saith he ) do not take particular notice of , and care for me and my affairs , why do i at any time pray to him ; and if he doth exercise a special providence towards all events , no doubt but he doth consult well and wisely about them , nor would he suffer any hurt or prejudice to befall me , unless it were for a greater good upon some other account , and in this i ought to acquiesce . and in another place saith the same author . i refer every thing that befalls me to god , as the contriver of it , by whom all events are disposed in a wise order . there are also many great and excellent sayings in epictetus to this purpose . that must needs be much more desireable , which is chosen by the wisdom of god , than that which i chuse . a reluctancy against the divine will , is the ground of all irreligion and atheism in the world . why may not a man refuse to obey god in what he commands , as well as to submit to him in what he inflicts ? and then what ground can there be for any pretence to religion ? we should all ( saith he ) conform our minds to the will of providence , and most willingly follow whither ever he shall lead us , as knowing it to proceed from the best and wisest contrivance . i do in my judgment more consent to that which god would have , than to that which my own inclinations lead unto . i would desire , and will just so , and no otherwise than as he doth . and in another place , use me as thou pleasest , i do fully consent , and submit to it , and shall refuse nothing which shall seem good unto thee . lead me whither ever thou wilt , put me into what condition thou pleasest , must i be in a private , not in a publick station , in poverty not in wealth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i will not only consent to it , but make it my business to apologize for it , to justify and maintain before all men , such thy dealing with me to be most fitting and prudent , most suitable and advantageous to my condition . and besides the reasons to this purpose from natural light , which are so excellently improved and urged by some of the philosophers , there are likewise several attestations of this nature in scripture , wherein god is said to afflict out of faithfulness . to be wise in counsel , and excellent in working , signifying all the works of his providence to be most excellent , because they proceed from the wisest counsel . and though some particular dispensations may seem unto us to be difficult and obscure , his judgments being unsearchable , and his ways past finding out ; yet we may be most sure that there is an excellent contrivance in all of them . though clouds and darkness may be round about him , yet righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne . and besides the more general assertions which the scripture doth frequently mention to this purpose , it doth likewise more particularly insist upon those special reasons and ends , whereby the wisdom of such dispensations are to be justified ; as namely , to make us partakers of gods holiness ; to work in us the peaceable fruits of righteousness ; to save us from being condemned with the world ; to preserve in us a holy awe and reverence , they have no changes , therefore they fear not god , psal. . . to quicken our rellish of those mercies which we enjoy , and our thankfulness for them : to wean our affections from the things of this world ; to prevent the surfeits of prosperity , to enlarge our experience , to contract such a kind of hardiness , and courage as may become a militant state ; to keep up in our minds a continual sense of our dependent condition ; which are some of the principal things , wherein our happiness doth consist . to which may be added , that the scripture doth likewise contain several express promises , to assure us of the benefit and advantage to be had by the crosses that befall us . that all things in the issue shall work together for our good , rom. . . so that there is not a trouble or affliction that we meet with , which we could be without , but it hath its necessary place and work , in that frame and design of events , which the providence of god hath ordained , for the bringing of us to happiness . and though all of them may for the present seem grievous , and some of them perhaps not suitable to the divine goodness and promises ; yet of this we may be most assured , that all the ways of the lord , are mercy and truth , to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies . and there are few persons who have been observant of gods dealings towards them , but are able to say from their own experience , that it is good for them , that they have been afflicted . . a second argument to this purpose , is from the consideration of gods goodness and patience towards us . i have shewed before from several acknowledgments of the heathen , what apprehensions they had of the divine goodness and forbearance towards sinners , from whence 't is easie to infer the equity and reasonableness of our patient submission under his afflicting hand . he is merciful and gracious , longsuffering , abundant in goodness and truth . the apostle speaks of the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering . he doth indulge us in our failings , and infirmities , with such a kind of tenderness , as nurses use to their young children . now there is all imaginable equity in this consequence , that if he bear with us in what we cannot lawfully do , that we should bear with him , in doing what he will with his own . if he be patient towards us in our sinning against him , when we oppose and provoke him , 't is but reason that we should be patient in our sufferings from him , when he endeavours to heal and reclaim us . it is of the lords mercies that we are not consumed , and because his compassions fail not . 't is a great argument of favour and tenderness , that god is pleased to spare us in the midst of our provocations . 't were but justice if he should suddenly snatch us out of this life , and cast us into hell : if he doth abate any thing of this , he doth then punish us less than our iniquities deserve , and we have more reason to praise him , than to complain against him : for he hath not dealt with us after our sins , nor rewarded us according to our iniquities . he that considers the mercies he injoys , as well as the evils he suffers , and will impartially compare them both together , may find that though his afflictions do abound , yet his consolations do much more abound ; and that upon the whole matter , when his condition is at the worst , 't is much better than what he himself deserves , or what many others enjoy . they that are sensible of every thing they enjoy as being the free gift of god , will not murmur against him , when he is pleased to resume any thing from them . there must needs be much unreasonableness and want of equity in that disposition , which cannot bear with some sufferings from that hand , from which we receive all our enjoyments . shall we receive good at the hand of god , and shall we not receive evil ? the evils we suffer are much short of our desert , the good we enjoy is much beyond our deserts . and therefore upon either account , it must be highly unreasonable for a man to be guilty of impatience and murmuring . iniquus est qui muneris sui arbitrium danti non relinquit , saith seneca ; that man must needs be unjust and unequal , who doth not think fit to leave the giver unto the liberty of his own gift , to resume it again when he pleaseth . and such an one may justly be reputed greedy , who is more sensible of loss in the restoring of a thing , than of gain in the enjoyment of it . he is an ingrateful wretch , who complains of that as an injury , which is but restitution of what was freely lent . and he is a fool , who knows not how to receive benefit by good things , any otherwise than by the present fruition of them . so epictetus , speaking concerning the unreasonableness of murmuring at any cross events , he hath this passage . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . what reason have i to fight against god ? why should i desire things not desireable ? he that gave hath power to take , and why should i resist ? this would not only be great folly , to oppose one that is much stronger , but great injustice likewise , to fight against a benefactor . you have received all that you have , and your own very being from him , and why should you take it so heinously , if he is pleased to resume something back again ? . the consideration of the divine power and dominion over us , must needs engage us to a quiet submission under his hand . there are many excellent discourses to this purpose amongst the heathen philosophers , as particularly in seneca . there is nothing ( saith he ) more desireable than for a man to arrive unto this temper of mind , to be able in all troubles and afflictions , to quiet himself with this thought , diis aliter visum est ; god thinks not fit to have it so , and therefore i ought to be content ; which is the same sense with that in the scripture , it is the lord jehovah , let him do what seemeth good unto him . i was dumb and opened not my mouth , because thou didst it . in all those conditions which seem hard and grievous to me ( saith the same author ) i do thus dispose my self . i consider they come from god , et non pareo deo sed assentior , ex animo illum , non quia necesse est , sequor : and i do endeavour not meerly to submit , but to assent to him in his dealings , not to follow him only out of necessity , but out of choice . and in another place , giving counsel to such as were in an afflicted estate , he thus adviseth , quaecunque fiunt , debuisse fieri put et , nec velit objurgare naturam : optimum est pati quod emendare non possis , & deum ( quo autore cuncta proveniunt ) sine murmuratione comitari : let such a man think that nothing comes to pass , but what ought to be ; and let him not take upon him to reprehend providence : 't is best for a man to bear what he cannot mend , and to follow god ( by whom all events are disposed ) without murmuring . let us ( saith he ) bespeak god as cleanthes did , duc me parens , celsique dominator poli , quocunque placuit , nulla parendi mora est . assum impiger ; fac nolle , comitabor gemens , malusque patiar , quod pati licuit bono . let the great governour of the world , lead me into what condition he pleaseth , i am most ready to follow him ; or suppose i should find a reluctancy against his dealings with me , yet i will still follow him , though it be sighing , and suffer that as an evil and wretched man , which i ought to bear as a good man , with patience and submission . and a little after , sic vivamus , sic loquamur — hic est magnus animus qui se deo tradidit , & contra , ille pusillus ac degener , qui obluctatur , & de ordine mundi male existimat , & emendare mavult deos quam se. it becomes men both to speak and live up to this principle . he only is a truely generous man , who doth thus resign up himself to god , and on the contrary he is a little wretch of a degenerate mind , who struggles against him , having a hard opinion of the government of the world , and thinks it fitter to mend god than himself . where is there any thing amongst those who professchristianity , better and more becomingly said to this purpose ? or how can the wit of man frame any sense or words , that do more fully express this self-resignation , and submission to the providence of god , than is done in these excellent speeches of a heathen philosopher ? epictetus likewise , speaking concerning the reasonableness and fitness of mens resigning themselves up to gods disposal , hath this passage . quis verò es tu ? aut unde venisti ? aut quare ? do you consider what you are , and whence you came , and upon what business ? did not he give you a being in the world ? endow you with such a nature ? put you into such a condition , wherein you should be subject to his government and disposal ? did not he appoint the time , and place , and part you are to act upon the theater of this world ? and this is properly your business , to apply your self to the fittest means of representing the part allotted to you , not to take upon you to murmur or repine against it . hoc tuum est datum personam bene effingere , eam autem eligere alterius : it doth not belong to us to chuse our parts , but to act them . would it not better become us to go off the stage with adorations and praises of him , for so much as he hath permitted us to hear and see , rather than mutinying against him , because we had no more ? and in another place , he suggests this consideration , that our condition , whilst we are in this world , is militant , wherein every one is without reluctancy to submit to the orders of his great captain or general , in whatever he shall appoint ; whether or no it be to digg in the trenches , or stand upon the watch , or to fight . every man cannot be a commander , and a common souldier is to obey , not to dispute or offer counsel . if thou mayest refuse the condion or work assigned thee , why may not another do so , and according to this , what order could there be in the world ? to the same purpose antoninus . that man ( saith he ) is to be esteemed a fugitive and an apostate , who runs away from his master . now the great law-giver who governs the world , is our common master and ruler , and his will is the only law we are to submit unto . and therefore for a man to be angry or grieved , because things fall not out according to his will , what is this but revolting from him , and declaring enmity against him ? besides these testimonies from some of the wiser heathen , the scripture likewise doth abound in several attestations to this purpose , as particularly that in job . , surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more ; that which i see not teach thou me , if i have done iniquity , i will do so no more . and chap. . , , god is greater than man , why dost thou strive against him ? he gives not account of any of his matters . as if he had said , that man doth strangely forget his condition , who by his murmuring and repining doth think to call god to an account ; why , he is the supreme lord of all , and may do whatever he pleaseth . should not the potter have power over the clay ? there is no man but must think it just that the potter should dispose of his clay as he pleaseth , giving it such a shape , and designing it to such a use as he shall think meet . and can any one judge it reasonable , that god should have less power over us , than we have over the works of our hands ? behold o lord thou art our father , we are the clay and thou art the potter , isa. . . wo to him that striveth with his maker , shall the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth ? shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it , what makest thou ? or thy work , he hath no hands ? isa. . . this sin of impatience and murmuring is here styled striving against god ; contesting with his wisdom and his power , saying to him , what makest thou , which reflects upon his wisdom ; and he hath no hands , which reflects upon his power , as if he were not able extremam apponere manum , to finish what he had begun ; both which are not only high affronts to the divine nature , but exceeding foolish and mischievous in the consequence of them . the mutual contention of men amongst themselves , testa cum testis , one potsheard with another , may prove fatal to them : if two earthen vessels dash together , they can get nothing by it , they may both be broken ; but for the clay to strive with the potter , that is so foolish and so unequal a contention , as nothing can be more , and must needs expose it to the worst of dangers . murmurers are in the scripture-phrase styled children of rebellion , numb . . . because they that speak against god , would actually resist him likewise , if they could . if we receive all that we are or have , our beings and our well-beings from god , nothing can be more evident , than that he may justly resume any thing again , or inflict upon us any evil , that is either short of , or but equal unto , the good he hath bestowed upon us . thus much shall serve for the first kind of arguments , referring to the divine nature and attributes . . i proceed to the second sort of arguments to this purpose , from the consideration of our selves ; which i shall treat of in these three particulars . . we are men . . we are sinners . . we are living men . upon each of which grounds it will appear a very unreasonable thing , that we should murmur and complain against god. the prophet hath put these three considerations together . why doth a living man complain , a man for the punishment of his sin ? . we are men , which is a mercy far above any temporal affliction that we can suffer . god might have made worms instead of men , such despicable creatures as are below common notice . whereas in being men , we are become lords of heaven and earth , having an excellency above all other creatures that ever god made , excepting the angels . and is it not a shame for such an one , to be a slave to every slight trouble ? that any light affliction , which is but for a moment , should make our souls which are immortal to bow down under it ? should not the nobility of our natures advance us to a more generous temper , and make us erect and chearful under such troubles ? see how david was affected with this thought . lord ! what is man that thou art mindful of him , or the son of man that thou visitest him ? 't is a mercy and a condescension to be admired , that god doth so much as take notice of us , though with his chastisements , and therefore ought not to be the ground of our complaint . he might suffer us to go on securely in our sins , without any restraint . we do not think our selves concerned to take notice of every little fly or insect , or the poor worms under our feet . and therefore when he shall take such special care of us , as to restrain us in our wandrings , to administer physick to us in our diseases , we ought upon this account , rather humbly to thank and admire him , than to murmur against him . again , we are but men ; creatures of a dependant being , not lords of our own happiness . and who art thou o man that repliest against god ? how vile and despicable in comparison to him , and how unfit to judge of his ways ? it is the common condition of humanity to be exposed to sufferings . for man is born to troubles as the sparks fly upwards , that is , by a natural unavoidable necessity . and there is no temptation or trouble that befalls us , but what is common to men . we are born into , and must live in a troublesom tumultuous world , where luctus , & ultrices posuere cubilia curae , pallentésque habitant morbi ; tristisque senectus . which is the proper place of grief , and care , and diseases , and the infirmities of age ; and therefore we cannot expect a total exemption from these things . omnia ista in longâ vitâ sunt , quomodo in longâ viâ , & pulvis , & lutum , & pluvia . these things in a long life , are like dust , and dirt and rain in a long journey , which it were a vain thing for a man to think he could wholly avoid , but that he must sometime or other have his share of them . now men usually vex and repine at that which is extraordinary and unusual , not at that which is general and common to all . . we are sinners , and so afflictions are our wages , our due ; and there is no reasonable man that will repine at just and equal dealing ; there is a special emphasis to this purpose in the very phrase of that text forecited : a man for the punishment of his sins , implying , that if he be but a man , if he have but rational principles , he must needs acknowledg the equity of being punished for sin . the thief upon the cross had so much ingenuity , as to confess it reasonable , that both he and his fellow , should submit to just punishment . now the apostle tells us , that every man is by a natural conviction concluded under sin , for this very reason , that every mouth may be stopped , and that god may be justified in his saying , and clear when he judgeth . one chief reason which makes men apt to complain , that gods ways are unequal , is because they do not consider that their own are so . it is the pride and folly of our natures , as to ascribe all the good we enjoy to our own endeavours and merit , so to murmur and complain against god for the evil we suffer ; than which nothing can be more false and unequal . the wise man hath observed it , that the foolishness of man perverteth his ways , and his heart fretteth against the lord. we first run our selves into mischief and then complain against god ; whereas according to common reason , the blame should be where the fault is . it would be a much more befitting temper , to demean our selves upon this consideration , as elihu advises ; surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more , &c. and upon this ground it is , that the prophet having in one verse , in the forecited place , disswaded from murmuring and complaints , he doth in the very next verse , exhort to self-examination ; let us search and try our ways ; implying , that he who rightly understands his own sinfulness , will find little reason to repine at his sufferings . . we are living men , whereas the wages of sin is death ; all the plagues that we are capable of , either in this or the other world , being but the due reward of sin . and we have no reason to repine at kind and moderated corrections . he might have struck us dead in the act of some sin , and so have put us out of a possibility of happiness . it was davids comfort , that though the lord had chastened him sore , yet he had not given him over to death : and the advantage which he enjoyed in this respect , did abundantly silence him against any complaints in regard of the other . it is of the lords mercies that we are not consumed , because his compassions fail not . the words are very emphatical , mercies in the plural , for the number , intimating a multitude of a favours in this one act of his forbearance . and 't is compassions or bowels for the nature of them , which signifies tender affectionate mercy . . from the consideration of afflictions , which in themselves are neither good nor evil , but secundùm modum recipientis , according to the disposition of the subject . to wicked men they may prove curses and judgments , testimonies of gods hatred and anger . but to others they may upon these two accounts prove benefits ; from their indication , what they signifie . end , what they effect . . from the indication of them , what they denote and signifie ; not gods hatred of us , but his special care towards us . they may be testimonies or earnests of gods favour , for whom he loves he rebukes and chastens , even as a father a son in whom he delighteth . blessed is the man whom thou chastenest , o lord. ye are the children of god ( saith seneca ) and therefore sicut severus pater duriùs educat , he carries a stricter hand over you , as having a special regard to your wellfare , that you may not miscarry , or , as the apostle expresseth it , that you may not be condemned with the world . the holy ghost esteems afflictions to be a special priviledg , speaking of st. pauls being a chosen vessel , to bear his name before the gentiles and kings , in the next verse it is reckoned up as another priviledg , that he should suffer many things for his name sake . and therefore the same blessed apostle speaks of afflictions as a gift ; to you it is given , not only to believe on him , but also to suffer for his sake . if ye are without afflictions , then are ye bastards and not sons . 't is reckoned upon as a curse to have our good things in this life . and that was one of gods severest punishments , which he threatens to those , hos. . , that he will not punish them for their whoredoms and adulteries . not to be troubled like other men , may be a sign of neglect and disfavour . 't is necessary to our conditions in this world : and god doth afflict his own children out of faithfulness . he hath so appointed , that the way to the heavenly canaan shall be through the wilderness . . from the end of them , what they are designed for and effect , namely , our profit and improvement ; being intended either for our correction or probation , for our amendment or trial , as i have shewed before . . this virtue of patience and submission is highly reasonable , upon account of those advantages which do follow such a temper of mind . . it keeps our happiness in our own power , by bringing our minds to our conditions , which is the only remedy things are capable of , when we cannot bring our conditions to our minds . hanc rerum conditionem mutare non possumus , id possumus , magnum sumere animum , & viro bono dignum , quo fortiter fortuita patiamur . it is not in our power to change our condition ; but this is in our power , to attain unto such a greatness of mind , as becomes worthy men , whereby we may be lifted up above the hurt of outward crosses . if a man would be sure never to meet with any impediment in the thing he desires , never to be forced to any thing against his will , his only way is to conform his mind to the will of god , and to let him do with us what seemeth good unto him . if he would have me ( saith epictetus ) to be sick or poor , i will be willing to be so ; whatever employment he will design for me , i will not decline , and whatever he would not have me be or do , i will be against it likewise . . it will be a means to promote our peace , comfort , quiet , and to alleviate our troubles , and make our yoke more easie . ducunt volentem fata , nolentem trahunt . the strugling with our yoke will but make it gall us so much the more ; 't will be a greater ease for us , to follow it willingly , and to be led by it , rather than to be dragged along with it . nullum tam arctum est jugum quod non minus laedat ducentem quàm repugnantem . unum est levamentum malorum ingentium , pati , & necessitatibus suis obsequi . there is no yoke so streight and hurtful in it self , but will prove more hurtful for our strugling with it . the only allay under great sufferings , is to bear them quietly , and obey necessity , to submit to what we cannot remedy . it may be in the power of others to disturb our outward conditions , but it should be in our power , that they should not disturb our minds . and so long as we can preserve our tranquillity there , we may be said to be truly happy . an impatient man is in the scripture phrase , compared to a wild bull in a net , being full of the fury of the lord , isa. . . as that fierce creature , being muzled in the huntsman's toyl , doth by all his strugling but further intangle himself ; so do men increase their own perplexities , by their impatience under them . there is no one thing wherein the folly of men doth more appear , than that foolish exchange which they make of their inward quiet and peace , for outward trifles ; both as to their impatience under the things they suffer , and their impetuous desires after the things they want . ex eo stupor noster apparet ( saith seneca ) quòd ea sola putamus emi , pro quibus pecuniam solvimus , ea gratuita vocamus , pro quibus nos ipsos impendimus . herein appears the stupidness of men , that they esteem those things only to be bought , for which they pay money ; but count such things of free cost , for which they pay themselves , their inward quiet and tranquillity , which is far more to be valued than their outward possessions . whereas if they were but as wise in this kind of merchandise as in others , they would consider the just rate and value of every thing , and pay no more for it , either in the purchase of it , or parting with it , than it is really worth . . 't is very much for our honour and reputation to bear afflictions decently . ' take away from a good man ( saith maximus tyrius ) the honour of his sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and you rob him of his crown , you hide and obscure his glory . si hominem videris , interritum periculis , inter adversa felicem , in mediis tempestatibus placidum , ex superiore loco homines videntem , ex equo deos , non subit te veneratio ejus , &c. if thou seest a man undaunted in the midst of danger , happy in adversity , placid and serene in a tempest , placed in a station equal with the gods , whence he looks down upon other men , as being in a vale below him ; art thou not presently possest with a high reverence and veneration for such a person ? and in another place ( saith the same author ) , quam venerationem praeceptoribus meis debeo , eandem illis praeceptoribus generis humani . speaking of such persons , saith he , such veneration as i owe to my master and tutor , such and much more ought i to pay to these teachers of mankind , who set them such excellent lessons for their imitation . god himself upon this account , seems ( as it were ) to glory and to triumph over the devil , in the behalf of job : seest thou my servant job , that there is none like him upon earth ? 't was an high elogium that , and tended much to his honour . and the apostle tells us elsewhere , that a meek and a patient spirit is with god of great price . the spirit of glory , and of god resteth upon such as endure sufferings . men think to set out themselves , and to get repute amongst others , by their haughtiness , looking upon every little injury as a high indignity ; but of such a frame of mind , it may be truly said , non est magnitudo , tumor est ; it is not greatness , but a swelling of mind . it shews a narrowness and littleness of soul. invalidum omne naturâ querulum . the more weak any thing is , the more apt to complain . whereas on the other side , patience doth enlarge the minds of men , and raise their esteem , making them triumphant without fighting . the heathen and their idolatries were heretofore subdued , non à repugnantibus sed à morientibus christianis , as st. austin speaks , not by the resistance , but by the patient sufferings of the dying christians . so mightily did this grace conduce in the primitive times , to the spreading and propagation of christianity through the heathen world . but are all complaints then in affliction unlawful ? to this i answer : . natural expressions of grief are allowable . a man must be sensible of his sufferings , and consequently cannot but grieve under them . that stupor and benummedness of spirit , whereby men are made unapprehensive of their afflictions , is in it self both a great sin and a great judgment . . but then these expressions of our grief must be rightly qualified with their due circumstances : . they must not be disproportionable to the occasion . a great complaint for a little cross , like jonah's trouble for his gourd . . not unsitting for the manner ; not accompanied with bitter invectives against second causes and instruments ; they should rather express our humility , than our anger . . they must not be immoderate for the degree ; as if we were without hope , like davids passionate complaints for the death of his son absolom . . they must not be sinful for the nature of them , blaming gods justice , and reviling his providence . and now that i have so abundantly shew'd the reasonableness of this vertue of patience and submission , i am still sensible how hardly men are brought to it when there is real occasion for the practise of it ; and therefore i think it may be of great use to add some directions which may help to prevent , or at least abate our impatience under afflictions , and to promote this submissive temper and disposition . and accordingly they shall be of two sorts , some negative , others positive . i begin with the negative . . take heed of aggravating afflictions , beyond their due proportions . do not fix your eye or your thoughts , chiefly upon the smart of them , without regarding the benefit of them ? 't is true indeed ( as the apostle tells us ) no affliction is joyous for the time , but grievous , nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness , to them that are exercised thereby . 't were an unreasonable thing and an argument of great frowardness , for a patient to mind only the bitterness of his potion , the corrosiveness of his plaister , without having any regard to the remedy and the health which may be procured by them . for a man always to have his hand upon his sore , will encrease the pain , and hinder the cure of it . to insist upon every particular circumstance whereby men may aggravate their afflictions , is the ready means to add fuel to their impatience , and to drive them to despondency . this is a sure way to bring upon our selves much needless trouble . 't is all one as if a man should chew the pills which ought to be swallowed whole , which will make us more sick , and thereby rather hinder the due operation of them than promote it . . beware of refusing comfort , or rejecting the means that are afforded us for our relief and support under the troubles that befall us . this were to take part with our disease against our selves , to refuse the physick , and to pull off the plaister that should heal us ; which argues much frowardness , besides the folly and ingratitude of rejecting the consolations of god , as if they were but small to us , as eliphaz speaks . whatever our losses or disappointments are , he can be ten times better to us , than those things are , by the loss of which we are provoked to discontent and murmuring . . do not give liberty to passions ; which of all other things belonging to the soul , are most impetuous and unruly , if not restrained within fitting bounds , the sensitive appetite ( to which the passions belong ) is the inferior and brutish part of the soul , answerable to the dregs of the people in a political government , of themselves apt to be heady , tumultuous , rash , mutinous , if not restrained by some superiour power : so is it with the passions of the soul , which therefore ought to be watched over , with great circumspection ; and the rather , because they have usually the empire over us , during our younger years , before reason comes to exercise its soveraignty : and if once we give way to them , 't will be a business of no small difficulty , to reduce them into order again . those very thoughts which occasion much discontent and trouble to the soul , whilst they lay in the brest in a huddle and confusion , if they be but distinctly considered , and coolely debated , will seem much less , if not vanish into nothing . 't is the nature of disorder , to make things appear more than indeed they are . which is one reason that philosophers give why the stars seem innumerable , because they are commonly looked upon , as being wildly scattered up and down , out of all regular form . 't is so likewise with mens inward discontents , which are exceedingly multiplyed by the confusion of them ; and would appear much less , if but distinctly reduced and examined . most of those which occasion much perplexity , whilst they are mixed with many others in a crowd , would upon a clear view and severe examination , appear much less considerable : and that 's another good means for the preserving of our minds from this impatience ; to put a stop to our passions in the beginning of their course , before they be in their full carrear , and then grow too hard for us . . do not chiefly regard the instruments of your troubles , which will be apt to provoke impatience and distemper ; but rather upon the supreme disposer of them . though men may deal very unworthily with us , yet god is just in all his ways . this was that which satisfied old eli , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . though the sabaeans had spoiled job of his oxen and asses , and the chaldeans plundered him of his camels ; yet we find no complaints against them , he takes notice only of god as the author of these sufferings . the lord gives and the lord takes away , and therefore blessed be the name of the lord. 't is worth your notice to observe the strange variety of davids carriage , according as he was either mindful or forgetful of this consideration . how meek and humble upon the rebellion of absolom : if the lord shall say , i have no delight in thee ; behold here i am , let him do to me as seemeth good unto him . and so in the next chapter , when shimei did so bitterly revile him , that which pacified all impatient revengeful thoughts , was this consideration , the lord hath bid shimei curse . whereas at another time , when he was not so careful to fix his thoughts upon this , how strangely is his carriage altered ? how furious at the churlishness of nabal ? how passionate at the death of absolom ? such great power is there in this one meditation , if seriously fixed upon , to subdue the natural rage and distemper of our hearts . when he looks upon god , he submits , and is silent . i was dumb and opened not my mouth , because thou didst it . but when he considers the instruments , his heart begins to rise , and his passions to tumultuate and ferment into a strom . . take heed of engaging your desires upon these transient perishable things . learn to estimate every thing , according to its just rate and value ; and this will be a means to work in us weaned affections from the world . they that love too much , must grieve too much . if we would weep as not weeping , we must rejoice as not rejoycing . they that think the greatest gain to be but small , will think the greatest loss to be so too . neminem adversa fortuna comminuit , nisi quem secunda decepit . those that are most apt to be deceived and puft up by the flatteries of prosperity , will be most apt to be dejected by the frowns of adversity . and therefore one of the surest ways , to make all crosses easie to us , is to have a low esteem of these temporal things ; for which we shall find reason enough , if we consider the vanity and vexation of them . there being a thousand ways of fraud and oppression and casualties , whereby we may be deprived of their possession ; and as many , whereby they may be rendered useless to us in their possession ; as in the case of pain and sickness , either of body or mind : and as many whereby they may be rendered hurtful , and expose us to the envy of others , to many kind of temptations unto sin , and particularly to many kind of griefs and vexations upon the account of our unwillingness to part with them . all which are to be provided against , by our entertaining such thoughts of them , as may be suitable to their value . . take heed of being solicitous about the issue of things , and of determining your selves too peremptorily to particular events . 't is our business indeed to serve providence in the use of means , but the issue of things belongs to god. we have nothing to do with them , and that which is not within our power , should be out of our care . every mans great end is happiness . the various events that befall us in the world , are but several ways to this end . and therefore 't is very reasonable and congruous , that every one should have a travellers indifferency towards them . a man upon the road , who is travelling to such a town , and comes to some doubtful turnings , is not concerned either for the right or left hand way , hath not an inclination to one more than the other , any farther than to be directed to that which is the true way , and will bring him to his journies end . now that way which the providence of god doth lead us into , must needs be the best and the surest way to this end . thou foolish man ( saith epictetus ) dost not thou desire that which may be most convenient for thee ? and can there be any thing better than what god appoints ? do but then consider ( saith he ) what is the meaning of being eagerly solicitous about particular events , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , thou dost thereby as much as in thee lyes to corrupt thy judge , and seduce thy counsellour : than which there cannot be a greater folly . these are the negative directions . i proceed to those that are positive ; and . labour for true apprehensions of the divine nature and excellencies ; his infinite power , and wisdom , and goodness . when our hearts are once possest with right notions , and a due esteem of these perfections , they will not be so apt to break out into murmuring against him . that which benhadad spake proudly to ahab ; thy silver and thy gold , thy wives and thy children are mine : that may god truly say to us ; what hast thou that thou hast not received ? and if we have received it , as we have no reason to glory in the possession , so neither have we to complain at the loss of it , when he that hath lent it us doth resume it again . it is , or should be our daily prayer , that gods will may be done on earth as it is in heaven . and it were a most unreasonable thing , for men to murmur at the grant of their petitions . 't was a notable saying , which is commonly reported of luther , when philip melancthon was much disquieted in his own thoughts , at the confused state of things in the first reformation ; monendus est philippus , desinat esse rector mundi : melancthon is to be admonished that he would cease to take upon him the government of the world , as if the issue of things did belong to his care . god is infinitely wise and faithful , and will proportion our sufferings to our abilities . he hath promised that all things shall work together for our good . . consider the mercies you enjoy , as well as the evils you suffer . that was a most unworthy temper in ahab , and in haman , to receive no satisfaction in all their great possessions and enjoyments , because they were disappointed in some one small particular . 't is the advice of the wise man , eccles. . . in the day of prosperity rejoice , in the day of adversity consider . but what is that which we should consider ? why , that god hath set the one against the other : and so should we too , set one against another ; and then we shall find , that we have as much reason to be patient under our sufferings , as to rejoice in our mercies . 't is a remarkable passage that , concerning mephibosheth ; when ziba had by his false accusation , caused the king to confiscate his goods , and bestow them upon himself ; this had been enough one would think , to provoke mephibosheth unto high complaints , both against the injustice of david , and the baseness and unfaithfulness of his servant ziba : but see how he demeans himself , i have been slandered unto my lord the king , but do what is good in thine eyes . thou hast set thy servant amongst them that eat at thine own table , what right therefore have i to cry any more unto the king ? where he makes the kindness that david had formerly shewn him , to weigh down and satisfie for the wrong that he then suffered . and if men had but such a grateful temper of spirit , they would not be so apt to murmur . those that deserve least , do usually complain most . the most unworthy are the most impatient . suppose all manner of evils and afflictions , which are now promiscuously seattered up and down in the world , whether they concern soul or body ; spiritual blindness and obduracy , poverty , slavery , reproach , sickness , pain , maimedness , deformity , &c. i say , suppose all these were now to be distributed amongst mankind , so as every one were to have an equal share of them : would you be content to stand to this new distribution ? i suppose there are not many persons in this nation , in so miserable and forlorn a condition , that upon serious consideration of the special advantages they do or may partake of , above many other millions in the world , would consent to it . and if this be so , certainly then it must be both an unreasonable , and a very ungrateful thing for such men to be impatient , who enjoy more than their share comes to . . consider the deserts of your sins , and then it will easily appear , that your condition is not at any time so bad , but you have deserved it should be worse . that you have more reason to commend the care and wisdom of the physician , than to complain of the bitterness of the potion . tantò quis patientiùs ferrum medici tolerat , quantò magis putridum esse conspicit quod secat ; the more the patient doth discern the corruption and danger of his sore , the more willingly doth he endure the launce of his chyrurgion . that is a remarkable story in genesis , chap. . to shew that this consideration of the desert of our own sins , is a very powerful means to pacifie us against all impatience under sufferings . the story concerns joseph's brethren , who coming into aegypt to buy corn , were there roughly treated , accused for spies , clapt into prison ; so that one would have thought , they had reason enough to fret and murmur at that hard unjust dealing . and yet we find their carriage to be very humble and patient ; but what that was which made them so , you may see , ver . . they remembred their cruelty to their brother . joseph , and that brought them to acknowledg this distress to be deservedly come upon them , because they had not pityed their brother , when he besought them in the anguish of his soul. the like consideration did stop job in his complaint , after all his high contestations and arguings with god ; he no sooner thought upon his own vileness , but he was presently silenced . behold i am vile , what shall i answer thee , i will lay my hand upon my mouth . . be careful whilst you are in a prosperous estate , to prepare for trouble and afflictions , by a prudent consideration of the mutability of things . this will be a means to alleviate the burden of them . praecogitati mali mollis ictus venit . and in another place , inexpectata plus aggravant , novitas adjicit calamitatibus pondus ; that stroke will have less force which is foreseen and expected , whereas the suddenness and surprize of it , will add to the weight and smart of it . in tantâ rerum sursum ac deorsum euntium versatione , si non quicquid fieri potest , pro futuro habes , das in te vires rebus adversis , quas infregit quisquis prior vidit ; in that various change and revolution of events which we behold in the world , if we do not look upon possible dangers and troubles as future , we do thereby strengthen our adversaries and disarm our selves . when we see at any time the losses and imprisonments , or poverty , or funerals of others , we ought presently to reflect this may be our case . cuivis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest . one loses husband , wife , children , estate : we ought from all such spectacles to infer , that though this be not at present , yet it may shortly be our condition ; and accordingly by expectation to fortifie our selves against it . hic nos error decipit , hic effoeminat , dum patimur , quae nunquam pati nos posse praevidimus . aufert vim praesentibus malis , qui futura prospexit . this is the error which doth deceive and effeminate men , whilst they suffer such things as they did not expect , and are not prepared for . it breaks the force of evils when they come , to foresee they will come . . often reflect upon your former experience . that will be a means to prevent all despondencies , to work in us hope and confidence . there is no man so mean and inconsiderable , if he will but take an impartial view of what he hath formerly seen and observed , concerning gods dealing with himself and others , but may upon this account find reason enough to allay all murmuring discontented thoughts . we have frequent examples to this purpose in scripture , jacob , david , jehosaphat , the apostle st. paul , in several places , who all have had recourse to this remedy , when they would strengthen themselves against discontent and despondency . and i suppose , there is scarce any serious man of so little experience , but hath taken notice of , and can remember how some crosses and disappointments , have in the issue proved mercies and benefits to him . and if it have been so formerly , why may it not be so again . . and lastly , labour after those particular vertues , which are of near affinity to this of patience ; whereby it will be very much strengthened and promoted . there is a certain chain of them mentioned , gal. . , and styled by the apostle the fruits of the spirit , as belonging more particularly to the spirit of christianity . the first is love , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which beareth all things and endureth all things : the next is joy , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a chearful temper of mind , in opposition to moroseness and frowardness : then peace , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a composedness and sedateness of spirit , free from all inordinate perturbations , and without any kind of itch of quarrelling with others : and next long-suffering , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whereby the mind is not easily provoked or tyred , but is easily appeased : then gentleness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , generosity , benignity , which signifies ' a mind most ready to part with any thing , towards the help and relief of others in their necessities : then goodness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( i. e. ) such an equal and ingenuous simplicity of manners , whereby men are rendred easily tractable and placable , and most amiable in the whole course of their conversations : then faith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a dependance upon god for our support and deliverance : then meekness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whereby we put a restraint upon our anger , so as not to be provoked for any lesser cause , or in a greater measure , or for a longer time , than may be fitting for the occasion ; always preserving our minds free from any sudden gusts of passion . and lastly , temperance , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , continence , whereby we contain all our passions with their just bounds , either of joy in the affluence of things , or of grief in the loss , or of desire in the want of them . a mind that is modelled and prepared with these kind of virtues , will thereby be rendered generous and couragious , fit for the undergoing of any kind of trouble or suffering , which the providence of god shall think fit to call a man unto . i have now done with the first thing i proposed to treat of , namely , the reasonableness and credibility of the principles of natural religion ; in which i have endeavoured to establish the belief of gods being , to clear the natural notions of his excellencies and perfections , and to deduce the obligation of moral duties , from the belief and acknowledgment of the divine nature and perfections . the second book , of the wisdom of practising the duties of natural religion . chap. i. shewing in general how religion conduces to our happiness . i proceed now to the second part of my design , which was to shew the wisdom of practising the duties of natural religion . in which i shall endeavour to convince men , how much it is , upon all accounts , their chief happiness and interest to lead a religious and virtuous course of life . solomon , who is so much celebrated in scripture for his wisdom and knowledg , hath purposely written a book , the main argument whereof is to enquire , wherein the chief happiness of man doth consist : and having in the former part of it shewed the insufficiency of all other things that pretend to it , he comes in the conclusion to fix it upon its true basis , asserting every mans greatest interest and happiness , to consist in being religious . let us hear the cnclusion . of the whole matter ; fear god , and keep his commandements : for this is the whole of man. that is , the serious practice of religion is that which every considerate man after all his other disquisitions , will find to be his chief interest , and that which doth deserve his utmost care and diligence . and because these words of solomon , do so fully express that , which is to be the main argument of my following discourse , i shall by way of preface or introduction to it , more particularly consider the commendation which he here gives to the practice of religion , in that full and significant expression , this is the whole of man. which words are by the septuagint and vulgar thus rendered , this is all , or every man. the word duty which is supplied by our english , being not in the original , or in other translations . this ought to be the way and course of all mankind , so the targum . this is the course to which every man is designed , so the syriack . this will be most profitable and advantageous to men , so the arabick . hoc est totum hominis . this is the whole of man ; so some of our later interpreters , mosg properly to the scope of the place , it being an usual enallage in the hebrew , totius universalis pro toto integrante , all for whole . so that according to these various interpretations of the words , they may contain in them a threefold reference . to the essence , the happiness , the business of man. according to which the sense of them must be , that religion , or the fearing of god and keeping his commandements is a matter of so great consequence to humane nature , that . the essence or being of man may be said to consist in it . . the great business or duty of man , is to be conversant about it , and to labour after it . . the happiness or well-being of man doth depend upon it . these particulars i shall endeavour to make out by such clear principles of reason , attested to by several of the wisest heathen writers , as may be enough to satisfy any serious man , who is able to understand the reason and consequence of things , and will but attend and consider . first : religion is of so great importance , that the essence of man may be said to consist in it . man may be considered under a twofold notion : . in his single capacity , according to that principle whereby he is constituted in such a rank of creatures . . in society , for which man seems to be naturally designed , and without which he could not well subsist . now religion will appear to be essential to him , in both these respects . . as considered in his single capacity , according to those principles by which he is framed . that which doth constitute any thing in its being , and distinguish it from all other things , this is that which we call the form or essence of a thing . now the things which distinguish humane nature from all other things , are the chief principles and foundations of religion , namely , the apprehension of a deity , and an expectation of a future state after this life : which no other creature , below man , doth partake of ; and which are common to all mankind , notwithstanding the utmost endeavours that can be used for the suppressing of them . as for what is commonly alledged in the behalf of reason , it may be observed that in the actions of many brate creatures , there are discernable some footsteps , some imperfect strictures and degrees of ratiocination ; such a natural sagacity as at least bears a near resemblance to reason . from whence it may follow , that it is not reason in the general , which is the form of humane nature ; but reason as it is determined to actions of religion , of which we do not find the least signs or degrees in brutes : man being the only creature in this visible world , that is formed with a capacity of worshipping and enjoying his maker . nor is this any new opinion , but what several of the antient writers , philosophers , orators , poets , have attested to ; who make the notion of a deity , and adoration of him , to be the true difference betwixt man and beast . so tully : ex tot generibus nullum est animal praeter hominem , quod habeat notitiam aliquam dei ; ipsisque in hominibus , nulla gens est , neque tam immansueta , neque tam fera , quae non etiamsi ignoret , qualem habere deum deceat , tamen habendum sciat . amongst all the living creatures that are in the world , there is none but man , that hath any notion of a deity ; and amongst mankind , there is no nation so wild and barbarous , but pretends to some religion ; whence it should seem that this is the most proper difference betwixt man and beasts . and in another place , he makes this to be the character of that reason , which is the form of man , that it is vinculum dei & hominis , which imports both name and thing . of the same sense is that of the satyrist , who speaking of religion and a sense of divine things , saith this of it . — separat hoc nos a grege mutorum , atque ideo venerabile soli sortiti ingenium , divinorumque capaces . 't is this , saith he , which doth distinguish us from brute creatures , that we have souls capable of divine impressions . there are abundance of expressions to this purpose in several other of the heathen writers . that in plutarch , where he styles irreligion , a kind of stupor whereby men are as it were deprived of their senses . and in another place , he asserts it to be an exceeding improper thing , to ascribe true reason to those , who do not acknowledg and adore the deity . so again tully , esse deos qui negat , vix eum sanae mentis existimem . i can hardly think that man to be in his right mind , who is destitute of religion . and in another place of the same book . quis hunc hominem dixerit ? &c. why should any one style such an one a man , who by what he sees in the world is is not convinced of a deity , and a providence , and of that adoration he owes to the deity ? non modo non philosophos , sed nec homines quidem fuisse dixerim , ( saith another ) . men that are destitute of religion , are so far from being learned philosophers , that they ought not to be esteemed so much as reasonable men . 't is true , nothing is more ordinary than for such persons as are sceptical in these first principles , to entertain great thoughts of themselves , as if they had considered things more deeply , and were arrived unto a higher pitch of reason and wit than others . but yet the plain truth is , they who have not attained to this conviction of placing their chief interest in being religious , they are so far from exceeding others in degrees , that they come short of the very nature and essence of men , as being destitute of those first notions concerning truth and falshood , good and evil , wherein the essence of a rational being doth consist : besides their palpable deficiency in such plain consequences and deductions of reason , as would become those , who in any measure pretend to that principle . so that , by what hath been said , it may appear , that the definition of man may be rendered as well by the difference of religiosum as rationale . as for that inconvenience which some may object , that atheistical and prophane persons will hereby be excluded : why , so they are by the other difference likewise ; such persons having no just pretence to reason , who renounce religion : and it were well , if they might not only be reckoned among beasts ( as they are by the psalmist , where he styles them brutish ) , but driven out amongst them likewise , and banished from all humane society , as being publick pests and mischiefs of mankind , such as would debase the nobility of our natures to the condition of brute creatures , and therefore are fit only to live amongst them . which brings me to the d . consideration of man as a sociable creature . religion is essential to him , in this respect also ; as being the surest bond to tye men up to those respective duties towards one another , without which government and society could not subsist . there is a remarkable passage in plutarch to this purpose , where he styles religion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the cement of all community , and the chief basis of all legislative power . and in another place he says , that 't is much more easie to build a city in the open air , without any ground to found it upon , than to establish government without religion . a city ( saith he ) may make some shift to subsist without walls , schools , theatres , houses ; nay , without money , but not without religion . if it were not for this notion of a deity , and those natural impressions which we have concerning justice and probity , so necessary for the conservation of humane society ; instead of those well-ordered governments and cities which are now in the world , mankind must have lived either wild and solitary in caves and dens , like savage beasts ; or else in troops of robbers , subsisting upon the spoil and rapine of such as were weaker than themselves . pietate sublatâ , sides etiam , & societas humani generis , & una excellentissima virtus justitia tollitur , saith tully . take but away the awe of religion , and all that fidelity and justice , so necessary for the keeping up of humane society , must perish with it . 't is this fear of a deity , and the sense of our obligation to him , that is the onely effectual means to restrain men within the bounds of duty . and were this wholly extinguished , there would follow such wild disorders and extravagancies amongst men , as would not leave so much as the face or least shadow of virtue or honesty in the world . there being no kind of vice which men would not abandon themselves unto , considering the impetuousness of their own natural appetites , and the power of external temptations , were this restraint from religion once removed or abolished . the two chief opposites to religion , are prophaneness and superstition . both which are prejudicial to civil government ; the one by destroying conscience , the strongest obligation to political duties ; the other by perverting and abusing it ; introducing in the stead of it a new primum mobile , which ravisheth the spheres of government , and puts them into a praeternatural course , as a noble author expresseth it . the two grand relations that concern society , are government and subjection : and irreligion doth indispose men for both these . . for government . without religion magistrates will lose that courage and confidence belonging to their stations , which they cannot so well exert in punishing the offences of others , when they are guilty of the same or the like themselves . those that sit on the throne of judgment , should be able to scatter away evil with their eyes , as solomon speaks , prov. . . by their very presence and looks to strike an awe upon offenders . which will not be so easily done , if they lye under the same guilt themselves . sine bonitate nulla majestas , saith seneca ; the very nature of majesty doth denote goodness as well as power . and without this , governours may easily lose that reverence which is due to them from others , and consequently that authority which they ought to have over them . when they cease to be gods in respect of their goodness , they will soon diminish in their power . and though they should be able to keep men under , as to their bodies and estates , yet will they decline as to that awful love and reverence whereby they should sway over the hearts and affections of men . the philosopher in the fifth book of his politicks , doth lay it down as a rule for magistrates , that they must be careful to give publick testimonies of their being religious and devout ; for which he gives this double reason : because the people will be less subject to entertain any jealousie or suspition of suffering injury , from such whom they believe to be religious : and withal , they will be less subject to attempt the doing of injury against such ; as knowing that good magistrates are after a more especial manner under the divine favour and protection , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , having god to fight with them , and for them . . the want of this will indispose men for the condition of subjects , and render them loose and unstable in those duties of obedience and submission required to that state . how can it be expected from that man , who dares affront and despise god himself , that he should have any hearty reverence for his deputies and vicegerents ? he that is subject only upon the account of wrath , and the power of the sword which is over him , will be no longer so , when he hath an opportunity of escaping or resisting that power . nor is there any possible way to secure men in their quiet subjection and obedience , but by their being obliged for conscience-sake . and therefore such kind of persons , as by their open prophaneness and contempt of religion , do endeavour to destroy conscience from amongst men , may justly be esteemed as the worst kind of seditious persons , and most pernicious to civil government . that temper of prophaneness , whereby a man is disposed to contemn and despise all religion ( how slightly soever men may think of it ) is much worse than infidelity , than fanaticalness , than idolatry ; and of the two , 't is much more eligible for a man to be an honest heathen and a devont idolater , than a prophane christian. whatever disputes have been raised , concerning the lawfulness of punishing men for their dissenting consciences in matters of religion ; yet never any man questioned the lawfulness of punishing men , for their prophaneness and contempt of all religion . such men as renounce conscience , cannot pretend that they suffer for it . and certainly this vice doth upon many accounts deserve the greatest severity of laws , as being in its own nature destructive of the very principles of government , and the peace of all humane societies : besides the mischiefs consequent upon it , from divine vengeance . 't is an observation of seneca , that several countries do appoint several punishments for the violation of religion , but every country appoints some , and it doth not any where escape unpunished . plato in his book de legibus , would have it punished capitally , as being a thing of most pernicious consequence to government . 't is a rule in the civil law , that religio contaminata ad omnium pertinet injuriam ; the abuse of religion is to be looked upon as being a common injury , and every man is concerned , to endeavour a vindication of it . and there are some instances in story , of wars that have been undertaken upon this very account , to bring a nation to punishment for that prophaneness they have expressed towards the religion they professed and pretended to , as being injurious to mankind , quod orbis viribus expiari debuit , as justin the historian speaks , which the whole world ought to vindicate and expiate by their common forces . there can be no assurance from loose irreligious persons , that they will be faithful in the ordinary duties belonging to their several ranks and stations . and as for any extraordinary heroical action , by which the publick welfare is to be promoted , men that are without conscience of religion , and a sense of virtue , can never apply themselves to any thing of that kind , as having their minds destitute of all such principles as are sublime and generous , without any the least seed of honour , and piety , and virtue ; and therefore they can have no sparks of magnanimity , nor any the least inclination to actions that are truly great and noble . so that upon all these accounts , it is very evident , that religion is totum heminis in this first sense , as it refers to the essence of man , considered either in his single capacity , or as a member of society . . 't is so likewise as it refers to the business and duty of man , that which he ought to be most intent upon , and conversant about , as to his employment in this world : that general calling , in which every man of what rank or quality soever , is to be ingaged . men are distributed under other particular callings , according as their education , abilities , friends , and several opportunities do dispose of them . but the obligation of religion , being of universal concernment , doth extend to all and every particular , there being none exempted from it . hoc est omnis homo . every man is concerned in it . and it is totum hominis likewise ; 't is his calling , the chief business about which he is to be employed . i do not say , that a mans thoughts are always to be taken up about the immediate acts of religion , any more than a traveller is always to have his mind actually fixed upon the thought of his journies end . this would be inconsistent with the infirmity of our natures , and the necessity of our conditions in this world . but yet , as he that is upon a journey , doth so order all his particular motions , as may be most conducible to his general end ; so should men habitually , though they cannot actually , in every affair have respect to their chief end , so as to observe all the duties of religion , and never to allow themselves in any thing against the rules of it . and he that hath this care continually upon his mind ( though he be but a secular person ) may properly be said to make religion his business . the wise man in the beginning of his book , had proposed it as his great question to be discussed , to find out what was that good for the sons of men , which they should do under the heavens , all the days of their lives . ( i. e. ) what was the chief employment or business , which they should apply themselves to in this world ? and in the conclusion of his discourse , after an induction and refutation of all other particulars , which may seem to have any claim or pretence to this , he asserts it to be the business of religion , fearing god , and keeping his commandments : suitably to that precept of moses , deut. . . and now , o israel , what doth the lord thy god require of thee , but to fear the lord thy god , to walk in his ways , and to serve the lord thy god , and keep his commandments : and the practise of st. paul , who made this his daily exercise , to keep his conscience void of offence , both towards god and towards man. to the reasonableness of this , several of the wisest heathens have attested . that 's a remarkable passage in aristotle to this purpose , where he states that to be the most desirable proportion of all worldly felicities and enjoyments , which is most consistent with men's devoting themselves to the business of religion : and that to be either too much or too little of wealth , or honour , or power , &c. whereby men are hindred in their meditating upon god , or their worshipping of him . so epictetus , discoursing concerning the work and business he was designed to , hath this excellent passage : if i had been made a nightingale or a swan , i should have employed the time of my life in such a way as is suitable to the condition of those creatures : but being made a man , capable of serving and worshipping that god , from whom i had my being , 't is but reason that i should apply my self to this , as being my proper work and business : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : and therefore hereunto will i devote my self , as being the chief employment to which i am designed . i am now as to the condition of my body , lame and old ( saith he in the same place ) to which he might have added that he was sickly and deformed ; and as for his outward quality , he was poor and under servitude , being a slave to epaphroditus , one of the roman courtiers ; which are conditions that usually expose men to repining and discontent ; and yet he concludes it to be his duty , wholly to devote himself to the praises and worship of that god , who was the author of his being . which upbraids so many professors of christianity , who have both more advantages of knowing their duty , and greater engagements upon them to exercise themselves in the duties of religion . there is another apposite testimony to this purpose in antoninus . every thing ( saith he ) is designed for some kind of work . beasts and plants , the sun and stars ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and what do you conceive your business to be ? sensual pleasures ? bethink your self a little better , whether this be suitable to your natural sentiments , to the nobility of your mind , and those excellent faculties with which you are endowed . now 't is the usual course of men to apply themselves to that as their chief business , by which their interest is most promoted , and which may most conduce to that main end which they propose to themselves . and can any thing be more reasonable , than for that to be the chief business of a man's life , which is the chief end of his being ? . religion is totum hominis , with respect to the happiness and well-being of man. that is properly said to be the chief end or happiness of a thing , which doth raise its nature to the utmost perfection of which it is capable , according to its rank and kind . this is the chief end which he ought to propose , that alone wherein his true felicity doth consist , that which doth advance his nature to the utmost perfection it is capable of . the chief good belonging to a vegetable or plant , is to grow up to a state of maturity , to continue to its natural period , and to propagate its kind , which is the utmost perfection that kind of being is capable of . and whereas sensitive creatures , besides those things which are common to them with plants , have likewise such faculties , whereby they are able to apprehend external objects , and to receive pain or pleasure from them : therefore the happiness proper to them , must consist in the perfection of these faculties , namely , in sensible pleasures , in the enjoyment of such things as may be grateful to their senses . but now mankind ( if we allow it to be a distinct rank of creatures , superior to brutes ) being endowed with such faculties , whereby 't is made capable of apprehending a deity , and of expecting a future state after this life ; it will hence follow , that the proper happiness of man must consist in the perfecting of these faculties , namely , in such a state as may reconcile him to the divine favour , and afford him the best assurance of a blessed immortality hereafter : which nothing else but religion can so much as pretend to . 't is true indeed , the nature of man , by reason of those other capacities common to him with plants and brutes , may stand in need of several other things , to render his condition pleasant and comfortable in this world , as health , riches , reputation , safety , &c. now herein is the great advantage of religion , that besides the principal work which it doth for us , in securing our future estates in the other world , it is likewise the most effectual means to promote our happiness in this world . in my discourse of this i shall first suggest something more generally , concerning the nature of our chief end ; and then descend to those particulars , which are esteemed to be the chief ingredients to a state of happiness . under the first of these i shall speak briefly to these three things . . there is a necessity that every man who will act rationally should propose to himself some chief scope and end . . the chief end of every thing must be of such a nature , as may be most fit to promote the perfection of that thing in its rank and kind . . this in rational beings which are capable of it , must consist in a communion with , and a conformity unto the chief good , and consequently in being religious . . there is a necessity that every man who will act rationally should propose to himself some chief scope or end . the having of an end , is not so much a moral duty , which supposeth a liberty of acting , as a natural principle , like that of the descent of heavy bodies ; men must do so , nor can they do otherwise . such is the principle of self-preservation in all things ; and this of acting for an end , in all rational agents . the most loose and profligate wretches that are , do and must act for an end , even in those very courses , wherein they put the thought of their future state and their last account far from them . the very suppressing and hardening themselves against the thought of their true end , is in order to their present peace and quiet , which they do erroneously substitute in the room of their chief end . that wherein men are commonly defective , is in not exciting the thought of their chief end , and not sufficiently considering and stating in their own minds , the most proper means for the attaining of it . there are too many in the world that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , live ex tempore , without any particular reference to their chief end , being immersed only in present matters , animalia sine praeterito & futuro , without any regard to what is past or future ; like ships upon the vast ocean , without any compass or pilot , that do rather wander than travel , being carried up and down according as every wind or tide doth drive them . and this the philosopher doth worthily brand with the name of folly ; vita sine proposito , stultitiae argumentum est ; no greater argument of foolishness , than for a man not to be fixed upon some particular design . proponamus oportet , finem summi boni , ad quem omne factum nostrum dictúmve respiciat ; veluti navigantibus , ad sidus aliquod dirigendus est cursus , saith the same author . there ought always to be some particular scope and mark proposed , as the main end and drift of all our actions , as the star by which we are to be guided in our voyage . non disponet singula , nisi cui jam vitae suae summa proposita est . 't will be a hard matter to proportion out particulars , till we know what is the main sum . this is the true ground of the common mistakes amongst men , whilst they deliberate concerning the several parts of their lives , but neglect the stating of what should be the main design of the whole . he that intends to shoot at any thing , must so manage the whole action , in levelling his arrow , and regulating his hands , and exerting his strength so as may be most advantageous for hitting the mark . as the efficient is in natural , so is the end amongst moral causes , of principal efficacy . 't is this which is the chief rule of all our actions . and therefore there is a necessity that some end be proposed and fix'd upon . . the chief end of every thing must be of such a nature , as may be most fit to promote the perfection of that thing in its rank and kind . any thing that is short of this , may be a means , or a subordinate end ; but cannot be the chief and ultimate end , if there be any thing desireable beyond it ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith aristotle ; that is truly the chief end , which is desired for it self ; which being once obtained , we want no more ; that which doth satiate and fill up the desires . haec nihil vacare patitur loci , totum animum tenet , desiderium omnium tollit , sola satis est , ( saith seneca ) . in brief , 't is that state , wherein a thing enjoys all that good that 't is capable of , and which is most suitable to its nature . . this in rational creatures must consist , in a communion with , and a conformity to the supreme good ; and consequently , in being religious . which is the meaning of those scripture-expressions , of walking with god , and as becomes the sons of the most high ; being followers of him ; holy as he is holy ; being made partakers of a divine nature . and to this the philosophers do likewise consent . this is the meaning of that speech in pythagoras , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , every mans chief end should be a resemblance to god , a being made like to the deity . so plato and epictetus will have it to consist in following of god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and another , imitari quem colis , in imitating him whom we worship . so seneca , summum bonum est , quod honestum est , & quod magis admirêre , solum bonum est quod honestum est . not only the chief , but the only good doth consist , in what is honest and virtuous . now the fruition of god cannot consist in any external union or contact of our souls with the deity , which spirits are not capable of ; nor in any meer speculation , or intellectual gazing upon his excellencies : but in such an influence , whereby he doth communicate to us , such divine qualities , as will exalt our faculties beyond their natural state , and bring them into an assimilation and conformity to the most perfect idea of goodness , together with an inward sensation of the effects of this in our selves . having thus dispatched what i had to suggest concerning the nature of happiness in general , i proceed to speak to such particulars , as are esteemed to be the most usual ingredients into such a state , and which do conduce to the compleating of it : whether they concern our present condition in this world ; either our external well-fare ; consisting in . health . . liberty , safety , quiet . . possessions ; with respect either to the sufficiency of them , for answering our necessities ; which is called riches or profit : or to . the delight or satisfaction we receive in these enjoyments , in the use and suitableness of the things we possess ; which is called pleasure . . the esteem which we have amongst good men , whereby we are rendered acceptable and useful to others ; styled honour or reputation . internal well-fare , or the happiness of our minds ; which doth consist in these two things . . the due regulating and exalting of our faculties to their proper function . . the peace , joy , contentment , consequent thereupon . the happiness of our future state . this doth consist in such a fruition of the supreme good , as our souls are capable of ; and must depend upon such courses , as can afford us the most rational assurance of blessedness and glory hereafter . now i shall endeavour to make it out by plain reason , that the happiness of our condition , in all these respects , doth depend upon religion . and that not only morally , upon account of that reward , which virtuous actions do entitle a man unto , from a just and wise providence ; but naturally also , by reason of that physical efficacy which the duties of religion have , to procure for us all those things wherein our temporal happiness consists ; to promote the well-fare , not only of particular persons , but of publick communities of mankind in general , and of the whole universe . chap. ii. how religion conduces to our present happiness in this world : and first to the happiness of the outward man. . in respect of health . and because these things i have mentioned , ( especially those of them which concern our external happiness in this world ) are the great aims and designs , by which the generality of men are chiefly swayed in their actions ; and therefore like to prove very powerful motives to make men religious , if they could be once effectúally perswaded , that religion is the most proper means for the attaining of these things : i shall therefore endeavour to make out this truth , by the plainest and most convincing ęvidence that may be . and the rather because in such kind of assertions , as are besides the common opinion , and seem paradoxes , men will be apt to be jealous of their being imposed upon by some kind of sophism or fallacy . in order to this , i shall observe this method : first , i shall endeavour to state and define the nature of these things , and to shew wherein the true notion of them doth consist . and then proceed to the proof of this proposition , that religion is the most proper means to procure and promote these ends . and besides the evidence to this purpose , from the concurrent opinions of wise men , in several ages ; i shall likewise make them out both by reason , and by experience , which are all the kind of arguments that such matters are capable of . only i must premise one caution ; that when i say religion is the cause of these things , the meaning is not , that it is so necessary and so infallible a cause , as can never fail of its effect . this would not be consistent with our dependent condition , there being nothing in this world so much under the power of humane endeavours , but that the providence of god may interpose for the disappointment of it . to whom it must be left , to make what reserved cases he pleases from the ordinary course of things . but though it be not an infallible cause , yet is it such a cause as doth generally and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , produce its effect : and all mankind do think it a sufficient inducement , to apply their endeavours unto such courses for the procuring of any thing , as are the best means to be had , and do for the most part effect the ends they are designed for . this being premised , i doubt not but to offer such arguments for the proof of these things , as shall be sufficient for the conviction of any man who will but understand and consider them . i begin with the first . the wellfare of our present condition in respect of our outward-man doth depend upon religion . first , religion is the best means for health . by health i mean such a constitution of our bodies , whereby our members and faculties are inabled for the due performance of their natural functions , and freed from pain ; 't is properly opposed to sickness or disease . as for the infirmities of old age , these are so essential to all living creatures , so necessarily spring from the very principles of our natures , that though they may be somewhat lessened and alleviated , yet are they not capable of any complete remedy . this blessing of health is so necessary to our well-beings in this world , that without it , we cannot enjoy any thing else , no not our own selves ; insomuch that men do , and may justly put a great value upon it , and are willing to purchase it at any rate . and therefore to all such , this consideration must needs be a very powerful motive . now i shall make it plain that this doth depend upon religion morally . naturally . . morally , by reason of those blessings of this kind , which by the light of nature men may reasonably expect from the goodness of god , upon the observance of his laws ; besides the several assertions and promises in scripture to this purpose , where sin is often represented as the meritorious cause of sickness , and diseases are often threatned , and accordingly inflicted as the due rewards of sin : and on the other side , upon mens observing the duties of religion , god promises to take away sickness from the midst of them , to bestow upon them health and length of days . the fear of the lord and departing from evil , shall be health to thy navel , and marrow to thy bones . prov. . , . prov. . . as righteousness tendeth to life , so he that pursueth evil , pursueth it to his own death . chap. . , the wicked shall be cut off from the earth , and the transgressours shall be rooted out of it . . religion is the natural cause of health , which may appear upon this two-fold reason ; because it doth remove those things that will hinder it , and doth promote such things as will help it . . it doth removere prohibens , it is apt to prevent and remove such things as are the great impediments of our health . nothing is more evident , than that there are several vices which have a physical efficacy in the producing of diseases , as all kind of intemperance of body , all inordinate passions of mind ; to one of which , the greatest part of the sickness amongst men may be ascribed ; and consequently the virtues opposite to these , temperance , sobriety , moderation , must needs have a natural causality for the hindring of these diseases . 't is by religion that men are inabled to prevent all such excesses as are prejudicial to nature , to repress all such violent transports of passion , hatred , anger , fear , sorrow , envy , &c. as are in themselves very pernicious to our bodily health , and by that violent commotion , which they are apt to put the humours into , do sometimes cause present sickness , and always lay in us the seeds of future diseases . . it doth promovere adjuvans , promote all such things as may most effectually conduce to the improving of our health ; by obliging us upon the account of duty and conscience , to a careful observance of the most proper means to this end : keeping us within due bounds in our eating , drinking , exercise ; preserving our minds in an equal frame of serenity and calmness ; supporting our spirits with contentation and chearfulness under every state of life ; so that nothing can be more true than that of solomon , that a cheerful mind doth good like a medicine , and makes a healthy countenance ; whereas heaviness and cares will break a mans spirit and make it stoop . i know there are other means to be made use of in order to the procuring of health , various kinds of medicaments to be applyed by the art of physick , according as the nature of several diseases shall require , which religion doth oblige a man not to neglect : but yet this i think may be truely said , that those who are most expert in the profession of physick , are not able to prescribe any catholicon , which shall more effectually operate , both by way of prevention and cure , than the observance of those duties which religion and virtue do oblige us unto . nor is this true only in theory and speculation , but it may appear to be so upon common experience , to which i shall appeal for the further confirmation of it . what kind of persons are those who enjoy the best state of health and the longest lives ? are they not such generally who are most sober and regular in their conversations , most temperate as to their bodies , most free from all kind of inordinate passions , fierceness , anxiety , cares as to their minds ? 't is said of moses , that though he were exceeding old , yet his eye was not dim , nor was his natural force abated . which ( amongst other causes ) may be ascribed to those eminent virtues he was endowed with , the temperance of his body , and meekness of his spirit . that beloved disciple whose thoughts and writings seem to be wholly taken up with the divine virtue of love , is upon account of this temper of his mind , thought to have enjoyed a more vigorous old age than any of the rest : such a power is there in religion , though not wholly to prevent the infirmities of old age , yet in a great measure to alleviate and abate them . and on the other side , if we consult experience ; who are the men most obnoxious to diseases ? are they not such generally as are most vicious in their lives ? most given to surfeits , debaucheries and lewdness , whereby they do so far inflame their blood and wast their spirits , as not to live out half their days : insomuch that no man of ordinary prudence , who is to take a lease for lives , will be content ( if he can well avoid it ) to chuse such a one whom he knows to be vicious and intemperate . but these things are so obvious to common experience , that i need not enlarge upon them : only i would not be mistaken . i do not say that none of those are religious , who are liable to diseases , and are taken away in their younger years ; or that all such are religious , who are free from diseases , and live to old age . some may be naturally of so tender and brittle a make , that every little blow will break them ; others of so tough and strong a constitution , as to hold out against many batteries and assaults ; and yet neither of these to be ascribed , either to the vices of the one , or the virtues of the other , but do rather belong to their condition and temper , which being natural , and not falling under the choice of our wills , is not therefore capable of any moral good or evil . besides , there ought allowance to be made ( as i said before ) for such exempt cases , as shall seem good to the providence of god in the government of humane affairs . some good men may be taken away from the evil to come , others may be exercised with diseases in their bodies for the cure of their minds , or to make their patience and courage exemplary to others . and some that are good men for the main , may yet by their own carelesness in using the fittest means for the preservation of their health , expose themselves to sickness ; none of which can be any prejudice to the thing i have been proving . this being that which i affirm , that so far as the infirmities of our natural tempers are capable of remedy by any thing in our power , it is the observance of the duties of religion , that doth for the most part and generally prove the most effectual means to this purpose . which is all i shall say to the first thing i proposed to speak to , concerning the health of our bodies . chap. iii. how religion conduces to the happiness of the outward man , in respect of liberty , safety , and quiet . secondly , religion is the most proper means to procure our external safety , liberty , quiet . by safety , i mean a freedom from those common dangers and mischiefs which others are exposed to . by liberty , the being at our own disposal , and not under bondage , restraint , imprisonment . by quiet , an exemption from those many molestations and troubles by reason of disappointments , enmity , contentions , whereby the conditions of some men are rendered very burdensome and uncomfortable . i put these things together , because of their near affinity to one another . now religion is both the moral and the natural cause of these things . . 't is the moral cause of them , upon account of that divine protection and assistance , which the light of nature will assure us we are intituled unto in the doing of our duties ; besides the many assertions and promises in scripture to this purpose ; of being protected in our ways , and secured in times of danger . if you will keep my statutes , ye shall dwell in the land in safety . whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell safely , and shall be quiet from the fear of evil . there shall no evil happen to the just , but the wicked shall be filled with mischief . the lord delivers the righteous out of all their troubles . when a mans ways please the lord , he will make his enemies to be at peace with him . . 't is the natural cause of these blessings , by preventing or removing all such things , whereby the contrary evils are occasioned . the most usual and general cause of mens sufferings , is from the neglect of their duty , and the violations of law ; they are obnoxious to the punishments of banishment , imprisonment , loss of goods , or of life , upon the account of some illegal irreligious acts , murder , theft , sedition , injuring of others , needless contentions , medling in other mens affairs where they are not concerned . 't is observable , that in the legal form of inditing men for crimes , our law doth ascribe their guilt to their want of religion , their not having the fear of god before their eyes , which doth dispose them to commit such acts as makes them obnoxious to legal punishment . now nothing can so effectually prevent such things as religion . this will teach men to obey laws , and submit to government : this will keep them within the bounds of their duty , both towards god and man : this will remove all those dividing principles , of selfishness , and pride , and covetousness : it will teach them charity and meekness and forbearance , to study publick peace and common good , to be generous and large in their well-wishing and their well-doing : which are the most proper means to provide for our own quiet and safety . and the truth of this may be evident likewise from common experience ; by which it will appear , that for the general , no kind of men do enjoy so much external peace and freedom and safety , as those that are truly religious . the apostle seems to appeal to that common notion in the minds of all men , concerning the safety belonging to innocence , when he puts it by way of question , who is he that will harm you , if you be followers of that which is good ? implying , that 't is a thing generally known and taken notice of , that there is a kind of natural reverence and awe amongst the worst of men , towards such as are innocent and virtuous . and on the other side no men do incur so many hazards , molestations , contentions , as those that are vicious ; what from their violations of law , their needless provocations of those they converse with , being scarce ever free from danger and trouble ; which the wise-man seems to appeal to , as a thing evident from experience , in those short questions which he proposes : who hath wo ? who hath sorrow ? who hath contentions ? who hath bablings ? who hath wounds without cause ? who hath redness of eyes ? 't is particularly spoken of the drunkard , but 't is proportionably true of other vices likewise . there is one objection that lyes very obvious against what i have been proving ; and that is from those scriptures where 't is said , that whoever will live godly in christ jesus , must suffer persecution , and that the world should hate them ; besides what may be alledged from common experience to this purpose , concerning the sufferings of some that are good men . to this two things may be said by way of answer . . every thing is not persecution for religion , which men may be apt to style so . some persons who for the main may be truly religious , may yet by their own follies and imprudence , expose themselves to needless sufferings . and in such cases , religion is not to be charged as being the cause of their suffering , but their defect in it , and mistakes about it . . there may be ( as was said before ) some exempt cases from the general rule , and such must those be granted to be , which concern times of persecution ; when religion will be so far from protecting a man , that it will rather expose him to danger and sufferings . and such were those primitive times to which these scriptures do refer , when it seemed good to divine providence , to make use of this as one means for the propagating of christianity in the world , namely , by the suffering of those that professed it . and in such cases , when men are persecuted properly upon the account of religion , god doth usually compensate their outward sufferings with some inward advantage , supplying them with such patience and courage , as will support them with joy and comfort in their suffering for that which is good . but then it must withall be granted , that these scriptures are not equally applicable to such other times and places , when and where the true religion is publickly professed and encouraged , when kings are nursing fathers , and queens nursing mothers to the church ; because in such times and places , the profession of religion will be so far from hindering , that it will rather promote a mans secular advantage . chap. iv. how religion conduces to the happiness of the outward man in respect of riches . thirdly , as to our estates and possessions , i shall shew that religion is the cause of riches . in order to the proof of this , the first thing to be enquired into , is , what is the true nature of wealth or riches , and wherein it may properly be said to consist . and here it is to be noted , that the word riches is capable of a twofold sense , absolute , relative . . in the more absolute sense , it may be defin'd to consist in such a measure of estate as may be sufficient for a mans occasions and conveniencies ; when his possessions are so proportioned , as may fully answer all the necessities of his condition , and afford him a comfortable subsistence , according to his quality , the station wherein he is placed . in which sense men of all ranks and degrees are capable of being rich . a husbandman , or an ordinary tradesman may be as truly styled a rich man , as he that is a gentleman , or a lord , or a king. though perhaps what these can very well afford to fling away upon their diversions , be more than all the estate and possessions which the other can pretend to . and upon this ground it is , that all men will grant , one person to be as truly liberal in giving but a penny , or a poor mite , as another in giving a hundred pounds , because these things are to be measured by the different conditions of the givers : and a man may as well be rich with a little , as liberal with a little . . in the more relative sense , riches may be described to consist in the having of large possessions , when a mans estate and revenue is of such a proportion as is commonly esteemed great ; whether with relation to the generality of other men , and so only those at the upper end of the world are capable of being counted rich ; or else with respect to others of the same rank and order , and so all such are counted rich , who do in their possessions exceed the common sort of those that are of the same rank with them ; this kind of wealth consisting properly in comparison : there being not any one determinate sum , or proportion of revenue , to which the name of riches may be appropriated , but that it may be as much below the occasions of some persons , as it is above the condition of others who yet live plentifully . now the first of these is the only proper notion of riches , because this alone is agreeable to the chief end of wealth , which is to free us from want and necessity . and the other may be rather styled , the being proprietour of great possessions , the meer having of which cannot denominate one a truly rich man for this plain reason ; because though such possessions be in themselves great , yet they may not be sufficient to free the owner of them from want and poverty , whether in respect to his real or imaginary occasions for more : and that is not riches which cannot free a man from being poor . and want of necessaries , is as truly poverty in him that hath much , as in him that hath but a little . he that in any one condition of life , hath enough to answer all his conveniences , such a man is more truly rich than he whose revenue is a thousand times greater , if it be not equal either to his occasions , or to his mind . now when it is said , that religion is the cause of riches , the meaning of this cannot reasonably be understood of riches in the second sense , as if he that were religious should be thereby advanced to the greatest possessions that any man else doth enjoy , from the condition of a peasant or a tradesman to that of a prince . because this would no more consist with those several degrees and subordinations required to the order of the universe , than it would for every common souldier to be a general , or every private man to be a king. but the meaning of this proposition must be , that religion will be a means to supply a man with such a sufficiency as may denominate him rich ; and to free him from such necessities , whether real or imaginary , as others of his rank and station are liable unto . so that by what hath been said , it may appear , that the true notion of riches doth comprehend under it these two things . . a sufficiency for a mans occasions and conveniencies . . an acquiescence of mind , in so much as is in it self really sufficient , and which will appear to be so , supposing a man to judg according to right reason . and that this is not a meer fancy or notion , but the most proper sense of the word riches , wherein all mankind have agreed , may be made very evident . concerning the first of these there can be no colour of doubt . all the scruple will be concerning the second ; whether that be necessary to make a man rich . and to this the philosophers do generally attest . aristotle in particular , doth affirm that the true nature of riches doth consist in the contented use and enjoyment of the things we have , rather than in the possession of them . those that out of penuriousness can scarce afford themselves the ordinary conveniences of life out of their large possessions , have been always accounted poor ; nay , he that cannot use and enjoy the things he doth possess , may upon this account be said to be of all others the most indigent , because such a one doth truly want the things he hath , as well as those he hath not . that man who is not content with what is in it self sufficient for his condition , neither is rich , nor ever will be so ; because there can be no other real limits to his desires , but that of sufficiency ; whatever is beyond this , being boundless and infinite . and though men may please themselves with an imagination , that if they had but such an addition to their estates , they should then think they had enough ; yet that is but a meer imagination , there being no real cause , why they should be more satisfied then , than they are now . he that is in such a condition as doth place him above contempt , and below envy , cannot by any enlargement of his fortune be made really more rich , or more happy than he is . and he is not a wise man , if he do not think so ; nor is he in this either wise or worthy if he be so far solicitous as to part with his liberty , though it be but in some little servilities for the encreasing of his estate . these things being premised , it may be made very evident , that the design of being truly rich , that is , of having enough and being contented , will be most effectually promoted by religion ; and that both morally and naturally . . morally , upon which account this is by the philosophers owned to be one of the rewards belonging to virtue ; good men only having a moral title to wealth upon account of fitness and desert . there are many assertions and promises in scripture to this purpose , of being prospered in our stores and labours , and all that we set our hands unto , of lacking nothing that is good for us . 't is this that must intitle us to the blessing of god , and 't is the blessing of god that maketh rich . solomon speaking of religion under the name of wisdom , saith , that in her left hand are riches , durable riches , that she causes those that love her to inherit substance , and doth fill their treasures . and the apostle tells us , that godliness hath the promises of this life . . religion is a natural cause of riches , with reference to those two chief ingredients required to such a state ; namely , the supplying of us with a plentiful sufficiency as to our possessions , and a satisfaction as to our minds . . a sufficiency as to our estates and possessions . there are but these two ways that can contribute to the improving of mens possessions , namely , the art of getting and of keeping . now religion is an advantage to men in both these respects . nothing can be more evident than that there are many virtues which upon these accounts have a natural tendency to the increasing of mens estates , as diligence in our callings , the diligent hand maketh rich ; heedfulness to improve all sitting opportunities , of providing for our selves and families , being provident in our expences , keeping within the bounds of our income , not running out into needless debts : in brief , all the lawful arts of gain and good husbandry , as to the exercise of them , are founded in the virtues which religion teaches . on the contrary it is plain , that there are many kind of sins , which have a direct natural efficacy for the impoverishing of men : as all kind of sensuality , and voluptuousness , idleness , prodigality , pride , envy , revenge , &c. of all which may be said what solomon says of one of them , that they bring a man to a morsel of bread , and clothe him with raggs . . and as for the second requisite to riches , satisfaction of mind with our conditions , and a free use of the things we enjoy . this is the property of religion , that it can inable a man to be content with his estate , and to live comfortably without such things as others know not how to want . and the ability of being content with a little , may be much more truely called riches , than the having of much , without being satisfied therewith . 't is better to be in health with a moderate appetite , than to be continually eating and drinking under the disease of a voracious appetite or a dropsy : and in this sense , a little that the righteous hath , is better than great riches of the ungodly . but this may appear likewise from experience . let any man impartially consider , what kind of persons those are amongst the generality of men , who in their several degrees and orders are counted most able , and most wealthy , and it will appear that they are such as are most serious in the matter of religion , most diligent in their callings , most just and honest in their dealings , most regular and sober in their conversations , most liberal towards any good work ; upon which account it is , that such places , where men have the opportunity of being instructed in , and excited to the duties of religion , do thereupon thrive and flourish most ; it being one property of religion to civilize men , and make them more inquisitive in learning , and more diligent in practising their several professions . and as for contentment of mind , this being in it self a virtue as well as a priviledg , it is not to be attained but upon the account of religion ; nor are there any that enjoy it , but such as are truely virtuous . there are several objections that may be made against what i have been proving , but all of them capable of a plain and satisfactory solution . . there are some kind of virtues that seem to have a contrary tendency ; as charity to those that want , bounty and liberality to any good work , which in aristotles judgment is scarce consistent with growing rich . by that saying of aristotle , may be meant riches in the second sense , as it denotes large possessions , which this virtue of liberality doth not naturally promote ; but it may very well consist with riches in the first and most proper notion of it , as it denotes sufficiency for our occasions ; and the ability of contributing in some proportion , towards any worthy and charitable work , is in the esteem of every good man one of those occasions and conveniencies required to such a sufficiency , and cannot any more be a prejudice to it , than it would be for a man to lay up some part of his wealth in the safest place , to lend it out upon the best interest , to part with it for the purchase of the same favour and assistance from others in the like exigencies ; to lay it out upon his pleasure , with respect to that inward comfort and satisfaction , which doth accompany the conscience of doing worthy things . and besides all this , experience will assure us , that there is a secret blessing which doth for the most part accompany such actions ; so that men grow the richer and not the poorer for them : and they that in this kind sow bountifully , do very often , even in this world , reap bountifully . . there are some kind of vices that seem to have a tendency to the enriching of men , as fraud , extortion , sordidness , all kind of unlawful ways of getting and keeping an estate . but to this it may be said , . these vices may tend to the encreasing of mens possessions , but not to the making of them truely rich : and 't is a plain argument that such persons do not think themselves to have a sufficiency , who can apply themselves to such wretched courses for the getting of more . . 't is commonly seen upon experience , that there is a secret curse attends such practises , a canker that eats into such gain , a hole in the bottom of the bag , by which it insensibly dreins out and wasts away . as the partridg sitteth upon eggs and hatcheth them not , so he that getteth riches , and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of his days , and at the end shall be a fool . as that silly bird doth sometimes take much needless care and pains , in sitting upon and cherishing subventaneous eggs , such as can never be fruitful , which ( as naturalists observe ) that creature is very subject unto , or as the fecund eggs of that bird being laid upon the ground , are many times trod upon by passengers or wild beasts , after it hath bestowed much pains for the hatching of them : so are the wicked designs of gain often disappointed in the embryo ; and the contrivers of them , instead of approving themselves to be more wise and subtile men than others , do appear at last to be fools . he that will carefully observe the usual course of things in the world , may from his own experience find instances enough , to confirm those sayings of the wise man ; there is that scattereth , and yet increaseth , and there is that withholdeth more than is meet , but it tendeth to poverty . wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished . the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just . he that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches , shall surely come to want . he that by unjust gain increaseth his substance , shall gather it for him that will pity the poor . . there are some good men that are poor . and 't is said that god hath chosen the poor of this world , to receive the gospel and to be rich in faith . to this it may be said , . the providence of god may so order it sometimes , as to reduce good men to great exigencies , to wander up and down in sheepskins and goatskins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented . but then these are such particular exempt cases , as are not suitable to the most usual and general course of things . and besides , such as are good men , may sometimes be defective in several of those duties which religion doth oblige them to , diligence , caution , &c. and the poverty of such may justly be ascribed to their defect in religion . . as for that scripture that god hath chosen the poor in this world , it is not to be understood in the more absolute sense , for such as want necessaries , because 't is plain from other texts , that though some of the primitive believers , were by reason of the persecution of those times reduced to great exigencies ; yet the generality of the rest were very liberal in their contributions towards them . but it must be understood in the relative sence , concerning such as might be styled comparatively poor , ( i. e. ) such as are of a lower rank and meaner condition than others , and consequently had less temptation to corrupt and seduce them , than those that did more abound in these earthly things . chap. v. how religion conduces to the happiness of the outward man in respect of pleasure ; or the chearful enjoyment of outward blessings . fourthly , religion is the most proper means to promote the interest of pleasure . in the handling of this , i shall first endeavour to state the true nature of pleasure , and to shew what is the most proper notion of it . now pleasure doth consist in that satisfaction which we receive in the use and enjoyment of the things we possess . it is founded in a suitableness and congruity betwixt the faculty and the object . those are called pleasant tastes and smells , which are apt to excite such a gentle motion as is agreeable to the nerves appointed for those functions . now it cannot be denyed , but that beasts and insects may be said to be capable of pleasure proper to their kind , as well as men . only this must withall be granted , that the more noble and the more capacious the faculties and the objects are , the greater will the delights be that flow from the union of them . upon which account all intellectual delights , do far exceed those that are sensual ; and amongst persons that are capable of intellectual pleasures , their enjoyments must be greatest , whose faculties are most enlarged and most vigorous . 't is true indeed , men of vitiated and depraved faculties , though they are thereby disabled for passing a true judgment upon the nature of things , being apt to mistake sowre for sweet ; yet will it not thence follow , that they are incapable of pleasure : they may have such peculiar kinds of gusts , as will be able to find a satisfaction and sweetness in such things as appear nauseous and loathsome to others . and 't is the congruity of things that is the foundation of pleasure . but then such persons are beholding to their ignorance and their delusion , to the distemper of their faculties , for their relish of these things . none but those that are foolish and deceived , and under the servitude of divers lusts , devoting themselves to such kind of things for pleasures . supposing a man to have sound healthy faculties , such an one will not be able to find any true satisfaction and complacence , but only in those things which have in them a natural goodness and rectitude . they must be regular objects that have in them a suitableness to regular faculties . this being premised by way of explication , i shall proceed to prove , that religion is the most proper means for the promoting of this interest ; and this it doth morally , naturally . . morally ; as it is one of the rewards belonging to virtue , which alone upon its own account doth deserve all such advantages , as may render its condition pleasant and comfortable in this world . besides the several assertions and promises in scripture to this purpose . prov. . . speaking of religion under the name of wisdom , it is said , that her ways are ways of pleasantness . the yoke of it is easie , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gracious and sweet , and the burden light . the commandments of it not grievous . the fruits of it are love , and joy , and peace . the duties of religion are in several places of scripture compared to musick and to feasting ; and are said to be sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb . i delight to do thy will , o my god , psal. . . . religion is the natural cause of pleasure . which i shall endeavour to make out by reason and experience . . by reason ; religion hath a natural efficacy in promoting the interest of pleasure , teaching a man a chearful liberal use of the things he enjoys ; how to make his soul enjoy good in his labour ; how to sweeten and allay all the difficulties and troubles of this life . nor doth it restrain men from any such sensible pleasures , as are agreeable to reason , or our true interests . it only prohibits mistakes and excesses about them , teaches us so to regulate our selves in the use of them , that they may truly deserve the name of pleasure ; how to provide against that natural emptiness and vanity , which there is in all such things , whereby they are apt quickly to satiate and weary us ; and upon this account it may be said to promote rather than hinder the interest of pleasure . as for the pleasures of the appetite , these abide no longer than till the necessities and conveniencies of nature are satisfied ; and so far religion doth allow of them . when our hunger and thirst is well appeased , all that follows after is but a faint kind of pleasure , if it be not rather to be styled satiety and a burden . as for those kind of things , which we call by the name of sports and diversions , religion doth likewise admit of a moderate use of these ; and what is beyond such a moderate use , doth rather tire men , than recreate them : it being as much the property of such things , to weary a man when he is once sufficiently refreshed by them , as it is to refresh him when he is wearied by other things . we read indeed of the pleasures of sin ; but besides that they are of a baser and grosser kind , 't is said also , that they are but for a season , but for a moment , and the end of them is heaviness . the ways of sin may seem broad and pleasant , but they lead down to death , and take hold of hell . there are some vices that seem sweet to the palate , but do after fill the mouth with gravel . there are several sins which have very specious and tempting appearances , which yet upon trial do bite like a serpent , and sting like an adder . by what hath been said , it appears , that religion is a natural cause of promoting these sensible pleasures ; besides , that it affords delights incomparably beyond all these corporeal things , such as those who are strangers to religion cannot understand , and do not intermeddle with . . but besides the reasons to this purpose , it may appear likewise from experience , that the great pleasure of mens lives is from the goodness of them ; such only being capable of a free and liberal enjoyment of what they possess , who know how to regulate themselves in the fruition of them , to avoid extremities on either hand , to prevent those mixtures of guilt and fear , which will imbitter all their enjoyments . such persons only who have good consciences being capable of having a continual feast . the great objection against this will be , from the difficulty of the duties of mortification , repentance , self-denial , taking up the cross , &c. all which do imply in them a repugnancy to our natures , and consequently an inconsistency with pleasure . for answer to this it must be observed , that difficulty doth properly arise from a disproportion betwixt the power and the work ; as when a person of little strength is put to carry a great burden , when one of a mean capacity is put to answer an hard question in learning . now supposing men to retain their vitious habits , it must be granted , to be as difficult for such to perform the duties of . religion , or to forbear the acts of sin , as for a lame and impotent man to run , or for a man under a violent feaver to be restrained from drinking . but suppose these men cured of these maladies , and their faculties to be rectified , then all this disproportion and unsuitableness will vanish ; and those things will become easie and delightful , which were before very difficult and unpleasant . now it is the property of religion , that it changes the natures of men , making them new creatures . it puts off the old man , which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts , and puts on the new man , which after god is created in righteousness and true holiness . it removes our vitious habits , and endows the mind with other kind of inclinations and abilities . and though there should be some difficulties in the very passage from one state to another , yet this ought not to be objected as a prejudice against religion ; because there are far greater difficulties and pains to be undergone in the service and drudgery of impetuous lusts . the trouble of being cured , is not so great as that of being sick ; nor is the trouble of being sober comparable to that of being debauched and intemperate . that godly sorrow which is required as one of the first acts in the change of our condition , is always accompanied with secret pleasure : and as it is said of wicked men , that in the midst of laughter their heart is sorrowful ; so may it be said of good men , that in the midst of their sorrow their heart is joyful . and when the conditions of men are once changed , when they are passed over to another state , it will then prove as easie to them to observe the duties of religion , as it was before to follow their own sinful inclinations . an evil tree doth not more naturally bring forth evil fruit , than a good tree doth bring forth good fruit . as for that moroseness and sowreness of carriage which some men , who pretend to religion , are noted for ; this is not justly to be ascribed to their religion , but to their want of it : joy and chearsulness being not only a priviledg , but a duty which religion doth oblige men to , whereby they are to adorn their profession , and win over others to a love of it . chap. vi. how religion conduces to our honour and reputation . fifthly , for the interest of honour and reputation . this is one of the greatest blessings which this world can afford , much to be preferred before riches or pleasures , or life it self . a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches , and loving favour rather than silver and gold . one that is a generous virtuous man will chuse to dye , rather than do any thing that may expose him to infamy . st. paul was of this mind ; it were better for me to dye , than that any should make my glorying void . and because it is a thing of so great excellency , therefore we do pay it , as the best service we can do , to god , and to his deputies , magistrates and parents . 't is by this that we are rendered useful and acceptable to others . and besides the advantage we have by it while we live , 't is one of those things that will abide after us , when we are gone out of the world ; and for that reason a special regard is to be had to it . and the more wise and virtuous any man is , the more care will he take to transmit a grateful memory of himself to future times ; and since he must be spoken of after his departure , to take care that he be well-spoken of , that his name may be as a precious oyntment , leaving a perfume behind it , that men may rise up at the mention of it and call him blessed . nor can any man despise honour , but he that doth either despair of it , or resolve against doing any thing that may deserve it . now honour is properly the esteem and good opinion which men have concerning the person or the actions of another , together with such external expressions of respect as are suitable thereunto . and i shall make it appear , that this kind of happiness doth depend upon religion both morally , naturally . . morally . nothing being more generally agreed upon amongst all the philosophers , than that honour is the peculiar reward of virtue , and doth not properly belong to any thing else . and that shame is the proper reward of vice , nor can it belong to any thing else . the scripture is very copious in expressions to this purpose . such as are religious , are styled the excellent of the earth , psal. . . and said to be more excellent than their neighbours . prov. . . they are gods peculiar treasure , the dearly beloved of his soul. he sets apart the man that is godly for himself . though such persons may be but low in their outward condition ; being put to wander up and down in sheepskins and goatskins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented , seeking for refuge in desarts and mountains , in dens and caves of the earth ; yet are they , upon the account of religion , of such an excellent value , that in the judgment of the holy ghost , the world is not worthy of them , heb. . , . the wise-man speaking of rellgion , saith , that it shall be an ornament of grace to thy head , and as a chain about thy neck . exalt her , and she shall promote thee , and bring thee to honour . she shall give to thy head an ornament of grace , and a crown of glory . god hath engaged himself by promise to those people that are religious , that he will set them above other nations ; they shall be made the head and not the tail . he will honour those that honour him . and certainly , he who is the king of kings , must needs be the fountain of honour , and be able to dispose of it as he pleases . and on the other side , shame is in scripture said to be the proper reward and consequent of sin , especially in the writings of david and solomon . religion is styled by the name of wisdom , and sin by the name of folly . and the wise-man having said , prov. . , that the wise shall inherit glory , 't is added , but shame shall be the promotion of fools : it shall be their promotion ; the utmost that such persons shall ever attain to , will be but disgrace ; when they are exalted and lifted up , it shall prove to their disparagement , to make their shame more conspicuous . and prov. . . 't is said , a wicked man is loathsome , and cometh to shame . the word translated loathsome , properly denotes such kind of persons to be as nauseous and offensive to the judgments of others , as the most loathsome unsavoury things are to their tasts or smells . they are styled by the name of wolves and bears , swine , dogs , and vipers , things both hurtful and hateful . men that are truly virtuous , have a reverence paid them by all that know them . and on the other side , vicious men are despised . not but that wicked persons may be inwardly honoured , by such as do not know them to be wicked ; and on the other side , those that are good , may by others be esteemed and used , as being the rubbish and off-scouring of all things . but this is to be ascribed chiefly to their mistake and ignorance of them , whilst they look upon such persons as being the most dangerous pernicious persons . but the generality of mankind have heretofore , and still do pay a reverence to any person whom they believe to be innocent and virtuous . . religion is the natural cause of honour and reputation , so far as such things are capable of any physical efficacy . this i shall endeavour to prove , both from reason and experience . i. by reason . for the better understanding of this , we are to take notice , that honour may be considered under a twofold notion . . according to the desert and foundation of it , in the person honoured . . according to the acknowledgment or attribution of it , in the person honouring . now religion doth by a natural causality influence both these . . according to the foundation of it , in the person honoured , which is true virtue and merit . i have shewed before , that the essence of man may be said to consist in being religious , and consequently this must be the rule and measure of a mans real worth ; it must be our excelling in that which makes us men , that must make us better men than others . all other things have some kind of standard , by which the natural goodness of them is to be measured ; so is it with men likewise . and this is usually from their suitableness to that chief end they are designed for . quae conditio rerum , eadem & hominum est ; navis bona dicitur , non quae pretiosis coloribus picta est , &c. ( saith seneca ) we do not therefore esteem a ship to be good , because it is curiously painted and gilded , or carved and inlay'd but because 't is fitted for all the purposes of navigation , which is the proper end of a ship. nor do we therefore count a sword to be good , because it hath a rich hilt and an embroidered scabbard but because it is sit for the proper use of a sword , which is to cut , &c. in homine quoque nihil ad rem pertinet , quantum aret , quantum foeneret , a quàm multis salutetur , sed quàm bonus sit . it should be so likewise in our esteem of men , who are not so much to be valued by the grandeur of their estates or titles , as by their inward goodness . the true stamp of nobility is upon the minds of men , and doth consist in such virtuous habits , as will enable a man for worthy designs and actions ; when the image of god , who is the rule of excellency and the fountain of honour , is in any measure restored upon it . every man is endowed with a natural principle , inclining him to a state of happiness , and hath in some measure both an ability to judg of , and a freedom and liberty for applying himself unto , those duties which are the proper means for the promoting of this end : nor is he upon any other account to be justly praised or blamed , but according to the right or wrong use of this natural liberty . and therefore as such a man doth find either in himself or others , a constant and firm resolution to make a right use of this , so should he proportion his esteem accordingly , preferring this inward greatness , this rectitude of mind , whereby a man is resolved in every condition , to do that which shall appear to be his duty , before any kind of external greatness whatsoever . there is a respect and honour due to all kind of virtues whatsoever , as rendering men amiable and lovely . but amongst the rest , there are two , which are by general consent esteemed venerable , and such as do greatly advance the reputation of those who are endowed with them ; namely , wisdom , courage . because they have a more intrinsick rise , and do less depend upon external advantages , but seem rather to be rooted in the inward frame and temper of our minds ; and withall are most beneficial both to our selves and others : the former signifying a man to have those inteltellectual abilities which are proper to his kind , whereby the humane nature is to be distinguished from other things : the other , because it argues a rectitude in the will , and a power to subdue the passion of fear , which is most natural to our present state of infirmity ; and withall doth support a man against difficulties , and enable him for those two great services , of doing and suffering as he ought . and for this reason , the vices that are opposite to these , are amongst all others counted the most shameful ; there being no greater reproach to be cast upon any one , than to be esteemed a fool or a coward . now a man that is irreligious cannot justly pretend to either of these virtues . . for wisdom . this is so essential to religion , that in the scripture-phrase they both go under the same name . and there is very good reason , why it should be so ; because there is such an intimate agreement between the natures of them . the philosopher doth define wisdom to consist in an ability and inclination , to make choice of right means in the prosecution of our true end . and nothing can enable a man for this but religion , both as to the subordinate end of temporal happiness in this world , and chiefly with respect to that great and supreme end of eternal happiness in the world to come . . and then for courage . 't is not possible for a man to be truly valiant , unless he be withall truly religious : he may be bold and daring , and able in a fearless manner to rush upon any danger ; but then he must stifle his reason from considering what the consequences of things may be , what shall become of him hereafter , if he should miscarry : there being no man whatsoever so totally free from the apprehensions of a future state , but that when he is serious and considerate , he must be startled with doubts and fears concerning it : so that there cannot be any rational , sedate , deliberate courage , but only in such as have good hopes of a better estate in the other world ; and 't is religion only that can enable a man for this . . honour considered , according to the acknowledgment or attribution of it in the persons honouring ; which is the external form , or as the body of honour , being much in the power of others . and this may be distinguished into these two kinds , inward , outward . . inward , honouring is properly an act of the understanding , in passing judgment upon the nature of things : when we do in our minds , own and acknowledg the real worth or virtue of a thing or person . and every one who will act rationally , not miscalling good evil , and evil good , must proportion his esteem of things , according to the real value of them . nor is it in any mans power , so far to offer violence to his own faculties , as to believe any thing against evidence ; to esteem that man to be either worthy or unworthy , whom he knows to be otherwise . he may call him and use him as he pleases , and he may be willing to entertain prejudices , either for or against him ; and in this sense , honor est in honorante : but he cannot inwardly think or believe otherwise than according to his evidence . for men of no real worth to expect this inward honour from others , as it is very unequal , requiring brick without straw ; and very unlawful , it being as well a mans duty to contemn a vile person , as to honour those that fear the lord ; so neither is it possible , because men must necessarily judge according to the most prevailing evidence ; nor can they esteem such a one to be worthy whom they know to be otherwise , any more than they can believe that to be white and streight which they see to be black and crooked . there are indeed some other things that do commonly go under this name , as the several degrees of nobility , titles , and places of dignity , which are usually called by this name of honour ; but these things ( as they are abstracted from magistracy ) being wholly extrinsecal , have no more due to them , but a mere external respect : they may challenge from us that we should give them their due titles , and demean our selves towards them with that observance and ceremony which becomes their quality : but then as for that inward esteem and valuation of our minds belonging to good men ; such persons can challenge no greater share of this , than according as their real merit and virtue shall require . the royal stamp upon any kind of metal may be sufficient to give it an extrinsick value , and to determine the rate at which it is to pass amongst coyns ; but it cannot give an intrinsick value , or make that which is but brass to be gold. 't is true indeed there are some callings and particular relations of men , to which an inward veneration is due , though the persons themselves should not be virtuous ; namely magistrates , and ministers , and parents , and benefactors ; who having somewhat of a divine stamp and impress , may therefore challenge from us , that we should demean our selves towards them , both with such an outward respect as becomes their places , and with such an inward respect too , as may be suitable to that image which they bear ; to our dependance upon them , and obligations to them . but then we cannot be obliged to think such persons good men , unless we have some evidence to believe them to be so , or at least , not to be otherwise ; so that they are beholding to something extrinsecal to their persons , namely to their callings and relations , for that honour which is paid to them . . outward honouring is , when men do by their words or actions testify that esteem and respect which they have for the worth of others . and this indeed may be truely said to be in the power of others , because men have a greater command over their words and actions , than they have over their belief . now all men that are truely virtuous and religious , will be ready to give unto every one his due honour ; and such are the best judges of it . upon which account tully defines true honour to be consentiens laus bonorum , the concurrent approbation of good men ; such only being fit to give true praise , who are themselves praise-worthy . as for vitious and irreligious persons , 't is not to be expected that they should be forward to commend that which is opposite to them . but then 't is to be considered , that these are no competent judges of such matters : and for a man to resent deeply the contempt of unworthy persons , were overmuch to honour them , as if their esteem could add any thing to his reputation . and yet , even these persons cannot avoid having an inward veneration for goodness and religion , which is the reason why they are so forward to dissemble it , to disguise themselves under the shew of it . men do not use to counterfeit common stones and metals , but such as are precious , jewels and gold ; nor would any one take the pains to counterfeit being religious , if he did not think it a matter of some value , and a means to procure esteem from others . and when such men do revile and persecute any one for being religious , yet is there such a natural veneration belonging to the thing it self , as makes them to disguise it under the name of hypocrisy , heresy , superstition , &c. whereby they may justify themselves in their opposing of it . ii. but this is only general discourse , and in the notion . the best argument to this purpose would be from experience ; by which i mean that practical knowledg , which every man may attain by his own observation of the usual course of things in the world . and by this it will appear , that no kind of persons have been more highly reverenced in the hearts and consciences of others , than those that have been most eminent for their virtue and religion ; which hath been always true , both with respect to publick communities , and private persons . . for nations . if we consult the histories of former times , we shall find that saying of solomon constantly verifyed , that righteousness doth exalt a nation , but sin doth prove a reproach to it . and more especially the sin of irreligiousness and prophaneness ; as this doth increase in any nation , so must the honour and reputation of that nation decrease . the roman empire was then at the highest , as to its name and greatness , when it was so as to its virtue ; when they were most punctual in observing the rites of their religion ( though that were a false way of worship ) most heroical in their justice , courage , fidelity , gratitude ; then it was that they deserved to govern the world , and to be had in greatest honour above all other nations . and not only cicero , and polybius , two heathen writers , who , upon that account , might be thought more partial ; but st. austin also and lactantius , two of the fathers , do ascribe the flourishing of that empire , when it was at its height , to the religion and piety and virtue of those times ; and as they did afterwards degenerate from this , so did they decline likewise in their greatness and honour . . thus also hath it been with particular persons ; amongst the heathen , what elogies do we find in the honour of socrates , aristides , cato , epictetus ? the last of whom , though but a poor slave , had yet such a veneration paid to his memory , that his earthen lamp by which he was wont to study , was , after his death , sold for three thousand drachms . nor was it otherwise amongst the christians ; the apostles were but poor fishermen , illiterate mechanicks ; many of the martyrs were but of mean condition , much opposed and persecuted in the world ; and yet these men , during the time of their lives , were highly reverenced amongst those that knew them ; and since their deaths , what can be more glorious than that renown which they have amongst men , when the greatest kings and princes will not mention their names without reverence , when whole nations are willing to set apart , and to observe solemn days and festivals in honour of their memories ? and as it hath always been thus formerly , so i appeal to every man's breast , whether it be not so now . let them but examine what their inclinations are towards such persons whom they believe to be truly virtuous ; not only to such among them , as are their particular acquaintance and friends ; but likewise to strangers , nay to very enemies , whether they do not esteem and love them and will-well to them . it cannot be denyed , but that there are too many in the world , who propose to themselves such ways and courses for the promoting of their honour and reputation , as are quite opposite to that which i have now been discoursing of ; namely , prophaneness and contempt of religion , despising that which other men stand in awe of ; by which they think to get the reputation of wit and courage ; of wit , by pretending to penetrate more deeply into the nature of things , and to understand them better than others do ; not to be so easily imposed upon , as other credulous people are : of courage , by not being so easily scared at the apprehension of danger at a distance . but the plain truth is , such persons do hereby prove themselves to be both fools and cowards . fools ; in mistaking their great interest , in making choice of such means , as can never promote the end they design . there being no kind of men that are more exposed ( whatsoever they themselves may think of it ) than those that seek for credit by despising of religion . fools , in venturing their future estates and their souls upon such hazards , as all mankind would cry-out-upon , for the most palpable folly and madness , if they should do the like towards their temporal estates , or their bodies . cowards ; in being more afraid of little dangers , because they are present , than of greater , because they are future , and at a distance . as that souldier , who doth more dread the present danger of fighting , when he is obliged to it , than the future danger of suffering by martial law for running away , may justly be esteemed a notorious coward ; so may that man , who is more afraid of a present inconvenience , by incurring the prejudice and displeasure of his loose companions , to whom he would be acceptable , than of a future mischief from the judgment of god. no man will esteem another to be truely valiant , because he is not afraid to do such vile unworthy things as will expose him to the displeasure and punishment of the civil magistrate ; much less should he be so accounted , for daring to do such things , as will in the issue expose him to the divine vengeance . chap. vii . how religion conduceth to the happiness of the inward man , as it tends to the regulating of our faculties , and to the peace and tranquillity of our minds . as for the internal well-fare of our minds , this ( as i observed before ) doth depend upon these two things . . the perfecting and regulating of our faculties , inabling them for their proper functions , and the keeping of them in due subordination to one another . . in the peace , quiet , contentment consequent thereupon . and both these do likewise depend upon religion . . for the perfecting and regulating of our faculties , and inabling them for their proper functions . these things do depend upon religion , both morally , naturally . . morally ; as these things are blessings and priviledges , so do they belong to religion as the proper reward of it . those men only being fit to have free and large minds , and refined faculties , who are willing to improve them to the best use and advantage . to this purpose there are several expressions in scripture : a good understanding have all they that do his commandments . thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies . he that doth the will of god shall know it . . naturally , as these things are duties , so are they the proper effects of virtue . the generality of the heathen philosophers have agreed in this , that sin is the natural cause of debasing the soul , immersing it into a state of sensuality and darkness , deriving such an impotence and deformity upon the mind , as the most loathsome diseases do upon the body . and therefore it must be religion and virtue , on the other side , that must enlighten and enlarge the mind , and restore it from the degeneracy of its lapsed estate , renewing upon us the image of our maker , adorning us with those beauties of holiness , which belong to the hidden man of the heart . 't is the proper work of religion , to frame the mind to the nearest conformity unto the nature of god ; upon which account it is said in scripture to consist in a participation of the divine nature . other things may be said to have some remote resemblance to the deity ; but man only amongst the visible creatures , is capable of those more immediate communications from him , by religion : and all kind of perfection is to be measured by its nearness or remoteness to the first and chief pattern of all perfection . as all kind of vice doth go under the name of impotence , so religion is described to be the spirit of power , and of a sound mind . because it doth establish in a man a just empire over himself , over all those blind powers and passions which of themselves are apt to raise tumults and commotions against the dominion of reason . that which health is to the body , whereby the outward senses are enabled to make a true judgment of things , that is virtue to the mind , whereby the inward faculties must be fitted and disposed to discern betwixt things that differ , which those who are under the power of vicious habits are not able to do . but to speak more particularly , religion doth , . enlarge the understanding , enabling it to see beyond the narrow bounds of sense and time , to behold things that are invisible ; god being in the intellectual world , as the sun is in the sensible world ; and as natural blindness doth disable men from seeing the one , so will spiritual blindness for the other . . it doth exalt and regulate the will , to a desire after , and acquiescence in such things as will promote the perfection of our natures , and consequently will beget in the mind , the truest liberty , ingenuity , generosity , which are altogether inconsistent with the servitude of lusts and passions . . it doth reduce the passions , unto a due subordination to the superior faculties ; restraining the violence and impetuousness of them , from whence the greatest part of the trouble and disquiet of mens lives doth proceed . as he that is of a healthy constitution , can endure heat and cold and labour with little or no prejudice to himself ; so can one of a virtuous mind undergo various conditions without receiving any hurt from them . such an one is not lifted up by prosperity , nor dejected by adversity : he is not a servant to anger , fear , envy , malice , which are the great occasions of disturbing our inward peace and quiet . . the second thing wherein the wellfare of our minds doth consist , is peace , tranquillity , joy , confidence , in opposition to inward disquiet , anxiety , grief , fear , diffidence . and these do depend upon religion likewise , both morally , naturally . . morally , as these things may be considered under the notion of blessings and priviledges , so they belong to the rewards of religion . all philosophers having agreed in this , that inward serenity and composedness of mind is the proper reward of moral virtue . to which the scripture doth attest , in those expressions where 't is said , that a good man is satisfied from himself ; in the fear of the lord is strong confidence . the righteous is bold as a lion. thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee . that the fruits of righteousness shall be peace , and the effect of righteousness , quietness and assurance for ever . that tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that doth evil ; but to him that doth good , glory and honour and peace , serenity and composedness of mind , peace that passeth all understanding , joy that is unspeakable and full of glory . . naturally ; as these things are considered under the notion of duties , so they are the most genuine fruits and effects of religion ; which doth oblige us to them , and enable us for them . . religion doth oblige men to joy and peace and confidence . the very heathens have acknowledged these to be such things , as all good men are bound to upon the account of duty . and the scripture doth abound in precepts to this purpose . rejoice in the lord always , and again i say rejoice . commit thy ways unto the lord , and he shall bring it to pass . be carful for nothing . cast thy burden upon him , as knowing that he takes care for thee . these kind of duties do formally and in the very essence of them , contain in them the nature of happiness . and on the contrary , the opposite vices do contain in them the true nature of punishment , and render men formally miserable . such a man must needs be unhappy , who lives under the power of continual anxieties , sorrow , fears , diffidence , selfwill , malice , envy , &c. of several of which , that may be said which the poet speaks concerning one of them . invidiâ siculi non invenêre tyranni tormentum majus . the sicilian tyrants , who were of old famous for inventing engines of torture , as that of phalaris his bull , were not able to find out any kind of torment for the body , equal to that which some of these vices do occasion to the mind . . and as religion doth oblige us to , so likewise doth it enable us for this kind of happiness , and that upon a two-fold account . . from the general nature of religion and virtue considered in it self . . from the most natural effects and consequences of it . . from the general nature of religion considered in it self . all kind of vertues containing in their very essence , these kind of inward felicities , either formally or virtually : the very foundation of happiness and misery , reward and punishment , being laid in the very nature of these things themselves . that natural appetite , whereby men are carried out after a state of happiness , is for the nature of it so universal and radical , so closely fixed to our first principles ; and for the degree of it so ardent and impetuous , that 't is not possible for men to be disappointed in it , without a very quick sensation , and some proportionable trouble for it . the more eager men are in their desires , the more sensible must they be of gain or loss . now all such courses as have a natural tendency to the satisfying of this appetite , are upon that account parts of our happiness . and on the other side , those which are cross to it , must needs make us miserable . and if it be so ( as i have already proved ) that our happiness must consist in such a similitude and resemblance to the supreme good as we are capable of ; it must hence follow , that religion is formally happiness . he that lives under the power of godlike dispositions in his mind , and doth accordingly exercise them in the course of his life , may be said eo nomine to be a happy man : holiness and happiness being but two distinct names for the same thing . i shewed before that the true nature of pleasure was founded in a suitableness betwixt the faculty and the object : from whence it will follow , that reasonable actions have in them a suitableness to reasonable minds ; and the more virtuous and religious any man is , the more delight must such a man take in such kind of actions . that man who hath a just sense of his own impotent dependent condition , and how much it is for the interest of the world , and the good of all humane affairs , that there is a supreme governour , who is infinitely wise , and powerful , and gracious , and how reasonable it is that men should demean themselves towards him suitably to this belief : he that is convinced how necessary it is for the promoting his own private , as well as the publick wellfare , that men be forward to do all good offices of justice and friendship towards one another : i say , he that is under this conviction , must needs find much satisfaction and pleasure in such kind of actions . as for first table duties which consist in acquaintance with god , communion with him , in meditating upon his wisdom , goodness , power , in affiance , love , reverence ; if these were not acts of the highest pleasure , they would never have been appointed for the happiness of our future state in heaven . and as for second table duties , what greater pleasure and satisfaction can there be to a generous mind , than to do worthy things , to be employed about acts of justice and charity and beneficence , to promote publick peace and good-will amongst men ? eating and drinking is not a more proper satisfaction to those natural appetites of hunger and thirst , than the doing of good is to the rational inclinations of a good man. as all light , and love , and joy are from above , from the father of lights ; so all darkness , sorrow , fear , disquiet , must be from below , from the prince of darkness . wicked men are well compared to the troubled sea , which cannot rest , but by reason of its being tossed to and fro by contrary winds , is still casting up mire and dirt . he that lives under the servitude of lusts and passions , must always be in an unquiet restless condition ; because such masters can never be satisfied in any one service they employ us about ; besides the interfering and contrariety of those employments which they will exact from us . vice is multiform , scelera dissident , and therefore must they needs be inconsistent with rest and quiet . one principal requisite to a state of serenity of mind , doth consist in an uniform agreement about that chief end which we are to pursue , together with the means conducing to it ; whereas they that have many and contrary things in design , must needs be distracted about them . the soul that cannot fix it self upon the enjoyment of god , who is the only all-sufficient good , and consequently the only center of rest , must be like those disconsolate spirits , which our saviour speaks of , who being cast out of their habitations , were put to wander up and down through desart places , seeking rest , but finding none . . from the most natural effects and consequences of religion , in respect of that inward confidence , peace , joy , which must follow the conscience of well-doing ; insomuch , that there is not any kind of tree which doth more naturally produce its proper fruits , than the habits of virtue do bring forth joy and serenity in the mind . when a man shall sit down and take a serious review of what he hathdone , and finds it to be most agreeable both to his duty and interest , from hence there must needs arise an inward satisfaction of mind . and on the other side , a fountain doth not more naturally send out waters , than vice doth punishment and misery . nor is this any meer notion or fancy , which some severe melancholy divines would impose upon the world ; but it is most agreeable to those natural sentiments which the very heathen have had and do frequently mention : seneca in particular ; res severa est verum gaudium ; unde sit , interrogas ? dicam , ex bona conscientia , ex honestis conciliis , ex rectis actionibus . all solid comfort must arise from a good conscience , and honest actions . i appeal to the experience of all considering men , whether this doth not appear to them , that the generality of those who live most pleasantly in the world , are the most religious and virtuous part of mankind ; such as know how to regulate themselves in the fruition of what they have , how to avoid the extremities on either hand , to prevent those mixtures of guilt and fear , which are apt to sowre and imbitter all our enjoyments ? whether lawful pleasures , which a man may reflect upon without any sense of guilt , be not much to be preferred before others ? whether those intellectual delights that flow from the conscience of well-doing , be not much better than any sinful sensual pleasure ? whether the doing of any worthy action , such as all good men must think well of and commend , do not afford a more solid lasting pleasure than can be had from any sensible enjoyments ? whether any thing can be more suitable , and consequently delightful to a generous mind , than an opportunity of being grateful to those by whom a man hath been obliged ; the making of an ample return for the favours he hath received ? whether that noble way of conquest , overcoming evil with good , surprizing an enemy by kindness , when we have it in our power to be severe towards him , be not a far greater pleasure than that which is by some counted the sweetest of all other things , revenge ? religion doth likewise advance the soul to an holy confidence , concerning the divine favour and good-will towards us . if our hearts condemn us not , we have confidence towards god. a good conscience will set us above all those fears and doubts and cares , whereby the lives of men are rendered uncomfortable . when in decrepit age a man cannot find comfort in other things , when the grinders shall be few , and appetite cease , then will this be a continual feast . the most rational , solid , sublime , complete , durable delights , of all others , do flow from the conscience of well-doing . 't is a chief part this , of that heaven which we enjoy upon earth , and 't is likewise a principal part of that happiness which we hope to enjoy in heaven . next to the beatifical vision and fruition of god , is the happiness of a good conscience , and next to that the society of saints and angels . whereas on the other side , he that lives under the sense of guilt , and a consciousness of his obligation to punishment , must needs be destitute of all inward peace and comfort : such an one can have nothing to support him , with patience , under a state of affliction in this world , nor can he have any rational grounds to expect a better condition hereafter ; and therefore must needs have very dreadful apprehensions of dying , and be all his life time subject to bondage through the fear of death . and that man must needs be very miserable , who can neither have true joy in life , nor any hope in death . this the heathen philosophers have acknowledged , that there is always a secret dread which doth accompany guilt . so seneca in particular , speaking of wicked men , he saith , tantùm metuunt quantùm nocent , that such men must have fears proportionable to their guilt . and a little after , dat paenas quisquis expect at , quisquis autem meruit expect at ; those men do really suffer punishment , who live under the expectation of it , and whoever doth any thing to deserve it must needs expect it . 't is not easie to express the torment which those men undergo , — quos diri conscia facti mens habet attonitos , & surdo verbere caedit , occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum . — mens sibi conscia facti praemetuens , adhibet stimulos , terretque flagellis . 't is the unsupportableness of this , that many times doth cause men in the bitterness of their souls , to chuse strangling and death rather than life . the heathens do set forth such a mans condition , by the fiction of furies continually haunting and scourging him : but zophar doth better describe it , where he saith , terrors are upon him , all darkness is hid in his secret places , a fire not blown shall consume him . though some men are so hardened against the sense of guilt , as to go on in their sinful courses , without feeling any of this remorse for them ; yet is their peace so far from being a priviledg , that it doth render their condition more desperate , because it supposes them to have a reprobate mind , and such a stupidity upon their consciences , as makes them past feeling , being seared as it were with an hot iron . which though it may preserve them from those present lashes which others are tormented with , yet doth it argue their conditions to be more remediless and desperate . all the difference is , the one is sick of a calenture or burning feaver , the other of a lethargy or apoplexy ; the former more painful for the present , but both of them very dangerous , only the latter less capable of remedy than the former . chap. viii . how religion conduces to our happiness in the next world . as religion is the true cause of our present happiness in this world , whether external , internal . so likewise is it the cause of that happiness , which we expect in our future states : which must depend upon such courses , as can give us the most rational assurance of blessedness and glory hereafter . i shall speak but briefly to this subject , because 't is scarce possible for any man to be so strangely infatuated , so wholly lost to common reason as to believe , that vicious courses , despising of religion , walking contrary to god , can be the means to entitle him to this future happiness , any more than contempt and hatred of any one , is a proper means to procure his favour . what kind of happiness this is , which belongs to our future state , and wherein the glory of it doth consist , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a thing unspeakable , altogether above the expressions of humane orators , and passeth all knowledg , the heart of man being not able to conceive it : nor can it be expected that we should be able , in this state of flesh and mortality , to comprehend what kind of irradiations , glorified souls are capable of . only in the general , 't is said , we shall be like god , and see him as he is . this state of future happiness , as it is above all other things of greatest moment , so ought it to be proportionably laboured after , with the greatest care and diligence . there are several varieties of metaphorical names or expressions whereby this state is described in scripture , but all of them do imply something of more than ordinary care and industry to the qualifying of men for it , as bellarmine hath observed in his tract de aeternâ felicitate sanctorum . 't is styled . the city of god , the heavenly jerusalem . and it requires some care and diligence for one that is a citizen of this world , to be a fellow-citizen with the saints ; it being no easie thing for one that lives in this world , not to be of it . the house of god , where there are many mansions ; but streight is the gate , and narrow is the way to it . an hid treasure , a pretious pearl . not to be obtained without putting such a value upon it , as will make a man ready to part with all that he hath , for the purchase of it . a penny . the wages of our daily service , not to be given but to such as labour in the vineyard , and hold out to the end . a feast or rich supper ; which they are altogether unworthy of and unfit for , who do wholly devote themselves to the affairs of this world . the joy of our lord and master ; which they only are admitted to , who are careful to improve the talents they are intrusted withal . the solemnity of a royal wedding ; from which all lazy , slothful people , who have not oyl in their lamps , and do not watch for the coming of the bridegroom , shall be shut out and excluded into outter darkness . 't is a prize ; which they only obtain who accomplish their race , and run to the goal . 't is a crown ; which is due only to such as fight valiantly and overcome . 't is an inheritance ; and therefore belongs only to sons . 't is an inheritance of the saints ; and therefore unsanctified persons can have nothing to do with it . 't is an inheritance of the saints in light ; and therefore cannot belong to such as still remain under the powers of darkness . heaven may be considered under a twofold notion , either as a state , place . . in the first sense , 't is the same with holiness , consisting in such godlike dispositions , as may make us partakers of the divine nature . . in the second sense , it denotes that other world , where we hope to enjoy the beatifical vision , in the blessed society of saints and angels . which religion only and holiness can qualify us for , by working in our natures such a suitableness and congruity as must make such things to be felicities . in brief ; that salvation and glory , which the christian religion doth so clearly propose to us , is , as to the nature and essence of it , but the very same thing with religion ; consisting in such a conformity of our minds to the nature of god , whereby we are made capable of the fruition of him in heaven . so that in this respect also , religion is the whole of man , that is , the whole happiness and well-being of man doth depend upon it . i have now dispatcht what i intended in this discourse , namely to prove the reasonableness and credibility of the principles of natural religion ; which i have made appear to be in themselves of so great evidence , that every one , who will not do violence to his own faculties , must believe and assent unto them . i have likewise made it plain , that 't is every mans greatest interest , to provide for his present and future happiness , by applying himself to the duties of religion , which upon all accounts will advance the perfection of his nature and promote his true wellfare , both in this world and the other . insomuch that if we were to chuse the laws we would submit unto , it were not possible for us to contrive any rules more advantageous to our own interest , than those which religion doth propose , and require us to observe , upon pain of everlasting damnation , and in hope of eternal life which god that cannot lye hath promised , to all those who by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for glory and honour and immortality . chap. ix . the conclusion of the whole , shewing the excellency of the christian religion , and the advantages of it , both as to the knowledg and practice of our duty , above the meer light of nature . i have now at large considered the credibility of the principles of natural religion , and our obligation to the several duties resulting from those principles . the purpose of all which is to shew how firm and deep a foundation religion hath in the nature and reason of mankind : but not in the least to derogate from the necessity and usefulness of divine revelation , or to extenuate the great blessing and benefit of the christian religion ; but rather to prepare and make way for the entertainment of that doctrine which is so agreeable to the clearest dictates of natural light . for notwithstanding all that hath been said of natural religion , it cannot be denyed , but that in this dark and degenerate state into which mankind is sunk , there is great want of a clearer light to discover our duty to us with greater certainty , and to put it beyond all doubt and dispute what is the good and acceptable will of god ; and of a more powerful encouragement to the practice of our duty , by the promise of a supernatural assistance , and by the assurance of a great and eternal reward . and all these defects are fully supplied , by that clear and perfect revelation which god hath made to the world by our blessed saviour . and although , before god was pleased to make this revelation of his will to mankind , men were obliged to the practice of moral duties by the law of nature , and as the apostle speaks , having not the law were a law to themselves , shewing the effect of the law written upon their hearts ; yet now that god hath in so much mercy revealed his will so plainly to mankind , it is not enough for us who enjoy this revelation , to perform those moral duties which are of natural obligation , unless we also do them in obedience to christ as our lord and law-giver . as we are christians , whatever we do in word or deed , we must do all in the name of the lord jesus ; and by him alone expect to find acceptance with god. how far the moral virtues of meer heathens , who walk answerable to the light they have , may be approved of god , i shall not now dispute . only thus much seems clear in the general , that the law of nature being implanted in the hearts of men by god himself , must therefore be esteemed to be as much his law , as any positive institution whatsoever : and consequently , conformity to it must in its kind , in genere morum , be acceptable to him . god loves the societies of mankind , and because of the necessity of justice , and virtue , and probity to the preservation of humane society , therefore he doth generally give a blessing and success to honest and good enterprizes , and blasts the contrary with signal judgments and marks of his displeasure . but we cannot from these outward dispensations infer any thing certainly concerning such mens eternal conditions . some of the fathers indeed , as justin martyr , and clemens alexandrinus and chrysostom , have delivered their judgments for the salvation of such heathens as live according to the light of nature : but the general stream of the rest is for the contrary opinion . i shall not now enquire into the particular grounds and reasons of this difference . it may suffice to say in general , that the goodness and mercy of god , as well as his judgments are a great deep ; that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy ; and that when god hath not thought fit to tell us how he will be pleased to deal with such persons , it is not sit for us to tell him how he ought to deal with them . only of this we are sufficiently assured , that in all ages and places of the world , all that are saved are saved by the mercy of god , and by the merits of jesus christ , who is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world ; the scripture having expresly told us , that there is no salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved . to be sure , there is no reason for any man , who lives under the dispensation of the gospel , to expect that he shall escape , if he neglect so great salvation . this is the tenour of that doctrine of the gospel , which christ immediately upon his resurrection doth commissionate his disciples to preach ; mark . . he that believeth shall be saved , but he that believeth not shall be damned . and joh : . . he that believeth not , is condemned already . and presently it follows , this is the condemnation , &c. and again joh. . this is life eternal , to know thee the only true god , and him whom thou hast sent , jesus christ. now that to us , to whom the christian doctrine is revealed and proposed , the belief and practice of it is the only way wherein we can hope to be accepted , i shall endeavour to make out by these two arguments : . from the evidence we have of its divine authority . . from the excellency of the things contained in it ; which are the two chief grounds of our obligation to it . . from that evidence which we have for the divine authority of this doctrine , above any other . it seems to be a principle of nature , to which all nations have consented , that god himself should prescribe the way of his own worship . all kind of inventions whatsoever , that have been any way useful to humane life , especially such kind of laws as concern civil or ecclesiastical associations of men , have upon the first discovery of them been still ascribed to the deity . as if the authors of them must needs have been first illuminated with some ray of divinity . nor is it probable , that ever any nation should , with any degree of zeal , embrace the respective ceremonies of their religion , unless they had first esteemed them to have proceeded from divine revelation . upon this account was it that lycurgus , and numa pompilius , and mahomet , and the rest of those kind of founders of nations and religions , when they would obtain a reverence and devotion to the things they were to establish , they were fain to pretend at least to divine revelation . which proceeding of theirs , though it did really abuse the people with gross delusions , yet was it founded upon this common principle , that none can think aright of god , much less serve him in an acceptable manner , unless they are first instructed by him in the true way of doing it . now that the doctrine of christianity is thus derived to us by divine institution , we have as clear and convincing evidence , as things of that nature are capable of . as for the old testament , that hath by the general consent of learned men , all the marks of purest antiquity ; there being nothing in the world which in this respect is equal to it , or which may pretend to be compared with it . all other the most ancient monuments of antiquity coming short of it by many ages . it was written in the first and most ancient language ; from which the very alphabets and letters of all other languages ( in the opinion of the most learned heathen , plutarch , pliny , tacitus , lucan , &c. ) were derived . the very number and order of letters most generally used in all kind of alphabets , being very improper and unnatural ; which it is not likely men of several nations would have all agreed upon , were it not barely upon this reason , that they were taken up by imitation , and so did retain the errors and imperfections of that first original from whence they were derived . this book contains as the most ancient , so the most exact story of the world , the propagation of men , and the dispersing of families into the several parts of the earth ; as i shewed before . and though this book were written in several ages and places , by several persons ; yet doth the doctrine of it accord together , with a most excellent harmony , without any dissonance or inconsistency . and for the manner of delivering the things contained in it , 't is so solemn , reverend and majestick , so exactly suited to the nature of things , as may justly provoke our wonder and acknowledgment of its divine original . insomuch that longinus , a great master of eloquence amongst the heathens , hath observed the decorum and majesty which moses useth in describing the creation , in those words , god said , let there be light , and there was light. and as for the new testament . those various correspondencies , which it bears to the chief things of the old testament , may sufficiently evidence that mutual relation , dependance and affinity which there is betwixt them . that in such an age there was such a man as christ , who preached such a doctrine , wrought many miracles , suffered an ignominious death , and was afterwards worshipped as god , having abundance of disciples and followers , at first chiefly amongst the vulgar , but a while after , amongst several of the most wise and learned men ; who in a short space of time did propagate their belief and doctrine into the most remote parts of the world : i say , all this is for the truth of the matter of fact , not so much as doubted or called into question , by julian , or celsus , or the jews themselves , or any other of the most avowed enemies of christianity . but we have it by as good certainty as any rational man can wish or hope for , that is , by universal testimony , as well of enemies as friends . and if these things were so , as to the matter of fact , the common principles of nature will assure us , that 't is not consistent with the nature of the deity , his truth , wisdom or justice , to work such miracles in confirmation of a lye or imposture . nor can it be reasonably objected . that these miracles are now ceased ; and we have not any such extraordinary way to confirm the truth of our religion : 't is sufficient that they were upon the first plantation of it , when men were to be instituted and confirmed in that new doctrine . and there may be as much of the wisdom of providence in the forbearing them now , as in working them then . it being not reasonable to think that the universal laws of nature by which things are to be regularly guided in their natural course , should frequently or upon every little occasion be violated or disordered . to which may be added that wonderful way whereby this religion hath been propagated in the world , with much simplicity and infirmity in the first publishers of it ; without arms , or faction , or favour of great men , or the perswasions of philosophers or orators ; only by a naked proposal of plain evident truth , with a firm resolution of suffering and dying for it , by which it hath subdued all kind of persecutions and oppositions , and surmounted whatever discouragement or resistance could be laid in its way , or made against it . . from the excellency of the things contained in it , both in respect of the end proposed , means for the attaining of it . . from the end it proposes , the chief reward which it sets before us , namely , the eternal vision and fruition of god. which is so excellent in it self , and so suitable to a rational being , as no other religion or profession whatsoever , hath thought of , or so expresly insisted upon . some of the learned heathen have placed the happiness of man in the external sensual delights of this world ; i mean the epicureans , who though in other respects they were persons of many excellent and sublime speculations , yet because of their gross error in this kind , they have been in all ages looked upon with a kind of execration and abhorrency , not only amongst the vulgar , but likewise amongst the learneder sort of philosophers . 't is an opinion this , so very gross and ignoble , as cannot be sufficiently dispised . it doth debase the understanding of man , and all the principles in him , that are sublime and generous , extinguishing the very seeds of honour , and piety , and virtue , affording no room for actions or endeavours , that are truely great and noble ; being altogether unworthy of the nature of man , and doth reduce us to the condition of beasts . others of the wiser heathen , have spoken sometimes doubtfully concerning a future estate , and therefore have placed the reward of virtue , in the doing of virtuous things . virtus est sibi praemium . wherein though there be much of truth , yet it doth not afford encouragement enough , for the vast desires of a rational soul. others who have owned a state after this life , have placed the happiness of it in gross and sensual pleasures , feasts and gardens , and company , and other such low and gross enjoyments . whereas the doctrine of christianity doth fix it upon things , that are much more spiritual and sublime ; the beatifical vision , a clear unerring understanding , a perfect tranquillity of mind , a conformity to god , a perpetual admiring and praising of him : than which the mind of man cannot fancy any thing that is more excellent or desireable . . as to the means it directs to , for the attaining of this end , they are suitable both to the goodness and greatness of the end it self . . for the duties that are enjoyned in reference to divine worship . they are so full of sanctity and spiritual devotion , as may shame all the pompous solemnities of other religions , in their costly sacrifices , their dark wild mysteries , and external observances . whereas this refers chiefly to the holiness of the mind , resignation to god , love of him , dependance upon him , submission to his will , endeavouring to be like him . . and as for the duties of the second-table , which concern our mutual conversation towards one another ; it allows nothing that is hurtful or noxious , either to our selves , or others : forbids all kind of injury or revenge , commands to overcome evil with good , to pray for enemies and persecutors , doth not admit of any mental , much less any corporal uncleanness ; doth not tolerate any immodest or uncomely word or gesture ; forbids us to wrong others in their goods and possessions , or to mispend our own ; requires us to be very tender both of our own and other mens reputations : in brief , it injoyns nothing but what is helpful , and useful , and good for mankind . whatever any philosophers have prescribed concerning their moral virtues of temperance , and prudence , and patience , and the duties of several relations , is here injoyned in a far more eminent , sublime and comprehensive manner . besides such examples and incitations to piety as are not to be parallel'd elsewhere . the whole systeme of its doctrine being transcendently excellent , and so exactly conformable to the highest , purest reason , that in those very things wherein it goes beyond the rules of moral philosophy , we cannot in our best judgment but consent and submit to it . in brief , it doth in every respect so fully answer the chief scope and design of religion , in giving all imaginable honour and submission to the deity , promoting the good of mankind , satisfying and supporting the mind of man , with the highest kind of enjoyments , that a rational soul can wish or hope for , as no other religion or profession whatsoever can pretend unto . what hath briefly been said upon this argument may suffice to shew the exceeding folly and unreasonableness of those men who are sceptical and indifferent as to any kind of religion . 't is a vice this , that if it may not be styled direct atheism , yet certainly it is the very next degree to it . and there is too much reason to suspect , that it doth in this generation very much abound , not only amongst the vulgar , but such also as would be thought the greatest wits , and most knowing men . it hath been occasioned by that heat and zeal of men in those various contrary opinions , which have of late abounded , together with those great scandals that have been given by the professors of religion on several hands . from whence men of corrupt minds have taken occasion to doubt of all kind of religion ; and to look upon it only as a political invention , which doth no farther oblige , than as the laws of several countries do provide for it . these common scandals have been the occasion , but the true ground at the bottom of such mens prejudice and dissatisfaction , is the strictness and purity of this religion , which they find puts too great a restraint and check upon their exorbitant lusts and passions . i know they will pretend for their hesitation and indifferency in this kind , the want of clear and infallible evidence for the truth of christianity ; than which nothing can be more absurd and unworthy of a rational man. for let it be but impartially considered ; what is it , that such men would have ? do they expect mathematical proof and certainty in moral things ? why , they may as well expect to see with their ears , and hear with their eyes . such kind of things ( as i shewed at large in the beginning of this treatise ) being altogether as disproportioned to such kind of proofs , as the objects of the several senses are to one another . the arguments or proof to be used in several matters are of various and different kinds , according to the nature of the things to be proved . and it will become every rational man to yeild to such proofs , as the nature of the thing which he enquires about is capable of : and that man is to be looked upon as froward and contentious , who will not rest satisfied in such kind of evidence as is counted sufficient , either by all others , or by most , or by the wisest men . if we suppose god to have made any revelation of his will to mankind , can any man propose or fancy any better way for conveying down to posterity the certainty of it , than that clear and universal tradition which we have for the history of the gospel ? and must not that man be very unreasonable , who will not be content with as much evidence for an ancient book or matter of fact , as any thing of that nature is capable of ? if it be only infallible and mathematical certainty that can settle his mind , why should he believe that he was born of such parents , and belongs to such a family ? 't is possible men might have combined together to delude him with such a tradition . why may he not as well think , that he was born a prince and not a subject , and consequently deny all duties of subjection and obedience to those above him ? there is nothing so wild and extravagant , to which men may not expose themselves by such a kind of nice and scrupulous incredulity . whereas , if to the enquiries about religion a man would but bring with him the same candour and ingenuity , the same readiness to be instructed , which he doth to the study of humane arts and sciences , that is , a mind free from violent prejudices and a desire of contention ; it can hardly be imagined , but that he must be convinced and subdued by those clear evidences which offer themselves to every inquisitive mind , concerning the truth of the principles of religion in general , and concerning the divine authority of the h. scriptures , and of the christian religion . finis . a sermon preached at the funeral of the right reverend father in god , john late lord bishop of chester . at the guildhall chappel london , on thursday the . of december , . by william lloyd d. d. dean of bangor , and one of his majesties chaplains in ordinary . london : printed for henry brome , . heb. . . remember them which have the rule over you , who have spoken to you the word of god ; whose faith follow , considering the end of their conversation . in handling this text of holy scripture , that we may mingle nothing of humane affections , that our passions may give no interruption to you in hearing , or to me in speaking ; i should desire to suppress them quite , if it were possible . and possible it is , where they are slightly raised , as upon common and ordinary occasions : but where they are grounded and strong , where they dare argue , and seem to have reason on their side , as there is too much in sight for ours ; there i think it is in vain to endeavour it : the only way in this case , is to give them some kind of vent , to discharge them in part , and to govern what remains of the affections . you will i hope the rather bear with my infirmity , that i cannot contain from deploring the loss , the irreparable loss that we suffer , i think all suffer , in the death of this eminent person . he was the man in whom his friends had experience of much good , and had hopes of much more ; not so much for his greatness or power , as abstracting from these , for what they found in himself , which was a great and manifold blessing to all that lived within his conversation . he was a father , a counsellor , a comforter , a helper , a sure friend : he was all they could wish in every relation , and by the course of nature , might have been for many years . but for our sins , ( though for his unspeakable advantage ) the great and wise god was not pleased to continue that blessing ; he took him out of this world , when for ought we could judge , there was most need of such men to live in it ; and when we had much reason to expect more good than ever by his living in it . oh the unsearchable ways and counsels of god! oh the blindness of humane hopes and expectations ! while we please our selves with the good we have in hand , while we reach out for more , as if there would never be an end , within a few days all withers , all vanisheth to this : we have nothing left , but what it grieves us to see ; we have nothing remains , but what we are willing to be rid of , a poor shell of earth , that we make haste to bury out of our sight . yes ; of wise and good men , which is their priviledg above others , there remains after death , a memory , an example which they leave behind them , as a sacred depositum for us to keep and use until we see them again . are these things nothing in our sight ? they are above all price in the sight of god ; who , that they may be so to us , both telleth us the worth , and recommends them to our esteem , and requires the fruit of them in many places of scripture : but in none with more application to our present occasion , than in my text. i shall sufficiently justifie my choice of it , if i can but make it be understood : i shall shew the full import of it , in those duties which it contains : i shall endeavour to stir you up to practise them with respect to this present occasion . first , for the understanding of my text , we are to look for no help from what goes next before it , or after it : for the whole business of it is contained within it self . it lies in the heap among other directions , which without any certain connexion between them , were given by the writer of this epistle to the hebrews , that is , to those jews who were converted to be christians . for the time when it was written , we are certain of this , that it was while timothy lived ; for he is mentioned as living in the verse of this chapter . and he being there said to have suffered imprisonment for the gospel , this brings us a little nearer to the knowledg of the time : for then it must be after both s. pauls epistles to timothy . in the last of those epistles , which was some years after the other , s. paul speaks much of his own imprisonment for the gospel : he warns timothy oft , that he must suffer for the gospel : he instructs him what to do when god shall call him to suffer . not a word of any thing that he had suffered already : nay , he counsels him as a young man , that had never been tried . he invites him to rome , which was the great place of tryal ; in which place , as it appears in the close of this chapter , timothy did suffer that imprisonment for the gospel , from which he was deliver'd , when this epistle was written . it appears , that after the epistle to timothy , how long after we know not , he did go to rome , as paul will'd him . how long he staid there we know not , ere he did suffer imprisonment . how long he was in prison , we know not , ere he was set at liberty . only we know , it was a considerable time , we have reason to think it might be some years ; it might be many years that this epistle was written after the second epistle to timothy . and if so , then it was written , not only as theodoret says , long after the death of james the brother of john : but account it how you will , this epistle was written , after the death of james the brother of our lord : which james being the first bishop of jerusalem , and the other james an apostle , that is , a bishop at large , and both these being put to death at jerusalem ; not to search into church-history for those others of their order , who dyed before this time in other places ; nor to guess how many others were dead , that are not recorded in church-history : if we think of no more but these two eminent servants of christ , we cannot be to seek of the understanding of this text , nor of the application to our particular purpose . i say not , but it may have a more general extent . there is a memory due , not only to the apostles of christ , and to the bishops their successors ; but to all other good ministers of christ , yea to all other exemplary christians . but if the apostle had meant this only of bishops , i cannot guess that he would have it exprest otherwise , than he hath done in my text. to prove this , i must have recourse to the original , and not wholly depend upon our english translation . for that he meant this of bishops , it appears not sufficiently , and of them being dead , not at all , in our translation . and yet from the original , i see no reason to doubt , that our apostle in this text , meant no other but bishops , and those departed this life . for the order of bishops , it is described by those acts of ruling and teaching , in the words of our translation ; but it is much more expresly by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original . for the meaning of which word , to whom should we resort , but either to the greeks , in whose language ; or to the jews , for whose immediate use this was written ? among the greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a general word , it signifies rulers ecclesiastical or civil . in this verse they take it for ecclesiastical rulers : so chrysostom on my text ; and oecumenius , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the apostle speaks of bishops in this verse . if the jews would say so too , what could we have more ? they do say it , as much as we have reason to expect . in their traditional language they call one of our bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in effect is the word in my text. so then we have the consent both of greeks and of hebrews , that is , of them who had most reason to know the meaning of the word , that bishops are meant by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my text. that the apostle here speaks not of living , but of dead bishops : of them that had the rule before that time ; though 't is rendred , that have , in our translation ; it appeareth by other words in my text. remember them , says the apostle : what , those that are present ? they are not the objects of memory , but of sense . remember 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the good bishops you have had : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , them that have spoken to you , that have spoken their last , and shall speak no more in this world : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , considering , looking back , or looking up to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the end of their conversation . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the whole course of this life , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the end or period of it . look back , says the apostle , to your bishops deceased , consider their end , or exit , or going out of this world . to confirm this , if any doubt , i shall desire him to compare this verse with the of this chapter . in both verses the apostle speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , of bishops , as i have interpreted and proved . in the . he shews our duty to the living , obey them , says the apostle , and submit your selves , for they watch for your souls . in this verse he shews our duty to bishops deceased ; remember them , and follow their faith , considering the end of their conversation . i think more needs not be said , to shew the scope of my text , and how applicable it is to our present occasion . it being clear that the apostle speaks here of bishops , and of them being departed this life . i now proceed to the duties required at our hands ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , remember and imitate . first , remember . 't is a natural desire that men have , to be remembred when they are dead . we do not find it is so in any other creature : they desire to live as long as they can ; but for ought we can judge , by any indication , they have no regard to what shall come after . the reason is plain , for their being determines with their life . but for man , among many other tokens of immortality , he hath by secret instinct , a natural desire to be thought of , and spoken of in after-times . we see this , not only in them that are inflamed with the hope of a future life ; but even in those , that , for ought appears to us , know or think little of any more but the present . what else made the egyptian kings lay out their wealth on pyramids , and the like stupendious buildings ? what moved the old greeks and the romans , with so much care and expence to leave statues and other monuments , with inscriptions of their names ? what meant those in the unlettered nations , by the much harder shifts they have made to convey any thing of themselves to posterity ? i need not seek for instances of this in remote times and countries , when we see 't is so frequent in our age , and perhaps no-where more than in this city ; for men of design , that think long before-hand , above all other things , to provide for this kind of immortality . some venture their lives , others wear out themselves , they do and suffer any thing to get estates : not for themselves , that might be happier without them ; nor so much for their known heirs , whom they load with entails , as for men whom they know not , but only hope they will be in after-times . for their inward thought is , that their houses shall continue for ever , and their dwelling-place to all generations : they call their lands by their own names . this their way is their folly , and those that see it are such fools to take after them , says david , psal. . . but if this design take , it must be in spite of god , who hath declared it shall not do . he will thwart wicked men . they that provide not for the true immortality , shall lose their design in this shadow of it . either their name shall be forgotten ; god hath threatned he will cut it off , he will blot it out , their memory shall perish with them : or if it survive , it shall be to their shame , their name shall rot , prov. . . what they build for fame , shall be like absoloms pillar , which remains to this day ; but the passers by throw stones at it , in detestation of his memory : such is generally , though not always , the curse of god that pursues wicked men . whereas contrariwise it is the promise of god to the just , that they shall always be had in remembrance , psal. . . and that their memory shall be blessed as far as known , prov. . . promises which , as all other of temporal things , are to be understood with reservation to the divine oeconomy , to that wisdom of god which orders all things in the government of the world . it becometh not the majesty of him that governs all things , to break his course , and to work miracles upon every particular occasion . 't is enough that he generally provideth that the same thing may be done otherwise , and declares it to those by whom it ought to be done . if they do it not , if there be a faileur in them ; his promise is not void , his word is not broken , since it was given with that condition : which being not performed by them that were to have done it , he can make reparation to those that suffer by it ; yea he hath done it already in this , that he hath given them that which this typifies . and what if they fall short of the shadow , when they have the substance , in a better and true immortality ? the mean while we see what is required on our parts . as the servants of god , out of that store which he hath given us , we are to pay what he hath promised good men . 't is that which all naturally desire , but wicked men shall not attain ; only to the just , god hath promised that we shall remember ●●em , and he commands that we should do it , especially for good bishops departed this life . our remembrance of them doth not differ in kind , but in degree , from what we owe to the memory of others . 't is a duty we are to pay them above others , in our thoughts , in our affections , in our words , and in our actions and lives . first , in our thoughts ; 't is not a simple remembrance that god requires ; for that being an act of the sensitive soul , as i conceive , doth not directly fall under precept . for it is not in our power , to remember or forget , either what or when we please . but it is in our power , to do those acts which conduce to the exciting , or to the helping of our memory . this is that which god requires at our hands , that we should endeavour to turn our minds towards such objects , and contemplate in them the gifts and graces of god : that as oft as we think of them , we should acknowledg that good which was in them , and which we have received by their means : that we should pay them that honourable esteem which we owe to our spiritual parents and benefactors . if we think upon them heartily in this manner , it will work something upon our affections . we cannot but be sensible of the want of such men , and therefore grieved for our loss , when they are taken from us ; as the asian bishops were at those words of st. paul , when he said , they should see his face no more . though god intend it for their gain , whom he takes to himself , and he takes them in that time , which suits best with their circumstances : yet , even then , we have cause to grieve for our selves , and for the church , who are deprived of the presence and use of such men . how much more , when for ought we know , they are taken away for our sins ? when for ought we know , it was because the age was not worthy of them ? for ought we know , 't is in order to some judgment of god , which will come the sooner when they are gone , when we have filled up the measure of our iniquities ? when elijah was taken away in a very evil age , elisha cryed out , o my father , my father , the chariots and horsemen of israel ! what will become of israel now thou art gone ? we dare not think so highly of any one man. we have no such cause to despond of our nation . when it is bad , we are to do our parts to make it better , to pray that god would send more labourers into his harvest , that he would double his gifts and blessings on those that are left . and for those we have lost , we must resign them to god ; both acknowledging his bounty in giving them to us , and submitting to his will , in taking them to himself . so s. bernard on the death of his brother gerard , lord , says he , thou hast given , and thou hast taken away ; though we grieve that thou hast taken away , yet we cannot forget that thou didst give him . yea , we owe not only submission to god , but thankfulness too for their sakes who are delivered by this means from so great and such manifold evils , as continually hover about us in this life . from sickness and pain , from labour and danger , from sorrow , and fear , and care , and what not ? being delivered from sin which is the cause , and from that flesh which is the center of all this . they are past all evils else , that have overcome death : they leave sorrow to us , who call our selves the living : their life , the only true life , is immutable joy , eternal rest , peace , and felicity . which if we seriously believe , if we desire to be with them , we cannot sorrow for our loss , without joy for their gain , and thanksgiving on their behalf , to that good god , who hath given them the victory through our lord jesus christ. but thus much we owe upon the death of every true christian , though of never so mean a rank and condition . we are to be thankful to god for his mercies , and to profess it , as we are taught in the offices of our church ; which have the same words of burial , for the meanest of our communion , as for those that are highest in their graces and gifts . but there is a remembrance in words that is due to these , and not to the other ; namely , the due praise of those their excellent graces and gifts ; which though they have not of themselves , but through the bounty and liberality of god , who is therefore to be chiefly respected and glorified , in all the praise that we give to his creatures : yet since he is pleased to do them this honour above others , and to make choice of them whom he so dignifies ; we are bound to allow it them , we are to follow gods choice , to give them praise whom he hath so qualified for it . only with this care , that we do it truly , not to flatter the dead ; and profitably , for the example and imitation of the living . we have so much reason to do this , that they who had only reason to guide them , the gentiles , upon the death of any eminent persons , had orations made publickly in their praise . the jews , without any particular law for it , had honour done to the memory of worthy persons at their funerals , chron. . ult . the rites of it are partly described , chron. . . they laid their dead in a bed full of the richest perfumes , which also were publickly burnt at the interment . to which i conceive the preacher alludes , eccles. . . where he says , a good name is better than precious oyntment , and the day of ones death than the day of ones birth . when one cometh into the world , none knows how he may prove ; if he do well in it , he goes out with this publick testimony . after which the jews never mentioned such persons without a blessing on their memory . but above all others , the primitive christians were very observant this way . they saw it was the will of their lord and master , that the good work which was done upon him by mary , should be kept in perpetual memory , and is therefore recorded in the gospel . they saw how the works of dorcas were shewn at her death , the coats and garments which she made for the poor . they saw what need there was of great incentives , in those days , when christianity was a most dangerous profession . it is of no small force , to make men love a religion , when they see it infuses excellent principles , that it excites so suitable practises , that it is proof against suffering and death . and the experience of that power it hath in some , provokes and animates others to the same . upon these and the like considerations , and perhaps with allusion to that text , where s. john is said to have seen the souls of the martyrs under the altar ; they had their memorias martyrum , their places of worship , where they placed the altars over the bodies of their martyrs . what , with any intention to worship the martyrs ? it was so suggested by the adversaries , and as vehemently denied by the christians of those times . by those of smyrna , in the undoubted acts of polycarpus : we cannot ( say they ) worship any other than christ ; we love the martyrs as being followers of christ ; we celebrate the days of their passions with joy ; we do it both in remembrance of those champions of god , and to train up and prepare others for the like conflicts . besides this , which was peculiar to the martyrs , they had a lower degree of remembrance , for bishops , and confessors , and all other eminent persons departed this life : whom they not only praised in orations at their funerals , but writ their names in their diptychs , or two-leaved records , which contained in one page all the names of the living ; in the other , the dead that were of note in the church . all these were recited in the communion-service : where , as the living for themselves ; so for the dead , came their friends , and gave oblations and alms. which , before they were distributed among the poor , were first offered up to god in a prayer , like that which we use for the church militant here on earth . these doles were their only sacrifices for the dead : only alms to the poor , with which sacrifices god is well-pleased . and their prayers were not for any deliverance from pains ; unless the patriarchs , and prophets , and the apostles , and virgin mother of christ , were in the same pains too , and needed the same deliverance . for they were all mentioned alike , and together , as it is to be seen in the ancientest liturgies . among all these innocent offices and rites of the primitive christians , was there any thing of prayer for souls in purgatory ? was there any thing of prayer to saints departed this life ? was there any foundation for those superstitious observances , of adoring their reliques , of prostration to their images , of pilgrimage to their shrines , of making vows , of saying masses , of offering to them , and the like ? the papists say there was , they plead the practice of the church for it , they wrest places of scripture to their purpose . nay the rhemists and others , alledge this very text , without which i should not have mention'd them at this time . but as the learnedst men among themselves have been so just not to charge this upon my text , and some of them confess they have no ground for these things in any one text of canonical scripture : so they would do us but right to acknowledg , that none of these things was practis'd for some hundreds of years after christianity came into the world . in those primitive times all their offices for the dead , were , either to give testimony of that faith in which they died , and that death had not dissolv'd their communion with the living : or they were to bless god for their holy life , and happy death : or to pray to him , not for their deliverance from purgatory , of which there was no faith in those times ; but for the increase of that good which they believ'd them to be possest of already , or for the attainment of that farther good which they thought they were sure of , namely , for their speedy and happy resurrection , for their perfect discharge at the day of judgement , for the consummation of their bliss with their own in the kingdom of glory . not to say how the fathers differ among themselves in these particulars ; or how many of these particulars are omitted in the roman church as well as ours ; it is enough that here is nothing makes for them , but much against those their errors and corruptions . all that is agreed on all hands , or that we find in the practice of the first ages , being sufficiently contain'd in those offices of our church ; in the prayer for the church-militant , in the collect on all-saints day , and in the office for the burial of the dead ; where we pray , that it would please god of his gracious goodness , shortly to accomplish the number of his elect , and to hasten his kingdom , that we , with all those that are departed in the true faith of his holy name , may have our perfect consummation and bliss , both in body and soul , in his everlasting glory . lastly , remembrance in action is the other duty enjoyn'd in my text , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , imitate their faith , that is , their christian profession and practice , their whole life and conversation , according to their own belief of that word which they have spoken . the reason of this duty is plain : for it is our business in this world to recover the image of god in which he created us ; to be like him here in righteousness and holiness , that we may be like him hereafter in glory and happiness . to this end , god has given us those lineaments of himself , which are written sufficiently in our nature , but more fully and distinctly in scripture . in which scripture , he so oft and so vehemently requires us , be ye holy , as i am holy ; be ye just , as i am just ; be ye merciful , as i am merciful ; be ye pure , as i am pure ; be ye perfect , as your heavenly father is perfect . this good word of god , which was given by the prophets and apostles , is still inclucated on us by them that speak to us the word of god. which office being primarily of bishops , as appears in my text , they are first and above all others to conform themselves to it , to shew others how possible and how practicable it is . our apostle suppos'd this in those primitive bishops in my text. god requires it of all that succeed them in the church . so of timothy , though he were young in age , yet being in that place , be thou an example to believers in word , in conversation , in spirit , in faith , in truth , tim. . . and in the last verse , take heed to thy self , and to thy doctrine : do this constantly and continually , and so thou shalt save both thy self and them that hear thee . whether they do this or no , they are our teachers and rulers ; therefore in the verse of this chapter , while they live , we must obey their word , and submit to their government . when they are dead , both for what they are , and were , we may do well to say no ill of them ; and since we can say no good , e'en forget them , and leave them to god. but if they are such as they ought , which the apostle supposes in my text , if they live as men that believe themselves what they say : 't is our duty , not only to submit and obey them while they live ; but also to remember them when they are dead : remember them , in our thoughts , with that honour they deserve ; in our affections , with a due sense of our loss , and their gain : remember them in words , with the just praise of their actions and lives : in our prayers to god , with due thankfulness for their graces and gifts in this life , and for the glory they receive after death : lastly , remember to follow them in that holy way , which leads to so happy an end : in our apostles words , follow their faith , considering the event , the blessed end of their good conversation . what my text says in general of bishops deceased , 't is most easie to apply . i know it hath been done all this while , by them that knew the virtuous and great mind that lately dwelt in this body . they know the truth of all i shall say , and much more that might be said in his just commendation . but the little i can bring within the time i have left , being said from many years experience , will at least stir up those that knew him not , to enquire ; and if they find these things true , they know their duty of remembrance and imitation . i shall not be minute , in drawing all i say under these heads : for i speak to them that can distinguish and sort things , as they belong to the one , or to the other . to begin with the natural endowments of his mind ; i cannot think of him without just reflection upon that paradox , of the equality of souls . he was surely a great instance to the contrary ; having that largeness of soul in every respect , which was much above the rate of ordinary men . he had an understanding that extended to all parts of useful learning and knowledg ; a will always disposed to great , and publick , and generous things . he had a natural aversion from all idle speculations , and from the eager pursuit of small and frivolous designs . in great matters , he judged so well , that he was not usually surprized with events . he pursued his intentions with such equalness of mind , that he was never carried beyond the calmness of his natural temper , except through his zeal for publick good , or where his friend was concerned . what he was in his studies , i have reason to know , that have often been tired with studying with him . he was indefatigable , and would have worn himself out , if he had not been relieved with multiplicity of business . however , he impaired by it , a body which seemed to have been built for a long age , and contracted those infirmities that hastened his death . the effect of his studies , in his preaching and writings , are sufficiently known , and would have been much more , if god had given him time . as for his preaching , it was sometimes famous near this place ; though he sought rather the profit , than the praise of his hearers . he spoke solid truth , with as little shew of art as was possible . he exprest all things in their true and natural colours ; with that aptness and plainness of speech , that grave natural way of elocution , that shewed he had no design upon his hearers . his plainness was best for the instruction of the simple ; and for the better sort , who were in truth an intelligent auditory , it was enough that they might see he had no mind to deceive them . he applied himself rather to their understanding than affections . he saw so much of the beauty of goodness himself , that he thought the bare shewing of it was enough to make all wise men , as it did him , to be in love with it . in his writings he was judicious and plain , like one that valued not the circumstances so much as the substance . and he shewed it in whatsoever argument he undertook ; sometimes beating out new untravel'd ways , sometimes repairing those that had been beaten already : no subject he handled , but i dare say is the better for him ; and will be the sier for them that come after him . if in these he went sometimes beside his profession , it was in following the design of it , to make men wiser and better , which i think is the business of universal knowledg . and this he promoted with much zeal and sincerity , in hope of the great benefit that may accrew to mankind . it was his aim , as in all things , so especially in that which , i conceive , is much more censured than understood ; i mean , in the design of the royal society . he joined himself to it with no other end , but to promote modern knowledg , without any contempt or lessening of those great men in former times . with due honour to whom , he thought it lawful for others to do that which , we have no reason to doubt , they themselves would have done if they were living . i would not seem to excuse that which deserveth commendation and encouragement ; or to commend other things , for want of subject in him . therefore leaving this theme in better hands , i proceed next to speak of his virtues and graces ; and these the rather , as being both to be remembred and followed . and in speaking of these , where shall i begin ? nay when shall i end , if i say all that may be spoken ? i think it not worth while to speak of those that are vulgar , though he had them also in no common degree : nor would i seem to make any virtue a propriety . but there are those which are not common to many , and were generally acknowledged to be in him ; though they appeared not so to some other men , as they did to those that intimately knew him . his prudence was great , i think it seldom failed in any thing to which he applied himself . and yet he wanted that part , which some hold to be essential ; he so wanted dissimulation , that he had rather too much openness of heart . it was sincerity indeed that was natural to him ; he so abhorred a lye , that he was not at all for shew ; he could not put on any thing that look'd like it . and presuming the same of other men , through excess of benignity , he would be sometimes deceived , in believing they were what they seem'd to be , and what he knew they ought to have been . his greatness of mind , was known to all that knew any thing of him . he neither eagerly sought any dignity , nor declined any capacity of doing good . he look'd down upon wealth , as much as others admire it : he knew the use of an estate , but did not covet it . what he yearly received of the church , he bestowed in its service . as for his temporal estate , being secured against want , he sought no farther , he set up his rest ; i have heard him say often , i will be no richer , and i think he was as good as his word . as for revenge , how could it enter into the breast of him that hated nothing but that which makes us hateful to god ? i say not but he had a sense of personal injuries ; and especially of those that reflected upon his name , when they proceeded from those that had good names of their own . what others said , he despised ; but by those he would often wish he had been better understood : that he was not , he bore as his misfortune ; he would not requite them with the like , but mention'd them with all due respect , and was always ready to oblige them , and to do them good . yet it was not so desirable , ( i say not to be his enemy , for he did not account them so , but ) to be at those terms with him , as to be his acquaintance or friend . they that were never so little familiar with him , could not but find , as well benefit as delight in his conversation . his discourse was commonly of useful things ; it never caused trouble or weariness to the hearer . yet he would venture to displease one for his good ; and indeed he was the man that ever i knew , for that most needful , and least practised point of friendship . he would not spare to give seasonable reproof , and wholesome advice , when he saw occasion . i never knew any that would do it so freely , and that knew how to manage that freedom of speech so inoffensively . it was his way of friendship , not so much to oblige men , as to do them good . he did this not slightly and superficially , but like one that made it his business . he durst do for his friend , any thing that was honest , and no more . he would undertake nothing but what well became him , and then he was unwearied till he had effected it . as he concerned himself for his friend , in all other respects , so especially in that , which went nearest to him of all earthly concernments . he would not suffer any blot to be thrown , or to lye upon his friends good name , or his memory . and that office i am obliged to requite , in giving some account of that which has been spoken by some to his disadvantage . i shall neglect , for he did so , any frivolous reports ; but that which seems to have any weight in it , as far as i have observed , is , that he had not that zeal for the church , that they would seem to have that object this . he seemed to look upon the dissenters with too much favour to their persons and ways . as to the persons : no doubt that goodness of nature , that true christian principle , which made him willing to think well of all men , and to do good , or at least no hurt to any , might and ought to extend it self to them among others . but besides , he was inclined to it by his education under his grandfather mr. dod , a truly pious and learned man ; who yet was a dissenter himself in some things . not that he had any delight in contradiction , or could find in his heart to disturb the peace of the church for those matters : he was so far from it , that as i have frequently heard from this his grandchild and others , when some thought their dissents ground enough for a war , he declared himself against it , and confirmed others in their allegiance : he profest to the last a just hatred of that horrid rebellion . now his relation to this man , and conversation with those of his principles , might incline him to hope the like of others of that way . and when he found them farther off from the unity of the church ; he might possibly overdo , through the vehemence of his desire , to bring them off of their prejudices , and to reduce them to the unity of the church ; in which his grandfather lived and dyed : why might he not hope the same of other dissenters ? as for himself , he was so far from approving their ways , that in the worst of times , when one here present bewailed to him the calamities of the church , and declared his obedience even then to the laws of it : he incouraged him in it , he desired his friendship , and protected both him and many others , by an interest that he had gained , and made use of chiefly for such purposes . how he demeaned himself then , is known in both universities ; where he governed with praise , and left a very grateful remembrance behind him . how in the next times since , i cannot speak in a better place . and when i have named this city , and the two universities , i think he could not be placed in a better light in this nation . there were enough that could judg , and he did not use to disguise himself ; i appeal to you that conversed with him in those days , what zeal he hath exprest , for the faith , and for the unity of the church : how he stood up in defence of the order and government : how he hath asserted the liturgy , and the rites of it : he conformed himself to every thing that was commanded . beyond which , for any man to be vehement , in little and unnecessary things , whether for or against them , he could not but dislike ; and as his free manner was , he hath oft been heard to call it fanaticalness . how this might be represented i know not , or how his design of comprehension might be understood . sure i am , that since he came into the government of the church , to which he was called in his absence ; he so well became the order , that it out-did the expectation of all that did not very well know him . he filled his place with a goodness answerable to the rest of his life ; and with a prudence above it , considering the two extreams , which were nowhere so much as in his diocess . though he was , as before , very tender to those that differed from him ; yet he was , as before , exactly conformable himself , and brought others to conformity , some eminent men in his diocess . he endeavoured to bring in all that came within his reach , and might have had great success , if god had pleased to continue him . but having given full proof of his intentions and desires , it pleased god to reserve the fruit for other hands , from which we have great cause to expect much good to the church . he was in perfect health in all other respects ; when a known infirmity , from an unknown cause , that had been easier to cure , than it was to discover , stole upon him , and soon became incurable . he was for many days in a prospect of death , which he saw as it approached , and felt it come on by degrees . some days before he died , he found within himself , as he often said , a sentenoe of death . in all this time , first of pain , then of dreadful apprehension , at last in the presence of death ; who ever saw him dismaid ? who ever found him surprized ? or heard a word from him , unbecoming a wise man , and a true christian ? it was my infelicity to be so engaged , that i could not duly attend him ; and so deceived with vain hopes , that i believed him not dying , till he was dead . but at the times i was with him , i saw great cause to admire his faith towards god , his zeal for his church , his constancy of mind , his contempt of the world , and his chearful hopes of eternity . i have heard much more upon these heads , from those that were with him . some of you may have heard other things from other men . it hath been the way of our adversaries to entitle themselves to dying men , even those , whose whole life was a testimony against them . thus after the death of our famous jewel , the papists were pleased to say , he dyed of their religion . militiere hath ventured to insinuate the same , of our late king of blessed and glorious memory . mens tongues and pens are their own ; but lest they should abuse them and you , and the memory of this worthy prelate , as they have abus'd others , ( though nothing needs to be said to such groundless calumnies ) i declare , and that upon most certain grounds , that he died in the faith of our lord jesus christ , and in the communion of the church of england , as it is by law established . he died only too soon for the church , and for his friends : but for himself he had lived long enough . he has lived long enough that dyes well . for whatsoever he wants of that which we call time , it is added , though it adds nothing to eternity . as for us that are now to try how we can bear the want of those many blessings we enjoyed in him ; what shall we say ? we must submit to the will of god. our comfort is , that we shall follow , and come together again in due time . till when , farewel pious and virtuous soul , farewel great and excellent man , farewel worthy prelate and faithful friend . we have thy memory and example , thou hast our praises and our tears . while thy memory lives in our breasts , may thy example be fruitful in our lives : that our meeting again may be in joy unspeakable , when god shall have wiped away all tears from our eyes . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vid. dr. h. more . postulatum . definition . def. . axiom . postulatum . defin. . desin . . defin. . defin. . ax. . ax. . ax. . ax. . ax. . . aristot. eth. lib. . cap. . metaph. lib. . cap. ult . protrept . in symbol . . . . . grot. de verit. lib. . act. . eph. . ● , , . col. . . thes. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . heb. . . * aristot. top. var. hist. lib. . c. . nat. deor. lib. . . de legib : lib. . tusc. qu. lib. , epist. ● . de nat. deorum , lib. . de benefit . lib. . c. . the wisdom of being religious . dr. tillotson's i. sermon . de coelo lib. . c. . metam . lib. . saturnal . lib. . de divinatione , lib. . de natur. deor. lib. rom : . acts . . psal. . l. bacon . essays . chap. . prop. . prop. . prop. . natura d●or . lib. . c. . lord bacons essays . de ira dei. cap. . tus●●ul . qu. lib. . dissert . . in phaed. de republ. lib. . de benefic . lib. . nat. quest. . praef. de natur. deor. de legib. lib. . de legib : lib. . eclog. . georg. lib. epist. . benefic . lib. . nat. d●or . lib. . de coelo . lib. . against colotes . eccl. : . phaed. natur. deor. lib. . cap. . nat. deor. lib. . de 〈◊〉 . nat. quaest. lib. . praef. py●●● . carm. amyraldus . d● benefi● . lib. . de ira. lib. . cap. . ibid. lib. . cap. . de benefic . . . de benefic . lib. . pythag. carm. theatetus . de legibus lib. . de repub. lib. . de divinat . symposiac . lib. . q. . nat. deor. dan. . , . psal. . . tuscu . q. lib. , tuse . lib. . epist. . tim. . . cor. . . amyraldus . psa. . topic. . . nat. deor. lib. . psal. . , ; sen. nat. qu. lib. . cap. . heb. . . gal. . . prepar . evang . lib. cap. . lib. . cap : . dissert . . epist. . de nat. deorum , lib. . satyr . . isa. . . thes. . . eph. . . heb. . . psal. . . prov. . . rom. . . pet. . . psal. . . psa. . . eccles. . . hag. . . psa. . . job . . psal. . . . . . . psal. . . psal. . . psal . . psa. . , . isa. . . rom. . . . zech. . . jer. . . mat. . . mat. . . luk. . . philem. . psa. . . mr. smith of superstition . mat. . . tim. . . ch . . , . zech. . psal. . . psal. . acts . . joh. . . mr. pinke . benefic . lib. . cap. . epist. . de legib. lib. . hosea . . psal. . . rom. . mat. . psa. . . v. . psa. . . deut. . . ver . . judg. . . rom. . rom. . psal. . . . de vita beata , . ion. . . lib. . . lib. . . lib. . . . lib. . c. . enchyrid . dissert . . . . . psal. . . heb. . . cor. . . psal. . . exod. . . rom. . . lam. . . cor. . . job . . ad polyb. cap. . dissertat . lib. . cap. . sam. . . psal. . epist. . epist. . enchyrid . cap. . dissert . lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . lam. . . psal. . . job . . cor. . . sen. ep. . luke . . rom. . . v. . ezek. . . prov. . . job . . lam. . . psal. . . lam. . . heb. . . rev. . . psa. . . prov. . . cor. . . acts . . phil. . . heb. . . luke . . psal. . . psal. . . sen. ep. . dissert . lib. . cap. . seneca de ira. lib. . c. . ep. . seneca , ep. . ep. . job . pet. . . heb. . . job . . sam. . . job . , . . sam. . ver . . sam. . . sam. . . psal. . sen. helv. cap. . lib. . c. . king. . . cor. . . rom. . . sam. . ver . , . greg. moral . chap. . . sen. ep. . ep. . s●● . tranq . a● . cap. . sen. ad . mutium , cap. . gen. . . sam. . . chron. . . cor. . . notes for div a -e eccl. . . de leg. lib. . jur. sat . . de superstistitione . nat. deor. lib. . lactant. against colotes . nat. deor. lib. . lord bacons essays . cap. . rom. . . de benef. lib. . c. . lib. . lib. . cap. de haeret. grotius de jure belli & pacis , l. . cap. . sect . . lib. . eccles. . . acts . . moral . . ad eudem . dissert . . . lib. . sect. . seneca . idem epist. . epist. . mag. moral . lib. . cap. . epist. . epist. . deut. . . exod. . . deut. . . prov. . . isa. . . prov. . . . . . . deut. . . lev. . prov. . . prov. . . psal. . prov. . . rhet. lib. . cap. . psal. . prov. . c. . , . . . psal. . . ethic. lib. . cap. . jer. . . prov. . . cap. . , . cap. . . cap. . . jam. . . tit. . . matt. . . joh. . . gal. . . job . . prov. . . . . . . prov. . . cor. . . cap. . . deut. . . exod. . . jer. . . psal. . . prov. . . chap. . , . deut. . . sam. . . joh. . . epist. . tusc. q. . prov. . . pet. . prov. . . v. . c. . . isa. . . isa. . . rom. . , . gal. . . isa. . mat. . ep. . job . , . rom. . eph. . , . tim. . . lib. . . . ephes. . matt. . matt. . matt. . luke . . matt. . matt. . cor. . cor. . rom. . , . col. . . several discourses of repentance by john tillotson ; being the eighth volume published from the originals by ralph barker. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) several discourses of repentance by john tillotson ; being the eighth volume published from the originals by ralph barker. tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - . [ ], p. : port. printed for ri. chiswell, london : . "viz., the necessity of repentance and faith, of confession and forsaking sin in order to pardon, of confession and sorrow for sin, the unprofitableness of sin in this life an argument for repentance, the shamefulness of sin an argument for repentance, the final issue of sin an argument for repentance, the present and future advantage of an holy and virtuous life, the nature and necessity of holy resolution, the nature and necessity of restitution, the usefulness of consideration in order to repentance, the danger of impenitence where the gospel is preach'd." reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. repentance -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the most reverend d r. iohn tillotson late arch-bishop of canterbury . several discourses of repentance . viz. the necessity of repentance and faith. of confessing and forsaking sin , in order to pardon . of confession , and sorrow for sin. the unprofitableness of sin in this life , an argument for repentance . the shamefulness of sin , an argument for repentance . the final issue of sin , an argument for repentance . the present and future advantage of an holy and virtuous life . the nature and necessity of holy resolution . the nature and necessity of restitution . the usefulness of consideration , in order to repentance . the danger of impenitence , where the gospel is preach'd . by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . being the eighth volume , published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . london , printed for ri. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard , . the contents . sermon i. the necessity of repentance and faith. acts xx. . testifying both to the jews , and also to the greeks , repentance toward god , and faith toward our lord jesus christ . page sermon ii. preach'd on ash-wednesday . of confessing and forsaking sin , in order to pardon . prov . xxviii . . he that covereth his sins shall not prosper : but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them , shall have mercy . p. sermon iii. of confession and sorrow for sin. psal. xxxviii . . i will declare mine iniquity , and be sorry for my sin. p. sermon iv. preach'd on ash-wednesday , . the unprofitableness of sin in this life , an argument for repentance . job xxxiii . , . he looketh upon men , and if any say , i have sinned , and perverted that which was right , and it profited me not ; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit , and his life shall see the light . p. sermon v , vi , vii , viii . the shamefulness of sin , an argument for repentance . rom . vi. , . what fruit had ye then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death . but now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life . p. , , , sermon ix , x , xi . the nature and necessity of holy resolution . job xxxiv . , . surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more : that which i see not , teach thou me ; if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . p. , , sermon xii , xiii . the nature and necessity of restitution . luke xix . , . and if i have taken any thing from any man by false accusation , i restore him fourfold . and jesus said unto him , this day is salvation come to this house . p. , sermon xiv . the usefulness of consideration , in order to repentance . deut. xxxii . . o that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end ! p. sermon xv. the danger of impenitence , where the gospel is preach'd . matth . xi . , . woe unto thee chorazin , woe unto thee bethsaida : for if the mighty works which were done in you , had been done in tyre and sidon , they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes . but i say unto you , it shall be more tolerable for tyre and sidon at the day of judgment , than for you . p. sermon i. the necessity of repentance and faith. acts xx. . testifying both to the jews , and also to the greeks , repentance toward god , and faith toward our lord jesus christ . to have seen st. paul in the pulpit , was one of those three things which st. augustine thought worth the wishing for . and sure it were very desirable to have seen this glorious instrument of god , who did such wonders in the world , to have heard that plain and powerful eloquence of his , which was so mighty through god , for the casting down of strong holds , and the subduing of men to the obedience of the gospel ; to have beheld the zeal of this holy man , who was all on fire for god , with what ardency of affection , and earnestness of expression , he persuaded men to come in to christ , and entertain the gospel . this were very desirable ; but seeing it is a thing we cannot hope for , it should be some satisfaction to our curiosity , to know what st. paul preached , what was the main subject of his sermons , whither he refer'd all his discourses , and what they tended to . this he tells us in the words that i have read to you , that the main substance of all his sermons was repentance toward god , and faith toward our lord jesus christ . the occasion of the words was briefly this . st. paul being in his journy to jerusalem , and intending to be there by the day of pentecost , that he might not be hindred in his journy , he resolves to pass by ephesus , and only to call to him the elders of the church to charge them with their duty , and the care of the church ; and to engage them hereto , he tells them how he had carried and demeaned himself among them , v. . with what diligence and vigilance he had watched over them , with what affection and earnestness he had preached to them , v. , . and here in the text he tells them , what had been the sum of his doctrine , and the substance of those many sermons he had preached among them , and what was the end and design of all his discourses , viz. to perswade men to repentance toward god , and faith toward our lord jesus christ ; testifying both to the jews and greeks , &c. i shall explain the words a little , and then fix upon the observations which i intend to speak to , because i design this only as a preface to some larger discourses of faith and repentance . for explication . testifying , the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to testifie , to prove a thing by testimony ; so 't is used , heb. . . but one in a certain place testifyeth , saying . in heathen writers the word is often used in a law sense , for contesting by law , and pleading in a cause ; and from hence it signifies , earnestly to contend or persuade by arguments and threatnings . in the use of the lxx . it signifies to protest , to convince , to press earnestly , to perswade . it is used most frequently by st. luke in a very intense signification , and is sometimes joyned with exhorting , which is an earnest perswading to a thing , acts . . and with many other words did he testifie and exhort , saying , save your selves from this untoward generation ; and with preaching , acts . . and when they had testified and preached the word of the lord ; and so acts . . being pressed in spirit , he testified to the jews , that jesus was the christ . being pressed in spirit , signifies intention and vehemency in testifying to them , that he did vehemently endeavour to convince them ; it seems to be equivalent to the expression , v. . where it is said , apollos did mightily convince the jews that jesus was the christ ; that is , did use such persuasions and arguments as were sufficient to convince ; and to mention no more , acts . . he expounded and testified the kingdom of god , perswading them concerning jesus . st paul in his epistle to timothy useth this word in a most vehement sense , for giving a solemn charge , tim. . . i charge thee before god and the lord jesus christ , the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and so tim. . . charging them before the lord , that they strive not about words ; and so tim. . . i charge thee before god and the lord jesus christ ; and here in the text the word seems to be of a very high and intense signification because of the circumstances mentioned before and after ; he tells us before , that he taught them at all seasons , v. . publickly and from house to house , v. . and afterwards at the . v. that he warned them day and night with tears ; so that testifying to the jews repentance and faith , must signifie his pressing and perswading of them with the greatest vehemency , to turn from their sins , and believe on the lord jesus christ ; his charging on them these things as their duty , his pleading with them the necessity of faith and repentance , and earnestly endeavouring to convince them thereof . repentance toward god , and faith toward our lord jesus christ : what is the reason of this appropriation of repentance and faith , the one as properly respecting god , and the other our lord jesus christ ? i answer . repentance doth properly respect god , because he is the party offended , and to whom we are to be reconciled ; the faith of the gospel doth properly refer to the lord jesus christ , as the chief and principal object of it ; so that by testifying to them repentance towards god , &c. we are to understand that the apostle did earnestly press and perswade them to repent of their sins , whereby they had offended god , and to believe on the lord jesus christ , as the messias , the person that was ordained of god , and sent to be the saviour of the world . from the words thus explained , this is the observation that doth naturally arise , that repentance and faith are the sum and substance of the gospel ; and that ministers ought with all earnestness and vehemency to press people to repent and believe , to charge them with these , as their duty , and by all means to endeavour to convince them of the necessity of them . in the handling of this , i shall do these two things . first , shew you what is included in repentance and faith , that you may see that they are the sum of the gospel . and , secondly , shew you the necessity of them . first , what is included in these . i. repentance ; this properly signifies a change of mind , a conviction that we have done amiss , so as to be truly sorry for what we have done , and heartily to wish that we had not done it . to repent , is to alter our mind , to have other apprehensions of things than we had , to look upon that now as evil , which we did not before ; from whence follows sorrow for what we have done , and a resolution of mind for the future not to do again that which appears now to us to be so evil , that we are ashamed of it , and troubled for it , and wish we had never done it . so that repentance implies a conviction that we have done something that is evil and sinful , contrary to the law we are under , and those obligations of duty and gratitude that lie upon us , whereby god is highly provoked and incensed against us , and we in danger of his wrath , and the sad effects of his displeasure ; upon which we are troubled , and grieved , and ashamed for what we have done , and wish we had been wiser , and had done otherwise ; hereupon we resolve never to do any thing that is sinful , that is contrary to our duty and obligations to god , and by which we may provoke him against us . these two things are contained in a true repentance , a deep sense of , and sorrow for the evils that are past , and the sins that we have committed ; and a firm purpose and resolution of obedience for the future , of abstaining from all sin , and doing what ever is our duty ; the true effect of which resolution , is the breaking off the practice of sin and the course of a wicked life , and a constant course of obedience . ii. faith in christ is an effectual believing the revelation of the gospel , the history and the doctrine of it ; the history of it , that there was such a person as jesus christ , that he was the true messias , prophesied of and promised in the old testament , that he was born and lived and preached , and wrought the miracles that are recorded , that he was crucified , and rose again , and ascended into heaven , that he was the son of god , and sent by him into the world , by his doctrine to instruct , and by the example of his life to go before us in the way to happiness , and by the merit and satisfaction of his death and sufferings , to appease and reconcile god to us , and to purchase for us the pardon of our sins and eternal life , upon the conditions of faith and repentance and sincere obedience ; and that to enable us to the performance of these conditions , he promised and afterward sent his holy spirit , to accompany the preaching of his gospel , and to assist all christians to the doing of that which god requires of them ; this is the history of the gospel . now the doctrine of it contains the precepts and promises and threatnings of it , and faith in christ includes a firm belief of all these ; of the precepts of the gospel as the matter of our duty , and the rule of our life ; and of the promises and threatnings of the gospel , as arguments to our duty , to encourage our obedience , and deter us from sin . so that he that believes the lord jesus , believes him to be the great guide and teacher sent from god , to bring and conduct men to eternal happiness , and that therefore we ought to hearken to him and follow him ; this is to believe his prophetical office. he believes that he is the author of salvation , and hath purchased for us forgiveness of sins , ransom from hell , and eternal life and blessedness upon the conditions before mentioned , and therefore that we ought to rely upon him only for salvation , to own him for our saviour , and to beg of him his holy spirit , which he hath promised to us , to enable us to perform the conditions required on our part ; this is to believe his priestly office. and lastly , he believes that the precepts of the gospel , being delivered to us by the son of god , ought to have the authority of laws upon us , and that we are bound to be obedient to them ; and for our encouragement if we be so , that there is a glorious and eternal reward promised to us ; and for our terror if we be not , there are terrible and eternal punishments threatned to us ; to which rewards , the lord jesus christ at the day of judgment , will sentence men , as the great judge of the world ; and this is to believe the kingly office of christ . and this is the sum of that which is meant by faith towards the lord jesus christ , which the apostle saith was one subject of his preaching . and the proper and genuine effect of this faith , is to live as we believe , to conform our lives to the doctrine , to the truth whereof we assent . hence it is that true christians , that is , those who fashioned their lives according to the gospel , are call'd believers ; and the whole of christianity is many times contained in this word believing , which is the great principle of a christian life . as in the old testament all religion is express'd by the fear of god ; so in the new , by faith in christ . and now you see what is included in repentance and faith , you may easily judge whether these be not the sum of the gospel , that men would forsake their sins and turn to god , and believe the revelation of the gospel concerning jesus christ , that is , heartily entertain it and submit to it . what did christ preach to the jews , but that they would repent of their sins , and believe on him as the messias ? and what did the apostles preach , but to the same purpose ? when st. peter preached to the jews , acts . the effect of his sermon and the scope of it was to perswade them to repent and be baptized in the name of jesus , that is , to profess their belief in him , v. . and so acts . . this is the conclusion of his discourse , repent therefore and be converted ; and then he propounded christ to them as the object of their faith , being the great prophet that was prophesied of by moses , who should be raised up among them , v. . so likewise st. paul when he preached to the jews and gentiles , these were his great subjects , acts . . this is the conclusion of his sermon to the athenians , to perswade them to repent , by the consideration of a future judgment ; and to perswade them to believe on the lord jesus christ , who was to be the judge of the world , from the miracle of his resurrection ; but now he commands all men every where to repent , because he hath appointed a day , &c. whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . so that you see that these are the great doctrines of the gospel , and were the sum of the apostles preaching ; all their sermons were perswasives to these two duties of repentance and faith. secondly , for the necessity of these doctrines . they are necessary for the escaping of eternal misery , and attaining of everlasting happiness . and this will appear , by considering the nature of them , and the relation they have to both these . for the avoiding of eternal punishment , 't is necessary that guilt should be removed , which is an obligation to punishment , and that cannot be but by pardon ; and sure we cannot imagine that god will ever pardon us without repentance ; he will never remit to us the punishment of sin , so long as we tell him we are not at all troubled for what we have done , and we are of the same mind still , and will do the same again ; and till we repent , we tell god this , and we may be sure god will not cast away his pardons upon those that despise them ; so that repentance is necessary to the escaping of hell. and faith in christ is necessary to it ; for if this be the method of god's grace , not to pardon sin without satisfaction , and jesus christ hath made satisfaction for sin by the merit of his sufferings , and if it be necessary that we should believe this , that the benefit hereof may redound to us ; then faith in christ is necessary to the obtaining of the pardon of sin , by which the guilt of sin is removed , that is , our obligation to eternal punishment . and then for attaining salvation . christ having in the gospel revealed to us the way and means to eternal happiness , it is necessary that we should believe this revelation of the gospel by jesus christ , in order to this end . so that you see the necessity of faith and repentance , because without these we can neither escape misery , nor attain to happiness . i should now come to draw some inferences from this discourse , but i will first give satisfaction to a query or two , to which this discourse seems to have given occasion . . query . you will say , why do i call repentance a doctrine of the gospel ? it is a doctrine of nature . natural religion tells us , that when we have offended god , we ought to be sorry for it , and resolve to amend and reform . ans . i do not make the doctrine of repentance proper to the gospel , as if it had not been revealed to the world before ; but because it is a doctrine which the gospel very much presseth and perswadeth men to , and because the great motives and enforcements of it , are peculiar to the gospel . so that the doctrine of repentance , considered with those powerful reasons and arguments to it , which the gospel furnisheth us withal , is in this sense proper to the gospel , and not known to the world before . there are two motives and enforcements to repentance which the gospel furnisheth us with . . assurance of pardon and remission of sins in case of repentance , which is a great encouragement to repentance , and which , before the gospel , the world had never any firm and clear assurance of . . assurance of eternal rewards and punishments after this life , which is a strong argument to perswade men to change their lives , that they may avoid the misery that is threatned to impenitent sinners , and be qualified for the happiness which it promiseth to repentance and obedience . and this the apostle tells us in the forementioned place , acts . , . is that which doth as it were make repentance to be a new doctrine that did come with the gospel into the world , because it was never before enforced with this powerful argument ; the time 's of that ignorance god winked at ; but now he calls upon all men every where to repent ; because , &c. when the world was in ignorance , and had not such assurance of a future state , of eternal rewards and punishments after this life , the arguments to repentance were weak and feeble in comparison of what they now are , the necessity of this duty was not so evident . but now god hath assur'd us of a future judgment , now exhortations to repentance have a commanding power and influence upon men ; so that repentance , both as it is that which is very much prest and inculcated in the gospel , and as it hath its chief motives and enforcements from the gospel , may be said to be one of the great doctrines of the gospel . query . whether the preaching of faith in christ , among those who are already christians , be at all necessary ? because it seems very improper , to press those to believe in christ , who are already perswaded that he is the messias , and do entertain the history and doctrine of the gospel . ans . the faith which the apostle here means , and which he would perswade men to , is an effectual belief of the gospel ; such a faith as hath real effects upon men , and makes them to live as they believe ; such a faith as perswades them of the need of these blessings that the gospel offers , and makes them to desire to be partakers of them , and in order thereto to be willing to submit to those terms and conditions of holiness and obedience , which the gospel requires . this is the faith we would perswade men to , and there is nothing more necessary to be prest upon the greatest part of christians than this ; for how few are there among those who profess to believe the gospel , who believe it in this effectual manner , so as to conform themselves to it ? the faith which most christians pretend to , is meerly negative ; they do not disbelieve the gospel , they do not consider it , nor trouble themselves about it , they do not care nor are concerned whether it be true or not ; but they have not a positive belief of it , they are not possest with a firm perswasion of the truth of those matters which are contained in it ; if they were , such a perswasion would produce real and positive effects . every man naturally desires happiness , and 't is impossible that any man that is possest with this belief , that in order to happiness it is necessary for him to do such and such things , and that if he omit or neglect them , he is unavoidably miserable , that he should not do them . men say they believe this or that , but you may see in their lives , what it is they believe . so that the preaching of this faith in christ , which is the only true faith , is still necessary . i. inference . if repentance towards god , and faith in the lord jesus christ , be the sum and substance of the gospel , then from hence we may infer the excellency of the christian religion , which insists only upon these things which do tend to our perfection and our happiness . repentance tends to our recovery , and the bringing of us back as near as may be to innocence . primus innocentiae graedus est non peccasse ; secundus , penitentia : and then faith in the lord jesus christ , tho it be very comprehensive , and contains many things in it , yet nothing but what is eminently for our advantage , and doth very much conduce to our happiness . the historical part of the gospel acquaints us with the person and actions of our saviour , which conduceth very much to our understanding of the author and means of our salvation . the doctrinal part of the gospel contains what god requires on our part , and the encouragements and arguments to our duty , from the consideration of the recompence and rewards of the next life . the precepts of christs doctrine are such as tend exceedingly to the perfection of our nature , being all founded in reason , in the nature of god , and of a reasonable creature ; i except only those positive institutions of the christian religion , the two sacraments , which are not burthensome , and are of excellent use . this is the first . ii. we may learn from hence what is to be the sum and end of our preaching , to bring men to repentance and a firm belief of the gospel ; but then it is to be considered , that we preach repentance , so often as we preach either against sin in general , or any particular sin or vice ; and so often as we perswade to holiness in general , or to the performance of any particular duty of religion , or to the exercise of any particular grace ; for repentance includes the forsaking of sin , and a sincere resolution and endeavour of reformation and obedience . and we preach repentance so often as we insist upon such considerations and arguments , as may be powerful to deter men from sin , and to engage them to holiness . and we preach faith towards our lord jesus christ , so often as we declare the grounds of the christian religion , and insist upon such arguments as tend to make it credible , and are proper to convince men of the truth and reasonableness of it ; so often as we explain the mystery of christ's incarnation , the history of his life , death , resurrection , ascension , and intercession , and the proper ends and use of these ; so often as we open the method of god's grace for the salvation of sinners , the nature of the covenant between god and us , and the conditions of it , and the way how a sinner is justified and hath his sins pardoned , the nature and necessity of regeneration and sanctification ; so often as we explain the precepts of the gospel , and the promises and threatnings of it , and endeavour to convince men of the equity of christ's commands , and to assure them of the certainty of the eternal happiness which the gospel promises to them that obey it , and of the eternal misery which the gospel threatens to those that are disobedient ; all this is preaching faith in our lord jesus christ . iii. this may correct the irregular humor and itch in many people , who are not contented with this plain and wholsom food , but must be gratified with sublime notions and unintelligible mysteries , with pleasant passages of wit , and artificial strains of rhetorick , with nice and unprofitable disputes , with bold interpretations of dark prophecies , and peremptory determinations of what will happen next year , and a punctual stating of the time when anti-christ shall be thrown down , and babylon shall fall , and who shall be employed in this work. or if their humor lies another way , you must apply your self to it , by making sharp reflections upon matters in present controversie and debate , you must dip your stile in gall and vinegar , and be all satyr and invective against those that differ from you , and teach people to hate one another , and to fall together by the ears ; and this men call gospel preaching , and speaking of seasonable truths . surely st. paul was a gospel preacher , and such an one as may be a patern to all others ; and yet he did none of these ; he preached what men might understand , and what they ought to believe and practice , in a plain and unaffected and convincing manner ; he taught such things as made for peace , and whereby he might edifie and build up men in their holy faith. the doctrines that he preached will never be unseasonable , that men should leave their sins , and believe the gospel , and live accordingly . and if men must needs be gratified with disputes and controversies , there are these great controversies between god and the sinner to be stated and determined ; whether this be religion , to follow our own lusts and inclinations , or to endeavour to be like god , and to be conformed to him , in goodness , and mercy , and righteousness , and truth , and faithfulness ? whether jesus christ be not the messias and saviour of the world ? whether faith and repentance and sincere obedience be not the terms of salvation , and the necessary conditions of happiness ? whether there shall be a future judgment , when all men shall be sentenced according to their works ? whether there be a heaven and hell ? whether good men shall be eternally and unspeakably happy , and wicked men extreamly and everlastingly miserable ? these are the great controversies of religion , upon which we are to dispute on god's behalf against sinners . god asserts , and sinners deny these things , not in words , but which is more emphatical and significant , in their lives and actions . these are practical controversies of faith , and it concerns every man to be resolved and determined about them , that he may frame his life accordingly . and so for repentance ; god says , repentance is a forsaking of sin , and a through change and amendment of life ; the sinner says that it is only a formal confession , and a slight asking of god forgiveness : god calls upon us speedily and forthwith to repent ; the sinner saith 't is time enough , and it may safely be defer'd to sickness or death ; these are important controversies and matters of moment . but men do not affect common truths ; whereas these are most necessary : and indeed whatever is generally useful and beneficial , ought to be common , and not to be the less valued , but the more esteemed for being so . and as these doctrines of faith and repentance are never unseasonable , so are they more peculiarly proper when we celebrate the holy sacrament , which was instituted for a solemn and standing memorial of the christian religion , and is one of the most powerful arguments and perswasives to repentance and a good life . the faith of the gospel doth more particularly respect the death of christ ; and therefore it is call'd faith in his blood , because that is more especially the object of our faith ; the blood of christ , as it was a seal of the truth of his doctrine , so it is also a confirmation of all the blessings and benefits of the new covenant . and it is one of the greatest arguments in the world to repentance . in the blood of christ we may see our own guilt , and in the dreadful sufferings of the son of god , the just desert of our sins ; for he hath born our griefs , and carried our sorrows , he was wounded for our transgressions , and bruised for our iniquities ; therefore the commemoration of his sufferings should call our sins to remembrance , the representation of his body broken , should melt our hearts ; and so often as we remember that his blood was shed for us , our eyes should run down with rivers of tears ; so often as we look upon him whom we have pierced , we should mourn over him . when the son of god suffered , the rocks were rent in sunder ; and shall not the consideration of those sufferings be effectual to break the most stony and obdurate heart ? what can be more proper when we come to this sacrament , than the renewing of our repentance ? when we partake of this passover , we should eat it with bitter herbs . the most solemn expressions of our repentance fall short of those sufferings which our blessed saviour underwent for our sins ; if our head were waters , and our eyes fountains of tears , we could never sufficiently lament the cursed effects and consequences of those provocations which were so fatal to the son of god. and that our repentance may be real , it must be accompanied with the resolution of a better life ; for if we return to our sins again , we trample under foot the son of god , and profane the blood of the covenant , and out of the cup of salvation we drink our own damnation , and turn that which should save us into an instrument and seal of our own ruin . sermon ii. preach'd on ash-wednesday . of confessing and forsaking sin , in order to pardon . prov . xxviii . . he that covereth his sins shall not prosper : but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them , shall have mercy . since we are all sinners , and liable to the justice of god , it is a matter of great moment to our comfort and happiness , to be rightly informed by what means , and upon what terms , we may be reconciled to god , and find mercy with him . and to this purpose the text gives us this advice and direction , whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sin , shall have mercy . in which words there is a great blessing and benefit declared and promised to sinners , upon certain conditions . the blessing and benefit promised , is the mercy and favour of god , which comprehends all the happy effects of god's mercy and goodness to sinners . and the conditions upon which this blessing is promised are two , confession of our sins , and forsaking of them ; and these two contain in them , the whole nature of that great and necessary duty of repentance , without which a sinner can have no reasonable hopes of the mercy of god. i. here is a blessing or benefit promised , which is the mercy and favour of god. and this in the full extent of it , comprehends all the effects of the mercy and goodness of god to sinners , and doth primarily import the pardon and forgiveness of our sins . and this probably solomon did chiefly intend in this expression ; for so the mercy of god doth most frequently signifie in the old testament , viz. the forgiveness of our sins . and thus the prophet explains it , isa . . . let the wicked forsake his ways , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and let him return unto the lord , and he will have mercy , and to our god , for he will abundantly pardon . but now since the clear revelation of the gospel , the mercy of god doth not only extend to the pardon of sin , but to power against it ; because this also is an effect of god's free grace and mercy to sinners , to enable them , by the grace of his holy spirit , to master and mortifie their lusts , and to persevere in goodness to the end . and it comprehends also our final pardon and absolution at the great day , together with the glorious reward of eternal life , which the apostle expresseth , by finding mercy with the lord in that day . and this likewise is promised to repentance , acts . . repent ye therefore , and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out , when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord , and he shall send jesus christ , who before was preached unto you ; that is , that when jesus christ who is now preached unto you shall come , you may receive the final sentence of absolution and forgiveness . and thus much shall suffice to have spoken of the blessing and benefit here promised , the mercy of god ; which comprehends all the blessed effects of the divine grace and goodness to sinners , the present pardon of sin , and power to mortifie sin , and to persevere in a good course , and our final absolulution by the sentence of the great day , together with the merciful and glorious reward of eternal life . ii. we will consider in the next place , the conditions upon which this blessing is promised , and they are two , the confessing and forsaking of our sins , whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sin , shall have mercy ; and these two do contain and constitute the whole nature of repentance , without which a sinner can have no reasonable hopes to find mercy with god. i begin with the first , the confession of our sins ; by which is meant a penitent acknowledgment of our faults to god ; to god i say , because the confession of our sins to men is not , generally speaking , a condition of the forgiveness of them , but only in some particular cases , when our sins against god are accompanied and complicated with scandal and injury to men . in other cases the confession of our sins to men is not necessary to the pardon of them , as i shall more fully shew in the progress of this discourse . all the difficulty in this matter is , that the confession of our sins is opposed to the covering and concealing of them ; he that covereth his sin shall not prosper : but whoso confesseth them , shall have mercy ; but no man can hope to hide his sin from god , and therefore confession of them to god cannot be here meant . but this objection , if it be of any force , quite excludeth confession to god , as no part of solomon's meaning ; when yet confession of our sins to god , is granted on all hands , to be a necessary condition of the forgiveness of them . and to take away the whole ground of this objection ; men are said in scripture , when they do not confess their sins and repent of them , to hide and conceal them from god : not to acknowledge them is as if a man went about to cover them . and thus david opposeth confession of sins to god , to the hiding of them , psal . . . i acknowledged my sin unto thee , and mine iniquity have i not hid , i said i will confess my transgressions unto the lord ; so that this is no reason , why the text should not be understood of the confession of our sins to god. but because the necessity of confessing our sins to men ( that is to the priest ) in order to the forgiveness of them , is a great point of difference between us and the church of rome , it being by them esteemed a necessary article of faith , but by us , so far from being necessary to be believed , that we do not believe it to be true ; therefore for the clear stating of this matter , i shall briefly enquire into these two things . i. whether confession of our sins to the priest , as taught and practised in the church of rome , be necessary to the forgiveness of them . ii. how far the disclosing and revealing of our sins to the ministers of god is convenient upon other accounts , and for other purposes of religion . i. whether confession of our sins to the priest , and the manner in which it is taught and practised in the church of rome , be necessary to the forgiveness of them . what manner of confession this is , the council of trent hath most precisely determined , viz. secret confession to the priest alone , of all and every mortal sin , which upon the most diligent search and examination of our consciences we can remember our selves to be guilty of , since our baptism ; together with all the circumstances of those sins , which may change the nature of them ; because without the perfect knowledge of these , the priest cannot make a judgment of the nature and quality of mens sins , nor impose fitting penance for them . this is the confession of sins required in the church of rome , which the same council of trent , without any real ground from scripture or ecclesiastical antiquity , doth most confidently affirm to have been instituted by our lord , and by the law of god to be necessary to salvation , and to have been always practised in the catholick church . i shall as briefly as i can examine both these pretences , of the divine institution , and constant practice of this kind of confession . first , for the divine institution of it , they mainly rely upon three texts ; in the first of which there is no mention at all of confession , much less of a particular confession of all our sins with the circumstances of them ; in the other two there is no mention of confession to the priest ; and yet all this ought clearly to appear in these texts , before they can ground a divine institution upon them ; for a divine institution is not to be founded upon obscure consequences , but upon plain words . the first text , and the only one upon which the council of trent grounds the necessity of confession , is john . . whosesoever sins ye remit , they are remitted ; and whosesoever sins ye retain , they are retained : it is a sign they were at a great loss for a text to prove it , when they are glad to bring one that hath not one word in it concerning confession , nor the least intimation of the necessity of it . but let us see how they manage it to their purpose . the apostles and their successors ( saith bellarmine ) by this power of remitting and retaining sins , are constituted judges of the case of penitents ; but they cannot judge without hearing the cause , and this infers particular confession of sins to the priest , from whence he concludes it necessary to the forgiveness of sins . but do not the ministers of the gospel exercise this power of remitting sins in baptism ? and yet particular confession of all sins to the priest is not required , no not in the church of rome , in the baptism of adult persons . and therefore according to them , particular confession of sin to the priest , is not necessary to his exercising the power of remitting sins , and consequently the necessity of confession cannot be concluded from this text. and to shew how they are puzled in this matter , vasquez by a strange device concludes the necessity of confession from the power of retaining sins ; for ( says he ) if the priest have a power of retaining sins , that is of denying pardon and absolution to the penitent , then he may impose confession as a condition of forgiveness , and not absolve the penitent upon other terms . but supposing the priest to have this unreasonable power , this makes confession no otherwise necessary by divine institution , than going to jerusalem or china is , in order to the forgiveness of our sins , or submitting to any other foolish condition , that the priest thinks fit to require ; for according to this way of reasoning , this power of retaining sins , makes every foolish thing that the priest shall impose upon the penitent , to be necessary by divine command and institution . but the truth is , this power of remitting and retaining sins , is exercised by the ministers of the gospel , in the administration of the sacraments , and the preaching of the gospel , which is call'd the word of reconciliation , the ministry whereof is committed to them : and thus the ancient fathers understood it ; and as a great divine told them in the council of trent , it was perhaps never expounded by any one father concerning the business of confession . the second text they alledge to this purpose is , john . . if we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins . here indeed is confession ; but general , not particular , as appears by the opposition , if we say that we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us : but if we confess our sins , that is , if we acknowledge our selves to have been sinners : and then here is not a word of confessing to the priest ; the confession here meant is plainly to god , because it follows , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , that is , god , who is necessarily understood in the former part of the sentence ; as if it had run thus , if we confess our sins to god , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins . the third text is , jam. . . confess your faults one to another , and pray one for another . and here again there is only mention of confession , but not a word of the priest ; and for another reason , if i had been to advise them , they should not have prest this text for their service in this cause , because it does them as much hurt as good ; for it is certain , the duty of confession here enjoyned is reciprocal and mutual , confess your sins one to another : so that if by virtue of this text the people are bound to confess their sins to the priest , the priest is hereby as much obliged to confess his sins to the people ; which i dare say is more than they have a mind to prove from this text. the plain meaning whereof is this , that as christians should be ready to perform all mutual offices of charity , so to assist and comfort one another by their counsel and prayers ; and therefore the apostle adviseth christians when they are sick , if at the same time they be under any spiritual trouble , by reason of the guilt of any sin lying upon their consciences , to lay open their case to one another , that so they may have the help of one anothers advice and prayers ; confess your faults one to another , and pray one for another , that ye may be healed , both of your bodily and spiritual distemper : not that the priest or minister is here excluded ; st. james had spoken of that particular before , that when any was sick , he should send for the elders of the church , that he might in the first place have the benefit of their counsel and prayers ; and then because private christians may also be useful to one another in this kind , he adds , that they should also lay open their condition and troubles to one another , that so they might have the help of one anothers advice and prayers ; and very probably all the confession here meant of private christians to one another is of the offences and injuries they may have been guilty of , one towards another ; that they should be reconciled upon this occasion , and as a testimony of their charity , should pray one for another ; whereas they are bound to send for the elders of the church , and they are to pray over them , as an act not only of charity , but of superiority , and by virtue of their office in the church , a more especial blessing being to be expected from their prayers . these three texts are the main arguments from scripture , which they of the church of rome bring to prove their auricular or secret confession to be of divine institution ; and woful proofs they are ; which shews what miserable shifts they are reduced to , who resolve to maintain a bad cause . i proceed in the second place , to discover the falshood of their other pretences , that this kind of confession hath always been practised in the catholick church ; and not only so , but believed absolutely necessary to the remission of mens sins and their eternal salvation . the truth of the whole matter is this ; publick confession and penance for open and scandalous crimes was in use , and with great strictness observed in the first ages of christianity , and there was then no general law or custom , that exacted secret confession of sins to the priest , as a necessary part of repentance , and condition of forgiveness : afterward publick penance was by degrees disused , which plainly shews that , in the opinion of the church , this discipline , how useful soever , was not of absolute necessity to restore men to the favour of god. in place of this came in private confession to the priest , particularly appointed to this office , and call'd the penitentiary ; but upon occasion of a scandal that hapned , this also was abrogated by nectarius bishop of constantinople ; which shews that neither was this necessary . and this act of nectarius was justified by his successor st. chrysostom , who does over and over most expresly teach , that confession of our sins to men is not necessary to the forgiveness of them , but that it is sufficient to confess them to god alone ; so that st. chrysostom does plainly stand condemned by the decrees of the council of trent . and thus for several ages the matter rested , till the degeneracy of the church of rome growing towards its height , about the ix . and x. centuries , some began to contend for the necessity of secret confession , and this in the year . in the iv. council of lateran under pope innocent iii. was decreed and establish'd . and this is the first publick law that was made in the christian church concerning this matter , notwithstanding all the boasts of the council of trent , about the antiquity of this institution and practice ; for gratian , who lived about years before this council , tells us , that in his time several wise and religious men were of the contrary opinion , and did not hold confession necessary by virtue of any divine law. afterwards in the council of florence , and especially in that of trent , this decree of the council of lateran was confirmed and enlarged in many particulars , of which i have already given some account . and whereas they pretend for themselves the universal practice not only of the past , but present church , we are able to shew from clear testimony of their own writers , that confession , as taught and practised in the church of rome , is no where else in use at this day , neither among the abyssines , nor indians of st. thomas , nor the nestorians , nor the armenians , nor the jacobites , churches of great antiquity and vast extent . and as for the greek church , if we may believe gratian , and the author of the gloss upon the canon law , the greeks had anciently no tradition concerning the necessity of confession , nor do they at this day agree with the roman church in all points concerning it . so that , in short , there is no nation nor church throughout the whole world , that bear the name of christian , the roman church only excepted , that doth fully embrace and maintain the whole doctrine of the council of trent concerning confession ; and yet according to their principles , the whole is of equal necessity to be believed , as any part of it . with what face then do they declare , that this manner of confession always was , and still is observed in the catholick , that is in the whole christian church ? i have not time to shew the great and manifold inconveniences and mischiefs of this practice . how infinite a torture it is to the consciences of men , by entangling them in endless doubts and scruples ; and how great a scandal it is to the christian profession , in the lewd management of it by the priests , is evident from the two bulls of pope pius the iv. and gregory xv. which mention things too shameful to be declared ; not to insist upon other horrible abuses of it to the vilest and wickedest purposes ; not so much to direct the consciences of men , as to dive into their secrets , of which there are so many plain and notorious instances , that they are past denyal . the other thing pretended for it is , that it is a great restraint upon men from sin . and very probably it is so , to modest and well disposed persons : but experience shews how quite contrary an effect it hath upon others , who are the far greatest part of mankind . does not all the world see in the popish countries , in the time of their carnival , just before lent , the anniversary season of confession , how scandalous a liberty men take of doing lewd and wicked things ; and that for this very reason , because their consciences are presently to be eased and scoured ( as they call it ) by confession and absolution ? and they therefore take the oportunity to gratifie their lusts , and fill up the measure of their iniquity at that time ; because with one labour they can set their consciences right , and clear them of all guilt ; and they look upon this as a special piece of spiritual good husbandry , to quit their scores with god at once , that so they may have no occasion to trouble him , nor the priest , nor themselves again for a good while after . so that confession , instead of being a restraint from sin , gives great encouragement to it , by deluding men into a vain hope of obtaining the pardon of their sins from time to time , tho they still continue in the practice of them ; by which device , mens sins are at once remitted and retain'd ; the priest remits them by absolution , and the penitent retains them , by going on still in the commission of them , in hope of obtaining a new absolution as often as occasion shall require . i proceed to the ii. enquiry , namely , how far the disclosing and revealing our sins to the ministers of god , may be convenient upon other accounts and to other purposes of religion ? to which the answer is very plain and short ; so far as is necessary either to the direction , or the ease of mens consciences . there are many cases wherein men , under the guilt and trouble of their sins , can neither appease their own minds , nor sufficiently direct themselves , without recourse to some pious and prudent guide ; in these cases , men certainly do very well , and many times prevent a great deal of trouble and perplexity to themselves , by a timely discovery of their condition to some faithful minister , in order to their direction and satisfaction , without which they shall never perhaps be able to clear themselves of the obscurity and entanglement of their own minds , but by smothering their trouble in their own breasts , shall proceed from one degree of melancholy to another , till at last they be plunged either in distraction or despair ; whereas the discovery of their condition in time , would prove a present and effectual remedy . and to this purpose , a general confession is for the most part sufficient ; and where there is occasion for a more particular discovery , there is no need of raking into the particular and foul circumstances of mens sins , to give that advice which is necessary for the cure and ease of the penitent ; a thing so far from being desirable , that it must needs be very grievous to every modest and good man. and thus far confession is not only allowed , but encouraged among protestants . in the lutheran churches , chemnitius tells us , that private geneneral confession is in use and practice . and calvin freely declares , that he is so far from being against peoples repairing to their pastors to this purpose , that he earnestly wisheth it were every where observed before the receiving of the sacrament . and the same is the sense of our own church , laying no necessity upon men in this matter , but advising , especially before the sasacrament , those who have any trouble upon their consciences , to repair to some discreet and faithful minister of god's word , for advice and satisfaction . and thus all the good use , which can be made of confession , may be had in our church , without the ill effects and consequences of the romish confession , and without laying a yoke upon the consciences of men , which our saviour never laid . and now i have , as briefly and as plainly as i could , stated this controversie between us and the church of rome , concerning the necessity and use of secret confession to the ministers of god , as the proper guides and directors of our consciences : but it is granted on all hands , that confession of our sins to god is necessary ; and there is no doubt but it is here intended in the text , viz. a penitent acknowledgment of our sins ; the nature whereof i shall briefly explain to you . and it must not only be a general confession that we are sinners ; but there must be a particular acknowledgment of our sins to god , so far as upon a particular discussion and examination of our consciences , we can call them to remembrance , especially our most heinous sins , which our consciences will not suffer us to forget , must be particularly acknowledged , with the several aggravations of them . and this confession must be accompanied with such a shame and sorrow for our sins , as produceth in us a sincere resolution to leave them , and to betake our selves to a better course . these are the principal ingredients of a penitent confession . . there must be shame , without which there is no hope of amendment . confession always supposeth conviction of a fault ; and he that is truly convinced that he hath done amiss , cannot but be ashamed of what he hath done . and thus the penitents in scripture were wont to make confession of their sins to god ; ezra . . o my god ( says he ) i am ashamed , and blush to lift up my face to thee my god. so jeremiah , ch. . . we lie down in our shame , and our confusion covereth us ; for we have sinned against the lord. and so likewise daniel , ch. . . we have sinned , and have committed iniquity , and done wickedly , unto us belongeth confusion of face . and thus our saviour describes the penitent behaviour of the publican , as ashamed to look up to that god whom he had offended , luke . . he would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven ; but smote upon his breast , saying , god be merciful to me a sinner . . confession must be always accompanied with great sorrow for our sins , considering the great dishonour we have brought to god , and the danger into which we have brought our selves ; i will declare mine iniquity , ( says david , ) and i will be sorry for my sin . and this sorrow must be proportionable to the degree of our sin. if we have been very wicked , and have sinned greatly against the lord , and have multiplied our transgressions , and continued long in an evil course , have neglected god , and forgotten him days without number , the measure of our sorrow , must bear some proportion to the degree of our sins ; if they have been as scarlet and crimson , ( as the prophet expresseth it ) that is , of a deeper dye than ordinary , our sorrow must be as deep as our guilt ; for it is not a slight trouble and a few tears that will wash out such stains . not that tears are absolutely necessary , tho' they do very well become , and most commonly accompany a sincere repentance . all tempers are not in this alike ; some cannot express their sorrow by tears , even then when they are most inwardly and sensibly grieved . but if we can easily shed tears upon other occasions ; certainly rivers of tears ought to run down our eyes , because we have broken gods laws , the reasonable , and righteous , and good laws of so good a god , of so gracious a soveraign , of so mighty a benefactor , of the founder of our being , and the perpetual patron and protector of our lives : but if we cannot command our tears , there must however be great trouble and contrition of spirit , especially for great sins ; to be sure to that degree as to produce the . property i mentioned of a penitent confession , namely , a sincere resolution to leave our sins , and betake our selves to a better course . he does not confess his fault , but stand in it , who is not resolved to amend . true shame and sorrow for our sins is utterly inconsistent with any thought of returning to them . it argues great obstinacy and impudence to confess a fault and continue in it . whenever we make confession of our sins to god , surely it is meet to say unto him , i will not offend any more , that which i know not teach thou me , and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . this is the first part of repentance mentioned in the text , the first condition of our finding mercy with god , the penitent acknowledgment of our sins to him . i proceed to the second condition required to make us capable of the mercy of god , which is the actual forsaking of our sins ; whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy . i shall not go about to explain what is meant by forsaking sin , it is that which every body can understand , but few will do ; there lies all the difficulty . i shall only put you in mind , that forsaking of sin comprehends our return to our duty , that necessarily follows from it . in sins of commission , he that hath left any vice , does thereby become master of the contrary virtue , virtus est vitium fugere ; not to be drunk , is to be sober ; not to oppress , or defraud , or deal falsly , is to be just and honest : and for sins of omission , the forsaking of them is nothing else , but the doing of those duties which we omitted and neglected before . and therefore what solomon here calls forsaking of sin , is elsewhere in scripture more fully exprest , by ceasing to do evil , and learning to do well . isa . . . by forsaking our sins and turning to god ; isa . . . let the wicked man forsake his ways , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and let him return unto the lord. by turning from all our sins , and keeping all gods laws and statutes ; ezek. . . if the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed , and keep all my statutes , and do that which is lawful and right . and this is a most essential part of repentance , and a necessary condition of our finding mercy with god. that part of repentance which i have mentioned and insisted upon before , the penitent acknowledgment of our sins to god , with shame and sorrow for them , and a firm purpose and resolution to leave them , all this is but preparatory to the actual forsaking of them : that which perfects and compleats our repentance , is to turn from our evil ways , and to break off our sins by righteousness . and these terms of confessing and forsaking our sins , are reasonable in themselves , and honourable to god , and profitable to us , and upon lower terms we have no reason to expect the mercy of god , nor in truth are we capable of it , either by the present forgiveness of our sins , or the final absolution of the great day , and the blessed reward of eternal life . god peremptorily requires this change , as a condition of our forgiveness and happiness ; repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out , acts . . if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments , matth. . . without holiness no man shall see the lord , heb. . . and why should any man hope for the mercy of god upon other terms , than those which he hath so plainly and peremptorily declared ? it is a mean and unworthy thought of god , to imagine that he will accept men to his favour and eternal life upon other terms than of better obedience . will any wise father or prince accept less from his children and subjects ? will they be satisfied with sighs and tears , as well as with obedience ? and well pleased if they be but melancholy for their faults , tho' they ne-never mend them ? we must not impute that to god , which would be a defect of wisdom and good government , in any father or prince upon earth . god values no part of repentance upon any other account , but as it tends to reclaim us to our duty , and ends in our reformation and amendment . this is that which qualifies us for the happiness of another life , and makes us meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light . and without this , tho' god should be pleased to forgive us , yet we could not forgive our selves ; and notwithstanding the legal discharge from guilt , the sting of it would remain , and we should , like our first parents after they had sinn'd , run away and hide our selves from god , tho' he spake never so kindly to us . god hath placed in every man's mind an inexorable judge , that will grant no pardon and forgiveness but to a reformed penitent , to him that hath such a sense of the evil of his past life , as to become a better man for the future . and whoever entertains any other notion of the grace and mercy of god to sinners , confounds the nature of things , and does plainly overthrow the reason of all laws , which is to restrain men from sin : but when it is committed , to pardon it without amendment , is to encourage the practice of it , and to take away the reverence and veneration of those laws , which seem so severely to forbid it . so that next to impunity , the forgiveness of mens sins upon such easie and unfit terms , gives boldness and encouragement to sin , and must necessarily in the opinion of men lessen the honour and esteem of god's laws . and thus i have considered and explained both the blessing and benefit which is here promised and declared , viz. the mercy and favour of god , which comprehends both the present forgiveness of our sins , and power against them , and grace to persevere in goodness to the end , and our final absolution at the great day , and the glorious and merciful reward of eternal life : and likewise the conditions upon which this blessing is promised , viz. the penitent acknowledgment of our sins to god , with such shame and sorrow for them , as produceth a sincere resolution of leaving them , and returning to a better course , and the actual forsaking of them , which involves in it our actual return to our duty , and a constant and sincere obedience to the laws of god in the future course of our lives . i shall now make some application of this discourse to our selves . i am sure we are all nearly concerned in it . the best of us have many sins to confess and forsake ; some of us very probably have need to change the whole course of our lives , to put us into a capacity of the mercy of god. this work can never be unseasonable ; but there cannot be a more proper time for it , than when we are solemnly preparing our selves to receive the holy sacrament ; in which as we do commemorate the great mercy of god to mankind , so we do likewise renew and confirm our covenant with him , that holy covenant wherein we engage our selves to forsake our sins , as ever we expect the forgiveness of them at god's hand . to perswade us hereto , be pleased to consider the reasonableness of the thing , the infinite benefit and advantage of it ; and which is beyond all other arguments , the absolute necessity of it , to make us capable of the mercy and forgiveness of god , in this world and the other , and to deliver us from the wrath which is to come , and from those terrible storms of vengeance , which will infallibly fall upon impenitent sinners : so that we have all the reason and all the encouragement in the world , to resolve upon a better course . upon this condition , the mercy of god is ready to meet and embrace us , god will pardon our greatest provocations , and be perfectly reconciled to us . so he hath declared by the prophet , isaiah . . wash ye , make you clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes , cease to do evil , learn to do well . come now and let us reason together , saith the lord , tho' your sins be as scarlet , they shall be as white as snow ; tho' they be red as crimson , they shall be as wool . and what greater encouragement can we desire , than that upon so easie and advantageous terms , god should be so ready to have an end put to all controversies and quarrels between him and us . i beseech you therefore , brethren , by the mercies of god , to take up a serious resolution to break off your sins by repentance , and to reform whatever , upon due search and tryal of your ways , you shall find to be amiss in your lives . i beseech you by the mercies of god , that mercy which naturally leads to repentance , and which is long-suffering to us-ward , on purpose that we may not perish , but come to repentance , which hath spared us so often , and is not yet exhausted and tired out by our intolerable obstinacy , and innumerable provocations ; that mercy which moved the son of god to become man , to live among us , and to die for us ; who now as it were speaks to us from the cross , extending his pierced hands , and painful arms to embrace us , and through the gasping wounds of his side lets us see the tender and bleeding compassion of his heart ; that mercy which if we now despise it , we shall in vain one day implore , and catch hold of , and hang upon , to save us from sinking into eternal perdition ; that mercy , which how much soever we now presume upon , will then be so far from interposing between us and the wrath of god , that it will highly inflame and exasperate it : for whatever impenitent sinners may now think , they will then certainly find that the divine justice , when it is throughly provoked , and whetted by his abused mercy and goodness , will be most terribly severe , and like a rasor set with oyl , will cut the keener for its smoothness . consider this all ye that forget god , lest he tear you in pieces , and there be none to deliver : consider and shew your selves men , o ye transgressours ! we do consider all this ( may some perhaps say ) but we have been great sinners , so great , that we doubt whether our case be not already desperate . this , if it be sensibly said , with deep sorrow and contrition , with that shame and confusion of face , which becomes great offenders , is a good confession , and the best reason in the world , why ye should now break off your sins : for if what you have already done , do really make your case so doubtful and difficult ; do not by sinning yet more and more against the lord , make it quite desperate and past remedy ; do but you repent , and god will yet return and have mercy upon you . and do not say you cannot do it , when it must be done , or you are undone . power and necessity go together ; when men are hard prest they find a power which they thought they had not ; and when it comes to the push , men can do that which they plainly see they either must do , or be ruined for ever . but after all this , i am very sensible how great a need there is of god's powerful assistance in this case , and that it is not an ordinary resolution , and common measure of god's grace , that will reclaim those who have been long habituated to an evil course . let us therefore earnestly beg of him , that he would make these counsels effectual , that he would grant us repentance unto life , that he would make us all sensible of our faults , sorry for them , and resolved to amend them ; and let us every one put up david's prayer to god for our selves , deal with thy servant according to thy mercy , and teach me thy statutes ; order my steps in thy word , and let not any iniquity have dominion over me ; teach me , o lord , the way of thy statutes , that i may keep them unto the end . i have now done ; i am only to mind you of another duty , which is to accompany our repentance , and fasting , and prayer , as a testimony of the sincerity of our repentance , and one of the best means to make our fasting and prayer acceptable to god , and to turn away his judgments from us , and that is charity and alms to the poor , whose number is very great among us , and their necessities very pressing and clamorous , and therefore do call for a bountiful supply . and to convince men of the necessity of this duty , and the efficacy of it in conjunction with our repentance , and fasting , and prayers , i shall only offer to your consideration a few plain texts of scripture , which need no comment upon them . dan. . . it is the prophets advice to nebuchadnezzar ; break off thy sins by righteousness , and thine iniquity , by shewing mercy to the poor ; if so be it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity . acts . . the angel there tells cornelius , thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before god. isa . . . is not this the fast which i have chosen , to loose the bands of wickedness , to undo the heavy burthens , and to let the oppressed go free , and that ye break every yoke ? is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out , to thy house ; when thou seest the naked , that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh ? then shall thy light break forth as the morning , and thine health shall spring forth speedily , and thy righteousness shall go before thee , and the glory of the lord shall be thy rereward ; then shalt thou call , and the lord shall answer thee , thou shalt cry , and he shall say here i am . to which i will only add that gracious promise of our saviour ; blessed are the merciful ; for they shall find mercy ; and that terrible sentence in st. james , he shall have judgment without mercy , that hath shewed no mercy . sermon iii. of confession , and sorrow for sin. psal. xxxviii . . i will declare mine iniquity , and be sorry for my sin. in this psalm david does earnestly beg mercy and forgiveness of god , and in order to the obtaining of it , he declares both his sins , and his repentance for them in these words , which contain in them two of the necessary ingredients , or at least concomitants of a true repentance , viz. confession of sin , and sorrow for it . i shall speak something of the first of these , viz. confession of sin : but the second , viz. sorrow for sin , shall be the main subject of my discourse . i. confession of sin ; i will declare mine iniquity , or as it is in the old translation , i will confess my wickedness . of which i shall speak under these three heads . i. what confession of sin is . ii. how far 't is necessary . iii. what are the reasons and grounds of this necessity . i. what confession of sin is . it is a declaration or acknowledgment of some moral evil or fault to another , which we are conscious to our selves we have been guilty of . and this acknowledgment may be made by us , either to god or man. the scripture mentions both . confession of our sins to god is very frequently mentioned in scripture , as the first and necessary part of repentance ; and sometimes , and in some cases confession to men is not only recommended , but enjoyned . ii. how far confession of our sins is necessary . that it is necessary to confess our sins to god , the scripture plainly declares , and is i think a matter out of all dispute . for it is a necessary part of repentance , that we should confess our sins to god , with a due sense of the evil of them ; and therefore the scripture maketh this a necessary qualification , and condition of pardon and forgiveness . prov. . . whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy . john . . if we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ; implying that if we do not confess our sins to god , the guilt of them will still remain ; to god i say , for of confession to him st. john plainly speaks , when he says , he is faithful and just ; who ? god surely ; who tho' he be not named before , yet is necessarily understood in the words before ; if we confess our sins , i. e. to god , he is faithful and just . a general confession of our sins is absolutely necessary ; and in some cases a particular acknowledgment of them , and repentance for them , especially if the sins have been great and deliberate and presumptuous ; in this case a particular confession of them , and repentance for them , is necessary so far as we can particularly recollect them , and call them to remembrance : whereas for sins of ignorance and infirmity , of surprize and daily incursion , for lesser omissions , and the defects and imperfections of our best actions and services , we have all the reason that can be to believe , that god will accept of a general confession of them , and repentance for them . and if any man ask me , where i find this distinction in scripture , between a general and particular repentance ? i answer , that it is not necessary it should be any where exprest in scripture , being so clearly founded in the nature and reason of the thing ; because in many cases it is not possible that we should have a particular knowledge and remembrance of all our particular sins ; as is plain in sins of ignorance , since our very calling them by that name , does necessarily suppose that we do not know them . it is impossible we should remember those sins afterwards , which we did not know when they were committed : and therefore either a general repentance for these and the other sins i mentioned of the like nature , must be sufficient in order to the pardon of them ; or we must say , that they are unpardonable , which would be very unreasonable , because this would be to make lesser sins more unpardonable , than those which are far greater . and yet tho' this difference between a general and particular repentance be no where expresly mention'd in scripture , there does not want foundation for it there . psal . . . who can understand his errours ? cleanse thou me from secret sins . ( i. e. ) such as we do not discern and take notice of , when they are committed : and yet david supposeth , that upon a general acknowledgment of them , and repentance for them , we may be cleansed from them ; tho' we cannot make a particular acknowledgment of them , and exercise a particular repentance for them , because they are secret , and we do not particularly understand what they are . as for our confessing our sins to men , both scripture and reason do in some cases recommend and enjoyn it . as , . in order to the obtaining of the prayers of good men for us . james . . confess your sins one to another ; he said before , the prayer of faith shall save the sick , and the lord shall raise him up . this in all probability is meant of the miraculous power of prayer , which st. chrysostom reckons among the miraculous gifts of the spirit , bestowed upon christians in the first ages of the church , and this is very much countenanc'd and confirm'd by what presently follows after this command of confessing our sins one to another , and praying one for another , and given as the reason of it ; for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much ; the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the inspir'd prayer , which in the verse before , is call'd the prayer of faith , meaning that miraculous faith , in the power whereof christians did obtain of god whatever they were inspir'd to ask of him ; according to our saviour's promise in the gospel , concerning the efficacy of the prayers of christians , which we find mention'd among the other miraculous powers , which were to be conferr'd upon them by the coming of the holy ghost . . confession of our sins to men is likewise reasonable , in order to the ease and satisfaction of our minds , and our being directed in our duty for the future . in this case common reason and prudence , without any precept of scripture , will direct men to have recourse to this remedy , viz. to discover and lay open our disease to some skilful spiritual physician , to some faithful friend or prudent guide , in order to spiritual advice and direction , for the peace and satisfaction of our minds . and then , . in case our sins have been publick and scandalous , both reason and the practice of the christian church do require , that when men have publickly offended , they should give publick satisfaction , and open testimony of their repentance . but as for private and auricular confession of our sins to a priest in all cases , and as of absolute necessity to our obtaining pardon and forgiveness from god , as the church of rome teacheth , this is neither necessary by divine precept , nor by any constitution and practice of the ancient christian church , as i have shewn in my former discourse . not to mention the bad consequences of this practice , and the impious and dangerous use which hath been made of this seal of confession , for the concealing and carrying on of the most wicked and barbarous designs ; and the debauching of the penitents , by drawing them into the commission of the same and greater sins , than those which they confessed ; which the more devout persons of that church have frequently complain'd of . i proceed now to shew briefly in the iii. place , the grounds and reasons of the necessity of confessing our sins to god ; and i shall but just mention them . . from the precept and command of god ; for which i have already produced clear proof of scripture . . from the nature of the thing , because without this there can be no repentance towards god. he that will not so much as own the faults which he hath been guilty of , can never repent of them . if we will not confess our sins to god , we are never like to be sorry for them . thus much for the first thing in the text , the confession of our sins . i proceed now to the second ingredient of repentance mentioned in the text , which is sorrow for sin ; i will declare mine iniquity , and be sorry for my sin. in the handling of this argument , i shall i. consider the nature of this passion of sorrow . ii. the reason and grounds of our sorrow for sin. iii. the measure and degrees of it . iv. how far the outward expression of our inward grief by tears is necessary to a true repentance . i. for the nature of this passion . sorrow is a trouble or disturbance of mind , occasioned by something that is evil , done or suffer'd by us , or which we are in danger of suffering , that tends greatly to our damage or mischief : so that to be sorry for a thing , is nothing else but to be sensibly affected with the consideration of the evil of it , and of the mischief and inconvenience which is like to redound to us from it : which if it be a moral evil , such as sin is , to be sorry for it , is to be troubled that we have done it , and to wish with all our hearts that we had been wiser , and had done otherwise ; and if this sorrow be true and real , if it abide and stay upon us , it will produce a firm purpose and resolution in us , not to do the like for the future . 't is true indeed , that we are said to be sorry for the death and loss of friends ; but this is rather the effect of natural affection than of our reason , which always endeavours to check and moderate our grief for that which we cannot help , and labours by all means to turn our sorrow into patience : and we are said likewise to grieve for the miseries and sufferings of others ; but this is not so properly sorrow , as pity and compassion . sorrow rather respects our selves , and our own doings and sufferings . i proceed in the ii. place to enquire into the reasons and grounds of our sorrow for sin ; and they , as i have already hinted , are these two ; the intrinsecal , or the consequent evil of sin ; either the evil of sin in it's self , or the mischiefs or inconveniencies which it will bring upon us . for every one that is sorry for any fault he is guilty of , he is so upon one of these two accounts ; either upon the score of ingenuity , or of interest ; either because he hath done a thing which is unworthy in it's self , or because he hath done something which may prove prejudicial to himself ; either out of a principle of love and gratitude to god , or from a principle of self-love . and tho' the former of these be the better , the more generous principle of sorrow ; yet the latter is usually the first ; because it is the more sensible , and toucheth us more nearly : for sin is a base and ill-natur'd thing , and renders a man not so apt to be affected with the injuries he hath offer'd to god , as with the mischief which is likely to fall upon himself . and therefore i will begin with the latter , because it is usually the more sensible cause of our trouble and sorrow for sin. . the great mischief and inconvenience that sin is like to bring upon us . when a man is thoroughly convinc'd of the danger into which his sins have brought him , that they have made him a child of wrath , and a son of perdition , that he is thereby fallen under the heavy dipleasure of almighty god , and liable to all those dreadful curses , which are written in his book , that ruin and destruction hang over him , and that nothing keeps him from eternal and intolerable torments , but the patience and long-suffering of god , which he does not know how soon it may cease to interpose between him and the wrath of god , and let him fall into that endless and insupportable misery , which is the just portion and desert of his sins ; he that lays to heart the sad estate and condition , into which he hath brought himself by sin , and the mischiefs which attend him every moment of his continuance in that state , and how near they are to him , and that there is but a step between him and death , and hardly another between that and hell , he cannot surely but be very sorry for what he hath done , and be highly displeased and offended with himself , that he should be the author of his own ruin , and have contributed as much as in him lies to his everlasting undoing . . another and better principle of sorrow for sin , is ingenuity ; because we are sensible , that we have carried our selves very unworthily towards god , and have been injurious to him , who hath laid all possible obligations upon us : for he hath made us , and hath given us our beings , and hath charged his watchful providence with the continual care of us ; his bounty hath ministred to the necessities and comforts of our life ; all the blessings that we enjoy , are the effects of his meer love and goodness , without any hope of requital , or expectation of any other return from us , than of love , of gratitude , and obedience ; which yet are of no advantage to him , but very beneficial and comfortable to our selves : for he does not expect duty and obedience from us , with any regard of benefit to himself , but for our sakes , and in order to our own happiness . nay , his kindness did not stop here , but after we had abused him by our repeated provocations , yet he still continued his care of us ; and when we had farther provoked him to withdraw his love , and to call in his abused goodness , and had done what lay in us to make our selves miserable , he would not suffer us to be undone , but found out a ransom for us , and hath contrived a way for the pardon of all our offences , and to reconcile us to himself , and to restore us to happiness , by the most stupendous and amazing condescension of love and goodness that ever was , even by giving his only son to dye for us . and can we reflect upon all this , and not be sorry and grieved at our very hearts , that we should be so evil to him , who hath been so good to us , that we should be so undutiful to so loving a father , so unkind to so faithful and constant a friend , so ungrateful and unworthy to so mighty a benefactor ? if any thing will melt us into tears , surely this will do it , to consider that we have sinned against him , who made us , and continually preserves us , and after all our unkindness to him , did still retain so great a love for us , as to redeem us from hell and destruction , by the death and suffering of his son , and notwithstanding all our offences does still offer us pardon and peace , life and happiness . such considerations as these , seriously laid to heart , should , one would think break the hardest heart , and make tears to gush , even out of a rock . i proceed in the iii. place to consider the measure and degree of our sorrow for sin. that it admits of degrees , which ought to bear some proportion to the heinousness of our sins , and the several aggravations of them , and the time of our continuance in them , is out of all dispute : for tho' the least sin be a just cause of the deepest sorrow ; yet because our greatest grief can never bear a due proportion to the vast and infinite evil of sin , god is pleased to require and accept such measures of sorrow , as do not bear an exact correspondence to the malignity of sin , provided they be according to the capacity of our nature , and in some sort proportioned to the degree and aggravations of our sins ; i. e. tho' the highest degree of our sorrow doth necessarily fall below the evil of the least sin ; yet god requires that we should be more deeply affected with some sins , than others . but what is the lowest degree which god requires in a true penitent , and will accept , as it is impossible for me to tell , so it is unprofitable for any body to know : for no man can reasonably make this enquiry with any other design , than that he may learn how he may come off with god upon the cheapest and easiest terms . now there cannot be a worse sign , that a man is not truly sensible of the great evil of sin , than this , that he desires to be troubled for it , as little as may be , and no longer than needs must : and none surely are more unlikely to find acceptance with god , than those who deal so nearly , and endeavour to drive so hard a bargain with him . and therefore i shall only say this in general , concerning the degrees of our sorrow for sin ; that sin being so great an evil in it self , and of so pernicious a consequence to us , it cannot be too much lamented and grieved for by us : and the more and greater our sins have been , and the longer we have continued and lived in them , they call for so much the greater sorrow , and deeper humiliation from us : for the reasoning of our saviour concerning mary magdalene , she loved much , because much was forgiven her , is proportionably true in this case , those who have sinned much , should sorrow the more . and then we must take this caution along with us , that if we would judge aright of the truth of our sorrow for sin , we must not measure it so much by the degrees of sensible trouble and affliction , as by the rational effects of it , which are hatred of sin , and a fixt purpose and resolution against it for the future : for he is most truly sorry for his miscarriage , who looks upon what he hath done amiss , with abhorrence and detestation of the thing , and wisheth he had not done it , and censures himself severely for it , and thereupon resolves not to do the like again . and this is the character which st. paul gives of a godly sorrow , cor. . . that it worketh repentance , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it produceth a real change in our minds , and makes us to alter our purpose and resolution : and tho' such a person may not be so passionately and sensibly afflicted for sin , yet it appears by the effect , that he hath a deeper and more rational resentment of the evil of it , than that man who is sad and melancholy and drooping for never so long a time , and after all returns to his former sinful course ; the degree of his sorrow may appear greater , but the effect of it is really less . iv. as for the outward expressions of our grief and sorrow . the usual sign and outward expression of sorrow is tears ; but these being not the substance of our duty , but an external testimony of it , which some tempers are more unapt to , than others ; we are much less to judge of the truth of our sorrow for sin by these , than by our inward sensible trouble and affliction of spirit . some persons are of a more tender and melting disposition , and can command their tears upon a little occasion , and upon very short warning ; and such persons that can weep for every thing else that troubles them , have much more reason to suspect the truth of their sorrow for sin , if this outward expression of it be wanting . and we find in scripture , that the sorrow of true penitents does very frequently discover it self by this outward sign of it . thus when ezra and the people made confession of their sins to god , it is said , that they wept very sore , ezra . peter when he reflected upon that great sin of denying his master , 't is said , he went forth and wept bitterly . david also was abundant in this expression of his grief . in the book of psalms he speaks frequently of his sighs , and groans , and of watering his couch with his tears : yea so sensibly was he affected with the evil of sin , that he could shed tears plentifully for the sins of others , psal . . . rivers of waters run down mine eyes , because men keep not thy law . in like manner jeremiah tells us , that his soul did weep in secret places , for the pride and obstinacy of the jews ; that his eye did weep sore , and run down with tears ; jer. . . and so likewise st. paul , philip . , . there are many that walk , of whom i have told you often , and now tell you even weeping , that they are enemies to the cross of christ . and there seems to be this natural reason for it , that all great and permanent impressions upon the mind , all deep inward resentments have usually a proportionable effect upon the body , and t●● inferiour faculties . but tho' this happen very frequently , yet it is not so constant and certain : for all men have not the same tenderness of spirit , nor are equally prone to tears ; nay , tho' a man can weep upon natural accounts , as upon the loss of a child or near relation , or an intimate friend , or when he lyes under a sharp bodily pain , yet a man may truly repent , tho' he cannot express his sorrow for sin the same way , provided he give testimony of it by more real effects : and therefore the rule , which is commonly given by casuists in this case , seems to be more ensnaring , than true and useful ; namely , that that man that can shed tears upon account of any evil less than that of sin , ( as certainly all natural evils are ) ought to question the truth of his repentance for any sin that he hath committed , if he cannot shed tears for it . this i think is not true , because there is scarce any man , of so hard and unrelenting a spirit , but the loss of a kind father , or a dear child , or other near relation , will force tears , from him and yet such a man , if it were to ●ave his soul , may not be able at some times to shed a tear for his sins . and the reason is obvious ; because tears do proceed from a sensitive trouble , and are commonly the product of a natural affection ; and therefore 't is no wonder , if they flow more readily and easily upon a natural account ; because they are the effect of a cause suitable to their nature . but sorrow for sin , which hath more of the judgment and understanding in it , hath not it's foundation in natural affection , but in reason ; and therefore may not many times express it self in tears , tho' it may produce greater and more proper effects . so that upon the whole matter , i see no reason to call in question the truth and sincerity of that man's sorrow and repentance , who hates sin and forsakes it , and returns to god and his duty , tho' he cannot shed tears , and express the bitterness of his soul for his sin , by the same significations that a mother doth in the loss of her only son. he that cannot weep like a child , may resolve like a man , and that undoubtedly will find acceptance with god. a learned divine hath well illustrated this matter by this similitude . two persons walking together espie a serpent , the one shrieks and cries out at the sight of it , the other kills it : so is it in sorrow for sin ; some express it by great lamentation and tears , and vehement transports of passion ; others by greater and more real effects of hatred and detestation , by forsaking their sins , and by mortifying and subduing their lusts : but he that kills it does certainly best express his inward displeasure and enmity against it . the application i shall make of what hath been said upon this argument , shall be in two particulars . i. by way of caution , and that against a double mistake about sorrow for sin. . some look upon trouble and sorrow for sin , as the whole of repentance . . others exact from themselves such a degree of sorrow , as ends in melancholy , and renders them unfit both for the duties of religion , and of their particular calling . the first concerns almost the generality of men ; the latter but a very few in comparison . . there are a great many , who look upon trouble and sorrow for their sins , as the whole of repentance , whereas it is but an introduction to it . it is that which works repentance ; but is not repentance it self . repentance is always accompanied with sorrow for sin ; but sorrow for sin does not always end in true repentance : sorrow only respects sins past ; but repentance is chiefly preventive of sin for the future . and god doth therefore require our sorrow for sin , in order to our forsaking of it . heb. . . repentance is there call'd repentance from dead works . it is not only a sorrow for them , but a turning from them . there is no reason why men should be so willing to deceive themselves , for they are like to be the losers by it : but so we see it is , that many men are contented to be deceived to their own ruin ; and among many other ways , which men have to cheat themselves , this is none of the least frequent , to think that if they can but shed a few tears for sin upon a death-bed , which no doubt they may easily do , when they see their friends weeping about them , and apprehend themselves to be in imminent danger , not only of death , but of that which is more terrible , the heavy displeasure , and the fiery indignation of almighty god , into whose hands it is a fearful thing to fall ; i say , they think that if they can but do thus much , god will accept this for a true repentance , and hereupon grant them pardon and eternal life . and upon these fond hopes , they adjourn their repentance , and the reformation of their lives to a dying hour . indeed if i were to speak to a man upon his death-bed , i would encourage him to a great contrition and sorrow for his sins , as his last and only remedy , and the best thing he can do at that time ; but on the other hand , when i am speaking to those that are well and in health , i dare not give them the least encouragement to venture their souls upon this , because it is an hazardous and almost desperate remedy ; especially when men have cunningly and designedly contriv'd to rob god of the service of their lives , and to put him off with a few unprofitable sighs and tears at their departure out of the world. our saviour tells us , that it is not every one , that shall say unto him lord ! lord ! that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and that there is a time , when many shall seek to enter in , but shall not be able . the summ of this caution is , that men should take heed of mistaking sorrow for sin , for true repentance , unless it be followed with the forsaking of sin and the real reformation of our lives . ahab humbled himself , but we do not find that he was a true penitent . judas was sorry for his sin , and yet for all that was the son of perdition . esau is a sad type of an ineffectual sorrow for sin , heb. . where the apostle tells us , that he found no place for repentance , that is no way to change the mind of his father isaac , tho' he sought it carefully with tears . if sorrow for sin were repentance , there would be store of penitents in hell ; for there is the deepest and most intense sorrow , weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth . . another mistake which men ought to be caution'd against in this matter , is of those who exact from themselves such a degree of sorrow for sin , as ends in deep melancholy , as renders them unfit both for the duties of religion , and of their particular callings . but because there are but very few who fall into this mistake , i shall need to say the less to it . this only i shall say , that those who indulge their sorrow to such a degree , as to drown their spirits , and to sink them into melancholy and mopishness , and thereby render themselves unserviceable to god , and unfit for the necessities of this life , they commit one sin more to mourn for , and overthrow the end of repentance by the indiscreet use of the means of it . for the end of sorrow for sin , is the forsaking of it , and returning to our duty : but he that sorrows for sin , so as to unfit him for his duty , he defeats his own design , and destroys the end he aims at . ii. the other part of the aplication of this discourse should be , to stir up this affection of sorrow in us . and here , if i had time , i might represent to you the great evil of sin , and the infinite danger and inconvenience of it . if the holy men in scripture , david , and jeremiah , and st. paul , were so deeply affected with the sins of others , as to shed rivers of tears at the remembrance of them ; how ought we to be touched with the sense of our own sins , who are equally concerned in the dishonour brought to god by them , and infinitely more in the danger they expose us to ! can we weep for our dead friends ? and have we no sense of that heavy load of guilt , of that body of death , which we carry about with us ? can we be sad and melancholy for temporal losses and sufferings , and refuse to be comforted ? and is it no trouble to us to have lost heaven and happiness , and to be in continual danger of the intolerable sufferings , and endless torments of another world ? i shall only offer to your consideration , the great benefit and advantage which will redound to us from this godly sorrow ; it worketh repentance to salvation , not to be repented of , saith st. paul. if we would thus sow in tears , we should reap in joy. this sorrow would but continue for a time , and in the morning of the resurrection there would be joy to all eternity , joy unspeakable and full of glory . it is but a very little while , and these days of mourning will be accomplish'd ; and then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes ; and the ransomed of the lord shall come to sion , with songs , and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads . they shall obtain joy and gladness , and sorrow and sighing shall flee away . blessed are they that mourn , for they shall be comforted : but wo unto you that laugh , for ye shall mourn and weep . if men will rejoice in the pleasures of sin , and walk in the ways of their hearts , and in the sight of their eyes ; if they will remove sorrow from their heart , and put away all sad and melancholy thoughts from them , and are resolved to harden their spirits against the sense of sin , against the checks and convictions of their own consciences , and the suggestions of god's holy spirit , against all the arguments that god can offer , and all the methods that god can use to bring them to repentance ; let them know , that for all these things god will bring them into judgment ; and because they would not give way to a timely and a seasonable sorrow for sin , they shall lye down in eternal sorrow , weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth shall be their portion for ever . from which sad and miserable estate , beyond all imagination , and past all remedy , god of his infinite goodness deliver us all , for jesus christ his sake , to whom , &c. sermon iv. preach'd on ash-wednesday , . the unprofitableness of sin in this life , an argument for repentance . job xxxiii . , . he looketh upon men , and if any say , i have sinned , and perverted that which was right , and it profited me not ; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit , and his life shall see the light . the great folly and perverseness of humane nature is in nothing more apparent , than in this , that when in all other things men are generally led and governed by their interests , and can hardly be imposed upon by any art , or perswaded by any solicitation , to act plainly contrary to it ; yet in matter of their sin and duty , that is , in that which of all other is of greatest concernment to them , they have little or no regard to it ; but are so blinded and bewitched with the deceitfulness of sin , as not to consider the infinite danger and disadvantage of it ; and at the same time , to cast the commandments of god , and the consideration of their own happiness behind their backs . and of this every sinner , when he comes to himself , and considers what he hath done , is abundantly convinced ; as appears by the confession and acknowledgment , which is here in the text put into the mouth of a true penitent ; i have sinned , and perverted that which is right , and it profited me not , &c. in which words here is a great blessing and benefit promised on god's part , and the condition required on our part . first , the blessing or benefit promised on god's part , which is deliverance from the ill consequences and punishment of sin ; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit , and his life shall see the light , that is , he will deliver him from death and damnation . and tho' perhaps temporal death be here immediately intended , yet that is a type of our deliverance from eternal death ; which is expresly promised in the gospel . secondly , here is the condition required on our part ; if any say , i have sinned , and perverted that which was right , and it profited me not . in which words there are contained , i. a penitent confession of our sins to god ; for he looketh upon men , and if any say , i have sinned , that is , make a penitent confession of his sin to god. ii. a true contrition for our sin , not only for fear of the pernicious consequences of sin , and the punishment that will follow it , implyed in these words , and it profited me not , this is but a very imperfect contrition : but from a just sense of the evil nature of sin , and the fault and offence of it against god , that we have done contrary to right and our duty . if any say , i have sinned , and perverted that which was right . here you see that true and perfect contrition for our sins , is made a necessary condition of the blessing and benefit here promised , viz. deliverance from the punishment due to them . iii. here is a description of the evil nature of sin , it is a perverting of that which is right . sin is a perverting of the constitution and appointment of god , and of the nature and order of things . god hath given man a law and rule to walk by , but the foolishness of man perverteth his way . the great lines of our duty are plain and visible to all men , and if we would attend to the direction of our own minds , concerning good and evil , every man would be a law to himself . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good . that which is right and just and good , is plain and obvious , and offers it self first to us , and when ever we sin , we go out of the right way that lies plain before us , and turn aside into crooked paths . but when we do that which is right , we act agreeably to the design and frame of our beings , and comply with the true nature and order of things ; we do what becomes us , and are what we ought to be : but sin perverts the nature of things , and puts them out of course , i have sinned and perverted that which was right . iv. you have here an acknowledgment of the mischievous and pernicious consequences of sin ; i have sinned and perverted that which was right , and it profited me not . which last words are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in which much less is said than is meant and intended ; it profited me not , that is , it was so far from being of advantage , that the effects and consequences of it were very pernicious and destructive . and this is not only true as to the final issue , and event of an evil course in the other world ; but i shall endeavour to shew , that even in respect of this world , and the present life , the practice of some sins is plainly mischievous to the temporal interests of men ; that others are wholly unprofitable ; and that those which pretend to bring some benefit and advantage will , when all accounts are cast up , and all circumstances duly weighed and considered , be found to do far otherwise . first , i shall shew , that the practice of some vices is evidently mischievous and prejudicial to us , as to this world ; as all those vices which fall under the cognizance of human laws , and are punished by them ; murther , theft , perjury , sedition , rebellion and the like ; these cannot be denyed to be of pernicious consequence to men , and therefore the great patrons of vice seldom plead for these , the inconvenience of them is so palpable , that some feel it , and all may see it every day . but besides these , there are many other sorts of sin , which human laws either take no notice of , or do not so severely punish , which yet in their natural consequences , are very pernicious to our present interest ; either they are a disturbance to our minds , or dangerous to our health , or ruinous to our estate , or hurtful to our reputation , or it may be at once prejudicial to us , in all , or most of these respects ; and these are the greatest temporal inconveniences that men are liable to . all irregular passions , as wrath , malice , envy , impatience and revenge , are not only a disturbance to our selves , but they naturally draw upon us hatred and contempt from others . any one of these passions is enough to render a man uneasie to himself , and to make his conversation disgustful and troublesome to all that are about him ; for all men naturally hate all those , who are of an envious , or malicious , or revengeful temper , and are apt to rise up and stand upon their guard against them . anger and impatience are great deformities of the mind , and make a man look as ugly , as if he had a wry and distorted countenance ; and these passions are apt to breed in others a secret contempt of us , and to bring our prudence into question , because they are signs of a weak and impotent mind , that either hath lost , or never had the government of it self . there are other vices , which are plainly pernicious to our health , and do naturally bring pains and diseases upon men ; such are intemperance and lust ; and tho' some may pretend to govern themselves , in the practice of these , with so much moderation and discretion , as to prevent the notorious bad consequences of them , yet there are very few or none that do so ; this is seldom more than a speculation , and men that allow themselves in any lewd or intemperate course , will find it very hard to govern themselves in it ; for after men have forfeited their innocence , and broke in upon their natural modesty , they are apt by degrees to grow profligate and desperate ; if a man gives way but a little to his own vicious inclinations , they will soon get head of him , and no man knows how far they will hurry him at last . besides that the vices i am speaking of , intemperance and lust , have other great inconveniences attending them , they expose men more frequently , than most other vices , to occasions of quarrel , in which men often lose their own lives , or take away other mens , by which they fall under the danger of the law , and the stroke of publick justice ; or if they escape that , ( as too often they do ) they cannot fly from their own consciences , which do commonly fill them with the horror and torment of such an action all their days ; so pernicious are the usual consequences of these vices , of which we see sad instances every day . nor are these vices less hurtful to mens estates ; for they are extreamly expensive and wasteful , and usually make men careless of all their business and concernments , liable to be cheated by those , whom they are forced to trust with their affairs , because they will not mind them themselves , and to be abused by crafty men , who watch the oportunities of their folly and weakness , to draw them into foolish bargains . it is an old observation , that more men perish by intemperance , than by the sword ; and i believe it is as true , that more estates states are dissipated and wasted by these two riotous vices , than by all other accidents whatsoever . and there is scarce any notorious vice , by which men do not greatly suffer in their reputation and good name , even when the times are worst and most degenerate ; any wicked course , whether of debauchery or injustice , is a blemish to a man's credit , not only in the esteem of the sober and virtuous , but even of those who are loose and extravagant ; for men are sooner brought to practise what is bad , than to approve of it , and do generally think all sin and wickedness to be a stain upon them , whatever in a swaggering humor they may say to the contrary . a clear evidence of this is , that men do so studiously endeavour to conceal their vices , and are so careful that as few as may be should be conscious to them , and are so confounded if they be discovered , and so out of all patience when they are upbraided with them , a plain acknowledgment , that these things are shameful in themselves , and whatever face men may put upon things , that they do inwardly and at the bottom of their hearts believe , that these practices are deservedly of bad reputation , and do , in the general opinion of mankind , leave a blot upon them . secondly , there are other sins , which tho' they are not usually attended with consequences so palpably mischievous , yet are plainly unprofitable , and bring no manner of advantage to men . of this sort is all kind of prophaneness , and customary swearing in common conversation , there is neither profit nor pleasure in them . what doth the profane man get by his contempt of religion ? he is neither more respected , nor better trusted for this quality ; but on the contrary , it is many times really to his prejudice , and brings a great odium upon him , not only from those who sincerely love religion , but from others also ; tho' they are conscious to themselves , that they do not love religion as they ought , yet they have a veneration for it , and cannot endure that any one should speak slightly of it . and 't is as hard to imagine , where the pleasure of profaneness lies . men cannot but at first have a great reluctancy in their minds against it , and must offer considerable violence to themselves , to bring themselves to it ; and when it is grown more familiar , and their consciences are become more sear'd and insensible , yet whenever they are alone and serious , or when any affliction or calamity is upon them , they are full of fears and anguish , their guilt stares them in the face , and their consciences are raging and furious . and as all kind of profaneness is unprofitable , so more especially customary swearing in ordinary conversation , upon every occasion of passion , or any other trivial cause , nay it may be without cause , out of mere habit and custom . now what can possibly be imagined to be the profit or pleasure of this vice ! sensual pleasure in it there can be none , because it is not founded in the temper of the body ; a man may be naturally prone to anger or lust ; but no man i think is born with a swearing constitution . and there is as little profit as pleasure in it ; for the common and trivial use of oaths makes them perfectly insignificant to their end , and is so far from giving credit to a man's word , that it rather weakens the reputation of it . thirdly , those vices which pretend to be of advantage to us , when all accounts are cast up , and all circumstances duly consider'd , will be found to be quite otherwise . some vices pretend to bring in profit ; others to yield pleasure , but upon a thorow examination of the matter , these pretences will vanish and come to nothing . the vices which pretend to be most profitable are covetousness and oppression , fraud and falshood , and perfidiousness : but if we look well into them , we shall find , that either they do not bring the advantages they pretended to bring ; or that the inconveniences which attend them are as great or greater , than the advantages they bring ; or else that the practice of the opposite virtues would be of much greater advantage to us . . some of these vices do not bring the advantages they pretend to do . covetousness may increase a man's estate , but it adds nothing to his happiness and contentment ; for tho' his estate grow never so much , his want is still as great as it was before , and his care and trouble continually greater ; so that so long as he continues covetous , the more rich , the less happy . and then for fraud and falshood ; they are not of that real and lasting advantage , that cunning but short-sighted men are apt to imagine . nothing is truer than that of solomon , the lying tongue is but for a moment . a man can practice the arts of falshood and deceit but for a little while , before they will be discovered , and when they are discovered , they are so far from being any advantage to him , that they turn to his prejudice , and the cunning man begins to be in a bad case , and he that was wont to over-reach others , is at last caught himself . . several of these vices are attended with inconveniences , as great or greater than the advantages they bring . if a man increase his estate by injustice and oppression , yet he loseth his reputation . besides , that all fraudulent and unjust courses are apt to entangle a man in a great many inconveniences , and to expose him to troublesome suits , for the keeping of what he hath unjustly gotten ; it is very often seen , that what is gotten by injustice is spent in law , and tho' it may be those whom he hath wronged never recover their right , yet first or last the unjust man is put to more trouble and vexation about it , than the thing is worth . this solomon observes , prov. . . in the revenue of the wicked there is trouble . the perfidious man by betraying a friend or a trust , may perhaps make some present advantage : but then by such a villany he makes himself odious to all mankind , and by this means , at one time or other , prevents himself of greater advantages which he might have had another way , and perhaps at last is miserably crushed by those whom he betrayed , who in the change and revolution of human affairs , may some time or other have the oportunity of being revenged . or else , . the practice of the opposite virtues would be of far greater advantage to us . truth and fidelity are in common experience sound to be a better and surer way of thriving , and more like to last and hold out , than fraud and falshood ; and as honesty is a surer way of raising an estate , so it brings along with it greater security of the quiet enjoyment of it ; there is never any real occasion , and seldom any colour and pretence of bringing such a man into trouble ; for which reason solomon says , better is the little which the righteous man hath , than great possessions without right ; because , tho' it be but little , yet it will wear like steel , and he is like to enjoy it quietly , and may increase it ; whereas the unjust man is continually in danger of losing what he hath gotten . and if this be the case , it is very plain , that those vices which pretend to bring the greatest advantage , are really unprofitable ; and to these kind of vices the text seems to point more particularly , if any say i have sinned , and perverted that which was right , and it profited me not , &c. but perhaps tho' there be no profit in any sinful course , yet there may be some pleasure ; that comes next to be examined ; and i doubt not to make it evident , that there is no such pleasure in sin , as can make it a reasonable temptation to any man to venture upon it . the vices which pretend to bring the greatest pleasure , are lewdness , and intemperance , and revenge . the two first of these are the highest pretenders to pleasure : but god knows , and the sinner himself knows , how thin and transitory this pleasure is , how much trouble attends it , and how many sighs and groans follow it ; and whatever pleasure they may minister to the sense , they bring a great deal of anguish and perplexity to the mind ; so that the trouble which they cause , does more than counter-vail the pleasure which they bring : and they do not only disturb the mind , but they disease the body . how many are there , who for the gratifying of an inordinate lust , and for the incomprehensible pleasure of a drunken fit , have endured the violent burnings of a feaver , or else have consumed the remainder of their days in languishing sickness and pain ? and the reason of all this is plain , because all the pleasures of sin are violent , and forced , and unnatural , and therefore not like to continue ; they are founded in some disease and distemper of our minds , and therefore always end in pain and smart . and as for revenge ; it is indeed a very eager and impatient desire : but so far surely from being a pleasure , that the very thoughts of it are extreamly troublesome , and raise as great storms in the mind of a man , as any passion whatsoever ; and i never heard of the pleasure of being in a storm : it is pleasant indeed to be out of it , when others are in it . and when revenge hath satisfied it self , and laid its enemy bleeding at its foot , the man that executed it commonly repents himself the next moment , and would give all the world to undo what he hath done ; so that if there be any pleasure in revenge , it is so flitting and of so short a continuance , that we know not where to fix it ; for there is nothing but tumult and rage before the execution of it , and after it nothing but remorse and horror ; so that if it be a pleasure , it is but of one moment's continuance , and lasts no longer than the act is a doing ; and what man in his wits would purchase so short a pleasure at so dear a price ? this is most certainly true , and if it were well considered , sufficient to convince any reasonable man of the unreasonableness of this passion . cain is a fearful instance of this kind , who after he had drawn his brother into the field , and slain him there , how was he tormented with the guilt of what he had done , and forced to cry out , my punishment is greater than i can bear , or ( as some translations render the words , ) mine iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiven , gen. . ! from thy face ( says he to god , in the anguish of his soul ) from thy face shall i be hid , and i shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth , and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me , v. . every one that findeth me , how fearful did his guilt make him ! when probably there was then but one man in the world besides himself . and i may say of this sort of men , as st. jude does of those in his time , jude v. . wo unto them , for they have gone in the way of cain , they are guilty of his crime , and his doom shall be theirs . and here i cannot but take notice of a great evil that grows daily upon us , and therefore deserves with the greatest severity to be discountenanced and punish'd , i mean that of duels , than which what can be more unchristian ? and what can be more unreasonable , than for men upon deliberation , and after the heat of passion is over , to resolve to sheath their swords in one anothers bowels , only for a hasty word ? and which is yet more unreasonable , that because two men are angry , and have quarelled with one another , and will fight it out , that therefore two more , who have no quarel , no kind of displeasure against one another , must fight too , and kill one another if they can , for no reason and upon no provocation . these false rules of honour will not pass in another world , in the highest and greatest court of honour , from whence there is no appeal . i shall conclude this whole argument with that excellent saying of cato , reported in a. gellius , cogitate cum animis vestris , &c. consider ( says he ) with your selves , if ye be at any trouble and pain to do a good action , the trouble will be soon over ; but the pleasure and comfort of what ye have done well , abides with you all your days : but if to gratifie your selves , you do any thing that is wicked , the pleasure will quickly vanish ; but the guilt of it will stick by you for ever . and is it not then much better to prevent all this trouble , by denying our selves these sinful pleasures , which will follow us with guilt while we live , and fill us with horror and despair when we come to die ? i shall now make some reflections upon what hath been delivered , and so conclude . first , what hath been said upon this argument , ought particularly to move those who have so great a consideration of this present life , and the temporal happiness of it , that the practice of all virtues is a friend to their temporal , as well as eternal welfare , and all vice is an enemy to both . secondly , this likewise takes off all manner of excuse from sin and vice. it pretends not to serve the soul , and to profit our future happiness in another world ; and if it be an enemy also to our present welfare in this world , what is there to be said for it ? thirdly , ( which i desire to insist a little longer upon ) all the arguments which i have used , to convince men of the folly of a wicked course , are so many strong and unanswerable reasons for repentance ; for when a man is convinced , that he hath done foolishly , and to his own prejudice , that he hath sinned , and that it profited him not , what can he do less , than to be heartily sorry for it , and ashamed of it , and resolved to do better for the future ? nothing surely is more reasonable than repentance ; and yet how hard is it to bring men to it ? either men will mistake the nature of it , and not do it effectually ; or they will delay it , and not do it in time . i. men mistake the nature of repentance ; and there are two great mistakes about it . . of those who make the great force and virtue of it to consist , not so much in the resolution of the penitent , as in the absolution of the priest . and this the church of rome , in their doctrine concerning repentance does . for their sacrament of penance , ( as they call it , ) they make to consist of two parts ; the matter of it , which consists in these three acts of the penitent , confession , contrition , and satisfaction ; and the form of it , which is the absolution of the priest , in which they make the main virtue and force of repentance to consist , in quâ proecipuè ipsius vis sita est , are the very words of the council of trent . and here is a wide difference betwixt us ; for tho' the comfort of the penitent may in some case consist in the absolution of the priest , yet the virtue and efficacy of repentance does not at all consist in it , but wholly in the contrition and sincere resolution of the penitent , as the scripture every where declares : and to think otherwise , is of dangerous consequence ; because it encourageth men to hope for the benefit of repentance , that is the pardon and forgiveness of their sins , without having truly repented . and indeed the council of trent have so framed their doctrines in this point , that any one may see , that they did not matter how much they abated on the part of the penitent , provided the power of the priest be but advanced , and kept up in its full height . . the other mistake is of those , who make repentance to consist in the bare resolution of amendment , tho' it never have its effect ; that is , tho' the sinner either do not what he resolved , or do it only for a fit , and during his present trouble and conviction . there is one case indeed , and but one , wherein a resolution not brought to effect is available , and that is , when nothing hinders the performance and execution of it , but only want of time and oportunity for it , when the repentance is sincere , and the resolution real , but the man is cut off between the actual reformation which he intended , and which god , who sees things certainly in their causes , knows would have followed , if the man had lived to give demonstration of it : but this is nothing to those who have the oportunity to make good their resolution , and do not ; for , because the resolution which would have been perform'd , had there been time and oportunity , is reckoned for a true repentance , and accepted of god as if it had been done ; therefore the resolution which was not brought to effect when there was time and oportunity for it , hath not the nature of true repentance , nor will it be accepted of god. i will add but one thing more upon this head , because i doubt it is not always sufficiently considered ; and that is this , that a sincere resolution of a better course , does imply a resolution of the means , as well as of the end ; he that is truly resolved against any sin , is likewise resolved against the occasions and temptations that would lead and draw him to it ; otherwise he hath taken up a rash and foolish resolution , which he is not like to keep , because he did not resolve upon that which was necessary to the keeping of it . so he that resolves upon any part of his duty , must likewise resolve upon the means which are necessary to the discharge and performance of it ; he that is resolved to be just in his dealing , and to pay his debts , must be diligent in his calling , and mind his business ; because without this he cannot do the other ; for nothing can be more vain and fond , than for a man to pretend that he is resolved upon doing his duty , when he neglects any thing that is necessary to put him into a capacity , and to further him in the discharge of it . this is , as if a man should resolve to be well , and yet never take physick , or be careless in observing his rules which are prescribed in order to his health . so for a man to resolve against drunkenness , and yet to run himself upon the temptations which naturally lead to it , by frequenting the company of lewd and intemperate persons , this is , as if a man should resolve against the plague , and run into the pest-house . whatever can reasonably move a man to be resolved upon any end , will , if his resolution be wise and honest , determine him as strongly to use the means which are proper and necessary to that end. these are the common mistakes about this matter , which men are the more willing to run into , because they are loth to be brought to a true repentance ; the nature whereof is not difficult to be understood , ( for nothing in the world is plainer ; ) only men are always slow to understand what they have no mind to put in practice . but ii. besides these mistakes about repentance , there is another great miscarriage in this matter , and that is the delay of repentance ; men are loth to set about it , and therefore they put it upon the last hazard , and resolve then to huddle it up as well as they can : but this certainly is great folly , to be still making more work for repentance , because it is to create so much needless trouble and vexation to our selves ; 't is to go on still in playing a foolish part , in hopes to retrieve all by an after-game ; this is extreamly dangerous , because we may certainly sin , but it is not certain we shall repent , our repentance may be prevented , and we may be cut off in our sins ; but if we should have space for it , repentance may in process of time grow an hundred times more difficult than it is at present . but if it were much more certain , and more easie than it is , if it were nothing but a hearty sorrow and shame for our sins , and an asking god forgiveness for them , without being put to the trouble of reforming our wicked lives , yet this were great folly , to do those things which will certainly grieve us after we have done them , and put us to shame , and to ask forgiveness for them . it was well said of old cato , nae tu stultus es homuncio , qui malis veniam precari , quam non peccare , thou art a foolish man indeed , who chusest rather to ask forgiveness , than not to offend . at the best , repentance implies a fault ; it is an after-wisdom , which supposeth a man first to have plaid the fool ; it is but the best end of a bad business ; a hard shift , and a desperate hazard , which a man that had acted prudently would never have been put to ; it is a plaster after we have dangerously wounded our selves : but certainly it had been much wiser , to have prevented the danger of the wound , and the pain of curing it . a wise man would not make himself sick if he could , or if he were already so , would not make himself sicker , tho' he had the most effectual and infallible remedy in the world in his power : but this is not the case of a sinner , for repentance as well as faith is the gift of god. above all , let me caution you , not to put off this great and necessary work , to the most unseasonable time of all other , the time of sickness and death , upon a fond presumption , that you can be reconciled to god when you please , and exercise such a repentance as will make your peace with him at any time . i am heartily afraid , that a very great part of mankind do miscarry upon this confidence , and are swallowed up in the gulf of eternal perdition , with this plank in their arms. the common custom is ( and i fear it is too common ) when the physician hath given over his patient , then , and not till then , to send for the minister ; not so much to enquire into the man's condition , and to give him suitable advice , as to minister comfort , and to speak peace to him at a venture . but let me tell you , that herein you put an extream difficult task upon us , in expecting that we should pour wine and oyl into the wound before it be searched , and speak smooth and comfortable things to a man , that is but just brought to a sense of the long course of a lewd and wicked life , impenitently continued in . alas ! what comfort can we give to men in such a case ? we are loth to drive them to despair ; and yet we must not destroy them by presumption ; pity and good nature do strongly tempt us to make the best of their case , and to give them all the little hopes , which with any kind of reason we can , and god knows it is but very little that we can give to such persons upon good ground ; for it all depends upon the degree and sincerity of their repentance , which god only knows , and we can but guess at . we can easily tell them what they ought to have done , and what they should do , if they were to live longer , and what is the best that they can do in those straights into which they have brought themselves , viz. to exercise as deep a sorrow and repentance for their sins as is possible , and to cry mightily to god for mercy , in and through the merit of our blessed saviour . but how far this will be available in these circumstances we cannot tell ; because we do not know , whether if the man had lived longer , this repentance and these resolutions which he now declares of a better course , would have been good . and after all is done that can be done in so short a time , and in such circumstances of confusion and disorder , as commonly attend dying persons , i doubt the result of all will be this ; that there is much more ground of fear than hope concerning them ; nay perhaps , while we are pressing the dying sinner to repentance , and he is bungling about it , he expires in great doubt and perplexity of mind what will become of him ; or if his eyes be closed with more comfortable hopes of his condition , the next time he opens them again , he may find his fearful mistake , like the rich man in the parable , who when he was in hell , lift up his eyes being in torment . this is a very dismal and melancholy consideration , and commands all men presently to repent , and not to put off the main work of their lives to the end of them , and the time of sickness and old age. let us not offer up a carcass to god instead of a living and acceptable sacrifice : but let us turn to god , in the days of our health and strength , before the evil days come , and the years draw nigh , of which we shall say we have no pleasure in them ; before the sun and the moon and the stars be darkned . as solomon elegantly expresseth it , eccl. . , . before all the comforts of life be gone , before our faculties be all ceased and spent , before our understandings be too weak , and our wills too strong ; our understandings be too weak for consideration , and the deliberate exercise of repentance , and our wills too strong and stiff to be bent and bowed to it . let us not deceive our selves , heaven is not an hospital made to receive all sick and aged persons , that can but put up a faint request to be admitted there ; no , no , they are never like to see the kingdom of god , who instead of seeking it in the first place , make it their last refuge and retreat , and when they find the sentence of death upon them , only to avoid present execution , do bethink themselves of getting to heaven , and since there is no other remedy , are contented to petition the great king and judge of the world , that they may be transported thither . upon all these considerations , let us use no delay in a matter of such mighty consequence to our eternal happiness , but let the counsel which was given to nebuchadnezzar be acceptable to us ; let us break off our sins by righteousness , and our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor ; if so be it may be a lengthning of our tranquillity . repentance and alms do well together ; let us break off our sins by righteousness and our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor ; especially upon this great occasion , which his majesty's great goodness to those distressed strangers , that have taken sanctuary among us , hath lately presented us withal , remembring that we also are in the body , and liable to the like sufferings ; and considering on the one hand , that gracious promise of our lord , blessed are the merciful , for they shall receive mercy ; and on the other hand , that terrible threatning in st. james , he shall have judgment without mercy , that hath shewed no mercy . to conclude , from all that hath been said , let us take up a present resolution of a better course , and enter immediately upon it , to day whilst it is called to day , lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin . o that men were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end . and grant we beseech the almighty god , that we may all know and do , in this our day , the things which belong to our peace , for thy mercy's sake in jesus christ , to whom with thee o father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory now and for ever . amen . sermon v. the shamefulness of sin , an argument for repentance . the first sermon on this text. rom . vi. , . what fruit had ye then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death . but now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life . there are two passions which do always in some degree or other accompany a true repentance , viz. sorrow and shame for our sins ; because these are necessary to engage men to a resolution of making that change wherein repentance does consist : for till we are heartily sorry for what we have done , and ashamed of the evil of it , it is not likely that we should ever come to a firm and steady purpose of forsaking our evil ways , and betaking our selves to a better course . and these two passions of sorrow and shame for our sins , were wont anciently to be signified by those outward expressions of humiliation and repentance , which we find so frequently mentioned in scripture , of being cloathed in sackcloath as a testimony of our sorrow and mourning for our sins , and of being sprinkled upon the head , and covered over with filth and dirt , with dust and ashes , in token of our shame and confusion of face for all our iniquities and transgressions . hence are those expressions in scripture of repenting in sackcloath and ashes , of lying down in our shame , and being cover'd with confusion , in token of their great sorrow and shame for the manifold and heinous sins , which they had been guilty of . of the former of these , viz. trouble and sorrow for our sins , i have very lately * treated ; and of the latter , i intend now by god's assistance to speak , viz. shame for our sins , and that from these words which i have recited to you ; what fruit had ye then in those things , &c. in which words the apostle makes a comparison between an holy and virtuous , and a sinful and vicious course of life , and sets before us a perfect enumeration of the manifest inconveniences of the one , and the manifold advantages of the other . first , the manifest inconveniences of a vicious and sinful course ; and the apostle mentions these three . i. it is unprofitable , it brings no manner of present benefit and advantage to us , if all things be rightly calculated and consider'd . what fruit had ye then in those things ? then ( i. e. ) at the time when you committed those sins , had you any present advantage by them ? no , certainly ; but quite contrary . ii. the reflection upon our sins afterwards is cause of shame and confusion to us ; what fruit had you then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? iii. the final issue and consequence of these things is very dismal and miserable ; the end of those things is death . let us put these things together , and see what they amount to : no fruit then when ye did these things , and shame now when ye come afterwards to reflect upon them , and death and misery at the last . secondly , here is likewise on the other hand represented to us the manifold benefit of an holy and virtuous life . and that upon these two accounts . i. of the present benefit of it , which the apostle calls here fruit ; ye have your fruit unto holiness . ii. in respect of the future reward of it ; and the end everlasting life . here is a considerable earnest in hand , and a mighty recompence afterwards , infinitely beyond the proportion of our best actions and services , both in respect of the greatness and the duration of it , everlasting life ; for a few transient and very imperfect actions of obedience , a perfect and immutable and endless state of happiness . i shall begin with the first , of the two general heads . viz. the manifest inconveniences of a sinful and vicious course ; and the apostle i told you in the text takes notice of three . i. it is unprofitable , and if all things be rightly calculated and consider'd , it brings no manner of present advantage and benefit to us . what fruit had ye then in those things ? then , ( i. e. ) when ye committed those sins , had you any present advantage by them ? no certainly , quite the contrary ; as if the apostle had said , if you seriously reflect upon your former course of impiety and sin , wherein you have continued so long , you cannot but acknowledge that it brought no manner of advantage to you ; and when all accounts are truly cast up , you must , if you will confess the truth , own that you were in no sort gainers by it : for the words are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the apostle plainly intends more than he expresseth , what fruit had ye then in those things ? ( i. e. ) the wicked course which ye formerly lived in , was so far from being any ways beneficial to you , that it was on the contrary upon all accounts extreamly to your prejudice and disadvantage . and this is not only true in respect of the final issue and consequence of a sinful and vicious course of life , that no man is a gainer by it at the long run , and if we take into our consideration another world , and the dreadful and endless misery which a wicked and impenitent life will then plunge men into , ( which in the farther handling of this text will at large be spoken to , being the last of the three particulars under this first general head : ) but it is true likewise , even in respect of this world , and with regard only to this present and temporal life , without looking so far as the future recompence and punishment of sin in another world. and this would plainly appear , by an induction of these three particulars . . it is evident that some sins are plainly mischievous to the temporal interest of men , as tending either to the disturbance of their minds , or the endangering of their health and lives , or to the prejudice of their estates , or the blasting of them in their reputation and good name . . that there are other sins , which tho' they are not so visibly burdened and attended with mischievous consequences , yet are they plainly unprofitable , and bring no manner of real advantage to men , either in respect of gain or pleasure ; such are the sins of profaneness , and customary swearing in common conversation . . that even those sins and vices , which make the fairest pretence to be of advantage to us , when all accounts are cast up , and all circumstances duly weigh'd and consider'd , will be found to be but pretenders , and in no degree able to perform and make good what they so largely promise before hand , when they tempt us to the commission of them . there are some vices , which pretend to bring in great profit , and tempt worldly-minded men , whose minds are disposed to catch at that bait ; such are the sins of covetousness and oppression , of fraud and falshood and perfidiousness . and there are others which pretend to bring pleasure along with them , which is almost an irresistable temptation to voluptuous and sensual men ; such are the sins of revenge , and intemperance , and lust . but upon a particular examination of each of these , it will evidently appear , that there is no such profit or pleasure in any of these vices , as can be a reasonable temptation to any man to fall in love with them , and to engage in the commission and practice of them . but i shall not now inlarge upon any of these , having lately discours'd upon them from another text. i shall therefore proceed to the ii. inconvenience which i mentioned of a sinful and vicious course , viz. that the reflection upon our sins afterwards , is cause of great shame and confusion to us . what fruit had you then in those things , whereof you are now ashamed ? and this is a very proper argument for this season * ; because the passion of shame , as it is the natural and usual consequent of sin , so it is a disposition necessarily required to a true repentance . most men when they commit a known fault are apt to be ashamed , and ready to blush , whenever they are put in mind of it , and charged with it . some persons indeed have gone so far in sin , and have waded so deep in a vicious course , as to be confirmed and harden'd in their wickedness to that degree , as to be past all shame , and almost all sense of their faults ; especially in regard of the more common and ordinary vices , which are in vogue and fashion , and in the commission whereof they are countenanc'd and encourag'd by company and example . such were those of whom the prophet speaks , jer. . . were they ashamed , when they had committed abomination ? nay , they were not ashamed , neither could they blush . but yet even these persons , when they come to be sensible of their guilt , so as to be brought to repentance , they cannot then but be ashamed of what they have done . for what face soever men may set upon their vices , sin is shameful in it self , and so apt to fill men with confusion of face , when they seriously reflect upon it , that they cannot harden their foreheads against all sense of shame . and whatever men may declare to the contrary , this is tacitly acknowledged by the generality of men ; in that they are so solicitous and careful to conceal their faults from the eyes of others , and to keep them as secret as they can ; and whenever they are discovered , and laid open , 't is matter of great trouble and confusion to them ; and if any one happen to upbraid and twit them with their miscarriages of any kind , they cannot bear with patience to hear of them . there are indeed some few such prodigies and monsters of men , as are able after great struglings with their consciences , to force themselves to boast impudently of their wickedness , and to glory in their shame ; not because they do really and inwardly believe their vices to be an honour and glory to them , but because conscious to themselves that they have done shameful things , and believing that others know it , they put on a whore's forehead , and think to prevent the upbraiding of others , by owning what they have done , and seeming to glory in it : but yet for all that , these persons , if they would confess the truth , do feel some confusion in themselves , and they are inwardly sensible of the infamy and reproach of such actions , for all they would seem to the world to bear it out so well : for when all is done , there is a wide difference between the impudence of a criminal , and the confidence and assurance of a clear conscience , that is fully satisfied of its own innocence and integrity . the conscientious man is not ashamed of any thing that he hath done : but the impudent sinner only seems not to be so , but all the while feels a great deal of confusion in his own mind . the one is sensible and satisfied that there is no cause for shame : the other is conscious to himself that there is cause , but he offers violence to himself , and suppresses all he can the sense and shew of it , and will needs face down the world , that he hath no guilt and regret in his own mind for any thing that he hath done . now that sin is truly matter of shame , will be very evident , if we consider these two things . first , if we consider the nature of this passion of shame . secondly , if we consider what there is in sin , which gives real ground and occasion for it . first , for the nature of this passion . shame is the trouble or confusion of mind , occasioned by something that tends to our disgrace and dishonour , to our infamy and reproach . now there is nothing truly and really matter of shame and reproach to us , but what we our selves have done , or have been some way or other accessary to the doing of , by our own fault or neglect , and by consequence what it was in our power and choice not to have done : for no man is ashamed of what he is sure he could not help . necessity , unless it be wilful and contracted , and happens through some precedent occasion and fault of our own , does take away all just cause of shame . and nothing likewise is matter of shame , but something which we ought not to do , which misbecomes us , and is below the dignity and perfection of our nature , and is against some duty and obligation that is upon us to the contrary ; and consequently is a reproach to our reason and understanding , a reflection upon our prudence and discretion , and at first sight hath an appearance of ruggednss and deformity . and all actions of this nature do receive several aggravations , with respect to the persons against whom , and in whose presence , and under whose eye and knowledge these shameful things are done . now i shall shew in the second place , that sin contains in it whatsoever is justly accounted infamous , together with all the aggravations of shame and reproach that can be imagined . and this will appear by considering sin and vice in these two respects ; i. in relation to our selves . ii. in respect to god , against whom , and in whose sight it is committed . i. in relation to our selves , there are these four things which make sin and vice to be very shameful . . the natural ruggedness and deformity of it . . that it is so great a dishonour to our nature , and to the dignity and excellency of our being . . that it is so great a reproach to our reason and understanding , and so foul a reflection upon our prudence and discretion . . that it is our own voluntary act and choice . every one of these considerations render it very shameful , and all of them together ought to fill the sinner with confusion of face . i shall speak to them severally . . the natural ruggedness and deformity of sin and vice render it very shameful men are apt to be ashamed of any thing in them , or belonging to them , that looks ugly and monstrous , and therefore they endeavour with great care and art to conceal and dissemble their deformity in any kind . how strangely do we see men concerned with all their diligence and skill , to cover and palliate any defect or deformity in their bodies ; an ill face , if they could , however a foul and bad complexion , or blind or squinting eye , a crooked body or limb , and whatever is ill-favour'd or monstrous . now in regard of our souls and better part , sin hath all the monstrousness and deformity in it , which we can imagine in the body , and much more ; and it is as hard to be covered from the eye of discerning men , as the deformity of the body is ; but impossible to be conceal'd from the eye of god , to whom darkness and light , secret and open are all one . but then the moral defects and deformities of the mind have this advantage above the natural defects and deformities of the body , that the former are possible to be cured by the grace of god , in conjunction with our own care and endeavour : whereas no diligence or skill can ever help or remove many of the natural defects and deformities of the body . sin is the blindness of our minds , the perverseness and crookedness of our wills , and the monstrous irregularity and disorder of our affections and appetites ; it is the mis-placing of our powers and faculties , the setting of our wills and passions above our reason ; all which is ugly and unnatural , and , if we were truly sensible of it , matter of great shame and reproach to us . there is hardly any vice , but at first sight hath an odious and ugly appearance to a well disciplin'd and innocent mind , that hath never had any acquaintance with it . and however familiarity and custom may abate the sense of it's deformity , yet it is at it was before , and the change that is made in us , does not alter the nature of the thing . drunkenness and furious passion , pride and fashood , covetousness and cruelty , are odious , and matter of shame , in the sincere and uncorrupted opinion of all mankind . and tho' a man , by the frequent practice of any of these vices , and a long familiarity with them , may not be so sensible of the deformity of them in himself , yet he quickly discerns the ugliness of them in others , when ever they come in his way , and could with salt and sharpness enough upbraid those whom he sees guilty of them , but that he is inwardly conscious , that the reproach may be so easily return'd , and thrown back upon himself . however this is a natural acknowledgment of the deformity and shamefulness of sin and vice. . they are likewise shameful , because they are so great a dishonour to our nature , and to the dignity and excellency of our being . we go below our selves , and act beneath the dignity of our nature , when we do any thing contrary to the rules and laws of it , or to the revealed will of god ; because these are the bounds and limits which god and nature hath set to humane actions ; and are the measures of our duty , i. e. what is fit and becoming for us to do , and what not . so that all sin and vice is base and unworthy , and beneath the dignity of our nature ; it argues a corrupt and diseased constitution and habit of mind , a crooked and perverse disposition of will , and a sordid and mean temper of spirit . and therefore the scripture doth frequently represent a state of sin and wickedness , by that which is accounted the basest and meanest condition among men , by a state of servitude and slavery , especially if it had been our choice , or the evident and necessary consequence of our wilful fault : for we do as bad as chuse it , when we wilfully bring it upon our selves . so that to be a sinner , is to be a slave to some vile lust , appetite , or passion , to some unnatural or irregular desire ; it is to sell our selves into bondage , and to part with one of the most valuable things in the world , our liberty , upon low and unworthy terms . such a state and condition does unavoidably debase and debauch our minds , and break the force and firmness of our spirits , and robs us , as dalilah did sampson , of our strength and courage , of our resolution and constancy ; so that men have not the heart left to design and endeavour in good earnest their own rescue out of this mean and miserable estate , into which by their own folly and fault they have brought themselves . when men are engaged into a custom of sinning , and have habituated themselves to any vicious course , how do they betray their weakness and want of resolution , by being at the beck of every foolish lust , and by suffering themselves to be commanded and burried away by every unruly appetite and passion , to do things which they know to be greatly to their harm and prejudice , and which they are convinced are mean and sordid things , and such as they are ashamed that any wise man should see them doing ! and there is no greater argument of a pitiful and degenerate spirit , than to commit such things as a man would blush to be surprized in , and would be mightily troubled to hear of afterwards . and which is more , after he hath been convinc'd by manifold experience , that they are a shame and disgrace to him , and make him to hang down his head , and let fall his countenance , whenever he is in better company than himself ; yet after this to go and do the same things again , which he is sensible are so shameful , and to be so impotent , and to have so little command of himself , as not to be able to free himself from this bondage , nor the heart to pray to god that by his grace he would enable him hereto . and that sin is of this shameful nature , is evident , in that the greatest part of sinners take so much care and pains to hide their vices from the sight and notice of men , and to this purpose chuse darkness and secret places of retirement to commit their sins in . the apostle takes notice , that thus much modesty was left even in a very wicked and degenerate age , thes . . . they that be drunk ( says he ) are drunk in the night . now all this is a plain acknowledgment , that sin is a spurious and degenerate thing , that it misbecomes humane nature , and is below the dignity of a reasonable creature : otherwise why should men be so solicitous and concern'd to cover their faults from the sight of others ? if they are not ashamed of them , why do they not bring them into the broad light , and shew them openly , if they think they will endure it ? so true is that observation which plato makes , that tho' a man were sure that god would forgive his sins , and that men should never know them , yet there is that baseness in sin , that a wise man , that considers what it is , would blush to himself alone to be guilty of it ; and tho' he were not afraid of the punishment , would be ashamed of the turpitude and deformity of it . did but a man consider seriously with himself , how mean and unmanly it is for a man to be drunk ; and what an apish and ridiculous thing he renders himself to all sober men that behold him , and with what contempt and scorn they entertain such a sight ; and how brutish it is to wallow in any unlawful lust , and how much a man descends and stoops beneath himself ; what shameful fear and cowardise he betrays when he is frighted to tell a lye out of fear , or tempted thereto for some little advantage ; and yet is so inconsistent with himself , as to have , or to pretend to have the courage to fight any man , that shall tell him so sawcy a truth , as that he told a lye. would but a man think before hand , how unworthy , and how unequal a thing it is , to defraud or cheat his brother , or to do any thing to another man , which he would be loth in the like case that he should do to him ; how base a thing it is , for a man to be perfidious and false to his promise or trust ; how monstrous to be unthankful to one that hath highly obliged him , and every way and upon all occasions deserved well at his hands ; and so i might instance in all other sorts of sins ; i say , he that considers this well and wisely , tho' there were no law against sin , and ( if it were a possible case , and fit to be supposed ) tho' there were no such being as god in the world , to call him to account and punish him for it , yet out of meer generosity and greatness of mind , out of pure respect to himself , and the dignity and rank of his being , and of his order in the world , out of very reverence to humane nature , and the inward perswasion of his own mind , ( however he came by that perswasion ) concerning the indeceny and deformity and shamefulness of the thing , i say , for these reasons , if there were no other , a man would strive with himself , with all his might , to refrain from sin and vice , and not only blush , but abhor to think of doing a wicked action . . sin will yet farther appear shameful , in that it is so great a reproach to our understandings and reasons , and so foul a blot upon our prudence and discretion . omnis peccans aut ignorans est , aut incogitans , is a saying , i think , of one of the school-men ; ( as one would guess by the latin of it ) every sinner is either an ignorant , or inconsiderate person . either men do not understand what they do , when they commit sin ; or if they do know , they do not actually attend to , and consider what they know : either they are habitually or actually ignorant of what they do : for sin and consideration cannot dwell together ; 't is so very unreasonable and absurd a thing , that it requires either gross ignorance , or stupid inadvertency , to make a man capable of committing it . whenever a man sins , he must either be destitute of reason , or must lay it aside or asleep for the time , and so suffer himself to be hurried away , and to act brutishly , as if he had no understanding . did but men attentively consider what it is to offend god , and to break the laws of that great law-giver , who is able to save or to destroy , they would discern so many invincible objections against the thing , and would be filled with such strong fears and jealousies of the fatal issue and event of it , that they would not dare to venture upon it . and therefore we find the scripture so frequently resolving the wickedness of men into their ignorance and inconsiderateness , psal . . . have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? intimating that by their actions one would judge so . and the same account god himself also gives elsewhere of the frequent disobedience and rebellion of the people of israel , deut. . , . they are a nation void of counsel , neither is there any understanding in them . oh! that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end ! knowledge and consideration would cure a great part of the wickedness that is in the world ; men would not commit sin with so much greediness , would they but take time to consider , and bethink themselves what they do . have we not reason then to be ashamed of sin , which casts such a reproach of ignorance and rashness upon us ? and of imprudence likewise and indiscretion ? since nothing can be more directly and plainly against our greatest and best interest both of body and soul , both here and hereafter , both now and to all eternity . and there is nothing that men are more ashamed of , than to be guilty of so great an imprudence , as to act clearly against their own interest , to which sin is the most plainly cross and contrary , that it is possible for any thing to be . no man can engage and continue in a sinful course , without being so far abused and infatuated , as to be contented to part with everlasting happiness , and to be undone and miserable for ever ; none but he that can perswade himself against all the reason and sense of mankind , that there is pleasure enough in the transient acts of sin , to make amends for eternal sorrow , and shame , and suffering . and can such a thought as this enter into the heart of a considerate man ? epicurus was so wise , as to conclude against all pleasure that would give a man more trouble and disturbance afterwards ; against all pleasures that had pain and grief consequent upon them ; and he forbids his wise man to taste of them , or to meddle with them ; and had he believed any thing of a future state , he must , according to his principle , have pronounc'd it the greatest folly that could be , for any man to purchase the pleasures and happiness of a few years , at the dear rate of eternal misery and torment . so that if it be a disgrace to a man to act imprudently , and to do things plainly against his interest , then vice is the greatest reproach that is possible . the th and last consideration , which renders sin so shameful to us , is , that it is our own voluntary act and choice . we chuse this disgrace and willingly bring this reproach upon our selves . we pity an ideot , and one that is naturally destitute of understanding , or one that loseth the use of his reason by a disease or other inevitable accident : but every one despiseth him who besots himself , and plays the fool out of carelessness and a gross neglect of himself . and this is the case of the sinner ; there is no man that sinneth , but because he is wanting to himself ; he might be wiser and do better , and will not ; but he chuseth his own devices , and voluntarily runs himself upon those inconveniences , which it was in his power to have avoided . not but that i do heartily own and lament the great corruption and degeneracy of our nature , and the strong propensions which appear so early in us to that which is evil : but god hath provided a remedy and cure for all this : for since the grace of god , which brings salvation unto all men , hath appeared , under the influence and through the assistance of that grace , which is offer'd to them by the gospel , men may deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , and live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world. for i make no doubt , but since god hath enter'd into a new covenant of grace with mankind , and offered new terms of life and salvation to us , i say i doubt not , but his grace is ready at hand , to enable us to perform all those conditions which he requires of us , if we be not wanting to our selves . there was a way of salvation established , before the gospel was clearly reveal'd to the world , and they who under that dispensation , whether jews or gentiles , sincerely endeavour'd to do the will of god , so far as they knew it , were not utterly destitute of divine grace and assistance : but now there is a more plentiful effusion of god's grace and holy spirit ; so that whoever under the gospel sins deliberately , sins wilfully , and is wicked , not for want of power but of will to do otherwise . and this is that which makes sin so shameful a thing , and so very reproachful to us , that we destroy our selves by our own folly and neglect of our selves , and become miserable by our own choice ; and when the grace of god hath put it into our power to be wise and to be happy . i should now have proceeded to the second thing i proposed , which was to consider sin in relation to god , and to shew that it is no less shameful in that respect , than i have shewn it to be with regard to our selves : but this i shall refer to another oportunity . sermon vi. the shamefulness of sin , an argument for repentance . the second sermon on this text. rom . vi. , . what fruit had ye then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death . but now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life . in these words the apostle makes a comparison , between an holy and virtuous , and a sinful and vicious course of life , and sets before us a perfect enumeration of the manifest inconveniences of the one , and the manifold advantages of the other . i began with the first of these , viz. to shew the manifest inconveniences of a sinful and vicious course . i am upon the second inconvenience of a sinful course , viz. that the reflection upon it afterwards is cause of great shame and confusion of face to us ; and that first , in relation to our selves . which i have dispatch'd , and proceed now in the , second place , to consider sin in respect of god , against whom , and in whose sight and presence it is committed ; and upon examination it will appear , to be no less shameful in this respect than the other . there are some persons before whom we are more apt to be ashamed and blush , than before others ; as those whom we reverence , those to whom we are greatly oblig'd , and those who are clear of those faults which we are guilty of ; and those who hate or greatly dislike what we do ; especially if they be present with us , and in our company ; if they stand by us and observe , and take notice of what we do , and are likely to publish our folly and make it known , and have authority and power to punish us for our faults ; we are ashamed to have done any thing that is vile and unworthy before such persons . now to render sin the more shameful , god may be consider'd by us under all these notions , and in all these respects . . whenever we commit any sin , we do it before him , in his presence , and under his eye and knowledge , to whom of all persons in the world we ought to pay the most profound reverence . i remember seneca somewhere says ; that there are some persons , quorum interventû perditi quoque homines vitia supprimerent , that are so awful and so generally reverenc'd for the eminency of their virtues , that even the most profligate and impudent sinners will endeavour to suppress their vices , and refrain from any thing that is notoriously bad , and uncomely , whilst such persons stand by them , and are in presence . such an one was cato among the romans . the people of rome had such a regard and reverence for him , that if he appeared , they would not begin or continue their usual sports , till he was withdrawn from the theatre , thinking them too light to be acted before a person of his gravity and virtue : and if they were so much aw'd by the presence of a wise and a virtuous man , that they were ashamed to do any thing that was unseemly before him ; how much more should the presence of the holy god , who is of purer eyes , than to behold iniquity , make us blush to do any thing that is lewd and vile in his sight , and fill us with shame and confusion of face at the thoughts of it ? now whenever we commit any sin , god looks upon us ; and he alone is an ample theatre indeed . that he observes what we do , ought to be more to us , than if the eyes of all the world besides were gazing upon us . . he likewise is incomparably our greatest benefactour , and there is no person in the world , to whom in any degree we stand so much oblig'd , as to him ; and from whom we can expect and hope for so much good , as from him ; the consideration whereof must make us ashamed , so often as we consider , and are conscious to our selves , that we have done any thing that is grievous and displeasing to him . we are wont to have a more peculiar reverence for those to whom we are exceedingly beholden , and to be much ashamed to do any thing before them , which may signifie disrespect , and much more enmity against them ; because this would be horrible ingratitude , one of the most odious and shameful of all vices . and is there any one to whom we can stand more obliged , than to him that made us , than to the author and founder of our beings , and the great patron and preserver of our lives ? and can there then be any before whom , and against whom we should be more ashamed to offend ? when the prodigal in the parable would set forth the shamefulness of his miscarriage , he aggravates it from hence , that he had offended against and before one to whom he had been so infinitely obliged . father , says he , i have sinned against heaven and in thy sight . . we are ashamed likewise to be guilty of any fault or crime before those persons who are clear of it , or of any thing of the like nature themselves . men are not apt to be ashamed before those who are their fellow-criminals , and involved with them in the same guilt , because they do not stand in awe of them , nor can have any reverence for them . those , who are equally guilty , must bear with one another . we are not apt to fear the censures and reproofs of those , who are as bad as our selves : but we are ashamed to do a foul and unworthy action , before those who are innocent and free from the same , or the like sins and vices which we are guilty of . now whenever we commit any sin , it is in the presence of the holy god , who hath no part with us in our crimes , whose nature is removed at the farthest distance from sin , and is as contrary to it as can be . there is no iniquity with the lord our god. and therefore of all persons in the world we should blush to be guilty of it before him . . we are apt also to be ashamed to do any thing before those who dislike and detest what we do . to do a wicked action before those who are not offended at it , or perhaps take pleasure in it , is no such matter of shame to us . now of all others , god is the greatest hater of sin , and the most perfect enemy to it in the whole world. hab. . . thou art of purer eyes , than to behold evil , and canst not look on iniquity , i. e. with patience , and without an infinite hatred and abhorrence of it . such is the unspotted purity and perfection of the divine nature , that it is not possible that god should give the least countenance to any thing that is evil. psal . . , . thou art not a god , says david there to him , that hast pleasure in iniquity , neither shall evil dwell with thee : the wicked shall not stand in thy sight ; thou hatest all the workers of iniquity . . we are ashamed likewise to do any thing that is evil and unseemly before those , who we are afraid will publish our faults to others , and will make known and expose the folly of them . now whenever we sin , it is before him who will most certainly one day bring all our works of darkness into the open light , and expose all our secret deeds of dishonesty upon the publick stage of the world , and make all the vilest of our actions known , and lay them open , with all the shameful circumstances of them , before men and angels , to our everlasting shame and confusion . this is the meaning of that proverbial speech , so often used by our saviour , there is nothing cover'd , that shall not be revealed , neither hid that shall not be made manifest . all the sins which we now commit with so much caution , in secret and dark retirements , shall in that great day of revelation , when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed , be set in open view , and in so full and strong a light , that all the world shall see them ; and that which was plotted and contrived in so much secrecy , and hardly whisper'd in this world , shall then be proclaimed aloud , and as it were upon the house-tops . . and lastly , we are ashamed and afraid to commit a fault before those , who we believe will call us to an account for it , and punish us severely . a man may suffer innocently and for a good cause ; but all suffering in that case , is by wise and good men esteemed honourable and glorious , and tho' we are condemned by men , we are acquitted in our own consciences : but that which is properly called punishment is always attended with infamy and reproach ; because it always supposeth some fault and crime , as the ground and reason of it . hence it is that in this world , men are not only afraid , but ashamed to commit any fault before those , who they think have authority and power to punish it . he is an impudent villain indeed , that will venture to cut a purse in the presence of the judge . now when ever we commit any wickedness , we do it under the eye of the great judge of the world , who stedfastly beholds us , and whose omnipotent justice stands by us ready armed and charged for our destruction , and can in a moment cut us off . every sin that we are guilty of , in thought , word , or deed , is all in the presence of the holy , and just , and powerful god ; whose power enables him , and whose holiness and justice will effectually engage him , one time or other , if a timely repentance doth not prevent it , to inflict a terrible punishment upon all the workers of iniquity . you see then by all that hath been said upon this argument , how shameful a thing sin is , and what confusion of face the reflection upon our wicked lives ought to cause in all of us . what fruit had ye then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? if ever we be brought to true repentance for our sins , it cannot but be matter of great shame to us . we find in scripture that shame doth continually accompany repentance , and is inseparable from it . this is one mark and character of a true penitent , that he is ashamed of what he hath done . thus ezra , when he makes confession of the sins of the people , he testifies and declares his shame , for what they had done ; i said , o my god! i am ashamed and blush to lift up mine eyes to thee my god ; for our iniquities are increased over our heads , and our trespasses are grown up to the heavens , ezra . . and may not we of this nation at this day take these words unto our selves , considering to what a strange height our sins are grown , and how iniquity abounds among us ? so likewise the prophet jeremiah , when he would express the repentance of the people of israel , jer. . . we lye down ( says he ) in our shame , and our confusion covereth us , because we have sinned against the lord our god. in like manner the prophet daniel , after he had in the name of the people made an humble acknowledgment of their manifold and great sins , he takes shame to himself , and them for them . dan. . . we have sinned , says he , and have committed iniquity , and have done wickedly , and have rebelled in departing from thy precepts , and from thy judgments . o lord , righteousness belongeth to thee ; but unto us confusion of face , as at this day ; to the men of judah , and to the inhabitants of jerusalem , and unto all israel , that are near and that are far off , through all the countries whither thou hast driven them , because of their trespass , which they have trespassed against thee : o lord ! to us belongeth confusion of face , to our kings , to our princes , and to our fathers , because we have sinned against thee . by which we may judge , how considerable and essential a part of repentance , this holy man esteemed shame , for the sins they had been guilty of , to be . and indeed upon all occasions of solemn repentance , and humiliation for sin , this taking shame for their sins is hardly ever omitted , as if there could be no sincere confession of sin and repentance for it , without testifying their shame , and confusion of face upon the remembrance of their sins . now to stir up this affection of shame in us , let me offer to you these three considerations . i. consider what great reason we have to be heartily ashamed of all the sins and offences which we have been guilty of against god. it was a good old precept of philosophy , that we should reverence our selves , i. e. that we should never do any thing , that should be matter of shame and reproach to us afterwards , nothing that misbecomes us , and is unworthy of us . i have shewn at large , that all sin and vice is a dishonour to our nature , and beneath the dignity of it ; that it is a great reproach to our reason , and directly contrary to our true and best interest ; that it hath all the aggravating circumstances of infamy and shame ; that every sin that was at any time committed by us , was done in the presence of one , whom of all persons in the world we have most reason to reverence , and against him , to whom of all others we stand most obliged for the greatest favours , for innumerable benefits , for infinite mercy and patience and forbearance towards us , in the presence of the holy and just god , who is at the farthest distance from sin , and the greatest and most implacable enemy to it in the whole world , and who will one day punish all our faults , and expose us to open shame for them , who will bring every work into judgment , and every secret sin that ever we committed , and take vengeance upon us for all our iniquities . so that whenever we sin , we shamefully entreat our selves , and give the deepest wounds to our reputation in the esteem of him , who is the most competent judge of what is truly honourable and praise-worthy , and cloath our selves with shame and dishonour . we are ashamed of poverty , because the poor man is despised , and almost ridiculous in the eye of the proud and covetous rich man , whose riches are his high tower , and make him apt to look down upon the poor man that is below him , with contempt and scorn ; we are ashamed of a dangerous and contagious disease , because all men fly infectious company : but a man may be poor or sick by misfortune ; but no man is wicked , but by his own fault and wilful choice . ill-natur'd and inconsiderate men will be apt to contemn us for our poverty and affliction in any kind : but by our vices we render our selves odious to god , and to all good and considerate men . ii. consider that shame for sin now , is the way to prevent eternal shame and confusion hereafter . for this is one great part of the misery of another world , that the sinner shall then be filled with everlasting shame and confusion at the remembrance of his faults and folly . the eternal misery of wicked men is sometimes in scripture represented , as if it consisted only or chiefly in the infamy and reproach which will then overwhelm them , when all their crimes and faults shall be exposed and laid open to the view of the whole world. dan. . . where the general resurrection of the just and unjust is thus described ; many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake , some to everlasting life ; and some to everlasting shame and contempt : where everlasting life and everlasting shame are opposed , as if eternal shame were a kind of perpetual death . in this world sinners make an hard shift , by concealing or extenuating their faults , as well as they can , to suppress or lessen their shame ; they have not now so clear and full conviction of the evil and folly of their sin ; god is pleased to bear with them and to spare them at present , and they do not yet feel the dismal effects and consequences of a wicked life : but in the next world , when the righteous judgment of god is revealed , and the full vials of his wrath shall be poured forth upon sinners , they shall then be cloathed with shame , as with a garment , and be covered with confusion ; then they will feel the folly of their sins , and have a sensible demonstration within themselves of the infinite evil of them ; their own consciences will then furiously fly in their faces , and with the greatest bitterness and rage upbraid and reproach them with the folly of their own doings ; and so long as we are sensible , that we suffer for our own folly , so long we must unavoidably be ashamed of what we have done . so that if sinners shall be everlastingly tormented in another world , it necessarily follows , that they shall be eternally confounded . is it not then better to remember our ways now , and to be ashamed and repent of them , than to bring everlasting shame and confusion upon our selves , before god , and angels , and men ? this is the argument which st. john useth , to take men off from sin , and to engage them to holiness and righteousness of life . . joh. . . that when he shall appear , that is , when he shall come to judge the world , we may have confidence , and not be ashamed before him at his coming . iii. and lastly , consider that nothing sets men at a farther distance from repentance , and all hopes of their becoming better , and brings them nearer to ruin , than impudence in a sinful course . there are too many in the world , who are so far from being ashamed of their wickedness , and blushing at the mention of their faults , that they boast of them , and glory in them . god often complains of this in the people of israel , as a sad presage of their ruin , and an ill sign of their desperate and irrecoverable condition ; jer. . . thou hadst a whore's forehead , and refusedst to be ashamed ; and jerem. . . were they ashamed when they committed abominations ? nay , they were not ashamed , neither could they blush : therefore they shall fall among them that fall , and in the time that i visit them , they shall be cast down . hear likewise how the apostle doth lament the case of such persons , as incurable and past all remedy . philip. . , . there are many of whom i have told you often , and now tell you , even weeping , that they are enemies to the cross of christ , whose end is destruction , whose god is their belly , whose glory is in their shame . such persons who glory in that which ought to be their shame , what can their end be but destruction ? there is certainly no greater argument of a degenerate person , and of one that is utterly lost to all sense of goodness , than to be void of shame ; and as on the one hand , they must be very towardly , and well disposs'd to virtue , who are drawn by ingenuity , and meer sense of obligation and kindness ; so on the other hand , they must be very stupid and insensible , who are not wrought upon by arguments of fear , and sense of shame . there is hardly any hopes of that man , who is not to be reclaimed from an evil course , neither by the apprehension of danger , nor of disgrace , and who can at once securely neglect both his safety and reputation . hear how the prophet represents the deplorable case of such persons , isa . . . the shew of their countenance bears witness against them ; in the hebrew it is , the hardness of their countenance doth testifie against them , and they declare their sin , as sodom , they hide it not . wo unto their souls , for they have rewarded evil to themselves . when men are once arrived to that pitch of impiety , as to harden their foreheads against all sense and shew of shame , and so as to be able to set a good face upon the foulest matter in the world ; wo unto them , because their case seems then to be desperate , and past all hopes of recovery . for who can hope , that a man will forsake his sins , when he is not so much as ashamed of them ? but yet one would think , that those that are not ashamed of their impiety , should be ashamed of their impudence , and should at least blush at this , that they can do the vilest and the most shameful things in the world without blushing . to conclude this whole discourse , let the consideration of the evil and shamefulness of sin have this double effect upon us , to make us heartily ashamed of the past errors and miscarriages of our lives , and firmly resolved to do better for the future . i. to be heartily ashamed of the past errors of our lives . so often as we reflect upon the manifold and heinous provocations of the divine majesty , which many of us have been guilty of in the long course of a wicked life , together with the heavy aggravations of our sins , by all the circumstances that can render them abominable and shameful , not only in the eye of god and men , but of our own consciences likewise ; we have great reason to humble our selves before god , in a penitent acknowledgment of them , and every one of us to say with job , behold i am vile , what shall i answer thee ? i will lay mine hand upon my mouth , i abhor my self , and repent in dust and ashes ; and with ezra , o my god! i am ashamed , and blush to lift up my face to thee , my god ; for our iniquities are increased over our heads , and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens : and now , o my god , what shall we say after this ? for we have forsaken thy commandments ; and with holy daniel , we have sinned , and have committed iniquity , and have done wickedly ; o lord ! righteousness belongeth unto thee , but unto us confusion of face . thus we should reproach and upbraid our selves , in the presence of that holy god , whom we have so often and so higly offended , and against whom we have done as evil things as we could , and say with the prodigal son in the parable ; father , i have sinned against heaven and before thee , and am no more worthy to be called thy son. if we would thus take shame to our selves , and humble our selves before god , he would be merciful to us miserable sinners ; he would take away all iniquity , and receive us graciously ; and so soon as ever he saw us coming towards him , would meet us with joy , and embrace us in the arms of his mercy . and then , ii. as we should be heartily ashamed of the past errours and miscarriages of our lives , so we should firmly resolve , by god's grace , to do better for the future ; never to consent to iniquity , or to do any thing which we are convinc'd is contrary to our duty , and which will be matter of shame to us , when we come to look back upon it , and make our blood to rise in our faces at the mention or intimation of it , which will make us to sneak , and hang down our heads , when we are twitted and upbraided with it , and which , if it be not prevented by a timely humiliation and repentance , will fill us with horror and amazement , with shame and confusion of face , both at the hour of death , and in the day of judgment . so that when we look into our lives , and examine the actions of them , when we consider what we have done , and what our doings have deserved , we should , in a due sense of the great and manifold miscarriages of our lives , and from a deep sorrow and shame and detestation of our selves for them , i say , we should , with that true penitent described in job , take words to our selves , and say , surely it is meet to be said unto god , i will not offend any more ; that which i know not , teach thou me ; and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . and thus i have done with the second inconvenience of a sinful and vicious course of life , viz. that the reflection upon it afterwards causeth shame ; what fruit had you then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? sermon vii . the final issue of sin , an argument for repentance . the third sermon on this text. rom . vi. , . what fruit had ye then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death . but now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life . these words are a comparison between an holy and virtuous and a sinful and vicious course of life , and set before us the manifest inconveniences of the one , and the manifold advantages of the other . i have enter'd into a discourse upon the first of these heads , viz. the manifest inconveniences of a sinful and vicious course : and the text mentions these three . i. that it is unprofitable . ii. that the reflection upon it afterwards is matter of shame . these two i have spoken largely to . i shall now proceed to the iii. and last inconvenience , which the text mentions , of a sinful and vicious course of life , viz. that the final issue and consequence of these things is very dismal and miserable ; the end of those things is death . no fruit then when ye did these things ; shame now that you come to reflect upon them ; and misery and death at the last . there are indeed almost innumerable considerations and arguments to discourage and deter men from sin ; the unreasonableness of it in it self ; the injustice and disloyalty , and ingratitude of it in respect to god ; the ill example of it to others ; the cruelty of it to our selves ; the shame and dishonour that attends it ; the grief and sorrow which it will cost us , if ever we be brought to a due sense of it ; the trouble and horror of a guilty conscience , that will perpetually haunt us ; but above all the miserable event and sad issue of a wicked course of life continued in , and finally unrepented of . the temptations to sin may be alluring enough , and look upon us with a smiling countenance , and the commission may afford us a short and imperfect pleasure : but the remembrance of it will certainly be bitter , and the end of it miserable . and this consideration is of all others the most apt to work upon the generality of men , especially upon the more obstinate and obdurate sort of sinners , and those whom no other arguments will penetrate ; that whatever the present pleasure and advantage of sin may be , it will be bitterness and misery in the end . the two former inconvenieces of a sinful course , which i have lately discoursed of , viz. that sin is unprofitabte , and that it is shameful , are very considerable , and ought to be great arguments against it to every sinner , and considerate man : and yet how light are they , and but as the very small dust upon the balance , in comparison of that insupportable weight of misery which will oppress the sinner at last ! indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil . this , this is the sting of all , that the end of these things is death . it is very usual in scripture to express the greatest happiness , and the greatest misery , by life and death ; life being the first and most desirable of all other blessings , because it is the foundation of them , and that which makes us capable of all the rest . hence we find in scripture , that all the blessings of the gospel are summ'd up in this one word , john . . these things are written , that you might believe that jesus is the christ , the son of god , and that believing ye might have life through his name . joh. . . in this was manifest the love of god towards us , because god sent his only begotten son into the world , that we might live through him . so that under this term or notion of life , the scripture is wont to express all happiness to us , and more especially that eternal life which is the great promise of the gospel . and this is life by wa● of eminency ; as if this frail and mortal and miserable life , which we live here in this world , did not deserve that name . and on the other hand , all the evils which are consequent upon sin , especially the dreadful and lasting misery of another world , are called by the name of death , the end of these things is death . so the apostle , here in the text , and . v. the wages of sin is death , not only a temporal death , but such a death as is opposed to eternal life ; the wages of sin is death : but the gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ our lord. so that death here in the text is plainly intended to comprehend in it all those fearful and astonishing miseries , wherewith the wrath of god will pursue and afflict sinners in another world. but what and how great this misery is , i am not able to declare to you ; it hath no more enter'd into the heart of man , than those great and glorious things which god hath laid up for them that love him : and as i would fain hope , that none of us here shall ever have the sad experience of it ; so none but those who have felt it , are able to give a tolerable description of the intolerableness of it . but by what the scripture hath said of it in general , and in such metaphors as are most level to our present capacity , it appears so full of terror , that i am loth to attempt the representation of it . there are so many other arguments , that are more humane and natural , and more proper to work upon the reason and ingenuity of men ; as the great love and kindness of god to us ; the grievous sufferings of his son for us ; the unreasonableness and shamefulness of sin ; the present benefit and advantage , the peace and pleasure of an holy and virtuous life ; and the mighty rewards promised to it in another world , that one would think these should be abundantly sufficient to prevail with men to gain them to goodness , and that they need not be frighted into it , and to have the law laid to them , as it was once given to the people of israel , in thunder and lightning , in blackness , in darkness and tempest , so as to make them exceedinly to fear and tremble . and it seems a very hard case , that when we have to deal with men , sensible enough of their interest in other cases , and diligent enough to mind it , we cannot perswade them to accept of happiness , without setting before them the terrors of eternal darkness , and those amazing and endless miseries , which will certainly be the portion of those who refuse so great an happiness ; this i say seems very hard , that men must be carried to the gate of hell , before they can be brought to set their faces towards heaven , and to think in good earnest of getting thither . and yet it cannot be dissembled , that the nature of men is so degenerate , as to stand in need of this argument ; and that men are so far engaged in an evil course , that they are not to be reclaimed from it by any other consideration , but of the endless and unspeakable misery of impenitent sinners in another world. and therefore god , knowing how necessary this is , doth frequently make use of it ; and our blessed saviour , than whom none was ever more mild and gentle , doth often set this consideration before men to take them off from sin , and to bring them to do better . and this st. paul tells us , rom. . . is one principal thing which renders the gospel so powerful an instrument for the reforming and saving of mankind , because therein the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men . so that how harsh and unpleasant soever this argument may be , the great stupidity and folly of some men , and their inveterate obstinacy in an evil course makes it necessary for us to press it home , that those who will not be moved , and made sensible of the danger and inconvenience of sin by gentler arguments , may be rous'd and awakened by the terrors of eternal misery . that the last issue and consequence of a wicked life will be very miserable , the general apprehension of mankind concerning the fate of bad men in another world , and the socret misgivings of mens consciences , gives men too much ground to fear . besides that the justice of divine providence , which is not many times in this world so clear and manifest , does seem to require that there should be a time of recompence , when the virtue and patience of good men should be rewarded , and the insolence and obstinacy of bad men should be punish'd . this cannot but appear very reasonable to any man , that considers the nature of god , and is perswaded that he governs the world , and hath given laws to mankind , by the observance whereof they may be happy , and by the neglect and contempt whereof they must be miserable . but that there might remain no doubts upon the minds of men , concerning these matters , god hath been pleas'd to reveal this from heaven , by a person sent by him on purpose to declare it to the world ; and to the truth of these doctrines concerning a future state and a day of judgment , and recompences , god hath given testimony by unquestionable miracles wrought for the confirmation of them , and particularly by the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead , whereby he hath given an assurance unto all men , that he is the person ordained by god to judge the world in righteousness , and to render to every man according to his deeds ; to them , who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality , eternal life ; but to them , who obey not the truth , but obey unrighteousness , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil . so that how quietly soever wicked men may pass through this world , or out of it , ( which they seldom do ) misery will certainly overtake their sins at last ; unspeakable and intolerable misery , arising from the anguish of a guilty conscience ; from a lively apprehension of their sad loss ; and from a quick sense of the sharp pain which they labour under ; and all this aggravated and set off with the consideration of past pleasure , and the despair of future ease . each of these is misery enough , and all of them together do constitute and make up that dismal and forlorn state , which the scripture calls hell and damnation . i shall therefore briefly represent ( for it is by no means desirable to dwell long upon so melancholy and frightful an argument , ) first , the principal ingredients which constitute this miserable state. and , secondly , the aggravations of it . first , the principal ingredients which constitute this miserale state ; and they are these three which i have mentioned . i. the anguish of a guilty mind . ii. the lively apprehensions of the invaluable happiness which they have lost . iii. a quick sense of the intolerable pains which they lie under . i. the anguish of a guilty conscience . and this is natural ; for there is a worm that abides in a guilty conscience , and is continually gnawing it . this is that our saviour calls the worm that dyes not . and tho' god should inflict no positive punishment upon sinners , yet this is a revenge which every man's mind would take upon him ; for things are so order'd by god in the original frame and constitution of our minds , that on the one hand peace and pleasure , contentment and satisfaction do naturally arise in our minds from the conscience of well-doing , and spring up in the soul of every good man : and on the other hand , no man knowingly does an evil action , but his guilty conscience galls him for it , and the remembrance of it is full of bitterness to him . and this the sinner feels in this world ; he disguiseth and dissembleth his trouble as much as he can , and shifts off these uneasie thoughts by all the diversions he can devise , and by this means palliates his disease , and renders his condition in some sort tolerable unto himself : but when he is alone , or cast upon the bed of sickness , and his thoughts are let loose upon him , and he hath nothing to give them a diversion , how does his guilt ferment and work ! and the feaver , which lurkt before , does now shew it self , and is ready to burn him up ; so that nothing can appear more dismal and ghastly , than such a man does to himself . and much more , when sinners come into the other world , and are entred into the regions of darkness , and the melancholy shades , where evil spirits are continually wandring up and down ; where they can meet with nothing either of employment or pleasure , to give the least diversion to their pensive minds ; where they shall find nothing to do , but to reflect upon , and bemoan themselves ; where all the wicked actions that ever they committed shall come fresh into their minds , and stare their consciences in the face . it is not to be imagined , what sad scenes will then be present to their imaginations , and what sharp reflections their own guilty minds will make upon them , and what swarms of furies will possess them . so soon as ever they are entered upon that state , they will then find themselves forsaken of all those comforts which they once placed so much happiness in ; and they will have nothing to converse with , but their own uneasie selves , and those that are as miserable as themselves , and therefore uncapable of administring any comfort to one another . they will then have nothing to think on , but what will trouble them ; and every new thought will be a new increase of their trouble . their guilt will make them restless , and the more restless they are , the more will their minds be enraged ; and there will be no end of their vexation , because the cause and ground of it is perpetual . for there is no possible way to get rid of guilt , but by repentance ; and there is no encouragment , no argument to repentance , where there is no hope of pardon . so that if god should hold his hand , and leave sinners to themselves , and to the lashes of their own conscience , a more severe and terrible torment can hardly be imagin'd , than that which a guilty mind would execute upon it self . ii. another ingredient into the miseries of sinners in another world , is the lively apprehension of the invaluable happiness which they have lost by their own obstinacy and foolish choice . in the next world wicked men shall be for ever separated from god , who is the fountain of happiness , and from all the comforts of his presence and favour . this , our saviour tells us , is the first part of that dreadful sentence that shall be passed upon the wicked at the great day ; depart from me ; which words , tho' they do not signifie any positive infliction and torment , yet they import the greatest loss that can be imagined . and it is not so easie to determine which is the greatest of evils , loss or pain . indeed to a creature that is only endowed with sense , there can be no misery but that of pain and suffering : but to those who have reason and understanding , and are capable of knowing the value of things , and of reflecting upon themselves in the want of them , the greatest loss may be as grievous and hard to be born , as the greatest pain . 't is true , that sinners are now so immerst in the gross and sensual delights of this world , that they have no apprehension of the joys of heaven , and the pleasures of god's presence , and of the happiness that is to be enjoyed in communion with him , and therefore they are not now capable of estimating the greatness of this loss . but this insensibleness of wicked men continues no longer than this present state , which affords them variety of objects of pleasure and of business to divert them and entertain them : but when they come into the other world , they shall then have nothing else to think upon , but the sad condition into which they have brought themselves , nothing to do but to pore and meditate upon their own misfortune , when they shall lift up their eyes , and with the rich man in the parable , in the midst of their torments , look up to those who are in abraham's bosom ; and their misery will be mightily increased by the contemplation of that happiness which others enjoy , and themselves have so foolishly forfeited and fallen short of ; insomuch that it would be happy for them , if that god , from whose presence they are banisht , that heaven from which they have excluded themselves , and that everlasting glory , which they have despised and neglected , might be for ever hid from their eyes , and never come into their minds . iii. this is not all , but besides the sad apprehension of their loss , they shall endure the sharpest pains . these god hath threatned sinners withal , and they are in scripture represented to us , by the most grievous and intolerable pains that in this world we are acquainted withal , as by the pain of burning . hence the wicked are said to be cast into the lake , which burns with fire and brimstone , and into the fire which is not quenched ; which whether it be literally to be understood or not , is certainly intended to signifie the most severe kind of torment ; but what that is , and in what manner it shall be inflicted , none know but they that feel it , and lie under it . the scripture tells so much in general of it , as is enough to warn men to avoid it ; that it is the effect of a mighty displeasure , and of anger armed with omnipotence , and consequently must needs be very terrible , more dreadful than we can now conceive , and probably greater than can be described by any of those pains and sufferings which now we are acquainted withal ; for who knows the power of god's anger , and the utmost of what almighty justice can do to sinners ? who can comprehend the vast significancy of those expressions , fear him , who after he hath killed , can destroy both body and soul in hell ? and again , it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god ? one would think this were misery enough , and needed no farther aggravation ; and yet it hath two terrible ones , from the consideration of past pleasures which sinners have enjoyed in this world , and from an utter despair of future ease and remedy . . from the consideration of the past pleasures which sinners have enjoy'd in this life . this will make their sufferings much more sharp and sensible ; for as nothing commends pleasure more , and gives happiness a quicker taste and relish , than precedent sufferings and pain , there is not perhaps a greater pleasure in the world , than the strange and sudden ease which a man finds after a sharp fit of the stone or cholick , or after a man is taken off the rack , and nature which was in an agony before is all at once set at perfect ease : so on the other hand , nothing exasperates suffering more , and sets a keener edge upon misery , than to step into afflictions and pain immediately out of a state of great ease and pleasure . this we find in the parable was the great aggravation of the rich man's torment , that he had first received his good things , and was afterwards tormented . we may do well to consider this , that those pleasures of sin which have now so much of temptation in them , will in the next world be one of the chief aggravations of our torment . . the greatest aggravation of this misery will be , that it is attended with the despair of any future ease ; and when misery and despair meet together , they make a man compleatly miserable . the duration of this misery is exprest to us in scripture , by such words as are us'd to signifie the longest and most interminable duration . depart ye cursed into everlasting fire . matt. . . where the worm dieth not , and the fire is not quenched . mark. . . and thess . . . it is there said , that those who know not god , and obey not the gospel of his son , shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power . and in rev. . . that the wicked shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever . and what can be imagined beyond this ? this is the perfection of misery , to lie under the greatest torment , and yet be in despair of ever finding the least ease . and thus i have done with the first thing i propounded to speak to from this text , viz. the manifest inconveniences of a sinful and vicious course of life ; that it brings no present benefit or advantage to us ; that the reflection upon it causeth shame ; and that it is fearful and miserable in the last issue and consequence of it . what fruit had you , &c. i should now have proceeded to the second part of the text , which represents to us the manifold advantages of an holy and virtuous course of life ; . v . but now being made free from sin , and become the servants of righteousness , ye have your fruit unto holiness , there 's the present advantage of it ; and the end everlasting life , there 's the future reward of it . but this is a large argument , which will require a discourse by it self , and therefore i shall not now enter upon it ; but shall only make some reflections upon what hath been said , concerning the miserable issue and consequence of a wicked life impenitently persisted in . and surely , if we firmly believe and seriously consider these things , we have no reason to be fond of any vice ; we can take no great comfort or contentment in a sinful course . if we could for the seeming advantage and short pleasure of some sins , dispense with the temporal mischiefs and inconveniences of them , which yet i cannot see how any prudent and considerate man could do ; if we could conquer shame , and bear the infamy and reproach which attends most sins , and could digest the upbraidings of our own consciences , so often as we call them to remembrance , and reflect seriously upon them ; tho' for the gratifying an importunate inclination , and an impetuous appetite , all the inconveniences of them might be born withal ; yet methinks the very thought of the end and issue of a wicked life , that the end of these things is death , that indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish , far greater than we can now describe or imagine , shall be to every soul of man that doth evil , should over-rule us . tho' the violence of an irregular lust and desire are able to bear down all other arguments , yet methinks the eternal interest of our precious and immortal souls should still lie near our hearts , and affect us very sensibly . methinks the consideration of another world , and of all eternity , and of that dismal fate which attends impenitent sinners after this life , and the dreadful hazard of being miserable for ever , should be more than enough to dishearten any man from a wicked life , and to bring him to a better mind and course . and if the plain representations of these things do not prevail with men to this purpose , it is a sign that either they do not believe these things , or else that they do not consider them , one of these two must be the reason why any man , notwithstanding these terrible threatnings of god's word , does venture to continue in an evil course . 't is vehemently to be suspected , that men do not really believe these things , that they are not fully perswaded that there is another state after this life , in which the righteous god will render to every man according to his deeds ; and therefore so much wickedness as we see in the lives of men , so much infidelity may reasonably be suspected to lie lurking in their hearts . they may indeed seemingly profess to believe these things ; but he that would know what a man inwardly and firmly believes , should attend rather to his actions , than to his verbal professions : for if any man lives so , as no man that believes the principles of the christian religion in reason can live , there is too much reason to question whether that man doth believe his religion ; he may say he does , but there is a far greater evidence in the case than words ; the actions of the man are by far the most credible declarations of the inward sense and perswasion of his mind . did men firmly and heartily believe that there is a god that governs the world , and regards the actions of men , and that he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness , and that all mankind shall appear before him in that day , and every action that they have done in their whole lives shall be brought upon the stage , and pass a strict examination and censure , and that those who have made conscience of their duty to god and men , and have lived soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , shall be unspeakably and eternally happy in the next ; but those who have lived lewd , and licentious lives , and persisted in an impenitent course , shall be extreamly and everlastingly miserable , without pity , and without comfort , and without remedy , and without hope of ever being otherwise ; i say , if men were fully and firmly perswaded of these things , it is not credible , it is hardly possible that they should live such prophane and impious , such careless and dissolute lives , as we daily see a great part of mankind do . that man that can be aw'd from his duty , or tempted to sin by any of the pleasures or terrors of this world , that for the present enjoyment of his lusts can be contented to venture his soul , what greater evidence than this can there be , that this man does not believe the threatnings of the gospel , and how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living god. that man that can be willing to undergo an hard service for several years , that he may be in a way to get an estate , and be rich in this world ; and yet will not be perswaded to restrain himself of his liberty , or to deny his pleasure , or to check his appetite or lust , for the greatest reward that god can promise , or the severest punishment that he can threaten ; can any man reasonably think , that this man is perswaded of any such happiness or misery after this life , as is plainly revealed in the gospel , that verily there is a reward for the righteous , and verily there is a god that judgeth the earth ? for what can he that believes not one syllable of the bible , do worse than this comes to ? a strong and vigorous faith , even in temporal cases , is a powerful principle of action , especially if it be back'd and enforc'd with arguments of fear . he that believes the reality of a thing , and that it is good for him , and that it may be attained , and that if he do attain it , it will make him very happy , and that without it he shall be extreamly miserable ; such a belief and perswasion will put a man upon difficult things , and make him to put forth a vigorous endeavour , and to use a mighty industry for the obtaining of that , concerning which he is thus perswaded . and the faith of the gospel ought to be so much the more powerful , by how much the objects of hope and fear , which it presents to us , are greater and more considerable . did men fully believe the happiness of heaven , and the torments of hell , and were they as verily perswaded of the truth of them , as if they were before their eyes , how insignificant would all the terrors and temptations of sense be to draw them into sin , and seduce them from their duty . but altho' it seems very strange , and almost incredible , that men should believe these things , and yet live wicked and impious lives ; yet because i have no mind , and god knows there 's no need to increase the number of infidels in this age , i shall chuse rather to impute a great deal of the wickedness that is in the world , to the inconsiderateness of men , than to their unbelief . i will grant that they do in some sort believe these things , or at least that they do not disbelieve them ; and then the great cause of mens ruin must be , that they do not attend to the consequence of this belief , and how men ought to live that are thus perswaded . men stifle their reason , and suffer themselves to be hurried away by sense , into the embraces of sensual objects and things present , but do not consider what the end of these things will be , and what is like to become of them hereafter ; for it is not to be imagined , but that that man who shall calmly consider with himself what sin is , the shortness of its pleasure , and the eternity of its punishment , should seriously resolve upon a better course of life . and why do we not consider these things , which are of so infinite concernment to us ? what have we our reason for , but to reflect upon our selves , and to mind what we do , and wisely to compare things together , and upon the whole matter to judge what makes most for our true and lasting interest ? to consider our whole selves , our souls as well as our bodies ; and our whole duration not only in this world , but in the other , not only with regard to time , but to eternity ? to look before us to the last issue and event of our actions , and to the farthest consequence of them , and to reckon upon what will be hereafter , as well as what is present ; and if we suspect or hope or fear , especially if we have good reason to believe a future state after death , in which we shall be happy or miserable to all eternity , according as we manage and behave our selves in this world , to resolve to make it our greatest design and concernment while we are in this world , so to live and demean our selves , that we may be of the number of those that shall be accounted worthy to escape that misery , and to obtain that happiness , which will last and continue for ever . and if men , would but apply their minds seriously to the consideration of these things , they could not act so imprudently as they do , they would not live so by chance and without design , taking the pleasure that comes next , and avoiding the present evils which press upon them , without any regard to those that are future , and at a distance , tho' they be infinitely greater and more considerable : if men could have the patience to debate and argue these matters with themselves , they could not live so preposterously as they do , preferring their bodies before their souls , and the world before god , and the things which are temporal before the things that are eternal . did men verily and in good earnest believe but half of that to be true , which hath now been declared to you , concerning the miserable state of impenitent sinners in another world , ( and i am very sure , that the one half of that which is true concerning that state hath not been told you ) i say did we in any measure believe what hath been so imperfectly represented , what manner of persons should we all be , in all holy conversation and godliness , waiting for , and hastening unto ( that is making haste to make the best preparation we could for ) the coming of the day of god! i will conclude all with our saviour's exhortation to his disciples , and to all others ; watch ye therefore and pray always , that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things , and to stand before the son of man : to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , world without end . amen . sermon viii . the present and future advantage of an holy and virtuous life . the fourth sermon on this text. rom . vi. , . what fruit had ye then in those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death . but now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life . i have several times told you , that the apostle in these words makes a comparison between an holy and virtuous , and a sinful and vicious course of life , and sets before us the manifest inconveniences of the one , and the manifold advantages of the other . i have finish'd my discourse upon the first part of the comparison ; the manifest inconveniences of a sinful and vicious course . i proceed now to the other part of the comparison , which was the second thing i propounded to speak to from these words , viz. the manifold benefits and advantages of an holy and virtuous course ; and that upon these two accounts . first , of the present benefit and advantage of it , which the apostle here calls fruit , ye have your fruit unto holiness . secondly , in respect of the future reward of it , and the end everlasting life . so that here is a considerable earnest in hand , besides a mighty recompence afterwards , infinitely beyond the proportion of our best actions and services , both in regard of the greatness and duration of it , everlasting life ; that is , for a few transient acts of obedience , a perfect and immutable and endless state of happiness . and these two the apostle mentions in opposition to the inconveniences and evil consequences of a wicked and vicious course ; what fruit had you then in those things , &c. but before i come to speak to these two particulars , i shall take notice of the description which the apostle here makes , of the change from a state of sin and vice to a state of holiness and virtue . but now being made free from sin , and become the servants of god ; intimating that the state of sin is a state of servitude and slavery , from which repentance and the change which is thereby made does set us free ; but now being made free from sin . and so our saviour tells us , that whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin ; and this is the vilest and hardest slavery in the world , because it is the servitude of the soul , the best and noblest part of our selves ; 't is the subjection of our reason , which ought to rule and bear sway over the inferior faculties , to our sensual appetites and brutish passions , which is as uncomely a sight , as to see beggars ride on horse back , and princes walk on foot ; and as inferiour persons , when they are advanced to power , are strangely insolent and tyrannical towards those that are subject to them ; so the lusts and passions of men , when they once get the command of them , are the most domineering tyrants in the world , and there is no such slave as a man that is subject to his appetite and lust , that is under the power of irregular passions and vicious inclinations , which transport and hurry him to the vilest and most unreasonable things . for a wicked man is a slave to as many masters as he hath passions and vices ; and they are very imperious and exacting , and the more he yields to them , the more they grow upon him , and exercise the greater tyranny over him ; and being subject to so many masters , the poor slave is continually divided and distracted between their contrary commands and impositions ; one passion hurries him one way , and another as violently drives him another ; one lust commands him upon such a service , and another it may be at the same time calls him to another work. his pride and ambition bids him spend and lay it out , whilst his covetousness holds his hand fast closed ; so that he knows not many times how to dispose of himself or what to do , he must displease some of his masters , and what inclination soever he contradicts , he certainly displeaseth himself . and that which aggravates the misery of his condition is , that he voluntarily submits to this servitude . in other cases men are made slaves against their wills , and are brought under the force and power of others , whom they are not able to resist : but the sinner chuseth this servitude , and willingly puts his neck under this yoke . there are few men in the world so sick of their liberty , and so weary of their own happiness , as to chuse this condition : but the sinner sells himself , and voluntarily parts with that liberty , which he might keep , and which none could take from him . and which makes this condition yet more intolerable , he makes himself a slave to his own servants , to those who are born to be subject to him , to his own appetites and passions ; and this certainly is the worst kind of slavery , so much worse than that of mines and gallies , as the soul is more noble and excellent than the body . men are not usually so sensible of the misery of this kind of servitude , because they are govern'd by sense more than reason : but according to a true judgment and estimation of things , a vicious course life is the saddest slavery of all others . and therefore the gospel represents it as a design every way worthy of the son of god , to come down from heaven , and to debase himself so far , as to assume our nature , and to submit to the death of the cross , on purpose to rescue us from this slavery , and to assert us into the liberty of the sons of god. and this is the great design of the doctrine of the gospel , to free men from the bondage of their lusts , and to bring them to the service of god , whose service is perfect freedom . and therefore our saviour tells us , john . , . that if we continue in his word , i. e. if we obey his doctrine , and frame our lives according to it , it will make us free ; ye shall know ( says he ) the truth , and the truth shall make you free . and if we observe it , the scripture delights very much to set forth to us the benefits and advantages of the christian religion by the metaphor of liberty , and redemption from captivity and slavery . hence our saviour is so often call'd the redeemer , and deliverer , and is said to have obtained eternal redemption for us . and the publishing of the gospel is compared to the proclaming of the year of jubile among the jews , when all persons that would were set at liberty . isa . . , . the spirit of the lord is upon me , saith the prophet , speaking in the person of the messiah , because he hath anointed me to proclaim liberty to the captives , and the opening of the prison to them that are bound , to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord. and it is probable that upon this account likewise the christian doctrine or law is by st. james call'd the royal law of liberty . this is the great design of christianity , to set men free from the slavery of their lusts , and to this end the apostle tells us , tit. . . that christ gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie to himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works ; and herein the great mercy and compassion of god towards mankind appeared , in that he sent his son to rescue us from that servitude , which we had so long groaned under , that being made free from sin , we might become the servants of god , and the servants of righteousness . and this he hath done not only by the price of his blood , but by the power and purity of his doctrine , and the holy example of his life , and by all those considerations which represent to us the misery of our sinful state , and the infinite danger of continuing in it : and on the other hand , by setting before us the advantages of a religious and holy life , and what a blessed change we make , when we quit the service of sin , and become the servants of god. it will not only be a mighty present benefit to us ; but will make us happy to all eternity ; and these are the two considerations which at first i propounded to speak to at this time . first , the present benefit of an holy and virtuous life , which the apostle here calls fruit ; but now being made free from sin , and become the servants of god , ye have your fruit unto holiness . secondly , the future reward and recompence of it ; and the end everlasting life . first , let us consider the present benefit and advantage of an holy and virtuous life , which the apostle here calls fruit. if all things be truly consider'd , there is no advantage comes to any man by a wicked and vicious course of life . a wicked life is no present advantage ; the reflection upon it afterwards is shameful and troublesom ; and the end of it miserable . but on the contrary , the advantages of an holy and good life are many and great even in this world , and upon temporal accounts , abstracting from the consideration of a future reward in the world to come . i shall instance in five or six eminent advantages , which it usually brings to men in this world. i. it brings great peace and contentment of mind . ii. it is a very fit and proper means to promote our outward temporal interest . iii. it tends to the lengthning our days , and hath frequently the blessing of long life attending upon it . iv. it gives a man great peace and comfort when he comes to die . v. after death it transmits a good name and reputation to posterity . vi. it derives a blessing upon our posterity after us . and these are certainly the greatest blessings that a wise man can aim at , and design to himself in this world. every one of these taken severally is very considerable ; but all of them together compleat a man's temporal felicity , and raise it to as high a pitch as is to be expected in this world. i. a religious and virtuous course of life is the best way to peace and contentment of mind , and does commonly bring it . and to a wise man , that knows how to value the ease and satisfaction of his own mind , there cannot be a greater temptation to religion and virtue , than to consider that it is the best and only way to give rest to his mind . and this is present fruit and ready payment ; because it immediately follows , or rather accompanies the discharge of our duty . the fruit of righteousness is peace , saith the prophet ; and the apostle to the hebrews speaks of the peaceable fruits of righteousness , meaning that inward peace which a righteous man hath in his own mind . a man needs not to take pains , or to use many arguments , to satisfie and content his own mind , after he hath done a good action , and to convince himself , that he hath no cause to be troubled for it ; for peace and pleasure do naturally spring from it : nay , not only so , but there is an unexpressible kind of pleasure and delight , that flows from the testimony of a good conscience . let but a man take care to satisfie himself in the doing of his duty , and whatever troubles and storms may be raised from without , all will be clear and calm within : for nothing but guilt can trouble a man's mind , and fright his conscience , and make him uneasie to himself ; that indeed will wound his spirit , and sting his very soul , and make him full of fearful and tormenting thoughts . this cain found after he had committed that crying sin of murdering his brother . gen. . . the lord said unto cain , why art thou wrath ? and why is thy countenance fall'n ? his guilt made him full of wrath , and discontent fill'd his mind with vexation , and his countenance with shame and confusion . when a man's conscience is awakened to a sense of his guilt , it is angry and froward , and harder to be still'd than a peevish child : but the practice of holiness and virtue does produce just the contrary effects ; it fills a man's mind with pleasure , and makes his countenance chearful . and this certainly , if it be well consider'd , is no small and contemptible advantage . the peace and tranquillity of our minds is the great thing , which all the philosophy and wisdom of the world , did always design to bring men to , as the very utmost happiness that a wise man is capable of in this life ; and 't is that which no considerate man would part with , for all that this world can give him . the greatest fortune in this world ought to be no temptation to any man in his wits , to submit to perpetual sickness and pain for the gaining of it ; and yet there is no disease in the world , that for the sharpness of it is comparable to the sting of a guilty mind , and no pleasure equal to that of innocence and a good conscience . and this naturally springs up in the mind of a good man , where it is not hindred either by a melancholy temper , or by false principles in religion , which fill a man with groundless fears and jealousies of the love and favour of god towards him ; and excepting these two cases , this is the ordinary fruit of an holy and good course , which is not interrupted by frequent falling into sin , and great omissions and violations of our duty : for in this case the interruptions of our peace and comfort will naturally be answerable to the inequality of our obedience . ii. besides the present and inestimable fruit of holiness , the quiet and satisfaction of our own minds , it is likewise a proper means to promote our interest and happiness in this world. for as every vice is naturally attended with some temporal inconvenience of pain or loss ; so there is no grace or virtue , but does apparently conduce to a man's temporal felicity . there are some virtues which tend to the health of his body , and the prolonging of his life , as temperance and chastity ; others tend to riches and plenty , as diligence and industry in our callings ; others to the secure and peaceable enjoyment of what we have , as truth and fidelity , justice and honesty in all our dealings and intercourse with men . there are other virtues that are apt to oblige mankind to us , and to gain their friendship and good will , their aid and assistance , as kindness , and meekness , and charity , and a generous disposition to do good to all , as far as we have power and oportunity . in a word , there is no real interest of this world , but may ordinarily be as effectually promoted and pursued to as great advantage , by a man that exercises himself in the practice of all virtue and goodness , and usually to far greater advantage , than by one that is intemperate and debauch'd , deceitful and dishonest , apt to disoblige and provoke , sour and ill-natur'd to all mankind : for there is none of these vices , but is to a man's real hinderance and disadvantage , in regard of one kind of happiness or another , which men aim at and propose to themselves in this world. iii. a religious and virtuous course of life doth naturally tend to the prolonging of our days , and hath very frequently the blessing of health and long life attending upon it . the practice of a great many virtues is a great preservative of life and health , as the due government of our appetites and passions , by temperance and chastity and meekness , which prevent the chief causes from within of bodily diseases and distempers ; the due government of our tongues and conversation in respect of others , by justice and kindness , and abstaining from wrath and provocation , which are a great security against the dangers of outward violence , according to that of st. peter . epist . . . he that will love life and see good days , let him refrain his tongue from evil , and his lips that they speak no guile , let him eschew evil , and do good , let him seek peace and ensue it . and beside the natural tendency of things , there is a special blessing of god , which attends good men , and makes their days long in the land which the lord their god hath given them . iv. there is nothing gives a man so much comfort when he comes to die , as the reflection upon an holy and good life ; and then surely above all other times comfort is most valuable , because our frail and infirm nature doth then stand most in need of it . then usually mens hearts are faint and their spirits low , and every thing is apt to deject and trouble them ; so that we had need to provide our selves of some excellent cordial against that time ; and there is no comfort like to that of a clear conscience , and of an innocent and useful life . this will revive and raise a man's spirits under all the infirmities of his body , because it gives a man good hopes concerning his eternal state , and the hopes of that are apt to fill a man with joy unspeakable and full of glory . the difference between good and bad men is never so remarkable in this world , as when they are upon their death-bed . this the scripture observes to us , psal . . . mark the perfect man , and behold the upright , for the end of that man is peace . with what triumph and exultation doth the blessed apostle st. paul , upon the review of his life , discourse concerning his death and dissolution ? tim. . , , . i am now ready , says he , to be offered up , and the time of my departure is at hand : i have fought a good fight , i have finish'd my course , i have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness , which the lord , the righteous judge will give me at that day . what would not any of us do to be thus affected when we come to leave the world , and to be able to bear the thoughts of death and eternity with so quiet and well satisfi'd a mind ! why , let us but endeavour to live holy lives , and to be useful and serviceable to god in our generation , as this holy apostle was , and we shall have the same ground of joy and triumph which he had . for this is the proper and genuine effect of virtue and goodness ; the work of righteousness is peace , and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever . all the good actions that we do in this life are so many seeds of comfort sown in our own consciences , which will spring up one time or other , but especially in the approaches of death , when we come to take a serious review of our lives ; for then mens consciences use to deal plainly and impartially with them , and to tell them the truth , and if at that time more especially our hearts condemn us not , then may we have comfort and confidence towards god. v. an holy and virtuous life doth transmit a good name and reputation to posterity . and this solomon hath determined to be a much greater happiness , than for a man to leave a great estate behind him : a good name says he , is rather to be chosen than great riches . pious and virtuous men do commonly gain to themselves a good esteem and reputation in this world , while they are in it ; but the virtues of good men are not always so bright and shining , as to meet with that respect and acknowledgment which is due to them in this world. many times they are much clouded by the infirmities and passions which attend them , and are shadowed by some affected singularities and morosities , which those which have liv'd more retir'd from the world are more liable to . besides that the envy of others , who are not so good as they , lies heavy upon them , and does depress them . for bad men are very apt to misinterpret the best actions of the good , and put false colours upon them , and when they have nothing else to object against them , to charge them with hypocrisie and insincerity ; an objection as hard to be answer'd , as it is to be made good , unless we could see into the hearts of men . but when good men are dead and gone , and the bright and shining example of their virtues is at a convenient distance , and does not gall and upbraid others , then envy ceaseth , and every man is then content to give a good man his due praise , and his friends and posterity may then quietly enjoy the comfort of his reputation , which is some sort of blessing to him that is gone . this difference solomon observes to us between good and bad men ; the memory of the just is blessed , or well spoken of : but the name of the wicked shall rot . vi. and lastly , religion and virtue do derive a blessing upon our posterity after us . oh , that there were such an heart in them , saith moses concerning the people of israel , that they would fear me , and keep all my commandments always , that it might be well with them and with their children for ever ! and to this purpose there are many promises in scripture of god's blessing the posterity of the righteous , and his shewing mercies to thousands of the children of them that love him , and keep his commandments . and this a great motive to obedience , and toucheth upon that natural affection which men bear to their children ; so that if we have any regard to them , or concernment for their happiness , we ought to be very careful of our duty , and afraid to offend god ; because according as we demean our selves towards him , we entail a lasting blessing or a great curse upon our children ; by so many and and so strong bonds hath god tyed our duty upon us , that if we either desire our own happiness , or the happiness of those that are dearest to us , and part of our selves , we must fear god and keep his commandments . and thus i have briefly represented to you , some of the chief benefits and advantages which an holy and virtuous life does commonly bring to men in this world , which is the first encouragement mention'd in the text ; ye have your fruit unto holiness . before i proceed to the second , i shall only just take notice , by way of application , of what hath been said on this argument . . that it is a great encouragement to well-doing , to consider that ordinarily piety and goodness are no hindrance to a man's temporal felicity , but very frequently great promoters of it ; so that excepting only the case of persecution for religion , i think i may safely challenge any man , to shew me how the practice of any part or duty of religion , how the exercise of any grace or virtue is to the prejudice of a man's temporal interest , or does debar him of any true pleasure , or hinder him of any real advantage , which a prudent and considerate man would think fit to chuse . and as for persecution and sufferings for religion , god can reward us for them , if he please , in this world , and we have all the assurance that we can desire , that he will do it abundantly in the next . . the hope of long life , and especially of a quiet and comfortable death , should be a great encouragement to an holy and virtuous life . he that lives well , takes the best course to live long , and lays in for an happy old age , free from the diseases and infirmities which are naturally procur'd by a vicious youth , and likewise free from the guilt and galling remembrance of a wicked life . and there is no condition , which we can fall into in this world , that does so clearly discover the difference between a good and bad man , as a death-bed : for then the good man begins most sensibly to enjoy the comforts of well-doing , and the sinner to taste the bitter fruits of sin. what a wide difference is then to be seen , between the hopes and fears of these two sorts of persons ! and surely next to the actual possession of blessedness , the good hopes and comfortable prospect of it , are the greatest happiness ; and next to the actual sense of pain , the fear of suffering is the greatest torment . tho' there were nothing beyond this life to be expected , yet if men were sure to be possess'd with these delightful or troublesome passions when they come to dye , no man that wisely considers things would , for all the pleasures of sin , forfeit the comfort of a righteous soul , leaving this world full of the hope of immortality ; and endure the vexation and anguish of a guilty conscience , and that infinite terror and amazement which so frequently possesseth the soul of a dying sinner . . if there be any spark of a generous mind in us , it should animate us to do well , that we may be well spoken of when we are gone off the stage , and may transmit a grateful memory of our lives to those that shall be after us . i proceed now to the second thing i proposed , as the great advantage indeed , viz. the glorious reward of a holy and virtuous life in another world , which is here called everlasting life ; and the end everlasting life ; by which the apostle intends to express to us , both the happiness of our future state , and the way and means whereby we are prepared and made meet to be made partakers of it ; and that is by the constant and sincere endeavours of an holy and good life . for 't is they only that have their fruit unto holiness , whose end shall be everlasting life . i shall speak briefly to these two , and so conclude my discourse upon this text. i. the happiness of our future state , which is here exprest by the name of everlasting life ; in very few words , but such as are of wonderful weight and significancy : for they import the excellency of this state , and the eternity of it . and who is sufficient to speak to either of these arguments ? both of them are too big to enter now into the heart of man , too vast and boundless to be comprehended by humane understanding , and too unweildy to be manag'd by the tongue of men and angels , answerably to the unspeakable greatness and glory of them . and if i were able to declare them unto you , as they deserv'd , you would not be able to hear me . and therefore i shall chuse to say but little upon an argument , of which i can never say enough , and shall very briefly consider those two things which are comprehended in that short description , which the text gives us of our future happiness , by the name of everlasting life , viz. the excellency of this state , and the eternity of it . . the excellency of it , which is here represented to us under the notion of life , the most desirable of all other things , because it is the foundation of all other enjoyments whatsoever . barely to be in being , and to be sensible that we are so , is but a dry notion of life . the true notion of life is to be well and to be happy , vivere est benè valere . they who are in the most miserable condition that can be imagin'd , are in being , and sensible also that they are miserable . but this kind of life is so far from coming under the true notion of life , that the scripture calls it the second death . revel . . . it is there said , that the wicked shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death . and , chap. . ver . . blessed and holy is he , that hath part in the first resurrection , on such the second death shall have no power . so that a state of meer misery and torment is not life but death ; nay , the scripture will not allow the life of a wicked man in this world to be true life , but speaks of him as dead . ephes . . . speaking of the sinners among the gentiles , you , saith the apostle , hath he quickned , who were dead in trespasses and sins . and which is more yet , the scripture calls a life of sinful pleasures ( which men esteem the only happiness of this world ) the scripture , i say , calls this a death , tim. . . she that liveth in pleasures , is dead whilst she liveth . a lewd and unprofitable life , which serves to no good end and purpose , is a death rather than a life . nay , that decaying and dying life which we now live in this world , and which is allayed by the mixture of so many infirmities and pains , of so much trouble and sorrow , i say , that even this sort of life , for all that we are so fondly in love with it , does hardly deserve the name of life . but the life of the world to come , of which we now speak , this is life indeed ; to do those things which we were made for , to serve the true ends of our being , and to enjoy the comfort and reward of so doing , this is the true notion of life ; and whatever is less than this , is death , or a degree of it , and approach towards it . and therefore very well may heaven and happiness be describ'd by the notion of life , because truly to live and to be happy are words that signifie the same thing . but what kind of life this is , i can no more describe to you in the particularities of it , than columbus could have described the particular manners and customs of the people of america , before he or any other person in these parts of the world , had seen it or been there . but this i can say of it in general , and that from the infallible testimony of the great creator and glorious inhabitants of that blessed place , that it is a state of pure pleasure and unmingled joys , of pleasures more manly , more spiritual , and more refined , than any of the delights of sense , consisting in the enlargement of our minds and knowledge to a greater degree , and in the perfect exercise of love and friendship , in the conversation of the best and wisest company , free from self-interest , and all those unsociable passions of envy , and jealousie , of malice and ill-will , which spoil the comfort of all conversation in this world , and , in a word , free from all other passion or design , but an ardent and almost equal desire to contribute all , that by all means possible they can , to the mutual happiness of one another : for charity reigns in heaven , and is the brightest grace and virtue in the firmament of glory , far out-shining all other ; as st. paul , who had himself been taken up into the third heaven , does expresly declare to us . farther yet , this blessed state consists more particularly in these two things : in having our bodies raised and refined to a far greater purity and perfection , than ever they had in this world ; and in the consequent happiness of the whole man's soul and body , so strictly and firmly united as never to be parted again , and so equally match'd as to be no trouble or impediment to one another . ( . ) in having our bodies raised and refined to a far greater purity and perfection , than ever they had in this world. our bodies as they are now are unequally temper'd , and in a perpetual flux and change , continually tending to corruption , because made up of such contrary principles and qualities , as by their perpetual conflict are always at work , conspiring the ruin and dissolution of them ; but when they are raised again , they shall be so temper'd and so refin'd , as to be free from all those destructive qualities , which do now threaten their change and dissolution ; and tho' they shall still consist of matter , yet it shall be purified to that degree , as to partake of the immortality of our souls , to which it shall be united , and to be of equal duration with them . so the scripture tells us , cor. . , . that our dead bodies shall be raised incorruptible ; for this corruptible must put on incorruption , and this mortal must put on immortality . our bodies when they are laid down in the grave are vile carcases , but they shall be raised again beautiful and glorious , and as different from what they were before , as the heavenly mansions in which they are to reside for ever are from that dark cell of the grave out of which they are raised , and shall then be endowed with such a life and strength and vigour , as to be able without any change or decay to abide and continue for ever in the same state . our bodies in this world are gross flesh and blood , liable to be affected with natural and sensual pleasures , and to be afflicted with natural pains and diseases , to be prest with the natural necessities of hunger and thirst , and obnoxious to all those changes and accidents to which all natural things are subject : but they shall be raised spiritual bodies , pure and refin'd from all the dregs of matter ; they shall not hunger , nor thirst , nor be diseased , or in pain any more . these houses of clay , whose foundation is in the dust , are continually decaying , and therefore stand in need of continual reparation by food and physick : but our house which is from heaven , ( as the apostle calls it ) shall be of such lasting and durable materials , as not only time , but even eternity it self , shall make no impression upon it , or cause the least decay in it . they ( says our blessed saviour ) who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world , and the resurrection from the dead , cannot die any more : but shall be like the angels , and are the children of god , i. e. shall in some degree partake of the felicity and immortality of god himself , who is always the same , and whose years fail not . nay , the apostle expresly tells us , that our bodies after the resurrection shall be spiritual bodies , so that we shall then be as it were all spirit , and our bodies shall be so raised and refined , that they shall be no clog or impediment to the operation of our souls . and it must needs be a great comfort to us whilst we are in this world , to live in the hopes of so happy and glorious a change ; when we consider how our bodies do now oppress our spirits , and what a melancholy and dead weight they are upon them , how grievous an incumbrance and trouble and temptation they are for the most part to us in this mortal state . ( . ) the blessedness of this state consists likewise in the consequent happiness of the whole man , soul and body , so strictly and firmly united as never to be parted again , and so equally matched as to be no trouble and impediment to one another . in this world the soul and body are for the most part very unequally yoked , so that the soul is not only darkned by the gross fumes and clouds which rise from the body , but loaded and opprest by the dull weight of it , which it very heavily lugs on and draws after it ; and the soul likewise , and the vicious inclinations and irregular passions of it , have many times an ill influence upon the body and the humours of it . but in the next world they shall both be purified , the one from sin , and the other from frailty and corruption , and both admitted to the blessed sight and enjoyment of the ever blessed god. but the consideration of this , ( as i said before ) is too big for our narrow apprehensions in this mortal state , and an argument not fit to be treated of by such children , as the wisest of men are in this world ; and whenever we attempt to speak of it , we do but lisp like children , and understand like children , and reason like children about it . that which is imperfect must be done away , and our souls must be raised to a greater perfection , and our understandings fill'd with a stronger and steadier light , before we can be fit to engage in so profound a contemplation . we must first have been in heaven , and possest of that felicity and glory which is there to be enjoyed , before we can either speak or think of it in any measure as it deserves . in the mean time , whenever we set about it , we shall find our faculties opprest and dazled with the weight and splendor of so great and glorious an argument ; like st. paul , who , when he was caught up into paradise , saw and heard those things which when he came down again into this world , he was not able to express , and which it was not possible for the tongue of man to utter . so that in discoursing of the state of the blessed , we must content our selves with what the scripture hath revealed in general concerning it ; that it is a state of perfect freedom from all those infirmities and imperfections , those evils and miseries , those sins and temptations which we are liable to in this world. so st. john describes the glory and felicity of that state , as they were in visions represented to him , rev. . , , . and i john saw the holy city , the new jerusalem , prepared as a bride adorned for her husband . and i heard a great voice out of heaven , saying , behold ! the tabernacle of god is with men , and he will dwell with them , and they shall be his people , and god himself shall be with them , and be their god. and god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more death , neither sorrow , nor crying , neither shall there be any more pain : for the former things are passed away ; that is , all those evils which we saw or suffered in this world , shall for ever vanish and disappear , and , which is the great privilege and felicity of all that there shall no sin be there , v. . there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth , and consequently there shall be no misery and curse there . so we read , chap. . , . and there shall be no more curse ; but the throne of god and of the lamb shall be in it , and his servants shall serve him , and they shall see his face . in which last words our employment and our happiness are exprest ; but what in particular our employment shall be , and wherein it shall consist , is impossible now to describe ; it is sufficient to know in the general , that our employment shall be our unspeakable pleasure , and every way suitable to the glory and happiness of that state , and as much above the noblest and most delightful employments of this world , as the perfection of our bodies , and the powers of our souls , shall then be above what they are now in this world. for there is no doubt , but that he who made us , and endued our souls with a desire of immortality , and so large a capacity of happiness , does understand very well by what way and means to make us happy , and hath in readiness proper exercises and employments for that state , and every way more fitted to make us happy , than any condition or employment in this world is suitable to a temporal happiness ; employments that are suitable to the spirits of just men made perfect , united to bodies purified and refined almost to the condition of spirits ; employments which we shall be so far from being weary of , that they shall minister to us a new and fresh delight to all eternity ; and this perhaps , not so much from the variety , as from the perpetual and growing pleasure of them . it is sufficient for us to know this in the general , and to trust the infinite power and wisdom and goodness of god , for the particular manner and circumstances of our happiness ; not doubting but that he , who is the eternal and inexhaustible spring and fountain of all happiness , can and will derive and convey such a share of it to every one of us as he thinks fit , and in such ways as he , who best understands it , is best able to find out . in a word , the happiness of the next life shall be such as is worthy of the great king of the world to bestow upon his faithful servants , and such as is infinitely beyond the just reward of their best services ; it is to see god , i. e. to contemplate and love the best and most perfect of beings , and to be for ever with the lord , in whose presence is fullness of joy , and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore . i will say no more upon this argument , lest i should say less , and because whoever ventures to wade far into it , will soon find himself out of his depth , and in danger to be swallowed up and lost in that great abyss , which is not to be fathom'd by the shallow faculties of mortal men . i shall therefore only mention the . thing i proposed to speak to , viz. the eternity of this happiness ; and the end everlasting life ; by which the apostle intends to express the utmost perfection , but not the final period of the happiness of good men in another world. for to a perfect state of happiness these two conditions are requisite , that it be immutable , and that it be interminable , that it can neither admit of a change nor of an end . and this is all that i shall say of it , it being impossible to say any thing that is more intelligible and plain , concerning that which is infinite , than that it is so . i should now have proceeded to the ii. thing i proposed , viz. by what way and means , we may be prepared , and made meet to be made partakers of this happiness ; and that is , ( as i have told you all along ) by the constant and sincere endeavour of an holy and good life ; for the text supposeth that they only who are made free from sin , and become the servants of god , and who have their fruit unto holiness , are they whose end shall be everlasting life : but this is an argument which i have had so frequent occasion to speak to , that i shall not now meddle with it . all that i shall do more at present shall be to make an inference or two from what hath been said upon this argument . i. the consideration of the happy state of good men in another world , cannot be but a great comfort and support to good men under all the evils and sufferings of this present life . hope is a great cordial to the minds of men , especially when the thing hoped for does so vastly outweigh the present grievance and trouble . the holy scriptures , which reveal to us the happiness of our future state , do likewise assure us that there is no comparison between the afflictions and sufferings of good men in this world , and the reward of them in the other . i reckon ( saith st. paul ) rom. . . that the sufferings of this present time , are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us . particularly the consideration of that glorious change which shall be made in our bodies at the resurrection , ought to be a great comfort to us under all the pains and diseases which they are now liable to , and even against death it self . one of the greatest burdens of humane nature , is the frailty and infirmity of our bodies , the necessities which they are frequently prest withal , the diseases and pains to which they are liable , and the fear of death , by reason whereof a great part of mankind are subject to bondage ; against all which , this is an everlasting spring of consolation to us , that the time is coming when we shall have other sort of bodies , freed from that burden of corruption which we now groan under , and from all those miseries and inconveniences which flesh and blood are now subject to . for the time will come , when these vile bodies , which we now wear , shall be changed , and fashioned like to the glorious body of the son of god ; and when they shall be raised at the last day , they shall not be raised such as we laid them down , vile and corrruptible ; but immortal and incorruptible : for the same power which hath raised them up to life , shall likewise change them , and put a glory upon them like to that of the glorified body of our lord ; and when this glorious change is made , when this corruptible hath put on incorruption , and this mortal hath put on immortality , then shall come to pass the saying that is written , death is swallowed up in victory ; and when this last enemy is perfectly subdued , we shall be set above all the frailties and dangers , all the temptations and sufferings of this mortal state ; there will then be no fleshly lusts and brutish passions to war against the soul ; no law in our members to rise up in rebellion against the law of our minds ; no diseases to torment us , no danger of death to terrifie us ; all the motions and passions of our outward man shall then be perfectly subject to the reason of our minds , and our bodies shall partake of the immortality of our souls . how should this consideration bear us up under all the evils of life and the fears of death , that the resurrection will be a perfect cure of all our infirmities and diseases , and an effectual remedy of all the evils that we now labour under ; and that it is but a very little while that we shall be troubled with these frail , and mortal , and vile bodies , which shall shortly be laid in the dust , and when they are raised again , shall become spiritual , incorruptible , and glorious ! and if our bodies shall undergo so happy a change , what happiness may we imagine shall then be conferr'd upon our souls , that so much better and nobler part of our selves ! as the apostle reasons in another case , doth god take care of oxen ? hath he this consideration of our bodies , which are but the brutish part of the man ? what regard will he then have to his own image , that spark of divinity which is for ever to reside in these bodies ? if upon the account of our souls , and for their sakes , our bodies shall become incorruptible , spiritual and glorious ; then certainly our souls shall be endued with far more excellent and divine qualities : if our bodies shall in some degree partake of the perfection of our souls in their spiritual and immortal nature ; to what a pitch of perfection shall our souls be raised and advanced ! even to an equality with angels , and to some kind of participation of the divine nature and perfection , so far as a creature is capable of them . ii. the comparison which is here in the text , and which i have largely explain'd , between the manifest inconveniences of a sinful and vicious course , and the manifold advantages of an holy and virtuous life , is a plain direction to us which of these two to chuse . so that i may make the same appeal that moses does , after that he had at large declared the blessings promis'd to the obedience of god's laws , and the curse denounc'd against the violation and transgression of them , deut. . . i call heaven and earth to record against you this day , that i have set before you life and death , blessing and cursing ; therefore chuse life , that you may be happy in life and death , and after death to all eternity . i know every one is ready to chuse happiness , and to say with balaam , let me die the death of the righteous , and let my latter end be like his : but if we do in good earnest desire the end , we must take the way that leads to it ; we must become the servants of god , and have our fruit unto holiness , if ever we expect , that the end shall be everlasting life . sermon ix . the nature and necessity of holy resolution . the first sermon on this text. job xxxiv . , . surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more : that which i see not , teach thou me ; if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . these words are the words of elihu , one of job's friends , and the only one who is not reproved for his discourse with job , and who was probably the author of this ancient and most eloquent history of the sufferings and patience of job , and of the end which the lord made with him ; and they contain in them a description of the temper and behaviour of a true penitent . surely it is meet , &c. in which words we have the two essential parts of a true repentance . first , an humble acknowledgment and confession of our sins to god , surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement . secondly , a firm purpose and resolution of amendment and forsaking of sin for the future , i will not offend any more ; if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . first , an humble acknowledgment and confession of our sins to god ; surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , that is , have sinned and been justly punish'd for it , and am now convinced of the evil of sin , and resolved to leave it ; i have born chastisement , i will offend no more . of this first part of repentance , viz. an humble confession of our sins to god , with great shame and sorrow for them , and a thorow conviction of the evil and danger of a sinful course , i have already treated at large . in these repentance must begin , but it must not end in them : for a penitent confession of our sins to god , and a conviction of the evil of them , signifies nothing , unless it bring us to a resolution of amendment , that is , of leaving our sins , and betaking our selves to a better course : and this i intend , by god's assistance , to speak to now , as being the second part of a true repentance here described in the text , viz. a firm purpose and resolution of amendment and forsaking of sin for the future ; and to express it the more strongly and emphatically , and to shew the firmness of the resolution , it is repeated again ; i will not offend any more ; and then in the next verse , if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . and this is so necessary a part of repentance , that herein the very essence and formal nature of repentance does consist , viz. in the firm and sincere purpose and resolution of a better course . in the handling of this argument , i shall do these six things . i. i shall shew what resolution is in general . ii. what is the special object of this kind of resolution . iii. what is implyed in a sincere resolution of leaving our sins and returning to god. iv. i shall shew that in this resolution of amendment , the very essence and formal nature of repentance does consist . v. i shall offer some considerations to convince men , both of the necessity and fitness of this resolution , and of keeping stedfastly to it . surely it is meet to be said unto god , i will not offend any more . vi. i shall add some brief directions concerning the managing and maintaining of this holy and necessary resolution . i. what resolution in general is . it is a fixt determination of the will about any thing , either to do it , or not to do it , as upon due deliberation we have judged and concluded it to be necessary or convenient to be done , or not to be done by us : and this supposeth three things . . resolution supposeth a precedent deliberation of the mind about the thing to be resolved upon . for no prudent man does determine or resolve upon any thing , till he have considered the thing , and weighed it well with himself , and have fully debated the necessity and expedience of it ; what advantage he shall have by the doing of it , and what danger and inconvenience will certainly or very probably redound to him by the neglect and omission of it . for peremptorily to determine and resolve upon any thing , before a man have done this , is not properly resolution ; but precipitancy and rashness . . resolution supposeth some judgment past upon the thing , after a man hath thus deliberated about it ; that he is satisfied in his mind one way or other concerning it , that his understanding is convinced either that it is necessary and convenient for him to do it , or that it is not ; and this is sometimes call'd resolution , but is not that resolution which immediately determines a man to action . this judgment of the necessity and fitness of the thing , is not the resolution of the will , but of the understanding ; for it does not signifie that a man hath fully determined to do the thing , but that he hath determined with himself that it is reasonable to be done , and that he is no longer in doubt and suspence whether it be best for him to do it or not , but is in his mind resolved and satisfied one way or other . and these are two very different things ; to be resolved in one's judgment , that is , to be convinced that a thing is fit and necessary to be done ; and to be resolved to set upon the doing of it ; for many men are thus convinced of the fitness and necessity of the thing , who yet have not the heart , cannot bring themselves to a firm and fixt resolution to set upon the doing of it . so that an act of the judgment , must go before the resolution of the will : for as he is rash that resolves to do a thing before he hath deliberated about it ; so he is blind and wilful that resolves to do a thing before his judgment be satisfied , whether it be best for him to do it or not . . if the matter be of considerable moment and consequence , resolution supposeth some motion of the affections ; which is a kind of biass upon the will , a certain propension and inclination that a man feels in himself , either urging him to do a thing , or withdrawing him from it . deliberation and judgment they direct a man what to do , or leave undone ; the affections excite and quicken a man to take some resolution in the matter , that is , to do suitably to the judgment his mind hath past upon the thing . for instance ; a great sinner reflects upon his life , and considers what he hath done , what the course is that he lives in , and what the issue and consequence of it will probably or certainly be , whether it will make him happy or miserable in the conclusion ; and debating the matter calmly and soberly with himself , he is satisfied and convinced of the evil and danger of a wicked life , and consequently that it is best for him to resolve upon a better course , that is , to repent . now these thoughts must needs awaken in him fearful apprehensions of the wrath of almighty god , which is due to him for his sins and hangs over him , and which he is every moment in danger of , if he goes on in his evil course . these thoughts are apt likewise to fill him with shame and confusion , at the remembrance of his horrible ingratitude to god his maker , his best friend and greatest benefactor , and of his desperate folly in provoking omnipotent justice against himself ; whereupon he is heartily grieved and troubled for what he hath done ; and these affections of fear and shame and sorrow being once up , they come with great violence upon the will , and urge the man to a speedy resolution of changing his course , and leaving the way he is in , which he is fully convinced is so evil and dangerous , and of betaking himself to another course , which he is fully satisfied will be much more for his safety and advantage . so that resolution in general , is a fixt determination of the will ; that is , such a determination as is not only for the present free from all wavering and doubting , but such as cannot prudently be altered , so long as the reason remains . for the man who upon full deliberation and conviction of his mind resolves upon any thing , cannot without the imputation of sickleness and inconstancy quit that resolution , so long as he hath the same reason which he had when he took it up , and is still satisfied that the reason is good . for instance ; the man who hath taken up a resolution to be sober , because of the ugliness and unreasonableness of drunkenness , and the temporal inconveniences and eternal damnation which that sin exposeth a man to ; if these reasons be true and good , can never prudently alter the resolution which he hath taken , and return to that sin again . ii. let us consider what is the special object or matter of this resolution , wherein the formal nature of repentance does consist , what it is that a man when he repents resolves upon ; and that i told you is to leave his sin , and to return to god and his duty ; and this is the resolution which the penitent here described in the text takes up , i will not offend any more . that which i see not , teach thou me ; and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . he resolves against all known sin , i will not offend any more ; and if through ignorance he had sinned and done contrary to his duty , he desires to be better instructed , that he may not offend again in the like kind , that which i see not , teach thou me ; and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . so that the true penitent resolves upon these two things . . to forsake his sin. and . to return to god and his duty . . to forsake his sin : and this implies the quitting of his sinful course whatever it had been ; and that not only by abstaining from the outward act and practice of every sin , but by endeavouring to crucifie and subdue the inward affection and inclination to it . and it implies farther , the utter forsaking of sin ; for repentance is not only a resolution to abstain from sin for the present , but never to return to it again . thus ephraim when he repented of his idolatry , he utterly renounced it , saying , what have i to do any more with idols ? hos . . . he that truly repents , is resolved to break off his sinful course , and to abandon those lusts and vices which he was formerly addicted to , and lived in . . the true penitent resolves likewise to return to god and his duty : he does not stay in the negative part of religion , he does not only resolve not to commit any sin , but not to neglect or omit any thing that he knows to be his duty ; and if he has been ignorant of any part of his duty , he is willing to know it , that he may do it ; he is not only determined to forsake his sin , which will make him miserable , but to return to god , who alone can make him happy : he is now resolved to love god , and to serve him as much as he hated and dishonoured him before ; and will now be as diligent to perform and practise all the duties and parts of religion , as he was negligent of them before , and as ready to do all the good he can to all men in any kind , as he was careless of these things before : these in general are the things which a true penitent resolves upon . i proceed to the iii. thing i proposed to consider , namely what is implyed in a sincere resolution of leaving our sins , and returning to god and our duty . and this holy resolution , if it be thorow and sincere , does imply in it these three things . . that it be universal . . that it be a resolution of the means as well as of the end. . that it presently come to effect , and be speedily and without delay put in execution . . a sincere resolution of amendment must be universal : a resolution to forsake all sin , and to return to our whole duty , and every part of it ; such a resolution as that of holy david , to hate every false way , and to have respect to all god's commandments . this resolution must be universal in respect of the whole man , and with regard to all our actions : in respect of the whole man ; for we must resolve not only to abstain from the outward action of sin , but this resolution must have its effect upon our inward man , and reach our very hearts and thoughts ; it must restrain our inclinations , and mortifie our lusts and corrupt affections , and renew us in the very spirit of our minds , as the apostle expresses it . and it must be universal , in respect of all our actions . for this is not the resolution of a sincere penitent , to abstain only from gross and notorious , from scandalous and open sins ; but likewise to refrain from the commission of those sins which are small in the esteem of men , and not branded with a mark of publick infamy and reproach ; to forbear sin in secret , and when no eye of man sees us and takes notice of us . this is not a sincere resolution , to resolve to practice the duties and virtues of religion in publick , and to neglect them in private ; to resolve to perform the duties of the first table , and to pass by those of the second ; to resolve to serve god , and to take a liberty to defraud and cozen men ; to honour our father which is in heaven , and to injure and hate our brethren upon earth ; to love our neighbour , and to hate our enemy , as the jews did of old time ; to resolve against swearing , and to allow our selves the liberty to speak falsely , and to break our word ; to flee from superstition , and to run into faction ; to abhor idols , and to commit sacriledge ; to resolve to be devout at church , and deceitful in our shops ; to be very scrupulous about lesser matters , and to be very zealous about indifferent things ; to tithe mint and anise and cummin , and to omit the weightier matters of the law , mercy and fidelity and justice ; to be very rigid in matters of faith and opinion , but loose in life and practice . no ; the resolution of a sincere penitent must be universal and uniform : it must extend alike to the forbearing of all sin , and the exercise of every grace and virtue , and to the due practice and performance of every part of our duty . the true penitent must resolve for the future to abstain from all sin , to be holy in all manner of conversation , and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness , which by jesus christ are to the praise and glory of god. for if a man do truly repent of his wicked life , there is the very same reason why he should resolve against all sin , as why he should resolve against any ; why he should observe all the commandments of god , as why he should keep any one of them . for as st. james reasons concerning him that wilfully breaks any one commandment of god , that he is guilty of all , and breaks the whole law ; because the authority of god is equally stampt upon all his laws , and is violated and contemned by the wilful transgression of any one of them ; for he that hath said , thou shalt not kill , hath likewise said , thou shalt not commit adultery , and thou shalt not steal : so he that resolves against any one sin , or upon performance of any one part of his duty , ought for the very same reason to make his resolution universal ; because one sin is evil and provoking to god , as well as another ; and the performance of one part of our duty good and pleasing to him , as well as another , and there is no difference . so that he that resolves against any sin , upon wise and reasonable gounds , because of the evil of it , and the danger of the wrath of god to which it exposeth us , ought for the same reason to resolve against all sin ; because it is damnable to commit adultery , and to steal , as well as to kill ; and that resolution against sin , which is not universal , it is a plain case that it is not true and sincere , and that it was not taken up out of the sense of the intrinsical evil of sin , and the danger of it in respect of god and the judgment of another world ; ( for this reason holds against every sin , and remains always the same ) but that it was taken up upon some inferior consideration , either because of the shame and infamy of it among men , or because of some other temporal inconvenience , which if the man could be secur'd against , he would presently break his resolution , and return to the commission of that sin , with as much freedom as any other . . a sincere resolution implies a resolution of the means as well as of the end. he that is truly and honestly resolved against any sin , is likewise resolved to avoid as much as is possible the occasions and temptations which may lead or draw him to that sin ; or if they happen to present themselves to him , he is resolved to stand upon his guard and to resist them . in like manner he that sincerely resolves upon doing his duty in any kind , must resolve upon the means that are requisite and necessary to the due discharge and performance of that duty . as he that resolves against that needless and useless sin of swearing in common conversation , must resolve also to set a guard before the door of his lips , seeing it is certain that it requires great care and attention , at least for some competent time , to get rid of a habit . when david resolved not to offend with his tongue , he resolved at the same time to be very watchful over himself , psal . . . i said i will take heed to my ways , that i offend not with my tongue : i will keep my mouth as with a bridle , while the wicked is before me . for a man to resolve against any sin or vice , and yet to involve himself continually in the occasions , and to run himself into the company and temptation which do naturally , and will almost necessarily lead and betray him into those sins , is a plain evidence of insincerity . this i take for a certain rule , that whatever can reasonably move a man to resolve upon any end , will , if his resolution be sincere and honest , determine him every whit as strongly to use all those means which are necessary in order to that end . but of this i have spoken elsewhere . . a sincere resolution of leaving our sins , and returning to god and our duty , does imply the present time , and that we are to resolve speedily and without delay to put this resolution in practice ; that we are peremptorily determined not to go one step farther in the ways of sin , not to neglect any duty that god requires of us , not for one moment ; but immediately and forthwith to set upon the practice of it , so soon as occasion and oportunity is offer'd to us . and the reason of this is evident ; because the very same considerations that prevail upon any man to take up this resolution of amendment , and changing the course of his life , are every whit as prevalent to engage him to put this resolution presently in practice and execution . i deny not , but a man may resolve upon a thing for the future , and when the time comes , may execute his resolution , and this resolution may for all that be very sincere and real , tho' it was delayed to a certain time , because he did not see reason to resolve to do the thing sooner : but it cannot be so in this case of repentance ; because there can no good reason be imagined , why a man should resolve seven years hence to change his course , and break off his sinful life , but the very same reason will hold as strongly , why he should do it presently and without delay ; and over and besides this , there are a great many and powerful reasons and considerations , why he should rather put this good resolution in present execution , than put it off and defer it to any farther time whatsoever . what is it that puts thee upon this resolution of leaving thy sins , and urgeth thee to do it at all ? art thou resolved to leave sin , because it is so great an evil ? why it is so for the present ; the evil of it is intrinsical to it , and cleaves to the very nature of it , and is never to be separated from it : so that this is a present reason , and as strong against it now , as ever it will be hereafter : nay it is stronger at present ; because if it be so great an evil , the sooner we leave it , the better . or dost thou resolve to forsake sin , because thou art apprehensive of the danger and mischief of it , that it will expose thee to the wrath of god , and to the endless and intolerable misery of another world ? why this reason likewise makes much more for the present leaving of it ; because the longer thou continuest in a sinful and impenitent state , the greater is thy danger , and the greater penalty thou wilt most certainly incur ; by delaying to put this good resolution in practice , thou dost increase and multiply the causes of thy fear . for hereby thou provokest god more , and every day dost incense his wrath more and more against thee ; thou preparest more and more fewel for everlasting burnings , and treasurest up for thy self more wrath , against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. nay thou dost not only increase and aggravate ; but thou dost hereby hasten thine own misery and ruine , and takest the most effectual course that is possible , to bring thine own fears , and the vengeance of almighty god , so much the sooner upon thee . for nothing provokes god to take a speedier course with sinners , and does more quicken the pace of his judgments , than wilful continuance in sin. and yet farther ; if thy resolution be valuable and considerable to thee , thou takest the most effectual course in the world to frustrate and defeat it . thou art fully resolved to leave thy sins hereafter , and thou thinkest thou hast reason for it : but by continuing in them for the present , thou provokest the justice of almighty god to cut thee off , before thy resolution hath taken effect . again ; dost thou resolve to leave thy sins one time or other , because thereby thou hopest to put thy self into a capacity of pardon and mercy , and of eternal life and happiness ? why this reason should move thee to do the thing as soon as is possible ; because the sooner thou forsakest thy sins , thou hast the greater hope of finding mercy and forgivness with god ; and the sooner thou beginnest a holy course , and the longer thou continuest therein , thou hast reason to expect a greater and more ample reward . thou canst not by holding off , hope to bring down pardon and mercy to lower rates , and to obtain these hereafter upon easier terms : no ; the terms and conditions of god's mercy are already fixt and establish'd , so as never to be alter'd . so that whatever reason thou canst possibly allege for taking up this resolution , it is every whit as forcible and powerful to perswade thee to put it speedily in execution . and then there is this reason besides , and that a very considerable one , why thou shouldest immediately put this resolution in practice , and not delay it for a moment . thou may'st at present do it much more certainly , and much more easily . much more certainly ; because thou art surer of the present time , than thou canst be of the future . the present is in thy power : but not one moment more . and thou may'st at present do it more easily ; for the longer thou continuest in sin , thy resolution against it will still grow weaker , and the habit of sin continually stronger . thou wilt every day be more enslaved by the power of thy lusts , and thy heart will every day be more hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . all the change that time makes , will still be for the worse , and more to thy disadvantage . sin will be as pleasant to thee hereafter , and thou more loth to leave it , than at present . sin was never mortified by age. it will every day have more strength to bind thee and hold thee fast , and thou wilt every day have less to break loose from it . for by every sin thou dost commit , thou addest a new degree to the strength and force of it ; and so much strength as thou addest to it , so much thou takest from thy self , and so much thou losest of thine own power and liberty . for a man and his lusts are like nature and a disease : so much strength as the disease gains , nature loseth , and the man is hereby doubly weakned : for he does not only lose so much of his own strength ; but the enemy gets it . nay thou dost hereby likewise forfeit that auxiliary strength and assistance which the grace of god is ready to afford to men , his restraining and his preventing grace . for as a man goes on in sin , and advanceth in an evil course , the grace of god draws off by degrees , and his holy spirit doth insensibly leave him : and when a sinner is come to this , his best resolutions will vanish like the morning cloud , and the early dew , which passeth away . so that it cannot be a true and sincere resolution of leaving our sins , if it do not take place , and have not its effect presently . for there is no man that takes up a resolution , upon weighty and considerable reasons , of doing any thing ; but if the reasons upon which he takes it up urge him to do the thing at present , he will presently set about it : and that man is not resolved to do a thing , whatever he may pretend , who hath most reason to do it at present , and may best do it now , and yet delays it . and thus i have opened to you the nature of this holy resolution of leaving our sins , and returning to god and our duty ; and have shewn what is necessarily implyed in such a resolution , if it be sincere and in good earnest ; that it be universal ; and that it be a resolution of the means , as well as of the end ; and that it presently take place and be put in execution . and these are three the best signs and marks that i know of , whereby a man may try and examine the truth and sincerity of that resolution of amendment , which we call repentance . if it be against all sin , and have an equal regard to every part of our duty ; if when we resolve upon the end , that is to avoid sin , and to perform our duty , we are equally resolved upon the means that are necessary to those ends ; if the resolution we have taken up commence presently , and from that day forward be duly executed and put in practice , then is our repentance and resolution of amendment sincere : but if there be a defect in any of these , our resolution is not as it ought to be . sermon x. the nature and necessity of holy resolution . the second sermon on this text. job xxxiv . , . surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more . that which i see not , teach thou me ; if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . these words are the description of the temper and behaviour of a true penitent , and do contain in them the two essential parts of a true repentance . first , an humble acknowledgment and confession of sin. secondly , a firm purpose and resolution of amendment and forsaking our sins for the future . and this latter is so necessary a part of repentance , that herein the very essence and formal nature of repentance does consist . in handling of this argument , i proposed to consider , i. what resolution in general is . ii. what is the special object or matter of this kind of resolution . iii. what is implyed in a sincere resolution of leaving our sins , and returning to god and our duty . iv. to shew that in this resolution of amendment , the very essence and formal nature of repentance doth consist . v. to offer some considerations to convince men of the necessity and fitness of this resolution , and of keeping stedfast to it . vi. to add some directions concerning the managing and maintaining this holy resolution . the three first i have spoken to , i now proceed to the iv. to shew that in this resolution the very essence and formal nature of repentance doth consist . a man may do many reasonable actions , without an explicit resolution . in things that are more easie and natural to us , judgment and resolution are all one ; it is all one to judge a thing fit to be done , and to resolve to do it . but in matters of difficulty , when a man is to strive against the stream , and to oppose strong habits that have taken deep root , there is nothing to be done without an explicit resolution . no man makes any remarkable change in his life , so as to cross his inclinations and custom , without an express resolution . for tho' a man's judgment be never so much convinced of the reasonableness and necessity of such a change ; yet unless a man's spirit be fortified and fixt by resolution , the power of custom , and the violence of his own inclinations will carry him against his judgment . now there is no change of a man's life can be imagined , wherein a man offers greater violence to inveterate habits , and to the strong propensions of his present temper , than in this of repentance . so that among all the actions of a man's life , there is none that doth more necessarily require an express purpose , than repentance does . and that herein repentance doth chiefly consist , i shall endeavour to make evident from scripture , and from the common apprehensions of mankind concerning repentance . the scripture , besides the several descriptions of repentance , useth two words to express it to us , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the former properly signifies the inward trouble and displeasure which men conceive against themselves , for having done amiss ; which if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a godly sorrow , it worketh in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as st. paul calls it , a repentance not to be repented of , that is , such a change of our minds , which as we shall have no cause to be troubled at , so no reason to alter afterwards . and what is this , but a firm , stedfast , and unalterable resolution ? the scripture likewise useth several phrases of the like importance , to describe repentance by ; as forsakeing and turning from sin , and conversion and turning to god. forsaking and turning from sin . hence it is call'd repentance from dead works , heb. . . and turning to god , acts . . i have shewed to the gentiles , that they should repent and turn to god , that is , from the worship of idols , to the true god. and we have both these together in the description which the prophet gives of repentance , isa . . . let the wicked forsake his ways , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and let him return unto the lord. now this change begins in the sinners resolution of doing this ; and the unrighteous man's forsaking his thoughts , is nothing else but changing the purpose of his mind , and resolving upon a better course . and thus lactantius describes it : agere autem poenitentiam nihil aliud est , quam affirmare & profiteri se non amplius peccaturum . to repent is nothing else , but for a man to declare and profess that he will sin no more . this is repentance before men . and repentance before god , is a resolution answerable to this profession . and elsewhere saith the same author , the greeks do most fully express repentance by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , because he that repents recovers his mind from his former folly , and is troubled at it , & confirmat animam suam ad rectius vivendum , and confirms his mind for a better course . and how is this done but by resolution ? and that this is the natural and true notion of repentance appears , in that the heathens did consent and agree in it . gellius gives this description of it . poenitere tum dicere solemus , cum quae ipsi fecimus , ea nobis post incipiunt displicere , sententiamque in iis nostram demutamus . we are said then to repent , when those things which we have done begin afterwards to displease us , and we change our resolution about them . and so likewise one of the philosophers describes it ; repentance is the beginning of philosophy , a flying from foolish words and actions , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the first preparation of a life not to be repented of . it is true indeed , repentance supposeth the entire change of our lives and actions , and a continued state , as the proper consequence of it : but repentance is but the beginning of this change , which takes its rise from the purpose and resolution of our minds ; and if it be sincere and firm , it will certainly have this effect , to change our lives ; and if it be not so , it is not repentance . for tho' in the nature of the thing it be possible , that a man may sincerely resolve upon a thing , and yet let fall his resolution afterwards , before it come into act : yet in the phrase of scripture , nothing is call'd repentance , but such a resolution as takes effect , so soon as there is oportunity for it . if we change our resolution , and repent of our repentance , this is not that which st. paul calls repentance unto salvation . so that no man that reads and considers the bible , can impose upon himself so grosly , as to conceit himself a true penitent , and consequently to be in a state of salvation , who hath been troubled for his sins , and hath taken up a resolution to leave them , if he do not pursue this resolution , and act according to it . v. i shall in the next place propound some arguments and considerations to perswade men to this holy resolution , and then to keep them firm and stedfast to it , so as never to change it after they have once taken it up . first , i shall propound some arguments to perswade men to take up this resolution ; and they are these . . consider that this resolution of repentance , is nothing but what , under the influence of god's grace and holy spirit , which are never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men , is in your power . and it is necessary to premise this ; for unless this be clear'd , all the other arguments that i can use will signifie nothing . for nothing in the world could be more vain , than to take a great deal of pains to perswade men to do a thing which they cannot do , to entreat them to attempt an impossibility , and to urge and solicite them with all earnestness and importunity to do that which is absolutely and altogether out of their power . all the commands of god ; and the exhortations of his word , and all the promises and threatnings , whereby these commands and exhortations are enforced , do plainly suppose , either that it is in our power to do the thing which god commands or exhorts us to ; or else , if it be not ( which i grant it is not ) that god is ready by his grace and strength , if we be not wanting to our selves , to assist and enable us to those ends and purposes . for the gospel supposeth a power going along with it , and that the holy spirit of god works upon the minds of men , to quicken and excite and assist them to their duty . and if it were not so , the exhortations of preachers would be nothing else , but a cruel and bitter mocking of sinners , and an ironical insulting over the misery and weakness of poor creatures ; and for ministers to preach , or people to hear sermons , upon other terms , would be the vainest expence of time , and the idlest thing we do all the week ; and all our disswasives from sin , and exhortations to holiness and a good life , and vehement perswasions of men to strive to get to heaven and to escape hell , would be just as if one should urge a blind man , by many reasons and arguments taken from the advantages of sight , and the comfort of that sense , and the beauty of external objects , by all means to open his eyes , and to behold the delights of nature , to see his way , and to look to his steps , and should upbraid him , and be very angry with him for not doing so . why , if resolution be absolutely impossible to us , and a thing wholly out of our power , it is just the same case . but then we ought to deal plainly and openly with men , and to tell them , that what we so earnestly perswade them to , is that which we certainly know they cannot do . so that it is necessary , if i intend that the following considerations should do any good , to assure men , that it is not impossible for them to make a resolution of leaving their sins , and returning to god. it is a power which every man is naturally invested withal , to consider , and judge , and chuse . to consider , that is , to weigh and compair things together . to judge , that is , to determine which is best . and to chuse , that is , to resolve to do it or not . and there is nothing more evident and more universally acknowledged in temporal cases , and in the affairs and concernments of this life . in these matters resolution is a thing ordinary and of frequent practice ; it is the principle of all great and considerable actions . men resolve to be great in this world , and by virtue of this resolution , when they have once taken it up , what industry will they not use ! what hazards will they not run in the pursuit of their ambitious designs ! difficulties and dangers do rather whet their courage , and set an edge upon their spirits . men resolve to be rich ; the apostle speaks of some that will be rich , tim. . they that will be rich : and tho' this be but a low and mean design , yet these persons , by virtue of this resolution , will toil and take prodigious pains in it . and as to spiritual things , every man hath the same power radically , that is , he hath the faculties of understanding and will ; but these are obstructed and hinder'd in their exercise , and strongly byassed a contrary way by the power of evil inclinations and habits ; so that as to the exercise of this power , and the effect of it in spiritual things , men are in a sort as much disabled , as if they were destitute of it . for 't is in effect all one , to have no understanding at all to consider things that are spiritual , as to have the understanding blinded by an invincible prejudice ; to have no liberty as to spiritual things , as to have the will strongly byassed against them . for a man that hath this prejudice upon his understanding , and this byass upon his will , it is to all intents and purposes as if he were destitute of these faculties . but then we are not to understand this impotency to be absolutely natural , but accidental ; not to be in the first frame and constitution of our souls , but to have hapned upon the depravation of nature . it is not a want of natural faculties , but the binding of them up and hindring their operations to certain purposes . this impotency proceeds from the power of evil habits . and thus the scripture expresseth it , and compares an impotency arising from bad habits and customs to a natural impossibility ; nothing coming nearer to nature , than a powerful custom . can the ethiopian change his skin , or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also , that are accustomed to do evil , learn to do well . but now god by the gospel hath designed the recovery of mankind from the slavery of sin , and the power of their lusts ; and therefore , as by the death of christ he hath provided a way to remove the guilt of sin , so by the spirit of christ he furnisheth us with sufficient power to destroy the dominion of sin. i say sufficient , if we be not wanting to our selves , but be workers together with god , and be as diligent to work out our own salvation , as he is ready to work in us both to will and to do . so that when we perswade men to repent and change their lives , and to resolve upon a better course , we do not exhort them to any thing that is absolutely out of their power ; but to what they may do , tho' not of themselves yet by the grace of god , which is always ready to assist them , unless by their former gross neglects and long obstinacy in an evil course , they have provoked god to withdraw his grace from them . so that tho' considering our own strength abstractedly , and separately from the grace of god , these things be not in our power ; yet the grace of god puts them into our power . and this is so far from derogating from the grace of god , that it is highly to the praise of it . for if the grace of god make us able to repent and resolve upon a new life , he that asserts this does not attribute his repentance to himself , but to the grace of god : nay he that says that god's grace excites , and is ready to assist men to do what god commands , represents god immensely more good and gracious , than he that says that god commands men to do that which by their natural power they cannot do , and will condemn them for not doing it , and yet denies them that grace which is necessary to the doing of it . let this then be establish'd as a necessary consideration to prevent discouragement , that to resolve upon the change of our lives , is that which by the grace of god we are enabled to do , if we will. resolution is no strange and extraordinary thing ; it is one of the most common acts that belongs to us as we are men ; but we do not ordinarily apply it to the best purposes . it is not so ordinary for men to resolve to be good , as to be rich and great ; not so common for men to resolve against sin , as to resolve against poverty and suffering . it is not so usual for men to resolve to keep a good conscience , as to keep a good place . indeed our corrupt nature is much more opposite to this holy kind of resolution . but then to balance and answer this , god hath promised greater and more immediate assistance to us in this case , than in any other . there is a general blessing and common assistance promised to resolution and diligence about temporal things ; and god's providence doth often advance such persons to riches and honour . the diligent hand , with god's blessing , makes rich , as solomon tell us , prov. . . and , . seest thou ( says he ) a man diligent in business ? he shall stand before princes , he shall not stand before mean persons . now diligence is the effect of a great and vigorous resolution . but there is a special and extraordinary blessing and assistance ▪ that attends the resolution and endeavour of a holy life . god hath not promised to strengthen men with all might in the way to riches and honours , and to assist the ambitious and covetous designers of this world , with a mighty and glorious power , such as raised up jesus from the dead : but this he hath promised to those , who with a firm purpose and resolution do engage in the ways of religion . let us then shake off our sloth and listlesness , and in that strength and assistance which god offers , let us resolve to leave our sins , and to amend our lives . . consider what it is that you are to resolve upon ; to leave your sins , and to return to god and goodness . so that the things i am perswading you to resolve upon , are the strongest reasons that can be for such a resolution . sin is such a thing , that there can be no better argument to make men resolve against it , than to consider what it is , and to think seriously of the nature and consequence of it . and god and goodness are so amiable and desirable , that the very proposal of these objects hath invitations and allurements enough to inflame our desires after them , and to make us rush into the embraces of them . if we would but enter into the serious consideration of them , we should soon be resolved in our minds about them . do but consider a little what sin is . it is the shame and blemish of thy nature , the reproach and disgrace of thy understanding and reason , the great deformity and disease of thy soul , and the eternal enemy of thy rest and peace . it is thy shackles and thy fetters , the tyrant that oppresses thee and restrains thee of thy liberty , and condemns thee to the basest slavery and the vilest drudgery . it is the unnatural and violent state of thy soul , the worm that perpetually gnaws thy conscience , the cause of all thy fears and troubles , and of all the evils and miseries , all the mischiefs and disorders that are in the world ; it is the foundation and fewel of hell ; it is that which puts thee out of the possession and enjoyment of thy self , which doth alienate and separate thee from god the fountain of bliss and happiness , which provokes him to be thine enemy , and lays thee open every moment to the fierce revenge of his justice , and if thou dost persist and continue in it , will finally sink and oppress thee under the insupportable weight of his wrath , and make thee so weary of thy self , that thou shalt wish a thousand times that thou hadst never been ; and will render thee so perfectly miserable , that thou wouldest esteem it a great happiness to exchange thy condition with the most wretched and forlorn person that ever lived upon earth , to be perpetually upon a rack , and to lie down for ever under the rage of all the most violent diseases and pains that ever afflicted mankind . sin is all this which i have described , and will certainly bring upon thee all those evils and mischiefs which i have mentioned , and make thee far more miserable than i am able to express , or thou to conceive . and art thou not yet resolved to leave it ? shall i need to use any other arguments to set thee against it , and to take thee off from the love and practice of it , than this representation which i have now made of the horrible nature and consequences of it ? and then consider on the other hand , what it is that i am perswading thee to turn to ; to thy god and duty . and would not this be a blessed change indeed ! to leave the greatest evil , and to turn to the chief good ! for this resolution of returning to god , is nothing else but a resolution to be wise and happy , and to put thy self into the possession of that which is a greater good , if it is possible , than sin is an evil , and will render thee more happy , than sin can make thee miserable . didst thou but think what god is , and what he will be to thee , if thou wilt return to him , how kindly he will receive thee after all thy wandrings from him days without number , thou wouldst soon take up the resolution of the prodigal , and say , i will arise and go to my father . and consider likewise what it is to return to thy duty . it is nothing else but to do what becomes thee , and what is suitable to the original frame of thy nature , and to the truest dictates of thy reason and conscience , and what is not more thy duty , than it is thy interest and thy happiness . for that which god requires of us , is to be righteous and holy and good , that is , to be like god himself , who is the pattern of all perfection and happiness . it is to have our lives conformed to his will , which is always perfect holiness and goodness , a state of peace and tranquillity , and the very temper and disposition of happiness . it is that which is a principal and most essential ingredient into the felicity of the divine nature , and without which god would not be what he is , but a deformed and imperfect and miserable being . and if this be a true representation which i have made to you , of sin and vice on the one hand , and of god and goodness on the other , what can be more powerful than the serious consideration of it , to engage us to a speedy resolution of leaving our sins , and of turning and cleaving to the lord with full purpose of heart ? after this we cannot but conclude with the penitent in the text ; surely it is meet to be said unto god , i will not offend any more : that which i see not , teach thou me : and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . . consider how unreasonable it is to be unresolved in a case of so great moment and concernment . there is no greater argument of a man's weakness , than irresolution in matters of mighty consequence , when both the importance of the thing , and exigency of present circumstances require a speedy resolution . we should account it a strange folly , for a man to be unresolved in the clearest and plainest matters that concern his temporal welfare and safety . if a man could not determine himself whether he should eat or starve ; if he were dangerously sick , and could not determine whether he should take physick or die ; or if one that were in prison , could not resolve himself whether he should accept of liberty , and be contented to be released ; or if a fair estate were offer'd to him , he should desire seven years time to consider whether he should take it or not ; this would be so absurd in the common affairs of life , that a man would be thought infatuated , that should be doubtful and unresolved in cases so plain , and of such pressing concernment . if a man were under the sentence and condemnation of the law , and liable to be executed upon the least intimation of the prince's pleasure , and a pardon were graciously offer'd to him , with this intimation , that this would probably be the last offer of mercy that ever would be made to him ; one would think that in this case a man should soon be determined what to do , or rather that he should not need to deliberate at all about it ; because there is no danger of rashness in making haste to save his life . and yet the case of a sinner is of far greater importance , and much more depends upon it , infinitely more than any temporal concernment whatsoever can amount to , even our happiness or misery to all eternity . and can there be any difficulty , for a man to be resolved what is to be done in such a case ? no case surely in the world can be plainer than this ; whether a man should leave his sins , and return to god and his duty , or not , that is , whether a man should chuse to be happy or miserable , unspeakably and everlastingly happy , or extremely and eternally miserable . and the circumstances and exigences of our case do call for a speedy and peremptory resolution in this matter . the sentence of the law is already past , and god may execute it upon thee every moment , and it is great mercy and forbearance not to do it . thy life is uncertain , and thou art liable every minute to be snatch'd away and hurried out of this world. however at the best , thou hast but a little time to resolve in ; death and judgment and eternity cannot be far off , and for ought thou knowest they may be even at the door . thou art upon the matter just ready to be seized upon by death , to be summon'd to judgment : and to be swallowed up of eternity : and is it not yet time thinkest thou to resolve ? would'st thou have yet a little longer time to deliberate , whether thou should'st repent and forsake thy sins , or not ? if there were difficulty in the case , or if there were no danger in the delay ; if thou couldst gain time , or any thing else , by suspending thy resolution ; there were then some reason why thou should'st not make a sudden determination . but thou canst pretend none of these . it is evident at first sight , what is best to be done , and nothing can make it plainer . it is not a matter so clear and out of controversie , that riches are better than poverty , and ease better than pain , and life more desirable than death ; as it is , that it is better to break off our sins , than to continue in the practice of them ; to be reconciled to god , than to go on to provoke him ; to be holy and virtuous , than to be wicked and vicious ; to be heirs of eternal glory , than to be vessels of wrath fitted for destruction . and there is infinite danger in these delays . for if thy soul be any thing to thee , thou venturest that ; if thou hast any tenderness and regard for thy eternal interest , thou runnest the hazard of that ; if heaven and hell be any thing to thee , thou incurrest the danger of losing the one , and falling into the other . and thou gainest nothing by continuing unresolved . if death and judgment would tarry thy leisure , and wait till thou hadst brought thy thoughts to some issue , and wert resolved what to do , it were something : but thy irresolution in this matter will be so far from keeping back death and judgment , that it will both hasten and aggravate them , both make them to come the sooner , and to be the heavier when they come : because thou abusest the goodness of god , and despisest his patience and long-suffering , which should lead thee and draw thee on to repentance , and not keep thee back . hereby thou encouragest thy self in thy lewd and riotous courses , and , because thy lord delayeth his coming , art the more negligent and extravagant . hear what doom our lord pronounceth upon such slothful and wicked servants , luke . . the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him , and at an hour when he is not aware , and will cut him in sunder , and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers . none so like to be surprized , and to be severely handled by the justice of god , as those that trifle with his patience . . consider how much resolution would tend to the settling of our minds , and making our lives comfortable . there is nothing that perplexeth and disquieteth a man more , than to be unresolved in the great and important concernments of his life . what anxiety and confusion is there in our spirits , whilst we are doubtful and undetermined about such matters ? how are we divided and distracted , when our reason and judgment direct us one way ; and our lusts and affections biass us to the contrary ? when we are convinced and satisfied what is best for us ; and yet are disaffected to our own interest . such a man is all the while self-condemned , and acts with the perpetual regret of his reason and conscience ; and when ever he reflects upon himself , he is offended and angry with himself , his life and all his actions are uneasie and displeasing to him ; and there is no way for this man to be at peace , but to put an end to this conflict one way or other , either by conquering his reason or his will. the former is very difficult , nothing being harder than for a sinner to lay his conscience asleep , after it is once throughly awaken'd ; he may charm it for a while , but every little occasion will rouze it again , and renew his trouble ; so that tho' a man may have some truce with his conscience , yet he can never come to a firm and settled peace this way : but if by a vigorous resolution a man would but conquer his will , his mind would be at rest , and there would be a present calm in his spirit . and why should we be such enemies to our own peace , and to the comfort and contentment of our lives , as not to take this course , and thereby rid our selves at once of that , which really and at the bottom is the ground of all the trouble and disquiet of our lives ? sermon xi . the nature and necessity of holy resolution . the third sermon on this text. job xxxiv . , . surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more . that which i see not , teach thou me ; if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . these words are a description of the temper and behaviour of a true penitent , his confession of sins , and , resolution of amendment . concerning resolution i have shewn what it is in general : what is the special object or matter of this kind of resolution : what is implyed in a sincere resolution of leaving our sins , and returning to god and our duty : that in this resolution the very essence and formal nature of repentance doth consist : and have offer'd some considerations , to convince men of the necessity and fitness of this resolution , and to keep them stedfast to it . as , . that this resolution is nothing but what under the influence of god's grace is in our power . . the things themselves , which we are to resolve upon , are the strongest arguments that can be for such a resolution . . how unreasonable it is for men to be unresolved in a case of so great moment . . how much this resolution will tend to the settling of our minds , and making our lives comfortable . i proceed to the considerations which remain . . then be pleased to consider , that a strong and vigorous resolution would make the whole work of religion easie to us , it would conquer all difficulties which attend a holy and religious course of life , especially at our first entrance into it : because resolution brings our minds to a point , and unites all the strength and force of our souls in one great design , and makes us vigorous and firm , couragious and constant in the prosecution of it ; and without this it is impossible to hold out long , and to resist the strong propensions and inclinations of our corrupt nature , which , if we be not firmly resolved , will return and by degrees gain upon us ; it will be impossible to break through temptations , and to gain-say the importunity of them ; when the devil and the world solicit us , we shall not be able to say them nay , but shall be apt to yield to them . there are many , who have had faint wishes and cold desires , and half purposes of leading a new and better life : but having not taken up a firm resolution in the case , having not determined themselves by a severe purpose , a little thing sways them , and brings them back to their former course ; 't is no hard matter to divert them and engage them another way ; they are shaken with every wind of temptation , every little blast of opposition and persecution turns them back , and carries them to the ways of sin : whereas resolution fixeth a man's spirit , and makes it most stedfast and unmovable , and sets him upon a rock , which , when the winds blow , and the rain falls , and the floods come , abides firm against all impressions . if i would give the most probable and useful advice to engage and continue a man in a good course , i would commend to him a deliberate and firm resolution . david proved this way with very happy success , psal . . . i have sworn ( says he ) and will perform it , that i will keep thy righteous judgments . this was a security to him against all assaults , and nothing could turn him from his course afterwards ; not the dangers he was exposed to , v. . my soul is continually in my hand , yet do i not forget thy law ; not the snares of wicked men that were laid for him , v. . the wicked have laid a snare for me , yet i erred not from thy precepts . by virtue of this resolution he could rise up in defiance of all those that would have tempted him to any sinful action , v. . depart from me ye evil doers : for i will keep the commandments of my god. when a man is thus resolved upon a holy course , he is not easily diverted from it , and is able to resist the importunity and flattery of temptations , and to say to them , as men are wont to do , when they are fully and firmly resolved upon any thing ; let me alone , i am not to be moved , it is in vain to urge me , i am resolved to the contrary . thus stiff and resolute men can be in other cases , where there is not near that cause and reason for it : and if we would but take up a generous resolution to break off our sins , and to live better lives , this would be the way to conquer that listlesness and unwillingness , which hinders us from engaging in a good course , and is the cause of so many lame excuses and unreasonable delays . it is the want of resolution , and the weakness of our resolutions , which is the true reason why we are not more equal and constant and uniform in the ways of religion ; but are religious only by fits and starts , in a heat , and during some present trouble and conviction of mind . the double minded man is unstable , says st. james , in all his ways . when a man is of several minds , he is easily moved one way or other . . and lastly , consider the infinite danger of remaining unresolved . the evil day may overtake you , while you are deliberating whether you should avoid it or not . a state of sin is liable to so many hazards , hath so many dangers continually threatning it , and hanging over it , that it is the most imprudent thing in the world to linger in it . it is like lot's staying in sodom , when the lord was going to destroy it , when fire and brimstone were just ready to be rained down from heaven upon it . whilst men are lingring in a sinful state , if the lord be not merciful to them , they will be consumed . therefore it concerns thee sinner , to determine thy self speedily , and to make haste out of this dangerous condition , to escape for thy life , lest some evil overtake thee , and lest death finding thee unresolved , determine thy case for thee , and put it out of all doubt , and past all remedy . how many have been cut off in their irresolution ? and because they would not determine what to do , god hath concluded their case for them , and sworn in his wrath , that they should not enter into his rest . it may be thou promisest thy self the space of many years to resolve in : thou fool , this night thy soul may be required of thee , and whilst thou art unresolved what to do , god is resolving what to do with thee , and putting a period to his patience and long expectation of thy repentance : and thou knowest not how soon god may do this , and make an immutable determination concerning thee . and wo unto thee , when god hath resolved thus . suppose thou shouldst be snatched out of the world , and hurried before the dreadful tribunal of god , in this doubtful and unresolved state . and this is possible enough ; because thou hast no certain tenure of thy life , thou art at no time secured from the stroke of death : nay it is probable enough ; because thou art every moment liable to ten thousand accidents , any one of which may snap in sunder the thread of thy life . and suppose this should happen to thee , what dost thou imagine would become of thee ? wouldst not thou then wish a thousand times , that thou hadst resolved in time ? how glad wouldst thou then be , that it were possible for thee to retrieve and call back but one of those days without number , which thou hast so vainly trifled away , that thou mightest resolve upon the things of thy peace : but thou wouldst not do it in that thy day , which god afforded thee to this purpose ; thou hast let the opportunity slip out of thy hands , and it will never be in thy power again , but the things of thy peace will be for ever hid from thine eyes . why wilt thou then be so foolish , as to run thy self upon the evident hazard of losing heaven , and being miserable for ever ? why wilt thou make work for a sadder and longer repentance , than that which thou dost now so carefully decline ? this was the case of the foolish virgins in the parable , matth. . who made account to be ready to meet the bridegroom at his coming , but took no care in time to get oyl into their lamps . they thought the bridegroom would tarry yet a while longer , and therefore they slumbered and slept in great security : but at mid-night , when the cry was made , behold the bridegroom cometh ; then they arose , and in a great hurry and confusion went about trimming their lamps ; they were resolved then , they would have begged or bought oyl , and would have been at any pains and cost for it : but then it was too late ; for the door was suddenly shut against them , and no importunity could prevail to have it opened to them . canst thou be contented to have the door shut against thee , and when thou shalt cry , lord open unto me , to have him return this answer , depart from me , i know thee not ? if thou canst not ; resolve to prevent this in time . didst thou but see , and know , and feel , what the miserable do in hell , thou couldst not linger thus , thou couldst not continue so long unresolved ? why the time will come , when thou wilt reflect severely upon thy self , and say , that i should ever be so stupid and sottish , to be unresolved in a matter of such infinite concernment to me ! how often was i admonish'd and convinced of the necessity of changing my course ? how many inward motions had i to that purpose ? how often did my own reason and conscience , and the holy spirit of god , by his frequent and friendly suggestions , put me upon this ? how often was i just upon the brink of resolving ? i resolved to resolve ; but still i delayed it till death seized upon me unresolved : and now the opportunity is lost , and never to be recover'd again . i would not in time resolve to be wise and happy : and now by the sentence of the just and unchangeable god , it is resolved that i must be miserable to all eternity . how should these considerations quicken us , who have yet these opportunities in our hands ; which those those who neglected and trifled them away would now purchase at any rate ! i say how should these considerations which i have proposed , move us to take up a present resolution in the matter ! consider these things , sinner , and lay them seriously to heart , and say to thy self , fool that i have been , to be unresolved so long ; not to determine my self in a matter of such mighty consequence ; to continue so long in suspence , whether i had best go to heaven or hell , and which was most advisable to be happy or miserable for ever ! blessed be god that hath been pleased to exercise so much patience and long-suffering towards me , that hath spared me so long , when he might have taken me away , and cut me off unresolved . my soul lies at stake , and for ought i know all eternity depends upon my present and speedy resolution . and now by god's grace i will not delay one moment more , i will hang no longer between heaven and hell. i shall now in the second place , offer some considerations to perswade those that have taken up this good resolution , to pursue it , and to promote it to practice and execution , and to keep firm and stedfast to it . and to this end , be pleased to consider these three things , . what an argument it is of vanity and inconstancy , to change this resolution , whilst the reason of it stands good and is not changed . i suppose that thou wert once resolved to leave thy sins , and to return to god and thy duty . why dost thou not pursue this resolution ? why dost thou not persist in it ? surely there appeared to thee some reason why thou didst take it up ; and if the reason remain , and appear still the same to thee that it did , how comes it to pass that thou hast alter'd thy mind , and changed thy purpose ? either the case is the same it was , when thou tookest up this resolution ; or it is not . if it be altered , then thou hast reason to change thy resolution : if it be not , thou hast the same reason to continue in it , that thou hadst to take it up . shew then , if thou canst , wherein it is changed . wert thou mistaken before about the nature of sin , and the pernicious consequences of it ; or about the nature of god and goodness ? hast thou any thing now to plead for sin , which thou didst not know or consider before ? art thou now satisfied that sin is not so evil and unreasonable a thing , as thou didst once apprehend , or that it does not threaten thee with so much danger as thou didst fear ? hath god alter'd his opinion of it , or is he become more favourable to it than he was ? hast thou received any news lately from heaven by any good hands , that god hath reverst his threatnings against sin , or that he hath adjourn'd the judgment of the world , sine die , without any set time ? that he hath set the devils at liberty , and releast them from their chains of darkness , and hath quenched and put out the fire of hell ? or art thou satisfied that there is no such being as god in the world , or that he is not so good as thou didst apprehend him to be , or that he will not reward those that diligently serve him ? hast thou found upon tryal , that holiness and virtue are but empty names , and that there is nothing in them ? that there is not that pleasure and peace in keeping the commandments of god , which thou wert told of ? i am sure thou canst not with reason pretend any thing of all this . thy reason and conscience and experience cannot speak one word on the behalf of sin , or give any testemony against god and his holy ways . and if the case be the same it was , nothing but thine own vanity and fickleness , or some worse reason , could move thee to alter thy purpose . . let it be farther considered , that if we be not constant to our resolution , all we have done is lost . if thou repentest of thy repentance , it will not prove a repentance to salvation . as good to have stayed in sodom , as to look back after thou art come out of it . thus god tells us by the prophet ezek. . , . therefore thou son of man , say unto the children of thy people , the righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression ; neither shall the righteous be able to live in the day that he sinneth . when i say to the righteous , he shall surely live : if he trust to his own righteousness , and commit iniquity , all his righteousness shall not be remembred : but for his iniquity that he hath committed , he shall die for it . so that whatever we have done in the work of repentance , what resolutions soever we have taken up ; if afterwards we give over and let them fall , all that we have done is lost , and will come to nothing . . let us consider in the last place , that if we be not constant to our resolution , we shall not only lose all that we have done , but we shall thereby render our condition much worse . remember lot's wife , who , after she was escaped out of sodom , look't back , and was made a particular and lasting monument of god's wrath and displeasure ; which seems to be meant by that expression of her being turned into a pillar of salt , that is , a lasting monument . prov. . . the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways . shall be filled with his own ways ; this expression doth signifie a most heavy and dreadful curse upon those , who fall off from their good purpose and resolution , that they shall have sorrow and trouble enough upon it . for so likewise prov. . , . where god threatens wilful and obstinate sinners with the heaviest judgments , that he would laugh at their calamity , and mock when their fear comes , when their fear comes as desolation , and their destruction as a whirl-wind , and fear and anguish cometh upon them ; he adds , as the sum of all other judgments , that they shall eat the fruit of their own ways , and be filled with their own devices . heb. . . but if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him ; which words are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifie a great deal more than seems to be exprest , my soul shall have no pleasure in him , that is , let such an one expect the effects of god's fiercest wrath and displeasure . for so the hebrews are wont to express things that are great and unspeakable ; when they cannot sufficiently set them forth , by saying less , they say more . so psal . . . where it is said , thou art not a god that hast pleasure in wickedness , the psalmist means , and would have us to understand it so , that god is so far from taking any pleasure in the sins of men , that he bears the most violent hatred and displeasure against them . so when the apostle here says , if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him , he means , that it is not to be exprest how god will deal with such persons , and how severely his justice will handle them . to the same purpose is that declaration , pet. . , . for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world , through the knowledge of the lord and saviour jesus christ , they are again entangled therein and overcome , the latter end is worse with them than the beginning . for it had been better for them , not to have known the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them . the condition of all impenitent sinners is very sad ; but of apostates much worse : not only because the sins which they commit afterwards are much greater , receiving a new aggravation , which the sins of those who are simply impenitent are not capable of ; but likewise , because such persons are usually more wicked afterwards . for they that break loose from severe purposes and resolutions of a better course , do by this very thing in a great measure fear and conquer their consciences ; and then no wonder if afterwards they give up themselves to commit all iniquity with greediness . when after long abstinence men return to sin again , their lusts are more fierce and violent ; like a man who , after long fasting , returns to his meat with a more raging appetite . this our saviour sets forth to us in the parable of the unclean spirit 's returning again and taking possession of the man , after he had left him , matth. . , , . when the unclean spirit is gone out of a man , he walketh through dry places , seeking rest , and findeth none . then he saith , i will return into my house from whence i came out : and when he is come , he findeth it empty , swept , and garnisht . then goeth he , and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself ; and the end of that man is worse than his beginning . the moral of which is , that when a man hath once left his sins , if afterward he entertain thoughts of returning to them again , sin will return upon him with redoubled force and strength , and his heart will be but so much the more prepared and disposed for the entertaining of more and greater vices , and his leaving his sins for a time will be but like a running back , that he may leap with greater violence into hell and destruction . besides that such persons do the greatest injury to god and the holy ways of religion , that can be , by forsaking them after they have owned and approved them . for it will not be so much regarded , what wicked men , who have always been so , talk against god and religion ; because they do not talk from experience , but speak evil of the things which they know not : whereas those who forsake the ways of religion after they have once engaged in them , do disparage religion more effectually , and reproach it with greater advantage ; because they pretend to speak from the experience they have had of it ; they have tryed both the ways of sin , and the ways of religion , and after experience of both , they return to sin again ; which , what is it but to proclaim to the world , that the ways of sin and vice are rather to be chosen than the ways of holiness and virtue ; that the devil is a better master than god , and that a sinful and wicked life yields more pleasure and greater advantages , than are to be had in keeping the commandments of god ? and this must needs be a high provocation , and a heavy aggravation of our ruin. let these considerations prevail with us , to pursue this holy resolution , after we have taken it up , and to persist in it . there remains only tho vi. and last particular which i proposed to be spoken to , viz. to add some directions for the maintaining and making good of this resolution of repentance and amendment ; and they shall be these three . . let us do all in the strength of god , considering our necessary and essential dependance upon him , and that without him and the assistance of his grace we can do nothing . we are not ( as the apostle tells us ) sufficient of our selves , as of our selves , that is , without the assistance of god's holy spirit , to think any thing that is good ; much less to resolve upon it . it is god that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure , that is , of his own goodness , as the same apostle speaks , phil. . . it is god that upholds us in being , and from whom we have all our power as to natural actions : but as to spiritual things , considering the great corruption and depravation of humane nature , we stand in need of a more especial and immediate assistance . if we know any thing of our selves , we cannot but know what foolish and ignorant creatures we are , how weak and impotent , how averse and opposite to any thing that is good . and therefore it is wise counsel in all cases , but chiefly in spiritual matters , which solomon gives prov. . , . trust in the lord with all thine heart , and l●an not to thine own understanding . acknowledge him in all thy ways : and he shall direct thy steps . let us then address our selves to god , in the words of the holy prophet , jer. . . o lord , i know that the way of man is not in himself , and that it is not in man that walketh , to direct his steps . and let us beg of him , that he would consider our case , commiserate our weakness , and pity our impotency , and that he would joyn his strength to us , and grant us the assistance of his grace and holy spirit , to put us upon sincere resolutions of a new life , and to keep us constant and stedfast to them ; to open the eyes of our minds , and to turn us from darkness to light , and from the power of satan and our lusts , unto god ; that we may repent and turn to god , and do works meet for repentance , that so we may receive forgiveness of sins , and an inheritance among them that are sanctified through faith that is in christ . and for our encouragement in this matter , god hath bid us to apply our selves to him , and he hath promised not to be wanting to us , in words as express and universal as can well be devised , jam. . . if any man lack wisdom , let him ask it of god , who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth no man : but let him ask in faith , nothing wavering , that is , not doubting but that god is both able and willing to give what he asks . and luke . , , , , . i say unto you , ask , and it shall be given you ; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you . for every one that asketh , receiveth ; and he that seeketh , findeth ; and to him that knocketh , it shall be opened . if a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father , will he give him a stone ? or if he ask a fish , will he for a fish give him a serpent ? or if he shall ask an egg , will he offer him a scorpion ? if ye then , being evil , know how to give good gifts unto your children : how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him ? to encourage our faith , our saviour useth such an argument as may give us the greatest assurance . we are commonly confident , that our earthly parents will not deny us those things , that are good and necessary for us , tho' they may be otherwise evil : how much more then shall our heavenly father , who is essentially and infinitely good , give his holy spirit to us ? and if this be not enough , st. matthew useth a larger expression , how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that ask him ? if there be any thing that is good , and we stand in need of it , and earnestly pray to god for it , we may be confident that he will give it us . . we ought to be very watchful over our selves , considering our weakness and wavering and instability and fickleness , the treachery and deceitfulness of our own hearts , and the malice of satan . it will be a great while before the habits of sin be so weakned and subdued , as that we shall have no propension to return to them again ; so that our hearts will be often endeavouring to return to their former posture , and like a deceitful bow , which is not firmly strong , to start back . and besides the deceitfulness of sin and our own hearts , the devil is very malicious , and his malice will make him vigilant to watch all advantages against us ; and his great design will be to shake our resolution ; for if that stand , he knows his kingdom will fall , and therefore he raiseth all his batteries against this fort , and labours by all means to undermine it , and nothing will be matter of greater triumph to him , than to gain a person that was revolted from him , and resolved to leave his service . if therefore thou expectest god's grace and assistance to keep thee stedfast to thy resolution , do not neglect thy self , but keep thy heart with all diligence , and watch carefully over thy self : for because god worketh in us both to will and to do , therefore he expects that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling , lest by our own carelesness and neglect we should miscarry . . let us frequently renew and reinforce our resolutions , more especially when we think of coming to the sacrament , and approaching the holy table of the lord. nothing is more apt to beget in us good resolutions , and to strengthen them , than to consider the dreadful sufferings of the son of god for our sins , which are so lively set forth and represented to us in this holy sacrament , which as it is on god's part , a seal and confirmation of his grace and love to us , so on our parts , it ought to be a solemn ratification of our covenant with god , to depart from iniquity , and to walk before him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives . sermon xii . the nature and necessity of restitution . the first sermon on this text. luke xix . , . and if i have taken any thing from any man by false accusation , i restore him fourfold . and jesus said unto him , this day is salvation come to this house . one particular and eminent fruit of true repentance , is the making of restitution and satisfaction to those whom we have injured . as for god , we can make no satisfaction and compensation to him , for the injuries we have done him by our sins ; all that we can do in respect of god , is to confess our sins to him , to make acknowledgment of our miscarriages , to be heartily trroubled for what we have done , and not to do the like for the future . but for injuries done to men , we may in many cases make reparation and satisfaction . and this , as it is one of the best signs and evidences of a true repentance ; so it is one of the most proper and genuine effects of it : for this is as much as in us lies , to undo what we have done , and to unsin our sins . but , because the practice of this duty doth so interfere with the interest of men , and consequently it will be very difficult to convince men of their duty in this particular , and to perswade them to it ; therefore i design to handle this particular fruit and effect of a true repentance by it self , from these words , which contain in them , i. the fruit and effect of zacheus his conversion and repentance ; if i have taken any thing from any man , i restore him fourfold . ii. the declaration which our saviour makes hereupon , of the truth of his repentance and conversion , and the happy state he was thereby put into . and jesus said unto him , this day is salvation come to this house , for as much as he also is the son of abraham ; as if he had said , by these fruits and effects it appears , that this is a repentance to salvation ; and this man whom you look upon as a sinner and a heathen , may by better right call abraham father , than any of you formal pharisees and jews , who glory so much in being the children of abraham . i. the fruit and effect of zacheus's conversion and repentance ; if , &c. this zacheus , as you find at the d . verse , was chief of the publicans , which was an office of great odium and infamy among the jews , they being the collectors of the tribute which the roman emperor , under whose power the jews then were , did exact from them . and because these publicans farmed this tribute of the emperour at a certain rent , they made a gain out of it to themselves , by exacting and requiring more of the people than was due upon that account ; so that their calling was very infamous , upon three accounts . . because they were the instruments of oppressing their country-men ; for so they looked upon the tax they paid to the romans , as a great oppression . . because they were forced by the necessity of their calling to have familiar conversation with heathens , whom they lookt upon as sinners . hence the phrase used by the apostle , of sinners of the gentiles . and hence likewise probably it is , that publicans and sinners , publicans and heathen , are joyned several times together , because of the occasions of frequent converse which the publicans had with heathens . . but principally they were odious , because of the common injustice and oppression , which they used in the management of their calling , by fraud and violence extorting more than was due , to inhance the profit of their places . hence it is , that this sort of officers have been generally branded , and reckoned among the worst sort of men . so he in the comedy , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all publicans are rapacious or robbers . and this is most probably the sin which zacheus here repents of , and in regard to which he promises restitution , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and if i have taken any thing from any man by false accusation ; so we render the words in our translation : but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies more generally , if i have been injurious to any one , if i have wronged any man , as appears by the constant use of this word by the lxx , who by this word do translate the most general hebrew words , which signifie any kind of injury or oppression , either by fraud or violence or calumny . so that there is no reason here to restrain it , to wronging men by false accusation : for zacheus his sin being in all probability extorting more than was due , this might as easily be done many other ways , as by false accusation . and that this was the common sin of the publicans , appears by the counsel which john the baptist gives them , luke . , . then came also the publicans to be baptized , and said unto him , master , what shall we do ? and he said unto them , exact no more than that which is appointed you ; that is , do not by fraud or violence extort from any man , any more than the tribute which is laid upon him . so that zacheus here promiseth , that if he had been injurious to any man in his office , by extorting more than was due , he would restore to him fourfold . and if zacheus calculated his estate right , and intended to reserve any part of it to himself , which is but reasonable to suppose ; it could be no very great part of his estate which was injuriously got ; and i am afraid a far smaller proportion than many are guilty of , who yet pass for very honest men in comparison of the publicans . the text saith , he was a rich man. suppose he was worth ten or twelve thousand pounds ; half he gives to the poor ; that was well got , or else his whole estate could not have made fourfold restitution for it . suppose he reserved a thousand or two to himself , then at the rate of restoring fourfold , not above a thousand can be injuriously got , that is about a penny in the shilling . i am afraid that now a-days there are few such moderate oppressors : nay , it is possible the proportion of his estate injuriously got might be much less : more it could not easily be . but whatever it was , he does not plead that by way of excuse for himself ; he freely confesseth he had sinned in this kind , and offers restitution to the utmost , much more than the law did require in such cases . ii. you have the declaration our saviour makes hereupon , of the truth of his repentance and conversion , and the happy state he was thereby put into , this day is salvation come to this house . the observation i shall make from hence is this , that restitution and satisfaction for the injuries we have done to others , is a proper and genuine effect of true repentance . i know the text only speaks of restitution in case of oppression and exaction : but because there is the same reason why restitution should be made for all other injuries , i think i may without any force or violence to my text , very well make it the foundation of a more general discourse concerning restitution . in the handling of this , i shall , first , open to you the nature of this duty . secondly , confirm the truth of the proposition , by shewing the necessity of it . thirdly , endeavour to perswade men to the discharge of this necessary duty . first . for the opening the nature of this duty , i will consider , i. the act. ii. the latitude or extent of the object , as i may call it , or the matter about which it is conversant . iii. the manner how it is to be done . iv. the measure of it . v. the persons who are bound to make restitution ; and to whom it is to be made . vi. the time in which it is to be done . vii . the order of doing it , where more are injured , and restitution cannot be made at once to all . i. for the act. restitution is nothing else but the making reparation or satisfaction to another , for the injuries we have done him . it is to restore a man to the good condition , from which , contrary to right and to our duty , we have removed him . restitution is only done in case of injury . another man may be damaged and prejudiced by us many ways , and we not be bound to make restitution ; because there are many cases , wherein a man deserves the prejudice we do to him . as when we are instruments of inflicting upon a man the punishment which the law doth sentence him to . and there are many cases wherein we may be prejudicial to others , and cannot help it . as a man that is sick of a contagious disease , may infect others that are about him : but he is not injurious to them ; because it is not his fault , but his infelicity . ii. for the latitude and extent of the object , as i may call it , or the matter about which it is conversant . it extends to all kind of injuries , which may be reduced to these two heads , either we injure a person with or without his consent . . some injuries are done to persons with their consent . such are most of those injuries which are done to the souls of men , when we command , or counsel , or incourage them to sin , or draw them in by our example . for the maxim volenti non fit injuria , there 's no injury done to a man that is willing , is not so to be understood , as that a man may not in some sort consent to his own wrong : for absolute freedom and willingness supposeth that a man is wholly left to himself , and that he understands fully what he does . and in this sense no man sins willingly , that is , perfectly knowing and actually considering what he does ; and commands , and perswasion , and example are a kind of violence : but none of these hinder , but that a man in these cases may sufficiently consent to what he does . but yet he is not so perfectly free , as to excuse him that draws him into sin by these ways . so likewise when a man refuseth to do that which is his duty without a reward ; for instance , to do justice to another ; he is injurious in so doing : but yet not altogether without the consent of him whom he injures . . injuries are done to persons without their consent . and these , tho' are not always the greatest michiefs , yet they are the greatest injuries . and these injuries are done either by fraud and cunning , or by violence and oppression ; either by over-reaching another man in wit , or over-bearing him by power . and these usually either respect the bodies of men , or their estates , or their good name . the bodies of men . he that maims another , or does him any other injury in his limbs or health , either by fraud or force , is bound , so far as he is able , to make reparation for the injury . or they respect the estates of men . if by cunning , or by violence , or by false testimony or accusation , thou hast hinder'd a man of any benefit , which otherwise would have come to him , thou art bound to restitution . if by thy power or interest , by thy knowledge in the law , or skill in business , thou hast directly and avowedly helped and assisted another to do injustice to his neighbour , thou art bound to restitution ; tho' not as the principal , yet as the accessory . if thou hast over-reached thy brother in any contract , making advantage of his ignorance or unskilfulness ; if thou hast made a gain of his necessity ; if thou hast by thy power and interest , or by any more violent and forcible way detained his right , or taken away that which was his ; thou art bound to make reparation for these injuries , to restore that which thou hast borrowed , to return the pledge which thou hast wrongfully kept , to release unconscionable forfeitures , to pay debts , to make satisfaction for frauds and cheats , to take off all unjust invasions and surprizals of estates : yea tho' the fraud be such that thou art not liable to make satisfaction by any humane law , yet thou art as much bound to it in conscience to god and thy duty , as if thou hadst stolen it , or taken it by violence from thy neighbour . for in truth and reality , fraud is as great an injury as violence , altho' humane laws cannot take cognizance of it , so as to relieve every man that is over-reached in a bargain : nay of the two it is worse ; for whenever thou decievest a man in this kind , thou dost not only wrong him in point of estate , but thou abusest his understanding . and so likewise in respect of a man's fame and reputation . if thou hast hurt any man's good name by slander or calumny , by false witness , by rendring him ridiculous , or any other way ; thou art bound to give such satisfaction as the thing is capable of ; or if there be any other injury which i have not mentioned , thou art obliged to make reparation for it . iii. as to the manner how restitution is to be made . . thou art bound to do it voluntarily , and of thy own accord ; tho' the person injured do not know , who it was that did him the injury , tho' he do not seek reparation by law. when a man is forced by law to make restitution , it is not a virtue , but necessity ; this is not a fruit of repentance and a good mind , but of good law. and that thou dost not do it , unless the law compel thee to it , is an argument thou wouldst not have done it , if thou couldst have avoided it . and tho' the thing be done , yet thou hast not done it , but the law ; and unless thou heartily repent of thy crime , the injury still lies at thy door , and in god's account thou art as guilty as if no restitution had been made . not that thou art bound in this case to make new restitution over again ; but thou art bound to bewail thy neglect , that thou didst not do it voluntarily and without the compulsion of the law. . thou must do it in kind , if the thing be capable of it , and the injur'd party demand it . thou must restore the very thing which thou hadst deprived thy neighbour of , if it be such a thing as can be restored , and be still in thy power ; unless he voluntarily accept of some other thing in exchange . . if thou canst not restore it in kind , thou art bound to restore it in value , in something that is as good . as for spiritual injuries done to the souls of men , we are bound to make such reparation and compensation as we can . those whom we have drawn into sin , and engaged in wicked courses , by our influence and example , or by neglect of our duty towards them , we are so far , as becomes the relation we stand in to them , to make acknowledgement of our fault , to endeavour by our instruction and counsel to reclaim them from those sins which we led them into , and to recover them out of the snare of the devil ; and should never be at rest till we have done as much or more for the furtherance of their salvation , and helping them forwards towards heaven , as we did contribute before to their ruin and destruction . if we have violated any ones chastity , we are bound to marry them , if it was done upon that condition , and if they require it : thou art bound to keep and maintain those children which are the fruit of thy lust , and to make reparation to the person whom thou hast injured , by dowry or otherwise . if thou hast defrauded and injured any man in his good name , thou art obliged to make him a compensation , by acknowledgment of thy fault , by a studious vindication of him , and by doing him honour and repairing his credit in all fitting ways . and if the injury be irreparable ( as it frequently happens , that we can hardly so effectually vindicate a man , as we can defame him ; and it is seldom seen that those wounds which are given to mens reputation are perfectly healed ) i say if the injury be irreparable , especially if it prove really prejudicial to a man in his calling and civil interest ; if no other satisfaction will be accepted , it is to be made in mony , which , solomon says , answers all things ; and the rather , because the reason and equity of humane laws hath thought fit to assign this way of satisfaction in many cases upon actions of scandal and defamation . and whatever the law would give in any case , if it could be proved , that is the least we are bound in conscience to do , when we are guilty to our selves , tho' the law cannot take hold of us . so likewise , if thou hast wounded a man , thou art bound to pay the cure , to repair to him and his relations the disability for his calling and his way of livelyhood and subsistance , which he hath contracted by thy injury . and so for false imprisonment , the real detriment which comes to him by it , is to be made amends for : and so in all other cases , the injured person is , so far as is possible , to be restored to the good condition in which he was before the injury . iv. as to the measure and proportion of the restitution we are to make . zacheus here offers fourfold , which was much beyond what any law required in like cases . the measure of restitution by the judicial law of the jews , did very much vary according to the kind and degree of the injury . in some cases a man was only bound to simple restitution ; but then he was to do it to the full , exod. . , . and so if that which is another man's be delivered unto his neighbour to keep , and be stolen from him , he is to make restitution thereof , ver. . and so if a man borrow ought of his neighbour , and it be hurt or die , the owner thereof not being with it , he shall surely make it good , ver. . but for all manner of trespasses by way of theft , whether it be for ox , for ass , for sheep , for rayment , or for any manner of lost thing , which another challengeth to be his , he whom the judge shall condemn , shall pay double to his neighbour , ver. . that is , if it be of a living creature , if the theft be found in his hands alive , whether it be ox or ass , or sheep , he shall restore double , ver. . but if a man did steal an ox or a sheep , and did kill it or sell it , he was to restore five oxen for an ox , and four sheep for a sheep . and thus we find david judged upon nathan's parable of the rich man , who had taken the poor man's only lamb , and kill'd and drest it for a traveller that came to him , sam. . . he shall restore the lamb fourfold . now the reason of this seems to be partly because of the advantage and usefulness of those creatures above any oother ; and partly because when they were once kill'd or alienated , a man could not without great trouble and difficulty make discovery , which hazard of not discovering seems to be accounted for in the restitution : but if a man did voluntarily offer restitution , before he was prosecuted , for any thing that was taken by violence , or unjustly detained from his neighbour , then he was only to restore the principal , and to add a fifth part thereto , and to offer up an offering to the lord , and so his atonement was made , levit. . . &c. so that the highest proportion was a fourth or fifth part , and that only in the particular case of sheep or oxen stolen away , and kill'd or alienated afterwards . indeed solomon speaks of a sevenfold restitution , prov. . . where he saith , if a thief be found , he shall restore sevenfold , even all the substance of his house ; where seven is only a number of perfection , and the meaning is , he shall make perfect and full restitution according to the law , so far as his substance or estate will reach . so that it seems zacheus in restoring fourfold did out-do the utmost severity of the law ; which in case of fraud and oppression was but double , if demanded ; if voluntarily offer'd , was the principal and a fifth part added : but to testifie the truth of his repentance , and his hearty sorrow for the injuries he had done , he punisheth himself beyond what the law would have done . i do not say that this example binds as to this measure and proportion : nay , i do not say we are bound to the proportions of the law ; for that only concerned the nation of the jews : but altho' we be free from the letter of the law , yet we are tyed to the equity of it . as to the substance of the duty of restitution , we are bound to that by the law of nature . as to the measure and proportion , the equity of the judicial law in its proportions , and of zacheus his example , ought to be considerable to us . but to speak more particularly concerning the measures and proportions of restitution , i shall lay down these propositions . . where restitution can be made in kind , or the injury can be certainly valued , we are to restore the thing , or the value . . we are bound to restore the thing , with the natural increase of it , that is , to satisfie for the loss sustained in the mean time , and the gain hinder'd . . where the thing cannot be restored , and the value of it is not certain , we are to give reasonable satisfaction , that is , according to a middle estimation ; not the highest , nor the lowest of things of the kind . the injur'd person can demand no more , and strict justice requires no more . but it is safe for him that hath done the injury , rather to exceed than to fall short . . we are at least to give by way of restitution what the law would give ; for that is generally equal , and in most cases rather favourable than rigorous . . a man is not only bound to restitution for the injury which he did , but for all that directy follows upon his injurious act , tho' it were beyond his intention . for the first injury being wilful , thou art presumed to will all that which directly followed upon it ; according to that rule , involuntarium ortum ex voluntario censetur pro voluntario . we are presumed to will that which follows upon a voluntary action , tho' we did not intend it . for instance , if a man maliciously and knowingly set fire upon another man's house , tho' he intended only an injury to that particular person , yet if a wind come and drive the fire to his neighbours at some distance , tho' he did not intend this , yet because the first act was unlawful , he is liable to satisfie for all the direct consequences of it . if a man wound another without any intention of killing him , and the wound prove mortal , tho' there was no probability that death would ensue upon it , the man is bound , because the first act was injurious , to make reparation to his relations for the damage they sustain by his death ; and if they did depend solely upon him , who died by such injury , thou art bound to maintain them . . because those who have lived in a trade and course of injustice , can hardly remember all the particular injuries they have done , so as to make exact satisfaction for them , it will not be amiss over and besides to give something to the poor . so zacheus does here , half of my estate i give to the poor , and if i have taken any thing , &c. v. the persons who are concern'd in restitution . and here i shall consider , first , the persons who are bound to make restitution . secondly , the persons to whom it is to be made . first , the persons who are bound to make restitution . in general , they who have done the injury , or they who come into their stead , so as in law or equity the injury devolves and descends upon them . but for the clearer stating of this , i shall lay down several propositions , which may serve to resolve a great many cases , that may be put concerning persons obliged to make restitution . . if the injury be done solely by one , without complices and partakers in the crime , he alone is responsible , and wholly bound to make satisfaction ; i mean , he only is bound so long as he lives , but if the injury descend as a burden upon the estate , then he who enjoys the estate becomes bound to make satisfaction ; as i shall shew afterwards . . if the injury was done by more , who did all equally concur to the doing of it , they are all equally bound to make satisfaction ; and they are bound to concur together to that purpose ; and in case of such concurrence , every one is not bound to satisfie for the whole , but pro ratâ parte , for his share ; provided they do among them make full satisfaction . . if all will not concur , those that are willing are bound among them to make reparation for the injury : nay , if all the rest refuse to joyn with thee in it , thou art bound in solidum to make full reparation so far as thou art able ; because every one was guilty of the whole injury . for instance , if four men conspire together to cheat a man , or to rob him , any one of these , if the rest refuse , is bound to make entire satisfaction ; yea , tho' he was only partaker in the benefit ; because , as i said before , he is guilty of the whole injury . . if the injury be done by more , who do unequally concur to the doing of it , he that is principal is chiefly and principally bound to make satisfaction : and here i do not take principal , strictly in the sense of the law , but in the sense of equity ; not for him always who is the more immediate cause of the injury , but for him who was the greatest cause , and by whose influence chiefly it was procured and done : but if the principal will not , the accessories and instruments are bound , at least for their share , and according to the proportion of the hand they had in it . but if the principal do satisfie in the name , and upon the account of the rest , then the accessories are free from any obligation to restitution , and are only bound to repentance . . if the injury devolve upon another , by descending as a burden upon the estate , he who enjoys the estate is bound to make satisfaction . and when injuries do thus descend as burdens and incumbrances upon estates , and when not , the civil laws of the place where we live must determine : but then where my case falls within the compass of the law , i am bound voluntarily to satisfie without the compulsion of the law. for instance , if an estate fall to me charged with a debt , which hath been unjustly detained , i am bound voluntarily to discharge the debt , so soon as it appears to me , before i am compell'd thereto by the law. . as for personal injuries which do not lie as burdens upon the estate , nor do by the law descend upon the son or heir , tho' in strict justice a man be not bound to make compensation for them , for that would be endless , & infinitum in lege repudiatur , no law can take notice of that which is infinite and endless ; for quae exitum non habent habentur pro impossibilibus , those things which have no end , to which no bounds can be set , are esteemed among things impossible , to which no man can be obliged : but tho' in strict justice the heir be not bound to make reparation , for the personal injuries of him whom he succeeds in the estate , yet in many cases it is equitable , and generous , and christian , for such persons to make some kind of reparation for palpable and notorious injuries . for instance , if i be heir to an estate , part of which i know certainly was injuriously gotten , it is not only christian , but prudent , to make satisfaction in the case to the party injur'd , if certainly known ; if not , to give it to the poor ; for by this means i may take out the moth , which was bred by injustice in the estate , and rub off the rust , that sticks to the gold and silver , which was got by oppression or fraud , and so free the remaining part of the estate from that secret and divine nemesis which attends it and follows it . and for the same reason , it is very noble and christian , for the son and heir of an unjust father , to make some reparation for his father's injuries by restitution , if the thing be capable of it : if not , by doing all good offices to the injured persons , which is some kind of compensation . and in this case the obligation is greater , because by this means a man does not only do what in him lies , to cut off the curse , which by his father's oppression and injustice is intail'd upon the family and estate : but likewise , because a son ought much more to be concern'd for his father , than any other person , and to consult the honour and reputation both of him and his own family ; and the reparation which the son makes , is in some sort the father's act , because he succeeds him and comes into his stead . secondly , as to the persons to whom satisfaction is is to be made . for the resolution of those cases which may fall under this head , i shall lay down these propositions . . if the injured person be certainly known , and be alive and extant , the satisfaction is to be made to him . . if he be not alive , or which is all one , not to be found or come at , satisfaction is to be made to his nearest relations , his wife , or children , or brothers , or other nearest kindred . the reason is , because satisfaction being due , and i having no right to keep that which i have injuriously gotten , if i cannot restore it to the party himself , i ought in all reason to place it there , where i may most reasonably presume the party injur'd would have bestowed his estate , and this part of it among the rest , had he been possessor of it . and by the same reason that i am bound thus to restore the part of his estate which i have injuriously taken or detained from him , i am likewise obliged to give satisfaction to the same person for any other injury : for to whomsoever i would pay a debt due to one that is deceased , to the same person i ought to give satisfaction for other injuries , by which a debt is , tho' not formally , yet virtually contracted . . if the party injured be not certainly known , or have no near relations known to me , in that case i think it very adviseable to give so much to the poor , or to some charitable use : or if the party injured be not capable of proper satisfaction , as sometimes it is a community and body of men that we have injured , in this case it is proper to repair the injuries to communities or bodies of men , by equivalent good offices , or by some publick good work , which may be of common benefit and advantage . this is the fifth thing i proposed to speak to , the persons concern'd in restitution ; both the persons who are bound to make restitution , and the persons to whom it is to be made . of the rest hereafter . sermon xiii . the nature and necessity of restitution . the second sermon on this text. luke xix . , . and if i have taken any thing from any man by false accusation , i restore him fourfold . and jesus said unto him , this day is salvation come to this house . in speaking to these words , i proposed to consider , first , the nature of this duty of restitution . secondly , to shew the necessity of it . thirdly , to perswade men to the discharge of it . in treating of the nature of restitution , i have consider'd , i. the act. ii. the extent of it . iii. the manner how it is to be perform'd . iv. the measure of it . v. the persons who are to make restitution ; and the persons to whom restitution is to be made . i now proceed to consider , vi. the time when restitution is to be made . in these cases a man is not tyed up to an instant , not just to the present time , unless the case be such , that he can never do it , if he do not do it then . as if a man lie upon his death-bed , that is a case that admits of no delay , a man should hasten restitution , as he would do the making of his will , and the disposal of his estate ; lest if he do not do it presently , he lose his opportunity of doing it for ever : but ordinarily , a man is not so strictly tyed up to moments , and to the present time . it is , sufficient that a man be for the present resolved to do it , so soon as morally he can , so soon as he would do other actions of great moment and concernment . and to this purpose the text gives us an excellent pattern ; zacheus , the same day he repented , took up this resolution , and to oblige himself effectually to put it in execution , he publickly declares it , and before all the people offers to make restitution to all whom he had injur'd . therefore take heed of all unnecessary delays in these matters : for tho' god would accept of a firm and sincere resolution in this case , if a person thus resolved should , before he could bring his resolution to effect , happen to be cut off by death , or be otherwise render'd incapable of doing it , i say , tho' god would accept such a resolution as this ; yet he will not interpret that to be a sincere resolution , which a man is negligent to put in practice : for every neglect of putting our resolution in practice , is a degree of quitting and altering it ; and he who did not do what he was resolved to do , when he had an opportunity and ability of doing it , is justly presumed to have let fall his resolution . therefore let no man presume upon his good intention and resolution in this kind ; for they are only acceptable to god , so far as they are sincere and real ; and they are only so far sincere and real , as the man that makes them , is ready to put them in execution , so soon as morally he can . and if thou carelesly and supinely trifle away thy opportunities in this kind , god may likewise deprive thee of an opportunity for ever . for all the while thou wilfully neglectest to make restitution , thou art guilty of the injury ; and there are hardly two sins that cry louder to god for a quick and speedy revenge , than injustice and oppression , deceit and fraud . god many times takes such causes into his more immediate cognizance , thess . . . let no man deceive or go beyond his brother in any thing : for god is the revenger of such . and david tells us , that god in a peculiar manner abhors the blood-thirsty and deceitful man ; and threatens that he shall not live out half his days . and god by the prophet , mal. . . tells us , that he will be a swift witness against the oppressors . and if god be so swift to take vengeance upon such persons , surely then they are concerned to be very quick and speedy in making satisfaction for their injuries and oppressions , lest divine vengeance prevent them , and instead of making reparation to men , they be call'd upon to make satisfaction to the justice of god ; and you know who hath said it , that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. you therefore that have hitherto neglected this duty , delay it no longer ; by all means discharge your consciences of this burden , before you come to lie upon a death-bed . then the consciences of the worst of men begin to work , like a stomach opprest and surcharged with meat ; and then they are willing for their ease to vomit up those estates , which they have devoured by fraud and injustice ; then they begin to consider the difficulty of being saved , and to fear that it will be impossible for them ever to enter in at the strait gate , thus laden with the spoils of violence and deceit ; even those that have the hardest and most seared consciences , will be touched with the sense of such great sins at such a time : but do not thou defer this work to that time , for these two reasons . . because it cannot be so acceptable to god , to make restitution at such a time , as when thou art in health and in hopes of longer life . to give a man his own , when thou canst enjoy it and use it no longer , this is next to detaining of it . . because in all probability the restitution which is then made will not prove so effectual . what thou dost thy self , that thou art sure is done : but what thou leavest to be done by thy executors , and chargest upon them , thou art not sure will be done ; ten to one but if they can find out any trick and evasion in law , either to delay or avoid the doing of it , it shall either never be done , or very slowly . this is the sixth thing , the time when restitution is to be made . but before i leave this head , there is one case very proper to be considered , which relates to this circumstance of time , and that is concerning injuries of a very ancient date ; that is , how far this duty of restitution is to look backward , and whether it doth not expire by tr●ct of time ? for answer to this , i shall lay down these proportions . . at what distance of time soever the law would in the case make reparation and give satisfaction , we are undoubtedly bound in conscience voluntarily to give it . i deliver this generally ; because , tho' it be possible some civil laws may be in some cases unreasonable in this matter , yet they are our best rule and guide ; and , speaking generally and for the most part , they are as equitable as the reason of man could devise . not that we are to tie our selves strictly to the law , so as not to go farther , if reason and equity require ; for , as seneca says , parum est ad legem bonum esse , it is no great argument of goodness , to be just as good as the law requires . therefore i think it will very well become a good man , in many cases , rather to be better than the law , than to keep strictly to it . . in cases where the law hath not determined the time , we may do well to observe a proportion to what the law hath determined in other cases , which come nearest our own case . . when the injury is so old , that the right which the injured person had to reparation is reasonably presumed to be quitted and forsaken , then the obligation to satisfaction ceaseth and expires . the reason is plain , because every man may recede from his own right , and give it up to another ; and where a man may reasonably be presumed to have parted with his right to another , the obligation to restitution ceaseth and the right of claiming it . now when a thing begins , haberi pro derelicto , that is , when a right may reasonably be presumed to be quitted and forsaken , cannot in general be determined : but this must be estimated according to the importance of the right and thing in controversie , as whether it be more or less considerable ; and according to the reason and determination of laws about things of this nature . to illustrate this rule by instances . the saxons , danes , and normans , did at several times invade and conquer this nation , and conquer'd it we will suppose unjustly , and consequently did hold and possess that which truly belonged to others , contrary to right ; and several of the posterity of each of these do probably to this day hold what was then injuriously gotten ; i say , in this case , the obligation to satisfaction and restitution is long since expired , and the original title , which those who were dispossest had , is reasonably presumed to be long since quitted and forsaken ; and that for very wise reasons in law and government ; because it would confound and unsettle all estates , if every thing , the original title whereof is naught , were to be restored ; and it is but equal to presume , that all mankind are so reasonable , as to quit their right in such cases , rather than to cause endless disturbances , and to have the guilt of injustice everlastingly perpetuated . and tho' it be a rule in civil law , that vitiosum initio , tractu temporis non convalescit , a title originally bad can never by time be made just ; it is only true thus far , that time in it self doth not alter the nature of things : but considering the necessities of the world , and the infinite difficulties of retrieving an ancient right , and the inconveniences and disturbances that would thereby redound to humane society , it is better that an injury should be perpetuated , than that a great inconvenience should come by endeavouring to redress it ; so that altho' considering a thing simply in it self , an injury is so far from being lessened or null'd by tract of time , that it is increased , and the longer it continues , the greater it is ; yet by accident , and in compliance with the necessity of things , length of time may give a right to that which was at first injuriously possest . judg. . . thus jephthah reasons with the king of ammon , who had made war for recovery of an ancient right , as he suppos'd . and tho' the instances i have given of the unjust conquest of a nation be great and publick ; yet the same is to be determined proportionably in less and particular cases . and thus i have done with the sixth thing . vii . and lastly , as to the order of restitution . when we have injur'd a great many , and are not able to make restitution to all at once , our best prudence and discretion must govern us herein . because no certain rule can be given , which will reach all cases , i will only say this in general , that it is reasonable first to make reparation for the oldest and greatest injuries ; and ceteris paribus , if all other considerations be equal , to consider those first , who are most necessitous , and if there be any other special reason and obligation arising from the nature of the injury , or the circumstances of the person injur'd , to have regard to them . i come now in the second place , to confirm the truth of the proposition , that to make restitution and satisfaction to those whom we have injured , is a proper and necessary fruit of a true repentance . and this will appear , if we consider these two things . i. our obligation to this duty . ii. the nature of repentance . i. our obligation to this duty . upon the same account that we are obliged to repentance , we are obliged to restitution ; and both these obligations arise from natural equity and justice . all sin is an injury done ; and tho' repentance be not strictly satisfaction , yet it is the best we can make ; and he is unjust , who having done an injury , does not make the best reparation he can . but now there are some sins , in which , besides the injury that is done to god by them , upon the general account , as they are sins and violations of his laws , there is likewise a particular injury done to men ; and such are all those , the effect whereof redounds to the prejudice of other men : such are fraud and oppression , and all other sins whereby others are injured . so that in these kinds of sins , there are two things considerable , the irregularity and viciousness of the act , and the evil effects of it upon other men : the former respects the law , and calls for sorrow and repentance for our violation of it ; the latter respects the person that is injured , and calls for satisfaction and restitution . so that our obligation to restitution is founded in the immutable and indispensable law of nature , which is to do that to another , which we would have another do to us . we would have no man be injurious to us , or if he have been so , we would have him make satisfaction and reparation to us of the injury he hath done ; and we take it grievously from him , if he do not . now nothing is more just and equitable , than that we should do that to others , which we in the like case would expect from them : for the very same obligation that lies upon others towards us , does lie upon us in regard to others . ii. this will yet further appear , if we consider the nature of repentance , which is to be sorry for what we have done , and not to do the like for the future . now if thou be sorry for what thou hast done , thou wishest with all thy heart thou hadst not done it ; and if thou dost so , thou wilt undo , as much as in thee lieth , what thou hast done . now the best way to undo an injury , is to make reparation for it ; and till we do this , we continue in the sin. for if it was a sin , to do the injury at first , it is the same continued , not to make satisfaction ; and we do not cease to commit the sin , so long as we detain that , which is another's right . nothing but restitution can stop the progress of sin : for if it be a sin to take that which is another man 's from him by fraud or violence , it is the same continued and virtually repeated , to detain and keep it from him ; and nothing more contrary to repentance , than to continue in the sin thou pretendest to repent of . for how art thou sorry for doing of it , if thou continuest to do it ; if thou wilt go on to do it and do it again ? how dost thou hate thy sin , if thou enjoy the benefit and reap the advantage of it ? if thou dost this , it is an argument thou lovest the sin still : for thou didst never love it for it self , but for the profit of it , and so long as thou retainest that , thou canst not be quit of the sin. thou holdest fast thy sin , so long as thou refusest to make satisfaction for it ; and repentance without restitution differs as much from true repentance , as continuance in sin does from the forsaking of it . si res aliena non redditur , non agitur poenitentia , sed fingitur ; so st. augustine ; if we do not restore that , which we have injuriously detained from another , our repentance is not real , but feigned and hypocritical , and will not be effectual to the obtaining of our pardon . 't is a very common , but a true and terrible saying , non dimittitur peccatum , nisi restituatur ablatum , no remission without restitution . if we will inherit the profit and advantage of sin , we cannot think it unreasonable or unjust that we should inherit the punishment of it . when the scripture speaks of repentance , it frequently mentions restitution as a proper fruit and effect of it , and as a necessary and indispensable condition of pardon and life . ezek. . , , . again , when i say unto the wicked , thou shalt surely die : if he turn from his sin , and do that which is lawful and right ; if the wicked restore the pledge , give again that he had robbed , &c. as if he had said , when i denounce death and destruction to the wicked , there is but this one way to escape it , and that is by repentance ; but then take notice , what a repentance it is , that will avail to this end ; it is not a bewailing our selves , and lamenting over our sins , but a forsaking of them and returning to our duty ; if we turn from our sin , and do that which is lawful and right . for instance , if he have been guilty of injustice and oppression ; if he leave his course , and deal justly and righteously with his neighbour , and not only so , but he also make restitution for the injury he hath done , and restore what he hath unjustly detain and taken away ; if he restore the pledge , and give again that he hath robbed , and do no injustice for the future , but walk in the statutes of life , without committing iniquity , upon these terms and no other he shall live , he shall not die . yea the very light of nature could suggest . thus much to the people of nineveh , that there was no hope , without this fruit of repentance , of appeasing god's wrath . therefore the king and the princes , after all the external solemnity of fasting , and sackeloth , and crying mightily , they decree that every one should turn from the evil of his ways , and from the violence that was in their hands , ut rapinâ manus vacuefaciat , & rapta restituat , sine quo non est vera poenitentia ; so grot. upon the place , that he empty his hands of the spoils of rapine and oppression , that is , that he make restitution , without which there can be no repentance : and upon their doing this , 't is said , that god spared them , ver. . and god saw their works , that they turned from their evil ways . 't is not said , that he saw their fasting and sackcloth , but he saw their works , the real fruits and effects of their repentance ; and upon this it was that god repented of the evil he said , he would do to them , and he did it not . and elsewhere we find , that god speaks with great indignation of the most solemn repentance , which is not accompanied with this fruit , isa . . , , , . the people tell god how they had fasted and afflicted their soul , and made their voice to be heard on high : but god despiseth all this , because it was not accompanied with this fruit of repentance , is it such a fast as i have chosen ? &c. there is so much of natural justice and equity in restitution , and it is so proper a fruit of repentance , that as grotius observes , it is not only the doctrine of the jews and christians , but of heathens and mahumetans , that the repentance which doth not produce this fruit is feigned , and will never avail with god for pardon and mercy . thus much for confirmation of this doctrine . the third and last thing i propos'd was to perswade to the practice of this duty ; and this may serve by way of application of the doctrine of restitution . the use we should make of it is . first , to perswade men to the practice of this difficult duty . i doubt not but the arguments i have used are sufficient to convince us of the equity and necessity of restitution ; but what arguments shall i use to perswade to the practice and exercise of it ? when we press men to their duty , tho' we have some advantages on our side , yet we have also great disadvantages . we have this advantage , that we have the reason and consciences of men on our side : but then we have this disadvantage , that we have to contend either with the lusts or interests of men , or both : now that these are usually more powerful , is evident , in that the lusts and interests of men do so frequently byass and draw them to do things contrary to reason and conscience . when we perswade men to be just , and to make restitution to those whom they have injur'd , 't is true we have not to contend with the lusts of men , with any corrupt and vicious inclination of nature . there are some sins that have their rise from mens natural tempers , as passion and lust , and those sensual vices that abound in the world : but there 's nothing in any man 's natural temper and disposition that inclines him to be unjust , no man's complexion doth particularly dispose him to lie or steal , to defraud his neighbour , or detain his right from him ; it is only the interests of men that prompt them to these sins ; and they are upon this account the more inexcusable , because no man is inclined to these sins from particular temper and constitution ; so that an unjust man is in ordinary cases and circumstances a greater sinner , than a drunkard or a lustful man , because no man can pretend to be hurried away by the strong propension and inclination of his nature , to cheat his brother : but altho' when we perswade men to be just , we have not the lusts of men to contend withal , yet we have another powerful adversary , and that is the interests of men , which is one of the chief rulers and governours of this world ; so that when we press men to restitution , we touch them in their interest , which is a very touchy and tender thing ; when we tell them that without restitution no man can repent and be saved , they think this to be a very hard saying , and they know not how to bear it . but certainly it hath all the reason and equity in the world on its side . if it be so hard for them to restore that which is another man's , is it not much harder for him whom thou hast injured , to lose that which is his own ? make it thine own case ; wouldst thou not think it much harder to have thy right detained from thee by another , than for another to part with that which is not his own ? but i am sensible how little it is , that reason will sway with men against their interest ; therefore the best argument that i can use will be to satisfie men , that upon a true and just account , it is not so much their interest , to retain what they have unjustly got , as to make restitution . and this i shall do by shewing men , that to make restitution is their true interest , both in respect of themselves , and of their posterity . i. in respect of themselves . it is better both in respect of our present condition in this world , and of our future state. . in respect of our present condition in this world , and that both in respect of our outward estate , and our inward peace and tranquility . ( . ) in respect of our outward estate . if we have any belief of the providence of god , that his blessing can prosper an estate , and his curse consume it and make it moulder away , we cannot but judge it highly our interest , to clear our estates of injustice by restitution ; and by this means to free them from god's curse . for if any of our estate be unjustly gotten , it is enough to draw down god's curse upon all that we have ; it is like a moth in our estate , which will insensibly consume it ; it is like a secret poyson , which will diffuse it self through the whole ; like a little land in capite , which brings the whole estate into wardship . hear how god threatens to blast estates unjustly gotten , job . , &c. concluding with these words , this is the portion of a wicked man , that is , of an unjust man , jer. . . as a partridge sitteth on eggs , and hatcheth them not , so he that getteth riches and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of his days , and at his end shall be a fool . men many times live to see the folly of their injustice and oppression , and their estates wither away before their eyes , and by the just revenge of god , they are deprived of them in the midst of their days . so that the best way to fix an estate , and to secure it to our selves , is by restitution to free it from god's curse ; and when we have done that , how much soever we may diminish our estate by it , we may look upon our selves as having a better estate than we had ; better , because we have god's blessing with that which remains . if we believe the bible , we cannot doubt of this . the spirit of god tells us this from the observation of the wisest men , psal . . . a little that a righteous man hath , is better than the riches of many wicked . prov. . . better is a little with righteousness , than great revenues without right . ( . ) in respect of inward peace and tranquillity , it is highly our interest to make restitution . no man can enjoy an estate , that does not enjoy himself ; and nothing puts a man more out of the possession of himself , than an unquiet conscience ; and there are no kind of sins lie heavier upon a man's conscience , than those of injustice ; because they are committed against the clearest natural light , and there 's the least natural temptation to them . they have these two great aggravations , that they are sins most against knowledge , and have most of will in them . there needs no revelation to convince men of sins of injustice and oppression ; every man hath those principles born with him , which will sufficiently acquaint him , that he ought not to be injurious to another . there 's nothing that relates to our duty , that a man can know with greater certainty than this , that injustice is a sin. and as it is a sin most against knowledge , so it hath most of will in it . men are hurried away to other sins by the strong and violent propensions of their nature : but no man is inclined by his temper and constitution , to fraud and oppression ; and the less there is of nature in any sin , there 's the less of necessity , and consequently it is the more voluntary . now the greater the aggravations of any sin are , the greater is the guilt ; and the greater the guilt is , the more unquiet our consciences will be : so that if thou have any regard to the interest of thine own peace , if that be considerable to thee , which to wise men is the most valuable thing in the world , do not for a little wealth continue in those sins , which will create perpetual disturbance to thee , and imbitter all the pleasures of thy life . hear how job describes the condition of the wicked oppressors in the place before cited , job . . , &c. he shall not rejoyce in them , because he hath oppressed , because he hath violently taken away a house which he builded not , surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly , that is , he shall have no inward peace and contentment in the midst of all his outward enjoyments ; but his ill-gotten estate will work in his conscience , and gripe him , as if a man had taken down poyson into his belly . . but chiefly , in respect of our future estate in another world , it is every man's interest to make restitution . without repentance we are ruined for ever , and without restitution no repentance . no unrighteous man hath any inheritance in the kingdom of christ . if thou continue in thy fraud and oppression , and carry these sins with thee into another world , they will hang as a millstone about thy neck , and sink thee into eternal ruine . he that wrongeth his brother hateth him , and he that hateth his brother is a murderer , and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him , john . . rom. . . the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungoldliness and unrighteousness of men . so that if it be mens interest to escape the wrath of god , it concerns us to make reparation for those injuries which will expose us to it . that is a dreadful text , james . , , , . go to now , ye rich men , weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you . your riches are corrupted , and your garments moth-eaten : your gold and silver is canker'd , and the rust of them shall be a witness against you , and shall eat your flesh as it were fire : ye have heaped treasure together for the last days . behold ! the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields , which is of you kept back by fraud , crieth ; and the cries of them which have reaped , are enter'd into the ears of the lord of sabbaoth . do not by detaining the treasures of wickedness , treasure up to your selves wrath against the day of wrath : do not make your selves miserable for ever , that you may be rich for a little while : do not for a little silver and gold , forfeit the eternal inheritance , which was not purchased with corruptible things , but with the precious blood of the son of god : and if this consideration , which is the weightiest in the world , will not prevail with men , i can only say with the angel , rev. . . he that is unjust , let him be unjust still , let him continue in his injustice at his peril , and remember what is added at the th verse , behold ! i come quickly , and my reward is with me , to give to every man according as his work shall be . ii. in respect of our children and posterity , it is greatly our interest to make restitution . god many times suffers an estate got by oppression to prosper for a little while : but there is a curse attends it , which descends upon the estate like an incumbrance ; and parents many times , when they think they entail an estate , they entail poverty upon their children . job . . speaking of the children of the oppressor , he saith , his children shall seek to please the poor , and his hands shall restore their goods . and job . . god layeth up his iniquity for his children . thou layest up riches for thy children ; and god lays up thine iniquity and injustice for them , the curse that belongs to them . hab. . , , . wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousness , or gaineth an evil gain to his house , &c. thou thoughtest to raise thy family by those ways ; but thou hast consulted shame to thy house . no such effectual way to ruine thy family , as injustice and oppression . as then you would not transmit a curse to your children , and devolve misery upon your family , free your estates from the burden and weight of what is other mens , lest by god's just judgment and secret providence , that little which you injuriously detain from others , carry away your whole estate to them and their family . god's providence many times makes abundant restitution , when we will not . having now endeavoured to satisfie men , that it is their truest interest , to make restitution for the injuries they have done to others , it remains only that i should answer an objection or two , which men are apt to make against this duty . first , men say they are ashamed to do it . ans . it is not matter of shame , but of praise and commendation . but it may be thou wilt say , it is matter of shame to have injured another , and this is the way to lay open thy shame . indeed if the injury were publick , the restitution ought to be so too , as the only way to take off the shame of the injury . for thy restitution doth not in this case publish thy shame , but thy honesty : but if the injury was private , thou may'st preserve thy own credit , by concealing thy self , and provided thou do the thing effectually , thou may'st be as prudent , as to the manner of doing it , as thou pleasest . secondly , another objection is the prejudice it will be to mens estates . but this i have answer'd already , by shewing that it is more their interest to make restitution , than to continue in the sin. i shall only add , that , as our saviour reasons in another case , it is profitable for thee , that one of thy members should perish , rather than that thy whole body should be cast into hell : 't is true likewise here , it is profitable for thee , that thou shouldst go a beggar to heaven , rather than that thou shouldst go to hell , laden with the spoils and guilt of rapine and injustice . thirdly , the last objection that i shall mention , is dissability to make restitution . this indeed is something ; where nothing is to be had , every man must lose his right : but then remember , that there must be a hearty repentance for the sin ; and thy sorrow must be so much greater , by how much thy ability to make restitution is less ; and there must be a willing mind , a firm purpose and resolution of doing it , when god shall enable thee , and diligent endeavours to that purpose . under the law those who were not able to make restitutution , were sold for six years , if their service did not make reparation in less time . 't is true indeed , the moderation of the gospel doth not suffer christians to deal so hardly with one another : but if the gospel remit of this rigor , and do not allow christians to challange it , we should voluntarily do in effect that which they were forced to , that is , we should use our best endeavours and diligence to put our selves into a condition of making satisfaction ; and we should not look upon any thing beyond the necessary conveniences of life , as our own , till we have done it ; unless the party injured will recede from his right , in whole or in part . for tho' the impossibility of the thing do discharge us for the present , yet the obligation still lies upon us to do it , so soon as we are able . and here it will be proper to consider the case of those , who have compounded with their creditors for a small part , whether they be in conscience and equity released from the whole debt . i am loth to lay unnecessary burdens upon mens consciences , therefore i am very tender in resolving such cases : but i ought to have a more tender care of the souls of men , than of their estates : therefore to deal plainly , and to discharge my conscience in this matter , i think such persons do , notwithstanding the composition , stand obliged in equity and conscience for the whole debt , and are bound to discharge it , so soon as they can with tolerable convenience . my reason is , because , tho' they be discharged in law , yet the law does not intend to take off the obligation of conscience or equity , which they are under ; but leaves that as it found it . thus the case stands ; men who are in a way of trade are engaged by the necessities of their calling , to venture a great part of their estate in other mens hands , and by this means become liable many times to be undone without their own fault ; therefore it is usual , when any man in a way of trade becomes disabled , for the creditors to make such a composition with him , as his estate will bear , and upon this composition to give him a full discharge , so as that they cannot afterwards by law require of him the remainder of their debt . now tho' this be a favour to the debtor , yet it is principally intended for the benefit of the creditor ; because it being his act , it is to be presumed , that he intended it as much as may be , for his own advantage ; and so it is , for the creditor hath as much satisfaction at present as can be had , and the debtor is hereby left in a capacity of recovering himself again by his industry and diligence , which could not be , if he were not fully discharged ; for if he were still liable for the rest , he would continually be obnoxious to imprisonment , which would render him incapable of following his calling ; or if he were at liberty , he could have no credit to enable him to do any thing in his calling ; for who would trust a man with any thing , who is liable every moment to have it taken from him ? so that the reason of this plenary discharge is this , that men , who are otherwise hopeful , and in a fair probability of recovering themselves , may not be render'd incapable of getting an estate afterwards , whereby they may support themselves , and discharge their debts . now this discharge being given in order to these ends , it cannot be imagined that it should be intended to defeat them ; but it is in all reason to be supposed , that the creditors did not intend to take off the obligation of equity and conscience , only to put the man into a condition of doing somthing towards the enabling him to discharge his debt . so that unless it were exprest at the composition , that the creditor would never expect more from him , upon account of equity and conscience , but did freely forgive him the rest , the contrary whereof is usually done , i say , unless it were thus exprest , there 's no reason , why the creditor's favour in making a composition should be abused to his prejudice , and why a legal discharge , given him on purpose for this reason among others , to put him into a capacity of recovering himself and giving full satisfaction , should be so interpreted , as to extinguish the equitable right of the creditor to the remainder of his debt . the second use of this doctrine of restitution should be by way of prevention , that men would take heed of being injurious , and so take away the occasion of restitution , and free themselves from the temptation of not performing so difficult and so unwelcome a duty . it is much easier of the two , not to cozen or oppress thy neighbour , than after thou hast done it , it will be to bring thy self to make restitution : therefore we should be very careful , not to be injurious to any one in any kind ; neither immediately by our selves , nor by aiding and assisting others , by our power and interest , or skill in the law , or by any other way , to do injustice . sermon xiv . the usefulness of consideration , in order to repentance . deut. xxxii . . o that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end ! this chapter is call'd moses his song , in which he briefly recounts the various providences of god toward the people of israel , and the froward carriage of that people towards him . first , he puts them in mind how god had chosen them for his peculiar people , and had by a signal care and providence conducted them all that tedious journey , for the space of fourty years in the wilderness , till he had brought them to the promised land , which they had now begun to take possession of . and then he foretels , how they would behave themselves after all this mercy and kindness god had shewn to them , ver . . jesurun waxed fat , and kicked , and forsook god which made him , and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation . upon this he tells them , god would be extremely displeased with them , and would multiply his judgments upon them , ver . , . when the lord saw it , he abhorred them , because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters ; and he said , i will hide my face from them , i will see what their end shall be : for they are a very froward generation , children in whom is no faith. and ver . . i will heap mischief upon them , i will spend mine arrows upon them . and then enumerates the particular judgments which he would send upon them : nay , he declares he would have utterly consumed them , but that he was loth to give occasion of so much triumph to his and their enemies , ver . , . i said , i would scatter them into corners , i would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men ; were it not , that i feared the wrath of the enemy , lest their adversary should behave themselves strangely , and lest they should say our hand is high , and the lord hath not done all this . and he adds the reason of all this severity ; because they were so very stupid and inconsiderate , ver . . for they are a nation void of counsel , neither is there any vnderstanding in them . and in the conclusion of all , he represents god as it were breaking out into this vehement and affectionate wish , o that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end ! o that they were wise , that they understood this . what is that ? this may refer to all that went before , o that they were wise to consider what god had done for them , and what they had done against him , and what he will do against them , if they continue or renew their former provocations ! o that they were but duly apprehensive of this , and would lay it seriously to heart ! but from what follows , it seems more particularly to refer to those particular judgments , which god had threatned them withal , and which would certainly befal them , if they still continued in their disobedience . o that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end ! that is , the sad consequences of these their provocations , that by the consideration thereof , they might prevent all those evils and calamities , by turning from those sins which would unavoidably bring them upon them . from the words thus explained , i shall observe these four things . i. that god doth really and heartily desire the happiness of men , and to prevent their misery and ruin. for the very design of these words is to express this to us , and it is done in a very vehement , and , as i may say , passionate manner . ii. that it is a great point of wisdom to consider seriously the last issue and consequence of our actions , whither they tend , and what will follow upon them . and therefore wisdom is here described by the consideration of our latter end . iii. that this is an excellent means to prevent that misery , which will otherwise befall us . and this is necessarily implyed in this wish , that if they would but consider these things , they might be prevented . iv. that the want of this consideration is the great cause of mens ruin. and this is likewise implyed in the words , that one great reason of mens ruin is , because they are not so wise , as to consider the fatal issue and consequence of a sinful course . i shall speak briefly to each of these . i. that god doth really and heartily desire the happiness of men , and to prevent their misery and ruin. to express this to us , god doth put on the vehemency of a humane passion , o that they were wise , &c. the laws of god are a clear evidence of this ; because the observance of them tends to our happiness . there is no good prince makes laws with any other design , than to promote the publick welfare and happiness of his people : and with much more reason may we imagine , that the infinite good god does by all his laws design the happiness of his creatures . and the exhortations of scripture , by which he enforceth his laws , are yet a greater evidence how earnestly he desires the happiness of his creatures . for it shews that he is concerned for us , when he useth so many arguments to perswade us to our duty , and when he expostulates so vehemently with us for our neglect of it , saying to sinners , turn ye , turn ye , why will ye die , o house of israel ? ye will not come unto me , that ye might have life , says our blessed saviour , with great trouble to see men so obstinately set against their own happiness ; and again , how often would i have gathered you , as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , and ye would not . and to satisfie us yet farther , that it is his real desire , by our obedience to his laws , to prevent our ruine , god does frequently in scripture put on the passions of men , and use all sorts of vehement expressions to this purpose , deut. . . o that there were such a heart in them , that they would fear me , and keep all my commandments always , that it might be well with them , and with their children for ever ! and psal . . . o that my people had hearkned unto me , and israel had walked in my ways ! i should soon have subdued their enemies , and turned my hand against their adversaries . jer. . . o israel ! wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? and to name but one text more , when our blessed saviour wept over jerusalem , how passionately does he wish , that she had known in that her day , the things which belonged to her peace ! and if after all this , we can doubt whether the faithful god means as he says , he hath for our farther assurance , and to put the matter out of all doubt , confirmed his word by an oath , ezek. . . as i live , saith the lord god , i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked turn from his ways and live . turn ye , turn ye , from your evils ways ; for why will ye die , o house of israel ? so that if words can be any declaration of a hearty and sincere desire , we have no reason to doubt , but that god does really desire the happiness of men , and would gladly prevent their ruin and destruction . if any now ask , why then are not all men happy ? why do they not escape ruin and destruction ? and particularly why the people of israel , for whom god here makes this wish , did not escape those judgments which were threatned ; the prophet shall answer for me , hos . . . o israel ! thou hast destroyed thy self . and david , psal . . . my people would not hearken to my voice , israel would none of me . and our blessed saviour , matth. . . how often would i have gathered thee , as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , and ye would not ! and john . . ye will not come unto me , that ye might have life . you see what account the scripture plainly gives of this matter ; it rests upon the wills of men , and god hath not thought fit to force happiness upon men , and to make them wise and good whether they will or no. he presents men with such motives , and offers such arguments to their consideration , as are fit to prevail with reasonable men , and is ready to afford them all necessary assistance , if they be not wanting to themselves : but if they will not be wise and consideder , if they will stand out against all the arguments that god can offer , if they will receive the grace of god in vain , and resist his blessed sptrit , and reject the counsel of god against themselves , god hath not in this case engaged himself to provide any remedy against the obstinacy and perverseness of men , but their destruction is of themselves , and their blood shall be upon their own heads . and there is no nicety and intricacy in this matter ; but if men will consider scripture and reason impartially , they will find this to be the plain resolution of the case . so that no man hath reason to charge either his fault , or his punishment upon god ; he is free from the blood of all men ; he sincerely desires our happiness : but we wilfully ruin our selves ; and when he tells us , that he desires not the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live ; that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the know-of the truth , that he is not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance , he plainly means as he says , and doth not speak to us with any reserve , or dark distinction between his secret and revealed will , he does not decree one thing , and declare another . and if this be so , no man hath reason to be discouraged from attempting and endeavouring his own happiness , upon a jealousie and surmise that god hath by any fatal decree put a bar to it from all eternity : for if he had absolutely resolved to make the greatest part of mankind miserable , without any respect to their actions in this world , he would never have said , that he desires that all should be saved ; he would not have exhorted all men to work out their own salvation ; had he taken up any such resolution , he would have declared it to all the world : for he hath power enough in his hands , to do what he pleaseth , and none can resist his will ; so that he did not need to have dissembled the matter , and to have pretended a desire to save men , when de was resolved to ruin them . this is the first , that god doth really and heartily desire the happiness of men , and to prevent their misery and ruin. i proceed to the ii. that it is a great part of wisdom to consider seriously the last issue and consequence of our actions , and whither the course of life which we lead does tend , and what will follow upon it . and therefore wisdom is here explained by consideration , o that they were wise , that they would consider their latter end ! that is , what will befal them hereafter , what will be the issue and consequence of all the sins and provocations which they are guilty of . and this is a principal point and property of wisdom , to look forward , and not only to consider the present pleasure and advantage of any action , but the future consequence of it : and there is no greater agument of an imprudent man , than to gratifie himself for the present in the doing of a thing , which will turn to his greater prejudice afterwards ; especially if the future inconvenience be great and intolerable , as it is in the case we are speaking of . for eternal happiness or misery depends upon the actions of this present life , and according as we behave our selves in this world , it will go well or ill with us for ever ; so that this is a matter of vast importance , and deserves our most serious thoughts ; and in matters of mighty consequence , a wise man will take all things into consideration , and look before him as far as he can . and indeed this is the reason why things of great moment are said to be things of consequence , because great things depend and are likely to follow upon them : and then surely that is the greatest concernment , upon which not only the happiness of this present life , but our happiness to all eternity does depend ; and if the good and bad actions of this life be of that consequence to us , it is fit every man should consider what he does , and whither the course of life he is engaged or about to engage in , will lead him at last . for this is true wisdom , to look to the end of things , and to think seriously before hand , what is likely to be the event of such an action , of such a course of life : if we serve god faithfully and do his will , what will be the consequence of that to us in this world , and the other : and on the other hand , if we live wickedly , and allow our selves in any unlawful and vicious practice , what will be the end of that course . and to any man that consults the law of his own nature , or the will of god revealed in scripture , nothing can be plainer than what will be the end of these several ways . god hath plainly told us , and our own consciences will tell us the same , that if we do well , we shall be accepted of god , and rewarded by him : but if we do ill , the end of these things is death ; that indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish will be upon every soul of man that doth evil ; but honour and glory and peace to every man that doth good , in the day when god shall judge the secrets of men by jesus christ , according to the gospel . so that god hath given us a plain prospect of the different issues of a virtuous and a wicked life , and there wants nothing but consideration to make us to attend to these things , and to lay them seriously to heart . for while men are inconsiderate , they go on stupidly in an evil way , and are not sensible of the danger of their present course , because they do not attend to the consequence of it : but when their eyes are once opened by consideration , they cannot but be sadly apprehensive of the mischief they are running themselves upon . if men would take but a serious and impartial view of their lives and actions , if they would consider the tendency of a sinful course , and whither it will bring them at last ; if the vicious and dissolute man would but look about him , and consider how many have been ruined in that very way that he is in , how many lie slain and wounded in it ; that it is the way to hell , and leads down to the chambers of death ; the serious thought of this could not but check him in his course , and make him resolve upon a better life . if men were wise , they would consider the consequence of their actions , and upon consideration would resolve upon that which they are convinc'd is best . i proceed to the iii. thing i propounded , which was , that consideration of the consequence of our actions , is an excellent means to prevent the mischiefs , which otherwise we should run into . and this is necessarily implyed in the wish here in the text , that if we would but consider these things , they might be prevented . for how can any man , who hath any love or regard for himself , any tenderness for his own interest and happiness , see hell and destruction before him , which , if he hold on in his evil course , will certainly swallow him up , and yet venture to go on in his sins ? can any man that plainly beholds misery hastning towards him like an armed man , and destruction coming upon him as a whirl-wind , think himself unconcerned to prevent it and flie from it ? the most dull and stupid creatures will start back upon the sight of present danger . balaam's ass , when she saw the angel of the lord standing in the way , with his sword drawn ready to smite her , starts aside , and could not be urged on . now god hath given us , not only sense to apprehend a present evil , but reason and consideration to look before us , and to discover dangers at a distance , to apprehend them as certainly , and with as clear a conviction of the reality of them , as if they threatned us the next moment : and will any considerate man , who hath calculated the dangerous events of sin , and the dreadful effects of god's wrath upon sinners , go on to provoke the lord to jealousie , as if he were stronger than he ? it is not to be imagined , but that if men would seriously consider what sin is , and what shall be the sad portion of sinners hereafter , they would resolve upon a better course . would any man live in the lusts of the flesh and of intemperance , or out of covetousness defraud or oppress his neighbour , did he seriously consider , that god is the avenger of such ; and that because of these things the wrath of god comes upon the children of disobedience . i should have great hopes of mens repentance and reformation , if they could but once be brought to consideration : for in most men it is not so much a positive disbelief of the truth , as inadvertency and want of consideration , that makes them to go on so securely in a sinful course . would but men consider what sin is , and what will be the fearful consequence of it , probably in this world , but most certainly in the other , they could not chuse but flie from it as the greatest evil in the world. and to shew what power and influence consideration will probably have to bring men to repentance , and a change of their lives , i remember to have some where met with a very remarkable story , of one that had a son that took bad courses , and would not be reclaimed by all the good counsel his father could give him ; at last coming to his father , who lay upon his death-bed , to beg his blessing , his father instead of upbraiding him with his bad life and undutiful carriage toward him , spake kindly to him , and told him he had but one thing to desire of him , that every day he would retire and spend one quarter of an hour alone by himself ; which he promised his father faithfully to do , and made it good : after a while it grew tedious to him , to spend even so little time in such bad and uneasie company , and he began to bethink himself , for what reason his father should so earnestly desire of him to do so odd a thing for his sake , and his mind presently suggested to him , that it was to enforce him to consideration ; wisely judging that if by any means he could but bring him to that , he would soon reform his life and become a new man. and the thing had its desired effect ; for after a very little consideration , he took up a firm resolution to change the course of his life , and was true to it all his days . i cannot answer for the truth of the story , but for the moral of it i will ; namely , that consideration is one of the best and most likely means in the world , to bring a bad man to a better mind . i now come to the iv. and last particular , namely , that the want of this consideration is one of the greatest causes of mens ruin. and this likewise is implyed in the text ; and the reason why god does so vehemently desire that men would be wise and consider , is because so many are ruin'd and undone for want of it . this is the desperate folly of mankind , that they seldom think seriously of the consequence of their actions , and least of all of such as are of greatest concernment to them , and have the chief influence upon their eternal condition . they do not consider what mischief and inconvenience a wicked life may plunge them into in this world , what trouble and disturbance it may give them when they come to die , what horror and confusion it may fill them withal when they are leaving this world , and passing into eternity , and what intolerable misery and torment it may bring upon them to all eternity . did men ponder and lay to heart death and judgment , heaven and hell , and would they but let their thoughts dwell upon these things , it is not credible that the generality of men could lead such profane and impious , such lewd and dissolute , such secure and careless lives as they do . would but a man frequently entertain his mind with such thoughts as these ; i must shortly die and leave this world , and then all the pleasures and enjoyments of it will be to me as if they had never been , only that the remembrance of them , and the ill use i have made of them , will be very bitter and grievous to me ; after all death will transmit me out of this world , into a quite different state and scene of things , into the presence of that great and terrible , that inflexible and impartial judge , who will render to every man according to his works , and then all the evils which i have done in this life , will rise up in judgment against me , and fill me with everlasting confusion , in that great assembly of men and angels , will banish me from the presence of god , and all the happiness which flows from it , and procure a dreadful sentence of unspeakable misery and torment to be past upon me , which i can never get reverst , nor yet ever be able to stand under the weight of it : if men would but enter into the serious consideration of these things , and pursue these thoughts to some issue and conclusion , they would take up other resolutions ; and i verily believe , that the want of this hath ruin'd more than even infidelity it self . and this i take to be the meaning of that question in the psalmist , have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? that is , no consideration ; intimating that if they had , they would do better . all that now remains , is to perswade men to apply their hearts to this piece of wisdom , to look before them , and to think seriously of the consequence of their actions , what will be the final issue of that course of life they are engaged in ; and if they continue in it , what will become of them hereafter , what will become of them for ever . and here i might apply this text , as god here does to the people of israel , to the publick condition of this nation , which is not so very unlike to that of the people of israel : for god seems to have chosen this nation for his more peculiar people , and hath exercised a very particular providence towards us , in conducting us through that wilderness of confusion , in which we have been wandring for the space of above forty years , and when things were come to the last extremity , and we seemed to stand upon the very brink of ruin , then ( as it is said of the people of israel , ver . . of this chapter ) god repented himself for his servants , when he saw that their power was gone , that is , that they were utterly unable to help themselves , and to work their own deliverance . and it may be said of us , as moses does of that people , chap. . . happy art thou , o israel , o people saved by the lord , the shield of thy help , and who is the sword of thy excellency ! never did any nation struggle with , and get through so many and so great difficulties , as we have several times done . and i fear we have behaved our selves toward god , not much better than the people of israel did , but like jesurun , after many deliverances and great mercies , have waxed fat and kicked , have forsaken the god that made us , and little esteemed the rock of our salvation , by which we have provoked the lord to jealousie , and have as it were forc'd him to multiply his judgments , and to spend his arrows upon us , and to hide his face from us , to see what our end will be ; so that we have reason to fear , that god would have brought utter ruin and destruction upon us , and scatter'd us into corners , and made the remembrance of us to have ceased from among men , had he not feared the wrath of the enemy , and lest the adversaries should have behaved themselves strangely , and lest they should say our hand is high , and the lord hath not done all this ; that is , lest they should ascribe this just vengeance of god upon a sinful and unthankful nation , to the goodness and righteousness of their own cause , and to the favour and assistance of the idols and false gods whom they worship'd , to the patronage and aid of the virgin mary and the saints , to whom , contrary to the will and command of the true god , they had offer'd up so many prayers and vows , and paid the greatest part of their religious worship : but the lord hath shewn himself greater than all gods , and in the things wherein they dealt proudly , that he is above them : for our rock is not as their rock , even our enemies themselves being judges . and we have been too like the people of israel in other respects also , so sickle and inconstant , that after great deliverances we are apt presently to murmur and be discontented , to grow sick of our own happiness , and to turn back in our hearts into egypt ; so that god may complain of us , as he does of his people israel , that nothing that he could do , would bring them to consideration and make them better , neither his mercies nor his judgments . isa . . , . hear , o heavens ! and give ear , o earth ! for the lord hath spoken ; i have nourished and brought up children , but they have rebelled against me . the ox knoweth his owner , and the ass his masters crib : but israel doth not know , my people doth not consider . and so likewise he complains , that his judgments had no effect upon them , ver . . why should ye be smitten any more ? ye will revolt more and more . well therefore may it be said of us , as it was of them in the verse before the text , they are a nation void of knowledge , neither is there any understanding in them . and the wish that follows in the text , is as seasonable for us as it was for them , o that they were wise , that they uaderstood this , that they would consider their latter end ! and by parity of reason , this may likewise be applyed to particular persons , and to perswade every one of us to a serious consideration , of the final issue and consequence of our actions . i will only offer these two arguments . i. that consideration is the proper act of reasonable creatures , and that whereby we shew our selves men . so the prophet intimates , isa . . . remember this , and shew your selves men ; bring it again to mind , o ye transgressors ! that is , consider it well , think of it again and again , ye that run on so furiously in a sinful course , what the end and issue of these things will be . if ye do not do this , you do not shew your selves men , you do not act like reasonable creatures , to whom it is peculiar to propose to themselves some end and design of their actions ; but rather like brute creatures , which have no understanding , and act only by a natural instinct , without any consideration of the end of their actions , or of the means conducing to it . ii. whether we consider it or not , our latter end will come ; and all those dismal consequences of a sinful course , which god hath so plainly threatned , and our own consciences do so much dread , will certainly overtake us at last ; and we cannot , by not thinking of these things , ever prevent or avoid them . death will come , and after that the judgment , and an irreversible doom will pass upon us , according to all the evil that we have done , and all the good that we have neglected to do in this life , under the heavy weight and pressure whereof we must lie groaning , and bewailing our selves to everlasting ages . god now exerciseth his mercy and patience and long-suffering toward us , in expectation of our amendment ; he reprieves us on purpose that we may repent , and in hopes that we will at last consider and grow wiser ; for he is not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance : but if we will trifle away this day of god's grace and patience , if we will not consider and bethink our selves , there is another day that will certainly come , that great and terrible day of the lord , in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat , the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up . seeing then all these things shall be , let us consider seriously what manner of persons we ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness , waiting for and hastning unto the coming of the day of god. to whom be glory now and for ever . sermon xv. the danger of impenitence , where the gospel is preach'd . matth . xi . , . woe unto thee chorazin , woe unto thee bethsaida : for if the mighty works which were done in you , had been done in tyre and sidon , they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes . but i say unto you , it shall be more tolerable for tyre and sidon at the day of judgment , than for you . after our blessed saviour had instructed , and sent forth his disciples , he himself went abroad to preach unto the cities of israel ; particularly he spent much time in the cities of galilee , chorazin , and bethsaida , and capernaum , preaching the gospel to them , and working many and great miracles among them ; but with little or no success , which was the cause of his denouncing this terrible woe against them , ver . . then began he to upbraid the cities , wherein most of his mighty works were done , because they repented not . woe unto thee chorazin , &c. in which words our saviour declares the sad and miserable condition of those two cities , chorazin and bethsaida , which had neglected such an opportunity , and resisted and withstood such means of repentance , as would have effectually reclaimed the most wicked cities and people that can be instanced in in any age , tyre and sidon and sodom ; and therefore he tells them , that their condition was much worse , and that they should fall under a heavier sentence at the day of judgment , than the people of those cities , whom they had always lookt upon as the greatest sinners that ever were in the world. this is the plain meaning of the words in general ; but yet there are some difficulties in them , which i shall endeavour to clear , and then proceed to raise such observations from them , as may be instructive and useful to us . the difficulties are these . i. what repentance is here spoken of ; whether an external repentance in shew and appearance only , or an inward and real and sincere repentance . ii. in what sense it is said , that tyre and sidon would have repented . iii. what is meant by their would have repented long ago . iv. how this assertion of our saviour's , that miracles would have converted tyre and sidon , is reconcileable with that other saying of his , luke . . in the parable of the rich man and lazarus , that those who believed not moses and the prophets , neither would they be persuaded , tho' one rose from the dead . i. what repentance is here spoken of ; whether a meer external and hypocritical repentance in shew and appearance only , or an inward and real and sincere repentance . the reason of this doubt depends upon the different theories of divines , about the sufficiency of grace accompanying the outward means of repentance , and whether an irresistible degree of god's grace be necessary to repentance : for they who deny sufficient grace to accompany the outward means of repentance , and assert an irresistible degree of god's grace necessary to repentance , are forced to say , that our saviour here speaks of a meer external repentance : because if he spake of an inward and sincere repentance , then it must be granted , that sufficient inward grace did accompany the miracles that were wrought in chorazin and bethsaida , to bring men to repentance ; because what was afforded to them , would have brought tyre and sidon to repentance . and that which would have effected a thing , cannot be denyed to be sufficient ; so that unless our saviour here speaks of a meer external repentance , either the outward means of repentance , as preaching and miracles , must be granted to be sufficient to bring men to repentance , without the inward operation of god's grace upon the minds of men ; or else a sufficient degree of god's grace must be acknowledged to accompany the outward means of repentance . again , if an irresistible degree of grace be necessary to true repentance , it is plain , chorazin and bethsaida had it not , because they did not repent ; and yet without this tyre and sidon could not have sincerely repented ; therefore our saviour here must speak of a meer external repentance . thus some argue , as they do likewise concerning the repentance of nineveh , making that also to be meerly external , because they are loath to allow true repentance to heathens . but it seems very plain , that our saviour does speak of an inward and true and sincere repentance ; and therefore the doctrines that will not admit this , are not true . for our saviour speaks of the same kind of repentance , that he upbraided them with the want of in the verse before the text. then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done , because they repented not , that is because they were not brought to a sincere repentance by his preaching , which was confirmed by such great miracles . 't is true indeed , he mentions the outward signs and expressions of repentance , when he says they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes ; but not as excluding inward and real repentance , but supposing it , as is evident from what is said in the next verse , it shall be more tolerable for tyre and sidon at the day of judgment , than for you : for tho' an external and hypocritical repentance , may prevail with god to put off temporal judgments , yet surely it will be but a very small , if any mitigation of our condemnation at the day of judgment : so that the repentance here spoken of cannot , without great violence to the scope and design of our saviour's argument , be understood only of an external shew and appearance of repentance . ii. the next difficulty to be cleared , is , in what sense it is here said , that if the mighty works which were done by our saviour among the jews , had been done in tyre and sidon , they would have repented . some to avoid the inconvenience which they apprehend to be in the more strict and literal sense of the words , look upon them as hyperbolical , as we say such a thing would move a stone , or the like , when we would express something to be very sad and grievous ; so here to aggravate the impenitence of the jews , our saviour says , that they resisted those means of repentance , which one would think should almost have prevailed upon the greatest and most obdurate sinners that ever were ; but not intending to affirm any such thing . but there is no colour for this , if we consider that our saviour reasons from the supposition of such a thing , that therefore the case of tyre and sidon would really be more tolerable at the day of judgment than theirs ; because they would have repented , but the jews did not . others perhaps understand the words too strictly , as if our saviour had spoken according to what he certainly foreknew would have hapned to the people of tyre and sidon , if such miracles had been wrought among them . and no doubt but in that case god did certainly know what they would have done : but yet i should rather chuse to undestand the words as spoken popularly , according to what in all humane appearance and probability would have hapned , if such external means of repentance , accompanied with an ordinary grace of god , had been afforded to them of tyre and sidon . and thus the old latine interpreter seems to have understood the next words , if the mighty works which have been done in thee , had been done in sodom , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , forte mansissent , it would perhaps have remained to this day , in all likelyhood it had continued till now . much the same with that passage of the prophet , ezek. . , . thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech , and of a hard language , but to the house of israel : surely had i sent thee to them , they would have hearkned unto thee , that is , in all probability they would , there is little doubt to be made of the contrary . and this is sufficient foundation for our saviour's reasoning afterwards , that it shall be more tolerable for tyre and sidon in the day of judgment than for them . and if we may judge what they would have done before , by what they did afterwards , there is more than probability for it : for we read in the st chapter of the acts , ver . . and ver . . that the inhabitants of tyre and sidon receiv'd the gospel , and kindly entertain'd st. paul , when the jews rejected them both . the iii. thing to be cleared , is , what is meant by long ago ; they would have repented long ago . some understand this , as if our saviour had said , they would not have stood out so long against so much preaching and so many miracles ; but would at first have repented , long before our saviour gave over chorazin and bethsaida , for obstinate and incorrigible sinners ; they would not only have repented at last , but much sooner and without so much ado . but this does not seem to be the meaning of the words ; but our saviour seems to refer to those ancient times long ago , when the prophets denounced judgments against tyre and sidon , particularly the prophet ezekiel , and to say , that if in those days the preaching of that prophet had been accompanied with such miracles as our saviour wrought in the cities of galilee , tyre and sidon would in those days have repented . the last and greatest difficulty of all is , how this assertion of our saviour , that miracles would have converted tyre and sidon , is reconcileable with that discourse of our saviour's , luke . in the parable of the rich man and lazarus , that those who would not believe moses and the prophets , would not have been perswaded , tho' one had rose from the dead . the true answer to which difficulty in short is this ; that when our saviour says , if they believe not moses and the prophets , neither will they be perswaded , tho' one rose from the dead , he does not hereby weaken the force of miracles , or their aptness to convince men and bring them to repentance , but rather confirm it ; because moses and the prophets had the attestation of many and great miracles , and therefore there was no reason to think , that they who would not believe the writings and doctrine of moses and the prophets , which had the confirmation of so many miracles , and was owned by themselves to have so , should be wrought upon by one particular miracle , the coming of one from the dead , and speaking unto them : or however this might move and astonish them for the present , yet it was not likely that the grace of god should concur with such an extraordinary means , to render it effectual to their conversion and repentance , who had wilfully despised and obstinately rejected that which had a much greater confirmation , than the discourse of a man risen from the dead , and was appointed by god for the ordinary and standing means of bringing men to repentance . so that our saviour might with reason enough pronounce that tyre and sidon , who never had a standing revelation of god to bring them to repentance , nor had rejected it , would upon miracles extraordinarily wrought among them have repented ; and yet deny it elsewhere to be likely , that they who rejected a standing revelation of god confirmed by miracles , which call'd them to repentance , would probably be brought to repentance by a particular miracle ; or that god should afford his grace to make it effectual for their repentance and salvation . the words being thus cleared , i come now to raise such observations from them , as may be instructive and useful to us . i. i observe from this discourse of our saviour , that miracles are of great force and efficacy to bring men to repentance . this our saviour's discourse here supposeth ; otherwise their impenitence had not been so criminal and inexcusable upon that account , that such mighty works had been done among them , as would probably have prevailed upon some of the worst people that had been in the world ; for such were the inhabitants of tyre and sidon , guilty of great covetousness and fraud , pride and luxury , the usual sins of places of great traffick and commerce ; and such to be sure was sodom ; and yet our saviour tells us , that the miracles which he had wrought in the cities of israel , would in all probability have brought those great sinners to repentance ; namely , by bringing them to faith , and convincing them of the truth and divinity of that doctrine , which he preached unto them , and which contains such powerful arguments to repentance and amendment of life . ii. i observe likewise from our saviour's discourse , that god is not always obliged to work miracles for the conversion of sinners . it is great goodness in him to afford sufficient means of repentance to men , as he did to tyre and sidon , in calling them to repentance by his prophet ; tho' such miracles were not wrought among them , as god thought fit to accompany our saviour's preaching withal . this i observe , to prevent a kind of bold and saucy objection , which some would perhaps be apt to make ; if tyre and sidon would have repented , had such miracles been wrought among them , as our saviour wrought in chorazin and bethsaida , why were they not wrought , that they might have repented ? to which it is sufficient answer to say , that god is not obliged to do all that is possible to be done , to reclaim men from their sins ; he is not obliged to over-power their wills , and to work irresistibly upon their minds , which he can easily do ; he is not obliged to work miracles for every particular man's conviction ; nor where he vouchsafeth to do this , is he obliged always to work the greatest and most convincing miracles ; his goodness will not suffer him to omit what is necessary and sufficient to bring men to repentance and happiness , nay beyond this he many times does more ; but it is sufficient to vindicate the justice and goodness of god , that he is not wanting to us , in affording the means necessary to reclaim us from our sins , and to bring us to goodness . that which is properly our part , is to make use of those means which god affords us to become better , and not to prescribe to him how much he should do for us ; to be thankful that he hath done so much , and not to find fault with him for having done no more . iii. i observe farther from our saviour's discourse , that the external means of repentance which god affords to men , do suppose an inward grace of god accompanying them , sufficiently enabling men to repent , if it be not their own fault ; i say a sufficient grace of god accompanying the outward means of repentance , till by our wilful and obstinate neglect and resistance and opposition of this grace , we provoke god to withdraw it from the means , or else to withdraw both the grace and the means from us : otherwise impenitence after such external means afforded , would be no new and special fault . for if the concurrence of god's grace with the outward means be necessary to work repentance , then the impenitence of those to whom this grace is not afforded , which yet is necessary to repentance , is neither any new sin , nor any new aggravation of their former impenitence . for no man can imagine that the just god will charge men with new guilt , and increase their condemnation , for remaining impenitent in such circumstances , in which it is impossible for them to repent . iv. i observe from this discourse of our saviour's , that an irresistible degree of grace is not necessary to repentance , nor commonly afforded to those who do repent . god may where he pleaseth , without injury to any man , over-power his will , and stop him in his course , and hinder him from making himself miserable , and by an irresistible light convince him of his error and the evil of his ways , and bring him to a better mind : but this god seldom does ; and when he does it , it is very probable it is not so much for their own sakes , as to make them instruments of good to others . thus by a secret but over-powering influence he over-ruled the disciples to follow our saviour , and to leave their callings and relations , and all their temporal concernments to do it . but one of the most remarkable examples of this extraordinary grace of god , is st. paul , who was violently stopt in his course of persecuting the christians , and convinc'd of his sin , and brought over to christianity , in a very extraordinary and forcible manner . and of this miraculous and extraordinary conversion , god himself gives this account , that he was a chosen vessel unto him , to bear his name before the gentiles , and kings , and the children of israel , acts . . and st. paul tells us , gal. . , . that for this end god had separated him from his mother's womb , and call'd him by his grace , and revealed his son to him in that extraordinary manner , that he might preach him among the heathen . but generally god does not bring men thus to repentance ; nor is it necessary he should . for if an irresistible degree of grace were always necessary to bring men to repentance , there could be no difference between the impenitence of chorazin and bethsaida , and of tyre and sidon . for according to this doctrine of the necessity of irresistible grace to the conversion of every man , it is evident , that tyre and sidon neither could , nor would have repented , without an irresistible degree of god's grace accompanying the outward means of repentance which he afforded to them ; because such a degree of grace is necessary to repentance , and without it , it is impossible for any man to repent . but then it is as plain on the contrary , that if chorazin and bethsaida had had the same irresistible degree of god's grace , together with the outward means of repentance afforded to them , that they would have repented as certainly as tyre and sidon . where then is the reason of upbraiding the impenitence of the one , more than of the other ? where the aggravation of the one's guilt above the other ? where the justice of punishing the impenitence of chorazin and bethsaida , more than theirs of tyre and sidon ? for upon this supposition , they must either have repented both alike , or have been both equally impenitent . the sum of what i have said is this , that if no man does , nor can repent , without such a degree of god's grace as cannot be resisted , no man's repentance is commendable , nor is one man's impenitence more blameable than anothers ; chorazin and bethsaida can be in no more fault for continuing impenitent , than tyre and sidon were . for either this irresistible grace is afforded to men or not : if it be , their repentance is necessary , and they cannot help it ; if it be not , their repentance is impossible , and consequently their impenitence is necessary , and they cannot help it neither . v. i observe from the main scope of our saviour's discourse , that the sins and impenitence of men receive their aggravation , and consequently shall have their punishment , proportionable to the opportunities and means of repentance , which those persons have enjoyed and neglected . for what is here said of miracles , is by equality of reason likewise true of all other advantages and means of repentance and salvation . the reason why miracles will be such an aggravation of the condemdemnation of men is , because they are so proper and powerful a means to convince men of the truth and divinity of that doctrine which calls them to repentance . so that all those means which god affords to us , of the knowledge of our duty , of conviction of the evil and danger of a sinful course , are so many helps and motives to repentance , and consequently will prove so many aggravations of our sin and punishment , if we continue impenitent . the vi. and last observation , and which naturally follows from the former , is this , that the case of those who are impenitent under the gospel , is of all others the most dangerous , and their damnation shall be heaviest and most severe . and this brings the case of these cities here in the text home to our selves . for in truth there is no material difference between the case of chorazin and bethsaida and capernaum , and of our selves in this city and nation , who enjoy the clear light of the gospel , with all the freedom , and all the advantages that any people ever did . the mercies of god to this nation have been very great , especially in bringing us out of that darkness and superstition , which covered this western part of the world ; in rescuing us from that great corruption and degeneracy of the christian religion which prevailed among us , by so early and so regular a reformation ; and in continuing so long this great blessing to us . the judgments of god have been likewise very great upon us for our sins ; god hath manifested himself by terrible things in righteousness ; our eyes have seen many and dismal calamities in the space of a few years , which call lowdly upon us to repent and turn to god. god hath afforded us the most effectual means of repentance , and hath taken the most effectual course of bringing us to it . and tho' our blessed saviour do not speak to us in person , nor do we at this day see miracles wrought among us , as the jews did ; yet we have the doctrine which our blessed saviour preach'd , faithfully transmitted to us , and a credible relation of the miracles wrought for the confirmation of that doctrine , and many other arguments to perswade us of the truth of it , which those to whom our saviour spake had not , nor could not then have , taken from the accomplishing of our saviour's predictions , after his death ; the speedy propagation and wonderful success of this doctrine in the world , by weak and inconsiderable means , against all the power and opposition of the world ; the destruction of jerusalem , and the dispersion of the jewish nation , according to our saviour's prophesie ; besides many more that might be mentioned . and which is a mighty advantage to us , we are free from those prejudices against the person of our saviour and his doctrine , which the jews , by the reverence which they bore to their rulers and teachers , were generally possest withal ; we are brought up in the belief of it , and have drunk it in by education ; and if we believe it , as we all profess to do , we have all the obligation and all the arguments to repentance , which the jews could possibly have from the miracles which they saw ; for they were means of repentance to them , no otherwise than as they brought them to the belief of our saviour's doctrine , which call'd them to repentance . so that if we continue impenitent , the same woe is denounced against us , that is against chorazin and bethsaida ; and we may be said with capernaum , to be lifted up to heaven , by the enjoyment of the most excellent means and advantages of salvation , that any people ever did , which if we neglect , and still continue wicked and impenitent under them , we may justly fear , that with them we shall be thrown down to hell , and have our place in the lowest part of that dismal dungeon , and in the very centre of that fiery furnace . never was there greater cause to upbraid the impenitence of any people , than of us , considering the means and opportunities which we enjoy ; and never had any greater reason to fear a severer doom , than we have . impenitence in a heathen is a great sin ; else how should god judge the world ? but god takes no notice of that , in comparison of the impenitence of christians , who enjoy the gospel , and are convinced of the truth , and upon the greatest reason in the world profess to believe it . we christians have all the obligations to repentance , that reason and revelation , nature and grace can lay upon us . art thou convinced that thou hast sinned , and done that which is contrary to thy duty , and thereby provoked the wrath of god , and incensed his justice against thee ? as thou art a man , and upon the stock of natural principles , thou art obliged to repentance . the same light of reason which discovers to thee the errors of thy life , and challengeth thee for thy impiety and intemperance , for thy injustice and oppression , for thy pride and passion ; the same natural conscience , which accuseth thee of any miscarriages , does oblige thee to be sorry for it , to turn from thy evil ways , and to break off thy sins by repentance . for nothing can be more unreasonable , than for a man to know a fault , and yet not think himself bound to be sorry for it ; to be convinced of the evil of his ways , and not to think himself obliged by that very conviction , to turn from it and forsake it . if there be any such thing as a natural law written in mens hearts , which the apostle tells us the heathens had , it is impossible to imagine , but that the law which obligeth men not to transgress , should oblige them to repentance in case of transgression . and this every man in the world is bound to , tho' he had never seen the bible , nor heard of the name of christ . and the revelation of the gospel doth not supersede this obligation , but adds new strength and force to it ; and by how much this duty of repentance is more clearly revealed by our blessed saviour in the gospel , by how much the arguments which the gospel useth to persuade men , and encourage them to repentance , are greater and more powerful ; by so much is the impenitence of those who live under the gospel the more inexcusable . had we only some faint hopes of god's mercy , a doubtful opinion and weak persuasion of the rewards and punishments of another world ; yet we have a law within us , which upon the probability of these considerations would oblige us to repentance . indeed if men were assur'd upon good grounds , that there would be no future rewards and punishments ; then the sanction of the law were gone , and it would lose its force and obligation : or if we did despair of the mercy of god , and had good reason to think repentance impossible , or that it would do us no good ; in that case there would be no sufficient motive and argument to repentance : for no man can return to his duty , without returning to the love of god and goodness ; and no man can return to the love of god , who believes that he bears an implacable hatred against him , and is resolved to make him miserable for ever . during this persuasion no man can repent . and this seems to be the reason , why the devils continue impenitent . but the heathens were not without hopes of god's mercy , and upon those small hopes which they had they encouraged themselves into repentance ; as you may see in the instance of the ninevites , let them turn every one from his evil ways , and from the violence that is in his hands . who can tell , if god will turn and repent , and turn away from his fierce anger , that we perish not ? jonah . , . but if we , who have the clearest discoveries , and the highest assurance of this , who profess to believe that god hath declared himself placable to all mankind , that he is in christ reconciling the world to himself , and that upon our repentance he will not impute our sins to us ; if we , to whom the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , and to whom life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel , if after all this , we still go on in any impenitent course , what shall we be able to plead in excuse of our selves at that great day ? the men of nineveh shall rise up in judgment against such an impenitent generation , and condemn it ; because they repented upon the terror of lighter threatnings , and upon the encouragement of weaker hops . and therefore it concerns us , who call our selves christians , and enjoy the clear revelation of the gospel , to look about us , and take heed how we continue in an evil course . for if we remain impenitent , after all the arguments which the gospel , superadded to the light of nature , affords to us to bring us to repentance , it shall not only be more tolerable for the men of nineveh , but for tyre and sidon , for sodom and gomorrah , the most wicked and impenitent heathens , at the day of judgment , than for us . for because we have stronger arguments , and more powerful encouragements to repentance , than they had , if we do not repent , we shall meet with a heavier doom , and a fiercer damnation . the heathen world had many excuses to plead for themselves , which we have not . the times of that ignorance god winked at : but now commands all men every where to repent ; because he hath appointed a day , in the which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained , whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . finis . books printed for r. chiswell . scriptorvm ecclesiasticorvm , historia literaria facili & perspicua methodo digesta , in vol. fol. authore gvl. cave , s. t. p. — his primitive christianity . th edit . o. — his dissertation concerning the government of the ancient church by bishops , metropolitans and patriarchs . o. arch-bishop tenison's conference with pulton the jesuit . — his nine sermons on several occasions . eight volumes of arch-bishop tillotson's sermons ; published from the originals by dr. barker . — vol. st . of sincerity and constancy in the faith and profession of the true ruligion . d edition corrected . . — vol. d of the presence of the messias , the glory of the second temple . of christ jesus the only mediator . of the nature , office , and employment of good angels . of the reputation of good men after death , &c. the d edition corrected . . — vol. d of the sin and danger of adding to the doctrine of the gospel . honesty the best preservative against dangerous mistakes in religion . the nature and evil of covetousness . the wisdom of religion , &c. the d edition corrected . . — vol. th of natural and instituted religion , &c. second edition corrected . — vol. th proving jesus to be the messias , &c. second edition corrected . . — volumes th and th . upon the attributes of god. second edition corrected . . — volume th . of repentance . ten sermons on several occasions , by bishop patrick . — his hearts ease , or remedy against all troubles . the th edition . . — his commentary on genesis , exodus , leviticus , and numbers , in four volumes . — his commentary on duteronomy , . valentine's private devotions . the th edition . . wharton's sermons in lambeth-chappel , in vol. o. with his life . the second edition . . dr. conant's sermons , in two vol. o. published by bishop williams . dr. wake of preparation for death . the th edition . . dr. fryer's nine years travels into india and persia , illustrated with copper plates . fol. . bishop williams , of the lawfulness of worshipping god by the common-prayer . with several other discourses . mr. tulley's discourse of the government of the thoughts . the d edition o . the life of henry chichele , arch-bishop of canterbury , in which there is a particular relation of many remarkable passages in the reigns of henry v. and vi. kings of england : written in latin by arthur duck , l. l. d. chancellor of the diocess of london , and advocate of the court of honour ; now made english , and a table of contents annexed . o . the judgment of the ancient jewish church against the vnitarians , in the controversy upon the holy trinity , and the divinity of our blessed saviour . with a table of matters , and a table of texts of scriptures occasionally explained , by peter alix , d. d. short memo●●●s of thomas lord fairfax , written by himself . published , . the life of john whitgift arch-bishop of canterbury , in the times of queen elizabeth and king james i. written by sir geo. paul , comptroler of his grace's houshold . to which is annexed a treatise intituled , conspiracy for pretended reformation , written in the year . by richard cosin , l. l. d. dean of the arches , and official principal to arch-bishop whitgift . o. . an exposition of the articles of the church of england , by dr. burnet bishop of sarum . fol. . — his sermon to the societies for reformation of manners . march . . a practical discourse of religious assemblies ; by dr. william sherlock , dean of st. pauls . the d. edition . . a treatise concerning the causes of the present corruption of christians , and the remedies thereof . . in the press . the fourth and last part of mr. rvshworth's historical collections . containing the principal matters which happen'd from the beginning of the year . ( where the third part ended ) to the death of king charles the first , . impartially related : setting forth only matter of fact in order of time , without observation or reflection . fitted for the press in his life-time . to which will be added , exact alphabetical tables . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . * ser. . * preach'd in lent. notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e serm. . vol. . notes for div a -e ser. . vol. . notes for div a -e ser. . vol. . notes for div a -e ser. . vol. . notes for div a -e ser. . vol. . notes for div a -e ser. . vol. . notes for div a -e ser. . vol. . a discourse against transubstantiation tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discourse against transubstantiation tillotson, john, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by m. flesher for brabazon aylmer ..., and w. rogers ..., london : . includes bibliographical references. advertisement: p. [ ]-[ ] at end. attributed to john tillotson, archbishop of canterbury. cf. halkett & laing, mcalpin coll. reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng transubstantiation. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discourse against transubstantiation . london , printed by m. flesher , for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill : and william rogers , at the sun , over against st. dunstans church in fleetstreet . . a discourse against transubstantiation . concerning the sacrament of the lord's supper , one of the two great positive institutions of the christian religion , there are two main points of difference between vs and the church of rome . one , about the doctrine of transubstantiation ; in which they think , but are not certain , that they have the scripture and the words of our saviour on their side : the other , about the administration of this sacrament to the people in both kinds ; in which we are sure that we have the scripture and our saviour's institution on our side ; and that so plainly , that our adversaries themselves do not deny it . of the first of these i shall now treat , and endeavour to shew against the church of rome , that in this sacrament there is no substantial change made of the elements of bread and wine into the natural body and bloud of christ ; that body which was born of the virgin mary , and suffered upon the cross ; for so they explain that hard word transubstantiation . before i engage in this argument , i cannot but observe what an unreasonable task we are put upon , by the bold confidence of our adversaries , to dispute a matter of sense ; which is one of those things about which aristotle hath long since pronounc'd there ought to be no dispute . it might well seem strange if any man should write a book , to prove that an egg is not an elephant , and that a musket-bullet is not a pike : it is every whit as hard a case , to be put to maintain by a long discourse , that what we see and handle and taste to be bread is bread , and not the body of a man ; and what we see and taste to be wine is wine , and not bloud : and if this evidence may not pass for sufficient without any farther proof , i do not see why any man , that hath confidence enough to do so , may not deny any thing to be what all the world sees it is , or affirm any thing to be what all the world sees it is not ; and this without all possibility of being farther confuted . so that the business of transubstantiation is not a controversie of scripture against scripture , or of reason against reason , but of downright impudence against the plain meaning of scripture , and all the sense and reason of mankind . it is a most self-evident falsehood ; and there is no doctrine or proposition in the world that is of it self more evidently true , than transubstantiation is evidently false : and yet if it were possible to be true , it would be the most ill-natur'd and pernicious truth in the world , because it would suffer nothing else to be true ; it is like the roman-catholique church , which will needs be the whole christian church , and will allow no other society of christians to be any part of it : so transubstantiation , if it be true at all , it is all truth ; for it cannot be true unless our senses and the senses of all mankind be deceived about their proper objects ; and if this be true and certain , then nothing else can be so ; for if we be not certain of what we see , we can be certain of nothing . and yet notwithstanding all this , there is a company of men in the world so abandon'd and given up by god to the efficacy of delusion as in good earnest to believe this gross and palpable errour , and to impose the belief of it upon the christian world under no less penalties than of temporal death and eternal damnation . and therefore to undeceive , if possible , these deluded souls , it will be necessary to examine the pretended grounds of so false a doctrine , and to lay open the monstrous absurdity of it . and in the handling of this argument , i shall proceed in this plain method . i. i shall consider the pretended grounds and reasons of the church of rome for this doctrine . ii. i shall produce our objections against it . and if i can shew that there is no tolerable ground for it , and that there are invincible objections against it , then every man is not onely in reason excused from believing this doctrine , but hath great cause to believe the contrary . first , i will consider the pretended grounds and reasons of the church of rome for this doctrine . which must be one or more of these five . either st . the authority of scripture . or ly . the perpetual belief of this doctrine in the christian church , as an evidence that they always understood and interpreted our saviour's words , this is my body , in this sense . or ly . the authority of the present church to make and declare new articles of faith. or ly . the absolute necessity of such a change as this in the sacrament to the comfort and benefit of those who receive this sacrament . or ly . to magnify the power of the priest in being able to work so great a miracle . st . they pretend for this doctrine the authority of scripture in those words of our saviour , this is my body . now to shew the insufficiency of this pretence , i shall endeavour to make good these two things . . that there is no necessity of understanding those words of our saviour in the sense of transubstantiation . . that there is a great deal of reason to understand them otherwise . first , that there is no necessity to understand those words of our saviour in the sense of transubstantiation . if there be any , it must be from one of these two reasons . either because there are no figurative expressions in scripture , which i think no man ever yet said : or else , because a sacrament admits of no figures ; which would be very absurd for any man to say , since it is of the very nature of a sacrament to represent and exhibite some invisible grace and benefit by an outward sign and figure : and especially since it cannot be denied , but that in the institution of this very sacrament our saviour useth figurative expressions and several words which cannot be taken strictly and literally . when he gave the cup he said , this cup is the new testament in my bloud , which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins . where first , the cup is put for wine contained in the cup ; or else if the words be literally taken , so as to signify a substantial change , it is not of the wine but of the cup ; and that , not into the bloud of christ but into the new testament or new covenant in his bloud . besides , that his bloud is said then to be shed , and his body to be broken , which was not till his passion , which followed the institution and first celebration of this sacrament . but that there is no necessity to understand our saviour's words in the sense of transubstantiation , i will take the plain concession of a great number of the most learned writers of the church of rome in this controversie . a bellarmine , b suazer and c vasquez do acknowledge scotus the great schoolman to have said that this doctrine cannot be evidently proved from scripture : and bellarmine grants this not to be improbable ; and suarez and vasquez acknowledge d durandus to have said as much . e ocham , another famous schoolman , says expresly , that the doctrine which holds the substance of the bread and wine to remain after consecration is neither repugnant to reason nor to scripture . f petrus ab alliaco cardinal of cambray says plainly , that the doctrine of the substance of bread and wine remaining after consecration is more easie and free from absurdity , more rational , and no ways repugnant to the authority of scripture ; nay more , that for the other doctrine , viz. of transubstantiation , there is no evidence in scripture . g gabriel biel , another great schoolman and divine of their church , freely declares , that as to any thing express'd in the canon of the scriptures , a man may believe that the substance of bread and wine doth remain after consecration : and therefore he resolves the belief of transubstantiation into some other revelation , besides scripture , which he supposeth the church had about it . cardinal h cajetan confesseth that the gospel doth no where express that the bread is changed into the body of christ ; that we have this from the authority of the church : nay , he goes farther , , that there is nothing in the gospel which enforceth any man to understand these words of christ , this is my body , in a proper and not a metaphorical sense ; but the church having understood them in a proper sense they are to be so explained : which words in the roman edition of cajetan are expunged by order of pope i pius v. cardinal k contarenus , and l melchior canus one of the best and most judicious writers that church ever had , reckon this doctrine among those which are not so expresly found in scripture . i will add but one more , of great authority in the church , and a reputed martyr , m fisher bishop of rochester who ingenuously confesseth that in the words of the institution there is not one word from whence the true presence of the flesh and bloud of christ in our mass can be proved : so that we need not much contend that this doctrine hath no certain foundation in scripture , when this is so fully and frankly acknowledged by our adversaries themselves . secondly , if there be no necessity of understanding our saviour's words in the sense of transubstantiation , i am sure there is a great deal of reason to understand them otherwise . whether we consider the like expressions in scripture ; as where our saviour says he is the door , and the true vine ( which the church of rome would mightily have triumph'd in , had it been said , this is my true body ) and so likewise where the church is said to be christ's body ; and the rock which followed the israelites to be christ , . cor. . . they drank of that rock which followed them , and that rock was christ : all which and innumerable more like expressions in scripture every man understands in a figurative , and not in a strictly literal and absurd sense . and it is very well known , that in the hebrew language things are commonly said to be that which they do signify and represent ; and there is not in that language a more proper and usual way of expressing a thing to signify so and so , than to say that it is so and so . thus joseph expounding pharaoh's dream to him , gen. . . says , the seven good kine are seven years , and the seven good ears of corn are seven years , that is , they signified or represented seven years of plenty ; and so pharaoh understood him , and so would any man of sense understand the like expressions ; nor do i beleive that any sensible man , who had never heard of transubstantiation being grounded upon these words of our saviour , this is my body , would upon reading the institution of the sacrament in the gospel ever have imagin'd any such thing to be meant by our saviour in those words ; but would have understood his meaning to have been , this bread signifies my body , this cup signifies my bloud ; and this which you see me now do , do ye hereafter for a memorial of me : but surely it would never have enter'd into any man's mind to have thought that our saviour did literally hold himself in his hand , and give away himself from himself with his own hands . or whether we compare these words of our saviour with the ancient form of the passover used by the jews from ezra's time , as n justin martyr tells us , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this passover is our saviour and our refuge : not that they believed the paschal lamb to be substantially changed either into god their saviour who delivered them out of the land of egypt , or into the messias the saviour whom they expected and who was signified by it : but this lamb which they did eat did represent to them and put them in mind of that salvation which god wrought for their fathers in egypt , when by the slaying of a lamb and sprinkling the bloud of it upon their doors their first-born were passed over and spared ; and did likewise foreshew the salvation of the messias , the lamb of god that was to take away the sins of the world . and nothing is more common in all languages than to give the name of the thing signified to the sign . as the delivery of a deed or writing under hand and seal is call'd a conveyance or making over of such an estate , and it is really so ; not the delivery of mere wax and parchment , but the conveyance of a real estate ; as truly and really to all effects and purposes of law , as if the very material houses and lands themselves could be and were actually delivered into my hands : in like manner the names of the things themselves made over to us in the new covenant of the gospel between god and man , are given to the signs or seals of that covenant . by baptism christians are said to be made partakers of the holy ghost , heb. . . and by the sacrament of the lord's supper we are said to communicate or to be made partakers of the body of christ which was broken , and of his bloud which was shed for us , that is , of the real benefits of his death and passion . and thus st. paul speaks of this sacrament , cor. . . the cup of blessing which we bless , is it not the communion of the bloud of christ ? the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? but still it is bread , and he still calls it so , v. . for we being many are one bread and one body ; for we are partakers of that one bread . the church of rome might , if they pleased , as well argue from hence that all christians are substantially changed first into bread , and then into the natural body of christ by their participation of the sacrament , because they are said thereby to be one bread and one body . and the same apostle in the next chapter , after he had spoken of the consecration of the elements still calls them the bread and the cup , in three verses together , as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup , v. . whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the lord unworthily , v. . but let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup , v. . and our saviour himself when he had said , this is my bloud of the new testament , immediately adds , * but i say unto you , i will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the vine , untill i drink it new with you in my father's kingdom , that is , not till after his resurrection , which was the first slep● of his exaltation into the kingdom given him by his father ; when the scripture tells us he did eat and drink with his disciples . but that which i observe from our saviour's words is , that after the consecration of the cup and the delivering of it to his disciples to drink of it , he tells them that he would thenceforth drink no more of the fruit of the vine , which he had now drank with them , till after his resurrection . from whence it is plain that it was the fruit of the vine , real wine , which our saviour drank of and communicated to his disciples in the sacrament . besides , if we consider that he celebrated this sacrament before his passion , it is impossible these words should be understood literally of the natural body and bloud of christ ; because it was his body broken and his bloud shed which he gave to his disciples , which if we understand literally of his natural body broken and his bloud shed , then these words , this is my body which is broken , and this is my bloud which is shed , could not be true , because his body was then whole and unbroken , and his bloud not then shed ; nor could it be a propitiatory sacrifice ( as they affirm this sacrament to be ) unless they will say that propitiation was made before christ suffer'd : and it is likewise impossible that the disciples should understand these words literally , because they not onely plainly saw that what he gave them was bread and wine , but they saw likewise as plainly that it was not his body which was given , but his body which gave that which was given ; not his body broken and his bloud shed , because they saw him alive at that very time and beheld his body whole and unpierc'd ; and therefore they could not understand these words literally : if they had , can we imagine that the disciples , who upon all other occasions were so full of questions and objections , should make no difficulty of this matter ? nor so much as ask our saviour , how can these things be ? that they should not tell him , we see this to be bread and that to be wine , and we see thy body to be distinct from both ; we see thy body not broken , and thy bloud not shed . from all which it must needs be very evident , to any man that will impartially consider things , how little reason there is to understand those words of our saviour , this is my body , and this is my bloud , in the sense of transubstantiation ; nay on the contrary , that there is very great reason and an evident necessity to understand them otherwise . i proceed to shew , ly . that this doctrine is not grounded upon the perpetual belief of the christian church , which the church of rome vainly pretends as an evidence that the church did always understand and interpret our saviour's words in this sense . to manifest the groundlesness of this pretence , i shall , . shew by plain testimony of the fathers in several ages , that this doctrine was not the belief of the ancient christian church . . i shall shew the time and occasion of its coming in , and by what degrees it grew up and was establish'd in the roman church . . i shall answer their great pretended demonstration that this always was and must have been the constant belief of the christian church . . i shall shew by plain testimonies of the fathers in several ages , for above five hundred years after christ that this doctrine was not the belief of the ancient christian church . i deny not but that the fathers do , and that with great reason , very much magnify the wonderfull mystery and efficacy of this sacrament , and frequently speak of a great supernatural change made by the divine benediction ; which we also readily acknowledge . they say indeed , that the elements of bread and wine do by the divine blessing become to us the body and bloud of christ : but they likewise say that the names of the things signified are given to the signs ; that the bread and wine do still remain in their proper nature and substance , and that they are turn'd into the substance of our bodies ; that the body of christ in the sacrament is not his natural body , but the sign and figure of it ; not that body which was crucified , nor that bloud which was shed upon the cross ; and that it is impious to understand the eating of the flesh of the son of man and drinking his bloud literally : all which are directly opposite to the doctrine of transubstantiation and utterly inconsistent with it . i will select but some few testimonies of many which i might bring to this purpose . i begin with justin martyr , who says expressly , that * our bloud and flesh are nourished by the conversion of that food which we receive in the eucharist : but that cannot be the natural body and bloud of christ , for no man will say that that is converted into the nourishment of our bodies . the second is * irenaeus , who speaking of this sacrament says , that the bread which is from the earth receiving the divine invocation is now no longer common bread , but the eucharist ( or sacrament ) consisting of two things , the one earthy , the other heavenly . he says it is no longer common bread , but after invocation or consecration it becomes the sacrament , that is , bread sanctified , consisting of two things an earthly and a heavenly ; the earthly thing is bread , and the heavenly is the divine blessing which by the invocation or consecration is added to it . and * elsewhere he hath this passage , when therefore the cup that is mix'd ( that is , of wine and water ) and the bread that is broken receives the word of god , it becomes the eucharist of the bloud and body of christ , of which the substance of our flesh is increased and consists : but if that which we receive in the sacrament do nourish our bodies , it must be bread and wine , and not the natural body and bloud of christ. there is another remarkable testimony of irenaeus , which though it be not now extant in those works of his which remain , yet hath been preserv'd by * oecumenius , and it is this ; when ( says he ) the greeks had taken some servants , of the christian catechumeni ( that is , such as had not been admitted to the sacrament ) and afterwards urged them by violence to tell them some of the secrets of the christians , these servants having nothing to say that might gratify those who offered violence to them , except onely that they had heard from their masters that the divine communion was the bloud and body of christ , they thinking that it was really bloud and flesh , declar'd as much to those that questioned them . the greeks taking this as if it were really done by the christians , discovered it to others of the greeks ; who hereupon put sanctus and blandina to the torture to make them confess it . to whom blandina boldly answered , how would they endure to do this , who by way of exercise ( or abstinence ) do not eat that flesh which may lawfully be eaten ? by which it appears that this which they would have charg'd upon christians , as if they had literally eaten the flesh and bloud of christ in the sacrament , was a false accusation which these martyrs denied , saying they were so far from that that they for their part did not eat any flesh at all . the next is tertullian , who proves against marcion the heretique that the body of our saviour was not a mere phantasm and appearance , but a real body , because the sacrament is a figure and image of his body ; and if there be an image of his body he must have a real body , otherwise the sacrament would be an image of an image . his words are these , * the bread which our saviour took and distributed to his disciples he made his own body , saying this is my body , that is , the image or figure of my body . but it could not have been the figure of his body , if there had not been a true and real body . and arguing against the scepticks who denied the certainty of sense he useth this argument : that if we question our senses we may doubt whether our blessed saviour were not deceived in what he heard , and saw , and touched . * he might ( says he ) be deceived in the voice from heaven , in the smell of the ointment with which he was anointed against his burial ; and in tho taste of the wine which he consecrated in remembrance of his bloud . so that it seems we are to trust our senses , even in the matter of the sacrament ; and if that be true , the doctrine of transubstantiation is certainly false . origen in his * comment on matth. , speaking of the sacrament hath this passage , that food which is sanctified by the word of god and prayer , as to that of it which is material , goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught , which none surely will say of the body of christ. and afterwards he adds by way of explication , it is not the matter of the bread , but the word which is spoken over it , which profiteth him that worthily eateth the lord ; and this ( he says ) he had spoken concerning the typical and symbolical body . so that the matter of bread remaineth in the sacrament , and this origen calls the typical and symbolical body of christ ; and it is not the natural body of christ which is there eaten , for the food eaten in the sacrament , as to that of it which is material , goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught . this testimony is so very plain in the cause that sextus senensis suspects this place of origen was depraved by the heretiques . cardinal perron is contented to allow it to be origen's , but rejects his testimony because he was accused of heresie by some of the fathers , and says he talks like a heretique in this place . so that with much adoe this testimony is yielded to us . the same father in his * homilies upon leviticus speaks thus , there is also in the new testament a letter which kills him who doth not spiritually understand those things which are said ; for if we take according to the letter that which is said , except ye eat my flesh and drink my blovd , this letter kills . and this also is a killing testimony , and not to be answered but in cardinal perron's way , by saying he talks like a heretique . st. cyprian hath a whole epistle * to cecilius , against those who gave the communion in water onely without wine mingled with it ; and his main argument against them is this , that the bloud of christ with which we are redeemed and quickned cannot seem to be in the cup when there is no wine in the cup by which the bloud of christ is represented : and afterwards he says , that contrary to the evangelical and apostolical doctrine water was in some places offer'd ( or given ) in the lord's cup , which ( says he ) alone cannot express ( or represent ) the bloud of christ. and lastly he tells us , that by water the people is understood , by wine the bloud of christ is shewn ( or represented ) but when in the cup water is mingled with wine the people is united to christ. so that according to this argument wine in the sacramental cup is no otherwise chang'd into the bloud of christ than the water mixed with it is changed into the people , which are said to be united to christ. i omit many others , and pass to st. austin in the fourth age after christ. and i the rather insist upon his testimony , because of his eminent esteem and authority in the latin church ; and he also calls the elements of the sacrament the figure and sign of christ's body and bloud . in his book against adimantus the manichee we have this expression , * our lord did not doubt to say , this is my body , when he gave the sign of his body . and in his explication of the third psalm , speaking of judas whom our lord admitted to his last supper , in which ( says he ) † he commended and delivered to his disciples the figure of his body ; language which would now be censur'd for heresie in the church of rome . indeed he was never accus'd of heresie , as cardinal perron says origen was , but he talks as like one as origen himself . and in his comment on the psalm speaking of the offence which the disciples took at that saying of our saviour , except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his bloud , &c. he brings in our saviour speaking thus to them , ‖ ye must understand spiritually what i have said unto you ; ye are not to eat this body which ye see , and to drink that bloud which shall be shed by those that shall crucifyme . i have commended a certain sacrament to you , which being spiritually understood will give you life . what more opposite to the doctrine of transubstantiation , than that the disciples were not to eat that body of christ which they saw , nor to drink that bloud which was shed upon the cross , but that all this was to be understood spiritually and according to the nature of a sacrament ? for that body he tells us is not here but in heaven , in his comment upon these words , me ye have not always . * he speaks ( says he ) of the presence of his body ; ye shall have me according to my providence , according to majesty and invisible grace ; but according to the flesh which the word assumed , according to that which was born of the virgin mary , ye shall not have me : therefore because he conversed with his disciples fourty days , he is ascended up into heaven and is not here . in his d . epistle ; † if the sacrament ( says he ) had not some resemblance of those things whereof they are sacraments , they would not be sacraments at all ; but from this resemblance they take for the most part the names of the things which they represent . therefore as the sacrament of the body of christ is in some manner or sense christ's body , and the sacrament of his bloud is the bloud of christ ; so the sacrament of faith ( meaning baptism ) is faith . upon which words of st. austin there is this remarkable gloss in their own canon law ; ‖ the heavenly sacrament which truly represents the flesh of christ is called the body of christ ; but improperly : whence it is said , that after a manner , but not according to the truth of the thing but the mystery of the thing signified ; so that the meaning is , it is called the body of christ , that is , it signifies the body of christ : and if this be st. austin's meaning , i am sure no protestant can speak more plainly against transubstantiation . and in the ancient canon of the mass , before it was chang'd in complyance with this new doctrine , it is expresly call'd a sacrament , a sign , an image and a figure of christ's body . to which i will add that remarkable passage of st. austin cited by * gratian , that as we receive the similitude of his death in baptism , so we may also receive the likeness of his flesh and bloud ; that so neither may truth be wanting in the sacrament , nor pagans have occasion to make us ridiculous for drinking the bloud of one that was slain . i will mention but one testimony more of this father , but so clear a one as it is impossible any man in his wits that had believed transubstantiation could have utter'd . it is in his treatise * de doctrina christiana ; where laying down several rules for the right understanding of scripture , he gives this for one . if ( says he ) the speech be a precept forbidding some heinous wickedness or crime , or commanding us to do good , it is not figurative ; but if it seem to command any heinous wickedness or crime , or to forbid that which is profitable and beneficial to others , it is figurative . for example , except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his bloud , ye have no life in you : this seems to command a heinous wickedness and crime , therefore it is a figure ; commanding us to communicate of the passion of our lord , and with delight and advantage to lay up in our memory that his flesh was crucified and wounded for us . so that , according to st. austin's best skill in interpreting scripture , the literal eating of the flesh of christ and drinking his bloud would have been a great impiety ; and therefore the expression is to be understood figuratively ; not as cardinal perron would have it , onely in opposition to the eating of his flesh and bloud in the gross appearance of flesh and bloud , but to the real eating of his natural body and bloud under any appearance whatsoever : for st. austin doth not say , this is a figurative speech wherein we are commanded really to feed upon the natural body and bloud of christ under the species of bread and wine , as the cardinal would understand him ; for then the speech would be literal and not figurative : but he says , this is a figurative speech wherein we are commanded spiritually to feed upon the remembrance of his passion . to these i will add but three or four testimonies more in the two following ages . the first shall be of theodoret , who speaking of that * prophecy of jacob concerning our saviour , he washed his garments in wine and his clothes in the bloud of grapes , hath these words , † as we call the mystical fruit of the vine ( that is , the wine in the sacrament ) after consecration the bloud of the lord , so he ( viz. jacob ) calls the bloud of the true vine ( viz. of christ ) the bloud of the grape : but the bloud of christ is not literally and properly but onely figuratively the bloud of the grape , in the same sense as he is said to be the true vine ; and therefore the wine in the sacrament after consecration is in like manner not literally and properly but figuratively the bloud of christ. and he explains this afterwards , saying , that our saviour changed the names , and gave to his body the name of the symbol or sign , and to the symbol or sign the name of his body ; thus when he had call'd himself the vine , he call'd the symbol or sign his bloud ; so that in the same sense that he call'd himself the vine , he call'd the wine , which is the symbol of his bloud , his bloud : for , says he , he would have those who partake of the divine mysteries not to attend to the nature of the things which are seen , but by the change of names to believe the change which is made by grace ; for he who call'd that which by nature is a body wheat and bread , and again likewise call'd himself the vine , he honour'd the symbols with the name of his body and bloud : not changing nature but adding grace to nature . where you see he says expresly , that when he call'd the symbols or elements of the sacrament , viz. bread and wine , his body and bloud , he made no change in the nature of the things , onely added grace to nature , that is , by the divine grace and blessing he raised them to a spiritual and supernatural vertue and efficacy . the second is of the same theodoret in his second dialogue between a catholique , under the name of orthodoxus , and an heretique under the name of eranistes ; who maintaining that the humanity of christ was chang'd into the substance of the divinity ( which was the heresie of eutyches ) he illustrates the matter by this similitude , as , says he , the symbols of the lord's body and bloud are one thing before the invocation of the priest , but after the invocation are changed and become another thing ; so the body of our lord after his ascension is changed into the divine substance . but what says the catholique orthodoxus to this ? why , he talks just like one of cardinal perron's heretiques , thou art , says he , caught in thy own net : because the mystical symbols after consecration do not pass out of their own nature ; for they remain in their former substance , figure and appearance and may be seen and handled even as before . he does not onely deny the outward figure and appearance of the symbols to be chang'd , but the nature and substance of them , even in the proper and strictest sense of the word substance ; and it was necessary so to do , otherwise he had not given a pertinent answer to the similitude urg'd against him . the next is one of their own popes , gelasius , who brings the same instance against the eutychians ; * surely , says he , the sacraments which we receive of the body and bloud of our lord are a divine thing , so that by them we are made partakers of a divine nature , and yet it ceaseth not to be the substance or nature of bread and wine ; and certainly the image and resemblance of christ's body and bloud are celebrated in the action of the mysteries , that is , in the sacrament . to make this instance of any force against the euty●h●ans , who held that tho body of christ upon his ascension ceas'd and was chang'd into the substance of his divinity , it was necessary to deny that there was any substantial change in the sacrament of the bread and wine into the body and bloud of christ. so that here is an infallible authority , one of their own popes expresly against transubstantiation . the last testimony i shall produce is of facundus an african bishop , who lived in the th . century . upon occasion of justifying an expression of one who had said that christ also received the adoption of sons , he reasons thus . * christ vouchsafed to receive the sacrament of adoption both when he was circumcised and baptized : and the sacrament of adoption may be called adoption , as the sacrament of his body and bloud , which is in the consecrated bread and cup , is by us called his body and bloud : not that the bread , says he , is properly his body and the cup his bloud , but because they contain in them the mysteries of his body and bloud ; hence also our lord himself called the blessed bread and cup which he gave to his disciples his body and bloud . can any man after this believe , that it was then , and had ever been , the universal and received doctrine of the christian church , that the bread and wine in the sacrament are substantially changed into the proper and natural body and bloud of christ ? by these plain testimonies which i have produced , and i might have brought a great many more to the same purpose , it is i think evident beyond all denial that transubstantiation hath not been the perpetual belief of the christian church . and this likewise is acknowledged by many great and learned men of the roman church . a scotus acknowledgeth , that this doctrine was not always thought necessary to be believed , but that the necessity of believing it was consequent to that declaration of the church made in the council of lateran under pope innocent the iii. and b durandus freely discovers his inclination to have believed the contrary , if the church had not by that determination obliged men to believe it . c tonstal bishop of durham also yields , that before the lateran council men were at liberty as to the manner of christ's presence in the sacrament . and d erasmus , who lived and died in the communion of the roman church , and than whom no man was better read in the ancient fathers , doth confess that it was late before the church defined transubstantiation , unknown to the ancients both name and thing . and e alphonsus a castro says plainly , that concerning the transubstantiation of the bread into the body of christ , there is seldom any mention in the ancient writers . and who can imagine that these learned men would have granted the ancient church and fathers to have been so much strangers to this doctrine , had they thought it to have been the perpetual belief of the church ? i shall now in the second place , give an account of the particular time and occasion of the coming in of this doctrine , and by what steps and degrees it grew up and was advanced into an article of faith in the romish church . the doctrine of the corporal presence of christ was first started upon occasion of the dispute about the worship of images , in opposition whereto the synod of constantinople about the year dccl did argue thus , that our lord having left us no other image of himself but the sacrament , in which the substance of bread is the image of his body , we ought to make no other image of our lord. in answer to this argument the second council of nice in the year dcclxxxvii did declare , that the sacrament after consecration is not the image and antitype of christ's body and bloud , but is properly his body and bloud . so that the corporal presence of christ in the sacrament was first brought in to support the stupid worship of images : and indeed it could never have come in upon a more proper occasion , nor have been applied to a fitter purpose . and here i cannot but take notice how well this agrees with * bellarmine's observation , that none of the ancients who wrote of heresies , hath put this errour ( viz. of denying transubstantiation ) in his catalogue ; nor did any of the ancients dispute against this errour for the first years . which is very true , because there could be no occasion then to dispute against those who denied transubstantiation ; since , as i have shewn , this doctrine was not in being , unless amongst the eutychian heretiques , for the first years and more . but † bellarmine goes on and tells us , that the first who call'd in question the truth of the body of the lord in the eucharist were the iconomachi ( the opposers of images ) after the year dcc in the council of constantinople ; for these said there was one image of christ instituted by christ himself , viz. the bread and wine in the eucharist , which represents the body and bloud of christ : wherefore from that time the greek writers often admonish us that the eucharist is not the figure or image of the body of the lord , but his true body , as appears from the viith . synod ; which agrees most exactly with the account which i have given of the first rise of this doctrine , which began with the corporal presence of christ in the sacrament , and afterwards proceeded to transubstantiation . and as this was the first occasion of introducing this doctrine among the greeks , so in the latin or roman church paschasius radbertus , first a monk , and afterwards abbat of corbey , was the first broacher of it in the year dcccxviii . and for this , besides the evidence of history , we have the acknowledgment of two very eminent persons in the church of rome , bellarmine and sirmondus , who do in effect confess that this paschasius was the first who wrote to purpose upon this argument . * bellarmine in these words , this authour was the first who hath seriously and copiously written concerning the truth of christ's body and bloud in the eucharist : and † sirmondus in these , he so first explained the genuine sense of the catholique church , that he opened the way to the rest who afterwards in great numbers wrote upon the same argument : but though sirmondus is pleased to say that he onely first explain'd the sense of the catholique church in this point , yet it is very plain from the records of that age which are left to us , that this was the first time that this doctrine was broached in the latin church ; and it met with great opposition in that age , as i shall have occasion hereafter to shew . for rabanus maurus arch-bishop of mentz about the year dcccxlvii reciting the very words of paschasius wherein he had deliver'd this doctrine , hath this remarkable passage concerning the novelty of it ; ‖ some , says he , of late , not having a right opinion concerning the sacrament of the body and bloud of our lord , have said that this is the body and bloud of our lord which was born of the virgin mary , and in which our lord suffered upon the cross and rose from the dead : which errour , says he , we have oppos'd with all our might . from whence it is plain , by the testimony of one of the greatest and most learned bishops of that age , and of eminent reputation for piety , that what is now the very doctrine of the church of rome concerning the sacrament , was then esteem'd an errour broach'd by some particular persons , but was far from being the generally receiv'd doctrine of that age. can any one think it possible , that so eminent a person in the church both for piety and learning , could have condemn'd this doctrine as an errour and a novelty , had it been the general doctrine of the christian church , not onely in that but in all former ages ; and no censure pass'd upon him for that which is now the great burning article in the church of rome , and esteemed by them one of the greatest and most pernicious heresies ? afterwards in the year mlix , when berengarius in france and germany had rais'd a fresh opposition against this doctrine , he was compell'd to recant it by pope nicholas and the council at rome , in these words , * that the bread and wine which are set upon the altar , after the consecration are not onely the sacrament , but the true body and bloud of our lord jesus christ ; and are sensibly , not onely in the sacrament but in truth , handled and broken by the hands of the priest , and ground or bruised by the teeth of the faithfull . but it seems the pope and his council were not then skilfull enough to express themselves rightly in this matter ; for the gloss upon the canon law says expresly , † that unless we understand these words of berengarivs ( that is in truth of the pope and his council ) in a sound sense , we shall fall into a greater heresie than that of berengarivs ; for we do not make parts of the body of christ. the meaning of which gloss i cannot imagine , unless it be this , that the body of christ , though it be in truth broken , yet it is not broken into parts ( for we do not make parts of the body of christ , ) but into wholes : now this new way of breaking a body , not into parts but into wholes ( which in good earnest is the doctrine of the church of rome ) though to them that are able to believe transubstantiation it may for any thing i know appear to be sound sense , yet to us that cannot believe so it appears to be solid non-sense . about xx years after , in the year mlxxix pope gregory the vii th . began to be sensible of this absurdity ; and therefore in another council at rome made berengarius to recant in another form , viz. * that the bread and wine which are placed upon the altar are substantially changed into the true and proper and quickning flesh and bloud of our lord jesus christ , and after consecration are the true body of christ , which was born of the virgin , and which being offered for the salvation of the world did hang upon the cross , and sits on the right hand of the father . so that from the first starting of this doctrine in the second council of nice in the year dcclxxxvii , till the council under pope gregory the vii th . in the year mlxxix , it was almost three hundred years that this doctrine was contested , and before this mishapen monster of transubstantiation could be lick'd into that form in which it is now setled and establish'd in the church of rome . here then is a plain account of the first rise of this doctrine , and of the several steps whereby it was advanced by the church of rome into an article of faith. i come now in the third place , to answer the great pretended demonstration of the impossibility that this doctrine , if it had been new , should ever have come in , in any age , and been received in the church ; and consequently it must of necessity have been the perpetual belief of the church in all ages : for if it had not always been the doctrine of the church , when ever it had attempted first to come in there would have been a great stir and bustle about it , and the whole christian world would have rose up in opposition to it . but we can shew no such time when it first came in , and when any such opposition was made to it , and therefore it was always the doctrine of the church . this demonstration monsieur arnauld , a very learned man in france , pretends to be unanswerable : whether it be so or not , i shall briefly examine . and first , we do assign a punctual and very likely time of the first rise of this doctrine , about the beginning of the ninth age ; though it did not take firm root nor was fully setled and establish'd till towards the end of the eleventh . and this was the most likely time of all other , from the beginning of christianity , for so gross an errour to appear ; it being , by the confession and consent of their own historians , the most dark and dismal time that ever happened to the christian church , both for ignorance , and superstition , and vice. it came in together with idolatry , and was made use of to support it : a sit prop and companion for it . and indeed what tares might not the enemy have sown in so dark and long a night ; when so considerable a part of the christian world was lull'd asleep in profound ignorance and superstition ? and this agrees very well with the account which our saviour himself gives in the parable of the tares , of the springing up of errours and corruptions in the field of the church . * while the men slept the enemy did his work in the night , so that when they were awake they wondered how and whence the tares came ; but being sure they were there , and that they were not sown at first , they concluded the enemy had done it . secondly , i have shewn likewise that there was considerable opposition made to this errour at its first coming in . the general ignorance and gross superstition of that age rendered the generality of people more quiet and secure , and disposed them to receive any thing that came under a pretence of mystery in religion and of greater reverence and devotion to the sacrament , and that seemed any way to countenance the worship of images , for which at that time they were zealously concern'd . but notwithstanding the security and passive temper of the people , the men most eminent for piety and learning in that time made great resistance against it . i have already named rabanus arch-bishop of mentz , who oppos'd it as an errour lately sprung up and which had then gained but upon some few persons . to whom i may add heribaldus bishop of auxerres in france , io. scotus erigena , and ratramnus commonly known by the name of bertram , who at the same time were employed by the emperour charles the bald to oppose this growing errour , and wrote learnedly against it . and these were the eminent men for learning in that time . and because monsieur arnauld will not be satisfied unless there were some stir and bustle about it , bertram in his preface to his book tells us , that they who according to their several opinions talked differently about the mystery of christ's body and bloud were divided by no small schism . thirdly , though for a more clear and satisfactory answer to this pretended demonstration i have been contented to untie this knot , yet i could without all these pains have cut it . for suppose this doctrine had silently come in and without opposition , so that we could not assign the particular time and occasion of its first rise ; yet if it be evident from the records of former ages , for above d. years together , that this was not the ancient belief of the church ; and plain also , that this doctrine was afterwards received in the roman church , though we could not tell how and when it came in , yet it would be the wildest and most extravagant thing in the world to set up a pretended demonstration of reason against plain experience and matter of fact. this is just zeno's demonstration of the impossibility of motion against diogenes walking before his eyes . for this is to undertake to prove that impossible to have been , which most certainly was . just thus the servants in the parable might have demonstrated that the tares were wheat , because they were sure none but good seed was sown at first , and no man could give any account of the punctual time when any tares were sown , or by whom ; and if an enemy had come to do it , he must needs have met with great resistance and opposition ; but no such resistance was made , and therefore there could be no tares in the field , but that which they call'd tares was certainly good wheat . at the same rate a man might demonstrate that our king , his majesty of great britain , is not return'd into england , nor restor'd to his crown ; because there being so great and powerfull an army possess'd of his lands , and therefore obliged by interest to keep him out , it was impossible he should ever come in without a great deal of fighting and bloudshed : but there was no such thing , therefore he is not return'd and restor'd to his crown . and by the like kind of demonstration one might prove that the turk did not invade christendom last year , and besiege vienna ; because if he had , the most christian king , who had the greatest army in christendom in a readiness , would certainly have employed it against him ; but monsieur arnauld certainly knows , no such thing was done : and therefore according to his way of demonstration , the matter of fact , so commonly reported and believed , concerning the turks invasion of christendom and besieging vienna last year , was a perfect mistake . but a man may demonstrate till his head and heart ake , before he shall ever be able to prove that which certainly is , or was , never to have been . for of all sorts of impossibles nothing is more evidently so , than to make that which hath been not to have been . all the reason in the world is too weak to cope with so tough and obstinate a difficulty . and i have often wonder'd how a man of monsieur arnauld's great wit and sharp judgment could prevail with himself to engage in so bad and baffled a cause ; or could think to defend it with so wooden a dagger as his demonstration of reason against certain experience and matter of fact : a thing , if it be possible , of equal absurdity with what he pretends to demonstrate , transubstantiation it self . i proceed to the third pretended ground of this doctrine of transubstantiation ; and that is , the infallible authority of the present church to make and declare new articles of faith. and this in truth is the ground into which the most of the learned men of their church did heretofore , and many do still resolve their belief of this doctrine : and , as i have already shewn , do plainly say that they see no sufficient reason , either from scripture or tradition , for the belief of it : and that they should have believed the contrary had not the determination of the church obliged them otherwise . but if this doctrine be obtruded upon the world merely by virtue of the authority of the roman church , and the declaration of the council under pope gregory the vii th . or of the lateran council under innocent the iii. then it is a plain innovation in the christian doctrine , and a new article of faith impos'd upon the christian world . and if any church hath this power , the christian faith may be enlarged and changed as often as men please ; and that which is no part of our saviour's doctrine , nay , any thing though never so absurd and unreasonable , may become an article of faith obliging all christians to the belief of it , whenever the church of rome shall think fit to stamp her authority upon it : which would make christianity a most uncertain and endless thing . the fourth pretended ground of this doctrine is , the necessity of such a change as this in the sacrament to the comfort and benefit of those who receive it . but there is no colour for this , if the thing be rightly consider'd : because the comfort and benefit of the sacrament depends upon the blessing annexed to the institution . and as water in baptism , without any substantial change made in that element , may be the divine blessing accompanying the institution be effectual to the washing away of sin , and spiritual regeneration ; so there can no reason in the world be given why the elements of bread and wine in the lord's supper may not , by the same divine blessing accompanying this institution , make the worthy receivers partakers of all the spiritual comfort and benefit designed to us thereby , without any substantial change made in those elements , since our lord hath told us , that verily the flesh profiteth nothing . so that if we could do so odd and strange a thing as to eat the very natural flesh and drink the bloud of our lord , i do not see of what greater advantage it would be to us than what we may have by partaking of the symbols of his body and bloud as he hath appointed in remembrance of him . for the spiritual efficacy of the sacrament doth not depend upon the nature of the thing received , supposing we receive what our lord appointed , and receive it with a right preparation and disposition of mind , but upon the supernatural blessing that goes along with it , and makes it effectual to those spiritual ends for which it was appointed . the fifth and last pretended ground of this doctrine is , to magnify the power of the priest in being able to work so great a miracle . and this with great pride and pomp is often urg'd by them as a transcendent instance of the divine wisedom , to find out so admirable a way to raise the power and reverence of the priest ; that he should be able every day , and as often as he pleases , by repeating a few words to work so miraculous a change , and ( as they love most absurdly and blasphemously to speak ) to make god himself . but this is to pretend to a power above that of god himself , for he did not , nor cannot make himself , nor do any thing that implies a contradiction , as transubstantiation evidently does in their pretending to make god. for to make that which already is , and to make that now which always was , is not onely vain and trifling if it could be done , but impossible because it implies a contradiction . and what if after all transubstantiation , if it were possible and actually wrought by the priest , would yet be no miracle ? for there are two things necessary to a miracle , that there be a supernatural effect wrought , and that this effect be evident to sense . so that though a supernatural effect be wrought , yet if it be not evident to sense it is to all the ends and purposes of a miracle as if it were not ; and can be no testimony or proof of any thing , because it self stands in need of another miracle to give testimony to it and to prove that it was wrought . and neither in scripture , nor in profane authours , nor in common use of speech , is any thing call'd a miracle but what falls under the notice of our senses : a miracle being nothing else but a supernatural effect evident to sense , the great end and design whereof is to be a sensible proof and conviction to us of something that we do not see . and for want of this condition , transubstantiation , if it were true , would be no miracle . it would indeed be very supernatural , but for all that it would not be a sign or miracle : for a sign or miracle is always a thing sensible , otherwise it could be no sign . now that such a change as is pretended in transubstantiation should really be wrought , and yet there should be no sign and appearance of it , is a thing very wonderfull , but not to sense ; for our senses perceive no change , the bread and wine in the sacrament to all our senses remaining just as they were before : and that a thing should remain to all appearance just as it was , hath nothing at all of wonder in it : we wonder indeed when we see a strange thing done , but no man wonders when he sees nothing done . so that transubstantiation , if they will needs have it a miracle , is such a miracle as any man may work that hath but the confidence to face men down that he works it , and the fortune to be believed : and though the church of rome may magnify their priests upon account of this miracle , which they say they can work every day and every hour , yet i cannot understand the reason of it ; for when this great work ( as they call it ) is done , there is nothing more appears to be done than if there were no miracle : now such a miracle as to all appearance is no miracle i see no reason why a protestant minister , as well as a popish priest , may not work as often as he pleases ; or if he can but have the patience to let it alone , it will work it self . for surely nothing in the world is easier than to let a thing be as it is , and by speaking a few words over it to make it just what it was before . every man , every day , may work ten thousand such miracles . and thus i have dispatch'd the first part of my discourse , which was to consider the pretended grounds and reasons of the church of rome for this doctrine , and to shew the weakness and insufficiency of them . i come in the second place , to produce our objections against it . which will be of so much the greater force , because i have already shewn this doctrine to be destitute of all divine warrant and authority , and of any other sort of ground sufficient in reason to justify it . so that i do not now object against a doctrine which hath a fair probability of divine revelation on its side , for that would weigh down all objections which did not plainly overthrow the probability and credit of its divine revelation : but i object against a doctrine by the mere will and tyranny of men impos'd upon the belief of christians , without any evidence of scripture , and against all the evidence of reason and sense . the objections i shall reduce to these two heads . first , the infinite scandal of this doctrine to the christian religion . and secondly , the monstrous and insupportable absurdity of it . first , the infinite scandal of this doctrine to the christian religion . and that upon these four accounts . . of the stupidity of this doctrine . . the real barbarousness of this sacrament and rite of our religion upon supposition of the truth of this doctrine . . of the cruel and bloudy consequences of it . . of the danger of idolatry ; which they are certainly guilty of , if this doctrine be not true . . upon account of the stupidity of this doctrine . i remember that tully , who was a man of very good sense , instanceth in the conceit of eating god as the extremity of madness , and so stupid an apprehension as he thought no man was ever guilty of . * when we call , says he , the fruits of the earth ceres , and wine bacchus , we use but the common language ; but do you think any man so mad as to believe that which he eats to be god ? it seems he could not believe that so extravagant a folly had ever entred into the mind of man. it is a very severe saying of averroes the arabian philosopher ( who lived after this doctrine was entertained among christians ) and ought to make the church of rome blush , if she can ; * i have travell'd , says he , over the world , and have found divers sects ; but so sottish a sect or law i never found , as is the sect of the christians ; because with their own teeth they devour their god whom they worship . it was great stupidity in the people of israel to say , come let us make us gods ; but it was civilly said of them , let us make us gods that may go before us , in comparison of the church of rome , who say , let us make a god that we may eat him . so that upon the whole matter i cannot but wonder that they should chuse thus to expose faith to the contempt of all that are endued with reason . and to speak the plain truth , the christian religion was never so horribly exposed to the scorn of atheists and infidels , as it hath been by this most absurd and senseless doctrine . but thus it was foretold that † the man of sin should come with power and signs and lying miracles , and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness , with all the legerdemain and jugling tricks of falsehood and imposture ; amongst which this of transubstantiation , which they call a miracle , and we a cheat , is one of the cheif : and in all probability those common jugling words of hocus pocus are nothing else but a corruption of hoc est corpus , by way of ridiculous imitation of the priests of the church of rome in their trick of transubstantiation . into such contempt by this foolish doctrine and pretended miracle of theirs have they brought the most sacred and venerable mystery of our religion . . it is very scandalous likewise upon account of the real barbarousness of this sacrament and rite of our religion , upon supposition of the truth of this doctrine . literally to eat the flesh of the son of man and to drink his bloud . st. austin , as i have shewed before , declares to be a great impiety . and the impiety and barbarousness of the thing is not in truth extenuated , but onely the appearance of it , by its being done under the species of bread and wine : for the thing they acknowledge is really done , and they believe that they verily eat and drink the natural flesh and bloud of christ. and what can any man do more unworthily towards his friend ? how can he possibly use him more barbarously , than to feast upon his living flesh and bloud ? it is one of the greatest wonders in the world , that it should ever enter into the minds of men to put upon our saviour's words , so easily capable of a more convenient sense and so necessarily requiring it , a meaning so plainly contrary to reason , and sense , and even to humanity it self . had the ancient christians owned any such doctrine , we should have heard of it from the adversaries of our religion in every page of their writings ; and they would have desired no greater advantage against the christians than to have been able to hit them in the teeth with their feasting upon the natural flesh and bloud of their lord , and their god , and their best friend . what endless triumphs would they have made upon this subject ? and with what confidence would they have set the cruelty used by christians in their sacrament , against their god saturn's eating his own children , and all the cruel and bloudy rites of their idolatry ? but that no such thing was then objected by the heathens to the christians , is to a wise man instead of a thousand demonstrations that no such doctrine was then believed . . it is scandalous also upon account of the cruel and bloudy consequences of this doctrine ; so contrary to the plain laws of christianity , and to one great end and design of this sacrament , which is to unite christians in the most perfect love and charity to one another : whereas this doctrine hath been the occasion of the most barbarous and bloudy tragedies that ever were acted in the world . for this hath been in the church of rome the great burning article ; and as absurd and unreasonable as it is , more christians have been murther'd for the denial of it than perhaps for all the other articles of their religion . and i think it may generally pass for a true observation that all sects are commonly most hot and furious for those things for which there is least reason ; for what men want of reason for their opinions they usually supply and make up in rage . and it was no more than needed to use this severity upon this occasion ; for nothing but the cruel fear of death could in probability have driven so great a part of mankind into the acknowledgment of so unreasonable and senseless a doctrine . o blessed saviour ! thou best friend and greatest lover of mankind , who can imagine thou didst ever intend that men should kill one another for not being able to believe contrary to their senses ; for being unwilling to think , that thou shouldst make one of the most horrid and barbarous things that can be imagin'd a main duty and principal mystery of thy religion ; for not flattering the pride and presumption of the priest who says he can make god , and for not complying with the folly and stupidity of the people who believe that they can eat him ? . upon account of the danger of idolatry ; which they are certainly guilty of if this doctrine be not true , and such a change as they pretend be not made in the sacrament ; for if it be not , then they worship a creature instead of the creatour god blessed for ever . but such a change i have shewn to be impossible ; or if it could be , yet they can never be certain that it is , and consequently are always in danger of idolatry : and that they can never be certain that such a change is made , is evident ; because , according to the express determination of the council of trent , that depends upon the mind and intention of the priest , which cannot certainly be known but by revelation , which is not pretended in this case . and if they be mistaken about this change , through the knavery or crosness of the priest who will not make god but when he thinks fit , they must not think to excuse themselves from idolatry because they intended to worship god and not a creature ; for so the persians might be excus'd from idolatry in worshipping the sun , because they intend to worship god and not a creature ; and so indeed we may excuse all the idolatry that ever was in the world , which is nothing else but a mistake of the deity , and upon that mistake a worshipping of something as god which is not god. ii. besides the infinite scandal of this doctrine upon the accounts i have mentioned , the monstrous absurdities of it make it insupportable to any religion . i am very well assured of the grounds of religion in general , and of the christian religion in particular ; and yet i cannot see that the foundations of any revealed religion are strong enough to bear the weight of so many and so great absurdities as this doctrine of transubstantiation would load it withall . and to make this evident , i shall not insist upon those gross contradictions , of the same body being in so many several places at once ; of our saviour's giving away himself with his own hands to every one of his disciples , and yet still keeping himself to himself ; and a thousand more of the like nature : but to shew the absurdity of this doctrine i shall onely ask these few questions . . whether any man have , or ever had greater evidence of the truth of any divine revelation than every man hath of the falshood of transubstantiation ? infidelity were hardly possible to men , if all men had the same evidence for the christian religion which they have against transubstantiation , that is , the clear and irresistible evidence of sense . he that can once be brought to contradict or deny his senses , is at an end of certainty ; for what can a man be certain of if he be not certain of what he sees ? in some circumstances our senses may deceive us , but no faculty deceives us so little and so seldom : and when our senses do deceive us , even that errour is not to be corrected without the help of our senses . . supposing this doctrine had been delivered in scripture in the very same words that it is decreed in the council of trent , by what clearer evidence or stronger argument could any man prove to me that such words were in the bible than i can prove to him that bread and wine after consecration are bread and wine still ? he could but appeal to my eyes to prove such words to be in the bible , and with the same reason and justice might i appeal to several of his senses to prove to him that the bread and wine after consecration are bread and wine still . . whether it be reasonable to imagine that god should make that a part of the christian religion which shakes the main external evidence and confirmation of the whole ? i mean the miracles which were wrought by our saviour and his apostles , the assurance whereof did at first depend upon the certainty of sense . for if the senses of those who say they saw them were deceived then there might be no miracles wrought ; and consequently it may justly be doubted whether that kind of confirmation which god hath given to the christian religion would be strong enough to prove it , supposing transubstantiation to be a part of it : because every man hath as great evidence that transubstantiation is false , as he hath that the christian religion is true . suppose then transubstantiation to be part of the christian doctrine , it must have the same confirmation with the whole , and that is miracles : but of all doctrines in the world it is peculiarly incapable of being proved by a miracle . for if a miracle were wrought for the proof of it , the very same assurance which any man hath of the truth of the miracle he hath of the falsehood of the doctrine , that is , the clear evidence of his senses . for that there is a miracle wrought to prove that what he sees in the sacrament is not bread but the body of christ , there is onely the evidence of sense ; and there is the very same evidence to prove that what he sees in the sacrament is not the body of christ but bread . so that here would arise a new controversie , whether a man should rather believe his senses giving testimony against the doctrine of transubstantiation , or bearing witness to a miracle wrought to confirm that doctrine ; there being the very same evidence against the truth of the doctrine , which there is for the truth of the miracle : and then the argument for transubstantiation and the objection against it would just balance one another ; and consequently transubstantiation is not to be proved by a miracle , because that would be , to prove to a man by some thing that he sees , that he does not see what he sees . and if there were no other evidence that transubstantiation is no part of the christian doctrine this would be sufficient , that what proves the one doth as much overthrow the other ; and that miracles which are certainly the best and highest external proof of christianity are the worst proof in the world of transubstantiation , unless a man can renounce his senses at the same time that he relies upon them . for a man cannot believe a miracle without relying upon sense , nor transubstantiation without renouncing it . so that never were any two things so ill coupled together as the doctrine of christianity and that of transubstantiation , because they draw several ways and are ready to strangle one another ; because the main evidence of the christian doctrine , which is miracles , is resolved into the certainty of sense , but this evidence is clear and point-blank against transubstantiation . . and lastly , i would ask what we are to think of the argument which our saviour used to convince his disciples after his resurrection that his body was really risen , and that they were not deluded by a ghost or apparition ? is it a necessary and conclusive argument or not ? * and he said unto them , why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? behold my hands and my feet , that it is i my self ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones , as ye see me have . but now if we suppose with the church of rome the doctrine of transubstantiation to be true , and that he had instructed his disciples in it just before his death , strange thoughts might justly have risen in their hearts , and they might have said to him ; lord , it is but a few days ago since thou didst teach us not to believe our senses , but directly contrary to what we saw , viz. that the bread which thou gavest us in the sacrament , though we saw it and handled it and tasted it to be bread , yet was not bread but thine own natural body ; and now thou appealest to our senses to prove that this is thy body which we now see . if seeing and handling be an unquestionable evidence that things are what they appear to our senses , then we were deceived before in the sacrament ; and 〈◊〉 they be not , then we are not sure now that this is thy body which we now see and handle , but it may be perhaps bread under the appearance of flesh and bones , just as in the sacrament , that which we saw and handled and tasted to be bread was thy flesh and bones under the form and appearance of bread . now upon this supposition , it would have been a hard matter to have quieted the thoughts of the disciples : for if the argument which our saviour used did certainly prove to them that what they saw and handled was his body , his very natural flesh and bones , because they saw and handled them , ( which it were impious to deny ) it would as strongly prove that what they saw and received before in the sacrament was not the natural body and bloud of christ , but real bread and wine : and consequently , that according to our saviour's arguing after his resurrection they had no reason to believe transubstantiation before . for that very argument by which our saviour proves the reality of his body after his resurrection doth as strongly prove the reality of bread and wine after consecration . but our saviour's argument was most infallibly good and true , and therefore the doctrine of transubstantiation is undoubtedly false . upon the whole matter i shall onely say this , that some other points between us and the church of rome are managed with some kind of wit and subtilty , but this of transubstantiation is carried out by mere dint of impudence and facing down of mankind . and of this the more discerning persons of that church are of late grown so sensible that they would now be glad to be rid of this odious and ridiculous doctrine . but the council of trent hath fasten'd it to their religion and made it a necessary and essential point of their belief , and they cannot now part with it if they would ; it is like a millstone hung about the neck of popery which will sink it at the last . and though some of their greatest wits , as cardinal perron , and of late monsieur arnaud , have undertaken the defence of it in great volumes ; yet it is an absurdity of that monstrous and massy weight , that no humane authority or wit are able to support it : it will make the very pillars of st. peter's crack , and requires more volumes to make it good than would fill the vatican . and now i would apply my self to the poor deluded people of that church , if they were either permitted by their priests or durst venture without their leave to look into their religion and to examine the doctrines of it . consider , and shew your selves men . do not suffer your selves any longer to be led blindfold , and by an implicit faith in your priests , into the belief of non-sense and contradiction . think it enough and too much to let them rook you of your money for pretended pardons and counterfeit reliques , but let not the authority of any priest or church persuade you out of your senses . credulity is certainly a fault as well as infidelity : and he who said , blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed , hath no where said , blessed are they that have seen and yet have not believed , much less , blessed are they that believe directly contrary to what they see . to conclude this discourse . by what hath been said upon this argument it will appear , with how little truth , and reason , and regard to the interest of our common christianity it is so often said by our adversaries , that there are as good arguments for the belief of transubstantiation as of the doctrine of the trinity : when they themselves do acknowledge with us that the doctrine of the trinity is grounded upon the scriptures , and that according to the interpretation of them by the consent of the ancient fathers : but their doctrine of transubstantiation i have plainly shewn to have no such ground , and that this is acknowledged by very many learned men of their own church . and this doctrine of theirs being first plainly proved by us to be destitute of all divine warrant and authority , our objections against it from the manifold contradictions of it to reason and sense are so many demonstrations of the falsehood of it . against all which they have nothing to put in the opposite scale but the infallibility of their church , for which there is even less colour of proof from scripture than for transubstantiation it self . but so fond are they of their own innovations and errours , that rather than the dictates of their church , how groundless and absurd soever , should be call'd in question ; rather than not have their will of us in imposing upon us what they please , they will overthrow any article of the christian faith , and shake the very foundations of our common religion : a clear evidence that the church of rome is not the true mother , since she can be so well contented that christianity should be destroyed rather than the point in question should be decided against her . finis . a catalogue of the several cases , &c. . a perswasive to communion with the church of england . . a. resolution of some cases of conscience which respect church-communion . . the case of indifferent things used in the worship of god , proposed and stated , by considering these questions , &c. . a discourse about edification . . the resolution of this case of conscience , whether the church of englands symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome , makes it unlawfull to hold communion with the church of england ? . a letter to anonymus , in answer to his three letters to dr. sherlock about church-communion . . certain cases of conscience resolved , concerning the lawfulness of joyning with forms of prayer in publick worship . in two parts . . the case of mixt communion : whether it be lawfull to separate from a church upon the account of promiscuous congregations and mixt communions ? . an answer to dissenters objections against the common prayers and some other parts of divine service prescribed in the liturgy of the church of england . . the case of kneeling at the holy sacrament stated and resolved , &c. in two parts . . a discourse of profiting by sermons , and of going to hear where men think they can profit most . . a serious exhortation , with some important advices relating to the late cases about conformity , recommended to the present dissenters from the church of england . . an argument to union ; taken from the true interest of those dissenters in england who profess and call themselves protestants . . some considerations about the case of scandal , or giving offence to the weak brethren . . the case of infant-baptism , in five questions , &c. . the charge of scandal ; and giving offence by conformity , refelled and reflected back upon separation , &c. . case of lay-communion . . a perswasive to frequent communion . . a defence of symbolizing . . a vindication of indifferent things . . the case of compelling men to the holy sacrament . . a case of the cross in baptism . . a discourse of conscience . . a discourse about the charge of novelty upon the reformed church of england , made by the papists asking of us the question , where was our religion before luther ? . a discourse about tradition , shewing what is meant by it , and what tradition is to be received , and what tradition is to be rejected . . the difference of the case between the separation of protestants from the church of rome , and the separation of dissenters from the church of england . . the protestant resolution of faith , &c. . a discourse concerning a guide in matters of faith , &c. . a discourse concerning invocation of saints . . a discourse concerning the unity of the catholick church , maintained in the church of england . . a discourse of auricular confession . . a discourse against transubstantiation . advertisement . a demonstration of the messias . in which the truth of the christian religion is proved , especially against the jews , by richard kidder , in octavo . printed for b. aylmer . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a de ●●uch . l. . c. . b in . dis . . qu. . sect. . c in . part . disp . . qu. . art . . c. . d in sent. l. . dist . . q. . n. . e in . sent. q. . & quodl . . q. . f in . sent. q. . art . . g in canon . miss . lect. . h in aquin. . part . qu. . art . . i aegid . conink . de sacram . q. . art . . n. . k de sacram . l. . c. . l loc. theolog . l. . c. . m contra captiv . babylon . c. . n. . n dialog . cuus tryph. p. . edit . p●ris . . * matth. . . * apol. . p. . edit . paris . . * lib. . c. . * lib. . c. . * comment . in , pet. c. . * advers . marcionem l. . p. . edit . rigalt . paris . . * lib. de animâ p. . * edit . ●●uetii . * cap. . * ep. . * aug. tom. . p. . edit . basil. . † enarrat . in psal. tom. . p. . ‖ id. tom. . p. . * id. tract . . in johan . † id. tom. . p. . ‖ de consecr . dist . . hoc est . * de consecrat . dist . . sect. vtrum . * lib. . tom. . p. . * gen. . . † dialog . . * biblioth . patr. ●om . . * facund . p. . edit . paris . . a in sent. l. . dist. . q. . b in sent. l. . dist . . q. . ● . . c de ●nchar . l. . p. . d in . epist . ad corinth . c. . citante etiam salmerone , tom. . tract . . p. . e de haeres . l. . * de eucharist . l. . c. . † ibid. * de scriptor . eccles. † in vita paschas●● . ‖ epist. ad heribaldum . c. . * gratian. de consecrat . distinct . . lanfranc . de corp . & sang . domini . c. . gu●tmund . de sacram. l. . alger . de sacram . l. . c. . † gloss. decret . de consecrat . dist . . in cap. ego berengarius . * waldens . tom. . c. . * matth. . . * de nat. d●orum l. . * dionys. carthus . in . dist . . art . . † thess. . . * luk. . 〈◊〉 , . a sermon preached before the king, april th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the king, april th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed by a. maxwell for samuel gellibrand ..., london : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- psalms cxix, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the king , april th . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . published by his majesties special command . london : printed by a. maxwell , for samuel gellibrand , at the ball in st. pauls church-yard , . a sermon preached before the king , apr. th . psal. . . i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandements . in the words immediately going before , you have the course which david took for the reforming of his life , and the success of that course ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . a serious reflection upon the past errors and miscarriages of his life , produced the reformation of it . and you have a considerable circumstance added in the words that i have now read to you , viz. that this reformation was speedy and without delay , i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . upon due consideration of his former life , and a full conviction of the necessity of a change , he came to a resolution of a better life , and immediately put this resolution in execution ; and to declare how presently and quickly he did it , he expresses it both affirmatively and negatively , after the manner of the hebrews , who when they would say a thing with great certainty and emphasis , are wont to express it both ways , i made haste , and delayed not ; that is , i did with all imaginable speed betake my self to a better course . and this is the natural effect of consideration ; and the true cause why men delay so necessary a work , is because they stifle their reason , and suffer themselves to be hurried into the embraces of present objects , and do not consider their latter end , and what will be the sad issue and event of a wicked life . for if men would take an impartial view of their lives , and but now and then reflect upon themselves , and lay to heart the miserable and fatal consequences of a sinful course , and think whither it will bring them at last , and that the end of these things will be death and misery : if the carnal and sensual person would but look about him , and consider how many have been ruin'd in the way that he is in , how many lye slain and wounded in it , that it is the way to hell , and leads down to the chambers of death , this would certainly give a check to him , and stop him in his course . for it is not to be imagined , but that that man who hath duly considered what sin is , the shortness of its pleasures , and the eternity of its punishment , should resolve immediately to break off his sins , and to live another kind of life . would any man be intemperate and walk after the flesh , would any man be unjust and defraud or oppress his neighbour , be prophane and live in the contempt of god and religion , or allow himself in any wicked course whatsoever , that considers and believes a judgment to come , and that because of these things the terrible vengeance of god will one day fall upon the children of disobedience ? it is not credible , that men who apply themselves seriously to the meditation of these matters , should venture to continue in so imprudent and dangerous a course , or could by any temptation whatsoever be trained on one step farther in a way that does so certainly and visibly lead to ruine and destruction . so that my work at this time shall be , to endeavour to convince men of the monstrous folly and unreasonableness of delaying the reformation and amendment of their lives ; and to perswade us to resolve upon it , and having resolved , to set about it immediately and without delay , in imitation of the good man here in the text , i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . and to this end , i shall first , consider the reasons and excuses which men pretend for delaying this necessary work , and shew the unreasonableness of them . secondly , i shall add some farther considerations , to engage us effectually to set about this work speedily and without delay . i. we will consider a little the reasons and excuses which men pretend for delaying this necessary work , and not only shew the unreasonableness of them , but that they are each of them a strong reason and powerful argument to the contrary . . many pretend , that they are abundantly convinced of the great necessity of leaving their sins and betaking themselves to a better course , and they fully intend to do so ; only they cannot at present bring themselves to it , but they hope hereafter to be in a better temper and disposition , and then they resolve by gods grace to set about this work in good earnest , and to go through with it . i know not whether it be fit to call this a reason ; i am sure it is the greatest cheat and delusion that any man can put upon himself . for this plainly shews , that thou dost not intend to do this which thou art convinced is so necessary , but to put it off from day to day . for there is no greater evidence that a man doth not really intend to do a thing , than when notwithstanding he ought upon all accounts , and may in all respects better do it at present than hereafter , yet he still puts it off . whatever thou pretendest , this is a meer shift to get rid of a present trouble : it is like giving good words and making fair promises to a clamorous and importunate creditour , and appointing him to come another day , when the man knows in his conscience that he intends not to pay him , and that he shall be less able to discharge the debt then , than he is at present . whatever reasons thou hast against reforming thy life now , will still remain and be in as full force hereafter , nay probably stronger than they are at present . thou art unwilling now , and so thou wilt be hereafter , and in all likelihood much more unwilling . so that this reason will every day improve upon thy hands , and have so much the more strength , by how much the longer thou continuest in thy sins . thou hast no reason in the world against the present time , but only that 't is present ; why , when hereafter comes to be present , the reason will be just the same . so that thy present unwillingness is so far from being a just reason against it , that 't is a good reason the other way ; because thou art unwilling now , and like to be so , nay more so hereafter , if thou intendest to do it at all , thou shouldst set about it immediately , and without delay . . another reason which men pretend for the delaying of this work , is the great difficulty and unpleasantness of it . and it cannot be denied , but that there will be some bitterness and uneasiness in it , proportionably to the growth of evil habits , and the strength of our lusts , and our greater or less progress and continuance in a sinful course : so that we must make account of a sharp conflict , of some pain and trouble in the making of this change , that it will cost us some pangs and throws before we be born again . for when nature hath been long bent another way , it is not to be expected that it should be reduced and brought back to its first streightness without pain and violence . but then it is to be considered , that how difficult and painful soever this work be , it is necessary ; and that should over-rule all other considerations whatsoever : that if we will not be at this pains and trouble , we must one time or other endure far greater , than those which we now seek to avoid : that it is not so difficult as we imagine , but our fears of it are greater than the trouble will prove ; if we were but once resolved upon the work and seriously engaged in it , the greatest part of the trouble were over ; it is like the fear of children to go into the cold water , a faint trial increaseth their fear and apprehension of it ; but so soon as they have plunged into it , the trouble is over , and then they wonder why they were so much afraid . the main difficulty and unpleasantness is in our first entrance into religion , it presently grows tolerable , and soon after easie , and after that by degrees so pleasant and delightful , that the man would not for all the world return to his former evil state and condition of life . we should consider likewise , what is the true cause of all this trouble and difficulty ; 't is our long continuance in a sinful course that hath made us so loth to leave it ; 't is the custom of sinning that renders it so troublesome and uneasie to men to do otherwise ; 't is the greatness of our guilt , heightned and inflamed by many and repeated provocations , that doth so gall our consciences , and fill our souls with so much terror ; 't is because we have gone so far in an evil way , that our retreat is become so difficult ; and because we have delayed this work so long , that we are now so unwilling to go about it ; and consequently , the longer we delay it , the trouble and difficulty of a change will encrease daily upon us . and all these considerations are so far from being a good reason for more delays , that they are a strong argument to the contrary : because the work is difficult now , therefore do not make it more so ; and because your delays have encreased the difficulty of it , and will do more and more , therefore delay no longer . . another pretended encouragement to these delays , is the great mercy and patience of god. he commonly bears long with sinners , and therefore there is no such absolute and urgent necessity of a speedy repentance and reformation of our lives . men have not the face to give this for a reason , but yet for all that , it lies at the bottom of many mens hearts : so solomon tells us , eccles . . , because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil . but it is not always thus . there are few of us but have seen several instances of gods severity to sinners , and have known several persons surprized by a sudden hand of god , and cut off in the very act of sin , without having the least respite given them , without time or liberty so much as to ask god forgiveness , and to consider either what they had done , or whither they were a-going . and this may be the case of any sinner , and is so much the more likely to be thy case , because thou dost so boldly presume upon the mercy and patience of god. but if it were always thus , and thou wert sure to be spared yet awhile longer ; what can be more unreasonable and disingenuous , than to resolve to be evil because god is good , and because he suffers so long , to sin so much the longer , and because he affords thee a space of repentance , therefore to delay it and put it off to the last ? the proper design of gods goodness is to lead men to repentance , and he never intended his patience for an encouragement to men to continue in their sins , but for an opportunity and an argument to break them off by repentance . these are the pretended reasons and encouragements to men to delay their repentance and the reformation of their lives , and you see how groundless and unreasonable they are ; which was the first thing i propounded to speak to . ii. i shall add some farther considerations , to engage men effectually to set about this work speedily , and without delay . and because they are many , i shall insist upon those which are most weighty and considerable , without being very curious and solicitous about the method and order of them : for provided they be but effectual to the end of perswasion , it matters not how inartificially they are rang'd and disposed . . consider , that in matters of great and necessary concernment , and which must be done , there is no greater argument of a weak and impotent mind , then irresolution ; to be undetermined , where the case is so plain , and the necessity so urgent ; to be always about doing that , which we are convinced must be done . victuros agimus semper , nec vivimus unquam . we are always intending to live a new life , but can never find a time to set about it . this is as if a man should put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day and night to another , till he have starved and destroyed himself . it seldom falls under any mans deliberation , whether he should live or not , if he can chuse ; and if he cannot chuse , 't is in vain to deliberate about it . it is much more absurd to deliberate , whether we should live virtuously and religiously , soberly and righteously in the world ; for that upon the matter is to consult , whether a man should be happy or not : nature hath determined this for us , and we need not reason about it ; and consequently , we ought not to delay that which we are convinced is so necessary in order to it . . consider , that religion is a great and a long work ; and asks so much time , that there is none left for the delaying of it . to begin with repentance , which is commonly our first entrance into religion : this alone is a great work , and is not only the business of a sudden thought and resolution , but of execution and action : 't is the abandoning of a sinful course , which we cannot leave till we have in some degree mastered our lusts ; for so long as they are our masters , like pharaoh they will keep us in bondage , and not let us go to serve the lord. the habits of sin and vice are not to be plucked up and cast off at once ; as they have been long in contracting , so without a miracle , it will require a competent time to subdue them and get the victory over them : for they are conquered just by the same degrees that the habits of grace and virtue grow up and get strength in us . so that there are several duties to be done in religion , and often to be repeated ; many graces and virtues are to be long practised and exercised , before the contrary vices will be subdued , and before we arrive to a confirmed and setled state of goodness ; such a state as can only give us a clear and comfortable evidence of the sincerity of our resolution and repentance , and of our good condition towards god. we have many lusts to mortifie , many passions to govern and bring into order ; much good to do , to make what amends and reparation we can for the much evil we have done : we have many things to learn , and many to unlearn , to which we shall be strongly prompted by the corrupt inclinations of our nature , and the remaining power of ill habits and customs : and perhaps we have satisfaction and restitution to make for the many injuries we have done to others , in their persons , or estates , or reputations : in a word , we have a body of sin to put off , which clings close to us , and is hard to part with ; we have to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and to perfect holiness in the fear of god ; to encrease and improve our graces and virtues , to add to our faith knowledg , and temperance , and patience , and brotherly kindness , and charity ; and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness , which are by jesus christ to the praise and glory of god : we have to be useful to the world , and exemplary to others in a holy and virtuous conversation ; our light is so to shine before men , that others may see our good works , and glorifie our father which is in heaven . and do we think all this is to be done in an instant , and requires no time ? that we may delay and put off to the last , and yet do all this work well enough ? do we think we can do all this in time of sickness and old age , when we are not fit to do any thing , when the spirit of a man can hardly bear the infirmities of nature , much less a guilty conscience and a wounded spirit ? do we think that when the day hath been idlely spent and squandered away by us , that we shall be fit to work when the night and darkness comes ? when our understanding is weak , and our memory frail , and our will crooked , and by a long custom of sinning obstinately bent the wrong way , what can we then do in religion ? what reasonable or acceptable service can we then perform to god ? when our candle is just sinking into the socket , how shall our light so shine before men , that others may see our good works ? alas ! the longest life is no more than sufficient for a man to reform himself in , to repent of the errors of his life , and to amend what is amiss ; to put our souls into a good posture and preparation for another world , to train up our selves for eternity , and to make our selves meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light . . consider , what a desperate hazard we run by these delays . every delay of repentance is a venturing the main chance . it is uncertain whether hereafter we shall have time for it , and if we have time , whether we shall have a heart to it , and the assistance of gods grace to go thorough with it . god indeed hath been graciously pleased to promise pardon to repentance , but he hath no-where promised life and leisure , the aids of his grace and holy spirit to those who put off their repentance : he hath no-where promised acceptance to meer sorrow and trouble for sin , without fruits meet for repentance , and amendment of life : he hath no-where promised to receive them to mercy and favour , who only give him good words , and are at last contented to condescend so far to him , as to promise to leave their sins when they can keep them no longer . many have gone thus far in times of affliction and sickness , as to be awakened to a great sense of their sins , and to be mightily troubled for their wicked lives , and to make solemn promises and professions of becoming better ; and yet upon their deliverance and recovery all hath vanished and come to nothing , and their righteousness hath been as the morning cloud , and as the early dew which passeth away : and why should any man , meerly upon account of a death-bed repentance , reckon himself in a better condition than those persons , who have done as much , and gone as far as he ; and there is no other difference between them but this , that the repentance of the former was tryed , and proved insincere , but the death-bed repentance never came to a tryal ; and yet for all that , god knows whether it were sincere or not , and how it would have proved if the man had lived longer . why should any man , for offering up to god the meer refuse and dregs of his life , and the days which himself hath no pleasure in , expect to receive the reward of eternal life and happiness at his hands ? but though we do not design to delay this work so long , yet ought we to consider , that all delays in a matter of this consequence are extremely dangerous ; because we put off a business of the greatest concernment to the future and in so doing , put it to the hazard , whether ever it shall be done : for the future is as much out of our power to command , as it is to call back the time which is past . indeed if we could arrest time , and strike off the nimble wheels of his charriot , and like joshua bid the sun stand still , and make opportunity tarry as long as we had occasion for it ; this were something to excuse our delay , or at least to mitigate and abate the folly and unreasonableness of it : but this we cannot do . it is in our power , under the influence of gods grace and holy spirit , to amend our lives now , but it is not in our power to live till to morrow ; and who would part with an estate in hand , which he may presently enter upon the possession of , for an uncertain reversion ? and yet thus we deal in the great and everlasting concernments of our souls ; we trifle away the present opportunities of salvation , and vainly promise to our selves the future ; we let go that which is in our power , and fondly dispose of that which is out of our power , and in the hands of god. lay hold then upon the present opportunities , and look upon every action thou dost , and every opportunity of doing any , as possibly thy last ; for so it may prove , for any thing thou canst tell to the contrary . if a mans life lay at stake , and he had but one throw for it , with what care and with what concernment would he manage that action ? what thou art doing next may , for ought thou knowest , be for thy life , and for all eternity . so much of thy life is most certainly past , and god knows thou hast yet done little or nothing towards the securing of thy future happiness : it is not certain , how much or how little is remaining , therefore be sure to make the best use of that little which may be left , and wisely to manage the last stake . . seeing the delay of repentance doth mainly rely upon the hopes and encouragement of a future repentance , let us consider a little how unreasonable these hopes are , and how absurd the encouragement is which men take from them . to sin in hopes that hereafter we shall repent , is to do a thing in hopes that we shall be one day mightily ashamed of it , that we shall one time or other be heartily grieved and troubled that we have done it : it is to do a thing in hopes that we shall afterwards condemn our selves for it , and wish a thousand times we had never done it ; in hopes that we shall be full of horrour at the thoughts of what we have done , and shall treasure up so much guilt in our consciences as will make us a terror to our selves , and be ready to drive us even to despair and distraction . and is this a reasonable hope ? is this a fitting encouragement for a wise man to give to himself , to any action ? and yet this is plainly the true meaning of mens going on in their sins , in hopes that hereafter they shall repent of them . . if you be still resolved to delay this business , and put it off at present ; consider well with your selves , how long you intend to delay it . i hope not to the last ; not till sickness come , and death make his approaches to you . this is next to madness , to venture all upon such an after-game . 't is just as if a man should be content to be shipwrackt , in hope that he shall afterwards escape by a plank , and get safe to shore . but i hope none are so unreasonable ; yet i fear that many have a mind to put it off to old age , though they do not care to say so . seneca expostulates excellently with this sort of men ; who shall ensure thy life till that time ? who shall pass his word for thee , that the providence of god will suffer all things to happen and fall out , just as thou hast designed and forecast them ? art thou not ashamed to reserve the reliques of thy life for thy self , and to set apart only that time to be wise and virtuous in , which is good for nothing ? how late is it then to begin to live well , when thy life is almost at an end ? what a stupid forgetfulness is it of our mortality , to put off good resolutions to the fiftieth or sixtieth year of our age , and to resolve to begin to do better at that time of life , to which but very few persons have reached ? but perhaps thou art not altogether so unreasonable , but desirest only to respite this work , till the first heat of youth and lust be over , till the cooler and more considerate part of thy life come on : that perhaps thou thinkest may be the fittest and most convenient season . but still we reckon upon uncertainties , for perhaps that season may never be : however , to be sure it is much more in our power , by the assistance of gods grace , which is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men , to conquer our lusts now , and to resist the most heady and violent temptations to vice , than either to secure the future time , or to recover that which is once past and gone . some seem yet more reasonable , and are content to come lower , and desire only to put it off for a very little while . but why for a little while ? why till to morrow ? to morrow will be as this day , only with this difference , that thou wilt in all probability be more unwilling and indisposed then . so that there is no future time which any man can reasonably pitch upon . all delay in this case is dangerous , and as senseless as the expectation of the ideot , described by the poet ; who being come to the river side , and intending to pass over , stays till all the water in the river be gone by , and hath left the channel a dry passage for him . — at ille labitur , & labetur in omne volubilis aevum . but the river runs , and runs , and if he should stay a thousand years , will never be the nearer being dry . so that if the man must go over , and there be a necessity for it , ( as there is for repentance ) the onely wise resolution to be taken in this case , is to wade or swim over as well as he can , because the matter will never be mended by tarrying . . lastly , consider what an unspeakable happiness it is , to have our minds settled in that condition , that we may without fear and amazement , nay with comfort and confidence , expect death and judgment . death is never far from any of us , and the general judgment of the world may be nearer than we are aware of ; for of that day and hour knoweth no man : and these are two terrible things ; and nothing can free us from the terror of them , but a good conscience ; and a good conscience is only to be had , either by innocence , or by repentance and amendment of life . happy man ! who by this means is at peace with god , and with himself ; and can think of death and judgment , without dread and astonishment . for the sting of death is sin , and the terror of the great day only concerns those , who have lived wickedly and impenitently , and would not be perswaded , neither by the mercies of god , nor by the fear of his judgments , to repent and turn to him : but if we have truely forsaken our sins , and do sincerely endeavour to live in obedience to the laws and commands of god , the more we think of death and judgment , the greater matter of joy and comfort will these things be to us . for blessed is that servant , whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing . let us therefore , as soon as possibly we can , put our selves into this posture and preparation ; according to that advice of our blessed saviour , luke . , . let your loins be girded about , and your lamps burning , and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their lord. and now i hope that enough hath been said , to convince men of the great unreasonableness and folly of these delays ; nay , i believe , most men are convinced of it by their own thoughts , and that their consciences call them fools a thousand times for it : but o that i knew what to say , that might prevail with men , and effectually perswade them to do that , which they are so abundantly convinced is so necessary . and here i might address my self to the several ages of persons . you that are young , and have hitherto been in a good measure innocent , may prevent the devil , and by an early piety give god the first possession of your souls ; and by this means , never be put to the trouble of so great and solemn a repentance , having never been deeply engaged in a wicked life : you may do a glorious , i had almost said a meritorious thing , in cleaving stedfastly to god , and resolving to serve him , when you are so importunately courted , and so hotly assaulted by the devil and the world. however , you may not live to be old ; therefore upon that consideration begin the work presently , and make use of the opportunity that is now in your hands . you that are grown up to ripeness of years , and are in the full vigor of your age ; you are to be put in mind , that the heat and inconsiderateness of youth is now past and gone ; that reason and consideration are now in their perfection and strength ; that this is the very age of prudence and discretion , of wisdom and wariness : so that now is the proper time for you to be serious , and wisely to secure your future happiness . as for those that are old , they methinks should need no body to admonish them , that it is now high time for them to begin a new life , and that the time past of their lives is too much to have spent in sin and folly . there is no trifling where men have a great work to do , and but little time to do it in . your sun is certainly going down and near its setting , therefore you should quicken your pace , considering that your journey is never the shorter because you have but little time to perform it in . alas man ! thou art just ready to dye , and hast thou not yet begun to live ? are thy passions and lusts yet unsubdued , and have they had no other mortification than what age hath given them ? 't is strange to see , how in the very extremities of old age , many men are as if they had still a thousand years to live , and make no preparation for death , though it dogs them at the heels , and is just come up to them and ready to give them the fatal stroke . therefore let us not put off this necessary work of reforming our selves , in what part and age of our lives soever we be . to day , whilst it is called to day , least any of you be hardened thorough the deceitfulness of sin . nay , to day is with the latest to begin this work , had we been wise we would have begun it sooner . 't is gods infinite mercy to us , that it is not quite too late , that the day of gods patience is not quite expired , and the door shut against us . therefore do not defer your repentance to the next solemn time , to the next occasion of receiving the blessed sacrament : do not say , i will then reform and become a new man , after that i will take leave of my lusts and sin no more . for let us make what haste we can , we cannot possibly make too much — properat vivere nemo satis . no man makes haste enough to be good , to cease to do evil , and to learn to do well . be as quick as we will , life will be too nimble for us , and go on faster than our work does ; and death will go nigh to prevent us , and surprize us unawares . do , do sinner , abuse and neglect thy self yet a little while longer , till the time of regarding thy soul and working out thy own salvation be at an end , and all the opportunities of minding that great concernment be slipp'd out of thy hands , never to be recovered , never to be called back again ; no , not by thy most earnest wishes and desires , by thy most fervent prayers and tears ; and thou be brought into the condition of prophane esau , who for once despising the blessing , lost it for ever , and found no place of repentance , though he sought it carefully with tears . to conclude : art thou convinced , that thy eternal happiness depends upon following the advice which hath now been given thee ? why then , do but behave thy self in this case , as thou and all prudent men are wont to do in matters which thou canst not but acknowledg to be of far less concernment . if a man be travelling to such a place , so soon as he finds himself out of the way , he presently stops and makes towards the right way , and hath no inclination to go wrong any farther : if a man be sick , he will be well presently if he can , and not put it off to the future : most men will take the first opportunity that presents it self , of being rich or great ; every man almost catches at the very first offers of a great place or a good purchase , and secures them presently if he can , least the opportunity be gone , and another snatch these things from him . do thou thus so much more , in matters so much greater . return from the error of thy way , be well , save thy self as soon as possibly thou canst . when happiness presents it self to thee , do not turn it off , and bid it come again to morrow . perhaps thou mayest never be so fairly offered again ; perhaps the day of salvation may not come again to morrow ; nay , perhaps to thee to morrow may never come . but if we were sure that happiness would come again , yet why should we put it off ? does any man know how to be safe and happy to day , and can he find in his heart to tarry till to morrow ? now the god of all mercy and patience , give every one of us the wisdom and grace , to know and to do in this our day , the things that belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes ; for the sake of our blessed saviour and redeemer ; to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory now and for ever . amen . the wisdom of being religious a sermon preached at st. pauls / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the wisdom of being religious a sermon preached at st. pauls / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for sa. gellibrand, london : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- job xxviii, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the wisdom of being religious . a sermon preached at st. pauls . by john tillotson , preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn . bateman maior martis quinto decimo die martii . annoque caroli secundi angliae , &c. sexto decimo . it is ordered , that mr. tillotson be desired to print his sermon lately preached at st. pauls church before the lord maior and aldermen of this city . weld . perlegi hanc concionem , in ecclesiâ sancti pauli habitam , cui titulus ( the wisdom of being religious ) in quâ nihil reperio doctrinae , disciplinaeve ecclesiae anglicanae , aut bonis moribus contrarium : plurima tamen , quae ad praecipuum religionis fundamentum tutandum ; et ad prodigiosam atheorum hujus seculi vanitatem redar guendam egregiè sunt accommodata . quapropter dignissimam censeo quae in utilitatem publicam typis mandetur . joh. hall , rev. in christo pat. humfredo episc . lond. â sac . domest . maij. . . london , printed for sa . gellibrand . . to the right honourable sir anthony bateman , lord mayor of the city of london , and the honourable court of aldermen there . right honourable , in obedience to your order i here present you with a sermon which you formerly heard . i know not how acceptable discourses of this nature may be , i am sure they are very seasonable in this degenerate age , in which atheism and profaneness are grown so impudent , and notwithstanding the restraints of shame and laws , do appear with so bold a face in the world . when men arrive to that degree of confidence , as to tell the world that * the notion of a spirit implies a contradiction , that fear and fancy are the parents of a deity , and ignorance and melancholy the true causes of devotion , and that religion is nothing else but * the fear of an invisible power feigned by the mind , or imagined from tales publickly allowed ; when it shall be countted brave to defie god , and every dabbler in natural philosophy , or mathematicks , or politicks , shall set up for an atheist ; sure then it is high time to resist this growing evil . for this purpose i have enlarged that part of the discourse , which is more immediately levelled against atheism , beyond what the limits of time would allow me in the preaching of it ; and in hope that it may do some service to that end , it is now humbly offered to you by your honours most humble servant john tillotson . the wisdom of being religious . job . . . and unto man he said , behold the fear of the lord that is wisdom , and to depart from evil that is understanding . in the beginning of this chapter job discourseth of the knowledg of nature , and the secret and unaccountable operations of natural causes , and of the unsearchable perfections of the works of god. and enquiring at the th verse , where this wisdom is to be found , he tells us , that it is not to be met with in any of the creatures ; it is not found in the land of the living ; the depth saith , it is not in me , and the sea saith , it is not in me , &c. therefore he puts the question again , ver . . whence then cometh wisdom , and where is the place of understanding , seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living ? to which he returns an answer , ver . . god understandeth the way thereof , and he knoweth the place thereof , for he looketh to the ends of the earth , and seeth under the whole heaven to make the weight for the wind , &c. the result of which discourse is , that a perfect knowledg of nature is no where to be found but in the authour of it ; no less wisdom and understanding then that which made the world , and contrived this vast and regular frame of nature , can throughly understand the philosophy of it , and give a perfect account of all its motions and operations . but there is a wisdom and knowledg which is very proper to man , and lies level to a humane understanding , which is suited and accommodated to the end , and uses , and necessities of man : and that is , the knowledg of god , and of that duty which we owe to him ; the wisdom of pleasing god , by doing what he commands , and avoiding what he forbids : this knowledg and wisdom may be attained by man , and is sufficient to make him happy . and unto man he said , behold the fear of the lord , that is wisdom , and to depart from evil is understanding . which words consist of two propositions , which are not distinct in sense , but one and the same thing variously expressed ; for wisdom and understanding are synonymous words here , and though sometimes they have different notions , yet in the poetical books of scripture they are most frequently used as words equivalent , and do both of them indifferently signifie either a speculative knowledg of things , or a practical skill about them , according to the exigency of the matter or thing spoken of . and so likewise the fear of the lord , and departure from evil , are phrases of a very near sense , and like importance , and therefore we find them several times put together in scripture . prov. . . fear the lord and depart from evil . prov. . . by the fear of the lord men depart from evil . so that they differ onely as cause and effect , which by a metonymy usual in all sorts of authours , are frequently put for one another . now , to fear the lord , and to depart from evil , are phrases which the scripture useth in a very great latitude , to express to us the sum of religion , and the whole of our duty . and because the large acceptation of these phrases is to be the foundation of my subsequent discourse , i shall for the further clearing of this matter endeavour to shew these two things . . that it is very usual in the language of scripture , to express the whole of religion by these , and such like phrases . . the particular fitness of these two phrases to describe religion by . i. it is very usual in the language of scripture , to express the whole of religion by some eminent principle or part of religion . the great principles of religion are knowledg , faith , remembrance , love and fear ; by all which , the scripture useth to express the whole duty of man. in the old testament , by the knowledg , remembrance , and fear of god. religion is called the knowledg of the holy , prov. . . and wicked men are described to be such as know not god. so likewise , by the fear of the lord , frequently in this book of job , and in the psalms , and proverbs . and mal. . . then they that feared the lord spake often one to another . and eccles . . . the fear of god is expresly said to be the sum of religion ; fear god and keep his commandments , for this is the whole of man. and on the contrary , the wicked are described to be such as have not the fear of god before their eyes , psal . . . and so likewise by the remembrance of god , eccles . . . remember thy creator in the days of thy youth : that is , enter upon a religious course betimes . and on the contrary , the character of the wicked is , that they forget god , psal . . . the wicked shall be turned into hell , and all the nations that forget god. in the new testament , religion is usually expressed by faith in god and christ , and the love of them , hence it is that true christians are so frequently called believers , and wicked and ungodly men , unbelievers . and rom. . . good men are described to be such as love god , all things shall work together for good to them that love god , and such as love the lord jesus christ , ephes . . . now the reason why these are put for the whole of religion , is , because the belief , and knowledg , and remembrance , and love , and fear of god , are such powerful principles , and have so great an influence upon men to make them religious , that where any one of these really is , all the rest , together with the true and genuine effects of them , are supposed to be . and so likewise the sum of all religion is often expressed by some eminent part of it ; which will explain the second phrase here in the text , departing from evil . the worship of god is an eminent part of religion ; and prayer , which is often in scripture expressed by seeking god , and calling upon his name , is a chief part of religious worship . hence religion is described by seeking god , heb. . . he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ; and by calling upon his name , act. . . whosoever calleth upon the name of the lord , shall be saved . and so by coming to god , and by departing from evil . in this fallen state of man , religion begins with repentance and conversion , the two opposite terms of which are god and sin ; hence it is that religion is described sometimes by coming to god , heb. . . he that cometh to god must believe that he is ; that is , no man can be religious , unless he believe there is a god. sometimes by departing from sin , isa . . . and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey : that is , such was the bad state of those times the prophet complains of , that no man could be religious , but he was in danger of being persecuted . ii. for the fitness of these two phrases to describe religion by . . for the first , the fear of the lord ; the fitness of this phrase will appear , if we consider that very great influence which the fear of god hath upon men to make them religious . fear is a passion that is most deeply rooted in our natures , and flows immediately from that principle of self-preservation which god hath planted in every man. every man desires his own preservation and happiness , and therefore hath a natural dread and horrour of every thing that can destroy his being , and endanger his happiness ; now the greatest danger is from the greatest power , and that is omnipotency . so that the fear of god is an inward acknowledgment of a holy and just being , which is armed with an almighty and irresistible power ; god having hidin every mans conscience a secret awe and dread of his infinite power , and eternal justice . now fear , being so intimate to our natures , it is the strongest bond of laws , and the great security of our duty . there are two bridles or restraints which god hath put upon humane nature , shame , and fear . shame is the weaker , and hath place onely in those in whom there are some remainders of virtue ; fear is the stronger , and works upon all who love themselves , and desire their own preservation . therefore , in this degenerate state of man-kind , fear is that passion which hath the greatest power over us , and by which , god and his laws take the surest hold of us : our desire , and love , and hope , are not so apt to be wrought upon by the representation of virtue , and the promises of reward and happiness as our fear is from the apprehensions of divine displeasure ; for though we have lost , in a great measure , the gust and relish of true happiness , yet we still retain a quick sense of pain and misery . so that fear relies upon a natural love of our selves , and is complicated with a necessary desire of our own preservation ; therefore religion usually makes it's first entrance into us by this passion ; and hence it is that solomon , more then once , calls the fear of the lord the beginning of wisdom . . as for the second phrase , departing from evil ; the fitness of it to express the whole duty of man will appear , if we consider the necessary connexion that is between the negative and positive part of our duty . he that is careful to avoid all sin , will sincerely endeavour to perform his duty ; for , the soul of man is an active principle , and busie , and will be employed one way or other , it will be doing something ; if a man abstain from evil , he will do good . now there being such a strait connexion between these , the whole of our duty may be expressed by either of them , but most fitly by departing from evil , because that is the first part of our duty : religion begins in the forsaking of sin ; virtus est vitium fugere , & sapientia prima stultitiâ caruisse ; virtue begins in the forsaking of vice , and the first part of wisdom is , not to be a fool. and therefore the scripture , which mentions these parts of our duty , doth constantly put departing from evil first ; psal . . . and psal . . . depart from evil , and do good . isa . . , . cease to do evil , learn to do well . isa . . . let the wicked forsake his way , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and let him return unto the lord. ephes , . , . we are first to put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts , and then to be renewed in the spirit of our minds , and to put on the new man , &c. pet. . . let him eschew evil , and do do good . to all which i may add this further consideration , that the law of god , contained in the ten commandments , consisting mostly of prohibitions , thou shalt not do such or such a thing , our observance of them is most fitly expressed by departing from evil , which yet includes obedience likewise to the positive precepts implied in those prohibitions . from the words thus explained , the proposition that i shall speak to is this , viz. doctr. that religion is the best knowledge and wisdom . or thus , he that is truly religious is the most wise and knowing person . i shall first endeavour to confirm the truth of this proposition , and then make some use and improvement of it . the confirmation of it i shall attempt these three ways . . by a direct proof of it . . by shewing on the contrary , the folly and ignorance of irreligion and wickedness . . by vindicating religion from those common imputations which seem to charge it with ignorance or imprudence . i. i begin with the direct proof of this ; and because religion comprehends two things , the knowledg of the principles of it , and a suitable life and practice ; ( the first of which being speculative may more properly be called knowledg , and the latter , because 't is practical , may be called wisdom or prudence ) therefore i shall endeavour distinctly to prove these two things . . that religion is the best knowledg . . that it is the truest wisdom . . first , that it is the best knowledg . the knowledg of religion commends its self to us upon these two accounts . . 't is the knowledg of those things which are in themselves most excellent . . of those things which are most useful and necessary for us to know . first , it is the best knowledg , because it is the knowledg of those things which are in themselves most excellent , and desireable to be known , and those are god , and our duty . god is the sum and comprehension of all perfection . it is delightful to know the creatures , because they are some shadows of the divine perfections ; there are particular excellencies scattered and disperst among the creatures , which 't is very pleasant to contemplate ; but in god all perfections in their highest degree and exaltation meet together and are united ; how much more delightful then must it needs be , to fix our minds upon such an object in which there is nothing but beauty and brightness , what is amiable and what is excellent ; what will ravish our affections and raise our wonder , please us and astonish us at once ? and that the finite measure and capacity of our understandings is not able to take in and comprehend the infinite excellencies and perfections of god , this indeed shews the excellency of the object , but doth not at all detract from the delightfulness of the knowledg ; for it is a greater pleasure for a finite understanding to be lost in the contemplation of its object , and to view unlimited excellencies , which have no shore nor bounds , then to look upon those perfections of which we can see the end and utmost ; as 't is more pleasant to the eye to have an endless prospect , then to be terminated ; for this is that which properly causeth admiration , when we discover a great deal in an object which we understand to be excellent , and yet we see we know not how much more beyond that , which our understandings cannot fully reach and comprehend . and as the knowledg of god in his nature and perfections is excellent and desireable ; so likewise to know him in those glorious manifestations of himself in the works of creation and providence ; and above all ( though it be little spoken of by the saints of the old testament , by reason of the obscure degree of its discovery in those times ) the knowledg of god in his son jesus christ , in that stupendious manifestation of his wisdom and mercy in the contrivance of our recovery , which is such a mystery , and so excellent a piece of knowledg , that the angels desire to pry into it , pet. . . and as the knowledg of god is excellent , so likewise of our duty , which is nothing else but vertue and goodness and holiness , which are the image of god , a conformity to the nature and will of god , and an imitation of the divine excellencies and perfections so far as we are capable : for to know our duty , is to know what it is to be like god in goodness , and pity , and patience , and clemency , in pardoning injuries , and passing by provocations , in justice and righteousness , in truth and faithfulness , and in a hatred and detestation of the contrary of these . in a word , it is to know what is the good and acceptable will of god , what it is that he loves and delights in , and is pleased withal , and would have us to do in order to our perfection , and our happiness . it is deservedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledg , to know the laws of the land , and the customs of the country we live in , and the will of the prince we live under ; how much more , to know the statutes of heaven , and the laws of eternity , those immutable and eternal laws of justice and righteousness ? to know the will and pleasure of the great monarch , and universal king of the world , and the customs of that country where we must live for ever ? this made david to admire the law of god at that strange rate he doth in the th psalm , and to advance the knowledg of it above all other knowledg , i have seen an end of all perfection , but thy commandment is exceeding broad . secondly , 't is the knowledg of those things which are most useful and necessary for us to know . the goodness of every thing is measured by its end and use , and that 's the best thing which serves the best end and purpose ; and the more necessary any thing is to an end , the better it is : so that the best knowledg is that which is of greatest use and necessity to us in order to our great end , which is eternal happiness , and the salvation of our souls . curious speculations , and the contemplation of things that are impertinent to us , and do not concern us , nor serve to promote our happiness , are but a more specious and ingenious sort of idleness , a more pardonable and creditable kind of ignorance . that man that doth not know those things which are of use and necessity for him to know , is but an ignorant man , whatever he may know besides ; now the knowledg of god , and of christ , and of our duty , is of the greatest usefulness and necessity to us in order to our happiness : it 's of absolute necessity that we should know god and christ , in order to our being happy : joh. . . this is life eternal ( that is , the onely way to it ) to know thee the only true god , and him whom thou hast sent , jesus christ . it is necessary also in order to our happiness , to know our duty , because 't is necessary for us to do it , and it is impossible to do it except we know it : so that whatever other knowledg a man may be endued withal , he is but an ignorant person who doth not know god , the authour of his being , the preserver and protector of his life , his soveraign , and his judg , the giver of every good and perfect gift , his surest refuge in trouble , his best friend or worst enemy , the present support of his life , his hopes in death , his future happiness , and his portion for ever ; who does not know his relation to god , the duty that he owes him , and the way to please him who can make him happy or miserable for ever ; who does not know the things of his peace , and the way how to get his sins pardoned , and himself reconciled to an offended god ; who doth not know the lord jesus christ , who is the way , the truth , and the life . so that if a man by a vast and imperious mind , and a heart large as the sand upon the sea shore , ( as it is said of solomon ) could command all the knowledg of nature and art , of words and things ; could attain to a mastery in all languages , and sound the depth of all arts and sciences , measure the earth and the heavens , and tell the stars , and give an account of their order and motions ; could discourse of the interests of all states , the intrigues of all courts , the reason of all civil laws and constitutions , and give an account of the history of all ages ; could speak of trees , from the cedar tree that is in lebanon , even unto the hysop that springeth out of the wall , and of beasts also , and of fowls , and of creeping things , and of fishes ; and yet should , in the mean time , be destitute of the knowledg of god , and christ , and his duty ; all this would be but an impertinent vanity , and a more glittering kind of ignorance ; and such a man ( like the philosopher , who whilest he was gazing upon the stars , fell into the ditch ) would but sapienter descendere in infernum , be undone with all this knowledge , and with a great deal of wisdom go down to hell. . secondly , that to be religious is the truest wisdom ; and that likewise upon two accounts . . because it is to be wise for our selves . . it is to be wise as to our main interest and concernment . first , 't is to be wise for our selves . there 's an expression , job . . he that is wise is profitable to himself ; and prov. . . if thou be wise , thou shalt be wise for thy self ; intimating , that wisdom regards a mans own interest and advantage , and he is not a wise man that doth not take care of himself and his own concernments , according to that of old ennius , nequicquam sapere sapientem , qui sibi ipsi prodesse non quiret ; that man hath but an empty title of wisdom , and is not really wise , who is not wise for himself . as self preservation is the first principle of nature , so care of our selves and our own interest is the first part of wisdom : he that is wise in the affairs and concernments of other men , but careless and negligent of his own , that man may be said to be busie , but he is not wise ; he is employed indeed , but not so as a wise man should be : now this is the wisdom of religion , that it directs a man to a care of his own proper interest and concernment . . it is to be wise as to our main interest . our chief end and highest interest is happiness ; now this is happiness , to be freed from all ( if it may be , ) however , from the greatest evils ; and to enjoy ( if it may be ) all good , however , the chiefest . to be happy , is not onely to be freed from the pains and diseases of the body , but from anxiety and vexation of spirit ; not onely to enjoy the pleasures of sence , but peace of conscience and tranquill●ty of mind . to be happy , is not onely to be so for a little while , but as long as may be , and if it be possible , for ever . now religion designs our greatest and longest happiness ; it aims at a freedom from the greatest evils , and to bring us to the possession and enjoyment of the greatest good . for religion wisely considers , that men have immortal spirits , which as they are spirits , are capable of a pleasure and happiness distinct from that of our bodies and our senses ; and because they are immortal , are capable of an everlasting happiness . now our souls being the best part of our selves , and eternity being infinitely the most considerable duration ; the greatest wisdom is to secure the interest of our souls , and the interest of eternity , though it be with the loss , and to the prejudice of our temporal and inferiour interests : therefore religion directs us rather to secure inward peace , then outward ease ; to be more careful to avoid everlasting and intolerable torments , then short and light afflictions which are but for a moment ; to court the favour of god more then the friendship of the world ; and not so much to fear them that can kill the body , and after that have no more that they can do , as him who after he hath kill'd can destroy both body and soul in hell . in a word , our main interest is to be as happy as we can , and as long as is possible ; and if we be cast into such circumstances , that we must be either in part and for a time , or else wholly and always miserable ; the best wisdom is to choose the greatest and most lasting happiness , but the least and shortest misery : upon this account religion preferrs those pleasures which flow from the presence of god for evermore , infinitely before the transitory pleasures of this world ; and is much more careful to avoid eternal misery , then present sufferings . this is the wisdom of religion , that upon consideration of the whole , and casting up all things together , it does advise and lead us to our best interest . ii. the second way of confirmation shall be by shewing the ignorance and folly of irreligion and wickedness : and this i might do by the rule of contraries ; for , if he that is truly religious be the wisest and most knowing person , then those that are irreligious and wicked are neither knowing nor wise . but because this may sufficiently appear by applying what i have said in the direct proof of the proposition the just contrary way , therefore i shall not enlarge upon this in the same method , but proceed upon other heads to shew the ignorance and folly of such persons . now all that are irreligious are so upon one of these two accounts ; either , first , because they do not believe the foundations and principles of religion , as , the existence of god , the immortality of the soul , and future and eternal rewards ; and of this kind there are but few , in comparison , who do not in some sort believe these things : or else , secondly , men are irreligious , because though they do in some sort believe these things , yet they act contrary to their belief ; and of this kind are the far greatest part of wicked men : the first sort are guilty of that which we call speculative , the latter of practical atheism i shall endeavour to discover the ignorance and folly of both these . . speculative atheism , is first , absurd in the theory and speculation , which argues ignorance ; and secondly , it is an imprudent opinion , both because it is against our present interest , and is also unsafe in the ultimate issue of it ; which argues folly. i. it is absurd in the theory and speculation ; and that upon these five accounts . . because it gives no probable account of the existence of things . we see a world of creatures , and a vast frame of things , which we who believe a god attribute to god as the authour , ( i e. ) to a being endued with infinite goodness and wisdom and power , which is a very likely cause to produce a world : for , what more likely to communicate being to so numerous a progeny of goodly creatures , then infinite goodness ? what more likely to create so vast a world , that is , to stretch forth the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth , to form these and all the creatures in them out of nothing , then infinite power ? what so likely to contrive all these creatures each of them so perfect in their kind , and all of them so fitly and harmoniously suited to each other and to the whole , as infinite counsel and wisdom ? this seems to be a reasonable account . but what account doth the atheist give of this ? either he must say , that the world was eternal , and that things alwayes were as they are , without any first cause of their being , which is the way of the aristotelian atheists ; or else he must ascribe the original of the world to chance , and the casual concourse of matter , which is the way of the epicurean atheists . but neither of these ways gives a probable account of the existence of things . first , not the aristotelian way ; for , though we may conceive the same thing always to have been , yet it is utterly unimaginable how there should have been an infinite orderly succession of things , that is , a third , fourth , fifth , &c. without a first . i say , this is utterly unimaginable ; but yet i will suppose that this matter doth admit of seeming and unanswerable demonstrations both ways , viz. both that an eternal succession of things is possible , and that it is impossible ; as the question about the infinite divisibility of quantity doth , and indeed all questions about any thing that is infinite , it being but reasonable to expect that our finite understandings should be puzzled and lost about any thing that is infinite . now granting this , which is the utmost any man can challenge in this question , this account of things from an eternal order and succession of causes comes to just nothing ; for , though it be granted , that there are plausible arguments for the possibility of this , yet so long as they are countepoised by other arguments every whit as strong and unanswerable , they can signifie nothing in the ballance of reason , because the strength of them is wholly enervated and taken off by equal demonstrations on the other side ; and so long as their hands are thus tied , such a supposition is altogether useless , and nothing can be built upon it ; for what man will allow it probable that there hath been an eternal succession of things , without any original , or first cause , whilest it is an even question , whether an eternal succession of things be so much as possible ? and besides all this , aristotle himself ( who is supposed to be the great patron of this opinion of the eternity of the world ) doth elsewhere in several places of his works , own it as one of the greatest absurdities that can be , to assert an infinite progress of causes , and says , that it is unworthy of a philosopher to resolve any thing this way , and that the mind of man can have no rest , nor any reasonable and satisfactory account of things be given , but by staying in some first cause . but i needed not have said so much to this , because the modern atheists do generally desert this way . secondly , nor the epicurean way , which imputes this vast pile of the world , this regular and orderly frame of things ( which it acknowledges to have had a beginning ) not to goodness , and power , and counsel , and wisdom ; but to a fortunate chance , and happy casualty . now there is nothing can be more unreasonable then obstinately to impute that to chance , which doth plainly and apparently contain in it all the arguments and characters of a wise design and contrivance . was ever any considerable work , in which there was required great variety of parts , and a regular and orderly disposition of those parts , done by chance ? will chance fit means to ends , and that in ten thousand instances , and not fail in any one ? how often might a man , after he had jumbled a set of letters in a bag , fling them out upon the ground before they would fall into an exact poem , yea , or make a good discourse in prose ? and may not a little book be as easily made by chance , as this great volume of the world ? how long might a man be in sprinkling colours upon canvas with a careless hand , before they would happen to make the exact picture of a man ? and is a man easilier made by chance then his picture ? how long might twenty thousand blind men. which should be sent out from the several remote parts of england , wander up and down before they would all meet upon salisbury plains , and fall into rank and file in the exact order of an army ? and yet this is much more easie to be imagined , then how the innumerabe blind parts of matter should rendezvous themselves into a world. a man that sees henry the seventh's chappel at westminster , might with as good reason maintain ( yea , with much better , considering the vast difference betwixt that little structure , and the huge fabrick of the world ) that it was never contrived or built by any man , but that the stones did by chance grow into those curious figures into which they seem to have been cut and graven ; and that upon a time , ( as tales usually begin ) the materials of that building , the stone , morter , timber , iron , lead and glass , happily met together , and very fortunately rang'd themselves into that delicate order in which we see them now so close compacted , that it must be a very great chance that parts them again . what would the world think of a man that should advance such an opinion as this , and write a book for it ? if they would do him right , they ought to look upon him as mad , with a little more reason then any man can have to say that the world was made by chance , or that the first men grew up out of the earth as plants do now . and yet they who give this account of the original things , assume to themselves to be the men of reason , the great wits of the world , the onely cautious and wary persons , that hate to be imposed upon , that must have convincing evidence for every thing , and can assent to nothing without a clear demonstration for it . . because it gives no reasonable account of the universal consent of mankind in this apprehension , that there is a god. that men do generally believe a god , and have done in all ages , the present experience of the world , and the records of former times do abundantly testifie . now how comes this perswasion to have gained so universal a possession of the mind of man , and to have found such general entertainment in all nations , even those that are most barbarous ? if there be no such thing as god in the world , how comes it to pass that this object doth continually encounter our understandings ? whence is it that we are so perpetually haunted with the apparition of a deity , and followed with it where-ever we go ? if it be not natural to the mind of man , but proceeds from some accidental distemper of our understandings , how comes it to be so universal , that no differences of age , or temper , or education , can wear it out , and set any considerable number of men free from it ? into what can we resolve this strong inclination of mankind to this error and mistake ? how come all nations to be thus seduced ? it is altogether unimaginable , but that the reason of so universal a consent in all places and ages of the world , and among all differences of persons , should be one and constant ; but no one and constant reason of this can be given , but from the nature of mans mind and understanding , which hath this notion of a deity born with it , and stamped upon it ; or , which is all one , is of such a frame , that in the free use and exercise of it self , it will find out god ; and what more reasonable then to think , that if we be gods workmanship , he should set this mark of himself upon all reasonable creatures , that they may know to whom they belong , and may acknowledg the author of their beings ? this seems to be a credible and satisfactory account of so universal a consent in this matter . but now what doth the atheist resolve this into ? he is not at one with himself what account to give of it ; nor can it be expected he should ; for he that will over-look the true reason of a thing , which is but one , may easily find many false ones , error being infinite . but there are three which he principally rellyes upon , fear , tradition , and policy of state. i shall briefly consider these . first , he would fain make us believe that this apprehension of a god , doth spring from an infinite jealousie in the mind of man , and an endless fear of the worst that may happen , according to that divine saying of the poet , ( which he can never sufficiently admire ) primus in orbe deos fecit timor , fear first made gods. so that it is granted on both sides , that the fear of a deity doth universally possess the minds of men : now the question is , whether it be more likely that the existence of a god should be the cause of this fear , or that this fear should be the cause why men imagine there is a god ? if there be a god who hath impressed this image of himself upon the mind of man , there 's great reason why all men should stand in awe of him ; but if there be no god , it is not easie to conceive how fear should create an universal confidence and assurance in men that there is one . for , whence should this fear come ? it must be either from without , from the suggestion of others , who first tell us there is such a being , and then our fear believes it ; or else it must arise from within , viz. from the nature of man , which is apt to fancy dreadful and terrible things . if from the suggestion of others who tell us so , the question returns , who told them so ? and will never be satisfied till the first author of this report be found out ; so that this account of fear resolves it self into tradition , which shall be spoken to in its proper place . but if it be said , that this fear ariseth from within , from the nature of man which is apt to imagine dreadful things , this likewise is liable to inexplicable difficulties . for , first , the proper object of fear is something that is dreadful , that is , something that threatens men with harm , or danger , and that in god must either be power , or justice ; and such an object as this , fear indeed may create : but goodness and mercy are essential to the notion of a god , as well as power and justice ; now how should fear put men upon fancying a being that is infinitely good and merciful ? no man hath reason to be afraid of such a being as such . so that the atheist must joyn another cause to fear , viz. hope , to enable men to create this imagination of a god. and what would the product of these two contrary passions be ? the imagination of a being , which we should fear would do us as much harm , as we could hope it would do us good ; which would be quid pro quo , and which our reason would oblige us to lay aside so soon as we had fancied it , because it would signifie just nothing . but secondly , suppose fear alone could do it ; how comes the mind of man to be subject to such groundless and unreasonable fears ? the aristotelian atheist will say , it always was so ; but this is to affirm , and not to give any account of a thing : the epicurean atheist , if he will speak consonantly to himself , must say , that there happened in the original constitution of the first men such a contexture of atomes , as doth naturally dispose men to these panick fears ; unless he will say , that when the first men grew out of the earth , and afterwards broke loose from their root , finding themselves weak , and naked , and unarmed , and meeting with several fierce creatures stronger then themselves , they were put to such a fright as did a little distemper their understandings , and let loose their imaginatians to endless suspicious , and unbounded jealousies , which did at last settle in the conceit of an invisible being , infinitely powerful , and able to do them harm ; and being fully possest with this apprehension , ( nothing being mo●e ordinary then for crazed persons to believe their own fancies ) they became religious , and afterwards when mankind began to be propagated in the way of generation , then religion obliged them to instill these principles into their children in their tender years , that so they might make the greater impression upon them ; and this course having been continued ever since , the notion of a god hath been kept up in the world . this is very suitable to epicurus his hypothesis of the original of men ; but if any man think fit to say thus , i cannot think it fit to confute him . thirdly , whether men were from all eternity such timorous and fanciful creatures , or happened to be made so in the first constitution of things ; it seems however , that this fear of a deity hath a foundation in nature ; and if it be natural , ought we not rather to conclude , that there is some ground and reason for these fears , and that nature hath not planted them in us to no purpose , then that they are vain and groundless ? there is no principle that aristotle ( the grand assertor of the eternity of the world ) doth more frequently inculcate then this , that nature doth nothing in vain ; and epicurus is forced to acknowledge , ( and so will every man , who attentively considers the frame of the world ) that although things were made by chance , yet they have happened as well as if the greatest wisdom had had the ordering and contriving of them ; and surely wisdom would never have planted such a vain principle as the fear of a deity in the nature of man , if there had not been a god in the world. secondly , if fear be not a sufficient account of this universal consent , the atheist thinks it may very probably be resolved into universal tradition . but this likewise is liable to great exception ; for , whence came this tradition ? it must begin some time , it must have its original from some body ; and it were very well worth our knowing , who that man was that first raised this spirit which all the reason of mankind could never conjure down since ; where did he live , and when ? in what countrey , and in what age of the world ? what was his name , or his sons name , that we may know him ? this the atheist can give no punctual account of ; onely he imagines it not improbable , that some body long ago ( no body knows when ) beyond the memory of all ages , did start such a notion in the world , and that it hath past for currant ever since . but whatever he imagine , that is very improbable which relies upon no stronger arguments then his own conceit : but besides , if this tradition be granted so very ancient as to have been before all books , and to be elder then any history , it may , for any thing any body can tell , have been from the beginning ; and then it is much more likely to be a notion which was bred in the mind of man , and born with him , then a tradition transmitted from hand to hand through all generations ; especially if we consider how many rude and barbarous nations there are in the world which consent in the opinion of a god , and yet have no certain tradition of any thing that was done among them but two or three ages before . thirdly , but if neither of these be satisfactory , he hath one way more ; which although it signifie little to men of sober and severe reason , yet it very unhappily hits the jealous and suspicious humour of the generality of men , who from the experience they have had of themselves and others , are very apt to suspect that every body , but especially their superiours and governours , have a design to impose upon them for their own ends . in short , it is this ; that this noise about a god is a meer state engine , and a politick device , invented at first by some great prince , or minister of state , to keep people in awe and order . and if so , from hence ( saith the atheist ) we may easily apprehend , how from such an original it might be generally propagated , and become universally currant , having the stamp of publick authority upon it ; besides , that people have always been found easie to comply with the inclinations of their prince . and from hence likewise we may see the reason why this notion hath continued so long ; for being found by experience to be so excellent an instrument of government , we may be sure it would always be cherished and kept up . and now he triumphs , and thinks the business is very clear : thus it was ; some time or other , ( most probably towards the beginning of the world , ( if it had a beginning ) when all mankind was under one universal monarch ; ) some great nebuchadnezzar set up this image of a deity , and commanded all people and nations to fall down and worship it : and this being found a successfull device , to awe people into obedience to government , it hath been continued to this day , and is like to last to the end of the world . to this fine conjecture i have these four things to say : . that all this is meer conjecture and supposition ; he cannot bring the least shadow of proof or evidence for any one tittle of it . . this supposition grants the opinion of a god to conduce very much to the support of government and order in the world , and consequently to be very beneficial to mankind ; so that the atheist cannot but acknowledge that it is great pity that it should not be true , and that it is the common interest of mankind , if there were but probable arguments for it , not to admit of any slight reasons against it ; and to prosecute all those who would seduce men to atheism , as the great disturbers of the world , and pests of humane society . . this supposition can have nothing of certainty in it , unless this be true , that whoever makes a politick advantage of other mens principles , is presumed to contrive those principles into them ; whereas it is much more common ( because more easie ) for men to serve their own ends of those principles or opinions , which they do not put into men , but find there ; so that if the question of a god were to be decided by the probability of this conjecture , ( which the atheist applauds himself most in ) it would be concluded in the affirmative ; it being much more likely , that because politicians reap the advantages of obedience and a more ready submission to government from mens believing that there is a god , that they found the minds of men prepossest to their hands with the notion of a god , then that they planted it there ; and we need not doubt but that they would be very well contented to reap where they did not sow , and to gather where they did not strew . . we have as much evidence of the contrary to this supposition as such a thing is capable of , viz. that it was not an arcanum imperii , a secret of government , to propagate the belief of a god among the people , when the governours themselves knew it to be a cheat . for we find in the histories of all ages of which we have any records , ( and of other ages we cannot possibly judge ) that princes have not been more secure from troubles of conscience , and the fears of religion , and the terrours of another world , ( nay , many of them more subject to these ) then other men , as i could give many instances , and those no mean ones : what made caligula creep under the bed when it thunder'd ? what made tiberius ( that great master of the crafts of government ) complain so much of the grievous stings and lashes he felt in his conscience ? what mov'd that great emperour , charls the fifth , to quit his kingdom , and retire into a monastery to prepare for another world ? what made cardinal wolsey ( one of the greatest ministers of state that ever was ) to pour forth his soul in those sad words ? had i been as diligent to please my god as i have been to please my king , he would not have forsaken me now in my gray hairs . what reason for such actions and speeches , if these great men had known that religion was but a cheat ? now if such great and politick persons ( as the three last of these were ) knew nothing of this secret , i think we may safely conclude , that the notion of a god did not come from the court , that it is not the invention of politicians , and a juggle of state , to cozen the people into obedience . and now from all this that hath been said it seems to be very evident , that the general consent of man-kind in this apprehension that there is a god , must in all reason be ascribed to some more certain and universal cause then fear , or tradition , or state policy , viz. to this , that god himself hath stamped this image of himself upon the mind of man , and so woven it into the very frame of his being , that ( like phidias his picture in minerva's shield ) it can never totally be defaced without the ruine of humane nature . object . i do but know one objection that this discourse is liable to ; it is this : the universal consent of man-kind in the apprehension of a god is no more an argument of the being of a god , then the general agreement of so many nations for so many ages in polytheisme and idolatry is an argument for these . answ . to this i answer , . that the generality of the philosophers and wise men of all nations and ages did dissent from the multitude in these things ; they believed but one supreme deity , which , with respect to the various benefits men received from him , had several titles bestowed upon him ; and although they did servilely comply with the people in worshipping god by sensible images and representations , yet it appears by their writings that they despised this way of worship as superstitious , and unsuitable to the nature of god. so that polytheisme and idolatry are far from being able to pretend to universal consent from their having had the vote of the multitude in most nations for several ages together ; because the opinion of the vulgar separated from the consent and approbation of the wise , signifies no more then a great many cyphers would do without figures . . the gross ignorance and mistakes of the heathen about god and his worship are a good argument that there is a god , because they shew , that men sunk into the most degenerate condition , into the greatest blindness and darkness imaginable , do yet retain some sense and awe of a deity ; that religion is a property of our natures , and that the notion of a deity is intimate to our understandings , and sticks close to them , seeing men will rather have any god then none , and rather then want a deity , they will worship any thing . . that there have been so many false gods invented , is rather an argument that there is a true one , then that there is none : there would be no counterfeits , but for the sake of something that is real ; for , though all pretenders seem to be what they really are not , yet they pretend to be something that really is : for , to counterfeit is to put on the likeness and appearance of some real excellency ; there would be no brass-money , if there were not good and lawful money ; bristol-stones would not pretend to be diamonds , if there never had been any diamonds ; those idols in henry the seventh's time ( as sir francis bacon calls them ) lambert simnell , and perkin warbeck , had never been set up , if there had not once been a real plantagenet and duke of york ; so the idols of the heathen , though they be set up in affront to the true god , yet they are a probable argument that there is one . . speculative atheisme is absurd in the theory , because it requires more evidence for things then they are capable of . aristotle hath long since well observed , how unreasonable it is to expect the same kind of proof and evidence for every thing , which we have for some things . mathematical things , being of an abstracted nature , are onely capable of clear demonstration ; but conclusions in natural philosophy are to be proved by a sufficient induction of experiments ; things of a moral nature , by moral arguments ; and matters of fact , by credible testimony : and though none of these be capable of strict demonstration , yet we have an undoubted assurance of them , when they are proved by the best arguments that the nature and quality of the thing will bear . no man can demonstrate to me , that there is such an island in america as jamaica ; yet upon the testimony of credible persons who have seen it , and authors who haue written of it , i am as free from all doubt concerning it , as i am from doubting of the cleerest mathematical demonstration . so that this is to be entertained as a firm principle by all those who pretend to be certain of any thing at all ; that when any thing is proved by as good arguments as that thing is capable of , and we have as great assurance that it is , as we could possibly have supposing it were , we ought not in reason to make any doubt of the existence of that thing ? now to apply this to the present case : the being of a god is not mathematically demonstrable , nor can it be expected it should , because onely mathematical matters admit of this kind of evidence ; nor can it be proved immediately by sense , because god being supposed to be a pure spirit , cannot be the object of any corporeal sense . but yet we have as great assurance that there is a god as the nature of the thing to be proved is capable of , and as we could in reason expect to have , supposing that he were . for let us suppose there were such a being as an infinite spirit cloathed with all possible perfection , that is , as good and wise and powerful , &c. as can be imagined , what conceiveable ways are there whereby we should come to be assured that there is such a being , but either by an internal impression of the notion of a god upon our minds , or else by such external and visible effects as our reason tells us must be attributed to some cause , and which we cannot without great violence to our understandings attribute to any other cause but such a being as we conceive god to be , that is , one that is infinitely good , and wise , and powerful ? now we have this double assurance that there is a god , and greater or other then this the thing is not capable of . if god should assume a body , and present himself before our eyes , this might amaze us , but could not give us any rational assurance that there is an infinite spirit ; if he should work a miracle , that could not in reason convince an atheist more then the arguments he already hath for it ; if he were to ask a sign in heaven above , or in the earth beneath , what could he desire god to do for his conviction more then he hath already done ? could he desire him to work a greater miracle then to make a world ? why if god should carry this perverse man out of the limits of this world , and shew him a new heaven and a new earth , springing out of nothing , he might say , that innumerable parts of matter chanc'd just then to rally together , and to form themselves into this new world , and that god did not make it . thus you see that we have all the rational assurance of a god that the thing is capable of , and that atheism is absurd and unreasonable in requiring more . . the atheist is absurd , because he pretends to know that which no man can know , and to be certain of that which no body can be certain of ; that is that there is no god , and ( which is consequent upon this , as i shall shew afterwards ) that it is not possible there should be one . and the atheist must pretend to know this certainly ; for it were the greatest folly in the world for a man to deny and despise god , if he be not certain that he is not . now whoever pretends to be certain that there is no god , hath this great disadvantage ; he pretends to be certain of a pure negative : but of negatives we have far the least certainty , and they are always hardest , and many times impossible to be proved : indeed such negatives as only deny some particular mode or manner of a things existence , a man may have a certainty of them , because , when we see things to be , we may see what they are , and in what manner they do , or do not exist ; for instance , we may be certain that man is not a creature that hath wings , because this onely concerns the manner of his existence ; and we seeing what he is , may certainly know that he is not so , or so . but pure negatives , that is , such as absolutely deny the existence of things , or the possibility of their existence , can never be proved ; for after all that can be said against a thing , this will still be true , that many things possibly are which we know not of , and that many more things may be then are ; and if so , after all our arguments against a thing , it will be uncertain whether it be or not ; and this is universally true , unless the thing denied to be , do plainly imply a contradiction , from which i shall afterwards shew the notion of a god to be free . now the atheist pretends to be certain of a pure negative , viz. that there is no such being as god , and that it is not possible there should be ; but no man can reasonably pretend to know thus much , but he must pretend to know all things that are , or can be ; which if any man should be so vain as to pretend to , yet it is to be hoped , that no body would be so weak as to believe him . . speculative atheism is absurd , because it is self-contradictions . there are these two great contradictions in the denial of a god. . he that denies a god , says that that is impossible which he must grant to be possible . he says it is impossible that there should be such a being as god , in saying that de facto there is no such being ; for eternity being essential to the notion of a god , if there be not a god already , it is impossible now that there should be one ; because such a being as is supposed to be essentially eternal and without beginning , cannot now begin to be . and yet he must grant it possible that there should be such a being , because it is possible there should be such a being as hath all possible perfection ; and such a being as this is that which we call god , and is that very thing which the atheist denies , and others affirm to be ; for he that denies a god , must deny such a being as all the world describe god to be , and this is the general notion which all men have of god , that he is a being as perfect as is possible ; that is , endued with all such perfections as do not imply a contradiction , as none of those perfections which we attribute to god do ; not necessity of being , and self-existence , and eternity , and immensity or unlimitedness ; these the atheist must grant possible and free from contradiction , because he ascribes them to the world , or at least to matter ; not goodness , or wisdom , or power , or truth , or justice , because he ascribes these to men , nor consequently the utmost degrees of these that are possible ; nor , lastly , doth immateriality or the notion of a spirit imply a contradiction , because the atheist must either grant that there is a spirit in man , that is , something that is not matter , ( and consequently , that an immaterial principle is not impossible ) or else give a fair and satisfactory account how meer matter can think and understand , and how that which moves by certain and necessary laws , that is , cannot move unless it be moved by another , and cannot but move if it be impell'd by another , is capable of liberty and freedom ; which i think is impossible to be done . . another contradiction which attends the denial of a god , is this ; atheism denies such a being to be , as doth in the essential notion of it include necessary existence , that is , an impossibility of not being ; and this in plain english , is to deny that thing to be , which cannot but be . now that the notion of a god doth essentially include in it necessary existence , appears from the general notion that all men have of god , viz. that he is a being that hath all possible perfection ; but that necessary existence is a perfection , is evident , because if being be good , it is better to have it necessarily , then contingently ; to have it secur'd , then to be in danger of losing it : and that it is a possible perfection , the atheist cannot deny , because he ascribes it to matter , as i shewed before . so that atheism doth finally resolve it self into these two gross contradictions , viz. that it is impossible that there should be such a being as hath all possible perfections ; that is , that that which may be , cannot be : and , that such a being as necessarily exists , doth not , nor can possibly exist ; that is to say , that a thing which cannot but be , is not , nor can be . ii. atheism , as it is an absurd , so it is an imprudent opinion ; and that upon these two accounts . first , it is against mens present interest . did but men consider what god is , they would see him to be so lovely a being , and so full of goodness and all desireable perfections , that even those very persons , who are of such irregular understandings as not to believe that there is a god , yet could not ( if they understood themselves ) refrain from wishing with all their hearts that there were one . for , is it not every mans interest that there should be such a being in the world as takes particular care of him , and loves him , and is able and willing to do him good , and to make him happy ; to supply all his wants , and to relieve him in all his straits , when no body else can ; to preserve him in the greatest dangers , and assist him against his greatest enemies , and secure him from misery and destruction ? is is not every mans interest that there should be such a being in the world , as would govern us for our advantage , and require nothing of us , but what is highly for our interest , and what ( if we rightly understood our own concernment ) we our selves would choose to do ? and god is such a being , if he be at all . now why should any man be aggrieved that there is such a being as this , or count it his interest to shut him out of the world ? why should any man be concern'd or troubled that there is a being as good as we can possibly desire or imagine ? i dare say , if a wise and considerate man were left to himself and his own choice , to wish the greatest good to himself he could devise ; the sum of all his wishes would be , that there were just such a being as god is ; nor would he choose any other benefactor or friend or protector for himself , or governor for the whole world , then infinite power conducted & managed by infinite wisdom , and goodness , and justice , which is the true notion of a god. i confess , it is not a wicked mans interest , if he resolve to continue such , that there should be a god ; but then it is not mens interest to be wicked : it is for the general good of humane society , and consequently , of particular persons , to be true & just ; it is for mens health to be temperate ; and so i could instance in all other vertues . but this is the mystery of atheism , men are wedded to their lusts , and resolv'd upon a wicked course , & so it becomes their interest to wish there were no god , and to believe so if they can ; whereas if men were minded to live righteously and soberly and vertuously in the world , to believe a god would be no hinderance or prejudice to any such design , but very much for the advancement and furtherance of it . men that are good and vertuous do easily believe a god ; so that it is vehemently to be suspected , that nothing but the strength of mens lusts , and the power of vicious inclinations , do sway their minds , and set a byass upon their understandings towards atheism . secondly , atheism is imprudent , because it is unsafe in the issue . the atheist doth , as it were , lay a wager against the religious man that there is no god ; but upon strange inequality and odds ; for he ventures his eternal interest : whereas the other ventures onely the loss of his lusts , ( which it is much better for him to be without ) or at the utmost , of some temporal convenience ; and all this while is inwardly more contented and happy , and usually more healthful , and perhaps meets with more respect , and faithfuller friends , and lives in a more secure and flourishing condition , and freer from the evils and punishments of this world , then the atheistical person does , ( however , it is not much that he ventures ; ) and after this life , if there be no god , is as well as he ; but if there be a god , is infinitely better , even as much as unspeakable and eternal happiness is better then extream and endless misery . so that if the arguments for and against a god were equal , and it were an even question whether there were one or nor , yet the hazard and danger is so infinitely unequal , that in point of prudence and interest every man were obliged to incline to the affirmative ; and what-ever doubts he might have about it , to choose the safest side of the question , and to make that the hypothesis to live by . for , he that acts wisely , and is a throughly prudent man , will be provided in emnem eventum , will take care to secure the main chance , what-ever happens : but the atheist , in case things should fall out contrary to his belief and expectation , he hath made no provision for this case ; if , contrary to his confidence , it should prove in the issue that there is a god , the man is lost and undone for ever ; if the atheist when he dies shall find that his soul remains after his body , and has onely quitted it's lodging , how will this man be amazed and blank'd , when , contrary to his expectation , he shall find himself in a new and strange place , amidst a world of spirits , entred upon an everlasting and unchangeable state ? how sadly will the man be disappointed when he finds all things otherwise then he had stated and determined them in this world ? when he comes to appear before that god whom he hath denied , and against whom he hath spoken as despightful things as he could ? who can imagine the pale and guilty looks of this man , and how he will shiver and tremble for the fear of the lord , and for the glory of his majesty ? how will he be surprized with terrors on every side , to find himself thus unexpectedly and irrecoverably plunged into a state of ruine and desperation ? and thus things may happen for all this mans confidence now : for our belief or dis-belief of a thing does not alter the nature of the thing ; we cannot fancy things into being , or make them vanish into nothing by the stubborn confidence of our imaginations ; things are as fullen as we are , and will be what they are , what-ever we think of them ; and if there be a god , a man cannot by an obstinate dis-belief of him make him cease to be , any more then a man can put out the sun by winking . and thus i have as briefly and clearly as i could endeavour'd to shew the ignorance and folly of speculative atheism in denying the existence of god. and now it will be less needful to speak of the other two principles of religion , the immortality of the soul , and future rewards ; for no man can have any reasonable scruple about these , who believes that there is a god ; because no man that owns the existence of an infinite spirit , can doubt of the possibility of a finite spirit , that is , such a thing as is immaterial , and does not contain any principle of self-corruption in it self ; and no man that believes the goodness of god , can doubt but that he hath made some things as good as may be , and for as long continuance as they are capable of . nor can any man that acknowledgeth the holiness and justice of god , and that he loves righteousness , and hates iniquity , and that he is magistrate and governour of the world , and consequently concerned to countenance obedience to , and punish the violation of his laws ; and withal considers the promiscuous dispensations many times of gods providence in this world , think it unreasonable to conclude , that after this life good men shall be rewarded , and sinners punished . and now i think i may with reason intreat such as are atheistically enclined , to consider these things seriously and impartially ; and if there be weight in these considerations which i have offered to them to sway with reasonable men , i would beg of such , that they would not suffer themselves to be by assed by prejudice , or passion , or the interest of any lust or worldly advantage , to a contrary perswasion . first , i would intteat them seriously and diligently to consider these things , because they are of so great moment and concernment to every man ; if any thing in the world deserve our serious study and consideration , these principles of religion do ; for what can import us more to be satisfied in , then whether there be a god , or not ? whether our souls shall perish with our bodies , or be immortal , and shall continue for ever ? and if so , whether in that eternal state which remains for men after this life , they shall not be happy or miserable for ever , according as they have demeaned themselves in this world ? if these things be so , they are of infinite consequence to us ; and therefore it highly concerns us to enquire diligently about them , and to satisfie our minds concerning them one way or other . for these are not matters to be slightly and superficially thought upon , much less ( as the way of atheistical men is ) to be played and jested withal . there is no greater argument of a light and inconsiderate person , then profanely to scoff at religion ; it is a sign that that man hath no regard to himself , and that he is not touched with a sense of his own interest ; for , he jests with edg'd tools , and plays with life and death , and makes nothing of his soul. he is the very mad-man that solomon speaks of , prov. . . who casteth firebrands , arrows and death , and saith , am i not in sport ? to examine severely , and debate seriously the principles of religion , is a thing worthy of a wise man ; but if any man shall turn religion into raillery , and confute it by two or three bold jests , this man doth not render religion , but himself ridiculous in the opinion of all considerate men , because he sports with his own life . if the principles of religion were doubtful and uncertain , yet they concern us so neerly , that we ought to be serious in the examination of them ; and though they were never so clear and evident , yet they may be made ridiculous by vain and frothy men , as the gravest and wisest personage in the world may be abused by being put into a fools coat , and the most noble and excellent poem may be debased and made vile by being turned into burlesque . so that it concerns every man that would not trifle away his soul , and fool himself into irrecoverable misery , with the greatest seriousness to enquire into these matters whether they be so or not , and patiently to consider the arguments which are brought for them ; many have miscarried about these things , not because there is not reason and evidence enough for them , but because they have not had patience enough to consider them . secondly , consider these things impartially . all wicked men are of a party against religion ; some lust or interest engageth them against it . hence it comes to pass that they are apt to slight the strongest arguments that can be brought for it , and to cry up very weak ones against it . men do generally and without difficulty assent to mathematical truths , because it is no bodies interest to deny them ; but men are slow to believe moral and divine truths , because the lusts and interests of men do prejudice them against them . and therefore you may observe , that the more vertuously any man lives , and the less he is enslaved to any lust , the more ready he is to entertain the principles of religion . therefore , when you are examining these matters , do not take into consideration any sensual or worldly interest , but deal clearly and impartially with your selves ; let not temporal and little advantages sway you against a greater and more durable interest . think thus with your selves ; that you have not the making of things true or false , but that the truth and existence of things is already fix'd and setled , and that the principles of religion are already either determinately true or false , before you think of them : either there is a god , or there is not ; either your souls are immortal , or they are not ; one of these is certain and necessary ; and they are not now to be altered ; the truth of things will not comply with your conceits , and bend it self to your interests . therefore do not think what you would have to be , but consider impartially what is , and ( if it be ) will be whether you will or no. do not reason thus ; i would fain be wicked , and therefore is is my interest that there should be no god , nor no life after this , and therefore i will endeavour to prove that there is no such thing , and will shew all the favour i can to that side of the question ; i will bend my understanding and wit to strengthen the negative , and will study to make it as true as i can . this is fond , because it is the way to cheat thy self ; and that thou mayest do , if thou likest it : we may cozen our selves as often as we please , but res nolunt decipi , the nature of things will not be imposed upon . if then thou be as wise as thou oughtest to be , thou wilt reason thus with thy self ; my highest interest is not to be deceived about these matters , therefore setting aside all other considerations , i will endeavour to know the truth , and yield to that . . secondly , the practical atheist , who is wicked and irreligious notwithstanding he does in some sort believe that there is a god , and a future state ; he is likewise guilty of prodigious folly : the principle of the speculative atheist argues more ignorance , but the practice of the other argues greater folly. not to believe a god and another life , for which there is so much evidence of reason , is great ignorance and folly ; but 't is the highest madness , when a man does believe these things , to live as if he did not believe them : when a man does not doubt but that there is a god , and according as he demeans himself towards him , he will make him happy or miserable for ever ; yet to live so as if he were certain of the contrary , and as no man in reason can live , but he that is well assured that there is no god. it was a shrewd saying of the old monk , that two kind of prisons would serve for all offenders in the world , an inquisition , and a bedlam ; if any man should deny the being of a god , and the immortallity of the soul , such a one should be put into the first of these , the inquisition , as being a desperate heretick ; if any man should profess to believe these , and allow himself in any known wickedness , such a one should be put into bedlam ; because there cannot be a greater folly and madness , then for a man in matters of greatest moment and concernment to act against his best reason and understanding , and by his life to contradict his belief ; such a man does vivus vidensque perire , perish with his eyes open , and knowingly undoes himself ; he runs upon the greatest dangers which he clearly sees to be before him , and precipitates himself into those evils which he professes to believe are real and intolerable ; and wilfully neglects the obtaining of that unspeakable good and happiness which he is perswaded is certain and attainable . but of this more in the application of this doctrine . iii. the third way of confirmation shall be by endeavouring to vindicate religion from those common imputations which seem to charge it with ignorance or imprudence . the profane wits of the world cast upon religion these three imputations . . of credulity . . of singularity . . of making a foolish bargain . first , credulity : say they , the foundation of religion is the belief of those things for which we have no sufficient reason , and consequently , of which we can have no good assurance ; as the belief of a god , and of a future state after this life ; things which we never saw , nor did experience , nor ever spoke with any body that did ; now it seems to argue too great a facility and easiness of belief , to assent to any thing upon insufficient grounds . to this i answer , . that if there be such a being as a god , and such a thing as a future state , it cannot ( as i said before ) in reason be expected that we should have the evidence of sense for such things : for , he that believes a god , believes such a being as hath all perfections , among which this is one , that he is a spirit , and consequently , invisible , and cannot be seen : he that believes another life after this , professeth to believe a state of which in this life we can have no trial and experience . . we have the best evidence for these things which they are capable of at present , supposing they were . . those who deny these principles must be much more credulous , ( that is ) believe things upon incomparably less evidence of reason . the atheist looks upon all that are religious as a company of credulous fools well met ; but he , for his part , pretends to be wiser then to believe any thing for company ; he cannot entertain things upon those slight grounds which move other men ; if you would win his assent to any thing , you must give him a clear demonstration for it . now there 's no way to deal with this man of reason , this rigid exactor of demonstration for things which are not capable of it , but by shewing him that he is an hundred times more credulous ; that he begs more principles , takes more things for granted without offering to prove them , and assents to more strange conclusions upon weaker grounds , then those whom he so much accuseth of credulity . and to evidence this , i shall briefly give you an account of the atheists creed , and present you with a catalogue of the fundamental articles of his faith , or rather unbelief . he believes , that there is no god , nor possibly can be , and consequently that the wise as well as unwise of all ages have been mistaken , except himself and a few more . he believes , that either all the world have been frighted with an apparition of their own fancy , or that they have most unnaturally conspired together to cozen themselves ; or that this notion of a god is a trick of policy , though the greatest princes and politicians do not at this day know so much , nor have done time out of mind : he believes , either , that the heavens and the earth and all things in them had no original cause of their being , or else that they were made by chance , and happened he knows not how to be as they are ; and that in this last shuffling of matter , all things have by great good fortune fallen out as happily , and as regularly , as if the greatest wisdom had contrived them ; but yet he believes that there was no wisdom in the contrivance of them . he believes , that that which is possible is impossible , and that that is not , which cannot but be . he believes , that meer matter can understand and will , and most dextrously perform all those fine and free operations which the ignorant attribute to spirits , and consequently , that there are no such things as immortal spirits , or a resurrection of the body , or everlasting life . this is his creed . and seriously it is a wonder that there should be found any person pretending to reason or wit , that can say amen to such a heap of absurdities , which are so gross and palpable that they may be felt , so that i think it will fall to the atheists share to be the most credulous person ; that is , to believe things upon the sleightest reasons . ii. the second imputation is singularity ; the affectation whereof is unbecoming a wise man : to this charge i answer . . if by religion be meant the belief of the principles of religion , that there is a god , and a providence , that our souls are immortal , and that there are rewards to be expected after this life ; these are so far from being singular opinions , that they are the general opinion of mankind , even of the most barbarous nations ; as tully , seneca , and others testifie ; insomuch , that the histories of ancient times do not furnish us with the names of above three or four at most who denied a god ; and lucretius acknowledgeth , that epicurus was the first who did oppose those great foundations of religion , the providence of god , and the immortality of the soul. primùm grajus homo , &c. meaning epicurus . . if by religion be meant a living up to those principles , ( that is ) to act conformably to our best reason and understanding , and to live as it does become those who do believe a god , and a future state ; this is acknowledged even by those who live otherwise , to be the part of every wise man , and the contrary to be the very madness of folly , and height of distraction : nothing being more ordinary then for men who live wickedly , to acknowledg that they ought to do otherwise . . though according to the common course and practice of the world it be somewhat singular for men truly and throughly to live up to the principles of their religion ; yet singularity in this matter is so far from being a reflection upon any mans prudence , that it is a singular commendation of it . in two cases singularity is very commendable . . when there is a necessity of it in order to a mans greatest interest and happiness . i think it to be a reasonable account for any man to give , why he does not live as the greatest part of the world do , that he has no mind to die as they do , and to perish with them ; he is not disposed to be a fool , and to be miserable for company ; he has no inclination to have his last end like theirs who know not god , and obey not the gospel of his son , and shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power . . it is very commendable to be singular in any excellency , and i have shewn that religion is the greatest excellency : to be singular in any thing that is wise , and worthy , and excellent , is not a disparagement , but a praise : every man would choose to be thus singular . iii. the third imputation is , that religion is a foolish bargain ; because they who are religious hazard the parting with a present and certain happiness for that which is future and uncertain . to this i answer , . let it be granted , that the assurance which we have of future rewards falls short of the evidence of sense ; for i doubt not but that that saying of our saviour , blessed is he who hath believed and not seen ; and those expressions of the apostle , we walk by faith and not by sight ; and faith is the evidence of things not seen ; are intended by way of abatement and diminution to the evidence of faith , and do signifie , that the report and testimony of others , is not so great evidence as that of our own senses : and though we have sufficient assurance of another state , yet not so great evidence as if we our selves had been in the other world , and seen how all things are there . . we have sufficient assurance of these things , and such as may beget in us a well grounded confidence , and free us from all doubts of the contrary , and perswade a reasonable man to venture his greatest interests in this world upon the security that we have of another world : for . we have as much assurance of these things as things future and at a distance are capable of ; and he is a very unreasonable man that would desire more : future and invisible things are not capable of the evidence of sense ; but we have the greatest rational evidence for them ; and in this every reasonable man ought to acquiesce . . we have as much as is abundantly sufficient to justifie every mans discretion , who for the great and eternal things of another world , hazards or parts with the poor and transitory things of this life . and for the clearing of this , it will be worth our considering , that the greatest affairs of this world , and the most important concernments of this life , are all conducted onely by moral demonstrations : men every day venture their lives and estates onely upon moral assurance . for instance , men who never were at the east or west indies , or in turky , or spain ; yet do venture their whole estates in traffick thither , though they have no mathematical demonstration , onely moral assurance that there are such places . nay which is more , men every day eat and drink , though i think no man can demonstrate out of euclide or apollonius , that his baker , or brewer , or cook , have not conveyed poyson into his meat or drink ; and that man that would be so wise and cautious as not to eat or drink till he could demonstrate this to himself , i know no other remedy for him , but that in great gravity and wisdom he must die for fear of death . and for any man to urge , that though men in temporal affairs proceed upon moral assurance , yet there is greater assurance required to make men seek heaven and avoid hell , seems to me to be highly unreasonable ; for such an assurance of things as will make men circumspect and carefull to avoid a lesser danger , ought in all reason to awaken men much more to the avoiding of a greater : such an assurance as will sharpen mens desires , and quicken their endeavours for the obtaining of a lesser good , ought in all reason to animate men more powerfully , and to inspire them with a greater vigour and industry in the pursuit of that which is infinitely greater : for why the same assurance should not operate as well in a great danger as in a less , in a great good as in a small and inconsiderable one , i can see no reason , unless men will say , that the greatness of an evil and danger is an incouragement to men to run upon it , and that the greatness of any good and happiness ought in reason to dishearten men from the pursuit of it . use i. the use that i shall make of this , shall be . to put men out of conceit with sin. . to perswade men to be truly religious . first , if religion be the best knowledg and wisdom , this challenges wicked men for their folly and ignorance ; this conviction of the great imprudence and unreasonableness of a wicked course should shame men out of irreligion . wicked men are in scripture described by this character , they are those that know not god ; which argues monstrous ignorance and stupidity ; for to have an understanding , and not to know god , is in intellectual things just such an absurdity , as it is in natural things to have eyes , and not to discern the light ; for as light is primum visibile , the first object of our sight , so god is primum intelligibile , the plainest and most obvious object of our understandings ; he fills heaven and earth , every thing represents him to us ; which way soever we turn our selves , we are encountred with clear evidences and demonstrations of a deity ; for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen , being understood by the things made , even his eternal power and god-head . so that men are without excuse , as the apostle speaks , rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such men as know not god can have no apology to make for themselves , their ignorance is utterly inexcusable : or if men do understand , or believe there is such a being as god ; not to consider this , not to attend to the proper consequences of such a principle ; not to know our relation to him , and dependance upon him , and obnoxiousness to his power and justice in case we neglect , contemn , and disobey him : not to know the duty that we owe to him who hath made us , and hath an unquestionable right in us , and title to us , and authority over us ; and is therefore our supream law-giver , because he hath power to make us happy or miserable for ever , to save or to destroy us ; and consequently that it is our highest interest to please him , to know his will and to do it ; this is gross ignorance , and inconsiderateness , and stupidity as can be imagined . he that observes the lives and actions of the greatest part of men , would verily think that they understood nothing of all this ; therefore we find in scripture that when god looks down upon the wickedness of men , he pronounces them to be without understanding , deut. . . when god had reckoned up the rebellions and perversnesses of the children of israel , he concludes , it is a nation void of counsel , neither is there any understanding in them . in the psalm at the beginning , the psalmist represents god as looking down from heaven upon the children of men ; and when he saw how they had corrupted themselves , and what abominable works they did , crying out , have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? not that wicked men are destitute of the natural faculty of understanding , but they have it as if they had it not ; they have understandings , but they do not use them , which in effect and by interpretation , is all one as if they had none ; nay , happy were it for them if they had them not , for then they would not be liable to the judgment of god , nor accountable to him as reasonable creatures ; but this ignorance is wilfull and affected ; men are not blind , but they wink , and shut their eyes ; they can understand , and will not ; or if they do understand any thing , they imprison the truths of god , and detain them in unrighteousness ; they thrust light into a dungeon , and hide the candle of the lord that is in them under a bushel , they do not suffer those things that they know to have a due power and influence upon their hearts and lives : and this is an ignorance that will be so far from excusing men , that it will aggravate their condemnation ; and therefore irreligion is not onely an argument of the greatest ignorance , but of the greatest folly. i know there are great pretensions in the world to knowledge and wisdom , but upon a true and just account of things , there 's nothing more familiar and ordinary then ignorance and folly ; these ill weeds are of a forward and plentifull growth in the nature of man ; nihil tam valde vulgare quam nihil sapere , nothing is more common then for men not to be wise . we talk much of prodigies , but , as tully sayes well , maximum portentum est vir sapiens , one of the greatest wonders in the world is a truly wise and knowing person ; so that it is not very easie to answer job's question at the th . verse of this chapter , where shall wisdom be found ? and where is the place of understanding ? so many wicked men as there are in the world , so many fools , and that i am afraid amounts to a great number . men generally stand upon the credit and reputation of their understandings , and of all things hate to be accounted fools , because folly is so great a reproach to the understanding of a man , and so high a reflection upon his discretion : but i know no way for men to avoid this imputation , and to bring off the credit of their understandings , but by being truly religious , by fearing god , and departing from evil : for certainly , there is no such imprudent person as he that neglects god and his soul , and is careless and slothful about his everlasting concernments , because this man acts contrary to his truest reason and best interest ; he neglects his own safety , and is active to procure his own ruine : he flies from happiness ; and runs away from it as fast as he can ; but pursues misery , and makes haste to be undone . hence it is that solomon does all along in the proverbs give the title of fool to a wicked man , as if it were his proper name , and the fittest character for him , because he is eminently such ; there is no such fool as the sinning fool , who every time he sins ventures his soul , and layes his everlasting interest at the stake ; every time a man provokes god , he does the greatest mischief to himself that can be imagined . a mad man that cuts himself , and tears his own flesh , and dashes his head against the stones does not act so unreasonably as a sinner , because he is not so sensible of what he does ; wickedness is a kind of voluntary frenzy , and a chosen distraction , and every sinner does wilder and more extravagant things , then any man can do that is craz'd and beside himself , and out of his wits ; onely with this sad difference , that he knows better what he does . and that wicked men are many of them wise as to the things of this world , is no vindication of them any more then the more innocent actions of mad men , ( as catching at shadows , and pursuing butter-flyes ) about which possibly they may use as great an activity and diligence , as any man can do about the most weighty affairs ; but this does not vindicate them from being mad , for because such actions are trifling and impertinent to the great concernments of life , we account such men distracted for all that . i know the world applaud themselves much in this wisdom , and cry it up as the onely prudence ; but infinite wisdom , which is the best judge of wisdom , calls it folly . david , in psal . . when he brings in the sages and politicians of the world consulting about a wicked design against christ , he tells us , that as wise as they took themselves to be , he that sits in heaven laughs at them , and the lord hath them in derision ; and shall we account them wise at whom god laughs ? can we reckon that to be prudence which the lord hath in derision ? the rich man , luk. . who had enlarged his barns , and laid up goods for many years , no doubt took himself for a very prudent man ; but god who calls things as they are , and does not call any body out of his name , calls this man fool , because in the midst of all this care , he had neglected his soul ; thou fool , &c. to them who believe another life after this , an eternal state of happiness or misery in another world , ( which is but a reasonable postulatum , or demand among christians ) there is nothing in mathematicks more demonstrable then the folly of wicked men ; for it is not a clearer and more evident principle that the whole world is greater then a part , then that eternity and the concernments of it are to be preferred before time. but it is not my work to revile sinners , and to call them names , but to convince them if it be possible , and to reclaim them . i will therefore put the matter into a temporal case , that wicked men who understand any thing of the rules and principles of worldly wisdom , may see the imprudence of a sinfull course , and be convinced that this their way is their folly , even themselves being judges . let me then propound some cases to sinners , and ask them a few questions . is that man wise , as to his body and his health , who onely cloaths his hands , but leaves his whole body naked ? who provides onely against the tooth-ach , and neglects whole troops of mortal diseases that are ready to rush in upon him ? just thus does he who takes care only for this vile body , but neglects his precious and immortal soul ; who is very solicitous to prevent small and temporal inconveniencies , but takes no care to escape the damnation of hell. is he a wise man , as to his temporal estate , that lays designs onely for a day , without any prospect to , or provision for the remaining part of his life ? just thus does he that provides for the short time of this life , but takes no care for all eternity ; which is to be wise for a moment , but a fool for ever , and to act as untowardly and as crosly to the reason of things as can be imagined ; to regard time as if it were eternity , and to neglect eternity as if it were but a short time . do you think him a wise man , who is serious about trifles , but trifles about the most serious matters ? just so is he who pursues the world and the petty interests of it with all his might , but minds religion and the weighty concernments of eternity , as if he minded them not . do you count him prudent , who throws himself over-board to save his goods ? just so doth he who to secure any thing in this world makes ship-wrack of his conscience , and casts away his soul. is he wise , who is wise in any thing but in his proper profession and imployment ? wise for every body but himself ? who is ingenious to contrive his own misery , and to do himself a mischief ; but is dull and stupid as to the designing of any real benefit and advantage to himself ? just such a one is he who is a good trades-man , but a bad christian ; for christianity is more our proper calling and profession then the very trades we live upon ; and just such is every sinner , who is wise to do evil , but to do good hath no understanding . is he wise , who neglects and disobliges him who is his best friend , and can be his shrewdest enemy ? who with one weak troop goes out to meet him that comes against him with thousands of thousands ? who she s a small danger , and runs upon a greater ? just so does every wicked man who neglects and contemns god , who can save or destroy him ; who strives with his maker , and provoketh the lord to jealousie ; and with the small and inconsiderable forces of a man takes the field against the mighty god the lord of hosts ; who fears them that can kill the body , but after that have no more that they can do ; but fears not him who after he hath kill'd can destroy both body and soul in hell ; and just such is he who for fear of any thing in this world ventures to grieve god ; for in so doing he runs away from men , and falls into the hands of the living god ; he flies from a temporal danger , and leaps into hell. is he wise , who in matters of greatest moment and concernment neglects opportunities never to be retriv'd ? who standing upon the shore , and seeing the tide making haste towards him apace , and that he hath but a few minutes to save himself , yet will lay himself to sleep there , till the cruel sea rush in upon him , and overwhelm him ? just so does he who trifles away this day of gods grace and patience , and foolishly adjourns the work of repentance & the business of religion to a dying hour . and , to put an end to these questions , is he wise , who hopes to attain the end without the means ? nay , by means that are quite contrary to the end ? just such is every wicked man who hopes for blessedness hereafter without holiness here ; to gain the favour of god by offending him , and to come to the sight of him by sinning against him ; and to be happy ( that is ) to find a pleasure in the enjoyment of god , and in the company of holy spirits , by rendring himself as unsuitable and unlike to them as he can . use ii. the second use is to perswade men to be throughly and seriously religious , as ever they would acquit themselves to be truly knowing and wise . knowledg and wisdom are confessed excellencies among men , eccl. . . wisdom excels folly as much as light doth darkness . there are some vertues and perfections that gain affection from men , as truth , and meekness , and kindness ; but there are others that cause admiration and raise wonder , among these are knowledg and wisdom , which if they be in any eminent degree , will cast a great lustre and glory upon a man , eccl. . . the wisdom of a man maketh his face to shine . now even the shadows of these latter sort of excellencies hit the vain-glorious nature of man more then the realities of the former , because proud man had rather be admir'd then lov'd . and that knowledg and wisdom are generally acknowledged to be great excellencies appears , in that men do so generally affect the reputation of knowledg , and are so ambitious to be accounted wise . there is not any thing that men value themselves more upon then their knowledg and discretion : and on the contrary , ignorance and folly are reckoned among the greatest defects of humane nature , so that they are accounted generally a greater reproach and disgrace to a man then vice and wickedness ; and they have got so ill a report in the world , that there are not many but had rather be accounted knaves then fools ; hence it is that men generally pretend to these excellencies of knowledg and wisdom , even such as are most destitute of them , and rather then want these perfections , they will call even their vices and imperfections by this name : craft , and silence , and secrecy , and reservedness , and formality , and affected gravity , all these put in for the title of wisdom ; so ambitious is the nature of man of the reputation of this excellency . job . . vain man would be wise , though he be born like a wild asses colt . now this very thing that men are so forward to counterfeit these perfections is an argument of the excellency of real knowledg and wisdom ; for ( as i said before ) to counterfeit is nothing else but to put on the appearance of some real excellency ; common and ordinary things are not counterfeited , but onely things of price and value , as gold , and silver , and precious stones ; and that men are so tenacious of these excellencies , so loth to be stripp'd even of the shadow and appearance of them , is an argument that men highly esteem them . so that it seems that these excellencies are in great dearness among men , because we hold them so fast , that when we cannot possess the reality of them , yet we love to enjoy the opinion of them , and rather then be wholly disseised of them , will hold them by that sleight and fantastick tenure of imagination . now if we account them such excellencies , we should labour to be possest of them in truth and reality , and not take up with any counterfeits of them , but use such a care and niceness about them as men do about jewels , and precious stones , which because they are of great value , all mistakes about them are shameful and intollerable . i have shewed that religion is the truest knowledg , and most real wisdom , therefore every man that values his understanding , and stands upon the reputation of his prudence and discretion , ought to be religious , deut. . . keep therefore my statutes , for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations . those who understand and know how to manage the petty interests of this world , we account them shrewd , and cunning , and designing men ; but if we would speak truly and wisely of things , the religious man is the notable man ; he that contrives to be everlastingly happy , and lays designs for all eternity , he is a man of the deepest reach ; he that takes care of his soul , and secures his eternal interest , he is a shrewd man. that man who by the assistance of gods grace can over-reach his own deceitful heart , and defeat all the arts and wiles of the devil , and escape those pollutions that are in the world , and save himself from the sins , and snares , and temptations of an untoward generation ; he is a cunning man indeed . wouldst thou then be truly knowing ? labour to know god , and thy self , thy interest , and thy end , and thy happiness , and the way of attaining it . wouldst thou be truly wise ? be wise for thy self , wise for thy soul , wise for eternity ; resolve upon a religious course of life ; fear god and depart from evil ; look beyond things present and sensible , unto things which are not seen , and are eternal ; labour to secure the great interests of another world , and refer all the actions of this short and dying life , to that state which will shortly begin , but never have an end ; and this will approve it self to be wisdom at the last , what-ever the world judge of it now ; for , not that which is approved of men now , but what shall finally be approved by god , is true wisdom ; that which is esteemed so by him who is the fountain and original of all wisdom , the first rule and measure of it , the best and most competent judge of it . i deny not but many that are wicked , and neglect religion , may think themselves wise , and may enjoy this their delusion for a while , but there is a time a coming , when the most profane and atheistical , who now account it a piece of gallantry , and an argument of a great spirit , and of a more then common wit and understanding , to slight god , and baffle religion , and to level all the discourses of another world , with the poetical descriptions of the fairy land : i say , there is a day a coming , when all these witty fools shall be unhappily undeceived , and not being able to enjoy their delusion any longer , shall call themselves fools for ever . but why do i use arguments to perswade men to that which is so excellent , so useful , and so necessary ? the thing it self i am pressing you to , hath allurements in it beyond all arguments : for , if religion be the best knowledg and wisdom , i cannot offer any thing beyond this to your understandings to raise your esteem of it ; i can present nothing beyond this to your affections that may be attractive of your love and desire . all that can be done , is to set the thing before men , and to offer it to their choice ; and if mens natural desire of wisdom and knowledg and happiness will not perswade them to be religious , 't is in vain to use arguments : if the sight of these beauties will not charm mens affections , 't is to no purpose to go about to compel a liking , and to urge and push forward a a match to the making whereof consent is necessary . religion is matter of our freest choise ; and if men will obstinately and wilfully set themselves against it , there is no remedy , pertinatiae nullum remedium posuit deus ; if men will choose to befools , and to be miserable , all that can be said is this , god will leave such persons to in herit their own choice , to enjoy the portion of sinners . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * leviathan . part . . c. . * leviathan . part . . c. . the rule of faith, or, an answer to the treatises of mr. i.s. entituled sure-footing &c. by john tillotson ... ; to which is adjoined a reply to mr. i.s. his d appendix &c. by edw. stillingfleet. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the rule of faith, or, an answer to the treatises of mr. i.s. entituled sure-footing &c. by john tillotson ... ; to which is adjoined a reply to mr. i.s. his d appendix &c. by edw. stillingfleet. tillotson, john, - . stillingfleet, edward, - . reply to mr. i.s. his d appendix. the second edition. [ ] , , [[ ] p. printed by h.c. for o. gellibrand ..., london : . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng faith. theology, doctrinal. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion febr. . . tractatus cui titulus , the rule of faith , a doctissimo viro iohanne tillotson scriptus imprimatur una cum appendice . humfr. london . the rule of faith : or an answer to the treatise of mr. i. s. entituled , sure-footing , &c. by john tillotson , d.d. preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn . to which is adjoined a reply to mr. i.s. his d appendix , &c. by edw. stillingfleet d. d. one of his majesties chaplains in ordinary . the second edition . london , printed by h.c. for o. gellibrand , at the golden-ball in st. paul's church-yard , . to my honoured and learned friend , mr. edward stillingfleet . sir , i have with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction read over your book , which i find in every part answerable to its title , viz. a rational account of the grounds of protestant religion . and now i thank you for it , not only as a private favour , but a publick benefit . no sooner had i perused it , but i met with a discourse entituled , sure-footing in christianity . and although i have no small prejudice against books with conceited titles , yet i was tempted to look into this , because it pretended to contain animadversions on some passages in your book which i had so lately read over . vpon perusal of which animadversions , i found that the author of them had attaqued ( and in his own opinion confuted ) a page or two in your book . this drew me on to take a view of his main discourses ; which because they are in great vogue among some of his own party , and do with an unusual kind of confidence and ostentation pretend to the newest and most exact fashion of writing controversie , as being all along demonstrative and built upon self-evident principles : therefore i resolved throughly to examine them , that i might discover ( if i could ) upon what so firm and solid foundations this high and mighty confidence was built . but before i had entred upon this undertaking , i met with a letter from the author of sure-footing to his answerer , directing him how he ought to demean himself in his answer . in which letter , though there be many things liable to great exception , yet because i am unwilling to be diverted from the main question , i shall not argue with him about any of those matters , only take leave to use the same liberty in managing my answer , which he hath assumed to himself , in prescribing laws to me about it : therefore without taking any further notice of his letter , i address my self to his book . the rule of faith . part . i. the explication and state of the question . sect . i. § . the question he propounds to himself to debate , is , what is the rule of faith ? in order to the resolution wherof , he endeavours , first , to fix the true notion of these two terms , rule , and faith. which way of proceeding i cannot but allow to be very proper and reasonable ; but i can by no means think his explication of those terms to be sufficient . he tells us , that a rule is that which is able to regulate , or guide him that useth it : in which description , as in many other passages of his book , he is plainly guilty of that which he taxeth in mr. whitby , that is , the confounding of a rule and a guide , by making regulating and guiding to be equivalent words . but for this i am no further concerned , than to take notice of it by the way : the fault which i find in this definition is , that it doth not make the thing plainer than it was before ; so that no man is the wiser for it , nor one jot nearer knowing what a rule is . he pretends to tell english-men what a rule is ; and for their clearer understanding of this word , he explains it by a word less remov'd from the latine , a rule is that which is able to regulate him that useth it ; just as if a man should go about to explain what a law-giver is , by saying , he is one that hath the power of legislation . of the two , he had much better have said , that a rule is a thing that is able to rule him that useth it , though this be nothing but an explication of the same word by it self . § . not much better is his explication of the term faith , which he tells us , in the common sense of mankind , is the same with believing . * he declar'd indeed before-hand , that he did not intend to give rigorous school-definitions of either this or the former word ; and ( to do him right ) he hath not in the least swerv'd from his intention . it were to be wish'd he had prefac'd some such thing to his demonstrations ; for the reader will find , that they are not one whit more rigorous than his definitions ; the latter of which doth very much resemble the country-man's way of defining , who being ask'd by his neighbour what an invasion was , after some study , told him very gravely , that an invasion was as if he should say an invasion : in like manner mr. s. tells us ; that faith ( or which is all one , belief ) is the same with believing ; which in my apprehension is but a country-definition , unless the interposing of those solemn words [ in the common sense of mankind ] may be thought to mend the matter . this puts me in mind of what mr. s. says in his * transition ( as he calls it ) where he gives the reader an account what feats he hath done in his book : he will see ( says he ) i take my rise at the meaning of the words rule and faith ; this known , i establish my first principles in this present matter , to be these , viz. a rule is a rule , faith is faith. this is the right self-evident method he talks so much of , and his principles agree admirably well with his definitions . if he had but proceeded in the same method , and added , that a rule of faith is a rule of faith ; that oral tradition is oral tradition ; and that to say , oral tradition is the rule of faith , is as much as to say , oral tradition is the rule of faith , the whole business had been concluded without any more ado ; and i think no body would have gone about to confute him . § . rejecting then his way of definition , as inept and frivolous , and no ways tending to give a man a clearer notion of things , i shall endeavour to explain a little better ( if i can ) the meaning of these terms . a rule ( when we speak of a rule of faith ) is a metaphorical word , which in its first and proper sense being applied to material and sensible things , is the measure according to which we judg of the straightness and crookedness of things . and from hence it is transferred by analogy to things moral or intellectual . a moral rule is the measure according to which we judg , whether a thing be good or evil ; and this kind of rule is that which is commonly called a law , and the agreement or disagreement of our actions to this rule , is suitably to the metaphor called rectitude , or obliquity . an intellectual rule is the measure according to which we judg whether a thing be true or false ; and this is either general , or more particular . common notions , and the acknowledged principles of reason , are that general rule , according to which we judg whether a thing be true or false . the particular principles of every science are the more particular rules , according to which we judg whether things in that science be true or false . so that the general notion of a rule is , that it is a measure , by the agreement or disagreement to which we judg of all things of that kind to which it belongs . § . faith , though both among sacred and prophane writers , it be used many times more generally , for a perswasion or assent of the mind to any thing wrought in us by any kind of argument ; yet , as it is a term of art used by divines , it signifies that particular kind of assent which is wrought in us by testimony or authority . so that divine faith , which we are now speaking of , is an assent to a thing upon the testimony or authority of god , or , which is all one , an assent to a truth upon divine revelation . § . a rule of faith is the measure , according to which we judg what matters we are to assent to , as revealed to us by god , and what not . and more particularly , the rule of christian faith is the measure , according to which we are to judg what we ought to assent to , as the doctrine revealed by christ to the world , and what not . § . . so that this question , what is the rule of christian faith ? supposeth a doctrine revealed by christ to the world ; and that that doctrine was intelligibly and entirely delivered by christ to his apostles , and sufficient confirmation given to it ; that this doctrine was in the same manner published to the world by the apostles , who likewise gave sufficient evidence of the truth of it . all this is necessarily supposed in the question : for it would be in vain to enquire whether this or that be the rule of christian faith , if such a thing as the christian faith were not first supposed . when therefore we enquire what is the rule of christian faith ? the meaning of that enquiry is , by what way and means the knowledg of christ's doctrine is conveyed certainly down to us , who live at the distance of so many ages from the time of it's first delivery ; for this being known , we have the rule of faith ; that is , a measure by which we may judg what we are to assent to , as the doctrine of christ , and what not . so that when any question ariseth about any particular proposition , whether this be part of christ's doctrine , we may be able by this rule to resolve it . sect ii. § . the next thing to be considered is his resolution of this question ; by which we shall know what his opinion is concerning the rule of faith ; for that being known , the controversie between us will easily be stated . his opinion in general is , that oral or practical tradition ( in opposition to writing ; or any other way that can be assigned ) is the rule of faith. by oral or practical tradition , he means * a delivery down from hand to hand ( by words , and a constant course of frequent and visible actions , conformable to those words ) of the sense and faith of forefathers . § . now , that i may bring the controversie between us to a clear state , i am first to take a more particular view of his opinion concerning the rule of faith , that so i may the better understand how much he attributes to oral tradition , and what to the scriptures , or written tradition . and then i am to lay down the protestant rule of faith , that so it may appear how far we agree , and how far we differ . the sum of what he attributes to oral tradition , so far as can be collected out of so obscure and confused a discourse , may be reduced to these five heads . § . . first , that the doctrine of christian religion was delivered by christ to the apostles , and by them published to the world ; and that the age which first received it from the apostles , delivered it as they received it , without any change or corruption to their children , and they to theirs , and so it went on solely by this way of oral tradition . this is the sum of his explication of tradition , disc. th . § . . secondly , that this way alone is not only sufficient to convey this doctrine down to all ages certainly , and without any alteration ; but it is the only possible way that can be imagined , of conveying down a doctrine securely from one age to another . and this is the natural result of his discourse about the properties of a rule of faith : for if the true properties of a rule of faith do belong to oral tradition , then it is a sufficient means ; and if those properties do solely and essentially appertain to it , and are incompatible to any thing else ( as he endeavours to prove ) then it is impossible there should be any other way . § . . thirdly , that it is impossible this means should fail , or miss of its end ; that is , the doctrine of christ being once put into this way of conveyance , it can neither cease to descend , nor be at any time corrupted or changed in its descent . this is that which his demonstrations pretend to prove . § . fourthly , that the infallibility of oral tradition , or the impossibility of its failing , is a first and self evident principle . this he frequently asserts throughout his book . § . fifthly , that this way of oral tradition , hath de facto in all ages been acknowledged by christians , as the only way and means whereby the doctrine of christianity hath been conveyed down to them . and this is that which he attempts to prove from the consent of authority . § . as for the scriptures , he grants them indeed to have been written by men divinely inspired , and to contain a divine doctrine , even the same which is delivered by oral tradition ; so he tells us * , 't is certain the apostles taught the same doctrine they writ . but then he denies it to be of any use without oral tradition , because neither the letter , nor sense of it , can without that be ascertain'd ; so he saith in his letter to dr. casaubon * , as for the scriptures ( ascertaining their letter and sense , which is done by tradition ) 't is clear they are of incomparable value ; not only for the divine doctrine contained in them , but also for many particular passages , whose source or first attestation not being universal , nor their nature much practical , might possibly have been lost in their conveyance down by tradition . where , though he give the scriptures very good words , it is to be understood , provided they will be subordinate , and acknowledg that they owe their sense and their being intelligible and useful to oral tradition . for if any man shall presume to say , that this book hath any certain sense without oral tradition ; or that god can write plainly and intelligibly , and that this book which he hath endited is so written , and doth not depend upon tradition for its sense and interpretation ; then the most scurrilous language is not bad enough for the scriptures ; then what are those sacred writings * , but ink variously figured in a book * , unsensed characters , waxen natur'd words , not yet sensed , nor having any certain interpreter , but fit to be plaid upon diversly by quirks of wit ; that is , apt to blunder and confound , but to clear little or nothing . these , with many other disgraceful terms , he very liberally bestows upon divine oracles ; the consideration whereof , did it not minister too much horrour , would afford some comfort ; for by this kind of rude usage , so familiar with him towards his adversaries , one may reasonably conjecture , that he doth not reckon the scriptures among his friends . § . and whereas he saith , that the scriptures have preserv'd many particular passages , which because their source or first attestation was not universal , nor their nature much practical , might possibly bave been lost in their conveyance down by tradition ; this is impossible , according to his hypothesis . for if neither the scriptures letter , nor the certain sense of it , as to the main body of christian doctrine , could have been secured without oral tradition ; that is , if we could not have known that those passages which contain the main points of christs doctrine , either had been written by men divinely inspired , or what the sense of them was , but from the consonancy and agreement of those passages with the doctrine which was orally preached by the apostles ; how can we be certain either of the letter or sense of other particular passages which must necessarily want this confirmation from oral tradition ; because their first attestation was not universal , nor their nature much practical ? nay , his discourse plainly implies , that we can have no security at all either of the letter or sense of any other parts of scripture , but only those which are coincident with the main body of christian doctrine , as is evident from these words * , tradition established , the church is provided of a certain and infallible rule to preserve a copy of the scriptures letter truly significative of christs sense , as far as it is coincident with the main body of christian doctrine preached at first ; because sense writ in mens hearts by tradition , can easily guide them to correct the alteration of the outward letter . this i perceive plainly is the thing they would be at , they would correct the outward letter of scripture by sense written in their hearts ; and then , instead of leaving out the second commandement , they would change it into a precept of giving due worship to images , according to the council of trent ; and a thousand other alterations they must make in the bible , to make it truly significative of the sense of their church . but surely the outward letter of other passages of scripture , which were not intended to signifie points of faith , is equally liable to alterations ; and yet the church is not by tradition provided of any way to correct these alterations when they happen ; because tradition doth , as this corollary implies , only furnish the church with a certain and infallible rule of preserving a copy of the scriptures letter , so far as it is coincident with the main body of christian doctrine . § . again , he tells us * , tradition established , the church is provided of a certain & infallible rule to interpret scripture letter by , so as to arrive certainly at christs sense , as far as the letter concerns the body of christian doctrine preached at first , or points requisite to salvation . so that whatever he may attribute to scripture for fashions sake , and to avoid calumny with the vulgar , as he says very ingenuously in his explication of the th corollary ; nevertheless 't is plain , that according to his own hypothesis , he cannot but look upon it as perfectly useless and pernicious . that 't is altogether useless , according to his hypothesis , is plain ; for the main body of christian doctrine is securely conveyed to us without it , and it can give no kind of confirmation to it , because it receives all at its confirmation from it ; only the church is ever and anon put to a great deal of trouble to correct the alteration of the outward letter , by tradition and sense written in their hearts . and as for all other parts of scriptue which are not coincident with the main body of christian doctrine , we can have no certainty , either that the outward letter is true ; nor , if we could , can we possibly arrive at any certain sense of them . and that it is intolerably pernicious , according to his hypothesis , is plain , because * every silly and upstart heresie fathers it self upon it ; and when men leave tradition ( as he supposeth all hereticks do ) the scripture is the most dangerous engine that could have been invented ; being to such persons only * waxen natured words , not sensed , nor having any certain interpreter ; but fit to be play'd upon diversly by quirks of wit ; that is , apt to blunder and confound , but to clear little or nothing . and indeed , if his hypothesis were true , the scriptures might well deserve all the contemptuous language which he useth against them ; and * mr. white 's comparison of them with lilly's almanack , would not only be pardonable , but proper ; and ( unless he added it out of prudence , and for the peoples sake , whom he may think too superstitiously conceited of those books ) he might have spared that cold excuse which he makes for using this similitude , that it was agreeable rather to the impertinency of the objection than the dignity of the subject . certain it is , if these men are true to their own principles , that notwithstanding the high reverence and esteem pretended to be born by them and their church to the scriptures , they must heartily despise them , and wish them out of the way , and even look upon it as a great oversight of the divine providence to trouble his church with a book , which , if their discourse be of any consequence , can stand catholicks in no stead at all , and is so dangerous and mischievous a weapon in the hands of hereticks . sect . iii. § . having thus taken a view of his opinion , and considered how much he attributes to oral tradition , and how little to the scriptures ; before i assail this hypothesis , i shall lay down the protestant rule of faith ; not that so much is necessary for the answering of his book ; but that he may have no colour of objection , that i proceed altogether in the destructive way , and overthrow his principle , as he calls it , without substituting another in its room . the opinion then of the protestants concerning the rule of faith , is this in general , that those books which we call the holy scriptures , are the means whereby the christian doctrine hath been brought down to us . and that he may now clearly understand this , together with the grounds of it , ( which in reason he ought to have done before he had forsaken us ) i shall declare it more particularly in these following proposi●ions . § . . that the doctrine of christian religion was by christ delivered to the apostles , and by them first preached to the world , and afterwards by them committed to writing ; which writings , or books , have been transmitted from one age to another down to us . so far i take to be granted by our present adversaries . that the christian doctrine was by christ delivered to the apostles , and by them publish'd to the world , is part of their own hypothesis . that this doctrine was afterwards by the apostles committed to writing , he also grants , corol. . * 't is certain the apostles taught the same doctrine they writ ; and if so , it must be as certain that they writ the same doctrine which they taught . i know it is the general tenet of the papists , that the scriptures do not contain the entire body of christian doctrine ; but that besides the doctrines contained in scripture , there are also others brought down to us , by oral or unwritten tradition . but mr. s. who supposeth the whole doctrine of christian religion to be certainly conveyed down to us solely by oral tradition , doth not any where , that i remember , deny that all the same doctrine is contained in the scriptures ; only he denies the scriptures to be a means sufficient to convey this doctrine to us with certainty , so that we can by them be infallibly assured what is christ's doctrine , and what not . nay , he seems in that passage i last cited , to grant this ; in saying , that the apostles did both teach and write the same doctrine . i am sure mr. white ( whom he follows very closely throughout his whole book ) does not deny this , in his apology for tradition ; * where he saith , that it is not the catholick position , that all its doctrines are not contained in the scriptures . and that those writings or books which we call the holy scriptures , have been transmitted down to us , is unquestionable matter of fact , and granted universally by the papists , as to all those books which are owned by protestants for canonical . § . secondly , that the way of writing is a sufficient means to convey a doctrine to the knowledg of those who live in times very remote from the age of its first delivery . according to his hypothesis , there is no possible way of conveying a doctrine with certainty and security , besides that of oral tradition ; the falshood of which will sufficiently appear , when i shall have shewn , that the true properties of a rule of faith do agree to the scriptures , and not to oral tradition . in the mean time , i shall only offer this to his consideration , that whatever can be orally delivered in plain and intelligible words , may be written in the same words ; and that a writing or book which is publick , and in every ones hand , may be conveyed down with at least as much certainty and security , and with as little danger of alteration as an oral tradition . and if so , i understand not what can render it impossible for a book to convey down a doctrine to the knowledg of after-ages . besides , if he had looked well about him , he could not but have apprehended some little inconvenience in making that an essential part of his hypothesis , which is contradicted by plain and constant experience : for that any kind of doctrine may be sufficiently conveyed , by books , to the knowledg of after-ages ; provided those books be but written intelligibly , and preserved from change and corruption in the conveyance , ( both which i shall be so bold as to suppose possible ) is as little doubted by the generality of mankind , as that there are books . and surely we christians cannot think it impossible to convey a doctrine to posterity by books , when we consider that god himself pitched upon this way for conveyance of the doctrine of the jewish religion to after-ages ; because it is not likely that so wise an agent should pitch upon a means whereby it was impossible he should attain his end . § . thirdly , that the books of scripture are sufficiently plain , as to all things necessary to be believed , and practised . he that denies this , ought in reason to instance in some necessary point of faith , or matter of practice , which is not in some place of scripture or other plainly delivered . for it is not a sufficient objection to say , that the greatest wits among the protestants differ about the sense of those texts , wherein the generality of them suppose the divinity of christ to be plainly and clearly expressed : because , if nothing were to be accounted sufficiently plain , but what it is impossible a great wit should be able to wrest to any other sense ; not only the scriptures , but all other books ; and ( which is worst of all to him that makes this objection ) all oral tradition would fall into uncertainty . doth the traditionary church pretend that the doctrine of christ's divinity is conveyed down to her by oral tradition , more plainly than it is expressed in scripture ? i would fain know what plainer words she ever used to express this point of faith by , than what the scripture useth ; which expresly calls him god , the true god , god over all , blessed for evermore . if it be said , that those who deny the divinity of christ have been able to evade these and all other texts of scripture , but they could never elude the definitions of the church in that matter ; it is easily answered , that the same arts would equally have eluded both ; but there was no reason why they should trouble themselves so much about the latter ; for why should they be solicitous to wrest the definitions of councils , and conform them to their own opinion , who had no regard to the churches authority ? if those great wits ( as he calls them ) had believed the sayings of scripture to be of no greater authority than the definitions of councils , they would have answered texts of scripture , as they have done the definitions of councils ; not by endeavouring to interpret them to another sense , but by downright denying their authority . so that it seems that oral tradition is liable to the same inconvenience with the written , as to this particular . § . and of this i shall give him a plain instance in two great wits of their church , the present pope , and mr. white ; the one the head of the traditionary church , as mr. s. calls it ; the other the great master of the traditionary doctrine . these two great wits , notwithstanding the plainness of oral tradition , and the impossibility of being ignorant of it , or mistaking it , have yet been so unhappy as to differ about several points of faith ; insomuch that mr. white is unkindly censured for it at rome , and perhaps here in england the pope speeds no better ; however , the difference continues still so wide , that mr. white hath thought fit to disobey the summons of his chief pastor , and like a prudent man , rather to write against him here out of harms-way , than to venture the infallibility of plain oral tradition for the doctrines he maintains , against a practical tradition which they have at rome of killing hereticks . methinks mr. s. might have spared his brags , that he hath evinced from clear reason , * that it is far more impossible to make a man not to be , than not to know what is rivetted into his soul by so oft repeated sensations , ( as the christian faith is by oral and practical tradition ) and that it exceeds all the power of nature ( abstracting from the cases of madness , and violent disease ) to blot knowledg thus fixt out of the soul of one single believer ; insomuch , that sooner may all mankind perish , than the regulative vertue of tradition miscarry ; nay , sooner may the sinews of entire nature by overstraining crack , and she lose all her activity and motion , that is , her self ; than one single part of that innumerable multitude which integrate the vast testification , which we call tradition , can possibly be violated ; when after he hath told us , * that the city of rome was blest with more vigorous causes to imprint christ's doctrine at first , and recommend it to the next age , than were found any where else ; and consequently , that the stream of tradition in its source and first putting into motion , was more particularly vigorous there than in any other see ; and that the chief pastor of that see hath a particular title to infallibility built upon tradition , above any other pastor whatsoever ; not to dilate on the particular assistances to that bishop , springing out of his divinely constituted office ; when , i say , after all this quaint reason and rumbling rhetorick about the infallibility of oral tradition , and the particular infallibility of the bishop of rome built on tradition ; we cannot but remember , that this great oracle of oral tradition the pope , and this great master of it mr. white , who is so peculiarly skill'd in the rule of faith , have so manifestly declar'd themselves to differ in points of faith. for that the pope and his congregation general at rome have condemn'd all his books for this reason , because * they contain several propositions manifestly heretical , is a sign that these two great wits do not very well hit it in matters of faith ; and either that they do not both agree in the same rule of faith , or that one of them does not rightly understand it , or not follow it . and now , why may not that which mr. s. unjustly says concerning the use of scripture , be upon this account justly apply'd to the business of oral tradition * ? if we see two such eminent wits among the papists ( the pope , and mr. white ) making use of the self-same , and as they conceive , the best advantages their rule of faith gives them ; and availing themselves the best they can by acquired skills , yet differ about matters of faith ; what certainty can we undertakingly promise to weaker heads , that is to the generality of the papists , in whom the governors of the church do professedly cherish ignorance for the increasing of their devotion . § . fourthly , we have sufficient assurance that the books of scripture are conveyed down to us , without any material corruption or alteration . and he that denies this , must either reject the authority of all books , because we cannot be certain whether they be the same now that they were at first ; or else , give some probable reason why these should be more liable to corruption than others . but any man that considers things , will easily find that it is much more improbable that these books should have been either wilfully or involuntarily corrupted , in any thing material to faith or a good life , than any other books in the world ; whether we consider the peculiar providence of god engaged for the preservation of them , or the peculiar circumstances of these books . if they were wrirten by men divinely inspired , and are of use to christians , as is acknowledged ( at least in words ) on all hands ; nothing is more credible , than that the same divine providence which took care for the publishing of them , would likewise be concerned to preserve them entire . and if we consider the peculiar circumstances of these books , we shall find it morally impossible , that they should have been materially corrupted , because being of universal and mighty concernment , and at first diffused into many hands , and soon after translated into most languages , and most passages in them cited in books now extant , and all these now agreeing in all matters of importance , we have as great assurance as can be had concerning any thing of this nature , that they have not suffered any material alteration , and far greater than any man can have concerning the incorruption of their oral tradition , as i shall shew when i come to answer the thing which he calls demonstration . § . fifthly , that de facto the scripture hath been acknowledged by all christians , in former ages , to be the means whereby the doctrine of christ hath with greatest certainty been conveyed to them . one good evidence of this is , that the primitive adversaries of christian religion did always look upon the scripture as the standard and measure of the christian doctrine , and in all their writing against christianity , took that for granted to be the christian faith which was contained in those books ; there having not as yet any philosopher risen up who had demonstrated to the world , that a doctrine could not with sufficient certainty and clearness be conveyed by writing from one age to another . but how absurd had this method of confuting christian religion been , if it had been then the publick profession of christians , that the scriptures were not the rule of their faith ? how easie had it been for the fathers , who apologized for , and defended christian religion , to have told them they took a wrong measure of their doctrine ; for it was not the principle of christians , that their faith was conveyed to them by the scriptures , and therefore it was a fond undertaking to attaque their religion that way ; but if they would effectually argue against it , they ought to enquire what that doctrine was which was orally delivered from father to son , without which the scriptures could signifie no more to them than an unknown cipher without a key ; being of themselves , without the light of oral tradition , only an heap of unintelligible words , unsensed cha : racters , and ink variously figured in a book ; and therefore it was a gross mistake in them , to think they could understand the christian religion ( like their own philosophy ) by reading of those books , or confute it by confuting them . thus the fathers might have defended their religion ; nay , they ought in all reason to have taken this course , and to have appealed from those dead senseless books , to the true rule of faith , the living voice of the church essential . but doth mr. s. find any thing to this purpose in the apologies of the fathers ? if he hath discover'd any such matter , he might do well to acquaint the world with it , and make them wiser ; in the mean time , i shall inform him what i have found , that the fathers never except against that method , but appeal frequently from the slanderous reports and misrepresentations which were made of their doctrine to the books of scripture , as the true standard of it . § . another evidence that christians in all ages since the apostles times , have owned the scriptures for the rule of their faith , is , that the fathers in their homilies did use constantly to declare to the people what they were to believe , and what they were to practise , out of the scriptures ; which had been most absurd and sensless , had they believed not the scriptures , but something else to have been the rule of faith and manners . for what could tend more to the seducing of the people from mr. s's supposed rule of faith oral tradition , than to make a daily practise of declaring and confirming the doctrins of the christian faith from the scriptures ? had the antient fathers been right for mr. s's way , they would not have built their doctrine upon scripture ; perhaps not have mentioned it , for fear of giving the people an occasion to grow familiar with so dangerous a book ; but rather ( as their more prudent posterity have done ) would have lock'd it up from the people in an unknown tongue , and have set open the stores of good wholsome traditions ; and instead of telling them ( as they do most frequently ) thus saith the scripture , would only have told them , this is the voice of the essential church ; thus it hath been delivered down by hand to us , from our forefathers . § . i might add for a third evidence , the great malice of the enemies and persecutors of christianity , against this book ; and their cruel endeavours to extort it out of the hands of christians , and destroy it out of the world , that by this means they might extirpate christianity . for it seems they thought , that the abolishing of this book would have been the ruine of that religion . but ( according to mr. s's opinion ) their malice wanted wit ; for had all the bibles in the world been burnt , christian religion would nevertheless have been entirely preserv'd , and safely transmitted down to us by sense written in mens hearts , with the good help of of mr. s's demonstration . nay , their church would have been a great gainer by it : for this occasion and parent of all heresie the scripture , being once out of the way , she might have had all in her own hands , and by leading the people in the safe paths of tradition , and consequently of science , might have made them wise enough to obey . well , but suppose the persecutors of christianity mistook themselves in their design , how came the christians in those days to be so tenacious of this book , that rather than deliver it , they would yield up themselves to torments and death ? and why did they look upon those who out of fear delivered up their books , as apostates and renouncers of christianity , if they had not thought this book to be the great instrument of their faith and salvation , and if it had really been of no greater consideration than mr. wh. and mr. s. would make it ? why should they be so loth to part with a few unsens'd characters , waxen natur'd words , fit to be play'd upon diversly by quirks of wit , that is , apt to blunder and confound , but to clear little or nothing ? why should they value their lives at so cheap a rate as to throw them away for a few insignificant scrawls , and to shed their blood for a little ink variously figured in a book ? did they not know , that the safety of christianity did not depend upon this book ? did no christian then understand that , which ( according to mr. s. ) no christian can be ignorant of , viz. that not the scripture , but unmistakeable , indefectible oral tradition was the rule of faith ? why did they not consider , that though this letter rule of hereticks had been consum'd to ashes , yet their faith would have lain safe , and been preserved entire in its * spiritual causes , men's minds , the noblest pieces in nature ? some of them indeed did deliver up their books , and were call'd traditores , and i have some ground to believe , that these were the only traditionary christians of that time , and that the rest were confessors and martyrs for the letter rule . and if this be not evidence enough , that the scriptures have always been acknowledged by christians for the rule of faith , i shall , when i come to examine his testimonies for tradition , ( with the good leave of his distinction between speculators and testifiers ) prove by most express testimony , that it was the general opinion of the fathers , that the scriptures are the rule of christian faith ; and then , if his demonstration of the infalliblity of tradition will enforce that as testifiers , they must nesds have spoken otherwise , who can help it ? sect . iv. § . . having thus laid down the protestant rule of faith , with the grounds of it ; all that now remains for me to do , towards the clear and full stating of the controversie between us , is to take notice briefly , and with due limitations : . how much the protestants do allow to oral tradition . secondly , what those things are which mr. s , thinks fit to attribute to his rule of faith , which we see no cause to attribute to ours ; and when this is done , any one may easily discern how far we differ . § . . how much protestants do allow to oral tradition . first , we grant that oral tradition in some circumstances , may be a sufficient way of conveying a doctrine ; but withall we deny , that such circumstances are now in being . in the first ages of the world , when the credenda or articles of religion , and the agenda or precepts of it , were but few , and such as had the evidence of natural light ; when the world was contracted into a few families in comparison , and the age of man ordinarily extended to six or seven hundred years ; it is easie to imagine , how such a doctrine , in such circumstances , might have been propagated by oral tradition , without any great change or alterations . adam lived till methuselah was above two hundred years old , methuselah lived till sem was near an hundred , and sem out-liv'd abraham : so that this tradition needed not pass through more than two hands , betwixt adam and abraham . but though this way was sufficient to have preserved religion in the world , if men had not been wanting themselves ; yet we find it did not prove effectual . for through the corruption and negligence of men after the flood , ( if not before ) when the world began to multiply , and the age of man was shortned , the knowledg and worship of the one true god was generally lost in the world . and so far as appears by scripture-history , ( the only record we have of those times ) when god called out abraham from vr of the chaldees , the whole world was lapsed into polytheisme and idolatry . therefore , for the greater security of religion afterwards , when the posterity of abraham was multiplied into a great nation , the wisdom of god did not think fit to entrust the doctrine of religion any longer to the fallible and uncertain way of tradition , but committed it to writing . now that god pitched upon this way , after the world had sadly experienced the unsuccesfulness of the other , seems to be a very good evidence that this was the better and more secure way : it being the usual method of the divine dispensations , not to go backwards , but to move towards perfection , and to proceed from that which is less perfect to that which is more . and the apostles * reasoning concerning the two covenants is very applicable to these two methods of conveying the doctrine of religion ; if the first had been faultless , then should no place have been sought for a second . § . so likewise , when christ revealed his doctrine to the world , it was not in his life-time committed to writing ; because it was entertained but by a few , who were his disciples and followers , and who so long as he continued with them had a living oracle to teach them . after his death the apostles , who were to publish this doctrine to the world , were assisted by an infallible spirit , so as they were secured from error and mistake in the delivery of it . but when this extraordinary assistance failed , there was need of some other means to convey it to posterity , that so it might be a fixt and standing rule of faith and manners to the end of the world . to this end the providence of god took care to have it committed to writing . and that mr. s ▪ may see this is not a conjecture of protestants , but the sense of former times , i shall refer him to st. chrysostom , ( homil. . in matth. ) who tells us , that christ left nothing in writing to his apostles ; but in stead thereof did promise to bestow upon them the grace of his holy spirit , saying , john . he shall bring all things to your remembrance , &c. but because in progress of time there were many grievous miscarriages both in matter of opinion , and also of life and manners ; therefore it was requisite that the memory of this doctrine should be preserved by writing . so long then as the apostles lived , who were thus infallibly assisted , the way of oral tradition was secure , but no longer ; nor even then from the nature of the thing , but from that extraordinary and supernatural assistance which accompanied the deliverers . § . and therefore it is no good way of argument against the way of tradition by writing , which he lays so much weight upon , * that the apostles and their successors went not with books in their hands to preach and deliver christ's doctrine , but words in their mouths ; and that primitive antiquity learned their faith by another method , a long time before many of those books were universally spread among the vulgar . for what if there was no need of writing this doctrine , whilst those living oracles , the apostles , were present with the church ? doth it therefore follow that there was no need of it afterwards when the apostles were dead , and that extraordinary and supernatural assistance was ceased ? if the preachers now adays could give us any such assurance , and confirm all they preach by such frequent , and publick , and unquestionable miracles as the apostles did ; then we need not examine the doctrines they taught by any other rule , but ought to regulate our belief by what they delivered to us . but seeing this is not the case , that ought in all reason to be the rule of our faith , which hath brought down to us the doctrine of christ with the greatest certainty : and this i shall prove the scriptures to have done . § . so that in those circumstances i have mentioned , we allow oral tradition to have been a sufficient way of conveying a doctrine ; but now considering the great increase of mankind , and the shortness of mans life in these latter ages of the world , and the long tract of time from the apostles age down to us ; and the innumerable accidents whereby , in the space of years , oral tradition might receive insensible alterations , so as at last to become quite another thing from what it was at first , by passing through many hands : in which passage , all the mistakes and corruptions which ( in the several ages through which it was transmitted ) did happen , either through ignorance , or forgetfulness , or out of interest and design , are necessarily derived into the last : so that the further it goes , the more alteration it is liable to ▪ because as it passeth along , more errours and corruptions are infused into it . i say , considering all this , we deny , that the doctrine of christian religion could with any probable security and certainty have been conveyed down to us by the way of oral tradition . and therefore do reasonably believe , that god fore-seeing this , did in his wisdom so order things , that those persons who were assisted by an infallible spirit in the delivery of this doctrine , should before they left the world commit it to writing ; which was accordingly done : and by this instrument , the doctrine of faith hath been conveyed down to us . § . secondly , we allow , that oral tradition is a considerable assurance to us , that the books of scripture which we now have , are the very books which were written by the apostles and evangelists ; but withall we deny , that oral tradition is therefore to be accounted the rule of faith. the general assurance that we have concerning books written long ago , that they are so ancient , and were written by those whose names they bear , is a constant and uncontroll'd tradition of this , transmitted from one age to another ; partly orally , and partly by the testimony of other books . thus much is common to scripture with other books . but then the scriptures have this peculiar advantage above other books , that being of a greater and more universal concernment , they have been more common and in every bodies hands , more read and studied than any other books in the world whatsoever ; and consequently , they have a more universal and better grounded attestation . moreover , they have not only been owned universally in all ages by christians ( except three or four books of them , which for some time were questioned by some churches , but have since been generally received ) but the greatest enemies of our religion , the jews and heathens , never questioned the antiquity of them , but have always taken it for granted , that they were the very books which the apostles writ . and this is as great an assurance as we can have concerning any ancient book , without a particular and immediate revelation . § . and this concession doth not , as m. s , supposeth , make oral tradition to be finally the rule of faith ; for the meaning of this question , ( what is the rule of faith ? ) is , what is the next and immediate means whereby the knowledge of christs doctrine is conveyed to us ? so that although oral tradition be the means whereby we come to know that these are the books of scripture , yet these books are the next and immediate means whereby we come to know what is christs doctrine ; and consequently , what we are to believe . § . nor doth this concession make oral tradition to be the rule of faith , by a parity of reason ; as if because we acknowledge that oral tradition can with sufficient certainty transmit a book to after ages , we must therefore grant that it can with as much certainty convey a doctrine consisting of several articles of faith ( nay very many , as mr. white acknowledges * ) and many laws and precepts of life : so because oral tradition sufficiently assures us that this is magna charta , and that the statute-book , in which are contain'd those laws which it concerns every man to be skilful in ; therefore by like parity of reason it must follow , that tradition it self is better than a book , even the best way imaginable , to convey down such laws to us . mr. s. saith * expresly it is ; but how truly , i appeal to experience , and the wisdom of our law-givers , who seem to think otherwise . tradition is already defin'd to us , a delivery down from hand to hand , of the sense and faith of fore-fathers ; i. e. of the gospel , or message of christ. now suppose any oral message , consisting of an hundred particularities , were to be delivered to an hundred several persons of different degrees of understanding and memory , by them to be conveyed to an hundred more , who were to convey it to others , and so onwards , to a hundred descents ; is it probable this message , with all the particularities of it , would be as truly conveyed through so many mouths , as if it were written down in so many letters , concerning which every bearer should need to say no more than this , that it was delivered to him as a letter written by him whose name was subscribed to it ? i think it not probable , though the mens lives were concerned every one for the faithful delivery of his errand or letter . for the letter is a message which no man can mistake in , unless he will ; but the errand so difficult , and perplexed with its multitude of particulars , that it is an equal wager against every one of the messengers , that he either forgets , or mistakes something in it ; it is ten thousand to one , that the first hundred do not all agree in it ; it is a million to one , that the next succession do not all deliver it truly ; for if any one of the first hundred mistook , or forgot any thing , it is then impossible that he that received it from him should deliver it right ; and so the farther it goes , the greater change it is liable to . yet after all this i do not say , but it may be demonstrated , in mr. s's way , to have more of certainty in it than the original letter . § . thirdly , we allow , that the doctrine of christian religion hath in all ages been preached to the people by the pastors of the church , and taught by christian parents to their children ; but with great difference , by some more plainly , and truly , and perfectly ; by others , with less care and exactness , according to the different degrees of ability and integrity in pastors or parents ; and likewise with very different success , according to the different capacities and dispositions of the learners . we allow likewise , that there hath been a constant course of visible actions , conformable in some measure to the principles of christianity ; but then we say that those outward acts and circumstances of religion may have undergone great variations , and received great change , by addition to them , and defalcation from them , in several ages . that this not only is possible , but hath actually happened , i shall shew when i come to answer his demonstrations . now that several of the the main doctrines of faith contained in the scriptute , and actions therein commanded , have been taught and practised by christians in all ages ( as the articles summed up in the apostles creed , the use of the two sacraments ) is a good evidence so far , that the scriptures contain the doctrine of christian religion . but then if we consider , how we come to know that such points of faith have been taught , and such external actions practised in all ages , it is not enough to say , there is a present multitude of christians that profess to have received such doctrines as ever believed and practised , and from hence to infer that they were so ; the inconsequence of which argument , i shall have a better occasion to shew afterwards : but he that will prove this to any mans satisfaction , must make it evident from the best monuments and records of several ages , that is , from the most authentick books of those times , that such doctrines have in all those ages been constantly and universally taught and practised . but then if from those records of former times it appear , that other doctrines , not contained in the scriptures , were not taught and practised universally in all ages , but have crept in by degrees , some in one age , and some in another , according as ignorance , and superstition in the people , ambition and interest in the chief pastors of the church , have ministred occasion and opportunity ; and that the innovators of these doctrines and practises , have all along pretended to confirm them out of scripture , as the acknowledged rule of faith ; and have likewise acknowledged the books of scripture to have descended without any material corruption or alteration , ( all which will sufficiently appear in the process of my discourse ) then cannot the oral and practical tradition of the present church , concerning any doctrine , as ever believed and practised , which hath no real foundation in scripture , be any argument against these books , as if they did not fully and clearly contain the christian doctrine . and to say the scripture is to be interpreted by oral and practical tradition , is no more reasonable , than it would be to interpret the antient books of the law , by the present practise of it ; which every one , that compares things fairly together , must acknowledg to be full of deviations from the antient law , sect . v. § . dly . how much more he attributes to his rule of faith. than we think fit to attribute to ours . . we do not say , that it is impossible in the nature of the thing , that this rule should fail , that is , either that these books should cease to descend , or should be corrupted . this we do not attribute to them , because there is no need we should : we believe the providence of god will take care of them , and secure them from being either lost , or materially corrupted ; yet we think it very possible , that all the books in the world may be burnt , or otherwise destroyed . all that we affirm concerning our rule of faith , is that it is abundantly sufficient ( if men be not wanting to themselves ) to convey the christian doctrine to all successive ages ; and we think him very unreasonable , that expects that god should do more than what is abundantly enough , for the perpetuating of christian religion in the world . § . secondly , nor do we say , that that certainty and assurance which we have , that these books are the same that were written by the apostles , is a first and self-evident principle ; but only that it is a truth capable of evidence sufficient , and as much as we can have for a thing of that nature . mr. s. may , if he please , say that traditions certainty is a first and self-evident principle ; but then he that says this , should take heed how he takes upon him to demonstrate it . aristole was so wise as never to demonstrate first principles , for which he gives this very good reason , because they cannot be demonstrated . and most prudent men are of opinion , that a self-evident principle , of all things in the world , should not be demonstrated , because it needs not . for to what purpose should a man write a book to prove that which every man must assent to , without any proof , so soon as it is propounded to him ? i have always taken a self-evident principle to be such a proposition ; as having in it self sufficient evidence of its own truth , and not needing to be made evident by any thing else , if i be herein mistaken , i desire mr. s. to inform me better . § . so that the true state of the controversie between us , is , whether oral and practical tradition , in opposition to writing and books , be the only way and means whereby the doctrine of christ can with certainty and security be conveyed down to us , who live at this distance from the age of christ and his apostles ? this he affirms , and the protestants deny ; not only that it is the sole means , but that it is sufficient for the certain conveyance of this doctrine ; and withall affirm , that this doctrine hath been conveyed down to us by the books of holy scripture , as the proper measure and standard of our religion : but then they do not exclude oral tradition from being the means of conveying to us the certain knowledg of these books . nor do they exclude the authentick records of former ages , nor the constant teaching and practise of this doctrine , from being subordinate means and helps of conveying it from one age to another . nay , so far are they from excluding these concurrent means , that they suppose them always to have been used , and to have been of great advantage for the propagating and explaining of this doctrine , so far as they have been truly subordinate to , and regulated by these sacred oracles , the holy scriptures ; which , they say , do truly and fully contain that doctrine which christ delivered to his apostles , and they preached to the world . to illustrate this by an instance ; suppose there were a controversy now on foot , how men might come to know what was the true art of logick which aristotle taught his scholars ; and some should be of opinion , that the only way to know this would be by oral tradition from his scholars ; which we might easily understand by consulting those of the present age , who learned it from those who received it from them , who at last had it from aristotle himself : but others should think it the surest way to study his organon , a book acknowledged by all his scholars , to have been written by himself , and to contain that doctrine which he taught them . they , who take this latter course , suppose the authority of oral tradition , for the conveying to them the knowledg of this book ; and do suppose this doctrine to have been taught and practised in all ages , and a great many books to have been written by way of comment and explication of this doctrine ; and that these have been good helps of promoting the knowledg of it . and they may well enough suppose all this , and yet be of opinion that the truest measure and standard of aristotle's doctrine is his own book ; and that it would be a fond thing in any man , by forcing an interpretation upon his book either contrary to , or very forreign and remote from the obvious sense of his words , to go about to reconcile this book with that method of disputing which is used by the professed aristotelians of the present age , and withal that scholastick jargon which mr. s. learn'd at lisbon , and has made him so great a man in the science of controversie , as to enable him to demonstrate first and self-evident principles ; a trick not to be learn'd out of aristotle's organon . the application is so easy , that i need not make it . the rule of faith . part . ii. concerning the properties of the rule of faith ; and whether they agree solely to oral tradition . sect . i. § . having thus endeavoured to bring the controversy between us , to its clear and true state , that so we might not quarrel in the dark , and dispute about we know not what ; i come now to grapple more closely with his book . and the main foundations of his discourse may be reduced to these three heads . first , that the essential properties of such a way and means , as can with certainty and security convey down to us the doctrine of christ , belong solely to oral tradition . this he endeavors to prove in his five first discourses . secondly , that it is impossible that this way of oral tradition should fail . and this he pretends to prove in his four last discourses . thirdly , that oral tradition hath been generallly reputed by christians in all ages , the sole way and means of conveying down to them the doctrine of christ. and this he attempts to shew in his last chapter , which he calls the consent of authority to the substance of his foregoing discourses . if he make good these three things , he hath acquitted himself well in his undertaking . but whether he hath made them good or not , is now to be examined . § . first , whether the essential properties of such a way and means , as can with certainty and security convey down to us the knowledge of christ's doctrine , belong solely to oral tradition ? the true way to measure the essential properties of this or that means , is by considering its sufficiency for its end . for whatsoever is necessary to make any means sufficient for the obtaining of its end , is to be reputed and essential property of that means , and nothing else . now , because the end we are speaking of , is the conveyance of the knowledg of christ's doctrine to all those who are concerned to know it , in such a manner as they may be sufficiently certain and secure that it hath received no change or corruption from what it was when it was first delivered . from hence it appears , that the means to this end must have these two properties . . it must be sufficiently plain and intelligible . ly . it must be sufficiently certain to us , that is , such as we may be fully satisfied concerning it , that it hath received no corruption or alteration . if it have these two conditions , it is sufficient for its end ; but if it want either of them , it must necessarily fall short of its end . for if it be not plain and intelligible , it cannot convey this doctrine to our knowledg ; if it be not certain , we cannot be assured , that that doctrine which it brings down to us for the doctrine of christ , is really such . § . i know he assigns more properties of this means which he calls the rule of faith ; but upon examination it will appear , that they either fall in with these two , or do not at all belong to it . as , first , that * it must be plain and self-evident to all , as to its existence . nothing can be more frivolous , than to make this a property of any thing ; because whosoever enquires into the properties of a thing , is supposed to be already satisfied that the thing is . secondly , that it be * evidenceable , as to its ruling power , that is , as he explains himself , * that men be capable of knowing , that it deserves to be relied on as a rule . by which he must either understand , the certainty of it ; and then it falls in with the second property i mentioned , and is the same with the sixth , which he lays down . or else he means more generally , that it is the property of a rule , that men be capable of knowing that it hath the properties of a rule . for i understand not , how a man can know that any thing deserves to be relied on as a rule , otherwise than by knowing that it hath the properties of a rule , that is , that it is sufficient for its end . but at this rate , a man may multiply the properties of things without end , if the evidence of a thing , as to its existence , be one property ; and then , that we be capable of knowing that it is such a thing , be another . § . thirdly , that it be apt to settle , and justifie undoubting persons . what he means here , by setling undoubting persons , i am not able , on the sudden , to comprehend ; because i understand not what unsettles a man besides doubting : for if a man be but so well satisfied about any thing , as to have no doubt concerning it , i do not easily apprehend how he can be setled better , that is , how his mind can be more at rest , than not to doubt . but if by undoubting persons , he means those who do not doubt for the present , but afterwards may doubt , then i perceive what he means by apt to settle undoubting persons , viz. apt to settle persons when they do doubt , that is , when they are not undoubting persons . as for justifying undoubting persons , if he means that whosoever securely relies on this rule , ought of right to be acquitted , as acting rationally in so doing ; this is plainly consequent upon the two properties i have laid down . for , if the means of conveying christ's doctrine be sufficiently plain and certain , every man that relies upon it is justified in so doing , because he trusts a means which is sufficient for its end . § . fourthly , that * it be apt to satisfie fully the most sceptical dissenters , and rational doubters : for it 's aptitude to satisfie rational doubters , that plainly follows from the sufficient certainty of it . but why it should be a necessary property of a rule of faith , to be apt to satisfie the most sceptical dissenter , i can no more divine , than i can , why he should call a dissenter sceptical , which are repugnant terms : for a sceptick is one who neither assents to any thing , nor dissents , but is in a perpetual suspence ; because he looks upon every opinion , as balanced by a contrary opinion of equal probability , without any inclination of the scales either way . but if by the most sceptical dissenter he means only a sceptick , one that doth not believe the doctrine of christ , nor any thing else ; then would i fain know , what that is which in reason is apt fully to satisfie such a person . if any thing will , sure a demonstration will ; but there is no aptitude at all in a demonstration , to satisfie him who doubts whether there be any such thing as a demonstration ; and likewise questions the certainty of all those principles , from whence any conclusion can be demonstrated . and those who are most sceptical , profess to doubt of all this . § . fifthly , that it * be apt to convince the most obstinate , and acute adversary . if the rule be plain and certain , the most acute adversary may be convinced by it if he will , that is , if he be not obstinate ; but if he be obstinate , that is , such a one as will not be convinced , but will persist in his error in despite of all evidence that can be offered him , then i must profess that i do not know any kind of evidence that is apt to convince that man that will not be convinced by any reason that can be propounded to him . and that he ought not to have expected this from any rule of faith , though never so self-evident , he might have learn't from the same author , in whom he may find his chief properties of the rule of faith , if he had but had the patience to have consider'd his explication of them ; i mean dr. holden * , who layes down the second property of the rule of faith , ( or , as he calls it , the means whereby we come to the knowledge of revealed truth ) in these words , another ( viz. condition of this means , &c. ) is , that it be apt of its own nature , to afford the greatest true and rational certainty , to all men without exception to whom the knowledg of it shall come ; provided they be furnish'd with the faculty of reason , and have their minds purified from all passion and lust , which do ( as he tells us , cap. . ) often hinder the most sagacious persons from understanding the most evident and manifest truths . now i suppose obstinacy to be the effect of passion and lust. if mr. s. mean , that the rule of faith must be apt to conquer obstinacy , and make men lay it aside , i cannot understand this neither ; unless he mean , that the rule of faith must be a cudgel , which the traditionary church have been good at , and may use it again when occasion serves ; for none but they have title to it upon a church-account , as mr. s. tells us , corol. . but setting aside this , i do not know any thing else that is apt to conquer obstinacy : not the clearest reason , or the strongest demonstration ; for that i am sure is no ways fitted to combat a wilful and unreasonable humour with any probability of success . and if any one doubt of this , if he will but make trial , he may easily be convinc'd by experience , how unapt obstinate persons are to be convinc'd by reason . i do not know any thing that ever carried greater evidence than the doctrine of christ , preached by himself and his apostles to the obstinate jews , and confirmed by multitudes of unquestionable miracles ; and yet we do not find by the success of it , that it was so very apt to convince those that were obstinate . and no man can judg of the aptitude of a means to an end , otherwise than by the usual and frequent success of it when it is applied . nor do i think that the doctrine of the gospel was ever intended for that purpose . god hath provided no remedy for the wilful and perverse , but he hath done that which is sufficient for the satisfying and winning over of those who are teachable and willing to learn : and such a disposition supposeth a man to have laid aside both scepticism and obstinacy . § . sixthly , that * it be certain in it self . seventhly , that * it be absolutely ascertainable to us . these two are comprehended in the second property i laid down ; so that i have nothing to say against them , but that the last looks very like a contradiction , absolutely ascertainable to us ; which is to say , with respect to us , without respect to us ; for absolutely seems to exclude respect , and to us implies it . having thus shewn , that the seven properties he mentions , are either coincident with those two i have laid down , or consequent upon them , or absurd and impertinent ; it remains , that the true properties of a rule of faith are those two which i first named , and no more . sect . ii. § . let us now see how he endeavors to shew , that these properties agree solely to oral tradition : he tells us there are but two pretenders to this title of being the rule of faith , scripture , and oral tradition ; these properties do not belong to scripture , and they do to oral tradition ; therefore solely to it . a very good argument , if he can prove these two things , that these two properties do not belong to scripture ; and that they do to oral tradition . § . in order to the proving of the first , that these properties do not belong to scripture , he premiseth this note , * that we cannot by the scriptures mean the sense of them , but the book , that is , such or such characters not yet sensed , or interpreted . but why can we not , by the scriptures , mean the sense of them ? he gives this clear and admirable reason ; because the sense of scripture , is , the things to be known , and these we confess are the very points of faith , of which the rule of faith is to ascertain us . which is just as if a man should reason thus : those who say the statute-book can convey to them the knowledg of the statute-law , cannot by the statute-book mean the sense of it , but the book ; that is , such or such characters not yet sensed or interpreted : because the sense of the statute-book is the things to be known ; and these are the very laws , the knowledg whereof is to be conveyed to them by this book ; which is to say , that a book cannot convey to a man the knowledg of any matter , because if it did , it would convey to him the thing to be known . but that he may farther see what excellent reasoning this is , i shall apply this paragraph to oral tradition ; for the argument holds every whit as well concerning that . to speak to them in their own language , who say that oral tradition is their rule , we must premise this note , that they cannot mean by oral tradition , the sense of it , that is , the things to be known ; for those , they confess , are the very points of faith , of which the rule of faith is to ascertain us ; when they say then , that oral tradition is the rule of faith , they can only mean by oral tradition , the words wherein it is delivered , not yet sensed or interpreted , but as yet to be sensed ; that is , such or such sounds , with their aptness to signifie to them assuredly god's mind , or ascertain them of their faith ; for abstracting from the sense , and actual signification of those words , there is nothing imaginable left but those sounds , with their aptness to signifie it . when he hath answered this argument , he will have answered his own . in the mean while this discourse , that he who holds the scriptures to be the rule of faith , must needs by the scriptures mean a book void of sense , &c. because otherwise , if by scripture he should understand a book , that hath a certain sense in it , that sense must be the doctrine of christ , which is the very thing that this book is to convey to us ; i say , this discourse tends only to prove it an absurd thing for any man , that holds scripture the means of conveying christ's doctrine , to understand by the scripture , a book that conveys christ's doctrine . this being his own reason , put into plain english , i leave the reader to judg , whether it be not something short of perfect science and demonstration . nay , if it were throughly examined , i doubt whether it would not fall short of that low pitch of science which he speaks of in his preface , where he tells us , that the way of science is to proceed from one piece of sense to another . § . having premised this , that by the scriptures we must mean only dead characters , that have no sense under them , he proceeds to shew that these dead characters have not the properties of a rule of faith belonging to them . which , although it be nothing to the purpose when he hath shewn it , yet it is very pleasant to observe , by what cross and untoward arguments he goes about it : of which i will give the reader a tast , by one or two instances . in the first place he shews , that it cannot be evident to us that these books were written by men divinely inspired , because * till the seeming contradictions in those books are solved ; which to do , is one of the most difficult tasks in the world , they cannot be concluded to be of god's enditing . now how is this an argument against those , who by the scriptures , must mean unsensed letters and characters ? i had always thought contradictions had been in the sense of words , not in the letters and characters ; but i perceive he hath a peculiar opinion , that the four and twenty letters do contradict one another . the other instance shall be in his last argument * , which is this , that the scripture cannot be the rule of faith , because those who are to be ruled and guided by the scriptures letter to faith , cannot be certain of the true sense of it ; which is to say , that unsensed letters and characters cannot be the rule of faith , because the rule of faith must have a certain sense , that is , must not be unsensed letters and characters ; which in plain english amounts to thus much , unsensed letters and characters cannot be the rule of faith , that they cannot . § . and thus i might trace him through all his properties of the rule of faith ; and let the reader see , how incomparably he demonstrates the falshood of this protestant tenet ( as he calls it ) that a sensless book may be a rule of faith. but i am weary of pursuing him in these airy and phantastical combats , and shall leave him to fight with his own fancies , and batter down the castles which himself hath built . only i think fit here to acquaint him , once for all , with a great secret of the protestant doctrine , which it seems he hath hitherto been ignorant of ( for i am still more confirmed in my opinion , that he forsook our religion before he understood it ) that when they say , the scriptures are the rule of faith , or the means whereby christ's doctrine is conveyed down to them , they mean by the scriptures , books written in such words as do sufficiently express the sense and meaning of christ's doctrine . § . and to satisfy him , that we are not absurd and unreasonable in supposing the scriptures to be such a book , i would beg the favour of him to grant me these four things , or shew reason to the contrary . first , that whatever can be spoken in plain and intelligible words , and such as have a certain sense , may be written in the same words . secondly , that the same words are as intelligible when they are written , as when they are spoken . thirdly , that god , if he please , can endite a book in as plain words as any of his creatures . fourthly , that we have no reason to think that god affects obscurity , and envies that men should understand him , in those things which are necessary for them to know , and which must have been written to no purpose , if we cannot understand them . st. luke * tells theophilus , that he wrote the history of christ to him , on purpose to give him a certain knowledg of those things which he writ . but how a book which hath no certain sense , should give a man certain knowledg of things , is beyond my capacity . st. john * saith , that he purposely committed several of christ's miracles to writing , that men might believe on him. but now had mr. s. been at his elbow , he would have advised him to spare his labour , and would have given him this good reason for it ; because when he had written his book , no body would be able to find the certain sense of it without oral tradition , and that alone would securely and intelligibly convey both the doctrine of christ , and the certain knowledg of those miracles which he wrought for the confirmation of it . if these four things be but granted , i see not why , when we say that the scriptures are the means of conveying to us christ's doctrine , we may not be allow'd to understand by the scriptures , a book which doth in plain and intelligible words express to us this doctrine . sect . iii. . and now , although this might have been a sufficient answer to his exceptions against the scriptures , as being incapable of the properties of a rule of faith ; because all of them suppose that which is apparently false and absurd , as granted by protestants , viz. that the scriptures are only an heap of dead letters , and insignificant characters , without any sense under them ; and that oral tradition is that only which gives them life and sense ; yet because several of his exceptions pretend to shew , that the true properties of a rule of faith do not at all appertain to the scriptures ; therefore i shall give particular answers to them ; and as i go along , shew that tradition is liable to all or most of those exceptions , and to far greater than those . § . whereas he says , * it cannot be evident to protestants , from their principles , that the books of scripture were originally written by men divinely inspired ; i will shew him that it may , and then answer the reasons of this exception . it is evident , from an universal , constant , and uncontrolled tradition among christians , not only oral , but written , and from the acknowledgment of the greatest adversaries of our religion , that these books were originally written by the apostles and evangelists . and this is not only a protestant principle , but the principle of all mankind , that an undoubted tradition is sufficient evidence of the antiquity and author of a book , and all the extrinsecal argument that can ordinarily be had of a book written long ago . next , it is evident , that the apostles were men divinely inspired , that is , secured from error and mistake in the writing of this doctrine , from the miracles that were wrought for the confirmation of it . because it is unreasonable to imagine that the divine power should immediately interpose for the confirmation of a doctrine , and give so eminent an attestation to the apostles to convince the world that they were immediately appointed and commissioned by god , and yet not secure them from error in the delivery of it . and that such miracles were wrought , is evident from as credible histories as we have for any of those things which we do most firmly believe . and this is better evidence that the apostles were men divinely inspired , than bare oral tradition can furnish us withal . for setting aside the authentick relation of these matters in books , it is most probable , that oral tradition of it self and without books , would scarce have preserved the memory of any of those particular miracles of our saviour and his apostles , which are recorded in scripture . and for the probability of this , i offer these two things to his consideration . first , no man can deny that memorable persons have lived , and actions been done in the world innumerable , whereof no history now extant makes any mention . secondly , he himself will grant , that our saviour wrought innumerable more miracles , than are recorded in scripture . and now i challenge him to shew the single vertue of oral tradition , by giving an account of any of those persons , or their actions , who lived or years ago , besides those which are mentioned in books ; or to give a catalogue but of ten of those innumerable miracles wrought by our saviour , which are nor recorded by the evangelists , with circumstances as punctual and particular as those are clothed withal . if he can do this , it will be a good evidence that oral tradition singly and by it self can do something ; but if he cannot , 't is as plain an evidence on the contrary , that if those actions of former times , and those miracles of our saviour and his apostles , which are recorded in books had never been written , but entrusted solely to oral tradition , we should have heard as little of them at this day , as we do of those that were not written . § . now to examine his reasons for this exception : first , he saith , * 't is most manifest that this cannot be made evident to the vulgar , that scripture was written by men divinely inspired . this reason is as easily answered , by saying 't is most manifest that it can : but besides saying so , i have shewed how it may be made as evident to the vulgar , as other things which they do most firmly and upon good grounds believe . even the rudest of the vulgar , and those who cannot read , do believe upon very good grounds that there was such a king as william the conqueror ; and the miracles of christ and his apostles are capable of as good evidence as we have for this . secondly , he says , * this cannot be evident to the curious and most speculative searchers , but by so deep an inspection into the sense of scripture , as shall discover such secrets , that philosophy , and human industry could never have arrived to . as if we could not be assured that any thing were written by men divinely inspired , unless it were above the reach of human understanding ; and as if no man could know that this was our saviours doctrine , whatever ye would that men should do unto you , that do ye likewise unto them , because every one can understand it . but if there were more mysteries in the scriptures than there are , i hope a man might be satisfied that they were written by men divinely inspired , without a clear comprehension of all those mysteries . the evidence of the inspiration of any person doth not depend upon the plaineness or sublimity of the things revealed to him , but upon the goodness of the arguments which tend to perswade us that the person is so inspired : and the argument that is most fit to satisfy us of that is , if he work miracles . now i would gladly know why a learned man cannot be assured of a miracle , that is , a plain sensible matter of fact done long ago , but by so deep an inspection into the sense of scripture , as shall discover such secrets that philosophy and human industry could never have arrived to . § . thirdly , because * all the seeming contradictions of scripture must be solved , before we can out of the bare letter conclude the scripture to be of god's enditing ; to solve which literally , plainly , and satisfactorily ( he tells us ) the memory of so many particulars , which made them clearer to those of the age in which they were written , and the matter known , must needs be so worn out by tract of time , that it is one of the most difficult tasks in the world. as if we could not believe a book to be of god's enditing , because there seem now to be some contradictions in it , which we have reason to believe could easily have been solved by those who lived in the age in which it was written . or as if oral tradition could help a man to solve these contradictions , when the memory of particulars necessary for the clear solution of them is ( as himself confesses ) worn out by tract of time . if mr. s. can , in order to the solution of the seeming contradictions of scripture , demonstrate , that oral tradition hath to this day preserv'd the memory of those particulars ( necessary for that purpose ) the memory of which must needs be long since worn out by tract of time , then i will readily yield , that his rule of faith hath in this particular , the advantage of ours . but if he cannot do this , why does he make that an argument against our rule , which is as strong against his own ? this is just like capt. everard's friend's way of arguing against the protestants , that they cannot rely upon scripture because it is full of plain contradictions , impossible to be reconciled ; and therefore they ought in all reason to submit to the infallibility of the church . and for an instance of such a contradiction , he pitched upon the three fourteen generations mentioned in the first of st. matthew , because the third series of generations , if they be counted , will be found to be but thirteen . not to mention now , how this difficulty hath been sufficiently satisfied both by protestant and popish commentators , without any recourse to oral tradition ; that which i take notice of , is the unreasonableness of making this an exception against the protestants , when it comes with every whit as much force upon themselves . suppose this contradiction not capable of any solution by protestants ( as he affirms ) and i should submit to the infallibility of the church ; can he assure me , that infallibility can make thirteen , fourteen ? if it cannot , how am i nearer satisfaction in this point , by acknowledging the infallibility of the church ? the case is the very same , as to mr s's . exception , if i owned oral tradition , i should be never the nearer solving the seeming contradictions of scripture , and consequently i could not in reason conclude it to be of god's enditing . so that in truth , these exceptions if they were true , would not strike at protestancy , but at christian religion ; which is the general unhappiness of most of the popish arguments ; than which there is no greater evidence , that the church of rome is not the true mother , because she had rather christianity should be destroyed , than it should appear that any other church hath a claim to it . it was a work very proper for the heretick marcion , to assault religion this way ; who , as tertullian * tells us , writ a whole book , which he call'd antitheses , wherein he reckoned up all the contradictions ( as he thought ) between the old and new testament : but methinks it is very improper for the papists who pretend to be the only true christians in the world , to strain their wits to discover as many contradictions as they can in the scripture , and to prove that there is no way of reconciling them : the natural consequence of which is , the exposing of this sacred instrument of our religion , and even christianity it self , to the scorn of atheists . therefore , to be very plain with mr. s. and captain everard , i am heartily sorry to see , that one of the chief fruits of their conversion is to abuse the bible . § . secondly , he says * that protestants cannot know how many the books of scripture ought to be , and which of the many controverted ones may be securely put in that catalogue , which not ; this he proves , by saying , 't is most palpable , that few , or at least the rude vulgar , can never be assured of it . and if this be a good argument , this again is a good answer , to say it is not most palpable . but i shall deal more liberally , and tell him , that we know that just so many ought to be received as uncontroverted books , concerning which , it cannot be shewn there was ever any controversy ; and so many as controverted , concerning which it appears that question hath been made : and if those which have been controverted , have been since received by those churches which once doubted of them , there is now no further doubt concerning them , because the controversy about them is at an end . and now i would fain know , what greater certainty oral tradition can give us of the true catalogue of the books of scripture . for it must either acknowledg some books have been controverted , or not ; if not , why doth he make a supposition of controverted books ? if oral tradition acknowledg some to have been controverted , then it cannot assure us that they have not been controverted ; nor consequently , that they ought to be received as never having been controverted ; but only as such , concerning which those churches who did once raise a controversy about them , have been since satisfied that they are canonical . the traditionary church now , receives the epistle to the hebrews as canonical . i ask , do they receive it as ever delivered for such ? that they must , if they receive it from oral tradition , which conveys things to them under this notion , as ever delivered ; and yet st. hierom speaking , ( not as a speculator , but a testifier ) saith expresly of it , * that the custom of the latin church doth not receive it among the canonical scriptures . what saith mr. s. to this ? it is clear from this testimony , that the roman church in st. hierom's time , did not acknowledg this epistle for canonical ; and 't is as plain , that the present roman church doth receive it for canonical . where is then the infallibility of oral tradition ? how does the living voice of the present church assure us , that what books are now received by her were ever received by her ? and if it cannot do this , but the matter must come to be tried by the best records of former ages , ( which the protestants are willing to have their catalogue tried by ) then it seems the protestants have a better way to know what books are canonical , than is the infallible way of oral tradition ; and so long as 't is better , no matter though it be not called infallible . § . thirdly , he says * the protestants cannot know , that the very original , or a perfectly true copy of these books hath been preserved . it is not necessary that they should know either of these , it is sufficient that they know , that those copies which rhey have , are not materially corrupted in any matter of faith or practice ; and that they have sufficient assurance of this , i have already shewn . and how doth he prove the contrary ? by his usual argument , with saying it is manifestly impossible . but how do the church of rome know that they have perfectly true copies of the scriptures , in the original languages ? they do not pretend to know this , the learned men of that church acknowledg the various readings as well as we , and do not pretend to know otherwise than by probable conjecture , ( as we also may do ) which of those readings is the true one . and why should it be more necessary for us to know this , than for them ? if they think it reasonable to content themselves with knowing , that no material corruptions have crept into those books , so may we . and that there have not , we know by better arguments than oral tradition , even by the assurance we have of god's vigilant providence ; and from a moral impossibility in the thing , that a book so universally dispersed , and translated into so many languages , and constantly read in the assemblies of christians , should have been materially corrupted , so as that all those copies and translations should have agreed in those corruptions . and this reason st. austin * gives of the preservation of the scriptures entire rather than any other book . if mr. s. likes it not , he may call st. austin to account for it . § . fourthly , he says * , the protestants , at least the rudest vulgar , can have no assurance that those books are rightly translated , because they cannot be assured either of the ability or integrity of translators . fifthly , nor can they ( says * he ) be assured , that the transcribers , and printers , and correctors of the press have carefully and faithfully done their part , in transcribing and printing the several copies and translations of scripture aright ; because , they only can have evidence of the right letter of scripture , who stood at their elbows attentively watching they should not err in making it perfectly like a former copy ; and even then , why might they not mistrust their own eyes and aptness to oversee ? i put these two exceptions together , because the same answer will serve them both . the grounds of these exceptions , if they have any , are these : that no man is to be trusted , either for his skill , or honesty . and , that it is dangerous for men to trust their own eyes . unless both these be true , these exceptions are of no force : for if we can be assured , that other men have sufficient skill in any thing which we our selves do not sufficiently understand , we may be assured , that those who translated the bible had skill in the original languages ; because very credible persons tell us so ; and we have no reason to doubt their testimony in this particular , more than in any other matter . so that if we can have sufficient assurance of mens integrity in any thing , we have no reason to doubt of the skill of translators , or transcribers , or printers . and if we can have no assurance of mens integrity in any thing , then no man can be assured that there was such a man as henry the eighth ; and yet i hope the church of rome makes no doubt of it : nor can any man be assured there is such a city as rome , who hath not seen it ; nay , if he have * , why may he not mistrust his own eyes ? and which is the saddest inconvenience of all , if no body be to be trusted , nor mens own eyes , ( and for the same reason , sure not their ears ) what becomes of the infallibility of oral and practical tradition ? which necessarily supposeth a competent understanding , a faithful memory , an honest mind , in the generality of those who delivered christs doctrine down to us : and by what means soever a man can be assured of these , by the same he may much more easily be assured of the ability and integrity of translators , transcribers , and printers . but above all , it supposeth that mens ears and eyes cannot deceive them in those things which they are taught , and see practised . is it not very pretty to see what pitiful shifts men that serve an hypothesis are put to ? when to maintain infallibility they are forced to run to the extremities of scepticism ; and to defend the certainty of oral tradition , ( which depends upon the certainty of mens senses , and an assurance of the ability and integrity of those who were dead years before we were born ) are glad to take refuge in principles quite contrary ; such as these , that we can have no assurance , but that whole professions of men * might hap to be knaves ; that we can have no sufficient evidence that any man made his copy perfectly like the former , unless * we stood at his elbow , attentively watching him : nay , and if we did so , we have still reason to distrust our senses . in short , all human faith supposeth honesty among men ; and that for matters of fact , and plain objects of sense , the general and uncontrolled testimony of mankind is to be credited ; and for matters of peculiar skill and knowledg , that the generality of those who are accounted skilful in that kind , are to be relied upon : for , as aristotle well observes , there is no greater sign of an undisciplin'd wit ( or , to use one of mr. s's . fine phrases , of a man not acquainted with the paths of science ) than to expect greater evidence for things than they are capable of . every man hath reason to be assured of a thing which is capable of sufficient evidence , when he hath as much evidence for it as the nature of that thing will bear , and as the capacity he is in will permit him to have . and , as mr. white says well * satisfaction is to be given to every one according to his capacity ; it is sufficient for a child to believe his parents ; for a clown to believe his preacher . and this is universally true in all cases , where we have not better or equal evidence to the contrary . but such is the unhappiness of the popish doctrines , that if people were permitted the free use of the scripture , they would easily discern them to have no probable foundation in it , and some of them to be plainly contrary to it ; so that it cannot be safe for their preachers to tell the people that the scripture is the only rule of faith , lest they should find cause not to believe them , when they teach doctrines so plainly contrary to that rule . § . lastly , he says * , the protestants cannot be certain of the true sense of scripture . does he mean of plain texts , or obscure ones ? of the true sense of plain texts , i hope every one may be certain ; and for obscure ones , it is not necessary every one should . but it may be there are no plain texts in the scriptures ; then the reason of it must be ( till mr. s. can shew a better ) either because it is impossible for any one to write plainly ; or because god cannot write so plainly as men ; or because we have good reason to think that he would not write things necessary for every one to believe , so as men might clearly understand him . but he tells us * , the numerous comments upon scripture are an evidence that no man can be certain of the true sense of it . i hope not ; for if those numerous commentators do generally agree in the sense of plain texts ( as 't is certain they do ) then this argument signifies nothing as to such texts : and as for those which are obscure , let commentators differ about them as much as they please , so long as all necessary points of faith and matters of practice are delivered in plain texts . he adds * , there are infinite disputes about the sense of scripture , even in most concerning points , as in that of christ's divinity . but are not commentators , both protestant and popish , generally agreed about the sense of scripture in that point ? and what if some out of prejudice do mistake , or out of perverseness do wrest the plainest texts of scripture for the divinity of christ , to another sense ? is this any argument that those texts are not sufficiently plain ? can any thing be spoken or written in words so clear from ambiguity , which a perverse or prejudiced mind shall not be able to vex and force to another meaning . god did not write the scriptures for the froward and the captious , but for those who will read them with a free and unprejudiced mind , and are willing to come to the knowledg of the truth . if mr. s. had been conversant in the writings of the fathers , he could not but have taken notice with what confidence they attempt to prove the divinity of christ out of scripture , as if that did afford convincing arguments for this purpose . st. chrysostom * professes to demonstrate out of scripture , that the son is of the same substance with the father ; and relies upon scripture alone for this , without mentioning any other kind of argument . so that it seems , st. chrysostom was not acquainted with the insufficiency of scripture for the conviction of hereticks in this point ; and that he was either ignorant of the ( infallible ) way of demonstrating this point from oral tradition , or had no great opinion of it . the same father elsewhere * , arguing against hereticks about the divinity of christ , says , that they pervert the scriptures , to strengthen their heresie from thence . but then he does not ( with mr. s. ) blame the scripture , and say that this doctrine is not there deliver'd with sufficient clearness ; but contrarywise he says , that the scripture is clear enough , but the corrupt minds of hereticks will not see what is there contain'd . had st. chrysostom been a true son of the traditionary church , he would have lain hold of this occasion , to vilifie the scriptures , and to shew the necessity of regulating our faith not by such uncertain records , but by the infallible reports of oral tradition . § . but because mr. s. lays great weight ( in several parts of his book ) upon this exception against scripture , viz. that protestants cannot be certain of the true sense of it : therefore i shall not content my self , only to have shewn that we may be sufficiently certain of the sense of scripture , so far as to understand all necessary matters of faith and practice , and that more than this is not necessary ; but shall likewise return this exception upon him by enquiring into these two things . . how the traditionary church can be more certain of the true sense of scripture , than the protestants ? . how they can be more certain of the true sense of tradition , than protestants of the true sense of scripture ? . how the traditionary church can be more certain of the true sense of scripture , than protestants ? they pretend to have an oral tradition of the true sense of it , delivered down from father to son. but this only reacheth to those texts , which are coincident with the main body of christian doctrine ; as for all other parts of scripture , they are as useless to papists , as they suppose they are to us ; because wanting the help of oral tradition , they cannot be certain of one tittle of them . and as for those texts , the sense whereof is conveyed down by oral tradition ; this sense is , i hope , delivered in some words or other ; and have all preachers , and fathers , and mothers , and nurses , the faculty of delivering this sense in words so plain as cannot possibly be mistaken or wrested to another sense ? i am sorry that when every one hath this faculty of speaking their thoughts plainly , the holy ghost should be represented as not able to convey his mind to men in intelligible words . and does not his own objection rebound upon himself ? if the church have a certain sense of scripture orally delivered , whence are the numerous comments of the fathers upon it and of later writers in their church , and the infinite disputes about the sense of it , in the most concerning points ? viz. the efficacy of gods grace , the supremacy of st. peter . the infallibility of a pope and council by immediate assistance of the holy ghost ? what a stir is made about the sense of dabo tibi claves , tu es petrus , & super hanc petram , &c. pasce oves ? do not they differ about the meaning of these texts among themselves , as much as they do from the fathers , and from the protestants ? some understanding them of st peters supremacy only ; others of his infallibility ; others of his infallibility only in and with a general council ; which yet others do not allow to pope or council , from any immediate assistance , but only from the rational force of tradition , supposing that the pope and council hold to it . if oral tradition have brought down a certain sense of these texts , why do they not produce it , and agree in it ? if it have not ( to use a hot phrase of his own * ) 't is perfect phrenzy to say they can be certain of the true sense of scripture . if he say , they are by tradition made certain of the true sense of scripture , so far as it concerns the main body of christian doctrine , and do all agree in it , and that is suffcient ; then i ask him , what are those points of faith which make up the body of christian doctrine ? he will tell me , they are those which all catholicks agree to have descended to them from the apostles by a constant and uninterrupted tradition . i enquire farther , how i shall know what is the certain sense of scripture so far as it concerns these points ? he must answer as before , that that is the true sense which all catholicks agree to have descended to them by tradition . which amounts to this , that all catholicks do agree in the sense of scripture so far as they do all agree in it . it is to be hoped , that the protestants ( how much soever at present they differ about the sense of scripture ) may in time come to as good an agreement as this . this brings to my remembrance a passage or two of mr. cressy ; the one in his appendix * , where he tells us , that as it is impossible that hereticks should agree any other way than in faction ; so it is impossible that catholicks should differ in points of faith. why so ? were not those catholicks first , who afterwards became hereticks ; and when they became so , did they not differ in points of belief ? yes ; but here lies the conceit , when they began to differ , then they ceas'd to be catholicks ; therefore catholicks can never differ in points of faith. the other passage is where he says * , that he hath forsaken a church where vnity was impossible , &c. and betaken himself to a church where schism is impossible . this last clause , that schism is impossible in their church , cannot possibly be true but in the same absurd and ludicrous sense , in which it is impossible for catholicks to differ in points of belief . for he cannot deny , but that it is possible for men to break off from the communion of their church , which in his sense is schism ; but here is the subtilty of it , no schismatick is of their church , because so soon as he is a schismatick he is out of it ; therefore schism is impossible in their church . and is it not as impossible in the church of england ? where mr. cr. might have done well to have continued , till he could have given a better reason of forsaking her. § . but to return to our purpose . mr. rushworth * acknowledgeth , that the scripture is of it self sufficiently plain , as to matters of practice ; for he asks , who is so blind , as not to see that these things are to be found in scripture by a sensible , common , and discreet reading of it ; though perhaps by a rigorous and exact balancing of every particular word and syllable , any of these things would vanish away we know not how ? so that for the direction of our lives and actions , he confesseth the scripture to be sufficiently plain , if men will but read it sensibly and discreetly ; and ( he sayes ) that he is blind that does not see this . but who so blind as he that will not see , that the sense of scripture is as plain in all necessary points of faith ? i am sure st. austin makes no difference , when he tells us * , that in those things which are plainly set down in scripture , we may find all those things in which faith and manners of life are comprehended . and why cannot men , in reference to matters of faith as well as of practice , read the scriptures sensibly and discreetly without such a rigorous balancing of every word and syllable as will make the sense vanish away we know not how ? if the scripture be but sufficiently plain to such as will use it sensibly and discreetly , i do not understand what greater plainness can be desir'd in a rule : nor can i imagine what kind of rule it must be that can be unexceptionably plain to captious cavillers , and such as are bent to play the fool with it . well , suppose the scripture be not sufficiently clear as to matters of faith ; and hereupon i have recourse to the church for the true sense of scripture : must i believe the churches sense to be the true sense of such a text , though i see it to be plainly contrary to the genuine sense of the words ; yes , that i must , or else i make my self and not the church judg of the sense of scripture , which is the grand heresie of the protestants . but then i must not suppose , much less belive , that the churches sense of such a text is contrary to the genuine meaning of it ; no , although i plainly see it to be so : this is hard again on the other hand ; especially if that be true which is acknowledged both by dr. holden , and mr. cressy , viz. that though general councils cannot mistake in the points of faith which they decree , yet they may mistake in the confirmation of them from texts of scripture , that is , they may be mistaken about the sense of those texts . and if mr. s. think his brethren have granted too much , he may see this exemplified in the second council of nice ( to mention no other ) which to establish their doctrine of image-worship , does so palpably abuse and wrest texts of scripture , that i can hardly believe that any papist in the world hath the forehead to own that for the true sense of those texts which is there given by those fathers . § . secondly , how the traditionary church can be more certain of the true sense of their traditional doctrines , than the protestants can be of the true sense of scripture ? and this is worthy our enquiry , because if the business be search'd to the bottom , it will appear ( besides all other inconveniences , which oral tradition is much more liable to than scripture ) that the certain sense and meaning of traditional doctrine is as hard to come at as the sense of scripture . and this i will make appear by necessary consequence from their own concessions . mr. white , and mr. s. say that the great security of tradition is this , that it is not tied to certain phrases , and set-forms of expression , but the same sense is conveyed and setled in mens hearts by various expressions . but according to mr. rushworth , this renders tradition's sense uncertain ; for he says * , 't is impossible to put fully , and beyond all quarrel , the same sense in divers words . so that if men do not receive tradition in a sensible , common , discreet way ( as mr. rushw. speaks concerning reading the scriptures ) but will come to a rigorous and exact balancing of every particular phrase , word , and syllable , the sense of tradition will be in the very same danger of uncertainty , and be liable to vanish we know not how . dr. holden * lays down these two principles . first , that no truth can be conveyed down from man to man but by speech ; and speech cannot be but by words ; and all words are either equivocal in themselves , or liable to be differently understood by several persons . secondly , that such is the frame of mans mind , that the same truths may be differently apprehended and understood by different persons . and if this be true , then traditional doctrines , if they be deliverd by speech and words , will be liable to uncertainties and ambiguities as to their sense , as well as scripture . mr. cressy * tells us , that reason and experience shews , that differences will arise even about the writings of the fathers , and any thing but the testimony of the present church . if this be true , tradition wholly falls into uncertainty . for if difference will arise about the writings of the fathers how they are to be interpreted , i suppose the writings of councils will be liable to the same inconvenience : and if the whole present church cannot declare her sense of any traditional doctrine otherwise than by a council , ( unless with the jesuites they will epitomize the church into the pope ) , and the decrees of a council cannot be universally dispers'd ( or at least never use to be ) but by writing : and if differences will arise about the interpretation of that writing , as well as any other ; then this present infallible authority ( which mr. cressy magnifies so much for ending differences ) leaves all controversies arising about the sense of tradition , as indeterminable as ever ; and they must for ever remain so , till general councils have got the knack of penning their decrees in words which will so infallibly express their meaning to the most captious caviller , that no difference can possibly arise about the interpretation of them ; or else ( which will be more suitable to this wise hypothesis ) till general councils ( being convinc'd by mr. s's demonstrations ) shall come to understand themselves so well , as not to entrust their decrees any more to the uncertain way of writing , but for the future to communicate them to the world by the infallible way of oral tradition . and to mention no more , mr knott * , ( who agrees with the other thus far , that the certain sense of scripture is only to be had from the church ) speaks to this purpose , that before we can be certain that this is the sense of such a text , we must either be certain that this text is capable of no other sense , as figurative , mystical , or moral ; or if it be , we must have some certain and infallible means to know in which of them it is taken , which can be known only by revelation . if this be true , then by a fair parity of reason , before i can be certain that this is the sense of a doctrinal tradition delivered down to me , i must either be certain that the words , in which this tradition was expressed when it was delivered to me , are capable of no other sense ( as figurative , mystical , or moral ) besides that in which i understood them ; or if they be ( as certainly they will be ) capable of any of these other senses , then must i have some certain and infallible means whereby to know in which of these they are taken : and this can no more be known without a revelation , than which is the true sense of such a text of scripture . if it be said , that the sense of a traditional doctrine may by different expressions be still further and further explained to me till i come certainly to understand the sense of it ; this will not help the matter : for if these kind of cavils be good , that a man cannot be certain of the meaning of any words , till he can by an infallible argument demonstrate either that they cannot be taken , or that they are not taken in any other sense ; i say , if this cavil will hold , then every new expression whereby any one shall endeavor to explain any traditional doctrine , is liable to the same inconvenience which those words in which it was first delivered to me were liable to . from all which it is evident , that the traditionary church can be no more certain of the sense of their traditional doctrines , than protestants may be of the sense of scripture . § . these are his exceptions contained in his second discourse ; and of what force they are , hath been examined . but because he foresaw that it might be replied that these defects might in part be provided against by history , by the providence of god , by testimonies of councils and fathers , and by the sufficient clearness of scripture as to fundamentals ; he endeavors to shew that these signifie little to this purpose . first , not history * ; because few are skilled in history , and they that are not , cannot safely rely upon those that are skill'd , unless they knew certainly that the historians whom they rely on had secure grounds , and not bare hear-say for what they writ , and that they were not contradicted by others either extant , or perished . how much credit is to be given to uncontrolled history by the learned , and how much by the vulgar to men of skill , i have already shewn . i shall only add now , that if this reasoning be true , it is impossible for any man to be certain by history of any ancient matter of fact , as namely that there were such persons as julius caesar , and william the conqueror , and that they invaded and conquered england , because ( according to him ) we cannot know certainly that the historians , who relate these things , and upon whose authority we rely , had secure grounds , and not bare hear-say for what they writ : and that they were not contradicted by others either extant or perished , is , i am sure , impossible for any man to know : for who can tell now what was contained in those books which are perished ? so that if this be requisite , to make every historical relation credible , to know certainly that it was not contradicted by any of those books which we do not know what they were , nor what was in them , we can have no certainty of any ancient fact or history ; for who knows certainly that some books that are perished did not contradict whatever is written in books that are extant ? nay , if this reasoning hold , we can have no certainty of any thing conveyed by oral tradition . for what though the priest tell me this was the doctrine of christ delivered to him ? unless i know that all others agree with him in this tradition , i cannot rely upon his testimony : nor then neither in mr. knott's * opinion , because the testimony of preachers or pastors is human and fallible ; unless ( according to his jargon ) a conclusion , deduced from premises , one of which is only probable , may be sufficient to bring our understanding to an infallible act of faith , viz. if such a conclusion be taken specificative ; whereas , if it be taken reduplicative , as it is a conclusion , it can only beget a probable assent ; which is to say , that considered barely as a conclusion , and so far as in reason it can deserve assent , it is only probable ; but considered as it serves an hypothesis , and is convenient to be believed with reason or without , so it is infallible . but to carry the supposition further , put the case , that the whole present age assembled in a general council , should declare that such a point was delivered to them : yet ( according to mr. s. ) we cannot safely rely upon this , unless we knew certainly , that those whom they relied on had secure grounds , and not bare hear-say for what they delivered , and that they were not contradicted within the space of years by any of those that are dead ; which it is impossible for any one now to know . but to shew how inconsistent he is with himself in these matters , i will present the reader with a passage or two in another part of his book ; where he endeavors to prove that men may safely rely on a general and uncontrolled tradition . he tells us * , that the common course of human conversation makes it a madness not to believe great multitudes of knowers , if no possible considerations can awaken in our reason a doubt that they conspire to deceive us . and a little after * , nor can any , unless their brains rove wildly , or be unsetled even to the degree of madness , suspect deceit where such multitudes agree unanimously in a matter of fact. now if men be but supposed to write , as well as to speak , what they know , and to agree in their writings about matter of fact ; then it will be the same madness not to believe multitudes of historians , where no possible consideration can awaken in our reason a doubt that they have conspired to deceive us ; and mens brains must rove wildly and be unsetled even to the degree of phrenzy , who suspect deceit where such multitudes unanimously agree in a matter of fact. and this seems to me to be the great unhappiness of mr. s's demonstrations , that they proceed upon conrtadictory principles ; so that in order to the demonstrating of thc uncertainty of books and writings , he must supopse all those principles to be uncertain , which he takes to be self-evident and unquestionable when he is to demonstrate thc infallibility of oral tradition . § . . secondly , he tells us * , the providence of god is no security against those contingencies the scriptures are subject to ; because we cannot be certain of the divine providence or assistance to his church , but by the letter of scripture ; therefore that must first be proved certain , before we mention the church , or gods assistance to her . as if we pretended there were any promise in scripture that god would preserve the letter of it entire and uncorrupted , or as if we could not otherwise be assured of it ; as if the light of natural reason could not assure us of gods providence in general , and of his more especial care of those things which are of greatest concernment to us , such as this is , that a book containing the method and the terms of salvation should be preserved from any material corruption . he might as well have said , that without the letter of scripture we cannot know that there is a god , § . , thirdly , nor ( says he * ) can testimonies of councils and fathers be sufficient interpreters of scripture . we do not say they are . our principle is , that the scripture doth sufficiently interpret it self , that is , is plain to all capacities , in things necessary to be believed and practised . and the general consent of fathers in this doctrine of the sufficient plainness of scripture ( which i shall afterwards shew ) is a good evidence against them . as for obscure and more doubtful texts , we acknowledge the comments of the fathers to be a good help , but no certain rule of interpretation . and that the papists think so , as well as we , is plain ; inasmuch as they acknowledge the fathers to differ among themselves in the interpretation of several texts : and nothing is more familiar in all popish commentators , than to differ from the ancient fathers about the sense of scripture . and as for councils . dr. holden , and mr. cressy ( as i said before ) do not think it necessary to believe that alwayes to be the true sense of texts which councils give of them , when they bring them to confirm points of faith. nay , if any controversie arise about the sense of any text of scripture , it is impossible ( according to mr. rushworth's principles ) for a council to decide either that , or any other controversie : for he * makes it his business to prove , that controversies cannot be decided by words ; and if this be so , then they cannot be decided at all , unless he can prove that they may be decided without words , and consequently that councils may do their work best in the quakers way , by silent meetings . § . . fourthly , nor can ( says he * ) the clearness of scripture as to fundamentals , be any help against these defects . why not ? first , because a certain catalogue of fundamentals was never given and agreed to by sufficient authority , and yet without this all goes to wrack . i hope not , so long as we are sure that god would make nothing necessary to be believed but what he hath made plain ; and so long as men do believe all things that are plainly revealed ( which is every ones fault if he do not ) men may do well enough without a precise catalogue . but suppose we say , that the articles of the apostles creed contain all necessary matters of simple belief , what hath mr. s. to say against this ? i am sure the roman catechism , set forth by the decree of the council of trent , says * as much as this comes to , viz. that the apostles having received a command to preach the gospel to every creature , thought fit to compose a form of christian faith , namely to this end , that they might all think and speak the same things , and that there might be no schisms among those whom they had called to the unity of faith , but that they might all be perfect in the same sense , and the same opinion : and this profession of the christian faith and hope , so fram'd by them , the apostles called the symbole or creed . now how this end , of bringing men to unity of faith , and making them perfectly of the same sense and opinion , could probably be attained by means of the creed , if it did not contain all necessary points of simple belief , i can by no means understand . besides , a certain catalogue of fundamentals is as necessary for them as for us ; and when mr. s , gives in his , ours is ready . mr. chillingworth had a great desire to have seen mr. knott's catalogue of fundamentals , and challenged him to produce it , and offered him very fairly , that when ever he might with one hand receive his , he would with the other deliver his own : but mr. knott , though he still persisted in the same demand , could never be prevailed with to bring forth his own , but kept it for a secret to his dying day . but to put a final stop to this canting demand of a catalogue of fundamentals ( which yet i perceive i shall never be able to do , because it is one of those expletive topicks which popish writers , especialy those of the lowest form , do generally make use of to help out a book ) however to do what i can towards the stopping of it , i desire mr. s. to answer the reasons whereby his friend dr. holden * shews the unreasonableness of this demand , and likewise endeavours to prove that such a catalogue would not only be useless and pernicious if it could be given , but that it is manifestly impossible to give such a precise catalogue . secondly , he asks * , is it a fundamental that christ is god ? if so , whether this be clearer in scripture , than that gad hath hands , feet , & c ? to which i answer by another question ; is it clear that there are figures in scripture , and that many things are spoken after the manner of men , and by way of condescension and accomodation to our capacities ; and that custom and common sense teacheth men to distinguish between things figuratively and properly spoken ? if so , why cannot every one easily understand , that when the scripture saith god hath hands and feet , and that christ is the vine and the door , these are not to be taken properly , as we take this proposition , that christ is god , in which no man hath any reason to suspect a figure ? when mr. s. tells us , that he percheth upon the specifical nature of things , would it not offend him , if any one should be so silly as to conclude from hence that mr. s. believed himself to be a bird , and nature a perch ? and yet not only the sciptures , but all sober writers are free from such forc't and phantastical metaphors . i remember that origen * taxeth celsus his wilful ignorance in finding fault with the scriptures , for attributing to god humane affections , as anger , &c. and tells him , that any one who had a mind to understand the scriptures , might easily see , that such expressions were accomodated to us , and accordingly to be understood ; and that no man , that will but compare these expressions with other passages of scripture , need to fail of the true sense of them . but ( according to mr. s. ) origen was to blame to find fault with celsus for thinking that the scripture did really attribute humane affections to god ; for how could he think otherwise , when the most fundamental point is not clearer in scripture , than that god hath hands , feet , & c ? how could origen in reason expect from celsus ( though never so great a philosopher ) that he should be able without the help of oral tradition , to distinguish between what is spoken literally , and what by a certain scheme of speech ? theodoret * tells us of one audaeus , who held that god had a humane shape , and bodily members ; but he does not say that the reason of this error was , because he made scripture the rule of his faith , but expresly because he was a fool , and did foolishly understand those things which the divine scriptures speak by way of condescension . so that although mr. s. is pleas'd to make this wise objection , yet it seems , ( according to theodoret ) that men do not mistake such texts , either for want of oral tradition , or of sufficient clearness in the scriptures , but for want of common reason and sense . and if mr. s. know of any rule of faith that is secure from all possibility of being mistaken by foolish and perverse men , i would be glad to be acquainted with it . sect . iv. § . . in his next discourse he endeavours to shew , that unlearned persons cannot be justified as acting rationally in receiving the scripture for the word of god , and relying upon it as a certain rule ; because they are not capable of satisfaction concerning these matters . but i have already shewn that they are , and shall not repeat the same over again . and whereas he says * , that several professions all pretend to scripture , and yet differ , and damn , and persecute one another about these differences ; the answer is easie : that they all pretend to scripture , is an argument that they all acknowledg it to be the word of god , and the rule of faith ; and that they are generally agreed about the sense of those plain texts which contain the fundamental points of faith is evident , in that those several professions acknowledg the articles contained in the apostles creed to be sufficiently delivered in scripture : and if any professions differ about the meaning of plain texts , that is not an argument that plain texts are obsure , but that some men are perverse . and if those professions damn and persecute one another about the meaning of obscure texts , the scripture is not in fault , but those that do so . § . . and whereas he pretends * , that the scripture is not able to satisfie sceptical dissenters , and rational doubters , because nothing under a demonstration can satisfie such persons so well concerning the incorruptedness of originals , the faithfulness of translations , &c. but that searching and sincere wits may still maintain their ground of suspence with a might it not be otherwise ? this hath been answered already : partly , by shewing that the scripture was not intended to satisfie scepticks , and that a demonstration is not sufficient to give satisfaction to them ; and partly , by shewing that rational doubters may have as much satisfaction concerning those matters , as the nature of the things will bear ; and he is not a rational doubter that desires more . but that he may see the unreasonableness of this discourse , i shall briefly shew him , that all mankind do in matters of this nature accept of such evidence as falls short of demonstration ; and that his great friends and masters from whom he hath taken the main grounds of his book ( though he manageth them to less advantage ) do frequently acknowledg , that it is reasonable for men to acquiesce in such assurance as falls short of infallibility , and such evidence as is less than demonstration . do not mankind think themselves sufficiently assured of the antiquity and authors of several books , for which they have not demonstrative evidence ? doth not aristotle say , that things of a moral and civil nature , and matters of fact done long ago , are incapable of demonstration ; and that it is madness to expect it for things of this nature ? are there no passages in books so plain , that a man may be sufficiently satisfied that this and no other is the certain sense of them ? if there be none , can any thing be spoken in plainer words than it may be written ? if it cannot , how can we be satisfied of the certain sense of any doctrine orally delivered ? and if we cannot be so satisfi'd , where 's the certainty of oral tradition ? but if books may be written so plainly , as that we may be abundantly satisfied that this is the certain sense of such and such passages ; then we may reasonably rest satisfied in evidence for these matters short of demonstration . for was ever the sense of any words so plain as that there did not remain this ground of suspence , that those words might be capable of another sense . mr. rushworth * says , that disputative scholars do find means daily to explicate the plainest words of an authour to a quitc different sense : and that the world might be furnish't with an advantagious instance of the possibility of this , raynaudus * ( a writer of their own ) hath made a wanton experiment upon the apostles creed , and by a sinister ( but possible ) interpretation , hath made every article of it heresie and blasphemy , on purpose to shew that the plainest words are not free from ambiguity . but may be mr. s. can out-do the apostles , and can deliver the christian doctrine so clearly , that he can demonstrate it impossible for any man to put any other sense upon any of his words than that which he intended . i do not know what may be done , but if mr. s. doth this , he must both mend his style , and his way of demonstration . is mr. s. sufficiently assured that there is such a part of the world as america ? and can he demonstrate this to any man , without carrying him thither ? can he shew by any necessary argument , that it is naturally impossible that all the relations concerning that place should be false ? when his demonstrations have done their utmost , cannot * a searching and sincere wit at least maintain his ground of suspence with a might it not be otherwise ? and with an , is it not possible that all men may be lyars , or that a company of travellers may have made use of their priviledg to abuse the world by false reports , and to put a trick upon mankind ? or that all those that pretend to go thither , and bring their commodities from thence , may go to some other parts of the world , and taking pleasure in abusing others , in the same manner as they have been imposed upon themselves , may say they have been at america ? who can tell but all this may be so ? and yet i suppose , notwithstanding the possibility of this , no man in his wits is now possessed with so incredible a folly as to doubt whether there be such a place . the case is the very same as to the certainty of an ancient book and of the sense of plain expressions : we have no demonstration for these things , and we expect none ; because we know the things are not capable of it . we are not infallibly certain , that any book is so ancient as it pretends to be , or that it was written by him whose name it bears , or that this is the sense of such and such passages in it , it is possible all this may be otherwise ; that is , it implies no contradiction : but we are very well assured that it is not ; nor hath any prudent man any just cause to make the least doubt of it . for a bare possibility that a thing may be , or not be , is no just cause of doubting whether a thing be or not . it is possible all the people in france may dye this night , but i hope the possibility of this doth not encline any man in the least to think it will be so . it is possible the sun may not rise to morrow morning , and yet for all this i suppose that no man hath the least doubt but that it will. § . . but because this principle , viz. that in matters of religion a man cannot be reasonably satisfy'd with any thing less than that infallible assurance which is wrought by demonstration , is the main pillar of mr. s's book ; therefore , beside what hath been already said to shew the unreasonableness of this principle , i shall take a little pains to manifest to him how much he is contradicted in this by the chief of his brethren of the tradition , viz. mr. rushworth , dr. holden , mr. cressy , and mr. white , who besides mr. s. and one i. b. are ( so far as i can learn ) all the publick patrons that ever this hypothesis of oral tradition hath had in the world ; and if mr. white ( as i have reason to believe ) was the authour of those dialogues which pass under rushworth's name , the number of them is yet less . now if i can shew that this principle ( esteem'd by mr. s. so fundamental to this hypothesis ) is plainly contradicted by the principal assertors of oral tradstion , i shall hereby gain one of these two things ; either that these great patrons of oral tradition were ignorant of the true foundation of their own hythesis , or that this principle is not necessary for the support of it . not that i would be so understood as if i did deny that these very persons do sometimes speak very big words of the necessity of infallibility : but if it be their pleasure to contradict themselves , as i have no reason to be displeased , so neither to be concerned for it ; but shall leave it to mr. s. to reconcile them first to themselves , and then ( if he pleases ) afterwards to himself . § . . i begin with mr. rushworth of immortal memory , for that noble attempt of his to perswade the world that notwithstanding he was the first inventer of this hypothesis of oral tradition , yet he could prove that the church had in all ages owned it , and proceeded upon it as her only rule of faith. he in his third dialogue , when his nephew objects to him , that perhaps a protestant would say that all his foregoing discourse was but probability and and likelyhood , and therefore to hazard a mans estate upon peradventures , were something hard , and not very rationally done : replies thus to him , what security do your merchants , your states-men , your souldiers , those that go to law , nay , even those that till your grounds and work for their livings , what security , i say , do all these go upon ? is it greater than the security which these grounds afford ? surely no. and yet no man esteems them foolish . all humane affairs are hazardous , and have some adventure in them . and therefore who requires evident certainty only in matters of religion , discovers in himself a less mind to the goods promised in the next life , than to these which he seeks here in this world upon weaker assurance . howsoever , the greatest evidence that can be to him that is not capable of convincing demonstrations ( which the greatest part of mankind fall short of ) is but conjectural . so that ( according to mr. rushworth ) it is not reason and discretion , but want of love to god and religion , which makes men require greater evidence for matters of religion , than for humane affairs , which yet ( he tells us ) are hazardous , and have some adventure in them , and consequently are not capable of demonstration . besides , if demonstrative evidence be an essential property of the rule of faith ( as mr. s. affirms ) then this rule cannot ( according to mr. rushworth ) be of any use to the greatest part of mankind , because they are not capable of convincing demonstrations . again , do but consider ( says he * ) how unequal and unjust a condition it is , that the claim of the present church shall not be heard , unless she can confute all the peradventures that wit may invent , and solve all the arguments which the infinite variety of time , place , and occasions may have given way unto ; and then you will see how unreasonable an adversary he is , who will not be content with any satisfaction , but such as mans nature scarcely affords . and is it not equally unjust in mr. s. not to let scripture's claim be heard , unless we can confute every peradventure [ and might it not be otherwise ] that wit may invent ? see then how unreasonable an adversary mr. s. is , who will not be content with any satisfaction , but such as ( according to mr. rushworth ) mans nature scarcely affords . dr. holden ( i confess ) states the matter somewhat cautiously , when he tells us * , that it shall suffice for present to determine , that the wisdom of the creator hath afforded us such an assurance , especially of truths necessary to salvation , as is sutable to our nature , and best fitted for the safe conduct of our lives in moral and religious affairs : but if we interpret these general expressions by the passages i before cited out of mr. rushworth ( as in reason we may , since the doctor is beholding to him for the best part of his book ) then nothing can make more against mr. s's principle . § . . mr. cressy in his exomologesis * says , that such teachers , as approached nearest to the fountain of truth , christ and his apostles , had means of informing themselves in apostolical tradition incomparably beyond us . mr. s. may do well to shew what those means were which are so incomparably beyond his infallibility and demonstration . the same author * does very much applaud stapleton's determination of the question concerning the churches infallibility , which is as follows , that the church does not expect to be taught by god immediately by new revelations , but makes use of several means , &c. as being govern'd not by apostles , &c. but by ordinary pastors and teachers . that these pastors in making use of these several means of decision , proceed not as the apostles did , with a peculiar infallible direction of the holy spirit , but with a prudential collection not always necessary . that to the apostles who were the first masters of evangelical faith , and founders of the church , such an infallible certitude of means was necessary : not so now to the church , &c. if this be true , that an infallible certitude of means is not now necessary to the church , and that her pastors do now in deciding matters of faith proceed only with a prudent collection not always necessary ; then it should seem that a searching wit may maintain his ground of suspence , even against their church also , with a might it not be otherwise ? again , mr. cressy * tells us , that truth and our obligation to believe it , is in an higher degree in scripture , than in the decisions of the church , as bellarmine acknowledges : which is to say , that we may have greater assurance of the truth of doctrines contained in the scriptures , than we can have of any doctrine from the determination of the church . but if we have the greatest assurance that can be of truths deliver'd to us by the church , as mr. s. affirms , then i would fain learn of him what that greater degree of assurance is which stapleton speaks of , and whether it be greater than the greatest ? not to insist upon that ( which yet i cannot but by the way take notice of ) that mr. cressy , by his approbation of this determination of bellarmine's , doth advance the scripture above the church as to one of the most essential properties of the rule of faith , viz. the certainty of it . but the most eminent testimony to my purpose in mr. cressy , is that famous passage * ( which hath given so much offence to several of his own church ) wherein he acknowledges the unfortunateness ( to him ) of the word infallibility , and tells us , that he could find no such word in any council ; that no necessity appear'd to him that either he or any other protestant should ever have heard that word nam'd , and much less press'd with so much earnestness as of late it has generally been in disputations and books of controversie ; and that mr. chillingworth combats this word with too to great success , insomuch that if this word were once forgotten or but laid by , mr. chillingworth's arguments would lose the greatest part of their strength ; and that if this word were confin'd to the schools where it was bred , there would be still no inconvenience : and that since by manifest experience the english protetestants think themselves so secure , when they have leave to stand or fall by that word , and in very deed have so much to say for themselves when they are pressed unnecessarily with it : since likewise it is a word capable of so high a sense that we cannot devise one more full and proper to attribute to god himself , &c. since all this is so , he thinks he cannot be blamed , if such reasons move him to wish that the protestants may never be invited to combat the authority of the church under that notion . a very ingenuous acknowledgment , and as cross to mr. s's principle as any thing can be . but the word infallibility was not so unfortunate to mr. cressy , as is his untoward explication of the fore-cited passage , in his appendix which he afterwards published chiefly by way of vindication of himself against the learned author of the preface to my lord falkland's discourse of infallibility . there he * tells us , that there are several degrees of infallibility . and that we may know what degree of infallibility he thinks necessary to be attributed to the church , this following passage will inform us : methinks ( says he ) if god have furnished his divine and supernatural truth , with evidence equal to this , that the sun will shine to morrow , or that there will be a spring and harvest next year , we are infinitely obliged to bless his providence , and justly condemned , if we refuse to believe the least of such truths , as shewing less affection to save our souls , than the dull plow-men to sow their corn , who certainly have far less evidence for their harvest , than catholiques for their faith ; and yet they insist not peevishly upon every capricious objection , nor exact an infallible security of a plentiful reaping next summer , but notwithstanding all difficulties and contingencies proceed chearfully in their painful husbandry . so that according to this discourse , whatever degree of assurance the church hath , or can give to those who rely upon her , it is plain that no further degree is necessary than what the husbandman , when he sows , hath of a plentiful harvest ; and that men are justly condemned if they refuse to believe the least truth upon such security , which yet ( by his own acknowledgment ) is liable to contingencies : nay further , that men are not reasonable , but peevish , in exacting infallible security , and insisting upon every capricious objection , such as is mr. s's might it not be otherwise ? now as to this degree of assurance , or ( as he calls it ) infallibility , i cannot but grant what he says of it to be most true , viz. that in a severe acception of the word it is not rigorously infallible , that is ( as he explains it ) it is not absolutely impossible , nor does it imply a flat contradiction that the thing whereof we are so assured may be otherwise : but then i utterly deny that according to any true acception of this word , such a degree of assurance as he speaks of can be called infallibility ; and withall i affirm , that none of those several degrees of infallibility which he mentions , excepting that only which imports an absolute impossibility , can with any tolerable propriety of speech or regard to the true meaning and use of the word , have the name of infallibility given to them . for infallibility can signifie nothing else but an utter impossibility that one should be deceived in that matter as to which he is supposed to be infallible ; and to say such a thing is impossible , is to say that the existence of it implies a flat contradiction . so that whosoever asserts degrees of infallibility , is obliged to shew that there are degrees of absolute impossibilities , and of perfect contradictions ; and he had need of a very sharp and piercing wit that is to find out degrees where there neither are nor can be any . indeed , in respect of the objects of knowledge , it is easie to conceive how infallibility may be extended to more objects or fewer ; but in respect of the degree of assurance ( of which mr. cressy speaks ) it is altogether unimaginable how any one can be more or less out of all possibility of being deceived in those things wherein he is supposed to be infallible ; for no one can be more removed from the possibility of being deceived , than he that is out of all possibility of being deceived , and whosoever is less than this , is not infallible ; because he only is so , who is out of all possibility of being deceived in those matters wherein he is supposed to be infallible . so that mr. cressy's lower degrees of infallibility are no degrees of that assurance which may properly be called infallible ( for that can have no degrees ) but of that assurance which is less than infallible . and he needed not have raised all this dust about the degrees of infallibility , had it not been that by the means of such a cloud he might make the more convenient escape out of that strait he was in between the clamours of his own church , and the advantage which his adversaries made of his free and open discourse against infallibility . for any one that carefully reads his book , will find that he understands nothing by the infallibility of the church , but an authority of obliging all christians to submit to her decisions , which is no more but what every supreme civil judg hath in civil matters , viz. a power to determine those controversies that lie before him as well as he can or will , and when that is done every one is bound to submit to such determinations ; but yet for all this , no man ever dream't a supreme civil judg to be infallible more than another man. i do not now dispute the extent of the churches authority ; but if she have no other infallibility but what a full authority of decision does suppose , i am sure she hath none at all . before i leave mr. cressy , i cannot but take notice how unfortunate and disingenuous he is in explaining the meaning of these words of his own , viz. [ against this word of infallibility mr. chillingworth 's book especially combats , and this with too too great success ] which in his appendix * he interprets thus , success , i mean , not against the church , but against his own soul , and the souls of his fellow-english protestants , &c. as if one that had wished well to caesar should have said , that pompey had fought against him with too too great success ; and being afterwards challenged by caesar's party , as having said that pompey had conquered caesar , he should explain himself thus , success , i mean , not against caesar , but against his own life , and the lives of his followers . can any thing be finer than for a man to say that by pompey's success in fighting against caesar , he means that caesar had beaten pompey ? which is no more than if one should take the liberty to interpret white by black . § . . lastly , mr. white doth most expresly contradict this principle of mr. s's in these following passages . in his preface to mr. rushworth he says , that such a certainty as makes the cause always work the same effect , though it take not away the absolute possibility of working otherwise , ought absolutely to be reckoned in the degree of true certainty ; and that those authors are mistaken who undervalue it . so that it seems mr. s. is mistaken in affirming that a man cannot be certain of any thing so long as there is any possibility that it may be otherwise . in his answer to my lord falkland , he says * , that in moral matters , and such as are subject to humane action , we must expect such assurance as humane actions bear . if for the government of your spiritual life you have as much as for the management of your natural and civil life , what can you expect more ? two or three witnesses of men beyond exception will cast a man out of not only his lands , but life and all . he that among merchants will not adventure , where there is a hundred to one of gaining , will be accounted a silly factor . and among souldiers , he that will fear danger where but one of a hundred is slain , shall not escape the stain of cowardize . what then shall we expect in religion , but to see a main advantage on the one side which we may rest our selves on ? and for the rest , remember we are men subject to chance and mutability , and thank god he hath given us that assurance in a supernatural way , which we are contented withall in our civil ventures and possessions , which nevertheless god knoweth we often love better , and would hazard less than the unknown good of the life to come . again * , if god almighty hath in all sorts and manners provided his church that she may enlighten every man in his way , that goeth the way of a man , then let every man consider which is the sit way for himself , and what in other matters of that way he accounteth evidence . and if there be no interest in his soul to make him loth to believe , what in another matter of the like nature he doth not stick at , or heavy to practise what he sees clearly enough , i fear not his choice . once more ; directing a man in his search after rational satisfaction in matters of religion , he hath this passage ; * besides this , he must have this care ; that he seek what the nature of the subject can yield , and not as those physitians , who when they have promised no less than immortality , can at last only reach to some conservation of health or youth in some small degree : so i could wish the author to well assure himself first , that there is possible an infallibility , before he be too earnest to be contented with nothing less ; for what if humane nature should not be capable of so great a good ? would he therefore think it fitting to live without any religion , because he could not get such a one as himself desired , though with more than a mans wish ? were it not rational to see , whether among religions some one have not such notable advantages over the rest , as in reason it might seem humane nature might be contented withall ? let him cast his account with the dearest things he hath , his own or friends lives , his estate , his hope of posterity , and see upon what terms of advantage he is ready to venture all these ; and then return to religion , and see whether , if he do not venture his soul upon the like , it be truly reason , or some other not confessed motive , which withdraws him . for my own part , as i doubt not of an infallibility , so i doubt not but setting that aside , there be those excellencies found on the catholick party , which may force a man to prefer it , and to venture all he hath upon it , before all other religions and sects in the world. why then may not one who after long searching findeth no infallibility , rest himself on the like , supposing mans nature affords no better ? are not these fair concessions , which the evidence and force of truth have extorted from these authors ? so that it seems that that which mr. s. calls * a civil piece of atheistry , is advanced in most express words by his best friends , and therefore i hope he will ( as he threatens me ) be smart with them in opposition to so damnable and fundamental an error . and whenever he attempts this , i would entreat him to remember that he hath these two things to prove . first , that no evidence , but demonstration , can give a man sufficient assurance of any thing . secondly , that a bare possibility that a thing may be otherwise , is a rational cause of doubting , and a wise ground of suspense ; which when he hath proved , i shall not grudge him his infallibility . sect . v. § . . the last part of this third discourse endeavours to shew that the scripture is not convictive of the most obstinate and acute adversaries . as for the obstinate , he knows my mind already . let us see why the most acute adversary may not be convinced by scripture . because as he objects * , first , we cannot be certain that this book is gods word , because of the many strange absurdities and heresies in the open letter as it lies , as that god hath hands and feet , &c. and because of the contradictions in it : to which i have already returned an answer . secondly , because ( as he saith * ) we cannot be certain of the truth of the letter in any particular text , that it was not foisted in , or some way altered in its significativeness ; and if it be a negative proposition , that the particle [ not ] was not inserted , if affirmative , not left out . and if we pretend to be certain of this , he demands * our demonstration for it . but how unreasonable this demand is , i hope i have sufficiently shewn . and to shew it yet further , i ask him , how their church knows , that the particle [ not ] was not left out of any text in which it is now found in their copies ? i know he hath a ready answer , viz. by oral tradition . but this ( according to him * ) only reaches to scriptures letter so far as it is coincident with the main body of christian doctrine ; concerning the rest of scripture it is impossible ( according to his own principles ) that they should have any security that the particle [ not ] was not unduly inserted , or left out by the transcribers . nay , as to those texts of scripture which fall in with the main body of christian doctrine , i demand his demonstration that the particle [ not ] was not unduly inserted , or left out , not only in those texts , but also in the oral tradition of the doctrines coincident with the sense of those texts . if he say , it was impossible any age should conspire to leave out or insert the particle [ not ] in the oral tradition ; so say i it was that they should conspire to leave it out of the written text : but then i differ from him thus far , that i do not think this naturally impossible , so as that it can rigorously be demonstrated , but only morally impossible , so that no body hath any reason to doubt of it ; which to a prudent man is as good as a demonstration . pyrrho himself never advanced any principle of scepticism beyond this , viz. that men ought to question the credit of all books , concerning which they cannot demonstrate as to every sentence in them , that the particle [ not ] was not inserted ( if it be affirmative ) or left out ( if it be negative ) . if so much be required to free a man from reasonable doubting concerning a book , how happy are they that have attained to infallibility ? what he saith concerning the variae lectiones * of scripture , hath already had a sufficient answer . § . . in his fourth discourse , he endeavours to shew * , that the scripture is not certain in it self , and consequently not ascertained to us . first , not certain , materially considered * as consisting of such and such characters , because books are liable to be burnt , torn blotted , worn out . we grant , it is not impossible but that any , or all the books in the world may be burnt : but then we say likewise , that a book so universally dispersed may easily be preserved ; though we have no assurance that god will preserve it , in case all men should be so foolish or so careless as to endeavour or suffer the abolition of it . but it seems the scriptures cannot be a rule of faith if they be liable to any external accidents . and this ( he tells us * ) though it may seem a remote and impertinent exception , yet to one who considers the wise dispositions of divine providence , it will deserve a deep consideration ; because the salvation of mankind being the end of gods making nature , the means to it should be more setled , strong , and unalterable , than any other piece of nature whatever . but , notwithstanding this wise reason , this exception still seems to me both remote and impertinent . for if this which he calls a reason be a truth , it will from thence necessarily follow , not only that the doctrine of christ must be conveyed by such a means as is more unalterable than the course of nature ; but also by a clear parity of reason , that all the means of our salvation do operate towards the accomplishing of their end with greater certainty than the fire burns , or the sun shines ; which they can never do , unless they operate more necessarily than any natural causes ; now how they can do so upon voluntary agents , i desire mr. s. to inform me . § . . he proceeds by a long harangue to shew * , that not only these material characters in themselves are corruptible , but in complexion with the causes , actually laid in the world to preserve them entire ; because either those causes are material , and then they are also liable to continual alterations ; or spiritual , that is , the minds of men , and from these we may with good reason hope for a greater degree of constancy , than from any other piece of nature ; which by the way , is a very strange paradox , that the actions of voluntary agents have a greater certainty and constancy in them , than those of natural agents ; of which the fall of angels and men , compared with the continuance of the sun and stars in their first state , is a very good evidence . § . . but he adds a caution * , that they are perfectly unalterable from their nature , and unerrable , if due circumstances be observed , that is , if due proposals be made to beget certain knowledg , and due care used to attend to such proposals . but who can warrant , that due proposals will always be made to men , and due care used by them ? if these be uncertain , where 's the constancy and unerrableness he talks so much of ? so that notwithstanding the constancy of this spiritual cause ( the mind of man ) of preserving scriptures entire , yet in order to this ( as he tells * us ) so many actions are to be done , which are compounded and made up of an innumerable multitude of several particularities to be observed , every of which may be mistaken apart , each being a distinct little action in its single self , such as is the transcribing of a whole book , consisting of such myriads of words , single letters , and tittles or stops ; and the several actions of writing over each of these so short and cursory , that it prevents diligence , and exceeds humane care , to keep awake and apply distinct attentions to every of these distinct actions . mr. rushworth * much outdoes mr. s. in these minute cavils , for he tells us , that supposing an original copy of christs words , written by one of the evangelists in the same language , let him have set down every word and syllable , yet men conversant in noting the changes of meanings in words will tell us , that divers accents in the pronunciation of them , the turning of the speakers head or body this way or that way , &c. may so change the sense of the words , that they will seem quite different in writing from what they were in speaking . i hope that oral and practical tradition hath been careful to preserve all these circumstances , and hath deliver'd down christ's doctrine with all the right traditionary accents , nods , and gestures necessary for the understanding of it ; otherwise the omission of these may have so altered the sense of it , that it may be now quite different from what it was at first . but to answer mr. s. we do not pretend to be assured , that it is naturally impossible that the scriptures should have been corrupted or changed , but only to be sufficiently assured that they have not received any material alteration , from as good arguments as the nature of the subject will bear . but if his reason had not been very short and cursory , he might easily have reflected , that oral tradition is equally liable to all these contingencies . for it doth as much prevent diligence , and exceed humane care , to keep awake and apply distinct attentions to the distinct actions of speaking , as of writing . and i hope he will not deny , that a doctrine orally delivered , consists of words , and letters , and accents , and stops , as well as a doctrine written ; and that the several actions of speaking , are as short and cursory as of writing . § . . secondly , he tells us * , scripture formally considered as to its significativeness , is also uncertain . first , * because of the uncertainty of the letter . this is already answered . secondly , * because the certain sense of it is not to be arrived to by the vulgar , who are destitute of languages and arts. true , where men are not permitted to have the scriptures in their own language , and understand no other : but where they are allowed the scriptures translated into their own language they may understand them , all necessary points of faith and practice being sufficiently plain in any translation of the bible that i know of : and that * eminent wits cannot agree about the sense of texts which concern the main points of faith , hath been spoken to already . § . . as for the reverence he pretends to scripture in the conclusion of his fourth discourse , he might have spared that , after all the raillery and rudeness he hath used against it . it is easie to conjecture , both from his principles and his uncivil expressions concerning them , what his esteem is of those sacred oracles . probably it was requisite in prudence to cast in a few good words concerning the scriptures , for the sake of the more tender and squeamish novices of their religion , or ( as mr. rushworth's nephew * says frankly and openly ) for the satisfaction of indifferent men , that have been brought up in this verbal and apparent respect of the scripture , who it seems are not yet attained to that degree of catholick piety and fortitude as to endure patiently that the word of god should be reviled or slighted . besides that , in reference to those whom they hope hereafter to convert ( who might be too much alienated from their religion , if he had expressed nothing but contempt towards a book , which protestants , and christians in all ages till the very dregs of popery , have been bred up to a high veneration of ) , it was not much amiss to pass this formal complement upon the bible ; which the wise of his own religion will easily understand , and may serve to catch the rest . but let him not deceive himself , god is not mocked . sect . vi. § . . secondly , he comes to shew * , that the properties of a rule of faith belong to oral tradition . and , first , he gives a tedious explication of the nature of this oral practical tradition , which amounts to this ; that as in reference to the civil education of children , they are taught their own and others names , to write , and read , and exercise their trades : so in reference to religion , the children of christians first hear sounds , afterwards by degrees get dim notions of god , christ , saviour , heaven , hell , vertue , vice , and by degrees practise what they have heard ; they are shewn to say grace , and their prayers , to hold up their hands , or perhaps eyes , and to kneel , and other postures . afterwards they are acquainted with the creed , ten commandments , and sacraments , some common forms of prayer , and other practises of christianity , and are directed to order their lives accordingly , and are guided in all this by the actions and carriage of the elder faithful ; and this goes on by insensible degrees , not by leaps , from a hundred years to a hundred , but from month to month , and even less . if this be all that tradition doth , this is nothing but what is done among protestants , and that with greater advantage ; because we always teach children to say their prayers in a known tongue so as they may understand them . and we also teach them the creed , and ten commandments , and the sacraments , so many as christ hath instituted and no more . so that if this be so infallible a way of conveying the doctrine of christianity , we have it among us . and we do over and besides , instruct them in the scriptures , which are the authentick instrument whereby christ's doctrine is conveyed to us . but then we do not suppose ( as his hypothesis necessarily enforceth him to do ) that the christian doctrine is equally taught and learned by all ; but by some more , by others less perfectly , according to the different abilities and diligence of parents and teachers , and the various capacities and dispositions of children ; whereas his hypothesis falls , if all or at least the generality of parents do not instruct their children with the like exactness , and if the generality of children do not receive this doctrine in the same perfection that it is delivered . for if it be taught or received with any variation , it must necessarily be so conveyed , and these variations will grow daily . i had thought he would have told us , how all parents do teach their children the whole body of christ's doctrine , and explain to them every part of it in a hundred or a thousand several expressions signifying the same sense , and not have instanced in two set-forms , such as the creed , and ten commandments ; for according to mr. white * , that cannot be a tradition , which is delivered in set-words . § . . having thus explained oral tradition , he comes to shew that the properties of a rule of faith agree to it . i have already shewed that the true properties of a rule of faith are but two , viz. that it be plain and intelligible , and that it be sufficiently certain . the first of these , that oral tradition may deliver a doctrine plainly and intelligibly , i grant him . all the difficulty is about the second property , whether we have sufficient assurance that the doctrine delivered down by oral tradition hath received no coruption or change in its conveyance ? and all that he pretends to prove in this discourse is , that if this rule hath been followed and kept to all along , the christian doctrine neither hath , nor can have received any change ; that is , if the next age after the apostles did truly , and without any alteration deliver the christian doctrine to their immediate successors , and they to theirs , and so on , then upon this supposition the doctrine of the present traditionary church must be the very same with that which was delivered to the apostles . all this is readily granted to him . but that this rule hath always been followed , nay , that it is impossible there should have been any deviation from it ( as he pretends ) this we deny , not only as untrue , but as one of the most absurd propositions that ever yet pretended to demonstrative evidence . the rule of faith . part iii. in which mr. s's demonstrations and corollaries are examined . sect . i. § . . before i come to speak particularly to his demonstrations , i shall premise these two considerations . first , that ( according to the principles of the patrons of tradition ) no man can by his private reason certainly find out the true rule of faith. secondly , that ( according to mr. s. ) the way of demonstration is no certain way to find out the rule of faith. if either of these be made out , his demonstrations lose all their force . if the first be made good , then he cannot demonstrate the infallibility of tradition , nor consequently that that is the rule of faith. if the second , then the way of demonstration which he pretends to take signifies nothing . § . . first , no man can ( according to the principles of the patrons of tradition ) by his private reason certainly find out what is the rule of faith. suppose a heathen to be desirous to inform himself of the christian faith ; in order to which he is inquisitive after some rule by which he may take a measure of it , and come certainly to know what it is : he enquires of christians what their rule is , and finds them divided about it , some saying that the scriptures , others that oral tradition is the rule . in this case it is not possible ( without a revelation ) for this man to find out the rule of faith , but by his own private reason examining and weighing the arguments and pretences of both sides . and when he hath done this , unless he can by his reason demonstrate that the one is a certain and infallible rule , and the other not so , he hath not ( according to mr. s. ) found out the rule of faith. but reason can never do this , according to mr. s. for speaking of demonstrating the certainty of tradition , he tells us * , that tradition hath for its basis mans nature not according to his intellectuals , which do but darkly grope in the pursuit of science , &c. and again * , speaking how reason brings men to the rule of faith , he uses this comparison , she is like a dim-sighted man , who used his reason to find a trusty friend to lead him in the twilight , and then relied on his guidance rationally without using his own reason at all about the way it self . so that ( according to him ) the certainty of tradition cannot be founded on demonstration , because it is not founded in the intellectual part of man , which only can demonstrate . besides , if it were founded in the intellectual part , yet that can never be able to demonstrate the certainty of tradition , because that faculty which is dim-sighted , and does but grope darkly in the pursuit of science , is uncapable of framing demonstrations . nor can any man understand how dim-sighted reason should see clearly to choose its guide , any more than its way , especially if it be considered what a pretty contradiction it is , to say that reason as it is dim-sighted can see clearly . but mr. cressy is not contented to call every mans reason dim-sighted , he ventures a step further , and calls it hood-winkt and blind : for he tells us * , that private reason is apparently a most fallible guide ; and he pities * my lord falkland's case , because in the search of the true religion he did betake himself to the casual conduct of blind , humane , natural reason , which afterwards he calls * a guide that two persons cannot possibly follow together , because no two persons ( that ever followed any other guide beside authority ) did or could think all things to be reasonable that all others thought so ; and by consequence such a guide that as long as he continues in that office , there cannot possibly be any church any where : which ( says he ) is an infallible eviction that this is an imaginary seducing guide , since it is impossible that that should be a guide appointed for any christian , which neither christ nor his apostles , nor any of their followers ever mentioned , yea , which formally destroys one of our twelve articles of the apostles creed , viz. i believe the holy catholick church . thus he does by reason clearly and infallibly evince , that reason cannot be otherwise than a most blind and fallible guide . this it is to talk of things when a man looks only upon one side of them ; as if because reason has a blind side and is uncertain in some things , therefore we ought to conclude her universally blind and uncertain in every thing ; and as if because all men cannot think all things reasonable which any one man thinks to be so , therefore it is to be doubted whether those common principles of reason be true which mankind are generally agreed in . and that mr. cressy speaks here of the use of our private reason in the finding out of our rule , is clear from what he says in the next section , viz. that this hood-wink't guide ( enquiring into scripture , and searching after tradition ) may possibly stumble upon the way to vnity and truth , that is , the true catholick church . if this be true , why does mr. s. pretend that he can by reason demonstrate the infallibility of tradition , and by this hood-wink't guide lead men to the true rule of faith ? and what a pitiful encouragement would this be to an inquisitive philosopher ( who knowing no other guide but his reason , whereby to find out whether scripture or tradition be the true rule ) to tell him that by the help of this hood-wink't guide he might possibly stumble upon the right ? a man may justly stand amazed at the inconsistency of these mens discourses and principles . in one mood they are all for demonstration , and for convincing men in the way of perfect science which is the true rule of faith : but then again when another fit takes them , there 's no such thing as science , humane reason grows all on the sudden dim-sighted , and at the next word is struck stark blind ; and then the very utmost that it can do towards the bringing of an unprejudiced and inquisitive person to the true rule of faith , is to leave him in a possibility of stumbling upon it ; but if he be a heretick that makes use of private reason for his guide , then * it is impossible but that he with his blind guide should fall into the pit. i cannot for my part imagine how they can reconcile the blindness of humane reason with all that noise which they make about science and demonstration ; but this i must confess that these kind of discourses which i meet with in mr. s. and mr. cressy , are very proper arguments to perswade a man of the blindness of humane reason . and indeed there is one passage in mr. cressy , which gives me very great satisfaction concerning these matters , where he tells us * , that the wit and judgment of catholicks is to renounce their own judgment , and depose their own wit. now he that professes to have done this may write contradictions , and no body ought to challenge him for it . however , it is a very ingenuous acknowledgment , that when he forsook our church and turned papist , he laid aside his judgment and wit ; which is just such an heroick act of judgment , as if a man in a bravery to shew his liberty should sell himself for a slave . i am glad to understand from an experienced person , what charges a man must be at when he turns roman-catholique , namely , that whoever will embrace that religion must forfeit his reason . § . . secondly , the way of demonstration is ( according to mr. s. ) no certain way to find out the rule of faith. in his th appendix * against my lord of down , one of the eight mines ( as he calls them ) which he lays to blow up my lords dissuasive against popery , is this , that the method he takes in dissuading cannot be held in reason to have power to dissuade , unless it be proper to that effect , that is , not common to that effect and a contrary one . now , that being most evidently no method or way to such an effect which many follow and take , yet arrive not at that effect , 't is plain to common sense , that my lord of down miscalls his book a dissuasive , and that it can have in it no power of moving the understanding one way or other , unless he can first vouch some particularity in the method he takes , above what 's in others in which we experience miscarriage , &c. if this be true , then his method of demonstration is no way to make men certain of what he pretends to demonstrate , because that is most evidently no way to an effect which many follow and take , yet arrive not at that effect ; so that 't is plain to common sense that mr. s's demonstrations can have in them no power of moving the understanding one way or other , unless he can vouch some particularity in the demonstrations he pretends to bring , above what is in other pretended demonstrations in which we experience miscarriage . do not thomas , and scotus ( as mr. white tells us * ) all along pretend to demonstrate ? and yet it is generally believed that ( at least where they contradict one another ) one of them failed in his demonstrations . did not mr. charles thynne pretend to have demonstrated that a man at one jump might leap from london to rome ? and yet i do not think any one was ever satisfy'd with his demonstration . and mr. s. knows one in the world ( whom i will not name , because he hath since ingenuously acknowledged his errour ) who thought he had demonstrated the quadrature of the circle , and was so confident of it as to venture the reputation of his demonstrations in divinity upon it , and some of those divinity demonstrations were the very same with mr. s's . since therefore the world hath experienced so much miscarriage in the way of demonstration , before mr. s's demonstrations can be allowed to signifie any thing , he must ( according to his own law ) vouch some particularity in his way and method of demonstration above what is in other mens . he hath not any where ( that i remember ) told us what that particularity is , wherein his way of demonstration is above other mens : nor can i upon the most diligent search find any peculiar advantage that his way has more than theirs above mentioned ; unless this be one that he pretends to demonstrate a self-evident principle , and herein i think he hath plainly the advantage of mr. charles thynne ; and unless this may be counted another advantage , that he has so extraordinary a confidence and conceit of his own demonstrations ; and in this particular , i must acknowledge that he clearly excels all that have gone before him : in all other things , his way of demonstration is but like his neighbours . sect . ii. § . . i come now to examine his demonstrations of this self-evident principle ( as he often calls it ) that oral tradition is a certain and infallible way of conveying christs doctrine from one age to another , without any corruption or change ; which is to say , that it is impossible but that this rule should always have been kept to . that this is not a self-evident principle , needs no other evidence than that he goes about to demonstrate it . but yet , notwithstanding this , i think he hath as much reason to call this a self-evident principle , as to call his proofs of it demonstrations . § . . in order to his demonstration a priori , he lays * these four grounds , which i shall set down in his own words . first , that christian doctrine was at first unanimously setled by the apostles , in the hearts of the faithful dispersed in great multitudes over several parts of the world. secondly , that this doctrine was firmly believed by all those faithful to be the way to heaven , and the contradicting or deserting it , to be the way to damnation ; so that the greatest hopes and fears imaginable were by engaging the divine authority strongly applied to the minds of the first believers , encouraging them to the adhering to that doctrine , and deterring them from relinquishing it ; and indeed infinitely greater than any other whatever , springing from any temporal consideration : and that this was in all ages the perswasion of the faithful . thirdly , that hopes of good and fears of harms strongly applied are the causes of actual will. fourthly , that the thing was feasible or within their power ; that what they were bred to was knowable by them . this put , it follows as certainly that a great number or body of the first believers and after faithful in each age , that is , from age to age would continue to hold themselves and teach their children as themselves had been taught , that is , would follow and stick to tradition , as it doth , that a cause put actually causing produceth its effect . this is his demonstration with the grounds of it . § . . to shew the vanity and weakness of this pretended demonstration , i shall assail it these three wayes ; by shewing , first , that if the grounds of it were true they would conclude too much , and prove that to be impossible which common experience evinceth , and himself must grant to have been . secondly , that his main grounds are apparently false . thirdly , that his demonstration is confuted by clear and undeniable instances to the contrary . sect . iii. § . . if the grounds of it were true , they would conclude too much , and prove that to be impossible which common experience evinceth and himself must grant to have been . for if these two principles be true , that the greatest hopes and fears are strongly applied to the minds of all christians ; and that those hopes and fears strongly applied are the cause of actual will to adhere constantly to christ's doctrine : then from hence it follows that none th●● entertain this doctrine can ever fall from it ; because falling from it is inconsistent with an actual will of adhering constantly to it . for supposing ( as he doth ) certain and constant causes of actual will to adhere to this doctrine , those who entertain it must actually will to adhere to it , because a cause put actually causing produceth its effect , which is constant adherence to it . and if this were true these two things would be impossible . first , that any christian should turn apostate or heretick . secondly , that any christian should live wickedly . both which not only frequent and undoubted experience doth evince , but himself must grant , de facto to have been . § . . first , it would be impossible that any christian should turn apostate or heretick . heresie according to him is nothing else but the renouncing of tradition . now he tells us * , that the first renouncers of tradition must have been true believers or holders of it , ere they renounced it ; and i suppose there is the same reason for apostates . but if all christians or true believers ( as he calls them ) have these arguments of hope and fear strongly applied ; and hope and fear strongly applied be the causes of actual will to adhere to this doctrine ; 't is necessary all christians should adhere to it , and impossible there should be either apostates or hereticks . for if these causes be put in all the faithful actually causing ( as the grounds of his demonstration suppose ) and indefectibleness be the proper and necessary effect of these causes , as he also saith * , then it is impossible , that where these causes are put , there should be any defection . for a proper and necessary effect cannot but be where the causes of such an effect are put ; especially if they be put actually causing ; and consequently 't is impossible that any single christian should ever either totally apostatize or fall into heresie , that is , renounce tradition . § . . and that this is a genuine consequence from these principles ( though he will not acknowledg it here , because he saw it would ruine his demonstration ) is liberally acknowledged by him in other parts of his discourse . for he tells us * , that it exceeds all the power of nature ( abstracting from the causes of madness and violent disease ) to blot the knowledges of this doctrine out of the soul of one single believer . and * that since no man can hold contrary to his knowledg , nor doubt of what he holds , nor change and innovate without knowing he doth so , it is a manifest impossibility a whole age should fall into an absurdity so inconsistent with the nature of one single man. and * , that it is perhaps impossible for one single man to attempt to deceive posterity by renouncing tradition . which passages laid together amount to thus much , that it is impossible that tradition should fail in any one single person . and though in the passage last cited he speak faintly , and with a perhaps , as if he apprehended some danger in speaking too peremptorily , yet any one would easily see the last to be as impossible as any of the rest . and he himself elsewhere , being in the full career of his bombast rhetorick , delivers it roundly without fear or wit * , sooner may the sinews of entire nature by overstraining crack , and she lose all her activity and motion , that is , her self , than one single part of that innumerable multitude which integrate that vast testification which we call tradition can possibly be violated . § . . but it may be we deal too hardly with him and press his demonstration too far , because he tells us he only intends by it to prove that the generality of christians will always adhere to tradition . but if he intended to prove no more but this , he should then have brought a demonstration that would have concluded no more ; but this concludes of all as well as of the generality of christians : a clear evidence that it is no demonstration , because it concludes that which is evidently false , that there can be no apostates or hereticks . besides , supposing his demonstration to conclude only that the generality of christians would always adhere to tradition , this is as plainly confuted by experience , if there be any credit to be given to history . st. hierom tells us * , that liberius bishop of rome ( for all his particular title to infallibility built upon tradition , as mr. s. speaks , coroll . . ) turned arian . and that * arianism was establish't by the synod of ariminum , which was a council more general than that of trent . and that * almost all the churches in the whole world under the names of peace and of the emperour , were polluted by communion with the arians . again , that * under the emperour constantius ( eusebius and hippatius being consuls ) infidelity was subscribed under the names of vnity and faith. and * that the whole world groaned and wondered to see it self turned arian . and he * uses this as an argument to the luciferians , to receive into the church those who had been defiled with the heresie of arius , because the number of those who had kept themselves orthodox , was so exceeding small : for ( says he ) the synod of nice which consisted of above three hundred bishops , received eight arian bishops whom they might have cast out without any great loss to the church ; i wonder then how some , and those the followers of the nicene faith can think that three confessors ( viz. athanasius , hilarius , eusebius ) ought not to do that in case of necessity for the good and safety of the whole world , which so many and such excellent persons did voluntarily . it seems arianism had prevailed very far , when st. hierom could not name above three eminent persons in the church who had preserved themselves untainted with it . again * , arius in alexandria was at first but one spark , but because it was not presently extinguish't it broke out into a flame which devoured the whole world. gregory nazianzen * likewise tells us to the same purpose , that the arian heresie seized upon the greatest part of the church . and , to shew that he knew nothing of mr. s's demonstration of the indefectibility of the generality of christians , he asks * , where are those that define the church by multitude , and despise the little flock , & c ? and this heresie was of a long continuance , for from its first rise which happened in the th year of constantine , it continued ( as joh. abbas * hath calculated it ) years . and the pelagian heresie ( if we may believe bradwardine , one of the great champions of the church against it ) did in a manner prevail as much as arianism , as the said author complains in his preface to his book * , that almost the whole world was run after pelagius into error . will mr. s. now say , that in the height of these heresies the generality of christians did firmly adhere to tradition ? if he say they did , let him answer the express testimonies produced to the contrary : but if they did not , then his demonstration also fails as to the generality of christians . and if the greater part of christians may fall off from tradition , what demonstration can make it impossible for the lesser to do so ? who will say it is in reason impossible that a thousand persons should relinquish tradition , though nine hundred of them have already done it , and though the remainder be no otherwise secured from doing so than those were who have actually relinquish't it ? now is not this a clear evidence that this which he calls a demonstration a priori , is no such thing ? because every demonstration a priori , must be from causes which are necessary , whereas his demonstration is from voluntary causes . so that unless he can prove that voluntary causes are necessary , he shall never demonstrate that it is impossible for the generality of any company of men to err who have every one of them free-will , and are every one of them liable to passion and m●stake . § . . from all this it appears , that his whole discourse about the original and progress of heresie , and the multitudes of hereticks in several ages , is as clear a confutation of his own demonstration as can be desired . the only thing that he offers in that discourse , to prevent this objection which he foresaw it liable to , is this , it is not ( says he * ) to be expected but that some contingencies should have place , where an whole species in a manner is to be wrought upon ; it sufficeth that the causes to preserve faith indeficiently entire are as efficacious as those which are laid for the preservation of mankind , the vertue of faith not being to continue longer than mankind its only subject does ; and they will easily appear as efficacious as the other , if we consider the strength of those causes before explicated , and reflect that they are effectively powerful to make multitudes daily debar themselves of those pleasures which are the causes of mankinds propagation ; and if we look into history for experience of what hath passed in the world since the propagating of christianity , we shall find more particulars failing in propagating their kind , than their faith. to which i answer , first , that it may reasonably be expected there should be no contingencies in any particulars , where causes of actual will are supposed to be put in all : because ( as he says truly ) a cause put actually causing cannot but produce its effect . suppose then constant causes laid in all mankind of an actual will to speak truth to the best of their knowledg , were it not reasonable to expect that there would be no such contingency to the worlds end as that any man should tell a lye ? nay , it were madness for any man to think any such contingency should be , supposing causes actually causing men always to speak truth . secondly , it is far from truth that the causes to preserve faith indeficiently entire , are as efficacious as those which are laid for the propagation of mankind . and whereas he would prove the strength of these causes which are laid to preserve faith , because they are effectively powerful to make multitudes daily debar themselves of those pleasur●s which are the causes of mankinds propagation ; i hope no body that hath read the innumerable complaints which occur in their own historians , and others of the best and most credible of their own writers , of more than one age , concerning the general viciousness and debauchery of their priests and monks , will he overforward to believe that all those who debar themselves of lawful marriage , do abstain from those unlawful pleasures . § . . but nothing can be more impudent than what he adds , that if we look into histories for experience of what hath past in the world since the first planting of christianity , we shall find far more particulars failing in propagating their kind , than their faith , do any histories confirm it to have been the experience of the world , that the far greatest part of the world did in any age give over propagating their kind ? but histories do confirm that the far greatest part of the christian world did fall off to arianism and pelagianism ; and consequently , as he supposeth , did desert and renounce tradition . did ever whole nations and vast territories of the world either wholly , or for the far greatest part of them , take upan humour against propagating mankind ? and yet both history , and the experience of the present age assures us , that a great part of asia and of africk ( where the most flourishing churches in the world once were ) are fallen off from christianity , and become either mahometans or heathens . in africk almost all those vast regions , which christianity had gained from heathenism , mahometanism hath regained from christianity . all the north-part of afrique lying along the mediterranean ( where christianity flourish't once as much as ever it did at rome ) is at this time utterly void of christians , excepting a few towns in the hands of the european princes . and not to mention all particular places , the large region of nubia , which had ( as is thought ) from the apostles time professed the christian faith , hath within these years for want of ministers ( as alvarez * tells us ) quitted christianity , and is partly revolted to heathenism , partly fallen off to mahometanism . so that it seems , that notwithstanding the arguments of hope and fear , the very teachers of tradition may fail in a largely extended church . as for asia , in the easterly parts of it , there is not now one christian to four of what there were years ago ; and in the more southerly parts of it ( where christianity had taken deepest root ) the christians are far inferiour in number to the idolaters and mahometans , and do daily decrease . what thinks mr. s. of all this ? have those christian nations which are turn'd mahometans and pagans failed in their faith or not ? if they have , i expect from him clear instances of more that have failed in propagating their kind . § . . but , besides those who have totally apostatized from christianity , hath not the whole greek church with the jacobites and nestorians , and all those other sects which agree with and depend upon these , and which taken together are manifoldly greater than the roman church ; i say , have not all these renounced tradition for several ages ? and here in europe , hath not a great part of poland , hungary , both germany's , france , and switzerland ? have not the kingdoms of great brittain , denmark , sweden , and a considerable part of ireland , in mr. s's opinion deserted tradition ? if i should once see a whole nation fail , because no body would marry and contribute to the propagation of mankind ; and should find this sullen humour to prevail in several nations , and to overspread vast parts of the world , i should . then in good earnest think it possible for mankind to fail ; unless i could shew it impossible for other nations to do that which i see some to have done , who were every whit as unlikely to have done it . so that whatever cause he assigns of heresie * , as pride , ambition , lust , or any other vice or interest , if these can take place in whole nations , and make them renounce tradition , then where 's the efficacy of the causes to preserve faith indeficiently entire in any ? for the demonstration holds as strongly for all christians as for any . § . . secondly , from these grounds it would follow that no christian can live wickedly ; because the end of faith being a good life , the arguments of hope and fear must in all reason be as powerful and efficacious causes of a good life , as of a true belief . and that his demonstration proves the one as much as the other , will be evident from his own reasoning ; for he * argues in this manner , good is the proper object of the will , good propos'd makes the will to desire that good , and consequently the known means to obtain it : now infinite goods and harms sufficiently proposed are of their own nature incomparably more powerful causes to carry the will than temporal ones . since then , when two causes are counterpoised , the lesser when it comes to execution is no cause as to the substance of that effect , it follows that there is no cause to move the wills of a world of believers to be willing to do that which they judge would lose themselves and their posterity infinite goods , and bring them infinite harms , &c. in case a sufficient proposal or application be not wanting , which he tells us * is not wanting , because christianity urged to execution , gives its followers a new life and a new nature , than which a nearer application cannot be imagined . doth not this argument extend to the lives of christians , as well as their belief ? so that he may as well infer from these grounds , that it is impossible that those who profess christianity should live contrary to it , as that they should fail to deliver down the doctrine of christ ; because whatever can be an inducement and temptation to any man , to contradict this doctrine by his practice , may equally prevail upon him to falsifie it . for why should men make any more scruple of damning themselves and their posterity by teaching them false doctrines , than by living wicked lives ? which are equally pernicious with heretical doctrines , not only upon account of the bad influence which such examples of fathers and teachers are like to have upon their scholars , but likewise as they are one of the strongest arguments in the world to perswade them , that their teachers do not themselves believe that religion which they teach ; for if they did , they would live according to it . why should any man think , that those arguments of hope and fear which will not prevail upon the generality of christians to make them live holy lives , should be so necessarily efficacious to make them so much concerned for the preserving of a right belief ? nay , we have great reason to believe that such persons will endeavour as much as may be , to bend and accommodate their belief to their lives . and this is the true source of those innovations in faith for which we challenge the church of rome ; which any man may easily discern , who will but consider how all their new doctrines are fitted to a secular interest , and the gratifying of that inordinate appetite after riches and dominion which reigns in the court of rome , and in the upper part of the clergy of that church . sect . iv. § . . secondly , the main grounds of his demonstration are apparently false : for , first , this demonstration supposeth that the generality of christian parents in all ages perfectly understood the doctrine of christ , and did not mistake any part of it ; that they remembred it perfectly , and that they were faithful and diligent to instruct their children in it ; which is as contrary to experience as that the generality of christians are knowing and honest . it supposeth likewise , that this doctrine , and every substantial part of it , was received and remembred by the generality of children as it was taught , and was understood perfectly by them without the least material mistake : so he tells us * , that the substance of faith comes clad in such plain matters of fact , that the most stupid man living cannot possibly be ignorant of it . but whether this be reasonable to be supposed or no , may easily be determined not only from every man 's own experience of the world , but from a more advantagious instance of the experience of the first age of christianity . was there ever a more knowing and diligent teacher of this doctrine than our saviour ? and yet his disciples fell into many mistakes concerning it . so that in order to the certain propagating of it , the wisdom of god thought it requisite to endue even those who had learned this doctrine from himself with an infallible spirit , by which they might be led into all truth , and secured from error and mistake ; which had been unnecessary had it been impossible for them to mistake this doctrine . the apostles , who taught the world by an infallible spirit , and with infinitely more advantage than ordinary parents can teach their children , yet in all the churches which they planted they found christians very apt to mistake and pervert their doctrine , as appears by their frequent complaints in most of their epistles . nay the apostle chargeth the generality of the hebrews * with such a degree of dulness and stupidity , that after fitting time and means of instruction they were still ignorant of the very principles of christianity : so he tells them , that when for the time they ought to be teachers of others , they had need that one should teach them again which be the first principles of the oracles of god. and st. hierom tells us * , that the primitive churches were tainted with many gross errors whil'st the apostles were alive , and the blood of christ yet warm in judea . but it may be there have been better teachers since , and children are more apt to learn now than men were then . who knows how the world may be changed ? § . . secondly , this demonstration supposeth the hopes and fears which christian religion applies to mens minds to be certain and necessary causes of actual will in men to adhere to the doctrine of christ ; and consequently that they must necessarily adhere to it . that he supposeth them to be necessary , i have his own word for it ; for he tells us * , that he hath endeavoured to demonstrate the indefectibleness of tradition as the proper and necessary effect of those causes which preserve and continue tradition on foot ; and what those causes are he told us before * , that they are hopes and fears strongly applied . but i hope that the indefectibleness of tradition cannot be a necessary effect of the strong application of those hopes and fears , unless those hopes and fears be a necessary cause of that effect . and indeed this is sufficiently implied in his saying that they are the causes of actual will in christians to adhere to tradition . for if these causes of actual will be constant ( as he must suppose ) then they are certain and necessary and infallible causes of adhering to this doctrine . for whatever is in act is necessary while it is so , and if it be constantly in act , the effect is always necessary . but what a wild supposition is this , that moral motives and arguments working upon a free principle , the will of man , do necessarily produce their effect ? is it necessary that the hopes of heaven , and the fears of hell should keep christians constant to the doctrine of christ ? and is it not as necessary that these arguments should prevail upon them to the practice of it ? it is in vain to go about to demonstrate that all men must be good who have sufficient arguments propounded to them , when experience tells us the contrary . nay , it is in reason impossible that moral arguments should be of a necessary and infallible efficacy , because they are always propounded to a free agent , who may choose whether he will yield to them or not . indeed it is always reasonable that men should yield to them , and if they be reasonable they will ; but so long as they are free it can never be infallibly certain that they will. and if men be not free , it is no vertue at all in them to be wrought upon by these arguments . for what vertue can it be in any man to entertain the christian doctrine and adhere to it and live accordingly , if he does all this necessarily , that is , whether he will or no , and can no more choose whether he will do so or not , than whether he will see the light when the sun shines upon his open eyes , or whether he will hear a sound when all the bells in the town are ringing in his ears , or ( to use mr. s's * own similitudes ) whether he will feel heat , cold , pain , pleasure , or any other material quality that affects his senses . we see then how unreasonable his suppositions are , and yet without these grounds his demonstration falls . for if it be possible that christians may mistake or forget the doctrine of christ , or any part of it , or be defective in diligence to instruct others in it ; or if it be possible that the will of man which is free , may not be necessarily and infallibly swayed by the arguments of hope and fear , then it is possible that tradition may fail . and is not this a good demonstration which supports it self upon such principles as do directly affront the constant experience , and the clearest reason of mankind ? § . . and here i cannot but take notice how inconsistent he is to himself in laying the grounds of tradition's certainty . in one part of his book he tells us * , that tradition hath for its basis the best nature in the vniverse , that is , mans ; not according to his moral part , defectible by reason of original corruption ; nor yet his intellectuals , darkly groping in the pursuit of science , &c. but according to those faculties in him perfectly and necessarily subject to the operations and strokes of nature , that is , his eyes , ears ; handling , and the direct impressions of knowledg , as naturally and necessarily issuing from the affecting those senses , as it is to feel heat , cold , pain , pleasure , or any other material quality . so that according to this discourse , the basis of tradition is not mans nature considered as moral , and capable of intellectual reflection ; for in this consideration it is dark and defectible : but mans nature considered only as capable of direct sensitive knowledg , and as acting naturally and necessarily . which is to say , that tradition is foundded in the nature of man considered not as a man but a brute ; under which consideration , i see no reason why he should call it the best nature in the vniverse . but now how will he reconcile this discourse with the grounds of his demonstration ? where he tells us , that the stability of tradition is founded in the arguments of hope and fear , the objects of which being future and at a distance , cannot work upon a man immediately by direct impressions upon his senses , but must work upon him by way of intellectual reflection and consideration . for i hope he will not deny but that the arguments of hope and fear work upon man according to his moral and intellectual part , else how are they arguments ? and if man according to his moral part be ( as he says ) defectible , how can the indefectibility of tradition be founded in those arguments which work upon man only according to his moral part ? i have purposely all along ( both for the readers ease and mine own ) neglected to take notice of several of his inconsistencies , but these are such clear and transparent contradictions , that i could do no less than make an example of them . sect . v. § . . thirdly , this demonstration is confuted by clear and undeniable instances to the contrary . i will mention but two . first , the tradition of the one true god , which was the easiest to be preserved of any doctrine in the world , being short and plain , planted in every mans nature , and perfectly suited to the reason of mankind . and yet this tradition , not having past through many hands ( by reason of the long age of man ) was so defaced and corrupted , that the world did lapse into polytheism and idolatry . now a man that were so hardy as to demonstrate against matter of fact , might by a stronger demonstration than mr. s's , prove that though it be certain this tradition hath failed , yet it was impossible it should fail ; as zeno demonstrated the impossibility of motion against diogenes walking before his eyes . for the doctrine of the one true god was setled in the heart of noah , and firmly believed by him to be the way to happiness , and the contradicting or deserting of this , to be the way to misery . and this doctrine was by him so taught to his children , who were encouraged by these motives to adhere to this doctrine , and to propagate it to their children , and were deterred by them from relinquishing it . and this was in all ages the perswasion of the faithful . now the hopes of happiness , and the fears of misery strongly applied , are the causes of actual will. besides , the thing was feasible , or within their power ; that is , what they were bred to was knowable by them , and that much more easily than any other doctrine whatsoever , being short , and plain , and natural . this put , it follows as certainly that a great number in each age would continue to hold themselves , and teach their children as themselves had been taught , that is , would follow and stick to this tradition of the one true god , as it doth that a cause put actually causing produceth its effect . actually i say ; for since the cause is put , and the patient disposed , it follows inevitably that the cause is put still actually causing . this demonstration which concludes an apparent falshood hath the whole strength of mr. s's , and several advantages beyond it . for the doctrine conveyed by this tradition is the most important , being the first principle of all religion ; the danger of corrupting it as great , the facility of preserving it much greater , than of the christian doctrine , for the causes before mentioned . and yet after all , it signifies nothing against certain experience , and unquestionable matter of fact ; only it sufficiently shews the vanity of mr. s's pretended demonstration built upon the same or weaker grounds . § . . secondly , the other instance shall be in the greek church , who received the christian doctrine as entire from the apostles , and had as great an obligation to propagate it truly to posterity , and the same fears and hopes strongly applied to be the actual causes of will ; in a word , all the same arguments and causes to preserve and continue tradition on foot , which the roman church had : and yet , to the utter confusion of mr. s's demonstration , tradition hath failed among them . for as speculators , they deny the procession of the holy ghost from the son , and as testifiers they disown any such doctrine to have been delivered to them by the precedent age , or to any other age of their church by the apostles as the doctrine of christ. § . . to this instance of the greek church , because mr. white hath offered something by way of answer , i shall here consider it . he tells us * , that the plea of the greek church is non-tradition , alledging only this , that their fathers do not deliver the doctrine of the procession of the holy ghost ; not that they say the contrary , which clearly demonstrates there are no opposite traditions between them and us . but this was not the thing mr. white was concerned to do , to demonstrate there were no opposite traditions between the greeks and the latines , but to secure his main demonstration of the impossibility of traditions failing against this instance . for that the greeks have no such tradition as this , that the holy ghost proceeds from the son , is as good an evidence of the failure of tradition as if they had a positive tradition , that he proceeds only from the father ; especially if we consider that they * charge the latin church with innovation in this matter , and say that the addition of that clause , of the procession from the son also , is a corruption of the ancient faith , and a devilish invention . why then does mr. white go about to baffle so material an objection ( and , i fear , his own conscience likewise ) by a pitiful evasion instead of a solid answer ? what though there be no opposite traditions between the greek and latin church , yet if their faith be opposite , will it not from hence follow that tradition hath failed in one of them ? i wonder that mr. white , who hath so very well confuted the infallibility of popes and councils , and thereby undermined the very foundations of that religion , should not by the same light of reason discover the fondness of his own opinion concerning the infallibility of oral tradition , which hath more and greater absurdities in it than that which he confutes . and to shew mr. white the absurdity of it , i will apply his demonstration of the infallibility of christian tradition in general , to the greek church in particular ; by which every one will see that it does as strongly prove the impossibility of traditions failing in the greek church , as in the roman-catholick , as they are pleased to call it . his demonstration is this * , christ commanded his apostles to preach to all the world , and lest any one should doubt of the effect , he sent his spirit into them to bring to their remembrance what he had taught them ; which spirit did not only give them a power to do what he enclined them to , but did cause them actually to do it . i cannot but take notice by the way of the ill consequence of this , which is , that men may doubt , whether those who are to teach the doctrine of christ , will remember it , and teach it to others , unless they have that extraordinary and efficacious assistance of the holy ghost which the apostles had ; if this be true , his demonstration is at an end , for he cannot plead that this assistance hath been continued ever since the apostles . he proceeds , the apostles preached this doctrine ; the nations understood it , lived according to it , and valued it as that which was necessary to them and their posterity incomparably beyond any thing else . all this i suppose done to , and by the greeks as well as any other nation . these things being put , it cannot enter into any mans understanding , but that the christian [ greeks ] of the first age , being the scholars of the apostles , could and would earnestly commend the christian doctrine to their posterity ; if so , it is evident that they did . so that the continuance of the purity of the faith in the [ greek ] church is founded upon this , that fathers always delivered the same doctrine to their children which they had received from their fathers , and did believe it under this very notion and title as received ; nor could any one [ of that church ] deliver another doctrine under this title , but he would be convinced of a lye by the rest ; and if the whole [ greek ] church should endeavour to deliver a new doctrine under that title , [ and there 's the same reason if they should leave out any article of the old doctrine ] that whole age would be in their consciences condemned of perfidiousness and parricide . now this is as impossible as it is that all mankind should conspire to kill themselves . and he afterwards * gives the reason why it is so . impossible that tradition should fail , and it is a very bold and saucy one , that if the tradition of the christian faith be not more firm than the course of the sun and moon , and the propagation of mankind , then god hath shewn himself an unskilful artificer . what is there in all this demonstration , which may not be accommodated to the greek church with as much force and advantage as to the catholick ? unless he can shew that it is very possible that all the men in greece may conspire to kill themselves , but yet absolutely impossible that all the men in the world should do so ; which i am sure he cannnot shew , unless he can demonstrate , that though it be possible for a million , of as wise men as any are to be found in the world together , to conspire to do a foolish action , yet it is impossible that an hundred millions not one jot wiser than the other , should agree together to the doing of it . § . . from all this it appears , that mr. white 's answer to this objection , doth not signifie any thing to his purpose . for if the procession of the holy ghost was part of christs doctrine , then it was delivered by the apostles to the greek church ; if so , they could not fail to deliver it down to the next age , and that to the next , and so on ; but it seems they have failed . where then is the force of hopes and fears strongly applied ? where are the certain causes of actual will to adhere to this doctrine ? why is not the effect produced , the causes being put actually causing ? if the apostles delivered this doctrine , oral tradition is so clear and unmistakable , and * brings down faith clad in such plain matters of fact , that the most stupid man living ( much less the greeks , that were the flower of mankind ) could not possibly be ignorant of it ; nay * , it exceeds all the power of nature to blot knowledges thus fixt out of the soul of one single believer ( much more out of so vast a church ) and * since no man can hold contrary to his knowledg , or doubt of what he holds , nor change and innovate without knowing he did so , 't is a manifest impossibility , a whole church should in any age fall into an absurdity so inconsistent with the nature of one single man. and * since 't is natural for every man to speak truth , and grace is to perfect nature in whatever is good in it , it follows that one truly christian heart is far more fixt to veracity , than others not imbu'd with these heavenly tenets ; and consequently that a multitude of such must incomparably exceed in point of testifying the same number of others , unfortified by christs doctrine . and since * such a thought cannot enter into the most depraved nature , as to harm another without any good to himself , and yet this must be if we put christian fathers misteaching their children unreceived doctrines for received ( and i hope for the same reason , received doctrines for unreceived ) contrary to their knowledg . for supposing sanctity in the ( greek ) church ( and why may we not as well as in the latin ) that is , that multitudes in it make heaven their first love , and look on spiritual goods as their main concern , &c. it follows , that had the fathers of that church in any age consented to mislead their posterity from what themselves ( not only ) conceited ( but knew ) to be true , they should do the most extream harm imaginable to others without any the least good to themselves ; which is perhaps impossible in one single man , more in few , but infinitely in a multitude , especially of good men . § . . thus i might apply the rest of his ranting rhetorick ( but that i am weary of transcribing it ) concerning * the natural love of parents to their children ( unless we suppose the greek church destitute of it ) which must needs engage them to use the means proper to bring them to heaven , and save them from hell : as also concerning the natural care men have of not losing their credit by telling pernicious lyes . and , not to omit the best part of his demonstration * ( which was therefore prudently reserved to the last place ) i might likewise shew how the principles of each science , arithmetick , geometry , logick , nature , morality , historical prudence , politicks , metaphysicks , divinity , and last of all the new science of controversie ( as he calls it ) or the blessed art of eternal wrangling and disputing ( the first principle whereof ( he tells us ) is , that tradition is certain ) do all contribute to shew the certainty of tradition , that is , the impossibility that any part of christs doctrine should fail in the greek church any more than in the latin. and surely arithmetick , geometry , logick , natural philosophy , metaphysicks , &c. will all stand up for the greek church in this quarrel ; for considering that greece was the place where the arts and sciences were born and bred , it is not to be imagined that they should be so disingenuous and unnatural , as not to contribute their best assistance to the service of their countrey . § . . but it may be the greeks cannot so justly pretend to oral tradition as the latins . what if st. peter , the head of the apostles , thought fit to share scripture and tradition between these two churches , and laying his left hand on the greek church , and his right on the latin , was pleased to confer the great blessing of oral tradition upon the latin church ? which being to be the seat of infallibility , it was but fitting that she should be furnish't with this infallible way of conveying the christian doctrine . and therefore it may be , that as the scriptures of the new testament were left in greek , so oral tradition was delivered down only in latin . this i confess is not altogether without some shew of reason : mr. s. may do well to take the matter into his deeper consideration ; he hath in his time improved as weak probabilities as these into lusty demonstrations . and if he could but demonstrate this , it would very much weaken the force of this instance of the greek church ; otherwise ( for ought i see ) this instance will hold good against him ; and whatever he can say for the impossibility of tradition's failing in the latin church , may all be said of the greek church , if he will but grant that the apostles preached the same doctrine to them both ; that the arguments of hope and fear which this doctrine contains in it , were applied as strongly to the greeks as the latins . and yet notwithstanding all this , tradition hath plainly failed in the greek church . let him now assign the age wherein so vast a number of men conspired to leave out the article of the procession of the holy ghost ; and shew how it was possible a whole age could conspire together to damn their posterity ; or how the faith of immediate fore-fathers might be altered without any such conspiracy ; and we are ready to satisfie him how the doctrine of the latin church might be corrupted and altered , and to tell him punctually in what age it was done . and until he do this , i would entreat him to trouble us no more with those canting questions ( wherein yet the whole force of his demonstration lies ) how is it possible a whole age should conspire to change the doctrine of their fore-fathers ? and in what age was this done ? for if it be reasonable to demand of us , in order to the overthrowing of his demonstration , to assign the particular age wherein the latin church conspired to change the ancient doctrine ; with the same reason we require of him , in order to the maintaining of his demonstration , to name the particular age wherein the greek church conspired to alter the doctrine of christ ( which was undoubtedly in the first age truly delivered to them by the apostles ) and also to shew from the rational force and strength of tradition , how it is more impossible for the whole church to have failed in transmitting the doctrine of christ down to us , or to have conspired to the altering of it , than for such a multitude of christians as is the vast body of the greek church . if mr. s. or mr. white shew this , they do something ; otherwise , i must tell them , that unless they can manage these pretty things they call demonstrations better , they must shortly either quit their reason , or their religion ; or else return to the honest old mumpsimus of the infallibility of the church from an extraordinary and immediate assistance of the holy ghost ; or ( to make the business short , and stop all gaps with one bush ) come over to the jesuites , and acknowledg the popes infallibility both in matters of faith and fact ; by which means they may reconcile themselves to him , and prevent that direful stroke which threatens them from rome , and is ready to cut them off from the body of the traditionary church . and thus i have done with his first demonstration ; and i take it for a good sign that the popish cause is at a very low ebb , when such stuff as this must be called demonstration . sect . vi. § . . i come now to his demonstration a posteriori , which although it fall of it self if the demonstration a priori fail ; yet because it hath some peculiar absurdities of its own , i shall consider it by it self as well as with relation to the other . § . . before he comes to lay it down with the grounds of it , according to his usual fashion , he premiseth something as yielded by protestants which , in his sense , no protestant ever granted . just so he dealt with us before concerning the scriptures , saying , that by them the protestants must mean unsensed letters and characters . but let us see what it is . * that this demonstration a posteriori , seems a needless endeavour against the protestants , who yield that those points in which we agree , as the trinity , incarnation , &c. came down by this way of tradition ; and this ( he saith ) no protestant ever denied . and then he asks . whether the same vertue of tradition would not have been as powerful to bring down other points in which we do not agree , had any such been ? now if he speak any thing to his own purpose , he must suppose protestants to yield , that all those points wherein we are agreed , were conveyed down to us solely by oral tradition without writing : but this all protestants deny . so that , that only which would avail his cause against us , is to shew , that those points wherein we differ , have not only come down to us by oral teaching , but that they are likewise contained in scripture , without which , we say , we can have no sufficient certainty and assurance at this distance , that they were the doctrine of christ , and that they were not either totally innovated , or else corrupted in the conveyance from what they were at first . and if he can shew this concerning any point in difference , i promise to yield it to him . § . . i come now to his demonstration , which i shall set down in his own words with the principles upon which it relies . * the effect then we will pitch upon , and avow to be the proper one of such a cause , is the present perswasion of traditionary christians ( or catholicks ) that their faith hath descended from christ and his apostles uninterruptedly , which we find most firmly rooted in their heart ; and the existence of this perswasion we affirm to be impossible without the existence of traditions ever indeficiency to beget it . to prove this , i lay this first principle ; that age , which holds her faith thus delivered from the apostles , neither can it self have changed any thing in it nor know or doubt that any age since the apostles had changed or innovated therein . the second principle shall be this . no age could innovate any thing , and withall deliver that very thing to posterity as received from christ by continual succession . the sum of which is this , that because a present multitude of christians ( viz. the roman church ) are perswaded , that christ's doctrine hath descended to them solely by an uninterrupted oral tradition , therefore this perswasion is an effect which cannot be attributed to any other cause but the indeficiency of oral tradition . for if neither the present age , nor any age before , could make any change or innovation , then the perswasion of the present age is a plain demonstration that this doctrine was always the same , and consequently that tradition cannot fail . § . . in answer to this , i shall endeavour to make good these four things . first , that these principles wholly rely upon the truth of the grounds of his demonstration a priori . secondly , that these principles are not sufficiently proved by him . thirdly , that doctrines and practises , which must be acknowledged to have been innovated , have made the same pretence to uninterrupted tradition . fourthly , that it is not the present perswasion of the church of rome , ( whom he calls the traditionary christians ) nor ever was , that their faith hath descended to them solely by oral tradition . if i can now make good these four things , i hope his demonstration is at an end . sect . vii . § . . that these principles wholly rely upon the truth of the grounds of his demonstration a priori . for if the doctrine of christ was either imperfectly taught in any age , or mistaken by the learners , or any part of it forgotten ( as it seems the whole greek church have forgot that fundamental point of the procession of the holy ghost , as the roman church accounts it ) or if the arguments of hope and fear be not necessary causes of actual will to adhere to tradition ; then there may have been changes and innovations in any age , and yet men may pretend to have followed tradition . but i have shewn , that ignorance , and negligence , and mistake , and pride , and lust , and ambition , and any other vice or interest , may hinder those causes from being effectual to preserve tradition entire and uncorrupted . and when they do so , it is not to be expected that those persons , who innovate and change the doctrine , should acknowledg that their new doctrines are contrary to the doctrine of christ ; but that they should at first advance them as pious , and after they have prevailed and gained general entertainment , then impudently affirm that they were the very doctrines which christ delivered ; which they may very securely do , when they have it in their power to burn all that shall deny it . § . . i will give a clear instance of the possibility of this in the doctrine of transubstantiation , by shewing how this might easily come in , in the ninth or tenth age after christ. we will suppose then that about this time , when universal ignorance , and the genuine daughter of it ( call her devotion or superstition ) had overspread the world , and the generality of people were strongly enclined to believe strange things ; and even the greatest contradictions were recommended to them under the notion of mysteries , being told by their priests and guides , that the more contradictions any thing is to reason , the greater merit there is in believing it : i say , let us suppose , that in this state of things , one or more of the most eminent then in the church , either out of design , or out of superstitious ignorance and mistake of the sense of our saviour's words used in the consecration of the sacrament , should advance this new doctrine , that the words of consecration , this is my body , are not to be understood by any kind of trope ( as the like forms in scripture are , as i am the vine , i am the door , which are plain tropes ) but being used about this great mystery of the sacrament ought in all reason to be supposed to contain in them some notable mystery ; which they will do , if they be understood of a real change of the substance of bread and wine , made by vertue of these words , into the real body and blood of our saviour . and in all this , i suppose nothing but what is so far from being impossible , that it is too usual , for men either out of ignorance or interest , to advance new opinions in religion . and such a doctrine as this was very likely to be advanced by the ambitious clergy of that time , as a probable means to draw in the people to a greater veneration of them ; which advantage mr. rushworth * seems to be very sensible of , when he tells us , that the power of the priest in this particular , is such a priviledg , as if all the learned clerks that ever lived since the beginning of the world , should have studied to raise , advance , and magnifie some one state of men to the highest pitch of reverence and eminency , they could never ( without special light from heaven ) have thought of any thing comparable to this . i am of his mind , that it was a very notable device , but ( i am apt to think ) invented without any special light from heaven . nor was such a doctrine less likely to take and prevail among the people in an age prodigiously ignorant , and strongly enclined to superstition , and thereby well prepared to receive the grossest absurdities under the notion of mysteries ; especially if they were such as might seem to conciliate a greater honour and reverence to the sacrament . now supposing such a doctrine as this , so fitted to the humor and temper of the age , to be once asserted , either by chance , or out of design ; it would take like wild-fire : especially if by some one or more who bore sway in the church , it were but recommended with convenient gravity and solemnity . and although mr. rushworth says * , it is impossible that the authority of one man should sway so much in the world , because ( sayes he ) surely the devil himself would rather help the church , than permit so little pride among men ; yet i am not so thoroughly satisfied with this cunning reason : for though he delivers it confidently , and with a surely , yet i make some doubt whether the devil would be so forward to help the church ; nay , on the contrary , i am enclined to think that he would rather choose to connive at this humble and obsequious temper in men , in order to the overthrow of religion , than cross a design so dear to him by unseasonable temptations to pride : so that notwithstanding mr. rushworth's reason , it seems very likely that such a doctrine , in such an age , might easily be propagated by the influence and authority of one or a few great persons in the church . for nothing can be more suitable to the easie and passive temper of superstitious ignorance , than to entertain such a doctrine with all imaginable greediness , and to maintain it with a proportionable zeal . and if there be any wiser than the rest , who make objections against it as if this doctrine were new and full of contradictions , they may easily be born down by the stream , and by the eminency and authority and pretended sanctity of those who are the heads of this innovation . and when this doctrine is generally swallowed , and all that oppose it are looked upon and punished as hereticks , then it is seasonable to maintain that this doctrine was the doctrine of forefathers ; to which end it will be sufficient to those who are willing to have it true , to bend two or three sayings of the ancients to that purpose . and as for the contradictions contained in this doctrine , it was but telling the people then ( as they do in effect now ) that contradictions ought to be no scruple in the way of faith : that the more impossible any thing is , 't is the fitter to be believed : that it is not praise-worthy to believe plain possibilities , but that this is the gallantry and heroical power of faith , this is the way to oblige god almighty for ever to us , to believe flat and down-right contradictions : for god requires at the peoples hands ( as mr. rushworth * tells us ) a credulity of things above and beyond nature ; nay , beyond all the fables , be it spoken with respect , that ever man invented . after this doctrine hath proceeded thus far , and by the most inhumane severities and cruelties supprest dissenters , or in a good measure rooted them out ; then if they please even this new word transubstantiation may pretend also to antiquity , and in time be confidently vouched for a word used by christians in all ages , and transmitted down to them by those from whom they received the doctrine of the sacrament , as a term of art appendant to it . and when a superstitious church and designing governors have once gained this post , and by means of this enormous article of transubstantiation have sufficiently debauched the minds of men , and made a breach in their understandings wide enough for the entertaining of any error , though never so gross and sensless ; then innovations come in amain , and by sholes ; and the more absurd and unreasonable any thing is , it is for that very reason the more proper matter for an article of faith. and if any of these innovations be objected against , as contrary to former belief and practice , it is but putting forth a lusty act of faith , and believing another contradiction , that though they be contrary yet they are the same . § . . and there is nothing in all this , but what is agreeable both to history and experience . for that the ninth and tenth ages , and those which followed them till the reformation , were thus prodigiously ignorant and superstitious , is confirmed by the unanimous consent of all historians ; and even by those writers , that have been the greatest pillars of their own religion . and experience tells us , that in what age soever there are a great company of superstitious people , there will never be wanting a few crafty fellows to make use of this easie and pliable humor to their own ends . now that this was the state of those ages of the church , will be evident to any from these testimonies . platina * writes of pope romanus , that he null'd the acts of his predecessor stephanus ; for ( sayes he ) these popes minded nothing else but how they might extinguish both the name and dignity of their predecessors . and if so , who can doubt , but that these popes who made it their business to destroy the very memory of their ancestors , would be very little careful to preserve the doctrine of fore-fathers . but what the care of those times was in this particular , may be conjectured from what onuphrius * says by way of confutation of that passage in platina , concerning pope joan's reading publickly at rome at her first coming thither . this ( says he ) is utterly false , for there was nothing that they were less sollicitous about in those times , than to furnish the city with any publick teachers . and the time which onuphrius speaks of , was much about the beginning of the tenth century . phil. bergomensis * says , it happened in that age through the slothfulness of men , that there was a general decay of vertue both in the head and members . again * , these times through the ambition and cruel tyranny of the popes were extremely unhappy — for the popes setting aside the fear of god and his worship , fell into such enmities among themselves , as cruel tyrants exercise towards one another . sabellicus * says , it is wonderful to observe what a strange forgetfulness of all arts did about this time seize upon men ; insomuch that neither the popes , nor other princes seem'd to have any sense or apprehension of any thing that might be useful to humane life . there were no wholsome laws , no reparations of churches , no pursuit of liberal arts ; but a kind of stupidity and madness and forgetfulness of manners had possessed the minds of men . and a little after , i cannot ( says he ) but much wonder , from whence these tragical examples of popes should spring ; and how their minds should come to be so devoid of all piety , as neither to regard the person which they susteined , nor the place they were in . sigonius * speaking of these times , about the beginning of the tenth century , calls them the foulest and blackest , both in respect of the wickedness of princes , and the madness of the people , that are to be found in all antiquity , genebrard * speaking of the same time , this ( says he ) is called the unhappy age ; being destitute of men eminent for wit and learning , as also of famous princes and popes . in this time there was scarce any thing done worthy to be remembred by posterity . and he adds afterwards , but chiefly unhappy in this one thing , that for almost years together , about popes , did utterly degenerate from the vertue of their ancestors . he should have added further , but even to a miracle happy in another respect , that during this long and total degeneracy from the piety and vertue of their ancestors , they did not in the least swerve from them in matter of faith and doctrine : a thing incredible , were there not demonstration for it . werner * gives this character of that time ; about the year of our lord one thousand , there began an effeminate time , in which the christian faith begun to degenerate exceedingly , and to decline from its ancient vigour ; insomuch that in many countries of christendom , neither sacraments nor ecclesiastical rites were observed — and people were given to soothsaying and witchcrafts , and the priest was like the people . it seems by this testimony , that tradition did faulter a little in that age , else the christian faith could not possibly have degenerated and declined so very much : and ( which threatens mr. s's demonstration most of all ) that the practical tradition of sacraments , and other ecclesiastical observances did fail in many christian countries . gerbert * , who lived in that time , gives this short character of the roman church , in an epistle of his to stephen deacon of that church ; the world stands amazed at the manners of rome . but most full is the complaint of a great prelate of the church * concerning those times ; in the west ( says he ) and almost all the world over ( especially among those who were called the faithful ) faith failed , and there was no fear of god among them : ( it seems the argument of fear had lost its force ) justice was perished from among men , and violence prevailing against equity governed the nations . fraud , deceit , and the arts of couzenage were grown universal . all kind of vertue gave way as an useless thing , and wickedness supply'd its place . the world seemed to be declining apace towards its evening , and the second coming of the son of man to draw near : for love was grown cold , and fai●h was not found upon earth . all things were in confusion , and the world looked as if it would return to its old chaos . — all sorts of fornication were committed with the same freedom as if they had been lawful actions ; for men neither blushed at them , nor were punish't for them . — nor did the clergy live better than the people . — for the bishops were grown negligent of the duty of their place . &c. in a word , men ran themselves headlong into all vice , and all flesh had corrupted its way . and farther to shew the great neglect of priests and bishops in the work of teaching and instruction ( which is so necessary to the preserving of tradition inviolable ) i will add the testimony of one * who lived in those times ; who tells us , that in those days , the priests and bishops , who ought to have been the pillars of the church , were so negligent that they did not mind the divine scripture ; nor take any care to teach and instruct scholars that might succeed them , as we read holy men had used to do , who left many scholars perfectly instructed to be their successors . if they had only neglected the scriptures , all might have been well enough ; but it seems they took no care to instruct people in the way of oral tradition , nor to furnish the church with a new generation of able teachers who might deliver down from hand to hand the sense and faith of fore-fathers . this last testimony , the late learned lord primate of ierland , bishop vsher ( in his book de christian. eccles. success . &c. * where several of the testimonies i have produced , with many more to the same purpose , may be seen ) cites out of a m. s. in bennet colledg library in cambridg ; concerning the authority of which m. s. there need be no dispute between mr. s. and me ; because the whole force and effect of this testimony is sufficiently contained in those citations which i have brought out of publick and unquestionable books . § . . all these testimonies which i have produced are , in general and for the substance of them , confirmed by two of the greatest props of the romish church ; bellarmine , and baronius . bellarmine * says of this tenth age , that there was never any either more unlearned , or more unhappy . baronius * speaks more particularly , what was then the face of the roman church ? how deformed ? when whores , no less powerful than vile , bore the chief sway at rome ; and at their pleasure changed sees , appointed bishops ; and ( which it is horrible to mention ) did thrust into st. peters see their own gallants , false-popes , who would not have been mentioned in the catalogue of the roman popes , but only for the more distinct recording of so long a succession of times . and a little after , christ was then ( it seems ) in a very deep sleep — and which was worse ; when the lord was thus asleep there were no disciples to awaken him , being themselves all fast asleep . what kind of cardinal presbyters and deacons can we think were chosen by these monsters , when nothing is so natural as for every one to propagate his own likeness ? it is very much that these lewd women , and their favourite-popes , cardinals , and bishops who then swayed the church , should , when they were so careless of their own souls , be so tender of the salvation of posterity ; and , when they administred all other affairs of the church so extravagantly , should be so careful of the main chance , as to transmit the christian doctrine entire and uncorrupted to succeeding ages . yet mr. s. hath demonstrated this a posteriori , which seems so very strange to a man that considers things a priori . § . . but it may be , this dismal state of the roman church lasted but a little while ; and she did in the same age , before tradition could be interrupted , recover her self out of this degenerate condition . i will therefore enquire a little into the state of succeeding times . and i find in the thirteenth century , st. bernard * complaining , that the degeneracy of the priests was in his days greater than ever ; we cannot ( says he ) now say , as is the people so is the priest ; for the people are not so bad as their priests . in the fifteenth century , nic. de clemangiis , who lived in that time , wrote a book upon this argument , of the corrupt state of the church ; by which we may make some judgment whether in that age it was ( as mr. s. says ) impossible but that the christian doctrine should be entirely preserved , and faithfully and diligently taught . he says * there was an universal degeneracy in the church , from the very head of it to its lowest members . in the same chapter he complains , who is there that preaches the gospel to the people ? who shews them the way to salvation either by word or action ? it seems there was a great failure both of oral and practical tradition . again * , speaking of the pope's taking to himself the collation of all vacant bishopricks and dignities ; he says , one might think the pope did this , that the church might be provided of worthier governors , both in respect of their learning , and their lives , did not the thing it self declare the contrary , and that ignorant and useless persons ( provided they had money ) were by simony advanced to the highest degrees in the church . and * , speaking what a vast number of candidates there was usually at rome from all parts waiting for benefices and dignities , he tells us , that many of these did not come from their studies , or from schools of learning , to govern parishes ; but from the plow , and from the meanest professions : and that they understood latin and arabick much at the same rate ; and many of them could not read at all . but it may be ( says he ) their manners were such as might be some excuse for their ignorance . no ; though their learning was but little , their vertue was less ; for being brought up in idleness , they followed nothing but debauchery and sports , &c. hence it comes to pass , that in all places there are so many wicked , and wretched , and ignorant priests — hence it is that priests are so contemned by the common people — formerly the priesthood was highly honoured by the people , and nothing was more venerable than that order of men ; but now nothing is more vile and despicable . — * i make no doubt , but there are now more thieves and robbers , than true pastors in the church . — * why should any man now flatter himself with hopes of preferment , because of his vertue or learning ? men do not now ( as formerly ) rise in the church by such arts — * which of those that are now adays advanced to the pontifical dignity , hath so much as perfunctorily read , or heard , or learn't the scriptures ; yea , or ever touched any more than the cover of the bible ? again * , speaking of the prodigious covetousness of the governors of the church , and the gross neglect of their flocks , they would ( says he ) much more contentedly bear the loss of ten thousand souls , than of ten or twelve shillings . but why do i say more contentedly ? when without the least trouble or disturbance to themselves , they can bear the loss of souls ; a thing so far from their care , that it never entred into their thoughts . had the hereticks of those days but had wit enough , and a little money , they might ( it seems ) for a small sum have hired the governors of the church to have renounced tradition , or to have ceased to propagate it ; though they had known that in so doing they should have damned all their posterity . he goes on , and tells us , that if there were perhaps any one who did not take these courses , the rest would all snarle at him , call him fool , and say he was unfit to be a priest. — so that the study of the scriptures ( together with the professors of it ) was turned into laughter and scorn by all ; but ( which is prodigious ) especially by the popes , who prefer their own traditions many degrees before the commands of god. i desire mr. s. to take notice in what kind of times tradition was set up against scripture . again * , speaking of the choice of persons to be priests , he tells us , that there was no enquiry made into their lives , no question about their manners : as for their learning ( says he ) what need i speak of that ? when we see the priests , almost universally ▪ have much ado to read , though but in an haesitating and spelling fashion , drawing out one syllable after another , without understanding either the sense of what they read , or the words . i am now reconciled to oral tradition , and convinced that there was great need of it in those ages in which scarce any of the priests could either write or read . i omit the particulars of what he says * concerning the common drunkenness and incontinency of priests , who ( because they made conscience of marriage ) kept whores in their houses ; concerning the dissolute lives of monks ; and concerning nunneries , which instead of being the sanctuaries of god , were he abominable stews of venus ▪ and the receptacles of lascivious young men ; insomuch ( says he ) that at this day it is the same thing to put a virgin into a nunnery , and to make her a common strumpet . and to shew that he does not speak these things of a few , but with relation to the general corruption of that age , he adds * , that wickedness did so abound in all orders of men , that scarce one among a thousand was to be found who did truly live up to his profession : and if there was any one that did not follow these lewd courses , he became ridiculous to others , and was branded either as an insolent singular mad-man , or an hypocrite . i wil conclude this long testimony with the character which he gives * of one of the popes of his time , clement by name , viz. that he did chiefly apply himself to gratifie and oblige all the parasites and buffoons that had any interest in the several courts of princes : and to this end , did confer upon these , and upon handsom young boys ( which he much delighted in ) almost all the vacant bishopricks , and most of the other church-d●●●nities . it is well that oral tradition hath the security of infallibility , otherwise it had in all probability been lost among this lewd sort of people , which yet they gravely call the holy roman-catholick church . § . to this effect i might have produced testimonies concerning every age from the ninth to the sixteenth ; but mr. cressy hath saved me that labour , who acknowledges * , that these worst times of the church , when ignorance , wordliness , pride , tyranny , &c. reigned with so much scope : when the popes ( so wicked , so abominable in their lives ) enjoyed so unlimited a power even over secular princes themselves , and much more over the clergy : i say , he acknowledges that these worst times continued during the space of about six ages before luther : a competent time ( one would think ) for tradition to have miscarried in , were it not ( as mr. s. says ) indefectible . mr. cressy indeed tells us * , that this was to him an irrefragable testimony of a strange watchfulness of divine providence over the church , to preserve it from the gates of hell ( that is , established and dangerous errors ) during these worst times . and very likely it is that this might appear so to such a catholick whose judgment , he tells us , it is to renounce his own judgment : but it will never appear irrefragable , to any man that hath his judgment about him , unless mr. cressy can prove , that by that phrase , viz. the gates of hell , the scripture does not mean gross wickedness of life , as well as dangerous errors in opinion ; and likewise , that a general viciousness and debauchery of manners is not as pernicious to christianity , and as destructive to the end of it , as establish'd errors in doctrine : and if so , that the providence of god is not equally concerned to preserve the church from things equally pernicious . when he hath proved these three things , then this declamatory discourse of his may signify something , but not before . § . now if this be a true representation of the state of the roman church in those ages , was not this a very fit time for the devil to play his pranks in ? will any man that reads these testimonies , think it impossible that the doctrine of christ should have been depraved in this age ; or that the most sensless and absurd tenets might then be brought in under the notion of christian doctrines ? when scarce any one knew what the doctrine of christ was : when a general ignorance of letters ▪ and almost an universal stupidity and madness had seized upon the minds of men : when there was a horrid depravation of manners , and a general failure of vertue and piety both in the head and members of the church : when the lives of the popes were tragically wicked , and no footsteps of piety appeared in them : when for about years together , in a continued succession of popes , there was scarce one pious and vertuous man ( or woman ) sate in that chair : when the whores governed rome , and put out , and put in bishops at their pleasure ; and made their own gallants popes , who would be sure to make a colledge of cardinals of such monsters as themselves : when pretty boys , and parasites , and buffoons led the head of the church by the nose , and were gratified with the best bishopricks and dignities in the church : when there was a general decay of knowledg , and defection of the christian faith : when in many countreys neither sacraments , nor other ecclesiastical rites were observed : when violence and fraud , and all the arts of deceit and couzenage , and blacker arts than these , were the common study and practice : when intemperance , and all kind of lewdness and debauchery , reigned in all sorts and orders of men : when the generality of bishops and priests ( who , according to mr. rushworth * , can only teach the traditionary doctrine ) were ignorant in the scriptures and in every thing else ( very few of them being able so much as to read tolerably ) and did neglect to teach the people , and to breed up any in knowledg to succeed them in their office ; and in the lewdness of their lives did surpass the vilest of the people . was not such an age a fit season to plant the doctrine of transubstantiation in ? or if any thing more monstrous than that can be imagined , it might then have taken place ; for what weeds would not have grown in so rank a soyl ? doth mr. s. think it impossible , that those that were born in the church then , should be ignorant of the doctrine of christ , when scarce any one would take the pains to teach it them ; or that it could then have been altered , when so few understood , and fewer practised it : when ptodigious impiety and wickedness did overspread the church , from the pope down to the meanest of the laity , can any one believe that men generally made conscience to instruct their children in the true faith of christ ? was it impossible there should be any neglect of this duty , when all others failed ? that there should be any mistake about the doctrine of christ , when there was so much ignorance ? unless he be of mr. rushworth's * mind , who reckons ignorance among the parents of religion . where were then the arguments of hope and fear ? were they strongly applied , or were they not ? were they causes of actual will in christians to believe well , when they lived so ill ? or is christianity only fitted to form mens minds to a right belief , but of no efficacy to govern their lives ? hath christ taken care to keep his church from error , but not from vice ? as the great cardinal perron * ( stooping below his own wit and reason to serve a bad cause ) tells us , that the church sings , and will sing to the end of the world , i am black , but i am fair ; that is to say , i am black in manners , but fair in doctrine : as if the meaning of the prophesies and promises of scripture made to the church were this , that by the extraordinary care of gods providence , and peculiar assistance of his holy spirit , she should be wicked , but orthodox to the end of the world. where were then the vigorous causes imprinting christ's doctrine , and continuing it more particularly at rome than any where else ; and of securing that see and its supreme pastor in the faith and practice of the christian doctrine , above any other see or pastor whatsoever ? who is so little versed in history , as not to understand the dismal state of religion in the romish church , in those times ? who does not know what advantages the bishops of rome , and their servile clergy made of the ignorance and superstition of those and the succeeding ages ; and by what arts and steps they raised themselves to that power which they held in the church for a long while after ? when they could tread upon the necks of princes ; and make a great king walk bare-foot , and yield himself to be scourged by a company of petulant monks : when they could send any man upon an errand to visit the holy sepulchre , or the shrine of such a saint ; and command five or six kings with great armies upon a needless expedition into the holy land , that so during their absence they might play their own game the better : when they could mint miracles , and impose upon the belief of the people ( without the authority of any ancient books ) absurd and counterfeit tales of ancient saints and martyrs , as delivered down to them by tradition ; and could bring that foppish book the legend , almost into equal authority and veneration with the bible ; and perswade the easy people that st. denys carried his own head in his hand after it was cut off two miles , and kiss'd it when he laid it down . any one that shall but reflect upon the monstrous practises of the roman bishops and clergy in these ages , the strange feats they played , and what absurdities they imposed upon the superstitious credulity of princes and people , may readily imagine not only the possibility , but the easiness of innovating new doctrines as they pleased , under the specious pretences of antitiquity , and constant and uninterrupted tradition . § . and this kind of discourse concerning the possibility of errors coming into the church , is not , as mr. white ridiculously compares it * , as if an orator should go about to perswade people , that george , by the help of a long staff , and a nimble cast of his body , and such like advantages , might leap over paul 's steeple ; never considering all the while the disproportion of all these advantages to the height of the steeple : so ( saith he ) he that discourseth at large how errors use to slide into mans life , without comparing the power of the causes of error to the strength of resisting , which consists in this principle , nothing is to be admitted but what descends by tradition , &c. says no more towards proving an error 's over-running the church , than the orator for george 's leaping over the steeple . how vain is this ? when it appears , from this instance that i have given of the state of the roman church , in the ninth and tenth centuries , and afterwards ; that the causes of error were infinitely stronger than the power of resistance . the great causes of error are ignorance and vice ; where ignorance reigns , there 's no power ; where vice , no will to resist it . and how great the ignorance and viciousness of all orders of men in the roman church was , is too too apparent from the testimonies i have brought . where was the strength of resisting error , when for years together the popes were the vilest of men , bishops and priests overwhelmed with ignorance , abandoned to all manner of vice , and most supinely negligent in instructing the people ? in such a degenerate state of a church , what strength is there in this principle , nothing is to be admitted but what descends by tradition ? when those , who ought to teach men what that doctrine is which was derived to them by tradition , are generally careless of their duty , and ignorant themselves what that doctrine is ; when they addict themselves wholly to the satisfying of their ambition , and other lusts , and carry on designs of gain , and getting dominion over the people . what can hinder men so disposed from corrupting the doctrine of christ , and suiting it to their own lusts and interests ? and what shall hinder the people from embracing those corruptions ? when by the negligence of their pastors to instruct them , and not only so , but also by their being deprived of the scriptures in a known tongue , they are become utterly incapable of knowing what the true doctrine of christ is . so that in an age of such profound ignorance and vice , and general neglect of instruction 't is so far from being impossible for errors to over-run a church , that the contrary is morally impossible ; and george's long staff and advantagious cast of his body are more powerful causes to enable him to leap over paul's steeple , than this principle , that nothing is to be admitted , but what descends by tradition , is to keep errors out of a church in an ignorant and vicious age ; when few or none are either able or willing to instruct men in the truth . for suppose this always to have been the principle of christians , viz. that nothing is to be admitted as the doctrine of christ , but what is descended to them by tradition : how shall this principle secure the church from heresy , any more than this , viz. that nothing but truth is to be assented to , doth secure men from error ? or more than this , viz. that no man is to do any thing but what is wise and vertuous , does secure the generality of mankind from folly and vice ? sect . viii . § . secondly , the principles upon which this demonstration relies are not sufficiently proved by him . his first principle is this , that age , which holds her faith delivered thus from the apostles , neither can it self have changed any thing in it , nor know or doubt that any age since the apostles had changed or innovated any thing therein . this proposition ( he tells us ) needs no proof to evidence it , but only an explication . for since no man can hold contrary to his knowledg , or doubt of what he holds , nor change or innovate in the case proposed without knowing he did so ; 't is a manifest impossibility a whole age should fall into an absurdity so inconsistent with the nature of one single man. but ( by his favour ) that which he says is no proof , but only an explication , is a proof if it be any thing ; and the force of it this ; that which is inconsistent with the nature if one single man , is manifestly impossible to a whole age ; but it is inconsistent with the nature of any single man to hold contrary to his knowledg , &c. therefore impossible to a whole age ; and consequently , that age which holds her faith delivered thus from the apostles , neither can it self have changed any thing , nor , &c. so that in order to the making good of this first principle , mr. s. hath left nothing unproved but only this proposition , namely , that it is impossible that any one single man that holds his faith to have been delivered uninterruptedly from the apostles , should either himself have changed any thing in it , or know or doubt that any age since the apostles hath changed or innovated any thing therein : and to make out the truth of this proposition , there only remains this to be proved , viz. that it is impossible for any single man to be mistaken . for if that be possible , then contrary to mr. s. a man may hold that to have been delivered as a doctrine of faith from the apostles which was not so delivered . § . his second principle is this , that no age could innovate any thing , and withall deliver that very thing to posterity as received from christ by continual succession . he proves it thus ; since man is a rational creature , he must have some reason or motive , good or bad , which he proposeth to himself as an end to be achieved by his action : and whatever his remote end is , his immediate end , in telling posterity a late invented thing was held immdiately before , is to make them belive it . wherefore since a seen impossibility cannot be a motive to one not frantick ; and since 't is evidently impossiible they should make posterity believe a thing so universally known to be false , as this must needs be , &c. it is as impossiible this principle should faulter , as that the fore-going age should conspire to act without a motive , or that the succeeding age should believe what they know to be otherwise , that is , should hold both sides of a contradiction in a clear matter of fact. the force of which is this , that it is impossible that any man not frantick should attempt to innovate in matter of christian doctrine , because the immediate end of such an attempt must be to have his new doctrine believed ; but it is impossible he should attain this end , and impossible he should not see that it is impossible to attain it ▪ now a seen impossibility is an end that cannot move any one that is not frantick ; therefore no man that is not frantick , can attempt to innovate in matter of christian doctrine . thus he hath demonstrated it impossible that there should be any hereticks , if a heretick be one that attempts to innovate in matter of christian doctrine . for if there be any such attmpters they must be frantick , and if they be frantick they can be no hereticks ; for heresie implies a crime , but god will not impute the actions of mad men to them as faults . again , suppose he that attempts to innovate be mistaken ( and i hope mr. s. will grant that a heretick is fallible ) and think that which he delivers as christs doctrine to be really so , though indeed it be not ; why should such a person think it impossible to make men believe that to be received from christ which he really thinks was received , and thinks he can makes it appear that it was so ? and if this be granted , then it is not impossible that man , though he be a rational creature , may attempt to innovate . and if so , then his second principle is not proved . if mr. s. had any regard to the noble science of controversie ( whereof he pretends to be so great a master ) he would not bring such trifling sophisms instead of demonstrative proofs : and nothing less than a demonstrative proof will serve to establish any principle upon which a demonstration is to be built . sect . ix . § . . doctrines and practises which must be acknowledged to have been innovated , have made the same pretence to uninterrupted tradition . and of this i shall give several instances ; one among the jews , the rest among christians . . i shall instance among the traditionary jews , whose perswasion in our saviours time was , and still is , that their oral doctrine , which they call their c●bala , hath descended to them from moses uninterruptedly . now here is the existence of such a perswasion , as mr. s. affirms to be impossible without traditions ever-indeficiency to beget it . and this perswasion of theirs is most exactly parallel with the pretensions of the romish church according to mr. s. for here 's a multitude of traditionary jews , manifoldly greater in proportion to the dissenters in that church , than the romish church is in comparison to those christians that dissent from her. josephus tells us * , that the richer sort were of the perswasion of the sadduces , but the multitude were on the pharisees side . so that the pharisees had this mark of the true church ( as bellarmine calls it ) common to them with the church of rome , that they were the greatest number , and so they continue to this very day ; insomuch that although they do not call themselves the catholicks , yet i am sure they call all jews that do dissent from them schismaticks . now that the sadduces were for the written law against oral tradition , is i confess no credit to us ; but that our saviour reproved the traditionary doctrines and practises of the pharisees , because by them they made void the written law , is much more to the discredit of the assertors of oral tradition . both romanists and pharisees they own alike a written doctrine , but then they both pretend the true sense and explication thereof to have descended to them by oral tradition . for just as the traditionary christians do now , so josephus tells * us the traditionary jews of old , the pharisees , did pretend by their oral tradition to interpret the law more accurately and exactly than any other sect. in like manner he * tells us , that all things , that belonged to prayer and divine worship , were regulated and administred according to their interpretations of the law. and they both agree in this , to make void the word of god by their tradition ; which the pharisees did no otherwise than mr. s. does , by equalling oral tradition to scripture ; nay preferring it above scripture , in making it the sole rule of faith , and interpreting the scripture according to it . hence are those common sayings in the talmud , and other jewish books ; do not think that the written law is the foundation , but that the law orally delivered is the right foundation ; which is to say with mr. s. that not the scripture , but oral tradition is the true rule of faith. again , there is more in the words of the scribes ( viz. the testifiers of tradition ) than in the words of the written law. again , the oral law excells the written , as much as the soul doth the body ; which accords very well with what mr. s. frequently tells us , that the scripture without tradition is but a dead letter , destitute of life and sense . hence also it is that they required the people ( as the traditionary church does now ) to yield up themselves to the dictates of tradition even in the most absurd things , as appears by that common saying among them , if the scribes say that the right hand is the left , and the left the right ( that bread is flesh , and wine is blood ) hearken to them , that is , make no scruple of whatsoever they deliver as tradition , though never so contrary to reason or sense . and lastly , the doctrines of the pharisees were many of them practical ; such were all those which concerned external rites and observances , as washing of hands and cups , &c. so that these pharisaical traditions had also that unspeakable advantage which mr. s. says renders their traditions unmistakeable , that they were daily practised , and came down clad in such plain matters of fact , that the most stupid man living could not possibly be ignorant of them . therefore , according to mr. s's principles , it was impossible that any age of the jews should be perswaded that these things were commanded by moses and ever since observed , if they had not been so : and yet our saviour denies these customs to have been of any such authority as they pretended . § . . but i needed not to have taken all this pains to shew the agreement which is between the traditionary jews and papists , their own writers so liberally acknowledging it . mr. white * indeed says , that the faith of the jews was not delivered to them orally , but by writing ; than which nothing can be more inconsistent with his hypothesis . for if the jewish faith was conveyed to them not orally , but by writing , then either the jewish church had no sufficient rule of faith , or else a writing may be such a rule . but other of their champions make great use of the parallel , between the traditionary jews and the romish church , to confirm from thence their own traditionary doctrines . cardinal perron hath a full passage to this purpose ; as this ( says he * ) is to preserve a sound and entire respect to the majesty of the ancient mosaick scripture , to believe and observe not only all the things which are therein actually contained , but also those things which are therein contained mediately and relatively , as the doctrines of paradise , &c. which were not contained therein but mediately , and by the authority which it gave to the deposition of the patriarchal and mosaick tradition , preserved by heart , and in the oral doctrine of the synagogue : so this is to preserve a sound and entire respect to the majesty of the apostolical scripture , to believe and observe all the things which it contains , not only immediately and by it self , but mediately and by reference to the apostolical traditions , to which in gross and generally it gives the authority of apostolical doctrines , and to the church the authority of guardian and depositary to preserve ▪ and attest them . voysin in his observations upon raymundus martyn , * tells us , that as in the old law the great consistory at jerusalem was the foundation of the true tradition , so ( says he ) the see of rome is the foundation of our traditions . and as the continual succession of the high priests and fathers among the jews was the great confirmation of the truth of their traditions , so ( says he ) with us the truth of our catholick doctrine is confirmed by a continual succession of popes . § . . from all this it appears , that the pharisees among the jews made the same pretence to oral tradition which the papists do at this day according to mr. s. and if so , then mr. s's demonstration a posteriori is every whit as strong for the jews against our saviour , as it is for the papists against the protestants . for we find that in our saviour's time , it was then the present perswasion of the traditionary jews , that their faith , and their rites , and the true sense and interpretation of their written law was descended from moses and the prophets to them uninterruptedly ▪ which we find was most firmly rooted in their hearts . but the jews had a constant tradition among them , that the messiah was to be a great temporal prince : and though the letters of the prophesies concerning him , might well enough have been accommodated to the low and suffering condition of our saviour ; yet they did infallibly know that their messiah was to be another kind of person , from sense written in their hearts , from the interpretation of those prophesies orally brought down to them from the patriarchal and mosaick tradition preserved by heart and in the oral doctrine of the synagogue , and from the living voyce of their church essential , that is , the universal consent of the then traditionary jews . if it be said , that the jewish tradition did indeed bring down several doctrines not contained in scripture , of paradise , of hell , of the last judgment , of the resurrection , &c. ( as cardinal perron affirms ) but it did not bring down this point of the messiah's being a temporal prince : then as mr. s. * asks us , so the jew does him ; by what vertue tradition brought down those other points ? and whether the same vertue were not powerful to bring down this as well as those ? then he will ask him farther , is there not a necessary connexion and relation between a constant cause , and its formal effect ? so that if its formal effect be points received as delivered ever , the proper cause must be an ever-delivery ; whence he will argue from such an effect to its cause for any particular point , and consequently for this point that is in controversie between jews and christians , concerning the messiah's being a temporal prince , in case it be a point held ever delivered ; but most certain it is , it was so held by the jews in our saviours time , and hath been held so ever since to this day . i shall not trouble the reader with transcribing the rest of this demonstration , only desire him as he reads it over , to imagine instead of mr. s. a pharisee , demonstrating against one of christs disciples the infallibility of the oral tradition of the jews : and i doubt not but he will find this demonstration , and every part of it ( changing only the names ) as forcibly concluding christ not to be the messiah , as it doth infer any point of popery against the protestants . § . . before i leave this instance of the jewish tradition , i shall briefly consider what mr. white * hath offered by way of answer to it ; as , first , that the matter of these traditions is nothing else but explications of scripture framed and invented by their own rabbines . so we say , that the popish traditions are innovations . but then mr. white , and mr. s. tell us , that they can demonstrate them to be descended from christ and his apostles , because it is the present perswasion of a multitude of christians that they are so descended . in like manner , if this demonstration be good , the jews can prove their traditions to be descended from moses and the prophets . secondly , he says , that the form of these traditions is more ridiculous than the canting of gypsies , or the jugling of hocus-pocus , because it consists in inventing the sense of scripture from the mysteries , and numbers , and changes of letters . this is a gross inexcusable mistake . for though the jews have such a cabala ( called gematry ) as this which mr. white describes ; yet that cabala which is urged in this instance , and which our saviour reproves in the pharisees by the name of tradition , is quite another thing , and among the jewish writers known by the name of the vnwritten or oral law ; which they say was delivered to moses on mount sinai , and by him conveyed to aaron and joshua , and the elders , and successively delivered down from one age to another ; and at last by rabbi jehuda compiled into one volume , which they call mishna , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and this does not consist in the art of numbring , combining , or changing of letters , as mr. white imagines . but suppose it did so , and were more ridiculous than he conceits it to be ; the instance would be so much the more conclusive against them , if what they affirm be true , that oral tradition is infallible , and that the perswasion of a traditionary church in any age , that such a doctrine descended to them from christ or moses , be a demonstration that it did so : for if this be sufficient evidence , 't is nothing to the purpose what the doctrine be either for matter or form : for if it be once demonstrated to have come from christ or moses , it is without any farther dispute to be received as of divine authority . so that mr. white quite alters the state of the question ; which was not whether the jewish cabala be absurd and ridiculous , but whether the general perswasion of the jews in any age , that it descended to them by uninterrupted tradition from moses , be a demonstration that it did so . if it be , then the jewish cabala is as demonstratively of divine authority as the oral doctrine of the papists . thirdly , he says , this cabala was a doctrine delivered to few , and that with strict charge to keep it from publicity , and so communicate it again successively to a select committee of a few ; wherein ( says he ) you may see as fair an opportunity for jugling and couzenage , as in our case there is an impossibility . this i think is true of the cabala which it ( seems ) mr. white had only in his view , but is a horrible mistake if he speak of the oral law which was contained in the mishnah , and which this instance only intends . for of this maimonides * says expresly , that in every age , from the time of moses to rabbi jehudah , who compiled the mishna , the oral law was publickly taught : and that after rabbi jehudah had compiled it into one volume , the israelites did generally write out copies of it , and it was every where carefully taught , for fear lest the oral law should by forgetfulness be last among the jews . so that upon account of the publickness of the doctrine , there is as great an impossibility of jugling and couzenage in the case of the jewish as of the romish tradition . besides , was washing of hands and cups , which they also pretended to have come down to them from moses , and to have been constantly practised in every age , a secret thing ? was it not a practical tradition , and performed in a sensible matter ? if therefore no age can conspire to impose upon the next in a plain custom ; and if an universal tradition of such a thing cannot come in without such a conspiracy : how could this be the perswasion of any age , that washing of hands , &c. was prescribed by moses and practised in all ages , if it had not truly been so ? § . . secondly , as for instances among christians , whereof many remain yet upon record ; as namely , the various and opposite traditions about the time of easter , and concerning the baptism of hereticks ; and the apostolical tradition ( as st. austin calls it ) concerning the admission of infants to the communion ; all which have been frequently urged in this controversie , and none of them yet sufficiently answered ; i shall to avoid tediousness , passing by these , insist only upon that of the chiliasts ; which in justin martyr's time was the perswasion of all orthodox christians , that is ( in mr. s's dialect ) of all the holders to tradition . for if notwithstanding the perswasion of that age , that this doctrine was descended to them from the apostles , it was not really so descended ; then the perswasion of christians in any age , that a doctrine was brought down to them from the apostles , is no demonstration that it was so . § . . to this instance mr. white answers * by telling us , that eusebius says that this tradition sprang from papias ( a good but a credulous and simple man ) who it seems was mistaken in saying that it was the apostles doctrine . but for all this , justin martyr says it was received by all orthodox christians in his time , as a doctrine descended to them from the apostles . and if justin said true , nothing can make more against their demonstration of the infallibility of tradition , than the natural consequence from these two sayings of eusebius and justin , which is this , that the mistake of one simple and credulous man may in an age or two give occasion to the universal entertainment of a doctrine , as descended down to them from christ and his apostles , when there was no such matter . hath not mr. white now done his rule of faith great service by this answer ? but it is according to his manner in all his writings , to say any thing to remove a present objection , though never so much to the prejudice of his main hypothesis ; then which i do not know any quality in a writer which doth more certainly betray the want either of judgment , or of sincerity , or of a good cause . § . . and whereas he says * , that irenaeus his testimony proves it to be no tradition ; for he sets down the supposed words of our saviour , which plainly shews it is a story , not a tradition ; a tradition being a sense delivered not in set words , but setled in the auditors hearts by hundreds of different expressions explicating the same meaning . when i consider this passage of mr. white , i confess i cannot complement him , and say ( as he makes his nephew do in the dialogue * between them ) i cannot but applaud your discourse , it hath so pleasing and attractive a countenance . and again * , i am not able to oppose what you say by any weighty objection , your arguments being not only strong and nervous , but of so comely and winning a complexion , &c. i cannot ( i say ) speak all this of his present argument . but i may deservedly apply to it the last part of his nephew's complement , that it is an argument so framed , as if without any evidence of its consequence it would perswade men to believe it . but to return an answer to this passage : it seems ( according to mr. white ) that irenaeus was mistaken in the very nature of tradition : and if so learned a father was ignorant in the common rule of faith , what can we ( to use mr. s's words * ) undertakingly promise to weaker heads ? mr. s. instanceth in the creed , and ten commandments , as the principal traditions which parents teach their children ; but now mr. white can shew plainly that these are no traditions but stories , because tradition is a sense delivered not in set words , &c. as if christ and his apostles could deliver no doctrine unless they expressed the same thing an hundred several ways . but suppose they did so ( which no man hath any reason to imagine , because a thing may be expressed as plainly by one way as by an hundred ) can no man deliver this tradition who speaks it in any one of those expressions ? if one should employ his servant to carry a message , and ( because mr. white thinks this necessary ) should settle the meaning of it in his heart , by telling him the same thing in an hundred several expressions ; and the servant should go and deliver this message in one of those very expressions that his master used to him , and should say these were his masters very words ; would not this be well enough ? no , if he had come to such a philosopher as mr. white , he would soon have given him to understand that he was not fit to bring a message , or to be credited in it , who had so little wit as not to know that a message is a thing not to be delivered in set-words . and now i would entreat mr. white to reconcile himself in this matter to his friends . mr. rushworth says * , 't is impossible to put fully and beyond all quarrel the same sense in divers words : which if it be true , i would fain know what certain course mr. white can prescribe to explicate the same meaning by hundreds of different expressions , and consequently how tradition can be infallibly conveyed by setling the sense of it in the auditors hearts by such variety of expressions . mr. cressy * likewise ( a zealous assertor of tradition ) does affirm , that the primitive churches were even to excess scrupulous in maintaining the very phrases of traditionary doctrines ; which ( according to mr. white ) plainly shews these doctrines to be stories , not traditions , because tradition is a sense delivered not in set-words . the same author complains , * that few among their learnedst masters of controversie , propose the points to be disputed between them and the protestants , in the language of the church . by which i suppose he does not mean , that these controvertists were to blame in that they did not settle the sense of these points by hundreds of different expressions explicating the same meaning , but that they did not keep to the words wherein the church had in councils or otherwise ( if there be any other way ) declared her sense of those points . again * he says , that st. paul , referring to the doctrine setled by oral instruction , to shew the uniformity of it everywhere , calls it a form of wholsom words . from whence we may conclude either that st. paul did not well to call the traditionary doctrine ( as mr. cressy says he does ) a form of words , or else ( which is more probable ) that mr. white is mistaken in saying , that a tradition is a sense not delivered in set-words . furthermore , the same mr. cressy * tells us , that st. augustine was careful not only to deliver traditional truths themselves , but the terms also in which those truths were conveyed to his times . but now mr. white could have informed st. augustin , that this officious care of his was not only superfluous , but pernicious to tradition . § . . but to return to justin's testimony ; to which the summe of mr. whites answer is , that justin esteem'd it not as a point necessary to salvation ; but rather a piece of learning higher than the common : since he both acknowledges other catholicks held the contrary , and entitles those of his perswasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right in all opinions , that is , wholly of his own mind . it is not material to my purpose , whether or no justin look'd upon this as a point necessary to salvation , so long as it is evident that he looked upon it as a divine revelation and part of the christian doctrine . and yet it seems he thought it a point of more than ordinary importance , because he joins it with the doctrine of the resurrection , and says that it was not disowned by any but those who also denied the resurrection . but whereas mr. white says that justin acknowledges other catohlicks to have held the contrary , i hope to make it evident from the scope and series of his discourse , that he acknowledges no such thing ; but that the plain design of his discourse , is to shew that this doctrine was owned by all true christians . for when trypho asks him * , whether the christians did indeed believe that jerusalem should be re-built , &c. he returns him this answer , i am not such a wretch as to speak otherwise than i think . i have told thee before that my self and many others ( as ye all know ) are of the mind that this will come to pass . but , that many indeed of those christians who , are [ not ] of the pure and pious perswasion , do not own this , i have intimated to thee . that the negative particle ( though omitted in the copy ) ought to be thus inserted , will be clear to any one that considers what follows . for after he had spoken of those who disown this doctrine , he immediately adds by way of further description of them , that though they are called christians yet in truth they are not christians , in these words ; for of these ( viz. the disowners of this doctrine ) who are called indeed christians , but are atheistical and impious hereticks , i have shewed thee that they teach in all points blasphemous , atheistical and absurd things . but that ye may know that i do not say this for you only ; i will , according to my ability , compile all these discourses which have past between us into one piece ; in which i will by writing make profession of this very thing which i now declare to you . for i do not choose to follow men or the doctrines of men , but god and such doctrines as are from him . and though ye may have conversed with some who are called christians , and yet do not acknowledg this ; but even dare to blaspheme the god of abraham , and the god of isaac , and the god of jacob ; who also say that there is no resurrection of the dead , but that so soon as they dye their souls are received into heaven : do not count these men christians ; no more than a man , that considers things rightly , would own the sadduces and such like sects to be jews , &c. but i my self , and as many christians as are thoroughly of the right perswasion , do both know that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh , and a thousand years in jerusalem which shall be built , adorned and enlarged , &c. can any thing be plainer than that justin endeavours by this discourse to satisfie trypho , that this point they were speaking of was a divine doctrine , and owned to be so by all christians ; except such as did only bear the name and title of christians , but were indeed blasphemous hereticks and deniers of the resurrection ? by which character that he intends to describe the impious sects of the gnosticks , will appear by and by . so that mr. white must either allow the inserting of the negative particle ( which mr. mede * proves to have been omitted in the copy ) or else acknowledg that those who are christians only in name , but in truth are impious blasphemous and absurd hereticks , may properly be said to be of the pure and pious opinion of the christians . and if only these be the other catholicks , whom mr. white says justin acknowledges to have held contrary to the millenaries , i am contented he should make his best of them . if mr. white should blame the inserting of the negative particle [ not ] into justin's text , as too great a boldness with the fathers ; it were easily answered , that the sense evidently requires it . and in such a case it is no boldness , but such a liberty as the most learned of their own interpreters and commentators upon the fathers do frequently take . and for mr. s. if he takes offence at this , one may with reason ( since the exigency of the sense plainly requires the inserting of it ) demand of him ( what he * unreasonably does of us in relation to all the affirmative propositions of scripture ) to demonstrate that the particle [ not ] was not left out of this clause of justin , by those who transcribed the book . but besides the exigency of the sense in this place ; that the negative ought to have been inserted , will appear by the reference which justin makes in this passage to something foregoing in the same dialogue . i have ( says he ) declared to thee before that my self and many others are of the mind that this will come to pass . but , that many indeed of those christians , who are [ not ] of the pure and pious perswasion , do not own this , i have intimated to thee . for of these , who are called indeed christians but are atheistical and impious hereticks , i have shewed thee that they teach in all points blasphemous , atheistical , and absurd things . in these words he plainly refers to some precedent passage , which if it can be found will be a certain key to open to us the sense of this place . i know that mr. mede * ( perhaps not observing it ) thought that passage to have been fraudulently expunged by the enemies of the millenary opinion : but it seems to me to be still extant . for i find towards the beginning of this dialogue , after that justin had endeavoured to prove at large out of scripture this glorious coming of christ , and to refute those who applied the texts produced by him to that purpose to hezekiah , and to solomon whose falling off to idolatry he occasionally mentions ; whereupon trypho objects to him that many who were called christians , did also communicate in the idol-feasts : to this , i say , i find justin returning this answer * : first , he denies not that there are such as these who own themselves christians , and confess the crucified jesus to be both lord and christ , and yet teach not his doctrines , but the doctrines of seducing spirits . but , says he , we who are the disciples of the true and pure doctrine of jesus christ are from this very thing the more strengthned in our faith , and become more confirmed in the hope which by him hath been declared to us . for we now see those things visibly and effectually accomplish't which he before-hand told us would be done in his name . for he said , many shall come in my name , &c. by which hope any one that reads the antecedents and consequents will plainly see that justin means the hope of the millennium ( which he had been speaking of before ) and consequently of the resurrection , which he looked upon as having a strict connexion with the doctrine of the millennium ; because ( as he tells us afterwards ) this doctrine was denied by none but such as also denied the resurrection . and of these men his description runs on in these words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. many ( saith he ) both are and have been , that have come in the name of jesus , and taught both to speak and do atheistical and blasphemous things ; and are by us denominated from those men from whom each of their doctrines and opinions had its rise ( namely as it follows marcionites , valentinians , &c. ) and all these in their several ways teach men to blaspheme the creator of the vniverse , and the christ whose coming was foretold by him , and the god of abraham , isaac and jacob. but we have no communion with them , as knowing them to be atheistical and impious , &c. this passage in hand , when i compare it with the text before quoted and consider the words and characters of them both , i cannot but believe it the very same that he refers to in those words , i have declared to thee , i have intimated to thee , &c. if so , the matter in controversie is clear , that the doctrine of the millennium was universal . if it be not the same , i could wish to be shew'd some other place in this dialogue , where justin makes any such declaration or intimation . in the mean while by comparison of these places , it is evident there are but two sorts of men that justin speaks of . first , who believe the millennium ; we the disciples * of the true and pure doctrine , &c. viz. my self and many others ; again , my self and as many christians as are thoroughly * of the right perswasion . secondly , who deny the millennium ; many christians , saith justin ; but what christians ? of a right perswasion ? that , saith he , i have signified before . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. for i have shewed thee of them who are called christians , but are indeed atheists and impious hereticks , that they teach blasphemous and atheistical and absurd things : and true it is , he did shew before that those who deny'd the millennium were many in number , and were called christians , &c. but were teachers of blasphemous and atheistical things , &c. and known to be atheists and impious , &c. but he shewed it of none other besides these . so that if this doctrine were likewise denied by many christians of the pure and pious perswasion , than justin martyr had foulely forgot himself . but if not , then it is plain that the transcribers have wronged justin by leaving out a negative which ought to have been inserted . it is worth observing by the way how mr. white pleases himself with false and frivolous criticisms upon the words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . false they are , as mr. white shall know if he desires to hear any more of them ; and frivolous they are rendered by my preceding discourse ; for which reason i say no more of them . but i think he may do well hereafter ( as mr. s. * warily suggests ) not to engage himself , nor be hook't by others , out of his own infallible way , but leave it wholly to the * bird-witted hereticks ( as mr. s. calls them ) to perch upon the specifical natures of words , as he does of things . § . . besides these instances i have given of doctrines and practises which mr. s. cannot deny to have been innovated , i might instance likewise in the chief points of popery , and shew that for all their pretence to tradition , they are really innovations . but because this would engage me in tedious disputes about particular points , i will only single out one of their most fundamental doctrines , viz. that of transubstantiation ; concerning which i shall shew that , notwithstanding it is the universal perswasion of the present roman church , yet they have not , nor can have any assurance that it was the doctrine of christ , and that it is descended to them by an uninterrupted tradition . i shall not at all contend against the word transubstantiation ( which is generally acknowledged to be new ) but only the thing signified by it , a substantial change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of christ. and this i might shew at large not to have been the doctrine of the ancient fathers . but because mr. white , and dr. holden , and mr. cressy do so frequently and confidently tell us , that nothing is to be reputed a traditionary doctrine the contrary whereof hath been publickly held by any catholick who continued afterwards uncensured , and in the communion of the church : therefore i shall content my self at present with one clear testimony , and that of a very eminent person in the church , st. theodoret , concerning whom pope leo ( in an epistle to him , at the end of theodoret's works ) gives this testimony , that in the judgment of the apostolick see he was free from all stain of heresie . the passage i intend is in his dialogues , between a catholick under the name of orthodoxus , and eranistes who susteined the person of an heretick . eranistes * maintaining that the body of christ was changed into the substance of the divinity , he illustrates it by this similitude . as ( says he ) the symbols of the lords body and blood are one thing before the invocation of the priest ; but after the invocation are changed and do become another thing : so the body of our lord , after his ascension , is changed into the divine substance . to which orthodoxus returns this answer , thou art caught in thine own net. because the mystical symbols after consecration do not pass out of their own nature ; for they remain in their former substance , figure , and appearance , and may be seen and handled even as before . he does not only in express words deny the substance of the symbols to be changed , but the occasion upon which these words are brought in , and the scope of them ( if they be of any force against the hereticks illustration ) renders them uncapable of any other sense . when mr. s. hath answered this testimony , i have more for him . that which i mainly urge against this doctrine is , the monstrous absurdities and contradictions contained in it , together with the necessary consequence of them . several of the absurdities of it are well brought together by scotus * , who tells us , that to prove the possibility of christs body being contained under the species of bread and wine many things must be proved which seem to involve a contradiction ; as , . that one quantum ( or extended body ) may be together in the very same place with another . . that a less quantum may be together in the same place with a greater ; i. e. a body of less extension may occupy not only the same , but as much room as a body of greater extension does ; which is to say no more but this , that a body less than another may be as great as that other even whil'st it is less than it . . that a greater quantum may be together with every part of a less quantum , i. e. a body that is greater than another , may be as little as the least part of that other body which is less than it . . that a subject may be without quantity , i. e. there may be a body which hath no kind of magnitude . . that a body may be somewhere where it was not before , without changing its place , i· e. a body may be removed to another place , whil'st it remains still in the same place ▪ . that a quantum may be without any quantitative mode , i. e. a body may be extended without any manner of extension . the possibility of all which , he saith ( and i am very much of his mind ) it would be too tedious a work to prove ; and therefore he only attempts to prove the two last , which ( in all reason ) is work enough for one man. all these seeming contradictions ( as he modestly calls them ) are by his own acknowledgment involved in this doctrine . to these i might add many more ; as , how a thing can be said to be changed into another thing which did exist before ? how a body can be present in a place after the manner of a spirit ? and yet this they affirm concerning the presence of christs body in the sacrament ; one might as well say that snow is black , but not after the manner of blackness , but in the way of whiteness , which is to talk non-sense after the manner of sense : how the whole body of christ can be contained under the least sensible part of the species of bread , as is generally affirmed : nay , and scotus * adds , that the whole body is under every little part in its full proportions ; for he says expresly , that the head and foot of the body of christ are as far distant from one another in the sacrament , as they are in heaven ; as if one should say that a body , all whose parts lye within the compass of a small pins-head , may yet within that little compass have parts two yards distant from one another : and lastly , how the sensible species of bread , e. g. quantity , whiteness , softness , &c. can exist without any subject ? to affirm the possibility of which ( as generally they do ) is to say that there may be quantities of white and soft nothings ; for this is the plain english of that assertion , that sensible species may exist without a subject ; which being strip't of those terms of art ( species and subject ) that do a little disguise it , it appears to be plain non-sense . now the proper and necessary consequence of this doctrine is to take away all certainty , and especially the certainty of sense . for if that which my sight and taste and touch do all assure me to be a little piece of wafer , may notwithstanding this be flesh and blood , even the whole body of a man ; then notwithstanding the greatest assurance that sense can give me , that any thing is this or that , it may be quite another thing from what sense reported it to be . if so , then farewel the infallibility of tradition , which depends upon the certainty of sense : and which is a worse consequence , if this doctrine be admitted we can have no sufficient assurance that the christian doctrine is a divine revelation . for the assurance of that depending upon the assurance we have of the miracles said to be wrought for the confirmation of it , and all the assurance we can have of a miracle depending upon the certainty of our senses , it is very plain that that doctrine which takes away the certainty of sense does in so doing overthrow the certainty of christian religion . and what can be more vain than to pretend , that a man may be assured that such a doctrine is revealed by god , and consequently true , which if it be true , a man can have no assurance at all of any divine revelation ? surely nothing is to be admitted by us as certain , which being admitted we can be certain of nothing . it is a wonder that any man who considers the natural consequences of this doctrine can be a papist ; unless he have attained to mr. cressy's pitch of learning , who speaking of the difficult arguments wherewith this doctrine was pressed , says * plainly , i must answer freely and ingenuously , that i have not learned to answer such arguments , but to despise them . and if this be a good way , when ever we have a mind to believe any thing to scorn those objections against it which we cannot solve ; then christian religion hath no advantage above the vilest enthusiasms ; and a turk may maintain mahomet and his alcoran ( in opposition to christ and his doctrine ) against all that grotius , or any other hath said , if he can but keep his countenance , and gravely say , i have not learned to answer such arguments , but to despise them . § . . i will add one instance more in another kind , to shew the uncertainty of oral and practical traditions , and that shall be the tradition concerning pope jone ; than which scarce any was ever more generally received in the historical kind . many and great authors affirm it , as testifiers of the general fame . none ever denied it till the reformers had made use of it to the disadvantage of popery . since that time not only papists deny it , but several of our own writers cease to believe it . phil. bergomensis tells the story thus : anno . john the th , pope , &c. the tradition is that this person was a woman , &c. here 's an oral tradition . he concludes thus ; in detestation of whose filthiness , and to perpetuate the memory of her name , the popes even to this day going on procession with the people and the clergy , when they come to the place of her travel , &c. in token of abomination they turn from it , and go a by-way ; and being past that detestable place , they return into the way , and finish their procession . here is one practical tradition . and for avoiding of the like miscarriages , it was decreed that no one should thereafter be admitted into st. peter 's chair priusquam per foratam sedem futuri pontificis genitalia ab ultimo dyacone cardinale attractarentur : here is another with a witness . * sabellicus relates the same ; and moreover says that this porphyry chair was in his time to be seen in the popes palace . he adds indeed that platina thinks that this tradition of pope jone was not faithfully delivered to posterity . but however ( says he ) such a tradition there is . concerning the first practical tradition , platina says that he may not deny it . for the second , he thinks the chair rather design'd for a stool for another use , &c. he concludes , these things which i have related are commonly reported , yet from uncertain and obscure authors : therefore i resolved ( says he ) briefly and nakedly to set them down , lest i should seem too obstinately and pertinaciously to have omitted that which almost all affirm . it is no wonder that he says the authors of this report were uncertain and obscure , since so very few writ any thing in that age. but suppose none had writ of it , so long as he acknowledges it to have been a general oral tradition attested by a solemn and constant practice , it has ( according to mr. s's principles ) greater certainty than if it had been brought down to us by a hundred books written in that very age. so that here 's an oral and practical tradition , continued we are sure for some hundreds of years , preserved and propagated by a solemn practice of the popes , clergy and people of rome in their processions , and by a notorious custom at the election of every pope ; and in a matter of so great importance to their religion ( the honour of the see of rome , and the uninterrupted succession from st. peter being so nearly concerned in it ) that , had it been false , they had been obliged under pain of damnation , not only not to have promoted it , but to have used all means to have discovered the falsity of it . therefore mr. s. is bound by his own principles either to allow it for a truth , or else to give an account when and how it begun ; which may possibly be made out by we metaphysitians ( as he * styles himself , and his scientifical brethren ) but i assure him it is past the skill of * note-book learning . sect . x. § . . it is not the present perswasion of the church of rome , nor ever was , that their faith hath descended to them by oral tradition as the sole rule of it . and this being proved , the supposition upon which his demonstration is built falls to the ground . and for the proof of this , i appeal to that * decree of the council of trent , in which they declare , that because the christian faith and discipline are contained in written books and unwritten traditions , &c. therefore they do receive and honour the books of scripture and also traditions [ pari pietatis affectu ac reverentiâ ] with equal pious affection and reverence ; which i understand not how those do , who set aside the scripture , and make tradition the sole rule of their faith. and consonantly to this decree , the general doctrine of the romish church is , that scripture and tradition make up the rule of faith. so the roman catechism ( set forth by order of the council of trent ) says * that the sum of the doctrine delivered to the faithful is contained in the word of god , which is distributed into scripture and tradition . bellarmine * speaks to the same purpose , that the scripture is a rule of faith , not an entire but partial one . the entire rule is the word of god , which is divided into two partial rules , scripture , and tradition . according to this , the adequate rule of faith is the word of god ; which is contained partly in scripture ▪ and partly in the tradition of the church . and that scripture is look't upon by them as the principal rule and primary foundation of their faith , and tradition as only supplying the defects of scripture , as to some doctrines and rites not contained in scripture , must be evident to any one that hath been conversant in the chief of their controversial divines . bellarmine * where he gives the marks of a divine tradition speaks to this purpose , that that which they call a divine tradition is such a doctrine or rite as is not found in scripture , but embraced by the whole church ; and for that reason believed to have descended from the apostles . and he tells us further * , that the apostles committed all to writing , which was commonly and publickly preached ; and that all things are in scripture , which men are bound to know and believe explicitely : but then he says , that there were other things which the apostles did not commonly and publickly teach ; and these they did not commit to writing , but delivered them only by word of mouth to the prelates and priests and perfect men of the church . and these are the apostolical traditions he speaks of . cardinal perron * says , that the scripture is the foundation of the christian doctrine , either mediately or immediately . and that the authority of unwritten tradition is founded in general on these sentences of the apostle , * hold the traditions , &c. again , * the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses commit to faithful men , &c. and that the authority of the church to preserve , and especially to declare these , is founded in this proposition , viz. * that the church is the pillar and ground of truth . so that according to him , the primary rule of faith is the scripture , in which the authority of tradition is founded . mr. knott * says expresly , we acknowledg the h. scripture to be a most perfect rule , for as much as a writing can be a rule ; we only deny that it excludes , either divine tradition , though it be unwritten , or an external judg to keep , to propose , to interpret it , &c. so that ( according to him ) scripture is a perfect rule , only it does not exclude unwritten tradition , &c. by which that he does not understand ( as mr. s. does ) a concurrent oral tradition of all the same doctrines which are contained in scripture , but other doctrines not therein contained , is plain from what he says elsewhere * , we do not distinguish tradition from the written word , because tradition is not written by any , or in any book or writing ; but because it is not written in the srripture or bible ; bellarmine * also says the same . and as for the interpreting of scripture , he tells us that this is not the office of a rule , but of a judg. * there is ( says he ) a great and plain distinction between a judg and a rule . for as in a kingdom the judg hath his rule to follow , which are the received laws and customs ; which are not fit or able to declare , and be judges to themselves , but that office must belong to a living judg : so the holy scripture is and may be a rule , but cannot be a judg. here he makes the scripture as much a rule for matters of faith , as the laws of the land are for civil matters . and in his reply to mr. chillingworth , he hath a chapter of above pages , the title whereof is , scripture is not the only rule of faith ; which ( had he with mr. s. believed oral tradition to be the sole rule of faith ) had been as absurd as it would be to write a book to prove that turks are not the only christians in the world. mr. cressy likewise ( not very consistently to himself ) lays down this conclusion ; * the entire rule of faith is contained not only in scripture , but likewise in unwritten tradition . § . . now all this is as contrary as can be to mr. rushworth's new rule of faith. therefore mr. white says * , they speak ill who teach that some things are known in the church from scripture , some by tradition . and dr. holden ( in opposition to those who make scripture any part of the rule of faith ) advances one of the most wild and uncharitable positions that ever i yet met withall , viz. * that if one should believe all the articles of the catholick faith , &c. for this reason because he thought they were all expresly revealed in scripture , or implicitely contained so as they might be deduced from thence , and would not have believed them had he not judged that they might be evinced from scripture ; yet this man could be no true catholick : because ( as he tells us afterwards * ) we must receive the christian doctrine as coming to us by tradition ; for only by this means ( excluding the scriptures ) christ hath appointed revealed truths to be received and communicated . in the mean time cardinal perron ( unless he altered his mind ) is in a sad case , who believed the authority of tradition it self for this reason , because it was founded in scripture . § . . and this fundamental difference about the rule of faith , between the generality of their divines and mr ▪ s's small party , is fully acknowledged by the traditionists themselves . dr. holden says * , that their divines who resolve faith according to the common opinion , do inevitably fall into that shameful circle ( of proving the divine authority of the scripture by the church , and the infallibility of the church back again by the scripture ) because they dare not build their faith upon the natural evidence and certainty of tradition . so that dr. holden's way of resolving faith , is different from the common opinion of their divines , which he says * does not differ from the opinion of those who resolve their faith into the private spirit ; and this ( according to mr. white * ) is the very way of the calvinists , and of the absurdest sects . nay , mr. white says farther * , that he will be content to suffer all the punishment that is due to calumniators , if the roman divines ( he there speaks of ) do not hold the same rule of faith with the calvinists , and all the absurdest sects . so that it seems that the calvinists , &c. do not in their rule of faith differ from the papists , but only from mr. white , mr. s. &c. now the divines he there speaks of , are the censors of doctrines at rome , according to whose advice his infallible holiness and the cardinals of the inquisition do usuall proceed in censuring of doctrines . concerning these divines he goes on to expostulate in this manner ; * shall we endure these men to sit as censors and judges of faith , who agree with hereticks in the very first principle which distinguishes catholicks from hereticks ? again * , these are thy gods o rome ! upon these thou dependest , whil'st prating ignorance triumphs in the roman colledg . and he says the same likewise of the generality of their school-divines , whom he calls scepticks , because they do not own his demonstrative way . insomuch that he tells us * , that few sound parts are left uninfected with this plague of scepticism * ; that this is an universal gangrene * ; that there are but few that go the way of demonstration , and these are either wearied out , or else live retiredly , or despair of any remedy of these things . and indeed all along that book he bemoans himself and his traditionary brethren as a desolate and forlorn party , who have truth on their side , but want company and encouragement . so he tells us * , that the true scientifical divines dare not profess their knowledg , lest they should be exposed by the sophisters of their church to the derision and scorn either of their judges or of the people . § . . so that upon examination of the whole matter , it appears that mr. s's demonstration proceeds upon a false supposition , that it is the perswasion of their present church , that tradition is the sole rule of faith. for there is no such matter ; unless mr. s. mean by their church a few private persons , who are look'd upon by those who have the chief power in their church as heretical : as we may reasonably conjecture by the proceedings at rome against mr. white ; many of whose books are there condemned * , as containing things manifestly heretical , erroneous in the faith , rash , scandalous , seditious , and false respectively , &c. and all this done , notwithstanding that the chief subject of those books is the explication and defence of this most catholick principle , that oral tradition is the only rule of faith. to sum up then the whole business : if nothing be to be owned for christian doctrine ( as the traditionists say ) but what is the general perswasion of those who are acknowledged to be in the communion of the roman catholick church ; then much less can this principle ( that oral tradition is the sole rule of faith ) which is pretended to be the foundation of the whole christian doctrine , be received as descended from christ and his apostles ; since it is so far from being the general perswasion of that church at the present , that it has been , and still is generally disowned . but mr. white has a salvo for this . for although he grant * , that very many of their school-men maintain that tradition is necessary only for some points , not clearly expressed in scripture , whence ( he says ) it seems to follow that they build not the whole body of their faith upon tradition : yet he tells us there is a vast difference betwixt relying on tradition , and saying or thinking we d● so , suppose there be ; yet i hope that mens saying that they do not rely on tradition as their only rule , is a better evidence that they do not , than any mans surmise to the contrary is that they do , though they think and say they do not ; which is in effect to say that they do ; though we have as much assurance as we can have that they do not . besides , how is this rule self-evident to all , even to the rude vulgar as to its ruling power ( as mr. s. affirms it is ) when the greatest part even of the learned among them think and say that it is not the only rule ? but mr. white endeavours to illustrate this dark point by a - * similitude , which is to this sense ; as the scepticks who deny this principle , that contradictions cannot be true at once , yet in their lives and civil actions proceed as if they owned it : so the schoolmen , though they deny tradition to be the only rule of their faith , yet by resolving their faith into the church which owns this principle , they do also in practice own it , though they say they do not . so that the generality of learned papists are just such catholicks as the scepticks are dogmatists , that is a company of absurd people that confute their principles by their practice . according to this reasoning , i perceive the protestants will prove as good catholicks as any , for they do only think and say that tradition is not the rule of faith ; but that they practically rely upon it , mr. s. hath past his word for them : for he assures us * ( and we may rely upon a man that writes nothing but demonstration ) that if we look narrowly into the bottom of our hearts , we shall discover the natural method of tradition to have unawares setled our judgments concerning faith ; however when our other concerns awake design in us , we protest against it , and seem perhaps to our unreflecting selves to embrace and hold to the meer guidance of the letter of scripture . so that in reality we are as good catholicks , and as true holders to tradition as any papist of them all , at the bottom of our thoughts and in our setled judgments ; however we have taken up an humour to protest against it , and may seem perhaps to our unreflecting selves to be protestants . § . . thus much may suffice to have spoken to his two great arguments ; or * as he ( good man ) unfortunately calls them demonstrations ; which yet to say truth are not properly his , but the authors of rushworth's dialogues , the main foundation of which book is the substance of these demonstrations . only before i take leave of them , i cannot but reflect upon a passage of mr. s s * wherein he tells his readers that they are not obliged to bend their brains to study his book with that severity as they would do an euclid ; meaning perhaps one of mr. white 's euclids ; for it does not appear by his way of demonstration that ever he dealt with any other . as for the true euclid , i suppose any one that hath tasted his writings , will at the reading of mr. s's unbend his brains without bidding , and smile to see himself so demurely discharged from a study so absurd and ridiculous . sect . xi . § . . i should now take into consideration his ninth discourse , in which he pretends to open the incomparable strength of the churches humane authority , and the advantages which accrue to it by the supernatural assistances of the holy ghost : but that there is nothing material in it , which hath not been answered already . only i desire him to explain , how the supernatural assistances of the holy ghost can ( according to his principles ) add to our assurance of the certainty of tradition . because we can have no greater certainty of the supernatural assistance of the holy ghost , than we have that there is an holy ghost , and of this we can have no certainty ( according to mr. s. ) but by tradition , which conveys this doctrine to us . and if tradition of it self can infallibly assure us that there are supernatural assistances of the holy ghost , then a man must know that tradition is infallible antecedently to his knowledg of any supernatural assistance . and if so , what can any supernatural assistance add to my assurance of the certainty of tradition , which i do suppose to be infallible before i can know of any supernatural assistance ? can any thing be more ludicrous , than to build first all our certainty of the assistance of the holy ghost upon the certainty of tradition , and then afterwards to make the certainty of tradition to rely upon the assistance of the holy ghost ? as if that could contribute to our assurance of the certainty of tradition , which unless tradition be first supposed certain , is it self wholly uncertain . § . . the conclusion of this ninth discourse is somewhat extatical ; possibly from a sudden disorder of his fancy upon the contemplation of his own performances , to see what a man he has made himself ( with the help of rushworth's dialogues ) or rather what his party has made him by the office they put upon him : for it seems ( by his telling ) * mr. cressy and the rest are ordained to cajoll the fools , leaving him the way of reason and principles ; and that himself is chosen out to demonstrate to the wise , or those who judg of things per altissimas causas in the discharge of which glorious office he declares that he intends no confutation of those authors which mr. cressy and others have medled with : yet if any will be so charitable as to judg he hath solidly confuted them , because he hath radically and fundamentally overthrown all their arguments , &c. he shall rejoyce and be thankful . that the * intelligent reader ( for he writes to none but such ) may also rejoyce with him , i shall recite the whole passage , for it is thick of demostration , and as likely as any in his book to have the altissimas causas contained in it . § . . * it would require a large volume to unfold particularly how each virtue contributes to shew the inerrable indeficiency of tradition , and how the principles of almost each science are concerned in demonstrating its certainty : arithmetick lends her numbring and multiplying faculty , to scan the vast number of testifiers ; geometry her proportions to shew a kind of infinite strength of certitude in christian tradition , above those atté stations which breed certainty in humane affairs ; logick her skill to frame and make us see the connexions it has with the principles of our vnderstanding ; nature her laws of motion and action ; morality her first principle that nothing is done gratis by a cognoscitive nature , and that the body of traditionary doctrine is most conformable to practical reason : historical prudence clears the impossibility of an undiscernable revolt from points so descended and held so sacred ; politicks shew this to be the best way imaginable to convey down such a law as it concerns every man to be skilful in ; metaphysicks engages the essences of things , and the very notion of being which fixes every truth , so establishing the scientifical knowledges which spring from each particular nature by their first causes or reasons exempt from change or motion . divinity demonstrates it most worthy god and most conducive to bring mankind to bliss . lastly , controversie evidences the total uncertainty of any thing concerning faith if this can be uncertain , and makes use of all the rest to establish the certainty of this first principle . a very fit conclusion for such demonstrations as went before . it is well mr. s. writes to none but intelligent readers ; for were it not a thousand pities , that so manly , and solid , and convincing a discourse as this should be cast away upon fools ? sect . xii . § . . as for his corollaries , supposing them to be rightly deduced from his former discourses , they must of necessity fall with them . for they signifie nothing but upon this supposition that his fore-going discourses are true . and yet this being granted , it were easie to shew that most of them are grosly faulty . for , first , several of them are plainly coincident . the second , viz. none can with right pretend to be a church but the followers of tradition , is the very same in sense with the th viz no company of men hang together like a body of a christian commonwealth or church , but that which adheres to tradition . so likewise the th and th are contained in the th : the th , and th , in the th : the th , th , and th in the st . and the d and th in the st . secondly , divers of them are manifestly absurd , as the th , th , th , th , th , th , th , the sum of which is , that there is no arguing against tradition from scripture , or the authority of the church , or fathers and councils , or from history and testimonial writings , or from contrary tradition , or reason , or any instances whatsoever ; which is as much as to say , if this proposition be true , that tradition is certain , then it cannot by any kind of argument be proved to be false . but is this any peculiar consectary from the truth of this proposition ? doth not the same follow from every proposition ? that if it be true , it cannot be proved to be false ; yet no man was ever yet so frivolous , as to draw such a consequence from the supposed truth of any proposition . his d also is singularly absurd , that there is no possibility of arguing at all against tradition rightly understood , or the living voyce of the catholick church , with any shew of reason . these are large words . it might have contented a reasonable man to have said , that no good argument could be brought against it : but he is jealous of his hypothesis , and can never think it safe till it be shot-free ; nor will that content him , but it must be also impossible for any one to make a shew of shooting at it . this were , i confess , a peculiar priviledg of mr. s's discourses above other mens ; if they were ( as he says ) by evidence of demonstration so secured , that not only no substantial argument could be brought against them , but that even the most subtile schoolman of them all should not be able to come near them with so much as a videtur quod non . but it may be he means no more by this corollary , than what he said in the th , viz. that no solid argument from reason can be brought against tradition : if so , then the sense of his d corollary must be this , that there is no possibility of arguing at all against tradition with any solid shew , or substantial shadow of reason ; which would be a little inconvenient . i will instance but in one more , his th , which is this , the knowledg of traditions certainty is the first knowledg or principle in controversial divinity ; i. e. without which nothing is known or knowable in that science . which is to infer , that because he hath with much pains proved the certainty of tradition , therefore it is self evident , i. e. needed no proof . nay , it is to conclude the present matter in controversie and that which is the main debate of his book to be the first principle in controversial divinity , i. e. such a proposition as every one ought to grant before he can have any right to dispute about it . this is a very prudent course , to make begging the question the first principle in controversie ; which would it but be granted , i am very much of his mind that the method he takes would be the best way to make controversie a science ; because he that should have the luck or boldness to beg first , would have it in his power to make what he pleased certain . § . . were it worth while , i might further pursue the absurdities of his corollaries . for they are not so terrible as he makes shew of , by his telling dr. casaubon * , that sure-footing and its corollaries may put him out of his wits : which though intended for an affront to the doctor , yet it may be mollified with a good interpretation ; for if the reading of wild and phantastical stuff be apt to disorder a very learned head , then so far mr. s's saying may have truth in it . it remains only that i requite his corol. not with an equal number , but with two or three natural consectaries from the doctrine of his book . first , no man can certainly understand the meaning of any book whatsoever ▪ any farther than the contents of it are made known to us by a concurrent oral tradition . for the arguments whereby he and mr. rushworth endeavour to prove it impossible without tradition to attain to the certain sense of scripture , do equally extend to all other books . secondly , the memory of matters of fact done long ago may be better preserved by general rumor than by publick records . for this is the plain english of that assertion , that oral tradition is a better and more secure way of conveyance than writing . thirdly , that the generality of papists are no christians . for if ( as he affirms ) tradition be the sole rule of faith , and those who disown this rule be * ipso facto cut off from the root of faith , i. e. unchristian'd ; and if ( as i have shewn ) the generality of papists do disown this rule : then it is plain that they are no christians . the rule of faith . part iv. testimonies concerning the rule of faith. sect . i. § . . thus far in the way of reason and principles . the rest is note-book learning , which he tells us he is not much a friend to ; and there is no kindness lost , for it is as little a friend to him and his cause as he can be to it . i shall first examine the authorities he brings for tradition ; and then produce express testimonies in behalf of scripture . in both which i shall be very brief ; in the one , because his testimonies require no long answer ; in the other , because it would be to little purpose to trouble mr. s. with many fathers , who for ought appears by his book is acquainted with none but father white , as i shall shew hereafter . by the way , i cannot much blame him for the course he uses to take with other mens testimonies ▪ because it is the only way that a man in his circumstances can take ; otherwise , nothing can be in it self more unreasonable , than to pretend to answer testimonies by ranking them under so many faulty heads ; and having so done , magisterially to require his adversary to vindicate them , by shewing that they do not fall under some of those heads , though he have not said one word against any of them particularly ; nay , though he have not so much as recited any one of them ; for then the trick would be spoiled , and his catholick reader who perhaps may believe him in the general , might see reason not to do so if he should descend to particulars , which ( as he well observes ) would make his * discourse to look with a contingent face . § . . i begin with his three authorities from scripture ; which when i consider , i see no reason why he ( of all men ) should find fault with my lord bishop of down's dissuasive for being so * thin and sleight in scripture-citations . nor do i see how he will answer it to mr. rushworth , for transgressing that prudent rule of his , viz. * that the catholick should never undertake to convince his adversary out of scripture , &c. for which he gives this substantial reason , * because this were to strengthen his opponent in his own ground and principle , viz. that all is to be proved out of scripture ; which he tells us presently after is no more fit to convince , than a beetle is to cut withall ; meaning it perhaps of texts so applied as these are which follow . * this shall be to you a direct way , so that fools cannot err in it . * this is my covenant with them , saith the lord ; my spirit which is in thee , and my words which i have put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth , and from the mouth of thy seed , and from the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth for ever . * i will give my law in their bowels , and in their hearts will i write it : from which texts if mr. s. can prove tradition to be the only rule of faith , any better than the philosophers stone or the longitude may be proved from the cap. of genesis , i am content they should pass for valid testimonies : though i might require of him ( by his own law ) before these texts can signifie any thing to his purpose , to demonstrate that this is the traditionary sense of these texts , and that it hath been universally in all ages received by the church under that notion ; and then to shew how it comes to pass that so many of the fathers , and of their own commentators have interpreted them to another sense : and lastly , to shew how scripture which has no certain sense but from tradition , and of the sense whereof tradition cannot assure us , unless it be the rule of faith ; i say , how scripture can prove tradition to be the rule of faith , which can prove nothing at all unless tradition be first proved to be the rule of faith. this i take to be as shameful a circle as that wherewith dr. holden upbraids the generality of his brethren . § . . i proceed to his authorities from fathers and councils ; all which ( not one of them excepted ) he hath taken out of mr. white 's tabulae suffragiales , without the least acknowledgment from whom he had them . and that it might be evident that he had not consulted the books themselves for them , he hath taken them with all their faults , and with the very same errors of citation which mr. white had been guilty of before him . so that though he is pleas'd to say of himself that * he he is a bad transcriber ▪ yet i must do him that right , to assure the reader that he does it very punctually and exactly . § . he begins with councils , of which he tells us he will only mention three in several ages . the first is the first synod of lateran . one might have expected , after he had told us he would mention three in several ages , he should have produced them according to the order of time , and have begun with the council of sardica , which was near years before the lateran . but there was a good reason why the lateran should be first produced viz. because it is mentioned before the other in mr white 's book . well , but what says this synod ? we all confess unanimously and consequently , with one heart and mouth , the tenets and sayings of the holy fathers ; adding nothing , substracting nothing of those things which are delivered us by them ; and we believe as the fathers have believed , we preach so as they have taught . the force of which testimony mr. s. lays upon the word delivered , as if that word where-ever it is met with in councils or fathers , must needs be understood of oral delivery ; whereas it is a general word indifferently used for conveyance either by writing , or word of mouth . in this place it plainly refers to the writings of particular fathers , out of whom a long catalogue of testimonies against the heresie of the monothelites had been read just before this declaration of the synod . now what signifies this to oral tradition's being the rule of faith , that this synod declares her faith , in opposition to the heresie of the monothelites , to be consonant in all things to those testimonies which had been produced out of the fathers ? the next is the council of sardica ; out of an epistle of which council he cites these words , we have received this doctrine , we have been taught so , we hold this catholick tradition , faith and confession . which are general words , and indifferently applicable to oral tradition , or writing , or both . but be they what they will , mr. s. ought not to have been ignorant , that this council was rejected by st. austin and other orthodox fathers , as * binnius acknowledges ; and which is more , that the latter part of this epistle ( out of which part mr. s. cites these words ) which contains a confession of faith , is by * baronius ( and after him by binnius ) proved to have been surreptitiously added . for though it be found in theodoret , and mentioned by sozomen ; yet baronius thinks that it was the arian confession composed by the false-synod of sardica which sate at the same time ; and that sozomen lighting upon it , perhaps mistook it for the confession of the orthodox synod of the same name . however that be , he proves out of athanasius , and from the testimony both of the eastern and western bishops , that the council of sardica did not so much as add one word or tittle , no nor so much as explain any thing in the nicene faith. but mr. white sayes nothing of this , and therefore mr. s. could not , who is no speculator in these matters , but only as a testifier delivers down these authorities to us as he received them by hand from mr. white ; and if the word tradition be but in them , they are demonstrative . as for his testimonies from the d council of nice ( which he calls the th general council ) who pretended their doctrine of image-worship to have descended to them by an uninterrupted tradition , and proved it most doughtily by texts of scripture ridiculously wrested , by impertinent sayings out of obscure and counterfeit authors , and by fond and immodest stories ( as is acknowledged by pope * adrian the th ) of apparitions and womens dreams , &c. for which i refer the reader to the council it self ; which is such a mess of popperies , that if a general council of atheists had met together with a design to abuse religion by talking ridiculously concerning it , they could not have done it more effectually : i say , as for his testimonies from this council , i shall refer mr. s to that western council under charles the great , which a little after at francford condemned , and also fully confuted the decisions of this council , calling their pretended tradition of image-worship [ putidissimam traditionem ] a most stinking tradition . these are his authorities from councils ; where ( says he ) we see general councils relying on the teaching of the fathers or fore-going church , and on the churches tradition as their rule , &c. where does he see any such matter ? or where does he see general councils ? was the council of lateran a general one ? or was the council of sardica ? if it was , let him shew how the d. of nice could be the th . general council . mr. white must write more explicitly , and say which are general councils , which not , otherwise he will lead his friends into dangerous mistakes . § . after ancient councils ( not so ancient neither ) let us ( says he ) give a glance at fathers . glance is a modest word , and yet i doubt whether ever the fathers had so much as that from him . before i speak particularly to his testimonies from the fathers , i shall mind him of what mr. rushworth says in general , viz. * that who seeks tradition in the fathers , and to convince it by their testimony , takes an hard task upon him , &c. again * , as in other points , so even in this of the resolution of faith , as doctors seem to differ now-adays , so might the fathers also . if this be true , mr. s. is not very likely by a few testimonies out of the fathers to prove that tradition is the sole rule of faith. but let us see what he has done towards it . he begins with a saying of pope celestine to the fathers of the ephesin council . now therefore we must act with a common endeavor to preserve things believed , and retained to this very time by succession from the apostles . binnius's other reading [ of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] quite spoils the force of this citation which mr. s. puts upon the word succession . but read it how he will ; why may not the christian doctrine be said to come by succession from the apostles , when it is transmitted to us by scripture , as well as when by oral tradition ? i am sure the same celestine in an epistle to cyril , commends him for defending the faith by scripture , this ( says he ) is a great triumph of our faith , to demonstrate our opinions so strongly , and to overthrow the contrary by testimonies from scripture . and neither in this epistle , nor the other , does he make any mention of oral tradition . next he cites that known place in irenaeus , but what if the apostles had not left us the scriptures , ought we not to follow the order of tradition , & c. ? this makes clearly against him ; for it implies , that now the apostles have left us the scriptures , we ought to follow them . the other passage he cites out of irenaeus , lib. . c. . is a clear eviction that he did not consult the book . for he puts two sayings together which he had met with in mr. white immediately one after the other ; and because mr. white had cited lib. . c. . for the first saying , and brought in the other immediately upon it with an ( et rursus ) again , &c. therefore mr. s. ( who is of a right traditionary temper , which is to take things easily upon trust himself , and require demonstration from others ) concluded that these sayings were in the same place , though in truth they are in several books . as for the testimony it self , there is nothing in it to mr. s's purpose besides the word tradition , which irenaeus does often apply to scripture as well as oral tradition ; and there is nothing in this place to determine it to oral tradition . his testimonies out of origen will do him less stead : for every one that hath been conversant in the writings of that father , knows what he means by the churches tradition preserved by order of succession , viz. the mystical interpretations of scripture , which ( he says ) were delivered by the apostles to the governors of the church , and by them down from hand to hand . if this be the tradition mr. s. contends for , origen is at his service ; if it be not , i assure him he is not for his turn . next comes tertullian , concerning whom ( as also origen ) the papist upon occasion thinks it enough to reply in st. hierom's words * , as for tertullian , i have nothing to say of him but that he is not a man of the church . whatever he was , these are his words , if thou beest but a christian , believe what is [ traditum ] deliver'd . and here 's nothing again but the word deliver'd ; which ( as i have said ) is indifferent to written or oral tradition , if the circumstances do not determine it to one ; as here they do ( very unluckily for mr. s. ) to the scripture . for he disputes here against marcion , who denied the flesh of christ ; and who to maintain that , denied his nativity , and * expunged the whole history of it out of the gospel ; but ( saith tertullian ) by what authority dost thou do this ? if thou be a prophet , foretell something ; if an apostle , preach publickly ; if apostolical , be of the apostle's mind ; if no more but a christian , believe what is delivered . and where delivered ? but in those instruments or books of the gospel out of which ( as tertullian immediately before tells us ) marcion had made bold to expunge this story . as for his testimonies out of athanasius , the two first of them prove nothing but that faith comes down from our ancestors , or was by them delivered to us ; which no body denies : nor is there a word in either of them concerning oral , in opposition to written tradition . the third testimony is out of an epistle to epictetus , to whom athanasius writing concerning those who held christ's body to be consubstantial with his divinity , tells him this was so gross a conceit that it needed no sollicitous confutation ; but that it would be a sufficient answer to say in general the orthodox church was not of that mind , our fathers did not think so . from whence mr. s. infers that tradition is held by him a sole sufficient rule of faith , and the only answer to be given why we reject points from faith , &c. but if he had consulted the book , he would not have inferred that this was the only answer to be given , &c. for it immediately follows , but lest from our being wholly silent , these inventers of evil things should take occasion to be more impudent , it will be good to recite a few passages out of scripture , &c. and from thence he confutes them at large . it was so gross an error that he thought it might be sufficient , without bringing particular arguments out of scripture against it , to say that it was contrary to the ancient faith ; but yet lest they should ( if he had said no more ) have taken boldness from thence , and thought that nothing more could be said against it , therefore he confutes it from particular texts of scripture . and what in his opinion was the sufficient rule of faith , mr. s. might have seen at the beginning of this epistle from these words , that faith which was professed by the fathers in that council ( viz. the nicene ) according to the scriptures , is to me sufficient , &c. it seems that scripture was to him the rule and standard whereby to judg even the creeds of general councils . mr. s. says he will be shorter in the rest , and so will i. for what is to be said to testimonies brought at a venture ? when he that brings them , had he read the books themselves , could not have had the face to have brought them . such is this out of * clem. alezand . as if one of a man becomes a beast , like those infected with circes poyson ; so he hath forfeited his being a man of god and faithful to our lord , who spurns against ecclesiastical tradition , and leaps into opinions of human election . mr. s. knows whose way of quoting this is , to pick a bit out of the midst of a text that sounds something towards his purpose , and leave out the rest which would make it evident to be meant just contrary . yet i cannot charge this wholly upon mr. s. whose implicit faith were it not for his culpable ignorance might excuse him . but for his seducer mr. white , how he can acquit himself of so foul an imputation , i leave it to any ingenuous papist to judg when i have nakedly set the whole passage before him . clemens speaking of hereticks who relinquish the scripture , or abuse it by wresting it to their lusts , says , men who deal in matters of highest importance must needs commit great errors , if they do not take and hold the rvle of trvth from truth it self . for such men having once deviated from the right way , do likewise err in most particulars ; probably because they have not the faculty of distinguishing truths and falshoods perfectly exercised to choose what ought to be chosen . for if they had this , they would be ruled by the divine scriptvres . [ therefore as if any of mankind should become a beast , in such sort as those who were * bewitched by circe ; even so he hath lost his being a man of god and abiding faithful to the lord , who hath spurned against the tradition of the church , and skipt into the opinions of human sects * , ] ( not of human election , as mr. s. blindly following mr. wh. does most absurdly translate it ) , but he that hath returned from his errors , and hearkned to the scriptvres , and conformed his life to the truth , is as it were advanced from a man to a god. at the same rate he goes on for several pages together , taking the scriptures for an indemonstrable principle , from which all divine doctrines are to be demonstrated , and for the criterion whereby they are to be tried ; and charges the hereticks in such words as we cannot find fitter for our adversaries , as ( says he ) naughty boys shut out their school-master , so these drive the prophecies out of the church , suspecting that they will chide and admonish them ; and they patch together abundance of falshoods and fictions that they may seem rationally not to admit the scriptures . again , speaking of these hereticks affronting the scriptures , he tells us they oppose the * divine tradition with human doctrines * by other traditions [ delivered from hand to hand ] that they may establish a sect or heresie . again he says , they adulterate the truth , and steal the rule of faith , &c. but for oral frauds they shall have written punishments . but enough of this ; whosoever desires to see more of it , let him read on where these men to their shame have directed us , and see whether any protestant can speak more fully and plainly in this controversy . the whole trust of the papists is upon the equivocal sense of the word tradition . which word is commonly used by the fathers to signify to us the scriptures or divine tradition as clement here calls it ; but the papists understand it of their unwritten tradition , and to this they apply all those passages in the fathers where tradition is honourably mentioned . so mr. s. deals with us , in the testimonies i have already examined : and there is nothing of argument in those few which remain but from the ambiguity of this word ; which i need not shew of every one of them in particular , for whosoever shall read them with this key will find that they are of no force to conclude what he drives at . § . as for his citations out of the council of trent , by which he would prove it to be the perswasion of their present church , that tradition is the sole rule of faith ; i have already shewn that that council hath declared otherwise , and is otherwise understood by the chief of their own writers , and therefore he did prudently to conceal in an &c. those choaking words , in which the council declares itself to receive and honour , with equal pious affection and reverence , the books of scripture and unwritten traditions . and after a great deal of shuffling , what a pitiful account is it that he at last gives of that council's putting scripture constantly before tradition , because scripture being interpreted by tradition , is of the same authority as if an apostle or evangelist were present , and therefore no wonder they honour scripture-testimony so as to put it before tradition ; which is to say , that because scripture is subordinate to tradition and to be regulated by it , therefore it deserves to be put before it . besides if scripture and tradition be but several wayes of conveying the evangelical and apostolical doctrine , why should he imagine an evangelist or apostle to be more present by the scripture than by oral tradition ? especially if it be considered , that he supposes scripture to be an uncertain , and tradition an infallible way of conveying this doctrine . sect . ii. § . all that now remains , is to confirm the precedent discourse by testimonies of the most eminent persons of the church , in several ages . in which i shall not need to be large , being so happily prevented by that full account which is given of the sense of the ancients in this matter , in the answer to labyrinthus cantuariensis ; which mr. s. may if he pleases consult for his further conviction . § i begin with the historical account which eusebius gives of committing the gospel to writing ; which is to this purpose , viz * ▪ that the romans were not content with the doctrine preached , unless it were also committed to writing ; and therefore did earnestly beg of mark , peter's companion , that he would leave them a monument in writing of that doctrine which had been deliver'd to them by word of mouth . and this was the occasion of the writing of st. mark 's gospel . and when peter did understand that this work was publish'd ( being suggested by the divine revelation of the holy spirit ) it is said he was very much pleased with the ready and earnest desire of those persons ; and that by his authority he confirmed this writing , to the end that it might be every where read in the church . as for st. matthew and st. john , he tells us * , that of all the disciples they two only have left monuments in writing ; of whom it is also reported that they betook themselves to write , being drawn thereto by necessity . matthew after he had preached the word of god to the jews , and was resolved to go to other nations , wrote his gospel in the language of his countrey ; and thus by the diligence and pains of writing , did abundantly supply the the want of his presence to those whom he left . and when mark and luke had published their gospel , it is reported that john ( who had always used to preach the word without writing it ) being at length wrought upon by the same reason did betake himself to write . from this account it is clear , that the apostles thought it necessary for the preservation and secure conveyance of the christian doctrine , that it should be put into writing ; and that they judged this a better way to supply the want of their presence , than oral tradition . therefore the same author tells us * , that the disciples , who immediately succeeded the apostles , as they travelled to preach the gospel to those who had not yet heard the word of faith , did with great care also deliver to them the writings of the holy evangelists . again * , that ignatius as he travelled towards rome ( where he was to suffer ) exhorted the churches of every city to hold fast the tradition of the apostles ; which ( as also by writing he testified ) for greater security he held necessary to be copied in writing . § . that the hereticks of old made the same pretence which the papists make now , of oral tradition in opposition to scripture , the same eusebius tells us ; and withal , that books are a sufficient confutation of this pretence * . those ( says he ) who were of the heresie of artemon , said that all their fore-fathers and the apostles themselves had received and taught the same things which they also did ; and had preserved the true teaching unto the time of victor bishop of rome , whose successor zephyrinus corrupted it . and this ( saith he ) would have great probability , were it not first of all contradicted by the scripture ; and next if there did not remain the writings of other brethren much more ancient than victor 's time , &c. in the books of all whom christs divinity is acknowledged . and afterwards he tells us that these hereticks did change and corrupt the scriptures to bring them to their opinions ; so mr. s. tells us that the outward letter of scripture ought to be corrected by tradition and sense written in mens hearts . st. hierom also tells us * , that the hereticks were wont to say , we are the sons of the wise , who did from the beginning deliver down to us the apostolical doctrine ; but he adds , that the true sons of judah adhere to the scripture . § . that scripture is sufficiently plain in all things necessary . st. chrysostome * , all things in the divine scriptures are plain and straight . whatsoever things are necessary are manifest . st. austin having spoken of the profoundness of scripture , adds * , not that those things which are necessary to salvation are so hard to be come at : but ( saith he ) when one hath there attained faith without which there is no pious and right living , there are besides , many dark and mysterious things , &c. again * , the manner of speech in scripture how easie is it to all , though few can penetrate to the bottom of it ? those things which it plainly contains , it speaks without disguise like a familiar friend to the heart of the learned and unlearned . how will mr. s. reconcile this with his grand exception against scripture ? and what these things are , which are plainly contained in scripture , the same father tells us else-where , in these words * , among those things which are plainly set down in scripture , all those things are to be found which comprehend faith and good manners . the same st. austin ( as also clement in the book which mr. white quoted ) for the understanding of obscure texts of scripture directs us not to tradition , but to the plain texts , without which he expresly says * there would be no way to understand them . § . that scripture is so plain , as to be fit to determine controversies . justin sure thought so , when disputing with trypho , concerning a point wherein the jew had tradition on his side , he told him he would bring such proofs ( to the contrary ) as no man could gain-say : attend ( says he ) to what i shall recite out of the holy scriptures , proofs which need not to be explained , but only to be heard . mr. white might have found likewise much to this purpose in his clement . but not to tire my reader in a point which the ancients abound with , i shall only produce the judgment of constantine * in that solemn oration of his to the council of nice ; wherein he bewails their mutual oppositions , especially in divine things ; concerning which they had the doctrine of the holy spirit recorded in writing ; for ( says he ) the books of the evangelists and apostles , and the oracles of the old prophets , do evidently teach us what we ought to think of the divine majesty . therefore laying aside all seditious contention , let us determine the matters in question by testimonies out of the divine writings . not a word of any other tradition but scripture , which was held evident enough in those days , though now mr. s. tells us it is not sufficient to decide that controversy about the divinity of christ. § . lastly , that scripture is the rule of faith. irenaeus * , the method of our salvation we have not known by any other but those men by whom the gospel came to us , which then they preached , but afterwards by the will of god delivered it to us in the scriptures , to be for the future the foundation and pillar of our faith. st. cyprian the church hath ever held a good catholick ; yet mr. s. * takes notice that he erred in a point of faith , and perhaps the rather because mr. rushworth * had told him that he was not theirs in this controversy . for ( says he ) st. cyprian seems to think that the resolution of faith was to be made into scripture , and not into tradition . but that we may not seem to accept of this of courtesie from him , nor yet wholly to despise it , i shall offer this one testimony instead of many out of that father ; who being opposed with an argument from tradition , demands * , whence have you that tradition ? comes it from the authority of the lord , and of the gospel , or from the epistles of the apostles ? for god testifies that we are to do those things which are written , &c. if it be commanded in the gospel , or contained in the epistles or acts of the apostles , then let us observe it as a divine and holy tradition . hilary * commends constantius the emperor for regulating his faith only according to those things which are written . and to oblige him to deserve this commendation , he adds , he who refuses this is antichrist , and who dissembles in it is anathema . * optatus , concerning the controversy with the donatists , asks who shall be judge ? and answers himself , the scriptures : which he illustrates by the similitude of a father who delivered his will orally to his children while he was living , but when he was dying caused it to be written in lasting tables , to decide all controversies that might happen among them after his death . the passage is large , and it is obvious to apply it . basil maintaining the doxology as it was used in his days , says * , thus we received it from our fathers ; but adds immediately , this is not enough for us , that it is the tradition of the fathers , for they followed the authority of the scriptures , making its testimonies the principles upon which they built . he has indeed in the same book * a passage much insisted on by the papists concerning unwritten traditions ; but withal he says those traditions were secretly conveyed , which makes all the rest of no use to mr. s. chrysostom * having mentioned several heresies , directs how they may be avoided , viz. by attending to the faith delivered , and looking upon all that disagrees from that as adulterate . for ( says he ) as those who give rules do not put men upon a curious enquiry after many measures , but bid them keep to the rule given ; so is it in opinions . but no body will attend to the scriptures ; if we did , we should not only not fall into errors our selves , but also rescue those that are deceived . again * , if we would be throughly conversant in the scriptures , we should be instructed both in right opinions and a good life . again , among the many sects of christians * it will be easie to judge of the right , if we believe the scriptures , because these are plain and true ; if any one agree with these , he is a christian ; if he contradict them , he is far from this rule . st. austin calls the scipture * the divine balance for the weighing of doctrine . again , the holy scripture ( sayes he ) fixeth the rule of our doctrine . and accordingly himself uses it both in his dispute with maximinus , to whom he sayes * , neither ought i now to alledg the nicene council , nor thou that of arminium ; for neither am i bound to the authority of the one , nor thou of the other . let us both contest with the authorities of scripture which are wtinesses common to us both . and also against the donatists in these words * , let them if they can demonstrate their church not by the talk and rumors [ or oral tradition ] of the africans , not by the councils of their own bishops , not by the books of their disputers , not by deceitful miracles , &c , but by the prescript of the law , prophets , &c. i. e. by all the canonical authorities of the holy books . hierom saith * , of those things , which without the authorities and testimonies of the scripture men invent of their own heads as from apostolical tradition , they are smitten with the sword of god. theophilus alexandr . whom hierom hath translated , calls scripture more than once * the rule , and the testimonies of it the firm foundations of doctrine . and again saith * , it comes from a demonical spirit that men follow the sophisms of humane minds , and think any thing divine that wants the authority of scripture . theodoret * charges all heresies upon the not following of scripture , which he calls the inflexible rule of truth . again , we have have learned the rule of opinions from the divine scripture . after the fathers , i shall produce the testimonies of two eminent persons of latter times , gerson and lyra. gerson in his * book of the tryal of doctrines , hath this remarkable passage ; in the tryal of doctrines that which is first and principally to be considered is , whether a doctrine be conformable to the h. scripture , &c. the reason of this is , because the scripture is deliver'd to us as a svfficient and infallible rvle for the goverment of the whole ecclesiastical body and its members to the end of the world . so that it is such an art , such a rule or exemplar , that any other doctrine which is not conformable to it , is to be renounc'd as heretical , or to be accounted suspicious , or not at all appertaining to religion . again , * it is evident how pernicious the rejection of the h. scripture is , and how certain a preparatory for the reception of antichrist . once more , * what mischief , what danger , what confusion hath happen'd thorough contempt of the h. scripture , which sure is sufficient for the government of the church ( else christ must have been an imperfect law-giver ) let us ask experience , &c. lyra * also writes thus * ; as in philosophy truth is discovered by reducing things to their first and self-evident principles ; so in the writings deliver'd by the h. doctors , truth is discover'd as to matters of faith , by reducing them to the canonical scriptures . sir , you know how easy it were to swell up a large volume , with testimonies to this purpose ; especially if i should take the course that mr. wh. does , to hale in quotations though never so impertinent ; or use the wretched importunity which mr. s. does , to perswade them to be pertinent . but these testimonies which i have nakedly set down , leaving them to speak for themselves , are enough to satisfie an unpassionate reader , such an one as dares trust himself with the use of his own eyes and reason . as for that sort of men which chuses to follow noise rather than light , we must be content to leave them to the blind conduct of those guides who , having no better means to keep their followers to them , go halloing in the dark , and fill their ears with the insignificant sounds of infallibility , indefectibility , self-evidence and demonstration . concerning the appendix wherein you are particularly challeng'd , i hope for an account very shortly , and so take leave , sir , your affectionate friend , john tillotson . lincolns-inn , febr. . . finis . a reply to m r. j. s. his d appendix , containing some animadversions on the book entituled a rational account of the grounds of protestant religion . by ed. stillingfleet b. d. london , printed by h.c. for henry mortlock at the sign of the phoenix in st. paul's church-yard near the little north-door . . an appendix to the rule of faith. to his honoured friend mr. john tillotson . sir , as soon as i understood your intentions to answer mr. serjeant , i could not but rejoice on his behalf , as well as on the truths and your own . for i have that real kindness for him , that i heartily wish him that reason and science he pretends to ; which i could not but despair of his attaining , unless he were undeceived in that monstrous opinion he hath of himself and his undertakings . and i knew no person more fit than you , to let him understand the truth and himself together . in which , your performances have been so clear and satisfactory , that i hope mr. sergeant , in stead of another letter of directions to his answerer , will write you one of thanks , for the reason and kindness you have shewed him throughout your book . unless it fares with you , as it hath done with some other adversaries of theirs , that their civility hath been interpreted as an argument of their uncertainty , and their own confidence cried up for a demonstration . in which sense only i shall grant our protestant writers to build on uncertainties , and mr. white and mr. serjeant to be the great demonstrators of this age . if their own reason had been as severe as the censures at rome against them , they had saved us the labour of any answer , and would have found out their own sophistry without a confutation . but the least thing we can imagine by their excessive confidence , is , that they are deceived themselves ; and therefore it is a part of charity to them , as well as justice to the truth , to let the world see , that big words are quite another thing from science , and a strong presumption from a regular demonstration . as to which , no more need to have been said , than what you have already done , if mr. serjeant had not thought it an accession to the glory of his atchievements , to lead two pages of my book in triumph after him . i confess , i was somewhat surprized to see a person who would be noted for his valour in assaulting protestant writers , steal so behind the main bulk and design of my book ; and when he had gotten two single pages by themselves , fall upon them with as much pomp and ostentation , as if he had attack'd the whole . and this must be noised abroad as an answer to me , by the same figure that his arguments are called demonstrations , which is by an hyperbole unfit for any , but such who never flag below the sphere of science in their own judgments , though they seem not to come near it in others . yet since mr. serjeant is not only pleased to concern himself so far as to answer that part of my book relating to oral tradition ; but in most express terms to challenge me to reply to him , he may now see ( assoon as i could get any liberty from greater imployments ) how ready i am to give him all reasonable satisfaction . and in the first place , i return him thanks for the weapon he hath made choice of , viz. that of reason ; there being no other i desire to make use of , in managing this debate between us : and i hope he will find as much civility towards him throughout this discourse , as he expresses towards me in the entrance to his ; if that may be accounted any real civility , which is intended meerly out of design , with the greater advantage to disparage the cause i have undertaken , and yet see no reason to repent of . if in his cursory view of two chapters of my book he had ( as he saith ) quite lost me , he had no cause to be troubled for it , if he had found far more excellent persons , such as dr. hammond , and the disswader , and dr. pierce , instead of me . but to be sure , he intends not this in honour to any of us , but by way of a common reproach to us all , as though we did not talk out of nature or things , but words and imagination . i could heartily have wished , mr. s. would have cropt so much of the victory due to anothers learning and industry , as to have shewed me one proposition in those discourses , which a rational understanding , that would be true to it self , could not settle or rely on . but if such insinuations as these must pass for answers , i must needs say , i judg m. s. equally happy in confuting our grounds , and in demonstrating his own ; in both which , his greatest strength lies in the self-evidence of his bare affirmations . but it seems he is willing to resign the glory of this victory to the judicious author of labyrinthus cantuariensis , or to some others for him ; and when they have once obtained it , i shall not envy them the honour of it . and i suppose those persons , whoever they are , may be able by this time , to tell mr. s. it is an easier matter to talk of victories than to get them . but if they do no more in the whole , than mr. s. hath done for his share , they will triumph no-where , but where they conquer , viz. in their own fancies and imaginations . therefore leaving them to their silent conquests , and as yet , unheard-of victories , we come to mr. s. who so liberally proclaims his own in the point of oral tradition . which ( in a phrase scarce heard of in our language before ) is the post , he tells us , he hath taken upon him to explicate further and defend . what the explicating a post means , i as little understand , as i do the force of his demonstrations ; but this , and many other such uncouth forms of speech , up and down in his book ( which make his style so smooth and easie ) , are i suppose intended for embellishments of our tongue , and as helps to sure-speaking , as his whole book is designed for sure-footing . but letting him enjoy the pleasure and felicity of his own expressions , i come to consider the matter in debate between us . and his first controversie with me , is , for opposing the infallibility of oral tradition , to doctrinal infallibility in pope and councils . a controversie fitter to be debated among themselves , than between him and me : for is any thing more notorious , than that infallibility is by the far greatest part of romanists attributed to the present church , in teaching and delivering matters of faith , not by virtue of any oral tradition , but the immediate assistance of the holy ghost ; and that this is made by them the only ground of divine faith ? for which mr. s. may if he please , consult his judicious author of labyrinthus cantuariensis , or any other of their present writers , except mr. white and himself . he need not therefore have been to seek for the meaning of this doctrinal infallibility , as opposed to traditionary , if he had not either been ignorant of the opinion of their own writers , or notoriously dissembled it . for this infallibility is not attributed to the rulers of the church , meerly as doctors or scholars , but as the representative church , whose office it is , to deliver all matters of faith by way of an infallible testimony to every age , and thereby to afford a sufficient foundation for divine faith . but mr. s. attributes no such infallibility to the representative church , as teaching the rest , but derives their infallibility from such grounds as are common to all parts of the essential church . wherein he apparently opposes himself to the whole current of their own authors , who resolve all faith into the immediate assistance of the holy ghost ; without which , they assert , there could be no infallibility at all in tradition , or any thing else ; and therefore these opinions are as opposite to each other as may be . for such an infallibility is not attributed by them to the teachers of the church , meerly on some signal occasions , as mr. s. seems to suppose , when they are to explain new matters of saith ; but it is made by them to be as necessary as believing it self , because thereby the only sure foundation of faith is laid ; and therefore it is very evident , they make it proper to the church in all ages : or else in some age of the church men were destitute of suciffient grounds of faith . for they by no means think it a sufficient foundation for faith , that one age of the church could not conspire to deceive another ; for this they will tell him , at most , is but a humane faith ; but that christ by his promise hath assured the church , that there shall never be wanting in it the infallible assistance of his holy spirit , whereby they shall infallibly teach and deliver all matters of saith . and if this be not their opinion , let them speak to the contrary , which if they do , i am sure they must retract their most elaborate discourses about the resolution of faith , written by the greatest artists among them . let mr. s. then judg , who it is that stumbles at the threshold ; but of this difference among them , more afterwards . by this it appears , it was not on any mistake that i remained unsatisfied in the question i asked , whether am i bound to believe what the present church delivers to be infallible ? to which mr. s. answers , i understand him not . my reply shall be only that of a great lawyers in a like case , i cannot help that . i am sure my words are intelligible enough ; for i take infallible there as he takes it himself , for infallibly true ; although i deny not the word to be improperly used in reference to things ; and that for the reason given by him , because fallibility & infallibility belong to the knowing power , or the persons that have it , and not to the object . but we are often put to the use of that word in a sense we acknowledg improper , meerly in compliance with our adversaries , who otherwise are apt to charge us with having only uncertainties and probabilities for our faith ; if we do not use the term infallible as applied to the truth of the thing . i am content therefore wherever , in what i have writ , he meets that term so applied , that he take it only in his own sense , for that which is certainly true ; for i mean no more by it . and in this sense mr. s. answers affirmatively , and gives this account of it , not only because the present church cannot be deceived in what the church of the former age believed , but because the church in no age could conspire against her knowledg to deceive that age immediately following in matter of fact , evident in a manner to the whole world . the question then is , whether this be a sufficient account for me to believe that to be certainly true , or to be the doctrine of christ and his apostles , which the present church delivers ? and consequently , whether the resolution of faith be barely into oral tradition ? thus we see the clear state of the question between us . i come therefore to the vindication of those things which i had objected against this way of resolving faith into oral tradition . three things i especially insisted on : . that it is inconsistent with the pretensions of the present roman church . . that it hath not been the way owned in all ages of the christian church . . that it is repugnant to common sense and experience , and that the church of rome hath apparently altered from what was the belief of former ages . if these three be made good , there will be no cause to glory in this last invention , to support the sinking fabrick of that church . these three then i undertake to defend against what mr. serjeant hath objected against them . . that it is contrary to the pretensions of the present roman church . and if it be so , there can be no reason for those who are of it , to rely upon it . for if so be that church pretends , that the obligation to faith arises from a quite different ground from this ; how can they who believe that church infallible , venture their faith upon any other principle than what is publickly owned by her ? and whosoever thinks himself bound to believe by virtue of an infallible assistance of the present church , doth thereby shew , that his obligation doth not depend upon what was delivered by the former ages of the church . as those who believed the apostles were infallible in their doctrine , could not resolve their faith into the infallibility of oral tradition , but into that immediate assistance by which the apostles spake ; and where there is a belief of a like assistance , the foundation of faith cannot ly in the indefectibility of tradition , but in that infallible spirit which they suppose the church to be assisted by . for supposing this oral tradition should fail , and that men might believe that it had actually failed ; yet if the former supposition were true , there was sufficient ground for faith remaining still . and what assurance can any one have , that the present church delivers nothing for matter of faith , but what hath been derived in every age from christ and his apostles , if such an infallible spirit be supposed in the present church which was in the apostles themselves ? for on the same reason that those who heard the apostles were not bound to trouble themselves with the tradition of the former age ; no more ought they who believe the present roman church to have the same infallible assistance . they need not then enquire , whether this age knew the meaning of the former , or whether one age could conspire to deceive another , or whether notwithstanding both these , errors might not come into the church ; it is sufficient for them , that the definitions of the present church are infallible in all matters of faith . therefore my demand was built on very good reason ; how can you assure me the present church obliges me to believe nothing but only what , and so far as it received from the former church ? and mr. s's answer is far from being satisfactory , that this appears by her manifest practice , never refusing communion to any man , that could approve himself to believe all the former age did . for this may be resolved into a principle far different from this , which is the belief of the infallibility of the present church . for supposing , that they are not bound to enquire themselves into the reasons why the tradition could not fail in any age ; it is suffient for them to believe the church infallible ; and if it be so , in proposing matters of faith , it must be so in declaring what the belief of the former age was . but my demands go on , what evidence can you bring to convince me both that the church always observed this rule , and could never be deceived in it ? which question is built on these two principles which the infallibility of oral tradition stands on : . that the church must always go upon this ground . . that if it did so , it is impossible she should be deceived . both which are so far from that self-evidence which m. serjeant still pretends to in this way , that the jesuits principles seem much more rational and consistent , than these do . for granting them but that one postulatum , that there must be an inherent infallibility in the testimony of the present church , to afford sufficient foundation for divine faith , all the rest of their doctrine follows naturally from it . whereas this new way of resolving faith is built on such suppositions , which no man well in his wits will be ready to grant . for unless it be self-evident that the church did always proceed on this ground , it cannot be self-evident that oral tradition is infallible ; because the self-evidence of this principle depends on this , that in all ages of the church , the only rule and measure of faith , was what was delivered by oral tradition from the age foregoing . now if it be possible , that matters of faith might be conveyed in ways quite different from this , what self-evidence can there be , that the church much always proceed upon this ? mr. s. then , must demonstrate it impossible for matters of faith to be conveyed to posterity in any other way than oral tradition ; and not only that the thing is impossible , but that the church in all ages judged it to be so ; or else he can never make it at all evident , that the church always made this her rule of faith . but if either there may be a certain conveyance of the doctrine of faith another way , viz. by writing , or that the church might judg that way more certain , whether it were so or not , either way it will appear far enough from self-evidence , that she always judged of doctrines of faith , meerly by the tradition of the preceding age . if another way be granted possible , there must be clear demonstration , that the church notwithstanding this , did never make use of it ; for if it did make use of another way of resolving faith in any age of the church , then in that age of the church oral tradition was not looked on as the ground of faith ; and if so , notwithstanding whatever mr. s. can demonstrate to the contrary , that age might have believed otherwise than the immediately preceding did . for let us but suppose , that all necessary doctrines of faith were betimes recorded in the church , in books universally received by the christians of the first ages ; is it not possible , that age which first embraced these books , might deliver them to posterity as the rule of their faith , and so down from one age to another ; and doth it not hence follow , that the rule of faith is quite different from a meer oral tradition ? let mr. s. then either shew it impossible , that the doctrines of faith should be written ; or that being written , they should be universally received ; or that being universally received in one age , they should not be delivered to the next ; or being delivered to the next , those books should not be looked on as containing the rule of faith in them ; or though they were so , yet , that still oral tradition was wholly relied on as the rule of faith ; and then i shall freely grant that mr. s. hath attempted something towards the proof of this new hypothesis . but as things now stand , it is so far from being self-evident , that the church hath always gone upon this principle , that we find it looked on as a great novelty among them in their own church ; and it would be a rare thing , for a new invention to have been the sense of the church in all ages ; which if it hath been , the strength of it is thereby taken away . but let us suppose that the church did proceed upon this principle , that nothing was to be embraced , but what was derived by tradition from the apostles ; how doth it thence follow , that nothing could be admitted into the church but what was really so derived from them ? do we not see in the world at this day , that among those who own this principle , contradictory propositions are believed ; and both sides tell us , it is on this account , because their doctrine was delivered by the apostles ? doth not the greek church profess to believe on the account of tradition from the apostles as well as the latin ? if that tradition failed in the greek church , which was preserved in the latin , either mr. s. must instance on his own principles in that age which conspired to deceive the next , or he must acknowledg , that while men own tradition they may be deceived in what the foregoing age taught them ; and consequently those things may be admitted as doctrines coming from the apostles which were not so , and some which did may be lost , and yet the pretence of tradition remain still . what self-evidence then can there be in this principle , when two parts of the church may both own it , and yet believe contradictions on the account of it ? it is then worth our enquiring , what self-evidence this is which mr. s. speaks so much of , which is neither more nor less , but that men in all ages had eyes , ears , and other senses , also common reason , and as much memory as to remember their own names and frequently inculcated actions . which is so very reasonable a postulatum , that i suppose none who enjoy any of these will deny it . let us therefore see how he proceeds upon it . if you disprove this , i doubt we have lost mankind , the subject we speak of ; and till you disprove it , neither i , nor any man in his wits can doubt , that this rule depending on testifying , that is , sense or experience , can possibly permit men to be deceivable . big words indeed ; but such as evidence that all men who are in their wits do not constantly use them . for i pray sir , what doth mr , s. think of the greek church ? had not those in it eyes , ears , and other senses , as well as in the latin ? do not they pretend and appeal to what they received from their fore-fathers as well as the latins ? it seems then a deception is possible in the case of testifying , and therefore this doth more than permit men to be deceivable ; for here hath been an actual deception on one side or other . but we need not fear losing mankind in this ; for the possibility of error supposeth mankind to continue still ; and if we take away that , we may sooner lose it than by the contrary . but what repugnancy can we imagine to humane nature , that men supposing doctrines of faith to come down from christ or his apostles , should yet mistake in judging what those doctrines are ? had not men eyes , and ears , and common sense in christ and the apostles times ? and yet we see even then the doctrine of christ was mistaken ; and is it such a wonder it should be in succeeding ages ? did not the nazarenes mistake in point of circumcision , the corinthians as to the resurrection , and yet the mean time agree in this , that christs doctrine was the rule of faith , or that they ought to believe nothing but what came from him ? did not the disciples themselves err , even while they were with christ , and certainly had eyes , and ears , and common sense as other men have , concerning some great articles of christian faith , viz. christs passion , resurrection , and the nature of his kingdom ? if then such who had the greatest opportunities imaginable , and the highest apprehensions of christ , might so easily mistake in points of such moment , what ground have we to believe , that succeeding ages should not be liable to such misapprehensions ? and it was not meerly the want of clear divine revelation which was the cause of their mistakes ; for these things were plain enough to persons not possessed with prejudices ; but those were so strong as to make them apprehend things quite another way than they ought to do . so it was then , and so it was in succeeding ages ; for let parents teach what they pleased for matters of faith , yet prejudice and liableness to mistake in children , might easily make them misapprehend either the nature or weight of the doctrines delivered to them . so that setting aside a certain way of recording the matters of faith in the books of scripture , and these preserved entire in every age , it is an easie matter to conceive , how in a short time christian religion would have been corrupted as much as ever any was in the world . for when we consider how much notwithstanding scripture , the pride , passion , and interests of men have endeavoured to deface christian religion in the world , what would not these have done , if there had been no such certain rule to judg of it by ? mr. s. imagins himself in repub . platonis , but it appears he is still in faece romuli ; he fancies there never were , nor could be any differences among christians , and that all christians made it their whole business to teach their posterity matters of faith , and that they minded nothing in the world but the imprinting that on their minds that they might have it ready for their children ; and that all parents had equal skill and fidelity in delivering matters of religion to their posterity . whereas in truth , we find in the early ages of the christian church several differences about matters of faith , and these differences continued to posterity , but all parties still pleading that their doctrine came from the apostles ; & it fell out unhappily for mr. s. that those were commonly most grosly deceived who pretended the most to oral tradition from the apostles ; still we find the grand debate was , what came from the apostles , and what not ? whereas had tradition been so infallible a way of conveying , how could this ever have come into debate among them ? what , did not they know what their parents taught them ? it seems they did not , or their parents were no more agreed than themselves ; for their differences could never be ended this way . afterwards came in for many ages such a succession of ignorance and barbarism , that christian religion was little minded either by parents or children , as it ought to have been ; instead of that , some fopperies and superstitions were hugely in request , and the men who fomented these things were cried up as great saints and workers of miracles . so that the miracles of s. francis and s. dominick were as much , if not more carefully conveyed from parents to children in that age , than those of christ and his apostles ; and on this account posterity must be equally bound to believe them , and have their persons in equal veneration . if men at last were grown wiser , it was because they did not believe mr. s's principles , that they ought to receive what was delivered by their parents ; but they began to search and enquire into the writings of former ages , and to examine the opinions and practices of the present , with those of the primitive church , and by this means there came a restauration of learning and religion together . but though matters of fact be plain and evident in this case , yet m. s. will prove it impossible there should any errors come into the christian church ; and his main argument is this , because no age of the church could conspire against her knowledg to deceive that age immediately following , in matter of fact , evident in a manner to the whole world . but before i come , more particularly , to shew the weakness of this argument , by manifesting how errors might come into the church without such a conspiracy as this is , i shall propound some queries to him . . what age of the church he will instance in , wherein all persons who were not cast out of the church , had the same apprehensions concerning all points of faith i. e. that none among them did believe more things delivered by christ or the apostles than others did . i am sure he can neither instance in the age of the apostles themselves , nor in those immediately succeeding them ; unless mr. s. the better to defend his hypothesis , will question all written records , because they consist of dead letters , and unsenc't characters , and wordish testimonies . never considering , that while he utters this , he writes himself ; unless he imagins there is more of life , sense , and certainty in his books , than in the scriptures or any other writing whatsoever . . where there were different apprehensions in one age of the church , whether there must not be different traditions in the next ? for as he looks on all parents as bound to teach their children , so on children as bound to believe what their parents teach them . on which supposition different traditions in the succeeding age must needs follow , different apprehensions in the precedent . . whether persons agreeing in the substance of doctrines may not differ in their apprehensions of the necessity of them ? as for instance , all may agree in the article of christs descent into hell , but yet may differ in the explication of it , and in the apprehension of the necessity of it in order to salvation . so that we must not only in tradition about matters of faith enquire , what was delivered , but under what notion it was delivered ; whether as an allowable opinion , or a necessary point of faith . but if several persons , nay multitudes in the church may have different notions as to the necessity of the same points , by what means shall we discern what was delivered as an opinion in the church , and what as an article of faith ? but mr. s. throughout his discourse takes it for granted , that there is the same necessity of believing and delivering all things which concern the christian doctrine ; and still supposes the same sacredness , concern , necessity , in delivering all the points in controversie between the romanists and us , as there was in those main articles of faith , which they and we are agreed in . which is so extravagant a supposition , that it is hard to conceive it should ever enter into the head of a person pretending to reason ; but as extravagant as it is , it is that without which his whole fabrick falls to the ground . for suppose we should grant him , that the infinite concerns which depend on the belief of the christian doctrine should be of so prevalent nature with the world , that it is impossible to conceive any one age should neglect the knowing them , or conspire to deceive the next age about them ; yet what is all this to the matters in difference between us ? will mr. s. prove the same sacredness , necessity , concern , and miraculously attestedness ( as he phrases it ) in the invocation of saints , purgatory transubstantiation , supremacy , &c. as in the believing the death and resurrection of the son of god. if he doth not prove this , he doth nothing ; for his arguments may hold for doctrines judged universally necessary , but for no other . therefore mr. s. hath a new task which he thought not of ; which is , to manifest that these could not be looked on as opinions , but were embraced as necessary articles of faith . for unless he proves them such , he can neither prove any obligation in parents to teach them their children , nor in children to believe what their parents taught , but only to hold them in the same degree which they did themselves . when mr. s. will undertake to prove , that the whole church , from the time of christ , did agree in the points in difference between us , as necessary articles of faith , i may more easily believe , that no age could be ignorant of them , or offer to deceive the next about them . but when mr. s. reflects on his frequent concession , that there are private opinions in the church , distinct from matters of faith , he must remember , before he can bring home his grounds to the case between their church and ours , that he must prove none of the things in debate , were ever entertained as private opinions , and that it is impossible for that which was a private opinion in one age , to become a matter of faith in the next . but because this distinction of his ruins his whole demonstration , i shall first propound it in his own terms , and then shew how from thence it follows , that errors may come into the church , and be entertained as matters of faith . his words are , it being evident , that we have but two ways of ordinary knowledg , by acts of our soul , or operations on our body , that is , by reason and experience ; the former of which belongs to speculators or doctors , the second to deliverers of what was received , or testifiers . and this distinction he frequently admits , not only in the present age of the church , but in any ; for the same reason will hold in all . from hence i propose several queries further to mr. s. . if every one in the church looked on himself as bound to believe just as the precedent age did , whence came any to have particular opinions of their own ? for either the church had delivered her sense in that case or not ; if not , then tradition is no certain conveyer of the doctrine of christ ; if she had , then those who vented private speculations were hereticks in so doing ; because they opposed that doctrine which the church received from christ and his apostles . if mr. s. replies , that private speculations are in such cases where there is no matter of faith at all , he can never be able to help himself by that distinction in the case of his own church ; for i demand , whether is it a matter of faith , that men ought to believe oral tradition infallible ? if not , how can men ground their faith upon it ? if it be , then either some are meer speculators in matters of faith ; or all who believe on the account of the popes infallibility are hereticks for so doing . . if there were speculators in former ages as well as this , whether did those men believe their own speculations or no ? if not , then the fathers were great impostors , who vented those speculations in the church which they did not believe themselves . and it is plain , mr. s. speaks of such opinions which the asserters of , do firmly believe to be true : and if they did , then they look on themselves as bound to believe something which was not founded on the tradition of the church ; and consequently , did not own oral tradition , as the rule of faith . so that as many speculators as we find in the churh , so many testifiers we have against the infallibility of oral tradition . . whether those persons who did themselves believe those opinions to be true , did not think themselves obliged to tell others they ought to believe them ; and consequently , to deliver these as matters of faith to their children ? let mr. s. shew me any inconsequence in this ; but that it unavoidably follows upon his principles , that they were bound to teach their children what themselves received as the doctrine of christ ; and that the obligation is in all respects equal as if they had believed these things on the account of oral tradition . . if children be obliged to believe what their parents teach them for matters of faith , then upon mr. s's , own concessions , is not posterity bound to believe something which originally came not from christ or his apostles ? for it appears in this case , that the first rise was from a private opinion of some doctors of the church ; but they believing these opinions themselves , think themselves obliged to propagate them to others ; and by reason of their learning and authority , these opinions may by degrees gain a general acceptance in the ruling part of the church ; and all who believe them true , think they ought to teach them their children ; and children they are to believe what their parents teach them . thus from mr. s's own principles , things that never were delivered by christ or his apostles , may come to be received as matters of faith in the present church . thus the intelligent reader needs no bodies help but mr. s. to let him understand how invocation of saints , purgatory , transubstantiation , &c. though never delivered either by christ or his apostles , may yet now be looked on as articles of faith , and yet no age of the church conspire to deceive another . either then mr. s. must say , there never were any private opinators or speculators in the church , as distinct from testifiers , and then he unavoidably contradicts himself ; or he must deny that posterity is bound to believe what their fore-fathers delivered them as matters of faith ; which destroys the force of his whole demonstration . perhaps he will answer , that children are not bound to believe what barely their parents , or any other number of persons might deliver as matters of faith , but what the whole church of every age delivers . this , though the only thing to be said in the case , yet is most unreasonable , because it runs men upon inextricable difficulties in the way of their resolving faith . for suppose any children taught by their parents what they are to believe ; mr. s. must say , they are not bound to believe them presently , but to enquire whether they agree with the whole church of that age first , before they can be obliged to assent . which being an impossible task either for children , or men of age , to find out in the way of oral tradition , this way of resolving faith , doth but offer a fairer pretence for infidelity . for we see , how impossible it is for mr. s. to make it appear , that their church is agreed about the rule of faith ; for by his own confession , the far greater number as speculators oppose the way asserted by him ; how much more difficult then must it needs be , to find out what the sense of the whole essential church is in all matters which parents may teach their children for doctrines of faith ? so that if children are not bound to believe what their parents teach them , till they know they teach nothing but what the whole church teaches , it is the most compendious way to teach them they are not bound to believe at all . but if this distinction be admitted , as mr. s. makes much use of it , then it appears , how errors may come into the church at first under the notion of speculations , and by degrees to be delivered as points of faith , by which means those things may be received in the church , for such , which were never delivered by christ or his apostles , and yet no age conspire to deceive the next , which was the thing to be shewed . this is one way of shewing how errors may come into the church , without one ages conspiring to deceive the next : but besides this , there are several others i might insist upon ; but i shall mention only two more : . misinterpreting the sence of scripture . . supposing it in the power of some part of the church to oblige the whole in matters of faith . for the first we are to consider , that no imaginable account can be given either of the writing or universal reception of the books of the new testament , if they were not designed for the preservation of the doctrine of christ. and although it should be granted possible for the main and fundamental articles of christian faith ( such as the apostles creed gives a summary account of ) to have been preserved by the help of tradition ; yet , unless we be extreamly ungratful , we cannot but acknowledg , that god hath infinitely better provided for us , in not leaving the grounds of our religion to the meer breath of the people , or the care of mothers instructing their children but hath given us the certain records of all the doctrines and motives of faith , preserved inviolably from the first ages of the church . and when the church saw with what care god had provided for the means of faith , oral tradition was little minded ; thence the memory of those other things not recorded in scripture is wholly lost ; all the care was imployed in searching , preserving , and delivering these sacred books to posterity . to these the primitive church still appeals ; these they plead for against all adversaries , defending their authority , explaining their sense , vindicating them from all corruptions . tradition they rely not on , any further than as a testimony of the truth of these records , or to clear the sense of them from the perverse interpretation of those hereticks who pretended another kind of tradition than what was in scripture . and when these were silenced , all the disputes that arose in the church concerning matters of faith , was about the sense of these books ; as is evident by the proceedings in the case of arius and pelagius . wherein tradition was only used as a means to clear the sense of the scriptures , but not at all as that which the faith of all was to be resolved into . but when any thing was pleaded from tradition , for which there was no ground in scripture , it was rejected with the same ease it was offered ; and such persons were plainly told , this was not the churches way ; if they had plain scripture , with the concurrent sense of antiquity , they might produce it , and rely upon it . so that the whole use of tradition in the primitive church ( besides attesting the books ) was , to shew the unreasonableness of imposing senses on scripture , against the universal sense of the church from the apostles times . but as long as men were men , it was not avoidable , but they must fall into different apprehensions of the meaning of the scripture , according to their different judgments , prejudices , learning , and education . and since they had all this apprehension , that the scripture contained all doctrines of faith , thence as men judged of the sense of it , they differed in their apprehension , concerning matters of faith . and thence errors and mistakes might easily come into the church , without one age conspiring to deceive the next . nay if it be possible for men to rely on tradition without scripture , this may easily be done ; for by that means they make a new rule of faith , not known to the primitive church , and consequently , that very assertion is an error in which the former age did not conspire to deceive the next . and if these things be possible , m. s's . demonstration fails him ; for hereby a reasonable account is given , how errors may come into a church without one age conspiring to deceive another . again , let me enquire of mr. s. whether men may not believe it in the power of the ruling part of the church , to oblige the whole to an assent to the definitions of it ? to speak plainer , is it not possible for men to believe the pope and council infallible in their decrees ? and i hope the jesuits ( as little as mr. s. loves them , or they him ) may be a sufficient evidence of more than the bare possibility of this . if they may believe this , doth it not necessarily follow , that they are bound to believe whatever they declare to be matter of faith ? supposing then , that transubstantiation , supremacy , invocation of saints , were but p●ivate opinions before , but are now defined by pope and council , these men cannot but look on themselves as much obliged to believe them , as if they had been delivered as matters of faith , in every age since the apostles times . is it now repugnant to common sense , that this opinion should be believed or entertained in the church ? if not , why may not this opinion be generally received ? if it be so , doth it not unavoidably follow , that the faith of men must alter according to the churches definitions ? and thus private opinions may be believed as articles of faith , and corrupt practices be established as laudable pieces of devotion , and yet no one age of the church conspire to deceive another . thus i hope mr. s. may see how far it is from being a self-evident principle , that no error can come into the church , unless one age conspire to deceive the next in a matter of fact , evident in a manner to the whole world . which is so wild an apprehension , that i believe the jesuits cannot entertain themselves without smiles , to see their domestick adversaries expose themselves to contempt with so much confidence . thus i come to the reason i gave , why there is no reason to believe that this is the present sense of the roman church . my words are , for i see the roman church asserts , that things may be de fide in one age , which were not in another ; at least popes and councils challenge this ; and this is the common doctrine maintained there , and others are looked on as no members of their church who assert the contrary ; but as persons at least meritoriously , if not actually excommunicate . where then shall i satisfie my self , what the sense of your church is , as to this particular ? must i believe a very few persons , whom the rest disown as heretical and seditious ? or ought i not rather to take the judgment of the greatest and most approved persons of that church ? and these disown any such doctrine ; but assert , that the church may determine things de fide , which were not before . in answer to this mr. s. begs leave to distinguish the words de fide , which may either mean christian faith , or points of faith taught by christ ; and then he grants , 't is non-sense to say , they can be in one age , and not in another . or de fide may mean obligatory to be believed . in this latter sense none i think ( saith he ) denies things may be de fide in one age and not in another ; in the former sense none holds it . upon which very triumphantly he concludes , what 's now become of your difficulty ? i believe you are in some wonderment , and think i elude it rather then answer it ; i shall endeavour to unperplex you . i must confess it a fault of humane nature , to admire things which men understand not ; on which account i cannot free my self from some temptation to that he calls wonderment ; but i am presently cured of it , when i endeavour to reduce his distinction to reason . for instead of explaining his terms , he should have shewed how any thing can be obligatory to be believed in any age of the church , which was no point of faith taught by christ , which notwithstanding his endeavour to unperplex me , is a thing as yet i apprehend not ; because i understand no obligation to faith to arise from any thing but divine revelation ; and i do not yet believe any thing in christian doctrine to be divinely revealed , but what was delivered by christ or his apostles . and my wonderment must needs be the greater ; because i suppose this inconsistent with mr. s's . principles . for oral tradition doth necessarily imply , that all points of faith were first taught by christ , and conveyed by tradition to us ; but if a thing may be de fide in this latter sense , which was not before , what becomes of resolving faith wholly into oral tradition ? for faith is resolved into that from whence the obligation to believe comes ; but here mr. s. confesses , that the obligation to believe doth arise from something quite different from oral tradition ; and therefore faith must be resolved into it . besides , all the sense i can find in that distinction , is , that men are bound to believe something in one age , which they were not in another ; and if so , i shall desire mr. s. to unperplex me in this , how every age is bound to believe just as the precedent did , and yet one age be bound to believe more than the precedent . but however , i am much obliged to him for his endeavour to unperplex me as he speaks ; for really i look on no civilities to be greater than those which are designed for clearing our understandings ; so great an adorer am i of true reason and an intelligible religion . and therefore i perfectly agree with him in his saying , that christianity aims not to make us beasts , but more perfectly men ; and the perfection of our manhood consists in the use of our reasons . from whence he infers , that it is reasonable , consequences should be drawn from principles of faith , which , he saith , are of two sorts ; first such as need no more but common sense to deduce them ; the others are such as need the maxims of some science got by speculation to infer them ; and these are theological conclusions : the former sort , he tell us , the church is necessitated to make use of upon occasion , i. e. when any heretick questions those , and eadem opera , the whole point of faith it self , of which they were a part ; as in the case of the monothelites , about christs having two wills . but all this while , i am far enough from being unperplexed ; nay by this discourse , i see every one who offers to unperplex another , is not very clear himself . for since he makes no theological conclusions to be de fide , but only such consequences as common sence draws , i would willingly understand how common sence receives a new obligation to faith . for to my apprehension the deducing of consequences from principles by common sense , is not an act of believing , but of knowledg consequent upon a principle of faith . and the meaning is no more than this , that men , when they say they believe things , should not contradict themselves , as certainly they would do , if they deny those consequences which common sense draws from them . as in the case of the monothelites , for men to assert that christ had two natures , and yet not two wills ; when the will is nothing else but the inclination of the nature to that good which belongs to it . so that there can be no distinct obligation to believe such consequences as are drawn by common sense ; but every one that believes the principles from whence they are drawn , is thereby bound to believe all the consequences which immediately follow from them . indeed the church , when people will be so unreasonable to deny such things , may explain her sense of the article of faith in those terms which may best prevent dispute ; but this is only to discriminate the persons who truly believe this article , from such as do not . not that any new obligation to faith results from this act of the church ; but the better to prevent cavils , she explains her sense of the article it self in more explicite terms . which , as he saith , is only to put the faith out of danger of being equivocated . which is quite another thing from causing a new obligation to believe . as suppose the church , to prevent the growth of the socinian doctrine , should require from men the declaring their belief of the eternal existence of the son of god ; would this be to bind men to believe some thing which they were not bound to before ? no , but only to express their assent to the deity of christ in the simplest terms ; because otherwise they might call him god by office , and not by nature . now how can any one conceive , that any should be first obliged to believe , that christ is god , and yet receive a new obligation afterwards to believe his eternal existence ? thus it is in all immediate consequences drawn by common sense ; in all which , the primary obligation to believe the thing it self , extends to the belief of it in the most clear and least controverted terms , which are not intended to impose on mens faith , but to promote the churches peace . for neither is there a new object of faith ; for how can that be , which common sense draws from what is believed already ? neither is there any infallible proponent , unless common sense hath usurped the popes prerogative . but mr. s. offers at a reason for this , which is , that none can have an obligation to believe what they have not an obligation to think of ; and in some age the generality of the faithful have no occasion , nor consequently obligation to mind , reflect , or think on those propositions involved in the main stock of faith . from whence , he saith , it follows , that a thing may be de fide , or obligatory to be believed in one age , and not in another . but let mr. s. shew , how a man can be obliged to believe any thing as an article of faith , who is not bound to think of all the immediate consequences of it ? because faith is an act of a reasonable nature , which ought to enquire into the reasons and consequences of things which it doth believe . but mr. s's mistake lies here , in not distinguishing the obligation to believe from the obligation to an explicite declaration of that assent . the former comes only from god , and no new obligation can arise from any act of the church ; but the latter being a thing tending to the churches peace , may be required by it on some occasions ; i. e. when the doctrine is assaulted by hereticks , as in the time of the four first general councils ; but still a man is not at all the more obliged to assent , but to express his assent in order to the churches satisfaction . but mr. s. supposes me to enquire , how the church can have power to oblige the generality to belief of such a point . to which his answer is , she obliges them to believe the main point of faith , by virtue of traditions , being a self-evident rule , and these implied points by virtue of their being self-evidently connected with those main and perpetually used points , so that the vulgar can be rationally and connaturally made capable of this their obligation . but we are not now enquiring , what the obligation to believe the main points of faith is , nor whether tradition be a self-evident rule ; but how there should be a new obligation to believe something self-evidently connected with the former points , is beyond my capacity to understand . and they must be vulgar understandings indeed , that can rationally and connaturally be made capable of such an obligation . for if it be self-evidently connected with the main points , no one can believe the one , without believing the other ; for nothing is self-evident , but what a man assents to at the first apprehension of it ; and if he doth so , how comes there a new obligation to believe it ? is it possible to believe , that any thing consists of parts , and not believe that that whole is greater than any of those parts ? for this is a thing self-evidently connected with the nature of the whole . but these are self-evident riddles , as the former were unintelligible demonstrations . and yet , though these be rare theories , the application of them to the case of the roman church exceeds all the rest . whence , saith he , the government of our church is still justified to be sweet , and according to right nature , and yet forcible and efficacious . although i admire many things in mr. s's book , yet i cannot say i do any thing more than this passage , that because men are obliged to believe no implied points , but such as are self-evidently connected with the main ones , therefore the government of the roman church is sweet , and according to right nature , &c. alas then , how much have we been mistaken all this while , that have charged her with imposing hard and unsufferable conditions of communion with her ! no , she is so gentle and sweet , that she requires nothing but the main points on the account of a self-evident rule , and implied points by reason of self-evident connexion with the former . i see mr. s. ( if he will make good his word ) is the only person who is ever like to reconcile me with the church of rome : for i assure you , i never desire any better terms of communion with a church , than to have no main points of faith required from me to assent to , but what are built on a self-evident rule , nor any implied points but such as are self-evidently connected with the former . and no work can be more easie , than to convince me upon these grounds ; for all endeavors of proof are taken away by the things being said to be self-evident . for the very offer of proof that they are so , self-evidently proves they are not so : for what ever is proved by somthing beside it self , can never be said without a contradiction to be self-evident . but not to tye up mr. s. from his excellent faculty of proving , if mr. s. will prove to me that any of the points in difference between us , as transubstantiation , purgatory , supremacy of the roman church , &c. have any self-evident connexion with any main point of faith in the apostles creed , i solemnly promise him to retract all i have writ against that church ; so far shall i be from needing a new obligation to believe them . but if these be so remote from self-evidence , that they are plainly repugnant to sense and reason ( witness that self-evident doctrine of transubstantiation ) what then must we think of mr. s. ? surely the least is , that since his being a roman catholick , his mind is strangely inlightned , so far that those things are self-evident to him , which are contradictions to the rest of the world . but withal m. s. acquaints us with another mysterie ; which is , how these points descended by a kind of tradition , and yet confesses , they were never thought of or reflected on by the generality , till the church took occasion to explain them . such a silent tradition doth very sutably follow the former self-evident connexion . for he that can believe transubstantiation ro be self-evident , no wonder if he believes that to have been delivered by a constant tradition , which was never heard of from the apostles times to these . now mr. s. is pleased to return to me , and draws up a fresh charge against me , which is , that i act like a politician , and would conquer them by first dividing them , and making odious comparisons between two parties of divines . but to shew us how little they differ , he distinguishes them , as faithful , and as private discoursers ; in the former notion , he saith , they all hold the same divinely constituted church-government , and the same self-evident rule of faith ; but as private discoursers he acknowledges they differ in the explication of their belief . i meddle not here with the government of their church , ( which i have elsewhere proved to be far enough from being divinely constituted ) but with the rule of faith ; and the question is , whether the infallibility of oral tradition , be that self-evident rule which that church proceeds on ; yes , saith mt. s. they are all as faithful agreed in it , but as discourses they differ about it . which in short is , that all in the church of rome , who are not of his opinion , know not what they say ; and that they oppose that which they do really believe . which in plain english is , that they are egregious dissemblers and prevaricators in religion ; that they do intolerably flatter the pope and present church with loud declamations for their infallibility , but they do really believe no such thing , but resolve all into oral tradition . but is not this an excellent agreement among them , when mr. white and his party not only disown the common doctrine of the infallibility of pope and councils , but dispute against it as pernicious and destructive to christian faith ? on the other side the far greater part of romanists say , there can be no certainty of faith , unless there be an infallible divine testimony in the present church , and this lodged in pope and councils ; that those who endeavour to overthrow this , are dangerous , seditious , heretical persons , accordingly their books are censured at rome , their opinions disputed against , and their persons condemned . and yet all this while , we must believe that these stick together like two smooth marbles as faithful , though they are knocked one against another as discoursers ; and that they perfectly agree in the same self-evident rule of faith , when all their quarrels and contentions are about it ; and those managed with so great heat , that heresie is charged of one side , and arch-heresie and undermining religion on the other . doth he think we never heard of mr. white 's sonus succinae , nor of that chapter in it , where he saith , that the doctrine of pope and councils infallibility tends to overthrow the certainty of christian faith ; and that the propagating such a doctrine is a greater crime than burning temples , ravishing the sacred virgins on the altars , trampling on the body of christ , or the sending the turk or antichrist into christian countreys ? or doth he think we can believe that the pope and cardinals , the jesuites and all the papists of forreign countreys do as faithful agree with mr. white in this ? it seems not so by the proceedings in the court of rome against him , in which as appears by the censure of the inquisition against him , dated . november . his doctrine is condemned not only as false , seditious and scandalous , but as heretical and erroneous in faith . and if it were not for this very doctrine he was there censured , why doth mr. white set himself purposely to defend it in his tabulae suffragiales ? if these then do agree as faithful , who cannot but envy the excellent harmony of the roman church , in which men condemn each other for hereticks , and yet all believe the same things still ? well sir , i am in hopes upon the same grounds mr. s. will yield us the same charity too , and tell us that we agree with him as faithful , only we differ a little from him as discoursers ; for i assure you , there is as great reason : the only difference is , we give them not such ill words as they do each other . for let mr. s. shew us wherein we differ more from him about the rule of faith , than they do among themselves : for mr. white when he hath said , that all kind of heresie doth arise from hence , that men make the holy scripture , or a private spirit , the rule of faith ; he presently adds , it is all one , if one make councils or pope any other way than as witnesses to be the authors of faith . for , saith he , this is to subject the whole church to that slavery , to receive any errour for an article of faith , which they shall define , or propose modo illegitimo , i. e. any other way then as witnesses of tradition . either then we differ from mr. s. only as discoursers , or he and his brethren differ from each other more then as such . and so any one would think who reads the oppositions and arguments against each other on this subject , particularly mr. whites tabulae suffragiales . but let mr. white say what he will mr. s. tells me , i am not aware how little they differ even as divines . the more shame for them to have such furious heats and oppositions where there is so little difference . but as little as they differ , mr. white thinks it safer to talk of their unity in england , than to try whether they be of his mind at rome , by going thither to clear himself ; for he justly fears he should find them differ from him some other way than as bare discoursers . yet let us hear mr. s's . reason ; for , saith he , though some speculators attribute to the church a power of defining things not held before , yet few will say she hath new revelations or new articles of faith . but we know the temper of these men better than to rely on what they barely say . for they say what they think is most for their purpose ; and one of mr. white 's adversaries , ( if himself may be credited ) plainly told him , if the doctrine of the popes infallibility were not true , yet it ought to be defended because it was for the interest of the church of rome : for which he is sufficiently rebuked by him . it is one thing then what they say , and another what necessarily follows from the doctrine which they assert . but for plain dealing commend me to the canonists , who say expresly , the church ( by which they mean the pope ) may make new articles of faith : and this is the sense of the rest , though they are loth to speak out . else mr. white was much too blame in spending so much time in proving the contrary . but what man of common sense can imagine that these men can mean otherwise , who assert such an infallibility in pope and councils , as to oblige men under pain of eternal damnation to believe those things which they were not obliged to , before such a definition ? and what can this be else but to make new articles of faith ? for an article of faith supposes a necessary obligation to believe it : now if some doctrine may become thus obligatory by virtue of the churches definition which was not so before , that becomes thereby an article of faith which it was not before . but these subtil men have not yet learnt to distinguish a new doctrine from a new article of faith : they do not indeed pretend that their doctrine is new , because they deny any such thing as new revelation in the church ; but yet they must needs say , if they understand themselves , that old implicit doctrines , may become new articles of faith by vertue of the churches definition . so little are they relieved by that silly distinction of explicit and implicit delivery of them , which mr. s. for a great novelty accquaints us with . for what is only implicitly delivered , is no article of faith at all : for that can be no article of faith , which men are not bound to believe ; now there are none will say that men are bound to believe under pain of damnation if they do not the things which are only implicitly delivered ; but this they say with great confidence of all things defined by the church . and let now any intelligent person judg ; whether those who assert such things , do not differ wide enough from those who resolve all into oral tradition , and make the obligation to faith wholly dependent upon the constant tradition of any doctrine from age to age ever since the apostles times . but mr. s. is yet further displeased with me for saying , that pope and councils challenge a power to make things de fide in one age , which were not in another . for . he sayes , i speak it in common , and prove it not . . he adds , that take them right , this is both perfectly innocent , and unavoidably necessary to a church . and is it not strange he should expect any particular proofs of so innocent and necessary a thing to the being of a church ? but he will tell me it is in his own sense of de fide , which i have already shewn to signifie nothing to his purpose . let him therefore speak out whether he doth believe any such thing as inherent infallibility in the definitions of pope and councils ? if not , i am sure at rome they will never believe that mr. s. agrees with them as faithful ; if he doth , whether doth not such an infallible definition bind men by vertue of it to the belief of what is then defined ? if it doth , then things may become as much de fide by it , as if they were delivered dy christ or his apostles . for thereby is supposed an equal obligation to faith , because there is a proposition equally infallible . but will he say , the pope doth not challenge this ? why then is the contrary doctrine censured and condemned at rome ? why is the other so eagerly contended for , by the most zealous sons of that church , and that not as a school-opinion , but as the only certain foundation of faith ? mr. s. is yet pleased to inform me further , that nothing will avail me but this , if a pope and council should define a new thing , and declare they ground themselves on new lights , as did their first reformers in england : but i shall find , he saith , no such fopperies in faith-definitions made by the catholick church . is this the man who made choice of reason for his weapon ? could there be a greater calumny cast on our church , than to say her reformers grounded themselves on new lights : when our great charge against the church of rome is for introducing novelties , and receding from pure and primitive antiquity . whether the charge be true or no , yet sure it follows they did not declare they ground themselves on new lights ; but expresly the contrary . well , but pope and councils neither define new things , nor ground themselves on them : but what means the man of reason ? that they make no new definitions : surely not ; for then what did they meet for ? and what mean their decrees ? but he intends , that they deliver no new doctrine : but how must that be tried ? or hath mr. s. gained the opinion of infallibility both from pope and councils , that we must believe his bare word ? but we not only say but prove that even their last council hath defined many things , which never were delivered by christ or his apostles . and it is to no purpose whether they say they ground themselves on new lights , or pretend to an infallible assistance ; for it comes all to the same at last . for if the assistance be infallible , what matter is it whether the doctrine hath been revealed or no ? for on this supposition it is impossible that pope and council should miscarry . therefore if any church be guilty of fopperies in faith-definitions , it must be that which you miscall the catholick , but is more truly known by the name of the roman church . there is yet one piece of mr. s's . sagacity to be taken notice of as to this particular , which is , that i am at an end of my argument , because i say the opinion of the pope and councils infallibility is the common doctrin maintained : in which i confound the church with the schools , or some private opinaters , and then carp at those mens tenets , and this is the force of all that paragraph , he tells me , i want not wit to know that no sober catholick holds humane deductions the rule of their faith , schoolmen definers of it , nor the schools the tribunal whence to propose it authoritatively and obligingly to the generality of the faithful . neither doth mr. s. want the wit to know that our present enquiry is concerning the sense of their present church about the rule of faith . since then mr. s. must confess it necessary to faith to know what the certain rule of it is ; let me enquire further , whether any particular person can know certainly what it is , unless he knows what the church owns for her rule of faith ; and whether that may be owned as the churches judgement , which is stifly opposed by the most interessed persons in the roman church , and the most zealous contenders for it ? especially when the pope who is said to be head of the church , condemns the doctrine asserted , and that only by a small number of such who are as much opposed by themselves , as by any of us . is it then possible to know the churches judgement or not ? if not , 't is to no purpose to search for a rule of faith : if it be , which way can we come to know it , either by most voices or the sense of the governours of the church ; either of the ways , i dare put it to a fair tryal whether oral tradition , or the infallibility of pope and councils be the doctrine most owned in the church of rome ? but mr. s. still tells us , these are only private opinators and schoolmen who assert the contrary doctrine to his . but wiill not they much more say on the other side , that this way of oral trodition is a novel fancy of some few half-catholicks in england , and tends to subvert the roman church . but is the present pope with mr. s. a private opinator , or was the last a meer schoolman ? i am sure what ever mr. s. thinks of him , he thought not so of himself , when he said , he was no divine in the controversie of jansenius . doth the court of rome signifie no more with mr. s. than a company of scholastick pedants , that know not what the sense of the church is , concerning the rule of faith ? i meddle not with the schools but with the authority of the present church , and him whom mr. s. owns for the head of it : and is it consistent with his headship to condemn that doctrine which contains in it the only certain rule of faith ? mr. s. may then see they were no such impertinent topicks which i insisted on , and as stout as mr. s. seems to be , i an apt to believe he would not look on the censure of the inquisition as an impertinent topick . but at last mr. s. offers at something whereby he would satisfie me of the sense of the church , as to this particular , and therefore asks , whether i never heard of such a thing as the council of trent ? i must ingenuously confess i have ; and seen more a great deal of it , than i am satisfied with . but what of that ? there , he tells me , i may find a clear solution of my doubt by the constant procedure of that most grave synod in its definitions . that is , i hope to find that oral tradition was acknowledged there as the only self-evident rule of faith . if i do this , i confess my self satisfied in this enquiry . but how much to the contrary is there very obvious in the proceedings of it ? for in the th session the decree is , that scripture and tradition should be embraced with equal piety and reverence ; and the reason is , because the doctrine of faith is contain'd partly in scripture , partly in tradition ; but what arts must mr. s. use to infer from hence , that oral tradition in contradistinction to scripture was looked on as the only rule of faith ? i cannot but say , that the ruling men of that council were men wise enough in their generation ; and they were too wise wholly to exclude scripture ; but because they knew that of it self could not serve their purposes , they therefore help it out with tradition , and make both together the compleat rule of faith . where i pray in all the proceedings of that council doth mr. s. find them define any thing on the account of oral tradition ? instead of which we find continual bandyings about the sense of scripture and fathers , which might have been all spared , if they had been so wise as to consider , they could not but know the sense of the present church , nor that of the precedent , and so up to the time of christ. but they were either so ignorant as not to light on this happy invention ; or so wise and knowing as to despise it . it is true , they would not have their doctrines looked on as novelties , therefore they speak much of tradition and the ancient faith ; but that was not by what their parents taught them , but what the fathers of the church delivered in their writings ; for by these they judged of traditions , and not the oral way . and therefore i see little reason to believe , that this was either the sense of the council of trent , or is the sense of any number of roman catholicks , much less of the whole church , none excepted , as mr. s. in his confident way expresses it . and if he will , as he saith , disavow the maintaining any point , or affecting any way which is not assented to by all , i hope to see mr. s. retract this opinion , and either fall in with the court of rome , or return , as reason leads him , into the bosom of the church of england . but there seems to be somewhat more in what follows , viz. that though schoolmen question the personal infallibility of the pope , or of the roman clergy , nay of a general council , yet all affirm the infallibility of tradition , or the living voice of the church essential ; and this , he saith , is held by all , held firmly , and that it is absolutely infallible . to this therefore i answer , either mr. s. means , that none do affirm that the universal tradition of the church essential can err , or that the church of rome , being the church essential , cannot err in her tradition : but which way soever he takes it , i shall easily shew how far it is from proving that he designs it for . for if he take it in the first sense , viz. that all the faithful in all ages could not concur in an error , then he may as well prove protestants of his mind as papists , for this is the foundation on which we believe the particular books of scripture . if this therefore proves any thing , it proves more then he intends , viz. that while we thus oppose each other , we do perfectly agree together ; and truly so we do , as much as they do among themselves . but if mr. s's . meaning be , that all of their religion own the roman church to be the church essential , and on that account , that it cannot err , ( setting aside the absurdity of the opinion it self ) , i say from hence it doth not follow , that they make oral tradition the rule of faith , because it is most evident , that the ground why they say their church cannot err , is not on mr. s's . principles , but on the supposition of an infallible assistance , which preserves that church from error . so that this falls far short of proving , that they are all agreed in this rule of faith ; which is a thing so far from probability , that he might , by the same argument prove , that scripture is owned by them all to be the rule of faith . for i hope it is held by all , and held firmly , that the living voice of god in scripture , as delivered to us , is infallible ; and if so , then there is as much ground for this as the other . but if we enquire what it is men make a rule of faith , we must know not only that they believe tradition infallible , but on what account they do so . for if tradition be believed infallible barely on the account of a promise of infallibility to the present church , then the resolution of faith is not into the tradition , but into that infallible assistance ; and consequently the rule of faith is not , what bare tradition delivers , but what that church , which cannot err in judging tradition , doth propose to us . it is not therefore their being agreed in general , that tradition is infallible , doth make th●m agree in the same rule of faith ; but they must agree in the ground of that infallibility , viz. that it depends on this , that no age could conspire to deceive the next . but all persons who understand any thing of the roman church , know very well that the general reason why tradition is believed infallible , is , because they first believe the church to be infallible ; whereas mr. s. goes the contrary way , and makes the infallibility of the the church , to depend on the infallibility of tradition . and therefore , for all that i can see , we must still oppose private opinators in this controversie ; the church of rome , not having declared her self at all on mr. s's behalf , but the contrary , and the generality believing on the account of the present churches infallibility . and it is strange mr. s. should find no difference between mens resolving faith into common sense , and into the immediate assistance of the holy ghost . if this then be the first principle of controversie , as mr. s. pretends , we see how unlikely they are to agree about other matters , who are so much divided about the principle of resolving them . and if this be the ground of faith , then most romanists build on a wrong foundation . but if the infallibility of oral tradition be the foundation on which that formidable structure is erecting , which he speaks of , wo then to the court of rome , for that is known to build on quite a different foundation . and if this , as he saith , rises apace , and has advanced many stories in a small time , it only lets us know how fast their divisions grow , and that they are building so fast one against another , that their church will not stand between them . by this discourse , mr. s. pretends to answer all those if 's which follow ; which are these , in case the church may determine things de fide , which were not before , whether the present church doth then believe as the precedent did or no ? if it did , how comes any thing to be de fide which was not before ? if it did not , what assurance can i have that every age of the church believes just as the precedent did , and no otherwise ; when i see they profess the contrary ? and if a thing may be de fide in one age , which was not in a foregoing , then a church may deliver that as a matter of faith at one time , which was never accounted so before ; by which means the present church may oblige me to believe that as a matter of faith , which never was so in christs or the apostles times , and so the infallibility on the account of tradition is destroyed . to all which mr. s. gives a very easie answer , viz. that they do not hold any disparate or unimplied points of faith ; but such as are involved and implied in the main point . this is no more easily said then understood ; for if these be implied in the former , how can there come a new obligation to believe them ? for to take his own instance , will any man in his senses say , that he that believes homo est animal rationale , doth not believe homo est animal ? and this he makes choice of as an example , how one point of faith may be involved in another , so as to receive a distinct obligation to believe it . i grant that homo est animal is involved in the other , but he that shall say , that after he hath assented to that proposition , homo est animal rationale , he may be capable of a new obligation to believe the former , which is involved in this , it may be justly questioned whether such an one , as to himself , can truly say , homo est animal rationale , or no. but after such rare subtilties , he doth very well to tell me , that i ought to consider what logick tells us , that the conclusion is in the premises , which reflection ( in his his court-like expression ) he saith , will much unblunder my thoughts . but let the conclusion be as long as it will in the premises , will any man in his wits say , that he that believes the truth of the premises , is not hereby bound to believe the conclusion ? and the more the one is involved in the other , the less is it possible to make the obligation to believe them distinct . and it is hard for me to believe , that this is a way to unblunder my thoughts , when i see what horrible confusion such expressions argue in his own . let the church then clear her thoughts never so much , yet all this cannot amount to a distinct obligation to believe those things which were involved before , but to a more explicit declaring them for the churches peace and satisfaction . the only conclusion then involved in these premises , is , that if some things may be de fide in one age which were not in another , then the present age may believe otherwise than the precedent did . and if this doctrine be held in the church of rome , nothing can be more evident , than that mr. s's . first principle of controversie , is far from being the doctrin of the roman church , which was the thing to be proved . my second chief argument against this way of oral tradition was , that it had not been owned in all ages of the christian church ; to manifest which , i enquired into the reason of the obligation in any age of the church to believe and practise just as the precedent did . mr. s. rejoices in that confession of mine , that the only thing to be proved in this case is , that every age of the church , and all persons in it , look'd on themselves as obliged not to vary in any thing from the doctrine and practise of the precedent age . and i there offer the choice of three ways to prove it , reason , testimony , or tradition ; he tells me , he excepts the way of reason ; yet quarrels with me for pressing for a demonstrative medium to prove it , when yet mr. s. seldom speaks under the rate of demonstrations . but he thereby notes the unconsonancy of my carriage , wherein i wonder ? that i should desire them to perform this promise , viz. to give us demonstrations for the grounds of faith ? but saith withal , he will yeild me the honour of professing i have no demonstration but probability for the ground of mine , and he makes this serious protestation for himself , that he should esteem himself very dishonest , did he assert and press on others any argument for the ground of his faith , which he judged not evident , that is demonstrative . what is it these men mean , when they cry up their own way for demonstrative , and say that we build our faith meerly on probabilities ? do they say , that religion is capable of strict and rigorous demonstration ? if so , let them demonstrate the being of god and immortality of the soul , with as much evidence , as that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles . and it is strange , if they think particular problems in religion are more capable of demonstration than those theorems on which they are built . but by all the enquiry i can make , all the difference between us is , that mr. s. will have that called a demonstration , which is scarce a probability ; and we call that sufficient reason , which any wise man may safely rely on in matters of religion . in the mean time how much do we suffer by our modesty , that because we speak not as big as mr. s. does , we must be censured presently to have nothing but probabilities fot our faith ? are those bare probabilities which leave no suspition of doubt behind them ? and such we freely assert the grounds of our religion to do ; i. e. i assert , that we have the highest actual certainty of the truth of our religion , which the mind of any reasonable man can desire ; and if mr. s's . demonstrations can do any more than this , let him tell us what it is . for my part , i know nothing higher in the mind of man than a certain assent , and if i did not think there was the greatest ground in religion for that , i abhor dissimulation so much , that i should leave off perswading men to embrace it . and if any men have made us shy of the word demonstration and infallibility , they are such men as mr. s. have done it , who talk of these things , when their arguments fall beneath some of the remotest probabilities we insist on . nay , if there be any force in his demonstration , as to matters of fact , it hath been used by us long before his book saw the light . but we love to give the true names to things , and not to lose our credit with all intelligent persons , by playing mountebanks in religion , crying up those things for infallible cures , which an ordinary capacity may discern the insufficiency of . but was it any thing but justice and reason in me to expect and call for a demonstration from them who talk of nothing under it ? and therefore i said , that it was impossible to demonstrate this way of oral tradition , unless it were proved impossible for men not to think themselves obliged to believe and do all just as their predecessors did . for where the contrary is not only possible , but easily supposable , as that men may believe those things , as new articles of faith which are defined by pope and council , i wonder how mr. s. will demonstrate , that men must look on themselves as obliged to believe just as their predecessors did ? for i had thought demonstrations had never place in contingent propositions ; but it seems mr. s. who tells me , logick will unblunder my thoughts , intends to make a new one for me . and i assure you so he had need , before i shall ever call his arguments demonstrations : and although he thinks himself very honest in calling them so , yet i should think him much wiser if he did not . but before i come to the particular debate of these things , i freely tell him , that i grant all he requests ; i shall take along with me the nature of the matter in hand , the doctrines and practices spoken of , the manner of delivering them , the necessary circumstances which give weight to both ; yet for all these , i cannot look on his way as demonstrative . and that both our meanings may be better understood , it is very necessary the reader should have a true account of the state of the question between us . and if he will believe me , i never intended to dispute with him or any one else , whether men were bound to wear their clothes , or build houses , or manage estates just as their predecessors did ; but whether every age is obliged to believe and practise just as the precedent did , by virtue of meer oral tradition ; for about that is all the controversie between us . i do not deny , but that a succeeding age may look on it self as bound to believe what the precedent did ; but whether that obligation doth arise purely from the delivery of that doctrine by the precedent in the way of of tradition , is the thing in dispute between us . for in case the ground of faith be wholly the written word , conveyed from age to age , i deny not but an obligation to believe descends with the doctrine to every succeeding age . but that which mr. s. is to prove is , that abstractly from scripture every age is absolutely bound to believe just as the precedent did , without any enquiry whether that doctrine doth agree with scriptures or no ; but that he is therefore bound to believe all which is proposed to him , because it was the doctrine of the immediately preceding age . and this is that which i deny , and desire mr. s. to prove . for which he first gives us a large instance in historical matters , and then comes to the matters of christian faith . his instance is , in alexanders conquest of asia , as to which he saith , that the memory of it is fresh and lively , though some thousand years since ; and that the universal and strong perswasion of this matter of fact was not caused by books , as curtius his history , but by human tradition ; that the continuance of this perswasion was the notoriety of the fact to the then livers , which obliged them to relate it to their posterity , and that this testifying by the fore-fathers , was that which obliged posterity to believe things , as true because there could be no imaginable motive why the whole world should conspire to deceive them , or be deceivable in their sensations ; on which principle it passed to the next age , and so came down by way of tradition to our dayes ; & the obligation to believe in every age depended upon this , that the senses of the first could not be deceived ; and having this security in every age , that no one would conspire to deceive the next , it follows , that no age could say a former age testified so , unless it did ; so therefore , saith he , it follows demonstratively , that it was testified ; and so the descendents in every age to the very end of the world have the same obligation to believe their immediate fore-fathers , saying it was testified by theirs , and so to the very first , who were witnesses of his actions . this is the substance of what he more largely discourses in several paragraphs ; which when he hath done , he tells me , he expects what i will reply to this discourse . not to frustrate therefore his expectation , and in order to the readers satisfaction , we are to consider , that in the present case there are two distinct questions to be resolved : . how a matter of fact evident to the world comes to be conveyed to posterity ? . by what means a compleat history of all passages relating to it may be conveyed ? as to the first , i grant that a fact so notorious as alexanders conquest of asia might have been preserved by human tradition , and conveyed in a certain way from one age to another . but if we enquire into that which is alone proper to our question , viz. by what means we may judg what is true and false as to the particulars of that conquest , then i deny that bare tradition is to be relyed on in this case . for the certainty of conveyance of all paticulars doth depend not upon the bare veracity , but the capacity and skill of communicating from one age to another . for which one would think we need no clearer evidence than the consideration of the different account of former times in the several nations of the world . for who can imagine , but the barbarous nations were as unwilling to deceive their posterity as any other ? yet we see a vast difference in the histories of former ages among them , and more civilized people . and i wish mr. s. would rather have instanced in some history which had been preserved meerly by tradition , and not in such a one , which , if any other , hath been most carefully recorded and propagated to posterity . if mr. s. would have undertaken to have told us , who they were that first peopled america , and from what place they came , by the tradition of the present inhabitants , and what famous actions had been done there in former ages , we might have thought indeed , that sole tradition had been a very safe way to convey matters of fact from one age to another . but since all mr. s's . arguments will hold as well for the scythians and americans , and the most barbarous nations , as the most civil and polite ; what reason can mr. s. give , why there is not among them as certain an account of former ages , as among the greeks and romans ? were not their senses , who saw those matters of fact , as uncapable of being deceived as others ? was not every age among them as unwilling to deceive their posterity as elsewhere ? yet notwithstanding the force of mr. s's demonstration , we see for want of letters how grosly ignorant they are of what was done before them . and if this principle were true , why have we not as true an account of the eldest ages of the world , as of any other ? nay , why were letters invented , and writing ever used , if tradition had been found so infallible ? but it is one thing superficially to discourse what is impossible should be otherwise , and another to consider what really hath been in the world . doth not the constant experience of all times prove , that where any history hath not been timely recorded , it hath been soon corrupted by notorious falsities , or obscured by fabulous reports ? as we see among our selves , what difference there is in point of certainty between the several stories of k. arthur and william the conqueror ; what will mr. s. say , that those who lived in k. arthurs time could not know what he did , or that they conspired to deceive their posterity ? but if tradition be so infallible , why have we not the ancient story of britain as exact as the modern ? if mr. s. will impute it to the peoples ignorance , want of letters , frequent conquests by other nations , and succeeding barbarism , he may easily find how many ways there are for matters of fact to be soon lost or corrupted , when they have not been diligently preserved by authentick records ; and that without one age conspiring to deceive another . but notwithstanding mr. s's confidence , i cannot think it possible for mr. s. to believe , that we should have had as true an account of alexanders conquest of asia , if arrian curtias , or plutarch had never writ his story , as we have now . yet this he must assert by vertue of his principle . and he that can believe that , i wonder he should scruple believing the popes infallibility ; for certainly no principle of the jesuits is more wild and absurd than this is . besides , i admire how it came into mr. s's head to think , no error could come into history unless one age conspired to deceive another , when we find no age agreed in the present matters of fact which are done in it , as to the grounds and particulars of them ; to give mr. s. an instance home to his purpose , in the late council of trent we see already what different representations there are made of it in so little a time as hath already passed since the sitting of it . one , though he had all the advantages imaginable of knowing all proceedings in it , living at the same time , conversing with the persons present at it , having the memoires and records of the secretaries themselves , yet his story is since endeavoured to be blasted by a great person of the roman church , as fictitious and partial . we see then it is at least supposed that interest and prejudice may have a great hand in abusing the world in matter of story , though one age never agree to deceive another . and instead of being perswaded by mr. s's demonstrations , i am still of the mind , that we have no sufficient security of the truth of any story , which was not written while those persons were in being who were able to contradict the errors of it . however i deny not , but some notorious matters of fact , such as alexanders bare conquests of asia , might by the visible effects of it be preserved both in asia and greece for a long time . but if we come to enquire particularly , whether this or that was done by him in his conquest , which is alone pertinent to our purpose , we have no security at all from tradition , but only from the most authentick records of that story . and by this , i hope mr. s. will have cause to thank me for unblundring his thoughts ( his own civil expressions ) , and shewing him how errors may come into a story without one age conspiring to deceive the next ; and what a vast difference there is between preserving a bare matter af fact , and all the particulars relating to it . and hereby he may easily see how far the obligation extends in believing the report of former ages . for there can be no obligation to believe any further than there is evidence of truth in the matter we are obliged to . if then there be not only a possibility , but a very great probability of mistakes and errors in matters of fact , i pray what obligation doth there ly upon men absolutely to believe what is delivered by the preceding age ? but to put an issue to this controversie , let mr. s. examine himself , and try if he can name one story that was never written , which was ever certainly propagated from one age to another by meer oral tradition ; and if he cannot , he may thereby see how little real force his argument hath in the world . for all the force of tradition lies in an unquestionable conveyance of those books which contain in them the true reports of the actions of the times they were written in . but can mr. s. think , that if the roman history had never been written , it had been possible for us to have known what was done under the kings and consuls as now we do ? yet if his principle holds , this necessarily follows ; for those of that age could not but know them , and no age since could conspire to deceive the next . and from hence , the most useful consequence of all is , that mr. s. might have writ a history from the beginning of the world to this day , with a full relation of all particulars , if there had never been any book written in the world before . and doth not mr. s. deserve immortal credit for so rare an invention as this is , and all built on nothing short of demonstrations . but mr. s. very prudently foresees , what it is i must be forced to recur to , viz. that being baffled with his former demonstration , i have no other shift to betake my self to , but to say the case is different between histories and points of faith . and therefore to bring his business home , he applies it at large to the delivery of the christian faith , which that he might do in more ample sort , he very finely descants on the old verse , quis , quid , ubi , &c. containing the circumstances of human actions , and from every one of them derives arguments for the infallibility of oral tradition ; which briefly and in plain english may be summed up thus ; since the author of this doctrine was the son of god , the doctrine it self so excellent , and delivered in so publick a manner , in the most convincing way , by miracle and good living , and for so good an end as to save mens souls , and that by writing it in mens hearts , and testified to others ; and all this at a time when men might judg of the miracles and motives for believing it ; therefore since in all these respects it was incomparably beyond the story of alexanders conquests , it follows , that in a manner infinitely greater must the obligation be to believe christs doctrine , than alexanders or william the conqerours victories , or any history of the like nature whatsoever . all which i freely grant , but cannot yet see how from thence it follows ; that oral tradition is the only rule of faith , or the means whereby we are to judg what is the doctrine of christ , and what not . those arguments i confess prove , that the christians of the first age were highly concerned to enquire into the truth of these things , and that they had the greatest reason imaginable to believe them ; and that it is not possible to conceive that they should not endeavour to propagate so excellent a doctrine , and of so high concernment to the world . but the question is , whether abstractly from the books written in the first age of the christian church , there is so much infallibility in the oral tradition of every age , that nothing could be embraced for christs doctrine which was not ; and consequently , whether every age were bound to believe absolutely what was delivered it by the precedent for the doctrine of christ ? mr. s. therefore puts himself to a needless task of proving that every age was bound to believe the doctrine of christ , which i never questioned ; but the dispute is , whether every age be bound on the account of oral tradition to believe what is delivered by the precedent for christs doctrine . but it is to be observed all along how carefully mr. s. avoids mentioning the written books of the new testament ; because he knew all his game about oral tradition would be quite spoiled by a true stating the matter of fact in the first ages of the christian church . i hope he will not be angry with me , for asking him that question about the scripture , which he asks me about the council of trent ; did he never hear of such a thing as the scripture ? or is it so hard to find it ? but if he hath heard of it , i intreat him to resolve me these questions : . whether he doth not believe , that the books of the new testament were written at such a time , when the matters of fact therein recorded , were capable of being throughly examined ? which he cannot deny upon his own principle ; for tradition being then infallible as to the doctrine of christ , the writers of these books cannot be conceived to deliver it amiss , unless they resolved to contradict the present tradition of the church ; which if they had done , those books could never have found any reception among christians . if tradition then convey the doctrine of christ infalilbly , these books must convey it infallibly , because they contain in them the infallible tradition of the first age of the christian church ; and were written at the time when many persons living had been able to disprove any thing contained therein repugnant to truth . and that these books were written by those persons whose names they bear , i appeal to mr , s's own rule , tradition ; for if that be infallible in any thing , it must be in this ; and if one age could conspire to deceive another in a matter of such concernment , what security can be had , that it may not do so in all other things ? . whether he believes , that those whose intention was to write an account of the life , actions , and doctrine of christ , did leave any thing out of their books which did relate to them as of concernment for us to believe ? for upon mr. s's principles , any one may easily know what the tradition of the church is ; and especially such certainly who were either present themselves at the matters of fact , or heard them from those who were ; and what satisfaction can any one desire greater than this ? but the question is , whether this testimony were not more safely deposited in the church to be conveyed by word of mouth , than it could be by being committed to writing by such who were eye and ear witnesses of the actions and doctrine of christ ? upon which i advance some further queries . . if oral tradition were the more certain way , why was any thing written at all ? it may be mr. s. will tell us , for moral instructions , and to give precepts of good life ; but then why may not these be as infallibly conveyed by tradition as doctrines of faith ? and why then were any matters of fact and points of faith inserted in the books of the new testament ? by which it certainly appears , that the intention of writing them was to preserve them to posterity . let mr. s. tell me whether it was consistent with the wisdom of men , much less with the wisdom of an infinite being to imploy men to do that which might be far better done another way , and when it is done can give no satisfaction to the minds of men ? . whether those things which are capable of being understood when they are spoken , cease to be so when they are written ? for mr. s. seems to understand those terms of a living voice , and dead letters in a very strict and rigorous manner ; as though the sense were only quick when spoken , and became buried in dead letters . but mr. s. seems with the sagacious indian to admire how it is possible for dead letters and unsenc'd characters to express mens meanings as well as words . i cannot enter into mr. s's apprehension , how letters by their various disposition can express matters of faith ? and yet to increase the wonder , he writes about matters of faith , while he is proving that matters of faith cannot be conveyed by writing . so that mr. s's . own writing is the best demonstration against himself ; and he confutes his own sophistry with his fingers , as diogenes did zeno's by his motion . for doth mr. s. hope to perswade men , that tradition is a rule of faith by his book or not ? if not , to what purpose doth he write ? if he doth , then it is to be hoped some matters of faith may be intelligibly conveyed by writing ; especially if mr. s. doth it . but by no means we are to believe that ever the spirit of god can do it . for whatever is written by men assisted by that , is according to him but a heap of dead letters , and insignificant characters ; when mr. s. the mean while is full of sense and demonstration . happy man that can thus out-do infinite wisdom , and write far beyond either prophets or apostles . but if he will condescend so far as to allow that to inspired persons which he confidently believes of himself , viz. that he can write a book full of sense , and that any ordinary capacity may apprehend the design of it , our controversie is at an end ; for then matters of faith may be intelligibly and certainly conveyed to posterity by the books of scripture ; and if so , there will be no need of any recourse to oral tradition . . if the books of scripture did not certainly & intelligibly convey all matters of faith , what made them be received with so much veneration in the first ages of the christian church ? which were best able to judg of the truth of the matters contained in them , and the usefulness of the books themselves . and therein we still find , that appeals were made to them , that they thought themselves concerned to vindicate them against all objections of heathens and others ; and the resolution of faith was made into them , and not tradition , as i have already manifested , and must not repeat . . whether it be in the least credible , since the books of scripture were supposed to contain the doctrines of faith , that every age of the church should look on it self as obliged absolutely to believe the doctrine of the precedent by virtue of an oral-tradition ? for since they resolved their faith into the written books , how is it possible they should believe on the account of an oral tradition ? although then the apostles did deliver the doctrine of christ to all their disciples ; yet since the records of it were embraced in the church , men judged of the truth or falsehood of doctrines , by the conveniency or repugnancy of them to what was contained in those books . by which we understand , that the obligation to believe what was taught by the precedent age , did not arise from the oral tradition of it , but by the satisfaction of the present age , that the doctrine delivered by it was the same with that contained in scripture . it is time now to return to mr. s. who proceeds still to manifest this obligation in posterity to believe what was delivered as matter of faith , by the precedent age of the church ; but the force of all is the same still ; viz. that otherwise one age must conspire to deceive the next . but the inconsequence of that , i have fully shewed already , unless he demonstrates it impossible for errors to come in any other way : for if we reduce the substance of what he saith to a syllogistical form , it comes to this ; where there is no possibility of error , there is an absolute obligation to faith ; but there is no possibility of error in the tradition of any age of the church : ergo in every age there is an absolute obligation to believe the tradition of the present church . the minor he thus proves ; if no age of the church can be ignorant of what the precedent taught , or conspire to deceive the next , then there is no possibility of error coming into the tradition of the church in any age ; but the antecedent is true , and therefore the consequent . now , who sees not that the force of all this lies not in proving the minor proposition , or that no age could conspire to deceive another ? but the consequence , viz. that no error can come into a church , but by a general mistake , in one whole age , or the general imposture of it which we utterly deny ; and have shewed him already the falseness of it from his own concessions . and i might more largely shew it from those doctrines or opinions which they themselves acknowledg to have come into their church without any such general mistake or imposture , as the doctrines of papal infallibility , and the common belief of purgatory . the very same way that mr. white and mr. s. will shew us how these came in , we will shew him how many others came in as erroneous and scandalous as those are . for whether they account these matters of faith or no , it is certain many among them do , and that the far greatest number , who assert and believe them to be the doctrine of their church too . if therefore these might come in without one age mistaking or deceiving the next , why might not all those come in the same way which we charge upon them as the errors of their church ? and in the same manner that corrupt doctrines come in , may corrupt practises too , since these , as he saith , spring from the other . he might therefore have saved himself the trouble of finding out how an acute wit , or great scholar would discover the weakness of this way . for without pretending to be either of these , i have found out another way of attaquing it , than mr. s. looked for ; viz. from his own principles and concessions ; shewing how errors might come into a church , without a total deception or conspiracy in any one age . which if it be true , he cannot bind me to believe what ever he tells me the present church delivers , unless he can prove that this never came into the church as a speculation or private opinion , and from thence by degrees hath come to be accounted a point of faith . therefore his way of proof is now quite altered , and he cannot say we are bound to believe whatever the present church delivers ; for that which he calls the present church , may have admitted speculations and private opinions into doctrines of faith ; but he must first prove such doctrines delivered by christ or his apostles , and that from his time down to our age they have been received by the whole church for matters of faith ; and when he hath done this , as to any of the points in controversie between us , i will promise him to be his proselyte . but he ought still to remember , that he is not to prove it impossible for one whole age to conspire to deceive the next ; but that supposing that it is impossible for any errors to come into the tradition of the church . let us now see what mr. s. objects against those words i then used against the demonstrating this way ; it is hard to conceive what reason should inforce it , but such as proves the impossibility of the contrary ; and they have understandings of another mould from others , who can conceive it impossible men should not think themselves obliged to believe and do all just as their predecessors . and whatever mr. s. says to the contrary , i cannot yet see , but that therein i argued from the very nature and constitution of the thing . for that which i looked for , was a demonstration , which i supposed could not be unless the impossibility of the contrary were demonstrated . but if it be possible for men , christians , nay romanists to believe on other accounts than tradition of the precedent age , i pray what demonstration can there be , that men must think themselves obliged to believe and do all just as their predecessors did ? surely if mr. s's . fancy had not been very extravagant , he could never have thought here of mens being obliged to cut their beards , or wear such garters and hat-bands as their forefathers did . for do i not mention believing first , and then doing ? by which it were easie to apprehend , that i meant matters of faith , and such practices as flow from them . neither was there any such crafty and sophistical dealing as he charges me with ; for i am content his doctrine be taken in his own terms ; and i have now given a larger and fuller account why i am far from being convinced by the way he hath used for resolving faith . passing by therefore his challenge , which i accept of , as long as he holds to the weapon of reason and civility , i come to consider his last enquiry , why i should come to doubt of such an obligation in posterity , to believe their ancestors in matters of faith ; and he judiciously resolves it into a strange distortion of human nature , but such as it seems , is the proper effect of the protestants temper , which is , saith he , to chuse every one his faith by his private judgement , or wit , working upon disputable words . which as far as we own it , is not to believe what we see no ground for ; and if this be such a distortion of human nature , i envy not mr. s's . uprightness and perfection . if he means that we build our faith on our private judgments , in opposition to scripture , or the universal tradition of the church in all ages , let him prove it evidently in one particular , and i engage for my self and all true protestants , we will renounce the belief of it . if he hath any thing further to object against the grounds of our religion , he knows where to attaque me ; let him undertake the whole , or else acknowledg it a most unreasonable thing thus to charge falsities upon us , and then say we have nothing else to say for our selves . we pretend not to chuse our faith , but heartily embrace whatever appears to have been delivered by christ or his apostles ; but we know the church of rome too well to believe all which she would impose upon us , and are loth to have her chuse our religion for us , since we know she hath chosen so ill for her self . but if mr. s. will not believe me in saying thus , what reason have i to believe him in saying otherwise ? such general charges then signifie nothing , but every one must judg according to the reason on both sides . i now come to the last part of my task ; which is to shew , that this way is repugnant to common sense and experience , and that the church of rome hath apparently altered from what was the belief of former ages . to which purpose my words are , it is to no purpose to prove impossibility of motion when i see men move ; no more is it to prove that no age of the church could vary from the preceding , when we can evidently prove that they have done it . and therefore this argument is intended only to catch easie minds that care not for a search into the history of the several ages of the church , but had rather sit down with a superficial subtilty , than spend time in further enquiries . but two things m. s. tells me are required ere i can see that their faith varies from the former ; first to see what their church holds now , and then to see what the former church held before ; and he kindly tells me , if he sees any thing , i see neither well . it seems i want mr. s's . spectacles of oral tradition to see with ; but as yet i have no cause to complain of the want of them , but i see much better without them than with them . he tells me , i cannot see what their present church holds , and therefore i cannot assure any what was held before ; because , if i renounce tradition , i take away all means of knowing . the reason why i cannot candidly see ( as he phrases it ) what their church holds now , is , because i cannot distinguish between faith and its explication , some schoolmen and the church . by which it seems it is impossible for me to know what their church holds concerning invocation of saints , worship of images , communion in one kind ; for those are the points i there mention , wherein it is evident , that the church of rome hath receded from the doctrine and practise of the primitive church . or are these only the opinions and practises of some schoolmen among them , and not the doctrine and practise of their church ? but that we might come to some fuller state of these controversies , i wish m. s. would settle some sure way whereby we might know distinctly what are the doctrines and practices of their church . if the council of trent and roman catechism be said to be the rule of doctrine , i desire no other ; so that those may be interpreted by practices universally allowed among them . as when that council only defined , that due honour be given to saints ; the general practice of that church may tell us what they mean by that due honour ; and if that be not fair , i know not what is . but i see all the shift mr. s. hath , is , when he is pinched , to say these are the opinions of schoolmen and private speculators , and not the doctrine of their church . and if such shifts as these are must serve the turn , i should wonder if ever he be to seek for an answer . but the shortest answer of all would be , that none but those of their church can know what she holds ; and therefore it is to no purpose for protestants to write against her ; or it may be , that none but mr , s. and one or two more can tell ; for many among them say , those are the doctrines of their church which they deny to be . so that except mr. white and mr. s. and some very few demonstrators more , all the rest are school-men , private opinators , and not to be relied on . but i cannot see what their church held formerly neither . no wonder at all of that ; for if i cannot see an object so near me as the present church , how can it be expected i should see one so much further off as the doctrine of former ages ? and his reason is so strong , as may well perswade me out of one , at least , of my five senses . for , saith he , if i question tradition , i question whether there be any doctrine delivered , and so any fathers . and is not this argued like a demonstrator ? first he supposes there never was any way used in the world but oral tradition , and then strongly infers , if i deny that , i can know nothing . but i can yet hardly perswade my self that the fathers only sate in chimney-corners teaching their children by word of mouth , and charging them to be sure to do so to theirs ; but as they loved preserving the doctrine of faith , they should have a great care never to write down a word of it . but why , i wonder , should mr. s. think , that if i do not allow of oral tradition , i must needs question whether there were any fathers ? i had thought i might have known there had been fathers by their children ; i mean the books they left behind them . but if all mr. s. pleads for be only this , that no books can be certainly conveyed without tradition , he dispute's without an adversary ; but as i never opposed this , so i am sure it doth him little service . it is then from the books of the fathers that i find what the sense of the church of their age was , and from thence i have shewed how vastly different the opinions and practices of the roman church are from those of the primitive . although then i may not think my self obliged to believe all that the present church delivers for matter of faith ; yet i hope i may find what the opinions and practice of the former church were by the records that are left of it . and the reason why i cannot think any one obliged to believe what every age of the church delivers , is , because i think no man obliged to believe contradictions ; and i see the opinions and practices of several ages apparently contrary to each other . well , but i call this way a superficial subtilty ; and so i think it still ; so little have mr. s's . demonstations wrought upon me . but , saith he , is that which is wholly built on the nature of things superficial ? no ; but that which pretends to be so built , may . and of that nature i have shewed this way to be , and not the former . but that i may not think him superficial as well as his way , he puts a profound question to me , what do i think controversie is ? and that he may the better let me know what it is , he answers himself . i deal plainly with you , saith he , you may take it to be an art of talking , and i think you do so , though you will not profess it ; but i take it to be a noble science . but to let him see that i will deal as plainly with him , as he doth with me , i will profess it , that i not only think controversie as usually managed , but some mens way of demonstrating ( mr. s. may easily know whom i mean ) to be a meer art of talking , and nothing else . but he takes it to be a noble science ; yes doubtless , if mr. s. manage it , and he be the judg of it himself . his meaning i suppose is , by his following words , that he goes upon certain principles , and we do not . we have already seen how certain his principles have been , and i should be somewhat ashamed of my religion if i had no better . but what our rule of faith is , hath been amply discoursed already by you , and that in mr. s's clearing method , that nothing is left for me to do , but to touch at what remains , and concludes this answer . i had the better to illustrate the weakness of that argument from oral tradition , brought an instance in that case parallel , viz. that if one ages delivering to another would prove that the faith of christ was in every age unalterable , because no age did testifie any such alteration to be in it ; by the same argument the world might be proved eternal , because no age did ever testifie to another , that the world was ever otherwise than it is . so that if oral tradition were only to be relied on , there could be no evidence given of the worlds being ever otherwise than it is , and consequently the world must be believed to have been always what we see it is . this , as far as i can apprehend , is a clear and distinct ratiocination , and purposely designed to prove that we must admit of other rules to judg of alterations in the church by , besides oral tradition . but mr. s. ( in his own expression ) strangely roving from the mark i aimed at , professes there is not a tittle in it parallel to his medium , nay , that he never saw in his life more absurdities couched in fewer words . but i must take all patiently from a man who still perches on the specifical nature of things , and never flags below the sphere of science . yet by his good leave , he either apprehends not , or wilfully mistakes my meaning ; for my argument doth not proceed upon the belief of the worlds eternity , which , in his answer , he runs wholly upon as far as eighthly and lastly , but upon the evidence of oral traditias to no discernable alteration in any age of it . for the question between us , is , whether in matters of alteration in the faith or practice of the church , we are bound to rely only on the testimony of oral tradition ; so that if no age can be instanced in wherein any alteration was made , and this delivered by that age , then we are bound to believe there hath been no alteration since christ and the apostles times ; now i say , if this hold good , i will prove the world eternal by the same argument ; taking this for our principle , that we are bound to rely only on oral tradition in the case , originally derived from the matter of fact seen by those of the first age ; for that which never was otherwise then it is , is eternal ; but we cannot know by oral tradition that the world ever was otherwise then it is ; for no age of the world can be instanced in , wherein we have any testimony of any alteration that was in it . either then we must believe that the world ever was what it is , i. e. eternal ; or else we must say , that we are not to rely barely on oral tradition in this case , but we must judg whether the world were made or no , by other mediums of scripture and reason . and this was all which i aimed at , viz. to shew that where there is no evidence from oral tradition ; yet if there be scripture and reason , there is sufficient ground for our faith to stand upon . and so i apply it to the present case ; though we could not prove barely from the tradition of any one age , that there had been any alteration in the faith or practice of the church ; yet if i can prove that there hath been such from scripture and reason , this is sufficient for me to believe it . and now i dare appeal to the indifferent reader , whether this be so full of absurdities , or it be such a rambling chimerical argument ( as he calls it ) , no two pieces of which hang together with themselves , or any thing else . which being expressions of as great modesty as science , i am content mr , s. should bear away the hoour of them and his demonstrations together . the last thing he quarrels with me for , is , that i say , if we can evidently prove , that there have been alterations in the church , then it is to no purpose to prove that impossible which we see actually done . and this appears not only because the scripture supposes a degeneracy in the christian church , which could never be , if every age of the church did infallibly believe and practise as the precedent up to christs time did ; but because we can produce clear evidence that some things are delivered by the present church , which must be brought in by some age since the time of christ ; for which i refer the reader to what i had said about communion in one kind , invocation of saints , and worship of images : in all which , i say , i had proved evidently that they were not in use in some ages of the christian church ; and it is as evident that these are delivered by the present church , and therefore this principle must needs be false . in answer to this , mr. s. wishes , i would tell him first what evidence means , whether a strong fancy , or a demonstration ? i mean that which is enough to perswade a wise man , who judges according to the clearest reason , which i am sure is more than ever his demonstrations will do . but it is a pleasant spectacle to see how mr. s , layes about him , at my saying that the scripture supposes a degeneracy in the christian church . incomparably argued ! saith he , why , see we not the place ? does it evidently speak of faith , or manners ; the vniversal church , or particular persons ? but be it in faith , be it universal , does it suppose this degeneracy already past , which is only proper to your purpose , or yet to come ? that is , does it say there must be a total apostacy in faith before the year ? alas , he had forgot this . most incomparably answered ! for if the degeneracy be in . or any years after , what becomes of m. s's demonstration then , that no errors could come into the church ? but it seems his demonstration holds but till . and i easily believe another year will never believe the truth of it . but if such a thing as a degeneracy be possible , how then stands the infallibility of tradition , when there can be no degeneracy without falling from the doctrine and practices of christ and his apostles ? but that such a degeneracy hath already been in that which calls it self the catholick church , and that both in faith and manners , i shall refer mr. s to the learned author of the late idea of antichristianism and synopsis prophetica , where he may find enough to perswade him that his demonstration was far from holding so long as . and now i leave the reader to judg whether the foregoing evidences against the infallibility of oral tradition , or mr. s's . demonstrations have the greater force of reason in them . and if he will not stoop so far from the height of his perch , as to take notice of what i have elsewhere said , i am resolved to let him see i am not at all concerned about it : i begin to understand him so well by this appendix , that i can give my self a reasonable account why he thought it not fit to meddle with any other part of my book . but if mr. s. be resolved not to answer any of the testimonies i there produce , unless i single them out , and print them at the end of this answer , ( i. e. remove them from that evidence which attends them in the series of the discourse ) i can only say , he is the most imperious answerer i have met with , who is resolved never to deal with an adversary , but on his own unreasonable terms . thus heartily wishing . mr. s's . science as great as his opinion of it , and a good effect of our endeavours to promote the one , by removing the other , i am sir , your affectionate friend and servant , edward stillingfleet . london . june . . finis postscript . sir , since the dispatch of the former papers , i have met with another treatise , wherein i find my self concerned , written by the author of fiat lux , the title whereof is diaphanta : i am afraid the title affrights you ; for i assure you it is the most formidable thing in his whole book . but the man is a very modest man , and hugely different from mr. s's . humor ; for he is so far from offering to demonstrate the grounds of faith ; that all he pretends to in the title of his book , is to excuse catholick religion against the opposition of several adversaries . what fault i pray hath the catholick religion committed , that it must now come to be excused instead of being defended ? but when i look into that part which concerns my self , i presently understand the meaning of it , which is not to excuse catholick religion , but themselves for not being able to defend it . for he very ingeniously tells us , that faith is firm and constant , though all his talk for it be miserably weak : i. e. he is sure they have an excellent religion , though he knows not what to say for it ; and their faith is a very good faith , but it hath not yet had the good fortune to be understood by them . for he acknowledges , that as often as they dispute , they are beyond the business , ( so may any one believe , who reads their late books , ) which is in effect to say , there is no way left of disputing any longer with adversaries about their faith ; only they must believe it stoutly themselves ; but it is to no purpose to offer to defend it . nay , it doth their faith a great deal of mischief ; for , saith he , in reading controversies , we see not so much the nature of the faith , as the wit of him who opposes or defends it . from whence we may easily gather what unspeakable mischief they do their cause by writing for it . by which expressions , we may guess at what a low ebb the defence of their faith is among them : for the way now taken to defend it , is by disowning the defenders of it , and by saying that they only vent their own opinions ; and though we confute them never so much , yet their faith holds good still . was ever a good cause driven to such miserable shifts as these are , especially among those who pretend to wit and learning ? one , he saith , t. c. vents a private opinion of his own , and it is not a pin matter whether it stand or fall ; another , he saith the same of i. s. a third of j.v.c. and yet for all this , their religion is very firm and sure , and they are all at perfect agreement about it . is this the victory over me , mr. s. mentions to be so easie a thing ? i see that by the same figure m. s. calls his way of arguing demonstration , running out of the field shall be accounted conquering . for i never saw any person do it more openly than this author does . for he plainly confesses , that his catholick gentleman went quite besides his business , that he built upon indefensible principles , that his theological ratiocination was indeed pretty , but too weak to hold . and are not we hugely too blame , if we do not cry up such mighty conquerors as these are ? truly , sir , i expect the very same answer should be returned to your book ; that mr. s's argument is a pretty theological ratiocination ; and that your answer is not unwitty : but though that way will not hold , another will. thus , when they are beaten off infallibility , they run to tradition : and when they are again beaten off tradition , then back again to infallibility . so that the short of all their answers is , though such a one cannot defend our faith , yet i can ; though i cannot , yet the faith is firm and constant still . i wonder what their superiors think of this way of proceeding among them ; we should imagine , if they be so weak as they say themselves , they had much better keep them from appearing abroad , and exposing their cause so ridiculously to contempt . but it may be , they think their faith is the better as well as their devotion , for their ignorance : and that it would be a mighty disparagement to their cause , for such silly people to be able to defend it . it is enough for them to admire it themselves , and to say as their common people use to do , though they cannot defend it , yet there are some that can . and although it may be no particulat person can do it , yet their cause is able to defend it self , but for all that i can see , by such kind of answers , the intention of them is , to intreat us not to triumph over the weakness of their present writers , but to wait till the cause it self thinks fit to write . and when it doth so , they may expect a further answer ; but it were a great piece of cruelty for us to hasten their ruine , who fall so fast before us by each others pens . finis . books printed for , and sold by henry mortlock at the phoenix in st. pauls church-yard , and at the white heart in vvestminster-hall . a rational account of the grounds of protestant religion ; being a vindication of the lord-archbishop of canterbury's relation of a conference ▪ &c. , from the pretended answer of t.c. folio . sermons preached upon several occasions , with a discourse annexed concerning the true reasons of the sufferings of christ , wherein crellius's answer to grotius is considered , fol. irenicum : a weapon-salve for the churches wounds : in quarto . origines sacrae ; or a rational account of the grounds of christian faith , as to the truth and divine authority of the scriptures , and matters therein contained , quarto . a discourse concerning the idolatry practised in the church of rome , and the hazard of salvation in the communion of it , in answer to some papers of a revolted protestant , wherein a particular account is given of the fanaticisms and divisions of that church , octavo . an answer to several late treatises occasioned by a book entituled , a discourse concerning the idolatry practised in the church of rome , and the hazard of salvation in the communion of it , the first part , octavo . a second discourse in vindication of the protestant grounds of faith , against the pretence of infallibility in the roman church , in answer to the guide in controversie , by r. h. protestancy without principles , and reason and religion ; or the certain rule of faith , by e. w. with a particular enquiry into the miracles of the roman church , octavo . an answer to mr. cresey's epistle apologetical to a person of honour , touching his vindication of dr. stillingfleet , octavo . all written by edw. stillingfleet , d. d. chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . knowledg and practice : or a plain discourse of the chief things necessary to be known , believed and practiced in order to salvation : by s. cradock , quarto ; a book very useful for families . the remains of sir walter rawleigh , in twelves . a discourse of war and peace , by sir robert cotton , in octavo . the moral philosophy of the stoicks , in octavo . hodders arithmetick , twelves . the triumphs of rome over despised protestancy , octavo . the original of romances , octavo . the advice of charles the fifth , emperor of germany and king of spain , to his son philip the second , upon resignation of his crown to his said son , twelves . observations upon military and political affairs , by the right honourable george duke of albemarle , folio , published by authority . a fathers testament : by phineahs fletcher , in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the explication of the terms of the question . p. . * p. . * p. ● mr. s's rule of faith. * p. . * p. . * p. . * append. th . p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * apology for tradition , p. . the protestant doctrine concerning the rule of faith. * p. . * p. . p. , . * p. . * p. . * mr. wh. exetasis . p. . * p. . how much protestants allow to oral tradition . * hebr. . . * p. . * rushw. dial. . sect. . * p. . how much mr. s. attributes to his rule of faith , more than protestants to theirs . notes for div a -e * p. . * p. . * p . p. . * p. . * p. , . * analys . fid. l. . c. . * p. . * p . that the properties of a rule of faith belong to scriptute . * p. . * p. . * p. . * luke . , . * john . . mr. s's exceptions against scripture examined . * p. . * p. . * p. , . * p. . * l. . contr . marcion . * p. . * com. in esai . c. , &c. . * p. . * ep. . * p. . * p. , . * p. . * p. . * p. . preface . * answ. to the lord falkland . p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * hom. de consubstant . * hom. de sanctc phoca . * p. . * exomolog . d. edit . p. . * exomolog . c. . sect. . * dial. . sect. . * de doctr. christ. l. . * dial. . sect. . * analys . fidei . l. . c. . * append. c. . * answ. to chilling . c ▪ . sect. . * p. , . * answ. to chilling . c. . sect. . * p. . * ibid. * p. . * p , . * dial. . sect. . * p. , . * praefat. * analys . fid. l. . c. . * p. . * l. . * haeret. fabul . l. . that scripture is a sufficient rule to the unlearned , and to the most rational doubters . * p. . * p. . , . * dial. . sect. . * de bonis & malis libris . * p. . sect. . & . * ibid. sect. . * l. . c. . * c. . sect. . * c. . sect. . * append. c. . * c ▪ . sect. , &c. * append. sect. . & . * c. . sect. . * p. , . * p. . * p. . * letter to his answerer . p. . that scripture is sufficient to convince the most acute adversaries : and that it is sufficiently certain . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * dial. . sect. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * dial. . sect. . * p. . that the properties of a rule of faith do not belong to oral tradition . * apolog. p. . notes for div a -e considerations touching his demonstrations in general . * p. . * append : d. p. . * append. c. . sect. . * ibid. sect. . * ibid. sect. . * append. c. . sect. . * ibid. * p. . & . * extasis , p. . mr. s's demonstration à priori . * p. , . the first answer to this demonstration . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * chron. ad annum christ. . * ad an. . * ad an. . * advers . lucifer . * ibid. * ibid. * in epist. ad galat. l. . * orat. . & . * orat. . * chron. ad annum octavum maurit . * caus. dei. * p. . * hist. aethiop . * p. . * p. . * p. ● . the second answer to his demonstration . * p. . * heb. . , . * advers . luciferian . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * apology for tradition , p. . * phoc. ep. . * de fid. & theol. tract . . sect. . * ibid. sect. . * p. . & . * ibid. * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. , . * p. . mr. s's demonstration à posteriori . * p. . * p. , . the first answer to his second demonstration . * dial. . sect. . * dial. . sect. . * dial. . sect. . * in vit. romani . papae . a. c. . * in platin. * anno . * anno . . * ennead . . l. . anno. . * de regn. ital. l. . * chron. l. . * fascic . tempor . * epist. . * bell. sacr. l. . c. . * elfric . serm. ad sacerdot . * c. . & . * de rom. pontif. l. . c. . * annal. tom. . anno . * in convers. sancti pauli . serm. . * c. . * c. . * c. . * c. . * c. . * c. ▪ * c. * c. . * c. , , . * c. . * c. . * exomolog . c. . * ibid. * dial. . sect. . * dial. . sect. . * reply to k. james . l. . c. . * apology for tradition , p. . the second answer to his second demonstration . the third answer to mr. s's second demonstration . * antiq. jud. l. . c. . * ibid. l. . c. . & de bell. jud. l. . c. . & l. . c. . * antiq. l. . c. . * de fid. & theol. tract . . sect. . * rep. to k. james , observ . . c. . * pugio fid. p. . * p. . * apol. , &c. * in praefat. sum. talmud . * apol. p. , , &c. * apol. p. . * rushworth dial. . sect. . * ibid. sect. . * p. . * dialog . . sect. . * exomolog . c. . sect. . * ibid. c. . sect. . * ibid. c. . sect. . * ibid. c. . sect. . * dial. cum tryph. p. . edit . lutet· . * nov. edit . p. . * p. . * ibid. * p. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * p. . * p. . * dialog . . * distinct. l. . dist . . qu. . n. . * ibid. qu. . n. . * exomol . c. . sect. . * ennead . . l. . * p. . * p. . the fourth answer to his second demonstration . * decret . primum quartae sess. * in praefat. * de verbo dei , &c. l. . . * de verbo dei non scripto . l. . c. . * ibid. c. . * reply . observat . . c. . * thess. . . * tim. . . * tim. . . * charity maintained . c. . sect. . * reply to mr. chill . c. . sect. . * de verbo dei , &c. l. . c. . * charity maintained . c. . sect. . * exomol . c. . * tabul . suffrag . p. . * analys . fid. l. . c. . * c. . * l. . ● . . * l. . c. . * exetas . p. . * ibid. * ib. p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. , . * p. . * exetas . p. . * apol. p. . * ibid. p. . * p. . & . * p. . * p. . concerning some other advantages of tradition , &c. * p. . & . * p. . * p. . mr. s's corollaries considered . * p. . notes for div a -e mr. s's testimonies examined . * p. . * p. . * dial. . sect. . * ibid. * isa. . . * isa. . . * jer. . * p. . * concil . tom . * an. . * quodlibet . cited by espencaeus in d epist. ad tim. c. . * dial. . sect. . * ibid. * advers . helvid . * his opinor consiliis tot originalia instrumenta christi delere marcion ausus est , ne caro ejus probaretur . ex qua , oro te , autoritate , &c. * stromat . l. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . testimonies on the behalf of scripture . * histor. eccles. l. . c. . * ibid. l. . c. . * ibid. c. . * ibid. c. . * ibid. l. . c. . * comment . in isai. c. . * in thes. c. . hom. . * epist. . * ibid. * de doctr. christ. l. . c. . * de vnitat . eccles. c. . * theodoret . hist. l. . c. . * l. . c. . * p. . * dial. . sect. . * epist. . * ad constant . * lib. . de schism . donat. * de sp. sancto c. . * c. . * hom. . in epist. ad heb. c. . * hom. . in joh. * hom. . in act. apost . * de bapt. cont. donat . l. . c. . * contr. max. l. . * de vnitat . eccles. c. . * comment . in agg. c. . * paschal . l. . * l. . * haeret. fabul . l. . * part . consid. . * de distinct . verar . vision . a falsis . * serm. in die circumcis . &c. * prolog . de lib. bib. &c. * prolog . de lib. bib. &c. notes for div a -e § ● ▪ p. . p. . §. . p. . p. . §. . § ▪ p. . §. . § . § . § . p. . p. . §. . p. . de fide & theol. tract· . sect . . p. . tabul . sufrag . p. . . §. . p. . §. p. . p. . p. . p. . § . p. . §. . p. . p. . p. . p. . p. . §. . p. . part . chap. . § . p. , &c. p. . p. . p. . p. . p. . §. . p. . p. . § . p. . p. . p . l. . § , . p. . notes for div a -e p. . p. . a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall, the th of october being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god, for the signal victory at sea, for the preservation of his majesty's sacred person, and for his safe return to his people / by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall, the th of october being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god, for the signal victory at sea, for the preservation of his majesty's sacred person, and for his safe return to his people / by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ... and william rogers ..., london : . "published by their majesties special command" wing lists author as tilloston. advertisement: p. . reproduction of original in library of congress. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. bible. -- o.t. -- jeremiah ix, - -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall , the th of october , being the day appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god , for the signal victory at sea : for the preservation of his majesty's sacred person , and for his safe return to his people . by john , lord archbishop of canterbury . published by their majesties special command . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over-against the royal exchange in cornhill : and william rogers at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . a sermon preached before the king and queen . jerem. ix . , . thus saith the lord , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might , let not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise lovingkindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. these words are a message from god sent by his prophet to the people of the jews , who trusted in their own wisdom and might and riches for their safety and preservation from that destruction which , in the former part of this chapter , god had threaten'd to bring upon them by the king of babylon . to take them off from this vain confidence is this message sent to them , thus saith the lord , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might , let not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. in the handling of these words , i shall abstract from the particular occasion of them , and only consider the general truth contained in them : which i shall do under these two heads . first , what we are not to glory in : let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might , let not the rich man glory in his riches . secondly , what it is that is matter of true glory : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise lovingkindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . i. what we are not to glory in . the text instanceth in three things which are the great idols of mankind , and in which they are very apt to pride themselves and to place their confidence , namely , wisdom , and might , and riches . i shall consider these severally , and shew how little reason there is to glory in any of them . . let not the wise man glory in his wisdom . this may comprehend both human knowledg , and likewise prudence in the management of affairs . we will suppose both these to be intended here by the name of wisdom , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , that is , neither in the largeness and compass of his knowledg and understanding , nor in his skill and dexterity in the contrivance and conduct of human affairs : and that for these two reasons , first , because the highest pitch of human knowledg and wisdom is very imperfect . secondly , because when knowledg and wisdom are with much difficulty in any competent measure attained , how easily are they lost ? first , the highest pitch of human knowledg and wisdom is very imperfect . our ignorance doth vastly exceed our knowledg at the best . wisdom in any tolerable degree is difficult to be attain'd , but perfection in it utterly to be despair'd of . where is there to be found so strong and sound a head , as hath no soft place ; so perfect , so clear an understanding as hath no flaw , no dark water in it ? how hard a matter is it to be truly wise ? and yet there are so many pretenders to wisdom as would almost tempt a man to think that nothing is easier . men do frequently murmur and repine at the unequal distribution of other things , as of health and strength , of power and riches : but if we will trust the judgment of most men concerning themselves , nothing is more equally shar'd among mankind than a good degree of wisdom and understanding . many will grant others to be superior to them in other gifts of nature , as in bodily strength and stature ; and in the gifts of fortune , as in riches and honour ; because the difference between one man and another in these qualities is many times so gross and palpable , that no body hath the face to deny it : but very few in comparison , unless it be in mere complement and civility , will yield others to be wiser than themselves ; and yet the difference in this also is for the most part very visible to every body but themselves . so that true wisdom is a thing very extraordinary . happy are they that have it : and , next to them , not those many that think they have it , but those few that are sensible of their own defects and imperfections and know that they have it not . and among all the kinds of wisdom none is more nice and difficult , and meets with more frequent disappointments , than that which men are most apt to pride themselves in , i mean political wisdom and prudence ; because it depends upon so many contingent causes , any one of which failing the best laid design breaks and falls in pieces : it depends upon the uncertain wills and fickle humours , the mistaken and mutable interests of men , which are perpetually shifting from one point to another , so that no body knows where to find them : besides an unaccountable mixture of that which the heathen call'd fortune , but we christians by its true name , the providence of god ; which does frequently interpose in human affairs , and loves to confound the wisdom of the wise , and to turn their counsels into foolishness . of this we have a most remarkable example in achitophel , of whose wisdom the scripture gives this extraordinary testimony , that the counsel which he counselled in those days was as if one had enquired at the oracle of god : such was all the counsel of achitophel both with david and with absalom . it seems he gave very good counsel also to absalom , and because he would not follow it was discontented to that degree as to lay violent hands upon himself : and now who would pride himself in being so very wise as to be able to give the best counsel in the world , and yet so very weak as to make away himself because he to whom it was given was not wise enough to take it ? the like miscarriages often happen in point of military skill and prudence . a great prince or general is sometimes so very cautious and wary , that nothing can provoke him to a battel ; and then at another time , and perhaps in another element , so rash and wilful that nothing can hinder him from fighting and being beaten : as if the two elements made the difference ; and caution were great wisdom at land , and confidence and presumption great prudence at sea. but the true reason of these things lies much deeper , in the secret providence of almighty god , who when he pleaseth can so govern and over-rule both the understandings and the wills of men , as shall best serve his own wise purpose and design . and as the highest pitch of human wisdom is very imperfect in it self , so is it much more so in comparison with the divine knowledg and wisdom : compar'd with this it is mere folly , and less than the understanding and wisdom of a child to that of the wisest man. the foolishness of god , says st. paul , is wiser than men , that is , the least grain of divine wisdom is infinitely beyond all the wisdom of men : but in opposition to the wisdom of god , the wisdom of men is less than nothing and vanity . let men design things never so prudently , and make them never so sure , even to the popish and french degree of infallibility ; let them reckon upon it as a blow that cannot fail : yet after all , the counsel of the lord that shall stand , and he will do all his pleasure ; for there is no wisdom , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. and now we may ask the question which job does , where shall wisdom be found , and where is the place of understanding ? and we must answer it as he does , it is not to be found in the land of the living : unless it be that one infallible point of wisdom to which god directs every man , and of which every man is capable , viz. religion and the fear of god , unto man he said , behold ! the fear of the lord , that is wisdom ; and to depart from evil is understanding . secondly , when knowledg and wisdom are with great difficulty in any competent measure attain'd , how easily are they lost ? by a disease , by a blow upon the head ; by a sudden and violent passion , which may disorder the strongest brain and confound the clearest understanding in a moment : nay even the excess of knowledg and wisdom , especially if attended with pride as too often it is , is very dangerous and does many times border upon distraction and run into madness : like an athletick constitution and perfect state of health , which is observ'd by physicians to verge upon some dangerous disease , and to be a forerunner of it . and when a man's understanding is once craz'd and shatter'd , how are the finest notions and thoughts of the wisest man blunder'd and broken , perplex'd and entangled ? like a puzzl'd lump of silk , so that the man cannot draw out a thought to any length , but is forc'd to break it off and to begin at another end . upon all which and many more accounts , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , which is so very imperfect ; so hard to be attain'd , and yet so easie to be lost . . neither let the mighty man glory in his might . which whether it be meant of natural strength of body , or of military force and power , how weak and imperfect is it , and how frequently foil'd by an unequal strength ? if we understand it of the natural strength of mens bodies , how little reason is there to glory in that , in which so many of the creatures below us do by so many degrees excell us ? in that , which may so many ways be lost ; by sickness , by a maime , and by many other external accidents ; and which however will decay of it self , and by age sink into infirmity and weakness . and how little reason is there to glory in that , which is so frequently foil'd by an unequal strength ? of which goliah is a famous instance . when he defied the host of israel , and would needs have the matter decided by single combate , god inspired david to accept the challenge ; who tho he was no wise comparable to him in strength , and would have been nothing in his hands in close fight , yet god directed him to assail him at a distance by a weapon that was too hard for him , a stone out of a sling , which struck the giant in the forehead and brought his unweildy bulk down to the earth . or if by might we understand military force and power , how little likewise is that to be gloried in ? considering the uncertain events of war , and how very often and remarkably the providence of god doth interpose to cast the victory on the unlikely side . it is solomon's observation , that such are the interpositions of divine providence in human affairs , that event of things is many times not at all answerable to the power and probability of second causes : i returned , says he , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong . and one way , among many others , whereby the providence of god doth often interpose to decide the events of war , is by a remarkable change of the seasons and weather in favour of one side : as by sending great snows , or violent rains , to hinder the early motion and march of a powerful army , to the disappointment or prejudice of some great design : by remarkable winds and storms at sea , to prevent the conjunction of a powerful fleet : and by governing all these for a long time together so visibly to the advantage of one side as utterly to defeat the well laid design of the other . of all which , by the great mercy and goodness of god to us , we have had the happy experience in all our late signal deliverances and victories . and here i cannot but take notice of a passage to this purpose in the book of job : which may deserve our more attentive regard and consideration , because i take this book to be incomparably the most ancient of all other , and much elder than moses : and yet it is written with as lively a sense of the providence of god , and as noble figures and flights of eloquence as perhaps any book extant in the world . the passage i mean is , where god to convince job of his ignorance in the secrets of nature and providence poseth him with many hard questions , and with this amongst the rest , hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow ? hast thou seen the treasures of the haile ? which i have reserv'd against the time of trouble , against the day of battel and war. the meaning of which is , that the providence of god doth sometimes interpose to determine the events of war , by governing the seasons and the weather , and by making the snows and rains , the winds and storms to fulfil his word and to execute his pleasure . of this we have a remarkable instance in the defeat of sifera's mighty army ; against whom , in the song of deborah , the stars are said to have fought in their courses : the expression is poetical , but the plain meaning of it is , that by mighty rains , which the common opinion did ascribe to a special influence of the planets , the river of kishon , near which sisera's army lay , was by sudden rains so raised and swoln as to drown the greatest part of that huge host . for so deborah explains the fighting of the stars in their courses against sisera : they fought , says she , from heaven , the stars in their courses fought against sisera , the river of kishon swept them away : as if the stars , which were supposed by their influence to have caused those sudden and extraordinary rains , had set themselves in battel-array against sisera and his army . therefore , let not the mighty man glory in his might , which is so small in it self , but in opposition to god is weakness and nothing . the weakness of god , says st. paul , is stronger than men . all power to do mischief is but impotence , and therefore no mater of boasting : why boastest thou thy self , thou tyrant , that thou art able to do mischief ? the goodness of god endureth continually : the goodness of god is too hard for the pride and malice of man , and will last and hold out when that has tir'd and spent it self . . thirdly , let not the rich man glory in his riches . in these , men are apt to pride themselves : even the meanest and poorest spirits , who have nothing to be proud of but their money , when they have got good store of that together , how will they swell and strut ? as if because they are rich and increased in goods they wanted nothing . but we may do well to consider , that riches are things without us ; not the real excellencies of our nature , but the accidental ornaments of our fortune . if they descend upon us , they are the priviledge of our birth , not the effect of our wisdom and industry ; and those things in the procurement whereof we had no hand , we can hardly call our own : and if they be the fruit of our own prudent industry , that is no such matter of glorying ; because men of much slower understandings do commonly outdo others in diligence and drudging , their minds lying more level to the low design of being rich . at the best , riches are uncertain . charge them , says st. paul , that are rich in this world , that they be not high minded , nor trust in uncertain riches : men have little reason to pride themselves , or to place their confidence in that which is uncertain , and even next to that which is not : so the wise man speaks of riches , wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is not ? for riches certainly make themselves wings , and fly as an eagle towards heaven : he expresses it in such a manner , as if a rich man sate brooding over an estate till it was fledg'd and had gotten it self wings to fly away . but that which is the most stinging consideration of all is , that many men have an evil eye upon a good estate ; so that instead of being the means of our happiness it may prove the occasion of our ruin : so the same wise man observes , there is a sore evil which i have seen under the sun , namely , riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt . and it is not without example , that a very rich man hath been excepted out of a general pardon , both as to life and estate , for no other visible reason but his vast and overgrown fortune : so solomon observes to us again , such are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain , which taketh away the life of the owners thereof . and why should any man be proud of his danger , of that which one time or other may be the certain and only cause of his ruin ? a man may be too rich to be forgiven a fault which would never have been prosecuted against a man of a middle fortune . for these reasons , and a great many more , let not the rich man glory in his riches . ii. i proceed to consider , what it is that is matter of true glory ? but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise lovingkindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. that he understandeth and knoweth me : here are two words used to express the thing morefully , understanding and knowledg ; which seem not only to import right apprehensions of the being , and providence , and perfections of god ; but likewise a lively sense of these things , and affections suitable to these apprehensions . that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , that is the creator , and the sovereign governor of the world. which exercise lovingkindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . the best knowledg of religion , and that which is the foundation of all the rest , is the knowledg of the divine nature and perfections : especially of those which are most proper for our imitation ; and such are those mentioned in the text , lovingkindness , and judgment , and righteousness ; which we may distinguish thus : lovingkindness comprehends gods milder attributes , his goodness , and mercy , and patience : judgment signifies his severer dealings with men , whether in the chastisement of his people , or in the remarkable punishment of great offenders for example and warning to others : righteousness seems to be a word of a larger signification , and to denote that universal rectitude of the divine nature which appears in all the administrations of his providence here below ; for the text speaks of the exercise of these perfections in this world : which exercise lovingkindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . several of the perfections of the divine nature are incommunicable to a creature , and therefore cannot be thought to be proposed to us for a pattern ; as self-existence , independence , and all-sufficiency ; the eternity , and the immensity of the divine being ; to be the original cause of all other things , and the sovereign governour of the whole world : for god only is sufficient for that ; and to be a match for all the world , a nec pluribus impar , is not a motto fit for a mortal man. a creature may swell with pride till it burst , before it can stretch it self to this pitch of power and greatness : it is an insufferable presumption , and a sottish ignorance of the necessary bounds and limits of our being , to think to resemble god in these perfections : this was the ambition of lucifer , to ascend into heaven , and to be like the most high. in our imitation of god we must still keep within the station of creatures ; not affecting an independency and sovereignty like god , and to be omnipotent as he is : hast thou an arm like god , and canst thou thunder with a voice like him ? as god himself argues with job . for in these things i delight , saith the lord. god takes pleasure to exercise these perfections himself , and to see them imitated by us ; and the imitation of these divine perfections is our perfection and glory ; in comparison of which all human wisdom , and power , and riches , are so far from being matter of glory , that they are very despicable and pitiful things : knowledge and skill to devise mischief , and power to effect it , are the true nature and character of the devil and his angels ; those apostate and accursed spirits , who in temper and disposition are most contrary to god , who is the rule and pattern of all perfection . i shall only make two observations and inferences from what hath been said , and then apply the whole discourse to the great occasion of this day : and they are these . first , that the wisest and surest reasonings in religion are grounded upon the unquestionable perfections of the divine nature . secondly , that the nature of god is the true idea and pattern of perfection and happiness . first , that the wisest and surest reasonings in religion are grounded upon the unquestionable perfections of the divine nature : upon those more especially which to us are most easie and intelligible : such as are those mentioned in the text. and this makes the knowledge of god , and of these perfections , to be so useful and so valuable : because all religion is founded in right notions of god , and of his perfections : insomuch that divine revelation it self does suppose these for its foundation , and can signify nothing to us unless these be first known and believed : for unless we be first firmly persuaded of the providence of god , and of his particular care of mankind , why should we suppose that he makes any revelation of his will to us ? unless it be first naturally known that god is a god of truth , what ground is there for the belief of his word ? so that the principles of natural religion are the foundation of that which is reveal'd : and therefore nothing can in reason be admitted to be a revelation from god , which does plainly contradict his essential perfections . upon this principle , a great many doctrines are without more ado to be rejected , because they do plainly and at first sight contradict the divine nature and perfections . i will give a few instances , instead of many that might be given . in vertue of this principle i cannot believe , upon the pretended authority or infallibility of any person or church , that force is a fit argument to produce faith : no man shall ever persuade me , no not the bishop of meaux with all his eloquence , that prisons and tortures , dragoons and the galleys , are proper means to convince the understanding , and either christian or human methods of converting men to the true religion . for the same reason i cannot believe , that god would not have men to understand their publick prayers , nor the lessons of scripture which are read to them : because a lesson is something that is to be learnt , and therefore a lesson that is not to be understood is nonsense ; for if it be not understood how can it be learnt ? as little can i believe , that god who caused the holy scriptures to be written for the instruction of mankind , did ever intend that they should be lock'd up and concealed from the people in an unknown tongue . least of all can i believe that doctrine of the council of trent , that the saving efficacy of the sacraments doth depend upon the intention of the priest that administers them : which is to say , that though the people believe and live never so well , yet they may be damn'd by shoals , and whole parishes together , at the pleasure of the priest : and this for no other reason , but because the priest is so cross and so cruel that he will not intend to save them . now can any man believe this , that hath any tolerable notion either of the goodness or justice of god ? may we not appeal to god in this , as abraham did in another case ? wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked ? that be far from thee , to do after this manner : shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? much more , to destroy the righteous for the wicked , and that righteous and innocent people should lye at the mercy and will of a wicked and perverse priest , to be sav'd or damn'd by him as he thinks fit , that be far from thee : shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? for , to drive the argument to the head , if this be to do right there is no possibility of doing wrong . thus in things which are more obscure we should govern all our reasonings concerning god and religion by that which is clear and unquestionable , and should with moses lay down this for a certain principle , all his wayes are judgment , a god of truth , and without iniquity , just and right is he : and say with st. paul , is there then unrighteousness with god ? god forbid ? and again , we know that the judgment of god is according to truth . ly , the other inference is this , that the nature of god is the true idea and pattern of perfection and happiness : and therefore nothing but our conformity to it can make us happy : and for this reason , to understand and know god is our great excellency and glory , because it is necessary to our imtation of him who is the best and happiest being . and so far as we are from resembling god , so far are we distant from happiness and the true temper of the blessed . for goodness is an essential ingredient of happiness ; and as without goodness there can be no true majesty and greatness , so neither any true felicity and blessedness . now goodness is a generous disposition of mind to diffuse and communicate it self by making others to partake of our happiness , in such degrees as they are capable : for no being is so happy as it might be , that hath not the power and the pleasure to make others happy : this surely is the highest pleasure , i had almost said pride , of a great mind . in vain therefore do we dream of happiness in any thing without us . happiness must be within us ; the foundation of it must be laid in the inward frame and disposition of our spirits : and the very same causes and ingredients which make up the happiness of god must be found in us , though in a much inferiour degree , or we can not be happy . they understand not the nature of happiness , who hope for it upon any other termes : he who is the author and fountain of happiness can not convey it to us by any other way , than by planting in us such dispositions of mind as are in truth a kind of participation of the divine nature ; and by enduing us with such qualities as are the necessary materials of happiness : and a man may assoon be well without health as happy without goodness . if a wicked man were taken up into heaven , yet if he still continue the same bad man that he was before , coelum , non animum mutavit , he may have chang'd the climate , and be gone into a far countrey ; but because he carries himself still along with him , he will still be miserable from himself : because the mans mind is not chang'd all the while , which would signifie a thousand times more to his happiness , than change of place , or of any outward circumstances whatsoever : for a bad man hath a fiend in his own brest , and the fewel of hell in his guilty conscience . there is a certain kind of temper and disposition which is necessary and essential to happiness , and that is holiness and goodness , which is the very nature of god ; and so far as any man departs from this temper , so far he removes himself and runs away from happiness . and here the foundation of hell is laid , in the evil disposition of a mans own mind , which is naturally a torment to it self : and till this be cur'd , it is as impossible for him to be happy , as for a limb that is out of joint to be at ease ; because the mans spirit is out of order , and off the hinges , and as it were toss'd from its center ; and till that be set right , and restored to its proper and natural state , the man will be perpetually unquiet , and can have no rest and peace within himself . the wicked , saith the prophet , is like the troubled sea , when it cannot rest : there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked : no peace with god , no peace with his own mind ; for a bad man is at perpetual discord and wars within himself : and hence , as st. james tells us , come wars and fightings without us , even from our lusts which warr in our members . and now that i have mention'd wars and fightings without us , this cannot but bring to mind the great and glorious occasion of this day : which gives us manifold cause of praise and thanksgiving to almighty god : for several wonderful mercies and deliverances ; and more particularly , for a most glorious victory at sea , vouchsafed to their majesties fleet in this last summers expedition . for several great mercies and deliverances : for a wonderful deliverance indeed , from a sudden invasion design'd upon us by the inveterate and implacable enemies of our peace and religion ; which by the merciful providence of god was happily and strangely prevented , when it was just upon the point of execution . next , for the preservation of our gracious sovereign , from that horrid and most barbarous attempt design'd upon his sacred person : and from those great and manifold dangers to which he was exposed in his late tedious expedition : and for his safe and most welcom return to us . and lastly , for a most glorious victory at sea : the greatest and the cheapest that ever the sun saw , from his first setting out to run his course . the opportunity indeed of this victory was through the rashness and confidence of our enemies , by the wise providence of god put into our hands : but the improvement of this opportunity into so great and happy a victory we owe , under god , to the matchless conduct and courage of the brave admiral , and to the invincible resolution and valour of the captains and seamen . this great deliverance from the design'd invasion , and this glorious victory , god vouchsaf'd to us at home , whilst his sacred majesty was so freely hazarding his royal person abroad , in the publick cause of the rights and liberties of almost all europe . and now what may god justly expect from us , as a meet return for his goodness to us ? what ? but that we should glorifie him , first by offering praise and thanksgiving ; and then , by ordering our conversation aright , that he may still delight to shew us his salvation . god might have stood aloof from us in the day of our distress , and have said to us , as he once did to the people of israel , so often have i delivered you from the hands of your enemies , but ye have still provok'd me more and more , wherefore i will deliver you no more : he might have said of us , as he did of the same people , i will hide my face from them , i will see what their end shall be : for they are a very froward generation , children in whom is no faith : our resolutions and promises of better obedience are not to be trusted ; all our repentance and righteousness are but as the morning cloud , and like the early dew which passeth away : nay methinks god seems now to say to us , as he did of old to jerusalem , be instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , and i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . we are here met together this day , to pay our solemn acknowledgments to the god of our salvation ; who hath shewed strength with his arm , and hath scattered the proud in the imaginations of their heart : even to him that exerciseth loving kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : in him will we glory , as our sure refuge and defence , as our mighty deliverer , and the rock of our salvation . and now i have only to entreat your patience a little longer , whilst i apply what hath been discoursed upon this text a little more closely to the occasion of this day . i may be tedious , but i will not be long . and blessed be god for this happy occasion : the greatest england ever had , and , in the true consequences of it , perhaps the greatest that europe ever had of praise and thanksgiving . you have heard two sorts of persons described in the text , by very different characters : the one , that glory in their wisdom , and might , and riches : the other , that glory in this , that they understand and know god to be the lord , which exerciseth loving kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . and we have seen these two characters exemplified , or rather drawn to the life , in this present age. we who live in this western part of christendom have seen a mighty prince , by the just permission of god raised up to be a terrour and scourge to all his neighbours : a prince , who had in perfection all the advantages mentioned in the former part of the text : and who , in the opinion of many who had been long dazzled with his splendour and greatness , hath pass'd for many years , for the most politick , and powerful , and richest monarch that hath appear'd in these parts of the world , for many ages : who hath govern'd his affairs by the deepest and steddyest counsels , and the most refin'd wisdom of this world : a prince mighty and powerful in his preparations for war ; formidable for his vast and well disciplin'd armyes , and for his great naval force : and who had brought the art of war almost to that perfection , as to be able to conquer and do his business without fighting : a mystery hardly known to former ages and generations : and all this skill and strength united under one absolute will , not hamper'd or bound up by any restraints of law or conscience . a prince that commands the estates of all his subjects , and of all his conquests ; which hath furnish'd him with an almost inexhaustible treasure and revenue : and one , who if the world doth not greatly mistake him ; hath sufficiently gloryed in all these advantages , and even beyond the rate of a mortal man. but not knowing god to be the lord , which exercises loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth ; how hath the pride of all his glory been stain'd by tyranny and oppression , by injustice and cruelty ; by enlarging his dominions without right , and by making war upon his neighbours without reason , or even colour of provocation ? and this in a more barbarous manner than the most barbarous nations ever did ; carrying fire and desolation wheresoever he went , and laying wast many and great cities without necessity , and without pity . and now behold what a terrible rebuke the providence of god hath given to this mighty monarch , in the full carrier of his fortune and fury . the consideration whereof brings to my thoughts those passages in the prophet concerning old babylon , that standing and perpetual type of the great oppressors and persecutors of gods true church and religion : how is the oppressour ceased ? the exactour of gold ceased ? he who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke , he who ruled the nations in anger is himself persecuted , and none hindreth . the whole earth is at rest and is quiet , and breaks forth into singing : the grave beneath is moved for thee , to meet thee at thy coming ; it stirreth up the dead for thee , even all the captains of the earth ; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations ; all they shall speak and say unto thee , art thou also become weak as we are ? art thou also become like unto us ? how art thou fallen from heaven , o lucifer , son of the morning ? how art thou cut down to the ground that didst weaken the nations ? for thou hast said in thy heart , i will ascend into heaven , i will exalt my throne above the stars of god : i will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north , that is , upon mount zion , for just so the psalmist describes it , beautiful for situation , the joy of the whole earth is mount zion , on the sides of the north. here the king of babylon threatens to take jerusalem , and to demolish the temple where the congregation of israel met for the worship of the true god ; i will also sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north , much in the same style with the threatnings of modern babylon , i will destroy the reformation , i will extirpate the northern heresie . and then he goes on , i will ascend above the height of the clouds , i will be like the most high : yet thou shalt be brought down to the grave , to the sides of the pit : they that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee , and consider thee , saying , is this the man that made the earth to tremble , that did shake kingdoms ; that made the world as a wilderness , and destroyed the cities thereof , and opened not the house of his prisoners ? god seems already to have begun this work , in the late glorious victory at sea ; and i hope he will cut it short in righteousness . i have sometimes heretofore wondred , why at the destruction of modern and mystical babylon the scripture should make so express mention of great wailing and lamentation for the loss of her ships and seamen : little imagining , thirty years ago , that any of the kingdoms who had given their power to the beast would ever have arrived to that mighty naval force : but the scripture saith nothing in vain . whether , and how far , success is an argument of a good cause : i shall not now debate : but thus much , i think , may safely be affirmed , that the providence of god doth sometimes , without plain and downright miracles , so visibly shew it self , that we cannot without great stupidity and obstinacy refuse to acknowledge it . i grant , the cause must first be manifestly just , before success can be made an argument of gods favour to it and approbation of it : and if the cause of true religion , and the necessary defence of it against a false and idolatrous worship , be a good cause , ours is so : and i do not here beg the question ; we have abundantly proved it to the confusion of our adversaries : if the vindication of the common liberties of mankind , against tyranny and oppression , be a good cause , then ours is so : and this needs not to be proved , it is so glaringly evident to all the world and as our cause is not like theirs , so neither hath their rock been like our rock , our enemies themselves being judges . and yet as bad an argument as success is of a good cause , i am sorry to say it , but i am afraid it is true , it is like in the conclusion to prove the best argument of all other to convince those who have so long pretended conscience against submission to the present government . meer success is certainly one of the worst arguments in the world of a good cause , and the most improper to satisfie conscience : and yet we find by experience , that in the issue it is the most successful of all other arguments ; and do's in a very odd but effectual way satisfie the consciences of a great many men by shewing them their interest . god has of late visibly made bare his arm in our behalf , though some are still so blind and obstinate that they will not see it : like those of whom the prophet complains , lord , when thy hand is lifted up they will not see , but they shall see , and be ashamed for their envy at thy people . thus have i represented unto you a mighty monarch , who like a fiery comet hath hung over europe for many years ; and by his malignant influence hath made such terrible havock and devastations in this part of the world. let us now turn our view to the other part of the text : and behold a greater than he is here : a prince of a quite different character , who does understand and know god to be the lord , which doth exercise loving-kindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth : and who hath made it the great study and endeavour of his life to imitate these divine perfections , as far as the imperfection of humane nature in this mortal state will admit : i say , a greater than he is here ; who never said or did an insolent thing , but instead of despising his enemies has upon all occasions encounter'd them with an undaunted spirit and resolution . this is the man whom god hath honoured to give a check to this mighty man of the earth , and to put a hook into the nostrils of this great leviathan who has so long had his pastime in the seas . but we will not insult , as he once did in a most unprincely manner over a man much better than himself , wheu he believed him to have been slain at the boyne : and indeed death came then as near to him as was possible without killing him : but the merciful providence of god was pleased to step in for his preservation , almost by a miracle : for i do not believe that from the first use of great guns to that day , any mortal man ever had his shoulder so kindly kiss'd by a canon bullet . but i will not trespass any further upon that which is the great ornament of all his other vertues ; though i have said nothing of him but what all the world does see and must acknowledge : he is as much above being flatter'd , as it is beneath an honest and a generous mind to flatter . let us then glory in the lord , and rejoyce in the god of our salvation : let us now in the presence of all his people pay our most thankful acknowledgments to him who is worthy to be praised ; even to the lord god of israel who alone doth wondrous things : who giveth victory unto kings , and hath preserved our david his servant from the hurtful sword. and let us humbly beseech almighty god , that he would long preserve to us the invaluable blessing of our two excellent princes ; whom the providence of god hath sent amongst us , like two good angels ; not to rescue two or three persons , but almost a whole nation out of sodom : by saving us i hope at last from our vices , as well as at first from that vengeance which was just ready to have been poured down upon us . two sovereign princes reigning together , and in the same throne ; and yet so intirely one , as perhaps no nation , no age can furnish us with a parallel : two princes perfectly united in the same design of promoting the true religion , and the publick welfare , by reforming our manners , and , as far as is possible , by repairing the breaches , and healing the ●ivisions of a miserably distracted church and nation : in a word , two princes who are contented to sacrifice themselves and their whole time to the care of the publick : and for the sake of that to deny themselves almost all sort of ease and pleasure : to deny themselves , did i say ? no , they have wisely and judiciously chosen the truest and highest pleasure that this world knows , the pleasure of doing good , and being benefactors to mankind . may they have a long and happy reign over us , to make us happy , and to lay up in store for themselves a happiness without measure , and without end , in gods glorious and everlasting kingdom : for his mercies sake in jesus christ , to whom with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , thanksgiving and praise , both now and for ever . amen . finis . advertisement . there is newly printed , and in few days will be publisht sixteen discourses on several texts of scripture , by the late pious and learned henry more , d. d. in octavo . printed for brab . aylmer in cornhil . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cor. . . job . . chap. . . job . . eccl. . . job . , . ps . . . prov. . . eccl. . . prov. . . job . . judg. . . deut. . . jer. . . isa . . ps . . . rev. . . isa . . . a sermon preached at st mary le bow before the lord mayor, court of aldermen, & citizens of london, on wednesday the th of june, a day appointed by their majesties, for a solemn monthly fast by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at st mary le bow before the lord mayor, court of aldermen, & citizens of london, on wednesday the th of june, a day appointed by their majesties, for a solemn monthly fast by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., will. rogers ..., and j. tillotson ..., london : . marginal notes. advertisement: p. . half title: dr. tillotson's fast-sermon before the lord mayor, and court of aldermen, june th, . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- jeremiah vi, -- sermons. fast-day sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dr. tillotson's fast-sermon before the lord mayor , and court of aldermen , june th , . pilkington mayor . mercurii xviii junii annoque regis & reginae willelmi & mariae , angliae , &c. secundo . this court doth desire dr. tillotson , dean of st. paul's , to print his sermon preach'd before the lord mayor , aldermen , and citizens of london , at st. mary le bow. wagstaffe . a sermon preached at s t mary le bow before the lord mayor , court of aldermen , & citizens of london , on wednesday the th of june ; a day appointed by their majesties , for a solemn monthly fast . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of s t paul's , and clerk of the closet to his majesty . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pidgeons in cornhill ; will. rogers , at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet ; and j. tillotson , bookseller in london , . to the right honourable sir thomas pilkington , lord mayor of the city of london , and the court of aldermen . my lord , in obedience to your commands , i have publish'd this sermon lately preach'd before you , and do now humbly present you with it ; heartily wishing it may have that good effect for the reformation of our lives , and reconciliation of our unhappy differences , which was sincerely intended by , my lord , your most faithful and humble servant , j. tillotson . jeremiah vi. . be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . these words are a merciful warning from god to the people of israel by the prophet jeremiah , the last prophet that god sent to them before their captivity in babylon . the time of this prophesie was of a long continuance , above the space of forty years , viz. from the thirteenth year of king josiah , to the eleventh year of king zedekiah , the year in which jerusalem was taken by nebuchadnezzar king of babylon . this i observe , to shew the great patience of god to a sinful nation . and this is much the same space of time that god gave warning by our blessed saviour and his apostles to the same people of the jews concerning their final destruction . for it was about forty years after the prediction of our saviour concerning it , just before his death , that the terrible destruction of jerusalem and the jewish nation was executed upon them by the romans , or rather chiefly by themselves ; as i shall presently shew . of which dreadful desolation , the first taking of jerusalem by nebuchadnezzar , and their captivity into babylon was a kind of type and forerunner . for , as josephus observes , the taking of jerusalem by titus vespasian did happen in the very same month , and on the very same day of the month in which jerusalem was taken by nebuchadnezzar , viz. upon our tenth of august . and it is not unworthy of our observation , that the time of god's warning is wont to hold some sort of proportion with the extent of his judgments . before the universal deluge which destroyed the whole world , noah and his family onely excepted , god gave a much longer warning by the preaching of noah , for the space of an hundred and twenty years . before the destruction of a particular nation , if we may judge by gods dealing with the jews , his time of warning is forty years . and before the destruction of a particular city , if we may conclude any thing from the single example of niniveh , the time of gods warning is yet much shorter , the space of forty days . and now to what end doth god exercise so much patience and threaten so long before-hand , but that by the terrour of his threatnings men may be brought to repentance , and by repentance may prevent the execution of them ? for all the while that god by his prophet threatens ruine and destruction to the people of israel , he earnestly invites and urges them to repentance , that by this means they might escape the ruine that was denounced against them : this being a condition perpetually implyed in the denunciation of publique judgments , that if a people repent of the evil of their doings god also will repent of the evil which he said he would do unto them , as he expresly declares chap. . vers . , . at what instant i speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom , to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it , if that nation against whom i have pronounc'd turn from their evil , i will repent of the evil which i thought to do unto them . and here in the text , after god had threaten'd destruction to jerusalem , because of the over-flowing of all manner of wickedness and oppression in the midst of her , he gives her a merciful warning to prevent this ruine and desolation by repentance , vers . , . thus hath the lord of hosts said , hew ye down trees , and cast a mount against jerusalem ; this is a city to be visited , she is wholly oppression in the midst of her . as a fountain casteth out waters , so she casteth out her wickedness . before me continually is grief and wounds . and yet when he had pronounced this fearful sentence upon her , he tells her that all this misery and desolation might yet be prevented , if they would but hearken to the counsel of god , and be instructed by him concerning the things of their peace : for so it follows in the next words , be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . be thou instructed o jerusalem , that is , do but now at last take that counsel and warning which hath so often , and so long , been tender'd to thee by my servant the prophet , who hath now for the space of forty years continually , and that with great earnestness and importunity , been warning thee of this danger and calling thee to repentance and a better mind . lest my soul depart from thee . in the hebrew it is , lest my soul be loosened and disjoynted from thee , as it is in the margin of your bibles ; hereby signifying , in the most emphatical manner , the wonderful affection and kindness which god had for his people , and how strongly his soul was link'd to them , and how loth he was to withdraw his love from them ; it was like the tearing off of a limb , or the plucking of a joint in sunder : so unwilling is god to come to extremity ; so hardly is he brought to resolve upon the ruine even of a sinful nation : how much rather would he , that they would be instructed and receive correction , and hearken to the things of their peace ? but if they will not be persuaded , if no warning will work upon them , his spirit will not always strive with them ; but his soul will at last , though with great unwillingness and reluctancie , depart from them . and then , no intercession will prevail for them ; as he threatens by the same prophet , chap. . vers . . then said the lord unto me , though moses and daniel stood before me , yet my mind could not be towards this people ; cast them out of my sight and let them go forth ; away with them into captivity , for they have lost my heart , and no intercession of others for them , nothing but their own repentance can recover it . and when his soul is once departed from a people , and his heart turn'd against them , then all sorts of evils and calamities will be let loose upon them ; as we may read in the next verse of that chapter : and it shall come to pass if they say unto thee , whither shall we go forth ? then shalt thou tell them , thus saith the lord , such as are for death to death , and such as are for the sword to the sword , and such as are for the famine to the famine , and such as are for the captivity to the captivity . for then god will be weary of repenting , as he tells them verse . thou hast forsaken me , saith the lord , thou art gone backward ; therefore will i stretch out my hand against thee and deliver thee , i am weary of repenting . by our obstinate impenitency we harden the heart of god against us , and make him weary of repenting . and when his soul is thus departed from a people , nothing remains but a fearful expectation of ruine . wo unto them , saith god by the prophet , when i depart from them . therefore be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . having given this account of the words , i shall observe from them three things well worth our consideration . first , the infinite goodness and patience of god towards a sinful people , and his great unwillingness to bring ruine and destruction upon them ; lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited ▪ how loth is he that things should come to this extremity ? he is not without great difficulty , and some kind of violence , as it were , offered to himself , brought to this severe resolution ; his soul is , as it were , rent and disjoynted from them . secondly , you see here what is the only proper and effectual means to prevent the misery and ruine of a sinful people . if they will be instructed and take warning by the threatnings of god , and will become wiser and better , then his soul will not depart from them , he will not bring upon them the desolation which he hath threatned . thirdly , you have here intimated the miserable case and condition of a people , when god takes off his affection from them , and gives over all further care and concernment for them . wo unto them , when his soul departs from them . for when god once leaves them , then all sorts of evils and calamities will break in upon them . i shall speak as briefly as i can to these three observations from the text. first , i observe the infinite patience and goodness of god towards a sinful people , and his great unwillingness to bring ruine and destruction upon them ; lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . how loth is god that things should come to this ? he is very patient to particular persons , notwithstanding their great and innumerable provocations . god is strong and patient , though men provoke him every day . and much greater is his patience to whole nations and great communities of men . how great was it to the old world , when the long suffering of god waited in the days of noah , for the space of an hundred and twenty years ? and did not expire , till he saw that the wickedness of man was grown great upon the earth , and that all flesh had corrupted its way ; not till it was necessary to drown the world to cleanse it , and to destroy mankind to reform it , by beginning a new world upon the only righteous family that was left of all the last generation of the old. for so god testifies concerning noah , when he commanded him to enter into the ark , saying , come thou and all thy house into the ark ; for thee , that is thee only , have i seen righteous before me in this generation . the patience of god was great likewise to sodom and gomorrah and the cities about them . for when the cry of their sins had reached heaven , and called loud for vengeance to be poured down upon them , to express the wonderful patience of god towards such grievous sinners , though nothing is hid from his sight and knowledge , yet he is represented as coming down from heaven to earth on purpose to enquire into the truth of things , and whether they were altogether according to the cry that was come up to him . and when he found things as bad as was possible , yet then was he willing to have come almost to the lowest terms imaginable , that if there had been but ten righteous persons in those wicked cities , he would not have destroy'd them for the ten 's sake . nay he comes to lower termes yet , with the city of jerusalem , jer. . . run ye to and fro through the streets of jerusalem , and see now and know , and seek in the broad places thereof , if ye can find a man , if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth , and i will pardon it . what can be imagin'd more slow , and mild , and merciful , than the proceedings of the divine justice against a sinful people ? god is represented in scripture as taking a long time to make ready his bow , and to whet his glittering sword , before his hand takes hold of vengeance ; as if the instruments of his wrath lay by him blunt and rusty and unready for use . many a time he threatens , and many a time lifts up his hand , before he gives the fatal blow . and how glad is he when any good man will step in and interpose to stay his hand ? as we read psal. . . therefore he said , speaking of the people of israel , that he would destroy them , had not moses his servant stood in the breach to turn away his wrath , lest he should destroy them . and how kindly doth god take it of phinehas , as a most acceptable piece of service done to him , and which he hardly knew how sufficiently to reward , that he was a means of putting a stop to his anger against the people of israel : insomuch that the psalmist tells us that it was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations for evermore . i will recite the whole passage at large , because it is remarkable . when the people of israel were seduced into idolatry and whoredom by the daughters of moab , phinehas in great zeal stood up and executed judgment upon zimri and cozbi in the very act : by which means the plague which was broken out upon the congregation of israel was presently stayed . hear what god says to moses concerning this act of phineahs . the lord spake unto moses saying , phinehas the son of eleazer , the son of aaron the priest , hath turned away my wrath from the children of israel , whilst he was zealous for my sake that i consumed them not . wherefore say , behold i give unto him my covenant of peace , and he shall have it , and his seed after him , even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood , because he was zealous for his god , and made an atonement for the children of israel : that which god takes so kindly at his hands , next to his zeal for him , is , that he pacified god's wrath towards the children of israel . and thus did god from time to time deal with the people of israel , that great example of the old testament of the merciful methods of the divine providence towards a sinful nation . and an example , as st. paul tells us , purposely recorded for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come . let us therefore consider a little the astonishing patience of god towards that perverse people . after all the signs and wonders which he had wrought in their deliverance out of egypt , and for their support in the wilderness ; and notwithstanding their gross and stupid infidelity and horrible ingratitude to god their saviour , and all their rebellious murmurings and discontents , yet he suffer'd their manners for the space of forty years . and when they were at last peaceably settled in the promised land ; notwithstanding their frequent relapses into idolatry , with what patience did god expect their repentance , and the result of all the merciful messages and warnings given them from time to time by his prophets , as one that earnestly desir'd it and even long'd for it ? o jerusalem , wash thine heart from wickedness , that thou mayest be saved ; how long shall vaine thoughts lodge within thee ? that is , how long wilt thou delude thy self with vaine hopes of escaping the judgments of god by any other way than by repentance ? and again , o jerusalem , wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? and chap. . vers . . says god there , i hearkened and i heard , but they spake not aright ; no man repented him of his wickedness , saying , what have i done ? where god is represented , after the manner of men , waiting with great patience , as one that would have been glad to have heard any penitent word drop from them , to have seen any sign of their repentance and return to a better mind . and when they made some shews of repentance , and had some fits of good resolution that did presently vanish and come to nothing , how passionately does god complain of their fickleness and inconstancy ? o ephraim , what shall i do unto thee ? o judah , what shall i do unto thee ? for your goodness is as a morning cloud , and as the early dew it goeth away . and at last , when nothing would do , with what difficulty and reluctancy does god deliver them up into the hands of their enemies ? how shall i give thee up ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee judah ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me , and my repentings are kindled together ; i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger , i will not destroy ephraim . what a conflict is here ? what tenderness and yerning of his bowels towards them ? he cannot find in his heart to give them up , till he is forc'd to it by the last necessity . and when the nation of the jews , after their return from the captivity of babylon , had in the course of several ages greatly corrupted themselves , and fill'd up the measure of their sins by crucifying the lord of life and glory , yet how slow was the patience of god in bringing that fatal and final destruction upon them ? not till after the most merciful warnings given to them , by the apostles of our lord and saviour ; not till after the most obstinate impenitency of forty years , under the most powerful means of repentance that any people in the world ever enjoyed . i proceed to the second observation from the text , namely , what is the only proper and effectual means to prevent the ruine of a sinful people ? and that is , if they will be instructed and take warning by the threatnings of god to become wiser and better , then his soul will not depart from them , and he will not bring upon them the desolation threatned . be thou instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , and i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited ; intimating , or rather plainly declaring to us , that if we will receive instruction and take warning the evil threatn'd shall not come . for what other reason can there be , why god should threaten so long before he strikes , and so earnestly press men to repentance , but that he might have the opportunity to spare them and shew mercy to them ? and indeed , as i observ'd before , all the denunciations and threatnings of god to a sinful nation do carry this tacit condition in them , that if that nation turn from their evil ways , god will repent of the evil which he thought to do unto them . for god never passeth so irrevocable a sentence upon a nation , as to exclude the case of repentance : nay on the contrary he gives all imaginable encouragement to it , and is always ready to meet it , with a pardon in his hand . how often would i have gathered thee , says our merciful lord when he wept over jerusalem , as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , and ye would not ; therefore your house is left unto you desolate . god is very merciful to particular persons upon their repentnace . when the prodigal son in the parable , after all his riot and lewdness came to himself and resolv'd to return home , his father seeing him yet afar of coming towards him , came out to meet him , and had compassion on him and kissed him . and can any of us be so obstinate and hard-hearted , as not presently to resolve to repent and return , and to meet the compassions of such a father ? who , after we have offended him to the uttermost , is upon the first discovery of our repentance ready to be as kind to us , as he could possibly have been if we had never offended him . and much more is god ready to receive a nation upon their sincere repentance ; when his judgments must needs make great havock , and so many are like to suffer under them . this consideration god urgeth and pleads with his froward prophet , in behalf of the great city of niniveh . and shall not i spare that great city of niniveh , wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons , who cannot discern their right hand from their left ? that is , so many innocent children , by which we may judge of the vast number of the rest of the inhabitants . for this is a great consideration with god in his sending of publique calamities , the multitude of the sufferers ; and that not only the guilty but the innocent also , without a special and miraculous providence , must be involved in a common calamity . sometimes god respites his judgments upon the meer external humiliation of a people , and some formal testimonies and expressions of their repentance . when the people of israel sought god and enquired early after him , though they did but flatter him with their mouth , and their heart was not right with him , yet the psalmist tells us , that being full of compassion he forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not ; that is , he forgave them so far as to respite their ruine . and much more will a sincere and effectual repentance stay god's hand , and infallibly turn him from the fierceness of his anger : insomuch that after he had fix'd and determin'd the very day for the destruction of niniveh , and had engaged the credit of his prophet in it , yet as soon as he saw their works , and that they turned from their evil ways , and how glad was he to see it ? he presently repented of the evil which he had said he would do unto them , and he did it not . in this case god does not stand upon the reputation of his prophet , by whom he had sent so peremptory a message to them ; but his mercy breaks through all considerations , and rejoyceth against judgment : for he cannot find in his heart to ruine those who by the terrour of his judgements will be brought to repentance . and this surely is a mighty motive and encouragement to repentance , to be assur'd that we shall find mercy ; and that when our ruine is even decreed , and all the instruments of god's wrath are fix'd and ready for execution , and his hand is just taking hold of vengeance , yet even then a sincere repentance will mitigate his hottest displeasure and turn away his wrath . and if we will not come in upon these terms , we extort the judgments of god from him and force him to depart from us , and with violent hands we pull down vengeance upon our own heads . thirdly and lastly , the text intimates to us the miserable case and condition of a people when god takes off his heart and affection from them , when he gives over all further care and concernment for them , and abandons them to their own wickedness and folly , and to the miserable effects and consequences thereof : wo unto them , when his soul departs from them : for then all sorts of evils and calamities will rush in , and wrath will come upon them to the uttermost ; as was threatn'd to the jews a little before their final destruction , and executed upon them in the most terrible and amazing manner that ever was from the foundation of the world. these , as our blessed saviour expresses it , were days of vengeance indeed , that all things which were written , that is foretold by moses and the prophets concerning the fearful end of this perverse and stiff-neck'd people , might be fulfilled . and because my text speaks to jerusalem , be thou instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited ; though this was spoken to jerusalem before her captivity into babylon , yet because this first captivity was but a faint type of her last and final desolation by the romans , when god's soul was indeed departed from her , and judea was left desolate , a land not inhabited : i shall therefore briefly represent to you the full effect of this threatning in her last final destruction , when god's soul was , as it were , perfectly loosen'd and disjoynted from her : that you may see what the fierceness and power of god's anger is , when he departs from them , and wrath comes upon them to the uttermost , because they would not be instructed and know the time of their visitation . thus it was with the jews , about forty years after the passion of our lord , whom with wicked hands they had crucified and slain : then was god's soul departed from them : then darkness and desolation came upon them ; and they were in a far worse condition than a country would be that is forsaken of the sun and left condemn'd to a perpetual night , in which darkness and disorder , faction and fury do reign and rage ; together with all the fatal consequences of zeal and strife , which , st. james tells us , are confusion and , every evil work . for when god is once gone , all the good and happiness of mankind departs together with him : then men fall foul upon one another , divide into parties and factions , and execute the vengeance of god upon themselves with their own hands . thus it happen'd to the jewish nation , when the measure of their iniquity was full , and their final ruine was approaching . and that we might know their fate , and be instructed by it , god provided and preserv'd a faithful historian on purpose , who was an eye-witness of all that befel them : i mean josephus , who was personally engaged , and was a considerable commander in the wars of the jews with the romans , before the siege of jerusalem : and during the siege was present in the roman camp , and being a jew himself hath transmitted these things to posterity in a most exact and admirable history : such a history , as no man that hath the heart and bowels of a man can read without the greatest pity and astonishment . in the preface of that lamentable history he tells us , that all the misfortunes and calamities which the world from the beginning of it had seen , compar'd with this last calamity of the jewish nation , were but slight and inconsiderable . he tells us likewise , that their civil dissentions were the next and immediate cause of their confusion and ruine . and this more than once : for when pompey , about sixty years before our saviour's birth , sate down before jerusalem , he tells us , * that the factions and divisions which they had among themselves were the cause of the taking the city and temple at that time . and when they rebelled afterwards , that the heads of their factions provok'd the romans , and brought them unwillingly upon them , and at last forced the best natur'd prince in the world titus vespasian to that severity which he most earnestly desired by all means to have prevented . and he further tells us , that even before the siege of jerusalem , the cities of judea had all of them civil discords among themselves , and that in every city one part of the jews fought against another . and when jerusalem began to be besieged , what a miserable condition was it in , by the cruelty of the zealots under the command of john the son of giorah ? and presently after another faction arose under simon , who enter'd into the city with a fresh force and assaulted the zealots in the temple ; so that most miserable havock was made between them . and then a third faction started up under eleazer , as bad as either of the other : so that infinite almost were the numbers of the people within the city that were barbarously slain by these seditions . and what an infatuation was this ? when the enemy was at the gates and ready to break in upon them , to employ their whole strength and force against one another : when the same courage and fury , which they spent so freely upon themselves , had it been turn'd with the like desperateness and obstinacy upon the romans , might have endanger'd the whole force of the roman empire . once or twice indeed they seem'd to lay aside their enmity for a little while , and to unite in the common defence ; but as soon as the danger of a present assault was over , they relaps'd into their former state of intestine enmity and dissention , as if that had been their main business , and the preservation of their city against the romans only a work by the by , and not much to be regarded . and to add to all their other miseries , they were so blinded by their own rage and madness , that they wilfully brought upon themselves an extream famine . for , as the historian tells us , they themselves set on fire vast stores of corn and other necessaries , sufficient to have serv'd them for many years ; and by this means the city was much sooner reduc'd , even by a famine of their own making , and which could not have been brought upon them but by themselves . this famine , besides all the other miseries and cruelties which it occasion'd within the city , did force great numbers of them to steal out by night into the roman camp ; where they met with as cruel but a speedier death . for titus , in hope to reduce them the sooner by terrour , order'd all those that came out of the city to be crucified before the walls . which order was so severely executed , that for several days five hundred a day were crucifi'd , till there was neither room left to place crosses in , nor wood whereof to make them : so that they who once cryed out so vehemently against our saviour , crucify him , crucify him , had enough of it at last , and by the just and most remarkable judgment of god were paid home in their own kind . behold the sad fate of a sinful people , when god is departed from them ! then all evils overtake them at once . for as their misery increased , so did their impiety to that degree , that the historian tells us , they scorned and mocked at all divine and holy things , and derided the oracles of the prophets , esteeming them no better than fables ; and , in a word , were carried to that extremity of wickedness , as not only to profane their temple in the highest manner , and to break the laws of their own religion , but even to violate the laws of nature and humanity in the grossest instances : which made their historian to give that dismal character of them , that as he thought no city ever suffer'd such things , so no nation , from the beginning of the world , did ever so abound in all manner of wickedness and impiety : a certain sign that god's soul was departed from them . and the same historian afterwards , upon consideration of the lamentable state into which their seditions had brought them , breaks out into this doleful lamentation over them , o miserable city ! what didst thou suffer from the romans , though at last they set thee on fire to purge thee from thy sins , that is to be compar'd with those miseries which thou hast brought upon thy self ? to such a dismal state did things come at last , that , as the same historian relates , many of the jews prayed for the good success of their enemies , to deliver them from their civil dissentions , the calamity whereof was so great that their final destruction by the romans did rather put an end to their misery than increase it , — en ! quo discordia cives perduxit miseros — to conclude this sad story . it was the jews themselves that by their own folly and dissentions forc'd the romans to this sorrowful victory over them ; for in truth all the remorse and pity was on the enemies side . the romans were little more than spectators in this cruel tragedy , the jews acted it upon themselves : and they only who were arriv'd at that prodigious height of impiety and wickedness were fit to be the executioners of this vengeance of god upon one another : as if the prophet had foretold this , when he says , thine own wickedness shall correct thee . when impiety and wickedness are at their highest pitch in a nation , then they themselves are the only proper instruments to punish one another . the romans were by far too good and gentle to inflict a suffering upon the jews that was equal to the evil of their doings : none but their own barbarous selves , who were sunk down into the very lowest degeneracy of humane nature , were capable of so much cruelty and inhumanity as was requisite to execute the judgment of god upon them to that degree which their sins had deserved . you see my brethren , by what hath been said upon this argument , what were the faults , and what the fate of the jewish nation . now these things , as the apostle expresly tells us , were written for our admonition , and to the intent that we upon whom the ends of the world are come might be instructed by them : we , i say , who next to the jewish nation seem to be a people highly favoured by god above all the nations of the earth . we resemble them very much in their many and wonderful deliverances , and a great deal too much in their faults and follies . but as i intend it not , so god forbid that there should be any just ground for a full and exact parallel between us ; yet this i must say , that nothing ever came nearer to them than we do in several respects . in our fickleness and inconstancy , in our murmurings and discontents ; for we are never pleas'd with what god does , neither when he brings us into danger , nor when he delivers us out of it : we resemble them likewise , in our horrible profaneness and infidelity , and in our impiety and wickedness of several kinds : in our monstrous ingratitude and most unworthy returns to the god of our salvation : and lastly , in our factions and divisions , which were the fatal sign of god's being departed from the jews , and the immediate cause and means of those dismal calamities which wrought their final ruine . and how can we chuse but dread lest their fate should overtake us , the example of whose faults and follies we do in so many things so nearly resemble ? that this may not , nor any thing like it , be our fate , let us apply our selves to the great duties of this day ; a serious and deep repentance , and humiliation of our selves before almighty god for the many and heinous sins which we in this nation have been , and still are guilty of , against his divine majesty ; by our profaneness and impiety , by our lewdness and luxury , by our oppression and injustice , by our implacable malice and hatred one towards another , and by our sensless divisions and animosities one against another , without cause and without end : by our neglect of god's worship , and profanation of his holy day , and by our dreadful abuse of god's great and glorious name in those horrid oaths and curses and imprecations which are heard almost day and night in the streets of this great city . for these and all other our innumerable provocations of the patience and goodness and long-suffering of god towards us , let us sadly repent our selves this day , and turn unto the lord with all our hearts , with fasting , and with weeping , and with mourning : and rent our hearts and not our garments , and turn unto the lord our god ; for he is gracious and merciful , slow to anger and of great kindness , and repenteth him of the evil : and who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him ? turn thou us unto thee , o lord , and we shall be turned : take away all iniquity , and receive us graciously . and let us earnestly begg of him , that he would be pleased to prevent those terrible judgements and calamities which hang over us , and which our sins have so justly deserved should fall upon us : and that he would perfect that wonderful deliverance which he hath begun for us , and establish the thing which he hath wrought : that he would bless them whom he hath set in authority over us ; and particularly , that he would preserve the person of the king in his present expedition , and crown him with victory and good success . and to our repentance and prayers let us add our liberal alms , and according to the counsel given by the prophet to nebuchadnezzar , let us break of our sins by righteousness , and our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor , if so be it may be a lengthening of our tranquillity . we are yet , blessed be god , in the full enjoyment of peace and quiet at home , and of our religion and civil liberties . god hath given us two excellent princes sitting on the throne together , and both of the same religion with the main body of the nation ; and as bright examples of piety and goodness as england ever saw : and who do by all ways and means study and seek the good of the people committed to their charge . so that if we did but know our own happiness , and how to value it , we might be the happiest people this day under heaven : and yet for all this , we are very far from being happy ; because we are neither contented , nor united ; and tho● we have all the materials of happiness about u● and within our reach , yet have we not the skill and wisdom to put them together . miserable people ! that may be happy and will not : whom neither so fresh a deliverance from so great a danger as was just ready to have swallowed us up , nor the fear and apprehension of falling again into the like confusion , can be a warning to us from returning again unto the same folly : for those odious and unhappy names of difference which some years ago sprang up among us , the devil knows how , did seem whilst a common danger threatned us , to be quite dead and buried : but no sooner was the danger over , but by a kind of miraculous infatuation , behold a sudden resurrection of them , with greater heats and animosities , if possible , than before : just as it was with the jews in the siege of jerusalem , when the romans had made a wide breach and the city was furiously assaulted , the factions then gave truce to one another and ran in to the common defence ; but as soon as ever the danger was a little over , they fell on afresh and prosecuted their main design of destroying one another . and now that the danger is a little over with us also , how like a fate upon us does it look , that we are soon alter'd from our wiser and better temper ? did we well and wisely before our late happy revolution , when we united for our common defence against a common danger , and did let those unlucky names of distinction fall , so that they seem'd to be quite extinguish'd ? and can it be now wise to revive them , and to take them up again ? when the same danger in some degree , and from the same implacable enemies , still hovers over us ? no surely , it would not be wise , if the danger were quite past and over ; but when it still remains and threatens us , what greater folly and infatuation can there be then still to divide and quarrel among our selves ? will nothing but sad and bitter experience be an admonition to us ? will nothing but the last necessity and extremity of things bring us to our selves and teach us wisdom ? methinks we should all now be glad to be at rest , after the tedious troubles and distractions , the fruitless quarrels and divisions of fifty years . so long i remember ; and in all that space how very few years pass'd over us without some great calamity and dismal event ? so that by this time one would think we should all be sick of our own follies , and so tir'd with our unprofitable feuds and dissentions , as to make both sides look about them , to see if any body will take pity on us , and step in to part our quarrels . and now i begin to be sensible , that i have engag'd in a tender point indeed ; and do feel my self standing upon a very slippery place . for who is fit to interpose in such hot and fierce differences ? who can do it without danger , or with any hopes of success ? and yet for zion's sake i will not hold my peace , for jerusalem's sake i will not keep silence : of so great consequence is it to the peace and happiness of this church and nation , that these names and distinctions of parties should be laid down and abolish'd for ever . in order whereunto i take it for granted and lay it for a principle , that he who hopes to persuade both sides must provoke neither : and therefore i will not so much as enquire where the fault lies . it is in these civil differences as in family quarrels between man and wife , if any man ask on which side lies the fault ; one may almost safely answer at a venture , on both sides . it must indeed begin on one , but if it be not presently heal'd and made up , the other party is always so civil as to run in and take a share of the fault , that all the blame may not lie wholly on one side . and now , my brethren , let me for once persuade and prevail with you for your good : let me be so happy as to say something that may sink into your hearts , and incline your minds to peace and good agreement with one another . have salt in your selves , says our blessed saviour the great peace-maker , and peace one with another . by salt is meant grace and spiritual wisdom , and if that do but rule and sway in our hearts , we shall then endeavour , if it be possible , and as much ▪ as in us lies , to live peaceably with all men . and if we were but once come to this healing temper , in this divided and distracted nation , we should not then need to fear all the power of the enemy . and this our enemies know full well : and therefore their chief policy and wisdom is , and ever hath been , to divide us ; and it will be our own great folly and weakness if we suffer our selves to be divided : but if we could agree and hold together , then our jerusalem would be as a city that is compact together , strong and impregnable . let us then be instructed , and know , in this our day , things which belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes . and let us all earnestly endeavour and pray for the peace of jerusalem : they shall prosper that love her , says the psalmist , and they do not love her , that do not seek her peace and endeavour by all means to procure it : that peace may be within her walls , and prosperity within her palaces : the one cannot be without the other ; without peace there can be no prosperity . and to go on with the words of the psalmist , let every one of us say , yea let us all with one heart and voice say , for our brethren and companions sake , for the sake of our protestant brethren all the world over , let us say , peace be within thee : for the house of the lord our god , for the sake of our holy religion , and of that excellent church whereof we all are , or ought to be members , let every one of us say , i will seek thy good . and what greater good can we do to the best religion , how can we better serve the interest of it in all parts of the world , than by being at peace and unity among our selves , here in england ? upon whom the eyes of all the protestants abroad are fixed , as the glory of the reformation , and the great bulwark and support of it . that so under the providence of almighty god , and the conduct of two such excellent princes as he hath now bless'd us withal : the one so brave and valiant , and both of them so wise , so good , so religious , we may at last arrive at a firm establishment , and become like mount zion that cannot be moved ; the perfection of beauty and strength , and the admiration and joy of the whole earth : which god of his infinite goodness grant , for his mercies sake in jesus christ : to whom , with thee o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , thanksgiving and praise both now and ever , amen . finis . advertisement . a sermon preach'd before the honourable house of commons , on wednesday the th of april ; a day appointed by their majesties , for a solemn monthly fast. a sermon preach'd before the queen , march th , / . both by john tillotson , d. d. dean of st. paul 's , and clerk of the closet to his majesty . printed for b. aylmer , w. rogers , and j. tillotson , bookseller . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e jer. . . hos. . . gen. . . cor. . . jer. . . jer. . . hos. . , . john . . psal. . * lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . jer. . . psal. . six sermons i. stedfastness in religion. ii. family-religion. iii. iv. v. education of children. vi. the advantages of an early piety : preached in the church of st. lawrence jury in london / by ... john lord archbishop of canterbury. sermons. selections tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) six sermons i. stedfastness in religion. ii. family-religion. iii. iv. v. education of children. vi. the advantages of an early piety : preached in the church of st. lawrence jury in london / by ... john lord archbishop of canterbury. sermons. selections tillotson, john, - . the second edition. vi, , [ ] p. printed for b. aylmer, and w. rogers, london : . marginal notes. advertisement: p. 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readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion his grace john ld. arch-bpp . of canterbury aetat : an̄o : six sermons , i. of stedfastness in religion . ii. of family-religion . iii. iv. v. of education of children . vi. of the advantages of an early piety . preached in the church of st. lawrence jury in london . by his grace john lord archbishop of canterbury . the second edition . london : printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal-exchange in cornhill ; and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . m dc xc iv. the preface to the reader . being , i hope , for the remainder of my life , released from that irksome and unpleasant work of controversy and wrangling about religion , i shall now turn my thoughts to something more agreeable to my temper , and of a more direct and immediate tendency to the promoting of true religion , to the happiness of human society , and the reformation of the world. i have no intention to reflect upon any that stand up in defence of the truth and contend earnestly for it , endeavouring in the spirit of meekness to reclaim those that are in error . for i doubt not but a very good man may upon several occasions be almost unavoidably engaged in controversies of religion ; and if he have a head clear and cool enough , so as to be master of his own notions and temper in that hot kind of service , he may therein do considerable advantage to the truth : though a man that hath once drawn blood in controver●y , as mr. mede expresseth it , is seldom known ever perfectly to recover his own good temper afterwards . for this reason a good man should not be very willing , when his lord comes , to be found so doing , and as it were beating his fellow-servants : and all controver●y , as it is usually managed , is little better . a good man would be loth to be taken out of the world reeking hot from a sharp contention with a perverse adversary ; and not a little out of countenance , to find himself in this temper translated into the calm and peaceable regions of the blessed , where nothing but perfect charity and good will reign for ever . i know not whether st. paul , who had been taken up into the third heavens , did by that question of his , where is the disputer of this world ? intend to insinuate that this wrangling work hath place only in this world , and upon this earth where only there is a dust to be raised ; but will have no place in the other . but whether st. paul intended this or not , the thing it s●lf i think is true , that in the other world all things will be clear and past dispute . to be sure , among the blessed ; and probably also among the miserable , unless fierce and furious contentions , with great heat without light , about things of no moment and concernment to them , should be design'd for a part of their torment . as to the following sermons , i am sensible that the style of them is more loose and full of words , than is agreeable to just and exact discourses : but so i think the style of popular sermons ought to be . and therefore i have not been very careful to mend this matter ; chusing rather that they should appear in that native simplicity in which , so many years ago , they were first fram'd , than dress'd up with too much care and art. as they are , i hope the candid and ingenuous readers will take them in good part . and i do heartily wish that all that are concern'd in the respective duties , treated on in the following sermons , would be persuaded so to lay them to heart as to put them effectually in practice : that how much soever the reformation of this corrupt and degenerate age in which we live is almost utterly to be despair'd of , we may yet have a more comfortable prospect of future times , by seeing the foundation of a better world begun to be laid in the careful and conscientious discharge of the duties here mention'd : that by this means the generations to come may know god , and the children yet unborn may fear the lord. i have great reason to be sensible how fast the infirmities of age are coming upon me , and therefore must work the works of him , whose providence hath placed me in the station wherein i am , whilst it is day , because the night cometh when no man can work . i knew very well , before i enter'd upon this great and weighty charge , my own manifold defects , and how unequal my best abilities were for the due discharge of it ; but i did not feel this so sensibly as i now do every day more and more . and therefore that i might make some small amends for greater failings , i knew not how better to place the broken hours i had to spare from almost perpetual business of one kind or other , than in preparing something for the publick that might be of use to recover the decayed piety and virtue of the present age ; in which iniquity doth so much abound , and the love of god and religion is grown so cold . to this end i have chosen to publish these plain sermons , and to recommend them to the serious perusal and faithful practice both of the pastors and people committed to my charge ; earnestly beseeching almighty god , that by his blessing they may prove effectual to that good end for which they are sincerely design'd . concerning resolution and stedfastness in religion . a sermon preached at st. lawrence jury , june the d. . josh. xxiv . . — but as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. after joshua had brought the people of israel into the promised land and setled them in the quiet possession of it , his great desire was to establish them in the true religion , namely , in the worship of the one true god , who had brought them out of the land of egypt , and given them the possession of that good land , the land of canaan . and now finding himself weak and declining , being an hundred and ten years old , and fearing le●t after his death the people should fall off from the true religion to the worship of idols , he like a wise and good governour considers with himself what course he had best to take to keep them firm and stedfast in their religion , and to prevent their defection to the idolatry of the nations round about them . and to this end he calls a general assembly of all israel , chap. . v. . that is , of the elders , and heads , and judges , and officers of the several tribes ; and in a very wise and eloquent speech represents to them in what a miraculous manner god had driven out the na●ions before them , much greater and strong●r nations than they , and had given them their land to possess it . and , in a word , had performed punctually all that he had promised to them . and therefore they ought to take great heed to themselves , to love god , and to serve him ; and if they did not , he tells them that it should come to pass , that as all good things are come upon you which the lord your god promised you , so shall the lord bring upon you all evil things , until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the lord your god hath given you , chap. . . after this , he calls them together a second time , and gives them a brief historical account and deduction of the great mercies of god to them and their fathers , from the days of abraham , whom he had called out from among his idolatrous kindred and countreymen , unto that day . from the consideration of all which , he earnestly exhorts them to renew their covenant with god ; and for his particular satisfaction , before he left the world , solemnly to promise that they would for ever serve god and forsake the service of idols : now therefore fear the lord , and serve him in sincerity and in truth : and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood , and in egypt ; and serve ye the lord. and then in the text , by a very elegant scheme of speech he does , as it were , once more set them at liberty ; and , as if they had never engaged themselves to god by covenant before , he leaves them to their free choice : and if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom ye will serve ; whether the gods whom your fathers served on the other side of the flood , or the gods of the amorites in whose land ye dwell . not that they were at liberty whether they would serve the true god , or not ; but to insinuate to them that religion ought to be their free choice : and likewise , that the true religion hath those real advantages on its side , that it may safely be referr'd to any considerate man's choice : if it seem evil unto you ; as if he had said , if after all the demonstrations which god hath given of his miraculous presence among you , and the mighty obligations which he hath laid upon you by bringing you out of the land of egypt , and the house of bondage by so out●tretched an arm ; and by driving out the nations before you , and giving you their land to possess : if after all this , you can think it ●it to quit the service of this god , and to worship the idols of the nations whom you have subdued , those vanquished and baffled deities : if you can think it reasonable so to do , but surely you cannot ; then take your choice : if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom ye will serve . and to direct and encourage them to make a right choice , he declares to them his own resolution , which he hopes will also be theirs ; and as he had heretofore been their captain , so now he offers himself to be their example : but whether they will follow him or not , he for his part is fix'd and immovable in this resolution ; but as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. in effect he tells them ; i have proposed the best religion to your choice , and i cannot but think , nay i cannot but hope , that you will all stedfastly adhere to it . it is so reasonable and wise , so much your interest and your happiness to do it . but if you should do otherwise , if you should be so weak as not to discern the truth , so wilful and so wicked as not to embrace it : though you should all make another choice , and run away from the true god to the worship of idols ; i for my part am stedfastly resolved what to do : in a case so manifest , in a matter so reasonable , no number , no example shall prevail with me to the contrary ; i will , if need be , stand alone in that which is so evidently and unquestionably right : and though this whole nation should revolt all at once from the worship of the true god , and join with the rest of the world in a false religion and in the worship of idols ; and mine were the only family left in all israel , nay in the whole world , that continued to worship the god of israel , i would still be of the same mind ; i would still persist in this resolution , and act according to it ; as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. a resolution truly worthy of so great a prince and so good a man : in which he is a double pattern to us . first , of the brave resolution of a good man , namely , that if there were occasion , and things were brought to that extremity , he would stand alone in the profession and practice of the true religion : as for me , i will serve the lord. secondly , of the pious care of a good father and master of a family , to train up those under his charge in the true religion and worship of god ; as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. i shall at this time , by god's assistance , treat of the first of these , namely , i. of the brave resolution of a good man , that if there were occasion , and things were brought to that extremity , he would stand alone in the profession and practice of god's true religion : chuse you this day , says joshua , whom ye will serve ; but as for me , i will serve the lord. joshua here puts the case at the utmost extremity , that not only the great nations of the world , the egyptians and chaldeans , and all the lesser nations round about them , and in whose land they dwelt , were all long since revolted to idolatry , and pretended great antiquity and long prescription for the worship of their false gods : but he supposeth yet further , that the only true and visible church of god then known in the world , the people of israel , should likewise generally revolt and forsake the worship of the true god , and cleave to the service of idols : yet in this case , if we could suppose it to happen , he declares his firm and stedfast resolution to adhere to the worship of the true god : and though all others should fall off from it , that he would stand alone in the profession and practice of the true religion : but as for me , i will serve the lord. in the handling of this argument i shall do these two things . first , i shall consider the matter of this resolution , and the due bounds and limits of it . secondly , i shall endeavour to vindicate the reasonableness of this resolution from the objections to which this singular and peremptory kind of resolution may seem liable . first , i shall consider the matter of this resolution , and the due bounds and limits of it . st . the matter of this resolution . joshua here resolves that if need were , and things were brought to that pass , he would stand alone , or with very few adhering to him , in the profession and practice of the true religion . and this is not a mere supposition of an impossible case , which can never happen : for it may , and hath really and in fact happen'd in several ages and places of the world. there hath been a general apostacy of some great part of god's church from the belief and profession of the true religion to idolatry , and to damnable errors and heresies : and some good men have , upon the matter , stood alone in the open profession of the true religion , in the midst of this general defection from it . elijah in that general revolt of the people of israel , when they had forsaken the covenant of the lord , and broken down his altars , and slain his prophets , and he only , as he thought , was left to stand alone : i say , in this case when , as he verily believed , he had no body to stand by him , he was very zealous for the lord god of hosts , kings . . and with an undaunted courage stood up for the worship of the true god , and reproved ahab to his face for his defection to the worship of idols . and those three brave youths , in the prophecy of daniel , chap. . did in the like resolute and undaunted manner refuse to obey the command of the great king nebuchadnezzar , to worship the image which he had set up ; when all others submitted , and paid honour to it : telling him plainly , if it be so , our god whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnance , and he will deliver us out of thy hand : if not , be it known unto thee , o king , that we will not serve thy gods , nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up . v. , . in like manner , and with the same spirit and courage , daniel withstood the decree of darius , which forbad men to ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days , save of the king only ; dan. . . and this under the pain of being cast into the den of lions : and when all others gave obedience to it , he set open the windows of his chamber towards jerusalem , and kneeled down upon his knees three times a day , and prayed and gave thanks , as he did afore time . v. . in the prevalency of the arian heresy athanasius almost stood alone in the profession and maintenance of the truth . and in the reign of antichrist the true church of god is represented by a woman flying into the wilderness , and living there in obscurity for a long time ; insomuch that the professors of the truth should hardly be found . and yet during that degeneracy of so great a part of the christian church , and the prevalency of antichrist for so many ages , some few in every age did appear who did resolutely own the truth and bear witness to it with their blood : but these did almost stand alone and by themselves , like a few scattered sheep wandring up and down in a wide wilderness . thus , in the heighth of popery , wickliffe appear'd here in england ; and hierome of prague and john huss in germany and bohemia . and in the beginning of the reformation , when popery had quite over-run these western parts of the world and subdued her enemies on every side , and antichrist sate securely in the quiet possession of his kingdom ; luther arose , a bold and rough man , but a fit wedge to cleave in sunder so hard and knotty a block ; and appeared stoutly against the gross errors and corruptions of the church of rome ; and for a long time stood alone , and with a most invincible spirit and courage maintained his ground and resisted the united malice and force of antichrist and his adherents ; and gave him so terrible a wound , that he is not yet perfectly healed and recovered of it . so that for a man to stand alone , or with a very few adhering to him and standing by him , is not a mere imaginary supposition , but a case that hath really and in fact happen'd in several ages and places of the world. let us then proceed to consider in the d . place , the due limits and bounds of this peremptory resolution . in all matters of faith and practice which are plain and evident either from natural reason , or from divine revelation , this resolution seems to be very reasonable : but in things doubtful a modest man , and every man hath reason to be so , would be very apt to be stagger'd by the judgment of a very wise man ; and much more of many such , and especially by the unanimous judgment of the generality of men ; the general voice and opinion of mankind being next to the voice of god himself . for in matters of an indifferent nature , which god hath neither commanded nor forbidden , such as are many of the circumstances and ceremonies of god's worship , a man would not be singular , much less stiff and immovable in his singularity ; but would be apt to yield and surrender himself to the general vote and opinion , and to comply with the common custom and practice ; and much more with the rules and constitutions of authority , whether civil or ecclesiastical . because in things lawful and indifferent , we are bound by the rules of decency and civility not to thwart the general practice ; and by the commands of god , we are certainly obliged to obey the lawful commands of lawful authority . but in things plainly contrary to the evidence of sense or reason , or to the word of god , a man would complement no man , or number of men ; nor would he pin his faith upon any church in the world ; much less upon any single man , no not the pope ; no , though there were never so many probable arguments brought for the proof of his infallibility . in this case , a man would be singular , and stand alone against the whole world ; against the wrath and rage of a king and all the terrors of his fiery furnace ; as in other matters , a man would not believe all the learned men in the world against the clear evidence of sense and reason . if all the great mathematicians of all ages , archimedes , and euclide , and apollonius , and diophantus , &c. could be supposed to meet together in a general council , and should there declare in the most solemn manner , and give it under their hands and seals , that twice two did not make four , but five ; this would not move me in the least to be of their mind ; nay , i who am no mathematician would maintain the contrary , and would persist in it without being in the least startled by the positive opinion of these great and learned men ; and should most certainly conclude , that they were either all of them out of their wits , or that they were byassed by some interest or other , and swayed against the clear evidence of truth and the full conviction of their own reason to make such a determination as this . they might indeed over-rule the point by their authority , but in my inward judgment i should still be where i was before . just so in matters of religion , if any church , though with never so glorious and confident a pretence to infallibility , should declare for transubstantiation , that is , that the bread and wine in the sacrament , by vertue of the consecration of the priest , are substantially changed into the natural body and blood of christ ; this is so notoriously contrary both to the sense and reason of mankind , that a man should chuse to stand single in the opposition of it , and laugh at or rather pity the rest of the world that could be so servilely blind as seemingly to conspire in the belief of so monstrous an absurdity . and in like manner , if any church should declare , that images are to be worshipped , or that the worship of god is to be performed in an unknown tongue ; and that the h. scriptures , which contain the word and will of god , and teach men what they are to believe and do in order to their eternal salvation , are to be lock'd up and kept concealed from the people in a language which they do not understand , lest if they were permitted the free use of them in their mother tongue they should know more of the mind and will of god than is convenient for the common people to know , whose devotion and obedience to the church does mainly depend upon their ignorance : or should declare , that the sacrifice of christ was not offer'd once for all , but is and ought to be repeated ten millions of times every day : and that the people ought to receive the communion in one kind only , and the cup by no means to be trusted with them for fear the profane beards of the laity should drink of it : and that the saving efficacy of the sacraments doth depend upon the intention of the priest , without which the receiver can have no benefit by them : these are all of them so plainly contrary to scripture , and most of them in reason so absurd , that the authority of no church whatsoever can oblige a man to the belief of them . nay , i go yet further , that being evidently contrary to the doctrine of the gospel , though an apostle , or an angel from heaven should declare them , we ought to reject them . and for this i have st. paul's authority and warrant , who speaking of some that perverted the gospel of christ by teaching things contrary to it , though we , says he , or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed : as we said before , so say i now again , though an apostle , though an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received , let him be accursed , gal. . , , . you see he repeats it over again , to express not only his own confident assurance , but the certainty of the thing . and here is an anathema with a witness , which we may confidently oppose to all the anathema's which the council of trent hath so liberally denounced against all those who shall presume to gainsay these new doctrines of their church ; which are in truth another gospel , than that which our b. saviour and his apostles taught : and yet on their side there is neither an apostle , nor an angel from heaven in the case . to give but one instance more : if bellarmin shall tell me , as he expresly does , that if the pope should declare virtue to be vice , and vice to be virtue , i were bound to believe him unless i would sin against conscience : and if all the world should say the same that bellarmin does , namely , that this infallible declarer of virtue and vice were to be believed and followed ; yet i could not possibly be of their mind , for this plain and undeniable reason ; because if virtue and vice be all one , then religion is nothing ; since the main design of religion is to teach men the difference between virtue and vice , and to oblige them to practise the one and to refrain from the other : and if religion be nothing , then heaven and hell are nothing : and if heaven be nothing , then an infallible guide thither is of no use and to no manner of purpose ; because he is a guide no whither , and so his great office ceases and falls of it self . and now lest any should think me singular in this assertion , and that thereby i give a great deal too much to the single judgment of private persons , and too little to the authority of a church , i will produce the deliberate judgment of a very learned man and a great assertor of the church's authority , concerning the matter i am now speaking of : i mean mr. hooker , in his deservedly admired book of ecclesiastical policy . his words are these , i grant , says he , that proof derived from the authority of man's judgment is not able to work that assurance which doth grow by a stronger proof : and therefore although ten thousand general councils should set down one and the same definitive sentence concerning any point of religion whatsoever , yet one demonstrative reason alledged , or one testimony cited from the word of god himself to the contrary , could not chuse but oversway them all : in as much as for them to be deceived it is not so impossible , as it is that demonstrative reason or divine testimony should deceive . and again , for men , says he , to be tyed and led by authority , as it were with a kind of captivity of judgment , and though there be reason to the contrary not to listen to it , but follow like beasts the first in the herd , this were brutish . again , that the authority of men should prevail with men , either against or above reason is no part of our belief . companies of learned men , though they be never so great and reverend , are to yield unto reason , the weight whereof is no whit prejudiced by the simplicity of the person which doth alledge it ; but being found to be sound and good , the bare opinion of men to the contrary must of necessity stoop and give place . and this he delivers not only as his own particular judgment , but that which he apprehended to be the judgment of the church of england . i have produced these clear and positive testimonies of so learned and judicious a person , and of so great esteem in our church , on purpose to prevent any misapprehension , as if by this discourse i intended to derogate from the authority of the church and her just and reasonable determinations , in things no wise contrary to plain reason or the word of god. and beyond this pitch no judicious protestant , that i know of , ever strain'd the authority of the church . i proceed now in the second place , to vindicate the reasonableness of this resolution from the objections to which this singular and peremptory kind of resolution may seem liable ; as obj. . first , it may very speciously be said , that this does not seem modest for a man to set up his own private judgment against the general suffrage and vote . and it is very true , as i said before , that about things indifferent a man should not be stiff and singular ; and in things doubtful and obscure a man should not be over-confident of his own judgment , and insist peremptorily upon it against the general opinion : but in things that are plain and evident , either from scripture or reason , it is neither immodesty , nor a culpable singularity , for a man to stand alone in the defence of the truth . because in such a case a man does not oppose his own single and private judgment to the judgment of many , but the common reason of mankind and the judgment of god plainly declared in his word . if the generality of men should turn atheists and infidels , and should deny the being of god , or his providence ; the immortality of mens souls , and the rewards and punishments of another world : or should deny the truth of the gospel and of the christian religion , it would not certainly be any breach of modesty for a man to appear single , if no body else would stand by him , in the resolute defence of these great truths . in like manner , when a whole church , though never so large and numerous , shall conspire together to corrupt the christian religion so far as to impose upon mankind , under the name of christian doctrines and articles of faith , things plainly contrary to the sense and reason of mankind , and to the clear and express word of god , why must a man needs be thought immodest , if he oppose such gross errors and corruptions of the christian doctrine ? and what reason have the church of rome to talk of modesty in this case , when they themselves have the face to impose upon mankind the belief of things contrary to what they and every man else sees ? as they do in their doctrine of transubstantiation : and to require of them to do what god hath expresly forbidden , as in the worship of images ; besides a great many other idolatrous practices of that church : to deny the people the free use of the h. scriptures , and the publick service of god in a known tongue● contrary to the very end and design of all religion , and in affront to the common reason and liberty of mankind . obj. . secondly , it is pretended that it is more prudent for private persons to err with the church , than to be so pertinacious in their own opinions . to which i answer , that it may indeed be pardonable in some cases to be led into mistake by the authority of those to whose judgment and instruction we ought to pay a great deference and submission : provided always it be in things which are not plain and necessary ; but surely it can never be prudent to err with any number , how great soever , in matters of religion which are of moment , merely for numbers sake : but to comply with the known errors and corruptions of any church whatsoever is certainly damnable . obj. . thirdly , it is pretended yet further , that men shall sooner be excused in following the church , than any particular man or sect. to this i answer , that it is very true if the matter be doubtful , and especially if the probabilities be equal , or near equal on both sides : but if the error be gross and palpable , it will be no excuse to have followed any number of men , or any church whatsoever . for here the competition is not between men and men , but between god and men : and in this case we must forsake all men to follow god and his truth . thou shalt in no wise follow a multitude in a known error , is a rule which in reason is of equal obligation with that divine law , thou shalt in no wise follow a multitude to do evil ; or rather is comprehended in it , because to comply with a known error is certainly to do evil. and this very objection the jews made against our b. saviour and the doctrine which he taught , that the guides and governours of the jewish church did utterly differ from him , and were of a contrary mind , have any of the rulers , say they , believed on him ? what ? will you be wiser than your rulers and governors ? what ? follow the doctrine of one single man against the unanimous judgment and sentence of the great sanhedrim , to whom the trial of doctrines and pretended prophets doth of right belong ? but , as plausible as this objection may seem to be , it is to be considered that in a corrupt and degenerate church the guides and rulers of it are commonly the worst , and the most deeply engaged in the errors and corruptions of it . they brought them in at first , and their successors , who have been bred up in the belief and practice of them , are concern'd to uphold and maintain them : and so long a prescription gives a kind of sacred stamp even to error , and an authority not to be opposed and resisted . and thus it was in the corrupt state of the jewish church , in our saviour's time : and so likewise in that great degeneracy of the christian church , in th● times of popery , their rulers made them to err : insomuch that when martin luther appeared in opposition to the errors and superstitions of that church , and was hard prest with this very objection which the pharisees urg'd against our saviour , he was forc'd to bolt out a kind of unmannerly truth , religio nunquam magis periclitatur quàm inter reverendissimos , religion , says he , is never in greater hazard and worse treated , than amongst the most reverend ; meaning the pope and his cardinals , and all the romish hierarchy who had their dependance upon them . obj. . fourthly , it is objected , that as on the one hand there may be danger of error in following blindly the belief of the church , so on the other hand there is as great a danger of schism in forsaking the communion of the church upon pretence of errors and corruptions . very true ; but where great errors and corruptions are not only pretended , but are real and evident : and where our compliance with those errors and corruptions is made a necessary condition of our communion with that church : in that case , the guilt of schism , how great a crime soever it be , doth not● fall upon those who forsake the communion of that church , but upon those who drive them out of it by the sinful conditions which they impose upon them . and this is truly the case between us and the church of rome , as we are ready to make good , and have fully done it upon all occasions ; and they have never yet been able to vindicate and clear themselves of those gross errors and corruptions which have been charged upon them , and which they require of all their members as necessary conditions of communion with them here , and of eternal salvation hereafter . for we do not object to them doubtful matters , but things as plain as any are contained in the bible , as every body would see if they durst but let every body read it . the worship of images is there as plainly forbidden in the decalogue , as murther and adultery are . the communion in both kinds is as express an institution of our saviour , as any in all the new testament ; and even as the sacrament of the lord's supper it self ; only that church pretends to a dispensing power , as a priviledge inherent in the●● church and inseparable from it . and , to add but one instance more ; publick prayers , and the service of god in an unknown tongue , are as plainly and fully declared against by st. paul , in a long chapter upon this single argument , as any one thing in all his epistles . these things are plain and undeniable , and being so , are a full justification not only of the church of england , in the reformation which she thought fit to make within her self from the gross errors and corruptions of the church of rome ; but likewise of particular persons who have at any time for the same reasons withdrawn themselves from her communion , in any of the popish countries : yea though that single person should happen to be in those circumstances that he could not have the opportunity of holding communion with any other church , that was free from those errors and corruptions , and which did not impose them as necessary conditions of communion . for if any church fall off to idolatry , every good christian not only may , but ought to forsake her communion ; and ought rather to stand single and alone in the profess●on of the pure and true religion , than to continue in the communion of a corrupt and idolatrous church . i know that some men are so fond of the name of a church that they can very hardly believe that any thing which ●ears that glorious title can miscarry or do any thing so much amiss as to give just occasion to any of her members to break off from h●r communion : what ? the church err ? that is such an absurdity , as is by many thought sufficient to put any objection out of countenance . that the whole church , that is , that all the christians in the world should at any time fall off to idolatry and into errors and practices directly contrary to the christian doctrine revealed in the h. scriptures , is on all hands , i think , denied : but that any particular church may fall into such errors and practices is , i think , as universally granted : only in this case they demand to have the roman catholick church excepted : and why i pray ? because though the roman church is a particular church , it is also the universal church : if this can be , and good sense can be made of a particular-universal church , then the roman church may demand this high privilege of being exempted from the fate of all other churches ; but if the roman-catholick , that is a particular-universal church be a gross and palpable contradiction , then it is plain that the church of rome hath no more pretence to this privilege , than any other particular church whatsoever . and which is yet more , some men talk of these matters at that rate , as if a man who thought himself obliged to quit the communion of the church of rome , should happen to be in those circumstances that he had no opportunity of joining himself to any other communion , he ought in that case to give over all thoughts of religion , and not be so conceited and presumptuous as to think of going to heaven alone by himself . it is without doubt a very great sin to despise the communion of the church , or to break off from it so long as we can continue in it without sin : but if things should once come to that pass that we must either disobey god for company , or stand alone in our obedience to him , we ought most certainly to obey god whatever comes of it ; and to profess his truth , whether any body else will join with us in that profession or not . and they who speak otherwise condemn the whole reformation , and do in effect say that martin luther had done a very ill thing in breaking off from the church of rome , if no body else would have joined with him in that honest design . and yet if it had been so , i hope god would have given him the grace and courage to have stood alone in so good and glorious a cause , and to have laid down his life for it . and for any man to be of another opinion , is just as if a man upon great deliberation should chuse rather to be drowned , than to be saved either by a plank or a small boat ; or to be carried into the harbour any other way , than in a great ship of so many hundred tuns . in short , a good man must resolve to obey god and to profess his truth , though all the world should happen to do otherwise . christ hath promised to preserve his church to the end of the world , that is , he hath engaged his word that he will take care that there shall always be , in some part of the world or other , some persons that shall make a sincere profession of his true religion . but he hath no where promised to preserve any one part of his church from such errors and corruptions , as may oblige all good men to quit the communion of that part ; yea though when they have done so , they may not know whither to resort for actual communion with any other sound part of the christian church . as it happened to some particular persons , during the reign and rage of popery in these western parts of the christian church . the result from all this discourse is , to confirm and establish us all , in this hour of temptation and of the powers of darkness , in the well-grounded belief of the necessity and justice of our reformation from the errors and corruptions of the roman church . and to engage us to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering : and not only to profess and promise as peter did to our lord , though all men forsake thee , yet will not i : but if there should be occasion , to perform and make good this promise with the hazard of all that is dear to us , and even of life it self . and whatever trials god may permit any of us to fall into , to take up the pious resolution of joshua here in the text , that whatever others do , we will serve the lord. i will conclude my discourse , upon this first particular in the text , with the exhortation of st. paul to the philippians , chap. . v. . only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ . stand fast in one spirit , be of one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel : in nothing terrified by your adversaries , which to them is an evident token of perdition , but to you of salvation , and that of god. and thus much may suffice to have spoken to the first thing in the text , namely , the pious resolution of joshua , that if there were occasion and things were brought to that extremity , he would stand alone in the profession and practice of god's true religion : chuse you this day whom ye will serve , but as for me , i will serve the lord. i should now have proceeded to the second thing , and which indeed i chiefly intended to speak to from this text , namely , the pious c●re of a good father and m●ster of a f●mily , to train up those under his charge in the r●ligion and worship of the true god : as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. but this i shall not now enter upon , but defer it to some other opportunity . consider what ye have heard , and the lord give you understanding in all things . concerning family-religion . a sermon preached at st. lawrence jury , july the th . . josh. xxiv . . — but as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. i shall now proceed to the second point contained in the text , namely , ii. the pious care of a good master and father of a family , to train up those under his charge in the worship and service of the true god : as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. and this is the more necessary to be spoken to , because it is a great and very essential part of religion , but strangely overlook'd and neglected in this loose and degenerate age in which we live . it is a great part of religion ; for next to our personal homage and service to almighty god , and the care of our own souls , it is incumbent upon us to make those , who are under our charge and subject to our authority , god's subjects , and his children and servants ; which is a much more honourable and happy relation , than that which they bear to us . our children are a natural part of our selves , and the rest of our family are a civil and political part : and not only we our selves , but all that we have and that belongs to us is god's , and ought to be devoted to his service . and they that have the true fear of god themselves , will be careful to teach it to others ; to those especially who are under their more immediate care and instruction . and therefore god had so great a confidence conc●rning ●braham as to this particular , as to undertake for him , that being so very good a man himself he would not fail in so great and necessary a part of his duty , for i know him , says god of him , that he will command his children and his houshold after him , and they shall keep the way of the lord , to do justice and judgment . god passeth his word for him , that he would not only take care to instruct his children and the rest of his numerous family in the true religion , but that he would likewise lay a strict charge upon them to propagate and transmit it to their posterity . and this certainly is the duty of all fathers and masters of families ; and an essential part of religion , next to serving god in our own persons , to be very careful that all that belong to us do the same . for every man must not only give an account of himself to god , but of those likewise that are committed to his charge that they do do not miscarry through his neglect . in speaking of this great and necessary duty i shall do these four things . first , i shall shew wherein it doth consist . secondly , i shall consider our obligation to it , both in point of duty and of interest . thirdly , i shall enquire into the causes of the so common and shameful neglect of this duty , to the exceeding great decay of piety amongst us . fourthly , as a motive and argument to us to endeavour to ●etrieve the practice of this duty , i shall represent to you the pe●nicious cons●quences of the neglect of it , both with regard to our selves , and to the publick . in all which i shall be very brief , because things that are plain need not to be long . i. i shall shew wherein the practice of this duty doth consist . and in this i am sure there is no need to be long , because this duty is much better known than practised . the principal parts of it are these following . first , by setting up the constant worship of god in our families . by daily pray●rs to god , every morning and evening ; and by reading some portion of the h. scriptures at those times , especially out of the psalms of david , and the new testament . and this is so necessary to keep alive and to maintain a sense of god and religion in the minds of men , that where it is neglected i do not see how any family can in reason be esteemed a family of christians , or indeed to have any religion at all . and there are not wanting excellent helps to this purpose for those that stand in need of them , as i think most families do for the due and decent discharge of this solemn duty of prayer : i say , there are excellent helps to this purpose , in the several books of dev●tion calculated for the private use of families , as well as for secret prayer in our closets . so that besides the reading of the h. scriptures , which are the great fountains of divine truth ; we may do well likewise to add to these other pious and profitable books , which by their plainness are fitted for the instruction of all capacities in the most necessary points of belief and practice : of which sort , god be thanked , there is an abundant store ; but none that i think is more fitted for general and constant use than that excellent book so well known by the title of the whole duty of man : because it is conveniently divided into parts or sections ; one of which may be read in the family , at any time when there is leisure for it ; but more especially on the lord's day , when the whole family may the more easily be brought and kept together , and have the opportunity to attend upon these things without distraction . and , which i must by no means omit , because it is in many families already gone , and in others going out of fashion : i mean a solemn acknowledgment of the providence of god , by begging his blessing , at our meals , upon his good creatures provided for our use ; and by returning thanks to him for the benefit and refreshment of them : this being a piece of natural religion owned and practised in all ages , and in most places of the world ; but never so shamefully and scandalously neglected , and i fear by many slighted and despised , as it is amongst us at this day : and most neglected where there is greatest reason for the doing of it , i mean at the most plentiful tables , and among those of highest quality : as if great persons were ashamed , or thought scorn to own from whence these blessings come ; like the nation of the jews , of whom god complains in the prophet , hos . . . she knew not that i gave her corn , and wine , and oyl , and multiplied her silver and gold : she knew not , that is , she would not acknowledge from whose bounty all these blessings came : or , as if the poor were obliged to thank god for a little , but those who are fed to the full , and whose cups overflow , so that they are almost every day surfeited of plenty , were not at least equally bound to make returns of thankful acknowledgment to the great giver of all good things ; and to implore his bounty and blessing , upon whom the eyes of all do wait , that he may give them their meat in due season . o crooked and perverse generation ! do you thus reason ? do ye thus requite the lord , foolish and unwise ? this is a very sad and broad sign of the prevalency of atheism and infidelity among us , when so natural and so reasonable a piece of religion , so meet and equal an acknomledgment of the constant and daily care and providence of almighty god towards us begins to grow out of date and use ; in a nation professing religion , and the belief of the being and providence of god. is it not a righteous thing with god to take away his blessings from us , when we deny him this just and easy tribute of praise and thanksgiving ? shall not god visit for this horrible ingratitude ? and shall not his soul be avenged on such a nation a● this ? hear , o heavens , and be ye horribly astonished at this ! i hope it cannot be thought misbecoming the meanest of god's ministers , in a matter wherein the honour of god is so nearly concerned , to reprove , even in the highest and greatest of the sons of men , so shameful and heinous a fault , with a proportionable vehemence and severity . secondly , another , and that also a very considerable part of this duty , consists in instructing those committed to our charge in the fundamental principles , and in the careful practice of the necessary duties of religion ; instilling these into children in their tender years , as they are capable of them , line upon line , and precept upon precept , here a little and there a little ; and into those that are more grown up , by proper and suitable means of instruction , and by furnishing them with such books as are most proper to teach them those things in religion which are most necessary by all to be believ'd and practis'd . and in order hereunto we should take care that those under our charge , our children and servants , should be taught to read , because this will make the business of instruction much easier ; so that if they are diligent and well-dispos'd they may , after having been taught the first principles of religion , by reading the h. scriptures and other good books , greatly improve themselves , so as to be prepared to receive much greater benefit and advantage by the publick teaching of their ministers . and in this work of instruction our great care should be to plant those principles of religion in our children and servants which are most fundamental and necessary , and are like to have the greatest and most lasting influence upon their whole lives : as right and worthy apprehensions of god , especially of his infinite goodness , and that he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity : and a lively sense also of the great evil and danger of sin : a firm belief of the immortality of our souls , and of the unspeakable and endless rewards and punishments of another world. if these principles once take root , they will spread strangely , and probably stick by them and continue with them all their days . whereas if we plant in them doubtful doctrines and opinions , and inculcate upon them the notions of a sect , and the jargon of a party , this will turn to a very pitiful account , and we must expect that our harvest will be answerable to our husbandry : we have sown the wind , and shall reap the whirlwind . but of this i shall have occasion to speak more particularly and fully in the ensuing sermons concerning the good education of children . and this work of instruction of those that are under our charge , as it ought not to be neglected at other times , so is it more peculiarly seasonable on the lord's day , which ought to be employed by us to religious purposes , and in the exercises of piety and devotion : chiefly in the publick worship and service of god , upon which we should take care that our children and servants should diligently and devoutly attend . because there god affords the means which he hath appointed for the begetting and increasing of piety and goodness and to which he hath promised a more especial blessing : there they will have the opportunity of joining in the publick prayers of god's church , and of sharing in the unspeakable bene●●t and advantage of them : and there they will also have the advantage of being instructed by the ministers of god in the doctrine of salvation , and the way to eternal life ; and of being powerfully incited to the practice of piety and virtue . there likewise they will be invited to the lord's table , to participate of the h. sacrament of christ's most blessed body and blood ; which being the most solemn institution of the christian religion , the frequent participation whereof is by our b. lord , in remembrance of his dying love , enjoined upon all christians , we ought to take a very particular care that those who are under our charge , so soon as they are capable of it , be duly instructed and prepared for it ; that so as often as opportunity is offer'd for it , they may be present at this holy action , and partak● of the inestimable benefits and comforts of it . and when the publick worship of that day is over , our families should be instructed at home , by having the scriptures and other good books read to them ; and care likewise should be taken that they do this themselves ; this being the chief opportunity that most of them , especially those that are servants , have of minding the business of religion , and thinking seriously of another world. and therefore i cannot but think it of very great consequence to the maintaining and keeping alive of religion in the world , that this day be religiously observed , and spent as much as may be in the exercises of piety , and in the care of our souls . for surely every one that hath a true sense of religion will grant that it is necessary that some time should be solemnly set apart for this purpose , which is of all other our greatest concernment : and they who neglect this so proper season and opportunity , will hardly find any other time for it : especially those who are under the government and command of others , as children and servants , who are seldom upon any other day allowed to be so much masters of their time , as upon this day . thirdly , i add further , as a considerable part of the duty of parents and masters of families , if they be desirous to have their children and servants religious in good earnest and would set them forward in the way to heaven , that they do not only allow them time and opportunity , but that they do also strictly and earnestly charge them to retire themselves every day , but more especially on the lord's day , morning and evening , to pray to god for the forgiveness of their sins , and for his mercy and blessing upon them ; and likewise to praise him for all his favours and benefits conferred upon them from day to day . and in order to this , they ought to take care that their children and servants be furnish'd with such short forms of prayer and praise , as are proper and suitable to their capacities and conditions respectively ; because there are but very few that know how to set about and perform these duties , especially at first , without some helps of this kind . fourthly and lastly , another principal part of this duty consists in giving good ex●mple to our families . this was david's resolution , psal . . . i will behave my self wisely in a perfect way , i will walk within my house with a perfect heart . take great care to be exemplary to thy family in the best things ; in a constant and devout serving of god , and in a sober and prudent and unblameable conversation . one of the best and most effectual ways to make those who are under our care and authority good , is to be good our selves , and by our good example to shew them the way to be so . without this our best instructions will signify but very little , and the main force and efficacy of them will be lost . we undermine the best instructions we can give , when they are not seconded and confirmed by our own example , and practice . the want of this will weaken the authority of all our good counsel , and very little reverence and obedience will be paid to it . the precepts and admonitions of a very good man have in them a great power of persuasion , and are apt strongly to move and to inflame others to go and do likewise : but the good instructions of a bad man are languid and faint , and of very little force ; because they give no heart and encouragement to follow that counsel which they see he that gives it does not think fit to take himself . but of this likewise i shall have occasion to speak more fully in the following discourses concerning the good education of children . and thus much may suffice to have spoken of the first thing which i proposed , namely , wherein the practice of this duty doth consist . i proceed to the second , namely , ii. to consider our obligation to it , both in point of duty and of interest . first , in point of duty . all authority over others is a talent intrusted with us by god for the benefit and good of others ; and for which we are accountable , if we do not improve it and make use of it to that end . we are obliged by all lawful means to provide for the temporal welfare of our family , to feed and cloath their bodies and to give them a comfortable subsistence here in the world : and surely much more are we obliged to take care of their souls , and to consult their eternal happiness in another life ; in comparison of which all temporal concernments and considerations are as nothing . it would be accounted a very barbarous thing in a father or master to suffer a child to starve for want of the necessaries of life , food and raiment , and all the world would cry shame upon them for it : but how much greater cruelty must it in reason be thought to let an immortal soul , and one for whom christ died , perish for want of knowledge and necessary instruction for the attaining of eternal salvation ? the apostle st. paul thinks no words bad enough for those who neglect the temporal welfare of their families , he that provideth not , saith he , for his own , especially for those of his own house , hath denied the faith , and is worse than an infidel , that is , he does not deserve the name of a christian , who neglects a duty to which from the plain dictates of nature a heathen thinks himself obliged . what then shall be said for them who take no care to provide for the everlasting happiness , and to prevent the eternal misery and ruin of those who are so immediately under their charge , and so very nearly related to them ? we are obliged to procure the happiness of our children not only by the laws of christianity , but likewise by all the natural bonds of duty and affection . for our children are a part of our selves , and if they perish by our fault and neglect , it will be a perpetual wound and sting to us ; their blood will be upon our heads , and the guilt of it will for ever lye at our doors . nay , we are obliged likewise in justice , and by way of reparation , to take all possible care of their happiness ; for we have conveyed a sad inheritance to them , in those corrupt and evil inclinations which they have derived from us : and therefore we should with the greatest care and diligence endeavour to rectify their perverse natures , and to cure those cursed dispositions to evil which we have transmitted to them : and since god hath been pleased in so much mercy to provide , by the abundant grace of the gospel , so powerful a remedy for this hereditary disease of our corrupt and degenerate nature , we should do what in us lies , that they may partake of the blessing and benefit of it . and as to other members of our family , whether they be servants , or other relations of whom we have taken the charge ; common humanity will oblige us to be concerned for their happiness as they are men and of the same nature with our selves ; and charity likewise , as they are christians and baptized into the same faith and capable of the same common salvation , does yet more strictly oblige us by all means to endeavour that they may be made partakers of it ; especially since they are committed to our care , and for that reason we must expect to be accountable to god for them . so that our obligation in point of duty is very clear and strong , and if we be remiss and negligent in the discharge of it we can never answer it either to god , or to our own consciences : which i hope will awaken us all who are concerned in it to the serious consideration of it , and effectually engage us for the future to the faithful and conscientious performance of it . secondly , we are hereto likewise obliged in point of interest ; because it is really for our service and advantage that those that belong to us should serve and fear god : religion being the best and surest foundation of the duties of all relations , and the best caution and security for the true discharge and performance of them . would we have dutiful and obedient children , diligent and faithful servants ? nothing will so effectually oblige them to be so , as the fear of god and the principles of religion firmly settled and rooted in them . abraham who by the testimony of god himself was so eminent an example in this kind , both of a good father and a good master of his family , found the good success of his religious care in the happy effects of it , both upon his son isaac , and his chief servant and steward of his house , eliezer of damascus . what an unexampled instance of the most profound respect and obedience to the commands of his father did isaac give , when without the least murmuring or reluctancy he submitted to be bound and laid upon the altar , and to have been slain for a sacrifice ; if god had not by an angel , sent on purpose , interposed to prevent it ? what an admirable servant to abraham was the steward of his house , eliezer of damascus ? how diligent and faithful was he in his master's service ? so that he trusted him in his greatest concernments and with all that he had . and when he employed him in that great affair of the marriage of his son isaac , what pains did he take , what prudence did he use , what fidelity did he shew in the discharge of that great trust , giving himself no rest till he had accomplish'd the business he was sent about ? god seems purposely to have left these two instances upon record in scripture , to encourage fathers and masters of families to a religious care of their children and servants . and to shew the power of religion to oblige men to their duty , i will add but one instance more . how did the fear of god secure joseph's fidelity to his master , in the case of a very great and violent temptation ? when there was nothing else to restrain him from so lewd and wicked an act and to which he was so powerfully tempted , the consideration of the great trust his master reposed in him and the sense of his duty to him , but above all the fear of god preserved him from consenting to so vile and wicked an action , how can i , says he , do this great wickedness and sin against god ? so that in prudence , and from a wise consideration of the great benefit and advantage which will thereby redound to us , we ought with the greatest care to instill the principles of religion into those that belong to us . for if the seeds of true piety be sown in them , we shall reap the fruits of it : and if this be neglected , we shall certainly find the mischief and inconvenience of it . if out children and servants be not taught to fear and reverence god , how can we expect that they should reverence and regard us ? at least we can have no sure hold of them . for nothing but religion lays an obligation upon conscience , nor is there any other certain bond of duty and obedience and fidelity : men will break loose from all other ties when a fit occasion and a fair opportunity doth strongly tempt them . and as religion is necessary to procure the favour of god and all the comfort and happiness which that brings along with it , so it is necessary likewise to secure the mutual duties and offices of men to one another . i proceed to the third thing which i proposed , namely , iii. to enquire into the causes of the so common and shameful neglect of this duty , to the exceeding great decay of piety among us . and this may in part be ascribed to our civil confusions and distractions , but chiefly to our dissentions and differences in religion , which have not only divided and scattered our parochial churches and congregations , but have entred likewise into our families , and made great disturbances and disorders there . first , this may in good part be ascribed to our civil confusions and distractions , which for the time do lay all laws asleep , and do not only occasion a general licentiousness and dissoluteness of manners , but have usually a proportionable bad in●luence upon the order and government of families ; by weakning the authority of those that govern , and by giving the opportunity of greater license to those that should be governed : for when publick laws lose their authority , it is hard to maintain and keep up the strict rules and order of families , which after great and long disorder are very hard to be retriev'd and recover'd . secondly , this great neglect and decay of religious order in families is chiefly owing to our dissentions and differences in religion , upon occasion whereof many under the pretence of conscience have broke loose into a boundless liberty . so that among the manifold ill consequences of our divisions in religion this is none of the least , that the religious order of families hath been in a great measure broken and dissolved . some will not meet at the same prayers in the family , nor go to the same church and place of publick worship ; and upon that pretence take the liberty to do what they please , and under colour of serving god in a different way according to their consciences , do either wholly or in great measure neglect the worship of god ; nay , it is well if they do not at that time haunt and frequent places of debauchery and lewdness ; which they may safely do , being from under the eye of their parents and masters : however by this means it becomes impossible for the most careful masters of families , to take an account of those under their charge how they ●pend their time on the lord's day , and to train them up in any certain and orderly way of religion . and this methinks is so great and sensible an inconvenience , and hath had such dismal effects in many families , as ought effectually to convince us of the necessity of endeavouring a greater union in matters of religion ; and to put us in mind of those happy days when god was served in one way , and whole families went to the house of god in companies ; and fathers and masters had their children and servants continually under their eye , and they were all united in their worship and devotion , both in their own houses and in the house of god ; and by this means the work of religious education and instruction was effectually carried on , and a steddy authority and decent order was maintained in families ; men were edified and built up in religion , and god in all things was glorified . and we may assure our selves , that till we are better agreed in matters of religion , and our unhappy and childish differences are laid aside ; and till the publick and unanimous worship of god do in some measure recover its reputation , the good order and government of families as to the great ends of religion is never likely to obtain and to have any considerable effect . which i hope will make all men who heartily love god and religion , to consider seriously how necessary it is to put an end to these differences ; that in our private families , as well as in the publick assemblies of the church , we may with one mind and with one mouth glorify god , even the father of our lord jesus christ . i beseech you therefore brethren , as st. paul exhorts the corinthians , cor. . . by the name of our lord jesus christ , that ye all speak the same thing , and that there be no divisions among you , but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind , and in the same judgment , that is , so far as is necessary to the keeping of the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , and to prevent divisions and separations among christians . i proceed to the fourth and last thing i proposed , and which remains to be very briefly spoken to , namely , iv. the very mischievous and fatal consequences of the neglect of this duty , both to the publick , and to our selves . first , to the publick . families are the first seminaries of religion , and if care be not there taken to prepare persons , especially in their tender years , for publick teaching and instruction , it is like to have but very little effect . the neglect of a due preparation of our children and servants at home , to make them capable of profiting by what they hear and may learn at church , is like an error in the first concoction which can hardly ever be corrected afterwards . so that in this first neglect the foundation of an infinite mischief is laid ; because if no care be taken of persons in their younger years , when they are most capable of the impressions of religion , how can it reasonably be expected that they should come to good afterwards ? and if they continue void of the fear of god , which there hath been no care taken to plant in them , they will almost necessarily be bad in all relations ; undutiful children , slothful and unfaithful servants , scandalous members of the church , unprofitable to the commonwealth , disobedient to governours both ecclesiastical and civil ; and in a word , burthens of the earth , and so many plagues of human society : and this evil , if no remedy be applied to it , will continually grow worse , and diffuse and spread it self farther in every age , till impiety and wickedness , infidelity and profaneness have over-run all , and the world be ripe for its final ruin : just as it was before the destruction of the old world , when the wickedness of man was great upon the earth , and all flesh had corrupted their way , then the flood came and swept them all away . secondly , the consequences of this neglect will likewise be very dismal to our selves . we shall first of all others feel the inconvenience , as we had the greatest share in the guilt of it . we can have no manner of security of the duty and fidelity of those of our family to us , if they have no sense of religion , no fear of god before their eyes . if we have taken no care to instruct them in their duty to god , it is no-wise probable that they will make conscience of their duty to us . so that we shall have the first ill consequences of their miscarriage ; besides the shame and sorrow of it : and not only so , but all the evil they commit ever after , will be in a great measure chargeable upon us , and will be put upon our score in the judgment of the great day . it ought to make us tremble to think with what bitterness and rage our children and servants will then fly in our faces , for having been the cause of their eternal ruin , for want of due care on our part to prevent it . in that day , next to god and our own consciences , our most terrible accusers will be those of our own house , nay those that came out of our own bowels , and were not only part of our family , but even of our selves . but this also i shall have a proper occasion to prosecute more fully in the following discourses concerning the education of children , to which i refer it . upon all these considerations and many more that might be urged upon us , we should take up the pious resolution of joshua here in the text , that we and our houses will serve the lord : and that , through god's grace , we will do all that in us lies by our future care and diligence to repair our former neglects in this kind . i shall only add this one consideration more to all that i have already mentioned : if children were carefully educated , and families regularly and religiously ordered , what a happy and delightful place , what a paradise would this world be , in comparison of what now it is ? i beseech you therefore brethren , that these things which i have with so much plainness and faithfulness laid before you , may sink into your hearts , before it be too late , and whilst the thing may be remedied ; that you may not for ever lament this neglect and repent of it , when the thing will be past remedy and there will be no place for repentance . but i hope better things of you , brethren , and things that accompany salvation , though i thus speak . sermon i. of the education of children . prov . xxii . . train up a child in the way he should go , and when he is old he will not depart from it . i have on purpose chosen this text for the subject of a preparatory discourse in order to the reviving of that so shamefully neglected and yet most useful and necessary duty of catechising children and young persons : but i shall extend it to the consideration of the education of children in general , as a matter of the greatest consequence both to religion and the publick welfare . for we who are the ministers of god ought not only to instruct those who are committed to our charge in the common duties of christianity , such as belong to all christians , but likewise in all the particular duties which the several relations in which they stand to one another do respectively require and call for from them . and amongst all these i know none that is of greater concernment to religion and to the good order of the world than the careful education of children . and there is hardly any thing that is more difficult , and which requires a more prudent and diligent and constant application of our best care and endeavour . it is a known saying of melancthon that there are three things which are extremely difficult , parturire , docere , regere ; to bear and bring forth children , to instruct and bring them up to be men , and to govern them when they arrive at man's estate . the instruction and good education of children is none of the least difficult of these . for to do it to the best advantage does not only require great sagacity to discern their particular disposition and temper , but great discretion to deal with them and manage them , and likewise continual care and diligent attendance to form them by degrees to religion and virtue . it requires great wisdom and industry to advance a considerable estate , much art and contrivance and pains to raise a great and regular building : but the greatest and noblest work in the world , and an effect of the greatest prudence and care is to rear and build up a man , and to form and fashion him to piety , and justice , and temperance , and all kind of honest and worthy actions . now the foundations of this great work are to be carefully laid in the tender years of children , that it may rise and grow up with them ; according to the advice of the wiseman here in the text , train up a child in the way he should go , and when he is old he will not depart from it . in which words are contained these two things . first , the duty of parents and instructers of children , train up a child , &c. by childhood here i understand the age of persons from their birth , but more especially from their first capacity of instruction till they arrive at the state and age which next succeeds childhood , and which we call youth ; and which is the proper season for confirmation . for when children have been well catechised and instructed in religion , then is the fittest time for them to take upon themselves and in their own persons to confirm that solemn vow which by their sureties they made at their baptism . train up a child in the way he should go , that is , in the course of life that he ought to lead ; instruct him carefully in the knowledge and practice of his whole duty to god and men , which he ought to observe and perform all the days of his life . secondly , here is the consequent fruit and benefit of good education : and when he is old he will not depart from it . this we are to understand according to the moral probability of things : not as if this happy effect did always and infallibly follow upon the good education of a child , but that this very frequently is , and may probably be presumed and hoped to be the fruit and effect of a pious and prudent education . solomon means that from the very nature of the thing this is the most hopeful and likely way to train up a child to be a good man. for as aristotle truly observes , moral sayings and proverbial speeches are to be understood only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , to be usually and for the most part true . and though there may be several exceptions made , and instances given to the contrary , yet this doth not infringe the general truth of them : but if in frequent and common experience they be found true , this is all the truth that is expected in them , because it is all that was intended by them . and of this nature is this aphorism or proverb of solomon in the text ; and so likewise are most of the wise sayings of this book of the proverbs , as also of eccleasistes : and we do greatly mistake the design and meaning of them when ever we go about to exact them to a more strict and rigorous truth , and shall upon due consideration find it impossible to bring them to it . so that the true meaning of the text may be fully comprised in the following proposition . that the careful , and prudent , and religious education of children hath for the most part a very good influence upon the whole course of their lives . in the handling of this argument i design , by god's assistance , to reduce my discourse to these five heads . i. i shall shew more generally wherein the good education of children doth consist , and severally consider the principal parts of it . ii. i shall give some more particular directions for the management of this work in such a way as may be most effectual for its end . iii. i shall take notice of some of the common and more remarkable miscarriages in the performance of this duty . iv. i shall endeavour to make out the truth of this proposition , by shewing how the good education of children comes to be of so great advantage and to have so powerful and lasting an influence upon their whole lives . v. and lastly ; i shall by the most powerful arguments i can offer , endeavour to stir up and persuade those whose duty this is , to discharge it with great care and conscience . i. i shall shew more generally wherein the good education of children doth consist , and severally consider the principal parts of it . and under this head i shall comprehend promiscuously the duty of parents , and , in case of their death , of guardians ; and of god-fathers and god-mothers ; though this for the most part signifies very little more than a pious and charitable care and concernment for them , because the children for whom they are sureties are seldom under their power : and the duty likewise of those who are the teachers and instructers of them : and the duty also of masters of families towards servants in their childhood and younger years : and lastly the duty of ministers , under whose parochial care and inspection children are as members of the families committed to their charge : i say , under this head i shall comprehend the duties of all these respectively , according to the several obligations which lie upon each of them in their several relations to them . and i shall reduce them to these eight particulars , as the principal parts wherein the education of children doth consist . first , in the tender and careful nursing of them . secondly , in bringing them to be baptised and admitted members of christ's church , at the times appointed or accustomed in the national church of which the parents are members . thirdly , in a due care to inform and instruct them in the whole compass of their duty to god and to their neighbour . fourthly , and more especially in a prudent and diligent care to form their lives and manners to religion and virtue . fifthly , in giving them good example . sixthly , in wise restraints from that which is evil , by seasonable reproof and correction . seventhly , in bringing them to be publickly catechised by the minister in order to confirmation . eighthly , in bringing them to the bishop to be solemnly confirmed , by their taking upon themselves the vow which by their sureties they enter'd into at their baptism . i. in the tender and careful nursing of children . i mention this first , because it is the first and most natural duty incumbent upon parents towards their children : and this is particularly the duty of mothers . this affection and tenderness , nature which is our surest guide and director , hath implanted in all living creatures towards their young ones : and there cannot be a greater reproach to creatures that are endued with reason , than to neglect a duty to which nature directs even the brute creatures by a blind and unthinking instinct . so that it is such a duty as cannot be neglected without a downright affront to nature , and from which nothing can excuse but disability , or sickness , or the evident danger of the mother , or the interposition of the father's authority , or some very extraordinary and publick necessity . this i foresee will seem a very hard saying to nice and delicate mothers , who prefer their own ease and pleasure to the fruit of their own bodies : but whether they will hear , or whether they will forbear , i think my self obliged to deal plainly in this matter , and to be so faithful as to tell them that this is a natural duty ; and because it is so , of a more necessary and indispensable obligation than any positive precept of reveal'd religion ; and that the general neglect of it is one of the great and crying sins of this age and nation ; and which as much as any sin whatsoever is evidently a punishment to it self in the palpable ill effects and consequences of it : which i shall , as briefly as i can , endeavour to represent ; that if it be possible , we may in this first point of education , so fundamental and necessary to the happiness both of parents and children , and consequently to the publick good of human society , be brought to comply with the uner●ing instinct of nature , and with the plain dictate of the common reason of mankind , and the general practice of all ages and nations . first , the neglect of this duty is a ●ort of exposing of children ; especially when it is not done , as very often it is not , with more than ordinary care and choice . it always exposeth them to manifest inconvenience , and sometimes to great danger ; even to that degree as in the consequence of it is but little better than the laying a child in the streets , and leaving it to the care and compassion of a parish . there are two very visible inconveniencies which ●o commonly attend it . st , strange milk , which is often very disagreeable to the child , and with which ●he child to be sure sucks in the natural in●irmities of the nurse , together with a great deal of her natural inclinations and irregular passions , which many times stick by the child for a long time after : and which is worse than all this , it sometimes happens that some secret disease of the nurse is conveyed to the child . dly , a shameful and dangerous neglect of the child , especially by such nurses as make a trade of it ; of whom there are great numbers in and about this great city : who after they have made their first and main advantage of the child , by the excessive , not to say extravagant vailes , which usually here in england , above all places in the wo●ld , are given at christenings● and then by the strait allowances which are commonly made afterwards for the nursing and keeping of the child , are often tempted , not to say worse , to a great neglect of the child ; which , if it happen to dye for want of due care , ●ets the nurse at liberty to make a new advantage by taking another child . nor can it well be otherwise expected than that a nurse , who by this course is first made to be unnatural to her own child , should have no great care and tenderness for a child which is not her own . i have heard a very sad observation made by those who have had the opportunity to know it , that in several of the towns and villages about london , where this trade of nursing children is chiefly driven , hardly one in five of these children lives out the year : and this surely is a danger which natural affection as well as duty does oblige parents to take all possible care to prevent . secondly , this course doth most certainly tend very much to the estranging and weakning of natural affection on both sides ; i mean both on the part of the mother and of the child . the pains of nursing as well as of bearing children doth insensibly create a strange tenderness of affection and care in the mother . can a woman , says god , forget her sucking child , that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? isa . . . can a woman ? that is , a mother , not a nurse ; for the sucking child is said to be the son of her womb . god speaks of this as a thing next to impossible . and this likewise is a great endearment of the mother to the child : which endearment , when the child is put out , is transferr'd from the mother to the nurse , and many times continues to be so for a great many years after ; yea , and often to that degree as if the nurse were the true mother , and the true mother a meer stranger . so that by this means natural affection must be extremely weaken'd ; which is great pity , because when it is kept up in its full strength it often proves one of the best securities of the duty of a child . but because this severe doctrine will go down but very hardly with a great many , i must take the more care to guard it against the objections which will be made to it . those from natural disability , or sickness ; from evident and apparent danger of the mother , or from the interposition of the father's authority , or from plain necessity ; or if there be any other that have an equal reason with these , i have prevented already by allowing them to be just and reasonable exceptions from the general rule , when they are real , and not made pretences to shake off our duty . but there are besides these , two objections which indeed are real , but yet seem to have too great a weight with those who would fain decline this duty , and are by no means sufficient to excuse mothers , no not those of the highest rank and quality , from the natural obligation of it . and they are these . the manifest trouble , and the manifold restraint which the careful discharge of this duty does unavoidably bring upon those who submit themselves to it . st . for the trouble of it , i have only this to say , and i think that no more need to be said about it ; that no body is discharged from any duty by reason of the trouble which necessarily attends it , and is inseparable from it ; since god who made it a duty foresaw the trouble of it when he made it so . dly . as to the manifold restraint which it lays upon mothers ; this will best be answer'd by considering of what nature these restraints are . and they are chiefly in these and the like instances . this duty restrains mothers from spending their morning and their money in curious and costly dressing ; from misspending the rest of the day in formal and for the most part impertinent visits , and in seeing and hearing plays , many of which are neither fit to be seen or heard by modest persons and those who pretend to religion and virtue ; as i hope all christians do , especially persons of higher rank and quality : and it restrains them likewise from trifling away a great part of the night in gaming , and in revelling till past midnight , i am loth to say how much . these are those terrible restraints which this natural duty , of mothers nursing their children , lays upon them . now i cannot but think all these to be very happy restraints : happy surely for the child ; and in many respects happy for the father , and for the whole family , which by this means will be kept in much better order : but happiest of all for the mother , who does herein not only discharge a great and necessary duty , but is hereby also hinder'd from running into many great faults , which before they will be forgiven must cost her a deep contrition , and a very bitter repentance . perhaps i may have gone further in this unusual argument , than will please the present age : but i hope posterity will be so wise as to consider it and lay it to heart . for i am greatly afraid that the world will never be much better till this great fault be mended . i proceed to the next particular wherein the good education of children doth consist , namely ii. in bringing them to be baptized and admitted members of christ's church , at the times appointed or accustomed in the national church of which the parents are members . i mean , to bring them to the church to be there publickly initiated , and solemnly admitted by baptism . and this the rules of the church of england do strictly enjoyn , unless the child be in danger of death ; and in that case only it is allow'd to administer baptism privately , and in a summary way without performing the whole office : but then if the child live , it is ordered that it shall be brought to the church , where the remainder of the office is to be solemnly perform'd . i know that of late years , since our unhappy confusions , this sacrament hath very frequently been administred in private : and ministers have been in a manner , and to avoid the greater mischief of separation , necessitated to comply with the obstinacy of the greater and more powerful of their parishioners ; who for their ease , or humour , or for the convenience of a pompous christening , will either have their children baptized at home by their minister ; or if he refuse , will get some other minister to do it ; which is very irregular . now i would intreat such persons calmly to consider how contrary to reason , and to the plain design of the institution of this sacrament , this perverse custom , and their obstinate resolution in it , is . for is there any civil society or corporation into which persons are admitted without some kind of solemnity ? and is the privilege of being admitted members of the christian church , and heirs of the great and glorious promises and blessings of the new covenant of the gospel less considerable and fit to be conferr'd with less solemnity ? i speak to christians , and they who are so in good earnest , will without my using more words about it , consider what i ●●y in this particular . iii. another and very necessary part of the good education of children is , by degrees to inform and carefully to instruct them in the whole compass of their duty to god , their neighbour , and themselves : that so they may be taught how to behave themselves in all the steps of their life , from their first capacity of reason till they arrive at the more perfect use and exercise of that faculty ; when , if at first they be well instructed , they will be better able to direct and govern themselves afterwards . this duty god does expresly and very particularly charge upon his own peculiar people , the people of israel , speaking of the laws which he had given them : duet . . , thou shalt , says he , teach them diligently unto thy children , and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house , and when thou walkest by the way ; when thou liest down , and when thou risest up . and this god long before promised that abraham the father of the faithful , would do . gen. . . i know abraham , says he , that he will command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the lord. this work ought to be begun very early , upon the first budding and appearance of reason and understanding in children . so the prophet directs ; isa . . , . whom shall he teach knowledge ? whom shall he make to understand doctrine ? them that are weaned from the milk , and drawn from the breasts : for precept must be upon precept , &c. to this end we must , by such degrees as they are capable , bring them acquainted with god and themselves . and in the first place we must inform them , that there is such a being as god , whom we ought to honour and reverence above all things ? and then , that we are all his creatures and the work of his hands , that it is he that hath made us , and not we our selves : that he continually preserves us , and gives us all the good things that we enjoy ; and therefore we ought to ask every thing of him by prayer , because this is an acknowledgment of our dependance upon him ; and to return thanks to him for all that we have and hope for , because this is a just and easy tribute , and all that we can render to him for his numberless favours and benefits . and after this , they are to be instructed more particularly in their duty to god and men , as i shall shew more fully afterwards . and because fear and hope are the two passions which do chiefly sway and govern human nature , and the main springs and principles of action ; therefore children are to be carefully inform'd that there is a life after death , wherein men shall receive from god a mighty and eternal reward , or a terrible and endless punishment , according as they have done or neglected their duty in this life : that god will love and reward those who do his will and keep his commandments , but will execute a dreadful punishment upon the workers of iniquity and the wilful transgressors of his laws . and , according as they are capable , they are to be made sensible of the great degeneracy and corruption of human nature , derived to us by the fall and wilful transgression of our first parents ; and of the way of our recovery out of this miserable state by jesus christ ; whom god hath sent in our nature to purchase and accomplish the redemption and salvation of mankind , from the captivity of sin and satan , and from the damnation of hell. iv. the good education of children consists not only in informing their minds in the knowledge of god and their duty , but more especially in endeavouring with the greatest care and prudence to form their lives and manners to religion and virtue . and this must be done by training them up to the exercise of the following graces and virtues . first , to obedience and modesty ; to diligence and sincerity ; and to tenderness and pity , as the general dispositions to religion and virtue . secondly , to the good government of their passions , and of their tongue ; and particularly to speak truth , and to hate lying as a base and vile quality ; these being as it were the foundations of religion and virtue . thirdly , to piety and devotion towards god ; to sobriety and chastity with regard to themselves ; and to justice and charity towards all men ; as the principal and essential parts of religion and virtue . first , as the general dispositions to religion and virtue , we must train them up , st . to obedience . parents must take great care to maintain their authority over their children ; otherwise they will neither regard their commands , nor hearken to and follow their instructions . if they once get head and grow stubborn and disobedient , there is very little hope left of doing any great good upon them . dly . to modesty , which is a fear of shame and disgrace . this disposition , which is proper to children , is a marvellous advantage to all good purposes . they are modest , says aristotle , who are afraid to offend , and they are afraid to offend who are most apt to do it ; as children are , because they are much under the power of their passions , without a proportionable strength of reason to govern them and keep them under . now modesty is not properly a virtue , but it is a very good sign of a tractable and towardly disposition , and a great preservative and security against sin and vice : and those children , who are much under the restraint of modesty , we look upon as most hopeful and likely to prove good : whereas immodesty is a vicious temper broke loose and got free from all restraint : so that there is nothing left to keep an impudent person from sin , when fear of shame is gone : for sin will soon take possession of that person whom shame hath left . he that is once become shameless hath prostituted himself . therefore preserve this disposition in children as much as is possible , as one of the best means to preserve their innocency , and to bring them to goodness . dly . to diligence , sine quâ vir magnus nunquam extitit● without which , says one , there never was any great and excellent person . when the roman historians describe an extraordinary man , this always enters into his character as an essential part of it , that he was incredibili industriâ , diligentiâ singulari , of incredible industry , of singular diligence ; or something to that purpose . and indeed a person can neither be excellently good , nor extremely bad without this quality . the devil himself could not be so bad and mischievous as he is , if he were not so stirring and restless a spirit , and did not compass the earth and go to and fro seeking whom he might devour . this is part of the character of sylla , and marius , and cataline , those great disturbers of the roman state ; as well as of cesar and pompey , who were much greater and better men , but yet gave trouble enough to their countrey , and at last dissolved the roman common-wealth , by their ambition and contention for superiority : this , i say , enters into all their characters , that they were of a vigorous and indefatigable spirit . so that diligence in it self is neither a virtue nor a vice , but may be applied either way , to good or bad purposes ; and yet where all other requisites do concur it is a very proper instrument and disposition for virtue . therefore train up children to diligence , if ever you desire they should excel in any kind . the diligent hand , saith solomon , maketh rich , prov. . . rich in estate , rich in knowledge . seest thou a man diligent in his business , as the same wise-man observes , prov. . . he shall stand before princes , he shall not stand before mean , or obscure men . and again , prov. . . the hand of the diligent shall bear rule , but the slothful shall be under tribute . diligence puts almost every thing into our power , and will in time make children capable of the best and greatest things . whereas idleness is the bane and ruin of children ; it is the unbending of their spirits , the rust of their faculties , and as it were the laying of their minds fallow ; not as husbandmen do their lands that they may get new heart and strength , but to impair and lose that which they have . children that are bred up in laziness are almost necessarily bad , because they cannot take the pains to be good ; and they cannot take pains , because they have never been inured and accustomed to it ; which makes their spirits restive , and when you have occasion to quicken them and spur them up to business they will stand stock still . therefore never let your children be without a calling , or without some useful , or at least innocent employment that will take them up ; that they may not be put upon a kind of necessity of being vicious for want of something better to do . the devil tempts the active and vigorous into his service , knowing what ●it and proper instruments they are to do his drudgery : but the slothful and idle , no body having hired them and set them on work , lie in his way , and he stumbles upon them as he goes about ; and they do as it were offer themselves to his service , and having nothing to do they even tempt the devil himself to tempt them , and to take them in his way . thly . to sincerity ; which is not so properly a single virtue , as the life and soul of all other graces and virtues ; and without which , what shew of goodness soever a man may make , he is un●ound and rotten at the heart . cherish therefore this disposition in children , as that which when they come to be men will be the great security and ornament of their lives , and will render them acceptable both to god and men. thly . to tenderness and pity : which , when they come to engage in business and to have dealings in the world , will be a good bar against injustice and oppression ; and will be continually prompting us to charity , and will fetch powerful arguments for it from our own bowels . to preserve this goodness and tenderness of nature , this so very human and useful affection , keep children , as much as is possible , out of the way of bloody sights and spectacles of cruelty ; and discountenance in them all cruel and barbarous usage of creatures under their power : do not allow them to torture and kill them for their sport and pleasure ; because this will insensibly and by degrees hard●n their hearts , and make them less apt to compassionate the wants of the poor and the sufferings and afflictions of the miserable . secondly , as the main foundations of religion and vertue , children must be carefully train'd up to the government of their passions , and of their tongues ; and particularly to speak truth , and to hate lying as a base and vile quality . st . to the good government of their passions . it is the disorder of these , more especially of desire , and fear , and anger , which betrays us to many evils● anger prompts men to contention and murther : inordinate desire , to covetousness and fraud and oppression : and fear many times awes men into sin , and deters them from their duty . now if these passions be cherish'd , or even but let alone in children , they will in a short time grow headstrong and unruly , and when they come to be men will corrupt the judgment , and turn good nature into humour , and the understanding into prejudice and wilfulness : but if they be carefully observed and prudently restrained , they may by degrees be managed and brought under government ; and the inordinacy of them being prun'd away , they may prove excellent instruments● of virtue . therefore be careful to discountenance in children any thing that looks like rage and furious anger , and to shew them the unreasonableness and deformity of it . check their longing desires after things pleasant , and use them to frequent disappointments in that kind ; that when you think fit to gratify them they may take it for a favour , and not challenge every thing they have a mind to as their due ; and by degrees may learn to submit to the more prudent choice of their parents , as being much better able to judge what is good and fit for them . and when you see them at any time apt out of fear to neglect their duty , or to fall into any sin , or to be tempted by telling a lye to commit one fault to hide and excuse another , which children are very apt to do : the best remedy of this evil will be to plant a greater fear against a less , and to tell them what and whom they should chiefly fear ; not him who can hurt and kill the body , but him who after he hath kill'd can destroy both body and soul in hell. the neglect of children in this matter , i mean in not teaching them to govern their passions , is the true cause why many that have proved sincere christians when they came to be men , have yet been very imperfect in their conversation , and their lives have been full of inequalities and breaches , which have not only been matter of great trouble and disquiet to themselves , but of great scandal to religion ; when their light which should shine before men is so often darken'd and obscured by these frequent and visible infirmities . dly , to the government of their tongues . to this end teach children silence , especially in the presence of their betters : : and assoon as they are capable of such a lesson , let them be taught not to speak but upon cons●deration , both of what they say , and before whom . and above all , inculcate upon them that most necessary duty and vertue of speaking truth , as one of the best and strongest bands of human society and commerce : and possess them with the baseness and vileness of telling a lye ; for if it be so great a provocation to give a man the lye , then surely to be guilty of that fault must be a mighty reproach . they who write of japan tell us that those people , though mere heathens , take such an effectual course in the education of their children as to render a lye and breach of faith above all things odious to them : insomuch that it is a very rare thing for any person among them to be taken in a lye , or found guilty of breach of faith. and cannot the rules of christianity be render'd as effectual to restrain men from these faults which are scandalous even to nature , and much more so to the christian religion ? to the government of the tongue does likewise belong the restraining of children from lewd and obscene words , from vain and profane talk ; and especially from horrid oaths and imprecations : from all which they are easily kept at first , but if they are once accustomed to them it will be found no such easy matter for them to get quit of these evil habits . it will require great attention and watchfulness over themselves , to keep oaths out of their common discourse ; but if they be heated and in passion , they throw out oaths and curses as naturally as men that are highly provoked fling stones , or any thing that comes next to hand at one another : so dangerous a thing is it to let any thing that is bad in children to grow up into a habit. thirdly , as the principal and essential parts of religion and virtue , let children be carefully bred up , st , to sobriety and temperance in regard to themselves ; under which i comprehend likewise purity and chastity . the government of the sensual appetite as to all kind of bodily pleasures is not only a great part of religion , but an excellent instrument of it , and a necessary foundation of piety and justice . for he that cannot govern himself is not like to discharge his duty either to god or men. and therefore st. paul puts sobriety first , as a primary and principal virtue in which men are instructed by the christian religion , and which must be laid as the foundation both of piety towards god , and of righteousness to men. the grace of god , for so he calls the gospel , that brings salvation unto all men , hath appeared ; teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world . it first teacheth us to live soberly ; and unless we train up children to this vertue we must never expect that they will either live righteously or godly in this present world. especially , children must be bred up to great sobriety and temperance in their diet , which will retrench the fewel of other inordinate appetites . it is a good saying i have met with somewhere , magna pars virtutis est bene moratus venter , a well manner'd and well govern'd appetite , in matter of meats and drinks , is a great part of virtue . i do not mean , that children should be brought up according to the rules of a lessian diet , which sets an equal stint to all stomachs , and is as senseless a thing as a law would be which should enjoin that shooes for all mankind should be made upon one and the same last . dly , to a serious and unaffected piety and devotion towards god , still and quiet , real and substantial , without much shew and noise ; and as free , as may be , from all tricks of superstition , or freaks of enthusiasm ; which , if parents and teachers be not very prudent , will almost unavoidably insinuate themselves into the religion of children ; and when they are grown up will make them appear , to wise and sober persons , phantastical and conceited ; and render them very apt to impose their own foolish superstitions and wild conceits upon others , who understand religion much better than themselves . let them be taught to honour and love god above all things , to serve him in private , and to attend constantly upon his publick worship , and to keep their minds intent upon the several parts of it , without wandring and distraction : to pray to god as the fountain of all grace and the giver of every good and perfect● gift : and to acknowledge him and to ●render thanks to him , as our most gracious and constant benefactor , and the great patron and preserver of our lives : to be careful to do what he commands , and to avoid what he hath forbidden : to be always under a lively sense and appreh●nsion of his pure and all-seeing eye , which beholds us in secret : and to do every thing in obedience to the authority of that great lawgiver , who is able to save and to destroy ; and with an awful regard to the strict and impartial judgment of the great day . dly , to justice and honesty : to defraud and oppress no man ; to be as good as their word , and to perform all their promises and contracts : and endeavour to imprint upon their minds the equity of that great rule , which is so natural , and so easy , that even children are capable of it ; i mean that rule which our b. saviour tells us is the law and the prophets , namely , that we should do to others as we would have others do to us if we were in their case and circumstances , and they in ours . you that are parents and have to do in the world , ought to be just and equal in all your dealings : in the first place for the sake of your own souls , and next for the sake of your children : not only that you may entail no curse upon the estate you leave them , but likewise that you may teach them no injustice by the example you set before them ; which in this particular they will be as apt to imitate as in any one thing ; because of the present worldly advantage which it seems to bring , and because justice is in truth a manly virtue , and least understood by children ; and therefore injustice is a vice which they will soonest practise and with the least reluctancy , because they have the least knowledge of it in many particular cases : and because they have so little sense of this great virtue , they should not be allowed to cheat , no not in play and sport , even when they play for little or nothing : for if they practice it in that case , and be unjust in a little , they will be much more tempted to be so when they can gain a great deal by it . i remember that xenophon in his institution of cyrus , which he designed for the idea of a well educated prince , tells us this little but very instructive story concerning young cyrus : that his governor , the better to make him to understand the nature of justice , puts this case to him : you see there , says he to cyrus , two boys playing , of different stature ; the lesser of them hath a very long coat , and the bigger a very short one : now , says he , if you were a judge how would you dispose of these two garments ? cyrus immediately , and with very good reason as he thought , passeth this sudden sentence , that the taller boy should have the longer garment , and he that was of lower stature the shorter , because this certainly was fittest for them both : upon which his governor sharply rebukes him to this purpose ; telling him , that if he were to make two coats for them he said well ; but he did not put this case to him as a tailor but as a judge , and as such he had given a very wrong sentence : for a judge , says he , ought not to consider what is most fit , but what is just ; not who could make the best use of a thing , but who hath the most right to it . this i bring , partly to shew in what familiar ways the principles of virtue may be instill'd into children ; but chiefly to prove that justice is a manly virtue , and that there is nothing wherein children may be more easily misled , than in matter of right and wrong : therefore children should be taught the general principles and rules of justice and righteousness , because if we would teach them to do justice we must teach them to know what justice is . for many are unjust merely out of ignorance and for want of knowing better , and cannot help it . thly , to charity ; i mean chiefly to the poor and destitute ; because this , as it is an essential so is it a most substantial part of religion . now to encourage this disposition in children we must not only give them the example of it , but must frequently inculcate upon them such passages of scripture as these , that pure religion and undefiled before god and the father is this , to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction : that as we sow in this kind , so we shall reap : that he shall have judgment without mercy who hath shewed no mercy : that at the judgment of the great day we shall in a very particular manner be call'd to an account for the practice or omission of this duty , and shall then be absolved or condemned according as we have exercised or neglected this great virtue of the christian religion . sermon ii. of the education of children . prov . xxii . . train up a child in the way he should go , and when he is old he will not depart from it . v. the good education of children consists in giving them good example . this course david took in his family , as appears by that solemn resolution of his , psal . . . i will behave my self wisely in a perfect way● i will walk within my house with a perfect heart . let parents and masters of fa●ilies give good example to their children and servants , in a constant serving of god in their families , which will nourish religion in those that are under their care : and let them also be exemplary in a sober and holy convers●t●on before those that belong to them . and let not your children , as far as is possible , have any bad examples to converse with , either among your servants , or their own companions ; lest by walking with them they learn their way and get a blot to their souls . there is a contagion in example , and nothing doth more slily insinuate it self and gain upon us than a living and familiar pattern ; therefore , as much as in you lies , let children always have good examples before them . especially , let parents themselves be exemplary to them in the best things , because their example is of all other the most powerful and carries greatest authority with it . and without this , instruction will signify very little , and the great force and effica●y of it will be lost . we shall find it very hard to persuade our children to do that which they see we do not practise our selves . for even children have so much sense and sagacity as to understand that actions are more real ●han words , and a more certain indication of what a man doth truly and inwardly believe . example is the most lively way of teaching , and because children are much given to imitation , it is likewise a very delightful way of instruction , and that of which children are most capable ; both because it is best understood , and is apt to make the deepest impression upon them . so that parents , above all others , have one argument to be religious and good themselves , for the sake of their children . if you desire to have them good , the best way to make them so is to give them the example of it in being good your selves . for this reason parents should take great care to do nothing but what is worthy of imitation . your children will follow you in what you do , therefore do not go before them in any thing that is evil . the evil example of parents is both a temptation and encouragement to children to sin , because it is a kind of authority for what they do , and looks like a justification of their wickedness . with what reason canst thou expect that thy children should follow thy good instructions , when thou thy self givest them an ill example ? thou dost but as it were be●kon to them with thy head and shew them the way to heaven by thy good cou●sel , but thou takest them by the ●and and leadest them in the way to hell by thy contrary ex●mple . when ever you swear , or tell a lye , or are passionate and furious , or come dr●nk into your family , you weaken the authority of your commands , and lose all reverence and obedience to them by contradicting your own precepts . the precepts of a good man are apt to raise and inflame others to the imitation of them , but when they come from one who is faulty and vicious in that kind himself they are languid and faint , and give us no heart and encouragement to the exercise of those virtues which we plainly see they do not practise themselves . it is the apostle's argument , thou therefore that teachest another , teachest thou not thy self ? thou that teachest thy children to speak truth , dost thou tell a lye ? thou that sayest they must not swear , dost thou profane the name of god by customary oaths and curses ? thou art unfit to be a guide of the blind , a light to them that are in darkness , an instructer of the foolish , and a teacher of ba●es ; because thou thy self ●ast only a form of knowledge and of ●ruth in the law , but art destitute of the life and practice of it . in a word , if you be not careful to give good example to your children you defeat your own counsels and undermine the best instructions you can give them ; and they will all be spilt like water upon the barren sands , they will have no effect , they will bring forth no fruit . vi. good education consists in wise and early restraints from that which is evil , by ●easonable reproof and correction . and this also is one way of instruction : so solomon t●ll● us , prov. . . the rod and re●roof giveth wisdom : and though both these do suppose a fault that is past , yet the great end of them is to prevent the like for the fu●ure , and to ●e an admonition to them for the time to come . and therefore whatever will probably be effectual for future caution and ame●dment ought to be sufficient in this kind , because the end is always to give measure to the means : and where a mild and gentle rebuke will do the business , reproof may stop there without proceeding further : or when that will not do , if a sharp word and a severe admonition will be effectual , the rod may be spared . provided always , that our lenity give no encouragement to sin , and be so managed that children may perceive that you are in good earnest , and resolved that if they will not reform they shall certainly be punish'd . and provided likewise , that your lenity bear a due proportion to the nature and quality of the fault . we must not use mildness in the case of a wilful and heinous sin , especially if it be exemplary and of publick influence . to rebuke gently upon such on occasion is rather to countenance the fault , and seems to argue that we are not sensible enough of the enormity of it , and that we have not a due dislike and detestation for it : such cold reproofs as those which old eli gave his sons , sam● . , . why do you such things ? for i hear of your evil dealing by all this people , that is , their carriage was such as gave publick scandal : nay , my sons ; for it is not a good report that i hear , you make the lord's people to transgress . such a cold reproof as this , where the crime was so great and notorious , was a kind of allowance of it , and a partaking with them in their sin ; and so god interprets it , and therefore calls it a kicking at his sacrifice , and a despising of his offering , chap. . . and he threatens eli with most terrible judgments upon this very account , because his sons made themselves vile , and he restrained them not . so that our severity must be proportioned to the crime . where the fault is great , there greater severity must be used ; so much at least as may be an effectual restraint for the future . here was eli's miscarriage , that in the case of so great a fault as his sons were guilty of , his proceeding was neither proportioned to the crime , nor to the end of reproof and correction , which is amendment for the future : but he used such a mildness in his reproof of them , as was more apt to encourage than restrain them in their vile courses : for so the text says , that his sons made themselves vile , and he restrained them not . there are indeed some dispositions so very tender and tractable , that a gentle reproof will suffice . but most children are of that temper that correction must be sometimes used , and a fond indulgence in this case is many times their utter ruin and undoing ; and in truth not love but hatred . so the wise-man tells us , prov. . . he that spareth the rod hateth his son , but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes . chap. . . chasten thy son while there is hope , and let not thy soul spare for his crying . and again , chap. . . foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child , and the rod of correction shall drive it far from him . chap. . , . withhold not correction from the child , for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not dye : thou shalt beat him with the rod , and shalt deliver his soul from hell. again , chap. . . the rod and reproof giveth wisdom , but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame : he mentions the mother emphatically , because she many times is most faulty in this fond indulgence ; and therefore the shame and grief of it doth justly fall upon her. so that correction is of great use , and often necessary ; and parents that forbear it are not only cruel to their children , but to themselves : for god many times punisheth those parents very severely who have neglected this necessary piece of di●cipline● there is hardly to be found in the whole bible a more terrible temporal threatning than that concerning eli and his house , for his sond indulgence to his sons , who when they came to be men proved such horrible scandals not only to their fathe● , but to the priest's office ; and to that degree as to make the sacrifices of the lord to be abhorred by all the p●ople . i will recite the threatning at large , for an admonition to parents that they be not guilty in this kind , sam. . , , , . the lord said to samuel , behold i will do a thing in israel at which both the ears of every one that beareth it shall tingle : in that day i will perform against eli all things which i have spoken concerning his house ; when i begin i will also make an end . for i have told him that i will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth , because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not : and therefore i have sworn unto the house of eli , that the iniquity of eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever . i know very well that this enormous wickedness of eli's sons was committed by them after they were grown to be men , but this instance is nevertheless to my present purpose , there being hardly any doubt to be made but that it was the natural effect of a remiss and too indulgent an education . yea very often god doth correct and remarkably punish fond parents by those very children who have wanted due reproof and correction : of which the scripture gives us a remarkable instance in adonijah , upon the mention of whose rebellion against david his father the text takes particular notice of his father's extreme fondness of him , as both the procuring and meritorious cause of it , for his fath●r had not displeased him at any time in saying why hast thou done so ? and on the contrary , the wise son of sirach tells us , that he that chastiseth his son shall have joy of him . vii . the next thing i shall mention as a part of good education is , the bringing of children to be publickly catechised by the minister , to prepare them for solemn confirmation . it was with a particular respect to this work of publick catechising , and by way of introduction to it , that i at first proposed to treat thus largely of the good education of children , hoping it might be of good use to handle this subject more fully than it hath usually been done , at least to my knowledge , from the pulpit . and therefore i shall say something , and that very briefly concerning the nature , and concerning the necessity and great usefulness of catechising children . first , for the nature of it , it is a particular way of teaching by question and answer , accommodated and fitted for the instruction of children in the principles of religion . i do not indeed find , that this particular method is any where enjoined in scripture ; but instruction in general is : and i doubt not but that upon this general warrant parents and ministers may use that way of instruction of children which is most fit and proper to instill into them the principles of religion . it is true , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from whence our word catechism doth come , is used in scripture to signify teaching in general : but it hath since by ecclesiastical writers been appropriated to that particular way of instruction which hath been long in use in the christian church , and is commonly called catechising . secondly , as to the necessity and great usefulness of it ; catechising hath a particular advantage as to children : because they are subject to forgetfulness , and want of attention . now catechising is a good remedy against both these ; because by questions put to them children are forced to take notice of what is taught , and must give some answer to the question that is ask'd : and a catechism being short , and containing in a little compass the most necessary principles of religion , it is the more easily remembred . the great usefulness and indeed the necessity of it plainly appears by experience . for it very seldom happens , that children which have not been catechised have any clear and competent knowledge of the principles of religion ; and for want of this are incapable of receiving any great benefit by sermons , which suppose persons to be in some measure instructed before-hand in the main principles of religion . besides , that if they have no principles of religion fix'd in them , they become an easy prey to seducers . and we have had sad experience of this in our age ; and among many other dismal effects of our late civil confusions this is none of the least , that publick catechising was almost wholly disused , and private too in most families : for had catechising of children been continued , it is very probable that this age would have been infested with fewer errors and with fewer schisms ; and that there would not have been so much apostasy from the fundamentals of religion . for it is , i think , a true observation , that catechising , and the history of the martyrs have been the two great pillars of the protestant religion . there being then so great a necessity and usefulness of this way of instruction , i would earnestly recommend the practise of it to parents and masters of families with respect to their children and servants . for i do not think that this work should lie wholly upon ministers . you must do your part at home , who by your constant residence in your families have better and more easy opportunities of inculcating the principles of religion upon your children and servants . there you must prepare them for publick catechising , that the work of the minister may not be too heavy upon him . as to the part which concerns ministers , i intend by god's assistance , so soon as the business can be put into a good method , to begin this exercise . and i do earnestly intreat all that have young children and servants , to bring such of them as are fit to be publickly catechised and instructed in the principles of religion : and i shall as often as shall be thought expedient spend some time in this work , between afternoon prayers and sermon . the catechism to be used shall be that appointed in our liturgy , which is short , and contains in it the chief principles of the christian religion . and i shall make a short and plain explication of the heads of it , suitable to the capacity of children . and because this may not probably be of so great advantage to those who are of riper years and understandings , yet because children are to be instructed as well as men , i must intreat those who are like to carry away the least profit to bring with them the more patience : especially since i shall for their sakes , in the constant course of my afternoon s●rmons , more largely and fully explain the chief principles of the christian belief : a work which you know i have some time ago entred upon . viii . the last thing i shall mention , and with which the state of childhood ends , is the bringing of children to the bishop , to be solemnly confirm'd , by their taking upon themselves the vow which by their sureties they entred into at their baptism . this is acknowledged by almost all sects and parties of christians to be of primitive antiquity , and of very great use when it is performed with that due preparation of persons for it , by the ministers to whose charge they belong , and with that seriousness and solemnity which the nature of the thing doth require . and to that end it were very desirable that confirmations should be more frequent , and in smaller numbers at a time ; that so the bishop may apply himself more particularly to every person that is to be confirmed , that by this means the thing may make the deeper impression and lay the stronger obligation upon them . one thing more i could wish , both to prevent confusion , and for the ease also of the bishop that his work may not be endless , that ministers would take care that none may present themselves to the bishop or be presented by the ministers , to be confirmed a second time : because a great many are wont to offer themselves every time there is a confirmation ; which is both very disorderly and unreasonable , there being every whit as little reason for a second confirmation , as there is for a second baptism : and if any persons need so often to be confirmed , it is a sign that confirmation hath very little effect upon them . ii. i proceed to the second general head , which was to give some more particular directions for the management of this work of the good education of children in such a way as may be most effectual to its end. first , endeavour , as well as you can , to discover the particular temper and disposition of children , that you may suit and apply your selves to it , and by striking in with nature may steer and govern them in the sweetest and easiest way . this is like knowledge of the nature of the ground to be planted , which husbandmen are wont very carefully to enquire into , that they may apply the seed to the soil , and plant in it that which is most proper for it : quid quaeque ferat regio , quid quaeque recuset . hic segetes , illic veniunt fo●liciùs uvae . every soil is not proper for all sorts of grain or fruit ; one ground is fit for corn , another for vin●s : and so is it in the tempers and dispositions of children : some are more capable of one excellency and virtue than another , and some more strongly inclined to one vice than another : which is a great se●ret of nature and providence , and it is very hard to give a just and satisfactory account of it . it is good therefore to know the particular tempers of children , that we may accordingly apply our care to them and manage them to the best advantage : that where we discern in them any forward inclinations to good , we may cast in such seeds and principles , as , by their suitableness to their particular tempers , we judge most likely to take soonest and deepest root : and when these are grown up , and have taken possession of the soil , they will prepare it for the seeds of other virtues . and so likewise when we discover in their nature a more particular disposition and leaning towards any thing which is bad , we must with great diligence and care apply such instructions and plant such principles in them , as may be most effectual , to alter this evil disposition of their minds ; that whilst nature is tender and flexible we may gently bend it the other way : and it is almost incredible what strange things by prudence and patience may be done towards the rectifying of a very perverse and crooked disposition . so that it is of very great use to observe and discover the particular tempers of children , that in all our instruction and management of them , we may apply our selves to their nature and hit their peculiar disposition : by this means we may lead and draw them to their duty in human ways , and such as are much more agreeable to their temper than constraint and necessity , which are harsh and churlish , and against the grain . whatever is done with delight goes on cheerfully , but when nature is compell'd and forc'd , things proceed heavily : therefore , when we are forming and fashioning children to religion and virtue , we should make all the advantage we can of their particular tempers . this will be a good direction and help to us to conduct nature in the way it will most easily go . every temper gives some particular advantage and handle whereby we may take hold of them and steer them more easily : but if we take a contrary course we must expect to meet with great difficulty and reluctancy . such ways of education as are prudently fitted to the particular dispositions of children are like wind and tide together , which will make the work go on amain : but those ways and methods which are applied cross to nature are like wind against tide , which make a great stir and conflict , but a very slow progress . not that i do , or can expect that all parents should be philosophers , but that they should use the best wisdom they have in a matter of so great concernment . secondly , in your instruction of children endeavour to plant in them those principles of religion and virtue which are most substantial , and are like to have the best influence upon the future government of their lives , and to be of continual and lasting use to them . look to the seed you sow , that it be sound and good , and for the benefit and use of mankind : this is to be regarded , as well as the g●ound into which the seed is cast . labour to beget in children a right apprehension of those things which are most fundamental and necessary to the knowledge of god and our duty ; and to make them sensible of the great evil and danger of sin ; and to work in ●hem a firm belief of the next life and of the eternal rewards and recompences of it . and if these principles once take root they will spread far and wide , and have a vast influence upon all their actions ; and unless some ●owerful lust , or temptation to vice ●urry them away , they will probably accompany them , and stick by them as ●ong as they live . many parents , according to their ●est knowledge and apprehensions of religion in which they themselves ●ave been educated , and too often according to their zeal without knowledge , do take great care to plant little and ill-grounded opinions in the minds of their children , and to fashion them to a party , by infusing into them the particular notions and phrases of a sect , which when they come to be examin'd have no substance , nor perhaps sense in them : and by this means , instead of bringing them up in the true and solid principles of christianity , they take a great deal of pains to instruct them in some doubtful doctrines of no great moment in religion , and perhaps false at the bottom ; whereby instead of teaching them to hate sin they fix them in schism , and teach them to hate and damn all those who differ from them and are opposite to them ; who yet are perhaps much more in the right , and far better christians than themselves . and indeed nothing is more common and more to be pitied , than to see with what a confident contempt and scornful pity some ill-instructed and ignorant people will lament the blindness and ignorance of those who have a thousand times more true knowledge and skill than themselves , not only in all other things , but even in the practise as well as knowledge of the christian religion ; believing those who do not relish their affected phrases and uncouth forms of speech to be ignorant of the mystery of the gospel , and utter strangers to the life and power of godliness . but now what is the effect of this mistaken way of education ? the harvest is just answerable to the husbandry , infoelix lolium & steriles dominantur avenae ; as they have sown , so they must expect to reap ; and instead of good grain to have cockle and tares : they have sown the wind , and they shall reap the whirlwind ; as the expression is in the prophet ; instead of true religion , and of a sober and peaceable conversation , there will come up new and wild opinions , a factious and uncharitable spirit , a furious and boisterous zeal , which will neither suffer themselves to be quiet , nor any body that is about them . but if you desire to reap the effects of true piety and religion , you must take care to plant in children the main and substantial principles of christianity , which may give them a general byass to holiness and goodness , and not to little particular opinions , which being once fix'd in them by the strong prejudice of education will hardly ever be rooted out . thirdly , do all that in you lies to check and discourage in them the first beginnings of sin and vice : so soon as ever they appear pluck them up by the roots . this is like the weeding of corn , which is a necessary piece of good husbandry . vices like ill weeds grow apace , and if they once take to the soil it will be hard to extirpate and kill them : but if we watch them and cut them up assoon as they appear , this will discourage the root and make it dye . therefore take great heed that your children be not habituated and accustomed to any evil course . a vice that is of any considerable growth and continuance will soon grow obstinate , and having once spread its roots it will be a very difficult matter to clear the ground of it . a child may be so long neglected till he be overgrown with vice to that degree , that it may be out of the power of parents ever to bring him to good fruit . if it once gain upon the depraved disposition of children it will be one of the hardest things in the world to give a stop to it . it is the apostle's caution to take heed of being harden'd by the deceitfulness of sin , which they who go on in an evil course will most certainly be . we should observe the first appearances of evil in children , and kill those young serpents assoon as they stir lest they bite them to death . fourthly . bring them , assoon as they are capable of it , to the publick worship of god , where he hath promised his more especial presence and blessing . it is in zion , the place of god's publick worship , where the lord hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore : there are the means which god hath appointed for the begetting and increasing of grace in us : this is the pool where the angel useth to come and to move the waters : bring your children hither , where if they diligently attend they may meet with an opportunity of being healed . and when they come from the church , call them frequently to an account of what they have heard and learn'd there : this will make them both to attend more diligently to what they hear , and to lay it up in their memories with greater care , and will fix it there so as to make a deeper and more lasting impression upon their minds . fifthly , be careful more especially to put them upon the exercise and practice of religion and virtue , in such instances as their understanding and age are capable of . teach them some short and proper forms of prayer to god , to be said by them devoutly upon their knees in private , at least every morning and even●ng . a great many children neglect this , not from any ill disposition of mind , but because no body takes care to teach them how to do it . and if they were taught and put upon doing it , the habit and custom of any thing will after a little while make that easy and delightful enough , which they cannot afterwards be brought to without great difficulty and reluctancy . knowledge and practice do mutually● promote and help forward one another● knowledge prepares and disposeth for practice , and practice is the best way to perfect knowledge in any kind . mere speculation is a very raw and rude thing in comparison of that true and distinct knowledge which is gotten by practice and experience . the most exact skill in geography is nothing compared with the knowledge of that man who besides the speculative part hath travell'd over and carefully view'd the countries he hath read of . the most knowing man in the art and rules of navigation is no body in comparison of an experienced pilot and seaman . because knowledge perfected by practice is as much dif●erent from mere speculation as the skill of doing a thing is from being told how a thing is to be done . for men may easily mistake rules , but frequent practise and experience are seldom deceived . give me a man that constantly does a thing well , and that shall satisfy me that he knows how to do it . that saying of our b. saviour , if any man will do my will , he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self , is a clear determination of this matter , namely , that they understand the will of god best who are most careful to do it . and so likewise the best way to know what god is , is to transcribe his perfections in our lives and actions ; to be holy , and just , and good , and merciful as he is . therefore when the minds of children are once thoroughly possest with the true principles of religion , we should bend all our endeavours to put them upon the practice of what they know : let them rather be taught to do well than to talk well ; rather to avoid what is evil , in all its shapes and appearances , and to practise their duty in the several instances of it , than to speak with the tongues of men and angels : unto man he said , behold ! the fear of the lord , that is wisdom , and to depart from evil is understanding , job . . hereby , ●aith st. john , we know that we know him , if we keep his commandments : he that saith i know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar , and the truth is not in him , joh. . , . xenophon tells us , that the persians instead of making their children learned , taught them to be virtuous ; and instead of filling their heads with fine speculations , taught them honesty , and sincerity , and resolution ; and endeavoured to make them wise and valiant , just and temperate . lycurgus also in the institution of the lacedemonian commonwealth took no care about learning , but only about the lives and manners of their children : though i should think that the care of both is best , and that learning would very much help to form the manners of children , and to make them both wiser and better men : and therefore , with the leave of so great and wise a lawgiver , i cannot but think that this was a defect in his institution● because learning , if it be under the conduct of true wisdom and goodness is not only an ornament but a great advantage to the better government of any kingdom or commonwealth . sixthly , there must be great care and diligence used in this whole business of education , and more particularly in the instruction of children . there must be line upon line , and precept upon precept , here a little and there a little , as the prophet expresseth it , isa . . . the principles of religion and virtue must be instill'd and dropt into them by such degrees and in such a measure as they are capable of receiving them : for children are narrow-mouth'd vessels , and a great deal cannot be poured into them at once . and they must also be accustomed to the practice and exercise of religion and goodness by degrees , till holiness and virtue have taken root , and they be well settled and confirm'd in a good course . now this requires constant attendance and even the patience of the husbandman to wait for the fruit of our labours . in some children the seeds that are sown fall into a greater depth of earth and therefore are of a ●low disclosure , and it may be a considerable time before they appear above ground ; it is long before they shoot and grow up to any heighth , and yet they may afterwards be very considerable : which , as an ingenious author observes , should excite the care and prevent the despair of parents : for if their children be not such speedy spreaders and branchers as the vine , they may perhaps prove — proles tardè crescentis olivae . it is a work of great pains and difficulty to rectify a perverse disposition . it is more easy to palliate the corruption of nature , but the cure of it requires time and careful looking to . an evil temper and inclination may be covered and conceal'd , but it is a great work to conquer and subdue it . it must first be check'd and stopp'd in its course , and then weaken'd and the force of it be broken by degrees , and at last , if it be possible , de●troyed and rooted out . seventhly and lastly , to all these means we must add our constant and earnest prayers to god for our children , that his grace may take an early possession of them ; that he would give them virtuous inclinations and towardly dispositions for goodness : and that he would be pleased to accompany all our endeavours to that end with his powerful assistance and blessing ; without which all that we can do will prove ineffectual . parents may plant , and ministers may water , but it is god that must give the increase . be often then upon your knees for your children . do not only teach them to pray for themselves , but do you likewise with great fervour and earnestness commend them to god and to the power of his grace which alone is able to sanctify them . apply your selves to the father of lights ; from whom comes every good and perfect gift : beg his h. spirit , and ask divine knowledge and wisdom for them of him , who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth no man : beseech him to season their tender years with his fear , which is the beginning of wisdom : pray for them as abraham did for ishmael , oh that ishmael may live in thy sight . many parents , having ●ound all their endeavours for a long time together ineffectual , have at length betook themselves to prayer , earnest and importunate prayer to god , as their last refuge . monica , the mother of st. austin , by the constancy and importunity of her prayers , obtained of god the conversion of her son , who proved afterwards so great and glorious an instrument of good to the church of god : according to what st. ambrose bishop of milain , to encourage her to persevere in her fervent prayers for her son , had said to her , fieri non potest ut filius tot lachrymarum pereat , it cannot be , says he , that a son of so many prayers and tears should miscarry . god's grace is free , but it is not likely but that god will at last give in this blessing to our earnest prayers and faithful endeavours . therefore pray for them without ceasing , pray and faint not . great importunity in prayer seldom fails of a gracious answer : our b. saviour spake two parables on purpose to encourage us herein : not because god is moved , much less because he is tired out with our importunity ; but because it is an argument of our firm belief and confidence in his great goodness : and to them that believe all things are possible , says our b. lord , to whom &c. sermon iii. of the education of children . prov . xxii . . train up a child in the way he should go , and when he is old he will not depart from it . i proceed to the next general head which i proposed , namely , iii. to discover some of the more remarkable and common miscar●i●ges in the management of this w●●k . i do not hereby mean gross neglects for want of care , but mistakes and miscarriages for want of prudence and skill , even when there is no want of care and diligence in parents and instructers . and i shall for method's sake reduce the more considerable and common miscarriages to these three heads . first , in matter of instruction . secondly , in matter of example . thirdly , in matter of reproof and correction . i. in matter of instruction . parents do very often mainly miscarry in not teaching their children the true difference between good and evil , and the degrees of them : as when we teach them any thing is a sin that really is not , or that any thing is not a sin which in truth is so : or when we teach them to lay more stress and weight upon things than they will bear ; making that which perhaps is only covenient to be in the highest degree necessary , or that which it may be is only inconvenient , or may be an occasion of scandal to some weak christians , to be a sin in its own nature damnable . parents do likewise lay too great a weight upon things , when they are as diligent to instruct them in lesser things , and as strict in enjoining them , and as severe in punishing the commission or neglect of them , according as they esteem them good or evil , as if they were the weightier things of the law and matters of the greatest moment in religion . thus i have known very careful and well-meaning parents that have with great severity restrained their children in the wearing of their hair : nay i can remember since the wearing of it below their ears was looked upon as a sin of the first magnitude ; and when ministers generally , whatever their text was , did in every sermon either find or make an occasion with great severity to reprove the great sin of long hair ; and if they saw any one in the congregation guilty in that kind , they would point him out particularly , and let fly at him with great zeal . i have likewise known some parents that have strictly forbidden their children the use of some sorts of recreations and games under the notion of heinous sins , upon a mistake that because there was in them a mixture of fortune and skill they were therefore unlawful ; a reason which i think hath no weight and force in it , tho i do not deny but human laws may for very prudent reasons either restrain or forbid the use of these games , because of the boundless expence both of money and time which is many times occasioned by them . i have known others , nay perhaps the same persons , that would not only allow but even encourage their children to despise the very service of god under some forms , which according to their several apprehensions they esteemed to be superstitious or factious . but this i have ever thought to be a thing of most dangerous consequence , and have often observed it to end either in the neglect or contempt of all religion . and how many parents teach their children dou●tful opinions , and lay great stress upon them as if they were saving or damning points ; and hereby set such an edge and keenness upon them for or against some indifferent modes and circumstances of god's worship as if the very being of a church and the essence of religion were concerned in them ? these certainly are great mistakes , and many times have very pernicious effects , thus to confound things which are of so wide and vast a difference as good and evil , lawful and unlawful , indifferent and necessary . for when children come to be men , and to have a freer and larger view of the world , and shall find by the contrary practice of very wise and serious persons that they have quite different apprehensions of these matters , and do not think that to be a sin which their parents have so strictly forbidden them under that notion , and many times punished them more severely for the doing of it than if they had told a lye , this may make them apt to question whether any thing be a sin : and the violence which they offer to their consciences , and the strein that they give them upon such an occasion , by complying wi●h the general practice of others contrary to the principles of their education , doth many times open a gap for great and real sins . besides , that children which are bred up in high prejudices for or against indifferent opinions or practices in religion , do usually when they are grown up prove to be men of narrow and contracted spirits , peevish and froward and uncharitable , and many times great bigots and zealots either in the way of superstition or faction , according to the principles which have been instill'd into them to byass them either way : and very hardly do they ever quit themselves so clearly of their prejudices , as to become wise and peaceable and substantial christians . in short , if we carefully observe it , we shall find that when children have been thus indiscreetly educated , their religion differs as much from that of sober and judicious christians , as the civil behaviour and conversation of those who have been unskilfully and conceitedly taught how to carry themselves , does from the behaviour of those who have had a more free and generous education . ii. in matter of example . there are many parents whose lives are exemplary in the main , who yet seem to use too great a freedom before their children . it is an old rule , and i think ● very good one , maxima debetur pueris reverentia , there is a very great reverence due to children . there are many things which are not sins , and therefore may lawfully be ●one , which yet it may not be prudent and expedient to do before all persons . there are some words and actions so trivial and light , that they are not fit to be said or done before those for whom we have a reverence . there is a certain freedom of conversation which is only proper among equals in age and quality , which if we use before our superiors and betters , we seem to contemn them ; if before our inferiors , they will go nigh to contemn us . it ought to be consider'd , that children do not understand the exact limits of good and evil , so that if in our words or actions we go to the utmost bounds of that which is lawful , we shall be in danger of shewing them the way to that which is unlawful . children are not wont to be careful of their steps , and therefore we will not venture them to play about a precipice , or near a dangerous place , where yet men that will take care may go safely enough . and therefore parents should be very careful to keep their children from the confines of evil , and at as great a distance from it as they can . and to this end their words and actions should ever be temper'd with gravity and circumspection , that children may not see or hear any thing which may acquaint them with the approaches to sin , or carry them to the borders of vice ; lest they should not stop just there , but take a step further than you intended they should go . iii. in matter of reproof and c●rrection ; many religious and careful parents are guilty of two great miscarriages in this part of education . first , of too much rigor and severity ; which , especially with some sort of tem●ers , hath very ill success . the first experiment that should be made upon children should be to allure them to their duty , and by reasonable inducements to gain them to the love of goodness ; by praise and rew●rd , and sometimes by shame and disgnace : and if this will do , there will be no occasion to proceed to severity ; especially not to great severities , which are very unsuitable to human nature . a mix●ure of prudent and seasonable reproof o● correction when there is occasion for it , may do very well ; but whips are not h● cords of a man : human nature may be driven by them , but it must be led by sweeter and gentler ways . speusippus caused the pictures of joy and gladness to be set round about his school , to signify that the business of education ought to be rendred as pleasant as may be : and indeed children stand in need of all the enticements and encouragements to learning and goodness . metus haud diuturni magister officij , says tully ; fear alone will not teach a man his duty and hold him to it for any long time : for when that is removed , nature will break loose and do like it self : besides , that frequent corrections make punishments to lose their awe and force , and are apt to spoil the disposition of children and to harden them against shame ; and after a while they will despise correction , when they find they can endure it . great severities do often work an effect quite contrary to that which was intended : and many times those who were bred up in a very severe school , hate learning ever after for the sake of the cruelty that was used to force it upon them : and so likewise an endeavour to bring children to piety and goodness by unreasonable strictness and rigor does often beget in them a lasting disgust and prejudice against religion , and teacheth them , as erasmus says , virtutem simul odisse & nôsse , to bate virtue at the same time that they teach them to know it : for by this means virtue is represented to the minds of children under a great disadvantage , and good and ●vil are brought too near together : so that whenever they think of religion and virtue , they remember the severity which was wont to accompany the instructions about it ; and the natural hatred which men have for punishment is by this means derived upon religion it self . and indeed how can it be expected that children should love their duty , when they never hear of it but with a handful of rods shak'd over them ? i insist upon this the more , because i do not remember to have observed more notorious instances of great miscarriage , than in the children of very strict and severe parents . of which i can give no other account but this , that nature when it is thus overcharged recoils the more terribly : it hath something in it like the spring of an engine , which being forcibly press'd does upon the first liberty return back with so much the greater violence : in like manner the vicious dispositions of children , when restrain'd merely by the severity of parents , do break forth strangely assoon as ever they get loose and from under their discipline . secondly , another miscarriage in this matter is , when reproof and correction are accompanied and managed with passion . this is to betray one fault , and perhaps a greater , in the punishment of another . besides , that this makes reproof and correction to look like revenge and hatred , which usually does not persuade and reform but provoke and exasperate . and this probably may be one reason of the apostle's admonition , parents provoke not your children unto wrath , because that is never likely to have any good effect . correction is a kind of physick , which ought never to be administred in passion , but upon counsel and good advice . and that passion is incident to parents upon this occasion , the apostle tells us when he says , that the parents of our flesh chasten us for their pleasure , heb. . . that is , they do it many times to gratify their passion ; but god chastens us for our profit , not in anger but with a design to do us good : and can we have a better patern than our heavenly father to imitate ? a father is as it were a prince and a judge in his family : there he gives laws , and inflicts censures and punishments upon offenders . but how misbecoming a thing would it be to see a judge pass sentence upon a man in choler ? it is the same thing to see a father in the heat and fury of his passion correct his child . if a father could but see hims●lf in this mood , and how ill his passion becomes him , instead of being angry with his child he would be out of patience with himself . i proceed to the next thing i proposed , namely , iv. to make out the truth of the proposition contained in the text , by shewing how the good education of children comes to be of so great advantage and to have so good and lasting an influence upon their whole lives . i confess there are some wild and savage natures , monstrous and prodigious tempers , hard as the rocks , and barren as the sand upon the sea-shore ; which discover strong and early propensions to vice , and a violent antipathy to goodness . such tempers are next to desperate , but yet they are not utterly intractable to the grace of god and the religious care of parents . i hope such tempers as these are very rare , though god is pleased they should sometimes appear in the world , as instances of the great corruption and degeneracy of human nature , and of the great need of d●vine grace . but surely there is no temper that is absolutely and irrecoverably prejudiced against that which is good . this would be so terrible an objection against the providence of god as would be very hard to be answered . god be thanked , most tempers are tractable to good education , and there is very great p●obability of the good succe●s of it , if it be carefully and wisely managed . and for the confirmation of this truth i shall instance in two very great advantages of a religious and vir●uous education of children . st . it gives religion and virtue the advantage of the first possession . dly . the advantage of habit and custom . first , good education gives religion and virtue the advantage of the first possession . the mind of man is an active principle , and will be employed about something or other . it cannot stand idle , and will therefore take up with that which first offers it self . so soon as reason puts forth it self , and the understanding begins to be exercised , the mind of man discovers a natural thirst after knowledge , and greedily drinks in that which comes first . if it have not the waters of life and the pure streams of goodness to allay that thirst , it will seek to quench it in the filthy puddles and impure pleasures of this world. now since children will be busying their minds about something , it is good that they should be entertained with the best things , and with the best notions and principles of which their understanding and age are capable . it is a happy thing to be principled , and , as i may say , prejudiced the better way , and that religion should get the first possession of their hearts . for it is certainly a great advantage to religion to be planted in a tender and fresh soil . and if parents be careless and neglect this advantage , the enemy will be sure to sow his tares whilst the husbandman is asleep . therefore we should prevent the devil by giving god and goodness an early possession of our children , and by letting him into their hearts betimes . possession is a great point , and it is of mighty consequence to have nature planted with good seeds before vicious inclinations spring up and grow into strength and habit. i know that there is a spiteful proverb currant in the world , and the devil hath taken care to spread it to the discouragement of an early piety , a young saint and an old devil ; but notwithstanding this , a young saint is most likely to prove an old one . sol●mon to be sure was of this mind , and i make no doubt but he made as wise and true proverbs as any body hath done since : him only excepted who was a much greater and wiser man than solomon . secondly , good education gives likewise the advantage of habit and custom ; and custom is of mighty force . it is , as pliny in one of his epistles says of it , efficacissimus omnium rerum magister , the most powerful and effectual master in every kind . it is an acquired and a sort of second nature , and next to nature it self a principle of greatest power . custom bears a huge sway in all human actions . men love those things and do them with ease to which they have been long inured and accustomed . and on the contrary men go against custom with great regret and uneasiness . and among all others , that custom is most strong which is begun in childhood : and we see in experience the strange power of education in forming persons to religion and virtue . now education is nothing but certain customs planted in childhood , and which have taken deep root whilst nature was tender . we see likewise in common experience how dangerous an evil habit and custom is , and how hard to be alter'd . therefore the cretians , when they would curse a man to purpose , wish●d that the gods would engage him in some bad custom , looking upon a man after that to be irrecoverably lost . so on the other side , to be engaged in a good custom is an unspeakable advantage ; especially for children to be habituated to a holy and virtuous course , before the habits of sin and vice have taken root and are confirm'd in them . we are too natu●ally inclined to that which is evil : but yet this ought not to discourage us , because it is certain in experience that a contrary cu●●om hath done much in many cases , even where nature hath been strongly inclined the other way . demosthenes did by great resolution and almost infinite pains , and after a long habit , alter the natural imperfection of his speech , and even in despite of nature became the most eloquent man perhaps that ever lived . and this amounts even to a demonstration , for what hath been done may be done . so that it is not universally true which aristotle says , that nature cannot be altered . it is true indeed in the instance in which he gives of throwing a stone upward ; you cannot , says he , by any custom , nay though you fling it up never so often , teach a stone to ascend of it self : and so it is in many other instances in which nature is peremptory : but nature is not always so ; but sometimes hath a great latitude : as we see in young trees , which though they naturally grow straight up , yet being gently bent may be made to grow any way . but above all , moral inclinations and habits do admit of great alteration , and are subject to the power of a contrary custom . indeed children when they come to be men should take great care , that they do not owe their religion only to custom ; but they should upon consideration and due examination of the grounds of it , so far as they are capable of doing it , make it their choice . and yet for all that we must not deny the best religion in the world this greatest advantage of all other . it is certainly a great happiness for children to be inclined to that which when they come to understand themselves they would make their choice , if they were indif●erent : but an indifferency cannot be preserved in children : and therefore , since they will certainly be biassed one way or other , there is all the reason in the world why we should endeavour to byass them the better way . parents may often mistake about what is best , but if they love their children they cannot but wish and endeavour that they may be good and do what is best . i come now to the last head. i proposed which was . v. to endeavour by the most powerful arguments i can offer , to stir up and persuade those whose duty this is , to discharge it with great care and conscience . if the foregoing discourse be true , what can be said to those who are guilty in the highest degree of the gross neglect of this great duty ? who , neither by instruction , nor example , nor restraint from evil , do endeavour to make their children good . some parents are such monsters , i had almost said devils , as not to know how to give good things to their children ; but instead of bread give them a stone , instead of fish give them a serpent , instead of an egg give them a scorpion , as our saviour expresseth it . these are evil indeed , who train up their children for ruin and destruction ; in the service of the devil , and in the trade and mystery of iniquity : who , instead of teaching them the fear of the lord , infuse into them the principles of atheism , and irreligion , and prophaneness : instead of teaching them to love and reverence religion , they teach them to hate and despise it , and to make a mock both of sin and holiness : instead of training them up in the knowledge of the h. scriptures which are able to make men wise unto salvation , they do aedificare ad gehennam , they edify them for hell , by teaching them to prophane that holy book , and to abuse the wor● of god which they ought to tremble at , by turning it into jest and raillery : instead of teaching them to pray and to bless the name of god , they teach them to blaspheme that great and terrible name , and to prophane it by their continual oaths and imprecations : and instead of bringing them to god's church , they carry them to the devil's chappels , to playhouses and places of debauchery , those schools and nurseries of lewdness and vice. thus they , who ought to be the great teachers and examples of holiness and virtue , are the chief encouragers and patterns of vice and wickedness in their children ; and instead of restraining them from evil , they countenance them in it , and check all forward inclinations to goodness ; till at last they make them ten times more the children of wrath , than they were by that corrupt nature which they derived from them ; and hereby treasure up , both for their children and themselves , wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. but i hope there are few or none such here . they do not use to frequent god's house and worship . and therefore i shall apply my self to those who are not so notoriously guilty in this kind , though they are greatly faulty in neglecting the good education of their children . and for the greater conviction of such parents , i shall offer to them the following considerations . first , consider what a sad inheritance you have conveyed to your children . you have transmitted to them corrupt and depraved natures , evil and vicious inclinations● you have begotten them in your own image and likeness , so that by nature they are children of wrath . now methinks parents that have a due sense of this should be very solicitous , by the best means they can use , to free ●hem from that curse ; by endeavouring to correct those perverse dispositions and cursed inclinations which they have transmitted to them . surely you ought to do all you can to repair that broken estate which from you is descended upon them . when a man hath by treason tainted his blood and forfeited his estate , with what grief and regret doth he look upon his children , and think of the injury which hath been done to them by his fault ? and how solicitous is he , before he dye , to petition the king for favour to his children ? how earnestly doth he charge his friends to be careful of them and kind to them ? that by these means he may make the best reparation he can of their fortune which hath been ruin'd by his fault . and have parents such a tenderness for their children , in reference to their estate and condition in this world ; and have they none for the good estate of their souls and their eternal condition in another world ? if you are sensible that their blood is tainted , and that their best fortunes are ruin'd by your sad misfortune ; why do you not bestir your selves for the repairing of god's image in them ? why do you not travel in birth till christ be formed in them ? why do you not pray earnestly to god and give him no rest , who hath reprieved and it may be pardoned you , that he would extend his grace to them also , and grant them the blessings of his new covenant ? all your children are begotten of the bond-woman ; therefore we should pray as abraham did , o that ishmael may live in thy sight : o that these sons of hagar may be heirs of a blessing . secondly , consider in the next place , that good education is the very best inheritance that you can leave to your children . it is a wise saying of solom●n , eccl. . . that wisdom is good with an inh●ritance ; but surely an inheritance , without wisdom and virtue to manage it , is a very pernicious thing . and yet how many parents are there who omit no care and industry to get an estate that they may leave it to their children , but use no means to form their minds and manners for the right use and enjoyment of it ; without which it had been much happier for them to have been left in great poverty and straits ? dost thou love thy child ? this is true love to any one , to do the best for him we can . of all your toil and labour for your children , this may be all the fruit they may reap , and all that they may live to enjoy , the advantage of a good education . all other things are uncertain . you may raise your children to honour , and settle a noble estate upon them to support it : you may leave them , as you think , to faithful guardians , and by kindness and obligation procure them many friends : and when you have done all this , their guardians may prove unfaithful and treacherous , and in the changes and revolutions of the world their honours may slip from under them , and their riches may take to themselves wings and fly away : and when these are gone , and they come to be nipp'd with the frosts of adversity , their friends will fall off like leaves in autumn . this is a sore evil , which yet i have seen under the sun. but if the good education of your children hath made them wise and virtuous , you have provided an inheritance for them which is out of the reach of fortune , and cannot be taken from them . crates the philosopher used to stand in the highest places of the city , and to cry out to the inhabitants , o ye people ! why do you toil to get estates for your children , when you take no care of their education ? this is , as diogenes said , to take care of the shooe , but none of the foot that is to wear it ; to ●ake great pains for an estate for your children , but none at all to teach them how to use it ; that is , to take great care to undo them , but none to make them happy . thirdly , consider that by a careful and religious education of your children you provide for your own comfort and happiness . however they happen to prove , you will have the comfort of a good conscience and of having done your duty . if they be good , they are matter of great comfort and joy to their parents . a wise son , saith solomon , maketh a glad father . it is a great satisfaction to see that which we have planted to thrive and grow up ; to find the good effect of our care and industry , and that the work of our hands doth prosper . the son of sirach , among several things for which he reckons a man happy , mentions this in the first place , he that hath joy of his children , ecclus. . . on the contrary , in wicked children the honour of a family fails , our name withers , and in the next generation will quite be blotted out : whereas a hopeful posterity is a prospect of a kind of eternity . we cannot leave a better and more lasting monument of our selves , than in wise and vir●uous children . buildings and books are but dead things in comparison of these living memorials of our selves . by the good education of your children you provide for your selves some of the best comforts both for this world and the other . for this world ; and that at such a time when you most stand in need of comfort , i mean the time of sickn●ss and old age. wise men have been wont to lay up some praesidia s●n●ctutis , something to support them in that gloomy and melancholy time , as books , and friends , or the like . but there is no such external comfort at such a time as good and dutiful children . they will then be the light of our eyes , and the cordial of our fainting spirits ; and will recompence all our former care of th●m by their present care of us : and when we are decaying and withering away , we shall have the pleasure to see our youth as it were renewed , and our selves flourishing again in our children . the son of sirach speaking of the comfort which a good father hath in a well educated son , though he dye , says he , yet he ●s as if he were not dead , for he hath left one behind him that is like himself . while he lived he saw and rejoiced in him , and when he died he was not sorrowful , ecclus . . , . whereas on the contrary , a foolish son is , as solomon tells us , a heaviness to his mother , the miscarriage of a child being apt most tenderly to affect the mother . such parents as neglect their children , do as it were provide so many pains and aches for themselves against they come to be old. and rebellious children are to their infirm and aged parents so many aggravations of an evil day , so many burthens of their age : they help to bow them down and to bring their gray hairs so much the sooner with sorrow to the grave . they do usually repay their parents all the neglects of their education by their undutiful carriage towards them . and good children will likewise be an unspeakable comfort to us in the other world. when we come to appear before god at the day of judgment , to be able to say to him , 〈◊〉 here am i and the children which thou hast given me : how will this comfort our hearts , and make us lift up our heads with joy in that day ? fourthly , consider that the surest foundation of the publick welfare and happiness is laid in the good education of children . families are increased by children , and cities and nations are made up of families . and this is a matter of so great concernment both to religion and the civil happiness of a nation , that anciently the best constituted commonwealths did commit this care to the magistrate more than to parents . when antipater demanded of the spartans fifty of their children for hostages , they offer'd rather to deliver to him twice as many men ; so much did they value the loss of their country's education . but now amongst us this work lies chiefly upon parents . there are several ways of reforming men ; by the laws of the civil magistrate , and by the publick preaching of ministers . but the most likely and hopeful reformation of the world must begin with children . wholsome laws and good sermons are but slow and late ways : the timely and the most compendious way is good education . this may be an effectual prevention of evil , whereas all after-ways are but remedies , which do always suppose some neglect and omission of timely care . and because our laws leave so much to parents , our care should be so much the greater ; and we should remember that we bring up our children for the publick , and that if they live to be m●n , as they come out of our hands they will prove a publick happiness or mischief to the age. so that we can no way better deserve of mankind and be greater benefactors to the world , than by peopling it with a righteous offspring . good children are the hopes of posterity , and we cannot leave the world a better legacy than well-disciplin'd children . this gives the world the best security that religion will be propagated to posterity , and that the generations to come shall know god , and the children that are to be born shall fear the lord. this was the great glory of abraham , next to his being the friend of god , that he was the father of the faithful . and the careful education of children , in the nurture and admonition of the lord , is so honourable to parents , that god himself would not pass it by in abraham without special mention of it to his ●verlasting commendation : i know abraham , says god , that he will command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the lord , and to do justice and judgment , gen . . fifthly , consider yet further , the great evils consequent upon this neglect . and they are manifold . but not to enlarge particularly upon them , they all end in this , the final miscarriage and ruin of children . do but leave depraved corrupt nature to its self , and it will take its own course , and the end of it in all probability will be miserable . if the generous seeds of religion and virtue be not carefully sown in the tender minds of children , and those seeds be not cultivated by good education , there will certainly spring up briars and thorns , of which parents will not only feel the inconvenience , but every body else that comes near them . neglectis urenda filix innascitur agris . if the ground be not planted with something that is good , it will bring forth that which is either useless or hurtful , or both : for nature is seldom barren , it will either bring forth useful ●lants , or weeds . we are naturally inclined to evil , and the neglect of education puts children upon a kind of necessity of becoming what they are naturally inclin'd to be . do but let them alone , and they will soon be habituated to sin and vice. and when they are once accustomed to do evil , they have lost their liberty and choice : they are then hardly capable of good counsel and instruction : or if they be patient to hear it , they have no power to follow it , being bound in the chains of their sins , and led captive by satan at his pleasure . and when they have brought themselves into this condition , their ruin seems to be sealed , and without a miracle of god's grace they are never to be reclaimed . nor doth the mischief of this neglect end here , but it extends it self to the publick , and to posterity . if we neglect the good education of our children , they will in all probability prove bad men ; and these will neglect their children ; and so the foundation of an endless mischief is laid ; and our posterity will be bad members both of church and commonwealth . if they be neglected in matter of in●●●ction , they will either be ignorant or ●rroneous : either they will not mind religion , or they will disturb the church with new and wild opinions : and i fear that the neglect of instructing and catechising youth , of which this age hath been so grossly guilty , hath made it so fruitful of errors and strange opinions . but if besides this , no care be taken of their lives and manners , they will become burthens of the earth , and pests of human society , and so much poison and infection let abroad into the world. sixthly and lastly , parents should often consider that the neglect of this duty will not only involve them in the inconvenience , and shame , and sorrow , of their childrens miscarriage , but in a great measure in the guilt of it : they will have a great share in all the evil they do , and be in some sort chargeable with all the sins they commit . if the children bring forth wild and sowre grapes , the parents teeth will be set on edge . the temporal mischiefs and inconveniences which come from the careless education of children as to credit , health and estate , all which do usually suffer by the vicious and lewd courses of your children ; these methinks should awaken your care and diligence : but what is this to the guilt which will redound to you upon their account ? part of all their wickedness will be put upon your score ; and possibly the sins , which they commit many years afte● you are dead and gone , will follow you into the other world , and bring new fewel to hell , to heat that 〈◊〉 hotter upon you . however , this is certain , that 〈◊〉 must one day be accountable for all their neglects of their children : and so likewise shall ministers and masters of families for their people and servants , so far as they had the charge of them . and what will parents be able to say to god at the day of judgment for all their neglects of their children , in matter of instruction , and example , and restraint from evil ? how will it make your ears to tingle , when god shall arise terribly to judgment , and say to you , behold ! the children which i have given you ; they were ignorant , and you instructed them not ; they made themselves vile , and you restrained them not : why did not you teach them at home , and bring them to church to the publick ordinances and worship of god , and train them up to the exercise of piety and devotion ? but you did not only neglect to give them good instruction , but you gave them bad example : and lo ! they have followed you to hell , to be an addition to your torment there . unnatural wretches ! that have thus neglected , and by your neglect destroyed those , whose happiness by so many bonds of duty and affection you were obliged to procure : behold ! the books are now open , and there is not one prayer upon record that ever you put up for your children : there is no memorial , no not so much as of one hour that ever was seriously spent to train them up to a sense of god , and to the knowledge of their duty : but on the contrary it appears , that you have many ways contrived their misery , and contributed to their ruin , and help'd forward their damnation . how could you ●e thus unnatural ? how could you thus hate your own fl●sh , and hate your own souls ? how much better had it been for them , and how much better for you , that they had never been born ? would not such a heavy charge as this make every joint of you to tremble ? will it not cut you to the heart , and pierce your very souls , to have your children challenge you in that day , and say to you one by one , had you been as careful to teach me the good knowledge of the lord , as i was capable of learning it : had you been but as forward to instruct me in my duty , as i was ready to have hearken'd to it , it had not been with me as it is at this day : i had not now stood trembling here in a fearful expectation of the eternal doom which is just ready to be pass'd upon me . cursed be the man that begate me , and the paps that gave me suck . 't is to you that i must in a great measure owe my everlasting undoing . would it not strike any of us with horror to be thus challenged and reproached by our children in that great and terrible day of the lord ? i am not able to make so dreadful a representation of this matter as it deserves . but i would by all this , if it be possible , awaken parents to a sense of their duty , and terrify them out of this gross and shameful neglect which so many are guilty of . for when i seriously consider how supinely remiss and unconcerned many parents are as to the religious education of their children , i cannot but think of that saying of augustus concerning herod , better be his dog than his child : i think it was spoken to another purpose , but is true likewise to the purpose i am speaking of : better to be some mens dogs , or hawks , or horses , than their children : for they take a greater care to breed and train up these to their several ends and uses , than to breed up their children for eternal happiness . upon all these accounts , train up a child in the way he should go , that when ●e is old he may not depart from it : that neither your children may be miserable by your fault , nor you by the neglect of so natural and necessary a du●y towards them . god grant that all ●hat are concerned may lay these things seriously to heart : for his mercies sake in jesus christ ; to whom , with th●e o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory both now and ever . amen . of the advantages of an early piety . a sermon preached in the church of st. lawrence j●ry , in the year . eccles . xii . . remember now thy creator in the d●ys of thy youth ; while the evil days come not , nor the years draw ●igh when thou shalt say i have no pleasure in them . in the former discourses , concerning the education of children , i have carried the argument through the state of childhood to the beginning of the next step of their age which we call youth ; when they come to exercise their reason , and to be ●it to take upon themselves the performance of that solemn vow which was made for them by their sureties in baptism . to encourage them to set seriously and in good earnest about this work , i shall now add another discourse concerning the advantages of an early pi●ty . and to this purpose i have chosen for the foundation of it these words of s●lomon , in his book called ecclesiastes or the preacher : remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth , while the ●vil days come not , nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say i have no pleasure in them . it will not be necessary to give an account of the context any further than to tell you , that this book of the roy●l preacher is a lively description of the vanity of the world in general , and particularly of the life of man. this is the main body of his sermon , in which there are here and there scattered many serious reflections upon our selves , and very weighty considerations to quicken our preparations for our latter end , and to put us in mind of the days of darkness which will be many , as the preacher tells us in the chapter before the text. among these is the admonition and advice in the words of the text : which do indeed concern those that are young , but yet will afford useful matter of meditation to persons of all ages and conditions whatsoever : of great thankfulness to almighty god from those who by the grace of god , and his blessing upon a pious education , have entred upon a religious course betimes : and of a deep sorrow and repentance to those who have neglected and let slip this best opportunity of their lives ; and of taking up a firm resolution of redeeming that loss , as much as is possible , by their future care and diligence : and to them more especially , who are grown old and have not yet begun this great and necessary work , it will minister occasion to resolve upon a speedy retreat , and without any further delay to return to god and their duty ; le●t the opportunity of doing it , which is now almost quite spent , be lost for ever . the text contains a duty , which is to remember our creator ; and a limit●tion of it , more especially to one particular age and time of our life ; in the days of our youth : not to exclude any other age , but to lay a particular emphasis and weight upon this : remember thy creator in the days of thy youth , that is , more especially in this age of thy life : to intimate to us , both that this is the fittest season , and that we cannot begin this work too soon . and this is further illustrated by the opposition of it to old age : when the evil days come not , nor the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say i have no pleasure in them : this is a description of old age , the evils whereof are continually growing ; and which in respect of the cares and griefs , the distempers and infirmities which usually attend it , is rather a burthen than a pleasure . in the handling of these words , i shall do these three things , first , i shall consider the nature of the act or duty here enjoin'd , and that is to remember god. secondly , i shall consider what there is in the notion of god as creator which is more particularly apt to awaken and oblige us to the remembrance of him. thirdly , i shall consider the limitation of this duty more especially to this particular age of our lives , the days of our youth : why we should begin this work then , and not put it off to the time of old age. i. i shall consider the nature of the act or duty here enjoin'd , which is to remember our creator . for the understanding of which expression and others of the like nature in scripture , it is to be consider'd that it is very usual in scripture to express religion and the whole duty of man by some eminent act , or principle , or part of religion : sometimes by the knowledge of god , and by faith in him ; and very frequently by the fear and by the love of god ; because these are the great principles and parts of religion : and so likewise , though not so frequently , religion is express'd by the remembrance of god : now remembrance is the actual thought of what we do habitually know . to remember god is to have him actually in our minds , and upon all proper occasions to revive the thoughts of him , and as david expresseth it , to set him always before us : i set the lord , says he , always before me , that is , god was continually present to his mind and thoughts . and in opposition to this we find wicked men in scripture described by the contrary quality , forgetfulness of god● so they are described in job ; job . . such are the paths of them that forget god , that is , of the wicked : and the same description david gives of them , psal . . . the wicked , says he , shall be turned into hell , and all the nations that forget god : and elsewhere he gives the same character of a wicked man , psal . . . that god is not in all his thoughts . and the course of a religious life is not unfitly express'd by our remembrance of god. for to remember a person or thing is to call them to mind upon all proper and ●itting occasions ; to think actually of them , so as to do that which the remembrance of them does require , or prompt us to . to remember a friend , is to be ready upon occasion to do him all good offices : to remember a kindness and benefit , is to be ready to acknowledge and r●quite it when there is an opportunity : to remember an injury , is to be ready to revenge it : and in a word to remember any thing is to be mindful to do that which the memory of such a thing doth naturally suggest to us . so that to remember god , is frequently and in our most serious and retired thoughts to consider that there is such a being as god is ; of all power and perfection , who made us and all other things , and hath given us laws to liv● by , suitable to our natures ; and will call us to a strict account for our observance or violation of them , and accordingly reward and punish us ; very often in this world , and to be sure in the other . it is to revive often in our minds the thoughts of god and of his infinite perfections , and to live continually under the power and awe of these apprehensions , that he is infinitely wise and good , holy and just ; that he is always present with us , and observes what we do , and is intimate to our most secret thoughts , and will bring every work into judgment , and every secret thing whether it be good , or whether it be evil ; as the preacher tells us in the conclusion of this sermon . the duty then here required of us , is so soon as we arrive at the use of reason and the exercise of our understandings , to take god into consideration , and to begin a religious course of life betimes ; to consecrate the beginning of our days and the flower and strength of them to his service : whilst our mind is yet soft and ●ender , and in a great measure free from all other impressions , to be mindful of the being that is above us ; and in all our designs and actions to take god into consideration , and to do every thing in his fear , and with an eye to his glory . remember thy creator , that is , honour fear , love , obey and serve him ; and in a word , do every thing as becomes one that is mindful of god , and hath him continually in his thoughts . ii. i shall in the next place consider , what there is in the notion of god as our creat●r that is more particularly apt to awaken and oblige men to the remembrance of god. the text does not barely require us to remember god , but to remember him as the author and founder of our beings : remember thy creator . and there is certainly some particular emphasis in it , so that god considered under the notion of our creator is apt to strike us with a particular regard and awe of him. and that upon a threefold account ; as creation is a sensible demonstration to us st . of the being . dly . of the power , and dly . of the goodness of god. first , of his being . the creation is of all other the most sensible and obvious argument of a deity . other considerations may work upon our reason and understanding , but this doth as it were bring god down to our senses . so often as we look up to heaven , or down upon the earth ; upon our selves , or into our selves ; upon the things without us , and round about us : which way soever we turn our eyes , we are encounter'd with plain evidences of a superior being , which made us and all other things : every thing which we behold with our eyes doth in some way or other represent god to us and bring him to our minds , so as we cannot avoid the sight of him if we would . so the psalmist tells us , psal . . . the heavens declare the glory of god , and the firmament shews the work of his hands . and so likewise st. paul , rom. . . the invisible things of him , from the creation of the world , are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made ; even his ete●●al power and godhead . secondly , as the creation is a demonstration of god's infinite power . and this consideration is apt to work upon our f●ar , the most wakeful passion of all other in the soul of man : insomuch that the atheist would fain ascribe the original apprehension and belief of a deity to the natural fears of men ; primus in orbe deos f●●it timor , fear first made gods ; and by this means would fain persuade us that it is so far from being true that god is our creator , that he is merely the creature of our own vain fear and imagination . but surely this is very unreasonable . for if there be a god that made us , there is infinite reason why we should stand in awe of him , and have him always in our mind and thoughts ; because he who made us and all other things , if we neglect him and forget so great a benefactor , can as easily make us miserable , or turn us out of being . therefore remember thy creator , and despise or forget him at thy utmost peril . thirdly , as the creation is a demonstration of the goodness of god to his creatures . this consideration of god as our creator doth naturally suggest to our minds , that his goodness brought us into ●eing ; and that if being be a benefit , god is the fountain and author of it , that his goodness called us out of nothing , and made us to be what we are ; for of his good pleasure we are and were created . he was under no necessity of doing it ; for he was from eternal ages happy in himself before we were , and would have been so to all eternity though we had never been ; nor was it possible he could be under any obligation to us before we were . and he is not only our creator as he gave us our beings at first , but likewise as we are preserved and continued in life by the same goodness which first gave us life and breath ; for of his goodness we are as well as were created . and can we forget so great a benefactor , and be unmindful of the god that formed us ? can we chuse but remember the founder of our beings , the great patron and preserver of our lives ? and so soon as we arrive at the use of reason , and discover this great benefactor to whom we owe our lives and all the blessings of them , can we forbear to do homage to him , and to say with david , o come , let us worship and fall down and kneel before the lord our maker : for he is the lord our god , it is he that hath made us and not we our selves ; we are his people , and the sheep of his pasture . i proceed to consider in the iii. and last place , the reason of the limitation of this duty more especially to this particular age of our lives , remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth , when the evil days come not , nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say i have no pleasure in them : now ; in the days of thy youth ; by which solomon plainly designs two things , first , to engage young persons to begin this great and necessary work of religion betimes , and assoon as ever they are capable of taking it into consideration , remember thy creator in the days of thy youth . and the son of sirach much to the same purpose , speaking of one that in good earnest applies his heart to wisdom , describes him in this manner , ecclus . he will give his heart to resort early to the lord that made him ; which is the same with the expression in the text , of remembring our creator in the days of our youth . secondly , to engage young persons to set about this work presently , and not to defer it and put it off to the future , as most are apt to do ; remember now thy creator , in the days of thy youth : especially , not to adjourn it to the most unfit and improper time of all other , to the time of infirmity and old age , now , in the days of thy youth ; when the ●vil days c●me not , n●r the years draw nigh when thou shalt say i h●ve no pleasure in them : while the sun , or the light , or the moon , or the stars be not darken'd , &c. and how much reason there is to press both these considerations upon young persons i shall endeavour to shew in the following particulars . first , because in this age of our lives we have the greatest and most sensible obligation to remember god our creat●r : in the days of our youth , when the blessing and benefit of life is new , and the memory of it fresh upon our minds . it ought not indeed to be so , but we find it true which seneca says , nihil citiùs senescit quàm gratia , nothing sooner grows old and out of date than obligation ; and we are but too apt to forget what we have the greatest reason to remember . in this age of our life , when we begin to come to the free use and exercise of our reason , the first thing we are instructed in , and if we were not taught it we should , though perhaps more slowly , discover and find it out of our selves : i say , the first thing we are instructed in and inquisitive about is the author of our beings , and how we came into the world : and when god first appears to our minds , and we come by degrees clearly to understand by whose ●ounty and blessing it is that we are and have been preserved thus long , without our own care ; principally by the providence of god , and under him by those instruments which he hath raised and p●eserved for that purpose : when we consider this , we cannot but be strangely surprized both with the novelty of the ●enefit and the greatness of it . and when we have well viewed our selves , and look'd about us , upon the creatures below us , all of them subject to our dominion and use : and when we consider seriously in what a noble rank and order of creatures we are placed ; and how fearfully and wonderfully we are made , not groveling upon the earth or bowed down to it , but of a beautiful and upright shape of body , and such a majesty of countenance as if we were all kings of the creation : and which is much more excellent than this , that we are endued with minds and understandings , with reason and speech , whereby we are capable not only of conversing with and benefiting one another , but also of the knowledge and friendship and enjoyment of the best and most perfect of beings , god himself : i say when we first consider this and meditate seriously upon it , can we possibly ever after forget god ? shall we not naturally break out into that enquiry which elihu thinks so proper for man that he wonders it is not in every man's mouth , where is god my maker , who teacheth me more than the beasts of the earth , and maketh me wiser than the fowls of heaven ? job . , . so that there is a very special obligation upon us to be mindful of god in this age of our lives , when we first come to the knowledge of him , and when the sense of his favours is fresh and new to us ; and not only so , but when the blessing of life is at the very best and in its verdure and flower ; when our health is in its strength and vigor , and the pleasures and enjoyments of life have their full taste and perfect relish . so job describes the days of his youth , job . , , . o that i were as in months past , as in the days when god preserved me ; when his candle shined upon my head , and when by his light i walked through darkness , as i was in the days of my youth , &c. indeed when the evil days are once come , and thou art enter'd upon the years in which thou thy self hast no pleasure , there might be some sort of pretence then to forget god ; because then life begins to wither and decay , and not only the gloss and beauty but even the comfort and sweetness of it is gone , and it becomes an insipid and tastless thing : but thou art inexcusable , o man , whoever thou art , if thou art unmindful of god in the best age of thy life , and when the sense of his benefits ought upon all accounts to make the strongest and deepest impressions upon thy mind . secondly , the reason will be yet stronger to put us upon this , if we consider that notwithstanding the great obligation which lies upon us to remember our creator in the days of our youth , we are most apt at that time of all other to forget him. for that which is the great blessing of youth is also the great danger of it , i mean the health and prosperity of it ; and though men have then least reason , yet are they most apt to forget god in the height of pleasure and in the abundance of all things . youth is extremely addicted to pleasure , because it is most capable and most sensible of it ; and where we are most apt to be transported , there we are most apt to transgress . nothing does so besot the mind and extinguish in it all sense of divine things as sensual pleasures . if we fall in love with them , they will take off our thoughts from religion and steal away our hearts from god. for no man can serve two masters● and the carnal mind is enmity against god. besides that youth is rash and inconsiderate , because unexperienced ; and consequently not apt to be cautious and prudent , no not as to the future concernments of this temporal life ; much less of that which seems to be at so much a greater distance , and for that reason is so very seldom in our thoughts . thirdly , because this age is of all other the fittest and best to begin a religious course of life . and this does not contradict the former argument , tho it seems to do so . for as it is true of children , that they are most prone to be idle and yet fittest to learn ; so in the case we are speaking of both are true , that youth is an age wherein we are too apt , if left to our selves , to forget god and religion , and yet at the same time fittest to receive the impressions of it . youth is aetas disciplinae , the proper age of discipline ; very obsequious and tractable , fit to receive any kind of impression and to imbibe any tincture : now we should lay hold of this golden opportunity . this age of suppleness , and obedience , and patience for labour , should be plyed by parents , before that rigor and stiffness which grows with years come on too fast . childhood and youth are choice seasons for the planting of religion and virtue , and if parents and teachers sleep in this seed time they are ill husbandmen ; for this is the time of plowing and sowing . this age is certainly the most proper for instruction , according to that of the prophet , isa . . . whom shall he teach knowledge ? whom shall he make to understand doctrine ? them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast . for precept must be upon precept and lin● upon line , here a little and there a little . and the sooner this is done , the better ; only things must be instilled into them gently and by degrees . it is a noted saying of aristotle , that young persons are not fit to hear lectures of moral philosophy ; because at that age passion is so predominant and unruly : by which , i think , he only means that the minds of young persons are least prepared to receive the precepts of morality and to submit to them ; but that he does not hereby intend , that ther●fore no care ought to be used to form the minds and manners of youth to virtue and goodness . he certainly understood the nature and power of evil habits too well to be of that mind ; and consequently must think that the principles of morality ought with great care and diligence to be instill'd into young persons betimes : because they of all other have the most need of this kind of instruction , and this age is the most proper season for it : and the less their minds are prepared for it , so much the more pains ought to be taken with them , that they may be taught to govern and subdue their passions before ●hey grow too s●iff and headstrong . so that if the seeds of religion and virtue be not planted in our younger years , what is to be expected in old age ? according to that of the son of sirach , ecclus . . . if thou hast g●thered nothing in thy youth , how canst thou expect to find any thing in thine age ? young years are tender and easily wrought upon , apt to be moulded into any fashion , they are udum & molle lutum , like moist and soft clay which is pliable to any form ; but soon grows hard , and then nothing is to be made of it . it is a very difficult thing to make impressions upon age , and to deface the evil which hath been deeply imprinted upon young and tender minds . when good instruction hath been neglected at first , a conceited ignorance doth commonly take posses●●on , and obstruct all the passages through which knowledge and wisdom should enter into us . upon this consideration the work of religion should be begun betimes , because it is a mighty advantage to any thing to be planted in a ground that is newly broken up . it is just the same ●hing for young persons to be enter'd into a religious course and to have their minds habituated to virtue before vicious customs have got place and strength in us : for whoever shall attempt this afterwards will meet with infinite difficulty and opposition , and must dispute his ground by inches . it is good therefore to do that which must be done one time or other , when it is easiest to be done ; when we may do it with the greatest advantage , and are likely to meet with the least and weakest opposition . we should anticipate vice , and prevent the devil and the world by letting god into our hearts betimes and giving religion the first seisine and possession of our souls● this is the time of sowing our seed , which must by no means be neglected . for the soul will not lye fallow ; good or evil will come up . if our minds be not cultivated by religion , sin and vice will get the possession of them : but if our tender years be seasoned with the knowledge and fear of god , this in all probability will have a good influence upon the following course of our lives . in a word , this age of our lives is proper for labour and conflict ; because youth is full of heat and vigor , of courage and resolution to enterprize and effect difficult things . this heat indeed renders young persons very unfit to advise and direct themselves , and therefore they have need to be advised and directed by those who are wiser and more experienced : but yet this heat makes them very fit for practice and action ; for though they are bad at counsel , they are admirable at execution , when their heat is well directed ; they have a great deal of vivacity and quickness , of courage and constancy in the way wherein they are set . besides , that youth hath a great sense of honour and virtue , of praise and commendation , which are of great force to engage young persons to attempt worthy and excellent things : for hope and confidence , strength and courage , with which sense of honour and desire of praise are apt to inspire them , are admirable instruments of victory and mastery in any kind ; and these are proper and most peculiar to youth , i write unto you young men , ●aith st. john , because ye are strong , and have overcome the evil one. and , besides the spirit and vigor of youth , young persons have several other qualities which make them very capable of learning any thing that is good . they are apt to believe , because they have not been often deceived ; and this is a very good quality in a learner . and they are full of hopes , which will encourage them to attempt things even beyond their strength ; because hope is always of the future , and the life of young persons is in a great measure before them and yet to come . and , which is a good bridle to restrain them from that which is evil , they are commonly very modest and bashful : and , which is also a singular advantage , they are more apt to do that which is honest and commendable than that which is gainful and profitable , being in a great measure free from the love of money , which experience , as well as the apostle , tells us is the root of all evil. children are very seldom covetous , because they have seldom been bitten by want . fourthly , this is the most acceptable time of all other , because it is the first of our age. under the law the first fruits and the first-born were god's . in like manner we should devote the first of our age and time to him. god is the first and most excellent of beings , and therefore it is fit that the prime of our age and the excellency of our strength should be dedicated to him and his service . an early piety must needs be very acceptable and pleasing to god. our blessed lord took great pleasure to see little children come unto him ; an emblem of the pleasure he takes that men should list themselves betimes in his service . st. john was the youngest of all the disciples , and our saviour had a very particular kindness and affection for him ; for he is said to be the disciple whom jesus loved . it is a good sign that we value god as we ought , and have a true esteem for his service , when we can find in our hearts to give him our good days , and the years which we our selves have pleasure in : and that we have a grateful sense of his benefits and of our mighty obligation to him , when we make the quickest and best returns we can , and think nothing too good to render to him from whom we have received all . it is likewise an argument of great sincerity , which is the soul of all r●ligion and virtue , when a man devotes himself to god betimes : because it is a good evidence that he is not drawn by those forcible constraints , nor driven to god by that pressing necessity which lies upon men in time of sickness and old age. and on the contrary , it cannot but be very displeasing to god to be neglected by us when we are in the flower and vigor of our age : when our blood is warm , and our spirits quick , and our parts are at the best , then to think our selves too good to serve god ; what an affront is this to him who hath deserved so infinitely well of us , and beyond the best and u●most that we can possibly do ? besides , that there is a peculiar kind of grace and loveliness in the worthy and excellent actions of young persons , great thing● being hardly expected from them at that age. early habits of virtue , like new cloathes upon a young and comely body , sit very gracefully upon a straight and well-shap'd mind , and do might●ly become it . as there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a great and old sinner , so it cannot but be a very delightful spectacle to god and angels , and to the spirits of just men made perfect , to see a young person besieged by powerful temptations on every side , to acquit himself gloriously , and resolutely to hold out against the most violent assaults : to behold one , in the pride and flower of his age , that is courted by pleasures and honours , by the devil and all the bewitching vanities of this world , to reject all these and to cleave stedfastly to god : nay , to frown upon all these temptations and to look down upon them with indignation and ●corn , and to say , let those dote upon ●hese things , who know no better : let them adore sensual pleasures and lying vanities , who are ignorant of the sincere and solid pleasures of religion and virtue : let them run into the arms of temptation who can forget god their creator , their preserver , and the guide of their youth : as for me , i will serve the lord , and will employ my whole time either innocently or usefully , in serving god , and in doing good to men who are made after the image of god. this work shall take up my whole life , there shall be no void or empty space in it ; i will endeavour , as much as possibly i can , that there may be no gap or breach in it for the devil and his temptations to enter in : lord , i will be thine , i have chosen thee for my happiness and my portion for ever : whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . lo ! they that are far from thee shall perish : but it is good for me to draw near to god , to begin and end my days in his fear and to his glory . fifthly and lastly , this age of our life may , for any thing we know , be the only time we may have for this purpose ; and if we cast off the thoughts of god and defer the business of religion to old age , intending , as we pretend , to set about it at that time , we may be cut off before that time comes , and turned into hell with the people that forget god. the work of religion is the most necessary of all other , and must be done one time or other , or we are certainly undone for ever . we cannot begin it too soon , but we easily delay it too long ; and then we are miserable past all recovery . he that would not venture his immortal soul , and put his everlasting happiness upon the greatest hazard and uncertainty , must make religion his first business and care , must think of god betimes and remember his creator in the days of his youth . i have now done with the three things which i proposed to consider f●om these words . the inferences from this whole discourse shall be these two , fi●st , to persuade those that are young to remember god their creator , and to engage in the ways of religion and virtue betimes . secondly , to urge those who have neglected this first and best opportunity of their lives , to repent quickly and return to a b●tter mind ; lest the opportunity be lost for ever , and their case become desperate and past remedy . first , to persuade those that are young to remember god their creator be●times , and to engage early in the ways of religion and virtue . do not suffer your selves to be cheated and bewitched by sensual satisfactions , and to be destroyed by ease and prosperity . let not a perpetual tenor of health and pleasure soften and dissolve your spirits , and banish all wise and serious thoughts out of your minds . be not so foolish and unworthy , as to think that you have a privilege to forget god when he is most mindful of you ; when the candle of the lord shines about your tabernacle , and you are enjoying the health , and strength , and sweetness of life . no man knows what he does , and what an invaluable treasure he prodigally wastes , when he lets slip this golden season and opportunity of his life ; whilst he is yet innocent and untainted with sin and vice , and his mi●d is clear of all bad impressions , and capable of the best ; not enslaved to evil , and at liberty to do well . consider , that the ways of religion and virtue are nothing so difficult and unpleasant now , as they will be hereafter : and that the longer you forget god , and the more you are estranged from him , the more unwilling you will be to think of him and to return to him : that your lusts will every day gain more strength , and your hearts by degrees will contract such a stiffness and hardness that it will be no easy matter to work upon them . therefore remember your creator in the days of your youth : to day , whilst it is called to day , lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin. when will you think of beginning a good course , if not now ? you have a great work before you which cannot be done in a little time , which cannot be begun and finish'd at once . your whole life is no more than sufficient for it ; to do it to the best advantage , and as it ought to be done . do not then think of crowding it into a corner of your life , much less of putting it off to the very end of it : when that night comes , no man can work . consider further ; if we will deny god the hearty and vigorous service of our best days , how can we expect that he will accept the faint and flattering devotions of old age ? wise men are wont to forecast and provide some stay and comfort for themselves against the evils and infirmities of that time ; that they may have something to lean upon in their weakness , something to mitigate and allay the troubles and afflictions of that dark and gloomy evening : that what they cannot enjoy of present pleasure and satisfaction may in some measure be made up to them in comfortable reflections upon the past actions of a holy and innocent , an useful and well spent life . but on the other hand , if we have neglected religion , and forgotten god days without number ; if we have lived an ungodly and vicious life , we have treasured up so much guilt and remorse , so many aggravations of our sorrow and anguish against an evil day ; and have foolishly contrived to make our burthen then heaviest , when we are least able to stand under it ; and have provided and laid in infinite matter for repentance , when there is hardly any space and opportunity left for the exercise of it ; and when we shall be utterly dishearten'd from setting about so vast a work , of which we can see no end ; and yet have so very little time for it , that if we do any thing at all in it we shall be forc'd to huddle it up in so much haste and confusion , as will , i doubt , signify but very little either to our present comfort , or our future happiness . consider this in time , all ye that forget god in the day of your prosperity and in the best age of your life , and yet when the day of affliction and the infirmities of age come upon you would be glad then to have god mindful of you , and merci●ul to you . but if thou wouldst not have him cast thee off in thine old age and forsake thee when thy strength fails , do thou remember him in the days of thy youth , in the prime and vigor of thine age : for this is the acceptable time , this is the day of salvation . therefore acquaint thy self with him , and remember him now ; in the days of thy youth ; defer not so necessary a work , no not for one moment : begin it just now , that so thou mayest have made some good progress in it before the evil days come ; before the sun , and the moon , and the stars be darkened , and all the comforts and joys of life be fled and gone . be not deceived , o man , whosoever thou art ; for god is not mock'd . he will not be put off by us with the days in which we our selves have no pleasure . offer up thy self a living sacrifice and not a carkass , if thou wouldst be accepted . do not provoke and affront the living god by offering up to him faint spirits , and feeble hands , and dim eyes , and a dead heart . he hath been bountiful to us in giving us the best blessings of life , and all things richly to enjoy ; and do we grudge him the most valuable part of our lives , and the years which we our selves have pleasure in ? do we thus requite the lord ? foolish people and unwise ! is the giver of all good things unworthy to receive from us any thing that is good ? if we offer up the lame in sacrifice , is it not evil ? and if we offer up the blind , is it not evil ? offer it now to thy governor , and try if he will be pleased with thee and accept thy person . hath god deserved so ill at our hands , that we should forget and neglect him ? and hath the devil deserved so well of us , that we should be contented to spend the best part of our lives in his service , which is perfect slavery ? was he our creator , or can he make us happy ? nay , does he not carry on a most malicious design to make us for ever miserable ? secondly , let me urge those who have neglected this first and best opportunity of their lives to repent quickly and return to a better mind , lest all opportunity of doing it be lost for ever , and their case become desperate and past remedy . resolve to redeem , if it be possible , the time which you should have improved : you have squander'd away too much already , waste no more of this precious opportunity of life : you have deferr'd a necessary work too long , delay it no longer . do not delude your selves with vain hopes that this work may be done at any time , and in an instant ; and that if you can but fashion your last breath into lord have mercy upon me , this will prevail with god and make atonement for the long course of a wicked and sinful life . what strange thoughts have men of god and heaven , what extravagant conceits of the little evil of sin and the great easiness of repentance , that can impose upon themselves at this rate ? bethink your selves better in time , consider and shew your selves men . what will you do in the day of your distress , who have neglected god in your most flourishing and prosperous condition ? what will you say to him in a dying hour , who scarce ever had one serious thought of him all your life ? can you have the face at that time to bespeak him in this manner ? lord , now the world and my lusts have left me , and i feel my self ready to sink into eternal perdition , i lay hold upon thy mercy to deliver my soul from going down into the pit. i have heard strange things of thy goodness and that thou art merciful even to a miracle . this is that which i always trusted to , that after a long life of sin and vanity thou wouldst at last be pacified with a few penitent words and sighs at the hour of death . let me not , i pray thee , be disappointed of this hope and put to confusion . is this an address ●it to be made to a wise man , much less to the all-wise and just judge of the world ? and yet this seems to be the plain interpretation of the late and forc'd application of a great and habitual sinner to almighty god in his last extremity , and when he is just giving up the ghost and going to appear before his dreadful tribunal . i say again , let no man deceive you with vain words , or with vain hopes , or with false notions of a slight and sudden repentance : as if heaven were an hospital founded on purpose to receive all sick and maimed persons , that when they can live no longer to the lusts of the sinfulpleasures of this world can but put up a cold and formal petition to be admitted there . no , no , as sure as god is true , they shall never see the kingdom of god , who instead of seeking it in the first place make it their last refuge and retreat : and when they find themselves under the sentence of death and damnation , only to avoid present execution , and since there is no other remedy , do at last bethink themselves of getting to heaven , and fall upon their knees to petition the great judge of the world that they may be transported thither . can any man in reason expect that such a petition will be granted ? i tell you nay ; but except you repent sooner , and at a fitter time , and after a better fashion , you shall certainly perish . as much as god desires the salvation of men , he will not prostitute heaven , and set the gates of it wide open to those who only fly to it in extremity , but never sought it in good earnest , nor indeed do now care for it or desire it for any other reason , but to excuse them from going to hell. they have no value for heaven , because they are in no wise fit for it , but yet they think hell to be the worse place of the two . the ever blessed god is himself abundantly sufficient for his own happiness , and does not need our company to make any addition to it : nor yet is heaven so desolate a place , or so utterly void of inhabitants , that like some newly discovered plantation it should be glad to receive the most vile and profligate persons , the scum and refuse of mankind . there are an innumerable company of glorious angels , much nobler creatures than the best of men , to people those blessed regions . thousands of thousands continually stand before god , and ten thousand times ten thousands minister unto him. we do absolutely stand in need of god to make us happy , but he hath no need of us to help him to be so . god indeed is so good , as to desire our happiness as earnestly as if it were necessary to his own : but he is happy in and from himself , and without him it is impossible we should be happy , nay we must of necessity be for ever miserable . to conclude ; if we would have god to accept us in a dying hour , and our b. saviour to rem●mber us now he is in his kingdom , let us think of him betime● , and acquaint our selves with him that we may be at peace : now ; before the evil days come , and the years draw nigh when we shall say we have no pleasure in them . o that men were wise , that they understood this , and that they would consider their latter end . which god of his in●inite goodness grant that we may all seriously lay to heart , in this our day ; and may learn betimes so to number our days , that we may apply our hearts to wisdom : for his mercies sake in jesus christ , to whom with the father and the h. ghost , be all honour and glory , now and for ever . amen . finis . books writ by his grace john , late lord archbishop of canterbury . forty two sermons and discourses upon several occasions , most at court ; in four volumes , in octavo . six sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour , &c. against the socinians . in octavo . these six practical sermons . in twelves . the rule of faith● in octavo . a persuasive to frequent communion● sticht . price three pence . printed for b. aylmer and w. rogers● a family guide to the holy sacrament . by t●●oph . dorrington . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e sir h. w. a seasonable new-years-gift a sermon / preached at white-hall before his late majesty by john tillotson. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a seasonable new-years-gift a sermon / preached at white-hall before his late majesty by john tillotson. tillotson, john, - . p. printed for b. aylmer ..., london : . reproduction of the original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- corinthians, st, iii, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a seasonable new-years-gift . a sermon preached at white-hall , before his late majesty . by john tillotson , d. d. and dean of canterbury . london , printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill . . price two pence . a seasonable new-years-gift . a sermon preach'd at white-hall , &c. cor. iii. . but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . the context is thus . according to the grace of god which is given unto me , as a wise master-builder , i have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon : but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon . for other foundation can no man lay , than that which is laid , jesus christ. now if any man build upon this foundation , gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay , stubble , every mans work shall be made manifest , for the day shall declare it ; because it shall be revealed by fire ; and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is . if any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon , he shall receive a reward . if any mans work shall be burnt , he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . in these words the apostle speaks of a sort of persons , who held indeed the foundation of christianity , but built upon it such doctrines or practices as would not bear the trial ; which he expresses to us by wood , hay , and stubble , which are not proof against the fire . such a person , the apostle tells us , hath brought himself into a very dangerous state , though he would not deny the possibility of his salvation : he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . that by fire here is not meant the fire of purgatory , as some pretend ( who would be glad of any shadow of a text of scripture to countenance their own dreams ) i shall neither trouble you nor my self to manifest ; since the particle of similitude [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] plainly shews that the apostle did not intend an escape out of the fire literally , but like to that which men make out of a house or town that is on fire . especially since very learned persons of the church of rome do acknowledge that purgatory cannot be concluded from this text , nay all that estius contends for from this place is , that it cannot be concluded from hence that there is no purgatory ; which we never pretended , but only that this text does not prove it . it is very well known that this is a proverbial phrase used not only in scripture , but in prophane authors to signifie a narrow escape out of a great danger . he shall be saved , yet so as by fire , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , out of the fire . just as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used , pet. . . where the apostle speaking of the eight persons of noah's family who escap'd the flood , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they escaped out of the water . so here this phrase is to be rendred in the text , he himself shall escape , yet so as out of the fire . the like expression you have , am . . i have pluckt them as a firebrand out of the fire . and jude . others save with fear , plucking them out of the fire . all which expressions signifie the greatness of the danger and the difficulty of escaping it ; as one who when his house at midnight is set on fire , and being suddenly wak'd leaps out of his bed , and runs naked out of the doors , taking nothing that is within along with him , but imploying his whole care to save his body from the flames , as st. chrysostom upon another occasion expresseth it . and so the roman orator * ( who , it is likely did not think of purgatory ) useth this phrase ; quo ex judicio , velut ex incendio , nudus effugit ; from which judgment or sentence he escaped naked , as it were out of a burning . and one of the greek orators * tells us , that to save a man out of the fire , was a common proverbial speech . from the words thus explained , the observation that naturally ariseth is this , that men may hold all the fundamentals of christian religion , and yet may superadd other things whereby they may greatly endanger their salvation . what those things were which some among the corinthians built upon the foundation of christianity , whereby they endanger'd their salvation , we may probably conjecture by what the apostle reproves in this epistle , as the tolerating of incestuous marriages , communicating in idol-feasts , &c. and especially by the doctrine of the false apostles , who at that time did so much disturb the peace of most christian churches , and who are so often and so severely reflected upon in this epistle . and what their doctrine was , we have an account , act. . viz. that they imposed upon the gentile christians circumcision , and the observation of the jewish law , teaching that unless they were circumcised , and kept the law of moses , they could not be saved . so that they did not only build these doctrines upon christianity , but they made them equal with the foundation , saying , that unless men believed and practised such things they could not be saved . in speaking to this observation , i shall reduce my discourse to these two heads . . i shall present to you some doctrines and practices which have been built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . and to be plain , i mean particularly the church of rome . . i shall enquire , whether our granting a possibility of salvation ( though with great hazard ) to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us , be a reasonable argument and encouragement to any man to betake himself to that church . and there is the more reason to consider these things , when so many seducing spirits are so active and busie to pervert men from the truth ; and when we see every day so many men and their religion so easily parted . for this reason these two considerations shall be the subject of the following discourse . . first . we will consider some doctrines and practices which the church of rome hath built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . it is not denied by the most judicious protestants , but that the church of rome do hold all the articles of the christian faith , which are necessary to salvation . but that which we charge upon them , as a just ground of our separation from them , is , the imposing of new doctrines and practices upon christians as necessary to salvation , which were never taught by our saviour , or his apostles ; and which are either directly contrary to the doctrine of christianity , or too apparently destructive of a good life . and i begin . with their doctrines . and because i have no mind to aggravate lesser matters , i will single out four or five points of doctrine , which they have added to the christian religion , and which were neither taught by our saviour and his apostles , nor own'd in the first ages of christianity . and the first which i shall mention , and which being once admitted makes way for as many errors as they please to bring in , is their doctrine of infallibility . and this they are very stiff and peremptory in , though they are not agreed among themselves where this infallibility is seated ; whether in the pope alone , or a council alone , or in both together , or in the diffusive body of christians . but they are sure they have it , though they know not where it is . and is this no prejudice against it ? can any man think that this privilege was at first conferred upon the church of rome , and that christians in all ages did believe it , and had constant recourse to it for determining their differences , and yet that that very church which hath enjoyed and used it so long should now be at a loss where to find it ? nothing could have fallen out more unluckily , than that there should be such differences among them about that which they pretend to be the onely means of ending all differences . there is not the least intimation in scripture of this privilege conferr'd upon the roman church , nor do the apostles , in all their epistles , ever so much as give the least direction to christians to appeal to the bishop of rome for a determination of the many differences which even in those times happen'd among them : and it is strange they should be so silent in this matter , when there were so many occasions to speak of it , if our saviour had plainly appointed such an infallible judge of controversies for this very end to decide the differences that should happen among christians . it is strange that the ancient fathers in their disputes with hereticks should never appeal to this judge ; nay , it is strange they should not constantly do it in all cases , it being so short and expedite a way for the ending of controversies . and this very consideration to a wise man is instead of a thousand arguments to satisfie him , that in those times no such thing was believed in the world . now this doctrine of infallibility , if it be not true , is of so much the more pernicious consequence to christianity , because the conceit of it does confirm them that think they have it in all their other errors ; and gives them a pretence of assuming an authority to themselves to impose their own fancies and mistakes upon the whole christian world . . their doctrine about repentance , which consists in confessing their sins to the priest ; which if it be but accompanied with any degree of contrition does upon absolution received from the priest , put them into a state of salvation , though they have lived the most lewd and debauched lives that can be imagin'd ; than which nothing can be more plainly destructive of a good life . for if this be true , all the hazard that the most wicked man runs of his salvation is only the danger of so sudden a death as gives him no space for confession and absolution . a case that happens so rarely , that any man that is strongly addicted to his lusts will be content to venture his salvation upon this hazard ; and all the arguments to a good life will be very insignificant to a man that hath a mind to be wicked , when remission of sins may be had upon such cheap terms . . the doctrine of purgatory ; by which they mean an estate of temporary punishments after this life , from which men may be released and translated into heaven by the prayers of the living , and the sacrifice of the mass. that this doctrine was not known in the primitive church , nor can be proved from scripture , we have the free acknowledgment of as learned and eminent men as any of that church ; which is to acknowledge that it is a superstructure upon the christian religion . and though in one sense it be indeed a building of gold and silver upon the foundation of christianity , considering the vast revenues which this doctrine ( and that of indulgences , which depends upon it ) brings into that church ; yet i doubt not , but in the apostle's sense , it will be found to be hay and stubble . but how groundless soever it be , it is too gainfull a doctrine to be easily parted withall . . the doctrine of transubstantiation . a hard word , but i would to god that were the worst of it ; the thing is much more difficult . i have taken some pains to consider other religions that have been in the world , and i must freely declare , that i never yet in any of them met with any article or proposition , imposed upon the belief of men , half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this is : and yet this in the romish church is esteemed one of the most principal articles of the christian faith ; though there is no more certain foundation for it in scripture , than for our saviour's being substantially changed into all those things which are said of him , as that he is a rock , a vine , a door , and a hundred other things . but this is not all . this doctrine hath not only no certain foundation in scripture , but i have a far heavier charge against it , namely , that it undermines the very foundation of christianity it self . and surely nothing ought to be admitted to be a part of the christian doctrine which destroys the reason of our belief of the whole . and that this doctrine does so , will appear evidently , if we consider what was the main argument which the apostles used to convince the world of the truth of christianity ; and that was this , that our blessed saviour , the author of this doctrine , wrought such and such miracles , and particularly that he rose again from the dead : and this they proved because they were eye-witnesses of his miracles , and had seen him and conversed with him after he was risen from the dead . but what if their senses did deceive them in this matter ? then it cannot be denied but that the main proof of christianity falls to the ground . well! we will now suppose ( as the church of rome does ) transubstantiation to have been one principal part of the christian doctrine which the apostles preached . but if this doctrine be true , then all mens senses are deceived in a plain sensible matter , wherein 't is as hard for them to be deceived as in any thing in the world : for two things can hardly be imagin'd more different , than a little bit of wafer , and the whole body of a man. so that the apostles perswading men to believe this doctrine , perswaded them not to trust their senses , and yet the argument which they used to perswade them to this was built upon the direct contrary principle , that mens senses are to be trusted . for if they be not , then notwithstanding all the evidence the apostles offer'd for the resurrection of our saviour he might not be risen , and so the faith of christians was vain . so that they represent the apostles as absurd as is possible , viz. going about to perswade men out of their senses by virtue of an argument , the whole strength whereof depends upon the certainty of sense . and now the matter is brought to a fair issue ; if the testimony of sense be to be relied upon , then transubstantiation is false ; if it be not , then no man is sure that christianity is true . for the utmost assurance that the apostles had of the truth of christianity was the testimony of their own senses concerning our saviour's miracles , and this testimony every man hath against transubstantiation . from whence it plainly follows , that no man ( no not the apostles themselves ) had more reason to believe christianity to be true , than every man hath to believe transubstantiation to be false . and we who did not see our saviour's miracles ( as the apostles did ) and have only a credible relation of them , but do see the sacrament ; have less evidence of the truth of christianity than of the falshood of transubstantiation . but cannot god impose upon the senses of men , and represent things to them otherwise than they are ? yes , undoubtedly . and if he hath revealed that he doth this , are we not to believe him ? most certainly . but then we ought to be assured that he hath made such a revelation ; which assurance no man can have , the certainty of sense being taken away . i shall press the business a little farther . supposing the scripture to be a divine revelation , and that these words ( this is my body ) if they be in scripture , must necessarily be taken in the strict and literal sense ; i ask now , what greater evidence any man has that these words ( this is my body ) are in the bible , than every man has that the bread is not chang'd in the sacrament ? nay no man has so much ; for we have only the evidence of one sense that these words are in the bible , but that the bread is not chang'd we have the concurring testimony of several of our senses . in a word , if this be once admitted that the senses of all men are deceiv'd in one of the most plain sensible matters that can be , there is no certain means left either to convey or prove a divine revelation to men ; nor is there any way to confute the grossest impostures in the world : for if the clear evidence of all mens senses be not sufficient for this purpose , let any man , if he can , find a better and more convincing argument . . i will instance but in one doctrine more ; and that shall be , their doctrine of deposing kings in case of heresie , and absolving their subjects from their allegiance to them . and this is not a meer speculative doctrine , but hath been put in practice many a time by the bishops of rome , as every one knows that is vers'd in history . for the troubles and confusions which were occasion'd by this very thing make up a good part of the history of several ages . i hope no body expects that i should take the pains to shew that this was not the doctrine of our saviour and his apostles , nor of the primitive christians . the papists are many of them so far from pretending this , that in some times and places , when it is not seasonable and for their purpose , we have much a-do to perswade them that ever it was their doctrine . but if transubstantiation be their doctrine , this is ; for they came both out of the same forge , i mean the council of lateran under pope innocent the third . and if ( as they tell us ) transubstantiation was then establish'd , so was this . and indeed one would think they were twins and brought forth at the same time , they are so like one another , both of them so monstrously unreasonable . ii. i come now in the second place to consider some practices of the church of rome , which i am afraid will prove as bad as her doctrines . i shall instance in these five . . their celebrating of their divine service in an unknown tongue . and that not only contrary to the practice of the primitive church , and to the great end and design of religious worship , which is the edification of those who are concerned in it , ( and it is hard to imagine how men can be edified by what they do not understand ) but like wise in direct contradiction to st. paul , who hath no less than a whole chapter wherein he confutes this practice as fully , and condemns it as plainly as any thing is condemned in the whole bible . and they that can have the face to maintain that this practice was not condemned by st. paul , or that it was allowed and used in the first ages of christianity , need not be ashamed to set up for the defence of any paradox in the world. . the communion in one kind . and that notwithstanding that even by their own acknowledgment our saviour instituted it in both kinds , and the primitive church administred it in both kinds . this i must acknowledge is no addition to christianity , but a sacrilegious taking away of an essential part of the sacrament . for the cup is as essential a part of the institution as the bread ; and they might as well , and by the same authority , take away the one as the other , and both as well as either . . their worshipping of images . which practice ( notwithstanding all their distinctions about it , which are no other but what the heathens used in the same case ) is as point-blank against the second commandment , as a deliberate and malicious killing of a man is against the sixth . but if the case be so plain , a man would think that at least the teachers and guides of that church should be sensible of it . why , they are so , and afraid the people should be so too , and therefore in their ordinary catechisms and manuals of devotion they leave out the second commandment , and divide the tenth into two to make up the number ; lest if the common people should know it their consciences should start at the doing of a thing so directly contrary to the plain command of god. . the worshipping of the bread and wine in the eucharist , out of a false and groundless perswasion , that they are substantially changed into the body and blood of christ. which if it be not true ( and it hath good fortune if it be , for certainly it is one of the most incredible things in the whole world ) then by the confession of several of their own learned writers , they are guilty of gross idolatry . . the worship and invocation of saints and angels ; and particularly of the virgin mary , which hath now for some ages been a principal part of their religion . now a man may justly wonder that so considerable a part of religion as they make this to be should have no manner of foundation in the scripture . does our saviour any where speak one word concerning the worshipping of her ? nay , does he not take all occasions to restrain all extravagant apprehensions and imaginations concerning honour due to her , as foreseeing the degeneracy of the church in this thing ? when he was told that his mother and brethren were without ; who ( says he ) are my mother and my brethren ? he that doth the will of my father , the same is my mother , and sister , and brother . and when the woman brake forth into that rapture concerning the blessed mother of our lord , blessed is the womb that bare thee , and the paps that gave thee suck ! our saviour diverts to another thing , yea , rather , blessed are they that hear the word of god and keep it . does either our saviour or his apostles in all their particular precepts and directions concerning prayer , and the manner of it , and by whom we are to address our selves to god , give the least intimation of praying to the virgin mary , or making use of her mediation ? and can any man believe , that if this had been the practice of the church from the beginning , our saviour and his apostles would have been so silent about so considerable a part of religion ; insomuch that in all the epistles of the apostles i do not remember that her name is so much as once mentioned ? and yet the worship of her is at this day in the church of rome , and hath been so for several ages , a main part of their publick worship , yea and of their private devotions too ; in which it is usual with them to say ten ave maries for one pater noster ; that is , for one prayer they make to almighty god they make ten addresses to the blessed virgin ; for that is the proportion observed in their rosaries . he that considers this ; and had never seen the bible , would have been apt to think that there had been more said concerning her in scripture , than either concerning god , or our blessed saviour ; and that the new ▪ testament were full from one end to the other of precepts and exhortations to the worshipping of her ; and yet when all is done , i challenge any man to shew me so much as one sentence in the whole bible that sounds that way . and there is as little in the christian writers of the first three hundred years . the truth is , this practice began to creep in among some superstitious people about the middle of the fourth century : and i remember particularly , that epiphanius who lived about that time calls it the heresie of the women . and thus i have given you some instances of several doctrines and practices which the church of rome have built upon the foundation of christianity . much more might have been said of them , but from what hath been said any man may easily discern how dangerous they are to the salvation of men . i proceed now in the second place , ii. to consider , whether our granting a possibility of salvation , though with great hazard to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us , be a sufficient argument and encouragement to any man to quit ▪ our church and go to theirs . and there is the more need to consider this , because this is the great popular argument wherewith the emissaries and agents of that church are wont to assault our people your church ( say they ) grants that a papist may be saved ; ours denies that a protestant can be saved ; therefore it is safest to be of our church , in which salvation by the acknowledgement of both sides is posible . for answer to this i shall endeavour to shew , that this is so far from being a good argument that it is so intolerably weak and sophistical that any considerate man ought to be asham'd to be catch'd by it . for either it is good of it self and sufficient to perswade a man to relinquish our church , and to pass over to theirs , without entring into the merits of the cause on either side , and without comparing the doctrines and practices of both the churches together , or it is not . if it be not sufficient of it self to perswade a man to leave our church , without comparing the doctrines on both sides , then it is to no purpose , and there is nothing got by it . for if upon examination and comparing of doctrines the one appear to be true and the other false , this alone is a sufficient inducement to any man to cleave to that church where the true doctrine is found ; and then there is no need of this argument . if it be said , that this argument is good in it self without the examination of the doctrines of both churches ; this seems a very strange thing for any man to affirm , that it is reason enough to a man to be of any church , whatever her doctrines and practices be , if she do but damn those that differ from her , and if the church that differs from her do but allow a possibility of salvation in her communion . but they who use this argument , pretend that it is sufficient of it self ; and therefore i shall apply my self to shew , as briefly and plainly as i can , the miserable weakness and insufficiency of it to satisfie any mans conscience or prudence to change his religion . and to this end i shall , . shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies . . give some parallel instances by which it will appear that it concludes false . . i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . . shew how unfit it is to work upon those to whom it is propounded . and . how improper it is to be urged by those that make use of it . i. i shall shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies ; and that is this , that whatever different parties in religion agree in , is safest to be chosen . the true consequence of which principle if it be driven to the head , is to perswade men to forsake christianity , and to make them take up in the principles of natural religion , for in these all religions do agree . for if this principle be true , and signifie any thing , it is dangerous to embrace any thing wherein the several parties in religion differ ; because that only is safe and prudent to be chosen wherein all agree . so that this argument , if the foundation of it be good , will perswade further than those who make use of it desire it should do ; for it will not only make men forsake the protestant religion , but popery too ; & which is much more considerable , christianity it self . ii. i will give some parallel instances by which it will clearly be seen that this argument concludes false . the donatists denied the baptism of the catholicks to be good , but the catholicks acknowledged the baptism of the donatists to be valid . so that both sides were agreed that the baptism of the donatists was good , therefore the safest way for st. austin and other catholicks ( according to this argument ) was to be baptized again by the donatists , because by the acknowledgment of both sides baptism among them was valid . but to come nearer to the church of rome . several in that church hold the personal infallibility of the pope and the lawfulness of deposing and killing kings for heresie to be de fide , that is , necessary articles of faith , and consequently , that whoever does not believe them cannot be saved . but a great many papists , though they believe these things to be no matters of faith , yet they think those that hold them may be saved , and they are generally very favourable towards them . but now , according to this argument , they ought all to be of their opinion in these points , because both sides are agreed that they that hold them may be saved ; but one side positively says that men cannot be saved if they do not hold them . but my text furnisheth me with as good an instance to this purpose as can be desired . st. paul here in the text acknowledgeth the possibility of the salvation of those who built hay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity ; that they might be saved , though with great difficulty , and as it were out of the fire . but now among those builders with hay and stubble there were those who denied the possibility of st. paul's salvation and of those who were of his mind . we are told of some who built the jewish ceremonies and observances upon the foundation of christianity , and said that unless men were circumcised and kept the law of moses they could not be saved . so that by this argument st. paul and hi● followers ought to have gone over to those judaizing christians , because it was acknowledged on both sides that they might be saved . but these judaizing christians were as uncharitable to st. paul and other christians as the church of rome is now to us , for they said positively that they could not be saved . but can any man think that st. paul would have been moved by this argument , to leave a safe and certain way of salvation for that which was only possible , and that with great difficulty and hazard ? the argument you see is the very same , and yet it concludes the wrong way ; which plainly shews that it is a contingent argument , and concludes uncertainly and by chance , and therefore no man ought to be moved by it . iii. i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . i shall mention but these two . . according to this principle it is always safest to be on the uncharitable side . and yet uncharitableness is as bad an evidence , either of a true christian , or a true church , as a man would wish . charity is one of the most essential marks of christianity , and what the apostle saith of particular christians is as true of whole churches , that though they have all faith , yet if they have not charity they are nothing . i grant that no charity teacheth men to see others damned , and not to tell them the danger of their condition . but it is to be consider'd that the damning of men is a very hard thing , and therefore whenever we do it the case must be wonderfully plain . and is it so in this matter ? they of the church of rome cannot deny but that we embrace all the doctrines of our saviour , contain'd in the apostles creed and determined by the four first general councils : and yet they will not allow this and a good life to put us within a possibility of salvation , because we will not submit to all the innovations they would impose upon us . and yet i think there is scarce any doctrine or practice in difference between them and us , which some or other of their most learned writers have not acknowledged either not to be sufficiently contained in scripture , or not to have been held and practised by the primitive church : so that nothing can excuse their uncharitableness towards us . and they pay dear for the little advantage they get by this argument , for they do what in them lies to make themselves no chistians that they may prove themselves the truer and more christian church ; a medium which we do not desire to make use of . . if this argument were good , then by this trick a man may bring over all the world to agree with him in an error which another does not account damnable , whatever it be , provided he do but damn all those that do not hold it ; and there wants nothing but confidence and uncharitableness to do this . but is there any sense , that another mans boldness and want of charity should be an argument to move me to be of his opinion ? i cannot illustrate this better , than by the difference between a skilfull physician and a mountebank . a learned and skilfull physician is modest , and speaks justly of things : he says , that such a method of cure which he hath directed is safe , and withall , that that which the mountebank prescribes may possibly do the work , but there is great hazard and danger in it : but the mountebank , who never talks of any thing less than infallible cures , ( and always the more mountebank , the stronger pretence to infallibility ) he is positive that that method which the physician prescribes will destroy the patient , but his receipt is infallible and never fails . is there any reason in this case , that this man should carry it meerly by his confidence ? and yet if this argument be good , the safest way is to reject the physicians advice and to stick to the mountebanks . for both sides are agreed , that there is a possibility of cure in the mountebank's method , but not in the physician 's ; and so the whole force of the argument lies in the confidence of an ignorant man. iv. this argument is very unfit to work upon those to whom it is propounded : for either they believe we say true in this , or not . if they think we do not , they have no reason to be moved by what we say . if they think we do , why do they not take in all that we say in this matter ? namely , that though it be possible for some in the communion of the roman church to be saved , yet it is very hazardous ; and that they are in a safe condition already in our church . and why then should a bare possibility , accompanied with infinite and apparent hazard , be an argument to any man to run into that danger ? lastly , this argument is very improper to be urged by those who make use of it . half of the strength of it lies in this , that we protestants acknowledge that it is possible a papist may be saved . but why should they lay any stress upon this ? what matter is it what we hereticks say , who are so damnably mistaken in all other things ? methinks , if there were no other reason , yet because we say it , it should seem to them to be unlikely to be true . but i perceive when it serves for their purpose we have some little credit and authority among them . by this time i hope every one is in some measure satisfied of the weakness of this argument , which is so transparent that no wise man can honestly use it , and he must have a very odd understanding that can be cheated by it . the truth is , it is a casual and contingent argument , and sometimes it concludes right , and oftner wrong ; and therefore no prudent man can be moved by it , except only in one case , when all things are so equal on both sides that there is nothing else in the whole world to determine him ; which surely can never happen in matters of religion necessary to be believed . no man is so weak , as not to consider in the change of his religion the merits of the cause it self ; as not to examine the doctrines and practices of the churches on both sides ; as not to take notice of the confidence and charity of both parties , together with all other things which ought to move a conscientious and a prudent man : and if upon enquiry there appear to be a clear advantage on either side , then this argument is needless and comes too late , because the work is already done without it . besides , that the great hazard of salvation in the roman church ( which we declare upon account of the doctrines and practices which i have mentioned ) ought to deter any man much more from that religion , than the acknowledged possibility of salvation in it ought to encourage any man to the embracing of it : never did any christian church build so much hay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity , and therefore those that are saved in it must be saved , as it were , out of the fire . and though purgatory be not meant in the text , yet it is a doctrine very well suited to their manner of building ; for there is need of an ignis purgatorius , of a fire to try their work what it is , and to burn up their hay and stubble . and i have so much charity ( and i desire always to have it ) as to hope , that a great many among them who live piously , and have been almost inevitably detain'd in that church by the prejudice of education and an invinsible ignorance , will upon a general repentance find mercy with god ; and though their work suffer loss and be burnt , yet they themselves may escape , as out of the fire . but as for those who had the opportunities of coming to the knowledge of the truth , if they continue in the errors of that church , or apostatize from the truth , i think their condition so far from being safe that there must be extraordinary favourable circumstances in their case to give a man hopes of their salvation . i have now done with the two things i propounded to speak to . and i am sorry that the necessary defence of our religion , against the restless importunities and attempts of our adversaries upon all sorts of persons hath engaged me to spend so much time in matters of dispute , which i had much rather have employed in another way . many of you can be my witnesses that i have constantly made it my business , in this great presence and assembly to plead against the impieties and wickedness of men , and have endeavoured by the best arguments i could think of , to gain men over to a firm belief and serious practice of the main things of religion . and , i do assure you , i had much rather perswade any one to be a good man , than to be of any party or denomination of christians whatsoever . for i doubt not , but the belief of the ancient creed , provided we entertain nothing that is destructive of it , together with a good life , will certainly save a man ; and without this no man can have reasonable hopes of salvation , no not an infallible church , if there were any such to be found in the world . i have been , according to my opportunities , not a negligent observer of the genius and humour of the several sects and professions in religion . and upon the whole matter , i do in my conscience believe the church of england to be the best constituted church this day in the world ; and that , as to the main , the doctrine and government , and worship of it , are excellently framed to make men soberly religious : securing men on the one hand , from the wild freaks of enthusiasm ; and on the other , from the gross follies of superstition . and our church hath this peculiar advantage above several professions that we know in the world , that it acknowledgeth a due and just subordination to the civil authority , and hath always been untainted in its loyalty . and now shall every trifling consideration be sufficient to move a man to relinquish such a church ? there is no greater disparagement to a mans understanding , no greater argument of a light and ungenerous mind , than rashly to change ones religion . religion is our greatest concernment of all other , and it is not every little argument , no nor a great noise about infallibility , nothing but very plain and convincing evidence , that should sway a man in this case . but they are utterly inexcusable who make a change of such concernment upon the insinuations of one side only , without ever hearing what can be said for the church they were baptized and brought up in before they leave it . they that can yield thus easily to the impressions of every one that hath a design and interest to make proselytes may at this rate of discretion change their religion twice a day , and instead of morning and evening prayer they may have a morning and evening religion . therefore for god's sake , and for our own souls sake , and for the sake of our reputation , let us consider and shew our selves men ; let us not suffer our selves to be shaken and carried away with every wind . let us not run our selves into danger when we may be safe . let us stick to the foundation of religion , the articles of our common belief , and build upon them gold , and silver , and precious stones ; i mean , the vertues and actions of a good life ; and if we would do this , we should not be apt to set such a value upon hay and stubble . if we would sincerely endeavour to live holy and vertuous lives , we should not need to cast about for a religion which may furnish us with easie and indirect ways to get to heaven . i will conclude all with the apostles exhortation , wherefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast and unmovable , always abounding in the work of the lord. now the god of peace which brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , by the bloud of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work , to doe his will ; working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ , to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . finis . advertisements . there is lately published a discourse of the communion in one kind : in answer to a treatise of the bishop of meaux's of communion under both species . in quarto . there is now in the press a discourse against transubstantiation : formerly printed in quarto , but now in octavo , and sold for three pence for general benefit . by b. aylmer . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * tully . * aristides . a sermon concerning the unity of the divine nature and the b. trinity by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) a sermon concerning the unity of the divine nature and the b. trinity by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for b. aylmer ..., and w. rogers ..., london : . marginal notes. this item can be found at reels : and : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. item at : incorrectly called t in umi wing reel guide. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- timothy, st, ii, -- sermons. trinity -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon concerning the unity of the divine nature and the b. trinity . by john lord archbishop of canterbury . london : printed for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons in cornhill : and w. rogers , at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . a sermon concerning the unity of the divine nature , and the b. trinity , &c. tim . ii. . for there is one god. the particle for leads us to the consideration of the context and occasion of these words , which in short is this . the design of this epistle is to direct timothy , to whom st. paul had committed the government of the church of ephesus , how he ought to demean himself in that great and weighty charge . and at the beginning of this chapter he gives direction concerning publick prayers in the church ; that prayers and thanksgiving be made for all men , and for all ranks and orders of men ; especially for kings and all that are in authority , that under them christians might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty . and this he tells us was very suitable to the christian religion , by which god designed the salvation of mankind ; and therefore it must needs be very acceptable to him that we should offer up prayers and thanksgivings to him in behalf of all men : for this , saith the apostle , is good and acceptable in the sight of god our saviour , who will have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth . and then it follows in the next words , for there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , who gave himself a ransome for all : as if he had said , this universal charity of christians , in praying for all men , must needs be very acceptable to him to whom we put up our prayers , god the father , who sent his son for the salvation of all men : and to him likewise by whom we offer up our prayers to god , and is among us christians the only mediator between god and men , in virtue of that price and ransome which he paid for the redemption of all mankind : i say , for this reason it must needs be very acceptable to him that we should pray for all men , because he dyed for all men , and now that he is in heaven at the right hand of god intercedes with him for the salvation of those for whom he dyed : there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , who gave himself a ransome for all . which words , though they be brought in to prove more immediately that it is acceptable to god our saviour , that we should put up prayers to him for all men , because he desires the salvation of all men , and hath sent his son to purchase the salvation of all men , by the sacrifice of himself ; and in virtue of that sacrifice to be the only mediator between god and us : i say , though this be the immediate scope and design of these words , yet they are likewise a direction to us , unto whom we ought to address our prayers , namely , to god ; and by whose mediation and intercession we ought to put up our prayers to god the father , namely , by his son jesus christ , who is constituted the only mediator between god and men. there are several propositions contained in this and the following verse ; but i shall at present confine my self to the first , namely , that there is one god , that is , but one , as st. paul elsewhere expresseth it , there is none other god but one. and moses lays this as the foundation of the natural law , as well as of the jewish religion , the lord he is one god , and there is none besides him , that is , besides jehovah , whom the people of israel did worship as the only true god. and this the prophet isaiah perpetually declares in opposition to the polytheism and variety of gods among the heathen . i am the first , and i am the last , and besides me there is no god. and again , is there any god besides me ? there is no god , i know not any : he , who hath an infinite knowledge and knows all things , knows no other god. and our b. saviour makes this the fundamental article of all religion , and the knowledge of it necessary to every man's salvation , this , says he , is life eternal , to know thee the only true god. the unity of the divine nature is a notion wherein the greatest and the wisest part of mankind did always agree , and therefore may reasonably be presumed to be either natural , or to have sprung from some original tradition delivered down to us from the first parents of mankind : i mean , that there is one supreme being , the author and cause of all things , whom the most ancient of the heathen poets commonly called the father of gods and men . and thus aristotle in his metaphysicks defines god , the eternal and most excellent , or best of all living beings . and this notion , of one supreme being , agrees very well with that exact harmony which appears in the frame and government of the world , in which we see all things conspiring to one end , and continuing in one uniform order and course ; which cannot reasonably be ascribed to any other but a constant and uniform cause ; and which to a considering man does plainly shew that all things are made and governed by that one powerful principle , and great and wise mind which we call god. but although the generality of mankind had a notion of one supreme god , yet the idolatry of the heathen plainly shews that this notion , in process of time , was greatly degenerated , and corrupted into an apprehension of a plurality of gods ; though in reason it is evident enough , that there can be no more gods than one ; and that one , who is of infinite perfection , is as sufficient to all purposes whatsoever , as ten thousand deities , if they were possible , could possibly be ; as i shall shew in the following discourse . now this multitude of deities , which the fond superstition and vain imagination of men had formed to themselves , were by the wiser sort , who being forced to comply with the follies of the people endeavoured to make the best of them , supposed to be either parts of the universe which the egyptians , as plutarch tells us , thought to be the same with god ; but then the more considerable parts of the universe they parcelled out into several deities ; and as the ocean hath several names , according to the several coasts and countries by which it passeth ; so they gave several names to this one deity according to the several parts of the world which several nations made the objects of their worship . or else , they adored the several perfections and powers of the one supreme god under several names and titles , with regard to the various blessings and benefits which they thought they received from them . thus the indian philosophers , the brachmans , are said to have worshipped the sun as the supreme deity ; and he certainly is the most worshipful of all sensible beings , and bids fairest for a deity ; especially if he was , as they supposed , animated by a spirit endued with knowledg and understanding . and if a man , who had been bred in a dark cave , should all on the sudden be brought out at noon-day to behold this visible world ; after he had viewed and consider'd it awhile , he would in all probability pitch upon the sun as the most likely , of all the things he had seen , to be a deity . for if such a man had any notion of a god , and were to chuse one upon sight , he would without dispute fix upon the sun , and fall down before him and worship him. and macrobius manageth this as his main plea for the idolatry of the heathen ; that under all the several names of their gods they worshipped the sun : and this diversity of names was but a more distinct conception and acknowledgment of the many blessings and advantages which mankind received from him , and a more particular and express adoration of the several powers and perfections which were in him. and this was the very best defence , and all the tolerable sense which the wisest among the heathen could make of the multitude of their deities . and yet whilst they generally owned one supreme being that was the principle and original of all things , they worshipped several subordinate deities as really distinct from one another . some of these they fancied to be superior to the rest and to have their residence in heaven ; by which marsilius ficinus supposes plato to mean no more but the chief of the angels . these were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , dij superi and dij caelestes , superior and heavenly gods : the scripture terms them the host of heaven , meaning the sun , moon and stars , which they supposed to be animated , or at least to be inhabited by angels , or glorious spirits , whom they called gods. other of their deities were accounted much inferior to these , being supposed to be the souls of their deceased heroes ; who for their great and worthy deeds , when they lived upon earth , were supposed after death to be translated into the number of their gods. and these were called semidei and deastri , that is , half gods and a sort of gods : and as the other were celestial , so these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of terrestrial spirits that were presidents and procurators of human affairs here below , that is , a middle sort of divine powers that were mediators and agents between god and men , and did carry the prayers and supplications of men to god , and bring down the commands and blessings of god to men. but in the midst of all this crowd and confusion of deities , and the various superstitions about them , the wiser heathen , as thales , pythagoras , socrates , plato , aristotle , tully , plutarch and others , preserved a true notion of one supreme god , whom they defined an infinite spirit , pure from all matter and free from all imperfection : and all the variety of their worship was , as they pretended in excuse of it , but a more particular owning of the various representations of the divine power and excellencies which manifested themselves in the world , and of the several communications of blessings and favours by them imparted to men : nay , tertullian tells us , that even when idolatry had very much obscured the glory of the sovereign deity , yet the greater part of mankind did still in their common forms of speech appropriate the name of god in a more especial and peculiar manner to one , saying , if god grant , if god please , and the like . so that there is sufficient ground to believe that the unity of the divine nature , or the notion of one supreme god , creator and governor of the world , was the primitive and general belief of mankind : and that polytheism and idolatry were a corruption and degeneracy from the original notion which mankind had concerning god ; as the scripture-history doth declare and testify . and this account which i have given of the heathen idolatry doth by no means excuse it . for whatever may be said by way of extenuation in behalf of the wiser and more devout among them , the generality were grossly guilty both of believing more gods , and of worshipping false gods. and this must needs be a very great crime , since the scripture every where declares god to be particularly jealous in this case , and that he will not give his glory to another , nor his praise to graven images . nay , we may not so much as make use of sensible images to put us in mind of god , lest devout ignorance , seeing the worship which wise men paid towards an idol , should be drawn to terminate their worship there , as being the very deity itself ; which was certainly the case of the greatest part of the heathen world. and surely those christians are in no less danger of idolatry , who pay a veneration to images by kneeling down and praying before them ; and in this they are much more inexcusable , because they offend against a much clearer light ; and yet when they go about to justify this practice are able to bring no other nor better pleas for themselves than the heathen did for their worshiping of images , and for praying to their inferior deities , whom they looked upon as mediators between the gods in heaven and men upon earth . there is but one objection , that i know of , against the general consent of mankind concerning the unity of god ; and it is this , that there was an ancient doctrine of some of the most ancient nations , that there were two first causes or principles of all things ; the one the cause of all good , and the other of all the evil that is in the world : the reason whereof seems to have been , that they could not apprehend how things of so contrary a nature , as good and evil , could proceed from one and the same cause . and these two principles in several nations were called by several names . plutarch says that among the greeks the good principle was called god , and the evil principle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the devil . in conformity to which ancient tradition the manichees , a sect which called themselves christians , did advance two principles , the one infinitely good , which they supposed to be the original cause of all the good which is in the world ; the other infinitely evil , to which they ascribed all the evils that are in the world. but all this is very plainly a corruption of a much more ancient tradition concerning that old serpent the devil , the head of the fallen angels , who by tempting our first parents to transgress a positive and express law of god brought sin first into the world and all the evils consequent upon it ; of which the scripture gives us a most express and particular account . and as to the notion of a being infinitely evil , into which this tradition was corrupted , after idolatry had prevailed in the world , besides that it is a contradiction , it would likewise be to no purpose to assert two opposite principles of infinite , that is of equal force and power , for two infinites must of necessity be equal to one another ; because nothing can be more or greater than infinite , and therefore if two infinite beings were possible they would certainly be equal , and could not be otherwise . now that the notion of a principle infinitely evil is a contradiction will be very plain , if we consider that what is infinitely evil must in strict reasoning , and by necessary consequence , be infinitely imperfect ; and therefore infinitely weak , and for that reason , though never so malicious and mischievous , yet being infinitely weak and foolish , could never be in a capacity either to contrive mischief or to execute it . but if it should be admitted that a being infinitely mischievous could be infinitely knowing and powerful , yet it could effect no evil ; because the opposite principle of infinite goodness , being also infinitely wife and powerful , they would tye up one anothers hands . so that upon this supposition the notion of a deity must signify just nothing , because by virtue of the eternal opposition and equal conflict of these two principles they would keep one another at a perpetual baye ; and being just an equal match to one another , the one having as much mind and power to do good as the other to do evil , instead of being two deities they would be but two idols , able to do neither good nor evil . and having , i hope , now sufficiently cleared this objection , i shall proceed to shew how agreeable this principle , that there is but one god , is to the common reason of mankind , and to the clearest and most essential notions which we have of god : and this will appear these two ways . first , by considering the most essential perfections of the divine nature . secondly , from the repugnancy and impossibility , the great absurdity and inconvenience of supposing more gods than one. first , by considering the most essential perfections of the divine nature . absolute perfection which we ascribe to god , as the most essential notion which mankind hath always had concerning him , does necessarily suppose unity ; because this is essential to the notion of a being that is absolutely perfect , that all perfection meets and is united in such a being : but to imagine more gods , and some perfections to be in one and some in another , does destroy the most essential notion which men have of god , namely , that he is a being absolutely perfect , that is , as perfect as is possible : now to suppose some perfections in one god which are not in another , is to suppose some possible perfection to be wanting in god , which is a contradiction to the most natural and the most easie notion which all men have of god , that he is a being in whom all perfections do meet and are united : but if we suppose more gods , each of which hath all perfections united in him , then all but one would be superfluous and needless ; and therefore by just and necessary consequence not only may , but of necessity must be supposed not to be ; since necessary existence is essential to the deity ; and therefore if but one god be necessary , there can be no more . secondly , from the repugnancy and impossibility , the great absurdity and inconvenience of the contrary . for suppose there were more gods , two for example ; and if there may be two there may be a million , for we can stop no where : i say , suppose two gods ; either these two would be in all perfections equal and alike , or unequal and unlike : if equal and alike in all things then , as i said before , one of them would be needless and superfluous , and if one why not as well the other ? they being supposed to be in all things perfectly alike ; and then there would be no necessity at all of the being of a god ; and yet it is granted on all hands that necessary existence is essential to the notion of a god : but if they be unequal , that is , one of them inferior to and less perfect than the other , that which is inferior and less perfect could not be god , because he would not have all perfection . so that which way soever we turn the thing and look upon it , the notion of more gods than one is by its own repugnancy and self-contradiction destructive of it self . before i come to apply this doctrine of the unity of god , i must not pass by a very considerable difficulty , which will most certainly arise in every mans mind ; without taking particular notice of it , and endeavouring to remove it , if i can . and it is the doctrine of the b. trinity , or of three real differences or distinct persons in one and the same divine nature . and though this be not a difficulty peculiar only to the christian religion , as by the generality of those who urge this objection against christians hath been inconsiderately thought ; for it is certain , that long before christianity appeared in the world , there was a very ancient tradition , both among jews and heathen , concerning three real differences or distinctions in the divine nature , very nearly resembling the christian doctrine of the trinity , as i shall have occasion more fully to shew by and by : yet it cannot be denied , but that this difficulty doth in a more especial manner affect the christian religion ; the generality of christians , who do most firmly believe the trinity , believing likewise at the same time , more stedfastly if it be possible , that there is but one god. to us , saith st. paul , that is , to us christians , there is but one god. but how can this possibly consist with the common doctrine of christians concerning the trinity , god the father , son , and h. ghost , to each of whom they attribute , as they verily believe the scripture does , the most incommunicable properties and perfections of the divine nature ? and what is this less in effect than to say , that there are three gods ? for the clearing of this difficulty i shall , with all the brevity i can , offer these following considerations ; which i hope , to an impartial and unprejudiced judgment , will be sufficient to remove it , or at least to break the main force and strength of it . i. i desire it may be well considered , that there is a wide difference between the nice speculations of the schools , beyond what is revealed in scripture , concerning the doctrine of the trinity , and what the scripture only teaches and asserts concerning this mystery . for it is not to be denied but that the schoolmen , who abounded in wit and leisure , though very few among them had either exact skill in the h. scriptures , or in ecclesiastical antiquity and the writings of the ancient fathers of the christian church : i say , it cannot be denied but that these speculative and very acute men , who wrought a great part of their divinity out of their own brains as spiders do cobwebs out of their own bowels , have started a thousand subtleties about this mystery , such as no christian is bound to trouble his head withal ; much less is it necessary for him to understand those niceties which we may reasonably presume that they who talk of them did themselves never thoroughly understand ; and least of all is it necessary to believe them . the modesty of christians is contented in divine mysteries to know what god hath thought fit to reveal concerning them , and hath no curiosity to be wise above that which is written . it is enough to believe what god says concerning these matters ; and if any man will venture to say more , every other man surely is at his liberty to believe as he sees reason . ii. i desire it may in the next place be considered , that the doctrine of the trinity , even as it is asserted in scripture , is acknowledged by us to be still a great mystery , and so imperfectly revealed as to be in a great measure incomprehensible by human reason . and therefore though some learned and judicious men may have very commendably attempted a more particular explication of this great mystery by the strength of reason , yet i dare not pretend to that , knowing both the difficulty and danger of such an attempt , and mine own insufficiency for it . all that i ever designed upon this argument was to make out the credibility of the thing from the authority of the h. scriptures , without descending to a more particular explication of it than the scripture hath given us ; lest by endeavouring to lay the difficulties which are already started about it new ones should be raised , and such as may perhaps be much harder to be removed than those which we have now to grapple withal . and this i hope i have in some measure done in one of the former discourses . nor indeed do i see that it is any ways necessary to do more ; it being sufficient that god hath declared what he thought fit in this matter , and that we do firmly believe what he says concerning it to be true , though we do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of all that he hath said about it . for in this and the like cases i take an implicite faith to be very commendable , that is , to believe whatever we are sufficiently assured god hath revealed , though we do not fully understand his meaning in such a revelation . and thus every man who believes the h. scriptures to be a truly divine revelation does implicitely believe a great part of the prophetical books of scripture and several obscure expressions in those books , though he do not particularly understand the meaning of all the predictions and expressions contained in them . in like manner , there are certainly a great many very good christians who do not believe and comprehend the mysteries of faith nicely enough to approve themselves to a scholastical and magisterial judge of controversies , who yet if they do heartily embrace the doctrines which are clearly revealed in scripture and live up to the plain precepts of the christian religion , will i doubt not be very well approved by the great and just , and by the infallibly infallible judge of the world. iii. let it be further considered , that though neither the word trinity , nor perhaps person , in the sense in which it is used by divines when they treat of this mystery , be any where to be met with in scripture ; yet it cannot be denied but that three are there spoken of by the names of father , son , and h. ghost , in whose name every christian is baptized , and to each of whom the highest titles and properties of god are in scripture attributed : and these three are spoken of with as much distinction from one another as we use to speak of three several persons . so that though the word trinity be not found in scripture , yet these three are there expresly and frequently mentioned ; and trinity is nothing but three of any thing . and so likewise though the word person be not there expresly applied to father , son , and h. ghost ; yet it will be very hard to find a more convenient word whereby to express the distinction of these three ▪ for which reason i could never yet see any just cause to quarrel at this term . for since the h. spirit of god in scripture hath thought fit in speaking of these three to distinguish them from one another , as we use in common speech to distinguish three several persons , i cannot see any reason why , in the explication of this mystery which purely depends upon divine revelation , we should not speak of it in the same manner as the scripture doth : and though the word person is now become a term of art , i see no cause why we should decline it , so long as we mean by it neither more nor less than what the scripture says in other words . iv. it deserves further to be considered , that there hath been a very ancient tradition concerning three real differences or distinctions in the divine nature ; and these , as i said before , very nearly resembling the christian doctrine of the trinity . whence this tradition had its original is not easie upon good and certain grounds to say ; but certain it is that the jews anciently had this notion : and that they did distinguish the word of god , and the h. spirit of god , from him who was absolutely called god , and whom they looked upon as the first principle of all things ; as is plain from philo judaeus , and moses nachmanides , and others cited by the learned grotius in his incomparable book of the truth of the christian religion . and among the heathen , plato ; who probably enough might have this notion from the jews , did make three distinctions in the deity by the names of essential goodness , and mind , and spirit . so that whatever objections this matter may be liable to , it is not so peculiar a doctrine of the christian religion as many have imagined , though it is revealed by it with much more clearness and certainty : and consequently , neither the jews nor plato have any reason to object it to us christians ; especially since they pretend no other ground for it but either their own reason , or an ancient tradition from their fathers : whereas we christians do appeal to express divine revelation for what we believe in this matter , and do believe it singly upon that account . v. it is besides very considerable , that the scriptures do deliver this doctrine of the trinity without any manner of doubt or question concerning the unity of the divine nature : and not only so , but do most stedfastly and constantly assert that there is but one god : and in those very texts , in which these three differences are mentioned , the unity of the divine nature is expresly asserted ; and where st. john makes mention of the father , the word , and the spirit , the unity of these three is likewise affirmed , there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit ; and these three are one. vi. it is yet further considerable , that from this mystery , as delivered in scripture , a plurality of gods cannot be inferred without making the scripture grosly to contradict it self ; which i charitably suppose the socinians would be as loth to admit as we our selves are . and if either councils , or fathers , or schoolmen , have so explained this mystery as to give any just ground , or so much as a plausible colour for such an inference , let the blame fall where it is due , and let it not be charged on the h. scriptures ; but rather , as the apostle says in another case , let god be true , and every man a liar . viithly and lastly , i desire it may be considered , that it is not repugnant to reason to believe some things which are incomprehensible by our reason ; provided that we have sufficient ground and reason for the belief of them : especially if they be concerning god , who is in his nature incomprehensible ; and we be well assured that he hath revealed them . and therefore it ought not to offend us that these differences in the deity are incomprehensible by our finite understandings ; because the divine nature it self is so , and yet the belief of that is the foundation of all religion . there are a great many things in nature which we cannot comprehend how they either are , or can be : as the continuity of matter , that is , how the parts of it do hang so fast together that they are many times very hard to be parted ; and yet we are sure that it is so , because we see it every day . so likewise how the small seeds of things contain the whole form and nature of the things from which they proceed and into which by degrees they grow ; and yet we plainly see this every year . there are many things likewise in our selves , which no man is able in any measure to comprehend , as to the manner how they are done and performed : as the vital union of soul and body : who can imagine by what device or means a spirit comes to be so closely united and so firmly link'd to a material body , that they are not to be parted without great force and violence offer'd to nature ? the like may be said of the operations of our several faculties of sense and imagination , of memory and reason , and especially of the liberty of our wills : and yet we certainly find all these faculties in our selves , though we cannot either comprehend or explain the particular manner in which the several operations of them are performed . and if we cannot comprehend the manner of those operations which we plainly perceive and feel to be be in our selves , much less can we expect to comprehend things without us ; and least of all can we pretend to comprehend the infinite nature and perfections of god , and every thing belonging to him. for god himself is certainly the greatest mystery of all other , and acknowledged by mankind to be in his nature , and in the particular manner of his existence , incomprehensible by human understanding . and the reason of this is very evident , because god is infinite , and our knowledge and understanding is but finite ; and yet no sober man ever thought this a good reason to call the being of god in question . the same may be said of god's certain foreknowledge of future contingencies which depend upon the uncertain wills of free agents : it being utterly inconceivable how any understanding , how large and perfect soever , can certainly know beforehand that which depends upon the free will of another , which is an arbitrary and uncertain cause . and yet the scripture doth not only attribute this foreknowledg to god , but gives us also plain instances of gods foretelling such things , many ages before they happen'd , as could not come to pass but by the sins of men , in which we are sure that god can have no hand ; though nothing can happen without his permission : such was that most memorable event of the death of christ who , as the scripture tells us , was by wicked hands crucified and slain ; and yet even this is said to have happened according to the determinate foreknowledg of god , and was punctually foretold by him some hundreds of years before . nay , the scripture doth not only ascribe this power and perfection to the divine knowledge , but natural reason hath been forced to acknowledg it , as we may see in some of the wisest of the philosophers . and yet it would puzzle the greatest philosopher that ever was , to give any tolerable account how any knowledg whatsoever can certainly and infallibly foresee an event through uncertain and contingent causes . all the reasonable satisfaction that can be had in this matter is this , that it is not at all unreasonable to suppose that infinite knowledg may have ways of knowing things which our finite understandings can by no means comprehend how they can possibly be known . again , there is hardly any thing more inconceivable than how a thing should be of it self , and without any cause of its being ; and yet our reason compels us to acknowledge this : because we certainly see that something is , which must either have been of it self and without a cause , or else something that we do not see must have been of it self and have made all other things : and by this reasoning we are forced to acknowledg a deity , the mind of man being able to find no rest but in the acknowledgment of one eternal and wise mind as the principle and first cause of all other things ; and this principle is that which mankind do by general consent call god. so that god hath laid a sure foundation of our acknowledgment of his being in the reason of our own minds : and though it be one of the hardest things in the world to conceive how any thing can be of it self , yet necessity drives us to acknowledge it whether we will or no : and this being once granted , our reason , being tired in trying all other ways , will for its own quiet and ease force us at last to fall in with the general apprehension and belief of mankind concerning a deity . to give but one instance more ; there is the like difficulty in conceiving how any thing can be made out of nothing ; and yet our reason doth oblige us to believe it : because matter , which is a very imperfect being and merely passive , must either always have been of it self ; or else , by the infinite power of a most perfect and active being , must have been made out of nothing : which is much more credible , than that any thing so imperfect as matter is should be of it self : because that which is of it self cannot be conceived to have any bounds and limits of its being and perfection ; for by the same reason that it necessarily is and of it self , it must necessarily have all perfection , which it is certain matter hath not ; and yet necessary existence is so great a perfection , that we cannot reasonably suppose any thing that hath this perfection to want any other . thus you see , by these instances , that it is not repugnant to reason to believe a great many things to be , of the manner of whose existence we are not able to give a particular and distinct account . and much less is it repugnant to reason to believe those things concerning god which we are very well assured he hath declared concerning himself , though these things by our reason should be incomprehensible . and this is truly the case as to the matter now under debate : we are sufficiently assured that the scriptures are a divine revelation , and that this mystery of the trinity is therein declared to us . now that we cannot comprehend it , is no sufficient reason not to believe it : for if this were a good reason for not believing it , then no man ought to believe that there is a god , because his nature is most certainly incomprehensible . but we are assured by many arguments that there is a god ; and the same natural reason which assures us that he is , doth likewise assure us that he is incomprehensible ; and therefore our believing him to be so doth by no means overthrow our belief of his being . in like manner , we are assured by divine revelation of the truth of this doctrine of the trinity ; and being once assured of that , our not being able fully to comprehend it is not reason enough to stagger our belief of it . a man cannot deny what he sees , though the necessary consequence of admitting it may be something which he cannot comprehend . one cannot deny the frame of this world which he sees with his eyes , though from thence it will necessarily follow that either that or something else must be of it self ; which yet , as i said before , is a thing which no man can comprehend how it can be . and by the same reason a man must not deny what god says , to be true ; though he cannot comprehend many things which god says : as particularly concerning this mystery of the trinity . it ought then to satisfy us that there is sufficient evidence that this doctrine is delivered in scripture , and that what is there declared concerning it doth not imply a contradiction . for why should our finite understandings pretend to comprehend that which is infinite , or to know all the real differences that are consistent with the unity of an infinite being ; or to be able fully to explain this mystery by any similitude or resemblance taken from finite beings ? but before i leave this argument , i cannot but take notice of one thing which they of the church of rome are perpetually objecting to us upon this occasion . and it is this , that by the same reason that we believe the doctrine of the trinity , we may and must receive that of transubstantiation . god forbid : because of all the doctrines that ever were in any religion , this of transubstantiation is certainly the most abominably absurd . however , this objection plainly shews how fondly and obstinately they are addicted to their own errors , how mishapen and monstrous soever ; insomuch that rather than the dictates of their church , how absurd soever , should be called in question they will question the truth even of christianity it self ; and if we will not take in transubstantiation , and admit it to be a necessary article of the christian faith , they grow so sullen and desperate that they matter not what becomes of all the rest : and rather than not have their will of us in that what is controverted , they will give up that which by their own confession is an undoubted article of the christian faith and not controverted on either side ; except only by the socinians , who yet are hearty enemies to transubstantiation , and have exposed the absurdity of it with great advantage . but i shall endeavour to return a more particular answer to this objection ; and such a one as i hope will satisfy every considerate and unprejudiced mind , that after all this confidence and swaggering of theirs there is by no means equal reason either for the receiving or for the rejecting of these two doctrines of the trinity and transubstantiation . first , there is not equal reason for the belief of these two doctrines . this objection , if it be of any force , must suppose that there is equal evidence and proof from scripture for these two doctrines : but this we utterly deny , and with great reason ; because it is no more evident from the words of scripture that the sacramental bread is substantially changed into christ's natural body by virtue of those words , this is my body , than it is that christ is substantially changed into a natural vine by virtue of those words , i am the true vine ; or than that the rock in the wilderness , of which the israelites drank , was substantially changed into the person of christ , because it is expresly said , that rock was christ ; or than that the christian church is substantially changed into the natural body of christ , because it is in express terms said of the church , that it is his body . but besides this , several of their own most learned writers have freely acknowledged , that transubstantiation can neither be directly proved , nor necessarily concluded from scripture : but this the writers of the christian church did never acknowledge concerning the trinity , and the divinity of christ ; but have always appealed to the clear and undeniable testimonies of scripture for the proof of these doctrines . and then the whole force of the objection amounts to this , that if i am bound to believe what i am sure god says , though i cannot comprehend it ; then i am bound by the same reason to believe the greatest absurdity in the world , though i have no manner of assurance of any divine revelation concerning it . and if this be their meaning , though we understand not transubstantiation , yet we very well understand what they would have , but cannot grant it ; because there is not equal reason to believe two things , for one of which there is good proof , and for the other no proof at all . secondly , neither is there equal reason for the rejecting of these two doctrines . this the objection supposes , which yet cannot be supposed but upon one or both of these two grounds : either because these two doctrines are equally incomprehensible , or because they are equally loaded with absurdities and contradictions . the first is no good ground of rejecting any doctrine , merely because it is incomprehensible ; as i have abundantly shew'd already . but besides this , there is a wide difference between plain matters of sense , and mysteries concerning god ; and it does by no means follow that , if a man do once admit any thing concerning god which he cannot comprehend , he hath no reason afterwards to believe what he himself sees . this is a most unreasonable and destructive way of arguing , because it strikes at the foundation of all certainty , and sets every man at liberty to deny the most plain and evident truths of christianity , if he may not be humor'd in having the absurdest things in the world admitted for true . the next step will be to persuade us that we may as well deny the being of god because his nature is incomprehensible by our reason , as deny transubstantiation because it evidently contradicts our senses . dly . nor are these two doctrines loaded with the like absurdities and contradictions : so far from this , that the doctrine of the trinity , as it is delivered in the scriptures , and hath already been explained , hath no absurdity or contradiction either involved in it , or necessarily consequent upon it : but the doctrine of transubstantiation is big with all imaginable absurdity and contradiction . and their own schoolmen have sufficiently exposed it ; especially scotus , and he designed to do so , as any man that attentively reads him may plainly discover : for in his disputation about it he treats this doctrine with the greatest contempt , as a new invention of the council of lateran under pope innocent iii. to the decree of which council concerning it he seems to pay a formal submission , but really derides it as contrary to the common sense and reason of mankind , and not at all supported by scripture ; as any one may easily discern that will carefully consider his manner of handling it and the result of his whole disputation about it . and now suppose there were some appearance of absurdity and contradiction in the doctrine of the trinity as it is delivered in scripture , must we therefore believe a doctrine which is not at all revealed in scripture , and which hath certainly in it all the absurdities in the world , and all the contradictions to sense and reason ; and which once admitted , doth at once destroy all certainty . yes , say they , why not ? since we of the church of rome are satisfied that this doctrine is revealed in scripture ; or , if it be not , is defined by the church , which is every whit as good . but is this equal , to demand of us the belief of a thing which hath always been controverted , not only between us and them , but even among themselves , at least till the council of trent ? and this upon such unreasonable terms , that we must either yield this point to them or else renounce a doctrine agreed on both sides to be revealed in scripture . to shew the unreasonableness of this proceeding , let us suppose a priest of the church of rome pressing a jew or turk to the belief of transubstantiation , and because one kindness deserves another , the jew or turk should demand of him the belief of all the fables in the talmud , or in the alchoran ; since none of these , nor indeed all of them together , are near so absurd as transubstantiation : would not this be much more reasonable and equal than what they demand of us ? since no absurdity , how monstrous and big soever , can be thought of , which may not enter into an understanding in which a breach hath been already made wide enough to admit transubstantiation . the priests of baal did not half so much deserve to be exposed by the prophet for their superstition and folly , as the priests of the church of rome do for this sensless and stupid doctrine of theirs with a hard name . i shall only add this one thing more , that if this doctrine were possible to be true , and clearly prov'd to be so ; yet it would be evidently useless and to no purpose . for it pretends to change the substance of one thing into the substance of another thing that is already and before this change is pretended to be made . but to what purpose ? not to make the body of christ , for that was already in being ; and the substance of the bread is lost , nothing of it remaineth but the accidents which are good for nothing , and indeed are nothing when the substance is destroy'd and gone . all that now remains is to make some practical inferences from this doctrine of the unity of the divine nature . and they shall be the same which god himself makes by moses , which text also is cited by our saviour , hear , o israel , the lord thy god is one lord ; and thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thine heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind , and with all thy strength : and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . so that according to our saviour the whole duty of man , the love of god and of our neighbour is founded in the unity of the divine nature . i. the love of god ; the lord thy god is one lord , therefore thou shalt love him with all thy heart , &c. this is the first and great commandment : and it comprehends in it all the duties of the first table as naturally flowing from it . as that we should serve him only , and pay no religious worship to any but to him. for to pay religious worship to any thing is to make it a god and to acknowledge it for such : and therefore god being but one we can give religious worship to none but to him only . and among all the parts of religious worship none is more peculiarly appropriated to the deity than solemn invocation and prayer . for he to whom men address their requests , at all times , and in all places , must be supposed to be always every where present , to understand all our desires and wants , and to be able to supply them ; and this god only is , and can do . so likewise from the unity of the divine nature may be inferr'd , that we should not worship god by any sensible image or representation : because god being a singular being there is nothing like him , or that can without injuring and debasing his most spiritual and perfect and immense being be compared to him : as he himself speaks in the prophet , to whom will ye liken me , saith the lord , and make me equal ? and therefore with no distinction whatsoever can it be lawful to give religious worship , or any part of it , to any but god : we can pray to none but to him , because he only is every where present , and only knows the hearts of all the children of men ; which solomon gives as the reason why we should address our supplications to god only , who dwelleth in the heavens . so that the reason of these two precepts is founded in the unity and singularity of the divine nature , and unless there be more gods than one , we must worship him only , and pray to none but him : because we can give invocation to none but to him only whom we believe to be god ; as st. paul reasons , how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? ii. the love likewise of our neighbour is founded in the unity of the divine nature , and may be inferr'd from it : hear , o israel , the lord thy god is one lord , therefore thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . and the apostle gives this reason why christians should be at unity among themselves ; there is one god and father of all , and therefore we should keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , that is , live in mutual love and peace . the prophet likewise assigns this reason why all mankind should be upon good terms with one another , and not be injurious one to another , have we not all one father ? hath not one god created us ? why do we then deal treacherously every man against his brother . and therefore when we see such hatred and enmity among men , such divisions and animosities among christians , we may not only ask st. paul's question , is christ divided ? that we cannot agree about serving him ; either all to serve him in one way , or to bear with one another in our differences : i say we may not only ask st. paul's question , is christ divided ? but may ask further , is god divided ? is there not one god , and are we not all his offspring ? are we not all the sons of adam , who was the son of god ? so that if we trace our selves to our original , we shall find a great nearness and equality among men : and this equality that we are all gods creatures and image , and that the one only god is the father of us all , is a more real ground of mutual love , and peace , and equity in our dealings one with another , than any of those petty differences and distinctions of strong and weak , of rich and poor , of wise and foolish , of base and honourable , can be to encourage men to any thing of insolence , injustice , and inequality of dealing one towards another . because that wherein we all agree , that we are the creatures and children of god and have all one common father , is essential and constant ; but those things wherein we differ are accidental and mutable , and happen to one another by turns . thus much may suffice to have spoken concerning the first proposition in the text , there is one god : to him , father , son , and h. ghost be all honour and glory , dominion and power , now and for ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cor. . . deut. . . isai. . . v. . adversus marcionem , l. . c. . cor. . . serm. ii. l. . joh. . . eph. . . deut. . . mark ▪ . , , . isai. . . kings . . rom. . . eph. . . mal. . . the indispensable necessity of the knowledge of the holy scripture in order to man's eternal salvation and ignorance therein, the mother of idolatry and superstition asserted in a sermon / preached by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the indispensable necessity of the knowledge of the holy scripture in order to man's eternal salvation and ignorance therein, the mother of idolatry and superstition asserted in a sermon / preached by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for will. norris ..., london : . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng freedom of religion -- sermons. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the indispensable necessity of the knowledge of the holy scripture , in order to man's eternal salvation and ignorance therein ; the mother of idolatry and superstition asserted in a sermon , preached by john tillotson d. d. and dean of canterbury . matthew . xxiii . . ●o unto you scribes and pharisees , hypocrites ; for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men , and ye neither go in your selves , neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in . imprimatur , c. a. nov. . . london , ●●inted for will. norris at the maiden-head in holbourn , . price stitched three pence . matthew xxiii . . woe unto you scribes and pharisees , hypocrites ; for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ; and ye neither go in your selves , nor suffer ye them that are entring in . the scribes so often mentioned in the gospel , were the great doctors among the jews , the teachers and interpreters of the law of god. and because many of them were of the sect of the pharisees , which above all others pretended to ●kill and knowledge in the law , therefore it is our blessed saviour does so often put the scribes and pha●isees together . and these were the men of chief au●hority in the jewish church ; who equalled their ●wn unwritten word and traditions with the law ●f god : nay , our saviour tells us , they made the commandments of god of none effect by their traditions . they did in effect assume to themselves infallibility ; ●nd all that opposed and contradicted them , they brand●d with the odious name of hereticks . against these ●ur saviour denounceth this woe here in the text , woe ●nto you scribes and pharisees , hypocrites , for ye shut up ●●e kingdom of heaven against men , &c. all the difficulty in the words is , what is here ●eant by shutting up the kingdom of heaven against men : ● . luke expresseth it more plainly , ye have taken away ●●e key of knowledge , ye entred not into your selves , and ●●em that were entring in , ye hindred . by putting these ●●o expressions together , we shall the more easily ●●me at the meaning of the text. ye have taken away 〈◊〉 key of knowledge , and have shut up the kingdom of ●●aven against men. this metaphor of the 〈…〉 knowledge is undoubtedly an allusion to that known custom among the jews in the admission of their doctors . for to whomsoever they gave authority to interpret the law and the prophets , they were solemnly admitted into that office by delivering to them a key and a table-book . so that by the key of knowledge is here meant the interpretation and understanding of the scriptures ; and by taking away the key of knowledge , not only that they arrogated to themselves alone the understanding of the scriptures , but likewise that they had conveyed away this key of knowledge , and as it were hid it out of the way , neither using it themselves as they ought , nor suffering others to make use of it . and thus they shut the kingdom of heaven against men : which is very fitly said of those who have lock-the door against them that were going in , and have taken away the key . by all which it appears that the plain meaning of our saviour in these metaphorical expressions is , that the scribes and teachers of the law , under a pretence of interpreting the scriptures , had perverted them and kept the true knowledge of them from the people : especially those old prophecies 〈◊〉 the old testamant which concerned the messias . an● by this means the kingdom of heaven was shut again●● men : and they not only rejected the truth themselves but by keeping men in ignorance of the true meanin● of the scriptures , they hindered many from embracin● our saviour's doctrine , and entering into the kingdo● of heaven , who were ot●erwise well enough dispose● for it . having thus explained the words , i shall from th● main scope and design of them observe to you thes● two things . i. the necessity of the knowledge of the holy scriptures in order to our eternal salvation . it is called b● our saviour the key of knowledge , that which lets me● into the kingdom of heaven . ii. the great and inexcusable fault of those who deprive the people of the knowledge of the holy scri●●tures . they shut the kingdom of heaven against me● and do what in them lies to hinder their eternal salvation ; and therefore our saviour denounceth so heavy a woe against them . i shall speak briefly to these two observations ; and then apply them to those who are principally concerned in them . . first , i observe hence the necessity of the knowledge of the holy scriptures in order to our eternal salvation . this is by our saviour called the key of knowledge , that which lets men into the kingdom of heaven . knowledge is necessary to religion : it is necessary to the being of it ; and necessary to the life and practice of it . without faith ( says the apostle ) it is impossible to please god : because faith is an act of the understanding , and does necessarily suppose some knowledge and apprehension of what we believe . to all acts of religion there is necessarily req●ired some act of the understanding ; so that without knowledge there can be no devotion in the service of god , no obedience to his laws . religion begins in the understanding , and from thence descends upon the heart and life , if ye know these things , ( says our saviour ) happy are ye if ye do them . we must first know god before we can worship him ; and understand what is his will , before we can do it . this is so very evident , that one would think there needed no discourse about it : and yet there are some in the world that cry up ignorance as the mother of devotion . and to shew that we do not wrong them in this matter , mr. rushworth in his dialogues ( a book in great vogue among the papists here in england ) does expresly reckon up ignorance among the parents of religion . and can any thing be said more absurdly and more to the disparagement of religion , than to derive the pedigree of the most excellent thing in the world ; from so obscure and ignoble an original ; and to make that which the scripture calls the beginning of wisdom , and the excellency of knowledge , to be the off-spring of ignorance , and a child of darkness ? ignorance indeed may be the cause of wonder and admiration , and the mother of folly and superstition : but surely religion is of a nobler extraction ▪ and is the issue and result of the best wisdom and knowledge ; and descends from above , from the giver of every good and perfect gift , even the father of lights . and as knowledge in general is necessary to religion , so more particularly , the knowledge of the holy scriptures is necessary to our eternal salvation . because these are the great and standing revelations of god to mankind ; wherein the nature of god and his will concerning our duty , and the terms and conditions of our eternal happiness in another world , are fully and plainly declared to us . the scriptures are the word of god ; and from whence can we learn the will of god so well as from his own mouth ? they are the great instruments of our salvation ; and should not every man be acquainted with that , which alone can perfectly instruct him what he must believe , and what he must do that h● may be saved ? this is the testimony which the scripture gives of it self , that it is able to make men wis● unto salvation ; and is it not very fit that every man should have this wisdom , and in order thereunto the free use of that book from whence this wisdom is to be learned ? secondly , i observe the great and inexcusable fault of those who keep men in ignorance of religion , and take away from them so excellent and necessary a means of divine knowledge , as the holy scriptures are ▪ this our saviour calls taking away the key of knowledge , and shutting the kingdom of heav'n against men ▪ that is , doing what in them lies to render it impossible for men to be saved . for this he denounceth a terrible woe against the teachers of the jewish church ▪ though they did not proceed so far as to deprive me● of the use of the holy scriptures , but only of the righ● knowledge and understanding of them . this alone i● a horrible impiety , to lead men into a false sense and interpretation of scripture ; but much greater to forbi● them the reading of it . this is a stop to knowledg● at the very fountain head ; and not only to lead men into errour , but to take away from them all possibility of rectifying their mistakes . and can there be a greater sacriledge , than to rob men of the word of god , the best means in the world of acquainting them with the will of god and their duty , and the way to eternal happiness ? to keep the people in ignorance of that which is necessary to save them , is to judge them unworthy of eternal life , and to declare it does not belong to them , and maliciously to contrive the eternal ruine and destruction of their souls . to lock up the scriptures and the service of god from the people in an unknown tongue , what is this but in effect to forbid men to know god , and to serve him ; to render them incapable of knowing what is the good and acceptable will of god ; of joyning in his worship , or performing any part of it , or receiving any benefit or edification from it ? and what is , if this be not , to shut the kingdom of heaven against men ? this is so outragious a cruelty to the souls of men , that it is not to be excused upon any pretence whatsoever : this is to take the surest and most effectual way in the world to destroy those for whom christ dyed , and directly to thwart the great design of god our saviour , who would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth . men may miscarry with their knowledge , but they are sure to perish for the want of it . the best things in the world have their inconveniences attending them , and are liable to be abused ; but surely men are not to be ruined and damned for fear of abusing their knowledge , or for the prevention of any other inconvenience whatsoever . besides , this is to cross the very end of the scriptures , and the design of god in inspiring men to write them . can any man think that god should send this great light of his word , into the world , for the priests to hide it under a bushel ; and not rather that it should be set up to the greatest advantage for the enlightning of the world ? st. paul tells us , rom. . . that whatsoever things were written ; were written for our learning , that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope . and tim. . . that all scripture is given by the inspiration of god ; and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction in righteousness . and if the scriptures were written for these ends , can any man have the face to pretend that they do not concern the people , as well as their teachers . nay st. paul expresly tells the church of rome , that they were written for their learning , however it happens , that they are not now permitted to make use of them . are the scriptures so useful and profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for instruction in righteousness ? and why may they not be used by the people for those ends for which they were given ? 't is true indeed they are fit for the mos● knowing and learned , and sufficient to make the ma● of god perfect , and throughly furnished to every good wor● ( as the apostle there tells us . ) but does this exclud● their being profitable also to the people ; who may reasonably be presumed to stand much more in nee● of all means and helps of instruction than their teachers : and though there be many difficulties and obscurities in the scriptures , enough to exercise the skill and will of the learned , yet are they not therefore eithe● useless or dangerous to the people . the ancient fathers of the church were of another mind , st. chrysostome tells us that , whatever things are necessary , are manifest in the scriptures . and st. austin , that all things ar● plain in the scripture , which concerns faith and a good life and that th●se things which are necessary to the salvation 〈◊〉 men , are not so hard to become at , but that as to those thing● which the scripture plainly contains , it speaks without disguise like a familiar friend to the hearts of the learned an● vnlearned . and upon these and such like considerations , the fathers did every where in their orations an● homilies charge and exhort the people to be conversant in the holy scriptures , to read them dayly an● diligently , and attentively . and i challenge our a●●versaries , to shew me where any of the ancient father● do discourage the people from reading the scripture● much less forbid them so to do . so that they who do it now have no cloak for their sin : and they who pretend so confidently to antiquity in other cases , are by the evidence of truth forced to acknowledge , that it is against them in this . though they have ten thousand schoolmen on their side , yet have they not one father , not the least pretence of scripture , or rag of antiquity to cover their nakedness in this point . with great reason then does our saviour denounce so heavy a woe against such teachers ; of old in the like case god by his prophets severely threatens the priests of the jewish church , for not instructing the people in the knowledge of god , hosea ▪ . . my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ; because thou hast rejected knowledge , i will also reject thee ; thou shalt be no more a priest to me : seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy god , i will also forget thy children . god , you see , lays the ruine of so many souls at their doors , and will require their blood at their hands . so many as perish for want of knowledge , and eternally miscarry by being deprived of the necessary means of salvation , their destruction shall be charged upon those who have taken away the key of knowledge , and shut the kingdom of heaven against men. and it is just with god to punish such persons not only as the occasion , but as the authors of this ruine . for who can judge otherwise , but that they who deprive men of the necessary means to any end , do purposely design to hinder them of attaining that end. and whatever may be pretended in this case ; to deprive men of the holy scriptures , and to keep them ignorant of the service of god , and yet while they do so , to make a shew of an earnest desire of their salvation , is just such a mockery , as if one of you that is a master , should tell his apprentice how much you desire he should thrive in the world , and be a rich man ; but all the while keeps him ignorant of his trade in order to his being rich ; and with the strictest care imaginable , conceals from him the best means of learning , that whereby alone he is likely to thrive and get an estate . woe unto you scribes , pharisees , and hypocrites . by what hath been discoursed upon this argument , you will easily perceive where the application is like to fall . for the woe denounced by our saviour here in the text against the scribes and pharisees , falls every whit as heavy upon the pastours and teachers of the roman church . they have taken away the key of knowledge with a witness ; not only depriving the people of the right understanding of the scriptures , but of the very use of them : as if they were afraid they should understand them , that they dare not suffer them so much , as to be acquainted with them . this tyranny that church hath exercised over those of her communion for several hundreds of years . it grew upon them indeed by degrees , for as by the inundation of barbarous nations upon the roman empire , the romans bought their language by degrees , so the governours of that church still kept up the scriptures and the service of god in the latin tongue , which at last was wholly unknown to the common people . and about the ninth and tenth centuries , when by the general consent of all their own historians , gross darkness and ignorance covered this part of the world , the pope and the priests took away the key of knowledge , and did ( as i may so say ) put it under the door for several ages ; till the reformation fetcht it out again , and rubbed off the rust of it . and i profess seriously , that hardly any thing in the world was ever to me more astonishing , than this uncharitable and cruel usage of the people in the church of rome . and i cannot tell which to wonder at most , the insolence of their governours in imposing upon men this sensless way of serving god , or the patience shall i call it , or rather stupidity of the people in enduring to be so intollerably abused . why should reasonable creatures be treated at this rude and barbarous rate ? as if they were unworthy to be acquainted with the will of god ; and as if that which every man ought to do , were not fit for every man to know : as if the common people had only bodies to be present at the service of god , but no souls ; or as if they were all distracted and out of their wits , and it were a dangerous thing to let in the lights upon them . but to speak more distinctly . there are two things we charge them withal , and which they are not able to deny . their performing the publick service of god in an unknown tongue ; and depriving the people of the use of the scriptures . and i shall first tell you what we have to say against these things , and then consider what they pretend for them . . as for their performing the service of god in a tongue unknown to the people . and i begin with st. paul , who in his first epistle to the corinthians hath a whole chapter on purpose to shew the unreasonableness of this thing , and how contrary it is to the edification of christians . his discourse is so plain and so well known , that i shall not particularly insist upon it . erasmus in his annotations upon this chapter , breaks out ( as well he might ) into admiration at the church of rome in his time . hâc in re mirum quam mutata sit ecclesiae consuetudo : it is wonderful , ( says he ) how the custom of the church is altered in this matter . st. paul had rather speak five words with vnderstanding , and so as to teach others , than ten thousand in an vnknown tongue . why does the church doubt to follow so great an authority , or rather how dares she to dissent from it ? as for the practice of the ancient church , let origen bear witness , the grecians ( saith he ) in their prayers use the greek , and the romans the latin tongue ; and so every one according to his language prayeth unto god , and praiseth him as he is able . and not only in origen's time , but for more than six hundred years , the service of god was always performed in a known tongue . and this the learned men of their own church do not deny . and cardinal caietan ( as cassander tells us ) said it was much better this custom were restored ; and being reproved for saying so , he said , he learned it from st. paul. and bellarmine himself confesseth that the armenians , aegyptians , aethiopians , russians , and others do use their own language in their liturgies at this day . but it is otherwise now in the church of rome , and hath been for several ages . and it seems they lay great stress upon it , not only as a thing of great use , but necessity . for pope gregory the seventh , forbids the prince of bohemia , to permit to the people the celebration of divine offices in the sclavonian tongue ; and commands him to oppose them herein with all his forces . it seems he thought it a cause worthy the fighting for ; and that it were much better the people should be killed , than suffered to understand their prayers . but let us reason this matter a little calmly with them . is it necessary for men to understand any thing they do in religion ? and is not prayer one of the most solemn parts of religion : and why then should not men understand their p●ayers as well as any thing else they do in religion ? is it good that people should understand their private prayers ? that ( we thank them ) they allow , and why not the publick as well ? is there less of religion in publick prayers ? is god less honoured by them ? or are we not as capable of being edified and of having our hearts and affections moved and incited by them ? where then lies the difference ? the more i consider it , the more i am at a loss what tolerable reason any man can give why people should not understand their publick devotions as well as their private . if men cannot heartily and devoutly pray alone , without understanding what they ask of god , no more ( say i ) can they heartily and devoutly join in the publick prayers which are made by the priest wi●hout understanding what they are . if it be enough for the priest to understand them , why should not the priest only be present at them ? unless the people do not meet to worship god , but only to wait upon the priest. but by saying that the priest understands 'em , it seems it is better that some body should understand them than not ; and why is not that which is good for the priest good for the p●ople . so that the true state of the controversy is , whether it be fit that the people should be edified in the service of god ; and whether it be fit that the church should order things contrary to edification ? for it is plain that the service of god in an unknown tongue , is useless and unprofitable to the people : nay , it is evidently no publick service of god when the priest only understands it . for how can they be said to be publick prayers if the people do not join in them ? and how can they join in that they do not understand ? and to what purpose are lessons of scripture read , if people are to learn nothing by them ? and how should they learn when they do not understand ? this is as if one should pretend to teach a man greek by reading him lectures every day out of an arabick and persian book , of which he understands not one syllable . as to their depriving the people of the use of the holy scriptures ; our blessed saviour exhorts the jews to search the scriptures : and st. paul chargeth the christians that the word of god should dwell richly in them . and the ancient fathers of the church do most frequently and earnestly recommend to the people the reading and study of the scriptures . how comes the case now to be so altered ? sure the word of god is not changed , that certainly abides and continues the same for ever . i shall by and by examine what the church of rome pretends in excuse of this sacriledge . in the mean time , i do not see what considerable objections can be made against the reading of the scriptures , which would not have held as well against the writing and publishing them in a language understood by the people ; as the old testament was by the jews , and the epistles of the apostles by the churches to whom they were written ; and the gospel both by jews and greeks . were there no difficulties and obscurities then in the scriptures , capable of being wrested by the unstable and unlearned ? were not people then liable to errour , and was there no danger of heresy in those times ? and yet these are their great objections against putting the scriptures into the hands of the people ; which is just like their arguing against giuing the cup to the laity from the inconveniency of their beards , least some of the consecrated wine should be spilt upon them : as if errours and beards were inconveniences lately sprung up in the world , and which mankind were not liable to in the first ages of christianity . but if there were the same dangers and inconveniences in all ages , this reason makes against the publishing of the scriptures to the people at first , as much as against permitting them the use of them now . and in truth , all these objections are against the scripture it self : and that which the church of rome would find fault with if they durst , is , that there should be any such book in the world , and that it should be in any bodies hands , learned or unlearned ; for if it be dangerous to any , none are so capable of doing mischief with it as men of wit and learning . so that at the bottom , if they would speak out , the quarrel is against the scriptures themselves . this is too evident by the counsel given to pope julius the third by the bishops met at bononia to consult about the establishment of the roman see ; where , among other things , they give this as their last advice , and as the greatest and weightiest of all , that by all means , as little of the gospel as might be , especially in the vulgar tongue , should be read to the people , and that little which was in the mass ought to be sufficient ; neither should it be permitted to any mortal to read more . for so long ( say they ) as men were contented with that little , all things went well with them , but quite otherwise since more was commonly read . and speaking of the scripture , they give this remarkable testimony and commendation of it ; this in short is that book , which above all others , hath raised those tempests and whirlwinds which we were almost carried away with . and in truth , if any one diligently considers it , and compares it with what is done in our church , he will find them very contrary to each other , and our doctrine not only to be very different from it , but repugnant to it . if this be the case , they do like the rest of the children of this world , prudently enough in their generation : can we blame them for being against the scriptures , when the scriptures are acknowledged to be so clearly against them ? but surely no body that considereth these things , would be of that church , which is brought by the undeniable evidence of the things themselves to this shameful confession , that several of their doctrines and practices are very contrary to the word of god. much more might have been said against the practice of the church of rome in these two particulars , but this is sufficient . i shall in the second place consider what is pretended for them : and indeed , what can be pretended in justification of so contumelious an affront to mankind , so great a tyranny and cruelty to the souls of men ? hath god forbidden the people to look into the scriptures ? no , quite contrary : was it the practice of the antient church to lay this restraint upon men , or to celebrate the service of god in an unknown tongue ? our adversaries themselves have not the face to pretend this . i shall truly represent the substance of what they say in these two points . as to the service of god in an unknown tongue , they say these four things for themselves . first , that the people do exercise a general devotion , and come with an intention to serve god , and that is accepted , though they do not particularly understand the prayers that are made , and the lessons that are read . but is this all that is intended in the service of god ? does not st. paul expresly require more ? that the vnderstanding of the people should be edified by the particular service that is performed : and if what is done be not particularly understood , he tells us the people are not edified , nor can say amen to the prayers and thanksgivings that are put up to god : and that any man that should come in and find people serving of god in this unprofitable and unreasonable manner , would conclude that they were mad . and if there be any general devotion in the people ▪ it is because they understand in general what they are about ; and why may they not as well understand the particular service that is performed , that so they might exercise a particular devotion . so that they are devout no further than they understand ; and consequently , as to what they do not understand , had every whit as good be absent . secondly , they say , the prayers are to god , and he understands them , and that is enough . but what harm were it , if all they that pray understood it also : or indeed , how can men pray to god without understanding what they ask of him ? is not prayer a part of the christian worship ? and is any service reasonable that is not directed by our understandings , and accompanied with our hearts and affections ? but then what say they to the lessons and exhortations of scripture , which are likewise read to the people in an unknown tongue ? are these directed to god , or to the people only ? and are they not designed by god for their instruction , and read either to that purpose , or to none ? and is it possible to instruct men by what they do not understand ? this is a new and wonderful way of teaching , by concealing from the people the things which they should learn. is it not all one , as to all purposes of edification , as if the scriptures were not read , or any thing else in the place of them ? as they many times do their legends , which the wiser sort among them do not believe when they read them . for all things are alike to them that understand none , as all things are of a colour in the dark . ignorance knows no difference of things , it is only knowledge that can distinguish . thirdly , they say that some do , at least in some measure , understand the particular prayers . if they do , that is no thanks to them : it is by accident if they are more knowing than the rest , and ●ore than the church either desires or intends . for , if they desired it , they might order their service so as every man might understand it . fourthly , they say that 't is convenient that god should be served and worshipped in the same language all the world over . convenient for them , for god , or for the people ? not for god surely , for he understands all other languages as well as latin ; and for any thing we know to the contrary , likes them as well . and certainly it cannot be so convenient for the people , because they generally understand no language but their own ; and it is very inconvenient they should not understand what they do in the service of god. but perhaps they mean , that it is convenient for the roman church to have it so ; because this will look like an argument that they are the catholick or vniversal church , when the language which was originally theirs , shall be the universal language in which all nations shall serve god ; and by this means also they may bring all nations to be of their religion , and yet make them never the wiser : and this is a very great convenience , because knowledge is a troublesome thing , and ignorance very quier and peaceable , rendring men fit to be governed , and unfit to dispute . secondly , as to their depriving the people of the scriptures , the summ of what they say may be reduced to these three heads . first , that the church can give men leave to read the scriptures ; but this not without great trouble and difficulty , there must be a license for it under the hand of the bishop or inquisitor , by the advice of the priest and confessor concerning the fitness of the person that desires this priviledge . and we may be sure they will think none fit but those of whom they have the greatest confidence and security ; and whoever presumes to do it otherwise , is to bt denied absolution ; which is as much as in them lies , to damn men for presuming to read the word of god without their leave . and whatever they may allow here in england , where they hold their people upon more slippery terms , yet this priviledge is very rarely granted where they are in full possession of their power , and have the people perfectly under their yoke . secondly , they tell us they instruct the people otherwise . this indeed were something if they did it to purpose , but generally they do it very sparingly and slightly . their sermons are commonly made up of feigned stories and miracles of saints , and exhortations to the worship of them ( and especially of the blessed virgin ) and of their images and relicks . and for the truth of this i appeal to the innumerable volumes of their sermons and postils in print ; which i suppose are none of their worst . i am sure erasmus says , that in his time , in several countries , the people did scarce once in half a year hear a profitable sermon to exhort them to true piety . indeed they allow the people some catechisms and manuals of devotion ; and yer in many of them they have the confidence and the conscience to steal away the second commandment in the face of the eighth . but to bring the matter to a point , if those helps of instruction are agreeable to the scriptures , why are they so afraid the people should read the scriptures ? if they are not , why do they deceive and delude them ? thirdly , they say , that people are apt to wrest the scriptures to their own destruction , and that the promiscuous use of them hath been the great occasion of heresies . it cannot be denied to be the condition of the very best things in the world , that they are liable to be abused ; health , light , and liberty , as well as knowledge : but must all those be therefore taken away ? this very inconvenience of peoples wresting the scriptures to their own ruine , st. peter takes notice of in his days : but he does not therefore forbid men the reading of them as his more prudent successors have done since . suppose the reading of the scriptures hath been the occasion of heresies , were there ever more than in the first ages of christianity ? and yet neither the apostles nor their successors ever prescribed this remedy . but are they in earnest ? must not men know the truth for fear of falling into errour ? because men may possibly miss their way at noon-day , must they never travel but in the night when they are sure to lose it . and when all is done , this is not true , that heresies have sprung from this cause . they have generally been broached by the learned , from whom the scriptures neither were nor could be concealed . and for this i appeal to the history and experience of all ages . i am well assured the ancient fathers were of another mind . st. chrysostome says , if men would be conversant in the scriptures , and attend to them , they would not only not fall into errors themselves , but rescue those that are deceived : and st. hierome more expresly to our purpose . thus infinite evils arise from the ignorance of the scriptures ; and that from that cause the most part of most part of heresies have come . but if what they say were true , is not this to lay the blame of all the ancient heresies uyon the ill management of things by our saviour and his apostles , and the holy fathers of the church for so many ages , and their imprudent dispensing of the scriptures to the people . this indeed is to charge the matter home ; and yet this consequence is unavoidable . for the church of rome cannot justify the piety and prudence of their present practices , without accusing all these . but the thing which they mainly rely upon as to both these practices in this . that though these things were otherwise in the apostles times , and in the ancient church , yet the church hath power to alter them according to the exigence and circumstances of times . i have purposely reserved this for the last place , because it is their last refuge ; and if this fail them they are gone . to shew the weakness of this pretence , we will , if they please , take it for granted , that the governors of the church have in no age more power , than the apostles had in theirs . now st. paul tels us , cor. . . that the authority which the apostles had given them from the lord , was only for edification , but not for destruction : and the same st. paul makes it the business of a whole chapter to shew that the performing the publick service of god and particularly praying in an unknown tongue , are contrary to edification ; from which premises the conclusion is plain , that the apostles themselves had no authority to appoint the service of god to be performed in an unknown tongue ; and surely it is arrogance for the church in any age to pretend to greater authority than the apostles had . this is the summ of what our adversaries say in justification of themselves in these points . and there is no doubt , but that men of wit and confidence will always make a shift to say something for any thing ; and some way or other blanch over the blackest and most absurd things in the world. but i leave it to the judgement of mankind , whether any thing be more unreasonable than to tell men in effect , that it is fit they should understand as little of religion as is poshble ; that god hath published a very dangerous book , with which it is not safe for the people to be familiarly acquainted ; that our blessed saviour and his apostles and the ancient christian church , for more than six hundred years , were not wise managers of religion , nor prudent dispensers of the scriptures , but like fond and foolish fathers put a knife and a sword into the hands of their children , with which they might have easily fore-seen what mischief they would do to themselves and others . and who would not chuse to be of such a church which is provided of such excellent and effectual means of ignorance , such wise and infallible methods for the prevention of knowledge in the people , and such variety of close shutters to keep out the light. i have chosen to insist upon this argument , because it is so very plain , that the most ordinary capacity may judge of this usage and dealing with the souls of men : which is so very gross that every man must needs be sensible of it ; because it toucheth men in the common rights of humane nature , which belong to them as much as the light of heaven , and the air we breath in . it requires no subtilty of wit , no skill in antiquity , to understand these controversies between us and the church of rome . for there are no fathers to be pretended on both sides in these questions : they yield we have antiquity on ours : and we refer it to the common sense of manking , which church , that of rome , or ours , hath all the right or reason in the world on her side in these debates ? and , who they are that tyrannize over christians , the governours of their church or ours ; who use the people like sons and freemen , and who like slaves ; who feed the flock of christ committed to them , and who take the childrens bread from them ? who they are , that when their children ask bread , for bread give them a stone , and for an egg a serpent ; i mean the legends of their saints instead of the holy scriptures , which are able to make men wise unto salvation : and who they are that lie most justly under the suspicion of errors and corruptions , they who bring their doctrine and practices into the open light , and are willing to have them tried by the true touchstone , the word of god ; or they who shun the light , and decline all manner of trial and examination ? and who are most likely to carry on a worldly design , they who drive a trade of such mighty gain , and advantage under pretence of religion , and make such markets of the ignorance and sins of the people ; or we whom malice it self cannot charge with serving any worldly design by any allowed doctrine or practice of our religion ? for we make no money of the mistakes of the people , nor do we fill their heads with vain fears of new places of torment to make them willing to empty their purses in a vainer hope of being delivered out of them . we do not like them pretend a mighty banck of treasure and merits in the church , which they sell to the people for ready money , giving them bills of exchange from the pope to purgatory ; when they who grant them , have no reason to believe they will avail them , or be accepted in the other world. for our parts we have no fear that our people should understand religion too well : we could wish , with moses , that all the lord's people were prophets : we should be heartily glad the people would read the holy scriptures more diligently , being sufficiently assured that it is their own fault if they learn any thing but what is good from thence : we have no doctrines or practices contrary to scripture , and consequently no occasion to keep it close from the sight of the people , or to hide any of the commandments of god from them : we leave these mean arts to those who stand in need of them . in a word , there is nothing which god hath said to men , which we desire should be concealed from them : nay , we are willing the people should examine what we teach , and bring all our doctrines to the law and to the testimony ; that if they be not according to this rule , they may neither believe them nor us . 't is only things false and adulterate which shun the light and fear the touchstone . we have that security of the truth of our religion , and of the agreeableness of it to the word of god ; that honest confidence of the goodness of our cause , that we do not forbid the people to read the best books our adversaries can write against it . and now let any impartial man judge whether this be not a better argument of a good cause , to leave men at liberty to try the grounds of their religion , than the courses which are taken in the church of rome , to awe men with an inquisition ; and , as much as is possible , to keep the common people in ignorance , not only of what their late adversaries , the protestants , but their chief and ancient adversary , the scriptures have to say against them . a man had need of more than common security of the skill and integrity of those to whom he perfectly resigns his understanding ; this is too great a trust to be reposed in humane frailty , and too strong a temptation to others to impose upon us ; to abuse our blindness , and to make their own ends of our voluntary ignorance and easie credulity . this is such a folly as if a rich man should make his physician his heir ; which is to tempt him either to destroy him or to let him dye , for his own interest . so he that trusts the care of his soul with other men , and at the same time by irrecoverable deed settles his understanding upon them , lays too great a temptation before them to seduce and damn him for their own ends . and now to reflect a little upon our selves . what cause have we to bless god who are so happily rescued from that more than aegyptian darkness and bondage , wherein this nation was detained for several ages ; who are delivered out of the hands of those cruel task-masters , who required brick without straw ; that men should be religious without competent understanding , and work out their own salvation while they denied them the means of all others the most necessary to it . who are so uncharitable as to allow us no salvation out of their church , and yet so unreasonable as to deny us the very best means of salvation when we are in it ? our forefathers thought it a mighty priviledge to have the word of god restored to them , and the publick prayers and service of god celebrated in a known tongue : let us use this inestimable priviledge with great modesty and humility ; not to the nourishing of pride and self-conceit , of division and faction ; but as the apostle exhorts , let the word of god dwell richly in you , in all wisdom ; and let the peace of god rule in your hearts , unto which ye are called in one body ; and be ye thankful . it concerns us mightily ( with which admonition i conclude ) both for the honour and support of our religion , to be at better union among our selves , and not to divide about lesser things : and so to demean our selves , as to take from our adversaries all those pretences whereby they would justify themselves , or at least extenuate the guilt of that heavy charge , which falls every whit as justly upon them as ever it did upon the scribes and pharisees , of taking away the key of knowledge , and shutting the kingdom of heaven against men ; neither going in themselves , nor suffering those that are entring to go in . finis . the lawfulness, and obligation of oaths a sermon preach'd at the assises held at kingston upon thames, july , / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the lawfulness, and obligation of oaths a sermon preach'd at the assises held at kingston upon thames, july , / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews vi, -- sermons. oaths -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the lawfulness , and obligation of oaths . a sermon preach'd at the assises held at kingston upon thames , july . . by john tillotson d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over against the royal exchange in cornhill : and william rogers at the sun , over against st. dunstan's church in fleet-street , . to the right worshipfull and my honoured friend joseph reeve esq high sheriff of the county of surrey . sir , when i had perform'd the service which you were pleas'd to call me to in the preaching of this sermon , i had no thoughts of making it more publique . and yet in this also i was the more easily induced to comply with your desire , because of the suitableness of the argument to the age in which we live : wherein as men have run into the wildest extremities in other things , so particularly in the matter of oaths ; some making conscience of taking any oath at all , and too many none at all of breaking them . to convince the great mistake of the one extreme , and to check the growing evil and mischief of the other , is the chief design of this discourse . to which i shall be very glad if by god's blessing it may prove any wise serviceable . i am sir , your very faithfull and humble servant john tillotson . the lawfulness , and obligation of oaths . a sermon preach'd at the assises held at kingston upon thames , july . . heb. vi . . and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . the necessity of religion to the support of humane society in nothing appears more evidently than in this , that the obligation of an oath , which is so necessary for the maintenance of peace and justice among men , depends wholly upon the sense and belief of a deity . for no reason can be imagined why any man that doth not believe a god , should make the least conscience of an oath ; which is nothing else but a solemn appeal to god as a witness of the truth of what we say . so that whoever promotes atheism and infidelity doth the most destructive thing imaginable to humane society , because he takes away the reverence and obligation of oaths : and whenever that is generally cast off , humane society must disband , and all things run into disorder . the just sense whereof made david cry out to god with so much earnestness , as if the world had been cracking , and the frame of it ready to break in pieces , psal. . help , lord , for the righteous man ceaseth , and the faithfull fail from among the children of men : intimating , that when faith fails from among men , nothing but a particular and immediate interposition of the divine providence can preserve the world from falling into confusion . and our blessed saviour gives this as a sign of the end of the world , and the approaching dissolution of all things , when faith and truth shall hardly be found among men , luke . . when the son of man comes , shall he find faith on the earth ? this state of things doth loudly call for his coming to destroy the world , which is even ready to dissolve and fall in pieces of it self , when these bands and pillars of humane society do break and fail . and surely never in any age was this sign of the coming of the son of man more glaring and terrible than in this degenerate age wherein we live , when almost all sorts of men seem to have broke loose from all obligations to faith and truth . and therefore i do not know any argument more proper and usefull to be treated of upon this occasion than of the nature and obligation of an oath , which is the utmost security that one man can give to another , of the truth of what he saies ; the strongest tye of fidelity , the surest ground of judicial proceedings , and the most firm and sacred bond that can be laid upon all that are concerned in the administration of publick justice ; upon judge , and jury , and witnesses . and for this reason i have pitched upon these words ; in which the apostle declares to us the great use and necessity of oaths among men ; an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . he had said before , that for our greater assurance and comfort god hath confirmed his promises to us by an oath ; condescending herein to deal with us after the manner of men , who , when they would give credit to a doubtfull matter , confirm what they say by an oath . and generally when any doubt or controversie ariseth between parties concerning a matter of fact , one side affirming , and the other denying , an end is put to this contest by an oath ; an oath for confirmation being to them an end of all strife : an oath for confirmation , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for the greater assurance and establishment of a thing : not , that an oath is alwaies a certain and infallible decision of things according to truth and right ; but , that this is the utmost credit that we can give to any thing , and the last resort of truth and confidence among men : after this we can go no farther ; for if the religion of an oath will not oblige men to speak truth , nothing will. this is the utmost security that men can give , and must therefore be the final decision of all contests ; an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . now from this assertion of the apostle concerning the great use and end of oaths among men , i shall take occasion , . to consider the nature of an oath , and the kinds of it . . to shew the great use and even necessity of oaths , in many cases . . to vindicate the lawfulness of them , where they are necessary . . to shew the sacred obligation of an oath . i shall be as brief in these as the just handling of them will bear . . for the nature of an oath , and the kinds of it . an oath is an invocation of god , or an appeal to him as a witness of the truth of what we say . so that an oath is a sacred thing , as being an act of religion and an invocation of the name of god : and this , whether the name of god be expresly mentioned in it or not . if a man only say , i swear , or i take my oath , that a thing is , or is not , so , or so ; or that i will , or will not , do such a thing : or if a man answer upon his oath , being adjured and required so to do : or if a man swear by heaven , or by earth , or by any other thing that hath relation to god ; in all these cases a man doth virtually call god to witness ; and in so doing , he doth by consequence invoke him as a judge and an avenger , in case what he swears be not true . and if this be exprest , the oath is a formall imprecation ; but whether it be , or not , a curse upon our selves is always implyed in case of perjury . there are two sorts of oaths , assertory , and promissory . an assertory oath is when a man affirms or denies upon oath a matter of fact , past , or present : when he swears that a thing was , or is so , or not so . a promissory oath is a promise confirmed by an oath , which always respects something that is future : and if the promise be made directly and immediately to god , then it is call'd a vow ; if to men , an oath . i proceed to the ii. thing , which is to shew the great use and even necessity of oaths , in many cases : which is so great , that humane society can very hardly , if at all , subsist long without them . government would many times be very insecure : and for the faithfull discharge of offices of great trust , in which the welfare of the publick is nearly concerned , it is not possible to find any security equall to that of an oath ; because the obligation of that reacheth to the most secret and hidden practices of men , and takes hold of them in many cases where the penalty of no humane law can have any awe or force upon them : and especially , it is ( as the civil law expresseth it ) maximum expediendarum litium remedium , the best means of ending controversies : and where mens estates or lives are concerned , no evidence but what is assured by an oath will be thought sufficient to decide the matter , so as to give full and generall satisfaction to mankind . for in matters of so great concernment , when men have all the assurance that can be had , and not till then , they are contented to sit down and rest satisfied with it . and among all nations an oath hath always been thought the onely permptory and satisfactory way of deciding such controversies . iii. the third thing i proposed , was to vindicate the lawfulness of oaths , where they are necessary . and it is a very strong inducement to believe the lawfulness of them , that the unavoidable condition of humane affairs hath made them so necessary . the apostle takes it for granted that an oath is not only of great use in humane affairs , but in many cases of great necessity , to confirm a doubtful thing , and to put an end to controversies , which cannot otherwise be decided to the satisfaction of the parties contending ; an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . and indeed it is hardly imaginable that god should not have left that lawfull , which is so evidently necessary to the peace and security of mankind . but because there is a sect , sprung up in our memory , which hath called in question the lawfullness of all oaths , to the great mischief and disturbance of humane society , i shall endeavour to search this matter to the bottom , and to manifest how unreasonable and groundless this opinion is . and to this end , i shall first , prove the lawfulness of oaths from the authority of this text , and from the reasons plainly contained , or strongly implied in it . secondly , i shall shew the weakness and insufficiency of the grounds of the contrary opinion ; whether from reason , or from scripture , which last they principally rely upon ; and if it could be made out from thence would determine the case . . i shall prove the lawfulness of oaths from the authority of this text , and the reasons plainly contained , or strongly implyed in it . because the apostle doth not only speak of the use of oaths among men without any manner of censure and reproof , but as a commendable custome and practice , and in many cases necessary , for the confirmation of doubtfull matters , and in order to the finall decision of controversies and differences among men . for first . he speakes of it as the generall practice of mankind , to confirm things by an oath in order to the ending of differences . and indeed there is nothing that hath more universally obtained in all ages and nations of the world : than which there is not a more certain indication that a thing is agreeable to the law of nature and the best reason of mankind . and that this was no degenerate practice of mankind , like that of idolatry , is from hence evident ; that when god separated a people to himself , it was practised among them , by the holy patriarchs , abraham , isaac , and jacob ; and was afterwards not only allowed , but in many cases commanded by the law of moses ; which had it been a thing evil in it self and forbidden by the law of nature , would not have been done . secondly . another undeniable argument from the text of the lawfulness of oaths is , that god himself , in condescension to the custome of men who use to confirm and give credit to what they say by an oath , is represented by the apostle as confirming his promise to us by an oath , vers . . when god made the promise to abraham , because he could swear by none greater , he swears by himself . for men verily swear by the greater ; and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . wherein god , willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsell , confirmed it by an oath : which he certainly would not have done , had an oath been unlawfull in it self . for that had been to comply with men in an evil practice , and by his own example to give countenance to it in the highest manner : but though god condescend to represent himself to us after the manner of men , he never do's it in any thing that is in it's own nature evil and sinfull . thirdly . from the great usefullness of oaths in humane affaires , to give credit and confirmation to our word , and to put an end to contestations . now that which serves to such excellent purposes , and is so convenient for humane society , and for mutual security and confidence among men , ought not easily to be presumed unlawfull , till it be plainly proved to be so . and if we consider the nature of an oath , and every thing belonging to it , there is nothing that hath the least appearance of evil in it . there is surely no evil in it , as it is an act of religion ; nor as it is an appeal to god as a witness and avenger in case we swear falsly ; nor as it is a confirmation of a doubtfull matter ; nor as it puts an end to strife and controversy . and these are all the essential ingredients of an oath , and the ends of it ; and they are all so good , that they rather commend it , than give the least colour of ground to condemn it . i proceed in the d . place , to shew the weakness and insufficiency of the grounds of the contrary opinion ; whether from reason , or from scripture . first , from reason . they say the necessity of an oath is occasioned by the want of truth and fidelity among men . and that every man ought to demean himself with that faithfulness and integrity as may give credit and confirmation to his word ; and then oaths will be needless . this pretence will be fully answered , if we consider these two things . st . that in matters of great importance no other obligation , besides that of an oath , hath been thought sufficient amongst the best and wisest of men to assert their fidelity to one another . even the best men ( to use the words of a great author ) have not trusted the best men without it . as we see in very remarkable instances , where oaths have pass'd between those who might be thought to have the greatest confidence in one another : as between abraham and his old faithfull servant eliezer , concerning the choice of a wise for his son : between father and son , jacob and joseph , concerning the buriall of his father in the land of canaan : between two of the dearest and most intimate friends , david and jonathan , to assure their friendship to one another ; and it had its effect long after jonathan's death in the saving of mephibosheth , when reason of state and the security of his throne seem'd to move david strongly to the contrary ; for it is expresly said sam. . . that david spared mephibosheth , jonathan's son , because of the oath of the lord that was between them ; implying , that had it not been for his oath , other considerations might probably have prevail'd with him to have permitted him to have been cut off with the rest of saul's children . dly . this reason , which is alledged against oaths among men , is much stronger against god's confirming his promises to us by an oath . for he who is truth it self is surely of all other most to be credited upon his bare word , and his oath needless to give confirmation to it ; and yet he condescends to add his oath to his word ; and therefore that reason is evidently of no force . secondly , from scripture . our saviour seems altogether to forbid swearing in any case , matth. . , . ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self : but i say unto you swear not at all ; neither by heaven , &c. but let your communication be yea , yea , and nay , nay ; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil . and this law st. james recites , chap. . ver . . as that which christians ought to have a very particular and principal regard to ; above all things my brethren swear not : and he makes the breach of this law a damning sin , least ye fall into condemnation . but the authority of our saviour alone is sufficient , and therefore i shall only consider that text. and , because here lyes the main strength of this opinion of the unlawfulness of oaths , it is very fit that this text be fully consider'd ; and that it be made very evident , that it was not our saviour's meaning by this prohibition wholly to forbid the use of oaths . but before i enter upon this matter , i will readily grant , that there is scarce any errour whatsoever that hath a more plausible colour from scripture , than this ; which makes the case of those who are seduced into it the more pityable : but then it ought to be consider'd , how much this doctrine of the unlawfulness of oaths reflects upon the christian religion ; since it is so evidently prejudiciall both to humane society in generall , and particularly to those persons that entertain it : neither of which ought rashly to be supposed and taken for granted , concerning any law delivered by our saviour : because upon these terms it will be very hard for us to vindicate the divine wisdom of our saviour's doctrine , and the reasonableness of the christian religion . of the inconvenience of this doctrine to humane society , i have spoken already . but besides this , it is very prejudicial to them that believe it . it renders them suspected to government , and in many cases incapable of the common , benefits of justice and other priviledges of humane society , and exposeth them to great penalties , as the constitution of all laws and governments at present is ; and it is not easy to imagine how they should be otherwise . and which is very considerable in this matter , it sets those who refuse oaths upon very unequall terms with the rest of mankind , if where the estates and lives of men are equally concern'd , their bare testimonies shall be admitted without an oath , and others shall be obliged to speak upon oath : nothing being more certain in experience , than that many men will lye for their interest , when they will not be perjured ; god having planted in the natural consciences of men a secret dread of perjury above most other sins . and this inconvenience is so great , as to render those who refuse oaths in all cases almost intolerable to humane society . i speak not this either to bring them into trouble , or to perswade them to measure truth by their interest : but on the other hand i must needs say , that it is no argument either of a wise or good man to take up any opinion , especially such a one as is greatly to his prejudice upon slight grounds . and this very consideration , that it is so much to their inconvenience , may justly move them to be very carefull in the examination of it . this being premis'd , i come now to explain this prohibition of our saviour ; and to this purpose , i desire these three things may be well consider'd . first , that severall circumstances of these words of our saviour do manifestly shew that they ought to be interpreted in a limited sense , as only forbidding swearing in common conversation ; needless and heedless oaths ( as one expresseth it ) and in general , all voluntary swearing , unless upon some great and weighty cause , in which the glory of god and the good of the souls of men is concerned . for that in such cases a voluntary oath may be lawfull , i am induced to believe from the example of st. paul , who useth it more than once upon such occasions ; of which i shall hereafter give particular instances . and this was the sense of wise men among the heathens , that men should not swear but upon necessity and great occasion . thus eusebius the philosopher in stobaeus , counsels men . some ( says he ) advise men to be carefull to swear the truth ; but i advise principally that men do not easily swear at all , that is , not upon any slight , but only upon weighty occasions : to the same purpose epictetus , shun oaths wholly , if it be possible ; if not , however as much as thou canst : and so likewise simplicius in his comment upon him , we ought wholly to shun swearing , except upon occasions of great necessity : and quintilian among the romans , in totum jurare , nisi ubi necesse est , gravi viro parum convenit ; to swear at all , except where it is necessary , do's not well suite with a wise man. and , that this prohibition of our saviour's ought to be understood of oaths in ordinary conversation , appears from the opposition which our saviour makes , swear not at all ; but let your communication be yea , yea ; that is , in your ordinary commerce and affairs do not interpose oaths , but say and do . and this is very much confirmed , in that our saviour do's not under this general prohibition , instance in such oaths as are expresly by the name of god : the reason whereof is this ; the jews thought it unlawfull in ordinary communication to swear expresly by the name of god , but lawfull to swear by the creatures , as by heaven and earth , &c. so that our saviour's meaning is , as if he had said ; you think you may swear in common conversation , provided you do not swear by the name of god ; but i say unto you , let your communication be without oaths of any kind : you shall not so much as swear by heaven or by earth , because god is virtually invoked in every oath . and unless we suppose this to be our saviour's meaning , i do not see what good reason can be given why our saviour should only forbid them to swear by the creatures , and not much rather by the name of god ; such oaths being surely of all others most to be avoided , as being the most direct abuse and profanation of the name of god. secondly , it is very considerable to the explaining of this prohibition , that there are the like general expressions in other jewish authours concerning this very matter , which yet must of necessity be thus limited . maimonides , from the ancient rabbies , gives this rule , that it is best not to swear at all . and philo useth almost the same words . and rabbi jonathan comes very near our saviour's expression , when he says , the just man will not swear at all ; not so much as by the common names of god , nor by his attributes , nor by his works , as by heaven , or the angels , or the law. now it is not imaginable , that these learned jewes should condemn oaths in all cases , when the law of moses did in many cases expresly require them . and therefore they are to be understood of voluntary oaths in ordinary conversation . and that the jewes meant this by not swearing at all , seems to be very plain from a passage in josephus , who says that the sect of the essenes forbad their disciples to swear at all ; and yet he tells us at the same time , that they who were admitted into that sect , took an oath to observe the laws and rules of it . so that they who forbad to swear at all , allowed of oaths imposed by the authority of superiours . thirdly , which will peremptorily decide this matter , this prohibition of our saviour's cannot be understood to forbid all oaths , without a plain contradiction to the undoubted practice of the primitive christians , and of the apostles , and even of our lord himself . origen and tertullian tell us , that the christians refused to swear by the emperour's genius ; not because it was an oath , but because they thought it to be idolatrous : but the same tertullian says , that the christians were willing to swear per salutem imperatoris , by the health and safety of the emperour . athanasius , being accused to constantius , purged himself by oath , and desired that his accuser might be put to his oath , sub attestatione veritatis , by calling the truth to witness : by which form ( says he ) we christians are wont to swear . but , which is more than this , st. paul , upon weighty occasions , do's severall times in his epistles call god to witness for the truth of what he says ; which is the very formality of an oath . god is my witness , rom. . . as god is true , our word was not yea and nay , cor. . . and v. . i call god for a record upon my soul. before god i lye not , gal. . . god is my record , philip. . . god is my witness , thess. . . these are all unquestionable oaths ; which we cannot imagine st. paul would have used , had they been directly contrary to our saviour's law. and whereas some defend this upon account of his extraordinary inspiration , i cannot possibly see how this mends the matter . for surely it is very inconvenient to say that they who were to teach the precepts of christ to others , did themselves break them by inspiration . but i go yet farther , and shall urge an example beyond all exception . our saviour himself ( who surely would not be the first example of breaking his own laws ) did not refuse to answer upon oath , being called thereto at his tryall . so we find matth. . . the high priest said unto him , i adjure thee by the living god , that thou tell us whether thou be the christ the son of god ; that is , he required him to answer this question upon oath . for among the jewes , the form of giving an oath to witnesses and others , was not by tendering a formal oath to them , as the custome is among us ; but by adjuring them , that is , requiring them to answer upon oath : as is plain from levit. . . if a man hear the voice of swearing , and is a witness whether he hath seen or known of such a thing , if he do not utter it , then he shall bear his iniquity . if he have heard the voice of swearing , that is , if being adjured or demanded to answer upon oath , concerning what he hath seen or heard , he do not utter the truth , he is perjured . now to this adjuration of the high priest , our saviour answered , thou hast said : which words are not an avoiding to answer ( as some have thought ) but a direct answer ; as if he had said , it is as thou sayest ; it is even so , i am the son of god. for upon this answer the high priest said , he hath spoken blasphemy . but , to put the matter beyond all doubt , st. mark tells us , mark . . that he being asked by the high priest , art thou the christ the son of the blessed ? he answered , i am . so that unless we will interpret our saviour's doctrine contrary to his own practice , we cannot understand him to forbid all oaths ; and consequently they are not unlawfull . i have been the longer upon this , that i might give clear satisfaction in this matter to those that are willing to receive it . as for the ceremonies in use among us in the taking of oaths , it is no just exception against them , that they are not found in scripture . for this was always matter of liberty ; and several nations have used several rites and ceremonies in their oaths . it was the custome of the graecians , to swear laying their hands upon the altar , quod sanctissimum jusjurandum est habitum , ( saith 〈◊〉 gellius ) which was looked upon as the most sacred form of swearing . the romans were wont jovem lapidem jurare ; that is , he that swore by jupiter held a flint-stone in his hand , and flung it violently from him , with these words , si sciens fallo ita me jupiter bonis omnibus ejiciat ut ego hunc lapidem ; if i knowingly falsify , god so throw me out of all my possessions as i do this stone . in scripture there are two ceremonies mentioned of swearing . one , of putting the hand under the thigh of him to whom the oath was made . thus eliezer swore to abraham , gen. . and joseph to jacob , gen. . the other was by lifting up the hand to heaven : thus abraham expresseth the manner of an oath , gen. . . i have lift up my hand to the most high god. and thus god condescending to the manner of men , expresseth himself , deut. . . if i lift up my hand to heaven , and swear . in allusion to this custome the psalmist describes the perjured person , psal. . . whose mouth speaketh vanity ; and whose right hand is a right hand of falshood . and there is not the least intimation in scripture , that either of these ceremonies were prescribed and appointed by god , but voluntarily instituted and taken up by men . and thus among us the ceremony of swearing is by laying the hand on the holy gospel , and kissing the book ; which is both very solemn and significant . and this is the reason why this solemn kind of oath is called a corporall oath , and was anciently so called ; because the sign or ceremony of it is performed by some part of the body . and this solemnity is an aggravation of the perjury , because it makes it both more deliberate , and more scandalous . i shall speak but briefly to the iv. and last particular , viz. the sacred obligation of an oath : because it is a solemn appeal to god as a witness of the truth of what we say : to god , i say , from whose piercing and all-seeing eye , from whose perfect and infinite knowledge , nothing is or can be hid : so that there is not a thought in our heart but he sees it , nor a word in our tongue but he discerns the truth or falshood of it . whenever we swear , we appeal to his knowledge , and refer our selves to his just judgment , who is the powerfull patron and protectour of right , and the almighty judge and avenger of all falshood and unrighteousness . so that it is not possible for men to lay a more sacred and solemn obligation upon their consciences , than by the religion of an oath . moses very well expresseth it , by binding our souls with a bond . numb . . . if a man swear an oath , to bind his soul with a bond ; intimating that he that swears , lays the strongest obligation upon himself , and puts his soul in pawn for the truth of what he says . and this obligation no man can violate , but at the utmost peril of the judgement and vengeance of god. for every oath implies a curse upon our selves , in case of perjury , as plutarch observes . and this was always the sense of mankind , concerning the obligation of oaths . nullum vinculum ad astringendam fidem majores nostri jurejurando arctius esse voluerunt , saith tully ; our fore-fathers had no stricter bond , whereby to oblige the faith of men to one another , than that of an oath . to the same purpose is that in the comedian , aliud si scirem , qui firmare meam apud vos possem fidem , sanctius quàm jusjurandum , id pollicerer tibi . if i knew any thing more sacred than an oath , whereby to confirm to you the truth of what i say , i would make use of it . i will crave your patience a little longer , whilest by way of inference from this discourse , i represent to you the great sin of swearing in common conversation , upon trivial and needless occasions ; and the hainousness of the sin of perjury . . first . the great sin of swearing , upon trivial and needless occasions , in common conversation . because an oath is a solemn thing , and reserved for great occasions , to give confirmation to our word in some weighty matter , and to put an end to controversies which cannot otherwise be peremptorily and satisfactorily decided . and therefore to use oaths upon light occasions , argues great profaneness and irreverence of almighty god. so vlpian the great roman lawyer observes , nonnullos esse faciles ad jurandum contemptu religionis , that mens proneness to swearing comes from a contempt of religion ; than which nothing disposeth men more to atheism and infidelity . besides that it doth many times surprize men unawares into perjury : and how can it be otherwise , when men use to interlard all their careless talk with oaths , but that they must often be perjur'd ? and which is worse , it prepares men for deliberate perjury : for with those who are accustomed to swear upon light occasions , an oath will go off with them more roundly about weightier matters . from a common custome of swearing ( saith hierocles ) men easily slide into perjury : therefore ( says he ) if thou wouldest not be perjured , do not use to swear . and this perhaps is the meaning of st. james , when he cautions christians so vehemently against common swearing , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( for so some of the best ancient copies read it ) least ye fall into hypocrisy , that is , least ye lye and be perjured , by using your selves to rash and inconsiderate swearing . and men expose themselves to this danger to no purpose ; oaths in common discourse being so far from confirming a man's word , that with wise men they much weaken it : for common swearing ( if it have any serious meaning at all ) argues in a man a perpetual distrust of his own reputation , and is an acknowledgment that he thinks his bare word not to be worthy of credit . and it is so far from adorning and filling a man's discourse , that it makes it look swolne and bloated , and more bold and blustring than becomes persons of gentle and good breeding . besides , that it is a great incivility , because it highly offends and grates upon all sober and considerate persons ; who cannot be presumed with any manner of ease and patience to hear god affronted , and his great and glorious name so irreverently tost upon every slight occasion . and it is no excuse to men that many times they do it ignorantly , and not observing and knowing what they do . for certainly it is no extenuation of a fault , that a man hath got the habit of it so perfect , that he commits it when he do's not think of it : which consideration should make men oppose the beginnings of this vice , lest it grow into a habit very hard to be left . nemo novit , nisi qui expertus est , quàm sit difficile consuetudinem jurandi extinguere , saith st. austin ; no man knows , but he that hath tryed , how hard it is to get rid of this custome of swearing : but yet it is certain men may do it , by resolution , and great care of themselves : for he that can chuse whether he will speak or not , can chuse whether he will swear or not when he speaks . major consuetudo majorem intentionem flagitat ; the more inveterate a custome is , the greater care should be used to break our selves of it . in short , this practice is so contrary to so plain a precept of our saviour , and by the breach whereof we incurr so great a danger ( as st. james assures us ) that it must be a great charity that can find out a way to reconcile a common custome of swearing with a serious belief of the christian religion : which i would to god those who are concerned would seriously lay to heart . especially , since this sin of all others hath the least of temptation to it . profit or pleasure there is none in it ; nor any thing in mens naturall tempers to incite them to it . for though some men pour out oaths so freely as if they came naturally from them , yet surely no man is born of a swearing constitution . all that can be pretended for it , is custome and fashion : but , to shew that this is no excuse , it is very observable , that it is particularly in the matter of oaths and perjury that the holy ghost gives that caution , thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil . and lastly , it deserves to be considered , that this sin is so much the greater because of the frequent returns of it , in those that are accustomed to it . so that although it were but small in it self ( as it is not ) yet the frequent practice of this sin would quickly mount it up to a great score . . secondly , to represent the heinousness of the sin of perjury . but before i aggravate this crime , it is fit to let men know how many ways they may be guilty of it . st . when a man asserts upon oath what he knows to be otherwise : or promiseth what he does not intend to perform . in both these cases the very act of swearing is perjury . and so likewise when a man promiseth upon oath to do that which it is unlawfull for him to do ; because this oath is contrary to a former obligation . dly . when a man is uncertain whether what he swears to be true . this likewise is perjury , in the act ; though not of the same degree of guilt with the former , because it is not so fully and directly against his knowledge and conscience . for men ought to be certain of the truth of what they assert upon oath , and not to swear at venture . and therefore no man ought positively to swear to the truth of any thing but what he himself hath seen or heard : this being the highest assurance men are capable of in this world . in like manner , he is guilty of perjury in the same degree , who promiseth upon oath what he is not morally and reasonably certain he shall be able to perform . dly . they are likewise guilty of perjury , who do not use great plainness and simplicity in oaths ; but answer aequivocally and doubtfully , or with reservation of something in their minds , thinking thereby to salve the truth of what they say . and we all know who they are that make use of these arts , and maintain them to be lawfull ; to the infinite scandall of the christian religion , and prejudice of humane society , by doing what in them lyes to destroy all faith and mutual confidence among men . for what can be a greater affront to god , than to use his name to deceive men ? and what can more directly overthrow the great end and use of oaths , which are for confirmation , and to put an end to strife ? whereas by these arts the thing is left in the same uncertainty it was before , and there is no decision of it . for there is hardly any form of words can be devised so plain , as not to be lyable to equivocation : to be sure , a man when he swears , may always reserve something in his mind which will quite alter the sense of what ever he can say or promise upon oath . and this may be laid down for a certain rule , that all departure from the simplicity of an oath , is a degree of perjury ; and a man is never a whit the less forsworn , because his perjury is a little finer and more artificiall than ordinary . and though men think by this device to save themselves harmless from the guilt of so great a sin , they do really increase it , by adding to their iniquity the impudent folly of mocking god and deceiving themselves . and whereas it is pleaded , in the favour of mental reservation , that the whole proposition , as made up of what is exprest in words and of that which is reserved in the mind , is true ; for instance , if a man being ask'd upon oath whether he be a priest , shall answer he is not , reserving in his mind that he is not a priest of bacchus , or some such thing , the whole proposition is true , and then they say a man may swear to that which is true , without danger of perjury : this is of no force , because , though the whole proposition be true , it is deceitfull , and contrary to that sincerity which ought to be in an oath : and the end of an oath is hereby likewise defeated , which is to ascertain the truth of what we say : but if a man reserve something in his mind which alters the truth of what he says , the thing is still as doubtfull and uncertain as it was before . besides , if this be a good reason ; a man may swear with reservation in all cases , because the reason equally extends to all cases ; for if the truth of the proposition , as made up of what is express'd in words and reserv'd in the mind , will excuse a man from perjury , then no man can be perjur'd that swears with reservation : but this the casuists of the roman church do not allow , but only in some particular cases , as before an incompetent judge , or the like ; for they see well enough that if this were allow'd in all cases , it would destroy all faith among men . and therefore since the reason extends alike to all cases , it is plain that it is to be allow'd in none . thly . he is guilty of perjury after the act , who having a real intention when he swears , to perform what he promiseth , yet afterwards neglects to do it : not for want of power ( for so long as that continues the obligation ceaseth ) but for want of will , and due regard to his oath . now that perjury is a most heinous sin , is evident , because it is contrary to so plain and great a law of god ; one of the ten words or precepts of the moral law , thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain ; thou shalt not bring or apply the name of god to a falshood : or , as josephus renders it , thou shalt not adjure god to a false thing : which our saviour renders yet more plainly , matth. . . thou shalt not forswear thy self . for he seems to refer to the third commandment when he says , ye have heard that it was said to them of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , as he had done before to the th . and th . when he says , it was said to them of old time , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not commit adultery . so that the primary , if not the sole intention of this law , thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , is to forbid the great sin of perjury . and i do not remember that in scripture the phrase of taking god's name in vain , is used in any other sense . and thus it is certainly used , prov. . . lest i be poor and steal , and take the name of the lord my god in vain : i. e. lest poverty should tempt me to steal , and stealth should engage me in perjury . for among the jewes an oath was tendered to him that was suspected of theft , as appears from levit. . . where it is said , if any one be guilty of theft , and lyeth concerning it , or sweareth falsly ; he shall restore all that about which he hath sworn falsly . left i steal , and take the name of the lord my god in vain ; that is , be perjured , being examined upon oath concerning a thing stoln . and for this reason the thief and the perjured person are put together , zech. . . where it is said , that a curse shall enter into the house of the thief , and of him that sweareth falsly by the name of god. from all which it is very probable , that the whole intention of the d. commandment is to forbid this great sin of perjury . to deterr men from which , a severe threatning is there added ; for the lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain ; that is , he will most severely punish such a one . and 't is very obseravble , that there is no threatning added to any other commandment , but to this and the second ; intimating to us that next to idolatry and the worship of a false god , perjury is one of the greatest affronts that can be offered to the divine majesty . this is one of those sins that cries so loud to heaven , and quickens the pace of god's judgments , mal. . . i will come near to you in judgment , and be a swift witness against the swearer . for this god threatens utter destruction to the man and his house , zech. . . speaking of the curse that goeth over the face of the whole earth ; god ( says he ) will bring it forth , and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by the name of god , and shall remain in the midst of his house , and shall consume it , with the timber thereof and the stones thereof . it shall remain in the midst of his house , and shall consume it . this sin by the secret judgment of god undermines estates and families , to the utter ruine of them . and among the heathen it was always reckoned one of the greatest of crimes , and which they did believe god did not only punish upon the guilty person himself , but upon his family and posterity ; and many times upon whole nations , as the prophet also tells us , that because of oaths the land mourns . i need not use many words to aggravate this sin ; it is certainly a crime of the highest nature . deliberate perjury being directly against a man's knowledge , so that no man can commit it without staring his conscience in the face ; which is one of the greatest aggravations of any crime . and it is equally a sin against both tables ; being the highest affront to god , and of most injurious consequence to men . it is an horrible abuse of the name of god , an open contempt of his judgment , and an insolent defiance of his vengeance : and in respect of men , it is not only a wrong to this or that particular person who suffers by it , but treason against humane society ; subverting at once the foundations of publick peace and justice , and the private security of every man's life and fortune . it is a defeating of the best and last way that the wisdome of men could devise for the decision of doubtfull matters . solomon very fully and elegantly expresseth the destructive nature of this sin , prov. . . a false witness against his neighbour , is a maul , and a sword , and a sharp arrow : intimating , that amongst all the instruments of ruine and mischief that have been devised by mankind , none is of more pernicious consequence to humane society than perjury , and breach of faith. it is a pestilence that usually walketh in darkness , and a secret stab and blow against which many times there is no possibility of defence . and therefore it highly concerns those who upon these and the like occasions are called upon their oath , whether as jurors or witnesses , to set god before their eyes , and to have his fear in their hearts , whenever they come to take an oath : and to govern and discharge their consciences in this matter by known and approved rules , and by the resolutions of pious and wise men ; and not by the loose reasonings and resolutions of pamphlets , sent abroad to serve the turns of unpeaceable and ill-minded men ( whether atheists , or papists , or others ) on purpose to debauch the consciences of men by teaching them to play fast and loose with oaths . and it is a very sad sign of the decay of christian religion amongst us , to see so many who call themselves christians , to make so little conscience of so great a sin , as even the light of nature would blush and tremble at . i will conclude all with those excellent sayings of the son of sirach concerning these two sins ( i have been speaking of ) of profane swearing , and perjury , eccle. . , , &c. accustome not thy mouth to swearing ; neither use thy self to the naming of the holy one. a man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity ; and the plague shall never depart from his house . if he shall offend , his sin shall be upon him ; and if he acknowledge not his sin , he maketh a double offence . and if he swear falsly , he shall not be innocent , but his house shall be full of calamities . and to represent to us the dreadful nature of this sin of perjury , there is ( saith he ) a word that is clothed about with death , meaning a rash and false oath ; there is a word that is clothed about with death , god grant it be not found in the heritage of jacob : for all such things shall be far from the godly ; and they will not wallow in these sins . from which god preserve all good men , and make them careful to preserve themselves ; as they value the present peace of their own consciences , and the favour of almighty god in this world and the other , for his mercies sake in jesus christ. to whom , &c. finis . bibliotheca tillotsoniana: or a catalogue of the curious library of dr. john tillotson late lord archbishop of canterbury containing, a collection of greek and latin fathers, councils, historians (ecclesiastical and civil) philosophers, poets, orators, lexicographers, &c. all of the best editions and neatly bound. together with the library of mr. seth-mountley buncle, late master of mercers school, london. consisting of hebrew, chaldaick, syriack, persick, and other oriental books, with french, italian and spanish. which will be sold by retail at mr. christoph. bateman's shop, the bible and crown in middle row, holborn, on tuesday april . . according to the method of the following page. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) bibliotheca tillotsoniana: or a catalogue of the curious library of dr. john tillotson late lord archbishop of canterbury containing, a collection of greek and latin fathers, councils, historians (ecclesiastical and civil) philosophers, poets, orators, lexicographers, &c. all of the best editions and neatly bound. together with the library of mr. seth-mountley buncle, late master of mercers school, london. consisting of hebrew, chaldaick, syriack, persick, and other oriental books, with french, italian and spanish. which will be sold by retail at mr. christoph. bateman's shop, the bible and crown in middle row, holborn, on tuesday april . . according to the method of the following page. tillotson, john, - . buncle, seth-mountley. aut. [ ], , [ ] p. catalogues are to be sold for six-pence apiece by mr. jos. hindmarsh over-against the royal-exchange in cornhil; mr. james partridge at the post-office near charing-cross; (and at the place of sale.) by mrs. dickenson at cambridge, and mr. h. clements at oxford, [london] : . place of publication from wing. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng book auctions -- england -- early works to . catalogs, booksellers' -- great britain -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion bibliotheca tillotsoniana : or a catalogue of the curious library of dr. john tillotson late lord archbishop of canterbury . containing , a collection of greek and latin fathers , councils , historians ( ecclesiastical and civil ) philosophers , poets , orators , lexicographers , &c. all of the best editions and neatly bound . together with the library of mr. seth-mountley buncle , late master of mercers school , london . consisting of hebrew , chaldaick , syriack , persick , and other oriental books , with french , italian and spanish . which will be sold by retail at mr. christoph. bateman's shop , the bible and crown in middle row , holborn , on tuesday april . . according to the method of the following page . catalogues are to be sold for six pence apiece by mr. jos. hindmarsh over-against the royal-exchange in cornhil ; mr. james partridge at the post-office near charing-cross ; ( and at the place of sale. ) by mrs. dickenson at cambridge , and mr. h. clements at oxford , . the method of sale . this sale will begin on tuesday the th . day of april , ▪ exactly at ten in the morning : and i do promise that every book mentioned in this catalogue shall be in the room where sold at that time . that every book shall have a moderate price written upon the first blank leaf , so that any gentleman may take what he pleases at the price so set down . the books are to be seen every day till saturday before the sale . libri theologici . folio . biblia ss . polyglotta , cum prolegomenis , apparatu , &c. br. waltoni ( eleganter compact . lineis rubris & foliis deauratis ) vol. — lond. edm. castelli lexic . heptaglotton , vol. ibid. biblia ss . polyglotta , cum prolegomenis , apparatu , &c. br. waltoni necnon edm. castelli lexicon heptaglotton ( nitidissimè compact . corio turcico , lineis rubris , foliis & dors . deaurat . vol. ibid. — s. vulgatae editionis sixti v. jussu recognita & redita — — antv. — s. ex versione & cum notis im. tremellii & fr. junii ( nitidissimè compact . corio turcico , foliis & dorsis deauratis ) — lond. — s. hebraicè , cum notis rabbinicis edit . à jo. buxtorfio , vol. — — jo. buxtorfii concordantiae biblior . hebr. bas. biblia s graecè — ( charact . nitido ) — ald. — magna , cum comment . jo. gagnaei , guil. estii , emman . sa , joan. menochii & jac. tirini edit . à jo. de la haye , vol. — paris . — s. cum glossa ordinaria , à str. fuldensi , nic. lyrani , &c. vol. — duac . — s. explicatione l. osiandri illust . vol. n. testamentum , gr . lat . cum notis theo. bezae & jo. camerarii — cantab. — gr . lat . cum notis & animadversionibus erasmi schmidii — — norimb . n. testamenti graeci tameion ( aliis concordantiae ) gr . ab erasmo schmidio — witteb . henr. stephani concordantiae graeco latinae testamenti novi — — gen. lexicon heptaglotton , hebr. chaldaic . syriac . &c. edm. castelli , vol. — lond. critici sacri , sive doctissimor . viror . annotat. &c. in ss . biblia , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — ibid. synopsis criticor . aliorumque s. scripturae interpretum in matth. polo , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — ibid. — idem ( chart . maj . & dors . deaur . ) vol. ibid. sacro sancta concilia generalia , cum apparat . edita à phil. labbaeo & gabr. cossartio , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — — paris . capitularia regum francorum edita , cum notis steph. baluzii , vol. ( dorsis deaurat . ) — ibid. pandectae canonum ss . apostolor . & concilior . ab ecclesia graec. receptor . gr . lat . cum scholiis antiquor . & guil. beveregii prolegomen . & annotation . vol — — oxon. summa concilior . omn. à s. pet. usque ad greg. xv. per franc. longum , à coriolano — antv. eusebii , socratis & sozomeni , theocriti & evagrii histor. ecclesiast . gr . lat . cum notis henr. valesii , vol. — — paris . eusebii preparat . evangelica & de demonstrat . evangelica , gr . lat . cum notis franc. vigeri ( dorsis deauratis ) — — ibid. ss . patrum , barnabae , hermae , clementis , ignatii , polycarpi opera , gr . lat . cum version . notis & indicib . jo. bapt. cotelerii , vol. ( dorsis deaurat . ) ibid. s. epiphanii opera , gr . lat . cum animadv . dionys. petavii , vol. — ibid. just. martyr . op. gr . lat . edit . à frid. sylburgio — opera , gr . rob. stephani — paris . — opera , latinè ( nitido charact. ) — apud jo. dupuys — — ibid. s. justini martyr opera , item athenagorae , theophili antioch . tatiani assyrii tractat . gr . lat . à fed. morello edita — paris . clement . alexandr . opera , gr . lat . cum notis dan. heinsii & frid. sylburgii — ibid. — opera , gr . lat . curâ dan. heinsii lugd. origenis in s. scripturas commentaria , gr . lat . cum notis pet. dan. huetii , vol. — rothom d. irenaei opera omnia , cum not. nic. gallasii theophylactus in quatuor evangel . gr . lat . ( charta majori ) — — paris . s. theodoreti episc. cyri opera , gr . lat . cura sirmondi , vol. — ibid. — auctuarium , gr . lat . edit . à jo. garnerio ib. s. cyrilli alexand. archiepisc. opera omnia , gr . lat . vol. — — ibid. b. joan. damasceni opera , item jo. cassiani libri , gr . lat . — — basil. — opera , gr . lat . edita à jac. billio — paris . s. basilii m. opera omnia , gr . lat . una cum append. & notis , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — ibid. s. athanasii opera omnia , gr . lat . vol. ibid. s. greg. nazianz opera , gr . lat . à jac. billio prunaeo , cum nicetae serronii , pselli , nonii & eliae cretensis commentar edit . à fed. morello , vol. ibid. s. gregorii episc. nysseni opera , gr . lat . cum notis & indicibus , vol. — ibid. s. jo. chrysostomi opera , gr . edita ab henr. savelio , vol. — etonae s. optatus milevitan . facund . hermianens . & g. albaspinaei opera , cum annotat. phil. priorii & jac. sirmondi ( dorso deaurato ) — paris . s. coecil . cypriani opera , cum nicol. rigaltii observationibus — ibid. — opera recognita & illustrata , per joan. oxoniens . episc. accedunt annales cyprianici , per joan. cestriensem ( dorso deaurato ) — oxon. ● q. sept. florent . tertulliani opera , nicol. rigaltii notis illustrata , vol. par. — opera , nic. rigaltii opt . edit . — ibid. d. aurelii augustini opera , cum indice tripartito edit . à des. erasmo , tom. in vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — basil. froben . d. hieronymi opera , edita per desid . erasmum , tom. in vol. — basil. index in d. hieronymi opera — basil. froben . s. ambrosii opera , ex recognitione romana , cum animadv . ferd. velloselli , vol. — col. agr. s. bernardi opera omnia , cum notis jo. picardi & indice — — antv. s. hilarii quotquot extant opera , variis lectionibus illustrata — — paris . epist. praestantium virorum , viz. arminii , vorstii , vossii , &c. — — amst. simon . episcopii opera theologica , vol. ibid. steph. curcellaei op. edit . à ph. limborch ibid. ludov. cappelli critica sacra in v. testam . edita à jo. capello — — par. — comment . & notae criticae in vet. testam . access . jac. cappelli observation . &c. edit . à jac. capello lud. f ( chart . maj . & dors . deaur . ) amst. sam. bocharti hierozoicon , sive de animalib . s. scripturae ( dorso deaurato ) — lond. — geographia sacra , cum tabul . geograph . & indic . — — cad . bibliotheca fratrum polonor . viz. socini , crellii , slichtingii & wolzogenii , vol. — — idem , vol. ( charta majori ) — dan. brenii in testament . veterem & novum annotation . — — amst. alphonsi tostati opera omnia , vol. ( nitidè compact . ) — — ven. jo. lud. de la cerda adversaria sacra — lugd. jo. calvini institution . christianae religionis , unà cum ejus vita — lugd. bat. franc. gomari opera theologica omnia amst. dan. chamieri panstratia catholica , tom. in vol. — — franc. leon. lessii opuscula varia in unum corpus redacta ( dorso deaur . ) — paris . guil. alverni episc. paris . opera omnia — ven. d. t. aquinat . totius theol. summa , cum comment . tho. de vio cajetani , vol. — lugd. — idem , vol. — rom. joan. forbesii instructiones historico-theologicae ( dorso deaurato ) — — amst. jo. spencerus de legibus hebraeor . ritualib . & ear . rationib . ( dorso deaurato ) — lond. guil. cave scriptorum ecclesiasticor . historia literaria ( dorso deaurato ) — ibid. matth. flaccii catalogus testium veritat . gen. jo. clerici paraphrasis , commentar . &c. in genesin ( dorso deaurato ) — amst. sermones discipuli & de tempore & de sanctis ( charact . antiquo ) — colon. pet. ravanelli biblioth . sacra , sive thesaurus scripturae , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — gen. edm. albertin . de ●ucharistiae , sive coenae dominicae sacramento — davent . alf. de castro adv . omnes haeres . lib. xiv . col. raym. martini pugio fidei , advers . mauros & judaeos — — paris . rituum ecclesiasticor . sive sacrar . cerimon●ar . ss . romanae ecclesiae , lib. iii. — ven. tho. gatakeri adversaria miscellanea edita à car. gatakero — — lond. ric. holdsworth praelection . theologicae editae à rich pearson — — ibid. nicol de cusa cardinalis opera — basil. franc. mason vindiciae ecclesiae anglicanae , sive de ministerio anglicano — lond. joannes gerhardi loci theologici , tom. in vol. — — gen. — harmonia evangelicor . à mart. chemnitio inchoata & polyc. lysero continuata , necnon de passione , crucifixione , morte & sepultura christi , vol. — — franc. & genev. mart. chemnitii examen concilii trident. gen. cornel. à lapide comment . in ecclesiast . canticum canticor . &c. — — antv. — comment . in prophetas majores par. — comment . in prophet . minor. ibid. — in omnes d. pauli epist. comment . ibid. ● — opera omnia , sive commentaria in biblia vol. — — antv. joan. de pineda in ecclesiast . comment . par. desid . erasmi paraphr . in n. testament . basil. — in nov. testament . annotat. — ibid. guil. estii in omnes d. pauli & alior . apostolor . epistol . comment . — par. — in quatuor libros sententiar . comment . ( dorso deaurato ) — ibid. herb. thorndicius de jure finiendi controversias ecclesiae — — lond. pet. de marca de concordia sacerdotii & imperii , lib. viii . — — par. durandi à s. portiano super sentent . p. lombardi comment . ( charact . nitido ) — — — commentar . in sentent . theologic . p. lombardi — — par. franc. luc. burgensis in ss . quatuor . evangelia comment . tom. in vol. — antv. jo. lorini in actus apostol . comment . lugd. — comm. in lib. psalm . vol. col. agr. jacob. bonfrerii commentaria in pentateuchum mosis — — antv. joan. merceri in genesin comment . — gen. — in proverbia , ecclesiasten & canticum canticor . — ibid. — in prophetas minores — jo. davenantii expositio epist. d. pauli ad colossenses ( charta majori ) — cant. jo. cocceii comment . in lib. jobi — franek . henr. mori opera theologica — lond. traite historique de la primaute en l' eglise , par d. blondel — — gen. histoire de l' eglise , par m. antoine godeau , tom. en vol. — par. replique à la reponse du roy de la gr. bretagne , par cardin. du perron — ibid. traitte du s. sacrement de l'eucharistie , par card. du perron — — ibid. les divers . oeuvres du cardin. du perron ibid. libri theologici . quarto . ecclesiae graecae monumenta , gr . lat . cum notis jo. bapt. cotelerii , tom. , & . ( dorsis deauratis ) — par. apostolorum & sanctorum conciliorum decreta , graecè — — ibid. origenes adv . celsum , nec ejusd philocalia , gr . lat . cum notis g. spenceri — cantab. — — contra celsum , gr . lat . edit . à dav. hoeschelio — — aug. vend . polycarpi & ignatii epistolae , gr . lat . cum appendice , edit . per jac. usserium — oxon. s. cyrilli hierosolym . c●techesis , gr . lat . edit . à jo. prevotio — — par. opuscula jo. vecci , bessarionis cardinal . &c. gr . lat . per pet. arcudium ▪ — rom. s. gregorii nazianzeni in julian . invectivae , gr . lat . cum not. r. montagn . — eton. ● s. generalis florentina synodus , tom. in vol. gr . lat . — — steph. paulin. s. basilius m. de trinitate , graecè — — s. gregorii archiepisc. thessalon . sermones apodectici duo , graecè — — geo. pisidae mundi opificium , gr . lat . per fed. morellum — — par. jo. philopon . in cap. . geneseos de mundi creatione , gr . lat . per b. corderium — vien . leon. allatii de symeonum scriptis diatriba , &c. edit . à fr. combefis — par. s. damasceni opera , graecè — s. bocharti phaleg . sive geograph . sacra franc. ph. à limborch de verit . religion . christ. goud . editio & censura epistolar . b. clement ▪ ad siricium , cum notis dav. blondelli — gen. rob. coci censura quorundam scriptorum veterum , patrum , &c. — lond. ● lancel . andrews episc. winton . opuscula quaedam , lat . & angl . — — lond. alexandri angli summa , seu destructorium vi●iorum — — venet. solomon . glassii philologiae sacrae , libri quinque , editio tertia priorib . auctior . — franc. — idem , in vol. — jenae joan. rainold . de roman . eccles. idolat . oxon. — censura libror . apocryphor . vet . test. adv . pontificios , vol. — — frider. spanhemii dubia evangelica , cum indicib . vol. — — gen. — disputationes anti-anabaptistica l. bat. rob. parker de descensu domini nostri jesu christi ad inferos — — amst. — de politeia ecclesiastica libri tres — adagialia s. n. testamenti , gr . lat . exposita ab andr ▪ schotto — — antv. jo. crellii ethica aristotel . & christiana — selenob . fausti socini tractatus de justificatione — racov. jac. arminii opera theologica — lugd. bat. — opera theologica nunc denuò conjunctim recusa — — franc. jo. volkelii de vera relig. lib. v. — racov. conr. vorstius de deo , sive de natura & attributis dei — — steinf . j. usserius de graec. lxx . interpret . version . lond. — de romanae ecclesiae symbolo apostolico vetere — — ibid. — de christianarum ecclesiarum in occident . partibus successione — ibid. tho. campanelle atheism . triumphat . &c. paris mart. lutheri loci communes — lond. acta & scripta synodalia dordracena ministror . remonstrant . — — herd . acta synodi nationalis dordrechti habitae dordr . jo. hoornbeek pro convincendis & convertendis judaeis , lib●i viii . — lugd. bat. missale romanum ex decreto ss . concil . trident. restitut . p●i v. jussu edit . & clement . viii auctorit . recognit . — — antv. jo. henr. hottingeri thesaurus philologicus , seu clavis scripturae — — tig. frid. spanhemii introduct . ad histor. sacram utriusque testamenti — — lugd. bat. andr. sall votum pro pace christiana — oxon. onuphr . panvin . de primatu petri & apostolicae sedis potestate — — ven. lud. capelli histor. apostolica illustr . — gen. jac. capelli vindic. pro is. casaubono adv . herib . rosweydum , &c. — franc. — observationes in nov. testament . amst. simon . disquisition . criticae de variis biblior . editionibus — — lond. mart. geieri in ecclesiasten commentarius lips. — proverb . solomon ▪ cum cura enucleata ibid. humfr. hody anglicani novi schismatis redargutio , gr . lat . — — oxon. herm. witsius de oeconomia foederum dei , cum hominib . ( dorso deaurato ) — traj . dan. fesselii adversarior . sacror . lib. v. witteb . jac. calvert . colluctation . theolog. de reditu x. tribuum — — lond. guil. beveregii codex canonum ecclesiae primit . vindicatus — — ibid. t. stapleton . de magnitud . roman . eccles. antv. ● baedae venerab . opera theolog. & historica , &c. edita ab h. wharton — — lond. geo. bulli examen censurae , seu respons . ad animad . in histor. apostol . — ludolphi vita christi , cum indice — venet. joan. dallaeus de scriptis dionys. areopag . & ignatii antioch . — — gen. ● — de sacramentali , sive auricular . latinor . confessione — — ibid. — advers . latinorum de cultus religiosi objecto traditionem — — ibid. — de poenis & satisfactionib . humanis amst. jo. morini exercitat . ecclesiast . lib. duo — paris . jo. lightfoot horae hebraicae & talmudicae in epist. . ad corinth . — — ibid. m. wesseli gansfortii groningens . opera groning . psalterium davidis latino-saxonic ▪ à jo. spelmanno editum — — lond. nic. fulleri miscellanea theologica — oxon. geo. dounami papa anti-christus , sive diatriba de anti-christo — — lond. q. septim . florent . tertulliani apologetic . & min. felix , cum des. heraldi notis — paris . thyrsi gonzalez fundam . theolog. moral . antv. sam. parkeri disputationes de deo & providentia divina — — lond. joan. d'espieres auctoritas scripturae s. hebraicè , graec . lat . — — duaci pet. abael●rdi & heloisae conjugis ejus opera par. harmonia confessionum fidei — gen. andr. essenius de satisfactione christi advers . joan. crellium — — amst. david blond●lli apolog. pro sentent . hieronymi de episcop . & presbyter . — ibid. mart. smiglecii nova monstra , novi aria●ismi refutata — — nissae jo. strangius de voluntate dei circa peccat . amst. veterum auctorum qui ix . saculo de praedestinat . scripserunt opera , edit . à gilb. mauguin . vol. par. tho. cartwrighti harmonia evangelica commentario analyt . metaphrast . practico illustr . vol. l. bat. tho. gatakeri cinnus , sive advers . miscell . lond. — de novi instrumenti stylo dissertat . ibid. scripta adversaria collationis hagiensis edit . à pet. bertio — — l. bat. jo. durelli s. ecclesiae anglicanae advers . schismatic . vindiciae — — lond. onus ecclesiae temporibus hisce deplorandis , &c. arn. bootii animadversion . sacrae ad textum hebraic . vet. testamenti — — lond. jo. beverovicii quaestio de vitae termino , fatali an mobil . — — l. bat. sam. maresii systema breve univers . theol. gron. — joanna papissa restituta — ibid. joan. filesaci selectorum , libri duo , vol. indice triplici — — par. nicol. de clemangiis de lapsu & reparatione justitiae — — ibid. guil. outram . de sacrificiis , libri duo — lond. — idem ( chart . maj . & dors . deaurat . ) — ibid. theob . stapletonii catechismus , seu doctrina christiana latino-hibernica — brux . ● is. casaubon . de rebus sacris & ecclesiastic . ad cardin. baronii prolegomena — gen. reformatio legum ecclesiasticarum ex authoritate r. henr. viii : inchoata — lond. sim. episcopii observation . in cap. , , , & . epist. ad romanos — amst. sixti senensis bibliotheca sancta — ven. — idem à j. hayo revis . & schol. illust . col. agr. rob. leighton praelectiones theologicae editae , per jac. fall. — — lond. ● geo. enjedini explication . locor . vet . & nov . testam . de trinitate — — — ant. arnaldus de frequenti communion . — par. syntagma thesium theologicar . in academ . salmurienfi disputatar . — salm. — idem — ibid. henr. alting loci commun . tom. in vol. freist . j●s . placaeus de testimoniis quibus probatur jesum christum esse deum — salm. tho de vio cajetani opera in d. tho. aquinat . necnon ejusdem opuscula , vol. — venet. ger. jo. vossii theses theolog ▪ & histor. — — de theologia gentili & physiologia christ. vol. — — amst. ecclesiast . gr lat . cum not. j. drus●i — franek . n. testamenti libri historici , gr . lat . cum comment . bald. walaei , vol. — lugd. bat. lud de dieu animad . in v. testam . lib omnes ib. — in quat . evangel . & acta apostol . ibid. — in d. pauli & catholic . epistolas — ibid. gisb. voetii select . disputat . theolog. vol. ult. — — politica ecclesiastica , vol. — amst. ● — — desperata causa papatus — ibid. jo. launoii regia in matrimon . potestas paris . — pieces touch . les privil . & l●s exemptions ib. — assertio inquisit . in monast. s. medardi su●ssion . privileg . — — ibid. libri theologici . octavo . biblia s ▪ septuaginta , cum scholiis — lond. schol. in bibl. s. septuag . id. apocraph . ibid. nov. testament . graecè , cum var. lection . ( chart . maj . & dors . deaurat . ) — oxon. nov. testament . graec . — lond. — nitidissim . charact. apud guil. blacu — liturgia anglicana , graecè — cantab. — idem ( charta majori ) — — jac. duporti psal. gr . lat . ( foliis deaurat . ) lond. theodoreti dialogus secundus , gr . lat . — tig. — dialogi tres , gr . lat . — lips. s. chrysost. de fato & provident . dei , gr . basil. — de sacerdotio , gr . — argent . psalmi , graec. modern . — — — gr . lat . ad exemplar . complut . — antv. — graec . — paris . apud morellum rudimenta fidei , gr . lat . h. stephani — biblia ss . latinè — paris . r. stephan . lib. psalm . david . lat . cum comm. vatabl. r. steph ▪ l. cael. lactan. op. cum not. m. thomasii a. c. p. — opera , cum notis ant. thysii — lugd. bat. — opera , cum var. not. edit . à serv. gallaeo ib. pet. de marca dissertation . tres cum notis steph. baluzii — — paris . concilia galliae narbonensis , cum notis steph. baluzii illustrata — — ibid. ● b. servati lupi opera , cum not. baluzii — ibid. ss . salviani & vincent lirinensi opera , cum notis steph. baluzii — — ibid. alf. à castro adv . omnes haereses — lugd. phil. mornaeus de verit . religion . christianae herb. lib. prec . in usum eccles. cathed . christ. oxon. ox. steph. penton apparat . ad theologiam ( charta maj . & dors . deaurat . ) — — lond. ● breviarium romanum ex decreto s. concilii trident . — — antv. guil. durandi rationale divinor . officior . lugd. joan. episc. dunelmens . histor. transubstantiation . papalis — — lond. phil. labbe de scriptorib . ecclesiast . vol. ( dorsis deaurat . ) — — par. simplic . verin . de transubstantiatione — hag. guil. cave chartophylax ecclesiasticus ( dorso deaurato ) — — lond. assertio bonae fidei adv . herib . rosweyd . seden . jo. spencer dissertatio de urim & thumm . cant. r. sanderson de juramenti promiss . obligat . lond. — de obligatione conscientiae — ibid. frid. spanhemii histor. jobi ( dors . deaur . ) l. b. dion . petavii dissertat . ecclesiast . lib. duo par. geo bullii judicium ecclesiae catholicae de necessita●e credendi , &c. — — oxon. tho. barlow papismus regiae potestatis eversor ( nitidè compact . ) — — lond. guil. crowaei elenchus scriptor . in s. scripturam ( corio turc . foliis deaurat . ) — ibid. s●b . castellion . dialogide praedest . elect. &c. goud . pe● . lombardi sententiar . lib. iv. vol. lugd. jo. templar idea theologiae leviathan . lond. tractatus theologico politicus — synopsis disputationum per poland . rivet . wal●um , &c. — — lugd. bat. catech. ecc●lsiar . polonicar . à jo. crellio — walo mess●linus ( salmasius ) de episcopis & presbyteris — — lugd. bat. sam. hill de presbyteratu — lond. ecclesiasticae disciplinae & anglicanae eccles. &c. explicatio — — jac. laurentius reverent . eccles. roman . l. bat. f. duarenus de eccles. minister . ac benefic . lond. laurentius valla de collat. n. testam . — amst. ● pet. valesius causa valesiana — lond. hen. hammond de confirmatione — oxon. jugulum causae ( corio turc . foliis deaur . ) lond. pet. pichius de partu virginis dei parae adversus judaeos — — rom. tho. pierce pacificat . orthod . theol. corp. lond. georg. ritschel dissertatio de ceremoniis ecclesiae anglican . — — ibid. apologia rog. aschami pro coena domin . ibid. rob. abbot antichristi demonstratio — ibid. nic. de bralion de pallio archiepisc. — par. c. mar. de veil in matthaeum & marcum lond. — in duodecim prophet . minor . — — in ecclesiast . — — in cant. canticorum — conrad . vorstii antipodixes de tribus primis fidei articulis — hanov. fran. for. otrokocsi apocalyptica tuba quinta ( dorso deaurato ) — — amst. ja. windet de vita functorum statu — lond. jo. barnes catholico-romanus pacificus — oxon. confessionis christianae manium lacessitorum sui vindices — — — mel. cani loci communes theolog. — lovan . jo. gastii brisacensi historia anabaptismi — basil. j. drusii observationes sacrae — frank. pet. molinaei vates , seu de praecognitione futurorum & bonis malisque prophetis — lugd. bat. rob. bellarmini disputationes de controvers fidei christianae , vol. — ingolstad . bernard . ochinus de corporis christi praesentia in coenae sacramento — basil. — — labyrinthi , seu de lib. arbitrio , destinatione , &c. — — — sermones de fide ( italicè ) — ludov. aurelii epitome cardin. baronii annales , vol. — — paris . catechismus ad parochos ( dorso deaurato ) paris . rabbi mos. maiemonidae tractati de jejunio , de solemnitate pasch. &c. — ibid. suffragium britann . de controvers . art. remonstrant . — — lond. fred. spanhemus de papa foemina lugd. bat. nov. testamentum , sebast. castalionis — lond. jo. juelli apologia eccles. anglicanae — ibid. vinc. lirinensis advers . haereses — cant. pet. pomponatius de immortalitate animae — mart. fornarii institut . confessariorum — paris . joan. ellis defensio articulorum ecclesiae anglicanae — — cant. herm. hugonis pia desideria , cum fig. — lond. hug. grotius de veritate religioni christianae , cum annotation . — — lugd. bat. jo. cloppenburgii scola sacrific . patriarch . ibid. jo. gerhardi meditation . ( foliis deaurat . ) lond. ● fr. natali alexandri select . histor. ecclesiast . vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — par. jo. launoius de veteri ciborum delectu ibid. — de cura eccles. pro miser . & pauper . ibid. — ecclesiae traditio circa canonem omnis utriusque sexus — — ibid. — de duobus dionys. athen. & parisiens . ib. — de vera notione concilii plenarii — ibid. ● — confirmat . dissentation ▪ de vera plenarii concilii notione — ibid. — de sacramento unctionis infirmor . ibid. — roman . eccles. circa simon . tradit . ibid. — de simon . stochii viso , de bulla sabbatina , &c. — — ibid. ● — inquisit . in chartam fundation . vindocinens . monasterii — — — de hadr. valesii disceptat . quae de balsilicis inscribitur — ibid. jo. launoius inquisitio in chartam immunitat . b. germani — paris . — assertio inquisition . in chartam immunitat . b. germani — ibid. — de lazar. magdal . &c. in provinc . appuls . ib. — inquisit . in privilegia praemonstratensis ordinis — ibid. — examen du privilege d'alexandro v. — — cens. respons . f. norb. caillocii par. — capituli laudunens . ecclesiae jus apertum in monaster . &c. — ibid. — de scholis celebrioribus , per occidentalem instauratis — — ibid. — remarques sur la dissertation , &c. ibid. — examen de la response de m. david ibid. — de mente concil . trident. circa contritionem & attrition . — — ibid. — de vera caus . secess . s. brun. in erem . ib. — de controversia super exscribendo parisiens . ecclesiae martyrolog . — ibid. — de varia aristotel . in academ . parisiensi fortuna — — ibid. de auctoritate negantis argumenti — ibid. — de auctore vitae s. maurilii , & de histor. renati andegav . episc. — ibid. — de auctore libr. de imitat . christ. ib. — remarques sur la contestat . touchant l' auteur de l' imitat . &c. — ibid. — inquis . in privileg . s. medardi suess . ib. — de recta nicaeni canon . . intellig . ibid. — de fidei confess . pelag●i dissertat . ibid. — dispunctio epistolae de tempore quo primum fides christi , &c. — ibid. — dissertation . tres de episcopor . missione in gallias , &c. — ibid. — epistolae , vol. — — ibid. libri miscellanei . fol. corpus byzant . hist. gr . lat . à ph. labbe . par. theophy lact . simocattae histor. gr . lat . à car. ann. fabrotto — ibid. niceph. constantinopol . histor. gr . lat . à dion . petavio — — ibid. jo. cantacuzeni histor. graec . latin . à jac. gretsero . vol. — — ibid. nicetae choniatae histor. graec . latin . à car. annib. fabrotto — — ibid. geo. cedreni compend . historic . gr . lat . à jac. goar . vol. — — ibid. geor. codinus curopalata de officiis graec . latin . à jac. goar — — ibid. anastas . histor. ecclesiast . & de vitis pontific . gr . lat . à car. annib. fabrotto — ibid. laon. chalcocondylae histor. gr . lat . à carol. annib. fabrotto — — ibid. annae comnenae alexias gr . lat . à p. possino . ib. geo. a●ropolitae & ducae histor. byzant . gr . lat . à l. allatio — ibid. geo. syncelli & nicephori patriarch . chronograph . gr . lat . à pet. goar — — ibid. theophan . chronograph . & leon. grammat . vitae gr . lat . à franc. combefis — ibid. constant. manassis breviar . historic . & g. codinus de originib . constantinop . gr . lat . à jo. meurs . ib. agathias scholast . de imper. & reb. justiniani gr . lat . à bonav . vulcano — ibid. mich. glycae annales gr . lat à phil. labbe . ibid. procopii histor. acced . niceph. bryennii comment . gr . lat . à cl. maltreto . vol. — ibid. jo. cinnami histor. gr . lat . à car. du fresne . ibid chronicon orientale latinitate donatum ab abr. euhellensi — — ibid. s. theophylacti institutio regia gr . lat . à p. possino ( in quarto ) — — ibid. unumquodque volumen ( quatuor tantum exceptis ) byzantinae histor. scriptor . nitidissimè compactum est , corio rubro turcico , dorsis & foliis deauratis . eusebii pamph thesaur . temporum , gr . lat . cum notis jos. scaligeri — amst. strabonis geographia gr . lat ▪ cum notis is. casauboni , fed. morelli — — par. thucydidis hist. graecè ( tit. deest ) ven. ald. — hist. graecè , cum scholiis graecis . basil. franc. porti in thucidid . comment . ( separatim ) polybii historiar . libri quinque . graecè à vinc. obsopaeo edit . — — hag. herodoti histor. graecè , cum joach . commentarii annotat. — — basil. — idem latinè unà cum h. stephani apologia pro herodoto — — franc. — historia graec . lat . cum notis h. stephani & sylburgii — — — ibid. — historia graec . & lat . — hen. steph. thucydidis histor. gr . lat . à laur. valla recognit . ab h. steph. — h. steph. herodoti histor. gr . lat . cum variant . lectionib . & not. edit . à tho. gale — lond. xenophontis omissa . — geo. gemist . — herodiani hist. &c. graecè . — — venet. ald. — opera omnia , gr . & lat . — basil. — op. omn. gr . cum h. steph. annot. h. steph. arrian . de expedit . alexand. m. ex bonav . vulcani interpr . gr . lat . — — h. steph. steph. bellengardi sententiar ▪ volum . absolutiss . arriani periplus ponti euxini , & maris erythraei , gr . lat . cum scholiis guil. stuckii — genev. dion . cassii & zephilini histor. romana gr . lat . cum not. j. leunclavii , r. stephani , & g. xylandri , &c. vol. ( dors . deaur . ) — — flav. josephi opera quae extant gr . lat . — gen. — idem ( dors . deaur . ) — ibid. jamblichns de mysteriis . graec. latin . cum notis tho. gale — oxon. — idem ( charta maj . dors . & fol. deaur . ) ibid. athenaei deipnosophist . ex recens . is. casuboni & j. dalechampii gr . lat . — comel is. casauboni animadv . in athenaei deipnosophist . lib. xv. — lugd. athenaei deipnosophist . cum jac. dalechampii & is casauboni . gr . lat . vol. — ibid. plutarchi vitae , graecè ( nitido charact . ) florent . apud phil. juntam — — plutarchi opera , gr . lat . ab h. crusserio & g. xyland . vol. ( dors . deaur . ) — franc. philostrati opera , gr . lat . à fred. morello . par. platonis opera omnia . graec . lat . cum commentar . mars . ficini — lugd. — opera omnia . graecè , cum comment . procli in timeum — — basil. geo. gemest . qui & pletho dicitur : herodiani hist. graec . &c. — — ven. ald. plotini op. omnia gr . lat . notis mar. ficini . bas. themistii opera sive oration . graec . lat . cum notis harduini — — par. luciani opera omnia gr . lat . cum not. j. bourdelotii , ma●celii , &c. — — par. aristotel . op. om . gr . lat . cum not. guil. du vallii . vol. — — ibid. jo. stobaei sententiae ex thesaur . graecor . delectae . gr . lat . ( dors . deaur . ) — lugd. demosthenis opera . graecè cum scholiis graecis ( charact . nitid . chart . maj . ) — par. — opera graecè cum scholiis graecis ( dorso deaurato — par. apud j. de puis dion . chrysostomi orationes , gr . lat . cum is. casaub. & fed. morelli notis — par. libanii sophist . progymn . & oration . gr . lat . cum not. fed. morelli . vol. — ibid. isocratis op. gr . lat . not. hier. wolfii illustrat . bas. — orationes , &c. graecè — venet. ald. oratorum veterum orationes . graec . lat . edit . ab h. stephano — — h. steph. rhetores graeci , ( viz. ) apthonius , hermogenes , &c. graecè — — venet. ald. euclidis element . graecè — bas. aristophanis comoed. xi . cum scholiis antiquis , gr . lat . edit . ab aem. porto — gen. euripides gr . lat . cum annot. gasp. stiblini , &c. ( dorso deaur . ) — — basil. homeri opera graec . latin . cum jo. spondani commentar . — — — ibid. — opera graec . latin . accessit ejus vita , cum indice — — ibid. epigrammata graeca , cum annotat. jo. brodaei , vinc. obsopoei , &c. gr . lat . — franc. jo. grammatic . in aristotelis de naturali auscult . graecè — — venet. — in aristot. posteriora resolutor . gr . ibid. — in aristot. de anima . graecè — ibid. — in aristot. analytica . graecè — ibid. sanct. pagnini thesaurus linguae sanctae edit . à jo. mercero ( dors . deaur . ) — gen. ● jo. buxtorfii lexicon chaldaic . talmudic . & rabbinicum — — bas. jo. scapulae lexicon graeco latinum cum auctuar . jac. zuingeri — — bas. varini phavorini dictionar . linguae graecae . una cum indice . graecè — — ibid. hesychii dictionarium . graecè — ibid. frid. sylburgii etymologicon magnum linguae graecae — — comelin . suidas graec . lat . edit . ab aemil. porto , cum ejusd . notis . vol. — — gen. g. budaei , j. tusani , r. constantini , &c. lexicon graeco latinum — — crispin . jac. tusani lexicon graeco latinum — bas. jo. bentzii thesaurus purè loquendi & scribendi graeco latinus — — argent . guil. budaei commentarii linguae graecae . bas. — idem ( dorso deaurato ) — par. rob. steph. lexicon graeco latinum — — bas. philoxeni , &c. glossaria latino graec. & graec. lat. cum bonav . vulcanii notis — l. bat. thesaur . cornucop . & horti adonid . gr . v. ald. henr. stephani thesaurus linguae graecae unà cum appendice & glossario . vol. — h. steph. rob stephani dictionar . seu latinae linguae thesaur . vol. — — par. r. steph. — idem ( opt . edit . ) tom. in vol. lugd. stephanus de urbibus graecè . edit . à guil. xylander . ( fol. deaur . ) — — bas. car. du fresne glossarium ad scriptor . mediae & infimae latinitat . vol. — — par. matth. martinii lexicon philologic . praecipuè etymologicum — — bremae — idem ( optimae edit . dor . deaur . ) franc. ambr. colepini dictionarium octolingu . edit . à jo. passeratio — — — — id. edit . à jo. passerat . cum not. &c. lug. — idem adornat . à jo. lud. de la cerda . ( editio novissima ) — — ibid. ger. jo. vossi etymologic . linguae lat. amst. — idem , editio novissima & à mend . repurgata — — lugd. bas. fabri sorani thesaur . eruditionis scholast . jos. laurentii amalthea onomastica — lugd. theod. trebellii lat. linguae universae promptuarium . vol. — basil. conr. gesneri bibliotheca in epitomen redacta per jos. simlerum — — tigur . guil. morellii dictionar . lat. -graec.-angl . lon. bened. pereyra vocabular . latin. lusitanic . & hispanicum — — ebor. hen. spelmanni glossar . archaiologic . lon. steph. skinner etymologicon linguae anglicanae ( chart majori . ) — ibid. guil. somneri dictionarium saxonico latino-anglicum — — oxon. tho. holyoke dictionar . anglo-latinum , & latino-anglicum — — lond. mich. ant. baudrand lexicon geographicum ( dor . deaur . ) — — par. nicol. lloydii dictionar . historic . geographic . poetic . ( charta majori ) — oxon. nicol. perotti cornucopiae seu lat. linguae commentarii , &c. bas. nizolius sive thesaurus ciceronian . vol. ibid. phil. labbe tabula chronologica & epitome sacrae & profanae historiae — par. christ. helvici theatrum historic . — fran. table chronologique , genealogique , & histor. par fueillant — paris . luc. jo. aurigarii speculum nauticum super navigat . maris occident . confect . cum mappis . l. b. car. sigonii hist. de regno italiae lib. . ven. jo. cuspinian . in aurel. cassidor . consules roman . comment . — — franc. and. mauroceni historia veneta — venet. eliae rusneri genealogicon roman . de familiis princip imperii romani — franc. jo. glandorpii onomast . hist. rom. ibid. onuph . panvinii chronic. ecclesiast . à jul. caesar. ad maxim. ii. — — lov. torel . saraynae de origine & amplitudine civitatis veronae , cum fig. veron . lud. guicciardini inferioris germaniae , regionum descript. cum tab. geogr. region . & urb. amst. ant. bossii roma subterr . aucta & iconib . illustrata , à paul. aringho , cum plurim . fig. — par. niceph. callisti hist. eccles. gr . lat . vol. ibid. l. surii concilia . vol. — col. agrip. statuta regni galliae — — franc. marci velseri opera omnia — norimb chronicon chronicorum . cum mult . figuris & iconibus — — jo. goropii becani op. omn. vol. — antw. dionys. petav. de doctrina temp. a vol. par. hug. robinsoni annales mundi universales , edit . à tho. pierce — — lond. christ. helvici theatr. hist. & chronol . ox. paul. aemil. de rebus gestis francor . ad francesc . primum — — par. vascosen . titi livii historia roman ab u. c. cum jan. gruteri notis — — franc. inscript . antiquae totius orbis rom. in corp . redact . à jan. grutero , cum indicib . xxv . ( dor . deaur . ) commel . car. sigonius de antiquo jure civium romanor . italiae , &c. — — hannov. c. tacitus , & vel. paterculus , cum animadvers . justi lipsii — antwerp . c. plinii historiae mundi libri . cum sigism . geleni castigation . — — lugd. joan. marshami chronicus canon aegyptiacus , ebraicus , graecus , &c. — lon. jo. b. riccioli geograph . & hydrog . refor . bon. jac. aug. thuani histor. sui temporis . vol. par. job . ludolfi historia aethiopica , cum figuris ( dor . deaur . ) — — — franc. novus orbis regionum veterib . incognit . bas. de bello constantin . hist. pauli ramnus . ven. saxon. grammat . danica hist. lib. xvi . franc. joach . curei annales gentis silesiae — witteb . gesta dei per francos sive oriental . expedit . &c. historia — — hannov. fl. josephi hist. de bello judaico ( charact . perantiq . ) jac. phil. bergomatis supplement . chronicor . à mundi exordio — ven. aen. sylvii ( sive pii di ) op. quae ext . omn. bas. franc. guicciardini histor. sui temporis edit . à coel. secundo curione — bas. theod. de bry india occidentalis quamplurimis figuris adornata ix . part . in vol. — franc. — india orientalis quamplurimis figuris adornat . xi . part . in voluminib . — ibid. tho. pope blunt censura celebriorum authorum ( dorso deaurato ) — — lon. phil. à limborch . hist. inquisition , cum figur . ( elegantiss . compact . cor . turc . fol. & dor . deaur . ) amst. justi lipsii opera omnia . vol. — lugd. m. ant. coccii sabellici opera omn. à coelio secundo curione edita . vol. — — bas. jul. caesar. bullingeri diatribae advers . is. casauboni exercitat . contra baronium lugd. icones & elogia omnium principium reip. venetae . leo. matinae authores — ven. monumenta illustrium per italiam , galliam , german . hispan . totum denique terrarum orbem eruditione praecipue , & doctrina virorum . figuris artific . expressa — — — franc. pet. appiani & barth . amanti inscriptiones sacrosanctae vetustatis — — ingolst . oct. de strada symbola pontificum , imperat. regum , cum figuris — prag . herm. hugonis obsid . bredana . cum fig. antv. gilb. cognati opera omnia , tom. in vol. ( dorso deaurato ) — basil. jo. ludovic . vivis opera omnia , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — ibid. athan. kircheri obeliscus pamphyl . sive interpret . obelis . hieroglyph . cum fig. ( dors . deaur . ) romae . — phonurgia nova , sive conjugium artis & natur. cum fig. ( dorso deaurato ) — campid . — ars magna lucis & umbrae , cum fig. ( dors . deaurat . ) — — amst. — china illust . cum fig. ( incompact . ) ibid. pet. gassendi opera omnia , vol. — lugd. jo. camertis in solini polyhist . enarration . pomponius mela de orbis situ , cum comment : joach . vadiani — basil. illustrium veter . scriptor . germanic . ex biblioth . jo. pistorii , vol. — franc. & hanov. rerum german . veteres scriptores . ex biblioth . jo. pistorii — franc. veterum scriptorum germanic . rer. . ex bibl. j. reuberi — hanov. germanic . rerum scriptores ex biblioth . marq. freheri , tom. vol. — franc. cron. ditmari episc. mersepurg . lib. vii . ib. theoph. raynandi moralis disciplina ( dorso deaurato ) — lugd. — de virtutibus & vitiis tractatio ( dorso deaurato — — ibid. desid . erasmi , p. melanchthon . tho. mori & lud. vivis epistolae — — lond. historia ecclesiastica per theologos magdeburg . congesta , & à lud. lucio recensita , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — — basil. jo. jac. boissardi antiquitat romanae , plurimis pulcherrimisque figuris , aere incisis à th. de bry illustrat . part. in vol. — m. anton. ulmi physiol . barbae human . bon. luitprandi opera quae extant , cum not. h. de la higuera & l. ramirez de prado — antv. phil. mocenici , &c. tractationes philosoph . gen. joan. scot. erigenae de divisione naturae , libri v. ( charta majori ) — — oxon. h. wharton . anglia sacra , vol. ( nitidè compact . charta majori ) — lond. cantabrigia illustrata , sive ejus collegior . aular . &c. ichnographia à d. loggan . ( eleganter compact . corio turcico & foliis deaurat . ) — — historiae britannicae & anglicanae scriptores . edit à tho. gale , vol. ( charta majori & dorsis deauratis ) — — oxon. matth. paris historia major , cum additam . & glossario — — lond. matth. westmonasteriens . flores historiar . acced . florent . wigorniens . chronicon , &c. — franc. ● aelfredi regis res gestae , saxonicè — prideaux marm. oxonien . ex arundel . oxon. historiae anglic. scriptores . edit . à r. twisden ( dorso deaurato ) — lond. ven. bedae histor. ecclesiast . & lambardi leges saxon. — — cant. monasticon anglicanum à rog. dodsworth & g. dugdale , cum fig. vol. — lond. rich. smithei flores histor. ecclesiast . paris . polyd. vergilii anglic. hist. lib. xxvi . basil. — idem — ( titulus deest ) — parker de antiquitat . eccles. britann . hanov. rer. anglicar . scriptor . post bedam , praecipui edit . ab henr. savilio — lond. hen. mori historia provinc . anglic. audom . geo. buchanani rer. scoticar . histor. edingb . jo. selden de successionibus — lond. jo. miltoni defensio pro populo anglic. ibid. jac. waraei rer. hibernicar . annales ab anno ad ann . — — dubl . wil. prynnes chronological and historical vindication of the king 's ecclesiastical jurisdiction , vol. ( gilt backs ) ( very scarce ) — — lond. nic. upton de studio militari — jo. de bado aureo de armis — h. spelmanni alspilogia edit . cum notis edoardi bissaei — — lond. theatrum orbis terrarum , sive novus atlas in quo tabulae & descriptiones omnium regionum editae , cum chartis geograph ▪ diversis coloribus curiosissimè depictis , per jo. bleau , vol. — amst. sam. foster miscellanea , sive lucubrationes mathematicae , cum fig. — lond. lilii greg. gyraldi opera omnia , tom. in uno vol. — — basil. job . magiri polymnemon , seu florilegium locorum communium — franc. casp. barthii adversar . comment . lib. lx. ib. laelii bisciolae horae subjectivae , vol. ingolst . c. plinii historia mundi , cum jac. dalechampii & sigism . gelenii notis — gen. casp. dornavii amphitheatrum sapientiae socraticae joco-seriae — hanov. mahumetis alcoran latinè , à pet. abbate cluniacensi — — franc. suarez de legib. & deo legislat . lond. ● alex. ab alexandro dies geniales , cum not. andr. tiraquelli — franc. andr. tiraquellus de legibus connubialibus & jure maritali — — lugd. linwood provinciale , seu constitut. angliae , not. othon . & othobon . — oxon. conr. brunus de legationibus , de ceremoniis & de imaginibus — mogunt . barn. brissonius de formulis & solemnibus p. romani verbes — paris . prosp. farinacis tractat. de testibus in titulos distributos franc. corpus juris civilis , cum d. gothofr . & alior not. edit . à sim. van leeuwen , vol. amst. & l. bat. codex theodosianus , cum perpet . comment . jac. gothofredi , tom . in vol. — lugd. rod. hospinian . de origine , progressu , ceremoniis , &c. festor. — — tig. — de templis , sive de orig . &c. templor . ib. rosa anglica practica medicine à capite ad pedes m. fabii quintiliani institut . oratoriae , cum varior . notis — — par. — declamation . & institution . oratoriae , cum notis — — par. vascosan . adr. turnebii adversariorum tomi tres in uno volum . — — basil. j. a. comenii didactica opera omnia , ab anno ad continuata — amst. chronica slavorum , seu annales helmoldi edit . à rein. reineccio — franc. cor. nepos , cum comment . dion . lambini , gyb . longolii , &c. — — ibid. curtii inghiramii ethruscar . antiquitat . fragment . cum figuris — — ibid. m. t. ciceron . opera , cum notis gruteri , adjungit frobenii penu-julian . vol. — lond. — opera emendata à jo. grutero additis notis accedit frobenii penu-tullian . vol. — hamb . — opera , tom . in vol. ( charact . nitido ) — — par. car. stephan . — orationes , cum pauli manutii commentar . tom . in vol. — ven. — cum comment . ascon . podiani , geo. trapezuntii & ant. lusci — par. m. t. ciceron . de philosophia , duo vol. cum aldi mannuccii commentar . — ven. — de officiis , cum aldi mannuccii commentar . — ibid. — de officiis , cum hier. wolfii commentar . ( dorso deaurato ) — basil. — epistolae familiares , cum varior . notis par. — orationes , tom . . cum nic. abrami comm. vol. ( charta maj . dors . deaurat . ) — ibid. — rhetorica , cum explanat . jod . badii ascensii , &c. — ibid. — de orat. &c. cum not. divers . — ( titulus deest ) thesaurus m. t. ciceron . par. car. stephan . le lettere familiari , lat . di m. t. cicer. comment . in ling. toscana da giov. fabrini — vinet . l. ann. senecae opera omnia , à j. lipsio scholiis illustrata — antv. p. virgilii opera omnia , cum comment . jac. pontani — — — aeneidos , lib. xii . cum lamb. hortensii enarration . — basil. p. ovidii tristia , de ponto , metamorphos . &c. cum amplissim . comment . — ( titulus deest ) — — opera , cum varior . doctor . commentar . notis , &c. tom . in uno vol. — franc. — metamorph. cum not. j. pontani antv. libri miscellanei . quarto . homeri ilias & odyssea , gr . lat . cum scholiis didymi , lectionib . c. schrevelii l. bat. wolfg. seberi index homericus , gr . — amst. excerpta ex polybio , diodoro , nic. damasceno , &c. gr . lat ▪ cum h. valesii notis — par. polybius de legationibus , graec . cum notis fulv. ursini — — antv. c. plant. julii polluc . onomasticon , gr . lat . cum wolfg. seberi notis — — franc. dionys. alex. & pomp. melae situs orbis descriptio , cum scholiis & h. steph. not. — h. steph. — idem , &c. gr . lat . cum scholiis , notis h. steph. jo. olivarii , jos. simleni , & notis mss. is. casauboni — — h. steph. aristotelis ethicor. nicomacheor . paraphras . graec . edita à dan. heinsio — lugd. bat. hesiodi ascraei quae extant , gr . lat . cum schol. graec . & not. dan. heinsii — repheling . theocriti , moschi , &c. quae extant , gr . lat . cum schol. gr . & not. d. heinsii , is. causab . &c. comm. sophoc . tragoed . . cum schol. graec . h. steph. aeschyli tragoed . . cum schol. graec . & h. steph. observat. — h. steph. sophoclis tragoed . . gr . lat . cum schol. graec . & j. camerar . & h. steph. notis — p. steph — tragoed . . cum schol. graec . & not. mss. is. casauboni — — franc. joach . camerarii comment . in sophoclis tragoed . — callimachi hymni & epigramm . graec . cum nic. frischlini & h. steph. notis — h. steph. euripides tragoediae , graecè — — scholia graec . in euripidis tragoed . . — basil. aristophanis comoediae . graec . — ibid. manuel . moschopul . de ratione examinandae orationes , graec . — par. r. steph. nic. clenardi meditation . graec . in artem grammaticam — par. r. steph. lycophronis alexandra , graec . — oxon. nicand . theriac . &c. gr . cum schol. graec . col. lycophr . cassandra , iambico carmine translata , per jos. scaligeri — sanctandr . musaei her. & leand. g. l. cum d. parci not. fr. apollon . rhodii argonautica , gr . cum schol. graec . & h. steph. annotat. — h. steph. — idem , cum schol. graec . ( charct . pervetust . ) flor. hug. grotii syntagma arateorum , gr . lat . cum fig. & ejusdem notis — — florilegium epigrammat . veter . graec . cum notis h. stephani — h. steph. polemon . himerii , &c. declamationes graec . nunc primum editae — h. steph. pindari opera , gr . lat . cum schol. graec . p. steph. athanas. rhetor. byzant . de animae immortal . gr . lat . per jo. curtin — par. arati phaenomena , graec . cum schol. graec . ( charact . nitido ) — paris . morel . dionys. orbis ambitus , gr . lat . — ibid. hephaest . enchir. gr . cum schol. graec . par. turn . ● aristotelis mecanica , cum comment . hen. monantholio , graec . lat . — paris . theodosii sphaer . gr . lat . edit . per jo. penam ibid. arriani & hannon . periplus , &c. gr . cum notis mss. if. casauboni — basil. arrianus de venatione , gr . lat . luc. holstenii interpretationes — paris . antiquae musicae , gr . lat . meibomii notis amst. epistolae basilii m. libanii , chionis , &c. graec . ( charact . perantiquo ) — ven. ald. meletii archiepisc. alexand. opera varia , graec . — m. antonin . de rebus suis , gr . lat . cum comment . tho. gatakeri — — cantab. aristotel . de rhetorica , gr . lat . cum notis theod. goulston — lond. simplicii comment . in enchirid. epicteti , gr . lat . cum cl. salmatii animadvers . — l. bat. juliani imperat. opera , gr . lat . cum notis dion . petavii , &c. — — paris . theophylacti simocattae histor. mauriciana , item geo. phranzae chronica de ultimis orientalis imperii temporibus , gr . lat . à jac. pontano — ingolst . cebetis tabula , gr . lat . &c. — j. l. vives de communione rerum , ant. — apthonii progymnasm . par. — aug. dathi epistolae , par. . — joan. reuchlin defensio contra calumniator . suos , tubing . ● — thomae mori epistola ad german . brixium , lond. . — ger. mercator . literarum latinar . scribendar . ratio , — — lovan . psalterium . graecè ( charact . antiquo ) — aeliani variae hist. lib. . &c. graecè — rom. porphyrii in aristotelas categorias expositio . graecè — — par. agathias de imper. & reb. gest . justiniani , gr . lat . cum notis b. vulcani — — l. bat. nicet . choniatae imperii graeci histor. graec . lat . ab h. wolfio — — jac. duporti gnomologia homeri , gr . lat . cant. longi pastoralia de daphnide & chloe , graec . cum not. r. columbanii — — flor. alexiados lib. viii . ab anna comnena script . gr . edit . à daw. hoeschelio — aug. vin. horapollinis hieroglyphica , graec . latin . cum notis dav. hoeschelii — — aug. vind. procli sphaera , ptolomaei hypothesis , gr . lat . edit . à jo. bainbridge — — lon. cl. ptolomaei geographia . graecè — basil. pet. siculi hist. gr lat . per matth. raderum ingol . onosandri strategicus , graec . lat . cum nicol. rigaltii notis — — — par. aristotelis politica , gr . edit . à pet. victorio , fran. jamblichus de vita pythagorae & orationes gr . lat . cum castigat . j. arcerii — commel . galeni anatomia ( graecè ) — tit. deest — franc. patritii discussiones peripatetic . ven. platon . timaeus , sive de natura . graec . par. hesychii lexicon cum variis doctor . viror . notis ▪ edit . à corn. schrevelio — l. bat. gul. robertson thesaur . graecae linguae , cant. harpocrationis dictionarium graec . cum notis ph. jac. maussaci — — par. jo. crispini lexicon graeco-latinum editum ab ed. grant — — lond. nic. rigaltii glossarium , gr . lat . — par. breves totius grammat . graec . tabulae . par. mor. ren. guillonii grammatica graec . — par. steph. simon . hist. ling. graec . methodica , ibid. hen. stephanus de bene instituendis graecae linguae studiis — — — apollon . alexandr . de syntaxi seu constructione oration . edit . à frid. sylburgio — theodori introductivae grammatices libr. quatuor . graecè — — — par. — gazae institution . grammaticae , lat . per erasm. roterod. — — lov. man. moschopuli gramm . artis graec . meth. bas. matth. devar . de graec . linguae particulis — rom. ad. littleton pasor metricus — — lon. eman. chrysolorae byzant . graec. grammatic . institutio — — par. ed. grant graec . linguae spicilegium — lon. had. amerotii compend . graecae gramm . lov. ren. guillonii grammat . graeca — par. jo. meursii glossarium graeco-barbarum . l. bat. — atticarum lectionum libri . — ibid. — aeschylus , sophocles , euripides , sive de tragoed . eorum — — — ibid. — graecia feriata , sive de festis graecor . ibid. — gulielm . auriacus , sive de rebus toto belgio ab eo gestis — — ibid. archontes athenienses — — ibid. — pisistrat . sive de ejus vita & tyrannid . ib. — de luxus roman . lib. item mantiss . hafn. chalcidii timaeus de platon . translatus , item ejusd . in eund . comment . cum not. jo. meursii — l. b. const. manassis annal gr . lat . edit . à jo. meurs . ib. jo. meursii denarius pythagoric . sive de numeror . qualitate secund . pythagoric . — l. bat. phlegontis tralliani quae extant graec . lat . cum not. j. meursii — — ibid. antigoni histor. mirabil . graec . latin . cum notis jo. meursii — — ibid. theophylacti archiep. bulgariae epist. graecè , edit : à jo. meursio — — ibid. theodori metoch . histor. roman . gr . lat . cum not. jo. meursii — — ibid. apollonii dyscoli histor. comment . gr . lat . cum comment . jo. meursii — ibid. eusebii , polychronii , pselli in cant. cantic . exposit . graec . cum not. jo. meursii . — ibid. jo. meursii hist. danicae , libri tres . — hafn. aelnothus de vita & passione s. canuti , cum not j. meursii — ibid. jo. meursii solon , sive de ejus vita , legibus , dictis , & scriptis — — procop. gazaei in lib. regum scholia gr . & lat . edit . à jo. meurs . — — ibid. phil. cluverii introductio in universam geograph . cum figur . — — amst. fr. maurolici cosmographia , & g. rithaymeri de orbis situ — — venet. p. bertii commentar . rer. germanicar . libri tres , cum figuris — — amst. ph. brietii parallela geographiae veteris & novae . vol. ( dors . & fol. deaurat . ) — par. pomp. mela de situ orbis , cum spicileg . and. schotti , & notis herm. barbari , &c. — ant. joan. funccii chronologia ab o. c. ad annum christi . — — bas. p. appiani & gem. frisii cosmographia cum figuris — — antv. jo. pet. maffeii histor. indica . accessit ign. loyolae vita — — — lug. vitae selector . aliquot virorum , edit . à guil. batesio ( dorso deaurato ) — lon. gul. wicami vita & res gestae ( nitidè compact . foliis deauratis ) — — oxon. nicol. causini de eloquentia sacra & humana , lib. xvi . cum indicib . — par. — idem cum accuratis indicibus — lugd. de constantia in abdicatione magistratus ( titulus deest ) — — franc. glisson de natura substantiae energetica ( chart . maj . ) — — lon. joan. mariana de ponderib . & mensuris , tol. tho. burnetii telluris theoria sacra , vol. cum figuris — — lond. — archaeologiae philosophicae ( elegant . compact . corio turcic . & foliis deauratis ) ibid. ● q. aurel. symmachi epistolar . lib. x. cum miscellaneor . lib. x. & notis — par. peregrination . joan. de mandeville in divers . reg. provinc . & insul . — — venet. paul. de venetiis de consuetudinib . orientalium regionum — — ibid. ludolphus de itinere ad terram sanctam — histor. destruct . trojae , per guid. de columna jo. cottunius de conficiendo epigram . bonon . horat. lutius de privilegiis scholarium . patav. guil. barclaius de reg. & regali potestat . contra monarchomachos — — par. guil. gilbert de mundo nostro sublunari , amst. sam petiti variar . lectionum . lib. o par. constant. laudi explicationes in veterum numismat . roman . — — lugd. edoard . baro herbert de relig. gentil . amst. jac. phil. tomasin . de donariis & tabellis votivis — — u●in . g. grotius de princip . juris naturalis — hag. vit. nic. cl. fabr de peirese , per pet. gassend . ib. vita joan. juelli , per laur. humfredum , lon. delineat . maris ahenei fusilis quam fecit j. pythius cum figuris — — l. bat. gisb. cuperi monumenta antiqua , traj . ad rhen. antonii teiserii catalogus — col. agrip. de regis officio opusculum — par. h. steph. jo. checus de obitu mart. buceri — lond. hulderici hutteni dialogi — par. car. sigonius de antiquo jure provinciar . ven. tho. campanella de sensu rer. & magia , par. caspianus waserus de antiquis nummis hebraeorum — — tig. — de antiquis mensuris hebraeor . heidel . aenaei vici comment . in vet. imp. roman . numismata — — par. discorsi sopra le medagli de gli antichi — — ibid. — augustarum imagines aeneis formis expressae — — — ibid. boissardi bibliotheca , seu thes. vert. & gloriae , i. e. vitae illustrium virorum , cum fig. in aes incisis , per theod. de b●y — — franc. crudelitas hispanorum in ind. occident . cum mult . figuris — — — — jo. herbinii dissertationes de admirand . mundi cataractis supra & subterraneis , &c. cum multis figuris — — amst. ● apologetic . adv . satyram dan. heinsi , viz. cras credo , hodie nihil — — amica disputat . adv . judaeos — — jo. bapt. porta de furtivis literarum notis vulgò de ziferis — — lond. gall●r . qui linguam hebraeam excoluerunt vitae per paul colomes . — — — hag. philolai , sive dissertation . de vero systemate mundi . lib. iv. — — amst. paul mannuccius de civitate romana , rom. disceptatio de paraenesi card in . baronii ad remp. venetam — — monach. franc. junius de pictura veterum — amst. mich. aitfingeri pentaplus regnor . mundi , ant. m. manilii astronomicon cum joseph . scaligeri notis — — rapheling . mart. smiglecii logica , disputationib . & quaestionib . illustrat . vol. — ingolst . cebetis tab. lat. cum just. vels . comment . lug. joan. selden analect . anglo britannic . fran. — de anno civili veterum judaeorum , lon. — uxor ebraic . seu de nuptiis & divort. ib. jos. justi scaligeri opuscula varia antehac non edita — — par. catal. libror . in biblioth . collegii sionii , lon. bibliotheca norfolciana sive catalog . librorum in colleg. gresham . — ibid. jo. clessii librorum hebr. graecor . latinor . germanicorum , &c. — — franc. ant. burchardi progymnasmatum eloquentiae partes tres — — stet . geo. florus de bello italico & rebus gallorum praeclare gestis — — par. r. steph. geo. hornii hist. philosophicae libri . l. b. laur. pignori mensae isaicae expositiones , cum figuris — — — franc. statuta universit . juristar . patav. gymnas . pat. tho. hobbs leviathan , sive de materia , &c. civitat . ecclesiast . & civilis — amst. pet. mar. careparius de atramentis cujuscumque generis — — lond. m. t. ciceron . ad marc. brut. orator . cum notis strebaei , pisani , & melancth . — par. — de legibus cum commentariis adriani turnebi — — par. morel . — partition . oratoriae cum commentar . strebaei , turnebii , talei , &c. — — par. m. t. ciceron . tusculanae quaestion . cum comment . vallae , beroaldi , manutii , &c. — par. vas. — morales definitiones , cum scholiis marc. squarcialupi — — claudiop . — fragm . cum andr. patricii annotat ven. pet. rami praelectiones in ciceronis orationes . consulares — — bas. m. fab. quintiliani institution . orator . & declam . cum adnotat . — — par. colin . c. suetonius tranquillus cum is. casauboni animadvers . — — gen. corn. taciti op. cum j. lipsii comment . ant. ammian . marcellinus henr. valesii annotat. illustrat . — — par. flav. veget. de re militari cum g. stewchii comment . — — ant. c. plant. p. virgilius cum varior . ( tam veter . quam recent . ) comment . — — comelin . fed. morelli in papin . statii sylv. comm. par. phalaridis epistolae . graecè edit . à bartholino justinopolitano — ven. q. horat. carmina & epod. cum bernard . parthenii comment . — — ibid. — op. cum dionys. lambini comment ▪ fran. j. juvenal . & a. persii satyrae cum indic . omnium vocabulor . per j. langium — frib. a. persii satyrae cum comment . cornuti , vineti , pithoei , &c. & indicib . — par. ● j. juvenal . cum comment . henninii — ultraj. terentii comoed. lat. cum comment . varior . in lingua tuscana — — ven. — comoed. sex , cum not. jo. ph. parei . neap. accii plauti comoed. ex recogn . j. gruteri , cum comment . fr. taubmanni — cl. claudiani quae ext . cum casp. barthii , fran. pap. statii opera . vol. cum comment . emer . crucei — — — par. pap. statii opera quae extant . cum animadvers . casp. barthii , vol. ( dors . deaur . ) — franc. ● phil. osullevan . bearri patritiana decas , sive de d. patritii vita , &c. — — martrit . dan. crameri arb. heret . consanguinit . arg. histor. revelation . christoph. kotteri , christinae poniatoriae — — — auctores latinae linguae cum notis dionysii gothofredi — — rhetor. latini , viz. rutil . lupus , aquila roman . &c. è biblioth . pithoei — — par. jac. carmichael . grammat . latina — cantab johan . drusii opuscula quae ad grammaticam spectant — — franek . — de sect. judaic . edit . à sext. amama . arnh. luc. vitruvii institutio linguae latinae — genev. justin. lipsius de recta pronunciatione latin. linguae — — ant. c. plant. pet. megangi grammat . in carmen , & tabulas concinnata — — par. apud . vascos . luc. vitruvii roscii institut . lat. gramm . gen. drosaei grammat . quadrilinguis — par. abbregi de la nouvelle methode pour apprendre langue greque — — ibid. ● joan. danesii paralipomena orthographiae , etymologiae , &c. — lon. and. reyher . margaritae philologicae grammatica generalis — — — schleus . ● tab. ad grammatica graeca introductor . unà cum aliis grammaticis ling. gallic . ital. hispan . anglic. latin. &c. oxon. t. lynacer de emendat . struct . lat. serm. lon. christoph. wase dictionar . anglo latin. & latino-anglic . — — ibid. elis. coles dictionar . ang. ▪ lat. & lat. ▪ anglia . ( interfoliat . charta lineis rubris ducta ) vol. ibid. rod. goclenii lexicon philosophicum . — franc. supplementum linguae lat. seu dictionar . abstruson . vocabulor . à rob. constantino collectum — jo. fungeri etymologicum triling . — lugd. joan. angel. à sumaran thesaur . linguar . hispan . gallic . itallic . &c. — ingolst . mar. nizolii apparat. latinae locution . edit . ab alex. scoto — — col. alb. — idem , editio postrema — gen. ger. jo. vossius de artis poeticae natura & constitutione — — amst. — de poetis , gr . lat . — ibid. — de arte grammatica , lib. vii . — ibid. — idem , edit . da . plurib . locis aucta ibid. — orator . institut . lib. vi. edit . . aucta l. b. — idem , edit . . & auct . ( dors . deaur . ) ibid. — theses theologicae & historicae oxon. — respons . ad judic . herm. ravens . l. b. — de vitiis serm. & glossem . lat. -barb . amst. — de origin . & progress . idolatr . vol. ibid. — historia pelagiana , . — jac. usserii gotteschalcus — — dubl . — chronologiae sacrae isagoge — hag. is. vossius de vera a tate mundi — ibid. geo. hornius de vera aetate mundi lugd. bat. is. vossii castigat . ad script . g. hornii de aetate mundi — hag. geo. hornii defensio dissertat . de aetate mundi adv . is. vossium — l. bat. is. vossii auctarium castigation . ad scriptum de aetate mundi — hag. — de lucis natura & proprietate — amst. — de motu marium & ventorum — hag ▪ — respons . ad objecta joh. de bruyn & pet. petiti — — ibid. j. steph. de bello sacro relig. causa suscepto oriol . xenophon . de cyri ▪ disciplina , lat . cum comment . jo. camerarii — par. guil beveregii institutiones chronolog ▪ & arithmat . chronolog . — lond. oxonium poema authore f. v. — oxon. notitia oxoniensis academ . — ibid. anastasii hist. de vitis roman . pontific . mogunt . b. pla●inae histor de vitis pontific . romanor . edit . ab onuphrio &c. — col. agr. abrah . o●telii thesaurus geographicus recognit . & auctus — — hanov. academ . cantabrisiens . affectus in obitum , caroli secundi — cantab. / ren. des cartes de homine , cum fig. — l. b. — princip . philos. de method . dioptr. &c. amst. c. plinii epistolae ejusd . panegyr ▪ cum comment . jo. mar. catanaei — gen. car. pison . observat. de praeterv . hacten . morb. fort. licetus de monstror . natura , causis , &c. cum figuris — — patav. tho. willis de morb. convuls . & de scorb . oxon. — cerebri anatome & nervor . descript . & usus , cum figuris — — lond. avicenna de anima , de almahad , &c. lat . ab andr. alpage — — ven. bald. angel. abbatius de admir . viperae nat . urb. hen. savilii praelect . . in euclid . element . ox. corpus jur●s civilis justinianei edit . à dion . gothofredo — — gen. — cum notis dionys. gothofredi , vol. ( foliis deaurat . ) — — pet. fabri semestria , edit . . cum indic . — gen. codex theodosianus & theodosii novelle constitutiones , &c. — lugd. ant. clari sylvii commentar . ad leges — par. frid. pruckm●nn . de venatione , & piscatione & aucupio — — spir● franc. clark praxis in curiis ecclesiasticis dubl . jos. scaliger de vetustate & splend . gentis scaligerae & j. c. scaligeri vita — lugd. bat. jo. seldeni vindiciae secundum integritatem existimationis suae — — lond. — uxor ebraic . seu de nupt. & divort. ibid. reformat . legum ecclesiastic . ex authorit . henr. viii . inchoata — — ibid. ● . is. casauboni ad fronton ▪ ducaeum epist. ibid. mart. martinii sinica historia — ( titulus deest ) dav. chytraei chronolog . histor. herodi●i & thucydidis — — helmst . borchardi descript . terrae sanctae & region . finitimarum — — magdeb. des. erasmi moriae encomium , cum list●ii commentariis — — basil. ● m. aur. severin . de viperae natura veneno , medicina , cum figuris — — patav. ● . vita s. philippi nerii , per jac. boccium rom. t. campanella de sensu rerum & magica franc. pauli bolduani bibliotheca philosophica jenae jo. molani bibliotheca materiarum col. agr. jac. bornitius de nummis in repub. percutiend . & conservand . — — hanov. tho. gianinius de mentis humanae statu post hominis obitum — — patav. august . steuch . eugubini de perenni philosophia , lib. x. — — basil. oppiani de venat . lib. iv. lat . à j. bodino par. aug. dathi elegant . cum comment ▪ ascens . mog . and. schotti observation . human . lib. v. hanov. seb. co●radus de officio doctor . & auditor . florent . franc. suarez syllabus disputat . metaphysicar . cum not. jac. revii — lugd. bat. jo. de ra●i clavis philosophiae naturalis amst. mar. fred. wendelini contemplation . physicar . sectiones tres — — cantab. ● joan. bapt. van helmont ortus & progressus medicinae — — amst. reginae palatium eloquentiae edit ▪ à r. r. p. p. societatis mogunt . — mogunt . epistolae franc. philelfi ( charact . antiquo ) — galeot . martius de homine , cum georg. merul. annotat. — basil. veget. renati artis veterinariae lib. iv. ibid. grammat . despauter . in epitom . redacta antv. jo. miltoni pro populo anglicano defensio , advers . claud. salmes . — lond. pauli benii eugubini de histor. lib. iv. — ven. — orationes quinquaginta — patav. — in platon . timaeum — rom. hier. ziegleri illustrium germaniae viror . histor. car. sigonius de lege curiata magistratuum & imperator . — — ven. j. b. gramaye africae illustrat . lib. x. — torn . monumenta literaria , sive obitus & elogia doctor . viror . — — lond. gabr. sionitae geograph . nubiensis — par. papir . massoni annalium , lib. iv. — ibid. vita h. chichele descripta ab arth. duck oxon. jos. stephan . valentin . de potestate coactiva romani pontific . — — rom. hieron . mercurial . de arte gymnast . lib. vi. par. jo. drosaei grammat . quadrilinguis — ibid. eman. alvarius de institut . grammat . col. agr. galil . galilaei dialogus de systemate mundi — cur. lancilot . pasius de arte grammat . argent . ponti heuter . & veter . & sui seculi belgio antv. august . niphi opusc. moralia & politica par. guil. harvaeus de generatione animalium lond. hen● . mori enchiridi●n metaphysic , cum fig. ib. rich ▪ cumberland de legibus natura ( charta . maj . & foliis deauratis ) — ibid. sam. petiti miscellaneor ▪ libri novem — par. sam. petiti eclogae chronologicae — ibid. just. lipsius de militia romana ( cum js. casauboni notis mss. ) — — ant. g. draudii biblioth . class . ( interfol . ) vol. fr. cl. clement . musei , sive biòlotheca extructio , instructio , cura , usus — lugd. catalog . libr. h. laurentii bibliop . amstel . amst. s. puffend . de jure natur. & gentic . lond. scan. jac. cappelli historia sacra & exotica ab adamo usque ad august . — — sedan . is. barrow lect. optic . & geomet . cum fig. lon. rob. titii locor . controvers . lib. x. — florent . hadr. junii bataviae historia — l. bat. h. barbari in c. pli●ii natural . hist castigat . bas. jo. prisei histor. britannicae defensio — lond. is. casauboni epistolae , unà cum epistola de morbi ejus , mortisque causa — hag. geo. elmacini histor. saracenica , lat . reddita à tho. erpenio — l. bat. hippol. canon pasch. cum j. scalig. comment . ib. constitut. ordinis fratr . eremitar . s. augustini j. rosini antiquit. rom. cum not . t. dempst . col. — idem , cum notis tho. dempsteri . acced . p. manut. de legib. &c. — lugd. bat. athan. kircheri prodrom . copt . sive aegypt . rom. arn. meshovii histor. anabaptist . lib. vii . col. claud. verderii in auctores antiq . censio lugd. jo. trithemii clavis steganographiae ( titulus deest ) vita caroli borromei ab august . cardin. veronae conscripta — — veron . vita jo. vincent . pinelli , à p. gualdo a. v. geneva restituta — gen. j. buxtorni sen. vita & mors , per d tossan bas. g. j. vossii oratio in obitum t. erpenii . l. b. pet. scriverii manes erpeniani — ibid. nox cygnea exhibens dissertation . in laudem ling. arabicae , à vito wolfrum — lips. aur. anselmi genomic . sive de senum regim . ven. leon. vairi de fascino , libri tres — par. rod. goclenii lexic . philosoph . graec. marchiob . jo. bapt. veri rerum venatar . lib. iv. patav. jo. genesii sepulvedae opera omnia — col. agr. ● theod. bibliandri de ratione communi omnium linguarum comment . — ( titulus deest ) — melch. goldasti replicatio pro imperio advers . jac. gretser . — — hannov. porphyr . de abstinent . ab esu animal . lat . venet. rob. whitinton de octo partibus orationis — aristot. ethicor. nichomach . paraphr . lat . à d. heinsio epistolar . turcicar . varior . author . lib. v. ex recens . n. reusneri — frane . c. sigonii hist. de occident . imper. lib xx. bas m. aur. olympii nemesiani , t. calphurnii bucolica , cum rob. titii comment . — flor. t. dempsteri apparat. ad histor. scoticam bonon . epistolar . decretal . quae pontifib . romanis tribuuntur examen — — gen. pet. fabri semestrium , lib. duo ( dors . deaur . ) ib. — argonistic . sive de re athletic . &c. ibid. geo. bulli defensio fidei nicenae ( charta maj . & dors . deaurato ) — oxon. ● adr. romani urbium praecipuar . totius o●bis descript . cum fig. — franc. j. usserii britannic . ecclesiar . antiquitates dubl . lud. jacob bibliograph . parisiana , sive catalog . libror . paris . anno , , , , , . excusor . par. corn. gemmae de arte cyclognom . tom . . a. c. p. guil. cilbert . de magnet . magneticisque corpor. sed. laur. ramirez de prado pentecontarchus , sive quinquaginta mil●●um ductor — antv. edoard . baro herbert de veritate prout distinguitur à revelatione — lond. — de causis errorum — ibid. — religio laici — — jo. leunclavii annal. sultan . othmanid . franc. jac. guther . de officiis domus augustae publicae & privatae — — par. rod. goclenii conciliator . philosoph . castel . carol. sigonius de vita & rebus gestis andr. auriae melphiae princip . — gen. jo. bapt. portae , villae , lib. xii . domus , sylva caedua , &c. — — franc. t. campan . de sensu rer . & magic . lib. iv. par. pet. suavis polani hist. concilii trid. lib. octo c. sollii apollinar . sidonii opera ▪ cum comment . jo. savari — — par. is. casaub. de reb . sacris & eccles. exercit . . fr. jo. wierus de praestigiis daemonum & incantationibus & venefic . — basil. jo. ant. castellionaei mediolanenses antiquitates , cum figuris — — mediol . jo. pierii hieroglyphica , sive de sacris aegyptior . literis — — franc. nic. cl. de peires . vita , per pet. gassend . par. libri miscellanei . octavo . jo. meursii hesych . de viris illustr . gr . lat . l. b. — lycophronis cassandra , gr . lat . — ibid. maximi tyrii dissertationes , gr . lat . — lugd. juris orient . i ib. iii. gr . lat . not. enim . bonefidii illust . ( necnon cum not. mss. is. casaub. ) h. steph. euclidis elementor . lib. xv. graec . — rom. hippocratis aphorismi , gr . lat . edit . à rad. wi●tertono — — cant. ex ctesia , agatharcide , &c. exceptae historiae appiani iberic . &c. graecè cum henr. stephani castigationibus — h. steph. anthologia diversor . epigrammat . gr . lat . franc. — poetic . gr . lat . cum not. pet. holloix duaci — epigrammat . graecorum , gr . lat . — flex . diogenes lacrtius de vitis philosophor . gr . lat . cum is. casauboni — ( titulus deest ) — — idem , gr . lat . cum is. casauboni notis , necnon eureap . de vitis philos. gr . lat . — gen. theonis sophistae exercitationes , gr . lat . à joach . camerario — — basil. — progymnasmata , gr . lat . — lugd. bat. aristotel . politicor . lib. viii . gr . lat . cum dan. heinsii paraphr . — l. bat. — de arte poetica , graec . lat . cum notis dan. heinsii — — ibid. nicephori blemmidae epitome logica , gr . lat . à jo. wegelino — — aug. vind. — epit. physica , gr . lat . à jo. wegelino ibid. actuarius de actionibus spiritus animalis , &c. graecè — — par. cl. aeliani variae histor. lib. xiv . gr . lat . cum notis jo schefferi — — argent . hierocles de provident . & de fato , gr . lat . cum notis mer. casauboni — lond. — idem & in pythagorae aurea carmina , gr . lat . edit . à j. pearsonio — ibid. saracenica , sive moamethica , gr . lat . cum annotat. frid. sylburgii — commelin . sibyllina oracula , graec . lat . cum notis illustrata à jo. opsopaeo , cum interpretat . lat. sebast. castalion . & indice — — par. mich. psellus de operatione daemonum , gr . lat . cum not. gilb. gaulmini — ibid. joach . camerarii problemata , de natura , moribus , &c , gr . lat . — commelin . erotemata chrysolorae de anomalis verbis , &c. graecè — — venet. ald. geograph . marc. heracleotae , scylacis caryandens . &c. gr . à d. hoeschelio — arriani epictetus , graecè , cum notis mss. is. casauboni — — ven. epicteti enchirid. cum arriani comment . gr . lat cum annot. hier. wolfii : item porphyrius de abstinentia gr . lat . à l. h o lsten — cantab. — simplicii comment . gr . lat . — lond. marc. antoninus de seipso & ad seips . gr . lat . cum not. mer. casauboni — ibid. theophrasti charact. is. casauboni commentar . gr . lat . — — lugd. ammon . herm. in voces porphyrii commentar . graecè — — ven. ald. phurnutus de natura deorum palephatus , gr . lat . &c. — — basil. geographica marciani heracleotae , &c. graecè à d. hoeschelio — — aug. vind. dicaearchi geographica quaedam , cum annotat. henr. stephani — — h. step. dicaearchi geograph . quaedam , sive de vita graeciae cum annotat. h. stephani — — plutarchi opera graecè ( cum notis mss. is. casaub ) tom. in vol. — — h. steph. — opera latine ( cum notis mss. is. casauboni ) vol. — — h. steph. — oper. gr . lat . separatim . vol. h. steph. apthonius , hermogen . & dion . longinus graecè edit . à franc. porto — — crispin . orator . graeciae praestantissimor . oration . xxx . gr . lat . ab alph. miniato — — han. ● poetae graeci minores gr . lat . cum rad. wintertoni annotationibus — — cantab. mythologia aesopica , graec . latin . per joan. nicol. neveletum — — franc. homeri ilias & odyss . cum notis marginalib . gr . lat . vol. ( dors . deaur . ) — cant. — odyssea , &c. graec . latin . cum scholiis d. giphanii — — argent . — ulyssea , &c. graec . ( charact . nitido & elegant . compact . ) — — ven. ald. ● dydimus in homeri odyss . graecè — par. geo. sylvan . in hom. iliad . lib. primum . lond. matth. day . excerpta in prior . homeri iliados libros — — — ibid. hesiodi ascraei opera , gr . lat . — basil. sibyllina oracula , graec . & latin . à balth. castalione — — — ibid. hesiodi ascraei quae extant omnia gr . lat . ab erasmo schmidt — — — joach . camerarii comment . in sophoclis tragoed . parodiae morales h. stephani , gr . lat . ap . h. step. demosthenis orationes . graecè — bas. aeschinis & demosthenis orationes , graec . latin . à jo. sturmio — — lond. and. dounaei praelection ▪ in philippic . de pace demosthenis — — ibid. theognidis sententiae gr . lat . cum joach . camerarii scholiis edit . à w. sebero — — lips. luciani opera , gr . lat . cum gilb. cognati annotat. vol. — — — bas. — selecti mortuor . dialog . gr . lat . — par. oppiani de venatione lib. . de piscatu lib. v. gr . lat . cum comment . conr. rittershusii — l. bat. cl. salmasii funus ling. hellenisticae — ibid. jac. ceporini grammatica graeca — ant. — compend . grammaticae graecae — tig. nic. clenardi institutiones ling. graecae — lon. — idem edit . à steph. moquoto — par. pet. rami grammatica graeca — hanov. rudimenta grammaticae graecae — lond. eras. schmidt de dialect . graecor . principal . wit. alex. scot. universa grammatica graeca . lug. christ. helvicus de ratione conficiendi graeca carmina — gies . angeli caninii hellenismus — lond. zach. schneideri janua in ling. graecam , lips. guilielm . dugardi graecae grammatices rudimenta — — lond. ger. jo. vossii institutiones ling. graec. amst. — idem — — l. bat. graecae interrogation . de octo part . oration . ven. geo. pasoris grammat . graeca nov. test. gron. franc. sanctii grammat . graeca — ant. c. plant. r. busby graecae grammatices rudimenta . lond. ant. laubegeois graecae ling. breviarium , duac . jac. welleri grammatica graeca nova — lips. jac. gretseri institut . ling. graecae — col. fr. sylburgii rudimenta ling. graec. — franc. phil. melancthon grammat . graec. — lips. oth. gualtperii grammat . graeca — marp . mich. humelbergii epitome gram. graec. bas. jac. ceporini compend . gramm . gr. — lond. graec. gram. in usum genuensis scholae — gen. ger. jo vossii institutio ling. graec. l. bat. jo. loniceri gr. gramm . methodus — franc. congrua loquendi & scribendi ratio — wertem . aemyl . porti dictionarium doricum graeco-latin . — — franc. — lexicon pindaricum — han. balth. garthii lexicon latino . graec. — lips. corn. schrevel . lexic . gr. -latin . & lat. -gr . l. b. henr. steph. ciceron . lexic . gr. -lat . h. steph. dictionar . medicum graecè cum h. stephani annotationibus — — h. steph. ge. perkins clavis homerico . gr. lat. lond. casp. seidelii manuale graec. ling. gr . lat . lon. nicol. caussini symbolica aegyptior . sapientia , gr . lat . — — par. zach. bogan homerus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — oxon. edm. dickinsoni delphi phoe●cizantes , ibid. — idem ( foliis deauratis ) — ibid. jos. just scalig. opusc. var. antehoc non edit . fr. maur. neoporti , vot . candid . vivat rex , lon. libell . supplex imperat. majest . &c. nom . belg. ib. apologeticon & rer. in belg. gestar . narratio , &c. artemidori de somnior . interpretat . lib. v. lat. à jano cornario — — lugd. poetica praeceptis , commentariis , &c. conscripta per academ . gissenae professor — jul. caes. scaligeri poemata omnia — commel . — poemata & epigrammata — terent. varron . opera cum not. scaligeri , turnebii , victorii , &c. — — dord . idem ( nitide compactum ) — amst. nicol. clenardi epistolarum , libri duo — han. nicol. mercerius de conscrib . epigram . par. claud. salmasii de usuris liber — l. bat. gabr. palaeotus de bono senectutis — ant. jord . brunus nolanus de umbris idear . paris . j. and. quenstadt de antiq . ritib . sepulchral . wit. hier. cardan . de utilit . ex adv . capiend . franek . jan. brugerini de re cibaria , libri xxii . franc. mic. maierus de legibus fraternitatis r. c. ibid. ger. bucoldian . de puella quae sine cibo potu vitam transigit — — lovan . prognosticon futuror . tempor . & annor perpetuò duraturum — — ant. dav. georgii haeresiarchae vita & doctr. ib. unà cum allis tractat. eodem volum . compactis . joan. bodini de republica libri sex — ursel . geo. dalgarni character . universalis & lingua philosophica — — lond. antonin . godellus , an elogii aureliani scriptor . idoneus — — const. ludov. lavater . de spectris , lemuribus , &c. gen. steph. junii bruti vindiciae contra tyrannos . helii eobani hesti opera — . — arrian de exped . alex. gr . lat . not. varior . amst. suet. tranquill. ex recognit . d. erasmi par. col. — cum not. varior . edit . à joan. schildio , l. b. m ann. luc. phars . cum not . t. farn lond. — cum tho. farnabii notis . ( interfol . ) franc. pub. virgilii opera , cum notis variorum per corn. schrevelium — l. bat. — idem — — ibid. — opera in locos communes digesta c. agr. fab. plancid . fulgentii lib. de expositione virgilianae continentiae , &c. — sanctand . s. aurelii victoris historia romana , cum notis variorum — — l. bat. aurelii theodosii opera , cum joh. isaaci pontani notis — — ibid. val. martialis epigrammata cum variorum notis per corn. schrevelium — l. bat. m. accii plauti comoediae xx. ad didacticam recensitae — cotlen . — comoediae cum notis varior . — l. bat. c. plinii caecil . epistolae & panegyrici notis illustrata — — oxon. — paneg. cum selectis varior . notis — l. bat. justinus cum selectissimis varior . observationibus per ant. thysium — ibid. — idem — — amst. juvenalis & persii satyrae cum varior . comment . per corn. schrevelium — l. bat. a. per●ii sat. cum is. casauboni com . — lond. val. maxim. cum selectis variorum observationibus per ant. thysium — l. bat. corn. nep. vitae imp. cum not . var. — ibid. sext. jul. front. strateg . cum var. not . — amst. c. jul. caesaris quae extant . cum var. not . l. bat. a. gellii noctes atticae , cum henrici stephani annotationibus — par. petron. arbitri satyr . cum com . var. — traj . p. terentii comoediae , cum selectissimis variorum notis — — l. bat. — comoediae , cum selectissimis variorum notis , per corn. schrevelium — ibid. comoediae , latinè & belgicè , cum notis jo. minellii — roterod. c. salustii opera cum selectissimis variorum notis , per ant. thysium — l. bat. ann. senecae tragoed . cum variorum observat . per ant. thysium — ibid. q. horatii flacci not . à jo. bond illustratus , ( interfoliat . — lond. — poem . om . cum ind. t. treteri ▪ ant. c. p. — poemata omnia , cum indicibus h. stephani & t. treteri — franc. — cum commentariis selectissimis variorum , per corn. schrevelium — l. bat. sulp. severi opera omnia cum variorum notis , per geo. horn. — ibid. l. ann. florus cum notis var. — amst. — idem — l. bat. c. velleius paterculus , cum select . varior . notis , per ant. thysium — ibid. — idem — — ibid. catullus , tibullus , propertius — ven. ald. m. t. ciceronis orationes , not . jo. tho. fregii illustratae , vol. — han. — orationum tom. , ex emendatione dionys. lambini — — par. depuys — orationum tom. , à dionysio lambino editus . — — par. — epistolae ad familiares , cum pauli manutii comment . vol. — franc. — omnium epistolarum optima & longissi . not . nath. chytraei — han. — epistolae ad atticum , cum pauli manutii scholiis — par. r. steph. — epist. ad atticum cum pauli manutii comment . — ven. p. ald. — rhetorica ad herenn . &c. cum variis lectionibus — — par. r. steph. — vita è script . & verbis ejusd . descript . per ben. herbest . — franc bened herbesti explicat . oration . ciceron . ad quirites — — in omnes m. t. ciceron . oration . selecta comm. doct . viror . vol. — colon. claud. minois comment . in orationem ciceronis pro sylla — franc. commentat diversor . in epist. ciceronis ad familiares — h. steph. loci observation . in m. t. ciceronis epist. familiares , à bas fabro — lips. pauli manutii comment . in epist. ciceronis ad pomp. atticum — franc. henrici stephani ad senecae lectionem proodopoe●a , &c. — h. steph. lil. gr. gyraldi historia poetarum , vol. ( dorsis deauratis ) — — bas. c. sol. apol. sidonii opera , cum notis jacobi sirmondi — — paris . gabr. faerni centum fabulae , carminibus explicatae — — — lond. car. carafa comment de germania sacra restaurata — — col. agrip. jani gruteri lampas sive fax artium liberalium , h. e. thesaurus criticus . vol. — franc. obstetrix animor . h. e. ratio docendi , studendi , conversandi , imitandi , &c. — par. erasmi paraph. in l. vallam — lutet . r. steph. julii caesaris scaligeri de causis linguae latinae , lib. xiii . — sanctandr . — idem — — commelin . auson . popma de differentiis verborum , cum praef. fred taubmanni — — gies linguarum methodus novissima à jo. comenio lippus brandolin . de ratione scribendi . franc. jac. pontani progymnasmata latin. vol. ingolst . — dialogi de variis rerum generibus & annotationibus — — franc. — attica bellaria vol. — aug. vind. traicte de la conformitè du langue francois avec le grec , par henr. estienne — henr. stephan . de suo thesauro graecae ling. item index libror . qui ex officina ejusdem h. steph. hactenus prodierunt — h. steph. jo. lalamandat . exterar . gentium anni ratio , & cum romano collatio — crisp. ob. gifanii observationes in linguam latinam , ( interfoliat . ) ▪ — franc. rod. goclenii observation . linguae latinae , sive purè sermon . analecta — ibid. c. hool gram. lat. anglo-latina — lond. cael. secund. curio de literis , doctrinaque puer . bas. ant. schori phrases ling. lat . — lugd. — idem — — bas. conr. gesneri de differentiis linguarum observationes — — tig. — idem — — ibid. matur . corderius de quotidiani puerorum sermonis emendatione — ant. guil. lillii grammatica latina — lond. jo. despauterii gram. instit. lib. — ant. august . saturnii lazaronei grammaticae institution . — — bas. rudimenta linguae latinae — lond. grammatica latina ( interfoliat . ) — rostoch . casp. finckii grammatica latina — gies . corn. valerii grammaticae institutiones ▪ lov. tho. farnabii systema grammaticum lond. ger. jo. vossii latina grammatica — l. bat. — idem , editio novissima — ultraj. enchiridion elemento . puer●lum — wittemb . phil. melanchthon , de arte dicendi — hagan erasm. roterod. de ratione . studii & legendi auctores — — argent . dulce bellum inexpertis , per des. eras. mog . eras. roterod. parabolar . sive simil . liber arg. — de duplici copia verbor & rerum lugd. ezech. vogelii ephemer . totius ling. lat. — lips. [ * ] eman. alvari institut . linguae latinae ▪ duaci — de institutione grammatica — col. jun. rabirii comment . in libel . erasmi de oration . partium construct . antv. grammatica latina philippo-ramea — herbr . t. linacer de emend . structura lat. serm. lips. jo. despauterii universa grammatica edit . à gabr. prateolo — — par. lod. enoci partitiones grammaticae — grammat . lat. in usum scholae bremens . brem . jo. pellissonis rudimenta lat. grammat . lugd. guil. lilius de generib . nominum & verbor . praeteri●is & supinis — antv. erasm. roterod. de octo rationis partium constructione — ibid. — de civilitate morum puerilium — ibid. cum aliis tractatibus ejusdem erasmi phil melancht . grammat . latina par. r. steph. eruditionis scholasticae janua — gasp. scioppius de causis latinae linguae amst. — suspector . lectionum , libri quinque ibid. — paradoxa literaria — mediol . nouv. methode pour apprend . la lang. lat. par. g. camdeni graec. grammat . rudimenta lond. guil. lilii grammatica latina — ibid. jac. ceporini compend . grammat . graec. lond. jo. possalii calligraph . orator . ling. graec. gen. jo. phil. parei celligraphia romana — franc. — lexic . critic . sive thesaur . ling. lat. nor. pet. mosellani tabulae de schematib . & tropi● cum aliis tractatibus . hier. megiseri thesaurus polyglottus vel dictionar . multiling . — franc. constantin . caesar praeception . de agricultura , lat . à jano cornerio — ( titulus deest ) — — p. servii spolet . dissert . philolog . de odorib . rom. thucyd. de bello peloponnes . lat . cum annot. arg. jul. nigronii orationes . — mogunt . gab. naudaei syntagma de studio liberali arim. ● cl. salmasii interpretat . hippocrat . aphorismi de calculo — — l. bat. ferdin . baron . de furstenberg poemata amst. fragmenta poetar . veterum latinor . à r. stephano congesta , & ab h. stephano digesta , ejusque expositione illustrata — h. steph. traite de la conformite de language franc. avec . le grec . par henr. estiennes — — r sheringh de anglot . gent. orig . disceptat . cant. paul. aemylius de rebus gestis francor . par. vasc. arnold . ferronus de rebus gestis francor . ad hist. p. aemylii — — ibid. guil. fleetwood inscription . antiquar . sylloge ( dorso deaurato ) — — lond. acta martyrum ab wi●l●fo & husso ad hunc usque diem — — gen. pet. castellani vita , per pet. gallandium , cum notis steph. baluzii — par. lucae holstenii annot. geographicae in car. à s. paulo , &c. — — rom. mart ▪ martinii historia sinica — amst. jo. lasitius de origin . & reb . gestis fratr . bohem. ●oach . vadiani epit. trium terrae partium tig. jo. laeti compendium historiae universalis civili & ecclesiast . — — amst. melch. adami vitae germanor . theolog. heidelb . rob. barns & jo. baleus de vitis pontific . romanor . continuat . à jo. lydio — lugd. bat. muh . alfragani chronol . & astronom . elem. fr. geo. buchanan . rerum scoticarum historia , & de jure regni apud scotos — ibid. de maris scotor . regina ejusque contra regem conjuratione histor . — — — jo. morini antiquitates ecclesiae oriental . lond. ● acta romanor . pontificum ad paul. iv. qui nunc tyrannizat . — — franc. berosi antiquit . lib. v. cum comm . j annii witt. revelation divinar ▪ christ. kotteri ▪ &c. epitome car. carafa de germania sacra restaurata sub greg. xv. & urban . viii . — colon. paul. orosius advers . paganos historiar . cum notis fr. fabric . marcodurani — ibid. t. smith de graec. eccles. hodierno statu lond. chronolog . histor . herodoti & thucydidis , per dav. chytreum — — argent . jo. schmidii diarium historicum — hist. monothelitar . & honotii controversia par. alex. guagnini rerum polonicar . tom . tres fr. antonii m. regulae , sermones , &c. ex arab . in lat . ab abr. ecchellensi — par. discursus politicus de polygamia per theoph. alethaeum — — frib. claud. sarravii epist. opus posthumum ar. j. seob . fabricii c. j. caes. nu●●i●mat . lond. mer. casaubon . de lingua hebraica & de lingua saxonica — — lond. apologia willelmi princip . auriacae ad proscript . ab hispan . reg. &c. — an. mar. à schurmen opusc. hebr . gr . &c. l. b. b. castilio de aulico , interpr . b. clerke arg. jo. frid. gronovii observat. lib. l ▪ bat. geo. henischius de asse & part . ejus aug. vin. epitaph . diversor . in alexandr . farnesium , parmo ducaeum — col. agr. ed. bern , de mensuris & ponderib antiq . ox. wil. dillingham poemata var. argum . lond. de inquisit . hispan . oration . . heid . guil. hogaei paraphr . poetica in jo. milton . paradisum amissum , &c. — lond. frorilegium ethico-politicum , cum jo. gruteri notis — — franc. jani coecil . frey opusc. varia nusq . edita par. pet. molinaei poematum libelli tres — cant. jo. henr. hottingeri analecta historico . theolog. scaligerana , sive excerpta ex ore j. scaligeri hag. anton. sirmond . de immortalitate animae advers . pomponat . &c. — par. jo. conr. dannhawar idea boni disputator . & malitiosi sophistae — argent . theod. zuingeri morum philosoph . poetica basil. herm. hugo de prima scribendi origine & rei literar . antiquit . — — antv. lexicon juridicum h. e. juris civil & canonici vocum penus — — gen. — idem — ibid. hug. grotius de jure belli & pacis , cum ejus annotat . &c. — — amst. — de imper. summ . potestat . circ . sacra hag. bern. rutilii jurisconsultorum vitae — lugd. provinciale provinc . cantuariens . cum lindwodi annotat . à r. sharrock — oxon. r. sharrock de officiis secundum naturae jus ibid. — de finib . & officiis secund . naturae jus ibid. sam. puffendorf de officio hominis & civis juxta legem naturalem — cantab. franc. polleti historia fori romani — lugd. jo. anton. vandar linden de scriptis medicis , editio altera — — amst. abrah . couleii poemata latina , viz. libri plantarum & unus miscellan . — lond. ● j. raii catalog . plant . angliae ( dors . deaur . ) ib. ans. boetii de boot g●mmar . & lapidum historia , edit . ab adr. toll . — l. bat. ● malach. thruston de respirat . usu primario lond. geo. entii animadv . in m. thruston de respiration . usu primario — ibid. — apologia pro circulatione sanguis adv . aemyl . parisan . — ibid. — — idem editio altera ( charta majori & dorso deaurato ) — — ibid. rich. morton de febrib . inflammatoriis universalibus ( nitidissimè compact . corio rubro turcico dorso & fol. deaurat . ) — — ibid. tho. sydenham epist. responsor . de morb . epidem . & de lue veneria — — ibid. — dissertat . epistolar . ad g. cole de observationibus nuperis , &c. — guil. briggs descriptio oculi anatomica ( perquam eleganter compact . ) — ibid. — nova visionis theorias — ibid. rich. lower vindicat . tho. willisii dé febrib . advers . e. de meara — — ibid. gualt . needham disquisit . anatom . de formato foetu , cum figuris — — ibid. jo. beverovicii idea medicinae veter . lugd. bat. — epist. quaestion . cum doctor . respons . rot. ● henr. mori enchiridion ethicum — lond. jo. heid●eldii sphinx philosophica — herb. sethi wardi in . t. hobbii philosop . exercitat . oxon. jac. sprengeri malleus malleficarum — franc. jo. sandersoni institut . dialectic . lib. iv. antv. t. brighti in physic. g. scribonii animad . cant. franc. vallesius de sacra philosophia — lugd. rob. sanderson logicae artis compendium oxon. pet. jo. nunne●ius de studio philosophico l. b. elementa opticae , cum figuris — lond. jo. ab indagine introduction . apotelesmat . arg. arn. de lens in geometr . elementa isagoge antv. euclidis elementor . lib. xv. scholiis illustrati à cl. clavio , vol. — rom. — elementor . libri xv. demonstrati ab jo. barrow — — lond. if. barrow lectiones mathematicae habitae cantabr . , , . — lond. libri miscellanei . duodecimo . bern . varenii geographia generalis — amst. flosculi historici , sive histor. universalis ab o. c. ad anno christi — oxon. benj. prioli hist. gall. lib. xiii . ( dors deaur . ) amst. pet. bapt burgus de bello suecico , cum fig leod. f. spanhemii introduct . ad hist. & antiq. sacr. l. b. b. platina de vitis & gestis summar . pontificum stella de vitis pontificum — ( titulus deest ) — thuanus restitutus , sive sylloge locor . varior . in histor. thuani desiderator . — amst. ph. labbe notitia dignitat . imperii romani par. a. gislen . busbequii omnia quae extant — oxon. hub. langueti epist. politicae & historicae franc. differtatio epist. de principiis justi & d●eori amst. seb. corradi quaest . in qua vita cicer. refert . l. b. nic. machivelli histor. florent . lib. octo ibid. — disputationes de republica — ibid. statuta universitatis oxionensis — oxom . hercules tuam fidem , sive munster . hypobol . l. b. cl. salmasii defensio regia pro carolo i. — jo. miltoni defensio pro populo anglicano contra salmasium — — lond. reg. sang. clamor ad coel. adv . parricid . angl. hag. jac. regis apologia pro jurament . fidelit . lond. scaliger . editio altera , innumer . mend . purgat . col. bapt. codronchus de annis climatericis colon. j. a. comenii pansophiae prodromus lugd. bat. dom. baudii epist. orationes & de foenore amst. gasp. sciopp . de scholar . & studior . ratione patav. rog. aschami familiar . epistolar . libri tres gen. jo. paepp artificiosae memoriae fundamenta lugd. — introduct . in praxim artific . memor . ibid. — memoria artificialis hactenus occultat . ib. des. erasm. de utraque veròor . & rer. copia amst. jo. webb carmen hexametr . & pentamatr . lond. dav abercrombii fur academ . ( dors . deaur . ) amst. pet. paschal . epist. ad chr. lubienicium de statu christi , postquam resurrexit — lugd. bat. abr. milius de origine animalium & migratione populorum — — gen. bern. brissonius , &c. de veterei ritu nuptiar . & jure connubior . — — amst. senec. tragoed . not. tho. farnabii illustr . lond. luc. pharsal . cum not. h. grotii & t. farnab . amst. virgilii opera , cum notis tho. farnabii — ibid. horatii opera — ( titulus deest ) — juven . & persii satyr . cum annot. t. farnab . lond. terent. comoed. . ex recensione heinsiana amst. jul. caesaris quae extant ex emendatione jos. scaligeri — — lugd. bat. elzev. tit. livii historiar . libri — amst. — hist. ex recens . gronovii , vol. l. bat. elzev. ex tibullo & propert. elegiae , ex catullo , martiale , &c. epigramm . selecta commentar . ex optimis interpretibus illustrata — mussip . m. t. ciceron . de officiis , libre tres , &c. amst. — opera , vol. ( charact . elegant . ) l. b. elz. l. ant. senecae opera , cum frid. gronovii notis , vol. — l. bat. elzev. c. plinii sec. epist. & panyger . — l. bat. elzev. jo. barclaii eupho●mion . lusinini satyricon — marcel . palingenii ●odaicus vitae — lond. ignoramus comoedi , per m. ruggle — lond. phaedri fabulae , cum notis nic. rigaltii — par. — ex recensione chr. wase — lond. am. marcellinus , recens . boxhorn-zuerius l. b. metamorphosis anglor . in quo continentur jo. seldeni a●●lect . anglo-brit . janus anglor . &c. — jo. seldeni mare clausum — lond. mer. casauboni diatriba de verborum usu ibid. j. fred. gronovii observat . in script . eccles. dav. n. testam . graec . cum h. stephani notis h. steph. seb. pfochen . de linguae graecae nov. testamenti puritate — — amst. hierocles in aurea pythagoreor . carmina , gr . lar . à jo. curterio — — par. aesopi fabulae , gr . lat . cum fig. — gen. — graec : edit . à joach . camerario — lond. cl. aelian de animalibus , gr . lat . — gen. — varia historia , gr . lar . — — — idem , gr . lat . — gen. geo. pasoris syllabus . gr . lat . omnium n. testament . vocum — — amst. — manuale graec. vocum n. testam . l. bat. polyaeni stratag . gr . lat . cum not. is. casaub. gen. pindar . caeteror . lyric . carmina . gr . lat . h. steph. sophoc . tragoed . . gr . edit . ●a g. cantero a. c. p. callimachi epigrammata , gr . lat . cum bon vulcanii annotat. — — ibid. aristophan . comoed. ● . gr . lat . cum indic . & emendat . jos. scaligeri — ludg. bat. euripidis tragoeediae . graecè , edita à guil. cantero — am. c. plant. isocratis paraenesis , &c. gr . lat . — cantab. lamp. alardi graec. in nuce , seu lexic . nov . lips. synopsis radicum linguae graecae — rothom . hippocr . aphorismi gr . lat . ex recognit ad. vorst . l. b. — aphorismor . section . . gr . lat . ex intpret . a. foesii , &c. — lugd. bat. ●● euclidis elementa novo ordine demonstrata à ni● . mercatore lond t. angli ( i. e. white ) euclid . metaph. — ibid. tho. gataker de dipth . sive bivocalibus — ibid. horat. turselinus de part . lat . locutionis — roth. — idem . editio multo quam antea auctior bart. georgienis de turcar. mor. epitome — phil. cluverii introd . in univers . geog. amst. g. fourmer geograph . orbis notitia — par. ● aug. busbequii epistolae — l. bat. elz. j. sleidan de summis imperiis — amst. bern. varenii descriptio regni japoniae — ibid. l. fenestella de magist. & sacerdot . rom. par. c. tacitus cum optim . exemp . collatus — amst. q. curtii rufi historiar . libri — ibid. accii plauti comoediae superst . — ibid. pub. terentii comoediae — cant — idem ex recensione heinsiana . l. bat. elz. justiniani institutiones , typis variae , rubris nucleum exhibentibus — — amst. caes. crem . de calido innato & de sem . l. bat. theoph. de garencieres angliae flagellum , seu tabes anglica — lond. phharmacopoeia londinensis — ibid. — amstelodamensis — amst. tho. mori utopia à mendis vindicata ibid. alex. irvini de jure regni diascepsis . — l. bat. jo. oweni epigramm . editio postrema amst. geo. buchanani poemata quae extant . l. bat. libri in linguis orientalibus conscripti . folio . biblia ss . viz. vet. test. haebr . & lat . & nov. test. gr . & lat . interlin . edit . à bened. aria montano — gen. — heb. & lat . cum rabbinorum comment . edit . à seb. munstero , vol. — bas. psalterium hebraeum , graecum , arabicum , & chaldaeum , cum tribus lat . interpretationibus & glossis , ( charactere tam venusto quam vetusto ) in pergamenum — — genuae — hebr. graec. chald. & lat. — col. joh. cocceii lexic . & commentar . sermon . hebr. & chald. v. testamenti — amst. jo. forsteri dictionarium hebraicum novum , hebr . & lat. — — bas. frob. jo. avenarii liber radicum , seu lexicon ebraicum heb , & lat. — witteb . jo. buxtorfii lex . chald. talm. & rabbinic . bas. thes. hebr . ling. à s. pagnino conscripti epitome — ant. c. plant. lexic . graecum , & institutiones linguae graecae . — ant. c. plant. m. mar. brix . arca noe , thes. lin . san . vol. ven. geo. crucigeri harmonia linguarum , viz. hebr. graec. lat. & german . — — franc. valent. schindleri lexic . pantoglot . hebr. chald. syriacum , &c. — — franc. avicennae opera , arabicè — rom. dominic . germani fabrica linguae arabicae . arab. & lat. — — ram. jac. golii lexicon arabico-latinum — l. bat. anton. giggei thesaurus linguae arabicae , vol. ( arab. & lat. ) — — mediol . fr. raphelengii lexic . arabic . arab. & lat. leid . phil. guadagnoli arabicae ling. institution . rom. libri in linguis orientalibus . quarto . biblia sacra , i. e. vet. & nov. testament . in lingua indica , edit . per j. eliot — camb. — hebraic ex recens . menass . ben israel , amst. pentateuchus mosis . arab. edit . à t. erpenio . l. b. — idem ( chart . majori ) — ibid. psalmi davidis . arab. & lat. à victor . scialac & gabr. sionita — — rom. — idem — — ibid. — syriacè & latinè , à tho. erpenio — l. b. — syriacè & latinè , à gabr. sionita — par. hosee cum thargum & comment . r. selomo ja●hi , r. abrah . ben ezra , &c. — — n. testam . syriac . edit . à jo. alb. widmanst . vien . — hebraicè , graecè , & latinè , edit . à guid. fabric . boderiano — — par. epistola d. pauli ad galatas , arab . & lat . per rutgher . spey bopardian . — — apocalypsis s. johannis , syr. ebraic . graec. & lat. à lud. de dieu — — l. b. concordant . vet. testam . graecae , ebraeis vocibus respondent . à conr. kirchero . vol. — franc. conr. kircher . de concordantiar . biblic . usu , wit. targ. seu paraphr . in hos. joel . & amos. &c. par. victor . bythneri analys . critic . pract . psalm . lon. — lyra prophetica davidis regis — ibid. menasseh ben israel conciliator — amst. laurent . fabricii partition . codicis hebraei , wit. vaticinium malachiae , aethiopic . & lat. à theod. petraeo — — l. b. prophetia jonae , aethiop & lat. cum notis adag . per theo. petraeum — — ibid. homil. aethiop . de nativitate jesu christi . aethiop . & lat. à t. petraeo ibid. prophetia sophoniae . aethiopic . & latin. à jo. geo. nisselio — — — — ibid. liber ruth , aethiopicè & latinè , à joh. geo. nisselio — — ibid. s. jacobi epistol . arab. aethiop . & lat. à j. geo. nisselio , & t. petraeo — ibid. s. johannis epistolae . arab. aethiop . & latin. à j. g. nisselio , & t. petraeo — ibid. s. judae epist. arab. aethiop . & lat. à j. g. nisselio & t. petraeo — — ibid. histor. de abrahamo , &c. ex alcorano . arab. & lat. à j. g. nisselio — ibid. foedus inter muhammedam & christian. arab. & lat. à j. g. nisselio — ibid. mat. wasmuth vindiciae s. haebraeae script . rost. liber ministri missae juxta ritum ecclesiae nationis maronitarum ( syriacè ) — rom. jo. drusii opera in vet. & nov. testament . &c. ● vol. lud. de dieu animadvers . in vet. testament . libros omnes — — l. b. sixt. amamae censura vulgatae versionis v. libror . mosis — — franek . j buxtorf . anti ▪ crit. seu vindic. verit . hebr. bas. — de linguae hebr. orig. antiq . sanctit . &c. ib. — de punctor . origine , antiquit . & authorit . ib. — hist. arcae foederis , ignis sacr . & coel . &c. ib. — lib. cosri , continens colloq . de relig. ib. — lexicon chaldaicum & syriacum — ib. jo henr. hottingeri historia orientalis — tig. — juris hebraeor . leges . — ibid. — promptuarium sive biblioth . oriental . ibid. r. mosis majemonidis doctor perplexorum , edit . à jo. buxtorfio — — bas. — canones ethici , hebr . & lat . cum notis geo. gentii — — amst. — de fundamentis legis , hebr . & lat . cum notis guil. vorstii — — ibid. — de cultu divino , latinè reddit . notisq . illustr . à l. de compeigne de veil — par. — de jure pauperis & peregrini hebr . & lat . cum notis hum. prideaux — — oxon. — de sacrificiis , latinè reddit . & notis illustrat . à lud. de compeigne de veil — london . j. morini exercitat . in samaritan . pentateu . par. — de hebraei graecique textus sinceritat . ibid. targum hierosolymit . in libr. legis è ling. chald. in latin . à fr. taylero — — lon. talmudic . babylon . codex midoth . hebr . & lat . cum not ▪ const lempereur — l. b. duo tituli talmud . sanhedrin & maccoth . hebr . & lat . cum j. coch not. — — amst. historia sacra-profana à m. c. ad ann. . vel christi . dicta german . davidis auctore r. david ganz ex hebraeo in latin . versa , & observationibus illustrata , à guil. henr. vorstio — l. bat. joma codex talmudic . de sacrificiis ex hebr . in latin . versus & comment . illustrat . è roberto sheringhamio — — lond. abr. peritsol itinera mundi , hebr . & lat . cum not. tho. hyde — — oxon. anton. hulsii theol. judaica , de messia , bred. zach. rosenbachii moses omniscius franc. wilh . schickardi jus regium hebraeor . argent . — bochinath happeruschim — tubin . r. abraham hispan ▪ sphaera mundi hebr . & lat . cum not. s. munsteri — basil. porta mosis sive dissertat . mos. maimonid . arab. & lat. cum not. edv. pocockii — oxon. pauli fagii expositio diction . hebraicar . in . cap. geneseos — isna . eutychii ecclesiae suae origines arab. & lat. cum comment . jo. seldeni — lond. — annales arab. & lat. jo. seldeno chorago & edv. pocockii interprete — oxon. greg. abul farajius de origine & morib . arabum . arab. & lat. cum not. edv. pocockii oxon. * — hist. dynast . arab. & lat. per e. pocok . oxon. phil. guadagnol . pro christiana religione respons . ad objection . ahmed filii zin alabedin , persae asphahanenses persicè — rom. nubiensis geographia — arabicè historia tamerlanis — arabice edit . à jac. golio l. bat. ulug beigi epochae celebriores arab. & lat. cum comment . joh. gravii — lond. chorasmiae & mawaralnahrae descript . arab. & lat. per j. grevium — ibid. pet. pauli doct. christ. armen . & lat. par. . d. severus de ritibus baptismi hebr. syriace & lat. à guid. fabric . boderian . — ant. franc. rivolae dictionar . armeno lat. par. sebast. curtii radices linguae sanctae ( hebr. & lat. — — geism . barth . scheraei itinerar . in psalter . davidis hebraeum h. e. lexic . psalteriale — witteb . mar. calasii diction . hebr. — hebr. & lat. rom. el. hutteri dictionar . harmonic . biblic . ebraeum , graec. latin. & germanio — norib . jo. henr. hottingeri etymologicum orientale sive lexic . heptaglotton ▪ — franc. christoph. crinesii lex . syr. — syr. & lat. witt. mart. trostii lexicon syr. — syr. & lat. coth . jo. bapt. ferrarii nomen . syr. — syr. & lat. rom. jac. wemmers lex . aethiop . aethiop . & lat. rom. jobi ludolfi lexicon aethiopico-latinum unà cum grammat . aethiop . ( dorso deaur ) lond. athan. kircheri lingua aegyptiaca restituta , aegypt . lat. & arab. — rom. sebast. munsteri dictionar . chaldaicum — chald. & lat. — — bas. jo. bapt. du val dictionar . latino arabic . davidis regis — — par. comparatio grammaticae hebr. & chaldaicae à bon. corn. bertremo — ● andr. sennert . de idiotism . linguar . orientalium — — witteb . — de ebraeae s. s. linguae orig . antiquit . &c. ibid. lodov. de dieu grammat . linguar . orient . hebr. chald. & syr. — l. bat. — rudimenta linguae persicae — ibid. jo. henr. hottingeri grammat . hebr. chald. syr. & arab. — heidelb . christ. helvici grammat . hebr. latin. chald. graece — gies . elementale hebraic . & chaldaicum ibid. christoph. helvici lex . hebr. didacticum , ibid. geo. mich. amirae gram. syr. sive chald. rom. is. sciadrens . maronitae gram. ling. syr. ibid. joh. merceri gram. ling. chald. & syriacae par. sebast. munsteri gram. chaldaica . bas. henr. opitii atrium linguae sanctae jen. gilb. genebrardi isagoge ad legenda & intelligenda hebraeor . sine punctis scripta — par. franc. donati poma aurea hebr. ling. rom. . mar. calasii canon . generales linguae sanctae hebraicae — — ibid. jo. brunneri rudimenta hebraicae ling. freb. wilh . schickardi instit. linguae ebr. edit . à jo. ern. gerhardo — — jen. bened. blancuccii instit. in ling. hebr. rom. tho. erpenius de punctor . hebr. antiquit . l. bat. sebast. munsteri opus gram. hebr. — bas. salom. glassii institution . gram. hebr. jen. benj. mustaphiae aliàs dionysii linguae ebraeae radices — — hamb . jo holste de antiquis hebraeor . literis helmst . christ. ravii orthograph . & etymol . ebr. amst. compendium michlol h. e. gram. david . chimhi edit . à rod. bayno — — par. andr. sennerti praecepta arabicae ling. witteb . grammatica arab. dicta giarumia cum versione & not. tho. erpenii — leidae tho. erpenii grammatica arabica cum varia praxios materia — l. bat. alphabetum arabicum — rom. introductor . arabic . in scient . logic. arab. & lat. à tho. novariens — johan . fabricii specimen arabicum rost. gabr. sionitae grammatica arabica maronitarum — — par. franc. martelotti instit. ling. arab. — rom. matth. wasmuth grammatica arabica , amst. mahmeti fil. david . alsanhagii grammatica arabica — — rom. liber tasriphi quo traditur notitia conjugation . verbi arabic . — arab. & lat. — rom. tho. greaves de linguae arab utilitate & praestantia — — oxon. jo. gravii elementa linguae persicae , &c. lond. joan. isaaci grammatica hebraea — ant. christ. crinesius de confusione linguar . tum oriental . tum occidental . norib . — exercitationes hebraicae — ibid. — gymnasium chaldaicum sive grammat . & lexic ▪ chaldaic . — ibid. jo. balth. baumboch de hebr. & syr. ling. antiquitat ▪ &c. — ibid. ignis purgator . post hanc vitam , ex graecis & latinis patribus , hebraeorumque doctissimis assertus à barth . valverdio , heb . & lat . — ve● . theod. hackspan locution . sacrae & observationes , arabico-syriacae — norib . — disputat . theolog. & philol. — alt. — fid. & leg. mahumedis , arab . & lat . ibid. jo. ad. scherzeri trifol . orient . &c. — lips ▪ historia josephi ex alcorano , arab. cum versione & notis tho. erpenii — leid . christ. ravii partes alcorani , arab lat . — — de scrib . lexico arab . lat . — ultraj. — panegyrica orient . linguis dicta — ibid. linguarum orientalium alphabeta — par. liber arabicus ( cujus authoris nomen est mihi omnino ignotum ) — — synopsis propositor . sapientiae arab. philosoph . ( arab . & lat . ) — sepher aemana de vera fide , hebr . & lat . à p. fagio — — sebast. munsteri kalend. heb . — bas. typus messiae , accessit targum koh●leth , latinè versa à pet costo — lugd. sententiae elegantes , i. e. apothegm . patrum heb . & lat . à p. fagio — isn. sententiae morales , ben syrae , hebr . & lat . à p. fagio — — ibid. jo tob. maj . de nat . & cultu angel. jen. coheleth sive eccl. sol. ill . à j. coch. brem . j. drusius de patriarcha henoch — franek . chr. helvic . de chald. bib . paraph. gies . dan. schwenter disputat . hebraicae norib . mo. maim . de poenit . lat . à j. hilpert . helmst . prima quatuor cap. geneseos hebr . & german . à p. fagio — — const. jac. gaffarelli abdita div . cab mystera par. jo. jac. huldrici vindic . pro biblior . translat . tig. adver . grutser . — tig. jo. h. hotting . de heptap . parisiens . ibid. p. galesin . de bibliis graecis interpretibus lxxii . sixto v. edit . — rom. sententiae morales ben syrae . &c. heb . & lat . à p. fagio — — isn. psalmi , heb . lat . cum comment . r. d. kirchi edit . à j. bourdelotio — par. libri in linguis oriental . octavo . biblia ss . hebraicè , vol. — amst. athias psalt . heb . ed. ab hier. opitio — witteb . — heb. gr. lat. & germ. per el. hutter . nor. — ar. & lat . à v. scialac & g. sion . vol. rom. proverbia solomonis hebr . & lat . cum notis sebast. munsteri — — bas. froben . nov. testamentum , arab . & syr . — historia saracenica , arabicè — — — ruth . ex heb . lat . conversa & comment . explicata à j. drusio — franek jo. drusii quaest . heb. lib. tres — ibid. physica heb . r. aben. tybbon . heb . & lat . à jo. is. levita — — col. mo. kimchi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad scientiam cum exposit . d. eliae & annot . c. lempereur . — l. bat. catechismus judaeorum à r. abrah . jagel . heb . & lat . à lud. de compeigne de veil — lond. card. bellarm. doct . christiana ex ital . in lat . translato per vict. scialac — — par. jos. de voisin de jubilaeo secund . hebr. & christian. doct . heb . & lat . — — sanct. pagnini epit . thes. ling. sanctae l. bat. mich. dilherri atrium lin . san . heb . nor. el. lev. nom. heb . g. lat . cum com ▪ j. drus. fra. jo. meolfuhreri clav . heb . ling. heb & lat . norib . jo. buxtorf . lex . heb. & chald. — bas. — thes. gram. ling. sanct . hebraeae — ibid. — idem . edit . quinta ( dors . deaur . ) — ibid. — gram chald. & syr. — ibid. — synag . jud. nunc . primum in vulg . em . ibid. t. à novar . thes. arab syr-lat . — rom. guil. jamesii isagoge in ling. chald. — lond. w. schickardi horol . ebraeum — ultraj. — inst. ling. heb . ed. à j. ern. gerardo amst. gul. beverigii gram . syriaca , & de ling. oriental . praestant . — lond. grammatica arabica , cum versione lat . & exposit. tho. obicini — rom. jo. meolfuhreri gram . heb. inst. — norimb . jo. avenarii grammatica hebraica — witteb . val. schindleri institutiones hebraicae ▪ — ibid. geo. mayr inst. ling. hebr . — lugd. pet. metoscitae inst. linguae arabicae — rom. jo. quinquarborei ling. heb . inst. — par. t. dufour ling. hebr . opus gram. — ibid. rudimentum syriacum . syriacè — rom. carmen tograi arab. & lat. cum not . ed. pocockii accessit tract . de prosod . arab. — oxon. jo. buxtorfii epit. grammaticae heb . — cant. sixtin . amama de recta lectione linguae sanctae . casp. ledebuhrius de accent . hebr. — l. bat. t. erpenii rudim. ling. arabicae — leidae locmanni fabulae selectae quaedam arabum adagia arab . & lat . cum not . t. erpenii — ibid. t. erpenii rud. ling. arab . ed. altera — l. bat. proverbiorum arabicor . centur . , arab . & lat . cum schol. jos. scaligeri & t. erpenii — l. bat. will. robertson's door to the holy tongue lond. — and gate to the holy tongue , vol. ibid. libri in ling. oriental . duodecimo . quatuor evang ▪ syriacè , cum figur . rom. psalmi dav. heb . lat . à j. cocceio franek — heb. & lat . cum annot . a. hulsii l. bat. eclogae sacrae vet. testamenti heb . lat . — tub. — sacrae n. testamenti , syriacae , graecae , latinae , per j. m. di●her . — — jen. jo. morini opusc . hebraeo ▪ samaritica — par. d. schwenter manipulus ling. sanctae — nor. eccellensis gram. syriaca ( syriacè ) rom. w. schickardi horologium hebr . — lips. ad fus● grammatica heb . & german . — t. erpeni● orat . de ling. heb . & arab . dig . leidae chr. ravis disc. of the oriental tongues , with a gram. for the tongues — — lond. libri gallici , italici , hispan . belgici , &c. folio . la bible , qui est toute la sancte escritpure , translatez en francois — neufchast . — reveu par les pasteurs de l'eglise de geneve , avec des notes & indices — gen. la s. biblia tradetta in ling. italiana , e commentata da giov. diodati — — ibid. biblia en lengua espanola , traduzida palabra por palabra de la verdad hebraica — — in lingua belgica , cum annot . — l. bat. ● les oevres de plutarqu● , translatees d● grec par jaques amyot vol. — gen. — de la francois de la mothe le vayer . vol. seconde edition augmentee — par. — de j. sleidan avec les tab . des matieres — gen. historia del con. trid. di piet. soave polan . lon. ● de gli elementi d' euclide libri , congli schohi antichi — — urb. libri gallici , italici , hisp. belgici &c. quarto . apologie de m. jansenius de la doctrine de s ▪ augustin , &c. vol. — noveauté du papisme opposee à l'antiquité du vray christianisme par p. du moulin — gen. recueil de div . ouvr . touchant la grace par. la terrre sancte ou terre de promission , avec fig. par f. eugene roger — ibid. lettres chrestiennes & spirituelles de m jean . du verger de hauranne — — par. traicte de la discipline & police chrestien . lyon. les ordonnances ecclesiastiques de l'eglise de geneve , &c. — — la tradition de l'eglise de la penitence & de la communion par ant. arnauld — par. respons . au livre de m. l'evesque de la vaur , sentimens du p. emery de bonis sur la communion & la penitence — — de ' authoritate de s. pierre & de s. paul , qui reside dans le pape — — — ● les propheties touchant l'estat de la religion & de l'eglise des derniers temps — — gen. advertessement aux juifs sur la venue du messie par phil. de mornay — — saum . apologie pour m. arnauld contre un libelle intitulé remarques judicienses , &c. — — defense de la traduct . de la s. bible faite à geneve par ben. turretin — — gen. cosmographie de levant par f. and. thenet d'angoulesm — — lyon. histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marins ▪ avec figur ▪ — — par. — des langues de cest univers par m. claude duret — — — colog . ● — de s. loys ix . roy de france , par m. jean sire de jorville — — — par. — de l'administrat . du cardinal d'amboise par le s. mich. baudier — — ibid. — de la naissance , progrez , &c. de le heresie de ce siecle par flor. de raemond — ibid. — de l'●xpedition chrestienne au royaume de la chine par matth. ricci — lille — romaine par f. n. coeff●teau — par. description de la court du grant turc par ant. geuffroy — — ibid. voyages de m. de breves en graece , terre sancte & aegypte , &c. — — par. lumieres pour l'histoire de france , &c. — les chroniques & annales de flandres par p. d'oudegherst — — anv. c. plant. recueil des roys de france , leurs couronne & maison par j. du tillet — par. le theatre des antiquitez de paris par jacques du bre●l — — ibid. le conseiller d'estat , ou considerat ▪ servant au maniment des affaires publiques — ibid. remarques sur ▪ le langue francoise — ibid. essay de merveilles de nature & des plus nobles artifices par r. francois — rouven . ● s. de la chambre de la lumiere , du desbondement du nil & de l'amour d'inclinat . — par. disc. de la nature du monde & de ses parties par pont. de tyard — — ibid. la doctrine curieuse des beaux esprits de ce temps par franc. garassus — ibid. plaidoye de m. p. de marteliere pour le recteur & université de paris — — ibid. dendrologie ou la forest de dodonne par m. jacques howel — — ibid. l'alcoran de mahomet translaté d'arabe en francois par le sr. du ryer — — ibid. la monarchie aristodemo cratique par loys de mayerne turquet — — ibid. les observations de plusieurs singularitez en grece , asie , judée , &c. par p. belon — ibid. l'encyclie des secrets de l'eternite par guy le feure — — anv. la geomance du seign . christ. de catan , par. disc. sur les affaires d'allemagne & sur la vicariat de l'empire — — — le prince , par mons. balzac — par. discours de la methode pour bien condui●e sa raison par m. r. des cartes — leyde discoursi sopra vii . salmi penitentiali del r. p. innocent . cibo ghesi — — ven. — sopra tutti gli evangelii della quaerisma del fra. basil ponce di leone . vol. — ibid. m. giovan. thiepolo de gli essercitii , &c. di penitentia — — ibid. prediche quadragesimali del r. monsig . panige . rola — — — ibid. — quadragesimali del r. monsig . cornel. musso . vol. — — vinet . — sopra il simbolo de gli apostoli , &c. del r. mons. cornel. musso — — ibid. — del r. mons. cornel. musso . vol. vineg . specchio di verita comprobato con la sacra scrittura di orat. petrobelli — — ven. hist. de princ. di este di gio battist pigna , vineg . — della sacra inquisitione composita gia del r. p. paolo servita — — serrav . — degli uscochi scritta da minuc . minuci — — naturale di g. plinio secondo tradotta per lodou . domenichi — — ven. — d'italia di m. franc. guicciardini , corretta per franc. sansovino — — gen. — dell ' introduttione dell ' herefie delle valli di lucerna , &c. — — torin . — ecclesiastica della rivoluzion d'inghilterra , da f. girol . pollini — — rom. — ferraresi del sig. gasp. sardi con nuova agg●unta per d. faustin● , & fig. — ferr. — del concilio trident. di piet. soave , gen. — delle cose passate tra'l s. p. paolo v. è la repub. di venetia — — ibid. — de correnti tempi di vittor . siri ▪ vol. ib. considerationi sopra le censure di papa paolo v. contr . la repub. di venet. — venet. trattato dell ' interdetto di papa paulo v. ven. vita di carlo magno imperadorè da petruccio ubaldino — — lond. — di carlo v. descritta del s alfon. ulloa , ven. — del b. filippo neri da piet. jacomo bacci aretino — — rom. — degl ' imperadori & pontefici ▪ romani da franc petra●cha — — descrittione di tutta italia di f. leandro alberti vineg . relatione della corte di roma dettata , e fatta dal sign . girol . lunadoro — — della grand monarchia della cina del p. alvaro semedo — rom. conclavi de pontefici romani — del governo di diversi regni & republiche di m. franc. sansovino — vineg . miracoli s●upendi fatti per vertu del rosar . vin. brevi , bolle , &c. concesse de diversi pontefici , &c. alli divoti della compagnia del santissimo rosario , raccolte da gios. stefano — ven. l' asia del s. giov. di barros , di lingua portoghese tradotta dal s. alf. ulloa , . vol. — ven. discorsi di rnea vico parmig . sopra le medagli● degli antichi — par. precetti morali e civili di gio. andr. viscardo berg. discorsi della vita sobria del sig . luigi co●naro pad . dell ' arte militare libri cinque , di girol cataneo — — bresc . opera di bartol . scappi dell ante del cucinare &c con le figure — — ven. — di nicolo machiavelli diviso in v. parti — lettere dell ' ill. sig. don auton . di guevara , tradotto dal s. alf. ulloa — ven. raccolta degli scritti rella causa del paolo v. cò signori venetia●i — — le prose del bembo — fior. la filosofia morale del doni — venet. considerationi di geo. piet. malecreta sopra il pastor fido — vicen . difesa d● giov. marselio à favo●e della rispossa dell ' otto propositioni . — ven. la civil conversat. del sig. stef guazzo , vineg . discorsi morali di agost . mascardi su la tarvola di cebete tebano — ven. il petrar . con l' esposit . d' alessand vellutello trattato della natura de' cibi & del bere del sig. baldastare pisanelli . — ven. discorso dell ' origine , forma , leggi , &c. dell ufficio dell ' inquisitione del p. paolo — gen. histor. delle cose passate tra l' s. p. paolo v. e la repub. di venet. — ibid. la piazza univers . di tutte le professioni del mondo di tomaso garzoni — ven. la donzella desterrada del sig. gio. franc. biondi — — ibid. monte baldo descrit . da giov. poni con . fig. ibid. instrut . di artig . di eugen. gentillini de este , ib. il decamerone di m. giov. boccaccio novamente corretto — — ald●o . christof . acosta della histor. natura , &c. delle droghe medicinali — ven. discor . mathem . del sig. galileo galilei leod. proteo militare di bartolom . romano . con figur . — — nap. lettere del sig. franc. visdomini — ven. degli autori del ben perlare per secola●i , è religiosi opere diverse vol. ( eleganter compact . dorsis deaurat . ) — — ibid. rettorica d' aristotele fatta in lingua toscana dal anneb . caro — ibid. parafrase di . m. aless. picco ▪ omini nel secondo libr. della retoric . d' aristotele — ibid. f. figliucci de la filosoph morale sopra li x. lib. de l' eth. d' aristot. — — rom. ● la retorica di m. bartol . cavalcanti , con le postille di m. pio portinaio — pesar . l' alcorano di macometto , tradotto dall ' arabo in lingua italiana — — riprovato , nel quale si mostra le falsita della setta macomettana , &c. dal r. p. f. angelo pientini da co●signano — firan . pro libert . stat. & reip. venetor . epist. par. resposta del gio. ant. bovio al p. paolo sopra le censure di paolo v. &c. — rom. l' antenore di lorenzo pignoria — pad . de laudib . vitae rusticae ode horatii ab aldo manuccio explicata — bonon . platon . conviva contra vulgare amant . ibid. l' epitasio overo difesa d' un ' epitafio fatto da franc. pola — ven. franc. pola de perversa institution . civilium explicandar . ratione — veron . trattato di m. sebast. erizzo dell ' istrumento & via invent●ice — ven. il dialogo di platone , intitolato il timeo , trad de m sebast. erizzo , con annot. ibid. jo camillus de ordine & methodo in scientia servendis — — ven. ald. ocell . lucan . de universi natura lud. nogarola interprete , gr. lat. — ven. genealogia de gli dei , di . m. giov. boccaccio , tradot & adornati per m. giussepe betussi vineg . ▪ milicia christ ▪ por seb. gomez de fig. salem . advertencias à la historia del padre juan de mariana — — madrid . guerre entre ferdinando . y gustavo adolfo . por d fadrique moles — madr. itinerario de terra sancta por pantal. daveyro — — lisb . relacion historica del auto general de fe por jos. del olmo — — madr. ● — del origin y successo de los xarifes por diego torres — — sevil. las guerras de los estados baxos por d. carlos coloma — — amb. embaixadas da persia , &c. composto , prello padre ant. de go●nea — lisb . relaciones de don juan de persia vallad . historia natural y moral de las indias por jos. de acosta — — madr. — de las islas del archipelago , &c. por marcel . antiguedaees de espanna africa y otras provincias por bern. aldrete — amb. pedacos de historia ô relaciones , asty ilamadas por sus auctores los peregrinos — leon. secretario de sennores , y las materias , cuydados , &c. por gabr. perez del barria — mad. libro de albeyt . de franc. de la reyna , alcal . quilata dor de la plata , oro , y piedras por jo. arphe vallad . le thresor des trois langues espagnole , françoise & ital●enne — gen. declarracion de las reglas de la syntaxis por ped. de reyna — madr. reduction de las le●ras por juan pablo bonet — — ibid. del origen , y principio de la lengua castellana por bern. aldret . rom. le g●end diction . francois flammen , rotter . ● jo. mulleri judaismus ex rabbinor . scriptis detectus teutonice — hamb . joan. brantii conciones in d. pauli vitam . belgice — — gravenhoge le n. test. francois & hollandois — amst. respons . de rob. estienne aux articles des theol. de paris . &c. — r estienne refl . sur les livr . de moyse par p. allix lond. sermon sur les paroles gen. . . prononce à la haye en presence du roy par f. spanheim . — — sur jer. . , . par m. l'archevesque de cantorbery , oct. . — lond. exposition de la doctrine de l'eglise catholique , par m. l'eveque de condom — par. traite de la sainte cene , par an. lortie roch. le pac. royal en joye , par lov. herault amst. apologie pour les eglises reformees , contre lessius &c. par j. cappel — — sed. de la recherche de la veritie par m. malbranche vol. — — par. reponse au livre de m. arnaud , intitule la perpetuitie de la foy , &c. vol. — quevelly defense de la nation britan. — lond. les charact. de l. homme sans passions par. l'art de se connoitre soy meme , par jaques abbadie — — — rotterd . somm . de la doctr. des jesuites , &c. — ● les jesustes mis sur l'eschafart par . le sain . pierre jarrige — — — histoire des uscoques de la traduct . du s. amelot de la houssaie — — par. — de la mission des peres capucins en l'●sle de maragnon — — ibid. oevres diverses de sieur boileau , &c. — les memoires de phil de comines . — par. lettres du card. d'ossat , dern . edition ibid. reflexions sur le & chap. de la politique de france — — col. le secret. alamode par le s. de la serre amst. des provincials , ou les lettres escrites par lovis de montalte — — col. d'alcoran de mahomet translate d'arabe par le sieur de ryer — — par. dialogues fort plaisans , escrits en langue espagnole & traduite en francois — par. dicloghi piaceroli compositi in castigliano tradotti i● toscano — — ven. memorie sacre delle sette chiese di roma con figur . vol. — — rom. dittionario toscano compendio del vocabulario della crusca del adr. politi — ven. trattato de i colori di sicilio araldo — ibid. tre libri di lettere del doni , i. e. termini della lingua toscana — — — vineg . vit. di s. tomaso d'aquin . di parten . etiro . ven. epist. heroiche , poesie del bruni — ibid. relatione dell . repub. venet. di giov. botero ib. lettere di molte valorose donne , &c. — vineg . tesoro politico , cio è , relationi , instruttioni , &c. di ambasciatori — — torran . relationi del cardinal bentivoglio — colon. i tre libri delle lettere di m. ber. tasso . vineg . la s. casa abellita , del sig. ●ap . silv. serragli , lor. confusione della setta macomettana di gio andrea — — — ven. il cardinalsmo di santa chiese . vol. — rime & prose del ' s. torquato masso . vol. ferr. — de poeti illustri con annotat. girol . ruscelli vita di donna olympia maldachini feritta dall ' abbate gualdi — — — il dispreg . della corte , e lode della villa del r. ant. di guevara — — bresc . la giusta statera de' porporati — gen. prattica dell ' oration mentale , di f. math. bellintani da soló — — vineg . conclavi de pontifici romani — — — fatto per la sede vacante d'alessandr . vii . il. decamerone di m. giov. boccaccio — lion. il pastor fido & le rime del sign . battisto guarini — — — — ven. considerazoni sopra l'arte della stile e del dialogo , del sforza pallavicino — — rom. salustio cathilinario y jugurtha — anv. catechism . que significa , forma de instruction , orden de las oraciones del mes. par man. ben israel — — — — amst. omissa , quarto . * milicia , discurso , y regla militar . del capit . mart. de eguiluz — — anv. * racconto dell ' amicitia trà nicol. barbarigo & marco trivisano — — ven. * discorso intorno alle cose della guerra , con una orantione della pace — — ven. * lettura di girol . ruscelli sopra un sonetto del signo . marchese della terza — ven. * mondi celesti , terrestri & infernali , composti da fran. doni — — ven. finis . of sincerity and constancy in the faith and profession of the true religion, in several sermons by the most reverend dr. john tillotson ... ; published from the originals, by ralph barker. ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) of sincerity and constancy in the faith and profession of the true religion, in several sermons by the most reverend dr. john tillotson ... ; published from the originals, by ralph barker. ... tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for ri. chiswell ..., london : . errata: p. . advertisement: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. faith. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion of sincerity and constancy in the faith and profession of the true religion , in several sermons . by the most reverend dr. john tillotson . late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . london , printed for ri. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard , mdcxcv . imprimatur , febr. . ● . tho. cantuar. to his sacred majesty , king william , these sermons are most humbly dedicated , by the author's relict , elizabeth tillotson . the publisher to the reader . the author of these sermons was so well known , particularly for his most excellent and useful discourses from the pulpit , that i shall not attempt , by any thing i can say , to recommend them to the publick . i know very well , they have already that credit in the world , which will render any apologie needless ; especially when by this publication of them , they shall speak for themselves . i think it requisite , only to assure the reader , that they are what they pretend to be , the genuine works of that great man. whilst i had the happiness of conversing with him , he was pleas'd ( at my request ) to instruct me in the character in which he wrote all his sermons ; and some of these now published , having been transcrib'd by me some years since , were found amongst his papers , corrected with his own hand . by what he had been pleas'd to say , that i was master of his character , and by the few errata he observ'd in my first performance , i was encouraged to set about this work ; in which i can solemnly profess , that i have observ'd a religious care and strictness , neither to omit nor add any thing , but an of , a the , or the like , when the sense plainly requir'd it ; and of that too i have given notice , by affixing this mark [ `` ] upon the word which i did not find in the original ; so that the reader is left to judge of the fitness of such additions ; which , after all , are so very few and inconsiderable , as scarcely to deserve this notice ; only that he might be satisfied ( in case the printer do his part ) that he hath here , what he expects , a perfect transcript of these sermons ; and in them a true and lively strain of christian piety and eloquence , so fitted to all capacities , that i cannot but hope , all that shall read them will be the better for them , even those not excepted ( if there be any such ) who may have entertain'd any unreasonable prejudices against them , or their most reverend author . i have alwaies thought , and often said it , that if any were leaven'd with prejudice against him , they were , to be sure , such as did not know him ; and the farther i go in his writings , the more i am assur'd , that it must be so . but because the sermons themselves , to which i refer , are not yet all of them published , i must leave this to the judgment of the impartial reader , when the whole shall be finish'd , which is design'd with all convenient speed . lambeth , april . . ra. barker . the texts of each sermon in this volume . sermon i. john i. . jesus saw nathanael coming to him , and saith of him , behold an israelite indeed , in whom is no guile . pag. serm. ii. heb. xi . , , . by faith abraham , when he was tried , offered up isaac ; and he that had received the promises , offered up his only begotten son ; of whom it was said , that in isaac shall thy seed be called : accounting that god was able to raise him up , even from the dead ; from whence also he received him in a figure . p. serm. iii. heb. xi . , . by faith moses when he was come to years , refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter ; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . p. serm. iv. v. vi. vii . viii . x. heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that hath promised . p. , , , , . there is a mistake in numbering of these sermons : the tenth should be called the ninth , and so on to the end . for there are but fifteen sermons in this volume , and should be no more . serm. xi . cor. v. . for we walk by faith , not by sight . p. serm. xii . heb. x. . but if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . p. serm. xiii . xiv . matth . xvi . . then said jesus unto his disciples ; if any man will come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me . p. , serm. xv. xvi . heb. xi . . and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth . p. , a sermon preached at kingston , july . . the last his grace preached . john i. . jesus saw nathanael coming to him , and saith of him , behold an israelite indeed , in whom is no guile . who this nathanael was , upon whom our saviour bestows this extraordinary character , doth not certainly appear , his name being but once more mention'd in the whole history of the gospel : for certain , he was a good man , who deserved this extraordinary commendation ; and none but our saviour , who knew what was in man , and needed not that any should tell him , could have given it , especially of one , whom he had never seen before that time ; for when jesus saw him coming to him , he saith of him behold an israelite indeed . the whole nation of the jews were israelites , by natural descent , being the seed of jacob , or israel ; but in a special , and more excellent sense , none are esteemed the true posterity of israel , but those , who resembled this father of their nation , in true piety , and goodness ; for ( as the apostle reasons ) they are not all israel , who are of israel ; they only are israelites indeed , who resemble good old jacob , in the sincerity of his piety , and the simplicity of his temper , and disposition ; for our saviour seems here to allude to that character which is given of jacob ( gen. . . ) that he was a plain man , or as the hebrew word signifies , a perfect and sincere man , in opposition to his brother esau , who is said to be cunning ; so that to be an israelite indeed , is to be a downright honest man , without fraud , and guile , without any arts of hypocrisie and deceit . in speaking of this vertue of sincerity , which is the highest character and commendation of a good man , i shall consider it , as it respects god , and man. as it respects god , so it imports the truth and sincerity of our piety and devotion towards him . as it regards men , so it signifies a simplicity of mind and manners , in our carriage and conversation , one towards another ; both these are included , and very probably were intended , in the character which our saviour here gives of nathanael . i. i shall consider this grace , or vertue of sincerity , as it respects god ; and so it imports the truth and sincerity of our piety toward him , that we heartily believe , and fear , and honour him , and that the outward expressions of our piety and obedience to him , are the genuine issue of our inward apprehensions of him , and affections towards him ; and this no doubt our saviour intended in the first place in the character of this good man , that he was a man of a real and substantial and unaffected piety , and in truth , what he appeared to be ; that he did sincerely love god , and his truth , and was ready to embrace it , whenever it was fairly proposed to him , as did plainly appear in his carriage towards our saviour ; for when philip invited him to come and see him , he did not conceal the prejudice and objection he had against him , grounded upon a common , but uncharitable proverb , that out of nazareth ariseth no prophet , but having an honest and sincere mind , he was not so carried away by a popular prejudice , as not to have patience to be better informed , and therefore was easily perswaded to go and see our saviour , and to discourse with him himself , and being satisfied that he was the messias , he presently owns him for such , calling him the son of god , and the king of israel ; and because sincerity is the very heart and substance of religion , it concerns us not only to endeavour after this temper and disposition , but to enquire into the nature and properties of it , that we may know when we have it , and may have the comfort of it . i shall mention five or six properties of a sincere piety , by which men may sufficiently know the integrity of their hearts towards god. . our piety is then sincere when the chief reasons and predominant motives of it are religious ; and i call that a religious or rational motive , which regards god , and another world , in opposition to men , and to our present temporal advantages ; when the principal and swaying motives of our piety , are a sense of god's authority over us , and of our duty and obligation to him ; a fear of his displeasure and threatnings , and the hopes of the glorious reward which he hath promised to obedience ; these motives are properly religious , because they respect god , and are the arguments to obedience , which he himself offers to us , to perswade us to our duty ; and that is a sincere piety , which is wrought in us by these considerations , how unequally soever mixed ; for even in the most of men fear does many times prevail more than love , and in case of great temptation , may preserve men from sin , when perhaps no other consideration will do it . on the contrary , that is an unsincere piety , to which we are moved , meerly by the regard of men , and the consideration of some temporal advantages ; and when these have the chief influence upon us , it is easie for any man to discern in himself ; for he that will carefully observe himself , can hardly be ignorant of the true spring and motive of his own actions ; but there is one sign , whereby a man may certainly know that his heart is not right towards god , and that is , if when these motives are absent , our piety and zeal for the true religion doth either cease , or be sensibly cooled and abated , as if impiety , or popery , or any thing else that is bad , begin to be in fashion , and to have the countenance of great examples ; if those whom we fear , and upon whom we depend , do discover any inclination that way , if the garb of religion cease to be for our interest , or in the revolution of things , happen to be contrary to it ; if in any of these cases , we let fall the profession of our religion , or neglect the practice of it , this is a plain , and undeniable demonstration of the insincerity of our former piety . . a sincere piety must be rooted in the heart , and be a living principle within us ; for as the apostle reasons in another case , he is not a jew who is one outwardly , but he who is one inwardly , and in the heart ; and without this all outward acts of piety and devotion , are hypocrisie , a picture of religion and a form of godliness , without the life and power of it . . a third evidence of a sincere piety is , when men are religious in private and in secret , as well as in publick and in the open view of men ; he is truly devout , who is so in his family , and in his closet , where he hath no witness , but god , and his own soul , as well as in the church ; he is a downright honest man , who will make good his word , and perform his promise ( when no proof can be made of it , and no law compel him to it ) as readily as if there had been an hundred witnesses of it ; he is sincerely just , who will not detain from another his right , though he be ignorant of it , nor wrong any man , tho' he could do it with all the secresie and safety in the world ; who will not impose upon anothers ignorance or unskilfulness , tho never so much to his own benefit and advantage ; he is truly charitable , who would not only as soon , but rather sooner give his alms in secret , than in the sight of men ; and he is truly grateful , who when there is occasion and opportunity , will acknowledge a kindness and requite a benefit to the relations of his deceased friend , though he be sure that all memory of the obligation dyed with him , and that none are conscious to it , but god and his own conscience : and indeed there is scarce any act of piety , and vertue , the sincerity of which may not by this evidence be known to us : as on the contrary a man may for certain conclude himself a hypocrite , if he be not the same , in the presence of god , and his own conscience that he is in the sight of men. . another evidence of a sincere piety is a constant tenour of goodness in the general course of our lives : i do not now speak of the first beginnings of piety , in new converts , which are many times very imperfect , and such as afford little or no evidence of a man's sincerity ; but in those who have made any considerable progress in goodness ; the habits of any known sin , and the wilful and deliberate neglect of our duties , and even the single acts of more hainous crimes , will bring in question our sincerity , and are by no means to be sheltred under the name of infirmity ; for these the grace of god , if we be not wanting to our selves , will inable us to subdue ; and he is not sincerely good , who doth not seriously endeavour to be as good as he can , and does not make use of that grace which god is ready to afford to all the purposes , ( though not of a perfect , yet ) of a sincere obedience to the laws of god. . another evidence of a sincere piety is , that our obedience to god be uniform and universal , equally respecting all the laws of god , and every part of our duty ; that it do not content it self with an especial regard to some precepts of the law , though never so considerable , and allow it self in the breach , or neglect of the rest ; no nor with observing the duties of one table of the law , if it overlook the other , no nor with obedience to all the commandments of god , one only excepted . st. james puts this case , and determines , that he that keeps the whole law , saving that he offends in one point , is guilty of all , that is , is not sincere in his obedience to the rest ; and therefore we must take great heed , that we do not set the commandments of god at odds , and dash the two tables of the law , against one another , lest as st. james says , we break the whole law : and yet i fear this is too common a fault , even amongst those who make a great profession of piety , that they are not sufficiently sensible of the obligation and necessity of the duties of the second table , and of the excellency of those graces , and vertues , which respect our carriage and conversation with one another : men do not seem to consider , that god did not give laws to us , for his own sake , but ours ; and therefore that he did not only design that we should honour him , but that we should be happy in one another ; for which reason , he joyns with our humble and dutiful deportment towards himself , the offices of justice and charity towards others , mich. . . he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justice , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? and john . . this commandment have we from him , that he who loveth god , love his brother also . and yet it is too visible that many , who make a great profession of piety towards god , are very defective in moral duties ; very unpeaceable , and turbulent in their spirits , very peevish and passionate , very conceited and censorious , as if their profession of godliness did exempt them from the care and practice of christian vertues : but we must not so fix our eye upon heaven , as to forget that we walk upon the earth , and to neglect the ordering of our steps and conversation among men , lest while we are gazing upon the stars , we fall into the ditch of gross and foul immorality . it is very possible , that men may be devout and zealous in religion , very nice , and scrupulous about the worship and service of god , and yet because of their palpable defect in points of justice and honesty , of meekness and humility , of peace and charity , may be gross and odious hypocrites ; for men must not think for some acts , either of outward or inward piety , to compound with god for the neglect of mercy and judgment , or to demand it as a right from men to be excused from the great duties and vertues of humane conversation ; or pretend to be above them , because they relate chiefly to this world , and to the temporal happiness of men ; as if it were the priviledge of great devotion , to give a license to men to be peevish and froward , sower and morose , supercilious and censorious in their behaviour towards others : men must have a great care , that they be not intent upon the outward parts of religion , to the prejudice of inward and real goodness , and that they do not so use the means of religion , as to neglect and lose the main end of it ; that they do not place all religion in fasting and outward mortification ; for though these things be very useful and necessary in their place , if they be discreetly managed , and made subservient to the great ends of religion ; yet it is often seen that men have so unequal a respect to the several parts of their duty , that fasting and corporal severity , those meager and lean duties of piety , in comparison , do like pharaoh's lean kine , devour and eat up almost all the goodly and well-favoured , the great and substantial duties of the christian life ; and therefore men must take great heed , lest whilst they are so intent upon mortifying themselves , they do not mortifie vertue and good nature , humility and meekness and charity , things highly valuable in themselves and amiable in the eyes of men , and in the sight of god of great price . for the neglect of the moral duties of the second table is not only a mighty scandal to religion , but of pernicious consequence many other ways : a fierce and ill governed , an ignorant and injudicious zeal for the honour of god , and something or other belonging necessarily , as they think , to his true worship and service , hath made many men do many unreasonable , immoral and impious things , of which history will furnish us with innumerable instances , in the practice of the jesuits , and other zealots of the church of rome ; and there are not wanting too many examples of this kind amongst our selves ; for men that are not sober , and considerate in their religion , but give themselves up to the conduct of blind prejudice , and furious zeal , do easily perswade themselves , that any thing is lawful , which they strongly fancy to tend to the honour of god , and to the advancement of the cause of religion ; hence some have proceeded to that height of absurdity , in their zeal for their religion and church , as to think it not only lawful , but highly commendable and meritorious , to equivocate upon oath , and break faith with hereticks , and to destroy all those that differ from them ; as if it were piety in some cases , to lie for the truth , and to kill men for god's sake . so that if we would approve the integrity of our hearts to god , and evidence to our selves the sincerity of our obedience , we ought impartially to regard all the laws of god , and every part of our duty ; and if we do not , our heart is not upright with god : 't is observable that sincerity in scripture is often call'd by the name of integrity , and perfection , because it is integrated , and made up of all the parts of our duty . . the last evidence i shall mention of the sincerity of our religion is , if it hold out against persecution , and endure the fiery tryal ; this is the utmost proof of our integrity , when we are called to bear the cross , to be willing then to expose all our worldly interest , and even life it self , for the cause of god , and religion ; this is a tryal which god doth not always call his faithful servants to , but they are always to be prepared for it , in the purpose and resolution of their minds ; this our saviour makes the great mark of a true disciple , if any man ( saith he ) will be my disciple , let him deny himself , and take up his cross , and follow me ; this is a certain sign , that men have received the word into good ground , and are well rooted in their religion , when they are not shaken by these fierce assaults ; for many ( as our saviour tells us ) hear the word , and with joy receive it , but having not root in themselves , they endure but for a while , and when persecution , or tribulation ariseth , because of the word , presently they are offended ; nay , some when they see persecution coming at a distance , wheel off , and bethink themselves of making their retreat in time , and of agreeing with their adversary whilst he is yet in the way . so that constancy to our religion in case of danger , and suffering for it , is the best proof of our sincerity : this is the fiery tryal , as the scripture calls it , which will try what materials we are made of , and whether we love god and his truth in sincerity . and thus i have considered sincerity as it respects god , and imports true piety and religion towards him ; and i proceed to the second consideration ii. of sincerity as it regards men , and so it signifies a simplicity of mind and manners in our conversation , and carriage one towards another , singleness of heart , discovering it self in a constant plainness and honest openness of behaviour , free from all insidious devises , and little tricks , and fetches of craft and cunning ; from all false appearances and deceitful disguises of our selves in word or action ; or yet more plainly , it is to speak as we think , and do what we pretend and profess , to perform and make good what we promise , and in a word , really to be , what we would seem and appear to be . not that we are obliged to tell every man all our mind , but we are never to declare any thing contrary to it ; we may be silent , and conceal as much of our selves , as prudence , or any other good reason requires ; but we must not put on a disguise , and make a false appearance and empty show of what we are not , either by word or action . contrary to this vertue is ( i fear ) most of that compliment , which is current in conversation , and which for the most part is nothing but words , to fill up the gaps , and supply the emptiness of discourse , and a pretence to that kindness and esteem for persons , which either in truth we have not , or not to that degree which our expressions seem to import , which if done with design , is that which we call flattery , a very odious sort of insincerity ; and so much the worse , because it abuseth men into a vain , and foolish opinion of themselves , and an ill grounded confidence of the kindness and good-will of others towards them ; and so much the more dangerous , because it hath a party within us , which is ready to let it in ; it plays upon our self-love , which greedily catcheth at any thing that tends to magnifie and advance us ; for god knows , we are all too apt to think and make the best of our bad selves , so that very few tempers have wisdom and firmness enough to be proof against flattery ; it requires great consideration , and a resolute modesty and humility to resist the insinuations of this serpent ; yea , a little rudeness and moroseness of nature , a prudent distrust and infidelity in mankind to make a man in good earnest to reject and despise it . now besides that all hypocrisie and insincerity is mean in it self , having falsehood at the bottom , it is also often made use of , to the prejudice of others , in their rights and interests ; for not only dissimulation is contrary to sincerity , because it consists in a vain shew of what we are not , in a false muster of our vertues and good qualities , in a deceitful representation and undue character of our lives ; but there are likewise other qualities and actions more inconsistent with integrity , which are of a more injurious and mischievous consequence to our nature , as falshood , and fraud , and perfidiousness , and infinite little crafts and arts of deceit , which men practise upon one another in their ordinary conversation and intercourse ; the former is great vanity , but this is gross iniquity . and yet these qualities dexterously managed , so as not to lie too plain and open to discovery , are look'd upon by many , as signs of great depth and shrewdness , admirable instruments of business , and necessary means for the compassing our own ends and designs ; and though in those that have suffered by them , and felt the mischief of them , they are always accounted dishonest , yet among the generality of lookers on , they pass for great policy , as if the very skill of governing and managing humane affairs , did consist in these little tricks and devices : but he that looks more narrowly into them , and will but have the patience to observe the end of them , will find them to be great follies , and that it is only for want of true wisdom and understanding , that men turn aside to tricks , and make dissimulation and lies their refuge . it is solomon's observation , that he that walketh uprightly walketh surely , but the folly of fools is deceit : the folly of fools , that is , the most egregious piece of folly that any man can be guilty of , is to play the knave ; the vulgar translation renders this clause a little otherwise , but yet towards the same sense , sed stultus divertit ad dolos , but the fool turns aside to tricks ; to make use of these is a sign the man wants understanding to see the plain and direct way to his end : i will not deny but these little arts may serve a present turn , and perhaps successfully enough , but true wisdom goes deep , and reacheth a great way further , looking to the end of things and regarding the future as well as the present , and by judging upon the whole matter and sum of affairs , doth clearly discern , that craft and cunning are only useful for the present occasion , whereas integrity is of a lasting use , and will be serviceable to us upon all occasions , and in the whole course of our lives ; and that dissimulation and deceit , though they may do some present execution in business , yet they recoil upon a man terribly afterwards , so as to make him stagger , and by degrees to weaken , and at last to destroy his reputation , which is a much more useful and substantial and lasting instrument of prosperity and success in humane affairs than any tricks and devices whatsoever . thus have i considered this great vertue of sincerity , both as it regards god , and the mutual conversation and intercourse of men one with another . and now having explained the nature of sincerity to god and man , by declaring the properties of it , and in what instances we ought chiefly to practise it , and what things are contrary to it ; that which now remains , is to perswade men to endeavour after this excellent quality , 〈◊〉 to practise it in all the words and 〈◊〉 of their lives . let us then in the first place be sincere in our religion , and serve god in truth and uprightness of heart out of conscience of our duty and obligations to him , and not with sinister respects to our private interest or passion , to the publick approbation or censure of men ; let us never make use of religion to serve any base and unworthy ends , cloaking our designs of covetousness , or ambition , or revenge , with pretences of conscience and zeal for god ; and let us endeavour after the reality of religion , always remembring that a sincere piety doth not consist in shew , but substance , not in appearance , but in effect ; that the spirit of true religion is still and calm , charitable and peaceable , making as little shew and stir as is possible ; that a truly and sincerely good man does not affect vain ostentation , and an unseasonable discovery of his good qualities , but endeavours rather really to be , than to seem religious ; and of the two rather seeks to conceal his piety than to set it out with pomp ; gives his alms privately , prays to god in secret , and makes no appearance of religion but in such fruits and effects as cannot be hid ; in the quiet and silent vertues of humility , and meekness , and patience , of peace and charity ; in governing his passions , and taking heed not to offend with his tongue by slander and calumny , by envious detraction , or rash censure , or by any word or action that may be to the hurt and prejudice of his neighbour : but on the contrary , it is a very ill sign if a man affect to make a great noise and bustle about religion , if he blow a trumpet before his good works , and by extraordinary shews of devotion summon the eyes of men to behold him , and do , as it were , call aloud to them to take notice of his piety , and to come to see his zeal for the lord of hosts : it is not impossible but such a man with all his vanity and ostentation may have some real goodness in him ; but he is as the hypocrites are , and does as like one as is possible ; and by the mighty shew that he makes to wise and considerate men , greatly brings in question the sincerity of his religion . and with the sincerity of our piety towards god , let us joyn the simplicity and integrity of manners in our conversation with men ; let us strictly charge our selves to use truth and plainness in all our words and doings ; let our tongue be ever the true interpreter of our mind , and our expressions the lively image of our thoughts and affections , and our outward actions exactly agreeable to our inward purposes and intentions . amongst too many other instances of the great corruption and degeneracy of the age wherein we live , the great and general want of sincerity in conversation is none of the least ; the world is grown so full of dissimulation and complement , that mens words are hardly any signification of their thoughts ; and if any man measure his words by his heart , and speak as he thinks , and do not express more kindness to every man than men usually have for any man , he can hardly escape the censure of rudeness and want of breeding : the old english plainness and sincerity , that generous integrity of nature and honesty of disposition which always argues true greatness of mind , and is usually accompanied with undaunted courage and resolution , is in a great measure lost amongst us ; there hath been a long endeavour to transform us into foreign manners and fashions , and to bring us to a servile imitation of none of the best of our neighbours in some of the worst of their qualities : the dialect of conversation is now adays so swell'd with vanity and complement , and so surfeited ( as i may say ) of expressions of kindness and respect , that if a man that lived an age or two ago should return into the world again , he would really want a dictionary to help him to understand his own language , and to know the true intrinsick value of the phrase in fashion , and would hardly at first believe at what a low rate the highest strains and expressions of kindness imaginable do commonly pass in currant payment ; and when he should come to understand it , it would be a great while before he could bring himself , with a good countenance and a good conscience to converse with men upon equal terms and in their own way . and in truth it is hard to say whether it should more provoke our contempt or our pity to hear what solemn expressions of respect and kindness will pass between men , almost upon no occasion ; how great honour and esteem they will declare for one whom perhaps they never heard of or saw before , and how entirely they are all on the sudden devoted to his service and interest for no reason ; how infinitely and eternally obliged to him for no benefit , and how extremely they will be concerned for him , yea , and afflicted too for no cause . i know it is said in justification of this hollow kind of conversation , that there is no harm , no real deceit in complement , but the matter is well enough so long as we understand one another , et verba valent ut nummi , words are like money , and when the currant value of them is generally understood , no man is cheated by them ; this is something if such words were any thing , but being brought into the account they are meer cyphers . however it is still a just matter of complaint , that sincerity and plainness are out of fashion , and that our language is running into a lye ; that men have almost quite perverted the use of speech , and made words to signifie nothing ; that the greatest part of the conversation of mankind , and of their intercourse with one another , is little else but driving a trade of dissimulation , insomuch that it would make a man heartily sick and weary of the world , to see the little sincerity that is in use and practice among men , and tempt him to break out into that melancholy complaint and wish of the prophet ( jer. . ) o that i had in the wilderness a lodging-place of way-faring men , that i might leave my people and go from them ; for they are all adulterers , and an assembly of treacherous men ; and they bend their tongue like their bow for lies , but have no courage for the truth upon earth . take ye heed every one of his neighbour , and trust ye not in any brother ; for every brother will utterly supplant , and every neighbour will walk with slanders . thine habitation is in the midst of deceit ; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour , but in his heart he lieth in wait : shall not i visit for these things , saith the lord ; and shall not my soul be avenged of such a nation as this ? such were the manners of the people of israel at that time , which were both the forerunner and the cause of those terrible calamities which befell them afterwards ; and this character agrees but too well to the present age , which is so wretchedly void of truth and sincerity , for which reason there is the greater need to recommend this virtue to us , which seems to be fled from us , that truth and righteousness may return , and glory may dwell in our land , and god may shew his mercy upon us and grant us his salvation , and righteousness and peace may kiss each other . to this end give me leave to offer these following considerations . first , that sincerity is the highest commendation and the very best character , that can be given of any man ; it is the solid foundation of all virtue , the heart and soul of all piety and goodness ; it is in scripture called perfection , and frequently joyned with it ; and throughout the bible , there is the greatest stress and weight laid upon it ; it is spoken of as the sum and comprehension of all religion : only fear the lord and serve him in sincerity and truth , says joshua to the people of israel , ( jos. . . ) god takes great pleasure in it ; so david assures us , ( chron. . . ) i know my god that thou tryest the heart , and hast pleasure in uprightness : and again , thou lovest truth in the inward parts . to this disposition of mind the promises of divine favour and blessing are particularly made , psal. . , . lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle , who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? he that walketh uprightly , and worketh righteousness , and speaketh the truth from his heart . psal. . . blessed is the man , unto whom the lord imputeth no sin , and in whose spirit there is no guil . and 't is observable that this character of our saviour here given of nathaniel , is the only full and perfect commendation that we read was ever given by him of any particular person . he commends some particular acts of piety and virtue in others , as st. peter's confession of him , the faith of the centurion , and of the woman that was healed by touching the hem of his garment , the charity of the woman that cast her two mites into the treasury , and the bounty of that other devout woman who poured upon him a box of precious oyntment : but here he gives the particular character of a good man when he says of nathaniel that he was an israelite indeed , in whom was no guil : and the apostle mentions this quality , as the chief ingredient into the character of the best man that ever was , our blessed saviour , who did no sin , neither was guil found in his mouth . secondly , the rarity of this virtue is a farther commendation of it . a sincerely pious and good man , without any guil or disguise is not a sight to be seen every day : our saviour in the text , speaks of it , as a thing very extraordinary and of special remark and observation , and breaks out into some kind of wonder upon the occasion , as if to see a man of perfect integrity and simplicity were an occurrence very rare and unusual , and such as calls for our more especial attention and regard , behold ( saith he ) an israelite indeed in whom there is no guil. thirdly , the want of sincerity will quite spoil the virtue and acceptance of all our piety and obedience , and certainly deprive us of the reward of it : all that we doe in the service of god , all our external obedience to his laws , if not animated by sincerity , is like a sacrifice without a heart , which is an abomination to the lord. fourthly , hypocrisy and insincerity is a very vain and foolish thing ; it is designed to cheat others , but is in truth a deceiving of our selves : no man would flatter or dissemble , did he believe he were seen and discover'd ; an open knave is a great fool , who destroys at once both his design and his reputation ; and this is the case of every hypocrite ; all the disagreement which is between his tongue and his thoughts , his actions and his heart , is open to that eye , from which nothing can be hid ; for the ways of man are before the eyes of the lord , and he seeth all his goings ; there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves . fifthly , truth and reality have all the advantages of appearance , and many more ; if the shew of any thing be good for any thing , i am sure sincerity is better ; for why does any man dissemble , or seem to be that which he is not , but because he thinks it good to have such a quality as he pretends to ? for to counterfeit and dissemble , is to put on the appearance of some real excellency : now the best way in the world for a man to seem to be any thing , is really to be what he would seem to be : besides , that it is many times as troublesome to make good the pretence of a good quality , as to have it ; and if a man have it not , it is ten to one , but he is discovered to want it , and then all his pains and labour to seem to have it is lost . there is something unnatural in painting , which a skilful eye will easily discern from native beauty and complexion . it is hard to personate and act a part long ; for where truth is not at the bottom , nature will always be endeavourring to return , and will peep out and betray herself one time or other ; therefore if any man think it convenient to seem good , let him be so indeed , and then his goodness will appear to every body's satisfaction ; for truth is convincing and carries it 's own light and evidence along with it , and will not only commend us to every man's conscience , but , which is much more , to god , who searcheth and seeth our hearts ; so that upon all accounts sincerity is true wisdom : particularly as to the affairs of this world integrity hath many advantages over all the fine and artificial ways of dissimulation and deceit ; it is much the plainer and easier , much the safer and more secure way of dealing in the world ; it hath less of trouble and difficulty , of entanglement and perplexity , of danger and hazard in it ; it is the shortest and nearest way to our end , carrying us thither in a straight line , and will hold out and last longest . the arts of deceit and cunning do continually grow weaker and less effectual and serviceable to them that use them , whereas integrity gains strength by use , and the more and longer any man practiseth it , the greater service it does him , by confirming his reputation , and encouraging those with whom he hath to do , to repose the greater trust and confidence in him , which is an unspeakable advantage in the business and affairs of life . but a dissembler must always be upon his guard and watch himself carefully , that he doth not contradict his own pretence , for he acts an unnatural part , and therefore must put a continual force and restraint upon himself . truth alwayes lies uppermost , and if a man do not carefully attend , he will be apt to bolt it out : whereas he that acts sincerely , hath the easiest task in the world , because he follows nature , and so is put to no trouble and care about his words and actions ; he needs not invent any pretences before-hand , nor make excuses afterwards for any thing he hath said or done . but insincerity is very troublesome to manage ; a man hath so many things to attend to , so many ends to bring together , as make his life a very perplext and intricate thing : oportet mendacem esse memorem , a lyar had need have a good memory , lest he contradict at one time what he said at another ; but truth is always consistent with it self , and needs nothing to help it out ; it is always near at hand , and sits upon our lips , and is ready to drop out before we are aware , whereas a lye is troublesome and sets a mans invention upon the rack , and one trick needs a great many more to make it good : it is like building upon a false foundation , which continually stands in need of props to shoar it up , and proves at last more chargable , than to have raised a substantial building at first upon a true and solid foundation ; for sincerity is firm and substantial , and there is nothing hollow and unsound in it , and because it is plain and open , fears no discovery , of which the crafty man is always in danger , and when he thinks he walks in the dark , all his pretences are so transparent , that he that runs may read them ; he is the last man that finds himself to be found out , and whilst he takes it for granted that he makes fools of others , he renders himself ridiculous . add to all this , that sincerity is the most compendious wisdom , and an excellent instrument for the speedy dispatch of business ; it creates confidence in those we have to deal with , saves the labour of many enquiries , and brings things to an issue in few words : it is like travelling in a plain beaten road , which commonly brings a man sooner to his journeys end , than by-ways in which men often lose themselves . in a word , whatsoever convenience may be thought to be in falshood and dissimulation , it is soon over ; but the inconvenience of it is perpetual , because it brings a man under an everlasting jealousie and suspicion , so that he is not believed when he speaks truth , nor trusted when perhaps he means honestly : when a man hath once forfeited the reputation of his integrity , he is set fast , and nothing will then serve his turn , neither truth nor falshood . and i have often thought , that god hath in great wisdom hid from men of false and dishonest minds the wonderful advantages of truth and integrity to the prosperity even of our worldly affairs ; these men are so blinded by their covetousness and ambition , that they cannot look beyond a present advantage , nor forbear to seize upon it , tho by ways never so indirect : they cannot see so far , as to the remote consequences of a steady integrity , and the vast benefit and advantages which it will bring a man at last . were but this sort of men wise and clear-sighted enough to discern this , they would be honest , out of very knavery , not out of any love to honesty and vertue , but with a crafty design to promote and advance more effectually their own interests ; and therefore the justice of the divine providence hath hid this truest point of wisdom from their eyes , that bad men might not be upon equal terms with the just and upright , and serve their own wicked designs by honest and lawful means . indeed , if a man were only to deal in the world for a day , and should never have occasion to converse more with mankind , never more need their good opinion , or good word , it were then no great matter ( speaking as to the concernments of this world ) if a man spent his reputation all at once , and ventured it at one throw ; but if he be to continue in the world , and would have the advantage of conversation whilst he is in it , let him make use of truth and sincerity in all his words and actions , for nothing but this will last and hold out to the end ; all other arts will fail , but truth and integrity will carry a man through , and bear him out to the last . 't is the observation of solomon ( prov. . . ) the lip of truth is established , for ever , but a lying tongue is but for a moment . and the wiser any man is , the more clearly will he discern , how serviceable sincerity is to all the great ends and purposes of humane life ; and that man hath made a good progress , and profited much in the school of wisdom , who valueth truth and sincerity according to their worth : every man will readily grant them to be great vertues and arguments of a generous mind ; but that there is so much of true wisdom in them , and that they really serve to profit our interest in this world seems a great paradox to the generality of men , and yet i doubt not but it is undoubtedly true , and generally found to be so , in the experience of mankind . lastly , consider that it is not worth our while to dissemble , considering the shortness and especially the uncertainty of our lives . to what purpose should we be so cunning , when our abode in this world is so short and uncertain ? why should any man by dissembling his judgment , or acting contrary to it , incur at once the displeasure of god , and the discontent of his own mind ? especially if we consider , that all our dissimulation shall one day be made manifest and published on the open theatre of the world , before god angels and men , to our everlasting shame and confusion ; all disguise and vizards shall then be pluckt off , and every man shall appear in his true colours . for then the secrets of men shall be judged , and god will bring every work into judgment , and every secret thing , whether it be good , or whether it be evil. nothing is now covered , which shall not then be revealed , nor hid which shall not then be known . let us then be now what we would 〈◊〉 glad to be found in that day , when all pretences shall be examined , and the closest hypocrisie of men shall be laid open and dasht out of countenance ; when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed , and all the hidden works of darkness shall be revealed , and all our thoughts , words and actions shall be brought to a strict and severe tryal , and be censured by that impartial and infallible judgment of god , which is according to truth : in the day when god shall judge the secrets of men , by jesus christ , to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be glory now and for ever . amen . a sermon preached at white-hall mdclxxxvi . before the princess ann. heb. xi . , , . by faith abraham when he was tryed offered up isaac : and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotton son ; of whom it was said , that in isaac shall thy seed be called : accounting that god was able to raise him up , even from the dead ; from whence also he received him in a figure . the design of this epistle to the hebrews , is to recommend to them the christian religion , to which they were but newly converted , and to encourage them to constancy in the profession of it , notwithstanding the sufferings which attended it . he sets before them in this chapter several examples in the old testament of those , ( who tho ? they were under a much more imperfect dispensation ) yet by a stedfast belief in god and his promises , had performed such wonderful acts of obedience and self-denyal . he begins with the patriarchs before the flood , but insists chiefly upon the examples of two eminent persons of their own nation , as nearest to them , and most likely to prevail upon them , the examples of abraham and moses , the one the father of their nation , the other their great lawgiver , and both of them the greatest patterns of faith , and obedience , and self-denyal , that the history of all former ages , from the beginning of the world , had afforded . i shall at this time , by god's assistance , treat of the first of these , the example of abraham , the constancy of whose faith , and the cheerfulness of whose obedience , even in the difficultest cases , is so remarkable above all the other examples mentioned in this chapter . for at the command of god , he left his kindred and his country , not knowing whither he should go . by which eminent act of obedience , he declared himself to be wholly at god's disposal , and ready to follow him : but this was no tryal in comparison of that here in my text , when god commanded him to offer up his only son. but such was the immutable stedfastness of his faith , and the perfect submission of his obedience , that it does not appear that he made the least check at it ; but out of perfect reverence and obedience to the authority of the divine command , he went about it as readily and cheerfully , as if god had bid him do some small thing : by faith abraham when he was tryed offered up isaac . for the explication of which words , it will be requisite to consider two things . first , the tryal or temptation in general . secondly , the excellency of abraham's faith and obedience upon this tryal . first , the tryal or temptation in general : it is said that abraham when he was tryed , the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being tempted : that is , god intending to make tryal of his faith and obedience ; and so it is exprest gen. . . where it is said , that god did tempt abraham , and said unto him , take now thy son , thine only son. now there are two difficulties concerning this matter : it seems contrary to scripture , that god should tempt any man ; and contrary to reason , because god who knows what every man will do , needed not to make tryal of any man's faith or obedience . first , it seems contrary to scripture , which say's , god tempts no man : and 't is most true , that god tempts no man , with a design to draw him into sin ; but this doth not hinder , but he may try their faith and obedience with great difficulties , to make them the more illustrious . thus god tempted abraham ; and he permitted job , and even our blessed saviour himself to be thus tempted . secondly , it seems contrary to reason , that god , who knows what any man will do in any circumstances , should go to make tryal of it . but god does not try men for his own information , but to give an illustrious proof and example to others of faith and obedience : and tho after this tryal of abraham , god says to him , now i know that thou lovest me , because thou hast not withheld thy son , thine only son from me ; yet we are to understand this as spoken after the manner of men ; as god elsewhere speaks to abraham concerning sodom ; i will go down now to see whether they have done altogether aecording to the cry which is come up unto me , and if not , i will know . i proceed to the second thing i proposed , the excellency of abraham's faith and obedience upon this tryal : by faith abraham when he was tryed offered up isaac . god accepts of it , as if he had done it , because he had done it in part , and was ready to have performed the rest , if god had not countermanded him . and this act of faith and obedience in abraham will appear the more illustrious , if we consider these three things . first , the firmness and stedfastness of his faith , notwithstanding the objections against it . secondly , the constancy of his resolution , notwithstanding the difficulty of the thing . thirdly , the reasonableness of his faith , in that he gave satisfaction to himself in so hard and perplext a case . first , the firmness and stedfastness of his faith will appear , if we consider what objections there were in the case , enough to shake a very strong faith. there were three great objections against this command , and such as might in reason make a wise and good man doubtful whether this command were from god. the horrid nature of the thing commanded . the grievous scandal that might seem almost unavoidably to follow upon it . and the horrible consequence of it , which seemed to make the former promise of god to abraham void . first , the horrid nature of the thing commanded , which was for a father to kill his own child ; this must needs appear very barbarous and unnatural , and look liker a sacrifice to an idol , than to the true god. it seemed to be against the law of nature , and directly contrary to that kindness and affection which god himself had planted in the hearts of parents towards their children . and there is no affection more natutural and strong than this , for there are many persons that would redeem the lives of their children with the hazard of their own . now that god hath planted such an affection in nature , is an argument that it is good , and therefore it could not but seem strange that he should command any thing contrary to it : and in this case , there were two circumstances that increased the horrour of the fact ; that his son was innocent ; and that he was to slay him with his own hands . first , that his son was innocent . it would grieve the heart of any father to give up his son to death , tho he were never so undutiful and disobedient . so passionately was david affected with the death of his son absolom , as to wish he had dyed for him , tho he dyed in the very act of rebellion , and tho the saving of his life had been inconsistent with the peace of his government . how deep then must it sink into the heart of a father to give up his innocent son to death ? and such a son was isaac , for any thing appeared to the contrary . god himself gave him this testimony , that he was the son whom his father loved , and there is no intimation of any thing to the contrary : now this could not but appear strange to a good man , that god should command an innocent person to be put to death . but , secondly , that a father should be commanded , not only to give up his son to death , but to slay him with his own hands ; not only to be a spectator , but to be the actor in this tragedy ; what father would not shrink , and start back at such a command ? what good man , especially in such a case , and where nature was so hard prest , would not have been apt to have looked upon such a revelation as this , rather as the suggestion and illusion of an evil spirit , than a command of god ? and yet abraham's faith was not staggered , so as to call this revelation of god in question . secondly , the grievous scandal that might seem almost unavoidably to follow upon it , was another great objection against it ; the report of such an action would in all appearance blemish the reputation , even of so good a man , amongst all sober and considerate persons , who could hardly forbear to censure him , as a wicked and unnatural man. and this was a hard case , for a man to be put to sacrifice at once , two of the dearest things in the world , his reputation and his son ; nor could he have easily defended himself from this imputation , by alledging an express revelation and command of god for it ; for who would give credit to it ? a revelation to another man is nothing to me , unless i be assured that he had such a revelation , which i cannot be , but either by another immediate revelation , or by some miracle to confirm it . the act had an appearance of so much horrour , that it was not easily credible that god should command it ; and if every mans confident pretence to revelation be admitted , the worst actions may plead this in their excuse . so that this pretence would have been so far from excusing his fault , that it must rather have been esteemed a high aggravation of it , by adding the boldest impiety to the most barbarous inhumanity . but abraham was not stumbled at this , nor at the advantage which the enemies of his religion would make of such an occasion , who would be ready to say , here is your excellent good man , and likely to be a friend of god , who was so cruel an enemy to his own son. all this 't is probable he might consider , but it did not move him , being resolved to obey god , and to leave it to his wisdom to provide against all the inconveniencies that might follow upon it . thirdly , the strongest objection of all , was the horrible consequence of the thing , which seemed to clash with former revelations , and to make void the promise which god had before made to abraham , that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed , which promise was expresly limited to isaac and his posterity , who had then no son. and of this difficulty the apostle takes express notice in the text , that he that had received the promises ( that is , was persuaded of the truth and faithfulness of them ) offered up his only begotten son , of whom it was said , that in isaac shall thy seed be called . and this objection is really so strong , that if abraham could not have given himself satisfaction about it , he might justly have questioned the truth of the revelation ; for no man can possibly entertain two contradictory revelations , as from god , but he must of necessity question one or both of them ; but so strong was abraham's faith , as not to be shaken by the seeming contradiction of these two revelations . ii. we will consider the constancy of his resolution to obey god , notwithstanding the harshness and difficulty of the thing . tho abraham were firmly persuaded that this command to kill his son , was really from god ; yet it is no easie matter for a man to bring himself to obey god in so difficult a case , and out of meer reverence to the divine authority , to divest himself of his nature , and to thwart the strongest inclinations of it ; a man would be very apt to confer with flesh and blood in such a case . let but any man that knows what it is to be a father , lay his hand upon his heart and consider his own bowels , and he will be astonished at abraham's obedience as well as his faith. to take his son , his only son , his son whom he loved , and in whom he placed all his hopes of a happy posterity , and with his own hands to destroy him and all his hopes together ; it must be a strong faith that will engage a man to obedience in so difficult an instance . there is one circumstance more especially , which renders abraham's obedience very remarkable ; the deliberateness of the action . it had not been so much , if so soon as he had received this command from god , he had upon a suddain impulse and transport of zeal done this . but that his obedience might be the more glorious , and have all the circumstances of advantage given to it , god would have it done deliberately , and upon full consideration ; and therefore he bad him go to the mountain three daies journey from the place where he was , and there to offer up his son. it is in acts of virtue and obedience , as in acts of sin and vice ; the more deliberate the sin is , and the more calm and sedate temper the man is in when he commits it , the greater is the fault ; whereas what is done by surprize , in the heat of temptation or transport of passion , hath some excuse from the suddainness and indeliberateness of it . so is it in acts of virtue and obedience , especially if they be attended with considerable difficulty , the more deliberately they are done , the more virtuous they are , and the greater praise is due to them . now that abraham's obedience might want nothing to highten it , god seems on purpose to have put so long a space betwixt the command and the performance of it ; he gives him time to cool upon it ; to weigh the command , and to look on every side of this difficult duty ; he gives scope for his reason to argue and debate the case , and opportunity for natural affection to play its part ; and for flesh and blood to raise all its batteries against the resolution which he had taken up . and now we may easily imagin , what conflict this good man had within himself , during those three daies that he was travelling to the mountain in moriah ; and how his heart was ready to be rent in pieces , betwixt his duty to god , and his affection to his child ; so that every step of this unwelcome and wearisome journey , he did as it were lay violent hands upon himself . he was to offer up his son but once , but he sacrificed himself and his own will every moment for three days together ; and when he came thither , and all things were ready , the altar , the wood , and the fire , and the knife , it must needs be a stabbing question , and wound him to the heart , which his innocent son so innocently askt him , where is the lamb , for a burnt-offering ? it must be a strong faith indeed , and a mighty resolution , that could make him to hold out three days against the violent assaults of his own nature , and the charming presence of his son , enough to melt his heart , as often as he cast his eyes upon him ; and yet nothing of all this , made him to stagger in his duty , but being strong in faith , he gave glory to god , by one of the most miraculous acts of obedience that ever was exacted from any of the sons of men. iii. in the third and last place , i come to consider the reasonableness of his faith , in that he was able to give satisfaction to himself in so intricate and perplext a case . the constancy of abraham's faith , was not an obstinate and stubborn persuasion ; but the result of the wisest reasoning , and soberest consideration . so the text says , that he counted ( the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reasoned with himself ) that god was able to raise him up from the dead ; so that he debated the matter with himself , and gave himself satisfaction , concerning the objections and difficulties in the case ; and being fully satisfied that it was a divine command , he resolved to obey it . as for the objections i have mentioned . . the horrid appearance of the thing , that a father should slay his innocent son. why should abraham scruple the doing this , at the command of god , who being the author of life , hath power over it , and may resume what he hath given , and take away the life of any of his creatures when he will , and make whom he pleaseth instruments in the execution of his command ? it was indeed a hard case , considering natural affection ; and therefore god did not permit it to be executed . but the question of god's right over the lives of men ; and of his authority to command any man to be the instrument of his pleasure in such a case , admits of no dispute . and the god hath planted strong affections in parents towards their children ; yet he hath written no law in any man's heart , to the prejudice of his own soverign right : this is a case alwaies excepted , and this takes away the objection of injustice . . as to the scandal of it , that could be no great objection in those times , when the absolute power of parents over their children was in it's full force , and they might put them to death without being accountable for it . so that then it was no such startling matter , to hear of a father putting his child to death ; nay , in much later times we find that in the most ancient laws of the romans ( i mean those of the tables ) children are absolutely put in the power of their parents , to whom is given , jus vitae & necis , a power of life and death over them ; and likewise to sell them for slaves . and tho amongst the jews this paternal power was limited by the law of moses ; and the judgment of life and death was taken out of the fathers hands , except in case of contumacy and rebellion ; ( and even in that case the process was to be before the elders of the city ) yet it is certain , that in elder times the paternal power was more absolute and unaccountable , which takes off much from the horror and scandal of the thing , as it appears now to us who have no such power . and therefore we do not find in the history , that this objection did much stick with abraham : it being then no unusual thing for a father to put his child to death , upon a just account . and the command of god , who hath absolute dominion over the lives of his creatures , is certainly a just reason ; and no man can reasonably scruple the doing of that , upon the command of god , which he might have done by his own authority , without being accountable for the action , to any but god only . . as to the objection from the horrible consequence of the thing commanded , that the slaying of isaac seemed to overthrow the promise , which god had made before to abraham , that in isaac his seed should be called : this seems to him to be the great difficulty , and here he makes use of reason , to reconcile the seeming contradiction of this command of god , to his former promise . so the text tells us , that he offered up his only begotten son , of whom it was said , that in isaac , shall thy seed be called ; reasoning that god was able to raise him up from the dead . so that tho' isaac were put to death , yet he saw how the promise of god might still be made good by his being raised from the dead , and living afterwards to have a numerous posterity . there had then indeed been no instance , or example of any such thing in the world , as the resurrection of one from the dead , which makes abraham's faith the more wonderful , but he confirmed himself in this belief , by an example as near the case as might be . he reasoned , that god was able to raise him from the dead , from whence also he had received him in a figure . this i know is by interpreters generally understood of isaac's being delivered from the jaws of death , when he was laid upon the altar , and ready to be slain . but the text seems not to speak of what happend after , but of something that had passed before : by which abraham confirmed himself in this peruasion , that if he were slain , god would raise him up again . and so the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be rendred , in the past time , from whence also he had received him , in a figure . so that this expression plainly refers to the miraculous birth of isaac , when his parents were past the age of having children ; which was little less than a resurrection from the dead . and so the scripture speaks of it . rom. . . abraham believed god , who quickeneth the dead , and calleth the things which are not , as if they were , and not being weak in faith , he considered not his own body which was dead ; and a little before the text , ( speaking of the miraculous birth of isaac ) and therefore sprang there of one , and him as good as dead , as many as the stars of heaven . from whence ( as the apostle tells us ) abraham reasoned thus ; that god who gave him isaac at first , in so miraculous a manner , was able by another miracle to restore him to life again , after he was dead , and to make him the father of many nations . he reasoned , that god was able to raise him up from the dead , from whence also he had received him in a figure . thus you see the reasonableness of abraham's faith ; he pitched upon the main difficulty in the case , and he answered it , as well as was possible : and in his reasoning about this matter , he gives the utmost weight to every thing , that might tend to vindicate the truth and faithfulness of god's promise , and to make the revelations of god consistent with one another ; and this tho' he had a great interest , and a very tender concernment of his own , to have biassed him . for he might have argued with great appearance and probability the other way : but as every pious and good man should do , he reasoned on god's side , and favoured that part . rather than disobey a command of god , or believe that his promise should be frustrate , he will believe any thing that is credible and possible , how improbable soever . thus far faith will go , but no farther : from the believing of plain contradictions and impossibilities , it alwayes desires to be excused . thus much for explication of the words ; which i hope hath not been altogether unprofitable , because it tends to clear a point which hath something of difficulty and obscurity in it , and to vindicate the holy scripture , and the divine revelation therein contained , from one of the most specious objections of infidelity . but i had a farther design in this text ; and that is to make some observations and inferences from it , that may be of use to us . as first , that humane nature is capable of clear and full satisfaction , concerning a divine revelation ; for if abraham had not been fully and past all doubt assured that this was a command from god , he would certainly have spared his son. and nothing is more reasonable , than to believe that those to whom god is pleased to make immediate revelations of his will , are some way or other assured that they are divine , otherwise they would be in vain , and to no purpose . but how men are assured concerning divine revelations made to them , is not so easy to make out to others : only these two things we are sure of . . that god can work in the mind of man , a firm persuasion of the truth of what he reveals , and that such a revelation is from him . this no man can doubt of , that considers the great power and influence which god , who made us , and perfectly knows our frame , must needs have upon our minds and understandings . . that god never offers any thing to any man's belief , that plainly contradicts the natural and essential notions of his mind . because this would be for god to destroy his own workmanship , and to impose that upon the understanding of man , which whilst it remains what it is , it cannot possibly admit . for instance , we cannot imagin , that god should reveal to any man any thing , that plainly contradicts the essential perfections of the divine nature ; for such a revelation can no more be supposed to be from god , than a revelation from god , that there is no god ; which is a downright contradiction . now to apply this to the revelation , which god made to abraham concerning the sacrificing of his son. this was made to him by an audible voice , and he was fully satisfied by the evidence which it carried along with it , that it was from god. for this was not the first of many revelations that had been made to him , so that he knew the manner of them , and had found by manifold experience , that he was not deceived , and upon this experience , was grown to a great confidence in the truth and goodness of god. and it is very probable , the first time god appeared to abraham , because it was a new thing , that to make way for the credit of future revelations , god did shew himself to him in so glorious a manner , as was abundantly to his conviction . and this st. stephen does seem to intimate acts . . the god of glory appeared to our father abraham , when he was in mesopotamia . now by this glorious appearance of god to him at first , he was so , prepared for the entertainment of after revelations , that he was not staggered even at this , concerning the sacrificing of his son , being both by the manner of it , and the assurance that accompanied it , fully satisfied that it was from god. secondly , i observe from hence the great and necessary use of reason , in matters of faith. for we see here that abraham's reason , was a mighty strengthning and help to his faith. here were two revelations made to abraham , which seemed to clash with one another ; and if abraham's reason could not have reconciled the repugnancy of them , he could not possibly have believed them both to be from god ; because this natural notion , or principle , that god cannot contradict himself , every man does first , and more firmly believe , than any revelation whatsoever . now abraham's reason relieved him in this strait ; so the text expresly tells us , that he reasoned with himself , that god was able to raise him from the dead . and this being admitted , the command of god , concerning the slaying of isaac , was very well consistent with his former promise , that in isaac his seed should be called . i know there hath a very rude clamour been raised by some persons , ( but of more zeal i think than judgment ) against the use of reason in matters of faith ; but how very unreasonable this is , will appear to any one that will but have patience to consider these following particulars . . the nature of divine revelation : that it doth not endow men with new faculties ; but propoundeth new objects to the faculties , which they had before . reason is the faculty whereby revelation is to be discerned ; for when god reveals any thing to us , he reveals it to our understanding , and by that we are to judge of it : therefore st. john cautions us jo. . . not to believe every spirit , but to try the spirits , whether they are of god , because many false prophets are gone out into the world : that is , there are many that falsly pretend to inspiration ; but how can these pretenders be tryed and discerned from those that are truly inspired , but by using our reason , in comparing the evidence for the one and the other ? . this will farther appear , if we consider the nature of faith. faith ( as we are now speaking of it ) is an assent of the mind to something as revealed by god : now all assent must be grounded upon evidence , that is , no man can believe any thing , unless he have , or thinks he hath some reason to do so . for to be confident of a thing without reason , is not faith , but a presumptuous persuasion , and obstinacy of mind . . this will yet be more evident , if we consider the method , that must of necessity be used to convince any man of the truth of religion . suppose we had to deal with one that is a stranger , and enemy to christianity , what means are proper to be used to gain him over to it ? the most natural method surely were this , to acquaint him with the holy scriptures , which are the rule of our faith and practice . he would ask us , why we believe that book ? the proper answer would be , because it is the word of god ; this he could not but acknowledge to be a very good reason , if it were true : but then he would ask , why we believed it to be the word of god , rather than m●homet ' s alchoran , which pretends no less to be of divine inspiration . if any man now should answer , that he could give no reason why he believed it to be the word of god , only he believed it to be so , and so every man else ought to do , without enquiring after any further reason , because reason is to be laid a side in matters of faith ; would not the man presently reply , that he had just as much reason as this comes to , to believe the alchoran , or any thing else ; that is none at all ? but certainly the better way would be , to satisfie this man's reason , by proper arguments ; that the scriptures are a divine revelation , and that no other book in the world can with equal reason pretend to be so ; and if this be a good way , then we do and must call in the assistance of reason for the proof of our religion . . let it be considered farther , that the highest commendations that are given in scripture to any ones faith , are given upon account of the reasonableness of it . abraham's faith is famous , and made a pattern to all generations , because he reasoned himself into it , notwithstanding the objections to the contrary ; and he did not blindly break through these objections , and wink hard at them , but he look'd them in the face , and gave himself reasonable satisfaction concerning them . the centurian's faith is commended by our saviour , math. . . because when his servant was sick , he did not desire him to come to his house , but to speak the word only , and his servant should be healed : for he reasoned thus , i am a man under authority , having souldiers under me , and i say to this man go and he goeth , and to another come and he cometh ; and to my servant do this , and he doth it . now if he that was himself under authority , could thus command those that were under him ; much more could he that had a divine power and commission , do what he pleased by his word . and our saviour is so far from reprehending him for reasoning himself into this belief , that he admires his faith so much the more for the reasonableness of it , v. . when jesus heard this , he marvelled , and said to them that followed him , verily , i say unto you , i have not found so great faith , no not in israel . inlike manner our saviour commends the woman of canaan's faith , because she enforc't it so reasonably . matthew . . she sued to him to help her daughter , but he answered her not a word ; and when his disciples could not prevail with him to mind her , yet still the prest him , saying , lord help me ; and when he repulsed her with this severe answer , it is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs , she made this quick and modest reply , truth lord , yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table . she acknowledgeth her own unworthiness , but yet believes his goodness to be such , that he will not utterly reject those who humbly seek to him ; upon which he gives her this testimony , o woman great is thy faith . the apostles were divinely inspired , and yet the bereans are commended , because they enquired and satisfied themselves in the reasons of their belief , before they assented to the doctrine which was delivered to them , even by teachers that certainly were infallible . . none are reproved in scripture for their unbelief , but where sufficient reason and evidence was offered to them . the israelites are generally blamed for their infidelity ; but then it was after such mighty wonders had been wrought for their conviction . the jews in our saviours time , are not condemned simply for their unbelief , but for not believing when there was such clear evidence offered to them . so our saviour himself says , if i had not done amongst them , the works which no other man did , they had not had sin . thomas indeed is blamed for the perverseness of his unbelief , because he would believe nothing but what he himself saw . lastly , to shew this yet more plainly , let us consider the great inconvenience , and absurdity of declining the use of reason in matters of religion : there can be no greater prejudice to religion , than to decline this tryal . to say we have no reason for our religion , is to say it is unreasonable . indeed it is reason enough for any article of our faith , that god hath revealed it , because this is one of the strongest and most cogent reasons for the belief of any thing . but when we say god hath revealed any thing , we must be ready to prove it , or else we say nothing . if we turn off reason here , we level the best religion in the world with the wildest and most absurd enthusiams . and it does not alter the case much , to give reason ill names , to call it blind , and carnal reason . our best reason is but very short and imperfect : but since it is no better , we must make use of it as it is , and make the best of it . before i pass from this argument , i cannot but observe , that both the extremes of those who differ from our church , are generally great declamers against the use of reason in matters of faith : if they find their account in it , 't is well ; for our parts we apprehend no manner of inconvenience , in having reason on our side ; nor need we to desire a better evidence , that any man is in the wrong , than to hear him declare against reason , and thereby to acknowledge that reason is against him . men may vilifie reason as much as they please ; and tho being reviled she reviles not again , yet in a more still and gentle way , she commonly hath her full revenge upon all those that rail at her . i have often wonder'd that people can with patience endure to hear their teachers and guides talk against reason ; and not only so , but they pay them the greater submission and veneration for it . one would think this but an odd way to gain authority over the minds of men ; but some skilful and designing men , have found by experience , that it is a very good way to recommend them to the ignorant , as nurses use to endear themselves to children , by perpetual noise and nonsense . iii. i observe , that god obligeth no man to believe plain and evident contradictions , as matters of faith. abraham could not reasonably have believed this second revelation to have been from god , if he had not found some way to reconcile it with the first . for tho a man were never so much disposed to submit his reason to divine revelation ; yet it is not possible for any man to believe god against god himself . some men seem to think that they oblige god mightily , by believing plain contradictions . but the matter is quite otherwise . he that made man a reasonable creature , cannot take it kindly from any man , to debase his workmanship , by making himself unreasonable . and therefore , as no service , or obedience ; so no faith is acceptable unto god , but what is reasonable ; if it be not so , it may be confidence or presumption , but it is not faith ; for he that can believe plain contradictions , may believe any thing how absurd soever ; because nothing can be more absurd , than the belief of a plain contradiction ; and he that can believe any thing , believes nothing upon good grounds , because to him truth and falsehood are all one . . i observe that the great cause of the defect of mens obedience is the weakness of their faith. did we believe the commands of god in the gospel , and his promises and threatnings , as firmly as abraham believed god in this case ; what should we not be ready to do , or suffer in obedience to him ? if our faith were but as strong and vigorous as his was , the effects of it would be as great and conspicuous ; were we verily persuaded that all the precepts of our religion are the express laws of god , and that all the promises and threatnings of the gospel will one day be verified and made good , what manner of persons should we be in all holy conversation and godliness ? how would the lively thoughts of another world , raise us above the vanities of this present life ; and set us out of the reach of the most powerful temptations that this world can assault us withall ; and make us to do all things with regard to eternity , and to that solemn and dreadful account which we must one day make to god the judge of all ? it is nothing but the want of a firm and steady belief of these things , that makes our devotion so dead and heartless , and our resolutions of doing better so weak and inconsistent . this it is , that makes us so easie a prey to every temptation ; and the things of this world to look so much bigger than they are ; the enjoyments of it more tempting , and the evils of it more terrible than in truth they are . and in all disputes betwixt our conscience and our interest , to hold the balance so unequally , and to put our foot upon the lighter scale , that it may seem to weigh down the other . in a word , in proportion to the strength or weakness of our faith , our obedience to god will be more or less constant , uniform , and perfect ; because faith is the great source and spring of all the virtues of a good life . . we have great reason to submit to the ordinary strokes of god's providence upon our selves , or near relations , or any thing that is dear to us . most of these are easily compared with abraham's case ; it requires a prodigious strength of faith to perform so miraculous an act of obedience . . and lastly , we are utterly inexcusable , if we disobey the easie precepts of the gospel . the yoke of christ is easie , and his burden light , in comparison of god's former dispensations . this was a grievous commandment which god gave to abraham , to sacrifice his only son : it was a hard saying indeed ; and which of us could have been able to hear it ? but if god think fit to call us to the more difficult duties of self-denial , and suffering for his truth and righteousness sake , we must after the example of faithful abraham , not think much to deny or part with any thing for him , no not life it self . but even this which is the hardest part of religion , is easier than what god put upon abraham . for it doth not offer near the violence to nature , to lay down our life in a good cause , as it would do , to put a child to death with our own hands . besides the consideration of the extraordinary comfort and support , and the glorious rewards that are expresly promised to our obedience and self denial in such a case ; encouragement enough to make a very difficult duty easie . and whilst i am perswading you and my self to resolution and constancy in our holy religion , notwithstanding all hazards and hardships that may attend it , i have a just sense of the frailty of humane nature , and of humane resolution : but with all , a most firm persuasion of the goodness of god , that he will not suffer those who sincerely love him and his truth , to be tempted above what they are able . i will add but one consideration more , to shew the difference betwixt abraham's case and ours . god commanded him to do the hardest thing in the world , to sacrifice his only son ; but he hath given us an easie commandment ; and that he might effectually oblige us to our duty , he hath done that for us which he required abraham to do for him ; he hath not spared his own son , his only son , but hath given him up to death for us all : and hereby we know that he loveth us , that he hath given his son for us . what god required of abraham , he did not intend should be executed ; but one great design of it was to be a type and figure of that immense love and kindness which he intended to all mankind , in the sacrifice of his son , as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world . and as the most clear and express promise of the messias was made to abraham ; so the most express and lively type of the messias that we meet with in all the old testament , was abraham's offering up his son. and as st. hierom tells us ( from an ancient and constant tradition of the jews ) the mountain in moriah , where abraham was commanded to sacrifice isaac , was mount calvary , where our lord also was crucified and offered up , that by this one sacrifice of himself once offered , he might perfect for ever them that are sanctified , and obtain eternal redemption for us . now to him that sitteth upon the throne , and to the lamb that was slain , to god even our father , and to our lord jesus christ the first begotten from the dead ; to the prince of the kings of the earth ; to him that loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood ; to him be glory and honour , thanksgiving and power , now and for ever . amen . a sermon preached at white-hall mdclxxxvii . before the princess ann. heb. xi . , . by faith moses when he was come to years , refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter ; chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . the text sets before us a great pattern of self-denial ; for our better understanding whereof , i will give a brief account of the history of moses , to which our apostle in this passage doth refer . when moses was born , his parents ( for fear of the cruel law which pharaoh had made , that all the male children of the hebrews , so soon as they were born , should be put to death ) after they had hid him three months , did at last expose him in an ark of bulrushes , upon the river nile , and committed him to the providence of god , whom they despair'd to conceal any longer by their own care . pharaoh's daughter coming by the river side , espied him , and had compassion on him ; and guessing him to be one of the hebrew children , called for an hebrew nurse , to take care of him , who , as the prviodence of god had ordered it , proved to be the child 's own mother . as he grew up , pharaoh's daughter took care of his education in all princely qualities , and adopted him for her son ; and pharaoh ( as josephus tells us ) being without son , designed him heir of his kingdom . moses refused this great offer . but why did he refuse it , when it seem'd to be presented to him by the providence of god , and was brought about in so strange a manner , and when by this means he might probably have had it in his power to have eased the israelites of their cruel bondage , and perhaps have had the oportunity of reducing that great kingdom from the worship of idols to the true god ? why would he refuse a kingdom which was offered to him with so fair an oportunity of doing so much good ? that which seems to have prevailed with moses , was this , that he could not accept the offer , without forsaking god , and renouncing his religion ; for considering how strangely the egyptians were addicted to idolatry , he could never hope to be accepted for heir of that kingdom , unless he would violate his conscience , either by abandoning or dissembling his religion . and how unlikely it was that he should prevail with them to change their religion , he might easily judge by the example of joseph , who tho he had so much authority and esteem amongst them , by having been so great a benefactor to their nation ; yet he could never move them in the least , in that matter . now seeing he had no hopes of attaining , or enjoying that dignity without sinning grievously against god , he would not purchase a kingdom at so unconscionable a price . and as for the deliverance of his people , he was content to trust the providence and promise of god for that ; and in the mean time was resolved rather to take a part in the afflictions of god's people , than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . from the words thus explained , i shall take occasion to consider these four things . i. moses's self-denial , in preferring and choosing a state of afflicted piety , before any sinful enjoyments whatsoever ; before the greatest earthly happiness and prosperity , when it was not to be attained and enjoyed upon other terms than of sinning against god. ii. i shall consider those circumstances of this self-denial of moses , which do very much commend and set off the virtue of it . iii. the prudence and reasonableness of this choice , in preferring a state of afflicted piety and virtue , before the greatest prosperity and pleasure of a sinful course . iv. supposing this choice to be reasonable , i shall inquire how it comes to pass that so many make another choice . i. we will consider moses his self-denial , in preferring a state of afflicted piety , before the greatest earthly happiness and prosperity , when it is not to be enjoyed upon other terms , than of sining against god. he was adopted heir of the kingdom of egypt , ( one of the greatest and most flourishing kingdoms then in the world ; ) but he could not hope to attain to this dignity , and to secure himself in the possession of it , upon other terms than of complying with that nation , in their idolatrous religion and worship . now being brought up in the belief of the true god , the god of israel , by his mother , to whom pharaoh's daughter had committed him , he could not without great violence to his conscience , and the principles of his education , renounce the true god , and fall off to the idolatry of the egyptians : and for this reason he refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter , chusing rather to suffer affliction with the worshipers of the true god , than to have the temporary enjoyment of any thing that was not to be had without sin ; for so the word ought to be render'd , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin . so here was moses his self-denial , that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the worshipers of the true god , than to gain a kingdom , by the renouncing of god and religion . ii. we will consider those circumstances of his self denial , which do very much commend and set off the virtue of it . . what it was he refused to be called ; the son of pharaoh ' s daughter ; that is , to be heir of one of the greatest and most flourishing kingdoms in the world : a temptation so great , that the devil himself could not find out one much greater , when he set upon the son of god , to tempt him to fall down and worship him . and when we consider for what inconsiderable things some men sell their religion and their consciences , we shall think it no small temptation which moses here resisted . si violandum est jus , regnandi causâ violandum est ; if a man would do any unjust thing , and violate his religion and conscience , he would not do it for less than a kingdom ; and it would be a very hard bargain , even upon those terms . . consider not only what he refused ; but what he chose in the place of it ; a state of great affliction and suffering . had he refused a kingdom , and chosen the quiet condition of a subject of middle rank ( beneath envy and above contempt , ) his self-denial had not been so great ; nay perhaps he had made a wise choice , in the account of the wiseest men , in preferring a plentiful and quiet retirement , before the cares of a crown , and the burthen of publick government . but it is very rare to find a man , that would choose rather to be opprest and persecuted ; than to be a prince , and to have the sweet power to use others as he pleased . . consider how fair a prospect he had of enjoying this kingdom , if he could but have come up to the terms of it . he did not reject it , because he despaired of attaining it : for he had all the right that a good title could give him , being adopted heir to it ; and yet he refused it . to which i may add , that his breeding was such , as might easily kindle ambitious thoughts in him . he was brought up in pharaoh's court , and was the darling and favourite of it ; exceeding beautiful ( as josephus tells us ) and learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians ; than which no two qualities are more apt to puff up , and swell a man with big thoughts of himself . they that are bred in a low condition , never think of a kingdom ; men not being apt to aspire to things which are remote , and at a great distance from them . but nothing is more rare in persons of great and generous minds , than such a self-denial as this . . let it be considered in the last place , that this was a deliberate choice , not any rash and sudain determination made by him , when he was of incompetent age to make a true judgment of things . and this the apostle takes notice of in the text , as a very memorable circumstance , that when he was come to years , he refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter . and st. stephen tells us , that he was full forty years old when he made this choice , acts . . when he was full forty years old , it came into his heart , to visit his brethren , the children of israel . when he was of ripest judgment , and in the height of his prosperity , and reputation , he made this choice : for it is said in the verse before , that moses was learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians , and mighty in word and deed ; that is , he was in great reputation for his wisdom and valour . this seems to refer to other passages of his life , which are not recorded in the scripture history , but related at large by josephus out of historians extant in his time . for he tells , that when the ethiopians had invaded egypt , and almost over-run it , that pharaoh was directed by the oracle at memphis , to make moses his general , who by his extraordinary conduct and courage overthrew the ethiopians , and drave them out of egypt . this moses did not think fit to relate of himself ; but st. stephen seems to allude to it , when he says , that he was mighty in word and deed : and then it follows ; and when he was full forty years old , it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of israel ; that is , when he was at full maturity of judgment , and in the hight of his prosperity , and reputation , he quitted the court of egypt , and went to visit his afflicted brethren , and chose rather to take part with them in their sufferings , than to accept those great offers that were made to him . there is likewise another passage in josephus concerning moses , which seems to be a forerunner of the contempt which he shewed afterward of the crown of egypt ; that when moses was about three years old , thermuthis , the daughter of pharaoh , brought the child to him , who took him in his arms and put his diadem upon his head , but moses took it off , and cast it to the ground , and trampled it under his feet . this was but a childish act , and they who saw it , would easily believe , that for all his childish contempt of it then , it it were put upon his head in good earnest , when he came to be a man , he would hold it on faster , and use it with more respect . and it is not improbable , but that the apostle might have some regard to this , when he says , that moses when he came to years ; intimating that he did not only trample upon the diadem of pharaoh , when he was a child ; but when he was come to years , and was capable of judging better of those things , he refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter . but before i proceed any farther , i cannot but take notice of an objection , which may seem to reflect greatly upon the integrity of moses . can we think him so very conscientious a man , who persuaded the people of israel ( and pretended god's direction in the case ) to cheat the egyptians of their jewels , under a fraudulent pretence of borrowing them ? there is some difficulty in the thing , as at first sight it appears : and yet i doubt not , with your favourable attention , and free from prejudice , to vindicate moses clearly in this matter . and i shall not insist upon that , which is commonly and truly said in this case ; that god , who is the supream lord of all things , may transfer the rights of men from one to another : because the objection doth not lye against god's right to take away from any man what he hath given him ; but against the fraudulent manner of doing it , which seems unworthy of god to command or encourage . now this matter i think is capable of another , and much clearer answer ; which in short , is this , and grounded upon the history , as we find it related , ex. . the providence of god did , it seems , design by this way to make some reparation to the israelites , for the tyrannical usage which they had received from the egyptians : and that first ( as the text expresly tells us ) in giving them favour with the egyptians , who in truth , for their own ends , and to get rid of such troublesome guests , were disposed to lend them any thing they had . thus far all is right . here is nothing but fair borrowing and lending : and if the israelites acquired a right to those things afterwards , there was then no obligation to restitution . let us see then how the providence of god brought this about : namely , by permitting the egyptians afterwards , without cause , and after leave given them to depart , to persue them , with a design to have destroyed them ; by which hostility and perfidiousness they plainly forfeited their right to what they had only lent before . for this hostile attempt , which would have warranted the israelites , to have spoiled them of their jewels , if they had been in the possession of the egyptians , did certainly warrant them to keep them when they had them ; and by this means they became rightful possessors of what they had only by loan before , and could not have detained without fraud and injustice , if this hostility of the egyptians had not given them a new title and clear right to them . but i proceed to the third thing i proposed , which was to vindicate the prudence and reasonableness of this choice . and in speaking to this , i shall abstract from the particular case of moses , and shew in general , that it is a prudent and reasonable thing , to prefer even an afflicted state of piety and virtue , before the greatest pleasures and prosperity of a sinful course : and this will appear , if we consider these two things . . the sufferings of good men upon account of religion , together with the the reward of them . . the temporary enjoyment of sin , with the mischiefs and inconveniencies consequent upon them . . the sufferings of good men , upon the account of religion , together with the reward of them . this moses had in his eye , when he made this choice ; for therefore he chose to suffer affliction with the people of god , rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin , which are but for a season , because he had respect to the recompence of reward : and tho he had but a very imperfect discovery , in comparison of the future state , yet it seems he had so much assurance of the goodness of god , as firmly to believe that he should be no loser at the last , by any thing that he suffered for god and religion . indeed if there were no life after this , and we had no expectation beyond this world , the wisest thing we could do , would be to enjoy as much of the present contentment of this world , as we could make our selves masters of . but if we be designed for immortality , and shall be unspeakably happy , or intorably miserable in another world , according as we have demeaned our selves in this life ; then certainly it is reasonable that we should take the greatest care of the longest duration , and be content to dispense with some present inconveniences , for an eternal felicity ; and be willing to labour and take pains for a little while , that we may be happy forever . and this is accounted prudence in the account of the wisest men , to part with a little in present , for a far greater future advantage . but the disproportion betwixt time and eternity is so vast , that did we but firmly believe , that we shall live for ever , nothing in this world could reasonably be thought too good to part withall , or too grievous to suffer for the obtaining of a blessed immortality . and upon this belief and persuasion of a mighty reward , beyond all their present sufferings , and that they should be infinite gainers at the last , the primitive christians were kept from sinking under their present sufferings , and fortified against all that the malice and cruelty of the world could do unto them . and if we would consider all things together , and mind the invisible things of another world , as well as the things which are seen , we should easily discern that he who suffers for god and religion , does not renounce his happiness , but put it out to interest , upon terms of greatest advantage ; and does wisely consider his own best , and and most lasting interest . this is the first . ii. this will yet more evidently appear , if we consider the temporary injoyments of sin , together with the mischiefs and inconveniencies attending , and consequent upon them : that as to the nature of them , they are mixt , and imperfect ; as to the duration of them , they are short , and but for a season ; and as to the final issue and consquence of them , that they end in misery and sorrow . . as to the nature of them , all the pleasures and enjoyments of sin are mixt and imperfect . a wicked man may make a shew of mirth and pleasure , but even in laughter his heart is sorrowful , and the end of that mirth is heaviness . there can be no true and sincere pleasure in any sinful and vitious course , tho it be attended with all the pomp and splendor of outward happiness and prosperity ; for where ever sin and vice is , there must be guilt ; and whereever guilt is , the mind will be restless and unquiet . for there are two very troublesome and tormenting passions , which are naturally consequent upon guilt ; shame and fear . shame , arising from the apprehension of the danger of being discovered ; and fear , from the apprehension of the danger of being punisht : and these do continually haunt the sinner , and fill him with inward horror and confusion , in his most secret retirements . and if sin were attended with no other trouble but the guilt of it , a wise man would not commit it , if it were for no other reason , but meerly for the peace and quiet of his own mind . . the enjoyments of sin , as to the duration of them are but short . upon this consideration , moses set no great price and value upon them , but preferred affliction and suffering in good company , and in a good cause , before the temporary enjoyments of sin . if the enjoyments of this world were perfect in their nature , and had no mixture of trouble and sorrow in them : yet this would be a great abatement of them , that they are of so short and uncertain a continuance . the pleasure of most sins expires with the act of them ; and when that is done , the delight vanisheth . i cannot deny but there are several worldly advantages to be purchased by sin , which may perhaps be of a longer continuance ; as riches and honours , the common purchase of covetousness and ambition , and of that long train of inferiour vices which attend upon them , and minister unto them ; but even these enjoyments are in their own nature of an uncertain continuance , and much more uncertain for being purchased by indirect and ill means . but if the enjoyment of these things were sure to be of the same date with our lives , yet how short a duration is that compared with eternity ? make the utmust allowance to these things , that can be ; yet we can but enjoy them whilst we are in this world . when we come into the world of spirits , it will signifie nothing to us to have been rich or great in this world . when we shall stand before that highest tribunal , it will not avail us in the least to have been princes , and great men , and judges on the earth ; the poorest man that ever lived in this world , will then be upon equal terms with the bigest of us all . for all mankind shall then stand upon a level , and those civil distinctions of rich and poor , of base and honourable , which seem now so considerable , and make such a glaring difference amongst men in this world , shall all then be laid aside , and moral differences shall only take place . all the distinctions which will then be made , will be betwixt the good and the bad ; the righteous and the wicked ; and the difference betwixt a good and bad man , will be really much greater than ever it seemed to be , betwixt the highest and meanest persons in this world . and if this be so , why should we value the enjoyments of sin at so high a rate , which at the best are only considerable ( and that only in the imagination of vain men ) during our abode in this world , but bear no price at all in that country where we must live for ever : or if they did , we cannot carry them along with us . the guilt of them indeed will follow us with a vengance ; the injustice and all the ill arts we have used for the getting or keeping of them , especially , if at once we have made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience . if we have changed our religion , or which is much worse , if continuing in the profession of it , we have betrayed it , and the interest of it , for the gaining or securing of any of these things ; we shall find to our sorrow , that tho the enjoyments of sin were but for a season , the guilt of it will never leave us , nor forsake us , but will stick close to us , and make us miserable for ever . but this belongs to the iii. thing i proposed to speak to , namely , the final issue , and consequence of a sinful course , which is misery and sorrow , many times in this world ; but most certainly in the next . . in this world , the very best issue and consequence of a sinful course , that we can imagin , is repentance : and even this hath a great deal of sensible pain and trouble in it ; for it is many times ( especially after great sins , and a long continuance in them , ) accompanied with much regret and horror ; with deep and piercing sorrow ; with dismal and despairing thoughts of god's mercy ; and with fearful apprehensions of his wrath and vengeance . so that if this were the worst consequence of sin ( which indeed is the best ) no man that considers and calculates things wisely , would purchase the pleasure of any sin , at the price of so much anguish and sorrow , as a true and deep repentance will cost him ; especially , since a true repentance , does in many cases oblige men to the restitution of that which hath been gained by sin , if it hath been got by the injury of another . and this consideration quite takes away the pleasure and profit of an ill gotten estate . better never to have had it , than to be obliged to refund it . a wise man will forbear the most pleasant meats , if he know before-hand that they will make him deadly sick ; and that he shall never be at ease , till he have brought them up again . no man that believes the threatnings of god , and the judgment of another world , would ever sin , but that he hopes to retrieve all again by repentance . but it is the greatest folly in the world to commit any sin upon this hope ; for that is to please ones self for the present , in hopes to have more trouble afterwards than the pleasure comes to . but especially , no man would be guilty of an act of injustice and oppression , in hopes to repent of it afterwards ; because there can be no repentance for such sins without restitution ; and 't is perfect madness for a man to run the hazard of his soul , to get an estate , in hopes of restoring it again ; for so he must do that truly repents of such a sin . but , . in the other world , the final issue and consequence of all the pleasures of sin unrepented of , will certainly be misery and sorrow . how quietly soever a sinner may pass through this world , or out of it , misery will certainly overtake him in the next , unspeakable and eternal misery , arising from an apprehension of the greatest loss , and a sense of the sharpest pain ; and those sadly aggravated by the remembrance of past pleasure , and the despair of future ease . from a sad apprehension and melancholy reflection upon his inestimable loss . in the other world ; the sinner shall be eternally separated from god , who is the fountain of happiness . this is the first part of that miserable sentence which shall be past upon the wicked ; depart from me . sinners are not now sensible of the joyes of heaven , and the happiness of that state , and therefore are not capable of estimating the greatness of such a loss : but this stupidity and insensibleness of sinners , continues only during this present state , which affords men variety of objects and pleasures , to divert and entertain them : but when they are once enter'd upon the other world , they will then have nothing else to take up their thoughts , but the sad condition , into which by their own wilful negligence and folly , they have plunged themselves . they shall then , lift up their eyes , and with the rich man in the parable , at once see the happiness of others , and feel their own misery and torment . but this is not all . besides the apprehension of so great a loss , they shall be sensible of the sorest and sharpest pains ; and how grievous those shall be , we may conjecture by what the scripture says of them in general ; that they are the effects of a mighty displeasure , of anger and omnipotence met together , far greater than can be described by any pains and sufferings which we are acquainted withall in this world : for who knows the power of gods anger , and the utmost of what omnipotent justice can do to sinners ? it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. one would think this were misery enough , and needed no frather aggravation ; but yet it hath two terrible ones ; from the remembrance of past pleasures , and the despair of any future ease and remedy . the remembrance of past pleasure makes present sufferings more sharp and sensible . for as nothing commends pleasure more , and gives a quicker relish to happiness , than precedent pain and suffering : ( for perhaps there is not a greater pleasure in the world , than in the suddain ease which a man finds after a sharp fit of the stone ) so nothing enrageth affliction more , and sets a keener edg upon misery , than to pass into great pain immediately out of a state of ease and pleasure . this was the stinging aggravation of the rich man's torment , that in his life time he had received his good things , and had faired so deliciously every day . but the greatest aggravation of all is , the despair of any future ease and remedy . the duration of this misery , is set forth to us in scripture , by such expressions as do signifie the longest and most interminable duration . depart ye cursed , into everlasting fire , matth. . and mark . . where the worm dies not , and the fire is not quenched . and in the revel . it is said , that the wicked shall be tormented , day and night , for ever and ever ; without intermission , and without end . and this surely is the perfection of misery , for a man to lye under the greatest torments , and to be in despair of ever finding the least ease . let us now compare things together : on the one hand , the sufferings of good men , for a good conscience , and the reward that follows them ; and on the other hand , the enjoyments of sin , with the mischief and misery that attends them , and will certainly overtake them in this world , or the next : and then we shall easily discern which of these is to be preferred in a wise man's choice . and indeed the choice is so very plain , that a man must be strangely forsaken of his reason , and blinded by sense , who does not prefer that course of life , which will probably make him happier in this world , but most certainly in the next . there remains now only the fourth and last particular to be spoken to ; viz. supposing this choice to be reasonable , to enquire whence it comes to pass , that so many make a quite contrary choice . how is it that the greatest part of mankind are so widely mistaken , as to prefer the temporary enjoyments of sin , before conscience and religion ; especially , if it be attended with great afflictions and sufferings ? and of this i shall give you as brief an account as i can , and so conclude this discourse . this wrong choice , generally proceeds from one or both of these two causes ; from want of faith ; or from want of consideration ; or of both . . one great reason why men make so imprudent a choice , is unbelief ; either the want of faith , or the weakness of it . either men do not believe the recompences of another life , or they are not so firmly persuaded of the reality of them . if men do not at all believe these things , there is no foundation for religion ; for he that cometh unto god ( that is , he that thinks of being religious ) must believe that god is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him , as the apostle reasons in the beginning of this chapter . but i hope , there are but few that are , or can be infidels , as to these great and fundamental principles of religion . but it is to be feared , that the faith of a great many , is but weak and wavering ; their faith is rather negative ; they do not disbelieve these things , but they are not firmly persuaded of them ; their faith is rather an opinion , than a rooted and well grounded persuasion ; and therefore no wonder ; if it be not so strong , and vigorous a principle of action , and like the faith of abraham and moses , and other worthies mentioned in this chapter . for where faith is in its full strength and vigour , it will have proportionable effects upon the resolutions and wills of men : but where it is but weak , it is of little or no efficacy . and this is the true reason , why so many forsake religion , and cleave to this present world ; and when it comes to the push , choose rather to sin , than to suffer ; and will rather quit the truth , than endure persecution for it . these are they , whom our saviour describes , who receive receive the word with joy , and endure for a while ; but when tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word , presently they are offended : not that they did not believe the word ; but their faith had taken no deep root , and therefore it withered . the weakness and wavering of mens faith , makes them unstable and inconstant in their course ; because they are not of one mind , but divided betwixt two interests , that of this world , and the other ; and the double minded man ( as st. james tells us ) is unstable in all his ways . it is generally a true rule ; so much wavering as we see in the actions and lives of men , so much weakness there is in their faith ; and therefore he that would know what any man firmly believes , let him attend to his actions more than to his professions . if any man live so , as no man that heartily believes the christian religion can live , it is not credible that such a man doth firmly believe the christian religion . he says he does ; but there is a greater evidence in the case than words ; there is testimonium rei , the man's actions are to the contrary , and they do best declare the inward sense of the man. did men firmly believe , that there is a god that governs the world , and that he hath appointed a day , wherein he will judge it in righteousnes ; and that all mankind shall shortly appear before him , and give an account of themselves , and all their actions to him ; and that those who have kept the faith and a good conscience , and have lived soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world , shall be unspeakably and eternally happy ; but the fearful and unbelieving , those who out of fear or interest , have deserted the faith , or lived wicked lives , shall have their portion in the lake , which burns with fire and brimstone ; i say , were men firmly persuaded of these things , it is hardly credible that any man should make a wrong choice , and forsake the ways of truth and righteousness , upon any temptation whatsoever . faith , even in temporal matters , is a mighty principle of action , and will make men to attempt and undergo strange and difficult things . the faith of the gospel ought to be much more operative and powerful ; because the objects of hope and fear , which it presents to us , are far greater , and more considerable , than any thing that this world can tempt or terrifie us withall . would we but by faith make present to our minds , the invisible things of another world ; the happiness of heaven , and the terrors of hell , and were we as verily persuaded of them , as if they were in our view , how should we despise all the pleasures and terrors of this world ! and with what ease should we resist and repel all those temptations , which would seduce us from our duty , or draw us into sin ! a firm and unshaken belief of these things , would effectually remove all those mountains of difficulty and discouragement , which men fancy to themselves in the ways of religion . to him that believeth , all things are possible , and most things would be easie . . another reason of this wrong choice , is want of consideration ; for this would strengthen our faith , and make it more vigorous and powerful : and indeed a faith which is well rooted and establishould doth suppose a wise and deep consideration of things ; and the want of this is a great cause of the fatal miscarriage of men ; that they do not sit down and consider with themselves seriously , how much religion is their interest , and how much it will cost them to be true to it , and to persevere in it to the end . we suffer our selves to be governed by sense , and to be transported with present things ; but do not consider our future and lasting interest , and the whole duration of an immortal soul. and this is the reason , why so many men are hurried away by the present and sensible delights of this world ; because they will not take time to think of what will be hereafter . for it is not to be imagined , but that the man who hath seriously considered what sin is ; the shortness of its pleasure , and the eternity of its punishment ; should resolve to forsake sin , and to live a holy and virtuous life . to conclude this whole discourse . if men did but seriously believe the great principles of religion ; the being and the providence of god ; the immortality of their souls ; the glorious rewards , and the dreadful punishments of another world ; they could not possibly make so imprudent a choice , as we see a great part of mankind to do ; they could not be induced to forsake god and religion for any temporal interest and advantage ; to renounce the favour of heaven , and all their hopes of happiness in another world , for any thing that this world can afford , nay not for the whole world , if it were offered to them . for as our saviour reasons in this very case of forsaking our religion for any temporal interest , or consideration ; what is a man profited if he gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? when ever any of us are tempted in this kind ; let that solemn declaration of our saviour and our judge be continually in our minds ; he that confesseth me before men , him will i confess also before my father which is in heaven ; but whosever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation , of him shall the son of man be ashamed , when he shall come in the glory of his father , with his holy angels . and we have great cause to thank god , to see so many in this day of tryal , and hour of temptation , to adhere with so much resolution and constancy to their holy religion , and to prefer the keeping of faith , and a good conscience , to all earthly considerations and advantages . and this very thing , that so many hold their religion so fast , and are so loth to part with it , gives great hopes that they intend to make good use of it , and to frame their lives according to the holy rules and precepts of it ; which alone can give us peace whilst we live , and comfort when we come to die ; and after death secure to us the possession of a happiness large as our wishes , and lasting as our souls . to which , god of his infinite goodness bring us all , for his mercy's sake , in jesus christ : to whom , with the father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , world without end . amen . a sermon on heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that hath promised . the main scope and design of this epistle to the hebrews , is to persuade the jews , who were newly converted to christianity , to continue stedfast in the profession of that holy and excellent religion which they had embraced ; and not to be removed from it , either by the subtile insinuations of their brethren the jews , who pretended that they were in possession of the true ancient religion , and the only true church of god upon earth ; or by the terrour of heathen persecution which was so hot against them at that time . and to this end the author of this epistle doth by great variety of arguments demonstrate the excellency of the christian religion above the jewish dispensation ; and shews at large , that in all those respects upon which the jews valued themselves and their religion ( as namely upon the account of their lawgiver , their high-priests and their sacrifices ) the christian religion had every way the advantage of them . and having made this clear , he concludes with an earnest exhortation to them to continue stedfast in the profession of this excellent religion , which was revealed to them by the son of god , the true propitiatory sacrifice , and the great high-priest of their profession , and into which they had solemnly been initiated and admitted by baptism ; vers . , , , . having therefore , brethren , boldness to enter into the holiest , by the blood of jesus , by a new and living way , which he hath consecrated for us through the vail , that is to say , his flesh ; and having an high-priest over the house of god : let us draw near with a true heart , in full assurance of faith , ( that is , let us sincerly serve god with a firm persuasion of the truth and excellency of this holy religion , into the profession whereof we were solemnly admitted by baptism ; for that is undoubtedly the meaning of the following words ; having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience , and our bodies washt with pure water ; the water with which our bodies are washt in baptism , signifying our spiritual regeneration , and the purging of our consciences from dead works , to serve the living god. from all which he concludes , let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering : this refers to that solemn profession of faith , which was made by all christians at their baptism , and which is contained in the ancient creed of the christian church , called by the ancient fathers , the rule of faith. let us hold fast , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , let us firmly retain ; the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chap. . . seeing then we have a great high-priest which is passed into the heavens , jesus the son of god , let us take fast hold of our profession . so here in the text , the apostle upon the same consideration exhorts christians to retain , or hold fast , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the confession or profession of their hope ; that is , the hope of the resurrection of the dead , and everlasting life , which was the conclusion of that faith or creed , whereof in baptism they made a solemn profession . let us hold fast the profession of our faith or hope without wavering ; the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , inflexible , unmoveable , steady , and not apt to waver and be shaken by every wind of contrary doctrine , nor by the blasts and storms of persecution . for he is faithful that hath promised . if we continue faithful and steady to god , he will be faithful to make good all the promises which he hath made to us . in the words thus explained , there are two things which i shall distinctly consider . i. the exhortation ; let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering : and ii. the argument or encouragement used to en●●●ce it ; he is faithful that promised . so i begin with the i. the exhortation , to be constant and steady in the profession of the christian religion : let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . in the handling of this , and that we may the better understand the true meaning of this exhortation here in the text , i shall do these two things . . i shall shew negatively , wherein this constancy and steadiness in the profession of the true religion , does not consist . and here i shall remove one or two things which are thought by some , to be inconsistent with constancy and steadfastness in religion . . i shall shew positively , what is implied in a constant and steady profession of the true religion . . i shall shew negatively , what constancy and steadfastness in the profession of the true religion does not imply . and there are two things which are thought by some to be imply'd , in holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering . . that men should not take the liberty to examine their religion , and enquire into the grounds and reasons of it . . that men should obstinately refuse to hear any reasons that can be brought against the true religion as they think , which they have once entertained . . that men should not take the liberty to examine their religion , and to enquire into the grounds and reasons of it . this i think is so far from being forbidden in this exhortation ; that on the contrary , i doubt not to make it appear , that a free and impartial enquiry into the grounds and reasons of our religion , and a thorough tryal and examination of them , is one of the best means to confirm and establish us in the profession of it : i mean , that all persons that are capable of it , should do it . and that they will find great benefit and advantage by it . for i do not think that this is a duty equally and indifferently incumbent upon all ; nor indeed fit and proper for all persons ; because all are not equally capable of doing it . there are two sorts of persons that are in a great measure incapable of doing it . . children . . such grown persons as are of a very mean and low capacity , and improvement of understanding . children are not fit to examine , but only to learn and believe what is taught them by their parents and teachers : they are fit to have the fear of god , and the principles of the true religion instilled into them ; but they are by no means fit to discern between a true and false religion , and to chuse for themselves , and to make a change of their religion ; as hath of late been allowed to them in a nation not far from us , and by publick edict declared , that children at seven years old , are fit to chuse and to change their religion : which is the first law i ever heard of , that allows children of that age to do any act for themselves , that is of consequence and importance to them , for the remaining part of their lives , and which they shall stand obliged to perform and make good . they are indeed baptized , according to the custome and usage of the christian church , in their infancy ; but they do not enter into this obligation themselves ; but their sureties undertake for them , that when they come to age , they shall take this promise upon themselves , and confirm and make it good . but surely , they can do no act for themselves , and in their own name , at that age , which can be obligatory : they can neither make any contracts that shall be valid , nor incur any debt , nor oblige themselves by any promise , nor chuse themselves a guardian , nor do any act that may bring them under an inconvenience , when they shall come at age. and can we think them of discretion sufficient at that time , to do a thing of the greatest moment and consequence of all other ; and which will concern them to all eternity ; namely , to chuse their religion ? there is indeed one part of one religion ( which we all know ) which children at seven years of age are fit ( i do not say to judge of , but ) to be as fond of , and to practise to as good purpose , as those of riper years ; and that is , to worship images , to tell their beads , to say their prayers , and to be present at the service of god in an unknown tongue ; and this they are more likely to chuse at that age , than those who are of riper and more improv'd understandings ; and if they do not chuse it at that time , it is ten to one , they will not chuse it afterwards . i shall say no more of this , but that it is a very extraordinary law , and such as perhaps was never thought of before , from the beginning of the world. thus much for children . as for grown persons , who are of a very low and mean capacity of understanding , and either by reason of the weakness of their faculties , or other disadvantages which they lye under , are in little or no probability of improving themselves ; these are always to be considered as in the condition of children , and learners , and therefore must of necessity , in things which are not plain and obvious to the meanest capacities , trust and rely upon the judgment of others . and it is really much wiser and safer for them so to do , than to depend upon their own judgments , and to lean to their own understandings ; and such persons , if they be modest and humble , and pray earnestly to god for his assistance and direction , and are careful to practise what they know , and to live up to the best light and knowledge which they have , shall not miscarry , meerly for want of those farther degrees of knowledge which they had no capacity nor opportunity to attain ; because their ignorance is unavoidable , and god will require no more of them than he hath given them , and will not call them to account for the improvement of those talents , which he never committed to them . and if they be led into any dangerous error , by the negligence or ill conduct of those , under whose care and instruction the providence of god permitted them to be placed , god will not impute it to them as a fault : because in the circumstances in which they were , they took the best and wisest course that they could , to come to the knowledge of the truth , by being willing to learn what they could of those , whom they took to be wiser than themselves . but for such persons , who by the maturity of their age , and by the natural strength and clearness of their understandings , or by the due exercise and improvement of them , are capable of enquiring into , and understanding the grounds of their religion , and discerning the difference betwixt truth and error ( i do not mean in unnecessary points and matters of deepest learning and speculation , but in matters necessary to salvation ) it is certainly very reasonable , that such persons should examine their religion , and understand the reasons and grounds of it . and this must either be granted to be reasonable ; or else every man must continue in that religion in which he happens to be fixt by education , or for any other reason to pitch upon , when he comes to years and makes his free choice . for if this be a good principle , that no man is to examine his religion , but take it as it is , and to believe it , and rest satisfied with it : then every man is to remain in the religion which he first lights upon , whether by choice or the chance of his education . for he ought not to change but upon reason ; and reason he can have none , unless he be allowed to examine his religion and to compare it with others , that by the comparison he may discern which is best , and ought in reason to be preferred in his choice . for to him that will not , or is not permitted to search into the grounds of any religion , all religions are alike ; as all things are of the same colour , to him that is always kept in the dark , or if he happens to come into the light , dares not open his eyes , and make use of them to discern the different colours of things . but this is evidently and at first sight unreasonable ; because at this rate , every man that hath once entertained an errour , and a false religion , must forever continue in it : for if he be not allowed to examine it , he can never have reason to change ; and to make a change without reason , is certainly unreasonable , and mere vanity and inconstancy . and yet for ought i can see , this is the principle which the church of rome doth with great zeal and earnestness inculcate upon their people ; discouraging all doubts and inquiries about their religion , as temptations of the devil ; and all examinations of the grounds and reasons of their religion , as an inclination and dangerous step towards heresie . for what else can they mean , by taking the scriptures out of the hands of the people , and locking them up from them in an unknown tongue ; by requiring them absolutely to submit their judgments , and to resign them up to that which they are pleased to call the catholick church , and implicitly to believe as she believes , tho they know not what that is ? this is in truth , to believe as their priest tells them ; for that is all the teaching part of the church , and all the rule of faith that the common people are acquainted with . and it is not sufficient to say in this matter ; that when men are in the truth , and of the right religion , and in the bosom of the true church , they ought to rest satisfied , and to examine and enquire no farther : for this is manifestly unreasonable , and that upon these three accounts . . because this is a plain and shameful begging of the thing in question ; and that which every church , and every religion doth almost with equal confidence pretend to ; that theirs is the only right religion , and the only true church : and these pretences are all alike reasonable to him that never examined the grounds of any of them , nor hath compar'd them together . and therefore it is the vainest thing in the world , for the church of rome to pretend , that all religions in the world ought to be examined , but theirs ; because theirs , and none else , is the true religion . for this which they say so confidently of it , that it is the true religion , no man can know till he have examined it , and searched into the grounds of it , and hath considered the objections which are against it : so that it is fond partiality to say that , their religion is not to be examined by the people that profess it ; but that all other religions ought to be examined , or rather , because they are different from that which they presume to be the only true religion , ought to be condemned at all adventures , without any farther enquiry . this i say is fond partiality ; because every religion and every church may ( for ought that appears to any man that is not permitted to examine things impartially ) say the same for themselves , and with as much reason ; and if so , then either every religion ought to permit it self to be examined ; or else no man ought to examine his own religion whatever it be ; and consequently jews and turks , and heathens , and hereticks , ought all to continue as they are , and none of them to change ; because they cannot reasonably change , without examining both that religion which they leave , and that which they embrace instead of it . . admitting this pretence were true ; that they are the true church , and have the true religion ; this is so far from being a reason why they should not permit it to be examined , that on the contrary , it is one of the best reasons in the world why they should allow it to be examined , and why they may safely suffer it to be so . they should permit it to be tryed ; that men may upon good reason be satisfied , that it is the true religion : and they may safely suffer it to be done ; because , if they be sure that the grounds of their religion be firm and good , i am sure , they will be never the worse for being examined and look'd into . but i appeal to every man's reason ; whether it be not an ill sign , that they are not so sure that the grounds of their religion are solid and firm , and such as will abide the tryal ; that they are so very loth to have them searcht into and examined ? this cannot but tempt a wise man to suspect , that their church is not founded upon a rock ; and that they themselves know something that is amiss in their religion , which makes them so loth to have it try'd , and brought to the touch. . it is certain among all christians , that the doctrine preached by the apostles was the true faith of christ ; and yet they never forbad the christians to examine whether it were so or not : nay , on the contrary , they frequently exhort them to try and examine their religion , and whether that doctrine which they had delivered to them was the true faith of christ. so st. paul ; corinth . . . examine your selves , whether ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves . and again , thes. . . prove all things , hold fast that which is good intimating to us , that in order to the holding fast the profession of our faith , it is requisite to prove and try it . and so likewise st. john's ep. . . . beloved , believe not every spirit ; but try the spirits whether , they are of god ; because many false prophets are gone out into the world . and he gives a very notable mark , whereby we may know the spirit of truth , and the spirit of error . the spirit of error carries on a worldly interest and design ; and the doctrines of it tend to secular power and greatness ; vers . . they are of the world ; therefore speak they of the world , and the world heareth them . acts . . st. luke commends it as an argument of a more noble and generous spirit in the beroeans ; that they examined the doctrine which the apostles preacht , whether it were agreeable to the scriptures ; and this without disparagement to their infallibility ; these , saith he , were more noble , than those of thessalonica , in that they received the word with all readiness of mind , and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so . they were ready to receive the word ; but not blindly , and with an implicit faith ; but using due care to examine the doctrines which they were taught , and to see if they were agreeable to that divine revelation of the holy scriptures , which they had before received . it seems they were not willing to admit and swallow contradictions in their faith. and we desire no more of the church of rome , than that they would encourage the people to search the scriptures daily , and to examine whether their doctrines be according to them . we would be glad to hear the pope and a general council commend to the people the searching of the scriptures ; and to try their definitions of faith and decrees of worship , by that rule , to see whether what they have defined and decreed to be believed and practised , be agreeable to it ; their worship of images ; their solemn invocation of angels , and of the blessed virgin , and the saints departed ; the sacrament under one kind only ; the publick prayers and service of god in an unknown tongue ; the frequent repetition of the propitiatory sacrifice of christs body and blood in the mass. had the beroeans been at the council of trent and pleaded their right to search the scriptures , whether these things were so ; i doubt they would have been thought very troublesome and impertinent , and would not have been praised by the pope and council for their pains , as they are by st. luke . you see then , upon the whole matter , that it is a very groundless and suspicious pretence of the church of rome , that because they are infallibly in the right , and theirs is the true religion , therefore their people must not be permitted to examine it . the doctrine of the apostles was undoubtedly the true faith of christ ; and yet they not only permitted the people to examine it , but exhorted and encouraged them so to do , and commended them for it : and any man that hath the spirit of a man , must abhor to submit to this slavery , not to be allowed to examine his religion , and to enquire freely into the grounds and reasons of it ; and would break with any church in the world upon this single point ; and would tell them plainly , if your religion be too good to be examined , i doubt it is too bad to be believed . if it be said , that the allowing of this liberty is the way to make people perpetually doubting and unsettled : i do utterly deny this , and do on the contrary with good reason affirm , that it is apt to have the contrary effect ; there being in reason no better way to establish any man in the belief of any thing , than to let him see that there are very good grounds and reasons for what he believes ; which no man can ever see , that is not permitted to examine whether there be such reasons or not . so that besides the reasonablness of the thing , it is of great benefit and advantage to us . and that upon these accounts . . to arm us against seducers . he that hath examined his religion , and tryed the grounds of it , is most able to maintain them , and make them good against all assaults that may be made upon us , to move us from our stedfastness : whereas he that hath not examined , and consequently does not understand the reasons of his religion , is liable to be tossed to and fro , and to be carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the slight of men , and the cunning craftiness of those that lie in wait to deceive . for when he is attempted ; he will either defend his religion or not : if he undertake the defence of it , before he hath examined the grounds of it ; he makes himself an easie prey to every crafty man that will set upon him ; he exposeth at once himself to danger , and his religion to disgrace : if he decline the defence of it ; he must be forced to take sanctuary in that ignorant and obstinate principle , that because he is of an infallible church , and sure that he is in the right , therefore he never did nor will examine whether he be so or not . but how is he , or can he be sure , that he is in the right ; if he have no other reason for it , but his confidence , and his being wiser in his own conceit , than seven men that can render a reason ? it is a shameful thing in a wise man , who is able to give a good reason of all other actions and parts of his life , to be able to say nothing for his religion , which concerns him more than all the rest . . to examine and understand the grounds of our religion , will be a good means ( by the assistance of gods grace ) to keep us constant to it , even under the fiery tryal . when it comes to this , that a man must suffer for his religion , he had need to be well established in the belief of it ; which no man can so well be , as he that in some good measure understands the grounds and reasons of his belief . a man would be well assured of the truth and goodness of that , for which he would lay down hīs life ; otherwise he dies as a fool dies , he knows not for what . a man would be loth to set such a seal to a blank , i mean , to that which he hath no sufficient ground and reason to believe to be true ; which , whether he hath or not , no man that hath not examined the grounds of his religion can be well assured of . this st. peter prescribes , as the best preparative for suffering for righteousness sake , the st . ep. of peter , . , . but if ye suffer for righteousness sake , happy are ye ; and be not afraid of their terror , neither be troubled : but sanctifie the lord god in your hearts ; ( that is , make him the great object of your dread and trust ) and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you . . the holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering , doth not imply , that men should obstinately refuse to hear any reason against that religion which they have embraced , and think to be the true religion . as men should examine before they chuse ; so after they have chosen , they should be ready to be better informed , if better reason can be offered . no man ought to think himself so infallible , as to be priviledged from hearing reason , and from having his doctrines and dictates tryed by that test. our blessed saviour himself , the most infallible person that ever was in the world , and who declared the truth which he had heard of god , yet he offered himself and his doctrine to this tryal . john . . which of you convinceth me of sin ? that is , of falsehood and error ? and if i speak the truth , why do ye not believe me ? he was sure he spake the truth ; and yet for all that , if they could convince him of error and mistake , he was ready to hear any reason they could bring to that purpose . though a man be never so sure that he is in the true religion , and never so resolved to continue constant and stedfast in it ; yet reason is always to be heard , when it is fairly offered . and as we ought always to be ready to give an answer to those who ask a reason of the hope and faith that is in us ; so ought we likewise to be ready to hear the reasons which others do fairly offer against our opinion and persuasion in religion , and to debate the matter with them ; that if we be in the right , and they in the wrong , we may rectifie their mistakes , and instruct them in meekness , if god peradventure may give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth . we are not only to examine our religion , before we peremptorily fix upon it ; but after we are , as we think upon the best reason , establisht and settled in it . tho we ought not to doubt and waver in our religion , upon every slight and trifling objection that can be brought against it ; yet we ought always to have an ear open to hear reason , and consider any thing of weight and moment that can be offered to us about it . for it is a great disparagement to truth , and argues a distrust of the goodness of our cause and religion , to be afraid to hear what can be said against it : as if truth were so weak , that in every conflict it were in danger to be baffled , and run down , and go by the worst ; and as if the reasons that could be brought against it , were too hard for it , and not to be encounter'd by those forces which truth has on its side . we have that honest confidence of the goodness of our cause and religion , that we do not fear what can be said against it : and therefore we do not forbid our people to examine the objections of our adversaries , and to read the best books they can write against it . but the church of rome are so wise in their generation , that they will not permit those of their communion to hear or read what can be said against them : nay , they will not permit the people the use of the holy scriptures , which they , with us , acknowledge to be at least an essential part of the rule of faith. they tell their people , that after they are once of their church and religion , they ought not to hear any reasons against it ; and though they be never so strong , they ought not to entertain any doubt concerning it ; because all doubting is a temptation of the devil , and a mortal sin. but surely that church is not to be heard , which will not hear reason ; nor that religion to be much admired , which will not allow those that have once embrac'd it , to hear it ever after debated and examined . this is a very suspicious business , and argues , that either they have not truth on their side ; or that truth is a weak , and pitiful , and sneaking thing , and not able to make its party good against error . i should now have proceeded in the second place , to shew positively what is implied in holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; and then to have considered the argument and encouragement hereto , because he is faithful that promised . but i shall proceed no farther at this time . a sermon on heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that promised . i have already made entrance into these words , which i told you do contain in them , i. an exhortation , to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . ii. an argument or encouragement thereto ; because he is faithful that promised . if we continue stedfast and faithful to god ; we shall find him faithful to us , in making good all the promises which he hath made to us ; whether of aid and support , or of recompence and reward of our fidelity to him . i have begun to handle the first part of the text , viz. the apoostles exhortation to christians to be constant and steady in their religion : let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render , without wavering , signifies inflexible and unmovable , not apt to waver and to be shaken with every wind of contrary doctrine , nor by the blasts and storms of persecution . and that we might the better comprehend the full and true meaning of this exhortation , i propounded to do these two things . . to shew negatively , wherein this constancy and steadiness in the profession of the true religion doth not consist . and . to shew positively , what is implied and intended here by the apostle , in holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering . . to shew negatively , wherein this constancy and the steadiness in the profession of the true religion doth not consist . this i spake to the last day ; and shewed at large , that there are two things which are not contained and intended in this exhortation . . that men should not have the liberty to examine their religion , and to enquire into the grounds and reasons of it . such i mean as are capable of this examination and enquiry ; which some , i shewed , are not ; as children , who while they are in that state , are only fit to learn and believe what is taught them by their parents and teachers : and likewise such grown persons , as either by the natural weakness of their faculties , or by some great disadvantage of education , are of a very low and mean capacity and improvement of understanding . these are to be considered as in the condition of children and learners ; and therefore must of necessity trust and rely upon the judgment of others . . this holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering , does not imply ; that when men upon examination and enquiry are settled , as they think and verily believe in the true religion , they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offer'd againg them . both these principles i shew'd to be unreasonable , and arguments of a bad cause and religion . i shall now proceed to explain the meaning of this exhortation , to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , by shewing in the second place , what it is that is implied in the constant and steady profession of the true faith and religion ; namely , that when upon due search and examination , we are fully satisfied , that it is the true religion which we have embraced , or as st. peter expresses it , st epistle , . . that this is the true grace of god , wherein we stand ; that then we should adhere stedfastly to it , and hold it fast , and not suffer it to be wrested from us , nor our selves to be moved from it , by any pretences , or insinuations , or temptations whatsoever . for there is a great deal of difference between the confidence and stedfastness of an ignorant man , who hath never considered things , and enquired into the grounds of them ; and the assurance and settlement of one , who hath been well instructed in his religion , and hath taken pains to search and examine to the bottom , the grounds and reasons of what he holds , and professeth to believe . the first is meer wilfulness and obstinacy . a man hath entertained , and drank in such principles of religion by education , or hath taken them up by chance ; but he hath no reason for them ; and yet however he came by them , he is resolved to hold them fast , and not to part with them . the other is the resolution and constancy of a wise man. he hath embraced his religion upon good grounds , and he sees no reason to alter it ; and therefore is resolved to stick to it , and to hold fast the profession of it stedfastly to the end . and to this purpose there are many exhortations and cautions scattered up and down the writings of the holy apostles ; as that we should be stedfast and unmoveable , established in the truth , rooted and grounded in the faith , and that we should hold fast that which is good , and not suffer our selves to be carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine , through the slight of men , and the cunning craftiness of those that lie in wait to deceive ; that we should not be removed from him that hath called us unto the grace of christ , unto another gospel ; that we should stand fast in one spirit and one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel , and be ●n nothing terrifled by our adversaries ; and that , if occasion be , we should contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints ; and here in the text , that we should hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . for the explaining of this , i shall do two things : . consider what it is that we are to hold fast ; namely , the profession of our faith ; and , . how we are to hold it fast , or what is implied in holding fast the profession of our faith , without wavering . . what it is that we are to hold fast ; namely , the profession of our faith ; i. e. of the christian faith or religion : for , i told you before , that this profession or confession of our faith or hope ( as the word properly signifies ) is an allusion to that profession of faith which was made by all those who were admitted members of the christian church by baptism ; of which the apostle makes mention immediately before the text , when he says , let us draw near in full assurance of faith , having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience , and our bodies washed with pure water : and then it follows , let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . the profession of faith which we made in our baptisms , and which by the ancient fathers is call'd the rule of faith , and which is now contain'd in that which we call the apostles creed , and which is called by st. paul , rom. . . the form of doctrine which was delivered to them ; i. e. to all christians ; and tim. . . the form of sound words ; hold fast , saith he , the form of sound words , which thou hast heard of me , in faith and love which is in christ jesus ; and by st. jude , the faith which was once delivered unto the saints . so that it is the first and ancient faith of the christian church , delivered to them by christ and his apostles , which we are here exhorted to hold fast ; the necessary and fundamental articles of the christian faith ; and by consequence all those truths which have a necessary connexion with those articles , and are implied in them , and by plain consequence are to be deduced from them . it is not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men , nor the partial dictates and doctrines of any church , since the primitive times , which are not contained in the holy scriptures and the ancient creeds of the christian church , but have been since declared and imposed upon the christian world , though with never so confident a pretence of antiquity in the doctrines , and of infallibility in the proposers of them : these are no part of that faith which we are either to profess or to hold fast ; because we have no reason to admit the pretences , by virtue whereof those doctrines or practices are imposed ; being able to make it good , and having effectually done it , that those doctrines are not of primitive antiquity ; and that the church which proposeth them , hath no more claim to infallibility , than all other parts of the christian church , which since the apostles time is none at all . in a word ; no other doctrines which are not sufficiently revealed in scripture , either in express terms , or by plain and necessary consequence ; nor any rites of worship , nor matters of practice , which are not commanded in scripture , are to be esteemed any part of that faith in re-religion , the profession whereof the apostle here commands all christians to hold fast without wavering ; much less any doctrines or practices , which are repugnant to the word of god , and to the faith and practice of the first ages of christianity ; of which kind i shall have occasion in my following discourse to instance in several particulars . in the mean time i shall only observe , that that faith and religion which we profess , and which by god's grace we have ever held fast , is that which hath been acknowledg'd by all christian churches in all ages , to have been the ancient catholick and apostolick faith , and cannot ( as to any part or tittle of it ) be denied to be so , even by the church of rome her self . i proceed to the ii d thing which i proposed to consider ; namely , how we are to hold fast the profession of our faith , or what is implied by the apostle in this exhortation , to hold fast the profession of our faith , without wavering . and i think these following particulars may very well be supposed to be implied in it . . that we should hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support their confidence . . and much more against the confidence of men , contrary to scripture , and reason , and the common sense of mankind . . against all the temptations and terrours of the world. . against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition , and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms in another religion . . against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busie and disputing men , whose design it is to unhinge men from their religion , and to gain proselytes to their own party and faction . i shall go over these with as much clearness and brevity as i can . . we should hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support that confidence . all religion is either natural or instituted . the rule of natural religion is the common reason of mankind : the rule of instituted religion is divine revelation , or the word of god ; which all christians before the council of trent did agree to be contained in the holy scriptures . so that nothing can pretend to be religion , but what can be proved to be so , one or both of those ways ; either by scripture , or by reason , or by both . and how confident soever men may be of opinions destitute of this proof ; any man that understands the grounds of religion , will without any more ado reject them , for want of this proof ; and notwithstanding any pretended authority or infallibility of the church that imposeth them , will have no more consideration and regard of them , than of the confident dictates and assertions of any enthusiast whatsoever ; because there is no reason to have regard to any man's confidence , if the arguments and reasons which he brings , bear no proportion to it . we see in experience that confidence is generally ill grounded , and is a kind of passion in the understanding , and is commonly made use of , like fury and force , to supply for the weakness and want of argument . if a man can prove what he says by good argument ; there is no need of confidence to back and support it . we may at any time trust a plain and substantial reason , and leave it to make its own way , and to bear out its self . but if the man's reasons and arguments be not good ; his confidence adds nothing of real force to them , in the opinion of wise men , and tends only to its own confusion . arguments are like powder , which will carry and do execution according to its true strength ; and all the rest is but noise . and generally none are so much to be suspected of errour , or a design to deceive , as those that pretend most confidently to inspiration and infallibility : as we see in all sorts of enthusiasts , who pretend to inspiration , although we have nothing but their own word for it ; for they work no miracles . and all pretence to inspiration and infallibility , without miracle , whether it be in particular persons , or in whole churches , is enthusiastical ; i. e. a pretence to inspiration without any proof of it . and therefore st. paul was not moved by the boasting and confidence of the false apostles ; because they gave no proof and evidence of their divine inspiration and commission , as he had done ; for which he appeals to the sense of men , whether he had not wrought great miracles ; which the false apostles had not done , though they had the confidence to give out themselves to be apostles as well as he ; cor. . , . i am ( says he ) become a fool in glorying , ye have compelled me . and truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience , in signs , and wonders , and mighty deeds . and rev. . . christ there commends the church of ephesus , because she had tried them , which said they were apostles , but were not ; and had found them liars . and as we are not to believe every one that says he is an apostle , so neither every one that pretends to be a successor of the apostles , and to be endued with the same spirit of infallibility that they were : for these also , when they are tried whether they be the successors of the apostles or not , may be found liars , and therefore st. john cautions christians not to believe every spirit , ( that is , every one that pretends to divine inspiration and the spirit of god , ) but to try the spirits , whether they be of god ; because many false prophets are gone out into the world , joh. . . and therefore the confidence of men in this kind ought not to move us , when their pretence to infallibility is destitute of the proper proof and evidence of it ; which is a power of miracles ; and when their doctrines and practices have neither the evidence of reason or scripture on their side . for instance ; that the church of rome is the mother and mistress of all churches ; which is one of the new articles of pope pius the ivth's creed ; and yet there is not one syllable in scripture tending to this purpose . and in reason it cannot be , that any but that which was the first christian church should be the mother of all churches ; and that the church of rome certainly was not , and the church of jerusalem undoubtedly was . and then that the bishop of rome , as successor of st. peter there , is the supreme and vniversal pastor of christ's church by divine appointment , as he assumes to himself ; and that it is necessary to salvation , for every humane creature to be subject to the bishop of rome , as is declared in their canon-law by a constitution of pope boniface the viiith , which constitution is confirmed in the last lateran council ; of all which there is not the least mention in scripture , nor any divine appointment to that purpose to be found there . and it is against reason , that all the world should be obliged to trudge to rome for the decision of causes and differences , which in many and the most weighty matters are reserved to the decision of that see , and can be determin'd no-where else . and against reason likewise it is to found this universal supremacy in his being successor of st. peter ; and to fix it in the bishop of rome , rather than at antioch ; when it is certain , and granted by themselves , that st. peter was first bishop of antioch , and out of all question that he was bishop of antioch ; but not so , that he was bishop of rome . nor is there any thing in scripture for the deliverance of souls out of purgatory by the prayers and masses of the living . the whole thing is groundless , and not agreeable to the constant suppositions of scripture concerning a future state. nor is there any reason for it , besides that which is not fit to be given , the wealth and profit which it brings in . the invocation and worship of the blessed virgin , and of all the saints departed , is destitute of all scripture-warrant or example , and confessed by themselves not to have been owned or practised in the three first ages of the church , because it looked too like the heathen idolatry ; which deserves to be well considered by those , who pretend to derive their whole religion from christ and his apostles by a continued and uninterrupted succession . and this practice is likewise destitute of all colour of reason ; unless we be assured , that they hear our prayers in all places ; which we cannot be , unless they be present in all places , which they themselves do not believe ; or that god doth some way or other reveal and make known to them the prayers which are made to them , which we cannot possibly be assured of , but by some revelation of god to that purpose ; which we no-where find , nor doth the church of rome pretend to it . but i proceed to the d thing ; namely , that we should much more hold fast the profession of our faith and religion , against the confidence of men , contrary to scripture , and reason , and the common sense of mankind . for these are the chief grounds of certainty , which we can have for or against any thing ; and if these be clearly on our side , we ought not to be much moved by the confidence of men , concerning any doctrines or practices of religion , which are plainly contrary to these . if in points wherein we have this advantage on our side , we do not hold fast the profession of our religion ; our error and folly are capable of no excuse . and this advantage we plainly have in several points and controversies betwixt us and the church of rome . as in the worship of images ; which is as expresly and clearly forbidden in the second commandment , and that without any distinction , as any other thing is forbidden in the whole bible . and that it is so forbidden in this commandment , and that this commandment is still in force among christians , was the universal sense of the ancient christian church . prayers and the service of god in an unknown tongue are directly contrary to the very nature and end of religious worship , which ought to be a reasonable service ; which it cannot be , if it be not directed by our understandings , and accompanied with our hearts and affections . but if it be performed in an unknown tongue , our understanding can have no part in it ; and if we do not understand it , it cannot move our affections . and this likewise is plainly contrary to scripture ; namely , to a large discourse of st. paul's , almost throughout a whole chapter , where he purp sely sets himself to shew the unprofitableness and gross absurdity of praying or celebrating any other part of religious worship , in an unknown tongue . if any part of our religion had been half so clearly condemned in scripture , as this is , ( which yet is the constant and general practice of the church of rome ) we must have lain down in our shame , and confusion would have covered us ; and we must either have rejected the authority of the bible , or have renounced that point of our religion , what-ever it had been : though it had been dear to us as our right hand , and our right eye ; we must upon such plain evidence of scripture against it , have cut it off , and plucked it out , and cast it from us . the like may be said of locking up the scriptures from the people in an unknown tongue ; contrary to the command of the scriptures themselves , and to the great end and design of almighty god in the writing and publishing of them ; and contrary to the perpetual exhortations and counsels of all the ancient fathers of the christian church for a great many ages , not one excepted . they are hardly more frequent , and copious , and earnest in any argument ; than in perswading people of all ranks and conditions , to the constant and careful reaing of the holy scriptures . and contrary to the common reason and sense of mankind . for what should men be perswaded to be acquainted withal ; if not with that which is the great instrument of our salvation ? that book which was written on purpose to reveal and convey to men the knowledge of god , and of his will , and their duty ? what should men be allowed to know ; if not that which is the best and most effectual means , to direct and bring them to heaven , or turn them from sin , and to preserve them from eternal misery ? when our saviour would represent the best and most effectual means of bringing men to happiness , and saving them from the eternal torments of hell , in the parable of the rich man and lazarus ; he brings in abraham , giving the best advice he could to the rich man who was in hell , concerning his brethren that were upon earth , how they might prevent their coming into that place of torment ; and he directs them to the scriptures , as the best and most effectual means to that purpose : they have ( says he ) moses and the prophets : let them hear them . now if in the church of god among the jews , the same course had been taken , that is now in the church of rome ; the rich man might , and in all reason ought to have replyed , nay , father abraham ; but they have not moses and the prophets , nor are they permitted to read them in a language that they can understand ; and therefore this advice is of no vse to them : and then he might with reason have press'd him , as he did , that one might be sent to them from the dead , to testifie unto them . but it appears , that abraham was very positive and peremptory in this advice ; and that he prefers the knowledge of the scriptures , to any other way and means , that could be thought of , and that if this had not its effect to perswade men to repentance , and to preserve them from hell , he did not know any thing else , that was so likely to do it : for he concludes , if they hear not moses and the prophets ; neither will they be perswaded the one rose from the dead . and this is the conclusion of the parable . which plainly shews , what was the main scope and design of our saviour in it ; namely , to recommend to us the use of the holy scriptures , as the best and most effectual means , which the wisdom of god hath provided for the salvation of mankind . and now any man would be apt to think , that the declared judgment of our saviour in the case , should go a great way , even with the most infallible church in the world. however , this we must say , that it is in truth a very hard case , to which the church of rome hath reduced men ; that it will neither allow them salvation out of their church , nor the best and most effectual means of salvation , when they are in it . i might say much more upon this head ; but this i hope may be sufficient . the next instance shall be in the doctrine of transubstantiation ; which is contrary to the scriptures ; which after consecration so frequently call , the elements bread and wine ; and which , without reason or necessity , puts an absurd and impossible sense upon those words of our saviour , this is my body ; which do no more prove transubstantiation than those words , this cup is the new testament , do prove that the material cup which was used in the sacrament , was substantially changed into the new testament ; and no more , than those texts which affirm god to have eyes , and ears , and hands , do prove that he really hath so . but besides the contrariety of this doctrine to scripture , nothing can be more repugnant to reason . it is so big with contradictions , and so surfeited of impossibilities , that it would be endless to reckon them up . and besides all this , it plainly contradicts the clear and constant evidence of four of our five senses ; which whoever contradicts , undermines the foundation of all certainty . and then the communion in one kind is plainly contrary to our saviour's institution of the sacrament in both kinds ; as they themselves acknowledge . and therefore the council of constance being sensible of this , was forced to decree it with an express non obstante to the institution of christ , and the practice of the apostles and the primitive church . and their doctrine of concomitancy ( as if the blood were in the flesh , and together with it ) will not help the matter : because in the sacrament christ's body is represented as broken , and pierced , and exhausted , and drain'd of its blood ; and his blood is represented as shed and poured out ; so that one kind can by no means contain and exhibit both . the next instance is , the repetition of christ's propitiatory sacrifice in the mass , so often as that is celebrated : against all reason ; because the sacrifice of christ , once offered upon the cross , was a full and perfect propitiation for the sins of the whole world ; and therefore ought not , because it needs not , to be again repeated for that end , in any manner whatsoever . and it is directly contrary to the main scope of a great part of this epistle to the hebrews , which shews the excellency of the gospel above the law in this respect , that the expiatory sacrifice of the gospel was offered once for all ; whereas the sacrifices of the law were perpetually repeated . chap. . . speaking of christ ; who needs not daily , as those high-priests , to offer up sacrifices ; first for his own sins , and then for the peoples : for this he did once , when he offered up himself . chap. . . but once in the end of the world hath he appeared , to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself : and as it is appointed for all men once to dye ; so christ was once offered to bear the sins of many . and chap. . . by the which will we are sanctified , through the offering of the body of jesus christ once for all : and verse the . but this man , after he had offered one sacrifice for sins , for ever sat down on the right hand of god. and verse the . for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified . there cannot be plainer texts for any thing in the bible , than that this propitiatory sacrifice was never to be repeated . and whereas they say , that the sacrifice of the mass is an unbloody sacrifice : this , instead of bringing them off , doth but intangle the matter more . for if blood be offered in the sacrifice of the mass , how is it an unbloody sacrifice ? what can be more bloody than blood ? and if blood be not offered ; how is it propitiatory ? since the apostle lays it down for a certain rule , that without shedding of blood , there is no remission of sins : i. e. there can be no propitiation for the sins of the living or the dead , which the church of rome affirms there is . i might have added one or two instances more ; and then should have proceeded to shew , in the third place , that we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against all the temtations and terrors of the world ; which is more especially and principally here intended by the apostle in this exhortation . but i shall proceed no farther at present . a sermon on heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that promised . in these words , i have told you , are contained i. an exhortation , to hold fast the profession of our faith , or hope , without wavering . ii. an argument or encouragement thereto ; because he is faithful that promised . i am yet upon the first of these ; the exhortation to christians , to be constant and steady in the profession of their religion ; let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . and that we might the better comprehend the true and full meaning of this exhortation , i shewed , . negatively , what is not meant and intended by it . and i mentioned these two particulars . . the apostle doth not hereby intend , that those who are capable of enquiring into , and examining the grounds of their religion , should not have the liberty to do it . nor , . that when upon due enquiry and examination , men are settled , as they think and verily believe , in the true faith and religion , they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offered against their present persuasion . both these i shewed to be unreasonable , and arguments of a bad cause and religion : and therefore neither of them can be intended by the apostle in this exhortation . . i proceeded positively to explain the meaning of this exhortation . and to this purpose i proposed , . to consider what it is , that we are to hold fast , viz. the confession or profession of our faith. the antient christian faith , of which every christian makes profession in his baptism : for of that the apostle here speaks , as appears by the context ; not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men , nor the imperious dictates and doctrines of any church , not contained in the holy scriptures , imposed upon the christian church ; tho with never so confident a pretence of the antiquity of the doctrines proposed , or of the infallibility of the proposers of them . and then i proceeded in the . place , to shew how we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . and i mentioned these following particulars , as probably implied in the apostles exhortation . . that we should hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support their confidence . . and much more against the confidence of men , against scripture and reason , and the common sense of mankind . . against all the temptations and terrours of the world. . against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition , and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms , in another religion . . against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busiy and disputing men , whose design it is to unhinge men from their religion , and to gain proselytes to their party and faction . . we are to hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support their confidence . and of this i gave several instances . as in the pretence of the church of rome to infallibility , without any proof or evidence of it , either by scripture or miracles : i mean such miracles , as are sufficiently attested . for as for their legends , since the wisest among themselves give no credit to them , i hope , they do not expect that we should believe them , or be moved by them . and then their pretence that the church of rome is the mother and mistress of all churches ; which is now made an article of their creed . and that the bishop of rome , as successor of saint peter there , is by divine appointment the supream and vniversal pastor of christs church . and that it is necessary to salvation , for every humane creature to be subject to him . and lastly , their invocation and worship of the blessed virgin , and saints departed ; without any warrant or example of any such thing , either in scripture , or in the practice of the first ages of the christian religion ; and without sufficient ground to believe that they hear the prayers which are put up to them . . much more are we to hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , contrary to scripture and reason and the common sense of mankind . and here i instanced in the worship of images ; the locking up of the scriptures from the people , and celebrating the publick prayers and service of god in an unknown tongue ; in their doctrine of transubstantiation ; their communion in one kind ; and their daily repetition , in the sacrifice of the mass , of the propitiatory sacrifice of christ ; which was offered once for all , and is of eternal virtue and efficacy , and therefore ought not , because it needs not , like jewish sacrifices under the law ▪ to be repeated . to these instances , which i have already spoken to , i shall add one or two more ; as namely , that to the due administration of the sacraments , an intention in the minister at least to do what the church does , is requisite . this is expresly defined , and under an anathema upon all that shall say otherwise , by the council of trent , sess. the seventh , can. th ; which is to make the validity and virtue of the sacraments , to depend upon the intention of the priest or minister . so that if in the administration of baptism , he do not intend to baptize the party he pretends to baptize , then it is no baptism ; and consequently the person baptized is not made a member of christ's church ; nor is any grace or special benefit conferred upon him ; nor is he a christian. so likewise in the sacrament of the lord's supper , if the priest do not intend to consecrate the host , then is it no sacrament ; and they that receive it , receive no benefit by it ; and ( which according to their opinion is a dreadful consequence ) by the words of consecration , there is no change made of the elements into the body and blood of christ ; and consequently they that give adoration to the sacrament in such cases , worship bread and wine , for god ; which is idolatry . and so likewise in their sacrament of penance , though the priest pronounce the words of absolution ; yet if he do not intend to absolve the penitent ; though he be never so truly penitent , and god on his part is ready to forgive him ; yet if the priest do not intend to do so , there is nothing done , and the man is still in his sin. so likewise in ordination , ( which is another of their sacraments ) if the bishop do not intend to ordain the man ; he is no priest , and all that he does as a priest afterwards , either in administration of baptism , or the lords supper , or the absolution of penitents , all is vain and of no effect . nay , in marriage , ( which they will needs have to be a sacrament too ) if the intention of the priest be wanting ; there is nothing done , the contract is null'd , and they that are so married do really live in adultery ; though they do not know it , nor have any suspicion of it . now this is contrary to scripture and the whole tenure of the gospel , which promiseth the benefit and efficacy of the sacraments , to all those that perform the conditions of the covenant which are required on their parts , and declares forgiveness of sins to those who confess them to god , and truly repent of them . and there is not the least intimation given in the bible , that the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments does depend upon the intention of him that administers them ; or that the forgiveness of sins is suspended upon the intention or absolution of the priest ; but only upon the sincere resolution of the penitent . and surely nothing can be more absurd , and contrary to reason , than that when men have performed all the conditions which the gospel requires ; yet they should notwithstanding this be deprived of all the blessings and benefits which god hath promised , and intends to confer upon them ; because the priest hath not the same intention . so that when a man hath done all he can to work out his own salvation , he shall be never the nearer ; only for want of that which is wholly out of his power ; the right intention of the priest. besides , that after all their boasts of the safe condition of men in their church , and the most certain and infallible means of salvation to be had in it ; this one principle ( that the intention of the priest is necessary to the validity and virtue of the sacraments ) puts the salvation of men upon the greatest hazard and uncertainty ; and such as it is impossible for any man either to discover or prevent , unless he had some certain way to know the heart and intention of the priest. for upon these terms , who can know whether any man be a priest , and really ordained ; or not ? nay , whether he be a christian , and have been truly baptized ; or not ? and consequently whether any of his admistrations be valid , and we have any benefit and advantage by them ? because all this depends upon the knowledge of that , which we neither do nor can know . so that when a man hath conscientiously done all that god requires of any man , to make him capable of salvation ; yet without any fault of his , the want of intention in an idle-minded man may frustrate all : and though the man have been baptized , and do truly believe the gospel , and hath sincerely repented of his sins , and lived a most holy life ; yet all this may signifie nothing , and after all he may be no christian ; because his baptism was invalid : and all the promises of god to the means of salvation which his goodness and wisdom hath prescribed , may be of no efficacy ; if the priest do not intend in the administration of the sacraments to do that which god and the church intend . now if this be true ; there is certainly no church in the world , in which the salvation of men runs so many hazards ; and yet all this hazard and uncertainty has its rise , from a scholastical point , which is directly contrary to all the notions of mankind concerning the goodness of god , and to the clear reason of the thing , and to the constant tenor of the gospel ; and which was never asserted by any of the ancient fathers ; much less defined by any council before that of trent : so that it is a doctrine new and needless , and in the necessary consequences of it unreasonable and absurd to the utmost degree . the last instance i shall mention , is their rule of faith. the rule of faith universally received and acknowledged by the christian church in all ages , before the council of trent , was the word of god , contained in the canonical books of holy scripture ; which were therefore by the church called canonical , because they were the rule of faith and manners , of the doctrines to be believed , and the duties to be practised by all christians . but when the errours and corruptions of the romish church were grown to the highth , and the pope and his council at trent were resolved not to retrench and reform them , they saw it necessary to enlarge and lengthen out their rule ; because the ancient rule of the holy scriptures would by no means reach several of the doctrines and practices of that church , which they were resolved to maintain and make good by one means or other : as namely , the doctrine of transubstantiation ; of purgatory ; and of the seven sacracraments : and the practice of the worship of saints , and images ; of the scriptures , and the service of god in an unknown tongue ; of indulgences ; and the communion in one kind : and several other superstitious practices in use among them . now to enlarge their rule to the best advantage for the justification of these doctrines and practices , they took these two ways . . they have added to the canonical books of the old testament which were received by the jewish church ( to whom were committed the oracles of god ) i say to these they have added several apocryphal books , not warranted by divine inspiration , because they were written after prophecy and divine inspiration was ceased in the jewish church ; malachi being the last of their prophets , according to the general tradition of that church . but because the addition of these books did not make a rule of faith and practice large enough for their purpose ; in imitation of the jews , in the time of the greatest confusion and degeneracy of that church , they added in the second place to their books of scripture , which they call the written word , an unwritten word which they call oral tradition from christ and his apostles ; which they declare to be of equal authority with the holy scriptures themselves ; and that it ought to be received with the same pious veneration and affection : of which traditions , they being the keepers and judges , they may extend them to what they please , and having them in their own breasts , they may declare whatever they have a mind to , to have been a constant and universal tradition of their church ; tho it is evident to common sense , that nothing can be more uncertain , and more liable to alteration and mistake , than tradition , at the distance of so many ages , brought down by word of mouth , without writing , and passing through so many hands . he that can think these to be of equal certainty and authority with what is delivered by writing , and brought down by books , undertakes the defence of a strange paradox . viz. that general rumour and report of things said and done years ago , is of equal authority and credit with a record , and a written history . by which proceeding of the council of trent concerning the rule of faith and practice ; it is very evident , that they had no mind to bring their faith to the ancient rule , the holy scriptures . that they knew could not be done ; and therefore they were resolved to fit their rule to their faith. and this foundation being laid in their first decree , all the rest would afterwards go on very smoothly . for do but give men the making of their rule , and they can make good any thing by it . and accordingly the council of trent having thus fixt and fitted a rule to their own purpose ; in the conclusion of that decree , they give the world fair warning , upon what grounds , and in what ways they intend to proceed in their following decrees of practice , and definitions of faith. omnes itaque intelligant , quo ordine & via ipsa synodus post jactum fidei confessionis fundamentum sit progressura , &c. be it known therefore to all men , in what order and way the synod , after having laid this foundation of the confession of faith , will proceed ; and what testimonies and proofs she chiefly intends to make use of , for the confirmation of doctrines , and reformation of manners in the church . and no doubt all men do see very plainly , to what purpose this foundation is laid of so large a rule of faith. and this being admitted , how easie is it for them to confirm and prove whatever doctrines and practices they have a mind to establish ? but if this be a new , and another foundation , than that which the great author and founder of our religion , hath laid and built his church upon , ( viz. ) the foundation of the prophets and apostles ; it is no matter what they build upon it . and if they go about to prove any thing by the new parts of this rule ; by the apocryphal books which they have added to the ancient canon of the scriptures , brought down to us by the general tradition of the christian church ; and by their pretended unwritten traditions : we do with reason reject this kind of proof , and desire them first to prove their rule , before they pretend to prove any thing by it : for we protest against this rule , as never declared and owned by the christian church , nor proceeded upon by the ancient fathers of the church , nor by any council whatsoever , before the council of trent . in vain then doth the church of rome vaunt it self of the antiquity of their faith and religion ; when the very foundation and rule of it is but of yesterday ; a new thing , never before known or heard of in the christian world : whereas the foundation and rule of our religion is the word of god , contained in the holy scriptures ; to which christians in all ages have appealed , as the only rule of faith and life . i proceed now to the . thing i proposed , viz. that we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against all the temptations and terrours of the world. and this seems more especially and principally to be here intended by the apostle in this exhortation . i shall first speak of the temptations of the world. and they are chiefly these two ; the temptation of fashion and example : and of worldly interest and advantage . . of fashion and example . this in truth and reality is no strong argument ; and yet in experience and effect it is often found to be very powerful . it is frequently seen , that this hath many times too great an influence upon weak and foolish minds . men are apt to be carried down with the stream , and to follow a multitude in that which is evil . but more especially men are prone to be swayed by great examples ; and to bend themselves to such an obsequiousness to their superiours and betters , that in compliance with them , they are ready not only to change their affection to persons and things , as they do ; but even their judgment also ; and that in the greatest and weightest matters , even in matters of religion , and the great concernments of another world. but this surely is an argument of a poor and mean spirit , and of a weak understanding , which leans upon the judgment of another , and is in truth the lowest degree of servility , that a reasonable creature can stoop to ; and even beneath that of a slave , who in the midst of his chains and fetters doth still retain the freedom of his mind and judgment . but i need not to urge this upon considerate persons , who know better how to value their duty and obligation to god , than to be tempted to do any thing contrary thereto , meerly in compliance with fashion and example . there are some things in religion so very plain , that a wise and good man would stand alone in the belief and practice of them , and not be moved in the least by the contrary example of the whole world. it was a brave resolution of joshua ; though all men should forsake the god of israel , and run aside to other gods , yet he would not do it , joshua . . if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord ; chuse you this day whom you will serve : but as for me and my house , we will serve the lord. it was well resolv'd of peter , if he had not been too confident of his own strength , when he said to our saviour , though all men forsake thee , yet will not i. . another sort of temptation , and which is commonly more powerful than example , is worldly interest and advantage . this is a mighty bait to a great part of mankind , and apt to work very strongly upon the necessities of some , and upon the covetousness and ambition of others . some men are tempted by necessity , which many times makes them do ugly and reproachful things , and like esau , for a morsel of meat to sell their birth-right , and blessing . covetousness tempts others to be of that religion which gives them the prospect of the greatest earthly advantage , either for the increasing or securing of their estates . when they find that they cannot serve god and mammon ; they will forsake the one , and cleave to the other . this was one of the great temptations to many in the primitive times , and a frequent cause of apostacy from the faith ; an eager desire of riches , and too great a value for them ; as st. paul observes , tim. . , . but they that will be rich , fall into temptation and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtful lusts , which drown men in destruction and perdition . for the love of money is the root of all evil ; which while some have coveted after , they have erred , or been seduced from the faith , and pierced themselves through with many sorrows . this was the temptation which drew off demas from his religion ; as st. paul tells us , tim. . . demas hath forsaken me , having loved this present world. ambition , is likewise a great temptation to proud and aspiring minds , and makes many men false to their religion , when they find it a hinderance to their preferment ; and they are easily perswaded , that that is the best religion , which is attended with the greatest worldly advantages , and will raise them to the highest dignity . the devil understood very well the force of this temptation , when he set upon our saviour ; and therefore reserv'd it for the last assault . he shewed him all the kingdoms of the earth , and the glory of them ; and said to him , all this will i give thee , if thou wilt fall down and worship me . and when he saw this would not prevail , he gave him over in despair , and left him . but though this be a very dazling temptation ; yet there are considerations of that weight to be set over-against it , from the nature of religion , and the infinite concernment of it to our immortal souls , as is sufficient to quench this fiery dart of the devil , and to put all the temptations of this world out of countenance , and to render all the riches and glory of it , in comparison of the eternal happiness and misery of the other world but as the very small dust upon the balance . what temptation of this world can stand against that argument of our saviour , if it be seriously weighed and considered ; what is a man profited ; if he gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? if we would consider things impartially , and weigh them in a just and equal balance ; the things which concern our bodies , and this present life , are of no consideration , in comparison of the great and vast concernments of our immortal souls , and the happy or miserable condition of our bodies and souls to all eternity . and religion is a matter of this vast concernment ; and therefore not to be bargained away and parted with by us for the greatest things this world can offer . there is no greater sign of a sordid spirit , than to put a high value upon things of little worth ; and no greater mark of folly , than to make an unequal bargain , to part with things of greatest price for a slender and trifling consideration : as if a man of great fortune and estate , should sell the inheritance of it for a picture ; which when he hath it , will not perhaps yield so much as will maintain him for one year . the folly is so much the greater , in things of infinitely greater value ; as for a man to quit god and religion , to sell the truth and his soul , and to part with his everlasting inheritance , for a convenient service , for a good customer , and some present advantage in his trade and profession , or indeed for any condition which the foolish language of this world cal's a high place , or a great preferment . the things which these men part with upon these cheap terms , god , and his truth , and religion , are to those who understand themselves , and the just value of their immortal souls , things of inestimable worth , and not to be parted with by a considerate man , for any price that this world can bid . and those who are to be bought out of their religion , upon such low terms , and so easily parted from it , 't is much to be feared that they have little or no religion to hold fast . . as we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against the temptations and allurements of this world ; so likewise against the terrors of it . fear is a passion of great force ; and , if men be not very resolute and constant , will be apt to stagger them , and to move them from their stedfastness . and therefore when the case of suffering and persecution for the truth happens , we had need to hold fast the profession of our faith. our saviour in the parable of the sower tells us , that there were many that heard the word , and with joy received it : but when persecution and tribulation arose because of the word , presently they were offended . and though , blessed be god , this be not now our case ; yet there was a time when it was the general case of christians , in the first beginning of christianity , and for several ages after , though with some intermission and intervals of ease . it was then a general rule , and the common expectation of christians , that through many tribulations they must enter into the kingdom of god ; and that if any man will live godly in christ jesus , he must suffer persecution . and in several ages since those primitive times , the sincere professors of religion have , in divers places , been exposed to most grievous sufferings and persecutions for the truth . and even at this day , in several places , the faithful servants of god are exercised with the sharpest and sorest tryals that perhaps were ever heard of in any age ; and for the sake of god , and the constant profession of his true religion , are tormented and killed all the day long , and are accounted as sheep for the slaughter . it is their hard lot to be called to these cruel and bitter sufferings ; and our happy opportunity to be call'd upon for their relief ; those of them , i mean , that have escaped that terrible storm and tempest , and have taken refuge and sanctuary here among us , and out of his majesty's great humanity and goodness are by his publick letters recommended to the charity of the whole nation , by the name of distressed protestants . let us consider how much easier our lot and our duty is , than theirs ; as much as it is easier to compassionate the sufferings , and to relieve the distresses of others , than to be such sufferers , and in such distress our selves . let us make their case our own ; and then we our selves will be the best judges , how it is fit for us to demean our selves towards them , and to what degree we ought to extend our charity and compassion to them . let us put on their case and circumstances ; and suppose that we were the sufferers , and had fled to them for refuge : the same pity and commiseration , the same tender regard and consideration of our sad case , the same liberal and effectual relief that we should desire and expect , and be glad to have shewn and afforded to our selves ; let us give to them ; and then i am sure they will want no fitting comfort and support from us . we enjoy ( blessed be the goodness of god to us ) great peace and plenty , and freedom from evil and suffering : and surely one of the best means , to have these blessings continued to us , and our tranquility prolonged , is , to consider and relieve those who want the blessings which we enjoy ; and the readiest way to provoke god to deprive us of these blessings , is , to shut up the bowels of our compassion from our distressed brethren . god can easily change the scene , and make our sufferings , if not in the same kind , yet in one kind or other equal to theirs ; and then we shall remember the afflictions of joseph , and say as his brethren did , when they fell into trouble , we are verily guilty concerning our brother , in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us , and we would not hear ; therefore is this distress come upon us . god alone knows what storms the devil may yet raise in the world , before the end of it : and therefore it concerns all christians , in all times and places , who have taken upon them the profession of christ's religion , to consider well before-hand , and to calculate the dangers and sufferings it may expose them to , and to arm our selves with resolution and patience against the fiercest assaults of temptation ; considering the shortness of all temporal afflictions and sufferings , in comparison of the eternal and glorious reward of them ; and the lightness of them too , in comparison of the endless and intolerable torments of another world ; to which every man exposeth himself , who forsakes god , and renounceth his truth , and wounds his conscience , to avoid temporal sufferings . and though fear in many cases , especially if it be of death and extream suffering , be a great excuse for several actions ; because it may , cadere in constantem virum , happen to a resolute man : yet in this case , of renouncing our religion ( unless it be very sudden and surprizing , out of which a man recovers himself when he comes to himself ( as st. peter did ) or the suffering be so extream , as to put a man besides himself for the time , so as to make him say or do any thing ; ) i say in this case of renouncing god and his truth , god will not admit fear for a just excuse of our apostacy ; which , if it be unrepented of , ( and the scripture speaks of repentance in that case as very difficult ) will be our ruin. and the reason is ; because god has given us such fair warning of it , that we may be prepared for it , in the resolution of our minds : and we enter into religion upon these terms , with a professed expectation of suffering , and a firm purpose to lay down our lives for the truth , if god shall call us to it . if any man will be my disciple , says our lord , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me : and again , he that loveth life it self more than me , is not worthy of me : and if any man be ashamed of me , and of my words , in this unfaithful generation , of him will i be ashamed before my father and the holy angels . and therefore to master and subdue this fear , our saviour hath propounded great objects of terror to us , and a danger infinitely more to be dreaded , which every man runs himself wilfully upon , who shall quit the profession of his religion , to avoid temporal sufferings ; luke . , . fear not them that can kill the body , but after that have nothing that they can do : but i will tell you whom you shall fear . fear him , who after he hath killed , can destroy both body and soul in hell : yea , i say unto you , fear him . and to this dreadful hazard every man exposeth himself , who , for the fear of men , ventures thus to offend god. these are the fearful and vnbelievers spoken of by st. john , who shall have their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death . thus you see how we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against all temptations and terrors of this world. i should now have proceeded to the next particular ; namely , that we are to hold fast the profession of our faith , against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition , and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms , in some other church and religion . but this i shall not now enter upon . a sermon on heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , for he is faithful that promised . in these words , i have told you , are contained these two parts : i. an exhortation , to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . ii. an argument or encouragement thereto ; because he is faithful that hath promised . i am yet upon the first of these , the exhortation to christians , to be constant and steady in the profession of their religion ; let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . and that we might the better comprehend the true and full meaning of this exhortation , i shewed , i. negatively , what is not meant and intended by it : and i mentioned these two particulars : . the apostle doth not hereby intend , that those who are capable of enquiring into , and examining the grounds and reasons of their religion , should not have the liberty to do it . nor , . that when upon due enquiry and examination , men are settled , as they think and verily believe , in the true faith and religion ; they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offered against their present persuasion ; for reason when it is fairly offered is always to be heard . i proceeded in the second place , positively to explain the meaning of this exhortation : and to this purpose i proposed to consider , . what it is that we are to hold fast ; viz. the confession or profession of our faith : the ancient christian faith which every christian makes profession of in his baptism ; not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men , nor the imperious dictates and doctrines of any church ( which are not contained in the holy scriptures ) imposed upon the christian world , though with never so confident a pretence of the antiquity of the doctrines , or of the infallibility of the proposers of them . and then i proceded , in the second place , to shew how we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering : and i mentioned these following particulars , as probably implied and comprehended in the apostles exhortation . . that we should hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support that confidence . . and much more against the confidence of men , contrary to plain scripture , and reason , and the common sense of mankind ; under both which heads i gave several instances of doctrines and practices imposed with great confidence upon the world , some without , and others plainly against scripture , and reason , and the common sense of mankind . . against all the temptations and and terrours of the world ; the temptations of fashion and example , and of worldly interest and advantage ; and against the terrours of persecution and suffering for the truth . thus far i have gone . i shall now proceed to the two other particulars which remain to be spoken to . . we are to hold fast the profession of our faith , against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition , and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms , in some other church and religion . god hath plainly declared to us in the holy scriptures , upon what terms and conditions we may obtain eternal life and happiness , and what will certainly exclude us from it ; that except we repent , ( i. e. ) without true contrition for our sins , and forsaking of them , we shall perish : that without holiness no man shall see the lord : that no fornicator , or adulterer , or idolater , or covetous person , nor any one that lives in the practice of such sins , shall have any inheritance in the kingdom of god or christ. there is as great and unpassable a gulf fixt between heaven and a wicked man ; as there is betwixt heaven and hell. and when men have done all they can to debauch and corrupt the christian doctrine , it is impossible to reconcile a wicked life with any reasonable and well-grounded hopes of happiness in another world. no church hath that priviledge , to save a man upon any other terms , than those which our blessed saviour hath declared in his holy gospel . all religions are equal in this ; that a bad man can be saved in none of them . the church of rome pretends their church and religion to be the only safe and sure way to salvation ; and yet , if their doctrine be true , concerning the intention of the priest , ( and if it be not , they are much to blame in making it an article of their faith ) i say , if it be true , that the intention of the priest is necessary to the validity and virtue of the sacraments ; then there is no religion in the world , that runs the salvation of men upon more and greater hazards and uncertainties , and such as by no care and diligence of man in working out his own salvation , are to be avoided and prevented . as for the easier terms of salvation which they offer to men , they signifie nothing , if they be not able to make them good ; which no man can reasonably believe they can do , that hath read the bible , and doth in any good measure understand the nature of god , and the design of religion . for instance ; that after the long course of a most lewd and flagitious life , a man may be reconciled to god , and have his sins forgiven at the last gasp , upon confession of them to the priest , with that imperfect degree of contrition for them , which they call attrition , together with the absolution of the priest. now attrition is a trouble for sin , meerly for fear of the punishment of it . and this , together with confession , and the absolution of the priest , without any hatred of sin for the evil and contrariety of it to the holy nature and law of god , and without the least spark of love to god , will do the sinner's business , and put him into a state of grace and salvation , without any other grace or disposition for salvation , but only the fear of hell and damnation . this , i confess , is easie ; but the great difficulty is , to believe it to be true . and certainly , no man that ever seriously considered the nature of god and religion , can ever be persuaded to build the hopes of his salvation upon such a quick-sand . the absolution of all the priests in the world will not procure the forgiveness of god for any man , that is not disposed for his mercy by such a repentance as the gospel requires ; which i am sure is very different from that which is required by the council of trent . they that offer heaven to men upon so very large and loose terms , give great cause to suspect , that they will never make good their offer ; the terms are so unreasonably cheap and easie , that there must be some fraud and false dealing . and on the other hand , nothing ought to recommend our religion more to a wise and considerate man ; than that the terms of salvation which we propose to men , viz. faith , and repentance , and a sincere obedience to the precepts of the gospel , manifested in the tenure of a holy and virtuous life , are not only perfectly agreeable to the plain and constant declaration of holy scripture ; but do likewise naturally tend to engage men most effectually to a good life , and thereby to make them meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. and therefore every body ought to be afraid of a religion , which makes such lavish offers of salvation , and to take heed how he ventures his soul upon them . for if , after all the hopes that are given of salvation upon such and such terms , the sinner do really miscarry and miss of heaven ; it is but very ill comfort to him , to be put into a fools paradise , for a minute or two before he leaves the world , and the next moment after to find himself in the place of torments . i proceed to the . and last particular i mentioned , as implied in the exhortation here in the text , viz. that we hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busie and disputing men , whose design it is to unhinge men from their religion , and to gain proselytes to their party and faction . to this purpose there are several cautions given by our blessed saviour and his apostles . matth. . . take heed that no man deceive you ; for many shall come in my name , and shall deceive many . eph. . . that ye henceforth be no more children , tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the slight of men : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the word signifies the cunning of gamesters at dice ; ) by the slight of men , and the cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive . and chap. . . let no man deceive you with vain words . col. . . beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit ; that is , by sophistry and vain reasoning , under a pretence of philosophy . heb. . . be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines . pet. . . beware lest you also , being led away with the error of the wicked , fall from your own stedfastness . and this caution is enforc'd by an express prediction of a great apostasie which should happen in the christian church , by which many should be seduced , by pretence of miracles , and by several arts of deceit and falshood . this apostasie st. paul expresly foretels , thess. . , , . we beseech you , brethren , by the coming of our lord jesus christ , that ye be not soon shaken in mind , or be troubled , neither by spirit ( that is , by pretence to inspiration ) nor by word ( or message ) nor by letter as from us , as that the day of christ is at hand . let no man deceive you by any means ; for that day shall not come , except there come a falling away , and that man of sin be revealed , the son of perdition . and after a particular description of him , he adds , v. . whose coming is after the working of satan , with all power , and signs , and lying wonders , and in all deceitfulness of vnrighteousness in them that perish . from all which he concludes , v. . therefore , brethren , stand fast . the particular nature and kind of this apostasie the same apostle describes more fully , tim . , , . now the spirit speaketh expresly , that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils , speaking lies in hypocrisie , ( i. e. under a great pretence of sanctity , spreading their pernicious errours ) forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats . this is a very lively and pat description of that great apostasie in the christian church , which began in the western part of it , and hath spread it self far and wide . for there the spirit of error and falshood has prevailed , under an hypocritical pretence of their being the only true church and true christians in the world : there marriage , and several sorts of meat , are forbidden to several ranks and orders of men. all the difficulty is , what is here meant by doctrines of devils ; and these certainly can be no other than doctrines tending to idolatry , which the scripture every where doth in a particular manner ascribe to the devil , as the inventer and great promoter of it . and this is very much confirmed by what we find added in some ancient greek copies in this text , which runs thus : in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith ; for they shall worship the dead , as some also in israel worshiped . and then it follows , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils . so that the particular kind of idolatry , into which some part of the christian church should apostatize , is here pointed at : that they should worship souls departed , or the spirits of dead men ; which was part of the heathen idolatry , into which the people of israel did frequently relapse . so that the spirit of god doth here foretel such an apostasie in some part of the christian church as the people of israel were guilty of , in falling into the heathen idolatry . they shall be worshipers of the dead , as the israelites also were . and this is the great and dangerous seduction which the christians are so much cautioned against in the new testament , and charged to hold fast the profession of the faith against the cunning arts and insinuations of seducing spirits ; not but ( as i said before ) that we are always to have an ear open to reason , and to be ready to hearken and to yield to that , whenever it is fairly proposed : but to be over-reached and rooked out of one's religion , by little sophistical arts and tricks , is childish and silly . after we are , upon due trial and examination of the grounds of our religion , settled and established in it , we ought not to suffer our selves to be removed from it , by the groundless pretences of confident people to infallibility , and to be practised upon by cunning men , who lie at catch to make proselytes to their party . this is to be like children , tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine . and we ought to be the more careful of our selves ; because there never was any time , wherein seducing spirits were more bold and busie to pervert men from the truth . against these we should hold . fast our religion , as a man would do his money in a crowd . it passeth in the world for a great mark of folly , when a man and his money are soon parted : but it is a sign of much greater folly , for a man easily to quit his religion ; especially to be caught by some such gross methods , as the seducers i am speaking of commonly use , and which lie so very open to suspicion ; such as ill-designing men are wont to practise upon a young heir , when they have insinuated themselves into his company , to make a prey of him . they charge him to tell no body in what company he hath been ; not to ask the counsel and advice of his friends concerning what they have been persuading him to ; because they , for their own interest , will be sure to disswade him from it . just thus do these seducers practise upon weak people . they charge them not to acquaint their minister , with whom they have been , nor what discourse they have had about religion , nor what books have been put into their hands ; because then , all their kind design and intention towards them will be defeated . but above all , they must be sure to read no books on the other side , because they are no competent judges of points of faith ; and this reading on both sides will rather confound , than clear their understandings . they tell them , that they have stated the matter truly , and would not for all the world deceive them ; and they may easily perceive , by their earnest application to them , that nothing but charity , and a passionate desire of the salvation of their souls , makes them take all these pains with them . but this is so gross a way of proceeding , that any man of common understanding must needs discern by this kind treatment , that these men can have no honest design upon them . to come then to a more particular consideration of the arts and methods which they use ( i mean particularly those of the church of rome ) in making proselytes to their religion : as , . in allowing them to be very competent and sufficient judges for themselves , in the choice of their church and religion , ( that is , which is the true church and religion , in which alone salvation is to be had ) and yet telling them at the same time , that they are utterly incapable of judging of particular doctrines , and points of faith and practice ; but for these , they must rely upon the judgment of an infallible church , when they are in it ; otherwise they will certainly run into damnable errors and mistakes about these things . and they must of necessity allow them to be sufficient judges for themselves in the choice of their religion ; as will be evident , by considering in what method they proceed with their intended proselyte . they propose to him to change his church and his religion , because he is in the wrong ; and they will shew him a better , and such a one as is the only true one , and in which alone salvation is to be had . to perswade him hereto , they offer him some reasons and arguments , or give him books to read , containing arguments to move him to make this change , to satisfie him of the reasonableness , and to convince him of the necessity of it . now by this way of proceeding ( and they can take no other ) they do , whether they will or no , make the person , whom they are endeavouring to convert , a judge for himself , which church and religion is best ; that which they would have him embrace and come over to , or that which they would perswade him to forsake . for to what end else do they offer him reasons and arguments to perswade him to leave our church , and to come over to theirs ; but that he may consider the force and weight of them ; and having considered them , may judge whether they be of force sufficient to over-rule him to make this change ? so that as unwilling as they are to make particular persons judge for themselves about points of faith , and about the sense of scripture confirming those points ( because this is to leave every man to his own private spirit and fancy , and giddy brain ) yet they are compelled by necessity , and against their own principles , to allow a man , in this case of chusing his religion , to be a judge of the reasons and arguments which they offer to induce him thereto . so that , whether they will or no , they must permit him to be a judge for himself for this once , but not to make a practice of it , or to pretend this priviledge ever after : for in acknowledgment of this great favour , of being permitted to judge for himself this once , ( which they do unwillingly grant him , and upon meer necessity ) he is for ever after to resign up his judgment to the church . and tho this liberty be allowed pro hâc vice , and properly to serve a turn , i. e. in order to the changing of his religion ; yet he is to understand , that he is no fit and competent judge of particular points of faith ; these he must all learn from the true church when he is in it , and take them upon her authority ; and in so doing he shall do very prudently , because she is infallible , and cannot be deceived ; but he may . but is there any sense in all this , that a man should be very fit and able to judge of that which they esteem the main and fundamental point of all , namely , which is the true church and religion ; and of the reasons and arguments whereby they pretend to demonstrate it ; and of the true meaning of those texts of scripture , whereby they pretend to prove theirs to be the only true church : and yet should be wholly unable to judge of particular points of faith ; or of the true sense of any texts of scripture that can be produced for the proof of those points ? is it so very prudent , in all the particular points of faith , for a man to rely upon the judgment of the church , because she is infallible ; and not to trust his own judgment about them , because he is fallible , and may be deceived ? and is it prudent likewise for this man to trust his own judgment in the main business of all ; namely , which is the true church and religion ; concerning which he is as fallible in his judgment , and as liable to be deceived , as in the particular points ? and if he be mistaken in the main point , they must grant his mistake to be fatal ; because his sincerity , as to all the rest , depends upon it . this is a great mystery and riddle ; that every particular man should have so sufficient a judgment as to this main and fundamental business , which is the true church and religion ; and should have no judgment at all about particular points , fit to be trusted and relied upon ! as if there were a certain judgment and prudence , quoad hoc ; and as if all men's understandings were so framed , as to be very judicious and discerning in this main point of religion ; but to be weak , and dangerous , and blind , as to all particular points : or , as if a man might have a very good judgment , and be fit to be trusted and relyed upon , before he come into their church ; but from the very moment he enters into it , his judgment were quite lost and good for nothing : for this in effect and by interpretation they say , when they allow a man to be very able to judge which is the true church and religion ; but so soon as he hath discovered and embraced that , to have no judgment of his own afterwards of any point of religion whatsoever ; and a very tempting argument it is to any man that hath judgment , to enter into that church . . another art they use with their intended proselyte , in order to his makeing a right choice of his religion , is to caution him , to hear and read only the arguments and books which are on one side . but now admitting their designed proselyte to be just such a judge , and so far as they will allow him to be , and no farther , viz. which is the true church ; but to have no fitness and ability at all to judge of particular points of faith ; yet methinks they put a very odd condition , and untoward restraint upon this judge , in telling him , ( as they certainly use to do those whom they would pervert ) that he must have no discourse , nor read any books , but only on that side which they would gain him to ; because that is the way to perplex and confound him , so that he shall never be able to come to a clear judgment and resolution in the matter . but will any man admit this way of proceeding in a temporal case ? this is just as if in a cause of the greatest consequence , the councel on one side should go about to persuade the judge , that it is only fit to hear what he hath to say in the case ; that he will open it very plainly , and state the matter in difference of clearly and impartially , and bring such strong reasons and proofs for what he says , that he shall not need to hear any thing on the other side , but may proceed to judgment without any more ado : but if when the matter is thus laid before him so plainly , and is even ripe for judgment , he will trouble himself needlesly to hear , the other side ; this will cast him back where they first began , and bring the matter to an endless wrangling , and so confound and puzzle his understanding , that he shall never be able to pass any clear judgment in the cause . what think we would a judge say to such a bold and senseless pleader ? the case is the same , and the absurdity every whit as gross and palpable , in pressing any man to make a judgment in a matter which infinitely more concerns him , upon hearing only the reasons and arguments on one side . . another art which they use in makeing proselytes , is to possess them , that there is but one thing that they are mainly concern'd to enquire into , and that is this ; since there is but one true catholick church of christ upon earth , out of which there is no salvation to be had ; which that true church is ; and when they have found that out , that will teach them in a most infallible way the true faith and religion , and all things that are necessary to be believed or done by them , in order to their salvation ; so that they have nothing to do , but to satisfie themselves in this single enquiry ; which is the true catholick church of christ ? this is the vnum necessarium , the one thing necessary ; and when they have found out this , and are satisfied about it , they need to enquire no farther ; this church will fully instruct and satisfie them in all other things . and this i cannot deny to be a very artificial way of proceeding , and to serve their purpose very well ; for they have these two great advantages by it . . that it makes the work short , and saves them a great deal of labour , by bringing the whole business to one single enquiry : and when they have gained this point , that this single question is all that they need to be satisfied in ; then they have nothing to do , but to ply and puzzle the man with their motives of credibility , and marks of the true church ; and to shew , as well as they can , how these marks agree to their church , and are all to be found in it , and in no other ; and to set out to the best advantage the glorious priviledges of their church , the miraculous things that have been and are still daily done in it , and the innumerable multitude of their saints and martyrs : and if these general things take and sink into them , their work is in effect done . . another great advantage they have by it , is , that by bringing them to this method , they divert and keep them off from the many objects against their church and religion , namely , the errors and corruptions which we charge them withal . for this is the thing they are afraid of , and will by no means be brought to ; to vindicate and make good their innovations in faith and practice , so plainly in many things contrary to scripture , and to the faith and practice of the primitive church ; as the doctrines of transubstantiation , of purgatory , the popes supremacy , of the infallibility of their church , of their seven sacraments instituted by christ , and of the intention of the priest being necessary to the validity and virtue of the sacraments : and then several of their practices ; as of the worship of images , of the invocation of angels and saints , of the service of god and the scriptures in an vnknown tongue , and the communion in one kind ; and several other things , so plainly contrary to the scriptures , and the practice and usage of the primitive church , that almost the meanest capacity may easily be made sensible and convinced of it . these are sore places , which they desire not to have touched , and therefore they use all possible artifice , to keep men at a distance from them ; partly because the particular discussion of them is tedious , and it requires more than ordinary skill , to say any thing that is tenable for them , and so to paint and varnish them over , as to hide the corruptions and deformities of them ; but chiefly , because they are conscious to themselves , that as in all these points they are upon the defensive , so they are also upon very great disadvantages ; and therefore to avoid , if it be possible , being troubled with them , they have devised this shorter , and easier , and more convenient way of making proselytes . not that they are always able to keep themselves thus within their trenches ; but are sometimes , whether they will or no , drawn out to encounter some of these objections : but they rid themselves of them as soon , and as dexterously as they can , by telling those that make them , that they will hereafter give them full satisfaction to all these matters , when they are gotten over the first and main enquiry ; which is the true church ? for if they can keep them to this point , and gain them to it , they can deal with them more easily in the rest ; for when they can once swallow this principle , that the church of rome is the one true catholick church , and consequently , as they have told them all along , infallible ; this infallibility of the church once entertained , will cover a multitude of particular errors and mistakes ; and it will very much help to cure the weakness and defects of some particular doctrines and practices , and at least to silence and over-rule all objections against them . so that the benefit and advantage of this method is visibly and at first sight very great ; and therefore no wonder they are so steady and constant to it , and do so obstinately insist upon it . but how convenient soever it be to them ; it is , i am sure , very unreasonable in it self ; and that upon these accounts . . because the true church doth not constitute and make the true christian faith and doctrine ; but it is the true christian faith and doctrine , the profession whereof makes the true church ; and therefore in reason and order of nature , the first enquiry must be ; what is the true faith and doctrine of christ , which by him was delivered to the apostles , and by them publish'd and made known to the world , and by their writings transmitted and conveyed down to us ? and this being found , every society of christians which holds this doctrine , is a true part of the catholick church ; and all the christians throughout the world that agree in this doctrine , are the one true catholick church . . the enquiry about the true church can have no issue , even according to their own way of proceeding , without a due examination of the particular doctrines and practices of that church , the communion whereof they would perswade a man to embrace . we will admit at present this to be the first enquiry ; which is the true church ? let us now see in what way they manage this , to gain men over to their church . they tell them , that the church of rome is the one true catholick church of christ. the truth of this assertion we will particularly examine afterwards , when we come to consider the next step of their method , in dealing with their converts . at present i shall only take notice in the general , what way they take to prove this assertion ; namely , that the church of rome is the one true catholick church ; and that is , by the notes and marks of the true church , which they call their motives of credibility ; because by these they design to perswade them , that the church of rome is the one true catholick church . i shall not now reckon up all the notes and marks which they give of the true church ; but only observe , that one of their principal marks of the true church is this ; that the faith and doctrine of it be agreeable to the doctrine of the primitive and apostolick church , ( i. e. ) to the doctrine delivered by our saviour and his apostles : and this bellarmine makes one of the marks of the true church . and they must unavoidably make it so ; because the true faith and doctrine of christ , is that which indeed constitutes the true church . but if this be an essential mark of the true church ; then no man can possibly know the church of rome to be the true church , till he have examin'd the particular doctrines and practices of it , and the agreement of them with the primitive doctrine and practice of christianity ; and this necessarily draws on and engages them in a dispute of the particular points and differences betwixt us ; which is the very thing they would avoid by this method , and which i have now plainly shewed they cannot do ; because they cannot possibly prove their church to be the true church , without shewing the conformity of their doctrines and practices , to the doctrine and practice of the primitive and apostolick church ; and this will give them work enough , and will , whether they will or no , draw them out of their hold and fastness ; which is to amuse people with a general enquiry , which is the true church ; without descending to the examination of their particular doctrines and practices . but this they must of necessity come to , before they can prove by the notes and marks of the true church , that theirs is the true church . and this is a demonstration , that their method of satisfaction , as it is unnatural and unreasonable , so it cannot serve the purpose they aim at by it ; which is , to divert men from the examination of the particular points in difference between the church of rome and us , and to gain them over to them by a wile and trick ; because the very method they take to prove themselves to be the true catholick church , will enforce them to justifie all their particular doctrines and practices , before they can finish this proof . and here we fix our foot ; that the single question and point , upon which they would put the whole issue of the matter , cannot possibly be brought to any reasonable issue , without a particular discussion and examination of the points in difference betwixt their church and ours : and when they can make out these to be agreeable to the primitive doctrine and practice of the christian church ; we have reason to be satisfied , that the church of rome is a church , in the communion whereof a man may be safe : but till that be made out ; they have done nothing to perswade any man that understands himself , that it is safe , much less necessary to be of their communion . but if particular points must be discussed and cleared , before a man can be satisfied in the enquiry after the true church ; then they must allow their intended convert to be a judge likewise of particular points ; and if he be sufficient for that too , before he comes into their church , i do not see of what use the infallibility of the church will be to him , when he is in it . a sermon , on heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that promised . i have already made a considerable progress in my discourse upon these words ; in which i told you , there is an exhortation to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering : and an argument or encouragement thereto ; because he is faithful that promised . i am yet upon the first of these , the exhortation to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; by which i told you the apostle doth not intend , that those who are capable of examining the grounds and reasons of their religion , should not have the liberty to do it : nor that ▪ when upon due enquiry they are , as they verily believe , established in the true faith and religion ; they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that is fairly offered against their present persuasion . and then i proceeded to shew positively , first , what it is that we are here exhorted to hold fast , ( viz. ) the confession or profession of our faith ; the ancient christian faith , of which every christian makes profession in his baptism . for it is of that the apostle here speaks , as appears plainly by the context . secondly , how we are to hold fast the profession of our faith. and of this i gave account in these following particulars . . we should hold fast the profession of our faith , against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support that confidence . . and much more against the confidence of men , contrary to plain scripture and reason , and the common sense of mankind ; of which i gave you particular instances . . against all the temptations and terrors of the world. . against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition , and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms , in some other church and religion . i am now upon the . and last particular i mentioned , namely , that we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busie and disputing men , whose design it is to unhinge men from their religion , and to make proselytes to their party and faction . i have already mentioned some of the arts which they use , ( i mean particularly them of the church of rome ) in making proselytes to their religion ; and i have shewn the absurdity and unreasonableness of them . as , first , in allowing men to be very competent and sufficient judges for themselves , in the choice of their religion ; ( i. e. which is the true church and religion in which alone salvation is to be had ) and yet telling them at the same time , that they are utterly incapable of judging of particular doctrines and points of faith. as for these , they must rely upon the judgment of an infallible church ; and if they do not , they will certainly run into damnable errors and mistakes . and they must of necessity allow them the first , a sufficient ability to judge for themselves in the choice of their religion : otherwise in vain do they offer them arguments to perswade them to theirs ; if they cannot judge of the force of them . but now , after this , to deny them all ability to judge of particular doctrines and points of faith , is a very absurd and inconsistent pretence . secondly , another art they use , in order to their making a right choice of their religion , is earnestly to perswade them to hear and read only the arguments and books on their side : which is just as if one should go about to persuade a judge , in order to the better understanding and clearer decision of a cause , to hear only the council on one side . thirdly , they tell them , that the only thing they are to enquire into , is , which is the true church , the one catholick church mentioned in the creed , out of which there is no salvation ; and when they have found that , they are to rely upon the authority of that church , which is infallible , for all other things . and this method they wisely take , to avoid particular disputes about the innovations and errors which we charge them withal . but i have shewn at large , that this cannot be the first enquiry : because it is not the true church , that makes the true christian faith and doctrine ; but the profession of the true christian faith and doctrine , which makes the true church . besides , their way of proving their church to be the only true church , being by the marks and properties of the true church , of which the chief is , the conformity of their doctrines and practices with the primitive and apostolical church ; this unavoidably draws on an examination of their particular doctrines and practices , whether they be conformable to those of the primitive and apostolical church , before their great enquiry , which is the true church , can be brought to any issue ; which it is plain it can never be , without entring into the ocean of particular disputes , which they desire above all things to avoid . so that they are never the nearer by this method ; they can neither shorten their work by it , nor keep off the examination of their particular errors and corruptions ; which are a very sore place , and they cannot endure we should touch it . i shall now proceed to discover some other arts and methods which they use in seducing people to their church and religion , and shall be as brief in them as i can . fourthly , they pretend , that the roman church is the catholick church , ( i. e. ) the visible society of all christians , united to the bishop of rome , as the supream pastor and visible head of christ's church upon earth : from whence it clearly follows , that it is necessary to all christians to joyn themselves to the communion of the roman church ; otherwise they cannot be members of the catholick church of christ , out of which there is no salvation . we grant the consequence , that if the roman church be the catholick church , it is necessary to be of that communion ; because out of the catholick church there is ordinarily no salvation to be had . but how do they prove , that the roman church is the catholick church ? they would fain have us so civil , as to take this for granted : because if we do not ; they do not well know how to go about to prove it . and indeed , some things are obstinate , and will not be proved without so much trouble and difficulty , that it is better to let them alone ; and by the confident assertion of them , by importunity , and by any other fair means , to get them believed , without proof of this stubborn sort of propositions , which will admit of no proof . this is one , that a part is the whole ; or , which is all one , th●● the roman church is the catholick church . for that it is but a part of the christian church , and not the best part neither , but perhaps the very worst and most corrupt of all the rest , is no difficult matter to prove , and hath been often done . but now to prove the church of rome to be the catholick church ; that is , the whole society of all true christians in the world ; these following particulars ought to be clearly shewn and made out . . a plain constitution of our saviour , whereby st. peter and his successors at rome are made the supream head and pastors of the whole christian church . for st. peter first . can they shew any such constitution in the gospel , or can they produce the least proof and evidence out of the history of the acts and the epistles of the apostles , that st. peter was acknowledg'd for such by the rest of the apostles ? nay , is there not clear evidence there to the contrary , that in the first council of the christian church at jerusalem , st. james the bishop of jerusalem was , if not superior , at least equal to him ? does st. paul acknowledg any superiority of st. peter over him ? nay , does he not upon several occasions declare himself equal to the chiefest apostles , even to st. peter himself ? and is this consistent with a plain constitution of our lord's , makeing st. peter supream head and pastor of the christian church ? but suppose this to have been so ; where doth it appear , by any constitution of our saviour , that this authority was derived to his successors ? and if it were ; why to his successors at rome , rather than at antioch , where he was first , and unquestionably bishop ? they must acknowledg , that when he was bishop of antioch , he was the supream head and pastor of the whole christian church ; and then the style must have been , the antiochian catholick church , as it is now the roman catholick . but do they find any footsteps of such a style in ecclesiastical history ? . to make good this proposition , that the roman church is the catholick church ; they are in consequence obliged to affirm and believe , that the churches of asia , which were excommunicated by the bishops of rome , for not keeping easter as they did ; and the churches of asia and africa , who were excommunicated by the same bishop , upon the point of rebaptizing hereticks ; that all these , by being turn'd out of the communion of the roman church , were also cut off from the catholick church , and from a possibility of salvation . this the church of rome themselves will not affirm ; and yet , if to be cast out of the communion of the roman and the catholick church be all one , they must affirm it . . in consequence of this proposition , that the church of rome is the catholick church , they ought to hold , that all baptism out of the communion of their church is void and of none effect . for if it be good ; then it makes the persons baptized , members of the catholick church ; and then those that are out of the communion of the roman church , may be true members of the catholic church ; and then the roman and the catholick church are not all one . but the church of rome holds the baptism of hereticks , and of those that are out of the communion of their church , to be good ; which is a demonstration , that the roman church neither is the catholick church ; nor if she believe consistently , can she think her self to be so . . in consequence of this proposition , all the christians in the world , which do not yield subjection to the bishop of rome , and acknowledg his supremacy , are no true parts of the catholick church , nor in a possibility of salvation . and this does not only exclude those of the reform'd religion from being members of the catholick church ; but the greeks , and the eastern churches ; ( i. e. ) four of the five patriarchal churches of the christian world ; which taken together , are really greater than those in communion with the church of rome . and this the church of rome does affirm , concerning all those churches and christians , which refuse subjection to the bishop of rome , that they are out of the communion of the catholick church , and a capacity of salvation . but surely it is not possible , that the true catholick church of christ can have so little charity as this comes to ; and to a wise man there needs no other demonstration than this , that the church of rome is so far from being the whole christian church , that it 's a very arrogant and uncharitable part of it . fifthly and lastly ; in consequence of the truth of this proposition , and of the importance of it to the salvation of souls , and to the peace and unity of the christian church , they ought to produce express mention of the roman catholick church , in the ancient creeds of the christian church . for if this proposition , that the roman church is the catholick , be true ; it was always so , and always of the greatest importance to the salvation of men , and the peace and unity of the christian church : and if it were so , and always believed to be so , by the christian church , as they pretend ; what reason can be imagin'd , why the ancient christian church should never say so , nor put an article of such consequence and importance in express words in their creeds ; nor why they should not have used the style of roman catholick , as familiarly then , as they do now in the roman church ? a plain evidence that this is a new style which they use , when they give themselves the title of the roman catholick church ; and that the ancient christian church knew better , than to call one part of the catholick church the whole . i am sure , that aeneas sylvius ( who was afterwards pope pius the second ) says , that before the council of nice , little respect was had to the roman church . but how does this consist with their present pretence , that the roman church is , and always hath been the catholick church ; and that the bishop of rome is by christ's appointment , the supream pastor , and visible head of the whole christian church ? is it possible that this should be believed in the christian church before the council of nice ; and yet little respect to be had at that time to the roman church ? this indeed was said by aeneas sylvius , before he sate in the infallible chair ; but is never the less true for that . ly . the next step of their method is , that the roman church is infallible ; and by this means they have a certain remedy against heresie , and a judge of controversies , from which there is no appeal , which we want in our church . and this is a glorious priviledge indeed , if they could prove that they had it , and that it would be so certain a remedy against heresie , and give a final decision to all controversies . but there is not one tittle of all this , of which they are able to give any tenable proof : for , . all the pretence for their infallibility relyes upon the truth of the former proposition , that the church of rome is the catholick church , and that they say is infallible : and i have already shewn , that that proposition is not only destitute of any good proof , but is as evidently false , as that a part of a thing is the whole . . but supposing it were true , that the roman church were the catholick church ; yet it is neither evident in it self , nor can be proved by them , that the catholick church of every age is infallible , in deciding all controversies of religion . it is granted by all christians , that our saviour and his apostles were infallible , in the delivery of the christian doctrine ; and they proved their infallibility by miracles ; and this was necessary at first for the security of our faith : but this doctrine being once delivered and transmitted down to us in the holy scriptures , written by the evangelists and apostles , who were infallibly assisted by the holy ghost ; we have now a certain and infallible rule of faith and practice , which , with the assistance and instruction of those guides and pastors which christ hath appointed in his church , is sufficiently plain in all things necessary . and as there is no evidence of the continuance of infallibility in the guides and pastors of the church , in the ages which followed the apostles ; because miracles are long since ceased : so there is no need of the continuance of it , for the preservation of the true faith and religion ; because god hath sufficiently provided for that , by that infallible rule of faith and manners which he hath left to his church in the holy scriptures , which are every way sufficient and able to make both pastors and people wise unto salvation . . as for a certain remedy against heresie , it is certain god never intended there should be any ; no more than he hath provided a certain remedy against sin and vice ; which surely is every whit as contrary to the christian religion , and therefore as fit to be provided against , as heresie : but it is certain in experience , that god hath provided no certain and effectual remedy against sin and vice ; for which i can give no other reason , but that god does that which he thinks best and fittest , and not what we are apt to think to be so . besides that infallibility is not a certain remedy against heresie . the apostles were certainly infallible ; and yet they could neither prevent nor extinguish heresie ; which never more abounded than in the apostles times . and saint paul expresly tells us , cor. . . that there must be heresies ; that they which are approved may be made manifest . and st. peter , the epist. . . that there should be false teachers among christians , who should privily bring in damnable heresies ; and that many should follow their pernicious ways . but now if there must be heresies ; either the church must not be infallible , or infallibility in the church is no certain remedy against them . i proceed to the next step they make viz. ly . that christ hath always a visible church upon earth ; and that they can shew a church , which from the time of christ and his apostles , hath always made a visible profession of the same doctrines and practices which are now believed and practised in the church of rome ; but that we can shew no visible church , that from the time of christ and his apostles , hath always opposed the church of rome in , those doctrines and practices which we now revile and find fault with in their church . that christ hath always had , and ever shall have to the end of the world , a visible church , professing and practising his true faith and religion , is agreed on both sides : but we say , that he hath no where promised , that this shall be free from all errors and corruptions in faith and practice . this the churches planted by the apostles themselves were not , even in their times , and during their abode amongst them ; and yet they were true parts of the christian catholick church . in the following ages , errors and corruptions and superstitions did by degrees creep in and grow up , in several parts of the church ; as st. austin , and others of the fathers complain of their times . since that several famous parts of the christian church , both in asia and africa , have not only been greatly corrupted , but have apostatiz'd from the faith ; so that in many places there are hardly any footsteps of christianity among them . but yet still christ hath had in all these ages a visible church upon earth ; tho' perhaps no part of it at all times free from some errors and corruptions ; and in several parts of it , great corruptions both in faith and practice ; and in none i think more and longer , than in the church of rome , for all she boasts her self like old babylon , isa. . , . that she is a lady for ever ; and says in her heart , i am , and none else besides me ; and like the church of laodicea , revel . . . which said , i am rich , and increased with goods , and have need of nothing ; when the spirit of god saith , that she was wretched , and miserable , and poor , and blind , and naked ; and knew it not . thus the church of rome boasts ; that she hath in all ages been the true visible church of christ ( and none besides her ) free from all errors in doctrine , and corruptions in practice ; and that from the age of christ and his apostles , she hath always professed the same doctrines and practices which she does at this day . can any thing be more shameless than this ? did they always believe transubstantiation ? let their pope gelasius speak for them ; who expresly denies , that in the sacrament there is any substantial change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of christ. was this always an article of their faith , and necessary to be believed by all christians ? let scotus , and several other of their schoolmen and learned writers speak for them . was purgatory always believed in the roman church , as it is now defined in the council of trent ? let several of their learned men speak . in what father , in what council before that of trent , do they find christ to have instituted just seven sacraments , neither more nor less ? and for practices in their religion , they themselves will not say , that in the ancient christian church the scriptures were with-held from the people , and lockt up in an unknown tongue ; and that the publick service of god , the prayers and lessons were read , and the sacraments celebrated , in an unknown tongue ; and that the sacrament of the lords supper was given to the people only in one kind . where do they find in holy scripture , or in the doctrine and practice of the ancient christian church , any command or example for the worship of images ; for the invocation of saints and angels and the blessed virgin ; which do now make a great part of their religion ? nay , is not the doctrine of the scriptures , and of the ancient fathers plainly against all these practices ? with what face then can it be said , that the church of rome hath made a constant visible profession of the same faith and practice in all ages , from the time of christ and his apostles ? or would the primitive church of rome , if it should now visit the earth again , own the present church of rome to be the same in all matters of faith and practice , that it was when they left it ? and whereas they demand of us , to shew a visible church from the time of christ and his apostles , that hath always opposed the church of rome , in those points of doctrine and practice which we object to them ; what can be more impertinent than this demand ? when they know that in all these points we charge them with innovations in matters of faith and practice , and say that those things came in by degrees , several ages after the apostles time , some sooner , some later ; as we are able to make good , and have done it . and would they have us shew them a visible church , that opposed these errors and corruptions in their church , before ever they appeared ? this we do not pretend to shew . and supposing they had not been at all opposed , when they appeared , nor a long time after , not till the reformation ; yet if they be errors and corruptions of the christian doctrine , and contrary to the holy scriptures , and to the faith and practice of the primitive church ; there is no prescription against truth . 't is never too late , for any church to reject those errors and corruptions , and to reform it self from them . the bottom of all this matter is , they would have us to shew them a society of christians , that in all ages hath preserved it self free from all such errors and corruptions as we charge them withall ; or else we deny the perpetual visibility of the catholick church . no such matter . we say the church of christ hath always been visible in every age since christ's time ; and that the several societies of christians , professing the christian doctrine and laws of christ , have made up the catholick church ; some parts whereof have in several ages fallen into great errors and corruptions ; and no part of the catholick , into more and greater , than the church of rome . so that it requires the utmost of our charity to think that they are a true , tho a very unsound and corrupt part of the catholick church of christ. we acknowledge likewise , that we were once involved in the like degeneracy ; but by the mercy of god , and pious care and prudence of those that were in authority , are happily rescued out of it : and tho' we were not out of the catholick church before ; yet since our reformation from the errors and corruptions of the church of rome , we are in it upon better terms , and are a much sounder part of it ; and i hope , by the mercy and goodness of god , we shall for ever continue so . so that to the perpetual visibility of christ's church , it is not necessary , that the whole christian church , or indeed that any part of it should be free from all errors and corruptions . even the churches planted by the apostles in the primitive times were not so . st. paul reproves several doctrines and practices in the church of corinth , and of colosse , and of galatia ; and the spirit of god , several things in the seven churches of asia : and yet all these were true parts and members of the catholick church of christ , notwithstanding these faults and errors ; because they all agreed in the main and essential doctrines of christianity . and when more and greater corruptions grew upon the church , or any part of it ; the greater reason and need there was of a reformation . and as every particular person hath a right to reform any thing that he finds amiss in himself , so far as concerns himself ; so much more every national church hath a power within it self , to reform it self from all errors and corruptions , and by the sanction of the catholick authority to confirm that reformation ; which is our case here in england . and whatever part of the church , how great and eminent soever , excludes from her communion such a national church , for reforming her self from plain errors and corruptions , clearly condemned by the word of god , and by the doctrine and practice of the primitive christian church , is undoubtedly guilty of schism . and this is the truth of the case between us and the church of rome . and no blind talk about a perpetual visible church can render us guilty of schism , for making a real reformation ; or acquit them of it , for casting us out of their communion for that cause . . and lastly , ( to mention no more ) they pretend , that we delude the people , by laying too much stress upon scripture , and making it the only rule of faith and manners : whereas scripture and tradition together make up the entire rule of faith ; and not scripture interpreted by every mans private fancy , but by tradition carefully preserved in the church . so that it ought to be no wonder , if several of their doctrines and practices cannot be so clearly made out by scripture , or perhaps seem contrary to it , as it may be expounded by a private spirit , but not as interpreted by the tradition of the church , which can only give the true sense of scripture . and therefore they are to understand , that several of those doctrines and practices , which we object against , are most clearly proved by the tradition of their church , which is of equal authority with scripture . in this objection of theirs , which they design for the cover of all their errors and corruptions , there are several things distinctly to be considered , which i shall do as briefly as i can . first , whereas it is suggested , that we delude the people , by laying too much stress upon the scriptures , ( which certainly we cannot well do , if it be the word of god ) it ought to be considered , whether they do not delude and abuse them infinitely more , in keeping the scriptures from them , and not suffering them to see that , which they cannot deny to be at least a considerable part of the rule of christian doctrine and practice . doth it not by this dealing of theirs appear very suspicious , that they are extreamly afraid that the people should examine their doctrine and practice by this rule ? for what other reason can they have to conceal it from them ? secondly , whereas they affirm , that scripture alone is not the rule of christian faith and practice ; but that scripture , and oral tradition preserved in the church , and delivered down from hand to hand , makes up the entire rule : i would fain know whence they learn'd this new doctrine of the rule of faith ? i know that the council of trent declares it for the rule they intend to proceed upon and make use of , for the confirmation and proof of their following determinations and decrees . but did any of the ancient councils of the christian church lay down this rule , and proceed upon it ? did not constantine the emperour , at the opening of the first general council , lay the bible before them , as the only rule , according to which they were to proceed ; and this with the approbation of all those holy fathers that were assembled in that council ? and did not following councils proceed upon the same rule ? do any of the ancient fathers ever mention any rule of christian faith and practice , besides the holy scriptures , and the ancient creed ; which , because it is an abridgment of the necessary articles of christian faith contained in the holy scriptures , is by them frequently called the rule of faith ? do not the same fathers frequently and expresly say , that the scriptures are a perfect rule , and that all things are plainly contained in them , which concern faith and life ; and that whatever cannot be proved by testimony of scripture , is to be rejected ? all this i am sure i can make good , by innumerable express testimonies of the ancient fathers , which are well known to those that are versed in them . by what authority then hath the council of trent set up this new rule , unknown to the christian church for years ? and who gave them this authority ? the plain truth is , the necessity of it , for the defence of the errors and corruptions which they had embraced , and were resolved not to part with , forced them to lengthen out the rule ; the old rule of the holy scriptures being too short for their purpose . thirdly , whereas they pretend , that holy scripture , as expounded by a private spirit , may not seem so favourable to some of their doctrines and practices ; yet , as interpreted by tradition , which can only give the true sense of scripture , it agrees very well with them : i suppose they mean , that whereas a private spirit would be apt to understand some texts of scripture , as if people were to search and read the scripture ; tradition interprets those texts in a quite other sense , that people are not to be permitted to read the holy scriptures . a private spirit would be apt to understand st. paul's discourse , in the th of the st to the corinthians , to be against celebrating prayer and the service of god in an unknown tongue , as being contrary to edification , and indeed to common sense : for he says , if one should come , and find them speaking and praying in an unknown tongue ; will they not say , ye are mad ? but now tradition , which only knows how to give the true sense , can reconcile this discourse of st. paul very easily with the practice of the church of rome in this matter . and so likewise the epistle of st. paul to the colossians , with the worship of angels ; and the epistle to the hebrews , with offering the propitiatory sacrifice of christ in the mass a thousand times every day . and to give but one instance more ; whereas a man by his private spirit would be very apt to understand the second commandment to forbid all worship of images ; tradition discovers the meaning of this commandment to be , that due veneration is to be given to them . so that at this rate of interpreting scripture by tradition , it is impossible to fix any objection from scripture , upon any doctrine or practice which they have a mind to maintain . fourthly , whereas they pretend the tradition of their church , delivered from the mouth of christ , or dictated by the holy spirit , and brought down to them , and preserved by continnal succession in the church , to be of equal authority with the word of god ; for so the council of trent says , that the holy synod doth receive and venerate these traditions , with equal pious affection and reverence , as they do the written word of god : this we must declare against , as unreasonable in it self , to make tradition , conveyed by word of mouth from one to another , through so many ages , and liable to so many mistakes and miscarriages , to be , at the distance of years , of equal certainty and authority with the holy scriptures , carefully preserved and transmitted down to us ; because this ( as i said before ) is to make common rumor and report of equal authority and certainty with a written record . and not only so ; but hereby they make the scriptures an imperfect rule ; contrary to the declared judgment of the ancient fathers and councils of the christian church ; and so , in truth , they set up a new rule of faith , whereby they change the christian religion . for a new rule of faith and religion makes a new faith and religion . this we charge the church of rome with , and do challenge them to shew this new rule of faith , before the council of trent ; and consequently , where their religion was before that council ; to shew a religion , consisting of all those articles , which are defined by the council of trent as necessary to salvation , and established upon this new rule , professed by any christian church in the world before that time . and as they have pitch'd upon a new rule of faith ; so it is easie to see to what end. for take pope pius iv. his creed , and we may see where the old and new religion parts ; even at the end of the twelve articles of the aplostles creed , which was the ancient christian faith ; to which are added in pope pius his creed twelve articles more , defined in the council of trent , and supported only by tradition . so that as the scripture answers for the twelve old articles , which are plainly contained there ; so tradition is to answer for the twelve new ones . and therefore the matter was calculated very exactly , when they make tradition just of equal authority with the scriptures ; because as many articles of their faith were to be made good by it , and rely upon it , as those which are proved by the authority of scripture . but that tradition is of equal authority with the scriptures , we have nothing in the whole world for it , but the bare assertion of the council of trent . i should now have added some other considerations , tending to confirm and establish us in our religion , against the pretences and insinuations of seducing spirits : but i shall proceed no farther at present . the tenth sermon , as number'd , follows . there is a mistake in numbering of these sermons . the tenth should be called the ninth , and so on to the end . for there are but fifteen sermons in this volume , and should be no more . a sermon . heb. x. . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , for he is faithful that hath promised . these words contain an exhortation to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , and an argument or encouragement thereto , because he is faithful that hath promised . by the exhortation to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , is not meant , that those who are capable of examining the grounds and reasons of their religion should blindly hold it fast against the best reasons that can be offered ; because upon these terms , every man must continue in the religion in which he happens to be fixt by education , or an ill choice , be his religion true or false ; without examining and looking into it , whether it be right or wrong ; for till a man examines , every man thinks his religion right . that which the apostle here exhorts christians to hold fast , is the ancient faith , of which all christians make a solemn profession in their baptism ; as plainly appears from the context . and this profession of our faith , we are to hold in the following instances , which i shall but briefly mention , without enlarging upon them . . we are to hold fast the profession of our faith against the confidence of men , without scripture or reason to support that confidence . . and much more , against the confidence of men contrary to plain scripture and reason , and to the common sense of mankind . . against all the temptations and terrors of the world , against the temptations of fashion and example , and of worldly interest and advantage , and against all terrors and sufferings of persecution . . against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition , and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms than the gospel hath proposed , in some other church and religion . lastly , we are to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busie and disputing men , whose design it is to unhinge men from their religion , and to make proselytes to their party and faction . but without entring into these particulars , i shall in order to establishment in the reformed religion which we profess , in opposition to the errors and corruptions of the church of rome , apply my self at this time , to make a short comparison betwixt the religion which we profess , and that of the church of rome : that we may discern on which side the advantage of truth lies ; and in making this comparison , i shall insist upon three things , which will bring the matter to an issue , and are , i think , sufficient to determine every sober and considerate man , which of these he ought in reason , and with regard to the safety of his soul , to embrace : and they are these . i. that we govern our belief and practice in matters of religion , by the true ancient rule of christianity , the word of god contained in the holy scriptures : but the church of rome , for the maintenance of their errors and corruptions , have been forced to devise a new rule , never owned by the primitive church , nor by the ancient fathers and councils of it . ii. that the doctrines and practices in difference betwixt us and the church of rome , are either contrary to this rule , or destitute of the warrant and authority of it , and are plain additions to the ancient christianity , and corruptions of it . iii. that our religion hath many clear advantages of that of the church of rome , not only very considerable in themselves , but very obvious and discernable to an ordinary capacity , upon the first proposal of them . i shall be as brief in these as i can . i. that we govern our belief and practice in matters of religion , by the true ancient rule of christianity , the word of god contain'd in the holy scriptures : but the church of rome , for the maintaining of their errors and corruptions , have been forced to devise a new rule , never owned by the primitive church , nor by the ancient councils and fathers of it ; that is , they have joined with the word of god contained in the holy scriptures , the unwritten traditions of their church , concerning several points of their faith and practice ; which they acknowledge cannot be proved from scripture , and these they call the unwritten word of god ; and the council of trent hath decreed them to be of equal authority with the holy scriptures ; and that they do receive and venerate them with the same pious affection and reverence ; and all this , contrary to the express declaration and unanimous consent of all the ancient councils and fathers of the christian church , ( as i have already shewn ) ; and this never declar'd to be a point of faith , till it was decreed , ( not much above a hundred years ago ) in the council of trent ; and this surely , if any thing , is a matter of great consequence , to presume to alter the ancient rule of christian doctrine and practice , and to enlarge it , and add to it , at their pleasure . but the church of rome having made so great a change in the doctrine and practice of christianity , it became consequently necessary to make a change of the rule : and therefore with great reason did the council of trent take this into consideration in the first place , and put it in the front of their decrees , because it was to be the foundation and main proof of the following definitions of faith , and decrees of practice , for which , without this new rule , there had been no colour . ii. the doctrines and practices in difference betwixt us , and the church of rome , are either contrary to the true rule , or destitute of the warrant and authority of it ; and plain additions to the ancient christianity , and corruptions of it ; the truth of this will best appear , by instancing in some of the principal doctrines and practices in difference betwixt us . as for their two great fundamental doctrines , of the supremacy of the bishop of rome over all the christians in the world , and the infallibility of their church , there is not one word in scripture concerning these priviledges ; nay it is little less than a demonstration that they have no such priviledges , that st. paul in a long epistle to the church of rome takes no notice of them ; that the church of rome either then was , or was to be soon after , the mother and mistress of all churches , which is now grown to be an article of faith in the church of rome ; and yet it is hardly to be imagined , that he could have omitted to take notice of such remarkable priviledges of their bishops and church , above any in the world , had he known they had belonged to them . so that in all probability he was ignorant of those mighty prerogatives of the church of rome , otherwise it cannot be , but that he would have written with more deference and submission to this seat of infallibility , and center of unity ; he would certainly have paid a greater respect to this mother and mistress of all churches , where the head of the church , and vicar of christ either was already seated , or by the appointment of christ was designed for ever to fix his throne and establish his residence ; but there is not one word , or the least intimation of any such thing throughout this whole epistle , nor in any other part of the new testament . besides , that both these pretended priledges are omitted , by plain fact and evidence of things themselves , their supremacy , in that the far greatest part of the christian church , neither is at this day , nor can be shewn by the records of any age , ever to have been subject to the bishop of rome , or to have acknowledged his authority and jurisdiction over them , and the infallibility of the pope , whether with or without a general council , ( about which they still differ ) though infallibility was devised on purpose , to determine all differences : i say , this infallibility , where-ever it is pretended to be , is plainly confuted by the contradictory definitions of several popes and councils ; for if they have contradicted one another , ( as is plain , beyond all contradiction , in several instances ) then there must of necessity be an error on one side ; and there can be no so certain demonstration , that any one is infallible , as evident error and mistake is of the contrary . next , their concealing both the rule of religion and the practice of it , in the worship and service of god , from the people , in an unknown tongue ; and their administring the communion to the people in one kind only , contrary to clear scripture and the plain institution of our blessed saviour ; and then their worship of images , and invocation of angels and saints , and the blessed virgin , in the same solemn manner , and for the same blessings and benefits which we beg of god himself , contrary to the express word of god , which commands us to worship the lord our god ; and to serve him only ; and which declares , that as there is but one god , so there is but one mediator between god and man , christ jesus ; but one mediator not only of redemption , but of intercession too ; for the apostle there speaks of a mediator of intercession , by whom only we are to offer up our prayers , which are to be put up to god only , and which expresly forbids men to worship any image or likeness : and the learned men of their own church acknowledge , that there is neither precept nor example for these practices in scripture , and that they were not used in the christian church for several ages ; and this acknowledgment we think very considerable , since so great a part of their religion , especially as it is practised among the people , is contained in these points ; for the service of god in an unknown tongue , and withholding the scriptures from the people , they do not pretend so much as one testimony of any father for the first years , and nothing certainly can be more unreasonable in it self , than to deny people the best means of knowing the will of god , and not to permit them to understand what is done in the publick worship of god , and what prayers are put up to him in the church . the two great doctrines of transubstantiation and purgatory are acknowledged by many of their own learned writers , to have no certain foundation in scripture ; and that there are seven sacraments of the christian religion , tho' it be now made an article of faith by the council of trent , is a thing which cannot be shewn in any council or father for above a thousand years after christ. and we find no mention of this number of the sacraments , till the age of peter lombard the father of the schoolmen . that the church of rome is the mother and mistress of all churches , tho' that also be one of the new articles of pope pius the iv. his creed , which their priests are by a solemn oath obliged to believe and teach , yet is it most evidently false : that she is not the mother of all churches is plain , because jerusalem was certainly so , for there certainly was the first christian church , and from thence all the christian churches in the world derive themselves ; that she is not , ( tho' she fain would be ) the mistress of all churches , is as evident , because the greatest part of the christian church does at this day , and always did , deny that she hath any authority or supremacy over them . now these are the principal matters in difference betwixt us , and if these points , and a few more , be pared off from popery , that which remains of their religion , is the same with ours , that is , the true ancient christianity . iii. i shall shew that our religion hath many clear advantages of theirs , not only very considerable in themselves , but very obvious and discernable to an ordinary capacity , upon the very first proposal of them ; as , . that our religion agrees perfectly with the scriptures , and all points both of our belief and practice , esteemed by us as necessary to salvation , are there contained , even our enemies themselves being judges . we worship the lord our god , and him only do we serve . we do not fall down before images and worship them , we address all our prayers to god alone , by the only mediation and intercession of his son jesus christ ; as he himself hath given us commandment , and as st. paul doth plainly direct , giving us this plain and substantial reason for it , because as there is but one god , so there is but one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus . the publick worship and service of god is perform'd by us in a language which we understand , according to st. paul's express order and direction , and the universal practice of the ancient church , and the nature and reason of the thing it self : we administer the sacrament of the lord's supper in both kinds , according to our saviour's example and plain institution ; and the continual practice of all the christian churches in the world , for above a thousand years . . we believe nothing as necessary to salvation , but what hath been owned in all ages to be the christian doctrine , and is acknowleged so to be by the church of rome it self ; and we receive the whole faith of the primitive christian church , ( viz. ) what ever is contained in the apostles creed , and in the explications of that in the creeds of the four first general councills . by which it plainly appears , that all points of faith in difference betwixt us and the church of rome , are meer innovations and plain additions to the ancient christian faith. but all that we believe , is acknowledged by them to be undoubtedly the ancient christian faith. . there is nothing wanting in our church and religion , whether in matter of faith or practice , which either the scripture makes necessary to salvation , or was so esteem'd by the christian church for the first five hundred years ; and we trust , that what was sufficient for the salvation of christians in the best ages of christianity for five hundred years together , may be so still ; and we are very well content to venture our salvation upon the same terms that they did . . our religion is not only free from all idolatrous worship , but even from all suspicion and probable charge of any such thing ; but this the church of rome is not , as is acknowledged by her most learned champions , and as no man of ingenuity can deny ; and the reason which the learned men give , why the worship of images , and the invocation of angels and saints departed were not practised in the primitive church , for the first three hundred years , is a plain acknowledgment that these practices are very liable to the suspicion of idolatry ; for they say , that the christians did then forbear those practices , because they seem'd to come too near to the pagan idolatry , and lest the heathen should have taken occasion to have justified themselves , if these things had been practised among christians ; and they cannot now be ignorant , what scandal they give by these practices both to the jews and turks , and how much they alienate them from christianity by this scandal ; nor can they chuse but be sensible , upon how great disadvantage they are in defending these practices from the charge of idolatry ; and that by all their blind distinctions , with which they raise such a cloud and dust , they can hardly make any plausible and tollerable defence of themselves from this charge : insomuch , that to secure their own people from discerning their guilt in this matter , they have been put upon that shameful shift of leaving out the second commandment in their common catechisms and manuals , lest the people , seeing so plain a law of god against so common a practice of their church , should upon that discovery have broken off from them . . nor is our religion incumbered with such an endless number of superstitious and troublesom observances , as theirs infiintely is , even beyond the number of the jewish ceremonies , to the great burden and scandal of the christian religion , and the diverting of mens minds from the spiritual part of religion , and the more weighty and necessary duties of the christian life ; so that , in truth , a devout pastor is so taken up with the external rites and little observances of his religion , that he hath little or no time to make himself a good man , and to cultivate and improve his mind in true piety and virtue . . our religion is evidently more charitable to all christians that differ from us , and particularly to them , who , by their uncharitableness to us , have done as much as is possible to discharge and damp our charity towards them . and charity , as it is one of the most essential marks of a true christian , so it is likewise the best mark and ornament of a true church ; and of all things that can be thought of , methinks the want of charity in any church should be a motive to no man to fall in love with it , and to be fond of its communion . . our religion doth not clash and interfere with any of the great moral duties , to which all mankind stand obliged by the law and light of nature ; as fidelity , mercy and truth : we do not teach men to break faith with hereticks or infidels , nor to destroy and extirpate those who differ from us , with fire and sword : no such thing as equivocation or mental reservation , or any other artificial way of falshood , is either taught or maintain'd , either by the doctrine or by the casuists of our church . . our religion and all the doctrines of it are perfectly consistent with the peace of civil government , and the welfare of humane society : we neither exempt the clergy from subjection to the civil powers , nor absolve subjects upon any pretence whatsoever from allegiance to their princes ; both which points , the necessity of the one , and the lawfulness of the other , have been taught and stifly maintain'd in the church of rome , not only by private doctors , but by popes and general councils . . the doctrines of our religion , are perfectly free from all suspicion of a worldly interest and design , whereas the greatest part of the erroneous doctrines with which we charge the church of rome , are plainly calculated to promote the end of worldly greatness and dominion . the pope's kingdom is plainly of this world ; and the doctrines and maximes of it , like so many servants , are ready upon all occasion to fight for him . for most of them do plainly tend , either to the establishment and enlargment of his authority ; or to the magnifying of the priests , and the giving them a perfect power over the conscienees of the people , and the keeping them in a slavish subjection and blind obedience to them . and to this purpose do plainly tend the doctrines of exempting the clergy from the secular power and jurisdiction ; the doctrine of transubstantiation ; for it must needs make the priest a great man in the opinion of the people , to believe that he can make god , as they love to express it , without all reason and reverence . of the like tendency is the communicating of the laity only in one kind , thereby making it the sole priviledge of the priest to receive the sacrament in both . the with-holding the scripture from the people , and celebrating the service of god in an unknown tongue . the doctrine of an implicite faith , and absolute resignation of their judgments to their teachers . these do all directly tend to keep the people in ignorance , and to bring them to a blind obedience , to the dictates of their teachers : so likewise the necessity of the intention of the priests , to the saving virtue and efficacy of the sacraments ; by which doctrine , the people do upon the matter depend as much upon the good will of the priest , as upon the mercy of god for their salvation : but above all , their doctrine of the necessity of auricular and private confession , of all mortal sins commited after baptism , with all the circumstances of them to the priest ; and this not only for the ease and direction of their consciences , but as a necessary condition of having their sins pardoned and forgiven by god : by which means they make themselves masters of all the secrets of the people , and keep them in awe by the knowledge of their faults , scire volunt secreta domus atque inde timeri . or else their doctrines tend to filthy lucre , and the enriching of their church . as their doctrines of purgatory and indulgences , and their prayers and masses for the dead , and many more doctrines and practices of the like kind plainly do . . our religion is free from all disingenuous and dishonest arts of maintaining and supporting it self ; such are clipping of ancient authors , nay and even the authors and writers of their own church ; when they speak too freely of any point : as may be seen in their indices expurgatorii which much against their wills have been brought to light . to which i shall only add these three gross forgeries , which lie all at their doors , and they cannot deny them to be so . . the pretended canon of the council of nice in the case of appeals , between the church of rome and the african church . upon which they insisted a great while very confidently , till at last they were convinced by authentick copies of the canons of that council . . constantine's donation to the pope , which they kept a great stir with , till the forgery of it was discovered . . the decretal epistles of the ancient popes ; a large volume of forgeries , compiled by isidore mercator , to countenance the usurpations of the bishop of rome , and of which the church of rome made great use for several ages , and pertinaciously defended the authority of them , till the learned men of their own church have at last been forced for very shame to disclaim them , and to confess the imposture of them : a like instance whereto , is not i hope to be shewn in any christian church . this is that which st. paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the slight of men ; such as gamesters use at dice ; for to alledge false and forged authors in this case , is to play with false dice , when the salvation of mens souls lie at stake . . our religion hath this mighty advantage , that it doth not decline tryal and examination , which to any man of ingenuity must needs appear a very good sign of an honest cause ; but if any church be shy of having her religion examined , and her doctrines and practices brought into the open light , this gives just ground of suspicion that she hath some distrust of them ; for truth doth not seek corners , nor shun the light . our saviour hath told us who they are that love darkness rather than light , viz. they whose deeds are evil ; for every one , saith he , that doth evil , hateth the light ; neither cometh he to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved and made manifest . there needs no more to render a religion suspected to a wise man , than to see those who profess it , and make such proud boasts of the truth and goodness of it , so fearful that it should be examin'd and lookt into , and that their people should take the liberty to hear and read what can be said against it . . we perswade men to our reliligion by human and christian ways , such as our saviour and his apostles used , by urging men with the authority of god , and with arguments fetcht from another world. the promise of eternal life and happiness , and the threatning of eternal death and misery , which are the proper arguments of religion , and which alone are fitted to work upon the minds and consciences of men ; the terror and torture of death may make men hypocrites , and awe them to profess with their mouths what they do not believe in their hearts ; but this is no proper means of converting the soul , and convincing the minds and consciences of men ; and these violent and cruel ways cannot be denyed to have been practised in the church of rome , and set on foot by the authority of councils , and greatly countenanced and encouraged by popes themselves : witness the many croisades for the extirpation of hereticks , the standing cruelties of their inquisition , their occasional massacres and persecutions , of which we have fresh instances in every age. but these methods of conversion are a certain sign that they either disturst the truth and goodness of their cause , or else that they think truth and the arguments for it are of no force , when dragoons are their ratio ultima , the last reason which their cause relies upon ; and the best and most effectual it can afford . again , we hold no doctrines in defiance of the senses of all mankind ; such as is that of transubstantiation , which is now declared in the church of rome to be a necessary article of faith , so that a man cannot be of that religion , unless he will renounce his senses , and believe against the clear verdict of them in a plain sensible matter ; but after this , i do not understand how a man can believe any thing , because by this very thing he destroys and takes away the foundation of all certainty ; if any man forbid me to believe what i see , i forbid him to believe any thing upon better and surer evidence . st. paul saith , that faith cometh by hearing ; but if i cannot rely upon the certainty of sense , then the means whereby faith is conveyed , is uncertain ; and we may say , as st. paul doth in another case , then is our preaching vain , and your faith also is vain . lastly , ( to mention no more particulars ) as to several things used and practised in the church of rome , we are on the much safer side , if we should happen to be mistaken about them ; than they are , if they should be mistaken ; for it is certainly lawful to read the scriptures , and lawful to permit to the people the use of the scriptures in a known tongue : otherwise we must condemn the apostles and the primitive church for allowing this liberty . it is certainly lawful to have the publick prayers and service of god celebrated in a language which all that joyn in it can understand . it is certainly lawful to administer the sacrament of the lords supper to the people in both kinds , otherwise the christian church would not have done it for a thousand years . it is certainly lawful , not to worship images , not to pray to angels , or saints , or the blessed virgin , otherwise the primitive church would not have forborn these practices for three hundred years , as is acknowledged by those of the church of rome . suppose a man should pray to god only , and offer up all his prayers to him only by jesus christ , without making mention of any other mediator or intercessor with god for us , relying herein upon what the apostle says concerning our high priest , jesus the son of god , heb. . that he is able to save them to the utmost , who come unto god by him , ( i. e. ) by his mediation and intercession , since he ever liveth to make intercession for them ; might not a man reasonably hope to obtain of god all the blessings he stands in need of , by addressing himself only to him , in the name and by the intercession of that one mediator between god and man , the man christ jesus ? nay , why may not a man reasonably think , that this is both a shorter and more effectual way to obtain our requests , than by turning our selves to the angels and saints , and importuning them to solicite god for us ; especially if we should order the matter so , as to make ten times more frequent addresses to these , than we do to god and our blessed saviour , and in comparison of the other , to neglect these ; we cannot certainly think any more able to help us and do us good , than the great god of heaven and earth , the god ( as st. paul styles him ) that heareth prayers , and therefore unto him should all flesh come . we cannot certainly think any intercessor so powerful and prevalent with god , as his only and dearly beloved son , offering up our prayers to god in heaven , by vertue of that most acceptable and invaluable sacrifice , which he offered to him on earth ; we cannot surely think , that there is so much goodness any where as in god , that in any of the angels or saints , or even in the blessed mother of our lord , there is more mercy and compassion for sinners and a tenderer sense of our infirmities , than in the son of god. who is at the right hand of his father , to appear in the presence of god for us ; we are sure that god always hears the petitions which we put up to him , and so does the son of god , by whom we put them up to the father , because he also is god blessed for evermore . but we are not sure that the angels and saints hear our prayers , because we are sure that they are neither omniscient nor omnipresent , and we are not sure , nor probably certain , that our prayers are made known to them any other way ; there being no revelation of god to that purpose ; we are sure that god hath declared himself to be a jealous god , and that he will not give his honour to another ; and we are not sure but that prayer is part of the honour which is due to god alone ; and if it were not , we can hardly think but that god should be so far from being pleased , with our making so frequent use of those other mediators and intercessors , and from granting our desires the sooner upon that account : that on the contrary we have reason to think , he should be highly offended ; when he himself is ready to receive all our petitions , and hath appointed a great mediator to that purpose , to see more addresses made to , and by the angels and saints , and blessed virgin , than to himself by his blessed son ; and to see the worship of himself almost jostled out , by the devotion of people to saints and angels , and the blessed mother of our lord ; a thing which he never commanded , and which so far as appears by scripture , never came into his mind . i have been the longer upon this matter , to shew how unreasonable and needless at the best , this more than half part of the religion of the church of rome is ; and how safely it may be let alone . but now on the other hand , if they be mistaken in these things , as we can demonstrate from scripture they are , the danger is infinitely great on that side , for then they oppose an institution of christ , who appointed the sacrament to be received in both kinds ; and they involve themselves in a great danger of the guilt of idolatry , and our common christianity in the scandal and reproach of it . and this without any necessity , since god hath required none of these things at our hands ; and after all the bustle which hath been made about them , the utmost they pretend ( which yet they are not able to make good ) is , that these things may lawfully be done , and at the same time they cannot deny , but that if the church had not enjoyned them they might lawfully be let alone ; and can any thing be more unreasonable , than so pertinaciously to insist upon things so hard ( i might say ) impossible to be defended or excused , and which by their own acknowledgment are of no great weight and necessity ; in which we are certainly safe in not doing them , if they should prove lawful ; but if they do not prove so , they are in a most dangerous condition ; so that here is certain safety on the one hand , and the danger of damnation on the other ; which is as great odds as is possible . and they must not tell us that they are in no danger , because they are infallible , and cannot be mistaken ; they must prove that point a great deal better than they have yet done , before it can signifie any thing either to our satisfaction or their safety . i might have insisted more largely upon each of these particulars , any one of which is of weight to incline a man to that religion , which hath such an advantage on its side , but all of them together makes so powerful an argument to an unprejudiced person , as must almost irresistably determine his choice , for most of the particulars are so evident , that they cannot , upon the very mention and proposal of them , be denied to be clear advantages on our side . and now , to use the words of st. peter , i testifie unto you , that this is the true grace of god wherein ye stand , that the reformed religion which we profess , and which by the goodness of god is by law established in this nation , is the true ancient christianity , the faith which was at first delivered to the saints , and which is conveyed down to us in the writings of the apostles and the evangelists of our lord and saviour : remember therefore how you have received and heard , and hold fast , for he is faithful that hath promised , which is the second part of the text ; the encouragement which the apostle gives us to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; he is faithful that hath promised to give us his holy spirit to lead us into all truth , to stablish , strengthen , and settle us in the profession of it , to support and comfort us under all tryals and temptations , and to seal us up to the day of redemption , and he is faithful that hath promised to reward our constancy and fidelity to him and his truth , with a crown of everlasting life and glory . wherefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast and unmoveable , and alwayes abounding in the work of the lord , forasmuch as you know that your labour shall not be in vain in the lord ; for he is faithful that hath promised ; and let us provoke one another to charity and good works , which are the great ornament and glory of any religion , and so much the more , because the day approacheth in which god will judge the belief and lives of men by jesus christ , not according to the imperious and uncharitable dictates of any church , but according to the gospel of his son. to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory now and for ever . now the god of peace which brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good word and work ; working in you that which is pleasing in his sight . and the peace of god which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god , and of his son jesus christ our lord. a sermon . cor. v. . for we walk by faith , not by sight . in the latter part of the former chapter , the apostle declares what it was that was the great support of christians , under the persecutions and sufferings which befel them ; viz. the assurance of a blessed resurrection to another life , verse . knowing that he which raised up the lord jesus , shall raise up us also by jesus ; for which cause , saith he , verse . we faint not , but though our outward man perish , our inward man is renewed day by day ; that is , though our bodies , by reason of the hardships and sufferings which we undergo , are continually decaying and declining ; yet our minds grow every day more healthful and vigorous , and gain new strength and resolution , by contemplating the glory and reward of another world , and as it were feeding upon them by faith ; for our light affliction which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; whilst we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen . and he resumes the same argument again at the beginning of this chapter : for we know , that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved , we have a building of god , a house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens ; that is , we are firmly perswaded , that when we die , we shall but exchange these earthly and perishing bodies , these houses of clay , for a heavenly mansion , which will never decay nor come to ruine : from whence he concludes , verse . therefore we are always confident , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , therefore what ever happens to us , we are always of good courage , and see no reason to be afraid of death ; knowing that whilst we are at home in the body , we are absent from the lord ; that is , since our continuance in the body is to our disadvantage , and while we live we are absent from our happiness ; and when we die , we shall then enter upon the possession of it . that which gives us this confidence and good courage , is our faith ; for tho' we be not actually possest of this happiness which we speak of , yet we have a firm perswasion of the reality of it , which is enough to support our spirits and keep up our courage under all afflictions and adversities whatsoever , verse . for we walk by faith , not by sight . these words come in by way of parenthesis , in which the apostle declares in general , what is the swaying and governing principle of a christian life ; not only in case of persecution and affliction , but under all events , and in every condition of humane life ; and that is , faith ; in opposition to sight and present enjoyment : we walk by faith , and not by sight . we walk by faith ; what ever principle sways and governs a mans life and actions , he is said to walk and live by it . and as here a christian is said to walk by faith , so elsewhere the just is said to live by faith. faith is the principle which animates all his resolutions and actions . and not by sight . the word is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies the thing it self in present view and possession , in opposition to a firm perswasion of things future and invisible . sight is the thing in hand , and faith the thing only in hope and expectation . sight is a clear view and apprehension of things present and near to us ; faith an obscure discovery and apprehension of things at a distance : so the apostle tells us , cor. . . now we see through a glass darkly ; this is faith ; but then face to face , this is present sight , as one man sees another face to face ; and thus likewise the same apostle distinguisheth betwixt hope and sight , rom. . . . hope that is seen , is not hope ; for what a man sees , why doth he yet hope for it ? but if we hope for that which we see not , then do we with patience wait for it . sight is possession and enjoyment , faith is the firm perswasion and expectation of a thing ; and this the apostle tells us was the governing principle of a christian's life ; for we walk by faith , and not by sight ; from which words i shall observe these three things . i. that faith is the governing principle , and that which bears the great sway in the life and actions of a christian ; we walk by faith ; that is , we order and govern our lives in the power and virtue of this principle . ii. faith is a degree of assent inferiour to that of sense . this is sufficient-intimated in the opposition betwixt faith and sight . he had said before , that whilst we are at home in the body , we are absent from the lord ; and gives this as a reason and proof of our absence from the lord , for we walk by faith , and not by sight ; that is , whilst we are in the body , we do not see and enjoy , but believe and expect ; if we were present with the lord , then faith would cease , and be turned into sight ; but tho' we have not that assurance of another world , which we shall have when we come to see and enjoy these things , yet we are firmly perswaded of them . iii. notwithstanding faith be an inferiour degree of assurance , yet 't is a principle of sufficient power to govern our lives ; we walk by faith ; it is such an assurance as hath an influence upon our lives . i. that faith is the governing principle , and that which bears the great sway in the life and actions of a christian . we walk by faith ; that is , we order and govern our lives in the power and virtue of this principle : a christian's life consists in obedience to the will of god ; that is , in a readiness to do what he commands , and in a willingness to suffer what he calls us to ; and the great arguments and incouragements hereto , are such things as are the objects of faith , and not of sense ; such things as are absent and future , and not present and in possession ; for instance , the belief of an invisible god , of a secret power and providence , that orders and governs all things , that can bless or blast us , and all our designs and undertakings , according as we demean our selves towards him , and endeavour to approve our selves to him ; the perswasion of a secret aid and influence always ready at hand , to keep us from evil , and to strengthen and assist us to that which is good ; more especially the firm belief , and expectation of the happiness of heaven , and the glorious rewards of another world , which tho' they be now at a distance , and invisible to us , yet being grounded upon the promise of god that cannot lie , shall certainly be made good . and this faith , this firm perswasion of absent and invisible things , the apostle to the hebrews tells us , was the great principle of the piety and virtue of good men from the beginning of the world. this he calls , ch. . verse . the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or the confident expectation of things hoped for , and the proof or evidence of things not seen , viz. a firm perswasion of the being and providence of god , and of the truth and faithfulness of his promises . such was the faith of abel , he believed that there was a god , and that he was a rewarder of those that faithfully serve him : such was the faith of noah , who being warned of god , of things at a great distance , and not seen as yet , notwithstanding believed the divine prediction concerning the flood , and prepared an ark : such also was the faith of abraham , concerning a numerous posterity by isaac , and the inheritance of the land of canaan ; and such likewise was the faith of moses , he did as firmly believe the invisible god , and the recompence of reward , as if he had beheld them with his eyes . and of this recompence of reward , we christians have a much clearer revelation , and much greater assurance , than former ages and generations had ; and the firm belief and perswasion of this , is the great motive and argument to a holy life : the hope which is set before us , of obtaining the happiness , and the fear of incurring the misery , of another world . this made the primitive christians , with so much patience to bear the sufferings and persecutions , with so much constancy to venture upon the dangers and inconveniencies which the love of god and religion exposed them to . under the former dispensation of the law , tho good men received good hopes of the rewards of another life , yet these things were but obscurely revealed to them , and the great inducements of obedience were temporal rewards and punishments ; the promises of long life , and peace , and plenty , and prosperity , in that good land which god had given them , and the threatnings of war , and famine , and pestilence , and being delivered into captivity . but now , under the gospel , life and immortality are brought to light ; and the great arguments that bear sway with christians , are the promises of everlasting life , and the threatnings of eternal misery ; and the firm belief and persuasion of these , is now the great principle that governs the lives and actions of good men ; for what will not men do , that are really persuaded , that as they do demean themselves in this world , it will fare with them in the other ? that the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment , and the righteous into life eternal . i proceed to the ii. observation , namely ; that faith is a degree of assent , inferiour to that of sense . this is intimated in the opposition betwixt faith and sight ; we walk by faith , and not by sight ; that is , we believe these things , and are confidently persuaded of the truth of them , tho we never saw them ; and consequently cannot possibly have that degree of assurance concerning the joys of heaven , and the torments of hell , which those have who enjoy the one and endure the other . there are different degrees of assurance concerning things , arising from the different degrees of evidence we have for them : the highest degree of evidence we have for any thing , is our own sense and experience ; and this is so firm and strong , that it is not to be shaken by the utmost pretence of a rational demonstration ; men will trust their own senses and experience , against any subtilty of reason whatsoever : but there are inferiour degrees of assurance concerning things , as the testimony and authority of persons every way credible ; and this assurance we have in this state concerning the things of another world , we believe with great reason , that we have the testimony of god concerning them , which is the highest kind of evidence in it self ; and we have all the reasonable assurance we can desire , that god hath testified these things , and this is the utmost assurance which things future and at a distance are capable of . but yet it is an unreasonable obstinacy to deny , that this falls very much short of that degree of assurance which those persons have concerning these things , who are now in the other world , and have the sense and experience of these things ; and this is not only intimated here in the text , in the opposition of faith and sight , but is plainly exprest in other texts of scripture , cor. . , . we know now but in part , but when that which is perfect is come , that which is in part shall be done away . that degree of knowledge and assurance which we have in this life is very imperfect , in comparison to what we shall have hereafter , and verse . we now see as through a glass darkly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as in a riddle , in which there is always a great deal of obscurity ; all which expressions are certainly intended by way of abatement and diminution to the certainty of faith ; because it is plain , that by that which is in part or imperfect , the apostle means faith and hope , which he tells us shall cease , when that which is perfect , meaning vision and sight , is come : we see likewise in experience , that the faith and hope of the best christians in this life is accompanied with doubting concerning these things , and all doubting is a degree of uncertainty ; but those blessed souls who are entred upon the possession of glory and happiness ; and those miserable wretches who lye groaning under the wrath of god and the severity of his justice , cannot possibly , if they would , have any doubt concerning the truth and reality of these things . but however contentious men may dispute against common sense , this is so plain a truth , that i will not labour in the farther proof of it ; nor indeed is it reasonable , while we are in this state , to expect that degree of assurance concerning the rewards and punishments of another life , which the sight and sensible experience of them would give us ; and that upon these two accounts ; . because our present state will not admit it ; and , . if it would , it is not reasonable we should have it . . our present state will not admit it ; for while we are in this world , it is not possible we should have that sensible experiment and tryal how things are in the other . the things of the other world are remote from us , and far out of our sight , and we cannot have any experimental knowledge of them , till we our selves enter into that state . those who are already past into it know how things are ; those happy souls who live in the reviving presence of god , and are possest of those joys which we cannot now conceive , understand these things in another manner , and have a more perfect assurance concerning them , than it is possible for any man to have in this world ; and those wretched and miserable spirits who feel the vengeance of god , and are plunged into the horrors of eternal darkness , do believe upon irresistable evidence , and have other kind of convictions of the reality of that state , and the insupportable misery of it , than any man is capable of in this world. . if our present state would admit of this high degree of assurance ; it is not fit and reasonable that we should have it ; such an over-powering evidence would quite take away the virtue of faith , and much lessen that of obedience . put the case that every man , some considerable time before his departure out of this life , were permitted to visit the other world , to assure him how things are there , to view the mansions of the blessed , and to survey the dark and loathsome prisons of the damned , to hear the lamentable outcrys of miserable and despairing souls , and to see the inconceivable anguish and torments they are in ; after this , what virtue would it be in any man to believe these things ? he that had been there and seen them , could not dis-believe them if he would : faith in this case would not be virtue , but necessity ; and therefore it is observable , that our saviour doth not pronounce them blessed , who believed his resurrection , upon the forcible evidence of their own senses , but , blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed . they might be happy in the effects of that faith , but there is not praise , no reward belongs to that faith which is wrought in man by so violent and irresistable an evidence . it was the great commendation of abraham's faith , that against hope he believed in hope , he believed the promise of god concerning a thing in it self very improbable ; but it is no commendation at all to believe the things which we have seen , because they admit of no manner of dispute ; no objection can be offered to shake our assent , unless we will run to the extremity of scepticism ; for if we will believe any thing at all , we must yield to the evidence of sense : this does so violently enforce our assent , that there can be no virtue in such a faith. and as this would take away the virtue of faith , so it would very much lessen that of our obedience . it is hardly to be imagined , that any man who had seen the blessed condition of good men in another world , and been an eye-witness of the intolerable torments of sinners , should ever after be tempted knowingly to do any thing that would deprive him of that happiness , or bring him into that place of torment : such a sight could not chuse but affect a man as long as he lived ; and leave such impressions upon his mind , of the indispensable necessity of a holy life , and of the infinite danger of a wicked course , that we might sooner believe that all the men in the world should conspire to kill one another ; than that such a man , by consenting to any deliberate act of sin should wilfully throw himself into those flames : no , his mind would be continually haunted with those furies he had seen tormenting sinners in another world , and the fearful shrieks and outcries of miserable souls , would be perpetually ringing in his ears ; and the man would have so lively and terrible an imagination of the danger he was running himself upon , that no temptation would be strong enough to conquer his fears , and to make him careless of his life and actions , after he had once seen how fearful a thing it was to fall into the hands of the living god : so that in this case , the reason of mens obedience would be so violent , that the virtue of it must be very little ; for what praise is due to any man , not to do those things which none but a perfect mad man would do ? for certainly that man must be besides himself , that could by any temptation be seduced to live a wicked life , after he had seen the state of good and bad men in the other world ; the glorious rewards of holiness and virtue , and the dismal event of a vitious and sinful course : god hath designed this life for the trial of our virtue , and the exercise of our obedience , but there would hardly be any place for this , if there were a free and easie passage for us into the other world , to see the true state of things there . what argument would it be of any mans virtue to forbear sinning , after he had been in hell , and seen the miserable end of sinners ? but i proceed to the iii. and last observation ; namely , that notwithstanding faith be an inferiour degree of assent , yet it is a principle of sufficient force and power to govern our lives ; we walk by faith. now , that the belief of any thing may have its effect upon us , it is requisite that we be satisfied of these two things . . of the certainty and of the great concernment of the thing ; for if the thing be altogether uncertain , it will not move us at all , we shall do nothing towards the obtaining of it , if it be good ; nor for the avoiding and preventing of it , if it be evil ; and if we are certain of the thing , yet if we apprehend it to be of no great moment and concernment , we shall be apt to slight it , as not worth our regard ; but the rewards and punishments of another world , which the gospel propounds to our faith , are fitted to work upon our minds ; both upon account of the certainty and concernment of them . for , . we have sufficient assurance of the truth of these things , as much as we are well capable of in this state . concerning things future and at a distance , we have the dictates of our reason arguing us into this perswasion , from the consideration of the justice of the divine providence , and from the promiscuous and unequal administration of things in this world ; from whence wise men in all ages have been apt to conclude , that there will be another state of things after this life , wherein rewards and punishments shall be equally distributed . we have the general consent of mankind in this matter : and to assure us , that these reasonings are true , we have a most credible revelation of these things , god having sent his son from heaven to declare it to us , and given us a sensible demonstration of the thing , in his resurrection from the dead , and his visible aseension into heaven ; so that there is no kind of evidence wanting , that the thing is capable of , but only our own sense and experience of these things , of which we are not capable in this present state . and there is no objection against all this , but what will bring all things into uncertainty , which do not come under our senses , and which we our selves have not seen . nor is there any considerable interest to hinder men from the belief of these things , or to make them hesitate about them ; for as for the other world , if at last there should prove to be no such thing , our condition after death will be the same with the condition of those who disbelieve these things ; because all will be extinguish'd by death : but if things fall out otherwise ( as most undoubtedly they will ) and our souls after this life do pass into a state of everlasting happiness or misery , then our great interest plainly lies , in preparing our selves for this state ; and there is no other way to secure the great concernments of another world , but by believing those things to be true , and governing all the actions of our lives by this belief . for as for the interests of this life , they are but short and transitory , and consequently of no consideration in comparison of the things which are eternal ; and yet ( as i have often told you ) setting aside the case of persecution for religion , there is no real interest of this world , but it may be as well promoted and pursued to as great advantage , nay , usually , to a far greater , by him that believes these things , and lives accordingly , than by any other person : for the belief of the rewards and punishments of another world is the greatest motive and encouragement to virtue ; and as all vice is naturally attended with some temporal inconvenience , so the practice of all christian virtues doth in its own nature tend both to the welfare of particular persons , and to the peace and prosperity of mankind . but that which ought to weigh very much with us , is , that we have abundantly more assurance of the recompence of another world , than we have of many things in this world , which yet have a greater influence upon our actions , and govern the lives of the most prudent and considerate men. men generally hazard their lives and estates upon terms of greater uncertainty , than the assurance which we have of another world. men venture to take physick upon probable grounds of the integrity and skill of their physician , and yet the want of either of these may hazard their lives ; and men take physick upon greater odds ; for it certainly causeth pain and sickness , and doth but uncertainly procure and recover health ; the patient is sure to be made sick , but not certain to be made well ; and yet the danger of being worse , if not of dying , on the one hand , and the hope of success and recovery on the other , make this hazard and trouble reasonable . men venture their whole estates to places which they never saw ; and that there are such places , they have only the concurrent testimony and agreement of men ; nay , perhaps , have only spoken with them that have spoken with those that have been there . no merchant ever insisted upon the evidence of a miracle to be wrought , to satisfie him that there were such places as the east and west-indies , before he would venture to trade thither : and yet this assurance god hath been pleased to give the world of a state beyond the grave , and of a blessed immortality in another life . now what can be the reason that so slender evidence , so small a degree of assurance will serve to encourage men to seek after the things of this world with great care and industry ; and yet a great deal more will not suffice to put them effectually upon looking after the great concernments of another world , which are infinitely more considerable ? no other reason of this can be given , but that men are partial in their affections towards these things . it is plain they have not the same love for god and religion which they have for this world , and the advantages of it ; and therefore it is , that a less degree of assurance will engage them to seek after the one , than the other ; and yet the reason is much stronger on the other side : for the greater the benefit and good is , which is offered to us , we should be the more eager to seek after it , and should be content to venture upon less probability . upon excessive odds , a man would venture upon very small hopes ; for a mighty advantage , a man would be content to run a great hazard of his labour and pains upon little assurance : where a man's life is concern'd , every suspicion of danger will make a man careful to avoid it : and will nothing affright men from hell , unless god carry them thither , and shew them the place of torments , and the flames of that fire which shall never be quenched ? i do not speak this , as if these things had not abundant evidence ; i have shewn that they have ; but to convince men , how unreasonable and cruelly partial they are about the concernments of their souls , and their eternal happiness . . supposing these things to be real and certain , they are of infinite concernment to us : for what can concern us more , than that eternal and unchangeable state in which we must be fixt and abide for ever ? if so vast a concern will not move us , and have no influence upon the government of our lives and actions , we do not deserve the name of reasonable creatures . what consideration can be set before men , who are not touched with the sense of so great an interest , as that of our happy or miserable being to all eternity ? can we be so solicitous and careful about the concernment of a few days ; and is it nothing to us what becomes of us for ever ? are we so tenderly concerned to avoid poverty and disgrace , persecution and suffering in this world ; and shall we not much more flee from the wrath which is to come , and endeavour to escape the damnation of hell ? are the slight and transitory enjoyments of this world worth so much thought and care ? and is an eternal inheritance in the heavens not worth the looking after ? as there is no proportion , betwixt the things which are temporal and the things which are eternal , so we ought in all reason , to be infinitely more concerned for the one than for the other . the proper inference from all this discourse is , that we would endeavour , to strengthen in our selves this great principle of a christian life , the belief of another world , by representing to our selves all those arguments and considerations which may confirm us in this perswasion . the more reasonable our faith is , and the surer grounds it is built upon ; the more firm it will abide , when it comes to the tryal , against all the impressions of temptations and assaults of persecution : if our faith of another world be only a strong imagination of these things , so soon as tribulation ariseth , it will wither ; because it hath no root in it self : upon this account the apostle so often exhorts christians , to endeavour to be establisht in the truth , to be rooted and grounded in the faith , that when persecution comes , they may continue stedfast and unmovable . the firmness of our belief will have a great influence upon our lives ; if we be stedfast and unmovable in our perswasion of these things , we shall be abundant in the work of the lord. the apostle joins these together , cor. . . wherefore , my beloved brethren , be ye stedfast and unmovable , always abounding in the work of the lord , forasmuch as ye know your labour shall not be in vain in the lord. stedfast and unmovable , in what ? in the belief of a blessed resurrection ; which the more firmly any man believes , the more active and industrious will he be in the work and service of god. and that our faith may have a constant and powerful influence upon our lives , we should frequently revolve in our minds the thoughts of another world , and of that vast eternity which we shall shortly launch into . the great disadvantage of the arguments fetcht from another world , is this , that these things are at a distance from us , and not sensible to us , and therefore we are not apt to be so affected with them : present and sensible things weigh down all other considerations . and therefore to balance this disadvantage , we should often have these thoughts in our minds , and inculcate upon our selves the certainty of these things , and the infinite concernment of them : we should reason thus with our selves ; if these things be true , and will certainly be , why should they not be to me , as if they were actually present ? why should not i always live , as if heaven were open to my view , and i saw jesus standing at the right hand of god , with crowns of glory in his hands , ready to be set upon the heads of all those who continue faithful and obedient to him ? and why should i not be as much afraid to commit any sin , as if hell were naked before me , and i saw the astonishing miseries of the damned ? thus we should , by frequent meditation , represent these great things to our selves , and bring them nearer to our minds , and oppose to the present temptations of sense , the great and endless happiness and misery of the other world. and if we would but thus exercise our selves about the things which are not seen , and make eternity familiar to our selves , by a frequent meditation of it , we should be very little moved with present and sensible things ; we should walk and live by faith , as the men of the world do by sense , and be more serious and earnest in the pursuit of our great and everlasting interest , than they are in the pursuit of sensual enjoyments , and should make it the great business of this present and temporal life , to secure a future and eternal happiness . a sermon , on heb. x. . but if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . the great design of this epistle , ( whoever was the author of it , which i shall not now enquire into ) is plainly this , to confirm the jews , who were but newly converted to christanity , in the stedfast profession of that faith , which they had embraced , and to arm them against that temptation , which christians were then exposed to , viz. the fierce and cruel persecutions , which threatned those of that profession . and to this purpose , he represents to them , the excellency of that religion , above any other former revelation , that god had made of himself to the world ; both in respect of the author and revealer of it , who was the son of god , and in respect of the revelatition it self ; which , as it contains better , and more perfect directions of a good life , so likewise more powerful and effectual motives thereto , better promises , and more terible threatnings , than were annexed to the observation of the jewish law , or clearly and certainly discoverable by the light of nature . from these considerations , he earnestly persuades them , all along throughout this epistle , to continue constant in the profession of this faith , and not to suffer themselves to be frighted out of it by the terrour of persecution ; chap. . v. . therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard , left at any time we should let them slip ; and chap. . . let us therefore fear , lest a promise being left us , of entring into his rest , any of you should come short of it , and verse . of this chapter , let us hold fast the profession of our faith , without wavering ; and to encourage them to constancy , he sets before them , the glorious rewards and recompences of the gospel ; verse . cast not away therefore your confidence , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , your free and open profession of christianity , which hath great recompence of reward . and then on the other hand , to deter them from apostacy from this profession , he represents to them the horrible danger of it , here in the text , but if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . i shall briefly explain the words , and then prosecute that which i mainly intended in them ; if any man draw back , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : these words , with the foregoing , are cited out of the prophet habakkuk , chap. . verse , . and they are cited by the apostle , according to the translation of the lxx . which differs somewhat from the hebrew ; and the difference ariseth from the various readings of the hebrew word , which is rendered by the lxx . to draw back ; but by the change of a letter signifies to be lifted up , as we render it in the prophet ; but however that be , the apostle follows the translation of the lxx . and accommodates it to his purpose . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if any man draw back ; the word signifies to keep back , to withdraw , to sneak and slink away out of fear , to fail , or faint in any enterprize : and thus this word is rendered in the new testament , acts . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i did not with-hold , or keep back any thing that was profitable for you ; and so it is said of st. peter , gal. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he slunk away , or withdrew himself , fearing them of the circumcision ; and the hebrew word , which is here rendered by the lxx . to draw back , is elsewhere rendered by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is to fail or faint ; from all which it appears , that by drawing back , the apostle here means , mens quitting their profession of christianity , and slinking out of it , for fear of suffering for it . my soul shall have no pleasure in him : these words are plainly a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and less is said than is meant ; for the meaning is , that god will be extreamly displeased with them , and punish them very severely . the like figure to this , you have psal. . . thou art not a god that hast pleasure in wickedness , which in the next verse is explained , by his hatred and detestation of those who are guilty of it , thou hatest all the workers of iniquity . so that the plain sense of the words is this , that apostasie from the profession of god's true religion , is a thing highly provoking to him , and will be most severely punisht by him . in speaking to this argument , i shall consider these four things . i. the nature of this sin of apostasie from religion . ii. the several steps and degrees of it . iii. the heinousness of it . iv. the great danger of it , and the terrible punishment it exposeth men to . and when i have spoken to these , i shall conclude all with a short exhortation , to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . i. we will consider the nature of this sin of apostasie from religion ; and it consists in forsaking or renouncing the profession of religion , whether it be by an open declaration in words , or a virtual declaration of it by our actions ; for it comes all to one in the sight of god , and the different manner of doing it , does not alter the nature of the thing : he indeed that renounceth religion , by an open declaration in words , offers the greatest and boldest defiance to it ; but he is likewise an apostate , who silently withdraws himself from the profession of it , who quits it for his interest , or for fear disowns it , and sneaks out of the profession of it , and forsakes the communion of those who own it . thus demas was an apostate , in quitting christianity for some worldly interest . demas hath forsaken us , having loved this present world , saith st. paul , tim. . . and those whom our saviour describes , mat. . , . who receiv'd the word into stony ground , were apostates out of fear , they heard the word , and with joy receiv'd it , but having no root in themselves , they endured but for a while , and when tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word , presently they fall off . and there is likewise a partial apostasie from christianity , when some fundamental article of it is denied , whereby in effect and by consequence , the whole christian faith is overthrown . of this hymeneus and philetus were guilty , of whom the apostle says , that they erred concerning the truth , saying that tbe resurrection was past already , and thereby overthrew the faith of some , tim. . , . that is , they turned the resurrection into an allegory , and did thereby really destroy a most fundamental article of the christian religion . so that to make a man an apostate , it is not necessary that a man should solemnly renounce his baptism , and declare christianity to be false ; there are several other ways whereby a man may bring himself under this guilt ; as by a silent quitting of his religion , and withdrawing himself from the communion of all that profess it ; by denying an essential doctrine of christianity ; by undermining the great end and design of it , by teaching doctrines which directly tend to encourage men in impenitence , and a wicked course of life , nay , to authorise all manner of impiety and vice , in telling men that whatever they do they cannot sin ; for which , the primitive christians did look upon the gnosticks , as no better than apostates from christianity ; and tho they retained the name of christians , yet not to be truly and really so . and there is likewise a partial apostacy from the christan religion ; of which i shall speak under the ii. head i proposed ; which was , to consider the several sorts and degrees of apostacy . the highest of all , is the renouncing and forsaking of christianity , or of some essential part of it , which is a virtual apostafie from it . but there are several tendencies towards this , which they who are guilty of , are in some degree guilty of this sin. as . indifferency in religion , and want of all sort of concernment for it : when a man , tho he never quitted his religion , yet is so little concerned for it , that a very small occasion or temptation would make him do it ; he is contented to be reckoned in the number of those who profess it , so long as it is the fashion , and he finds no great inconvenience by it ; but is so indifferent in his mind about it , ( like gallio , who minded none of those things ) that he can turn himself into any other shape , when his interest requires it ; so that tho he never actually deserted it , yet he is kind of apostate , in the preparation and disposition of his mind : and to such persons , that title which solomon gives to some , may fitly enough be applyed , they are backsliders in heart . . another tendency to this sin , and a great degree of it , is withdrawing from the publick marks and testimonies of the profession of religion , by forsaking the assemblies of christians for the worship and service of god ; to withdraw our selves from those , for fear of danger or suffering , is a kind of denyal of our religion . and this was the case of some in the apostles time , when persecution grew hot , and the open profession of christianity dangerous ; to avoid this danger , many appeared not in the assemblies of christians , for fear of being observed and brought into trouble for it . this the apostle taxeth some for , in this chapter , and speaketh of it as a letting go our profession , and a kind of deserting of christianity , v. , . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , not forsaking the assembling of our selves together , as the manner of some is : he doth not say they had quitted their profession , but they had but a loose hold of it , and were silently stealing away from it . . a light temper of mind , which easily receives impressions from those who lie in wait to deceive , and seduce men from the truth . when men are not well rooted and established in religion , they are apt to be inveigled by the crafty insinuations of seducers , to be moved with every wind of doctrine , and to be easily shaken in mind , by every trifling piece of sophistry , that is confidently obtruded upon them for a weighty argument . now this is a temper of mind which disposeth men to apostasie , and renders them an easie prey to every one that takes a pleasure and a pride in making proselytes . it is true indeed , a man should always have a mind ready to entertain truth , when it is fairly proposed to him ; but the main things of religion are so plainly revealed , and lie so obvious to every ordinary capacity , that every man may discern them ; and when he hath once entertained them , ought to be stedfast and unmovable in them , and not suffer himself to be whiffled out of them , by any insignificant noise about the infallibility of a visible church ; much less ought he to be moved by any man's uncharitableness and positiveness , in damning all that are not of his mind . there are some things so very plain , not only in scripture , but to the common reason of mankind , that no subtilty of discourse , no pretended authority , or even infallibility of any church , ought to stagger us in the least about them ; as that we ought not , or cannot believe any thing in direct contradiction to sense and reason ; that the people ought to read and study the holy scriptures , and to serve god and pray to him in a language which they understand ; that they ought to receive the sacrament as our saviour instituted and appointed it , that is , in both kinds ; that it can neither be our duty , nor lawful to do that which god hath forbidden ; as he hath done the worship of images in the second commandment , as plainly as words can do it . upon any one of these points , a man would fix his foot , and stand alone against the whole world. . another degree of apostasie is , a departure from the purity of the christian doctrine and worship , in a gross and notorious manner . this is a partial , tho not a total apostasie from the christian religion ; and there have been , and still are some in the world , who are justly charged with this degree of apostasie from religion ; namely such , as tho they retain and profess the belief of all the articles of the christian faith , and worship the only true god , and him whom he hath sent , jesus christ ; yet have greatly perverted the christian religion , by superinducing , and adding new articles of faith , and gross corruptions , and superstitions in worship , and imposing upon men the belief and practice of these , as necessary to salvation . and st. paul is my warrant for this censure , who chargeth those who added to the christian religion , the necessity of circumcision , and observing the law of moses , and thereby perverted the gospel of christ , as guilty in some degree of apostasie from christianity ; for he calls it , preaching another gospel , gal. . , . there be some that trouble you , and would pervert the gospel of christ ; but tho we , or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel to you , than that which we have preached , let him be accursed . and those who were seduced by these teachers , he chargeth them with having in some sort quitted the gospel of christ , and embraced another gospel , v. . i marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of christ , unto another gospel : so that they who thus pervert and corrupt the christian doctrine or worship , are plainly guilty of a partial apostasie from christianity ; and they who quit the purity of the christian doctrine and worship , and go over to the communion of those who have thus perverted christianity , are in a most dangerous state , and in the judgment of st. paul , are in some sort removed unto another gospel . i shall now proceed , in the iii. place , to consider the heinousness of this sin. and it will appear to be very heinous , if we consider , what an affront it is to god , and how great a contempt of him ; when god hath revealed his will to mankind , and sent no less person than his own son out of his own bosom to do it , and hath given such testimonies to him from heaven , by signs and wonders , and divers miracles and gifts of the holy ghost ; when he hath transmitted down to us , so faithful a record of this revelation , and of the miracles wrought to confirm it , in the books of the holy scriptures , and when we our selves have so often declared our firm belief of this revelation ; yet after all this to fall from it , and deny it , or any part of it , or to embrace doctrines and practices plainly contrary to it : this certainly cannot be done without the greatest affront and contempt of the testimonies of god himself ; for it is in effect , and by interpretation , to declare , that either we do not believe what god says , or that we do not fear what he can do . so st. john tells us , ep. . . he that believeth not god , hath made him a lyar , because he believeth not the record which god hath given of his son. and all along in this epistle to the hebrews , the apostle sets himself to aggravate this sin ; calling it an evil heart of unbelief , to depart from the living god , ch. . and he frequently calls it so , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and by way of eminency , as being of all sins the greatest and most heinous . ch. . . if we sin willfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth . that the apostle here speaks of the sin of apostasie , is plain from the whole scope of his discourse ; for having exhorted them before , v. . to hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering , not forsaking the assembling of themselves together , he immediately adds , for if we sin willfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth ; that is , if we fall off from christianity , after we have embraced it . and , ch. . let us lay aside every weight , and the sin which so easily besets us ; that is , the great sin of apostasie from religion ; to which they were then so strongly tempted by that fierce persecution which attended it ; and therefore he adds , let us run with patience the race which is set before us ; that is , let us arm our selves with patience against the sufferings we are like to meet with in our christian course . to oppose the truth , and resist the clear evidence of it , is a great sin , and men are justly condemned for it . john . . this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men loved darkness rather than light . but to desert the truth , after we have been convinced of it , to fall off from the profession of it , after we have embraced it ; is a much greater sin. opposition to the truth , may proceed in a great measure from ignorance and prejudice , which is a great extenuation ; and therefore st. paul tells us , that after all his violent persecution of christianity , he found mercy , because he did it ignorantly and in unbelief . to revolt from the truth , after we have made profession of it ; after we have known the way of righteousness , to turn from the holy commandment ; this is the great aggravation . the apostle makes wilfulness , an usual ingredient into the sin of apostasie , if we sin wilfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth . and as this sin is one of the greatest affronts to god , so it is the highest and most effectual disparagement of religion ; for it is not so much considered , what the enemies of religion speak against it , because they speak evil of the things which they know not , and of which they have had no tryal and experience ; but he that falls off from religion , after he hath made profession of it , declares to the world , that he hath tryed it , and dislikes it ; and pretends to leave it , because he hath not found that truth and goodness in it which he expected ; and upon long experience of it , sees reason to prefer another religion before it : so that nothing can be more despiteful to religion than this , and more likely to bring it into contempt ; and therefore the apostle ( v. . of this chapter ) calls it a trampling under foot the son of god , and making the blood of the covenant a profane thing , and offering despite to the spirit of grace : for we cannot put a greater scorn upon the son of god , who revealed this doctrine to the world ; nor upon his blood , which was shed to confirm and seal the truth of it ; and upon the holy ghost , who came down in miraculous gifts , to give testimony to it ; than notwithstanding all this , to renounce this doctrine , and to forsake this religion . but we shall yet farther see the heinousness of this sin , in the terrible punishment it exposeth men to ; which was the iv. and last thing i proposed to consider . and this is represented to us in a most terrible manner , not only in this epistle , but in other places of scripture . this sin is placed in the highest rank of pardonable sins , and next to the sin against the holy ghost , which our saviour declares to be absolutely unpardonable . and indeed the scripture speaks very doubtfully of the pardonableness of this sin , as being near akin to that against the holy ghost , being said to be an offering despite to the spirit of grace . in the th chapter of this epistle , v. , , . the apostle speaks in a very severe manner , concerning the state of those , who had apostatized from christianity , after the solemn profession of it in baptism , it is impossible for those who were once enlightned ( that is baptized ) and have tasted of the heavenly gift , ( that is regeneration ) and were made partakers of the holy ghost , and have tasted the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come , ( that is , have been instructed in the christan religion , and endowed with the miraculous powers of the gospel-age , ( for the jews used to call the age of the messias , seculum futurum , or the world to come ) it is impossible for those to be renewed again unto repentance ; where the least we can understand , by impossible , is , that it is extreamly difficult ; for so the word impossible is sometimes used ; as when our saviour says , it is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven . and , ch. . . the apostle speaking of the same thing , says , if we sin willfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth , there remains no more sacrifice for sins ; that is , they who renounce christianity , since they reject the only way of expiation , there remains no more sacrifice for their sins . st. peter likewise expresseth himself very severely concerning this sort of persons , epist. . , . for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world , through the knowledge of the lord and saviour jesus christ ; ( that is , after they have been brought from heathenism to christianity ) they are entangled therein again , and overcome ; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning . he seems loth to say , how sad the condition of such persons is , but this he tells them , that it is much worse than when they were heathens before ; and he gives the reason , for it had been better for them , not to have known the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them . and st. john calls this sin of apostasie , the sin vnto death ; and tho he do not forbid christians to pray for them that are guilty of it ; yet he will not say , that they should pray for them . epist. . . if any man see his brother sin a sin , which is not unto death , he shall ask , and he shall give him life , for them that sin not unto death ; there is a sin unto death , i do not say , that he shall pray for it . now that by this sin unto death , the apostle means apostasie from the christian religion to idolatry , is most probable from what follows , verse . we know that whosoever is born of god sinneth not , ( that is this sin unto death ) but he that is begotten of god keepeth himself , and the wicked one toucheth him not , ( that is , he is preserved from idolatry , unto which the devil had seduced so great a part of mankind ) and we know that we are of god , and the whole world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is under the dominion of that wicked one ; ( viz. the devil , whom the scripture elsewhere calls the god of this world ; ) and we know that the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding , that we may know him that is true , ( that is , hath brought us from the worship of false gods , to the knowledge and worship of the true god ) and then he concludes , little children , keep your selves from idols ; which caution hath no manner of dependence upon what went before , unless we understand the sin unto death , in this sense ; and it is the more probable , that it is so to be understood , because apostasie is so often in this epistle to the hebrews , called the sin , by way of eminency , as it is here , by st. john , whosoever is born of god sinneth not . so that at the very best , the scripture speaks doubtfully of the pardon of this sin ; however , that the punishment of it , unrepented of , shall be very dreadful . it seems to be mildly exprest here in the text , if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him : but it is the more severe for being exprest so mildly , according to the intention of the figure here used ; and therefore in the next words , this expression of gods taking no pleasure in such persons , is explained by their utter ruin and perdition ; but we are not of them that draw back unto perdition . and in several parts of this epistle , there are very severe passages to this purpose ; ch. . , . if the word spoken by angels , was stedfast , and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward , how shall we escape , if we neglect so great salvation ? and ch. . , . if we sin willfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth , there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin ; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment , and fiery indignation , which shall devour the adversary : he that dispised moses law , dyed without mercy , under two or three witnesses ; of how much sorer punishment , suppose ye , shall he be thought worthy , that hath trodden under foot the son of god! &c. for we know him who hath said , vengeance is mine , i will recompence , saith the lord : and again , the lord shall judge his people ; it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. what can be more severe and terrible than these expressions ? i will mention but one text more , and that is rev. . . where in the catalogue of great sinners , those who apostatize from religion , out of fear , do lead the van ; he that overcometh shall inherit all things , ( which is elsewhere in this book exprest , by continuing faithful unto the death . ) he that overcometh , shall inherit all things ; and i will be his god , and he shall be my son ; but the fearful , and unbelieving , and the abominable , and whoremongers , and sorcerers , and idolaters , and all lyars , shall have their part in the lake , which burneth with fire and brimstone , which is the second death . the fearful , and unbelievers , and lyars ; that is , they who out of fear relapse into infidelity , and abide not in the truth , shall be reckoned in the first rank of offenders , and be punished accordingly . and thus i have done with the four things i propounded to speak to , from these words ; the nature of apostasie ; the several steps and degrees of it ; the heinous nature of this sin ; the danger of it , and the terrible punishment in exposeth men to . and is there any need now , to exhort men to hold fast the profession of faith , when the danger of drawing back is so evident , and so terrible ? or is there any reason and occasion for it ? certainly there is no great danger amongst us , of mens apostatizing from christianity , and turning jews , or turks , or heathens ; i do not think there is ; but yet for all that , we are not free from the danger of apostasie ; there is great danger , not of mens apostatizing from one religion to another , but from religion to infidelity , and atheism ; and of this worst kind of apostasie of all other , i wish the age we live in , had not afforded us too many instances . it is greatly to be lamented , that among those who have profest christianity , any should be found , that should make it their endeavour to undermine the great principles of all religion ; the belief of a god , and his providence ; and of the immortality of the souls of men ; and a state of rewards and punishments after this life ; and to bring the most serious matters in the world into contempt , and to turn them into jest and raillery ; this is not only a renouncing of christianity , the religion which god hath revealed , but even of the religion which is born with us , and the principles and notions which god hath planted in every man's mind ; this is an impiety of the first magnitude , and not to be mentioned without grief and horror ; and this , it is to be feared , hath had a great hand in those great calamities which our eyes have seen ; and i pray god , it do not draw down still more and greater judgments upon this nation : but i hope there are none here that need to be cautioned against this horrible impiety , and highest degree of apostasie from the living god ; that which people are much more in danger of , is apostasie from the purity of the christian doctrine and worship , so happily recovered by a regular reformation , and establisht amongst us , by all the authority that laws , both ecclesiastical and civil , can give it ; and which in truth is no other than the ancient and primitive christianity ; i say , a defection from this , to those gross errors and superstitions , which the reformation had paired off , and freed us from . i do not say , that this is a total apostasie from christianity ; but it is a partial apostasie and defection , and a very dangerous one ; and that those , who after they have received the knowledge of the truth , fall off from it , into those errors and corruptions , are highely guilty before god , and their condition certainly worse , and more dangerous , than of those who where brought up in those errors and superstitions , and never knew better ; for there are terrible threatnings in scripture against those , who fall away from the truth , which they once embraced , and were convinced of ; if we sin wilfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth , &c. and if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . god considers every man's advantages and opportunities of knowledge , and their disadvantages likewise , and makes all reasonable allowances for them ; and for men to continue in the errors they have been always brought up in ; or , which comes much to one , in errors which they were led into by principles early infused into them , before they were in any measure competent judges of those matters ; i say , for such persons to continue in these errors , and to oppose and reject the contrary truths , against which , by their education , they have received so strong and violent a prejudice , this may be in a great degree excusable , and find pardon with god , upon a general repentance for all sins , both known and unknown ; and cannot be reasonably charged with the guilt of this great sin of apostasie . but not to abide in the truth , after we have entertain'd and profess'd it , having sufficient means and advantages of knowing it , hath no excuse . i would not be rash in condemning particular persons of any society or communion of christians , provided they be sincerely devout , and just , and sober , to the best of their knowledge : i had much rather leave them to god , whose mercies are great , than to pass an uncharitable censure upon them , as to their eternal state and condition : but the case is far otherwise , where the oportunities of knowledge are afforded to men , and men love darkness rather than light ; for they who have the means and advantages of knowing their master's will , are answerable to god , as if they had known it ; because if they had not been grosly negligent , and wanting to themselves , they might have known it . and this i fear is the case of the generality of those , who have been bred up to years of consideration and choice in the reformed religion , and forsake it ; because they do it without sufficient reason , and there are invincible objections against it : they do it without sufficient reason ; because every one amongst us knows , or may know , upon very little enquiry , that we hold all the articles of the faith , which are contained in the ancient creeds of the christian church , and into which all christians are baptized ; that we inculcate upon men the necessity of a good life , and of sincere repentance , and perfect contrition for our sins , such as is follow'd with real reformation and amendment of our lives ; and that without this , no man can be saved by any device whatsoever . now what reason can any man have , to question whether he may be saved in that faith which saved the first christians , and by believing the twelve articles of the apostles creed , tho he cannot swallow the twelve articles which are added to it in the creed of pope pius iv. every one of which , besides many and great corruptions and superstitions in worship , are so many and invincible objections against the communion of the roman church , as i could particularly shew , if it had not been already done , in so many learned treatises upon this argument . what is there then , that should move any reasonable man to forsake the communion of our church , and to quit the reformed religion ? there are three things chiefly with which they endeavour to amuse and affright weaker minds . . a great noise of infallibility , which they tell us , is so excellent a means to determine and put an end to all differences . to which i shall at present only object this prejudice ; that there are not wider and hotter differences among us , about any thing whatsoever , than are amongst them about this admirable means of ending all differences , as , where this infallibility is feated , that men may know how to have recourse to it , for the ending of differences . . they endeavour to fright men with the danger of schism . but every man knows , that the guilt of schism lies at their door , who impose sinful articles of communion ; and not upon them , who for fear of sinning against god , cannot submit to those articles ; which we have done , and are still ready to make good , to be the case betwixt us and the church of rome . but , . the terrible engine of all , is , their positive and confident damning of all that live and die out of the communion of their church . this i have fully spoken to upon another occasion , and therefore shall only say at present , that every man ought to have better thoughts of god , than to believe , that he , who delighteh not in the death of sinners , and would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth , will confirm the sentence of such uncharitable men , as take upon them to condemn men for those things , for which our saviour in his gospel condemns no man. and of all things in the world , one would think , that the uncharitableness of any church , should be an argument to no man , to run into its communion . i shall conclude with the apostle's exhortation , ver . . of this chapter , let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , and provoke one another to charity and good works ; and so much the more , because the day approacheth , in which god will judge the faith and lives of men , by jesus christ , according to his gospel . a sermon , on matth . xvi . . then said jesus unto his disciples , if any man will come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me . then said jesus to his disciples , that is , upon occasion of his former discourse with them , wherein he had acquainted them with his approaching passion , that he must shortly go up to jerusalem , and there suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes , and at last be put to death by them ; then said jesus unto his disciples , if any man will come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross , and follow me . if any man will come after me , or follow me ; that is , if any man will be my disciple , and undertake the profession of my religion ; if any man chuse and resolve to be a christian ; he must be so upon these terms ; he must deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me : he must follow me in self-denyal and suffering . in the handling of these words , i shall do these four things . i. i shall consider the way and method which our saviour useth in making proselytes , and gaining men over to his religion : he offers no manner of force and violence to compel them to the profession of his religion ; but fairly offers it to their consideration and choice , and tells them plainly upon what terms they must be his disciples ; and if they be contented and resolved to submit to these terms , well ; if not , it is in vain to follow him any longer ; for they cannot be his disciples . ii. i shall endeavour to explain this duty of self-denyal , exprest in these words , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me . iii. i shall consider the strict and indispensible obligation of it , whenever we are call'd to it , without this we cannot be christ's disciples ; if any man will come after me , or be my disciple , let him deny himself . iv. i shall endeavour to vindicate the reasonableness of this precept , of self-denial and suffering for christ , which at first appearance may seem to be so very harsh and difficult ; and i shall go over these particulars as briefly as i can . i. we will consider the way and method which our saviour here useth in making proselytes , and gaining men over to his religion ; he offers no manner of force and violence to compel men to the profession of his religion , but fairly proposeth it to their consideration and choice , telling them plainly upon what terms they must be his disciples ; if they like them , and are content , and resolved to submit to them , well ; he is willing to receive them , and own them for his disciples ; if not , it is in vain to follow him any longer : for they cannot be his disciples . as on the one hand , he offers them no worldly preferment and advantage , to entice them into his religion , and to tempt them outwardly to profess what they do not inwardly believe ; so on the other hand , he does not hale and drag them by force , and awe them by the terrours of torture and death to sign the christian faith , tho' most undoubtedly true ; and to confess with their mouths , and subscribe with their hands , what they do not believe in their hearts . he did not obtrude his sacraments upon them , and plunge them into the water to baptize them , whether they would or no , and thrust the sacrament of bread into their mouths ; as if men might be worthy receivers of that blessed sacrament , whether they receive it willingly or no. our blessed saviour , the author and founder of our religion , made use of none of these ways of violence , so contrary to the nature of man , and of all religion , and especially of christianity , and fitted only to make men hypocrites , but not converts ; he only says , if any man will be my disciple ; he useth no arguments , but such as are spiritual , and proper to work upon the minds and consciences of men : for as his kingdom was not of this world , so neither are the motives and arguments to induce men to be his subjects , taken from this world ; but from the endless rewards and punishments of another . the weapons which he made use of , to subdue men to the obedience of faith , are not carnal ; and yet they were mighty through god , to conquer the obstinacy and infidelity of men . this great and infallible teacher , who certainly came from god , all that he does , is to propose his religion to men , with such evidence , and such arguments , as are proper to convince men of the truth and goodness of it ; and to perswade men to embrace it ; and he acquaints them likewise with all the worldly disadvantages of it , and the hazards and sufferings that would attend it ; and now , if upon full consideration , they will make his religion their free choice , and become his disciples , he is willing to receive them ; if they will not , he understands the nature of religion better , than to go about to force it upon men , whether they will or no. ii. i shall endeavour to explain this duty or precept of self-denial , exprest in these words , let him deny himself , and take up his cross . these are difficult terms ; for a man to deny himself , and take up his own cross ; that is , willingly to submit to all those sufferings which the malice of men may inflict for the sake of christ and his religion . for this expression , of taking up one's cross , is a plain allusion to the roman custom , which was this ; that he that was condemned to be crucified , was to take his cross upon his shoulders , and to carry it to the place of execution ; this the jews made our saviour to do , as we read , joh. . . till that being ready to faint under it and lest he should die away before he was nailed to the cross , they compelled simon of cyrene to carry it for him , as is declar'd by the other evangelists ; and yet he tells them , they that will be his disciples must follow him , bearing their own cross ; that is , being ready ( if god call them to it ) to submit to the like sufferings for him and his truth , which he was shortly to undergo for the truth , and for their sakes . but tho these terms seem very hard ; yet they are not unreasonable ; as i shall shew in the conclusion of this discourse . some indeed have made them so by extending this self-denyal too far , attending more to the latitude of the words , than to the meaning and scope of our saviour's discourse : for there is no doubt , but that there are a great many things , which may properly enough be called self-denyal , which yet our saviour never intended to oblige christians to . it is , no doubt , great self-denyal , for a man , without any necessity , to deny himself the necessary supports of life , for a man to starve and make away himself . but no man certainly ever imagined , that our saviour ever intended by this precept , to enjoyn this kind of self-denyal . it is plain then , that there is no reason nor necessity to extend this precept of our saviour , concerning self-denyal , to every thing that may properly enough be called by that name ; and therefore this precept must be limited by the plain scope and intendment of our saviour's discourse ; and no man can argue thus ; such a thing is self-denyal , therefore our saviour requires it of his disciples : for our saviour doth not here require all kinds of self-denyal ; but limits it , by his discourse , to one certain kind , beyond which , self-denyal is no duty by virtue of this text ; and therefore , for our clearer understanding of this precept of self-denyal , i shall do these two things : . remove some sorts of self-denyal , which are instanced in by some , as intended in this precept . . i shall shew what kind of self-denyal that is , which our saviour here intends . . there are several things brought under this precept of self-denyal , which were never intended by our saviour . i shall instance in two or three things , which are most frequently insisted upon , and some of them by very devout and well-meaning men ; as , that in matters of faith , we should deny and renounce our own senses and our reason ; nay , that we should be content to renounce our own eternal happiness , and be willing to be damned for the glory of god and the good of our brethren : but all these are so apparently and grosly unreasonable , that it is a wonder that any one should ever take them for instances of that self-denyal which our saviour requires ; especially considering , that in all his discourse of self-denyal , he does not so much as glance at any of these instances , or any thing like to them . . some comprehend under self-denyal , the denying and renouncing our own senses in matters of faith : and if this could be made out to be intended by our saviour in this precept , we needed not dispute any of the other instances . for he that renounceth the certainty of sense , so as not to believe what he sees , may after this renounce and deny any thing . for the evidence of sense is more clear and unquestionable than that of faith ; as the scripture frequently intimates ; as john . . where our saviour reproves thomas , for refusing to believe his resurrection , upon any less evidence than that of sense ; because thou hast seen , thou hast believed : blessed are they wich have not seen , and yet have believed . which plainly supposeth the evidence of sense to be the highest and clearest degree of evidence . so likewise that of st. paul , cor. . . we walk by faith , and not by sight : where the evidence of faith , as that which is more imperfect and obscure , is opposed to that of sight , as more clear and certain . so that to believe any article of faith , in contradiction to the clear evidence of sense , is contrary to the very nature of assent ; which always yields to the greatest and clearest evidence . besides that , our belief of religion is at last resolved into the certainty of sense ; so that by renouncing that , we destroy and undermine the very foundation of our faith. one of the plainest and principal proofs of the being of god ( which is the first and fundamental article of all religion ) relies upon the certainty of sense ; namely , the frame of this visible world ; by the contemplation whereof , we are led to the acknowledgment of the invisible author of it . so st. paul tells us , rom. . . that the invisible things of god , from the creation of the world , are clearly seen , being understood by the things which are made , even his eternal power and godhead . and the great external evidence of the christian religion , i mean miracles , is at last resolved into the certainty of sense , without which , we can have no assurance that any miracle was wrought for the confirmation of it . and the knowledge likewise of the christian faith , is conveyed to us by our senses ; the evidence whereof , if it be uncertain , takes away all certainty of faith. how shall they believe , ( saith st. paul , rom. . . ) how shall they believe in him , of whom they have not heard ? and ver . . so then faith cometh by hearing , and hearing by the word of god. so that to deny and renounce our senses in matters of faith , is to take away the main pillar and foundation of it . . others , almost with equal absurdity , would comprehend under our saviour's precept of self-denial , the denying and renouncing of our reason in matters of faith : and this is self-denial with a witness , for a man to deny his own reason ; for it is to deny himself to be a man. this surely is a very great mistake , and tho the ground of it may be innocent ; yet the consequence of it , and the discourses upon it , are very absurd . the ground of the mistake is this , men think they deny their own reason , when they assent to the revelation of god in such things , as their own reason could neither have discovered , nor is able to give the reason of : whereas in this case , a man is so far from denying his own reason , that he does that which is most agreeable to it . for what more reasonable than to believe whatever we are sufficiently assur'd is revealed to us by god , who can neither be deceived himself , nor deceive us ? but tho' the ground of this mistake may be innocent , yet the consequences of it are most absurd and dangerous . for if we are to renounce our reason in matters of faith , then are we bound to believe without reason , which no man can do ; or if he could , then faith would be unreasonable , and infidelity reasonable . so that this instance likewise of self-denial , to renounce and deny our own reason , as it is no where exprest , so it cannot reasonably be thought to be intended by our saviour in this precept . . nor doth this precept of self-denial require men to be content to renounce their own eternal happiness , and to be willing to be damned for the glory of god , and the good of their brethren . if this were the meaning of this precept , we might justly say , as the disciples did to our saviour , in another case , this is a hard saying , and who can hear it ? the very thought of this , is enough to make humane nature to tremble at its very foundation . for the deepest principle that god hath planted in our nature , is the desire of our own preservation and happiness ; and into this the force of all laws , and the reason of all our duty is at last resolved . from whence it plainly follows , that it can be no man's duty in any case to renounce his own happiness , and to be content to be for ever miserable ; because if once this be made a duty , there will be no argument left , to perswade any man to it . for the most powerful arguments , that god ever used , to perswade men to any thing , are the promise of eternal happiness , and the terrour of everlasting torments : but if this were a man's duty , to be content to be miserable for ever , neither of these arguments would be of force sufficient to perswade a man to it . the first of these , namely the promise of eternal happiness , could signifie nothing to him that is to be eternally miserable ; because if he be to be so , it is impossible that he should ever have the benefit of that promise : and the threatning of eternal misery , could be no argument in this case ; because the duty is just as difficult , as the argument is powerful , and no man can be moved to submit to any thing that is grievous and terrible , but by something that is more terrible ; for if it be not , it is the same thing , whether he submit to it , or not ; and then no man can be content , to be eternally miserable , only for the fear of being so ; for this would be for a man to run himself upon that very inconvenience which he is so much afraid of ; and 't is madness for a man to die for fear of death . quis novus hic furor est , ne moriare , mori ? by this it plainly appears , how unreasonable it is to imagin , that by this precept of self-denial , our saviour should require men to renounce everlasting happiness , and to be content to be miserable for ever , upon any account whatsoever ; because this were to suppose , that god hath imposed that upon us as a duty , to oblige us whereto there can be no argument offer'd , that can be powerful enough . as for the glory of god , which is pretended to be the reason , it is an impossible supposition ; because it cannot be for the glory of god , to make a creature for ever miserable , that shall not by his wilful obstinacy and impenitence deserve to be so . but this is only cast in to add weight . the other reason of the good and salvation of our brethren , is the only consideration for which there is any manner of colour from scripture ; and two instances are alledged to this purpose , of two very excellent persons , that seem to have desired this , and to have submitted to it ; and therefore it is not so unreasonable as we would make it , that our saviour should enjoyn it as a duty . the instances alledged are these . moses desired of god that he might be blotted out of the book of life , rather than the people of israel , whom he had conducted and governed so long , should be destroyed : and in the new testament st. paul tells us , that he could wish , that himself were accursed from christ , for his brethren ; so earnest a desire had he of their salvation . but neither of these instances are of force sufficient to overthrow the reasons of my former discourse ; for the desire of moses amounts only to a submission to a temporal death , that his nation might be saved from a temporal ruin . for the expression of blotting out of the book of life , is of the same importance with those phrases so frequently used in the old testament , of blotting out from the face of the earth , and blotting out one's name from under heaven ; which signifie no more than temporal death and destruction ; and then moses's wish was reasonable and generous , and signifies no more , but that he was willing , if god pleased , to die to save the nation . as for st. paul's wish , of being accursed from christ , it is plainly an hyperbolical expression of his great affection to his country-men the jews , and his zeal for their salvation , which was so great , that if it had been a thing reasonable and lawful , he could have wisht the greatest evil to himself for their sakes ; and therefore it is observable , that it is not a positive and absolute wish , but exprest in the usual form of ushering in an hyperbole ; i could wish , just as we are wont to say , when we would express a thing to the hight , which is not fit , nor intended to be done by us ; i could wish so or so ; i could even afford to do this or that ; which kind of speeches , no man takes for a strict and precise declaration of our minds , but for a figurative expression of a great passion . and thus i have done with the first thing i proposed for the explication of this precept , or duty of self-denial ; which was to remove some sorts of self-denial , which by some are frequently instanced in , as intended by our saviour in this precept . i proceed now to the second thing i proposed ; which is to declare positively , what that self-denial is , which our saviour here intends ; and 't is plainly this , and nothing but this ; that we should be willing to part with all earthly comforts and conveniences , to quit all our temporal interests and enjoyments , and even life it self , for the sake of christ and his religion . this our saviour means , by denying our selves ; and then ( which is much the same with the other ) that we should be willing to bear any temporal inconvenience and suffering , upon the same account . this is to take up our cross and follow him . and that this is the full meaning of these two phrases , of denying our selves , and taking up our cross , will clearly appear , by considering the particular instances , which our saviour gives of this self-denyal , when ever he hath occasion to speak of it ; by which you will plainly see , that these expressions amount to no more than i have said . even here in the text , after our saviour had told his disciples , that he that would come after him , must deny himself , and take up his cross ; it follows immediately , for whosoever will save his life shall lose it , and whosoever will lose his life for my sake , shall find it . you see here , that he instanceth in parting with our lives for him , as the highest piece of self-denyal , which he requires . and he himself elsewhere tells us , that greater love than this hath no man , than that a man lay down his life for his friend . elsewhere he instanceth in quitting our nearest relations for his sake ; luke . , . if any man come to me , and hate not his father , and mother , and wife , and children , and brethren , and sisters , yea and his own life also , he cannot be my disciple ; and whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me , he cannot be my disciple . which expressions , of hating father , and mother , and other relations , and even life it self , are not to be understood rigorously , and in an absolute sense , but comparatively ; for it is an hebrew manner of speech , to express that absolutely , which is meant only comparatively ; and so our saviour explains himself , in a parallel text to this ; matth. . , . he that loveth father or mother , more than me , is not worthy of me : he that loveth son or daughter , more than me , is not worthy of me : and he that taketh not his cross , and followeth after me , is not worthy of me . in another place , our saviour instanceth in quitting our estates for his sake , matth. . . every one that shall forsake houses , or brethren , or sisters , or father , or mother , or wife , or children , or lands , for my names sake ; by all which it appears , that this self-denyal which our saviour here requires of his disciples , is to be extended no farther , than to a readiness and willingness , when ever god shall call us to it , to quit all our temporal interests and enjoyments , and even life it self , ( the dearest of all other ) and to submit to any temporal inconvenience and suffering for his sake . and thus much for the explication of the precept here in the text. i proceed in the third place , to consider the strict and indispensible obligation of this precept of self-denyal , and suffering for christ , and his truth , rather than to forsake and renounce them . if any man will come after me , or be my disciple , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me ; that is , upon these terms , he must be my disciple , in this manner he must follow me ; and in the text i mention'd before , he declares again , that he that is not ready to quit all his relations and even life it self , for his sake , is not worthy of him , and cannot be his disciple ; and whosoever doth not bear his cross , and come after me , cannot be my disciple ; so that we cannot be the disciples of christ , nor be worthy to be called by his name ; if we be not ready thus to deny our selves for his sake : and not only so ; but if for fear of the cross , or of any temporal sufferings , we should renounce , and deny him ; he threatens to deny us before his father which is in heaven , ( i. e. ) to deprive us of eternal life , and to sentence us to everlasting misery . matth. . . whosoever shall confess me before men , him will i confess before my father which is in heaven : but whosoever shall deny me before men , him will i also deny before my father which is in heaven : and mark . . whosoever shall be ashamed of me , and of my words , in this adulterous and sinful generation , of him also shall the son of man be ashamed , when he cometh in the glory of his father , with his holy angels ; that is , when he cometh to judge the world , they shall not be able to stand in that judgment ; for that by his being ashamed of them , is meant , that they shall be condemned by him , is plain from what goes before , v. , . what shall it profit a man , if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? and then it follows , whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words . but because some have had the confidence to tell the world , that our saviour doth not require thus much of christians ; but all that he obligeth us to , is to believe in him in our hearts , but not to make any outward profession of his religion , when the magistrate forbids it , and we are in danger of suffering for it : i shall therefore briefly examine what is pretended for so strange an assertion , and so directly contrary to the whole tenor of the gospel , and to the express words of our saviour . the author of the book called the leviathan , tells us , that we are not only not bound to confess christ , but we are obliged to deny him , in case the magistrate require us so to do . his words are these : what if the soveraign forbid us to believe in christ ? he answers , such forbidding is of no effect , because belief and vnbelief never follows mens commands . but what ( says he ) if we be commanded by our lawful prince to say with our tongues , we believe not ; must we obey such commands ? to this he answers , that profession with the tongue is but an external thing , and no more than any other gesture , whereby we signifie our obedience , and wherein a christian , holding firmly in his heart the faith of christ , hath the same liberty which the prophet elisha allowed to naaman . but what then ( says he ) shall i answer to our saviour , saying , whosoever denieth me before men , him will i deny before my father which is in heaven . his answer is , this we may say , that whatsoever a subject is compell'd to in obedience to his soveraign , and does it not in order to his own mind , but the law of his country , the action is not his , but his soveraign's ; nor is it he that in this case denies christ before men , but his governour , and the laws of his country . but can any man , that in good earnest pays any degree of reverence to our blessed saviour and his religion , think to baffle such plain words by so frivolous an answer ? there is no man doubts , but if the magistrate should command men to deny christ , he would be guilty of a great sin in so doing ; but if we must obey god rather than men , and every man must give an account of himself to god ; how will this excuse him that denies christ , or breaks any other commandment of god , upon the command of the magistrate ? and to put the matter out of all doubt , that our saviour forbids all that will be his disciples , upon pain of damnation , to deny him , tho the magistrate should command them to do so , it is very observable , that in that very place , where he speaks of confessing or denying him before men , he puts this very case , of their being brought before kings and governours for confessing him , matth. . . beware ( says he ) of men , for they will deliver you up to the council , and they will scourge you in their synagogues ; and ye shall be brought before governours and kings for my sake , for a testimony against them and the gentiles . but what testimony would this be against them , if christians were bound to deny christ at their command ? but our saviour goes on , and tells them how they ought to demean themselves , when they were brought before kings and governours , v. . but when they shall deliver you up , take ye no thought , how , or what ye shall speak ; for it shall be given you in that very hour what ye shall speak . but what need of any such extraordinary assistance in the case , if they had nothing to do , but to deny him , when they were required by the magistrate to do it ? and then ( proceeding in the same discourse ) he bids them , v. . not to fear them that can kill the body , and after that have no more that they can do ; that is , not to deny him , for fear of any temporal punishment or suffering the magistrate could inflict upon them ; but to fear and obey him , who can destroy body and soul in hell. and upon this discourse our saviour concludes , v. , . whosoever therefore shall confess me before men , him will i confess also before my father which is in heaven ; but whosoever shall deny me before men , him will i also deny before my father which is in heaven . and now can any thing be plainer , than that our saviour requires his disciples to make confession of him before kings and governours , and not to deny him for fear of any thing which they can do to them ? but let us enquire a little farther , and see how the apostles , who received this precept from our saviour himself , did understand it . acts . . we find peter and john summoned before the jewish magistrates , who strictly commanded them , not to speak at all , nor teach in the name of jesus . but peter and john answered and said unto them , whether it be right in the sight of god , to hearken unto you , more than unto god , judge ye . and when they still persisted in their course , notwithstanding the command of the magistrate , and were called again before the council , ch. . . and the high priest asked them , saying , did we not straitly command you , that you should not teach in this name ? and behold , ye have filled jerusalem with your doctrine : they return them again the same answer , v. . then peter and the other apostles answered and said , we ought to obey god rather than men . and let any man now judge , whether our saviour did not oblige men to confess him even before magistrates , and to obey him rather than men. and indeed , how can any man in reason think , that the great king and governour of the world should invest any man with a power to control his authority , and to oblige men to disobey and renounce him , by whom kings reign , and princes decree judgment ? this is a thing so unreasonable , that it can hardly be imagined , that any thing but down-right malice against god and religion could prompt any man to advance such an assertion . i should now have proceeded to the fourth and last particular , which i proposed to speak to ; namely , to vindicate the reasonableness of this precept of self-denial and suffering for christ , which at first appearance may seem to be so very harsh and difficult . but this , together with the application of this discourse , shall be reserved to another oportunity . a sermon , on matth . xvi . . then said jesus unto his disciples , if any man will come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me . then said jesus unto his disciples ; that is , upon occasion of his former discourse with them , concerning his approaching passion , and that he must shortly go up to jerusalem , and there suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes , and at last be put to death by them ; then said jesus unto his disciples , if any man will come after me ; that is , if any man will be my disciple , and undertake the profession of my religion , he must do it upon these terms of self-denial and suffering . in the handling of these words , i proceeded in this method . first , i considered the way which our saviour here useth in making proselytes , and gaining men over to his religion . he offers no manner of force and violence to compel men to the profession of it , but fairly proposeth it to their consideration and choice ; telling them plainly upon what terms they must be his disciples ; if they like them , and be resolved to submit to them , well ; if not , 't is in vain to follow him any longer ; for they cannot be his disciples . and to use any other way than this to gain men over to religion , is contrary both to the nature of man , who is a reasonable creature ; and to the nature of religion , which , if it be not our free choice , cannot be religion . secondly , i explained his duty or precept of self-denial , express'd in these words , let him deny himself , and take up his cross ; which phrase , of taking up one's cross , is an allusion to the roman custom , which was , that the malefactor that was to be crucified , was to take up his cross upon his shoulders , and to carry it to the place of execution . now for our clearer understanding of this precept of self-denial , i told you , that it is not to be extended to every thing that may properly be call'd by that name , but to be limited by the plain scope and intendment of our saviour's discourse ; and therefore i did in the first place remove several things which are instanced in by some , as intended and required by this precept . as , . that we should deny and renounce our own sense in matters of faith. but this i shewed to be absurd and impossible ; because if we do not believe what we see , or will believe contrary to what we see , we destroy all certainty , there being no greater than that of sense : besides , that the evidence of faith being less clear and certain than that of sense , it is contrary to the nature of assent , which is always sway'd and born down by the greatest and clearest evidence . so that we cannot assent to any thing in plain contradiction to the evidence of sense . . others would comprehend under this precept , the denying of our reason in matters of faith ; which is in the next degree of absurdity to the other ; because no man can believe any thing , but upon some reason or other ; and to believe without any reason , or against reason , is to make faith unreasonable , and infidelity reasonable . . others pretend , that by virtue of this precept , men ought to be content to renounce their own eternal happiness , and to be miserable for ever , for the glory of god , and the salvation of their brethren . but this i shewed cannot be a duty , for this plain reason ; because if it were , there is no argument left powerful enough to perswade a man to it . and as for the two scripture instances alledged to this purpose ; moses his wish , of being blotted out of the book of life for the people of israel , signifies no more than a temporal death ; and st. paul's , of being accursed from christ for his brethren , is only an hyperbolical expression of his great passion and zeal for the salvation of his country-men ; as is evident from the form of the expression ; such as is commonly used to usher in an hyperbole ; i could wish . and in the second place , i shewed positively , that the plain meaning of this precept of self-denial is this , and nothing but this ; that we should be willing to part with all our temporal interests and enjoyments , and even life it self , for the sake of christ and his religion . this is to deny our selves . and then , that we should be willing to bear any temporal inconvenience and suffering upon the same account . this is to take up our cross. and this i shewed from the instances which our saviour gives of self-denial , whenever he had occasion to discourse of it . thirdly , i considered the strict and indispensable obligation of this precept of self-denial , rather than to forsake christ and his religion . without this disposition and resolution of mind we cannot be his disciples ; and if we deny him before men ; he will also deny us before his father which is in heaven . and this confession of him and his truth we are to make before kings and governours , and notwithstanding their commands to the contrary , which are of no force against the laws and commands of god. thus far i have gone . there remains only the iv. and last particular , which i proposed to speak to ; viz. to vindicate the reasonableness of this self-denial and suffering for christ , which at first appearance may seem to be so very difficult . and this precept cannot be thought unreasonable , if we take into consideration these three things . i. that he who requires this of us , hath himself given us the greatest example of self-denial that ever was . the greatest in it self , in that he denied himself more , and suffered more grievous things , than it is possible for any of us to do : and such an example , as in the circumstances of it , is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it ; because all his self-denial and sufferings were for our sakes . ii. if we cosider , that he hath promised all needful supplies of his grace , to enable us to the discharge of this difficult duty of self-denial and suffering , and to support and comfort us therein . iii. he hath assured us of a glorious reward of all our sufferings and self-denial , beyond the proportion of them , both in the degree and duration of it . i shall go over these as briefly as i can . i. if we consider , that he who requires us thus to deny our selves for him , hath given us the greatest example of self-denyal that ever was . our saviour knowing how unwelcome this doctrine of self-denyal and suffering must needs be to his disciples , and how hardly this precept would go down with them ; to sweeten it a little , and take off the harshness of it , and to prepare their minds the better for it , he tells them first of his own sufferings ; that by that means he might , in some measure , reconcile their minds to it , when they saw that he required nothing of them , but what he was ready to undergo himself , and to give them the example of it . and upon this occasion it was , that our saviour acquaints them with the hard and difficult terms upon which they must be his disciples . v. . the evangelist tells us , that jesus began to shew unto his disciples ; how that he must go unto jerusalem , and suffer many things of the elders , and chief-priests , and scribes , and be killed . then said jesus unto his disciples ; that is , immediately upon this discourse of his own sufferings , as the fittest time for it , he takes the oportunity to tell them plainly of their own sufferings ; and that unless they were prepared and resolved to deny themselves so far , as to suffer all manner of persecution for his sake and the profession of his religion ; they could not be his disciples . if any man will come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross , and follow me ; that is , let him reckon and resolve upon following that example of self-denyal and suffering , in which i will go before him . now the consideration of this example of self-denyal and suffering , which our saviour hath given us , hath great force in it to reconcile us to this difficult duty , and to shew the reasonableness of it . . that he who requires us thus to deny our selves , hath himself in his own person , given us the greatest example of self-denyal that ever was . and , . such an example , as , in all the circumstances of it , is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it ; because all his self-denyal and sufferings were for our sakes . . he who requires us thus to deny our selves , hath himself in his own person given us the greatest example of self-denyal that ever was ; in that he denyed himself more , and suffered more grievous things , than any of us can do . he bore the insupportable load of all the sins of all mankind , and of the wrath and vengeance due to them . never was sorrow like to his sorrow , wherewith the lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger . he was despised and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows , and acquainted with griefs ; his visage was marred more than any mans , and his form more than the sons of men . ( i. e. ) he underwent more affliction , and had more contempt poured upon him , than ever was upon any of the sons of men ; and yet he endured all this with incredible patience and meekness , with the greatest evenness and constancy of mind , and with the most perfect submission and resignation of himself to the will of god , that can be imagined . such an example as this should be of great force to animate us with the like courage and resolution , in lesser dangers and difficulties . to see the captain of our salvation going before us , and leading us on so bravely , and made perfect by greater sufferings than we can ever be called to , or are any ways able to undergo , is no small argument and encouragement to us , to take up our cross and follow him . the consideration of the unknown sufferings of the son of god , so great as we cannot well conceive of them , should make all the afflictions and sufferings that can befall us , not only tolerable , but easie to us . upon this consideration it is , that the apostle animates christians to patience in their christian course , notwithstanding all the hardships and sufferings that attended it ; heb. . . let us run with patience the race which is set before us , looking unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith , who endured the cross , and despised the shame . for consider him , who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself , lest ye also be weary and faint in your minds . and this example is more powerful for our encouragement , because therein we see the world conquered to our hands , and all the terrours and temptations of it baffled and subdued , and thereby a cheap and easie victory over it obtained for us . by this consideration , our saviour endeavours to inspire his disciples with chearfulness and courage in this great conflict ; john . . in the world ye shall have tribulation ; but be of good chear , i have overcome the world . . this example of our saviour , is such , as in all the circumstances of it , is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it ; because all his self-denyal and sufferings were for our sakes , in pity and kindness to us , and wholly for our benefit and advantage . we are apt to have their example in great regard , from whom we have received great kindness and mighty benefits . this pattern of self-denyal and suffering , which our religion proposeth to us , is the example of one , whom we have reason to esteem , and love , and imitate , above any person in the world. 't is the example of our lord and master , of our sovereign and our saviour , of the founder of our religion , and of the author and finisher of our faith : and surely such an example must needs carry authority with it , and command our imitation . 't is the example of our best friend , and greatest benefactor ; of him , who laid down his life for us , and sealed his love to us with his dearest blood ; and , even when we were bitter enemies to him , did , and suffered more for us , than any man ever did for his best friend . if we should be reduced to poverty and want , let us consider him ; who being lord of all , had not where to lay his head ; who being rich , for our sakes became poor ; that we through his poverty might be made rich . if it should be our lot to be persecuted for righteousness sake , and exercised with sufferings and reproaches ; let us look unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith , who endured the cross , and despised the shame for our sakes . in a word , can we be discontented at any condition , or decline it in a good cause ; when we consider how contented the son of god was , in the meanest and most destitute ; how meek and patient in the most afflicted and suffering condition ; how he welcomed all events , and was so perfectly resigned to the will of his heavenly father , that whatever pleased god , pleased him ? and surely in no case is example more necessary than in this , to engage and encourage us in the discharge of so difficult a duty , so contrary to the bent and inclination of flesh and blood. a bare precept of self-denial , and a peremptory command to sacrifice our own wills , our ease , our pleasure , our reputation , yea and life it self , to the glory of god , and the maintenance of his truth , would have sounded very harsh and severe , had not the practice of all this been mollified and sweetned by a pattern of so much advantage ; by one who in all these respects denied himself , much more than it is possible for us to do ; by one who might have insisted upon a greater right ; who abased himself , and stooped from a greater hight and dignity ; who was not forced into a condition of meanness and poverty , but chose it for our sakes ; who submitted to suffering , tho he had never deserved it . here is an example that hath all the argument , and all the encouragement that can be , to the imitation of it . such an example is of greater force and authority than any precept or law can be : so that well might our lord , thus going before us , command us to follow him , and say , if any man will come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me . for if he thus denied himself , well may we , who have much less to deny , but much more cause and reason to do it . he did it voluntarily , and of choice ; but it is our duty . he did it for our sakes ; we do it for our own . his own goodness moved him to deny himself for us ; but gratitude obligeth us to deny our selves in any thing for him . we did not in the least deserve any thing from him ; but he hath wholly merited all this , and infinitely more from us . so that such an example as this is , in all the circumstances of it , cannot but be very powerful and effectual , to oblige us to the imitation of it . but the reasonableness of this precept will yet farther appear , if we consider in the third place , that god hath promised to all sincere christians all needful supplies of his grace , to inable them to the discharge of this difficult duty of self-denial , and to support and comfort them therein . for the spirit of christ dwells in all christians , and the same glorious power that raised up jesus from the dead , works mightily in them that believe ; eph. . . that ye may know ( saith st. paul , speaking in general to all christians ) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward , who believe , according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in christ , when he raised him from the dead . of our selves we are very weak , and the temptations and terrors of the world very powerful ; but there is a principle residing in every true christian , able to bear us up against the world , and the power of all its temptations . whatsoever is born of god ( saith st. john ) overcometh the world ; and this is the victory that overcometh the world , even our faith. ye are of god , little children , and have overcome ; because greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world . and this grace and strength was afforded to the first christians in a most extraordinary manner , for their comfort and support under sufferings : so that they were strengthned with all might , according to god's glorious power , unto all long-suffering with joyfulness ; as st. paul prays for the colossians , ch. . . and these consolations of the spirit of god , this joy in the holy ghost , was not peculiarly appropriated to the first times of christianity ; but is still afforded to all sincere christians , in such degree as is necessary , and convenient for them . and whenever god exerciseth good men , with tryals more than humane , and such sufferings as are beyond the ordinary rate of humane strength and patience to bear , he hath promised to endue them with more than humane courage and resolution . so st. paul tells the corinthians , cor. . . he is faithful that hath promised , who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able , but will with the temptation also make a way to escape , that ye may be able to bear it . and why should we be daunted at any suffering ; if god be pleased to increase our strength , in proportion to the sharpness of our sufferings ? and blessed be god , many of our persecuted brethren at this day have remarkably found this comfortable assistance and support ; tho many likewise have fallen through fear and weakness ; as it also hapen'd in the primitive times . but where ever this promise is not made good , it is ( as i have formerly said ) by reason of some fault and failing on our part . either men were not sincere in the profession of the truth , and then no wonder , if when tribulation and persecution ariseth , because of the word , they are offended and fall off : or else they were too confident to themselves , and did not seek god's grace and assistance , and relie upon it as they ought ; and thereupon god hath left them to themselves ( as he did peter ) to convince them of their own frailty and rash confidence ; and yet even in that case , when there is truth and sincerity at the bottom , there is no reason to doubt , but that the goodness of god is such , as by some means or other to give to such persons ( as he did to peter ) the oportunity of recovering themselves by repentance , and a more stedfast resolution afterwards . . if we consider , in the last place , that our saviour hath assured us of a glorious and eternal reward of all our self-denial and sufferings for him ; a reward infinitely beyond the proportion of our sufferings , both in the degree and duration of it . now the clear discovery of this is peculiarly owing to the christian religion , and the appearance of our lord and saviour jesus christ , who hath abolished death , and brought life and immortality to light by the gospel . and as our blessed saviour hath assured us of this blessed state of good men in another world ; so hath he likewise assur'd us , that greater degrees of this happiness shall be the portion of those who suffer for him and his truth : mat. . , , . blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . blessed are ye when men shall revile you , and persecute you , and speak all manner of evil against you falsly , for my names sake . rejoyce and be exceeding glad , for great is your reward in heaven . and nothing surely can be more reasonable , than to part with things of small value , for things infinitely greater and more considerable ; to forego the transient pleasures and enjoyments , and the imperfect felicities of this world , for the solid , and perfect , and perpetual happiness of a better life ; and to exchange a short and miserable life , for eternal life and blessedness ; in a word , to be content to be driven home ; to be banisht out of this world into our own native country ; and to be violently thrust out of this vale of tears , into those regions of bliss , where are joys unspeakable and full of glory . this consideration st. paul tells us supported the primitive christians , under their sharpest and heaviest sufferings , cor. . . for this cause ( says he ) we faint not , because our light affliction which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; whilst we look not at the things which are seen , but the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal , but the things which are not seen are eternal . so that our sufferings bear no more proportion to the reward of them , than finite does to infinite , than temporal to eternal ; between which there is no proportion . all that now remains , is to draw some useful inferences from what hath been discoursed , concerning this great and difficult duty of self-denial for the sake of christ and his religion ; and they shall be these following . . to acknowledg the great goodness of god to us , that all these laws and commands , even the hardest and severest of them , are so reasonable . god as he is our maker , and gave us our beings , hath an entire and soveraign right over us ; and by virtue of that right , might have imposed very hard things upon us , and this without the giving account to us of any of his matters , and without propounding any reward to us , so vastly disproportionable to our obedience to him . but in giving laws to us , he hath not made use of this right . the most severe and rigorous commands of the gospel are such , that we shall be infinitely gainers by our obedience to them . if we deny our selves any thing in this world for christ and his religion , we shall , in the next , be considered for it to the utmost ; not only far beyond what it can deserve , but beyond what we can conceive or imagine : for this perishing life , and the transitory trifles and enjoyments of it , we shall , receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken , an uncorruptible crown which fadeth not away , eternal in the heavens . for these are faithful sayings , and we shall infallibly find them true ; that if we suffer with christ , we shall also reign with him ; if we be persecuted for righteousness sake , great shall be our reward in heaven ; if we part with our temporal life , we shall be made partakers of eternal life . he that is firmly persuaded of the happiness of the next world , and believes the glory which shall then be revealed , hath no reason to be so much offended at the sufferings of this present time ; so long as he knows and believes , that these light afflictions which are but for a moment , will work for him a for more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . . seeing this is required of every christian , to be always in a preparation and disposition of mind to deny our selves , and to take up our cross ; if we do in good earnest resolve to be christians , we ought to fit down and consider well with our selves , what our religion will cost us , and whether we be content to come up to the price of it . if we value any thing in this world , above christ and his truth , we are not worthy of him . if it come to this , that we must either renounce him and his religion , or quit our temporal interests ; if we be not ready to forego these , nay , and to part even with life it self , rather than to forsake him and his truth ; we are not worthy of him . these are the terms of our christianity , and therefore we are required in baptism solemnly to renounce the world : and our saviour , from this very consideration , infers , that all who take upon them the profession of his religion , should consider seriously beforehand , and count the cost of it ; luke . . which of you , ( says he ) intending to build a tower , sitteth not down first , and counteth the cost , whether he have sufficient to finish it ? or what king going to war with another king , doth not sit down and consult , whether with he be able to meet him that cometh against him with . so likewise , whosoever he be that forsaketh not all he hath , cannot be my disciple . you see the terms upon which we are christians ; we must always be prepared in the resolution of our minds , to deny our selves , and take up our cross , tho we are not actually put upon this tryal . . what hath been said , is matter of great comfort and encouragement to all those who deny themselves , and suffer upon so good an account ; of whom , god knows , there are too great a number at this day , in several parts of the world : some under actual sufferings , such as cannot but move compassion and horror in all that hear of them : others , who are fled hither , and into other countries , for refuge and shelter from one of the sharpest persecutions that perhaps ever was , if all the circumstances of it be duly considered . but not to enlarge upon so unpleasant a theam , they who suffer for the truth and righteousness sake , have all the comfort and encouragement , that the best example , and the greatest and most glorious promises of god can give . they have the best example in their view ; jesus the author and finisher of their faith , who endured the cross , and despised the shame . so that how great and terrible soever their sufferings be , they do but tread in the steps of the son of god , and of the best and holiest man that ever was ; and he who is their great example in suffering , will likewise be their support , and their exceeding great reward . so that tho suffering for christ be accounted great self-denyal , and he is graciously pleased so to accept it ; because in denying things present and sensible , for things future and invisible , we do not only declare our affection to him , but our great faith and confidence in him , by shewing that we rely upon his word , and venture all upon the security which he offers us in another world ; yet according to a right estimate of things , and to those who walk by faith and not by sight , this which we call self-denyal , is , in truth and reality , but a more commendable sort of self-love ; because we do herein most effectually consult , and secure , and advance our own happiness . . and lastly , since god hath been pleased for so long a time to excuse us from this hardest part of self-denyal , let us not grudge to deny our selves in lesser matters , for the sake of his truth and religion ; to miss a good place , or to quit it upon that account ; much less let us think much to renounce our vices , and to thwart our evil inclinations for his sake . as naaman's servant said to him , concerning the means prescribed by the prophet for his cure ; if he had bid thee do some great thing , wouldest thou not have done it ? how much more , when he hath only said , wash and be clean : so since god imposeth no harder terms upon us , than repentance and reformation of our lives , we should gladly and thankfully submit to them . this , i know , is difficult to some , to mortifie their earthly members , to crucifie the flesh , with the affections and lusts of it ; 't is like cutting off a right hand , and plucking out a right eye . some are so strongly addicted to their lusts and vices , that they could with more ease despise life , in many cases , than thus deny themselves : but in truth , there is no more of self-denyal in it , than a man denies himself when he is mortally sick and wounded , in being content to be cured , and willing to be well . this is not at all to our temporal prejudice and inconvenience , and it directly conduceth to our eternal happiness ; for there is no man that lives a holy and virtuous life , and in obedience to the laws of god , that can lightly receive any prejudice by it in this world. since god doth not call us to suffer , we should do so much the more for him . since he doth not put us to testifie our love to him , by laying down our lives for him , we should shew it by a greater care to keep his commandments . god was pleased to exercise the first christians with great sufferings , and to try their love and constancy to him and his truth , in a very extraordinary manner ; by severity and contempt , by the spoiling of their goods , and the loss of all things ; by bonds and imprisonments ; by cruel mockings and scourgings ; by the extremity of torments , and by resisting even unto blood ; by being kill'd for his sake all the day long , and appointed as sheep for the slaughter . god was pleased to make their way to heaven very sharp and painful , and to hedge it in as it were with thorns on every side ; so that they could not , but through many tribulations , enter into the kingdom of heaven . thus we ought all to be in a readiness and resolution to submit to this duty , if god should think fit at any time of our lives to call us to it . but if he be pleased to excuse us from it , and to let this cup pass from us , ( which may lawfully be our earnest prayer to god , since we have so good a pattern for it ) there will be another duty incumbent upon us , which will take up the whole man , and the whole time of our life , and that is to serve him without fear , in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives . a sermon , preached at whitehall , before the family , nov. . . heb. xi . . and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth . the whole verse runs thus : these all died in faith , not having received the promises , but having seen them afar off , and were persuaded of them , and embraced them , and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth . the apostle having declared at the latter end of the foregoing chapter , that faith is the great principle whereby good men are acted , and whereby they are supported under all the evils and sufferings of this life , verse . now the just shall live by faith ; in this chapter he makes it his main business , to set forth to us at large the force and power of faith ; and to this purpose , he first tells us what kind of faith he means ; viz. a firm persuasion of things not present and visible to sense , but invisible and future ; ver. . now faith ( saith he ) is the confident expectation of things hoped for , and the evidence of things not seen . faith represents to us the reality of things which are invisible to sense , as the existence of god and his providence ; and of things which are at a great distance from us , as the future state of rewards and punishments in another world. and then he proceeds to shew , by particular and famous instances , that the firm belief and persuasion of these things , was the great principle of the piety and virtue of the saints and and good men in all ages of the world ; by this abel , and enoch , and noah ; abraham , isaac and jacob ; joseph and moses , and all the famous heroes of the old testament obtained a good report , and pleased god , and did all those eminent acts of obedience and self-denyal which are recorded of them . they believed the being of god , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him . they dreaded his threatnings , and relyed upon his promises of future and invisible good things . they lived and died in a full persuasion and confidence of the truth of them ; tho they did not live to see them actually fulfilled and accomplisht . all these ( saith he , speaking of those eminent saints which he had instanced in before ) all these died in faith , not having received the promises , but having seen them afar off , and were persuaded of them , and embraced them . this is spoken with a more particular regard to abraham , isaac and jacob ; to whom the promises of the conquest and possession of a fruitful land were made , and of a numerous offspring ; among whom should be the messias , in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed . these promises they did not live to see accomplisht and made good in their days ; but they heartily believed them , and rejoiced in the hope and expectation of them , as if they had embraced them in their arms , and been put into the actual possession of them : and they confessed , that they were pilgrims and strangers in the earth . this saying and acknowledgment more particularly and immediately refers to those sayings of the patriarchs abraham and jacob , which we find recorded , gen. . . where abraham says to the sons of heth , i am a stranger and a sojourner with you ; and gen. . . where jacob says to pharaoh , the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years ; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been . these good men were strangers and sojourners in a land , which was promised to be theirs afterwards . they dwelt in it themselves as strangers , but were in expectation that it would one day become the inheritance of their posterity . now in this , as by a type and shadow , the apostle represents to us the condition of good men , while they are passing through this world. they are pilgrims and strangers in the earth ; they travel up and down the world for a time , as the patriarchs did in the land of canaan ; but are in expectation of a better and more settled condition hereafter ; they desire a better country , that is , an heavenly , says the apostle at the vers . of this chapter . that which i design from these words , is to represent to us our present condition in this world ; and to awaken us to a due sense and serious consideration of it . it is the same condition , that all the saints and holy men that are gone before us were in , in this world ; and every one of us may say with david , psal. . . i am a stranger with thee , and a sojourner , as all my fathers were . it is a condition very troublesome and very unsettled , such as that of pilgrims and strangers useth to be . this we must all acknowledge , if we judge rightly of our present state and condition . they confessed , that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; but yet it was not without the hope and expectation of a better and happier condition in reversion . so it follows just after ; they that say such things , ( that is , that confess themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth ) declare plainly , that they seek a country . this bore up the patriarchs under all the evils and troubles of their pilgrimage ; that they expected an inheritance , and a quiet and settled possession of that good land which god had promised to them . answerably to which , good men do expect , after the few and evil days of their pilgrimage in this world are over , a blessed inheritance in a better country ; that is , an heavenly ; and with blessed abraham , the father of the faithful , they look for a city which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is god ; as it is said of that good patriarch at the tenth verse of this chapter . it is very frequent , not only in scripture , but in other authors , to represent our condition in this world , by that of pilgrims , and sojourners in a foreign country : for the mind which is the man , and our immortal souls , which are by far the most noble and excellent part of our selves , are the natives of heaven , and but pilgrims and strangers here in the earth ; and when the days of our pilgrimage shall be over , are designed to return to that heavenly country from which they came , and to which they belong . and therefore the apostle tells us , phil. . . that christians have relation to heaven , as their native place and country . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , our conversation is in heaven , so we render the words ; but they properly signifie , that christians are members of that city and society which is above ; and tho they converse at present here below , while they are passing through this world , yet heaven is the country to which they do belong , and whither they are continually tending ; sedes ubi fata quietas ostendunt , where a quiet habitation , and a perpetual rest , is designed and prepared for them . this acknowledgment david makes concerning himself , and all the people of god , chron. . . for we are strangers before thee , and sojourners , as were all our fathers . our days on the earth are as a shadow , and there is none abiding . so likewise st. peter , pet. . . pass the time of your sojourning here in fear ; and chap. . v. . dearly beloved , i beseech you , as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts. and not only the inspired writers of holy scripture , but heathen authors , do frequently make use of this allusion . plato tells us , it was a common saying , and almost in every man's mouth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the life of man is a kind of pilgrimage . and tully , in his excellent discourse de senectute , ( concerning old age ) brings in cato describing our passage out of this world , not as a departure from our home , but like a man leaving his inn , in which he hath lodged for a night or two , ex vitâ istâ discedo , tanquam ex hospitio , non tanquam ex domo , commorandi enim natura diversorium nobis non habitandi dedit : when i leave this world ( says he ) i look upon my self as departing out of an inn , and not as quitting mine own home and habitation ; nature having assigned this world to us as a place to sojourn , but not to dwell in . which is the same with what the apostle says in the text , concerning the patriarchs , they confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers in the earth ; and concerning all christians , chap. . . here we have no continuing city , but we seek one to come . but i do not intend to follow the metaphor too close , and to vex and torture it , by pursuing all those little parallels and similitudes , which a lively fancy might make or find , betwixt the condition of strangers and pilgrims , and the life of man during his abode and passage through this world. i will insist only upon two things , which seem plainly to be design'd and intended by this metaphor ; and they are these : . that our condition in this world is very troublesom and unsettled : they confessed , that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth . . it implies a tendency to a future settling , and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition , into which we shall enter when we go out of this world. for so it follows in the very next words after the text ; they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; for they that say such things , declare plainly , that they seek a country . they that say such things ; that is , they that acknowledge themselves to have lived in such a restless and uncertain condition in this world , travelling from one place to another , as the patriarchs abraham , isaac , and jacob did , and yet pretend to be perswaded of the goodness of god , and the faithfulness of his promise , in which he solemnly declared himself to be their god , do hereby plainly shew , that they expect some happier condition hereafter , wherein that great promise of god will be made good to them to the full . and these are two very weighty and useful considerations ; that we should both understand our present condition in this world , and our future hope and expectation after our departure out of it , that so we may demean our selves suitably to both these conditions ; both as it is fit for those who look upon themselves as pilgrims and sojourners in this world , and likewise , as it becomes those who seek and expect a better country , and hope to be made partakers of a blessed immortality in another world. i shall briefly speak to both these ; and then shew what effect and influence the serious meditation of these two points ought to have upon every one of us . . that our condition in this world is very troublesom and unsettled . this i take to be principally intended in the metaphor of strangers and pilgrims . such was the life of the patriarchs , which is here spoken of in the text ; they had no constant abode and fixt habitation , but were continually wandering from one kingdom and country to another ; in which travels they were exposed to a great many hazards and dangers , afflictions and miseries , affronts and injuries , as we read at large in the history of their travels in the old testament . and such is our condition in this world ; it is often troublesom , and always uncertain and unsettled . 't is often very troublesom . not to insist upon the weak condition of infancy and childhood , the helplesness of that state , and insufficiency of it for its own preservation , and the supply of its natural wants and necessities : not to mention the dangerous vanity and desperate folly of youth , nor the infirmities and contempts , the many tedious and wearisom days and nights that old age is commonly grieved and afflicted withal , to that degree , as to make life not only unpleasant , but almost an intolerable burden to us . not to dwell upon these , which yet take up and possess a great share and portion of our lives : if we look upon man in his best state , we shall find him , as david hath long since pronounced on him , to be altogether vanity . we need not go a pilgrimage , and travel into remote countries , to make life more troublesom and uneasie . in what part of the world soever we are ( even that which we improperly call our own home and native country ) we shall meet with trouble and inconvenience enough to convince us , that we are but strangers in it . more especially good men are peculiarly liable to a great many evils and sufferings upon account of their piety and virtue . they are not of the world ( as our blessed saviour tells his disciples , john . . ) and because they are not of the world , therefore the world hateth them , and taketh all opportunities and occasions to vex and persecute them in one kind or other ; either by doing all manner of evil to them , or by speaking all manner of evil of them . but suppose we escape trouble upon this account ; there are abundance of common and natural inconveniences , which render human life very uneasie . for either we must live alone , or in the company and society of others : one of these two is necessary and unavoidable . suppose we would live alone ; how few are there that can enjoy themselves tolerably alone for any considerable time ? for though there be a great deal too much of self-love in mankind , and men are generally extreamly fond of themselves ; yet i know not how it happens , ( tho so it is ) that very few men in the world care for their own company , or can endure , for any considerable time , to converse only with themselves ; nay , for the most part , they are sooner glutted with themselves , and surfeited of their own conversation , than of the worst company they can meet with ; a shrewd sign , as one would think , that they know something worse by themselves than of any body else , or at least they know it more certainly . it is a wise and deep saying of aristotle , whoever affects to be alone , must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , either a god or a wild beast ; either he must be sufficient for himself , and want nothing ; or of so wild and savage a disposition , as to destroy every thing that is weaker , and to run away from every thing that is stronger than himself . now man is neither good enough to be contented and satisfied with himself , nor bad enough to hate and avoid every body else , and therefore he must enter into society , and keep company with other men. and if we go abroad into the world , and try the conversation of men , it cannot but grieve us to see a great many things , which yet we must see every day ; the censoriousness , and uncharitableness , and insincerity of men one towards another ; to see with what kindness they will treat one another to the face , and how hardly they will use them behind their backs . if there were nothing else , this one naughty quality , so common and reigning among mankind , were enough to make an honest and true-hearted man , one that loves plainness and sincerity , to be heartily sick of the world , and glad to steal off the stage ; where there is nothing native and sincere , but all personated and acted ; where the conversation of a great part of men is all designing and insidious , full of flattery and flashood , of good words and ill offices : one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth , but in his heart he lieth in wait , as it is in the prophet , jer. . . and when a man hath done all the good turns he can , and endeavoured to oblige every man , and not only to live inoffensively , but exemplarily ; he is fairly dealt withal , and comes off upon good terms , if he can but escape the ill words of men for doing well , and obtain a pardon for those things which truly deserve praise . but setting aside these , and the like melancholy considerations ; when we are in the health and vigour of our age , when our blood is warm , and our spirits quick , and the humour of our body not yet turned and sowred by great disappointments , and grievous losses of our estates , or nearest friends and relations , by a long course of afflictions , by many cross events and calamitous accidents ; yet we are continually liable to all these ; and the perpetual fear and danger of them is no small trouble and uneasiness to our minds , and does in a great measure rob us of the comfort , and eat out the pleasure and sweetness of all our enjoyments ; and , by degrees , the evils we fear overtake us ; and as one affliction and trouble goes on , another succeeds in the place of it , like job's messengers , whose bad tidings and reports of calamitous accidents came so thick upon him , that they overtook one another . if we have a plentiful fortune , we are apt to abuse it to intemperance and luxury ; and this naturally breeds bodily pains and diseases , which take away all the comfort and enjoyment of a great estate . if we have health , it may be we are afflicted with losses , or deprived of friends , or cross'd in our interests and designs ; and one thing or other happens to impede and interrupt the contentment and happiness of our lives . sometimes an unexpected storm , or some other suddain calamity , sweepeth away , in an instant , all that which with so much industry and care we have been gathering many years . or if an estate stand firm , our children are taken away , to whose comfort and advantage all the pains and endeavours of our lives were devoted . or if none of these happen , ( as it is very rare to escape most , or some of them ) yet for a demonstration to us that god intended this world to be uneasie , to convince us that a perfect state of happiness is not to be had here below ; we often see in experience , that those who seem to be in a condition as happy as this world can put them into , by the greatest accommodations towards it , are yet as far , or farther from happiness , as those who are destitute of most of those things wherein the greatest felicity of this world is thought to consist . many times it so happens , that they who have all the furniture and requisites , all the materials and ingredients of a worldly felicity at their command , and in their power , yet have not the skill and ability out of all these to frame a happy condition of life to themselves . they have health , and friends , and reputation , and estate in abundance , and all outward accommodations that heart can wish ; and yet in the midst of all these circumstances of outward felicity , they are uneasie in their minds , and as the wise man expresseth it , in their sufficiency they are in streights , and are as it were surfeited even of happiness it self , and do so fantastically and unaccountably nauseate the good condition they are in , that tho they want nothing to make them happy , yet they cannot think themselves so ; though they have nothing in the world to molest and disgust them , yet they can make a shift to create as much trouble to themselves , out of nothing , as they who have the real and substantial causes of discontent . which plainly shews , that we are not to look for happiness here ; 't is not to be found in this land of the living ; and after our enquiries after it , we shall see sufficient reason to take up solomon's conclusion , that all is vanity and vexation of spirit ; which is much the same with that aphorism of david his father , which i mentioned before , that man in his best estate is altogether vanity . but what happiness soever our condition in this world is capable of , 't is most assuredly full of uncertainty and unsettlement ; we cannot enjoy it long , and every moment we are in danger of being deprived of it . whatever degree of earthly felicity we are possess'd of , we have no security that it shall continue . there is nothing in this world , but , when we are as sure of it as this world can make us , may be taken away from us by a thousand accidents . but suppose it to abide and continue ; we our selves shall be taken away from it . we must die , and in that very day all our enjoyments and hopes , as to this world , will perish with us ; for here is no abiding place , we have no continuing city : so that it is vain to design a happiness to our selves in this world , when we are not to stay in it , but only travel and pass through it . and this is the first ; our condition in this world is very troublesom and unsettled . . our condition in this world being a state of pilgrimage , doth imply a tendency to a future settlement , and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition hereafter . and so the apostle reasons immediately after the text ; they confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers in the earth ; for they that say such things , declare plainly that they seek a country ; that is , they who acknowledge themselves to be pilgrims and strangers in the earth , and yet withal profess to be perswaded of the goodness of god , and the fidelity of his promise , do plainly declare , that they seek another country . this is spoken of abraham , isaac , and jacob , who acknowledged themselves to be strangers and pilgrims in the earth ; and thereby declared , that they sought another country . now , says the apostle , this cannot be the country from whence they first came , vr of the chaldees , v. . and truly , if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out , they might have had an oportunity of returning thither . and therefore he concludes , that the country which they sought was a better country than any in this world. v. . but now they desire a better country ; that is , an heavenly : therefore god is not ashamed to be called their god ; for he hath prepared for them a city . this plainly refers to that famous declaration or promise of god to the patriarchs of being their god ; i am the god of abraham , the god of 〈◊〉 , the god of jacob. now certainly this promise of god did signifie some very great blessing and advantage to those faithful servants of god above others . this was not made good to them in this world ; for they confessed , that they were pilgrims and strangers in the earth . where then is the blessing spoken of and signified by the great words of that promise , that god was their god ? they met with no such condition in this world , as was answerable to the greatness of that promise . from hence the apostle argues , that they had a firm perswasion of a future happiness ; for they that say such things , declare plainly , that they seek a better country ; that is , an heavenly . wherefore god is not ashamed to be called their god , since he hath prepared for them a city . and tho the promise of god to abraham did immediately design the land of canaan , and the earthly jerusalem ; yet the apostle extends it to that which was typified by it ; viz. an heavenly country , the jerusalem which is above , which , at the th verse of this chapter , is called a city , which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is god. and now , seeing god had designed and prepared so great a happiness for them in another world , well might he be called their god , notwithstanding that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; that is , tho the full meaning and importance of this promise was not made good to them in this world , yet it was accomplish'd to the full in the happiness which was designed for them in another life . and god need not be ashamed to be called their god ; implying , that if nothing had been meant by it beyond this world , this promise , of god's being their god , would have fallen shamefully short of what it seemed to import . and this i conceive to be the true reason , why our saviour lays so much weight upon this promise , as to pitch upon it for the proof of the resurrection ; that is , of a future state of happiness in another world. there are many considerations apt to perswade good men of another life after this : as , that mankind is generally possess'd with this hope and perswasion ; and that the more wise and virtuous men have been , the more plainly have they apprehended the hopes of immortality , and the better have they been contented to leave this world ; as if , seeing farther than other men , they had a clearer prospect of the happiness they were entering upon : but above all , that god hath made our condition in this world so troublesom and unsettled , as if he had designed on purpose to make us seek for happiness elsewhere , and to elevate and raise our minds to the hopes and expectation of a condition better and more durable , than any is to be met with in this world ; which , considering the goodness of god , and his gracious providence and care of good men , is a thing of it self extremely credible . having thus , as briefly as i could , dispatched the two particulars which i propounded to speak to for the explication of the text ; i should now shew what influence these considerations ought to have upon our lives and practice . and if this be our condition in this world , and these our hopes and expectations as to another life ; if we be pilgrims and strangers in the earth ; and look for a better country , that is , an heavenly ; this ought to have a great influence upon us in these following respects , which i shall at present but very briefly mention . . let us intangle and incumber our selves as little as we can in this our pilgrimage ; let us not ingage our affections too far in the pleasures and advantages of this world ; for we are not to continue and settle in it , but to pass through it . a little will serve for our passage and accommodation in this journey ; and beyond that , why should we so earnestly covet and seek more ? . if we be pilgrims and strangers ; then it concerns us to behave our selves blamelesly and inoffensively , remembering , that the eyes of people are upon us , and that those among whom we live will be very curious and observant of our manners and carriage . . let us be chearful and patient under the troubles and afflictions of this present life . they who are in a strange country , must expect to encounter many injuries and affronts , and to be put to great difficulties and hazards , which we should endeavour to bear with that chearfulness , as men that are upon a journey use to bear foul ways and bad weather , and inconvenient lodging and accomodations . . the consideration of our present condition and future hopes should set us above the fondness of life , and the slavish fear of death . for our minds will never be raised to their true pitch and hight , till we have in some good measure conquered these two passions , and made them subject to our reason . as for this present life , and the enjoyments of it , what do we see in them , that should make us so strangely to dote upon them ? quae miseri lucis tam dira cupido ? this world , at the best , is but a very indifferent place ; and he is the wisest man that bears himself towards it with the most indifferent affection ; that is always willing to leave it , and yet patient to stay in it as long as god pleases . . we should always prefer our duty and a good conscience before all the world ; because it is in truth more valuable , if our souls be immortal , and do survive in another world. for ( as our saviour argues ) what is a man profited , if he gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? and thus st. paul reasoned with himself , from the belief of a resurrection of the just and unjust . for this cause ( saith he ) i exercise my self alway to have a conscience void of offence both toward god and toward man. lastly , if we be sojourners and travellers , we should often think of our end , and carefully mind the way to it . our end is everlasting happiness ; and the way to it is a constant and sincere and universal obedience to the commandments of god. when the young man in the gospel enquired of our saviour the way to eternal happiness , saying , good master , what good thing shall i do , that i may inherit eternal life ? his answer to him was , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments . we may easily mistake our way ; for strait is the gate , and narrow is the way that leads to life , and few there be that find it . therefore we should often pray to god , as david does , psalm . . i am a stranger in the earth , hide not thy commandments from me . and psalm . , . search me , o god , and know my heart ; try me , and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me , and lead me in the way everlasting . a sermon , on heb. xi . . and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth . the whole verse runs thus : these all died in faith , not having received the promises , but having seen them afar off , and were persuaded of them , and embraced them , and confessed that they , &c. i have lately in this place ( upon a particular day and occasion ) begun to handle these words : i shall briefly give you the heads of what hath been already delivered , and proceed to what remains . and that which i designed from this text , was , to represent to us our present condition in this world , and to awaken us to a due sense and consideration of it . it is the same condition that all the saints and holy men that have gone before us were in , in this world ; and we may all of us say with david , psal. . . i am a stranger with thee , and a sojourner , as all my fathers were . it is very frequent , not only in scripture , but in other authors , to represent our condition in this world , by that of pilgrims and sojourners in a far country . for the mind , which is the man , and our immortal souls , which are , by far , the most noble and excellent part of our selves , are the natives of heaven , and but pilgrims and strangers here on the earth ; and when the days of our pilgrimage shall be accomplished , are designed to return to that heavenly country from which they came , and to which they belong . and for the explication of this metaphor , i insisted only upon two things , which seem plainly to be designed and intended by it . . that our condition in this world is very troublesom and unsettled ; they confessed , that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth . ii. it implies a tendency to a future settlement , and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition , into which we shall enter when we go out of this world. and these i told you are two very weighty and useful considerations ; that we should both understand our present condition in this world , and our future hopes and expectation after our departure out of it ; that so we may demean our selves suitably to both these conditions ; both as is fit for those who look on themselves as pilgrims and sojourners in this world ; and likewise , as it becomes those who seek and expect a better country , and hope to be partakers of a blessed immortality in another world. i. that our condition in this world is very troublesom and unsettled ; and this is principally intended by the metaphor of pilgrims and strangers . such was the life of the patriarchs here spoken of in the text ; they had no constant abode and fixt habitation , but were continually wandering from one kingdom and country to another ; in which travels they were exposed to a great many dangers and sufferings , affronts and injuries ; as we read at large in the history of their travels in the old testament . and such is our condition in this world ; it is often troublesom , and always uncertain , and unsettled : so that whatever degree of worldly felicity any man is possest of , he hath no security that it shall continue for one moment . ii. our condition in this world being a state of pilgrimage , it implies a tendency to a future settlement , and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition , into which we shall enter so soon as we leave this world. for so it follows immediately after the text ; they confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth ; for they that say such things , declare plainly that they seek a country . they that say such things ; that is , they that acknowledge themselves to have lived in such a restless and uncertain condition in this world , travelling from one place to another , as the patriarchs abraham , isaac and jacob did ; and yet pretend to be persuaded of the goodness of god , and the faithfulness of his promise ; in which he so solemnly declares himself to be their god ; do hereby plainly shew , that they expect some happier condition hereafter , wherein that great promise of god , will be made good to them to the full . so that he need not be ashamed to have been called their god. having handled at large these two particulars , i come now to shew what influence the consideration of them ought to have upon our lives and practices . and if this be our condition in this world , and these our hopes and expectations , as to another life : if we be pilgrims and strangers in the earth , and look for a better country , that is , an heavenly ; this ought to have a great influence upon us in these following respects , which i did but briefly mention before ; but shall now prosecute and press more largely . i. let us entangle and incumber our selves as little as we can in this our pilgrimage : let us not engage our affections too far in the pleasures and advantages of this world , because we are not to stay in it , but to pass through it . upon this consideration the apostle st. peter doth so earnestly exhort christians to preserve themselves from fleshly lusts , pet. . . dearly beloved , i beseech you , as strangers and pilgrims , to abstain from fleshly lusts , which war against the soul. the gratifying of our inordinate lusts , and our carnal and sensual inclinations , is directly opposite both to the nature of our immortal spirits , and to their great design and business in this world. fleshly lusts do not only pollute and defile , but even quench and extinguish our diviner part , and do work the ruin and destruction of it ; they sink our affections into the mud and filth of this world , and do entangle and detain them there . in a word , they do wholly indispose and unfit us for that pure and spiritual , and divine life , which alone can qualifie us for our heavenly country and inheritance . and therefore while our souls are sojourning in this world , we should abstain from them , and preserve our selves unspotted and untainted by them , as being altogether unuseful , and perfectly contrary to the laws and manners of our heavenly country . if we wallow in brutish and filthy lusts , as we pass through this world ; our native country , when our souls think to return to it , will reject us and cast us out : when we come to heaven's gate , and knock there , expecting to be admitted , and shall cry , lord , lord , open unto us ; he will bid us to depart from him , because we have been workers of iniquity . nothing that is unclean can enter into heaven . he who is to receive us into those blessed mansions , hath declared it to be his immutable resolution , and decree , that without holiness , no man shall see the lord. and therefore , as ever we hope to see god , in that happy and blissful state , we must cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and perfect holiness in the fear of god ; that having render'd our selves as like him as we can in this world , we may be capable of the blessed sight and enjoyment of him in the other . and as for the advantages of this world , let us not pursue them too eagerly . we may take the conveniences which fairly offer themselves to us , and be content to want what we cannot honestly have , and without going out of the way of our duty ; considering that we are travellers , and that a little will serve for our passage and accommodation in our pilgrimage . and beyond that why should we so earnestly covet more , and trouble our selves for that which is not necessary to our journey ? why should we at any time deal unjustly , to attain any of this world's goods ? they will stand us in stead for so little a while , that we can have no temptation to injure or oppress any man , to break the peace of our consciences , and to wound our souls , for the attaining of them . if the providence of god offer them to us , and bring them to our hands , in the use of honest diligence , and lawful means ; as we are not to refuse them , so neither are we to set our hearts upon them , nor to suffer our affections to be entangled in them . the wisest use we can make of them , will be , to do like those who traffick in foreign parts , to consign our estates into our own native country , to send our treasures before us into the other world , that we may have the benefit of them when we come there . and this we may do by alms and charity . whatever we spend upon the flesh , we leave behind us , and it will turn to no account to us in our own country ; but whatever we lay out for the relief of the poor , is so much treasure laid out and secured to our selves , against another day . so our blessed saviour assures us , luk. . . that giving of alms is providing for our selves bags that wax not old , a treasure in the heavens that faileth not . ii. if we be pilgrims and strangers ; then it concerns us to behave our selves with great caution , and to live blamelesly and inoffensively ; remembering that the eyes of people are upon us , and that those among whom we sojourn , will be very prying , and curious , and narrow observers of our manners and carriage . they that are in a strange country , are not wont to take that liberty and freedom , which the natives of the place may do , but to keep a perpetual guard upon themselves , knowing how strictly they are observed ; and that they live among those who bear no good will to them ; and that every bad thing we do , reflects upon our nation , and is a reproach to the country to which we belong . ye are not of the world ; ( says our lord ) if ye were of the world , the world would love its own : but ye are not of the world ; therefore the world hateth you . upon this account the apostle chargeth christians to be harmless , and blameless , and as it becomes the sons of god to be , in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation , among whom we should shame as lights . the same argument st. peter useth , pet. . , . i beseech , you as pilgrims and strangers , to abstain from fleshly lusts , having your conversation honest among the gentiles ; that is , considering that you are among strangers and enemies , and therefore ought to be very careful to bring no scandal upon your holy profession , among those who will be ready to take all advantages against you . particularly , we who pretend to the same heavenly country , must be kind to one another ; and whilst we live among strangers , have no quarrels amongst our selves . in a strange country , it useth to be a mighty endearment of men to one another , that they are of the same country , and fellow citizens ; and this alone is commonly sufficient to unite their affections , and to link their interests together . but how little of this is to be seen among christians ? how shamefully do they quarrel among themselves , in the midst of enemies and strangers ! as if they had no relation to one another ; and never expected to meet at last in the same country , and there to live together for ever . iii. let us be as patient and chearful as we can , under all the troubles and afflictions which we meet with in this life . they who are in strange countries must expect to encounter many injuries and affronts , and to be put to great difficulties and hardships . those which are lighter and more tolerable , we must bear with chearfulness . upon a journey men use to put on all the pleasantness they can , and to make sport of all the inconveniences of the ways and weather , and little cross accidents that befall them : and thus , if we had but the art and wisdom to do it , many of the lesser inconveniences of humane life might well enough be play'd off , and made matter rather of mirth and diversion , than of melancholy and serious trouble . but there are some evils and calamities of humane life , that are too heavy and serious to be jested withal , and require the greatest consideration , and a very great degree of patience to support us under them , and enable us to bear them decently ; as the loss of friends and dearest relations ; as the loss of an only son , grown up to be well fixt and settled in a virtuous course , and promising all the comfort to his parents that they themselves can wish : these certainly are some of the greatest evils of this world , and hardest to be born . for men may pretend what they will to philosophy and contempt of the world , and of the perishing comforts and enjoyments of it ; to the extirpation of their passions , and an insensibility of these things , which the weaker and undisciplin'd part of mankind keep such a wailing and lamentation about : but when all is done , nature hath framed us as we are , and hath planted in our nature strong inclinations and affections to our friends and relations ; and these affections are as naturally moved upon such occasions , and pluck every string of our hearts as violently , as extream hunger and thirst do gnaw upon our stomachs . and therefore it is foolish for any man to pretend to love things mightily , and to rejoyce greatly in the enjoyment of them ; and yet to be so easily contented to lose them , and to be parted from them . this is to separate things which nature hath strongly linked together . whatever we mightily love , does thereby in some sort become part of our selves ; and it cannot hand loose to us , to be separated and divorced from us without trouble ; no more than a limb that is vitally and by strong ligaments united to the body , can be dropt off when we please , or rent from the body without pain . and whoever pretends to have a mighty affection for any thing , and yet at the same time does pretend that he can contentedly , and without any great sense or signification of pain , bear the loss of it , does not talk like a philosopher , but like an hypocrite ; and under a grave pretence of being a wise , is in truth , an ill-natured man. for most certainly , in proportion to our love of any thing , will be our trouble and grief for the loss of it . so that under these great and heavier strokes , we had need both of faith and patience . and indeed , nothing but the firm belief of a better country , that is , an heavenly , another life after this , and a blessed immortality in another world , is sufficient to support a man in the few and evil days of his pilgrimage , and to sustain his spirit under the great evils and calamities of this life . but this fully answers all , that the afflictions and sufferings of this present time , are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us . nay , that if we bear these afflictions patiently , and with a due submission to the will of god , ( especially our sufferings for his truth and cause ) it will certainly increase our happiness in the other world , and work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . iv. the consideration of our present condition and of our future hopes , should set us above the fondness of life , and the slavish fears of death . for our minds will never be raised to their true pitch and hight , till we have in some good measure conquered these two passions , and made them subject to our reason . as for this present life , and the enjoyments of it ; what is it that we see in them that should make us so strangely to dote upon them ? quae lucis miseris tam dira cupido ! this world at the best is but a very indifferent place , and he is the wisest man that bears himself towards it with the most indifferent mind and affection ; that is always willing to leave it , and yet patient to stay in it as long as god pleaseth . and as for death , tho' the dread of it be natural , yet why should the terrors of it be so very surprising and amazing to us ; after we have consider'd , that to a good and pious soul , it is no other but the gate of heaven , and an entrance into eternal life ? we are apt to wonder to see a man undaunted at the approach of death , and to be not only contented , but chearful , at the thoughts of his departure out of this world , this sink of sin , and vale of misery and sorrow . whereas , if all things be duly considered , it is a greater wonder that men are so patient to live , and that they are not glad of any fair excuse and opportunity of getting out of this strange country , and retiring home , and of ridding themselves of the troubles and inconveniences of life . for , considering the numerous troubles and calamities we are liable to in a long pilgrimage , there are really but three considerations , that i can readily think of , that can make this world , and our present condition in it , in any good measure tolerable to a wise man ; viz. that god governs the world ; that we are not always to stay in it ; that there is a happiness designed and reserved for us in another place , which will abundantly recompense and make amends to us for all the troubles and sufferings of this life . and yet it is strange to see how fast most men cling to life , and that even in old age ; how they catch at every twig that may but hold them up a little while ; and how fondly they hanker after a miserable life , when there is nothing more of pleasure to be enjoy'd , nothing more of satisfaction to be expected and hoped for in it . when they are just putting in to the port , and , one would think , should rejoyce at their very hearts that they see land ; yet how glad would they be then of any cross wind , that would carry them back into the sea again ? as if they loved to be tost , and were fond of storms and tempests . nay , the very best of us , even after we have made that acknowledgment of david ; i am a stranger and a sojourner with thee , as all my fathers were ; are apt with him to be still importuning god for a little longer life ; o spare me a little , that i may recover strength , before i go hence , and be no more . and when god hath granted us this request , then we would be spared yet a little longer . but let us remember , that god did not design us to continue always in this world ; and that he hath on purpose made it so uneasie to us , to make us willing to leave it ; and that so long as we linger here below , we are detained from our happiness ; while we are present in the body , we are absent from the lord. this consideration made st. paul so desirous to be dissolved , because he knew that when his earthly house of this tabernacle was dissolved , he should have a much better habitation , a building of god , an house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . this was that which made him so full of joy and triumph , at the thoughts of his leaving the world. tim. . . i am now ready ( says he ) to be offered up , and the time of my departure is at hand ; i have fought a good fight , i have finished my course , i have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness , which god the righteous judge shall give me in that day . nay , the consideration of this ( tho but obscurely apprehended by them ) did raise the spirits of the wiser and better heathen , and fill them with great joy and comfort at the thoughts of their dissolution . with what constancy and evenness of mind did socrates receive the sentence of death ? and with what excellent discourse did he entertain his friends just before he drank off the fatal cup , and after he had taken it down , whilst death was gradually seizing upon him ? one can hardly , without a very sensible transport , read cato's discourse concerning his death , as it is represented by tully in his book of old age. i am ( says he ) transported with a desire of seeing my fore-fathers , those excellent persons of whom i have heard , and read , and written ; and now i am going to them , i would not willingly be drawn back into this world again ; quod si quis deus mihi largiatur , ut ex hac aetate repuerascam , & in cunis vagiam , valde recusem . if some god would offer me , at this age , to be a child again , and to cry in the cradle , i would earnestly refuse it , and upon no terms accept it . and now that my race is almost run , and my course just finished , how loth should i be to be brought back , and made to begin again ? for what advantage is there in life ? nay rather , what labour and trouble is there not in it ? but let the benefit of it be what it will , there is certainly some measure of life as well as of other things , and men ought to know when they have enough of it . o praeclarum diem , cum in illud animorum consilium caetumque proficiscar , & cum ex hac turbâ & colluvione discedam . o blessed and glorious day , when i shall go to that great council and assembly of spirits , and have got out of this tumult and sink . and if a heathen , who had but some obscure glimmerings of another life , and of the blessed state of departed souls , could speak thus chearfully of death ; how much more may we , who have a clear and undoubted revelation of these things , and to whom life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel . v. we should alway prefer our duty and the keeping of a good conscience , before all the world : because it it is in truth infinitely more valuable , if so be our souls be immortal , and do survive in another world , and we must there give a strict account of all the actions done by us in this life , and receive the sentence of eternal happiness or misery , according to the things done in the body , whether they be good , or whether they be evil. for as our saviour argues concerning the case of denying him and his truth , to avoid temporal suffering and death ; what is a man profited , if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? when we are tempted by temporal interest and advantage , or by the fear of present loss and suffering , to deny or dissemble our religion , to do any thing that is sinful in any kind , and contrary to our duty and conscience ; let us ask our selves ; what will be the profit and advantage of it ? what , if for fear of men , and what they can do to me , i incur the wrath and displeasure of almighty god ? this is infinitely more to be dreaded ; and these frowns are a thousand times more terrible , than the bitterest wrath and cruelest malice of men. what , if to preserve this frail and mortal body , i shall evidently hazard the loss of my immortal soul ; and to escape a temporal inconvenience , i forfeit everlasting happiness , and plunge my self into eternal misery and ruine ? would not this be a wild bargain , and a mad exchange , for any temporal gain and advantage , to lose the things that are eternal ? and for the pleasing of our selves for a little while , to make our selves miserable for ever ? if we confess our selves to be pilgrims and strangers on the earth , and are perswaded of the promises of god concerning an heavenly country , where we hope to arrive after the few and evil days of our pilgrimage are over ; let us not , by complying with the humours of strangers , and the vitious customs and practices of an evil world , bar our selves of our hopes , and banish our selves from that happy place , to which we all profess we are going . we pretend to be travelling towards heaven : but if we make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience ; we destroy our own hopes of ever arriving at that happy port. we do not live up to our expectation of a future happiness , if the unseen glories of another world do not raise us above all the temptations and terrors of sense . our faith and hope have not their due and proper influence upon us ; if they do not govern our lives and actions , and make us stedfast in the profession of our holy religion , and in the conscientious practice of it . st. paul reason'd himself into this holy resolution , from the hopes of a blessed resurrection . acts . , . i have hope , says he , toward god , that there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just and vnjust : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for this cause therefore , i exercise my self always to have a conscience void of offence , towards god and towards men. vi. and lastly , if we be sojourners and travellers in this world ; we should often think of our end , and carefully mind the way to it . our end is everlasting happiness ; and the direct way to it is by a constant and sincere and universal obedience to the laws and commandments of god : and this in it self is so plain a way , that a sincere and honest man can hardly err in it . and therefore we must not suffer our selves to be led and trained out of it , upon any pretence whatsoever ; not by the wild-fire of pretended illuminations and enthusiasms ; nor by the confident pretence of an infallible guide , that will needs shew us another way , and perswade us to follow him blindfold in it . let us not quit the infallible rule of god's word , to follow any guide whatsoever . if an apostle , or an angel from heaven , preach any other doctrine and way to heaven , let him be accursed . he who is the way , and the truth , and the life , when he was consulted with about the way to eternal happiness , knew no other but this . for when the young man ask'd him ; good master , what good thing shall i do , that i may inherit eternal life ? his answer was , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments . 't is true indeed , that by reason of our corrupt inclinations within , and powerful temptations without , this way ( especially at our first setting out ) is rugged and difficult . so our lord hath forewarned us , telling us , that strait is the gate , and narrow is the way that leadeth to life , and that there be few that find it . therefore we should strive to enter in , take great care and pains to discern the right way , and to overcome the difficulties of our first entrance into it ; and should often pray to god , as david did , psalm . . i am a stranger in the earth , hide not thy commandments from me ; and psalm . , . search me , o god , and know my heart ; try me , and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me ; and lead me in the way everlasting . thus , if we would always have our end in our eye ; it would both be a direction to us in our way , and an encouragement to quicken our pace in it ; there being no more powerful motive to a good life , than to be assured , that if we have our fruit unto holiness , our end shall be everlasting life . finis . errata . page . l. . r. complement . p. . l. . r. nathanael . p. . l. . after so dele , . p. . l. . r. providence . p. . l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . l. . after comparison put , . p. . l. . r. farther . p. . l. . r. fared . p. . l. . r. established . p. . l. ult . dele ( . p. . l. . r. sleight . p. . l. . r. against . p. . l. . r. infinitely . p. . l. . after confession dele , . p. . l. . after world put ; . l. ult . after men put a full point . p. . l. . r. distrust . p. . l. . after god put ; . l. . after us put a full point . p. . l. . r. sufficiently . p. . l. . r. goes off . books printed for richard chiswell . dr . thomas tenison , now lord archbishop of canterbury , his sermon concerning discretion in giving alms. . — his sermon against self-love , before the house of commons . . — his sermon of doing good to posterity , before their majesties . . — his sermon concerning the wandring of the mind in god's service , before the queen : feb. . . — his sermon of the folly of atheism , before the queen : feb. . . — his sermon preached at the anniversary meeting of the clergy-mens sons : decemb. . . — his sermon concerning the celestial body of a christian , before the queen , on easter-day . . — his sermon concerning holy resolution , before the king at kensington : decemb. . on psal. . . — his sermon at the funeral of the queen , in the abby-church in westminster : march . / . dr. bvrnet , lord bishop of sarum , his discourse of the pastoral care. vo . — his four discourses delivered to the clergy of the diocess of sarum : concerning , i. the truth of the christian religion . ii. the divinity and death of christ. iii. the infallibility and authority of the church . iv. the obligations to continue in the communion of the church . vo . . — his sermon at the funeral of archbishop tillotson . . — his sermon preach'd before the king at st. james's chappel , on the th of february , / being the first sunday in lent , on cor. . . dr. patrick ( now lord bishop of ely ) his hearts-ease ; or , a remedy against all troubles : with a consolatory discourse , particularly directed to those who have lost their friends and relations . to which is added two papers , printed in the time of the late plague . the sixth edition corrected . mo . . — his answer to a book spread abroad by the romish priests , intituled [ the touch-stone of the reformed gospel : ] wherein the true doctrine of the church of england , and many texts of the holy scripture are faithfully explained . vo . . — his eight several occasional sermons since the revolution . to . — his exposition of the ten commandments . vo . a vindication of their majesty's authority to fill the sees of deprived bishops : in a letter occasioned by dr. b — 's refusal of the bishoprick of bath and wells . to . rushworth's historical collections . the third part , in two volumes . containing the principal matters which happened from the meeting of the parliament , nov. . . to the end of the year . wherein is a particular account of the rise and progress of the civil war , to that period . fol. . the letters of the reverend father paul , counsellor of state to the most serene republick of venice , and author of the excellent history of the council of trent . . an impartial history of the late wars of ireland . in two parts . from the time that duke schomberg landed with an army in that kingdom , to the d of march . when their majesty's proclamation was published , declaring the war to be ended . illustrated with copper sculptures , describing the most important places of action . written by george story , an eye-witness of the most remarkable passages . to . . dr. john conant's sermons , publish'd by dr. williams , . vo . of the government of the thoughts . the second edition . by geo. tully , sub-dean of york . vo . . origo legum : or , a treatise of the origine of laws , and their obliging power ; as also of their great variety ; and why some laws are immutable , and some not , but may suffer change , or cease to be , or be suspended , or abrogated . in seven books . by george dawson . fol. . a brief discourse concerning the lawfulness of worshipping god by the common-prayer ; in answer to a book , intituled . [ a brief discourse of the vnlawfulness of common-prayer-worship . ] by john williams , d. d. to . . a true representation of the absurd and mischievous principles of the sect commonly known by the name of muggletonians . to . . memoirs of the most reverend thomas cranmer , archbishop of canterbury : wherein the history of the church , and the reformation of it , during the primacy of the said archbishop , are greatly illustrated , and many singular matters relating thereunto , now first published . in three books . collected chiefly from records , registers , authentick letters , and other original manuscripts . by john strype , m. a. fol. . a commentary on the first book of moses , called genesis . by the right reverend father in god , simon lord bishop of ely. to : . the history of the troubles and tryal of the most reverend father in god william lavd lord arch-bishop of canterbury ; wrote by himself , during his imprisonment in the tower. to which is prefixed the diary of his own life , faithfully and entirely published from the original copy . and subjoyned a supplement to the preceding history ; the arch-bishop's last will : his large answer to the lord say's speech concerning liturgies : his annual accounts of his province deliver'd to the king , and some other things relating to the history . publish'd by henry wharton , chaplain to archbishop sancroft . fol. the possibility and expediency and necessity of divine revelation . a sermon preach'd at st. martin's in the fields , january . / . at the beginning of the lecture for the ensuing year , founded by the honourable rob. boyle esq by john williams , d. d. — the certainty of divine revelation , being his second sermon preach'd at the said lecture , feb. . . — his vindication of the sermons of his grace john archbishop of canterbury , concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour , and of the lord bishop of worcester's sermon on the mysteries of the christian faith , from the exceptions of a late socinian book , intituled , [ considerations on the explications of the doctrine of the trinity . ] to which is annexed a letter from the lord bishop of sarum , to the author of the said vindication , on the same subject . . to . historia de episcopis & decanis londinensibus necnon de episcopis & decanis assavensibus à prima utriusque fundatione ad annum mdxl. accessit ▪ appendix instrumentorum quorundam insignium duplex . autore henrico whartono , a. m. vo . . an essay on the memory of the late queen . by gilbert bishop of sarum . vo . advertisement . there will be published several sermons and discourses of the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord archbishop of canterbury , by order of his administratrix , faithfully transcribed from his own papers , by dr. ralph barker chaplain to his grace . which are disposed of to richard chiswell and his assigns . if any person print any others ( except those published in the author's life-time ) they are to be look'd upon as spurious and false : and the publishers will be proceeded against according to law. a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend mr thomas gouge, the th of novemb. at s. anne's blackfriars with a brief account of his life / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend mr thomas gouge, the th of novemb. at s. anne's blackfriars with a brief account of his life / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. : port. printed by m.f. for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . imperfect: frontispiece lacking in filmed copy. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng gouge, thomas, - . bible. -- n.t. -- luke xx, - -- sermons. funeral sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend m r thomas govge , the th . of novemb. . at s. anne's blackfriars ; with a brief account of his life . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . london , printed by m. f. for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill , and william rogers , at the sun against s. dunstan's church in fleetstreet , . to the right worshipfull the president , the treasurer , and the rest of the worthy governours of the hospital of christ church in london . when upon the request of some of the relations and friends of the reverend mr. gouge deceased , and , to speak the truth , in compliance with mine own inclination to doe right to the memory of so good a man , and to set so great an example in the view of all men , i had determined to make this discourse publick ; i knew not where more fitly to address it than to your selves who are the living pattern of the same vertue , and the faithfull dispensers and managers of one of the best and greatest charities in the world : especially since he had a particular relation to you , and was pleased for some years last past , without any other consideration but that of charity , to employ his constant pains in catechising the poor children of your hospital ; wisely considering of how great consequence it was to this city , to have the foundations of religion well laid in the tender years of so many persons as were afterwards to be planted there in several professions ; and from a true humility of mind , being ready to stoop to the meanest office and service , to doe good . i have heard from an intimate friend of his that he would sometimes with great pleasure say , that he had two livings which he would not exchange for two of the greatest in england , meaning wales and christ's hospital : contrary to common account , he esteemed every advantage of being usefull and serviceable to god and men a rich benefice , and those his best patrons and benefactors , not who did him good , but who gave him the opportunity and means of doing it . to you therefore as his patrons this sermon doth of right belong , and to you i humbly dedicate it ; heartily beseeching almighty god , to raise up many by his example that may serve their generation according to the will of god , as he did . i am your faithfull and humble servant jo. tillotson . a sermon preached at the funeral of m r thomas govge , with a short account of his life . luke xx. , . now that the dead are raised , ever moses shewed at the bush , when he calleth the lord the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob. for he is not a god of the dead , but of the living : for all live to him . the occasion of these words of our blessed saviour was an objection which the sadduces made against the resurrection , grounded upon a case which had sometimes happened among them , of a woman that had had seven brethren successively to her husbands . upon which case they put this question to our saviour ; whose wife of the seven shall this woman be at the resurrection ? that is , if men live in another world , how shall the controversie between these seven brethren be decided ? for they all seem to have an equal claim to this woman , each of them having had her to his wife . this captious question was not easie to be answered by the pharisees , who fancied the enjoyments of the next life to be of the same kind with the sensual pleasures of this world , onely greater and more durable . from which tradition of the jews concerning a sensual paradise , mahomet seems to have taken the pattern of his ; as he did likewise many other things from the jewish traditions . now upon this supposition , that in the next life there will be marrying and giving in marriage , it was a question not easily satisfied , whose wife of the seven this woman should then be ? but our saviour clearly avoids the whole force of it , by shewing the different state of men in this world , and in the other . the children of this world ( says he ) marry , and are given in marriage ; but they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world , and the resurrection from the dead , neither marry , nor are given in marriage . and he does not barely and magisterially assert this doctrine , but gives a plain and substantial reason for it ; because they cannot die any more . after men have lived a while in this world they are taken away by death , and therefore marriage is necessary to maintain a succession of mankind ; but in the other world men shall become immortal and live for ever , and then the reason of marriage will wholly cease : for when men can die no more there will then be no need of any new supplies of mankind . our saviour having thus cleared himself of this objection by taking away the ground and foundation of it , he produceth an argument for the proof of the resurrection , in the words of my text ; now that the dead are raised , moses even shewed at the bush , when he calleth the lord the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob , that is , when in one of his books god is brought in speaking to him out of the bush , and calling himself by the title of the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob. from whence our saviour infers the resurrection , because god is not the god of the dead but of the living : for all live to him . my design from these words is , to shew the force and strength of this argument which our saviour urgeth for the proof of the resurrection . in order whereunto i shall , first . consider it as an argument ad hominem , and shew the fitness and force of it to convince those with whom our saviour disputed . secondly , i shall enquire , whether it be more than an argument ad hominem ? and if it be , wherein the real and absolute force of it doth consist ? and then , i shall apply this doctrine of the resurrection to the present occasion . i. first . we will consider it as an argument ad hominem , and shew the fitness and force of it to convince those with whom our saviour disputed . and this will appear if we carefully consider these four things . . what our saviour intended directly and immediately to prove by this argument . . the extraordinary veneration which the jews in general had for the writings of moses , above any other books of the old testament . . the peculiar notion which the jews had concerning the use of this phrase or expression of god's being any one 's god. . the great respect which the jews had for these three fathers of their nation , abraham , isaac and jacob. for each of these make our saviour's argument more forcible against those with whom he disputed . first . we will consider what our saviour intended directly and immediately to prove by this argument . and that was this , that there is another state after this life , wherein men shall be happy or miserable according as they have lived in this world . and this doth not onely suppose the immortality of the soul , but forasmuch as the body is an essential part of man doth by consequence infer the resurrection of the body ; because otherwise the man would not be happy or miserable in the other world . but i cannot see any sufficient ground to believe that our saviour intended by this argument directly and immediately to prove the resurrection of the body , but onely by consequence , and as it follows from the admission of a future state wherein men shall be rewarded or punished . for that reason of our saviour , that god is not a god of the dead but of the living , if it did directly prove the resurrection of the body , it would prove that the bodies of abraham , isaac and jacob were raised to life again , at or before that time when god spake to moses and called himself the god of abraham , isaac and jacob : but we do not believe this ; and therefore ought not to suppose that it was the intention of our saviour directly and immediately to prove the resurrection of the body , but onely ( as i said before ) a future state . and that this was all our saviour intended will more plainly appear , if we consider what that errour of the sadduces was which our saviour here confutes . and josephus , who very well understood the difference of the sects among the jews , and gives a particular account of them , makes not the least mention of any controversie between the pharisees and the sadduces about the resurrection of the body . all that he says , is this . that the pharisees hold the immortality of the soul , and that there are rewards and punishments in another world : but the sadduces denied all this , and that there was any other state after this life . and this is the very same account with that which is given of them in the new testament , ver . . of this chap. the sadduces who deny that there is any resurrection . the meaning of which is more fully declared , acts . . the sadduces say that there is no resurrection , neither angel nor spirit ; but the pharisees confess both . that is , the sadduces denied that there was any other state of men after this life , and that there was any such thing as an immortal spirit , either angels , or the souls of men surviving their bodies . and , as dr. hammond hath judiciously observed , this is the true importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , viz. a future or another state ; unless in such texts where the context does restrain it to the raising again of the body , or where some word that denotes the body , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is added to it . secondly . the force of this argument against those with whom our saviour disputed will further appear , if we consider the great veneration which the jews in general had for the writings of moses above any other books of the old testament ; which they ( especially the sadduces ) looked upon onely as explications and comments upon the law of moses : but they esteemed nothing as a necessary article of faith which had not some foundation in the writings of moses . and this seems to me to be the true reason why our saviour chose to confute them out of moses , rather than any other part of the old testament : and not as many learned men have imagined , because the sadduces did not receive any part of the old testament but onely the five books of moses ; so that it was in vain to argue against them out of any other . this i know hath been a general opinion , grounded i think upon the mistake of a passage in josephus , who says the sadduces onely received the written law. but if we carefully consider that passage , we shall find that josephus doth not there oppose the law to the other books of the old testament , which were also written ; but to oral tradition . for he says expresly , that the sadduces onely received the written law , but the pharisees , over and besides what was written , received the oral which they call tradition . i deny not but that in the later prophets there are more express texts for the proof of a future state , than any are to be found in the books of moses . as daniel . . and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake , some to everlasting life , and some to shame and everlasting contempt . and indeed it seems very plain that holy men among the jews , towards the expiration of the legal dispensation , had still clearer and more express apprehensions concerning a future state than are to be met with in the writings of moses , or of any of the prophets . the law given by moses did suppose the immortality of the souls of men , and the expectation of another life after this , as principles of religion in some degree naturally known ; but made no new and express revelation of these things : nor was there any occasion for it , the law of moses being a political law , not intended for the government of mankind , but of one particular nation ; and therefore was establish'd , as political laws are , upon temporal promises and threatnings ; promising temporal prosperity to the observation of its precepts , and threatning the breach of them with temporal judgments and calamities . and this i take to be the true reason why arguments fetch'd from another world are so obscurely insisted upon under that dispensation ; not but that another life after this was always suppos'd , and was undoubtedly the hope and expectation of good men under the law , but the clear discovery of it was reserv'd for the times of the messias . and therefore as those times drew on , and the sun of righteousness was nearer his rising , the shadows of the night began to be chased away , and mens apprehensions of a future state to clear up ; so that in the time of the maccabees good men spake with more confidence and assurance of these things . it is likewise to be consider'd , that the temporal calamities and sufferings with which the jews were almost continually harass'd from the time of their captivity had very much wean'd good men from the consideration of temporal promises , and awaken'd their minds to the more serious thoughts of another world . it being natural to men when they are destitute of present comfort , to support themselves with the expectation of better things for the future , and as the apostle to the hebrews expresseth it , c. . v. . to fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is before them , and to imploy their reason to fortifie themselves as well as they can in that persuasion . and this i doubt not was the true occasion of those clearer and riper apprehensions of good men concerning a future state , in those times of distress and persecution ; it being very agreeable to the wisedom and goodness of the divine providence not to leave his people destitute of sufficient support ▪ under great trials and sufferings : and nothing but the hopes of a better life could have born up the spirits of men under such cruel tortures . and of this we have a most remarkable instance in the history of the seven brethren in the maccabees , who being cruelly tortured and put to death by antiochus , do most expresly declare their confident expectation of a resurrection to a better life . to which history the apostle certainly refers . heb. . . when he says , others were tortured , not accepting deliverance , that they might obtain a better resurrection : where the word , which we render were tortur'd , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is the very word used in the maccabees to express the particular kind of torture us'd upon them ; besides that being offer'd deliverance they most resolutely refus'd to accept of it , with this express declaration that they hop'd for a resurrection to a better life . but to return to my purpose , notwithstanding there might be more clear and express texts to this purpose in the ancient prophets , yet our saviour knowing how great a regard not onely the sadduces , but all the jews had to the authority of moses , he thought fit to bring his proof of the resurrection out of his writings , as that which was the most likely to convince them . thirdly . if we consider further the peculiar notion which the jews had concerning the use of this phrase or expression of god's being any one 's god. and that was this . that god is no where in scripture said to be any ones god while he was alive . and therefore they tell us that while isaac lived , god is not called the god of isaac , but the fear of isaac . as gen. . . except the god of abraham and the fear of isaac had been with me ; and ver . . when laban made a covenant with jacob , 't is said that laban did swear by the god of abraham , and the god of nahor , and the god of their fathers , but jacob swore by the fear of his father isaac . i will not warrant this observation to be good , because i certainly know it is not true . for god doth expresly call himself the god of isaac , while isaac was yet alive , gen. . . i am the lord god of abraham thy father , and the god of isaac . it is sufficient to my purpose , that this was a notion anciently currant among the jews . and therefore our saviour's argument from this expression must be so much the stronger against them : for if the souls of men be extinguished by death ( as the sadduces believed ) what did it signifie to abraham , isaac and jacob to have god called their god after they were dead ? but surely for god to be any ones god doth signifie some great benefit and advantage ; which yet ( according to the notion which the jews had of this phrase ) could not respect this life , because , according to them , god is not said to be any ones god till after he is dead : but it is thus said of abraham , isaac and jacob after their death , and therefore our saviour infers very strongly against them , that abraham , isaac and jacob were not extinguished by death , but do still live somewhere : for god is not the god of the dead , but of the living . and then he adds by way of further explication , for all live to him . that is , though those good men who are departed this life , do not still live to us , here in this world , yet they live to god ; and are with him . fourthly . if we consider the great respect which the jews had for those three fathers of their nation , abraham , isaac and jacob. they had an extraordinary opinion of them , and esteemed nothing too great to be thought or said of them . and therefore we find that they looked upon it as a great arrogance for any man to assume any thing to himself that might seem to set him above abraham , isaac or jacob . with what indignation did they fly upon our saviour on this account ? john . . art thou greater than our father jacob ? and chap. . ver . . art thou greater than our father abraham : whom makest thou thy self ? now they who had so superstitious a veneration for them , would easily believe any thing of privilege to belong to them : so that our saviour doth with great advantage instance in them , in favour of whom they would be enclined to extend the meaning of any promise to the utmost , and allow it to signifie as much as the words could possibly bear . so that it is no wonder that the text tells us that this argument put the sadduces to silence . they durst not attempt a thing so odious , as to go about to take away any thing of privilege from abraham , isaac and jacob. and thus i have , as briefly as the matter would bear , endeavoured to shew the fitness and force of this argument to convince those with whom our saviour disputed . i come now , in the ii. second place , to enquire whether this be any more than an argument ad hominem ? and if it be , wherein the real and absolute force of it doth consist ? i do not think it necessary to believe that every argument used by our saviour , or his apostles , is absolutely and in it self conclusive . for an argument which doth not really prove the thing in question , may yet be a very good argument ad hominem ; and in some cases more convincing to him with whom we dispute than that which is a better argument in it self . now it is possible , that our saviour's intention might not be to bring a conclusive proof of the resurrection , but onely to confute those who would needs be disputing with him . and to that purpose an argument ad hominem , which proceeded upon grounds which they themselves could not deny , might be very proper and effectual . but although it be not necessary to believe , that this was more than an argument ad hominem ; yet it is the better to us , if it be absolutely and in it self conclusive of the thing in question . and this i hope will sufficiently appear , if we consider these four things . . that for god to be any ones god doth signifie some very extraordinary blessing and happiness , to those persons of whom this is said . . if we consider the eminent faith and obedience of the persons to whom this promise is made . . their condition in this world . . the general importance of this promise , abstracting from the persons particularly specified and named in it , abraham , isaac and jacob. first . if we consider , that for god to be any ones god doth signifie some very extraordinary blessing and happiness to those persons of whom this is said . it is a big word for god to declare himself to be any ones god : and the least we can imagine to be meant by it , is that god will in an extraordinary manner imploy his power and wisedom to doe him good : that he will concern himself more for the happiness of those whose god he declares himself to be , than for others . secondly . if we consider the eminent faith and obedience of abraham , isaac and jacob. abraham left his country in obedience to god , not knowing whither he was to go . and , which was one of the most unparallel'd and strange instances of faith and obedience that can almost be imagined , he was willing to have sacrificed his onely son at the command of god. isaac and jacob were also very good men , and devout worshippers of the true god , when almost the whole world was sunk into idolatry and all manner of impiety . now what can we imagin , but that the good god did design some extraordinary reward to such faithfull servants of his ? especially if we consider , that he intended this gracious declaration of his concerning them , for a standing encouragement to all those who in after ages should follow the faith and tread in the steps of abraham , isaac and jacob. thirdly . if we consider the condition of abraham , isaac and jacob in this world . the scripture tells us , that they were pilgrims and strangers upon the earth ; had no fixed and settled habitation , but were forced to wander from one kingdom and country to another : that they were exposed to many hazards and difficulties , to great troubles and afflictions in this world ; so that there was no such peculiar happiness befell them in this life above the common rate of men , as may seem to fill up the big words of this promise , that god would be their god. for so far as the scripture history informs us , and further we cannot know of this matter , esau was as prosperous as jacob ; and jacob had a great many more troubles and afflictions in this life than esau had . but surely when god calls himself the god of abraham , isaac and jacob , this signifies that god intended some very peculiar blessing and advantage to them above others : which seeing they did not enjoy in this world , it is very reasonable to believe that one time or other this gracious declaration and promise of god was made good to them . and therefore the apostle to the hebrews , chap. . from this very expression , of god's being said to be the god of abraham and others , argues that some extraordinary happiness was reserved for them in another world : and that upon this very ground i am now speaking of , namely , because the condition of abraham , and some others , was not such in this world as might seem to answer the fulness of this promise . all these , says he , died in the faith , not having received the promises , but having seen them afar off , and were perswaded of them , and embraced them , and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims upon the earth . from whence he reasons very strongly that these good men might reasonably expect something better than any thing that had befallen them in this world . for they , says he , that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country ; which at the . verse he calls a better country , that is a heavenly . they that say such things , that is , they who acknowledge themselves to be strangers and pilgrims in the earth , and yet pretend that god hath promised to be their god , declare plainly that they expect some reward beyond this life . from all which he concludes , wherefore god is not ashamed to be called their god , because he hath prepared for them a city : intimating that if no happiness had remained for these good men in another world , this promise of god's being their god , would shamefully have fallen short of what it seemed to import , viz. some extraordinary reward and blessing worthy of god to bestow ; something more certain and lasting than any of the enjoyments of this world : which since god had abundantly performed to them in the happiness of another life , his promise to them was made good to the full , and he needed not be ashamed to be called their god. but if nothing beyond this life had been reserved for them , that saying of old jacob towards the conclusion of his life , few and evil have the days of the years of my life been , would have been an eternal reflexion upon the truth and faithfulness of him who had so often called himself the god of jacob. but now , because to all this it may be said , that this promise seems to have been made good to abraham , isaac and jacob , in this world : for was not god the god of abraham , isaac and jacob when he took such a particular and extraordinary care of them , and protected them from the manifold dangers they were exposed to by such a special and immediate providence , suffering no one to doe them harm , but rebuking even kings for their sakes ? was not he abraham's god , when he blest him so miraculously with a son in his old age , and with so considerable an estate to leave to him ? was not that saying of jacob a great acknowledgment of the gracious providence of god towards him , with my staff passed i over this jordan , and now i am become two bands ? and though it must needs be a very cutting affliction to him to lose his son joseph , as he thought he had done , yet that was more than recompensed to him in joseph's strange advancement in aegypt , whereby god put into his hands the opportunity of saving his father and his whole family alive . and was not god the god of abraham , isaac and jacob , in making them fathers of so numerous an off-spring , as afterwards became a great nation : and in giving them a fruitfull land , and bringing them to the quiet possession of it by such a series of wonderfull miracles ? what need then is there of extending this promise to another world ? doth it not seem abundantly made good in those great blessings which god bestowed upon them whilst they liv'd , and afterwards upon their posterity , in this world ? and does not this agree well enough with the first and most obvious sense of these words , i am the god of abraham , isaac and jacob , that is , i am he that was their god while they were alive , and am still the god of their posterity for their sakes ? i say , because the three former considerations are liable to this objection , which seems wholly to take off the force of this argument ; therefore for the full clearing of this matter , i will add one consideration more . fourthly then , we will consider the general importance of this promise , abstracting from the particular persons specified and named in it , viz. abraham , isaac and jacob ; and that is , that god will make a wide and plain difference between good and bad men ; he will be so the god of good men as he is not of the wicked ; and some time or other put every good man into a better and happier condition than any wicked man : so that the general importance of this promise is finally resolved into the equity and justice of the divine providence . and unless we suppose another life after this , it will certainly be very hard , and i think impossible , to reconcile the history of the old testament , and the common appearances of things in this world , with the justice and goodness of god's providence . it cannot be denyed , but that abraham , isaac and jacob , and several good men in the old testament , had many signal testimonies of the divine favour vouchsafed to them in this world : but we reade likewise of several wicked men , that had as large a share of temporal blessings . it is very true that abraham , isaac and jacob had great estates , and were petty princes : but pharaoh was a mighty prince in comparison of them ; and the kingdom of aegypt , which probably was the first and chief seat of idolatry , was at the same time one of the most potent and flourishing kingdoms in the world ; and was blest with a prodigious plenty , whereby they were furnished with store of corn , when good jacob and his family had like to have perished by famine . 't is true , joseph was advanc'd to great power in egypt , and thereby had the opportunity of saving his fathers house , by settling them , and feeding them in egypt : but then it is to be considered again , that this cost them very dear , and their coming thither was the occasion of a long and cruel bondage to jacob's posterity ; so that we see that these good men had no such blessings , but what were common with them to many others that were wicked : and the blessings which god bestowed upon them had great abatements by the intermixture of many and sore afflictions . it seems then , upon the whole matter , to be very plain , that the providences of god in this world towards good men are so contrived , that it may sufficiently appear , to those who wisely consider the works of god , that they are not neglected by him ; and yet that these outward blessings are so promiscuously dispensed , that no man can certainly be concluded to be a good man from any happiness he enjoys in this life : and the prosperity of good men is usually on purpose so shadowed and mixed with afflictions , as may justly raise their hopes to the expectation of a more perfect happiness and better reward than any they meet with in this world . and is so , then the general importance of this promise , that god will be the god of good men , must necessarily signifie something beyond this world : because in this world there is not that clear difference universally made between good and bad men which the justice of the divine providence doth require , and which seems to be intended in the general sense of this promise . for if this promise ( though personally made to abraham , isaac and jacob ) be intended , as the scripture tells us it was , for a standing encouragement to good men in all ages , then it still contains in it this general truth , that god will some time or other plentifully reward every good man , that is , he will doe something far better for him than for any wicked man : but it is impossible to reconcile this sense of it with the course of god's providence , and with the history of the bible . and to make this out fully and at once , i will onely produce that single instance of abel and cain . abel offered to god a more excellent sacrifice than cain , and he had this testimony , that he pleased god ; which was in effect to declare , that god was the god of abel and not of cain ; so that by virtue of the general importance of this promise , it might justly be expected that abel's condition should have been much better than cain's : but if there be no happiness after this life , abel's was evidently much worse . for upon this very account , that he pleased god better he was killed by cain , who had offered to god a slight and contemptuous offering . and cain lived a long time after , and grew great , and built cities . now supposing there were no other life after this , this must have been a most horrible example to all ages , from the beginning of the world to the end of it , and have made men for ever afraid to please god upon such hard terms ; when they were sure of no other reward for so doing , but to be oppress'd and slain by the hands of the wicked . so that if this were really the case , it would puzzle all the wit and reason of mankind to vindicate the equity and justice of the divine providence , and to rescue it out of the hands of this terrible objection . and thus i have as briefly as i could , endeavoured to clear to you the force of this argument used by our saviour for the proof of the resurrection . and have the longer insisted upon it , because at first appearance it seems to be but a very obscure and remote argument : and yet so much the more necessary to be clear'd , because this in all probability was that very text upon which the jews in our saviour's time grounded their belief of a future state , in opposition to the errour of the sadduces ; and which they call'd by way of eminency the promise made of god unto the fathers . as will plainly appear , if we consider what s. paul says to this purpose , when he appeals so often to the pharisees for his agreement with them in this article of the resurrection , and likewise in the ground of it from the promise made of god unto the fathers . acts . , . but this i confess unto thee , that after the way which they call heresie , so worship i the god of my fathers , believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets ; and have hope towards god , which they themselves also allow , that there shall be a resurrection of the dead . from whence it is clear , that they both grounded their hope of the resurrection upon something written in the law and the prophets ; and what that was he expresseth more particularly c. . v. , . and now stand , and am judged for the hope of the promise made of god unto our fathers ; unto which promise our twelve tribes , instantly serving god day and night , hope to come . by the promise made of god unto the fathers he means some promise made by god to abraham , isaac and jacob ; for so s. luke more than once , in this history of the acts , explains this phrase of the god of their fathers , acts . . the god of abraham , and of isaac , and of jacob , the god of our fathers ; and c. . v. . i am the god of thy fathers , the god of abraham , and the god of isaac , and the god of jacob. now what was the great and famous promise which god made to abraham , isaac and jacob ? was it not this of being their god ? so that it was this very promise upon which s. paul tells us the jews grounded their hope of a future state , because they understood it necessarily to signifie some blessing and happiness beyond this life . and now having , i hope , sufficiently clear'd this matter , i shall make some improvement of this doctrine of a future state , and that , to these three purposes . . to raise our minds above this world and the enjoyments of this present life . were but men thoroughly convinced of this plain and certain truth , that there is a vast difference between time and eternity , between a few years and everlasting ages : would we but represent to our selves what thoughts and apprehensions dying persons have of this world ; how vain and empty a thing it appears to them , how like a pageant and a shadow it looks as it passeth away from them : methinks none of these things could be a sufficient temptation to any man to forget god and his soul ; but , notwithstanding all the delights and pleasures of sense , we should be strangely intent upon the concernments of another world , and almost wholly taken up with the thoughts of that vast eternity which we are ready to launch into . for what is there in this world , this waste and howling wilderness , this rude and barbarous country which we are but to pass through , which should detain our affections here , and take up our thoughts from our everlasting habitation ; from that better and that heavenly country , where we hope to live and be happy for ever ? if we settle our affections upon the enjoyments of this present life , so as to be extremely pleas'd and transported with them , and to say in our hearts , it is good for us to be here ; if we be excessively griev'd or discontented for the want or loss of them , and if we look upon our present state in this world any otherwise than as a preparation and passage to a better life , it is a sign that our faith and hope of the happiness of another life is but very weak and faint , and that we do not heartily and in good earnest believe what we pretend to do concerning these things . for did we stedfastly believe and were thoroughly persuaded of what our religion so plainly declares to us concerning the unspeakable and endless happiness of good men in another world , our affections would sit more loose to this world , and our hopes would raise our hearts as much above these present and sensible things as the heavens are high above the earth ; we should value nothing here below , but as it serves for our present support and passage , or may be made a means to secure and increase our future felicity . . the consideration of another life should quicken our preparation for that blessed state which remains for us in the other world . this life is a state of probation and tryal . this world is god's school , where immortal spirits clothed with flesh are trained and bred up for eternity . and then certainly it is not an indifferent thing and a matter of slight concernment to us , how we live and demean our selves in this world : whether we indulge our selves in ungodliness and worldly lusts , or live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world : no ; it is a matter of infinite moment , as much as our souls and all eternity are worth . let us not deceive our selves ; for as we sowe so shall we reap : if we sowe to the flesh , we shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but if we sowe to the spirit , we shall of the spirit reap everlasting life . light is sown for the righteous , and gladness for the upright in heart . the righteous hath hopes in his death . mark the perfect man , and behold the upright , for the end of that man is peace . but the ungodly are not so : whoever hath lived a wicked and vicious life feels strange throws and pangs in his conscience when he comes to be cast upon a sick bed . the wicked is like the troubled sea ( saith the prophet ) when it cannot rest ; full of trouble and confusion , especially in a dying hour . it is death to such a man to look back upon his life , and a hell to him to think of eternity . when his guilty and trembling soul is ready to leave his body , and just stepping into the other world , what horrour and amazement do then seise upon him ? what a rage doth such a man feel in his breast , when he seriously considers , that he hath been so great a fool as for the false and imperfect pleasure of a few days to make himself miserable for ever ? . let the consideration of that unspeakable reward which god hath promised to good men at the resurrection , encourage us to obedience and a holy life . we serve a great prince who is able to promote us to honour ; a most gracious master who will not let the least service we doe for him pass unrewarded . this is the inference which the apostle makes from his large discourse of the doctrine of the resurrection , cor. . . wherefore , my beloved brethren , be ye stedfast and unmovable , always abounding in the work of the lord , forasmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the lord. nothing will make death more welcome to us than a constant course of service and obedience to god. sleep , saith solomon , is sweet to the labouring man : so after a great diligence and industry in working out our own salvation , and ( as it is said of david ) serving our generation according to the will of god , how pleasant will it be to fall asleep ? and as an usefull and well-spent life will make our death to be sweet , so our resurrection to be glorious . whatever acts of piety we doe to god , or of charity to men ; whatever we lay out upon the poor and afflicted and necessitous , will all be considered by god in the day of recompences , and most plentifully rewarded to us . and surely no consideration ought to be more prevalent to perswade us to alms deeds and charity to the poor , than that of a resurrection to another life . besides the promises of this life which are made to works of charity , and there is not any grace or vertue whatsoever , which hath so many and so great promises of temporal blessings made to it in scripture as this grace of charity ; i say , besides the promises of this life , the great promise of eternal life is in scripture in a more especial manner entail'd upon it . luke . . give alms , saith our saviour , provide your selves baggs which wax not old , a treasure in the heavens that faileth not , and c. . v. . make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness , that when ye shall fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations . and tim. . , , . charge them that are rich in this world , that they be not high minded , &c. that they doe good , that they be rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate , laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come , that they may lay hold on eternal life ; the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which our translation renders foundation according to the common use of it , seems in this place to have a more peculiar notion , and to signifie the security that is given by a pledge , or by an instrument or obligation of contract for the performance of covenants . for besides that the phrase of laying up in store , or treasuring up a foundation , seems to be a very odd jumbling of metaphors ; this very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost necessarily requires this notion as it is used by the same apostle , in his second epistle to timothy , chap. . ver . . where it is said , the foundation of god stands sure , having this seal , &c. a seal being very improper to strengthen a foundation , but very fit to confirm a covenant . and then surely it ought to be render'd , the covenant of god remains firm , having this seal . and so likewise in the foremention'd text , the sense will be much more easie and currant if we render it thus , treasuring up , or providing for themselves a good security or pledge against the time to come ; i add pledge , because that anciently was the common way of security for things lent : besides that the apostle seems plainly to allude to that passage , tobit , . , . if thou hast abundance , give alms accordingly , &c. for thou layest up a good treasure for thy self against the day of necessity , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for thou treasurest up for thy self a good pledge ; to which this of the apostle exactly answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , treasuring up , or providing for themselves a good pledge or security , &c. the sense however is plain , that the charity of alms is one of the best ways of securing our future happiness . and yet further to encourage us to abound in works of charity , the scripture tells us that proportionably to the degrees of our charity shall be the degrees of our reward ; upon this consideration the apostle exhorts the corinthians to be liberal in their charity , cor. . . he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly , but he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully . so that whatever we lay out in this kind is to the greatest advantage , and upon the best security ; two considerations which use to be very prevalent with rich men to lay out their money . we certainly doe it to the greatest advantage ; because god will consider the very smallest thing that any of us doe in this kind . he that shall give so much as a cup of cold water to a disciple , in the name of a disciple , shall not lose his reward ; these last words , shall not lose his reward , are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and signifie much more than they seem to speak , viz. that he shall have a very great reward , infinitely beyond the value of what he hath done . and we doe it likewise upon the best security ; so solomon assures us , prov. . . he that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to the lord , and that which he hath given will he pay him again : and we may be confident of our security where god is surety ; nay , he tells us that in this case he looks upon himself as principal , and that whatever we doe in ways of mercy and charity to the poor he takes as done to himself . so our lord hath told us , matt. . . . and we shall hear the same from him again out of his own mouth when he shall appear in his majesty to judge the world , then the king shall answer , and say unto them , verily i say unto you , inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren , ye have done it unto me . and on the other side , the scripture no where passeth a more severe doom upon any sort of persons , than upon those who have no bowels of compassion towards their brethren in distress . that is a fearfull sentence indeed , which the apostle pronounceth upon such persons , jam. . . he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy . and this our saviour represents to us in a most solemn manner , in that lively description which he makes of the judgment of the great day , matt. . . &c. when the son of man shall come in his glory , and all the holy angels with him , then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : and before him shall be gathered all nations , and he shall separate them one from another , as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats . and he shall set the sheep on his right hand , but the goats on the left . then shall the king say unto them on the right hand , come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , before the foundation of the world : for i was an hungred , and ye gave me meat ; i was thirsty , and ye gave me drink ; i was a stranger , and ye took me in ; naked , and ye clothed me ; i was sick , and ye visited me ; i was in prison , and ye came unto me . then shall he say also unto them on the left hand , depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels : for i was an hungred , and ye gave me no meat , &c. and these shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into life eternal . and if this be , as most certainly it is , a true and proper representation of the process of that day , then the great matter of enquiry will be , what works of charity and mercy have been done or neglected by us , and accordingly a sentence of eternal happiness , or misery , will be pass'd upon us : i was hungry , did ye feed me or did ye not ? i was naked , did ye clothe me or did ye not ? i was sick and in prison , did ye visit me or did ye not ? not but that all the good or evil of our lives , in what kind soever , shall then be brought to account ; but that our saviour did chuse to instance particularly , and onely in things of this nature , should methinks make a mighty impression upon us , and be a powerfull consideration to oblige us to have a very peculiar regard to works of mercy and charity , and to make sure to abound in this grace ; that when we shall appear before the great judge of the world we may find that mercy from him which we have shew'd to others , and which we shall all undoubtedly stand in need of in that day . and among all our acts of charity , those which are done upon least probability and foresight of their meeting with any recompense in this world , either by way of real requital or of fame and reputation , as they are of all other most acceptable to god , so they will certainly have the most ample reward in another world . so our lord hath assur'd us , and accordingly adviseth us , luke . , , . when thou makest a feast invite not the rich , because they will recompense thee again : but call the poor , the maimed , the lame and the blind , for they cannot recompense thee , but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just . if we be religious for worldly ends , and serve god , and doe good to men , onely in contemplation of some temporal advantage , we take up with present payment , and cut our selves short of our future reward : of such , saith our lord , verily i say unto you , they have their reward ; they are their own security , and have taken care to satisfie themselves , and therefore are to expect nothing from god. but let us who call our selves christians doe something for god , for which we have no hopes to be recompensed in this world ; that we may shew that we trust god and take his word , and dare venture upon the security of the next world and that recompense which shall be made at the resurrection of the just . and how great and glorious that shall be , our saviour tells us immediately before my text. they that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world , and the resurrection from the dead , they can die no more , but they are equal to the angels , and are the children of god , being the children of the resurrection . if then we be heirs of such glorious hopes , and believe that he who is the god of abraham , isaac , and jacob , will also be our god ; let us live as it becomes the candidates of heaven , and the children of the resurrection , and such as verily believe another life after this , and hope one day to sit down with abraham , isaac and jacob , in the kingdom of god. and now that i have represented to you what encouragement there is to well-doing , and particularly to works of charity , from the consideration of the blessed reward we shall certainly meet with at the resurrection of the just : i shall crave your patience a little longer , whilst i propose to you one of the fairest examples of this kind which either this or perhaps any other age could easily present us withall : i mean our deceased brother to whom we are now paying our last solemn respects , the reverend mr. thomas govge ; the worthy son of a reverend and learned divine of this city , dr. william gouge , who was minister of this parish of black friars six and forty years ; he died in . and still lives in the memory of many here present . i must confess , that i am no friend to funeral panegyricks , where there is nothing of extraordinary worth and merit in the party commended to give occasion and foundation for them : in such cases , as praises are not due to the dead , so they may be of ill consequence to the living ; not onely by bringing those of our profession that make a practice of it under the suspicion of officious and mercenary flattery , but likewise by encouraging men to hope that they also may be well spoken of , and even sainted when they are dead , though they should have done little or no good in their life : but yet on the other hand , to commend those excellent persons the vertues of whose lives have been bright and exemplary , is not onely a piece of justice due to the dead , but an act of great charity to the living , setting a pattern of well-doing before our eyes , very apt and powerfull to incite and encourage us to go and doe likewise . upon both these considerations , first to doe right to the memory of so good a man , and then in hopes that the example may prove fruitfull and have a considerable effect upon others to beget the like goodness and charity in them , i shall endeavour , in as narrow a compass as may be , to give you the just character of this truly pious and charitable man , and by setting his life in a true light to recommend with all the advantage i can so excellent a pattern to your imitation . he was born at bow near stratford in the county of midlesex the th . day of september . he was bred at eton school , and from thence chosen to kings college in cambridge being about years of age , in the year . after he had finish'd the course of his studies , and taken his degrees , he left the vniversity and his fellowship , being presented to the living of colsden near croyden in surrey , where he continued about or years ; and from thence was remov'd to s. sepulchres in london , in the year . and the year after thinking fit to change his condition match'd into a very worthy and ancient family , marrying one of the daughters of sir robert darcy . being thus settled in this large and populous parish , he did with great solicitude and pains discharge all the parts of a vigilant and faithfull minister , for about the space of years . for besides his constant and weekly labour of preaching , he was very diligent and charitable in visiting the sick , and ministring not onely spiritual counsel and comfort to them , but likewise liberal relief to the wants and necessities of those that were poor and destitute of means to help themselves in that condition . he did also every morning throughout the year catechize in the church , especially the poorer sort who were generally most ignorant ; and to encourage them to come thither to be instructed by him he did once a week distribute money among them , not upon a certain day , but changing it on purpose as he thought good , that he might thereby oblige them to be constantly present : these were chiefly the more aged poor who being past labour had leisure enough to attend upon this exercise . as for the other sort of poor who were able to work for their living , he set them at work upon his own charge , buying flax and hemp for them to spin , and what they spun he took off their hands paying them for their work , and then got it wrought into cloth , and sold it as he could , chiefly among his friends , himself bearing the whole loss . and this was a very wise and well chosen way of charity , and in the good effect of it a much greater charity than if he had given these very persons freely and for nothing so much as they earned by their work ; because by this means he took many off from begging , and thereby rescued them at once from two of the most dangerous temptations of this world , idleness and poverty ; and by degrees reclaim'd them to a vertuous and industrious course of life , which enabled them afterwards to live without being beholden to the charity of others . and this course so happily devis'd and begun by mr. gouge in his own parish , was i think that which gave the first hint to that worthy and usefull citizen mr. thomas firmin of a much larger design , which hath been prosecuted by him for some years with that vigour and good success in this city , that many hundreds of poor children , and others who liv'd idle before , unprofitable both to themselves and the publick , are continually maintain'd at work and taught to earn their own livelihood much in the same way : he being , by the generous assistance and charity of many worthy and well-dispos'd persons of all ranks , enabled to bear the unavoidable loss and charge of so vast an undertaking ; and by his own forward inclination to charity , and his unwearied diligence and activity , extraordinarily fitted to sustain and go through the incredible pains of it . but to return to our deceased friend ; concerning whom i must content my self to pass over many things worthy to be remembred of him , and to speak onely of those vertues of his which were more eminent and remarkable . of his piety towards god , which is the necessary foundation of all other graces and vertues , i shall onely say this , that it was great and exemplary , but yet very still and quiet , without stir and noise , and much more in substance and reality than in shew and ostentation ; and did not consist in censuring and finding fault with others , but in the due care and government of his own life and actions , and in exercising himself continually to have a conscience void of offence toward god and toward men ; in which he was such a proficient , that even after long acquaintance and familiar conversation with him it was not easie to observe any thing that might deserve blame . he particularly excell'd in the more peculiar vertues of conversation , in modesty , humility , meekness , cheerfulness , and in kindness and charity towards all men . so great was his modesty , that it never appear'd either by word or action that he put any value upon himself . this i have often observ'd in him , that the charities which were procur'd chiefly by his application and industry , when he had occasion to give an account of them , he would rather impute to any one who had but the least hand and part in the obtaining of them , than assume any thing of it to himself . another instance of his modesty was , that when he had quitted his living of s. sepulchres upon some dissatisfaction about the terms of conformity , he willingly forbore preaching , saying there was no need of him here in london where there were so many worthy ministers , and that he thought he might doe as much or more good in another way which could give no offence . onely in the later years of his life , being better satisfy'd in some things he doubted of before , he had license from some of the bishops to preach in wales in his progress ; which he was the more willing to doe , because in some places he saw great need of it , and he thought he might doe it with greater advantage among the poor people , who were the more likely to regard his instructions , being recommended by his great charity , so well known to them , and of which they had so long had the experience and benefit . but where there was no such need , he was very well contented to hear others perswade men to goodness and to practise it himself . he was clothed with humility , and had in a most eminent degree that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which , s. peter says , is in the sight of god of so great price : so that there was not the least appearance either of pride or passion in any of his words or actions . he was not onely free from anger and bitterness , but from all affected gravity and moroseness . his conversation was affable and pleasant ; he had a wonderfull serenity of mind and evenness of temper , visible in his very countenance ; he was hardly ever merry , but never melancholy and sad ; and for any thing i could discern , after a long and intimate acquaintance with him , he was upon all occasions and accidents perpetually the same ; always cheerfull , and always kind ; of a disposition ready to embrace and oblige all men ; allowing others to differ from him , even in opinions that were very dear to him ; and provided men did but fear god and work righteousness , he lov'd them heartily , how distant soever from him in judgment about things less necessary : in all which he is very worthy to be a pattern to men of all perswasions whatsoever . but that vertue which of all other shone brightest in him , and was his most proper and peculiar character , was his cheerfull and unwearied diligence in acts of pious charity . in this he left far behind him all that ever i knew , and , as i said before , had a singular sagacity and prudence in devising the most effectual ways of doing good , and in managing and disposing his charity to the best purposes , and to the greatest extent ; always , if it were possible , making it to serve some end of piety and religion ; as the instruction of poor children in the principles of religion , and furnishing grown persons that were ignorant with the bible and other good books ; strictly obliging those to whom he gave them to a diligent reading of them , and when he had opportunity exacting of them an account how they had profited by them . in his occasional alms to the poor , in which he was very free and bountifull , the relief he gave them was always mingled with good counsel , and as great a tenderness and compassion for their souls as bodies ; which very often attain'd the good effect it was likely to have , the one making way for the other with so much advantage , and men being very apt to follow the good advice of those who give them in hand so sensible a pledge and testimony of their good will to them . this kind of charity must needs be very expensive to him , but he had a plentifull estate settled upon him and left him by his father , and he laid it out as liberally in the most prudent and effectual ways of charity he could think of , and upon such persons as , all circumstances considered , he judg'd to be the fittest and most proper objects of it . for about nine or ten years last past he did , as is well known to many here present , almost wholly apply his charity to wales , because there he judg'd was most occasion for it : and because this was a very great work , he did not onely lay out upon it whatever he could spare out of his own estate , but employ'd his whole time and pains to excite and engage the charity of others for his assistance in it . and in this he had two excellent designs . one , to have poor children brought up to reade and write , and to be carefully instructed in the principles of religion : the other , to furnish persons of grown age , the poor especially , with the necessary helps and means of knowledge , as the bible , and other books of piety and devotion , in their own language ; to which end he procur'd the church-catechisme , the practice of piety , and that best of books the whole duty of man , besides several other pious and usefull treatises , to be translated into the welch tongue , and great numbers of them to be printed , and sent down to the chief towns in wales , to be sold at easie rates to those that were able to buy them , and to be freely given to those that were not . and in both these designs , through the blessing of god upon his unwearied endeavours , he found very great success . for by the large and bountifull contributions which chiefly by his industry and prudent application were obtain'd from charitable persons of all ranks and conditions , from the nobility and gentry of wales and the neighbouring counties , and several of that quality in and about london ; from divers of the right reverend bishops , and of the clergy ; and from that perpetual fountain of charity the city of london , led on and encourag'd by the most bountifull example of the right honourable the lord mayor and the court of aldermen ; to all which he constantly added two thirds of his own estate , which as i have been credibly inform'd was two hundred pounds a year : i say , by all these together there were every year eight hundred , sometimes a thousand poor children educated as i said before ; and by this example several of the most considerable towns of wales were excited to bring up at their own charge the like number of poor children , in the like manner , and under his inspection and care . he likewise gave very great numbers of the books above mention'd , both in the welch and english tongues , to the poorer sort , so many as were unable to buy them and willing to reade them . but which was the greatest work of all , and amounted indeed to a mighty charge , he procured a new and very fair impression of the bible and liturgy of the church of england in the welch tongue ( the former impression being spent , and hardly twenty of them to be had in all london ) to the number of eight thousand ; one thousand whereof were freely given to the poor , and the rest sent to the principal cities and towns in wales to be sold to the rich at very reasonable and low rates , viz. at four shillings a piece well bound and clasped ; which was much cheaper than any english bible was ever sold that was of so fair a print and paper : a work of that charge , that it was not likely to have been done any other way ; and for which this age , and perhaps the next , will have great cause to thank god on his behalf . in these good works he employed all his time and care and pains , and his whole heart was in them ; so that he was very little affected with any thing else ; and seldom either minded or knew any thing of the strange occurrences of this troublesome and busie age , such as i think are hardly to be parallel'd in any other : or if he did mind them , he scarce ever spoke any thing about them . for this was the business he laid to heart , and knowing it to be so much and so certainly the will of his heavenly father , it was his meat and drink to be doing of it : and the good success he had in it was a continual feast to him , and gave him a perpetual serenity both of mind and countenance . his great love and zeal for this work made all the pains and difficulties of it seem nothing to him : he would rise early and sit up late , and continued the same diligence and industry to the last , though he was in the threescore and seventeenth year of his age . and that he might manage the distribution of this great charity with his own hands , and see the good effect of it with his own eyes , he always once , but usually twice a year , at his own charge travelled over a great part of wales , none of the best countries to travel in : but for the love of god and men he endured all that , together with the extremity of heat and cold ( which in their several seasons are both very great there ) not onely with patience but with pleasure . so that all things considered there have not , since the primitive times of christianity , been many among the sons of men to whom that glorious character of the son of god might be better applied , that he went about doing good . and wales may as worthily boast of this truly apostolical man as of their famous s. david ; who was also very probably a good man , as those times of ignorance and superstition went. but his goodness is so disguised by their fabulous legends and stories which give us the account of him , that it is not easie to discover it . indeed ridiculous miracles in abundance are reported of him : as , that upon occasion of a great number of people resorting from all parts to hear him preach , for the greater advantage of his being heard a mountain all on a sudden rose up miraculously under his feet , and his voice was extended to that degree that he might be distinctly heard for two or three miles round about . such phantastical miracles as these make up a great part of his history . and admitting all these to be true ( which a wise man would be loth to do ) our departed friend had that which is much greater and more excellent than all these , a fervent charity to god and men ; which is more than to speak ( as they would make us believe s david did ) with the tongue of men and angels , more than to raise or remove mountains . and now methinks it is pity so good a design so happily prosecuted should fall and die with this good man. and it is now under deliberation , if possible , still to continue and carry it on , and a very worthy and charitable person pitched upon for that purpose , who is willing to undertake that part which he that is gone performed so well : but this will depend upon the continuance of the former charities and the concurrence of those worthy and well disposed persons in wales to contribute their part as formerly ; which i perswade my self they will cheerfully doe . i will add but one thing more concerning our deceased brother , that though he meddled not at all in our present heats and differences as a party , having much better things to mind ; yet as a looker on he did very sadly lament them , and for several of the last years of his life he continued in the communion of our church , and , as he himself told me , thought himself obliged in conscience so to do . he died in the th . year of his age , octob. th , . it so pleased god that his death was very sudden ; and so sudden , that in all probability he himself hardly perceived it when it happened , for he died in his sleep ; and as it is said of david , after he had served his generation according to the will of god , he fell asleep . i confess that a sudden death is generally undesirable , and therefore with reason we pray against it ; because so very few are sufficiently prepared for it : but to him , the constant employment of whose life was the best preparation for death that was possible , no death could be sudden ; nay , it was rather a favour and blessing to him , because by how much the more sudden so much the more easie : as if god had designed to begin the reward of the great pains of his life in an easie death . and indeed it was rather a translation than a death ; and , saving that his body was left behind , what was said of enoch may not unfitly be applied to this pious and good man with respect to the suddenness of his change ; he walked with god , and was not , for god took him . and god grant that we who survive , may all of us sincerely endeavour to tread in the steps of his exemplary piety and charity ; of his labour of love , his unwearied diligence and patient continuance in doing good , that we may meet with that encouraging commendation which he hath already received from the mouth of our lord , well done good and faithfull servant , enter thou into the joy of thy lord. now the god of peace that brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , that great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work to doe his will , working in you always that which is pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ ; to whom be glory for ever . amen . the end . a catalogue of books . single sermons preach'd and publish'd ( since the two volumes in octavo ▪ ) by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury , viz. . a sermon , preached on the fifth of november , . at s. margarets westminster , before the honourable house of commons , upon this text : luke . , . but he turned , and rebuked them , and said , ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of ; for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives , but to save them . . a sermon , preached at the first general meeting of the gentlemen , and others in and near london , who were born within the county of york . in the parish church of s. mary-le-bow , dec. . . upon , john . , . a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another ; as i have loved you , that ye also love one another : by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another . . a sermon , preached before the king , at white-hall , april . . upon john . . beloved , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they are of god : because many false prophets are gone out into the world . . the protestant religion vindicated , from the charge of singularity and novelty : in a sermon , preached before the king at white-hall , april . . upon , joshua . . if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom you will serve . . the lawfulness , and obligation of oaths . a sermon , preached at the assizes held at kingston upon thames , july . . upon , heb. . . and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . . a sermon , preached at the funeral of the reverend mr. thomas gouge , novemb. . . with an account of his life : upon , luke . , . now that the dead are raised , even moses shewed at the bush , when he calleth the lord the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god jacob ; for he is not a god of the dead , but of the living : for all live to him . printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill : and william rogers , at the sun against s. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . books writ by the learned dr. isaac barrow , late master of trinity college in cambridge . viz. a learned treatise of the pope's supremacy . to which is added a discourse concerning the vnity of the church , in quarto . the said discourse of vnity is also printed alone , in octavo . twelve sermons , preached upon several occasions : in octavo , being the first volume . ten sermons , against evil speaking : in octavo , being the second volume . eight sermons of the love of god and our neighbour : in octavo , being the third volume . the duty and reward of bounty to the poor : in a sermon , much enlarged , preached at the spittal , upon wednesday in easter week , anno dom. . in octavo . a sermon upon the passion of our blessed saviour : preached at guild-hall chapel , on good-friday , the thirteenth day of april , . in octavo . an exposition of the lord's prayer , the ten commandments , and the doctrine of the sacraments , in octavo . all the said books of the learned dr. isaac barrow , ( except the sermon of bounty to the poor ) are since the authour's death published by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury . the true and lively effigies of dr. isaac barrow , a large print ; ingraven ( from the life ) by the excellent artist d. loggan : price without frame six pence . several other pieces of the learned remains of dr. barrow may be suddenly expected . all printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill . the necessity of regeneration , in two sermons to the university of oxon. by john wallis , d. d. professor of geometry in that university , and a member of the royal society . quarto . light in the way to paradise , with other occasionals . by dudley the d , l d north. printed for w. rogers , at the sun against s. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . finis . a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall, february the th, / being the first sunday in lent / by john lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall, february the th, / being the first sunday in lent / by john lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ... and william rogers ..., london : mdcxciv [ ] "published by their majesties special command. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- titus iii, -- sermons. lenten sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the archbishop of canterbury's sermon before the king and queen at white-hall february the th / . being the first sunday in lent. a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall february the th / . being the first sunday in lent. by john lord archbishop of canterbury . published by their majesties special command . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons in cornhil : and william rogers , at the sun in fleetstreet , mdcxciv . a sermon preached before the king and queen . titus iii. . to speak evil of no man. general persuasives to repentance and a good life , and invectives against sin and wickedness at large , are certainly of good use to recommend religion and virtue , and to expose the deformity and danger of a vicious course . but it must be acknowledged on the other hand , that these general discourses do not so immediately tend to reform the lives of men : because they fall among the croud , but do not touch the consciences of particular persons in so sensible and awakening a manner as when we treat of particular duties and sins , and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one and to reclaim them from the other , by proper arguments taken from the word of god , and from the nature of particular virtues and vices . the general way is , as if a physician , instead of applying particular remedies to the distemper of his patient , should entertain him with a long discourse of diseases in general , and of the pleasure and advantages of health ; and earnestly persuade him to be well ; without taking his particular disease into consideration , and prescribing remedies for it . but if we would effectually reform men , we must take to task the great and common disorders of their lives , and represent their faults to them in such a manner as may convince them of the evil and danger of them , and put them upon the endeavour of a cure . and to this end i have pitched upon one of the common and reigning vices of the age , calumny and evil-speaking ; by which men contract so much guilt to themselves , and create so much trouble to others : and from which , it is to be feared , few or none are wholly free . for who is he , saith the son of sirach , that hath not offended with his tongue ? in many things , saith st. james , we offend all : and if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. but how few have attain'd to this perfection ? and yet unless we do endeavour after it , and in some good measure attain it , all our pretence to religion is vain : so the same apostle tells us , if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . for the more distinct handling of this argument , i shall reduce my discourse to these five heads . first , i shall consider the nature of this vice and wherein it consists . secondly , i shall consider the due extent of this prohibition , to speak evil of no man. thirdly , i shall shew the evil of this practice , both in the causes and effects of it . fourthly , i shall add some further considerations to dissuade men from it . fifthly , i shall give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of it . i. i shall consider what this sin or vice of evil-speaking , here forbidden by the apostle , is : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not to defame and slander any man , not to hurt his reputation , as the etymology of the word doth import . so that this vice consists in saying things of others which tend to their disparagement and reproach , to the taking away or lessening of their reputation and good name . and this , whether the things said be true or not . if they be false , and we know it , then it is downright calumny ; and if we do not know it , but take it upon the report of others , it is however a slander ; and so much the more injurious , because really groundless and undeserved . if the thing be true , and we know it to be so , yet it is a defamation and tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation : and it is a fault to say the evil of others which is true , unless there be some good reason for it besides : because it is contrary to that charity and goodness which christianity requires to divulge the faults of others , though they be really guilty of them , without necessity or some other very good reason for it . again , it is evil-speaking and the vice condemn'd in the text , whether we be the first authors of an ill report , or relate it from others ; because the man that is evil spoken of is equally defam'd either way . again , whether we speak evil of a man to his face , or behind his back : the former way indeed seems to be the more generous , but yet is a great fault , and that which we call reviling : the latter is more mean and base , and that which we properly call slander or backbiting . and lastly , whether it be done directly and in express terms , or more obscurely and by way of oblique insinuation ; whether by way of downright reproach , or with some crafty preface of commendation : for so it have the effect to defame , the manner of address does not much alter the case : the one may be more dextrous , but is not one jot less faulty : for many times the deepest wounds are given by these smoother and more artificial ways of slander ; as by asking questions , have you not heard so and so of such a man ? i say no more , i only ask the question : or by general intimations , that they are loth to say what they have heard of such a one , are very sorry for it , and do not at all believe it , if you will believe them : and this many times without telling the thing , but leaving you in the dark to suspect the worst . these and such like arts , though they may seem to be tenderer and gentler ways of using mens reputation , yet in truth they are the most malicious and effectual methods of slander ; because they insinuate something that is much worse than is said , and yet are very apt to create in unwary men a strong belief of something that is very bad , though they know not what it is . so that it matters not in what fashion a slander is dress'd up , if it tend to defame a man and to diminish his reputation , it is the sin forbidden in the text. ii. we will consider the extent of this prohibition to speak evil of no man ; and the due bounds and limitations of it . for it is not to be understood absolutely , to forbid us to say any thing concerning others that is bad . this in some cases may be necessary and our duty , and in several cases very fit and reasonable . the question is , in what cases by the general rules of scripture and right reason we are warranted to say the evil of others that is true ? in general , we are not to do this without great reason and necessity ; as , for the prevention of some great evil , or the procuring of some considerable good to our selves , or others . and this i take to be the meaning of that advice of the son of sirach , whether it be to a friend or a foe , talk not of other mens lives ; and if thou canst without offence reveal them not , that is , if without hurt to any body thou canst conceal them , divulge them not . but because this may not be direction sufficient , i shall instance in some of the principal cases wherein men are warranted to speak evil of others , and yet in so doing do not offend against this prohibition in the text. first , it is not only lawful , but very commendable , and many times our duty to do this in order to the probable amendment of the person of whom evil is spoken . in such a case we may tell a man of his faults privately ; or where it may not be so fit for us to use that boldness and freedom , we may reveal his faults to one who is more fit and proper to reprove him , and will probably make no other use of this discovery but in order to his amendment . and this is so far from being a breach of charity , that it is one of the best testimonies of it . for perhaps the party may not be guilty of what hath been reported of him , and then it is a kindness to give him the opportunity of vindicating himself : or if he be guilty , perhaps being privately told of it he may reform . in this case the son of sirach adviseth to reveal mens faults , admonish a friend , says he , it may be he hath not done it , and if he have done it , that he do it no more : admonish a friend , it may be he hath not said it , and if he have , that he speak it not again : admonish a friend , for many times it is a slander ; and believe not every tale . but then we must take care that this be done out of kindness , and that nothing of our own passion be mingled with it ; and that under pretence of reproving and reforming men we do not reproach and revile them , and tell them of their faults in such a manner as if we did it to shew our authority rather than our charity . it requires a great deal of address and gentle application so to manage the business of reproof , as not to irritate and exasperate the person whom we reprove , instead of curing him . secondly , this likewise is not only lawful but our duty , when we are legally called to bear witness concerning the fault and crime of another . a good man would not be an accuser , unless the publick good , or the prevention of some great evil should require it . and then the plain reason of the thing will sufficiently justify a voluntary accusation : otherwise it hath always among well-manner'd people been esteemed very odious for a man to be officious in this kind , and a forward informer concerning the misdemeanours of others . magistrates may sometimes think it fit to give encouragement to such persons , and to set one bad man to catch another , because such men are fittest for such dirty work : but they can never inwardly approve them , nor will they ever make them their friends and confidents . but when a man is call'd to give testimony in this kind in obedience to the laws , and out of reverence to the oath taken in such cases , he is so far from deserving blame for so doing , that it would be an unpardonable fault in him to conceal the truth , or any part of it . thirdly , it is lawful to publish the faults of others , in our own necessary defence and vindication . when a man cannot conceal another's faults without betraying his own innocency , no charity requires a man to suffer himself to be defamed to save the reputation of another man. charity begins at home , and though a man had never so much goodness he would first secure his own good name , and then be concern'd for other men's . we are to love our neighbour as our selves ; so that the love of our selves is the rule and measure of our love to our neighbour : and therefore first , otherwise it could not be rule . and it would be very well for the world , if our charity would rise thus high ; and no man would hurt another man's reputation , but where his own is in real danger . fourthly , this also is lawful for caution and warning to a third person , that is in danger to be infected by the company , or ill example of another ; or may be greatly prejudiced by reposing too much confidence in him , having no knowledge or suspicion of his bad qualities : but even in this case we ought to take great care that the ill character we give of any man be spread no further than is necessary to the good end we designed in it . besides these more obvious and remarkable cases , this prohibition doth not i think hinder but that in ordinary conversation men may mention that ill of others which is already made as publick as it well can be : or that one friend may not in freedom speak to another of the miscarriage of a third person , where he is secure no ill use will be made of it , and that it will go no further to his prejudice : provided always , that we take no delight in hearing or speaking ill of others : and the less we do it , though without any malice or design of harm , still the better ; because this shews that we do not feed upon ill reports and take pleasure in them . these are the usual cases in which it may be necessary for us to speak evil of other men . and these are so evidently reasonable that the prohibition in the text cannot with reason be extended to them . and if no man would allow himself to say any thing to the prejudice of another man's good name , but in these and the like cases , the tongues of men would be very innocent , and the world would be very quiet . i proceed in the iiid place , to consider the evil of this practice , both in the causes and the consequences of it . first , we will consider the causes of it . and it commonly springs from one or more of these evil roots . first , one of the deepest and most common causes of evil-speaking is ill-nature and cruelty of disposition : and by a general mistake ill nature passeth for wit , as cunning doth for wisdom ; though in truth they are nothing akin to one another , but as far distant as vice and virtue . and there is no greater evidence of the bad temper of mankind , than the general proneness of men to this vice. for ( as our saviour says ) out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . and therefore men do commonly incline to the censorious and uncharitable side : which shews human nature to be strangely distorted from its original rectitude and innocency . the wit of man doth more naturally vent it self in satyr and censure , than in praise and panegyrick . when men set themselves to commend , it comes hardly from them , and not without great force and straining ; and if any thing be fitly said in that kind , it doth hardly relish with most men : but in the way of invective , the invention of men is a plentiful and never-failing spring : and this kind of wit is not more easie than it is acceptable : it is greedily entertained and greatly applauded , and every man is glad to hear others abused , not considering how soon it may come to his own turn to lie down and make sport for others . to speak evil of others , is almost become the general entertainment of all companies : and the great and serious business of most meetings and visits , after the necessary ceremonies and complements are over , is to sit down and backbite all the world. 't is the sawce of conversation , and all discourse is counted but flat and dull which hath not something of picquancy and sharpness in it against some body . for men generally love rather to hear evil of others than good , and are secretly pleas'd with ill reports , and drink them in with greediness and delight : though at the same time they have so much justice , as to hate those that propagate them ; and so much wit , as to conclude that these very persons will do the same for them in another place and company . but especially , if it concerns one of another party , and that differs from us in matters of religion ; in this case , all parties seem to be agreed that they do god great service in blasting the reputation of their adversaries : and though they all pretend to be christians , and the disciples of him who taught nothing but kindness and meekness and charity ; yet it is strange to see with what a savage and murderous disposition they will flie at one another's reputation and tear it in pieces : and whatever other scruples they may have , they make none to bespatter one another in the most bitter and slanderous manner . but if they hear any good of their adversaries , with what nicety and caution do they receive it ? how many objections do they raise against it ? and with what coldness do they at last admit it ? it is very well , say they , if it be true : i shall be glad to hear it confirm'd . i never heard so much good of him before . you are a good man your self , but have a care you be not deceived . nay it is well , if to balance the matter , and set things even , they do not clap some infirmity and fault into the other scale , that so the enemy may not go off with flying colours . but on the other side , every man is a good and substantial author of an ill report . i do not apply this to any one sort of men , though all are to blame in this way ; iliacos intra muros peccatur , & extra . to speak impartially , the zealots of all parties have got a scurvy trick of lying for the truth . but of all sorts of people , i have observed the priests and bigots of the church of rome to be the ablest in this way , and to have the strongest faith for a lusty falshood and calumny . others will bandy a false report , and toss it from one hand to another ; but i never knew any that would so hug a lye and be so very fond of it . they seem to be described by st. john in that expression in the revelation , whosoever loveth and maketh a lye . another shrewd sign that ill-nature lies at the root of this vice is , that we easily forget the good that is said of others , and seldom make mention of it ; but the contrary sticks with us , and lies uppermost in our memories , and is ready to come out upon all occasions : and which is yet more ill-natur'd and unjust , many times when we do not believe it our selves we tell it to others , with this charitable caution that we hope it is not true : but in the mean time we give it our pass , and venture it to take its fortune to be believed or not , according to the charity of those into whose hands it comes . secondly , another cause of the commonness of this vice is , that many are so bad themselves , in one kind or other . for to think and speak ill of others is not only a bad thing , but a sign of a bad man. our b. saviour , speaking of the evil of the last days , gives this as the reason of the great decay of charity among men , because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold . when men are bad themselves , they are glad of any opportunity to censure others , and are always apt to suspect that evil of other men which they know by themselves . they cannot have a good opinion of themselves , and therefore are very unwilling to have so of any body else ; and for this reason they endeavour to bring men to a level , hoping it will be some justification of them if they can but render others as bad as themselves . thirdly , another source of this vice is malice and revenge . when men are in heat and passion they do not consider what is true , but what is spiteful and mischievous ; and speak evil of others in revenge of some injury which they have received from them : and when they are blinded by their passions they lay about them madly and at a venture , not much caring whether the evil they speak be true or not . nay many are so devilish , as to invent and raise false reports on purpose to blast mens reputation . this is a diabolical temper , and therefore st. james tells us that the slanderous tongue is set on fire of hell : and the devil hath his very name from calumny and false accusation ; and it is his nature too , for he is always ready to stir up and foment this evil spirit among men : nay , the scripture tells us that he hath the malice and impudence to accuse good men before god ; as he did job , charging him with hypocrisie to god himself ; who , he knows , does know the hearts of all the children of men . fourthly , another cause of evil-speaking is envy . men look with an evil eye upon the good that is in others , and think that their reputation obscures them , and that their commendable qualities do stand in their light ; and therefore they do what they can to cast a cloud over them , that the bright shining of their vertues may not scorch them . this makes them greedily to entertain , and industriously to publish any thing that may serve to that purpose , thereby to raise themselves upon the ruins of other mens reputation : and therefore assoon as they have got an ill report of any good man by the end , to work they presently go to send it abroad by the first post : for the string is always ready upon their bow to let fly this arrow with an incredible swiftness , through city and countrey ; for fear the innocent man's justification should overtake it . fifthly , another cause of evil speaking is impertinence and curiosity ; an itch of talking and medling in the affairs of other men , which do no wise concern them . some persons love to mingle themselves in all business , and are loth to seem ignorant of so important a piece of news as the faults and follies of men , or any bad thing that is talk'd of in good company . and therefore they do with great care pick up ill stories , as good matter of discourse in the next company that is worthy of them : and this perhaps not out of any great malice , but for want of something better to talk of , and because their parts lie chiefly that way . lastly , men do this many times out of wantonness and for diversion . so little do light and vain men consider , that a man's reputation is too great and tender a concernment to be jested withal ; and that a slanderous tongue bites like a serpent , and wounds like a sword. for what can be more barbarous , next to sporting with a man's life , than to play with his honour and reputation , which to some men is dearer to them than their lives ? it is a cruel pleasure which some men take in worrying the reputation of others much better than themselves ; and this only to divert themselves and the company . solomon compares this sort of men to distracted persons ; as a mad man , saith he , who casteth firebrands , arrows and death , so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour ; the lxx . render it so is the man that defameth his neighbour , and saith am i not in sport ? such , and so bad are the causes of this vice. i proceed to consider , in the second place , the ordinary but very pernicious consequences and effects of it ; both to others , and to our selves . first , to others ; the parties i mean that are slandered . to them it is certainly a great injury , and commonly a high provocation , but always matter of no small grief and trouble to them . it is certainly a great injury , and if the evil which we say of them be not true , it is an injury beyond imagination , and beyond all possible reparation . and though we should do our utmost endeavour afterwards towards their vindication , yet that makes but very little amends ; because the vindication seldom reacheth so far as the reproach , and because commonly men are neither so forward to spread the vindication , nor is it so easily received after ill impressions are once made . i will add one thing more , that it is an injury that descends to a man's children and posterity ; because the good or ill name of the father is derived down to them ; and many times the best thing he hath to leave them is the reputation of his unblemish'd virtue and worth : and do we make no conscience to rob his innocent children of the best part of this small patrimony , and of all the kindness that would have been done them for their father's sake , if his reputation had not been so undeservedly stain'd ? is it no crime by the breath of our mouth at once to blast a man's reputation , and to ruin his children , perhaps to all posterity ? can we make a jest of so serious a matter ? of an injury so very hard to be repented of as it ought , because in such a case no repentance will be acceptable without restitution , if it be in our power . and perhaps it will undo us in this world to make it , and if we do it not , will be our ruin in the other . i will put the case at the best , that the matter of the slander is true ; yet no man's reputation is considerably stained , though never so deservedly , without great harm and damage to him . and it is great odds but the matter by passing through several hands is aggravated beyond truth , every one out of his bounty being apt to add something to it . but , besides the injury , it is commonly a very high provocation . and the consequence of that may be as bad as we can imagine , and may end in dangerous and desperate quarrels . this reason the wise son of sirach gives why we should defame no man : whether it be , says he , to a friend or a foe , talk not of other mens lives . for he hath heard and observed thee , that is , one way or other it will probably come to his knowledge , and when the time cometh he will shew his hatred , that is , he will take the first opportunity to revenge it . at the best , it is always matter of grief to the person that is defam'd : and christianity , which is the best-natur'd institution in the world , forbids us the doing of those things whereby we may grieve one another . a man's good name is a tender thing , and a wound there sinks deep into the spirit even of a wise and good man : and the more innocent any man is in this kind , the more sensible is he of this hard usage ; because he never treats others so , nor is he conscious to himself that he hath deserved it . secondly , the consequences of this vice are as bad or worse to our selves . whoever is wont to speak evil of others gives a bad character of himself , even to those whom he desires to please ; who , if they be wise enough , will conclude that he speaks of them to others as he does of others to them : and were it not for that fond partiality which men have for themselves , no man could be so blind as not to see this . and it is very well worthy of our consideration which our saviour says in this very case , that with what measure we mete to others , it shall be measured to us again ; and that many times heaped up , and running over . for there is hardly any thing wherein man-kind do use more strict justice and equality , than in rendering evil for evil , and railing for railing . nay , revenge often goes further than words . a reproachful and slanderous speech hath cost many a man a duel , and in that the loss of his own life , or the murther of another , perhaps with the loss of his own soul : and i have often wonder'd that among christians this matter is no more laid to heart . and though neither of these great mischiefs should happen to us , yet this may be inconvenient enough many other ways . for no man knows in the chance of things , and the mutability of human affairs , whose kindness and good-will he may come to stand in need of before he dies . so that did a man only consult his own safety and quiet , he ought to refrain from evil-speaking . what man is he , saith the psalmist , that desireth life , and loveth many days , that he may see good : keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falshood . but there is an infinitely greater danger hanging over us from god. if we allow our selves in this evil practice , all our religion is good for nothing . so st. james expresly tells us , if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . and st. paul puts slanderers and revilers amongst those that shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and our b. saviour hath told us , that by our words we shall be justified , and by our words we shall be condemned . to which i will add the counsel given us by the wise-man , refrain your tongue from backbiting , for there is no word so secret that shall go for nought , and the mouth that slandereth slayeth the soul. i proceed in the iv th place , to add some further arguments and considerations to take men off from this vice : as first , that the use of speech is a peculiar prerogative of man above other creatures , and bestowed upon him for some excellent end and purpose : that by this faculty we might communicate our thoughts more easily to one another , and consult together for our mutual comfort and benefit : not to enable us to be hurtful and injurious , but helpful and beneficial to one another . the psalmist calls our tongue our glory ; therewith we praise god and bless men : now to bless is to speak well of any , and to wish them well . so that we pervert the use of speech and turn our glory into shame , when we abuse this faculty to the injury and reproach of any . secondly , consider how cheap a kindness it is to speak well , at least not to speak ill of any . a good word is an easy obligation , but not to speak ill requires only our silence , which costs us nothing . some instances of charity are chargeable , as to relieve the wants and necessities of others : the expence deters many from this kind of charity . but were a man never so covetous , he might afford another man his good word ; at least he might refrain from speaking ill of him : especially if it be consider'd how dear many have paid for a slanderous and reproachful word . thirdly , consider that no quality doth ordinarily recommend one more to the favour and good-will of men , than to be free from this vice. every one desires such a man's friendship , and is apt to repose a great trust and confidence in him : and when he is dead , men will praise him ; and next to piety towards god , and righteousness to men , nothing is thought a more significant commendation , than that he was never , or very rarely heard to speak ill of any . it was a singular character of a roman gentleman , nescivit quid esset maledicere , he knew not what it was to give any man an ill word . fourthly , let every man lay his hand upon his heart , and consider how himself is apt to be affected with this usage . speak thy conscience man , and say whether , as bad as thou art , thou wouldst not be glad to have every man's , especially every good man's , good word ? and to have thy faults conceal'd , and not to be hardly spoken of , though it may be not altogether without truth , by those whom thou didst never offend by word or deed ? but with what face or reason dost thou expect this from others , to whom thy carriage hath been so contrary ? nothing surely is more equal and reasonable than that known rule , what thou wouldst have no man do to thee , that do thou to no man. fifthly , when you are going to speak reproachfully of others , consider whether you do not lie open to just reproach in the same , or some other kind . therefore give no occasion , no example of this barbarous usage of one another . there are very few so innocent and free either from infirmities or greater faults , as not to be obnoxious to reproach upon one account or other ; even the wisest , and most virtuous , and most perfect among men have some little vanity , or affectation which lays them open to the raillery of a mimical and malicious wit : therefore we should often turn our thoughts upon our selves , and look into that part of the wallet which men commonly fling over their shoulders and keep behind them , that they may not see their own faults : and when we have searched that well , let us remember our saviour's rule , he that is without sin , let him cast the first stone . lastly consider , that it is in many cases as great a charity to conceal the evil you hear and know of others , as if you relieved them in a great necessity . and we think him a hard-hearted man that will not bestow a small alms upon one in great want . it is an excellent advice which the son of sirach gives to this purpose , talk not of other mens lives : if thou hast heard a word , let it die with thee ; and be bold it will not burst thee . i shall in the v th and last place , give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of this great evil among men . first , never say any evil of any man , but what you certainly know . when ever you positively accuse and endite any man of any crime , though it be in private and among friends , speak as if you were upon your oath , because god sees and hears you . this not only charity , but justice and regard to truth do demand of us . he that easily credits an ill report is almost as faulty as the first inventer of it . for though you do not make , yet you commonly propagate a lye. therefore never speak evil of any upon common fame , which for the most part is false , but almost always uncertain whether it be true or not . not but that is a fault , in most cases , to report the evil of men which is true , and which we certainly know to be so : but if i cannot prevail to make men wholly to abstain from this fault , i would be glad to compound with some persons , and to gain this point of them however ; because it would retrench nine parts in ten of the evil-speaking that is in the world. secondly , before you speak evil of any man , consider whether he hath not obliged you by some real kindness , and then it is a bad return to speak ill of him who hath done us good . consider also , whether you may not come hereafter to be acquainted with him , related to him , or obliged by him whom you have thus injured ? and how will you then be ashamed when you reflect upon it , and perhaps have reason also to believe that he to whom you have done this injury is not ignorant of it ? consider likewise , whether in the change of human affairs , you may not some time or other come to stand in need of his favour ; and how incapable this carriage of yours towards him will render you of it ? and whether it may not be in his power to revenge a spiteful and needless word by a shrewd turn ? so that if a man made no conscience of hurting others , yet he should in prudence have some consideration of himself . thirdly , let us accustom our selves to pity the faults of men and to be truly sorry for them , and then we shall take no pleasure in publishing them . and this common humanitie requires of us , considering the great infirmities of humane nature , and that we our selves also are liable to be tempted : considering likewise , how severe a punishment every fault and miscarriage is to it self ; and how terribly it exposeth a man to the wrath of god , both in this world and the other . he is not a good christian , that is not heartily sorry for the faults even of his greatest enemies ; and if he be so , he will discover them no further than is necessarie to some good end . fourthly , whenever we hear any man evil-spoken of , if we know any good of him let us say that . it is always the more humane and the more honourable part to stand up in the defence and vindication of others , than to accuse and bespatter them . possibly the good you have heard of them may not be true , but it is much more probable that the evil which you have heard of them is not true neither : however , it is better to preserve the credit of a bad man , than to stain the reputation of the innocent . and if there were any need that a man should be evil-spoken of , it is but fair and equal that his good and bad qualities should be mention'd together ; otherwise he may be strangely misrepresented , and an indifferent man may be made a monster . they that will observe nothing in a wise man , but his oversights and follies ; nothing in a good man , but his failings and infirmities ; may make a shift to render a very wise and good man very despicable . if one should heap together all the passionate speeches , all the froward and imprudent actions of the best man ; all that he had said , or done amiss in his whole life , and present it all at one view , concealing his wisdom and vertue ; the man in this disguise would look like a mad-man or a furie : and yet if his life were fairly reported , and just in the same manner it was led ; and his many and great virtues set over against his failings and infirmities , he would appear to all the world to be an admirable and excellent person . but how many and great soever any man's ill qualities are , it is but just that with all this heavy load of faults he should have the due praise of the few real virtues that are in him . fifthly , that you may not speak ill of any , do not delight to hear ill of them . give no countenance to busy-bodies , and those that love to talk of other men's faults : or if you cannot decently reprove them because of their qualitie , then divert the discourse some other way ; or if you cannot do that , by seeming not to mind it you may sufficiently signifie that you do not like it . sixthly , let every man mind himself , and his own duty and concernment . do but endeavour in good earnest to mend thy self , and it will be work enough for one man , and leave thee but little time to talk of others . when plato withdrew from the court of dionysius , who would fain have had a famous philosopher for his flatterer , they parted in some unkindnes , and dionysius bade him not to speak ill of him when he was return'd into greece ; plato told him , he had no leisure for it ; meaning that he had better things to mind , than to take up his thoughts , and talk with the faults of so bad a man , so notoriously known to all the world. lastly , let us set a watch before the door of our lips , and not speak but upon consideration : i do not mean to speak finely , but fitly . especially when thou speakest of others , consider of whom , and what thou art going to speak : use great caution and circumspection in this matter : look well about thee ; on every side of the thing , and on every person in the company , before thy words slip from thee ; which when they are once out of thy lips , are for ever out of thy power . not that men should be sullen in company , and say nothing ; or so stiff in conversation , as to drop nothing but aphorisms and oracles : especially , among equals and friends , we should not be so reserved as if we would have it taken for a mighty favour that we vouchsafe to say any thing . if a man had the understanding of an angel , he must be contented to abate something of this excess of wisdom , for fear of being thought cunning. the true art of conversation , if any body can hitt upon it , seems to be this ; an appearing freedom and opennes , with a resolute reservednes as little appearing as is possible . all that i mean by this caution is , that we should consider well what we say , especially of others . and to this end we should endeavour to get our minds furnished with matter of discourse concerning things useful in themselves , and not hurtful to others : and , if we have but a mind wise enough , and good enough , we may easily find a field large enough for innocent conversation ; such as will harm no body , and yet be acceptable enough to the better and wiser part of mankind : and why should any one be at the cost of playing the fool to gratifie any body whatsoever . i have done with the five things i propounded to speak to upon this argument . but because hardly any thing can be so clear , but something may be said against it ; nor any thing so bad , but something may be pleaded in excuse for it : i shall therefore take notice of two or three pleas that may be made for it . first , some pretend mighty injury and provocation . if in the same kind , it seems thou art sensible of it ; and therefore thou of all men oughtest to abstain from it : but in what kind soever it be , the christian religion forbids revenge . therefore do not plead one sin in excuse of another , and make revenge an apologie for reviling . secondly , it is alledged by others , with a little better grace , that if this doctrine were practised , conversation would be spoil'd , and there would not be matter enough for pleasant discourse and entertainment . i answer , the design of this discourse is to redress a great evil in conversation , and that i hope which mends it will not spoil it . and however , if mens tongues lay a little more still , and most of us spake a good deal less than we do , both of our selves and others , i see no great harm in it : i hope we might for all that live comfortably and in good health , and see many good dayes . david , i am sure , prescribes it as an excellent receipt , in his opinion , for a quiet , and cheerful , and long life , to refrain from evil-speaking ; what man is he that desireth life , and loveth many dayes that he may see good ? keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falsehood . but granting that there is some pleasure in invective , i hope there is a great deal more in innocence : and the more any man considers this , the truer he will find it ; and whenever we are serious , we our selves cannot but acknowledg it . when a man examines himself impartially before the sacrament , or is put in mind upon a death-bed to make reparation for injuries done in this kind , he will then certainly be of this mind and wish he had not done them . for this certainly is one necessary qualification for the b. sacrament , that we be in love and charitie with our neighbours ; with which temper of mind this qualitie is utterly inconsistent . thirdly , there is yet a more specious plea than either of the former , that men will be encouraged to do ill if they can escape the tongues of men ; as they would do , if this doctrin did effectually take place : because by this means one great restraint from doing evil would be taken away , which these good men who are so bent upon reforming the world , think would be great pity . for many who will venture upon the displeasure of god , will yet abstain from doing bad things for fear of reproach from men : besides , that this seems the most proper punishment of many faults which the laws of men can take no notice of . admitting all this to be true , yet it does not seem so good and laudable a way to punish one fault by another . but let no man encourage himself in an evil way with this hope , that he shall escape the censure of men : when i have said all i can , there will , i fear , be evil-speaking enough in the world to chastise them that do ill : and though we should hold our peace , there will be bad tongues enow to reproach men with their evil doings . i wish we could but be persuaded to make the experiment for a little while , whether men would not be sufficiently lash'd for their faults , though we sate by and said nothing . so that there is no need at all that good men should be concern'd in this odious work. there will alwayes be offenders and malefactours enow to be the executioners to inflict this punishment upon one another . therefore let no man presume upon impunitie on the one hand ; and on the other , let no man despair but that this busines will be sufficiently done one way or other . i am very much mistaken , if we may not safely trust an ill-natur'd world that there will be no failure of justice in this kind . and here , if i durst , i would fain have said a word or two concerning that more publick sort of obloquy by lampoons and libells , so much in fashion in this wittie age. but i have no mind to provoke a very terrible sort of men . yet thus much i hope may be said without offence , that how much soever men are pleas'd to see others abused in this kind , yet it is alwayes grievous when it comes to their own turn : however i cannot but hope that every man that impartially considers must own it to be a fault of a very high nature to revile those whom god hath placed in authority over us , and to slander the footsteps of the lords anointed : especially since it is so expresly written , thou shalt not speak evil of the rulers of thy people . having represented the great evil of this vice , it might not now be improper to say something to those who suffer by it . are we guilty of the evil said of us ? let us reform , and cut off all occasions for the future ; and so turn the malice of our enemies to our own advantage , and defeat their ill intentions by making so good an use of it : and then it will be well for us to have been evil spoken of . are we innocent ? we may so much the better bear it patiently ; imitating herein the pattern of our b. saviour , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . we may consider likewise , that though it be a misfortune to be evil-spoken of , it is their fault that do it , and not ours ; and therefore should not put us into passion , because another man's being injurious to me is no good reason why i should be uneasie to my self . we should not revenge the injuries done to us , no not upon them that do them , much less upon our selves . let no man's provocation make thee to lose thy patience . be not such a fool , as to part with any one virtue because some men are so malicious as to endeavour to rob thee of the reputation of all the rest . when men speak ill of thee , do as plato said he would do in that case ; live so , as that no body may believe them . all that now remains is to reflect upon what hath been said , and to urge you and my self to do accordingly . for all is nothing , if we do not practise what we so plainly see to be our duty . many are so taken up with the deep points and mysteries of religion , that they never think of the common duties and offices of human life . but faith and a good life are so far from clashing with one another , that the christian religion hath made them inseparable . true faith is necessary in order to a good life , and a good life is the genuine product of a right belief ; and therefore the one never ought to be press'd to the prejudice of the other . i foresee what will be , because it hath so often been said in the like case ; that there is not one word of jesus christ in all this . no more is there in the text. and yet i hope that jesus christ is truly preach'd , when ever his will and lawes , and the dutyes injoyn'd by the christian religion are inculcated upon us . but some men are pleased to say , that this is mere moralitie , i answer , that this is scripture-moralitie and christian-moralitie , and who hath any thing to say against that ? nay , i will go yet further , that no man ought to pretend to believe the christian religion , who lives in the neglect of so plain a duty ; and in the practice of a sin so clearly condemn'd by it , as this of evil-speaking is . but because the word of god is quick and powerful , and sharper than a two-edged sword , yea sharper than calumnie it self ; and pierceth the very hearts and consciences of men , laying us open to our selves , and convincing us of our more secret as well as our more visible faults ; i shall therefore at one view represent to you what is dispersedly said concerning this sin in the h. word of god. and i have purposely reserved this to the last , because it is more persuasive and penetrating than any human discourse . and to this end be pleas'd to consider in what company the h. ghost doth usually mention this sin. there is scarce any black catalogue of sins in the bible but we find this among them ; in the company of the very worst actions and most irregular passions of men . out of the heart , sayes our saviour , proceed evil thoughts , murders , adulteries , fornications , false witnes , evil-speakings . and the apostle ranks backbiters with fornicatours , and murderers , and haters of god ; and with those of whom it is expresly said that they shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and when he enumerates the sins of the last times , men , says he , shall be lovers of themselves , covetous , boasters , evil-speakers , without natural affection , perfidious , false accusers , &c. and which is the strangest of all , they who are said to be guilty of these great vices and enormities are noted by the apostle to be great pretenders to religion ; for so it follows in the next words , having a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof . so that it is no new thing for men to make a more than an ordinary profession of christianity , and yet at the same time to live in a most palpable contradiction to the precepts of that h. religion : as if any pretence to mysterie and i know not what extraordinary attainments in the knowledg of christ , could exempt men from obedience to his laws , and set them above the virtues of a good life . and now after all this , do we hardly think that to be a sin , which is in scripture so frequently rank'd with murther and adultery and the blackest crimes ; such as are inconsistent with the life and power of religion , and will certainly shut men out of the kingdom of god ? do we believe the bible to be the word of god ? and can we allow our selves in the common practice of a sin , than which there is hardly any fault of mens lives more frequently mention'd , more severely reprov'd , and more odiously branded in that h. book ? consider seriously these texts . who shall abide in thy tabernacle , who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? he that backbiteth not with his tongue , nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour . have ye never heard what our saviour says , that of every idle word we must give an account in the day of judgment ; that by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemn'd ? what can be more severe than that of st. james ? if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , that man's religion is vain . to conclude : the sin , which i have now warned men against , is plainly condemn'd by the word of god ; and the duty which i have now been persuading you to , is easie for every man to understand , not hard for any man , that can but resolve to keep a good guard upon himself for some time , by the grace of god to practice ; and most reasonable for all men , but especially for all christians , to observe . it is as easie as a resolute silence , upon just occasion , as reasonable as prudence and justice and charitie , and the preservation of peace and good-will among men , can make it ; and of as necessary and indispensable an obligation , as the authority of god can render any thing , upon all which considerations let us every one of us be perswaded to take up david's deliberate resolution , i said , i will take heed to my wayes , that i offend not with my tongue . and i do verily believe , that would we but heartily endeavour to amend this one fault , we should soon be better men in our whole lives : i mean , that the correcting of this vice , together with those that are nearly allied to it , and may at the same time , and almost with the same resolution and care be corrected , would make us owners of a great many considerable virtues , and carry us on a good way towards perfection ; it being hardly to be imagin'd that a man that makes conscience of his words should not take an equal or a greater care of his actions . and this i take to be both the true meaning and the true reason of that saying of st. james , and with which i shall conclude ; if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good word and work , to do his will ; working in you alwayes that which is well pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ , to whom be glory for ever , amen . the end . books published by his grace . john lord arch-bishop of canterbury . thirty sermons and discourses upon several occasions , in three volumes , in octavo . the rule of faith ; or , an answer to the treatise of mr. j. sergant , in octavo . a discourse against transubstantiation , vo . alone price d. a persuasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lords supper , octavo , alone price d. the same in twelves , bound d . a sermon preached at lincolns-inn-chappel on the st . of january , , being appointed for a publick thanksgiving to almighty god for having made his highness the prince of orange the glorious instrument of the great deliverance of this kingdom from popery and arbitrary power , quarto . a sermon preached before the queen at whitehal , on matth. . . a sermon preached before the king and queen at hampton-court , on luke . . a sermon preached before the queen , on matth. . . a sermon preached before the house of commons upon a monthly fast , eccles . . . a sermon preached before the lord mayor at bow-church upon a monthly fast , jerem. . . a sermon preached before the queen , on acts . . a sermon preached before the queen at white hall , upon the monthly fast , sept. . . on zech. . . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall , march . / , on psalm . . a publick thanksgiving sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall , october . . on jerem. . , . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall , april . , concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ , on heb. . . a sermon concerning the unity of the divine nature , and the blessed trinity , on timothy . . the exact effigies of his grace john lord archbishop of 〈◊〉 large sheet of paper . curiously ingraven notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ecclus. . . jam. . . jam. . . i. ii. ecclus. . . ecclus. . , , . iii. matth. . . ecclus. . , . matth. . psal . . , . jam. . . cor. . . wisd . of solomon . c. . v. . iv. ecclus. . . v. psal . . , . matth. . . rom. . . cor. . . tim. . , . ps . . . ps . . . sermons preached upon several occasions by the right reverend father in god, john wilkins ... sermons. selections wilkins, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) sermons preached upon several occasions by the right reverend father in god, john wilkins ... sermons. selections wilkins, john, - . tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for tho. basset, ric. chiswell and will. rogers, london : . preface by john tillotson, archbishop of canterbury. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. sermons, english. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sermons preached upon several occasions : by the right reverend father in god , john wilkins , d.d. and late lord bishop of chester . never before published . london : printed for tho. basset , ric. chiswell and will. rogers . m.dc.lxxxii . the publisher to the reader . i easily foresee that in this censorious and inquisitive age two questions will be asked concerning the publishing of these sermons , why no sooner ? or , why at all ? since so many come abroad 〈…〉 the age is almost oppress'd with them . to the first i answer , because i was not at leisure before to review them , and to get them transcribed out of a hand not legible enough for the press : to the other , because though there be many sermons , yet not many such ; whether we consider in them , the usefulness and weight of the matters treated of ; or the suitable manner of handling them , in a style of so much clearness and closeness and strength , as was fitted ( as he himself was wont to wish ) to the capacity of the weakest and the conviction of the strongest ; or the solid and well-poized judgment of the author in points of difficulty ; or lastly , the admirable candour and moderation of his temper in matters of difference and dispute . and i purposely mention his moderation , and likewise adventure to commend him for it ; notwithstanding that this virtue , so much esteemed and magnified by wise men in all ages , hath of late been declaimed against with so much zeal and fierceness , and yet with that good grace and confidence , as if it were not only no virtue but even the sum and abridgment of all vices . i say , notwithstanding all this , i am still of the old ●pinion that moderation is a virtue , and one of the peculiar ornaments and advantages of the excellent constitution of our church , and must at last be the temper of her members , especially the clergy , if ever we seriously intend the firm establishment of this church , and do not industriously design by cherishing heats and divisions among our selves to let in popery at these breaches . as to the author himself , i cannot forbear out of a generous indignation to see the ashes of so worthy a man trampled upon , to take notice of a very slight , and , i think , unjust character given of him in a late book entituled historia & antiquitates universitatis oxoniensis ; whether by the author of that book , or by some other hand , is variously reported , and i am not curious to know . the former part of the character is chiefly made up of invidious reflections upon his carriage , and the circumstances of his condition in the late times ; in all which , because i did not then know him , i leave him to be vindicated or censur'd by those who were witnesses of his whole behaviour and temper in that time . the latter part of it consists of flat and ill-favour'd commendations , as , that he was philosophiae & mathematicae addictissimus , a great well-willer to philosophy and the mathematicks ; the exact character of an empirick and an almanack-maker , when these two excellencies happen to be in conjunction : and then , that to the study of divinity he added eloquentiam inconcionando non contemnendam , an eloquence in preaching not to be despised ; which though it be but a very cold and slender commendation both of his divinity and his eloquence , yet i must own something of kindness in it , because there is in good earnest a sort of eloquence in preaching that is to be despised . to finish the kindness , and that nothing might be omitted that might any ways cast an odium upon him , as he is placed next before mr. hobbs , so i cannot but observe in comparing their characters , that there is apparently far less of envy and detraction in that of mr. hobbs's , than in this of the reverend bishop ; for which i can imagin no other reason but this ; that mr. hobbs was then alive to speak for himself , but the dead bite not . upon the whole , it hath often been no small matter of wonder to me , whence it should come to pass that so great a man , and so great a lover of mankind , who had the inclination , the skill , and the opportunity to oblige so very many , and was so highly valued and reverenced by all that knew him , should yet have the hard fate to fall under the heavy displeasure and censure of those who knew him not : and that he who never did any thing to make himself one personal enemie , should have the ill fortune to have so many . i think i may truly say , that there are , or have been , very few in this age and nation , so well known , and so greatly esteemed and favoured , first by a judicious prince , and then by so many persons of high rank and quality , and of singular worth and eminency in all the learned prefessions , as our author was . and this surely cannot be denied him , it is so well known to many worthy persons yet living , and hath been so often acknowledged even by his enemies , that in the late times of confusion , almost all that was preserved and kept up of ingenuity and learning , of good order and government in the university of oxford , was chiefly owing to his prudent conduct and encouragement . which consideration alone , had there been no other , might have prevailed with some there to have treated his memory with at least common kindness and respect . not to do this to the dead , and in character of him that was intended to live to posterity , seems very hard ; and yet i shall only make this soft reflection upon it , that there is no readier way for any man to bring his own worth into question , than by endeavouring to detract from the universally acknowledged worth of other men . having said this out of justice as well as friendship to the author , and by way of necessary vindication of him from the envie endeavoured to be raised against him by some in this present age , i leave these discourses of his to justifie themselves and him to posterity . john tillotson . the contents . sermon i. hebrews xi . . for he had respect unto the recompence of reward . page . sermon ii. & iii. romans xiv . . . for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness , and peace , and joy , in the holy ghost . for he that in these things serveth christ is acceptable to god and approved of men . pag. , . sermon iv. titus xi . . that they may adorn the doctrine of god our saviour in all things . pag. . sermon v. at a visitation . titus xi . . these things speak , and exhort , and rebuke withall authority ; let no man despise thee . pag. . sermon vi. ecclesiastes i. . for in much wisdom is much grief ; and he that encreaseth knowledge , encreaseth sorrow . pag. . sermon vii . proverbs iv. . wisdom is the principal thing , therefore get wisdom . pag. . sermon viii . proverbs xiii . . he that walketh with wise men , shall be wise ; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed . pag. . sermon ix . ecclesiastes iv. . two are better than one . pag. . sermon x. at the spittle . isaiah xxxii . . the liberal deviseth liberal things , and by liberal things shall he stand . pag. . sermon xi . luke vii . . for he loveth our nation , and hath built us a synagogue . pag. . sermon xii . proverbs xxv . . a soft tongue breaketh the bone . pag. . sermon xiii . philippians iv. . let your moderation be known unto all men , the lord is at hand . pag. . sermon xiv . & xv. romans xii . . dearly beloved , avenge not your selves , but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is written , vengeance is mine , i will repay , saith the lord. pag. , . the first sermon . hebrews xi . . for he had respect unto the recompence of reward . amongst the many doubts and scruples which are apt to disquiet the hearts of good men , there are none more frequent than those occasioned by their own mistake , concerning the scope and ends they aim at . for when upon an impartial enquiry into their own condition , they find , that which has the chief influence upon them in any temptation or difficult service is not so much the deformity of sin , or the beauty of holiness , as the fear of hell and the hopes of salvation ; this is apt to deject them with sad doubts and fears concerning their own sincerity , as if they were yet only in a mercenary slavish state of unregeneracy , and had not in any measure attained to those filial affections which belong to the state of adoption . and by this means it comes to pass , that they do often needlesly disquiet themselves and discourage others . my design therefore from the text , is so to clear up and state the truth in this case , as may prevent those mistakes and the ill consequences of them . the chief scope of this chapter is to set forth the nature and the power of faith. the nature of it is described ver . . to be the substance of things hoped for , and the evidence of things not seen . the power of it is afterwards exemplified , by diverse instances out of the old testament , concerning many strange difficulties and trials , which those holy men of antient times were enabled to undergo , being strengthened chiefly by this grace of faith. in the relation of which , there is an observable mixture of examples , some of lesser note , with others of remarkable eminency , least weak christians might be discouraged at those great examples of abraham , and isaac , and moses ; as being unable ever to imitate such patterns . amongst the rest of these examples , this of moses is one of the most remarkable , and it may justly be set upon record as a strange thing , that one in the heat of youth , as he was , who had always been brought up amid'st the delights and favour of the court , and so by his age and manner of education inclined to pleasures and ambition ; that such an one should notwithstanding , preferr the troubles of a wilderness before the pleasures of a court , exchange all his honours for the present , and his hopes for the future , for certain reproach and troubles ; refusing to be called the son of pharoah 's daughter , and chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god. and because it might be wondered at , upon what reason and motive he did this ; the text gives us an account of it , he had respect unto the recompence of reward . the words will not need much explication . they give us an account what it was that did chiefly encourage moses to so strange a choice ; and that was , his belief that he should be a gainer by it , his expectation of a reward for it . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for he hath respect to the recompence of reward . there are but two principal terms in the text , the one denoting the act and the other the object . . the act , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we translate , he had respect to . the word signifies properly the fixing of his eye with intention , as men usually do at the mark which they aim at . . the object , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the recompence of reward . the word reward doth not necessarily imply merit , as is evident from rom. . . where 't is supposed that it may be of grace ; especially when it referrs to the happiness of our future state in heaven ; which can never be strictly deserved by any work that we can do . but it signifies commonly the bestowing of any good thing before promised , whether out of free grace and bounty , or by way of hire or wages . the proposition i shall insist upon from these words , is this : that it is not only permissively lawful , or an indulgence allowed unto the infirmity of weak believers , but 't is likewise necessary for the most eminent saints , to strengthen and support themselves in their difficulties by a special and particular regard to the recompence of reward . a point , which in many respects will deserve your attention , not being so commonly treated of , and the generality of men being very apt to mistake about it ; and yet a mistake in this may prove of very dangerous consequence , especially to one that lies under any fear or dejection of mind , by putting him into an incapacity of receiving any comfortable evidence concerning his own sincerity . i am not ignorant that this inference may seem unto many a bold paradox and mistake , as being directly against what hath so commonly been asserted and taught by many others . and therefore i shall endeavour to be the more wary and considerate in the explication and proof of it . for explication of it : 't is requisite that the chief terms be cleared and distinguished . . reward is of two kinds : . temporal , consisting in a freedom from outward evils , and the enjoyment of all those blessings which concern our well being in this life : or . eternal , which includes our deliverance from hell , our enjoyment of god , and all those inconceiveable joys , which we hope for in the life to come . . a man may propose a thing to himself as his end , or aim two manner of ways , subordinately , or principally : . that is a subordinate end , which we desire , not for it self , but as a means for the helping of us to something beyond it : . that is a principal or ultimate end , unto which all our other prosecutions and endeavours are but subservient means . now to apply these distinctions to our present purpose : . temporal rewards may be the subordinate end in our obedience ; and therefore are they so often proposed to us in scripture ; and for this reason , goodness hath the promises of this life . . temporal reward may at first be the chief occasion of mens being converted and following christ. the first reason which made the woman of samaria give ear to him , was her hopes to be eased of the trouble of coming so often to draw water at the well . and there is no reason to doubt but that amongst those multitudes which at first followed our saviour out of by-ends , some out of curiosity to see his miracles , others out of want and hunger to feed upon his loaves , others for their health that he might cure them , there were many that proved true converts . . we must not propose temporal rewards as our chief end ; for then we shall venture upon any means whereby they may be procured , and consequently shall be put upon many unlawful courses , which may seem more likely to advantage our aims in this kind . . the chief and ultimate end of all our actions should be the glory of god. since all things are of him , and through him , 't is but reason they should be to him likewise . as the apostle joyns them , rom. . . and thus far i suppose men do generally agree about this point . but they do not commonly apprehend or consider , that we do then make the glory of god our principal end , when we place our chiefest happiness in the enjoyment of him . so that we are not to look upon his glory as any thing abstracted from , or contrary to our own good , but that wherein it consists ; god himself ( in the phrase of the schools ) being our objective happiness : i am thy exceeding great reward , gen. . . and our own salvation , or our enjoyment of him , being our formal happiness . so that that man who doth principally aim at his own salvation or the enjoyment of god , may properly be said to make the glory of god his chief and ultimate end : it being a vain imagination for us to suppose any other or better way for the promoting of his glory , than by our own happiness , which he principally designs . as for those cases which some men put , wherein these two are separated and opposed , as if a man should be content to be damn'd for the promoting of god's glory , &c. it were easy to prove that they are inconsiderate , presumptuous suppositions , not without such wild inconsistences as are not to be supposed , necessarily implying one of these two absurdities : either that the chief end of every man ought not to be his own happiness , or that his happiness doth not chiefly consist in the enjoyment of god ; both which are fundamental principles . for the glory of god is a relative term , and signifies nothing else but that excellency of his which results from all his other attributes , his mercy , justice , power , &c. now which of his attributes is like to be advanced by supposing a creature that loves him in the highest degree should be made eternally miserable ? so then the substance of this last conclusion thus explained , is this : that as temporal rewards maybe a subordinate end , so our eternal reward must be the principal end of all our actions . and so much briefly for the stating or explication of the point . as for the proof of it from scripture , it seems very clear from the text , wherein we have an account of that which enabled moses for this difficult service , his looking to the reward , now if there had been any other aim , which had a greater influence and efficacy upon this action of his , it would not seem agreeable to the rules of reason , that a less encouragement should be set down , as the cause of it , when there was somewhat else upon which that effect had a nearer dependance . we have another like instance to the same purpose , in this very chapter concerning abraham . it was questionless a hard duty for him to leave his country and his fathers house , to be a sojourner in a strange land ; but that which encouraged him to obey god in this command , was a double reward which he expected : . temporal , that he should receive that place for his inheritance , v. . . eternal , a city that hath foundations whose builder and maker is god , v. . so in the chapter immediately before this , ver . . the apostle speaking of some who were inabled to take joyfully the spoyling of their goods , he renders this as their chief reason that encouraged them to it , because they knew in themselves that they had in heaven a far better and a more enduring substance . that which made st. paul himself to esteem those temporal afflictions to be but light and momentany , was the consideration of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in the heavens . upon this ground it is , that our christian progress is so often in scripture compared unto a race , where men put forth themselves to the utmost , and all for the hopes of obtaining a crown . and in reference to this doth the apostle profess of himself , that he did follow after , and reach forth , and press forward to the mark , that is , he did strein himself with his utmost diligence and industry , and all for a price ( so it follows ) for the price of the high calling of god in christ , philip. . , , . it were easy to cite abundance of other scriptures to this purpose , but i hasten to the reasons of the point . . from that prime and fundamental law of nature , whereby every created thing is by its most powerful and immediate instincts carried out to its own conservation . nothing is more essential , not only to rational , but even to sensitive nature , than that it should principally seek its own continuance and well-being , and all other things only in order to this : so that it may justly be questioned , whether it be in it self possible , or consistent with this principle of nature , for a man to love any thing more than himself , or not for himself upon some account or other ? it is granted on all hands , that our chief end , our summum bonum , is our own happiness : all the difference is , wherein this happiness doth consist , some placing it in the present enjoyments of this life , others in the future good things of another world ; one man is for the court of egypt , and to be called the son of pharoahs daughter , another will rather chuse affliction and reproach for the present in expectation of some better reward afterwards . and though both do vastly differ about the several ways and means which they propose to themselves , yet they do and must agree in the same general scope and end of happiness . so that according to this principle , to aim chiefly at our own well-being , is not only permissively lawful ( as i said before ) a thing which we may do ; nor is it necessary only by way of precept , being , that which a man ought to do as his duty ; but 't is likewise essentially necessary to our very nature ; so that every man must do it , nor can he do otherwise . for the clearer explication of this , i shall crave leave to remember you of that distinction which i have elsewhere had occasion to insist upon , betwixt natural principles and moral duties . . by natural principles , i mean such kind of impressions , as are originally stamped upon the nature of things , whereby they are fitted for those services , to which they are designed in their creation : the acts of which are necessary , and under no kind of liberty of being suspended . herein did the wisdom of the creation consist , that god was pleased to endue the kinds of things , with such natures and principles , as might accommodate them for those works to which they were appointed . and he governs all things by such laws , as are suited to those several natures , which he had at first implanted in them . the most universal principle belonging to all kinds of things is self-preservation , which in man ( being a rational agent ) is somewhat further advanced to strong propensions and desires of the soul , after a state of happiness , which hath the predominancy over all other inclinations , as being the supreme and ultimate end , to which all particular designs and actions must be subservient . . by moral duties i mean , such habits or actions as are the most proper means for the attaining of this end . about these we have a liberty of acting ; to which we are to be induced in a moral way , by such kind of arguments and motives , as are in themselves sufficient to convince the reason . so that self-love and the proposing of happiness as our chief end , though it be the foundation of duty , that basis or substratum upon which the law is founded , yet it is not properly a moral duty ; because every man must do it necessarily , nor can he do otherwise . now to suppose that the holy and wise god should impose any thing as a duty upon his creatures , which is inconsistent with those principles that he himself hath implanted in their natures , in their first creation , is an apprehension as absurd in it self as it is unworthy of god. this natural principle of endeavouring after happiness , is the foundation of all moral duties : for the highest moral inducement or motive to persw●de men to any thing , is to represent such a thing as necessary to their happiness ; so that our obligation to duty , is from the law of god , but the great motive to it is love to our selves and a natural desire of happiness . . from the chief scope of all those promises and threats so frequent in scripture , which are certainly intended for this very purpose to excite and quicken us in our obedience . now it cannot be denyed , but that 't is our duty to make that the aim and end of our actions , which the scripture it self proposes to be so ; namely , to avoid the evil and obtain the good therein mentioned : deut. . , . after that large catalogue of mercies and judgments before recited , moses puts them in mind , that he had set before them that day , life and death , blessing and cursing , therefore chuse life , that thou and thy seed mayest live , &c. upon this account it is that several precepts in scripture are press'd upon us with so many affectionate insinuations taken from the consideration of our own good : deut. . . oh that there were such an heart in them , that they would fear me , and keep my commandments always , that it might be well with them , and their children after them . and chap. . v. . the lord commanded us to do all these things for our good always , that he might preserve us alive , &c. now i say , it is not only lawful , but 't is our duty to serve god upon his own motives and encouragements , and to make that a principal reason and end of our obedience , which he himself proposes to us under those considerations . . from the nature of that principle , which hath the chief influence upon the very life and actions of every religious man , and that is faith. the just shall live by faith. as reason is the foundation of all humane actions , so is faith of religious dutys . and every one under the notion of just or religious , is acted by this principle of faith , as brutes are by sense , and men by reason . now faith , v. . is the substance of things hoped for , and the evidence of things not seen . where among the things hoped for , and not seen , are clearly meant , the happiness and salvation which we expect hereafter , the rewards of a better life , which faith doth as realy discern in the promises , as if they were actually present to the sense . hence it is , that salvation is said to be the end of our faith , receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls , pet. . . so then if all religious actions be derived from faith , as the main root and principle of them , and if faith doth chiefly refer to the rewards hoped for and not seen , then it must needs follow , that it is as necessary for a believer to have a principal aime at the rewards , as it is for him to live by faith : and that he may as well pretend to be above the life of faith , as to be above the help of those encouragements of the rewards and promises proposed in scripture ; and so far as faith hath an influence upon our religious actions , so far must we respect the recompence of reward . . from the nature of our love , which is another principle ; whereby the soul is acted and carried on , in all its attempts and prosecutions . now the proper object of love , is not so much that which is absolutely good in it self , as that which is relatively so to us . and this being rightly understood will give very much light unto the chief difficulties about the point in hand : 't is true indeed , there are in the deity , attributes of such a superlative goodness , that of themselves they do deserve infinitely more than the best of our affections ; but yet they prove effectual to the winning over of our love and desires so far only , as they are apprehended to be convenient for us . and therefore the exactest schoolman , who spends most of his time and endeavours in the contemplation of those transcendent excellencies which are to be found in the deity , after all his studies may find his heart as cold and stupid , as the most ignorant man. these things may raise his wonder , but not his affections , or in the phrase of a good divine , they may dazle his understanding into a more distempered ignorance , but will never be able to ravish his soul with those angelical flames of love , which sanctified men do feel on earth , and the glorified saints do fully enjoy in heaven . hence is it , that though the devil doth understand those absolute perfections in the divine nature better than any man in the world , as that god is most wise , most holy , most glorious ; yet he doth not love him , because he himself cannot receive any benefit by him . and upon the same ground is it , that though a man should be sufficiently perswaded , that his neighbour hath more grace than himself , and so is absolutely more lovely , yet he is not bound to love his neighbour better than himself ; because it is not absolute , but relative good , that is the surest ground of love . and therefore the beloved disciple who had most skill in the nature of this grace , tells us that we loved god because he loved us first , joh. . . implying some kind of necessity of apprehending god under the notion of a friend or a saviour , before we shall love him . he that comes to god must look upon him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a rewarder , v. . now , i say , if god's love to us , must be the chief reason of our love to him , then is it necessary for us in our best services to have a principal respect unto the reward , and those things which to us may be most advantageous . to which i shall add , that the phrase of loving god with all our hearts , with all our souls , and with all our might ( so frequent in scripture ) doth signifie no more , than loving him as our chief end . we are allowed to love other things in such a measure and proportion as they are conducible to our real happiness , and as they are subordinate ends : but our chief and ultimate end is said to have all , because it comprehends under it all the intermediate . . unto these i might add a fifth reason , from those eminent examples in scripture to this purpose . that of adam , who whilst he was in the perfect state of innocence , and consequently could not have any such reluctancy or weakness in his nature , which might make a good duty seem difficult , yet god saw it necessary for him , that his obedience should be fenced about with promises and threatnings . do this and live , the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death . and therefore certainly it is not possible for us , who have corrupted natures to attain unto any perfection above this . nay of christ himself , it is recorded in the next chapter to this , vers . . that he endured the cross and despised the shame for the joy that was set before him . and so too in the fifth chap. vers . . . he was afraid , and learned obedience by the things which he suffered . now you know that our saviour was perfect man : perfect in regard of all those things which are essentially and necessarily annexed to our natures , and perfect too in respect of that utmost holiness of which in this life we are capable ; and therefore if he according to his humanity were thus quickned in his obedience , by hopes of reward and fears of suffering , certainly then 't is impossible for us whilst we are in this world to be ever above such helps . i shall need to say no more for confirmation of the point . there are many objections against it , as being beside the common road and opinion ; some of the chief of these , i shall endeavour briefly to examine and answer , and then proceed to application . the first objection may be from that common notion of mercenary love and servile fear , which are usually thus described , when we do good out of love to the reward that belongs to it , and avoid evil out of fear of those judgments that may follow upon it . and these are frequently condemned as sinful affections , belonging to the devil and wicked men , and no way agreeing to one that has the nature of a child . to which purpose are those common sayings , oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae : and that of st. augustin , qui gehennas metuit , non peccare metuit sed ardere ; ille autem peccare metuit , qui peccatum ipsum sicut gehennas odit . he that is restrained from sinning by the fear of hell , is not so much afraid to sin as to be damned ; he only doth truly fear sin who hates it as he does hell ; with divers the like speeches . for answer to this : . as to the authority of such usual opinions or sayings , 't is considerable that the assertion here maintained , being acknowledged to be a paradox , it cannot therefore in reason be expected , that bare humane testimony should be looked upon as of any special force against it . and to speak as the truth is , 't is too common a fault amongst good divines to take up general notions upon trust , without applying them to the rule by a particular examination . . as to the reason of this objection , i humbly conceive with submission , that the proper nature of servile fear , is to drive us from god in rebellion and disloyalty , rather than to him in obedience and submission . and therefore the metaphor is taken from a slave , in whom the fear of his master makes him run away from him , and desire that he may not return to him again , as it was with the amalekites servant , sam. . . when men are afraid of god and fly from him as an enemy , whose ruine they wish , according to that common saying : quem quisque metuit , periisse expetit : so that a man cannot do good out of a servile fear , this doth not put him upon the performance of his duty , but of his lusts ; such was that fear in adam , which made him fly from and endeavour to hide himself and his faults from god , such was that in saul and iudas , which made one of them run upon his sword , and the other to strangle himself . the disposition of a child is fear mixed with love : the fear of the rod may bring a child to his father in filial obedience , tho it drive the servant from his master in a slavish disloyalty . and so likewise for mercenary love ; which is when reward can hire us to any thing without any consideration of the good or evil of it , as in those two examples of saul and iudas , one of whom would disobey god to win the spoils of his enemies , and the other betray his master for thirty pieces of silver . such was that also in balaam , of whom the apostle saith , that he loved the wages of unrighteousness , because of his strong inclinations to curse israel , that he might obtain balaac's reward . 't is true indeed , if there be in a man's heart any secret desire of liberty to sin , and a grief because there is punishment annexed to it , such a disposition of the soul is unquestionably evil ; and of such alone it may be truly said , that he does not fear to sin , but to be punished , as st. austin speaks . and yet it does not follow but that sin ought to be avoided for the punishment denounced against it . and he who out of consideration of punishment is afraid to offend god ( supposing that he doth not in his heart , actually desire any thing against the law and justice of god ) such an one doth as he ought ; for punishments are truly to be feared , and they are therefore proposed in scripture to deterr us from sinning . . another objection is this : if in our obedience we may chiefly aim at our own private benefit , then it seems that we may love our selves better than god ; nay then we set up our selves in his room . for that which we propose as our chief end , that we make our god : and this ( says one ) is the highest impiety imaginable ; why , a man had better pull the sun out of heaven than pull god thence , which he doth whilst he makes a deity of himself . 't is not better than the indians idolatry , who adore the devil ; nor less absurd than the aegyptians devotion , who worship the onyons and leeks . god is to be loved for himself , and to love him for any thing else , were to place somewhat above him . for answer to this , you may please to remember what was said before , that we do then make god our chief end , and give him that supreme honour which he expects , when we place all our happiness in the enjoyment of him . he doth not propose himself to us in scripture as abstracted from our good , but as comprehending it . so he tells abraham , i am thy exceeding great reward : so that the loving of god for himself and his own excellency , so much talked of in mystical divinity , is but another name , 't is not another thing , from heaven and salvation : for the enjoyment of god is heaven . and as a man's love is to any thing , so must his desire be of enjoying it . nor can it otherwise be , but that if god be our objective happiness , our enjoyment of him must be our formal happiness . the force of this argument supposes those things to be separated and opposed , which do necessarily involve one the other . . a third objection may be from those two great examples of moses , the instance of the text ; and st. paul , as some think , the pen-man of it . . as for moses , we read of him that he was so desirous of his brethren's pardon , that rather than his request for them should be denied , he would have his own name blotted out of the book of life . exod. . . . and st. paul speaking of the rejection of the iews , professes that he wished himself to be an anathema from christ ; for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh , rom. . . from whence it may seem that these holy men had so fully cast of all respects of their own , that they could wish themselves damned , for the salvation of their brethren . so far were they from aiming principally at the recompence of reward . to that of moses , i answer , 't is evident from the context , that 't is to be understood of temporal death , not eternal . in the th . verse of that chapter , god had told moses that if he would let him alone , to destroy that people for their idolatry , he would make of him a great nation : ver . . moses rather desires that god would spare the people ; and destroy him ; rather than not forgive their sin , blot me i pray thee out of the book which thou hast written . the phrase of a written book , being a metaphorical expression , and signifying no more than the purpose of god , which he hath decreed within himself in reference to future events , so that to be cut off by an untimely death , is to be blotted out of this book . now to die for a man's country is no more than what every wise and valiant man is ingaged to by the rules of morality . there being a happiness beyond and above a temporal life which may be purchased by such sufferings . as to st. pauls wish of being an anathema from christ : such a desire if understood in the strictest sence of it , cannot be lawful upon any condition ; the reason is , because a man cannot properly be an anathema from christ , unless he be in a state of sin , and consequently an enemy to god , as well as in a state of misery . and there is no imaginable condition that can make it lawful for a man to wish himself in a state of sin : besides that it implies a gross contradiction , as if a man out of the zeal of his love to god , should wish himself to be an enemy to him , and to be eternally separated from him . or if any shall suppose the meaning of his wish to be , that he might be only separated from the enjoyment of christ , without being an enemy to him : besides that this is inconsistent with the divine goodness , that those who love him in the highest degree , should be debarred from the enjoyment of him : it hath in it likewise a plain contradiction to the nature of love and zeal . the proper notion of loving any thing with all our might , is so to esteem and desire it , as to place our chief happiness in the enjoyment of it . and zeal is nothing else but a warm anger against any thing which may hinder us in this fruition . so that for a man out of the zeal of his love to god , to be content not to enjoy him , must needs be a plain contradiction . and as for such a degree of love to to our brethren as the strictest sense of these words doth imply , it is neither lawful , nor possible : . not lawful , because god hath proposed the love of our selves as the pattern of our love to others , and it is not fit that in drawing the portraicture , we should spoil the pattern . that order in charity to which we are obliged doth not permit this . . not possible , because such a love would be in some sense greater than that which christ shewed unto the world , and greater than that hath no man , joh. . . so that this phrase is not to be understood in the strictest literal sense , or if it should , 't is by no means lawful , and therefore not to be drawn into example . what the most proper and genuine sense of that scripture may be , is not so easy to determin , st. hierom understands it de occisione corporali ; so making it equivalent with that other saying of the same apostle , thes. . . we were willing to have imparted unto you , nor the gospel of god only , but also our souls ( or lives ) because ye were dear unto us . so christ is said to be made a curse for us , by reason of that ignominious death , &c. some others would have the sense of it thus interpreted . i could wish you were made partakers of the true faith , though i were as yet alienated from it . others by this phrase of anathema from christ , suppose to be meant excommunication from the church , which is the body of christ , with those consequences , which did commonly ensue upon it ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the destruction of the flesh , i. e. several diseases and temporal afflictions , which the apostle was content to undergo for his brethrens sake . 't is observed by some , that amongst the iews ( unto whose customs and practice the apostle doth here allude ) there were two sorts of anathema's , the one styled niddui , by which men were debarred the external communion of the church for the space of days : the other cherem , which did extend to a perpetual exclusion from the church by execrations and curses . the apostle he styles it anathema maranatha . 't is thought that his wish in this place , doth allude only to the first of these , and doth import only his being content to undergo some temporary , short separation from the church privileges and from the consolations of christ , but not an eternal separation from the spirit and grace of christ. others would have this to be the sense of the words , as if he should have said , i could be content for my brethrens sake , not only to want the honour of my apostleship , but in respect of my outward condition , to be the most contemptible amongst christians , as those are , who are anathematized or excommunicated . that which to me seems the most rational solution of this difficult scripture , is to look upon it as an hyperbolical expression ( of which we have several other instances in scripture ) which are not to be interpreted according to the strict literal sense of the words , but according to the drift of the speaker , st. paul being under great prejudices amongst his country-men as an enemy to them , for his defection from them , and adhering to the christian assemblies , doth endeavour to vindicate himself from those prejudices , by a most solemn protestation , that there was nothing imaginable , and possible for him to do or suffer , for their benefit , but what he was most ready and willing unto . so far was he from deserving to be thought their enemy : which sense seems likewise to be favoured by the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , optarim , the potential , i could wish , answerable to that other place , gal. . . i bear you record that if it had been possible , you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me . hence it is easy to collect what we are to judge of those expressions like to this , ascribed to divers others . that of one of the popish saints , who wished that she her self might be cast into hell , upon that condition that she might stop the mouth of it , so that none might ever enter afterwards . that of anselme : that if hell and sin were set before him , he would rather chuse hell , than sin : that he had rather be in hell without sin , than in heaven with it . that of another , that he did not so much fear and hate the torments as the blasphemies of the damned ; with divers the like expressions frequent in the popish legend , and mystical divines . now i say though 't is possible that such kind of speeches may proceed from those that are good , in some special zeal and heat of their affections , yet they are not from a serious considerate judgment , but being compared with the rule will be found to be unwary , boasting expressions , pretending to a higher degree of sanctity than men are capable of , or than is required from them . i fear i have been too long in confirmation of this point : i shall be but very brief in the application of it . . this may serve to confute that common and uncomfortable error , so frequently vented both from the pulpit , and the press , namely , that 't is not enough to prove our sincerity , that we are able to do good out of love to the reward , and so to avoid evil for fear of punishment ; wicked men may go so far ; every one that is sanctifyed , must be able to hate sin chiefly for its own deformity , and to love goodness for its own comeliness and beauty , and so far make the glory of god his chief aim ( not any respect of his own ) that if his damnation might conduce more to gods glory , he were bound to desire that , rather than to be saved : unto those that talk at this rate , i might suggest that advice of the wiseman , eccles. . . be not righteous over much , neither make thy self over wise , why shouldst thou destroy thy self ? that is , do not pretend to such holiness , as thou art not capable of , this is to be over-righteous ; do not invent such precepts as the scripture doth not prescribe , this is to be over-wise ; by limiting salvation unto such rules as thou art not able to conform unto , thou mayest be said to destroy thy self . it would be a sufficient confutation of such men , if they could impartially examine their own hearts , what that motive is which hath the chief influence upon them in all their difficult services , whether or no it be not , or should not be , the promises of the gospel apprehended by faith , and if so , it may be a sufficient shame and check to them for the venting of such doctrines , according to which they themselves must needs remain in a comfortless condition : st. paul reckons upon it as being a good degree of grace , that he was able to look more at the things which are not seen , than upon the things which are seen . 't is the folly and peevishness of our natures to run into extremities of all kinds : as , the generality of men on the one hand to licentiousness and prophaness , so some on the other , to frame unto themselves such rules of holiness as god doth not require , being wise above that which is written . some of the school-men and mystical divines have been so rigid in this kind , that the council of trent were fain to make particular canon against them . wherein they denounce an anathema unto any one who shall say , 't is unlawful for a man to avoid sin out of the fear of hell. it cannot be denied but that there is a vast difference amongst men , in reference to their performance of duties ; as for an unregenerate person , he cannot set about any good duty without much pain and disquietness ; spiritual services are utterly against the bent of his inclinations ; when he is engag'd in them he is out of his element , like a fish in the air . whereas on the contrary , the more any one grows in grace , the more his nature is spiritualized , the more amiableness does he see in the ways of god , and he can walk in them with a kind of complacency and naturalness , as better agreeing with his sanctified desires ; and sometimes perhaps the thought of gods excellencies , may in respect of sense be actually more incumbent and pressing upon his spirit , than the consideration of reward ; but that which in a mans general course , is the root and principal encouragement against all difficulties must be this recompence of reward . . let us be exhorted to imitate this example in the text : in all our temptations and difficulties to propose unto our selves those great and precious promises which are offered in the scriptures . learn to judge concerning the true difference of things , and to value them according to their real worth , and to prefer the things that are not seen . it is in this place your trade and business , to be skilled in all the advantages of exchange , and it will be a very great shame and folly for men that profess christianity , so to be immersed in these present sensual things as to neglect their future hopes . 't is observable how the scripture doth in several places set forth this recompence of reward , under such kind of descriptions as might render it most desireable to all sorts of men : sometimes 't is styled riches , hid treasure , a pearl , or iewel of inestimable value : sometimes honour , the sitting upon a throne , the inheritance of a kingdom , a crown of life and glory : sometimes delight , fulness of joy , rivers of pleasures ; that men might not be tempted by any thing else , to a neglect of this . and therefore in every particular temptation , whether of allurement or danger , we are to fly for refuge unto the hope that is set before us , remembring that great and terrible day of the lord , &c. the true reason why men are so easily overcome by these present worldly hopes and fears , is because they do not labour to strengthen and to stir up their faith , in respect of those future things which are not seen . it could not be , if men did really believe and consider what they profess , that they should be so foolish as to run upon mischief , and forsake their own mercies . it was a considerable advantage to moses to be looked upon as the son of pharaohs daughter , and yet he esteemed this as nothing in comparison of the inheritance of a far better kingdom ; and therefore he despised all other things that came in competition with that . we have none of us perhaps so great temptations , but yet we have as great encouragements as he , having a share in the same promises , and being partakers of the like hopes ; and therefore we ought to be very much ashamed , upon every slight occasion to walk so unanswerably to them . though some men may have greater temptations than others , yet this is our privilege , that no man can have so great temptation to sin as he has to his duty . do but consider the advice of the apostle pet. . . speaking of a christians future happiness . wherefore beloved since you look for such things , be diligent that ye be found in peace without spot and blameless . let me add the like speech of another apostle , with which i shall conclude , cor. . . since we have such promises , and entertain such expectations , let us therefore cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of god. the end of the first sermon . the second sermon . rom . xiv . . . for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost . for he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god , and approved of men. there is nothing of greater importance towards the healing of the minds of men , than to have a right understanding of those principles , by which they profess to be guided in their differences . now tho it should be granted that some of the leaders amongst all parties , are chiefly swayed by their particular interests and desires of dominion , yet because they have done , and will always , pretend at least , to found their differences upon grounds of religion , whereby those that are followers amongst them are heated to a zeal and eagerness in opposition of one another : therefore it is of very great consequence that men should be rightly informed , what religion is ? wherein it chiefly consists ? what are the main things to be contended for about it ? how men should demean themselves in matters of lesser moment ? in what method the obligation of things is to be stated ? and in brief , how they should so order their conversations , as to be both accepted of god , and approved of men ? than which nothing can more effectually conduce to that general peace and settlement , which these nations are now in expectation of : to which purpose i have made choice of this text. the occasion and dependance of the words is this : there being in those primitive times many converts , as well amongst the gentiles as iews , that different way , wherein they had been severally instituted , did by accident prove a great impediment , to their joyning together for promoting the work of the gospel . the gentiles having been before given up to a most irrational way of worship of dumb idols , which had no tolerable plea for the reason or institution of it , were upon their receiving of christianity , wholly won over to the simplicity of the gospel . whereas the iews having been educated in another way of worship , injoyned by god himself , confirmed with many miracles , by the hand of moses , whose doctrine and laws , for a long time together had been preached amongst them , in every city , being read in the synagogues every sabbath day , act. . . they could not so easily be won over to embrace the gospel , so as wholly to renounce all their legal institutions , but were apt to think that some of them might very well consist together with christianity . there are two instances which the apostle doth particularly insist upon , in this chapter , that of meats , and days . nothing was more detestable among the iews , than to eat of their forbidden meats , and there was no kind of torment but they would undergo , rather than be induced to offend in this kind ; as having radicated in them a general abhorrency from such things , grounded upon religion . and as for the observation of days , wherein the solemnity of worship did consist , it could not be expected but that the religious iews , must needs be much prejudiced against any such way , as did pretend to an abolition of them . now in this case , there were but two ways of obviating this difference : . either the apostles must insist upon their apostolical authority , and by some canon or decree condemn these superstitious scruples ; they themselves having been the chief preachers of the gospel , and confirmed it by many signs and miracles , might with reason expect , that they should be owned as infallible judges , in a controversy of this nature , in whose determination others ought to acquiesce . and there are but few men in the world , ingaged in parties , who upon such an advantage would not rather have enclined to this course . or else , . they must find out some expedient for this difference , to accommodate matters unto the present state of things , and to moderate the rigor on either hand . and it seemed good to the holy ghost and to the apostles , rather to take this way , which is the main scope of this chapter . wherein the apostle lays down several rules to regulate mens carriage in cases of this nature . . to forbear offensive disputes about these things , vers . . . to avoid despising and condemning one another upon this account . he that hath a clearer light concerning his own just liberty , must not despise another who comes short in this persuasion ; and the other must not judge him , as being loose and irreligious in doing more than he ought , v. . this he confirms by these reasons . . you have no commission and authority to judge another mans servant , vers . . . tho you both differ about these controverted points , yet you both agree in these other rules , that no man ought to put a stumbling block , or occasion to fall , in his brothers way , vers . . and that every one ought to walk charitably , v. . and to take care that their good be not evil spoken of , v. . and the rules in which both sides do agree , ought not to be violated in the prosecution of those things about which they differ : and then in the words of the text , he pitches upon another cogent reason to the same purpose , because the kingdom of god consists not in such things as were of the same and the like nature with the controverted points ; such things are no indication of a mans good or bad state , and therefore you ought not to judge of mens conditions by them : but in those more weighty and substantial duties of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; whosoever lays out his strength and zeal in things of this nature , shall be sure ( though he do mistake in other matters ) to be both accepted of god , and approved of men . that 's the connexion of the words : the text contains a description of those chief things wherein religion consists . . the thing described . . the description it self . by that phrase , the kingdom of god , is meant , christianity , or the state of religion under the government of the messiah , which was by the iews commonly styled the age of the messiah , or the kingdom of god , according to that famous prophecy of daniel , c. . v. . that the god of heaven should set up a kingdom which should never be destroyed , but should stand for ever . conformably whereunto the apostle to the hebrews , c. . v. . calls the state and dispensation of the gospel a kingdom which cannot be moved . this is described both by the matter , principle , and effects of it : . the object matter , wherein it consists , and that both negatively and positively . . negatively , 't is not meat and drink , that is , it consists not in , or is not to be judged of by those more circumstantial parts of religion , referring to external observances ; which as to the acts of them may be performed by all kind of persons , whether good or bad ; and do not necessarily suppose or require any habitual goodness to the doing of them . not but that 't was a sin to neglect these under the law , and 't was a duty to be rightly persuaded concerning our liberty from them under the gospel ; but yet not of such moment or consequence , that a man might hereby judge of his own or anothers state . . positively , but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost . that is , in such internal habits and dispositions of the soul , whereby the mind is renewed and changed , and made conformable to the image of god , particularly . . righteousness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this is twofold : . imputed , styled the righteousness of faith : of which the apostle had treated at large in the eleven first chapters of this epistle . . inherent , that is such a sanctification of the nature , whereby a man is carried on to a universal conformity unto the moral law , both in respect of the first and second table . which latter seems to be more immediately intended in this place , because it may more properly be considered under the notion of a duty , and is likewise the most obvious and natural sign , whereby a man may judge of his estate : and is elsewhere called grace , in opposition to meats , heb. . . it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace , not with meats , which have not profited them that have been occupied therein . . peace , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this word also is capable of a twofold sense . . it may signifie a quiet state of mind , arising from an assurance of our reconciliation with god. in which sense it is to be understood rom. . . being justified by faith , we have peace with god. this is sometimes stiyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and is rather a privilege than a duty . or else . it may signify the grace of peaceableness , the desire and study of promoting peace amongst one another , a readiness and willingness of mind to agree with such in affection from whom we differ in judgment . and this is properly our duty , being sometimes styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which tho it be but a branch of that general righteousness signified in the former word , yet the apostle thought fit to specify this in particular , because of its suitableness to the business in hand . and that this is the proper sense of the word in this place may appear by v. . where he returns again to a further enforcing of this duty , let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace . . ioy in the holy ghost : this phrase likewise is capable of a twofold sense . . it may signify a blessing or privilege , consisting in the enlargement of the soul , by the shining in of the light of gods countenance , when he is pleased to shed abroad a sense of his love in our hearts , and by that means to fill us with joy unspeakable and glorious . or . a grace or duty , which christians are bound to labour after , and to attain : and that is , quiet submission to every dispensation of providence , an ability of rejoycing in an afflicted estate , as being acted by principles above these sensible things . this is elsewhere styled , rejoycing in hope , rom. . . — . . and in another place , thes. . . the apostle doth particularly explain what he means by this joy in the holy ghost , namely the bearing of affliction with joy ; ye received the word in much affliction , with joy in the holy ghost . 't is styled by this name for its opposition to the joy of the world , which is grounded only upon external prosperity ; whereas that which must support a man under an afflicted estate , is something of an higher nature . . religion is here described by its principle or end , whosoever in these things serveth christ. there must be a serving of christ in these things , that is , 't is not the mere performance of such moral duties as are of natural obligation , unless they be done in obedience to him as our lord and lawgiver , and in reliance upon him , for his pardon and acceptance as our priest and saviour , that can make us acceptable to christ , or entitle us to the name of christians . . from the fruits and effects of it . it renders a man acceptable to god and approved of men . . accepted of god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , well-pleasing to god. 't is the same with that word , acts . . in every nation he that feareth god and worketh righteousness is accepted with him . . approved of men , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 't is an expression frequently applied to gold , to signify its purity and excellency ; and to money in general to express its currantness . so the septuagint , gen. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , currant money . and from thence 't is translated to signifie the integrity of persons , such as pass for currant and approved amongst all sorts of men . the words thus explained may very properly afford these three observations . . that there are some things in religion , wherein a man may be very forward and zealous , and yet fall short of the kingdom of god , 't is not meat and drink . . there are other things in religion , wherein if a man be faithful and sincere , he shall be accepted by god , tho he should mistake and fall short of his duty in other things , but righteousness and peace , &c. . the reason why christians of several persuasions are less approved to one another , is because they lay out more of their zeal and strength in those lesser things , meat and drink , than in those of greater consequence . i. there are some things in religion wherein a man may be very forward and zealous , and yet fall short of the kingdom of god. not as if these things were to be despised or neglected ; they are matters of religion , and therefore must be of consequence . and 't is a mans duty to labour after a right persuasion concerning the just bounds of his liberty . and 't is no less than a sin and superstition for a man to be needlesly scrupulous in such things . but yet these things are not so essential to a state of grace , but that , as on the one hand a mistake in them shall not prove so pernicious as to make a man ( who is otherwise sincere ) incapable of the kingdom of god : so neither is a right persuasion or a zeal in them , so essentially good as to entitle a man to it . to the same purpose is that text , cor. . . meat commendeth not a man to god , for neither if we eat are we the better , neither if we eat not are we the worse . heb. . . 't is good that the heart be established with grace , not with meats , which have not profited them that have been busied therein . gal. . . in christ iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision , but faith which worketh by love . and elsewhere 't is said , bodily exercise profiteth little ; with several other the like scriptures , which i cannot stand to enumerate . i shall briefly suggest these two reasons of the point . . because these things do not make us the better , as was said in that forecited place , cor. . . and therefore cannot entitle us to the kingdom of god. they profit not , heb. . . that is , they are not effectual to the things of greatest consequence . they do not improve a man as to his state of holiness , his real intrinsical worth . there is not any natural moral good in them , but they are so denominated , because we do hereby exercise our moral righteousness and obedience , which is good in it self : these things are mere externals , whereas the kingdom of god is chiefly internal and spiritual . . because these kind of services do not necessarily require or suppose that which is the very life and power of religion , but are things of another kind and sphere , and might be observed upon other by-ends . a iew might have nothing at all of inward grace in his heart , and yet be very scrupulous in the observance of meats and days . and usually men think to compensate their want of the substance of religion , by their zeal in circumstantials : and besides , any external act of religion , suppose dying for it , may be performed upon such natural principles , as are wholly heterogeneous to it . so that these things do neither make us holy , nor suppose us to be so ; and therefore can be no good evidence . the use and application of this should be to enquire , what things there are now in controversy amongst us in these times , answerable to these differences about meat and drink , and to proportion our demeanour towards one another in reference to such things , according to the rules here prescribed . it is not very easy nor perhaps would it be prudent , to enumerate any particular list of such things as are now under debate amongst us in these times : but you may know them by these three general notes . . they are such things as are not against natural light , otherwise they would have a moral vitiousness in them , and be opposite to that righteousness mentioned in the other clause . . they are such things as good men , true believers , may and do differ about . . they are such things as wicked men and hypocrites , may be very zealous for , or against , on both sides . whatever the thing be , either concerning practice or opinion , which comes under all these notes ( not any one of them ) it may be safely brought under the same rules , that are here given concerning the differences about meats and drinks : namely these three . . first not to think our selves better men than others , for our advantages in things of this nature . the apostle saith they do not commend us to god , and therefore should not commend us to our selves . he saith they do not make us better , and therefore we should not think our selves better for them . and besides they are common to hypocrites and wicked men , and upon that account cannot be any special arguments of our goodness . . we are not to think the worse of others for their differences of this nature , so as to despise them , or censure them . it cannot be , but that we must needs think the worse of their actions or opinions ; because whoever judges himself to be in the right , must needs conclude those of an opposite persuasion or practice to be in the wrong : but we are not upon this account to censure such persons as to their estates and conditions , as if they were not sincerely religious , nor in favour with god. for though they should be erroneous and mistaken in their judgments in such things , yet if their conversation be more just and righteous than ours , if more humble and peaceable , they are thereupon to be accounted better than we are ; both more acceptable of god , and more approved of men . . we are not to prosecute any truth or duty of this nature , to the prejudice of such things as are of greater moment . there are several truths which are not of so great consequence as peace , and unity , and charity . and therefore in such things , there ought to be a mutual forbearance towards one another ; and men should endeavour by all means of amity and kindness to joyn together , for the promoting of those more substantial truths and duties , wherein they agree according to that rule of the apostle . philip. . , . and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , god shall reveal even this unto you : nevertheless whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same rule , let us mind the same thing . there are two things by which men are usually provoked to heat and eagerness , in their differences of this kind . . a false apprehension of the weight and necessity of their opinions , by reason of those consequences which they fasten to them , and will have to stand or fall with them . and . an apprehension of their great clearness and perspicuity , upon which account they conceive no man ought to oppose them . now this case in the text wants not pretences of either kind : 't were not difficult to infer very dangerous consequences from the joyning together of mosaical observances , with christian religion ; and then whatever any mans persuasion may be , as to the certainty and perspicuity of his particular opinion , i am sure he cannot have greater , better grounds of confidence , than there were for this case in the text about meats and drinks . where besides the evidence from the nature of the thing , there was likewise most express apostolical authority , for the stating the question , that the legal institutions about meats and drinks were abolished . and yet , out of tender respect to those who had contrary prejudices , they were not to trouble them with unnecessary disputes , but to bear their infirmities , and every one to study how to please his neighbour for his good to edification , chap. . ver . . if it be objected , that st. paul elsewhere shews much zeal and vehemence , about these very points of mosaical observances , as where he calls the great sticklers for them dogs , concision , wishes them cut off , &c. to this it may be answered : . this vehemence of his is directed against false brethren , such contentious persons as were not sincere , philip. . . and pareus thinks this was after that solemn determination of this case in an apostolical council , act. . . it was for want of this candor and moderation which here he advises unto . because they laid so great weight upon their opinions as to make them necessary to salvation ; and would not indulge or shew forbearance towards one another for these kind of differences . . for the scandal hereby accasioned , which is a moral evil ; and upon this account he is sometimes pretty quick and warm , even against such as were sincere and good men . this was the ground of that contest betwixt him and peter , gal. . . the case was this : st. peter was the apostle of the circumcision , having a more peculiar relation to the iewish converts ; yet when he resided at antioch , where there lived multitudes of converted gentiles , it was his usual practice most freely to converse and eat with them , as owning them for brethren : but afterwards , when some iews were sent thither from ierusalem , out of fear to offend them , he wholly withdrew and separated himself from all conversation with the gentiles ; and by his example , the other believing iews were likewise carried a way to the same practice , as if they had so great a zeal for mosaical observances , that they could not own such as did not observe them . now this the apostle paul styles dissembling , v. . not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel , v. . in which respect there was a moral evil in it , towards which we are not bound to shew the same tenderness . and it was a thing of so dangerous consequence , in respect of discouragement and scandal to all the gentiles , that upon this occasion st. paul withstood him to the face . which carriage of his , was not opposite , but most suitable unto that advice of tenderness and forbearance , which is here prescribed . to shut up all in a word ; it would exceedingly conduce to our common peace and settlement , in times of differences and controversy , if those rules of christianity so often inculcated in scripture , were more regarded and observed amongst the professors of it . that men would be wise unto sobriety , and not above what is written . not thinking more highly of themselves and their abilities than they ought , rom. . . but be ready to condescend to men of lower parts , v. . and to demean our selves towards every one according to the different measure of gifts , which god hath been pleased to dispense to them ; speaking the truth in love , ephes. . . endeavouring to heal differences in the most placid gentle manner , without envyings , strifes , backbitings , whisperings , cor. . . doing nothing through strife or vainglory , but in lowliness of mind , every one esteeming others better than himself , phil. . . they that exceed others in knowledge , should exceed them likewise in the study of peace . the best of us do now know but in part , darkly ; that time is to come , when all these differences shall be cleared up , and we shall have a full vision of the true state of things . in the mean space it concerns us to forbear one another , in those lesser things about which we differ : and to be very zealous about those great matters in which we agree , namely , righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . ii. there are some things in religion , wherein if a man faithfully serve christ , he shall be accepted by him , tho he should mistake and fall short of his duty in other things . that is , if a man be truly consciencious and sincere in those more substantial duties of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost , it is not his mistakes or failings in other lesser things that shall make him incapable of the kingdom of god. there are several expressions in scripture , whereby these more essential and necessary parts of religion , are distinguished from those of lesser consequence , heb. . . they are comprehended under that general name of grace , in opposition to meats . 't is good that the heart be established with grace , not with meats , matth. . . they are styled the weighty matters of the law : judgment , mercy , faith , love , in opposition to the tithing of mint and cummin . very frequently obedience in opposition to sacrifice : to be washed and cleansed , putting away the evil of our doings , learning to do well , seeking to do judgment , in opposition to incense , oblations , and new moons , &c. isa. . . circumcision of the flesh , outward and according to the letter , and circumcision of the heart , inward and according to the spirit . i shall mention only one scripture for proof of the point : cor. . , . if a man hold to the foundation which is iesus christ , though he build upon this foundation , gold and silver , pretious stones , or wood , hay , stubble , the fire shall try it , if it be burnt he shall suffer loss , but he himself shall be saved . by gold , silver and pretious stones , is meant pure and solid doctrine , by the other , wood , hay , and stubble is signified such vain erroneous doctrine , as cannot endure the test of fire , the fire of affliction and temptation , the fire of the spirit which searcheth and proveth hidden things , or the fire of the last day , but will be discovered and consumed by them , to the loss of all that pains and cost , which men have laid out in such superstructions : but not to the ruine of the builder , for he himself shall be saved . if i were to give instances and examples for the confirmation of this truth , there is no holy man , mere man , that ever was in the world , but may serve as a witness to it . not to mention the antient patriarchs , prophets , the apostles themselves , who were none of them without their mistakes and failings at some time or other ; it were not difficult to produce a very large catalogue of errors , out of the writings of the ancient fathers : who tho they were the great master-builders of their times , and by their holiness , zeal , learning , sufferings , did in their generations exceedingly promote the work of the gospel , yet they were not without their hay and stubble ; every one of them being obnoxious to errors , and some of them to none of the least : both irenaeus and iustin martyr , clemens alexandrinus , tertullian , cyprian , origen , hierom , and augustin more than ever he retracted : but that it would in many respects be inconvenient to uncover their nakedness . and those amongst us in these days , who either really are , or are esteemed to be , the great luminaries of religion , they are not greater than the fathers were in their times . many of the superstructions , which they lay out so much care and cost upon , will prove but mere hay and stubble , when they come to a trial by fire . i shall but mention these two reasons of the point . . from the nature of man , to which nothing is more incident than frailty and error . he was a good man that said , who can understand his errors ? not only of his practice , but his judgment too . and he who in another place , in many things we offend all . if any one should say he hath no error , that man hath not the truth in him . now if mens integrity in the more substantial parts of religion did not secure them notwithstanding these errors and failings , no man living could be saved . . from the nature of religion , which comprehends under it things of several natures and degrees . there are some things essential , substantial , fundamental ; other things circumstantial , accidental . religion is compared to a building , it is not a covering of the roof with thatch , or leaving a flaw in the wall , but only a failing or breach in the foundation , that will cause the fall or ruine of it . again 't is compared to a new life and nature . now it is not a blackness of the visage , or deformity of the members , nor every hurt or wound of the body , that shall prove mortal , so long as the vital parts remain sound and intire : and on the other side a hurt in the vitals would prove mortal , tho the countenance were never so beautiful . but 't is a principle this , so very obvious and plain and without any dispute , that it will be needless to insist any longer upon the confirmation of it . in the application of this point i shall insist only upon two uses , of examination , and ehxortation . i. for examination : if it be so that some things are of such absolute necessity to our happiness , it will concern us then to examine and judge our selves by these things . nothing is more desireable , than for a man to know upon good grounds the truth of his own estate and condition , in respect of his interest in the kingdom of god , and nothing can better discover this than our serving of christ in righteousness , peace and joy in the holy ghost . . for righteousness , by this i told you before we are to understand an universal conformity to the moral law , both first and second table , with subordination to the grace of faith . now this , as it concerns the duties of the first table , is properly called holiness ; and as it refers to the second table , iustice or righteousness ; who even allows himself in a neglect or violation of either of these , whatever he may think of himself , is not accepted of god : . as for holiness , we are told expresly that without it no man shall see the lord. and elsewhere 't is said , the pure in heart shall see god. he that doth either generally omit or neglect the duties of gods worship , and hath not an holy awe and dread upon his mind towards matters of religion , but can deal with sacred things with the same slight and common affection , wherewith he manages other ordinary matters , hath just reason to suspect himself as coming short of the kingdom of god : . and so likewise for that other righteousness of the second table , referring unto iustice in our dealings with one another : tho the having of this be not enough to entitle us to the kingdom of god , yet the want of it , is enough to barr us from it . 't is so sutable to the light of nature , so necessary to humane society , that there is not any one kind of failing that doth more scandalize the profession of religion , or render it less approved amongst men , than offences of this kind , especially such as are done upon pretence of religion . . as for peace : our saviour tells us , matth. . . the peace makers ' shall be called the children of god. by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another . where as there is envying , and strife , and division amongst you , are ye not carnal , and walk as men ? cor. . . the apostle makes it his business , gal. . . to set down such marks whereby men may judge of their conditions , both in respect of the fruits of the flesh and of the spirit . and amongst the fruits of the flesh , he hath no less than seven several expressions to this purpose ; hatred , variance , emulation , wrath , strife , sedition , envyings . and then he subjoyns , ver . . they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and in the next verse , when he comes to reckon up the fruits of the spirit , he mentions but nine particulars , and of them there are six that refer to this grace , the fruit of the spirit is love , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , meekness , against such there is no law . the new testament is so frequent and so express in this point , that a man of an unpeaceable contentious spirit must very grosly delude himself to build his confidence upon his zeal in lesser matters with the neglect of this . . and so in the third place , for joy in the holy ghost , that is , a cheerful and sedate temper of mind , under all outward dispensations , though cross to our particular hopes and desires ; as being secure of our interest in him who hath the management of all times and events at his own disposal , and hath engaged himself by promise to order them so , as that they shall prove for the best to those that love him . this is a duty frequently insisted upon in scripture , and 't is one main branch of that life of faith , which is proper to believers . and therefore those froward peevish professors , who are never contented with any estate , but are always complaining , apt to interpret every thing for an injury and unworthy dealing towards them , have upon this ground just cause to suspect themselves , of much impotence , unbelief , pride , want of that lowliness and meekness of spirit , which the gospel doth require . if upon a strict enquiry we find our selves , willfully , grosly negligent in these more substantial things , we have just cause to suspect our conditions . ii. i have but one use more , for exhortation , with which i shall conclude this point . to quicken and stir us up to lay out our strength and zeal for the promoting of these things both in our selves and others . there cannot be any more effectual motive , as to our selves , than what i have already insisted upon , that nothing else can secure us without these , and that these will secure us without other things . but besides , these things , in reference to our doing good unto others , will be more effectual than any other abilities whatsoever . they are singular advantages for a man in his dealing with others , to have the gift of wisdom , an ability of discerning spirits , of clearing and opening deep mysterious things , a mighty power of persuading and convincing . but to all these , if a man were able in a case of doubt , and difficulty , to confirm what he preaches by a miracle , one would think , that were a most infallible way of subduing any opposition , and carrying all before him . and yet all these advantages would signify nothing , without these moral foundations ; and a keeping close to these , might in some measure be effectual without miracles . 't is a saying of a reverend divine , that if the gospel were now to be planted again , all the miracles in the world , would not be sufficient to make it take , whilst our morals are no better than they are . a miracle may strike a little wonderment at first , but good morality soaks and sinks to the heart . and therefore it were a most rational thing in a man to mistrust the truth of any miracle which did tend to the prejudice of things morally good . and the scripture in several places doth encourage to it . deut. . . upon which account it may be asserted that the sutableness of the doctrine of the gospel , unto purest , highest morality , did as much conduce to the spreading of it , as the miracles whereby it was confirmed . and therefore when many of the pharisees did pretend those wonderful acts of our saviour to be done by magical arts and the help of the devil , they were presently confuted by the holiness of his doctrine ; these are not the words of him that hath a devil , joh. . . and what can be said higher in the commendation of any thing , than that it is a test whereby to try even miracles themselves , and doth in some sense give authority to them . and therefore there is very good reason why we should be excited to a great zeal in the promoting righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . 't is true , subtle notions and questions , are more the fashion of the times than these moral duties , but they are withal the disease of the times , and professors now if ever may be said to be sick of questions , as the phrase is : tim. . . whereas these other things were religion before any of these fashions came into request , and will be so when they are laid aside and vanished . as being founded upon that universal perpetual law , written in every mans heart , which can never be either augmented , or diminisht , or abrogated . nec per senatum aut populum solvi hac lege possumus . no power can dispense with this law : nor doth it need any interpreter to explain it . non erat alia romae , alia athenis , alia nunc , alia posthac , sed & omnes gentes , omni tempore , una lex & sempiterna & immutabilis continebit , saith the roman orator . 't is the same in all places and in all times ; as proceeding from the supreme lawgiver , towards whom he that will not yield obedience , must deny his own essence and dependence ; as he goes on very sublimely and elegantly upon that subject . i know many other things are necessary , as to our religious state , besides these moral duties . but yet these are the primary foundations . and nothing else will be effectual without these . the end of the second sermon . the third sermon . rom . xiv . . . for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteousness ▪ and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . for he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god , and approved of men. iii. the true reason why christians of several persuasions stand less approved towards one another , is for want of a right proportioning their zeal about matters of religion , and because they lay out more of their strength in these lesser things , than on those of greater consequence . there is no reason to expect that the minds of men should ever be united to a mutual liking and approving of one another , till they can come to be more truly zealous , and more heartily concerned for those substantial matters of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost , than for those circumstantials of meats and drinks . if we consult the state of the primitive times , as 't is represented in the acts of the apostles and the epistles , we shall find that this was the occasion both of raising and keeping up the differences amongst the christians then , namely , the insisting more upon forms and parties , meats and days , some being for paul , others for apollos , others for cephas , than upon the substance of duties . and the same likewise might be made evident from abundant testimony out of ecclesiastical writers , concerning the following ages . and what hath been the state of things in our own times is sufficiently obvious to any easy observation . there are two heads of reasons or argument , that i shall mention for proof of the point . . from the nature and usual consequents of that zeal whereby men are engaged to these lesser things . . from the nature and necessary fruits of mens being devoted to the more substantial things of religion . i. zeal about these lesser matters is not only consistent with strifes and divisions , but is many times the very occasion and fewel whereby they are begotten and continued amongst men . what the apostle saith concerning those questions which he calls foolish and unlearned , is in some proportion true concerning such other disputes as are managed with greater vehemence than they ought ; that from hence cometh envy , strife , railings , evil surmisings , tim. . . let a man but look indifferently , round about him , amongst all the kinds of parties in our times , even those whom in his own judgment he esteems the best , and then say , whether , both our common peace and the power of religion hath not suffered exceedingly upon this account . when men have once given up themselves to controversies of this nature , tho they should perhaps be on the right side , yet these consequences do ordinarily follow upon it . . such men are narrowed in their judgments , liable to strong prejudices upon very weak grounds . . soured in their spirits , becoming more censorious and rugged in their dispositions . . vitiated in their morals , declining in the duties of moral honesty , neglecting the tyes of relations , friendship , gratitude , and such other things , as should secure and sweeten humane society . . cooled in their zeal and fervor towards the more substantial parts of religion , whilst they are wholly taken up with the prosecution of lesser matters . that man hath conversed but a little in the world , or at least made but slender observation , who hath not in these times met with abundance of examples to this purpose . ii. the second reason is from the nature of these more weighty and substantial matters of religion , whose property , it is to unite the minds of men and heal their differences . there is a twofold notion under which the strifes and contentions amongst men , may be considered either as their sin or iudgment . now this laying out our selves , upon the more substantial matters of religion , will free a man from contention in both these respects . . as 't is a sin : by freeing us from , and strengthening us against many of those temptations to this sin that others are exposed unto . he that makes it his principal care to deal righteously in his conversation with others , will be sure thereby to minister less occasion of raising strife , and hath the advantage of avoiding and composing those heats that others would raise against him . if a man design this as his great business , to follow the things that make for peace , he will not be apt to be immersed in parties , or transported with particular interests , or misled by the affectation of singularity ; but he will be always ready to put the best construction upon things , to pity the infirmities , and forgive the injuries of others . he that is able to rejoyce in an afflicted condition , is thereby in a good measure freed from those temptations of hopes and fears whereby others are engaged . and consequently will be less concerned in the designes of men , or the issue of things : such an one knows how to be content with his present state , and to be patient under sufferings ; and if he should not prevail for those things , which others will needs contend with him about , yet he can be happy without them . in brief , religion doth mortify those inward lusts , which are the first principles of contentions and divisions without us . it makes a man meek and lowly , blameless and harmless , teaches him not to revenge himself , but to overcome evil with good ; to speak evil of no man , to be no brawler , not to strive , but to be gentle and humble , shewing all meekness to all men . . sometimes contentions and divisions are inflicted as a judgment , when the lord is pleased to mix a perverse spirit amongst men , filling them with confusion and disorder , making them dash one against another , till they are broken to pieces . now this minding the main things of religion , doth likewise conduce to the freeing of us from this . the text tells us these things make us acceptable to god : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prov. . . when a mans ways please the lord , he will make his enemies to be at peace with him . as god doth sometimes punish disobedience , by making a mans friends to become his enemies , so is he pleased to reward obedience by making a mans enemies to become his friends . he hath the hearts of all men in his hands , and can bend them as he pleaseth ; and he hath by promise engaged himself , either so to change their affections , that they shall be friends to us , or at least so to restrain their hostility that they shall not hurt us , pet. . . who is he that will harm you , if you be followers of that which is good ? if a man be truly religious and holy , and give himself up to such courses , as are even to the light of nature unquestionably good , it cannot be but that he must hereby acquire a reverence and esteem even in the hearts of wicked men . i know there is an objection against this , which is obvious to every one , to which something must be said by way of answer . did not our saviour tell his disciples that they should be hated of all men for his sake , matth. . . and doth not david complain of some that were enemies to him , for this very reason , because he was a follower of that which was good , psal. . . all that will live godly in christ iesus must suffer persecution , tim. . . because ye are not of the world , therefore doth the world hate you , joh. . . with several other scriptures ; besides the constant experience of all ages to the same purpose . to this it may be answered , that 't is true , there is in nature , a necessary unavoidable enmity , betwixt light and darkness , good and evil , the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent . and 't is not the meaning of these promises to abolish or reconcile that enmity or opposition , which is founded in the nature of things , but only to suspend the acts of it . the more righteous any man is , by so much the greater opposition must there be betwixt him and sinners . but yet he is hereby after a more especial manner intitled to gods protection , to preserve him from any real hurt , or damage by them . and they are for the most part , the imperfections and failings of good men , that do expose them to sufferings of this nature . and then besides , tho some men have such a superfluity of malitiousness , as the phrase is iam. . being hardened against the common principles of morality , as to express a hatred and enmity against others , for their goodness , yet it is not so with all , nor perhaps with any at all times . but the worst of men , must in their secret judgments and most retired thoughts , bear an inward reverence towards those that are good . as there is in vice a natural deformity , whereby it doth appear odious , even to the consciences of those who are guilty of it ; so is there a beauty in holiness and virtue , whereby it appears lovely even to those mens hearts , whose mouths are apt to reproach it . it cannot be but that some men will be apt to speak against us for well-doing . and yet well-doing is the best way to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men , pet. . . or if it do not wholly silence them , but that they will be speaking against us as evil doers , yet 't is not without some secret shame , and guilt of being false accusers , pet. . . and so much may serve for the proof of the point . i come now to the application of it : wherein it may serve for these two uses , instruction and exhortation . i. information : if it be so , that the minding of the main things of religion , more than lesser differences , be that which must render us acceptable to god , and approved of men , then these things will follow . . we have reason to suspect that our ways upon this account may not be acceptable unto god , when we find that we do not stand approved to men , especially to good men . . 't is a preposterous course to seek the approbation of men by any such way , as will render us unacceptable to god ; these two being linked together , both in their own natures , and by particular promises . 't is true , a man may get into the favour of a party , by appearing vehement and zealous in some particular contest , but this will render him less approved to other good men , less useful in his generation , and consequently less acceptable to god. . 't is a vain thing to expect any peace and settlement amongst men , till they come to be more concerned for those great things of religion , than for others of lesser moment . there may be a change of forms and parties and the external state of things , but their minds will still abide at the same distance , till they come to be united in these great things of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . 't is not the pouring of a liquor from one vessel to another that takes off its sourness and acrimony , without such a mixture as may enter into it , and alter the nature of it . if men would make this to be their great design and business to strive who should be most righteous , and peaceable , and patient , other contentions amongst them would quickly vanish . . a man may insist so much in the vindication of some truths and duties , as thereby to bring a prejudice upon religion . he may do the devils work by his endeavours to promote such things , as are in themselves right and true . i mean such contests , as concern points of the same or the like nature , with those of meats and drinks in the text. but what then may some say , should we be of no opinion in such things ? must we all turn scepticks , and be indifferent to every thing , as if there could be no certainty ? i answer , by no means , nothing less ; every man should endeavour to have a full persuasion in his own mind concerning the things in difference : and when he doth well understand them , he should be ready to assert and maintain them , as occasion may be offered , and so far as the nature of the things will bear . only herein lies the great difficulty which will require much christian prudence and consideration to the stating of it , namely , how to proportion our zeal aright , in reference to several truths , which i shall particularly speak to in the next use. ii. use of exhortation . . to be cautious and considerate in the right managing of our differences about these lesser things . there was never any age , wherein contests of this nature have not been in fashion ; tho perhaps never so much as in ours . and therefore it will the more concern us to regulate our prosecutions and demeanour about them . in order to which these two things are to be well weighed and considered , namely , the evidence and importance of the things in question . . for their evidence : every truth , whether natural or revealed , is not alike evident ; some are more obscure and doubtful than others . and because the evidence of things is the ground and formal reason of our assent to them , therefore 't is our duty to proportion the degrees of our assent , to those of our evidence . not to be doubtful in things that are clear , nor to be confident in things that are doubtful ; but with an equal disposition of mind , to submit to every thing according to its clearness and perspicuity : in opposition to this there are two extreams , which are exceedingly prejudicial to religion ( especially in times when controversies and disputes about it do so much abound ) namely , scepticalness and dogmaticalness . . by scepticalness , i mean , a willingness and inclination of mind , rather to comply with doubts and objections , than with proofs and evidences ; an aptness to pick quarrels with every thing , tho never so manifest , as if we were not willing that any thing should be certain and established . besides the insolence and pride which is the ground of this disposition , there is likewise much of folly and contradiction in it , whereby such men do become obnoxious unto that other extream of dogmaticalness , which they affect most to avoid . for to look upon every thing as doubtful , is to deny the clear evidence of some things ; and 't is as well dogmaticalness to deny clear evidence where it is , as to assert it where it is not . . by dogmaticalness , i mean , a readines to be over confident of the things we are well inclined to ; an aptness to own every thing for equally true and certain , which is professed by that company or party of men , amongst whom our names are listed ; when a man receives a whole system of doctrine by the bulk , as if every thing in it , were undoubtedly true , and alike evident , without a particular enquiry into the grounds and reasons of things . an unwillingness to listen unto any objection , which may seem to make against them , or to shake their certainty . this is a blameable partiality on the other hand ; and hath in it the like inconsistency and contradiction with the other extream . such persons hereby exposing the most clear and manifest truths to the suspicion of error , by putting more obscure and doubtful matters in the same rank with them . . the second thing to be considered is the importance of the matters in question . as every truth is not of the same evidence , so neither is it of the same necessity . but there are in this respect likewise several degrees amongst them : some things are essential to religion , belonging to the foundation , and are therefore necessary to the very being of a christian. as righteousness in the text , that is , faith , and holiness , and justice , or as it is elsewhere expressed , faith which worketh by love : other things are only superstructions , and belong only to the well-being of a christian , amongst which some are as gold , and silver , and pretious stones , things of the greatest value amongst men , next to life and being ; others are of a lighter consequence and more remote from the foundation . now herein much christian prudence will be required to distinguish aright , concerning the importance of several truths and duties , and accordingly to proportion our zeal for them , and our contention about them . not by our remisness to bring down foundation truths to the same rate with superstructions ; nor by our forwardness on the other hand , to raise up superstructions unto the same value with fundamentals ; which are the two extreams referring to the importance of the things , by which truth it self will be very much prejudiced . . too great carelesness and coldness about necessary truths , a kind of indifferency about all matters of religion , as if they were all alike , and did so far only oblige , as the civil laws of several countries did inforce them . i cannot say of this extream , that it doth encrease controversies in religion ; but it doth that which is much worse , it takes away the subject of the question , i mean religion it self . . on the other side , a man may lay too great a weight on some things , which are truths and duties . and there is nothing more ordinary than for good men , when they are once well persuaded of some particular opinion , to think they do god good service , by prosecuting it with their utmost zeal , or by laying greater weight upon it than the nature of the thing requires , or will admit . but this must needs be of very dangerous consequence : for if this course be admitted , where shall it end ? why may not falshood be obtruded upon us on the same account ? if we once transgress those bounds which are fixed by the nature of things in respect of their evidence and importance , there can be no security against the wildest errors in the world . these two things that i have mentioned , being soberly considered and impartially applyed , to some of our late and present controversies , would very much conduce to the healing of the minds of men , and taking them off from many of those contentions and animosities which now abound . . we should hence be persuaded to lay out our selves with our utmost zeal and intention of mind upon those great things of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost . it were easie to mention abundance of arguments , to excite and quicken men to a fervency about these things , would the time permit it . i shall very briefly sum up what remains under these two heads , the excellency and seasonableness of these things . . from their excellency : there are but two kind of things that any men aim at or endeavour after , to get into the favour of men , and of god , to be safe here and happy hereafter . why now these things do entitle us to both , they make us to be accepted of god , and approved of men . they are not only duties but privileges , the chief part of that salvation and glory , which we are capable of on this side of heaven . that which makes men zealous in other points , is their apprehension of the importance and clearness of the things they insist upon : why , there can be nothing of greater importance than these things , wherein the power and substance of religion doth consist . and as for their evidence , let it be supposed that in some of the controversies now on foot amongst us , there should in some solemn assembly be an appeal made to heaven , to determine which of the parties were in the right : if upon such an appeal , an angel should immediately be sent down , or men should rise from the dead , and declare that such a way and party were in the right , and the others mistaken , one would think that upon such an advantage , men might have good ground to be zealous and confident . why we have more reason to be zealous for righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost , than men would have upon such a miraculous confirmation of their opinions : because these things are of the highest importance , and we have for them the same if not better evidence . and the reason is this : by the same natural light which convinces a man that god alone is omnipotent , and can only do miracles , that he is infinitely good , and will not perform any miracle in confirmation of a sin or an error : by the same light it is that we are convinced of moral duties . but now we cannot have the like degree of evidence , that this or that particular action is a miracle , ( because of the obscurity of natural causes ) as we may that holiness , and righteousness , and peaceableness , are duties , and of a natural goodness and obligation . we are in the frame of our natures better fitted and prepared to understand morals , than naturals , what is honest rather than what is possible ; and 't is great reason we should be so , because we are more concerned in the one than the other . so that 't is not possible there should be any better evidence than what we have for the goodness and obligation of these things . . from the seasonableness of these things , both in respect of . . what we have seen in the times lately past , and . what we are in expectation of for the future . . for the time past : no man can be ignorant of those horrid scandals that have been brought upon religion by the neglect of these moral duties , under the highest pretences of zeal to other matters . whereby some men have been induced to despise all profession of religion , as being but mere pretence and design , as if there were nothing in it of reality . now if we have in us any tenderness for the honor of religion , if we would make up that breach and wipe off that blemish that hath in this respect been brought upon it , it must be by our integrity and zeal for the promoting of these more substantial matters , both in our selves and others . 't is true , men have been always apt to rest themselves in moral performances , as if they alone were sufficient to entitle us to heaven , and consequently as the endeavour to drive them off from such presumptions as these , can never be unseasonable , so on the other hand when men shall out of pretence to some higher notions and attainments , dare to neglect and violate these moral duties , 't is then , if ever , seasonable to insist upon the necessity , and importance of them . . in reference to that settlement and peace , which we are now in expectation of , to which these things will most effectually conduce . it must be granted that 't is beyond humane contrivance to find out any infallible way of securing future events ; nor is it consistent with the nature of humane affairs , which are often swayed by such intricate providences , as we are not able to fore-see or comprehend the reason of ; god sometimes making use of such men , who are most vehement against a thing to be the chief instruments of promoting it , and those who are most for it to be the occasions of hindering it . so that i say in this respect , there is a necessity that we should acquiesce in such fair probabilities , as the prudence of men can contrive and the state of things will admit . he that hath observed those various providences , which these poor distracted nations have of late years been exercised with , cannot but take notice , that since our first civil tempests and storms , there have been some seasons wherein we have seemed to be near the harbour and upon the borders of settlement : and yet in the midst of all our hopes , there hath still been some unexpected emergency , whereby we have been driven back again into the wide ocean , and exposed to all our former fears and dangers . what may be the issue of our present expectations , no man can be certain of . only of this we may be most sure , that this laying out our selves upon the duties of righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost , will be the best security for every man in his private capacity , and the most effectual remedy for the publick . it cannot be but that in times of change and revolution , mens minds must be variously exercised with hopes and fears , according as their several interests do engage them . the great thoughts of heart upon some men are , how they may be secured in the change of times : but now if men would repose themselves upon scripture security , i would refer them to that place rom. . . wilt thou not then be afraid of the power ? do that which is good , and thou shalt have praise of the same . this being the very natural end of magistracy , namely , the praise of them that do well , pet. . . i shall shut up all with that saying of the apostle , pet. . . cited out of the psal. what man is he that would see good days ? let him eschew evil and do good , let him seek peace and ensue it . he may be most certain by this means to be entitled unto the protection of god : for the eyes of the lord are over the righteous , and his ears are open unto their prayers : and safety from men ; for who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good ? the end of the third sermon . the fourth sermon . titus ii. . that they may adorn the doctrine of god our saviour in all things . st . paul having by his preaching laid the foundation of a christian church in crete or candia , and not having leisure to reside amongst them , for the farther building them up in their most holy faith , by reason of his employment in several other places , to the care of which ( as being the apostle of the gentiles ) he was engaged , he doth depute titus in his stead . and for his better encouragement and direction , in those ministerial employments committed to him , he writes to him this epistle , consisting ( besides the preface and conclusion ) of so many parts as there are chapters , which are three . the first being concerning the ordaining of elders or bishops , with some animadversions against such as did trouble the peace of the church . the second concerning those particular duties that belong to the several orders and degrees of persons in a family . the third concerning the common duties of christians in general . the text is under the second of these heads , wherein titus is instructed in that sound doctrine ( as'tis styled , v. . ) whereunto he was to exhort several ages , sexes and orders of persons in an aeconomical relation . aged men have their lesson , v. . aged women , v. . young women , v. . . young men , and more particularly titus himself , as being under that rank , v. . , . servants , v. . . all which exhortations are enforced by several reasons from the v. to the end of the chapter . that which servants are exhorted to , is a submissive gentleness and fidelity ; to be obedient unto their own masters , to please them well in all things , not answering again , not purloining , but shewing all good fidelity : which exhortation is further pressed upon them by a particular reason , taken from that common duty incumbent upon all believers , to bring a reputation upon the religion which they did profess , in the words of the text , that they may adorn the doctrine of god our saviour in all things . that 's the connexion and scope of the text. there are four terms which may seem to need explication . what is meant by , they adorning the doctrine of god our saviour in all things . . the subjects of this exhortation , in the word they , that is , servants , v. . by which word is not only meant such kind of servants , as are now in use amongst us , conductitij , hired servants , who in other respects are freemen , and can let themselves out to service , upon such kind of conditions , and for such a time as they shall agree upon : but it comprehends likewise mancipia , slaves , such as are bought and sold in the market , and reckoned amongst mens goods and chattels . for such were many of the servants in the primitive times . now because those that are in a servile condition are naturally of a more illiberal , rugged and disingenuous temper , the apostle would have such servants as are converted , to manifest a change upon themselves in this respect , becoming more mild and gentle in their carriage , whereby they should remove that prejudice and scandal that was brought upon religion by others : as if the privilege of their being made free by christ , and having him for their master , might authorize them to be more stubborn and insolent towards their civil relations , and not to remain any longer under the yoke of human servitude . it would bring a reputation upon the doctrine of the gospel which they professed , when others should by experience find it so powerful upon them , as to render those who are in the hardest condition of servitude , patient and submissive under their yoke , trusty and faithful in their duties . . the next term to be inquired after is the act , adorn. the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it signifies to set a thing off for its best advantage of comliness , that it may appear grateful and lovely to the beholders . it consists in two things , removal of blemishes , and addition of ornaments : many things that are of an excellent beauty in their own native simplicities , may yet be capable of such supperadditions , as will contribute to their further ornament . now men may then be said to adorn their profession , when they do studiously endeavour to avoid all such uncomely actions , as may bring a prejudice upon it , and to do such things as may make it appear most amiable , and win over others to a love of it . . the object matter , in that phrase the doctrine of god our saviour ; whereby we are to understand the gospel ; which is therefore said to be the doctrine of christ , because he is the chief author and object of it . it being the word of reconciliation by him . now tho it be not in the power of any creature to add any thing unto the beauty of this doctrine , which is in it self the wisdom of god in a mystery , cor. . . the glorious gospel , cor. . . and the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of iesus christ , v. . the riches of the glory of god , colos. . . which are some of the highest expressions of beauty , that words can reach unto : and so this doctrine is not in it self capable of any real addition of beauty from us , no more than we can add light to the sun ; yet god is pleased to esteem and to accept of that as an ornament to it , when our conversation is as becometh the gospel of christ , as the phrase is philip. . . when men walk sutably to those rules of goodness , and purity , and meekness , which are therein so often insisted upon . . as for that phrase , all things , it do's refer not only to those duties of religion and worship , which do more immediately concern our communion with himself ; but likewise to the businesses of our conversing with others , to our managing of secular and worldly business ; our very recreations and diversions should not be without a savour of christianity . and we should , even in these things , give evidence of our faith , sobriety and patience , and humility and contentedness . and so likewise for the duties of our relations , even the meanest of them : that of servants , who tho they be themselves of the basest and most contemptible condition , yet are in a capacity according to their sphere , of bringing honour to their profession as well as those that are most noble . so much i conceive sufficient for the explication of the words in the text. tho the duty here mentioned do by its particular connexion in this place more immediately refer to those that are in the relation of servants , yet it is supposed to be of a more general extent , and to reach unto all other degrees and professions , for whom the reasons of it will hold à fortiori . for if those of the meanest condition are not exempted from this endeavour , much more then should others make it their care and business , who have greater advantages for it , and consequently greater engagements to it . and according to this more general extent of this duty , i intend the prosecution of it . the doctrine i would insist upon , is this : it is the duty of every christian so to demean himself in every business , condition , relation , as may adorn the gospel , and win over others to a love of it . there is a special care to be had to the comeliness of our actions , that they be such and so managed , as to bring a reputation to the doctrine we profess , and make it seem lovely in the eyes of others . i might cite abundance of proofs to this purpose . all those admonitions in scripture . . of not giving offence to others . but . rather winning them over by our good examples , are but other kind of expressions signyfing the same thing with this in the text. such are those places which do prohibit the giving an occasion for the name of god and his doctrine to be blasphemed , rom. . . tim. . . or causing the way of truth to be evil spoken of , pet. . . or giving occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully , tim. . . signifying that special care and caution which we ought to use in vindicating the reputation of religion . men are full of prejudice against the ways of god , apt to entertain hard thoughts against them , as if they were rough , deformed and uneven , ready to catch at all occasions of confirming themselves in these prejudices , from the haltings and imprudences of those that profess religion : and therefore it should be their endeavour to be very wary of giving any advantages of this kind . this was nehemiahs argument , c. . v. . ought ye not to walk in the fear of god , because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies ? and in this very chapter of the text , the apostle exhorteth that their behaviour be as becometh holiness , v. . that the word of god be not blasphemed , v. . that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed , having no evil thing to say of you , v. . so again , pet. . . for this reason ought your conversation to be honest among the gentiles , that whereas they are apt to speak against you as evil doers , they may by your good works which they shall behold , be brought to glorify god in the day of visitation . to this purpose likewise are all those other scriptures , which do mention it as a duty to win over others by our good examples . to let our light so shine before men , that others seeing our good works may glorify our father which is in heaven ; to consider one another , to provoke unto love and good works , that is , so far to study the tempers , inclinations , interests , of those we converse with , that thereby we may be able to take the right advantage of doing good upon them . if by any means we may provoke them to an honest emulation . so philip. . . that ye may be blameless and harmless , the sons of god , without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation , amongst whom ye may shine as lights in the world : that you may be of as great usefulness and ornament in your several spheres as the lights in the firmament . so womens conversations ought to be such , as to win their husbands , &c. pet. . , . i shall cite but one text more for the proof of this , and then proceed to the reasons of it . 't is that known place , philip. . . finally , brethren , whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are just , whatsoever things are pure , whatsoever things are lovely , whatsoever things are of good report , if there be any virtue , and if there be any praise , think of these things . wherein the apostle doth by a peculiar strain of rhetorick inculcate upon the philippians , in the most comprehensive words , and the most serious vehement manner , all such lovely and desireable qualifications , as might serve to adorn their professions . whatsoever things are true : that is , sincere and real , free from all false pretences and appearances . whatsoever things are honest : the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies properly venerable . that is such things as may occasion in others a reverend esteem of you . whatsoever things are just : that is , free from the suspicion of unworthy partiality or base ends , not so much aiming at serving the interest of a party , as doing that which is in it self right and just . whatsoever things are pure : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , things that are free from all immodest uncomliness . whatsoever things are lovely : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , grateful and benign , such as will render a man most acceptable to those with whom he converses ; free from that asperity and ruggedness , which do's so deform some mens carriage . whatsoever things are of good report : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . there are some things that by the consent of nations are of a good fame and well reputed of ; the apostle would have a special care taken of such matters , there being nothing of greater consequence to the interest of a profession , than the good name of those that profess it . if there be any virtue , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . which word tho it be most frequent amongst the philosophers , yet 't is very seldom used in scripture and not any where by st. paul , excepting this place , as being perhaps too low an expression for those spiritual graces , which christians ought chiefly to labour after . but yet as for all those things that are commendable amongst the very heathen , which they style by the name of virtue , christians ought not to be defective in such things , or think it below them to imitate such examples . if there be any praise , whatsoever is counted laudable and comely by the very light of nature , ought not to be neglected by them . for the further confirmation of this truth , i shall suggest three reasons to convince the equity of it . . this doctrine doth adorn us , and therefore 't is but reason that we should adorn it . we are all of us naturally in a deformed forlorn condition , being wretched and miserable , and poor and blind and naked , and 't is alone this doctrine of the gospel that doth furnish us with gold , and eye-salve , and white rayment to enrich and beautfy us . we are of our selves children of darkness , 't is the gospel that doth beget us again to a lively hope , and make us children of the light ; and therefore 't is but reason that we should walk worthy of our vocation , and as becomes children of the light , ephes. . . setting forth the virtues of him that called us into his marvailous light , pet. . . light is one of the most glorious and beautiful creatures in the world , and therefore an earthly and sordid carriage will not become that title . those that are raised to this privilege should endeavour after such virtues as will be suitable to it . men are content in the night time to be homely and plain , but in the day they will endeavour to have their garments decent and comely about them . so should christians demean themselves ; remembring the obligation that lies upon them from their calling , counting it a greater shame to them to do any unworthy act , under the glorious light of the gospel about them , and the illumination of the spirit within them , than other men do to commit any filthiness in the face of the sun. men usually are very careful to advance the honour and reputation of that from which they receive their own . so that the law of gratitude doth ingage us to this duty , which is the first reason . . in the adorning of our professions , we do really promote our own advantage , and adorn our selves , the reputation of that redounding to our benefit , and the blemishes of it to our disparagement . the honor and esteem that is given to any profession do's reflect upon the professors ; men are usually very sensible in things of their own interest , how careful will they be in adorning their habitations , not grudging to bestow much labor and cost to this purpose , and for their bodies nothing more common than vanities and excess in the adorning of these ; and yet after all their care and delicacy in this kind , these bodies of theirs are but frail earthly tabernacles and must shortly prove worms-meat , and molder away into their original dust : and so likewise for their names ; all those difficulties that men undergo in the pursuit of fame and glory , which is the business of men of more large and generous spirits , is but for the adorning of their names and perpetuating them to posterity , which tho it have its proper use and bounds , yet is it but vanity as solomon says , seeing that which now is , in the days to come shall be forgotten , eccles. . . every generation producing something which seems new and strange to take up mens talk and wonder , and to drown the memory of former persons and actions . now if we would do any thing of this kind which may be for our real advantage , it must be by the adorning of this doctrine , which abideth for ever . the sweet ornament of a good name , which we endeavour to pour upon the head of that , will run down and be communicated to the skirts about it , all that belong unto it . there are but two kind of things that may justly challenge any care from us of this nature ; some things ought to be adorned for their own worth and dignity , other things for that special affection we bear to them , and the desire of having them loved and esteemed by others ; in both which respects , this doctrine of the gospel ought to be preferred before any thing else , especially since our own advantage is so much concerned in it . that is a second reason , the law of self-love doth ingage it . . and lastly , which may serve instead of all other reasons , this is the great end of our creation and being , the chief business upon which we were sent into the world , to glorify god , and bring honor to his name : which we then do in reference to others , when we demean our selves so as to cause them to acknowledge and speak well of him . this is to walk worthy of the lord , thes. . . and as becometh the gospel of christ , philip. . . when those that of themselves are apt to speak evil of our profession , shall by our good conversation be convinced and won over to a love of it . this is the greatest and most noble work , that any man is capable of contributing unto ; and therefore that may be another reason to enforce the necessity of it , 't is the chief end of our creation . i shall need to say no more by way of explication or proof : i come now to the application of this point , wherein it may be improved to these uses . i. for information , if it be every ones duty to take special care of adorning his profession , then it will follow : . that men are not only to regard the lawfulness of their actions as to the matter , but the comeliness of them too as to the manner and degree . as there is difference betwixt clothing and ornaments , so is there betwixt the mere lawfulness of actions and the comeliness of them . a christian should even in moral duties do something beyond the common level of men , aiming at things that are more generous and heroical , and may give a lustre to his profession ; especially in such matters , as border nearest to the proper graces of christianity , as gratitude , patience , meekness , self-denial . and in such cases where other ordinary men may be supposed to yield unto common infirmity and temptation , the usual excuse of their failings ; he should press on with greater vigor as considering the cause that depends upon him , the reputation of his holy profession . some things , that for the substance of them may be just , yet being performed without respect to this end , may prove blame worthy . bonum must be ex causa integra : the defect of any such circumstance whereby an action might be better performed , doth lay a blemish upon it . now we are to provide things honest in the sight of all men ; to acquit and commend our selves not only to our own consciences , but to other mens consciences too , cor. . . this doth principally consist in the right circumstantiating of actions , and will require much prudence to judge what is seasonable and fit . . hence it will follow , that amongst that great variety of duties , which are incumbent upon a christian , there ought to be a special regard unto such , as are of general approbation , and most sutable to the reason of mankind : that is , to those moral duties which the light of nature doth oblige unto , because those who are without , will be apt to take an estimate of us , by our conformity to these . and that man will never arrive to the esteem of being religious who should be found negligent and defective in this kind , either in respect of an holy awe and fear towards the divine majesty which he doth profess to adore , justice , equity , charity , gentleness in his dealing and conversing with others ; these things being of an universal approbation , amongst men that pretend to any religion . for tho natural men are apt to entertain prejudices and hard thoughts against many religious duties , yet there are some things that are both acceptable of god , and approved of men , rom. . . and that is , when religion is not so much put in meats and drinks and external forms , as in righteousness and peace , &c. 't is true indeed , a man must take heed of resting in these moral attainments ; but on the other side he must take heed of coming short of them too . he that pretends to grace and doth not come up to these , is in as bad , and ( in many respects ) a much worse condition , than he that rests in them . 't is true likewise , that there may be much danger in seeking to please men , but yet this is an end , which we may and should propose to our selves even in our religious conversation , rom. . . let every one please his neighbour : 't is the apostles advice there ; and he owns it for his practice , cor. . . even as i please all men in all things , not seeking mine own profit , but the profit of many that they may be saved . there must and will always be an enmity betwixt the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent ; but yet this doth not hinder but that we may labour for so much favour in their eyes as may give us advantage of doing good upon them . 't is said of the apostles , that they had favour with all the people , act. . . and upon that account were they so powerful amongst them . some of these things would not perhaps be so proper to be insisted on , did not the condition of the times make them seasonable ; when so many men under the profession of religion ( which is now in fashion , and therefore easy ) do indulge themselves in the neglect of moral duties . as if the pretences to holiness , which do really so much the more ingage to these things , might yet serve as a dispensation from them ; than which nothing can be more uncomely . . but i hasten to a second use , for reproof of such persons who are so far from being ornaments , that they are rather spots and blemishes to the doctrine of the gospel . such are of two kinds , careless and scandalous professors . i. for those that are careless and barren , who are wholly immersed in themselves , and the observance of their own humours , without any regard to the profiting or pleasing of others . there is something in mens religious conversation , answerable to the slovenliness of their outward carriage , whereby others are made averse , and as it were nauseated from conversing with them . such are all selfish , morose , churlish , contentious men , who instead of inviting others , do rather discourage them from the ways of religion . ii. for such as are scandalous , who whilst they profess religion , do allow themselves in some notorious sins : and sometimes commit them under the very pretence of religion ; as the pharisees are accused to devour widows houses , that is to do acts of injustice and cruelty , under the pretence of devotion and zeal : both these are an abomination , but especially the latter , which doth involve in it the highest affront and indignity against religion , that can be . it is really to scoff and despise that , to which in appearance we pretend the highest reverence . it is to carry christ about in scorn to be derided by others , crying hail king of the iews , and yet spitting upon him and buffeting him . such persons are so far from adorning their profession , that they do their utmost to disparage it , and make it appear odious . what serious man would be invited to own that for a religion , which is professed by men of such false and hateful conversations . there are two things i would briefly suggest by way of motive to dissuade men from offending in either of these kinds , viz. the unworthiness , and the danger of such carriage . . 't is unworthy and odious to cast a blemish and reproach upon that to which we owe our own honour ; to destroy those whom we are bound to love and help . the scripture puts it as a brand upon the loose sons of eli , hophni and phinehas , sam. . . that they caused men to abhor the offerings of the lord. and nothing can be more hateful than to bring sacred things into contempt : it was iacob's complaint against his sons , simeon and levi , gen. . . that they had made him to stink amongst the inhabitants of the lord. so doth the unworthy carriage of professors , cause the hearts of others to rise up against them with much scorn and detestation . . and as it is unworthy , so likewise is it dangerous ; you know the several woes in scripture denounced and executed against those that give offence . temporal judgements upon their names , malach. . . the priests that caused others to stumble at the law , are threatdned to be made contemptible and base before all the people . and there is nothing more equal , than that those who expose religion to contempt should suffer under it themselves . judgments in respect of life : balaam was for this reason slain with the sword , because he taught balak to lay a stumbling block before the children of israel , numb . . . the sons of eli were upon the like account slain by the philistines , sam. . . but that 's not all : for besides this temporal death , it doth expose a man likewise to eternal death . and 't is but reason that it should be so , because the sins of such offenders do extend to the ruine of the souls of others ; they doing what in them lies to destroy those for whom christ dyed , cor. . . 't is spoken concerning the abuse of our liberty in things indifferent , 't is much more concerning actions in themselves sinful . that 's a known text , matth. . . it were better for a man to have a milstone hung about his neck , and to be cast into the sea , than to offend one of these little ones . now if to offend but one , and that a little one , that is one that is weak in knowledge and faith , will expose a man to a certain and dreadful vengeance , what then may they expect , who in regard of the eminency of their place , reputation , profession , do occasion a more general and spreading scandal , both in respect of the number and quality of the persons offended , and cause the ways of god to be commonly evil spoken of ? as if the profession of religion , were but a design to bring about some politick ends , and as if all men who did pretend to holiness were to be suspected as deceivers ; if those that brought up an evil report upon the land of promise , were so severely punished , being destroyed by a plague from heaven . certainly then , the offence and the punishment ought to be estimated to be as much greater here , as this heavenly canaan is better than that earthly . . i have but one use more , and that shall be for exhortation , to persuade us unto the study of this duty in the text. that we would every one in our several places , endeavour to bring honour to our profession , and to vindicate it from those reproaches , to which the unworthy conversation of some professors hath exposed it . i know not any duty more seasonable to be pressed than this , because of those so great and common scandals that have been given in our times . wherein too many have justifyed all those old calumnies and reproaches , which the malice of the ancient heathen was wont to charge upon the primitive christians . for our better direction in the performance of this duty , you may please to remember what was suggested before . that the nature of adorning doth consist in these two things : the removal of blemishes and the addition of ornaments . . for the removal of blemishes : there are several things which are after a more especial manner blemishes to the conversation of a christian. besides those grosser vices , which are most opposite to the purity of evangelical doctrine , by which this profession should be distinguished from all others : i say besides these , there are some actions likewise , which seeming not to contain in them any gross iniquity or injustice , are thereupon more easily fallen into . and yet being destructive to peace and friendship amongst men , and against the good of humane society , and consequently hateful to the generality of man-kind , are therefore very great blemishes to the profession of religion . such are suspitiousness , evil-surmisings , tale-bearers , which are the fewel to contention , as the wiseman speaks , prov. . . malignity , that is an aptness to put the worst construction upon things , whispering , backbiting , rash censuring of others ; which things in the opinion of st. iames are not consistent with the very shew or profession of religion . if any man amongst you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue , that mans religion is vain , jam. . . being busy-bodies , under the pretence of zeal and religion , in the affairs of others , wherein we are not concerned , which is very apt to provoke men unto much indignation and prejudice . and then besides these blemishes , which concern our civil conversation with others , there are some likewise which men are subject unto in the performance of their religious duties . an imprudent openness , and too much affecttation in them , as if we did them to be seen of men . a being strict in lesser things and loose in greater , which is to walk circumspectly , as fools not as wise , and hath usually much provocation in it . there are several other things of this nature , which i cannot stand to enumerate ; but these are some of those particular failings , to which those who would be thought the more strict professors are subject , which ought to be avoided , as being after a more especial manner blemishes to our profession . . there are some peculiar virtues and graces , which are commended to us , as being more especial ornaments to our profession . . nothing doth become men more than a holy reverence and fear in speaking of the things of god. there is an uncomeliness , and there may be a superstition too , in the unseasonable mixing of sacred things with mirth . . in reference to others nothing is of a more universal approbation , than love and iustice. . for love , there must be a philanthropia , extending to the good of mankind and publick benefit ; not confining our designs within the narrow compass of our own private advantage and the observance of our selves : and there must be a philadelphia too , a more especial love to the brethren , and readiness to serve and help them , especially for such as are in distress , and in a state of affliction . the works of mercy to such are not only sweet odors in the sight of god , but before men . . and so for iustice likewise : uprightness and single heartedness , a freedome from guile and designs , being commendable amongst all professions of men . and therefore the neglect or want of these must needs be a great blemish amongst christians . when those that are professors shall be more ready to serve the interest of a party , than to observe the rules of justice and equity , this must needs occasion hard thoughts and speeches against them . . in regard of our selves ; the holy ghost doth frequently commend to us , humility , meekness , modesty , as being the most comely ornaments , and indeed the very badge and livery of our profession . we are exhorted to be clothed with humility , resembling it to a garment , with which we are to deck our selves ; and a meek and quiet spirit is expresly compared unto , and preferred before the adorning with gold and apparel ; and as those are usually valued by men , so this is said to be in the sight of god of great price , pet. . . and the scripture styles modest behaviour , neat , tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that 's the word , we translate it , of good behaviour , but 't is the same with this in the text , and signifies properly neat or comely . nothing is more frequently inculcated in the gospel , than these kind of graces , that we should be gentle , easie to be intreated , favourable towards the infirmities of others , putting the best construction upon things ; being soft in our answers , slow to anger , ready to forgive , overcoming evil with good , speaking evil of no man , being no brawlers , but gentle , shewing all meekness to all men , titus . . these graces are all of them of such a lovely and winning nature , that it would exceedingly promote the interest of religion if they did more shine forth in the lives of those who call themselves professors in these times . 't is true , these graces do more naturally arise from a condition of trouble and suffering , as the primitive times were . and in such days as these , when the profession of religion is in fashion , and advantageous to a mans secular ends , and the church in a kind of triumphant condition , many of those who profess religion ( if they are not otherwise persons of judgment and solid worth ) are more apt to grow insolent , and rugged towards others . but yet these graces would be no less comely now , than they were then . nay the greater the difficulty of them is , the greater would their ornament be . and therefore the more watchful ought we to be , in respect of the temptations against them . i know there are several other things which some men make choice of for the ornaments of religion , as skill in some affected insignificant phrases , or some high airy notions , zeal for some particular forms , or in serving the interest of a party . nothing is more obvious to any ones observation , than that many men do principally insist upon some such things as these , for the great ornaments of their profession , by which they measure themselves and others . whereas some of these things are so far from being ornaments that they are at the best but spots and blemishes , and the best of them are but fashions , which though they may seem comely in some particular place and seasons , yet they have not any absolute beauty in them , and at another time will appear deformed . whereas these other things i have mentioned , will never be out of fashion , as having in them an absolute beauty of their own , not depending upon places , times , or opinion . the end of the fourth sermon . the fifth sermon . at a visitation holden at london . titus ii. . these things speak , and exhort , and rebuke with all authority : let no man despise thee . these words do contain one of the apostolical rules or canons , whereby church officers are directed , to preserve the dignity of their places , and the authority of their ministry , and therefore cannot be unseasonable for for the present occasion and solemnity . in the beginning of this chapter the apostle had mentioned that sound doctrine , which he would have titus in his preaching to insist upon , with reference to several ages , sexes , and conditions of persons , to verse . after which he proceeds to a brief recapitulation of those more general duties , wherein all men are concerned , of sobriety , righteousness , and godliness : and takes notice of those new peculiar reasons , whereby the gospel doth oblige men to a strict observance of these moral duties , namely : . from that great reward , which it doth more clearly propose , the blessed hope and that glorious appearing of the great god , v. . . from the assistance which it gives to us , by redeeming us from our iniquities , v. . abolishing the guilt , and subduing the power of sin ; which ought to be very powerful motives , whereby christians should be excited , to become a peculiar people , separate from the rest of the world , zealous of good works ; striving by their fervency , and diligence , and chearfulness , as much to excell others in their obedience , as they do in the privileges . having mentioned these great fundamental duties , he thereupon subjoyns this exhortation , these things speak , and exhort and rebuke with all authority . these things , i. e. especially these more substantial and weighty matters , wherein the essence of religion doth consist , in opposition to other smaller points of less evidence or consequence . these things speak : be ready to instruct such as are ignorant , in these duties ; and exhort them to a careful observance of them . and if any man be so contumacious , notwithstanding this instruction and exhortation , as to violate these known duties , let him be rebuked with all authority . do not deal with such an one in a precarious way , but with such a courage and majesty , as may become him who hath power in the name of god to command others to observe their duties . the messengers of god should not fear the faces of men ; such kind of matters , as these , are of that evidence and importance , as may well bear a man out , to speak with authority , and to strike an awe upon the hearts of such as shall gainsay and oppose them . and in order to this , that such rebukes may be of authority , and the more effectual ; the apostle adviseth to take special care , that no man despise him . not as if it were in our power what others shall think of us . for as honor est in honorante , so is contempt likewise : men will take the liberty of judging as they please ; they may through ignorance , or malice , or envy , have mean thoughts of those that are most worthy ; but tho the form of honour be not in our power , yet the matter of it is , namely virtuous and worthy actions . and we may deserve the esteem of others , tho they should be so unjust as deny it to us . so that the meaning of this exhortation of not letting others despise us , must be , so far as in us lies , we must be careful not to do any thing , which may give occasion to others to have mean and despicable thoughts of us . that man's exhortations and rebukes must needs be altogether vain and insignificant , who by any unworthy actions hath rendered himself contemptible : whereas , if by well-doing we approve our selves to the consciences of others , it cannot be but that we shall have authority with them . men must and will stand in awe of us , when we demean our selves so as they may have reason to believe that when we are angry , god is displeased with them . i shall prosecute my discourse upon this text , with all imaginable plainness under these three heads . . i shall endeavour to shew what despising is , and wherein it consists . . of what great consequence it is , that ministers should preserve themselves from contempt . . the means how this may be done . and then conclude all with some brief application . i. concerning the nature of despising , what it is , and wherein it consists : it signifies briefly , cheap and low thoughts of a person , together with a suitable demeanour towards him . the most proper object of it , is littleness and impotence . whatever we apprehend to be of any kind of power , we have a suitable regard to it . if it be of a hurtful nature , we hate and fear and take care to avoid it : but as for such things as are little and impotent , not able to do either good or hurt , we are not any further concerned for them , but barely to despise and contemn them . 't is properly opposed to honouring ; both of them being originally acts of the understanding , in passing judgment upon the nature of things . when we do in our minds own or acknowledge the real worth or virtue of any one , this is inward honouring ; when we testify this by our words or actions , this is external honouring : and so on the other side , when we do in our thoughts take notice of and acknowledge the vileness or worthlesness of things or persons , this is inward despising , which in scripture phrase is styled , counting a thing vile , setting it at nought , esteeming it as dung . when we testify this by words or actions , this is external contempt , and in scripture phrase is expressed by kicking at a thing ; treading it under our feet , casting it behind us , turning our back upon it , puffing at it . both these abstractly considered , are of an indifferent nature , neither good nor evil in themselves , but as they are circumstantiated by their manner , and measure , and objects . every man should proportion his esteem of things , according to the real value of them , not calling good evil , or evil good . where there is no real worth men may , and should despise ; nor ought they towards such things to give any honour . 't is as much a mans duty to contemn a vile person , as to honour them that fear the lord ▪ 't is true , we should abstract betwixt the calling and persons of others . there may be a reverence due to the calling , when there is none due to the person but only upon account of his calling ; and 't is a sin in men not to distinguish in such cases . but withall 't is so easie , so common , so natural a thing , for the scandal of a person to reflect upon his profession , that it shall be put upon his account , as being part of his guilt , that he hath laid a stumbling block in the way of others , by causing them to speak evil of his profession . and as things now are in the world , nothing can be more vain , than for men to think that the dignity of their places will keep up their esteem in the hearts of others , without the foundation of real worth in their persons . now amongst all other things whatsoever , there is nothing that hath in it so much provocation as contempt . 't is much worse than hatred ; that supposeth a man to be considerable . the philosophers make it to be the occasion of all anger : and experience tells us , 't is one of the hardest things to be born , even by wise and good men . and so much shall serve to be spoken concerning the first head , the nature of despising , &c. i proceed to the second . ii. of what great importance it is for persons in this sacred function , to preserve themselves from contempt . which may be made evident by three kind of arguments , upon the account of . fitness and congruity : . necessity and duty : and . interest and advantage . . upon the account of fitness and congruity : the apostle had declared it as a rule a little before the text , v. . that servants should adorn the doctrine of god our saviour in all things . by servants in those times are meant , amongst others , such as were slaves , bought and sold in the market , the lowest and basest condition of men ; and yet these are obliged by the rules of christianity , so to demean themselves , as to adorn their profession , and win over others to a love of it ; and therefore those of a higher calling and station , must needs be so much the more obliged to this , as they have greater abilities and opportunities for it . the men of our calling ought to be of such eminence , that others in comparison to them , may be called grex , the flock , of which we are the governours and pastors . 't is required as a previous condition to capacitate a man for this calling , that he must have a good report of those that are without , tim. . . i. e. of the heathens and unbelievers ; who , tho they are not competent judges of faith and opinions , yet they may be of manners and honesty ▪ and if this be required to admission into that calling , 't is most reasonable that men should not lose it afterwards . we are the lights of the world , and therefore ought to contribute to the beauty of it : the salt of the earth , and therefore ought to be of grateful and savoury conversation . there lies a more peculiar obligation upon persons in publick places , to preserve their reputations clear and without blemish . the higher any thing is situated in the universe , the more lustre hath it , as the stars : and so likewise is it in the body , the superior parts , the face and eyes , are the proper seat for beauty and comeliness . a private person is not so much concerned to look after publick fame , as he who is engaged in publick employment . that kind of generous virtue which can abundantly satisfie it self with the conscience of well-doing , while in a private station , if once called to any such employment , where it must be useful to others by its authority , 't is most fitting then , that it should seek the aid of opinion and publick esteem . because 't is this which rules the world , and stamps upon things the rates at which they are to pass . not that this can add any thing to a mans virtue , more than the light of the sun doth to the beauty of the other creatures in the universe , but only render it more conspicuous and visible to others , who are to be influenced by it . that 's the first argument : there is a congruity that such persons , as are of publick employment , should be of publick esteem . . 't is necessary also , upon the account of duty , both towards others and our selves . . with respect to those with whom we converse , who are committed to our charge ; towards whom we must needs be alltogether insignificant and as mere cyphers , unless we demean our selves so as to be reverenced by them . there are two things which every man ought with his utmost care to attend unto , conscience and credit . the first chiefly for our selves , the other both for our selves and others : nobis est necessaria vita nostra , aliis fama nostra : as st. austin speaks . he is cruel to himself who neglects the first , and he is both imprudent to himself , and useless to others , who neglects the second . when god gives men favour and respect in the eyes of others , the proper improvement of it is , to make use of it as an advantage for prevailing with them , and doing good upon them . whereas without this , all that a man can do or say must be ineffectual . if he himself be once looked upon as contemptible , 't is not to be expected that others should have any regard to his exhortations or counsels . you know the story of that people , who refused their consent to a good law , because it was proposed by a vile person . authority in the first notion of it is a relative term , and doth import that reverend opinion which men have concerning the persons of others : it consists of love and fear . it supposes as its correlate , venerableness , that is goodness and power , in the persons whom it refers to . and these two , according to the rule of relations , mutuò se ponunt & tollunt . where there is no venerableness , there can be no authority , in this sense . . upon account of duty towards our selves , who by being despised may be rendred desperate ; there being no such way to make a man loose and profligate as to have a blasted name . shame is one of the most powerful curbs to restrain men from unworthy courses , and where this doth not , there is little hope that any thing else should prevail . reproach is styled the snare of the devil , tim. . . because they who are deservedly fallen under this , are as much in his power , and at his disposal , as if he had taken them in a snare the appetite of glory is that natural principle , whereby we are to be quickned unto virtuous actions . and without a sense of honour , no man is like ever to attempt any thing that is great and noble . negligere quid de se quisque sentiat , non solum arrogantis est , sed etiam dissoluti , saith tully . no man doth neglect or despise a good name , but such a one , as doth either despair of , or resolve against , doing any thing that may deserve it . . 't is highly advantageous upon the account of interest . and that both in regard to the benefit to be hereby obtained , and the mischief to be avoided . . for the advantage accruing to us , by preserving our selves from being despised : honour is the greatest blessing among all humane things which this world can afford us ; infinitely to be preferred before riches or pleasures , and in some cases before life it self . a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches ; and loving favour rather than silver or gold . one that is a generous virtuous man , will chuse to die rather than to do any thing that may justly expose him to infamy . st. paul was of this mind , cor. . . it were better for me to die , than that any should make my glorying void . and because 't is a thing of so great excellency , therefore do we pay it , as the best service we can do , to god , and to his deputies , magistrates and parents . 't is the reward of virtue , and therefore doth highly deserve our esteem . besides the advantage we have by this while we live , 't is one of those things , that will abide after us , when we are gone out of the world , and for that reason a special regard is to be had to it ; and the more wise and virtuous any man is , the more care will he take to transmit a grateful memory of himself to future times : and if he must be spoken of after his departure , that he be well spoken of , that his name may be as a pretious ointment , leaving a perfume behind it , that men may rise up at the mention of him and call him blessed . . 't is our interest , in reference to the avoiding of that mischief which we may otherwise be exposed unto by doing things that will render us despicable . i shall mention only two places of scripture which will afford abundant proof to this purpose . one is , sam. . . where 't is said of the sons of eli , that they did by their scandalous carriage render themselves vile before all the assembly , and caused them to abhor the offerings of the lord. and 't is worth your special notice , that which follows upon this . i do not know any more dreadful threats in the whole bible . chap. . , god tells them , that he will execute his vengeance upon them in such a manner , as shall strike a dread and horror by the very relation of it , and cause both the ears of them that hear it to tingle . and again , v. . i have sworn to the house of eli , that their iniquity shall not be purged with sacrifices nor with offerings for ever : i. e. those very means which were appointed as the remedy and expiation for other mens sins shall be no benefit to them . sacrifices and offerings were the things about which they had offended , by rendering them contemptible , causing others to abhor them : and therefore no reason for such persons to expect any remedy from them , whatsoever their particular repentance might do , as to the saving of their souls . the offences they had committed were so highly scandalous , that god was immutably resolved , ( he had sworn it ) to execute upon them some signal vengeance in this life that should manifest to the world how much he was concerned , for that dishonour which these men had cast upon his worship . which judgments did afterwards accordingly come to pass in the suddain death of eli and his two sons , and his daughter in law , in the rejection of abiathar from the priests office , and in that massacre committed by saul at nob , upon fourscore and five priests of this family , together with their wives and children and servants . the other scripture is that , malach . towards the beginning , where speaking of such priests , as by their unworthy carriage , did render the publick worship contemptible , and cause others to stumble at the law , god threatens that he will send a curse upon them , and will curse their blessings , and spread dung upon their faces , and make them contemptible and base before all the people . and there is nothing more equal , than that those who expose religion to contempt , should suffer under it themselves . now to put all this together , if we have any ingenuity , and desire to do things decent and congruous to our profession ; any sense of the duty which we owe to others , whom it is our business to persuade ; or which we owe to our selves , in the preservation of that whereby we are to be excited unto virtuous and worthy actions : if we have any sense of our own interest , in securing to our selves the greatest blessing , and avoiding the greatest mischief that this world can afford , it will upon all accounts highly concern us , that we do not so demean our selves as to deserve to be despised . iii. i proceed to the third general head proposed , namely the means whereby we are to preserve our selves from contempt ; which are of two kinds : negative and positive . . negative , or such things as in order to this we are carefully to avoid . all kind of vices whatsoever , especially such as have in them a more peculiar deformity and turpitude , which are most likely to alienate the minds of others from us . i observed before that littleness and impotence is the most proper object of contempt . i am small and despised , saith david , psal. . . so that all such qualities and actions , as will make us appear unto others to be but minute and little things , must needs render us despicable . such are narrowness of mind , judging of things and persons by little measures ; setting up for reputation by zeal in the smallest matters , with neglect of the greater : putting the highest value upon those little things of gain and promotion and the favour of men ; which therefore ought to be esteemed but little , because they cannot make us better , and we can enjoy them but a little while . we must shortly go out of this world , when all such things shall be useless to us , and therefore ought not to come in competition with those other matters , which may conduce to our living with honour , and dying with comfort . being subject to immoderate desires , fears , impatience ; to be amused and transported with wonder at outward pomp and grandeur . all which doth arise from a wrong estimate of things occasioned by our own littleness . magna ista , quia parvi sumus , credimus . these things would not seem great to us , if we our selves were not little . from whence will follow a servility of spirit , a readiness to dissemble , flatter , revile , to bow down to any kind of baseness before such whom we conceive able to assist or to hinder us in our little designs of gain : and on the other side , demeaning our selves with insolence towards others from whom we can neither hope nor fear any thing in this kind . these are blemishes , which in all ages the men of our calling have been accused of . and the truth is , they are liable to some peculiar temptations in this kind , more than others : and therefore ought to be more especially careful for the avoiding of them . to which i shall only add this one consideration : if we of the clergy would not have others to despise us , we must be careful not to despise one another . those in places of dignity and power should not carry it with too great a distance from their brethren . the proper notation of the word despise , is to look down upon a thing , as being much below us . and much less should they permit any of their officers , to carry themselves with insolence towards such as are of this sacred functoin . it cannot be but that others will despise us , when they see that we despise one another . . the positive means to this end , are , in general , all kind of virtue and goodness . but there are some things which the apostle adviseth to , as having a more peculiar fitness and tendency to this purpose , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whatsoever things are venerable , whatsoever things are lovely , whatsoever things are of good report , if there be any virtue , if there be any praise , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , have these things in account , phil. . . of these i shall mention only three . . wisdom . . generosity and largeness of mind . . holiness of life . i. wisdom , this makes a mans face to shine , and the strength of it to be doubled , eccles. . . puts a lustre upon a person , renders him venerable and amiable , conciliates an honour and an awe from those with whom he converseth . by wisdom i mean , recta ratio agibilium , as aquinas defines it . not only skill in books , and things , and notions , but the art of business , directing a man to what is fit and convenient in several cases and circumstances , the knowledg of humane nature , of the various inclinations , tempers , interests of men and times . 't is not sufficient for him that would be a pilot to understand the general theory of navigation , without the knowledge of particular coasts , and shelves , and currents , and tydes , and winds . 't is by this virtue of prudence , that a man must be enabled to cut off occasion from them that would seek occasion , cor. . . and , considering that great variety and inconstancy which there is in the judgments and affections of men , the clashings and intanglements of cross interests , the several changes and vicissitudes that befall humane affairs ; i say all these things considered , it is not mere integrity , without great prudence , that can preserve a man in a constant and clear reputation . . generosity of mind , magnanimity . as littleness will render a man despicable , so by the rule of contraries , this true greatness and largeness of soul must make him venerable . by this i mean an inclination of mind to things that are truly great and noble , making virtue and true honour the common measure of every thing , aiming at that which is great and excellent in every kind of virtue ; having but a small esteem for any of these external matters , because they can add nothing to our inward real worth . every man is endowed with a natural principle , inclining him to a state of happiness ; and hath in some measure both an ability to judge of , and a freedom or liberty to apply himself unto , those moral actions or duties , which are the proper means for the promoting of this end . nor is he upon any other account to be justly praised or blamed , but according to the right or wrong use of this natural liberty . and therefore according as such a man doth find either in himself or others a constant and firm resolution to make a right use of this , so doth he proportion his esteem towards them . preferring this inward greatness , this rectitude of mind , whereby a man is resolved in every condition , to do that which shall appear to be his duty , before any kind of external greatness whatsoever . and if men did rightly understand their true interests , there is nothing more sutable or more advantageous to humane nature than this . magnanimos nos natura produxit , & ut quibusdam animalibus ferum dedit , quibusdam subdolum , quibusdam pavidum , ita nobis gloriosum & excelsum spiritum , quaerentem ubi honestissimè , non ubi tutissimè vivat . we are naturally born with greater and more generous souls than other creatures , and therefore for a man to debase himself below the nobility of his creation may justly expose him to contempt . 't is this that must make a man humble and gentle , set him above the common impotences of pride and passion , the false disguises of greatness . of which kind of temper it may be truly said , non est magnitudo , tumor est . 't is this that must keep us from being puffed up with prosperity or dejected with adversity ; free us from being envious , suspitious , fearful , being secure upon the confidence of our own innocence ; not being subject to those vehement desires and impatience whereby others are transported . because those things which provoke them seem but little to us , and therefore must have but little power over us . 't is this that must make a man prefer an empire over himself , before power over others ; and the opportunity of being helpful to others , before the advantage of gaining by them ; bearing good will to all mankind , compassionate , affable , officious , taking all opportunities of doing good to every one . nor is there any other qualification whatsoever , that will make a man appear more grateful and lovely even to enemies themselves , than this generous frame of mind . . the third particular i mentioned to this purpose was holiness of life . which is frequently mentioned in scripture as a proper means to keep our esteem in the hearts of others , and preserve us from being despised . they that would be blameless must be harmless , carrying themselves as the sons of god without rebuke , philip. . . and a little before the text , v. . the apostle exhorts titus , to shew himself a pattern of good works , that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed , having no evil thing to say of you . so again , pet. . . 't is said that a good conversation will make people ashamed to speak evil of us . and it was by faith and holiness that the elders obtained a good report , heb. . . in the tim. . . there is the same precept with this in the text. let no man despise thy youth : to which 't is immediately subjoyned as the most proper direction to this purpose , but be thou an example of the believers , in word , in conversation , in charity , in spirit , in purity . when a man is careful to say what is good , and to do what is honest ; to speak well and to act better , endeavouring to be what he would seem to be , avoiding all suspitions and appearances of evil ; when he is zealous according to his capacity for the promoting of publick good , acting sincerely , prudently and justly ; endeavouring to make the times the better for him , wherein he lives , this will be the most effectual means to make his name honourable , and his memory pretious . more particularly : the demeaning of our selves with all due respect and lowliness to our superiours , is one of those well-doings whereby we are to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men , pet. . , , . the proportioning of our zeal , according to the real worth and importance of things , that 's another apostolical direction to this purpose , rom. . , . having said , let not your good be evil spoken of , he presently adds : for the kingdom of god is not meats and drinks , but righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; whosoever in these things serveth christ , shall be accepted of god , and approved of men . being mild and gentle , not boisterous and peremptory ; having the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit ; endeavouring as much as in us lies to live in peace with all men , as being that which gives opportunity to the more calm , benign , ingenuous operations of religion in the world . wherever these qualifications are , they must and will contract at least a secret reverence , even from those that may outwardly pretend to hate and despise us . i have now done with the three general heads proposed , it remains that i add something briefly by way of application , in answer to this case , what 's to be done if men will despise us , though we do not deserve it from them ? in order thereunto i shall suggest two things . i. by way of rebuke to such despisers , who if they would but consult the scriptures , should find this unworthy disposition set off with such great aggravations , both as to the nature of the sin , and the punishments that shall be inflicted upon it , as were enough to fright men from offending in this kind . . for the nature of the sin : the wiseman tells us , he that despiseth his neighbour is void of wisdom , prov. . . and sinneth , chap. . . 't is made the character of a proud pharisee to despise others , luke . . that which renders men like to dogs and swine trampling pretious things under their feet . esau was therefore branded with the note of prophaness , because he despised holy things , heb. . , . all which tho it be bad enough , yet that is much worse , which our saviour affirms concerning it , luke . . he that despiseth you despiseth me , and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me . and what a horrid thing that must be for a poor mortal man to contemn the omnipotent god , i need not , i cannot say : he himself hath said , that as he will honour those that honour him , so those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed , sam. . . and he who is the king of kings must needs be the fountain of honour to dispose of it as he pleaseth . those men shall be sure to be put to shame whom god doth despise , psal , . . . as for those judgments of all kinds which this sin will expose unto , i shall only refer you to some few scriptures . . for temporal judgments : see that place , chron. . , . they mocked the messengers of god , and despised their words , and misused the prophets , till the wrath of the lord arose against his people , that there was no remedy ; therefore he brought upon them the king of the chaldees , who slew their young men with the sword , and had no compassion upon young men and maidens , old men or him that stooped for age , he gave them all into his hand . where the ruine of the iewish nation , wherein they were deprived of all kind of priviledges , both civil and ecclesiastical , is ascribed to this sin . that 's a dreadful imprecation in nehemiah , . , . hear , o our god , for we are despised , and turn their reproach upon their own heads , and give them for a prey in the land of captivity , and cover not their iniquity , let not their sin be blotted out from before thee . . and as for punishments in the other world : st. peter tells us , that those who despise dominions and speak evil of dignities shall perish in their own corruption , pet. . . and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness , v. . to which st. iude adds , that there is reserved for them the blackness of darkness for ever , v. . and . ii. by way of direction , to those who are thus unworthily despised , not to be discouraged at it , remembring what st. paul saith that with us it is but a small thing to be judged of man's judgment , but to approve our selves unto god in honour and dishonour : considering what he hath promised , that when men speak evil against us falsely , great shall our reward be in heaven : and we shall have praise of god. 't is said of our saviour that he despised the shame : and so should we too , contemn the contempt , of injurious scornful men . this perhaps was the meaning of that precept to the disciples of shaking the dust off their feet against those that despised them . true honour is consentiens laus bonorum . such only can give true praise , who are themselves praise-worthy . for a man deeply to resent his being despised by ignorant or unworthy men is over much to honour them , as if their esteem could add any thing to our reputation . to shut up all in a word ; you have heard of what great consequence it is , that we should preserve our selves from being despised , and by what means this is to be done . let me beseech you to consider and apply these things . we all pretend to be zealous for the well-fare of the church , and very good reason we should be so : but now , if in good earnest we are desireous to promote the honour and interest of it , these are the ways whereby it must be done ; and ( whatsoever any may think ) nothing else without these , can be effectual to this purpose . my brethren , 't is not so long ago , but that we may and ought still to remember it , what flouds of contempt have been poured upon our sacred profession , how it hath been exposed to indignities of all kinds . for which though there be abundant reason to shame and condemn those unworthy men who were the instruments of it , yet there is cause enough to believe that the holy providence of god , who thought fit thus to permit and dispose of it , had just occasion for it , and wise ends in it . will it not then concern us to examine , what those former provocations might be , whether any of those particulars i have mentioned , that we may endeavour to prevent the like judgement for the future ; least if it should again befall us , it should make an utter end , and not admit of a second remedy . wherefore i beseech you , as you have any tenderness for your own reputation , for the dignity of your callings , for the peace of the nation , for the honour of religion , that you would be very jealous of all such things , as may reflect disparagement on your holy calling . 't is not the opposition of enemies on all hands that can do us so much hurt , as the scandal and folly of pretending friends . if our enemies be more prudent and holy , more humble and useful in their conversations than we are , it cannot be but that they shall be reverenced when we shall be despised . what remains then , but that we make our addresses to the father of lights , that he would continually supply his church with faithful pastors , who may make it their business to honour god , and serve their generations , and adorn their profession : that he would sanctify us with his spirit , and fill all our hearts with his fear , that walking worthy of our calling we may be honoured while we live , and happy when we dye ▪ now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord iesus christ , that great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make us perfect in every good work , to do his will ; working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through iesus christ , to whom be glory for ever and ever , amen . the end of the fifth sermon . the sixth sermon . eccles . i. . for in much wisdom there is much grief ; and he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow . there are two kind of things which every serious considering man is naturally very thoughtful about and inquisitive after , the ways of providence and the ways of happiness . both which in reference to the various opinions and conjectures of men , are particularly and largely discussed in two several books of scripture . the first in the book of iob , wherein we have the most natural risings and obvious suggestions of mens hearts , concerning the reasons and designs of providence in the dispensation of good and evil . the other in this book of ecclesiastes , wherein are set down the different thoughts and attempts of men according to their several principles and tempers in the pursuit after happiness . in the first verse of this chapter we have a description of the preacher , the son of david , king in ierusalem . the second verse is his text : vanity of vanities , &c. this he doth largely prove by some general reasons to the twelfth verse of this chap. and by an induction of particulars , in several of the following chapters . the general reasons are chiefly four . . the fruitlesness of all our labours , v. . by which we are not able to procure for our selves any substantial profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any remainder , that will tarry with us afterwards ; but like a sound they pass away , and leave nothing behind them . . the changeableness and uncertainty of our conditions ; in which respect , we are much inferior to our other fellow creatures . this he illustrates by four examples or similtudes . . from the earth , which though it seems to be but as the sediment and rubbish of the creation , yet is it better than man in respect of it's lastingness . for one generation passeth away and another cometh , but the earth abides for ever , v. . . from the sun , which though it do every day decline and set , yet doe's it constantly rise again and shine with the same glory , v. . but man dieth and wasteth away , yea man giveth up the ghost , and where is he ? he lieth down and riseth not till the heavens be no more , job . , . soles occidere & redire possunt ; nobis cùm semel occidit brevis lux nox est perpetua una dormienda . as 't is elegantly expressed by a heahen poet. . from the wind , the common emblem of uncertainty yet is it more constant than man. for that knoweth its circuits and whirls about continually , v. . whereas our life passeth away as doth the wind , but returneth not again , psal. . . . from the sea , which though it be as uncertain as the moon by which 't is governed , yet is it more constant than man and his happiness . for though the rivers run into it , and from it , yet that still keeps to its proper state and dimensions , v. . whereas man is still subject to ebbs and flows , to waves and tempests , never resting in any settled condition , and at last wears out and vanisheth away . so that in these respects we are much inferiour to the very elements of which we are composed . . from that unspeakable wearisomness which is in every condition . all things are full of labour , man cannot utter it , v. . the eye , and the ear , are senses not easily cloyed , and yet are they sooner wearied than satisfied ; there being such an intrinsical weakness in the best outward delights , that the most capacious senses are quickly glutted , even to a loathing of them . . from the disability of man by any new discovery to restore himself unto a better condition ; since there is no hope of finding any such new way to happiness , which hath not been formerly tryed ; from the ninth to the eleventh verse . though these latter ages in some respects are wiser , yet all their inventions for the substance of them have already been of old time , and there is no new thing under the sun. that fancy of plato being in some sense to be allowed , that all knowledge is but remembrance , and forgetfulness the reason of novelty . these are the general reasons by which the wise-man endeavours to prove and illustrate that common vanity which overspreads the face of all things . in the next place , he doe's further amplify and confirm this by an induction of those particulars in which men usually place their happiness ; wisdom and learning , in the remaining part of this chapter ; mirth and iollity , chap. . . sensual delights , v. . works of magnificence and pleasure , v. . , . external pomp and greatness , v. . abundance of riches and treasure , v. . . the text i have chosen doth contain solomon's censure and experiment concerning the first of these , which of all other things in the world doth bear in it the fairest appearance and probability of affording satisfaction to the mind : this being its proper food and suitable to its desires , and most excellent in it self . and therefore the devil being to tempt our first parents in the state of innocence , doth propose this to them , as the most likely temptation to prevail with such intelligent natures , that they should know good and evil . now because learning is of two kinds , either of business or things ; therefore solomon makes a distinct enquiry into each . the first he calls wisdom , the other knowledge : and he was himself very eminent for his great ability in both ; having made this choice , when it was put to him , that he might have wisdom and knowledge , chron. . . and the holy ghost bears witness of him , that in this respect there was none like unto him before him , nor after him should any arise like unto him , kings . . and yet this wiseman , notwithstanding all the great success of his enquiries , upon a review of them doth find by experience that as his fruitful studies had encreased his learning so had they also multiplied his grief . and therefore as the issue of his experiment he lays down this observation which i have read unto you , that in much wisdom , &c. the text then is the result of solomons experience upon his enquiry after happiness in learning . the chief terms of it are reducible under these two heads . . the things censured , wisdom and knowledge . . the censure past upon them : the one brings grief or indignation : the other sorrow . i. wisdom is the art of business , directing a man in the practical affairs of life to what is fit and convenient , according to the variety of circumstances . it consists in a solid judgment to discern the tempers and the interests of men , the state of business , the probabilities of events and consequences , together with a presentness of mind to obviate sudden acciddents . ii. knowledge doth concern the speculation of nature in reference to causes and effects , the differences and properties of things . . concerning the first of these , solomon tells us that there is much grief in it . the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth properly indignation ; and the nature of that is a sharp anger mixed with scorn , occasioned either by contempt in persons , or disappointment in things . . as for knowledge , that encreaseth sorrow : now sorrow is a perturbation of mind in the apprehension of some present evil , which we are not able to contest with or avoid . and least any should mistrust that these were only casual accidental concomitants , without any mutual influence , therefore he tells us that they are usually proportioned to one another , for the measure of them , and do increase together to shew their casual dependence . we scarce read of any person in scripture under greater discontent and vexation of mind , than achitophel ; in whom it was the eminency of his parts that set home upon his thoughts the disgrace of having his counsel despised , with such aggravations as made him run upon his own voluntary ruine : and there cannot be any higher degree of indignation than that which drives a man to despair and self murder . i shall not need to cite that saying of festus , to st. paul , much learning hath made thee mad : because 't was a gross falsehood and scandal as he applied it : but yet there was somewhat of the common notion in it , that nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae . you know that fable of prometheus , the great inventor of arts and philosophy , who is said to have an eagle or a vulture perpetually knowing upon his liver , signifying those continual cares and anxieties of mind which knowing and inquisitive men are exposed unto . but the chief proofs of this assertion of solomon i would rank under three heads , by considering that vexation which there is in the getting , possession , and loss of these things . . for the getting of them : 't is part of the primitive curse that nothing is now attainable without the sweat of our brows ; and the difficulty of every thing is proportionable to the excellency of it : and therefore these being the best of all other things , there must needs be much vexation and labour in the enquiry after them . the wise-man speaking concerning the search afte● wisdom , v. , tells us , that this sore travel hath god given to the sons of adam , to be exercised or afflicted therewith : he seems to allude unto that natural thirst and appetite after knowledge , which our first parents have transmitted down to their posterity : and intimates the great justice and equity , that the sons of adam should for his ambition and curiosity be punished with a tantalizing desire ; that the tree of knowledge should be within their view , but out of their reach ; so that they could not chuse but desire and attempt after it , but cannot attain unto it . and this earnest desire after knowledge implanted in our hearts , compared with that great difficulty and labour in getting of it , is that sore travel which god hath given to the sons of adam to be afflicted therewith . now the perplexities in this kind must needs be very great ; whether we consider , the blindness of our understandings , or the intricacie of things themselves ; the many dark recesses of nature , the obscurity and implication of causes and effects ( there being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the books of scripture and nature ) besides tho●● accidental difficulties , which are occasioned by the subtilty and intanglement of error , the variety of intricate opinions , the many involutions of controversies and disputes , which are apt to whirl a man about with a vertigo of contradictory probabilities ; and instead of settling , to amuse and distract the mind . to which may be added that difficulty and labour which is occasioned by the disease of curiosity , to which inquisitive men are commonly liable ; by which they are made to wander about after all kind of varieties , and like noah's dove are continually hovering , not knowing where to rest themselves or set their feet . so that in all these respects the wise-man had just cause to complain , that much study is a weariness to the flesh , by reason of those many cares and difficulties in the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge . . nor is it better with us in the second place as to the possession of them : it being the property of learning , as not to diminish by communicating , so not to fill up by addition to it : but the thirst after knowledge doth increase with it ; like drink to a man in a feaver , which inflames the appetite to a more impetuous craving . besides that it is apt to bring along with it much disquietness in other respects , infusing into the soul weak fears , vast desires , jealousies , impatience , emulations , doubts ; in all which respects it is almost grown into a proverb , that nihil scire est vita jucundissima . the philosopher hath observed it , that the most studious men ( though they may be naturally cheerful ) yet commonly are by their studies and retirement made soure and morose , and less patient of opposition ; as being continually chafed and tired out in wrestling with difficulties . and when they have leisure to look abroad upon the state of things round about them , they cannot chuse but see every where much defect and lameness , much confusion and disorder , besides the evils that are a far off ; and not being able either to avoid these or amend those , no wonder though their knowledge increaseth their sorrow . the more skill a man hath in any thing , with so much the more disgust and regret doth he behold the failings and deficiencies in that kind . he that hath in his mind the exact idea's of musick or of painting , cannot hear the discords , or behold the bungling of such as are pretenders to those arts , without displeasure and offence . and thus must it be with every wise man that beholds those irregularities and confusions which he shall meet withall in the world . but this will yet better appear , if we consider such mens conditions either in relation to their sufferings or sins . . for their sufferings : such persons have usually the most tender sense , and therefore must needs have the greatest sufferings : as an exact health is required to an exquisite pain . they cannot but be very apprehensive of the cares , dangers , and necessities wherewith they are incompassed ; the injuries and abuses that are offered to them : eccles. . . 't is said , that oppression makes a wise man mad , that is , transports him to some unusual rage ; such an one being best able to see and to judge of the deformity of any unjust , unworthy action ; and therefore his heart must needs rise up with much nauseousness and indignation against it . a man that by his knowledge hath gotten an enlarged heart , is thereby made less capable of a narrow indigent condition . he that useth to busy his thoughts in surveying the vast frame of nature , the several situations and advantages of kingdoms , or else in censuring the miscarriages of those publick counsels and transactions , upon which the fate of the greatest nations and persons have depended ; for this man to be himself without any kind of possession or power , and after all these great thoughts to want necessaries for himself or family , to be insulted over by some sordid ignorant peasant ; how irksome must this be to such a person ? and yet this is oftentimes the case of wise and knowing men : for the race is not always to the swift , neither yet bread to the wise , nor riches to men of understanding , nor favour to men of skill , but time and chance happens to them all ; that is , the great abilities of these persons cannot secure them , by any such special privilege , but that they may be involved in the same necessities and casualties which befall the common herd of mankind . . as for sin : such persons are more exposed to it , by reason of those temptations to which they are obnoxious ; knowledge in it self being apt to puff up . and yet they cannot find so much pleasure in it as others , by reason of those inward regrets and smitings of conscience which will imbitter it to them . nor can they sin at so cheap a rate , by reason of those many stripes denounced against the knowing servant . the chaldee paraphrase in translating of the text , renders the words thus : that man who increaseth in knowledge and not in grace and repentance , doth treasure up for himself the anger and indignation of the lord. so that in all these respects , there must needs be much vexation , in the possession of wisdom and knowledge . . and yet notwithstanding all this men cannot chuse but be much troubled at the loss of it . which may be three manner of ways . . by the unfaithfulness of memory ; which is like a leaking vessel , and doth quicky let slip the things committed to its custody . now it must needs be a great vexation to a man to take much pains in gathering in , and treasuring up , and afterwards to let all drop out again through the chinks of a leaking memory ; his labour being to as little purpose as if he had laved water into a sive . . through the defects of old age ; when the sun and the moon , and the stars shall be darkned , chap. . the understanding and the other inferior faculties being deprived of their wonted light and reason : childhood returning again to the mind as well as to the feeble members . 't is related of a great scholar , some ages since of this place , by name swisset ; who for his manner of writing by demonstrations was afterwards called the calculator ; that being grown old he often wept , because he was not able to understand the books which he had written in his younger days . . by death , which shall put a period to our lives and our learning at once . now for men to think , that though they run in never so hot a pursuit after knowledge , yet they must shortly be laid in the dust , from whence all their learning cannot either preserve or deliver them ; to consider , that in this , the wise hath not a greater privilege than the fool ; but the same forgetfulness shall cover both their memories : for after death there is no remembrance of the wiseman , more than of the fool ; seeing that which now is , in the days to come shall be forgotten . and lastly , to consider that after death , the soul of the most ignorant peasant shall presently know more , than the profoundest philosophers , or the most subtile schoolman could ever attain unto . i say to consider all this , is of it self apt to make a man weary of life and learning , whereby he is exposed to so much vexation . i have been so long in the explication and proof of this , that it is so , that i shall be but brief in the reasons , why it is so . and i shall mention only those two , which are put together in the fifth ver . of this chapter , . the impotency of wisdom and knowledge , that which is crooked cannot be made strait . . the imperfection of it , that which is wanting cannot be numbred . the vexation of every thing is proportionable to the disappointment of it ; which in these things is so much the greater , by how much the hopes and likelyhoods of contentment here , are more promising , and yet the trial and issue more remote and contrary . now that these things are so far from affording real happiness must needs be evident upon these two grounds . . from their utter impotence and disability for that work wherein our happiness doth properly consist , the rectifying of our crooked natures , restoring of us to an uprightness and conformity unto that image after which we were created . now , who knows not , that it is above the power of any natural wisdom or knowledge fully to discover to us the deformity of our natural states ? much less then can they direct how to recover us out of it . the devil is perhaps a greater scholar than any man in the world , and yet all his learning cannot find out a way , how to reinstate himself in his former privileges of a glorified angel. . from the deficiency and imperfection of these things in reference to their own proper faculty , the understanding ; that which is wanting cannot be numbred . that is , there are innumerable particulars in nature , which the most inquisitive judgment shall never reach unto . no man shall ever find out the works of god from the beginning to the end . and this is one of the most proper effects of learning , that it discovers to a man his own ignorance . now as there is on the one hand much pleasure in finding out what a man knew not ; so must there be a proportionable grief in the consideration of those innumerable other things which we cannot attain unto . it was the ambition of our first parents to aspire unto a perfect knowledge , to be like gods , knowing good and evil ; and therefore 't is but just that their posterity should be thus afflicted by the vexation of their imperfect knowledge . it must needs be a greater trouble to an inquisitive man to consider , that notwithstanding all his pains and care , yet he must grow old in ignorance , and in most things shall know as little , as those that are idle and foolish , the secrets of wisdom being double to that which is , as zophar tells us in iob , . . now this great imperfection of our knowledge will more distinctly appear , if we consider it under those several heads to which it is reducible , namely , the knowledge of words , things , times , persons and actions . . that learning which consists only in the form and paedagogy of arts , or the critical notions upon words and phrases , hath in it this intrinsical imperfection , that 't is only so far to be esteemed , as it conduceth to the knowledge of things ; being in it self but a kind of pedantry , apt to infect a man with such odd humours of pride , and affectation , and curiosity , as will render him unfit for any great employment . words being but the images of matter , and to be wholly given up to the study of these , what is it but pygmalions phrenzy , to fall in love with a picture or image , as for oratory which is the best skill about words , that hath by some wisemen been esteemed but a voluptuary art , like to cookery , which spoils wholsome meats , and helps unwholesome , by the variety of sauces serving more to the pleasure of taste than the health of the body . . as for real knowledge , that is likewise exceeding imperfect ; whethe we look to the history of nature , delivered down to us by the antients , which in many things is evidently false , and therefore to be suspected in others ; or else to what the industry of these latter times hath discovered ; men having not been so diligent and exact in their observations , as not to be deceived with casual and fortuitous events . the frame of this great universe as it is represented to humane consideration and inquiry , verulam . pref. ad nov. organ . appearing like a perplexed labyrinth , wherein there is so much ambiguity in the several ways , so much fallacy in the similitude of things and signs , such obliqueness and intricacy in the course of nature , that even sense it self , which in such things is our chiefest guide , is fain to wander up and down in uncertainties , and instead of leading us out , do's many times lead us into error . and for this reason , philosophy hath been so often questioned and subverted in the very principle of it . . as for history of times , persons , actions ; we have reason enough to suspect that they are generally written , according to the author's interests and prejudices , and do seldome contain an impartial and upright representation of truth . i do not mention divinity , though here our knowledge be most imperfect ; nor hath this been wholly free from its changes and fashions according to the course of times . now all this arises from the imperfection of our knowledge in these things , because we see but in part , darkly ; that which is wanting in any of them cannot be numbred . if any one shall from hence object : that according to this , it were better for a man to be idle , ignorant and cheerful , than to macerate himself with much reading . if every state of life hath its proper vexation , 't is best to chuse that which hath least . to this solomon answers , that 't is true , every condition is bad enough , yet some are better than others , for wisdom excelleth folly , c. . ● . as much as a light excelleth darkness ; and though it doth expose us to sorrow , yet this very sorrow is better than a careless sensual mirth , c. . . for by sadness the heart is made better . if it be again objected , that 't is not imaginable how the best things in the world , should expose us to the worst mischiefs and troubles . i answer , they are therefore the worst because they spring from the corruption of the best , for corruptio optimi est pessima , the more excellent any thing is in it self , the worse do's it prove when abused or corrupted . i have been too long in the doctrinal part , 't is more than time that i hasten to the application . and here i shall not need to apologize , for the suitableness of this discourse both to this place and time. knowledge is here our business and profession , the great merchandize that we deal in , and this solemnity is our chief mart , wherein 't is exposed to publick view , and ought to be after a more especial manner taught and learn'd . and therefore it cannot now be improper for us to be put in remembrance of the many troubles and hazzards we are exposed unto in this respect . you have heard already how the greatest natural wisdom and knowledge , is not only short of , but likewise opposite unto , that rest and satisfaction of mind which we all pretend to seek after . and therefore certainly it must needs follow as a most obvious and natural inference . . by way of instruction or caution , that we have no reason to be proud of , or to trust in that knowledge which we have already attained , or to pursue after more with so much heat and eagerness as to forget those practical duties which are most necessary . . by way of exhortation , that we have great reason to apply our selves unto those means which may prevent or remove the sorrows and dangers , to which these things of themselves will expose us . and that 's the substance of what i have to say in the application . i. it may serve for instruction , to acquaint us : . that we have little reason to be proud of , or to trust in that knowledge we have already attained . 't is true , it hath naturally a fermenting quality in it , being apt to swell and puff up , and 't is an hard matter for a man that hath much learning not to have a broad heart , as the hebrew phrase is , that is , a proud heart , as our translation renders it , prov. . . but yet if it be rightly considered , there can be no reason why any man should be proud of that wherein the devil do's excell him . and the truth is , knowing persons of all others have most cause to be humbled in the apprehension of their own ignorance and folly , of which they must needs be most sensible . and as for confidence in these things , they will be so far from assisting or relieving us in our greatest exigencies , that they will rather add to our trouble and danger . 't is not all the art of reasoning or rhetorick in the world that can deceive the devil , or silence a guilty clamorus conscience ; nay , these things do usually help to aggravate such mens conditions , by many dreadful apprehensions of that wrath and vengeance to which their sins do expose them . the damned souls could not suffer such exquisite torments , if in the state of separation they were not raised to a much higher degree of knowledge than here they are capable of . and as for that great business of a man's life , which doth most of all concern him , conversion and regeneration , the wisdom of this world is so far from helping us in this , that 't is enmity against god. no men usually are such fierce and bitter opposers of the power of godliness , as those that have learned heads and unsanctified hearts : paul's powerful preaching was never more fruitless than amongst the athenians , whose learning was so far from shewing them the excellency , that it made them despise the simplicity of the gospel . our saviour never met with more malitious opposition , than from the learned scribes and pharisees ; who did not only by open contempt resist his ministry , but also by secret practises undermine his person . and therefore in all these respects we have little reason either of pride or confidence in that knowledge which any of us have already attained . . we have as little reason to be so eager in the pursuit after more , as to forget or neglect those practical duties which are most necessary . 't is true , knowledge is here the business of our particular callings , as scholars ; in which 't is our duty to be diligent , and our just commendation to be skilful . but yet there is somewhat else of greater concernment to us in our general callings , as christians , a demeanour and conversation suitable to this profession ; our failing in this will quickly bring a blemish upon the other . there have been of late great complaints ( and too much occasion for them ) of that contempt and reproach poured out upon men of our calling ; which though it may argue much folly and madness in those unreasonable men who are the authors of it , yet perhaps there may be too much occasion given on our parts , for want of that holiness and zeal and prudence and gravity which should accompany our profession ; besides that many of us do by our sloth and idleness , let other men outgo us in those very gifts and abilities , which are more peculiarly required to our calling . now i say , that which must promote both the usefulness and the reputation of our knowledge , is when our practice and conversation is made suitable to it . 't is not an ability to talk or to dispute of religion ; for in these times , what man , nay what woman almost is there who do's not pretend to skill in this ? but it is a holy and prudent conversation that must adorn our profession , and provoke others to the love of it . and there are stronger engagements upon us to this purpose , than upon any others . because by our callings we profess our selves to be amongst those servants , who do not only know , but are able to teach our masters will , and therefore our disobedience shall be punished with many stripes . it cannot be denied , but that skill in controversies , the tongues , history , philosophy , the arts , are all of them not only great ornaments and advantages to particular men , but in some sense also necessary for the church ; but yet when all is done , 't is this practical divinity , that must bring us to heaven , that must poise our judgments , and settle our consciences , and strengthen our comforts ; and save our souls . this must be our rejoycing at the last day , the testimony of our consciences , cor. . . that in simplicity and godly sincerity , not with fleshly wisdom , but by the grace of god we have had our conversations in this world . . a second use shall be for exhortation , that we would apply our selves to those means which may help to remedy the sorrows and dangers to which those things of themselves will expose us . there are divers things of excellent use in physick which yet cannot be safely prescribed without the addition of some correctives to abate their noxious qualities . such is the condition of this natural wisdom and knowledge , which of themselves have many flatuous and corroding qualities ; but yet being mixed with some proper correctives , may be made of singular use and efficacy . but you will say , what are these other ingredients ? why the apostle doth prescribe a large recipe of them , pet. . , . add to your knowledge , faith , virtue , temperance , patience , goodness , brotherly kindness , charity . the mixture of these other christians graces , will make our knowledge exceeding wholesome and useful . i must not insist upon the particulars ; only there are two graces amongst all the rest , which i cannot omit , being in scripture phrase styled by the name of wisdom and knowledge ; and therefore of all others , the study of these must needs be the most proper remedies to be applied in this case : namely : . faith in christ : . fear of god : these are properly the graces , the other but the gifts of wisdom and knowledge . . faith is wisdom unto salvation ; the other is but wisdom unto grief ; this leads us unto a practical acquaintance with the doctrine of our lord iesus christ , in whom are laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge . colos. . . those are but the refuse , and the husks of knowledge , which are to be had amongst the creatures , the treasures of it are only to be obtained by an acquaintance with the virtue of christs death and resurrection . though a man should be very well skilled in the way of secular business , knowing how to bring about his own ends , to raise himself unto power , reputation , estate ; yet such an one is but a fool , if he be either ignorant , or careless , how to save his own soul. and therefore if we aim at true wisdom , we should make it our chief business to grow in grace , and in this knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ. st. paul was a man of as great abilities as any that we read of , bred up at the feet of gamaliel , very well versed in the chief authors of his time , epimenides , menander , aratus , whom he cites upon several occasions ; of a very powerful and masculine oratory , as may be seen by the effects of it , in his discourse with faelix , agrippa , festus , and the men of lystra , who for this reason called him mercury . and for his skill in languages , he spake with tongues more than they all : cor. . and yet this learned man , notwithstanding all these great abilities , doth profess that he desired to know nothing but christ and him crucified , that is , nothing in comparison to that knowledg , or nothing but what might lead him to it , or further him in it ; nay he counts all things but loss for the excellency of this knowledge of christ iesus his lord. philip. . ● . . the second grace i mentioned is , the fear of god , job . . the fear of the lord , that is wisdom , and to depart from evil is understanding . this is that which solomon , after all his other enquiries , do's at last pitch upon as the only remedy against those anxieties of mind , which every thing else did expose him unto . and he sets down as the utmost result of all his experience , that whosoever would be truly happy , he must make it his chief business to keep up in his heart a holy awe and fear of the divine majesty , and to apply himself with an humble conformity unto the will of god. this he makes the conclusion of his whole sermon ; and i shall shut up all with the same advice . if you would have your other enquiries and learning made useful and comfortable unto you , then , fear god and keep his commandments ; for this is the whole duty of man. the end of the sixth sermon . the seventh sermon . prov . iv. . wisdom is the principal thing , therefore get wisdom . amongst that great variety of subjects which solomon treats of , in this and his other moral discourses , there is none more frequently mentioned , or more largely insisted upon , than this of wisdom . he himself , when he was put to his choice , having preferred this before all other things , and being so very eminent above all other men , for his great abilities in this kind : he doth thereupon take all occasions to celebrate the praise of it , and to excite others to the love and study of it . it is one of his proverbs to this purpose , which i have now made choice to speak of : being a subject amongst all others the most difficult to be treated of , partly for the abstruseness of it , and partly for the copiousness of it , being that which we are still to be learning all the days of our lives . and therefore is it no easy matter , either to explain the nature , or contract the doctrine of it within a narrow compass ; which yet i shall endeavour to do with as much plainness and brevity as i can . the word here translated principal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived from a root which signifies the head. 't is frequently used to express the summity or top of any thing , the chief or most excellent part of it ; the original or first : it may import a priority of time , or order , or cause , or dignity . the word translated ge● , signifies properly the acquiring such an interest and propriety as men have in their possessions , which they account their own , and which they enjoy for themselves . the proposition i would treat of from these words is this : the attainment of true wisdom is that which doth most of all deserve our care and study . in the prosecution of this , i shall endeavour . . to shew the nature of wisdom , what it is , and wherein it consists . . the necessity of it , or the grounds of our obligation to it , from scripture , and reason . . to apply this by some useful inferences . i. to shew what wisdom is , and wherein it consists : which i would enlarge under these four heads . . the description of its nature and causes . . the several kinds and distinctions of it . . the properties or effects that flow from it . . the opposites to it . . for the description of the nature of wisdom , this is by aristotle said to be that intellectual virtue whereby we are directed in our manners and carriage , to make choice of the right means in the prosecution of our true end. tully describes it to be ars vivendi : and to the same purpose aquinas , recta ratio agibilium , the skill of demeaning a mans self aright in practical affairs . and solomon to the same purpose : the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way , prov. . . it is the end of science or knowledge to furnish our minds with due conceptions , concerning the nature of things in general , their differences , relations , dependencies , whether in themselves they are either true or false , good or evil ; but to be able to give a true judgment of particulars , concerning what may be most fit and convenient , in that great variety of cases , which we shall meet with in the practical affairs of life , this is properly the work of wisdom and prudence . the philosophers in their distribution of virtues have generally agreed upon four , which they call cardinal , because all the rest do turn upon them as upon their hinges . these are prudence , and universal iustice , and fortitude , and temperance : prudence is that virtue whereby a man is inabled to judge of what is right and fitting to be done , according to variety of cases and circumstances . iustice is that inclination of mind , whereby a man is disposed and fixed to do in every business according to the rules of right , and just as he ought . fortitude is that virtue whereby he is inabled to resist and subdue all such difficulties as he may meet with in the performance of his duty , on the one hand , upon the account of danger or fear . and temperance is that virtue whereby he is inabled to overcome the temptations on the other hand , of pleasure and allurement . so that each of these virtues are of universal extent in all the affairs and conditions of life ; and there are many particular cases , all such as are of any importance , wherein every one of them is to be exercised . when a man shall stand in need of prudence to direct him in what is fitting ; and of iustice to incline him to do accordingly ; and of fortitude to resist those fears and discouragements which be put in his way ; and of temperance to overcome the temptations of allurement and pleasure , whereby he may be drawn aside and inticed . the first of these , which i am now treating of , is wisdom or prudence , and it consists of these three parts : i. a sagacity of judgment to make a true estimate of . things , . persons , . times and . events . . of things , and actions , according to the nature of them , whether they are good or evil , and according to their degrees whether gnatts or camels , moats or beams , mint and cummin or the weighty matters of the law. . of persons , according to their various tempers , interests and inclinations . the philosopher hath observed that every man hath some handle in his disposition , which he that can take hold of may thereby lead him about and persuade him to any thing : nor can there be a more palpable folly than to use such courses in order to the persuading of men , as in their own natures are like to alienate and exasperate them , rather than to convince them . . of times and seasons ; as to the fitness of them , a wise mans heart discerneth both of time and judgment , eccles. . . that which at one time may be very useful and proper , may not prove so at another season . . of events , as to the probability of them : a wise man foresees the evil and hides himself : again , he knows that things and persons are not to be judged of by their present state , but by their final issues , which he is able oftimes to foresee in their causes . ii. a presence of mind , to obviate suddain accidents , that a man may not be daunted with a surprize or unexpected emergency , but may have his wits about him , to make the best diversion and provision that such a case will admit of . iii. experience and observation of the most usual and probable consequences of things , which being for the most part acquired upon many trials , and in long time , therefore is this virtue of wisdom commonly appropriated to old age , according to that in iob : with the antients is wisdom , and in length of days understaning , . . but because a diligent observation of history is somewhat equivalent to this , the world being but a great theatre , wherein the same parts are repeated and acted over again in several ages , therefore this may be some help and supply where the other is wanting . ii. the second particular to be discussed is concerning the several kinds and distinctions of it . the scripture takes notice of two general kinds of it : one that is a grace or virtue , the other that is not so . . the first of these is sometimes styled : the wisdom that is from above , james . . to shew its original and descent : the wisdom of god , cor. . . as the author of it : wise unto salvation , as the end of it , tim. . . wise to that which is good , as the proper object of it , rom. . . . the opposite to this is sometimes called , the wisdom from beneath , or which descendeth not from above , james . . but is earthly , sensual , devilish . the wisdom of the flesh , rom. . , . which is enmity against god. the wisdom of the world , cor. . . we speak not the wisdom of this world , nor of the princes of this world , that is , 't is not our business to instruct men in those subtilties of philosophy , or arts of policy , which pertain to these worldly affairs , for which other men are celebrated as princes and famous in their generations : but we speak the wisdom of god in a mystery , as it follows in the next verse . but besides this general distinction of wisdom into good and bad , there is likewise another distribution of it according to the several ends which men propose to themselves , and the means whereby these several ends are to be attained . the common end which every man doth and must propose to himself by a natural necessity , is a state of happiness . but according to mens different apprehensions of this , and those several designs wherein they place their happiness , so may their wisdom be distributed . now there are three kinds of things which men of several tempers do propose to themselves as their happiness , either , . the gratifying of their carnal appetites in enjoying of these worldly things . . in that peace and contentment of mind , which may be attained by the exercise of moral virtues : or , . in spiritual blessedness . according to which it is distinguished into these three kinds , carnal policy , moral prudence , spiritual wisdom . . for carnal policy : the end of this is the satisfying of our sensual appetites ; either by luxury and pleasure , by gain and riches , or by honour , power and greatness in the world . which the apostle st. iohn , ioh. . . hath styled the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life . sensuality , covetousness and pride ; to which st. iames hath appropriated the epithetes of sensual , earthly , devilish . james . . the more weak and impotent any creature is , of so much the more narrow designs must it be . 't is an argument of an infirm and little soul , when men are wholly immersed in themselves , and confined to the gratifying of their brutish appetites : such persons are usually sui amantes sine rivali , as cicero speaks ; great lovers of themselves , but without any rival or competitor : if they do attain their ends , they are of all others the most ignonoble and despicable , a kind of impotent vermine amongst men ; and if they fail of their ends , nothing can be more vain or miserable . now the end that such men propose to themselves being small and vile , and much below the nobility of the humane nature , therefore no wonder , if they are put to prosecute it by unworthy means , by secret underminings , crafty and fraudulent surprizals , destruction on the one hand , and base flattery and complyances on the other hand , all kind of courses , per fas , & nefas , quocunque modo , without any consideration of what is honest or just , if it seem but likely to promote their particular design . when these worldly things are made our chief end , then all those arts and devices that are used about them , are but worldly policy and devilish craft . but now when they are made a subordinate end , as they may , then the grace or virtue of wisdom , may be of great use in the prosecution of them . . moral prudence : the end which this proposes to it self , is peace , quiet , safety as to our outward condition , contentment and joy as to our inward frame , and usefulness to those with whom we converse ; and such a future state of happiness as the light of nature will inable men to believe and hope for . the means for the attaining of this end , are the moral virtues : all those virtuous habits whereby we are inabled to moderate our passions , to subdue our corrupt inclinations , and to regulate our actions and carriage . now though this be not the same thing with that we call divinity , yet 't is in the very next degree to it ; if there had been no special revelation from heaven , this had been the utmost felicity that we could have proposed to our selves , or that our natures had been capable of : and now that there is another way discovered to repair the defects of our lapsed condition , it doth not exclude moral honesty and prudence as things superfluous , but doth comprehend and take them in as a necessary part of religion , without which a man cannot so much as pretend to grace and holiness ; and where it stands alone separated from christianity , how defective and insufficient soever it may be for the attainment of true blessedness , yet 't is of it self of a very amiable nature , deserving love and commendation . 't is said of our saviour that he loved the young man in the gospel upon this account : i do the rather mention this , because in the unwary expressions of some men , morality hath been sometimes declaimed against as if it were a vice . 't is a disparagement indeed to a man , who lives under the means of grace , not to get above the morality of the heathens , but 't is a far greater disparagement for a man to pretend unto higher attainments , and yet to fall short of them in the practice of moral duties . . christian wisdom : the end which this proposeth is a state of eternal blessedness , consisting in reconciliation to god , and communion with him . the means for the attaining of this end , are the infused principles of grace , by which our corrupted natures are to be renewed and repaired to their primitive rectitude ; faith in a mediator , together with an hearty , constant and universal submission to the doctrine of the gospel . which is the wisdom of god whereby we are made wise unto salvation : so that christian wisdom may be defined to be that habit of mind whereby a man is inabled to propose the true end of eternal blessedness , and to judge aright concerning such means as may be most fit for the attaining of this end , conforming his life and carriage accordingly . this doth not abolish humane wisdom , so far as we keep within due bounds , in the getting and enjoying these worldly things , much less moral prudence ; but they may be both comprehended under it , as being subordinate and subservient to it . only this hath upon all accounts the preheminence , as proposing the best end , chusing the most certain and infallible means . in these secular affairs the effect is not always tyed to the means ; the battel is not to the strong , nor the race to the swift , but time and chance happen to them all . there may happen some unexpected emergencies from undiscernible accidents , which may blast all our designs and most probable contrivances : besides that in a long series and concatenation of designs , life it self may fail us , and then all our thoughts perish . nor can moral virtue always attain that joy and contentment which it aims at , considering the many infirmities and temptations we are liable unto . but now those graces and duties which are prescribed by christian wisdom , are most certain and infallible , and never fail of their end . iii. the next thing to be spoken unto , is concerning the proper effects of wisdom ; the chief of which solomon tells us is to direct , eccles. . . wisdom is profitable to direct . and this it doth both as to the end and the means . . it directs to propose the right end , such as may be perfective of our natures , and suitable to the happiness of a spiritual immortal soul , namely , the fruition of the first and most supreme being . that which is highest and greatest in genere veri , to gratify our understandings ; and in genere boni , to satisfy our wills and affections . any thing that is short of this will not reach up to the nature of an end , namely , to the utmost perfection of our natures according to their kind . and for a man to mistake in his ultimate end , is the most fatal incurable folly that may be , not to be remedied by any possible artifice or diligence to be used about the means : all which will but help to promote and increase the first error . . it directs to consult about the means : this the philosopher calls , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which consists in a judicious investigation about the several ways , and a choice of such as are more proper to the end we propose . there are these two qualifications requisite unto all such means as are consistent with true wisdom . . they must be fit and accommodate to the end . and . they must be honest and lawful in themselves : a defect in either of these will expose men to the censure of folly , or of fraud . and there are two things which every wise man should propose to himself in the management of his affairs , success and safety . the making of some advance and progress in his main design ; and the securing himself from such dangers as he may meet with . in order to which there are four conditions to be observed , as being highly subservient to the due manner of contriving and executing of things . these are : . forecast and providence against want . . wariness and caution against danger . . order and union against opposition . . sedulity and diligence against difficulties . which four qualifications seem to me to be recommended by solomon , prov. . . where he tells us , that there be four things , which are little upon the earth , but they are exceeding wise , sapientiora sapientibus . the ants are a people not strong , yet they prepare their meat in the summer . the conies are but a feeble folk : some read this word mures montani the mice , which for their smallness seems more agreeable to those other examples with which they are joyned . these are but a feeble folk , yet they make their houses in the rock . the locusts have no king , yet go they forth all of them by bands . the spider takes hold with her hands , and is in kings palaces . interpreters do very much vary in their expositions of this place : some would have it to refer to four kinds of necessary things to be acquired by wisdom . . food and sustenance , in the example of the ant. . safe habitation , in the instance of the mice . . power , in the example of the locusts . . honour , by that instance of the spider . implying that there is no person so mean and impotent , but by wisdom may provide for his own , . necessary subsistence , if he takes the right opportunity . gathering in summer , working whilst it is day , before the night comes when no man can work . and . for his safe habitation , by building upon a rock , matth. . getting a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens , cor. . and . for his power , by joyning himself in society and observing the laws of it . and lastly for honour , by his sedulity and diligence in opposing all the difficulties that he meets with . others conceive these words to refer to those several kinds of wisdom , which belong to these four conditions or states of life . . that of the countryman or husbandman , represented by the ant , who lives in the field and gathers in the harvest . . that of the citizens , by the mice , whose habitation is in the rocks . . that of the souldier , by the locusts , who go forth in bands . . that of the courtier , by the spider , who lives in kings palaces . there are several other conjectures about the meaning of the wiseman in these examples , which i shall not now mention . only 't is observable that the instances here made use of , are of such creatures as , besides their own littleness and weakness , are withall of no kind of benefit to humane life , either as to clothing , or food , or physick , but rather noxious and hurtful to men ; but what they want in usefulness as to these particulars , they may supply by their teaching us wisdom . . the ant prepares his meat in the summer , thereby teaching and instructing us in that part of wisdom , which concerns providence and forecast against future want . . the conies , or as it may be more properly rendred the mice , which are but a feeble folk build their houses in the rock , and not being able to make any opposition or resistance against their enemies , they use their best wariness and caution for the avoiding of them , and place their security in the inaccessibleness of their habitation . . the locusts go forth by bands : though the locust of it self be a most impotent creature , easily swept away or trodden under foot , yet are they safe upon account of their numbers , and most formidable in their troops , wasting whole countries before them ; so that no kind of opposition or resistance can prevail against them . . the spider takes hold with her hands , and is in kings palaces . though such places be most frequented by company , and kept most neat and elegant , the spiders webb being often destroyed and swept down , yet by her unwearied diligence and indefatigable industry , she renews it again , being ready to repeat over her former labours , without despondency , as often as her losses and necessities require ; and by that means gets and continues an habitation in palaces . iv. the fourth thing i proposed to speak to , was the opposites to this virtue of wisdom , whether by way of excess , craft ; or by way of defect , folly. . the redundant extream of it is craft , guile , a fraudulent subtilty , which may properly be styled a being overwise i. e. wiser than the rule ; as if by this a man were able to find out shorter ways than the lawful road , breaking over hedge and ditch and all legal bounds , as if this were the most expedite way to arrive at our journeys end . this is that which the serpent is said to be eminent for , above all other beasts of the field , gen. . whence it is usually called a kind of crooked serpentine wisdom , consisting in an ability of surprizing and putting tricks upon others , lying always upon the catch , and dealing by way of stratagem ; which is allowable only in a state of war against professed declared enemies , and where matters depend upon suddain actions ; and yet even in such cases this way of craft will by a noble and generous enemy be avoided as much as may be : but in our ordinary carriage to make use of it , towards such to whom we profess amity and fair dealing , is exceeding unworthy , and will make a man suspected by every one with whom he converseth , as a dangerous person . . the deficient extream of wisdom is called folly or simpleness ; which consists in such a vitious habit as is acquired by the frequent neglect or rejection of the ways of wisdom . and this is properly both a sin and a punishment . this peculiar dishonour belonging to it , amongst all other vices , that whereas some men have been so impudent , as to boast and take a pride in their dishonest actions ; yet there is no person to be found so wretched , as to brag of his folly. this being amongst all men counted most reproachful , and that which will render one most contemptible . thus much for the first thing i proposed , concerning the nature of wisdom . i proceed to the second , concerning the necessity of it , or the grounds of our obligation to it , both from scripture , and reason . the scripture proofs to this purpose may be reduced to these two heads ; the precepts for it , the commendations of it . . the precepts for it , are very frequent in scripture , especially in this book , v. . of this chapter . get wisdom , get understanding , and forget it not . so chap. . . say unto wisdom thou art my sister , and to understanding , thou art my kinswoman , that is , grow into such an intimate relation and familiar acquaintance with it , as persons usually have with such as are of the same consanguinity . dig for her as for silver , and search for her as for hid treasure . count no labour too much , that may further you in this enquiry . in the n. t. we are commanded to be wise as serpents ; to be wise unto that which is good ; to walk wisely to them that are without ; to demean our selves amidst all the difficulties and temptations we shall meet with in the world , with much caution and circumspection , not as fools but as wise , ephes. . . . the commendations that are given in scripture to this virtue , are so very numerous , that 't is very hard to speak briefly of them . there are four things which are usually of greatest value and esteem amongst men , riches , and honour , and pleasure , and life . and when the scripture would set forth the commendation of any thing , it doth frequently compare it with , and prefer it before , some of these things . 't is so in the present subject . . 't is better than riches , job . . wisdom cannot be valued with the gold of ophir , with the precious onyx , or the saphyr . the gold and the chrystal cannot equal it . and the exchange of it shall not be for iewels of fine gold . no mention shall be made of coral or pearls , for the price of wisdom is above rubies , the topaz of aethiopia shall not equal it , neither shall it be valued with pure gold . . it is it self the greatest honour , and will be a means to advance a man in the esteem of others . it makes a man's face to shine , and the boldness of his face shall be changed , eccles. . . it multiplies the strength of his face , as the original words may signifie . it gives a lustre to a person , whereby he contracts love and reverence from all that know him . good understanding giveth favour , prov. . . that is , renders a man amiable and acceptable to others . the wise shall inherit glory , prov. . . wisdom is the truest and the best pleasure . filling the heart with joy and the conscience with peace . her ways are ways of pleasantness , and all her paths are peace , prov. . . wisdom excelleth folly , as much as light excelleth darkness . now light is sweet , and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun , eccles. . . 't is not an easy matter to describe , what great pleasure and satisfaction it is , for a man to stand upon the advantage-ground of wisdom and experience , and to look down upon the mists and errors and wandrings which those are subject to who walk in the vale below . . wisdom is as our life : length of days is in her right hand , prov. . . she is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her , v. . whoso findeth me , findeth life , and he shall obtain favour of the lord ; but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. all they that hate me love death , chap. . . the scripture doth abound in several other expressions to the same purpose , which i have not now time to mention . . as to the principles of reason , it may be made very evident , that wisdom is necessary to the safety of our persons , and to the success of our actions . . 't is necessary to the safety of our persons ; for the preventing and subduing all those difficulties and oppositions and dangers that we shall meet with . discretion shall preserve thee , and understanding shall keep thee , to deliver thee from the way of the evil man , prov. . . it shall teach thee to walk in thy way safely , and thy foot shall not stumble , chap. . . our saviour having sent forth his disciples as sheeep in the midst of wolves , bids them be wise as serpents , and innocent as doves . innocence must secure them against any legal punishment , or the sufferings under just government ; and wisdom must protect them against irregular violence , and the injustice of others : teaching them how to escape the snare , and prevent the surprizals of such as watch for advantage against them . . 't is necessary to the management of our affairs with success : that which on our parts is required to the success of any business , is an ability to contrive and to execute ; and this wisdom only can enable us for . . for the first , solomon tells us , that a wise man's eyes are in his head , eccles. . , where they may best serve him to look round about him , to discover the distance and relations of things , and what is the shortest way of passing from one affair to another . such an one can see afar off : and though future matters be for the most part , but as a dark empty space , which is alike invisible to him that is blind , and to him that sees ; yet a prudent man hath some advantage in this respect , being able in some cases in a good measure to foresee events in their causes , and accordingly to provide for them . . and as wisdom doth thus fit a man for contrivance , by the right situation of the eye , the organ of seeing ; so likewise doth it for execution , by the right qualification of the hand , the instrument of action . a wise man's heart is at his right hand , eccles. . . the most useful part for employment . he goes readily and wisely to work , performs things with dexterity and fitness , according to the most decent order : whereas the heart of the fool is at his left hand , that is , he goes about things awkwardly , not with that dexterity and strength as he should . now businesses thus managed are usually attended with success , nor is there any thing to be further done on our parts to make any action prosperous . nullum numen abest si sit prudentia : there is for the most part a blessing from heaven upon undertakings that are wisely contrived and managed . in brief , wisdom is necessary to our obedience : a man may have good affections , and be enclined to do that which is right , but he will not be able to act accordingly , and to do honest things , without some measure of prudence to judge of particular cases . 't is this that must preserve our minds from error , our hearts from corruption , our lives from sin , our persons from shame and danger ; that must fit us for every condition , teaching us how to want , and how to abound ; that must render all our gifts and abilities useful . such persons as are much below others , as to learning , art , wit , diligence , riches , power , yet by this virtue of prudence may prove much more serviceable to god and his church , more useful in their generations , than those who do much exceed them in all these other respects . from all which it may appear , that there is sufficient reason to infer the necessity of this grace of wisdom . there remains only one enquiry or objection to be briefly stated and answered , and i shall proceed to application . may not this be said to be a gift and a privilege , rather than a duty ; and the want of it , a defect or unhappiness , rather than a sin ? every man is not bound to be eloquent , learned , beautiful , witty , strong . these are blessings and gifts , which depend upon our natural abilities , leisure , education , experience , some of which are not in our power , and therefore not to be imposed as duties , as if there were sin and guilt in being without them ; and why may not the same be said of wisdom ? to this two things may be answered . . that christian wisdom , for the nature and substance of it , is a duty ; for the degrees , a gift . every christian though of the lowest form is supposed to have the prudence of a disciple and of submission , though not of a teacher and of conduct . he may have a sufficient ability , both to understand and to make a right use of those means , which are necessary to his chief end , namely eternal blessedness . and . as for moral and civil prudence , whereby a man is to conduct himself in the ordinary affairs of life : this likewise is , as to the substance of it , a duty , which all men are obliged unto in some measure , according as their capacities , conditions , and opportunities may require ; though not all alike in the same kinds , or the same degree . 't is no culpable defect in a private man , that he is without the art of government , any more than it is in an husbandman or tradesman , to be destitute of skill in military and naval matters , which are things of another kind . a private souldier is not obliged to have the prudence of a general ; nor is it to be expected that every one who can govern a family , should be able to govern a city . but when a man is called from a private to a publick station , he is then by virtue of this call , under an obligation of labouring after all those endowments and abilities , whereby he may fill up and adorn his employment . the neglect of such abilities as are suitable to a mans station , is not only a defect but a fault . i have now done with the doctrinal part : i shall be very brief in the application ; wherein i shall touch at three inferences . . from the nature of wisdom , as it hath been described , it will follow , that no wicked man can be truly wise ; because such men mistake in their chief end , preferring earth before heaven , transient momentany things before those of everlasting concernment ; than which there cannot be a more monstrous folly . and they mistake likewise in the honesty and fitness of the means , by reason of their disability to discern betwixt things that differ , and to approve those that are more excellent . they may have good wits , a quickness and vivacity of fancy , and yet be far from being wise . 't is a proverbial saying , that some men have good wits , if wise men had them in keeping . when these two are separated the former of them doth many times prove a prejudice and an occasion of mischief , and 't were better for such persons to wear wooden daggers than those of steel . they may have much humane learning . but great clerks are not always wise men . athens and corinth were for their knowledge called the two eyes of the world ; as rome and carthage were for their military strength , the two arms of it . and yet the apostle styles those of corinth , fools , cor. . . god hath made foolish the wisdom of the wise . and elsewhere speaking of the graecian philosophers , he says , whilst they profess'd themselves to be wise , they became fools . they may have some skill in the scriptures , as the iewish doctors had , whom yet our saviour calls fools : yea fools and blind , matth. . . they may have the art of bringing about their secular designs , growing great and rich , and yet deserve no better a title than that laborious rich man in the gospel , whom our saviour calls fool for his pains , luke . . and lastly , they may likewise have some measure of moral uprightness , keeping themselves unspotted from the pollutions of the world ; and upon that account may be called virgins , but without true religion and holiness , they are but foolish virgins , and such as shall miss of their end , matth. . . . hence it will follow , that grace and holiness is the truest wisdom . he that is truly religious ( whatever other accomplishments he may want ) he is truly wise . behold , the fear of the lord that is wisdom , and to depart from evil is understanding : therefore keep his statutes , for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations , deut. . . a good man is in scripture phrase styled , the man of wisdom , micah , . . and conversion a being turned to the wis●om of the just , luke . . and on the other side all kind of sin is in the usual scripture phrase called by the name of folly . now 't is no small advantage to such as are truly religious , that whatever they may be destitute of as to these worldly matters , yet they have the principal thing , namely , wisdom . . and lastly , if wisdom be the principal thing , then let it be our principal endeavour to attain it ; and above all other gettings , let us labour to get understanding . nothing can be more reasonable , than that our love and zeal toward any thing , should be proportioned to the excellency of it . in order to which we should carefully apply our selves to all those good means , whereby wisdom is to be attained . as for that kind of prudence , which is requisite to the management of secular business ; this depends upon some natural abilities , as sagacity of judgment , quickness and presence of mind , together with the advantage of long experience , and therefore is not to be taught and learnt as other arts and sciences may . we have schools for logick , rhetorick , mathematicks , philosophy , but none to teach men wisdom and discretion . and the reason is , because this cannot ( by reason of the infinite variety of cases ) be comprehended under any certain rules ; or if it could , yet all the maximes that can be prescribed of this nature will be but as a workman's tools ; which though never so good in themselves , yet without skill in the artist will never make good work : and for a man to think that he may be able in this respect to act wisely , by any certain rules or maximes prescribed him , is all one as to imagine that the tools of some excellent artificer should ( though in the hands of a bungler ) be able to produce good work . but now on the other hand , that kind of christian wisdom , which we are obliged unto as our principal duty , and whereby we are to be made wise unto salvation : this is subject to certain rules and means for the attaining of it . which in the general are , keeping the commandments , submitting to the doctrine of the gospel ; and in order to this , attending at the gates of wisdom , receiving instruction with all readiness , hiding the law in our hearts , continually meditating upon it ; furnishing our minds with right principles , that 't is better to suffer than to sin , to have a good conscience than a great estate ; that these things which are seen are but temporal , scenes and pageantry , false pleasures and but for a season , but the things which are not seen are eternal . more particularly . . the conversing with good company : he that walks with the wise shall be wise , prov. . . . humility , which is a grace that will render a man teachable : the meek will he guide in judgment and teach his way . . praying for it : if any man lack wisdom , let him ask it of god , iames . . 't is he that gives wisdom to the wise , and knowledge to them that know understanding . and therefore to him it is that we must apply our selves for wise and understanding hearts , beseeching him that he would first direct us by his counsel , assist us by his grace , and then bring us to glory . the end of the seventh sermon . the eighth sermon . prov . xiii . . he that walketh with wise men shall be wise , but a companion of fools shall be destroyed . this book of the proverbs is a miscellany of sentences , full of various and profound wisdom , both with regard to things civil and sacred . it concerns all kind of matters , the customs , vices , humours of men ; the duties and business of life ; the government and events of providence . the principal rules and observations concerning these , are here set down in plain and pithy sentences : and though some of them may at first glance perhaps seem to be but obvious and flat , yet upon a nearer and more considerate view , they will all of them be found to be ( as they are styled ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ruling speeches , such as are fit to have a special authority over a man , in the guidance of his affairs . the text concerns that great advantage or prejudice which will follow upon the choice of those companions with whom we do most familiarly converse . society is in it self so necessary to humane life , that the philosopher doth from thence define a man to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a sociable creature ; as if this were one main property and end of humane nature . quaecunque vaga nascuntur & actura vitam segregem , armata sunt , hominem imbecillitas cingit , saith the stoick . other creatures which are intended for wandering and solitude , are naturally armed for their defence , whereas man is born the weakest and most helpless of all things , having only these two advantages for his protection , society and reason . but now because the chief benefit of this is not always to be attained in a common relation to a publick body , without the more private and intimate league of friendship ; a crowd is not company ; magna civitas may be magna solitudo , therefore the want of friends may in some sense be called solitude , and so disadvantageous to the well-being and comfort of life , ut solem è mundo videantur tollere , qui amicitiam de vita humana , ( as the roman orator speaks ) that we had as good lose the sun out of the firmament , as friendship from amongst men . it hath been observed , that the wisest and greatest monarchs that ever were , in the midst of all their other enjoyments , could not think themselves happy without this . and though the distance of their condition , might seem to debar them from this privilege , which requires an equal ; yet rather than want a friend , they have descended to some of their subjects , making them to be participes curarum , though not without great inconveniences and hazards from the people . such a high rate have they put upon this privilege of friendship . adam in the state of innocence , could not be happy , though in paradise , without a companion . our saviour himself , who for our sakes was content to forgoe the usual pleasures and contentments of life , yet would not be without this necessary refreshment of an intimate friend , but rather chose to admit one of his servants unto this near relation , the disciple whom he loved . the wiseman having observed this great necessity of friendship and society , and of what high importance it is to be right in the choice of them , he doth in this book scatter up and down diverse proverbial sayings for our direction about it . amongst these the text is one . for the manner of it , 't is put by way of antithesis or opposition , betwixt good and bad company , under the name of wise and foolish ; together with the several consequences which will follow upon such conversation . the one shall grow wise , the other shall be destroyed ; wherein there is implyed a double issue or event , that being twice to be understood which is but once spoken ; it being all one as if he should have said , he that walketh with the wise shall be wise and prosperous , but a companion of fools shall be foolish and miserable . the terms have little of difficulty in them . he that walketh . by walking with or being a companion , is not meant every casual commerce or negotiation with others : for he that in this sense would wholly avoid wicked men , must needs go out of the world , cor. . . but those phrases do signifie a more familiar and intimate converse . with the wise . all mankind is in the usual scripture phrase , especially in the writings of david and solomon , distributed under these two heads of wise and foolish , that is good or bad : wisdom being that which enables a man to make choice of the right means for the attaining of the right end , and only those that are religious being enabled for this , in reference to the chief end of a mans eternal happiness , therefore they alone are said to be wise . a companion of fools shall be destroyed , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the word translated destroyed , is derivable either from one root which signifies to grow worse , or else from another which signifies to be broken and ruined ; and is fitly chosen out to comprehend both senses . besides that it has an elegant allusion by way of paranomasiae unto the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , companion . the chief scope of the text may be summed up in this observation . that every mans present and future well-fare , doth very much depend upon the right choice and improvement of those friends or companions with whom he doth most familiarly converse . if with such as are good , he shall be wise and happy ; if with wicked persons he shall prove foolish for the present , and miserable for the future . so that the subject i am to treat of is very proper and sutable to this place , which being chiefly intended for education , unto which the company and friends that men make choice of doth so much contribute ; therefore it can never be unseasonable here to put them in remembrance , or to stir them up to their duties in this respect . for the clearing of this observation , it may be made very evident from diverse scriptures . upon this account it is , that we have such frequent cautions and threats against conversing with bad company . this was the meaning of all those severe prohibitions in the ceremonial law , against touching of any unclean thing ; which in the morality of it ( say the antient fathers and other interpreters ) doth signifie that exact care which we ought to have against all such company whereby we may contract any inward pollutions . 't is observable , that he who touched a dead beast was unclean but till the evening , levit. . . but he who touched a dead man was unclean for seven days , numb . . . signifying a bad man to be the most dangerous of all other creatures . for that this in scripture-phrase is meant by a dead man , may be sufficiently explained by that expression of the apostle where he styles wicked men to be such as are dead in trespasses and sins , ephes. . . even whilst they live , tim. . . and elsewhere they are said to be whited sepulchers , which may appear beautiful outwardly , but within are full of dead mens bones and all uncleanness , matth. . . that 's a very sharp and elegant reprehension which the prophet uses towards iehosaphat , in reference to his association with ahab , cron. . . should'st thou love them that hate the lord ? he puts it by way of question , to shew the inexcusable inconsistency of those mens actions who pretend to love god and yet will be friends to those that hate him . prov. . . make no friendship with an angry man , and with a furious man thou shalt not go , least thou learn his ways . and because some might be apt to think that they could converse with bad men without any such danger , therefore 't is further added , lest thou learn his ways , and get a snare to thy soul. implying , that though a man be very wary to avoid the corruption of bad company yet it may insensibly steal upon him and surprize him as a snare . there are divers the like precepts in the new testament , tim. . the apostle having recited a long catalogue of vitious persons , despisers of those that are good , heady , highminded , having a form , &c. adds this clause at the end of it , from such turn away ; that is , avoid as much as may be all converse with them . and there is a solemn adjuration , thes. . . now we command you brethren , in the name of our lord iesus christ , that you will draw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly . that place doth not so properly signifie exclusion à sacris , but from familiar converse . psal. . . 't is set down as a special mark and evidence of such as shall be saved , in whose eyes a vile person is contemned , but he honoureth them that fear the lord. and holy david is very frequent in the proof of his integrity , and consequently of his happy condition from this sign , by his dislike of wicked company , and his love to those that are good . psal. . , . i have not sate with vain persons , neither will i go in with dissemblers . i have hated the congregation of evil doers , and will not sit with the wicked , psal. . . i will not know a wicked person , ver . . whoso privily slandereth his neighbour will i cut off ; him that hath a high look and proud heart will i not suffer , psal. . . do not i hate them o lord that hate thee ? and am not i grieved with those that rise up against thee ? i hate them with a perfect hatred and count them mine enemies . psal. . . he bemoans his unhappiness that he was forced to dwell in meshec , and to have his habitation in the tents of kedar , that is , amongst such ungodly and cruel men as those of that country . and so on the other side , he professes that his delight was in the saints and to the excellent of the earth , psal. . . mine eye shall be upon the faithful of the land , that they may dwell with me , psal. . . i am a companion for all those that fear thee and keep thy precepts , psal. . . it were easy to cite abundance of other scriptures to this purpose . and there is very good reason , why the nature of a mans friends or company should be looked upon as of such great consequence to his well-being : because they have such a special influence , not only upon a mans temper and manners , but upon all his chief concernments . there are four things wherein most men place their well-fare , some or all of which every rational man doth propose to himself in the choice of his friends . these are reputation , safety , comfort , profit . now each of these is only attainable by conversing with those that are good . . for reputation or honour : wicked men are fools in the phrase of the text ; and what credit can a wise man expect by conversing with fools ? they are styled beasts in scripture , dogs and swine and vipers ; and 't is the lowest most ignoble condition that our humane natures can be deprest to with nebuchadnezzar to converse with beasts . iob doth make it his great grief and complaint , i am a brother to dragons and a companion to estriches , iob . . they are dead men in the scripture phrase , and what should the living do amongst the dead : they are whited sepulchers that are full of rottenness , and none but a mad man , one that is possest with a devil , will live among tombs . on the other side , good men are the excellent of the earth : such alone are truly noble and magnanimous , though not in outward respects , yet in regard of intrinsecal value , which can only put a true worth upon a man : so the righteous is always more excellent than his neighbour . iob upon the dunghill , and ieremiah in the mire , had more real worth in them , than any of the greatest men of the world in the midst of all their pomp and glory . the saints of old when in their most despicable condition , wandring about in sheep-skins and goat-skins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented , were in themselves of so noble and inestimable a value that , in the judgment of the holy ghost , the world was not worthy of them . these are they that have the highest relations , they are the children of god , heirs of a kingdom , the spouse , the members of christ : and therefore who ever would propose to himself honour and reputation in his society , must make choice only of such companions . . for safety ; the text tells us that a companion of fools shall be destroyed . good men may be sometimes involved in the punishments of bad company , and perish in their sins : rev. . . come out of her my people , least you receive of her plagues . that 's a known story of st. iohn , who durst not stay in the same bath where cerinthus the heretick was for fear he might be surprized with some sudden judgment . wicked men are infected leprous persons ; and who can converse with such without danger . if any one shall persuade himself that he can enjoy their company and yet escape their contagion , he may as well think to suspend the natural operation of fire ; can any one think to take coals in his bosom and not be burned ? or can a man walk barefoot upon burning coals and yet not hurt himself ? prov. . . the conversing with bad company hath as unavoidable and powerful an efficacy as these natural agents which work necessarily , whose operations cannot be suspended : or if any should possibly so far escape as not to be burnt with the fire of bad company , yet he must needs be blacked with their smoak , which every prudent christian will be careful to avoid . whereas on the other side every one fares the better for the company of those that are good . they are the lights of the world , the salt of the earth , the pillars of a nation , those that stand in the gap to prevent an inundation of judgment . the place is the safer for them where they live . ten righteous persons may sometimes be enough to save a whole city from temporal ruine . potiphar's house was blessed for iosephs sake , gen. . . and all the passengers in the ship were saved from drowning for st. paul's sake , acts . . and if their cohabitation or common neighbourhood may be so advantageous , what is it then to be leagued unto them by a nearer and more intimate tye of friendship . . for comfort : this is one of the principal ends of friendship , to ease and refresh a man amidst the anxieties of life ; and there is nothing of greater efficacy to this purpose . how pleasant is it for brethren to live together in unity : quantum bonum est ubi sunt praeparata pectora , in quae tutò secretum omne descendat , quorum sermo solicitudines leniat , sententia consilium expediat , hilaritas tristitiam dissipet , conspectus ipse delectet ? what a great comfort and privilege is it to have another self to whom a man may freely communicate all his secret troubles ; whose conference may help to asswage our cares , whose counsel to expedite our difficulties , whose cheerfulness to dissipate our sadness , whose very look and presenee doth delight ? as oyntment and perfumes rejoyce the heart , so doth the sweetness of a mans friend , prov. . . but now this cannot be expected from any wicked person . there is such an utter inconsistency and opposition betwixt good and bad , that there cannot be any communion or harmony betwixt them : for what communion hath light with darkness , cor. . . speaking of those who are unequally yoaked ; an unjust man is an abomination to the just , and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked , prov. . : there is a natural enmity betwixt them , being of opposite principles and ways . how is it possible for a man that hath any love or zeal for god to delight in those by whom he is continually dishonoured and provoked ? instead of any refreshment by such company ( if a man have david's temper ) it will still administer new occasion of trouble and sorrow . i beheld the transgressors and was grieved . rivers of waters run down mine eyes , because men keep not thy laws . no man can delight in those that despise and reproach him . why now a holy man looks upon all rebellions against god , as being indignities against himself , psal. . . the reproaches of them that reproached thee , are fallen upon me . whereas on the other side : those that are wise in the phrase of the text are the most delightful company that are . wisdom makes a mans face to shine , puts a splendor and amiableness upon a person : and for this reason , the communion of saints is to be esteemed , one of the greatest comforts and privileges that we are capable of in this world . 't is a kind of excommunication to be debarred of such company ; and it shall be a great part of our joy and happiness in heaven that we shall there converse with the spirits of just men made perfect . . and lastly , for profit : the most usual reason of mens friendship in the world , is the hopes they have of getting by one another : though this in it self is mercenary and poor , arva enim & pecudes isto modo diliguntur , men love their cattel and their land upon this account , they should love their friends from an higher principle . but yet , if any should look for this , 't is not to be had from those that are bad : there is nothing to be expected from such friends , but the increase of our sins and of our punishments : the best of them is a briar and a thorn , which may pull off our fleece , deprive us of our defence and our innocence ; take from us what we have , but can contribute nothing : or if we should get some outward advantage by them , yet we shall get partnership in their guilt , by that approbation which we seem to give to them in our conversing with them . we may harden them in their impenitency , blemish our profession ; and what outward gain can be sufficient compensation for such damages ? whereas in conversing with those that are good , there are these advantages . . their example will by degrees insinuate into the mind , and obtain the force of precepts , exciting us to a holy emulation . . their very presence will affect us with some kind of awe against evil . est aliquid quod ex magno viro vel tacente proficias . . their conference , wholesome and savory , administring grace to the hearers . . their counsel , faithful and wise and hearty . . their prayers , powerful , ready : and 't is not easily imaginable , what an advantage that is , to have a praying friend , or companion . we esteem it a great privilege to have a friend at court , who is able to further us in our business and petitions , to have any special interest in a favorite ; why , every good man hath power with god , and can prevail with him . but i have stayed too long in the doctrinal parts of this discourse . there are three lessons i would briefly insist upon in the application of it . . that we would take notice of the great benefit to be obtained by the right improvement of society and mutual converse with one another . . that we of this place would be careful , both for our selves and those committed to our charge , in the right choice of our friends and company . . that we would labour for those proper qualifications and abilities which may render us acceptable and useful in our conversing with others . . for the first , that we would take notice of the great benefit to be obtain'd by society . one chief reason why in these places men do not make so great a progress either in piety or learning as might be expected from those special advantages which here we enjoy , is because they are not so careful to improve the benefit to be had by society . nothing more usual amongst men of all ranks and conditions , than to joyn together in some common design for the improvement of this quality of sociableness unto mutual benefit . this is the chief ground of all those common associations amongst men : in ordinary affairs , corporations for cities , companies for trades ; and so in higher matters , universities and colleges for learning , particular churches for religion : each of which in their kinds have in them a natural aptitude to afford some special help for the promoting of their several ends , though perhaps none of them , especially not the two last , are usually improved to the utmost benefit they are capable of . 't is not easie to express what great advantage might be obtained if men would but study to make the right use of mutual converse . we may see daily , especially by late experience , how men of common and low breeding , being called out to such imployments , wherein they have been necessitated to put forth themselves in a more than ordinary way of conversing together and debating of businesses with one another , how strangely their parts are heightned , how judicious and nimble they grow at business , how ready at discourse ; whereas a bookish man , that spends the greatest part of his time in reading and study , commonly he doth not know more , or if he should , yet is he less fit for those actions and businesses to which his knowledge should be applyed . and therefore the great and active men of the world have still looked upon knowledge thus acquired as pedantry , which rendred a man unfit for any great imployment . and this is one reason of those prejudices which by some men have been lately taken up against these places of learning ; because they see some others that have been bred up in another way to be as knowing and as useful men , as those that come from hence ; though such perhaps , besides the eminency of their natural abilities , have had some other special advantages in their educations , some way aquivalent to what is to be had in these places , which ought to be considered and allowed for ; yet it cannot be denied , but that we our selves may give too much occasion to such prejudices , by not improving all the helps we have to the best purposes . i cannot stand to mention how much men might by this means promote their knowledge in the whole circle of humane learning ; particularly in that ability of a ready , voluble , popular rhetorick ( wherein studious and retired men are commonly defective ) though it be so necessary in all kind of imployments , especially for the gifts of prayer and preaching . but chiefly in matter of practical religion , which would be much advantaged if men were but more free towards one another in communicating their doubts , temptations , comforts ; warming their affections and building up one another by mutual conference . . that we of this place would be very wary and careful both for our selves and those committed to our charge , in the right choice of our friends and company . there is nothing usually hath a greater influence upon a mans temper and carriage than the company with whom he doth converse . and hence is it that if good and bad be joyned together in any near society , they either quickly part or become alike . and 't is the infirmity of our natures , that grace in the best men is so imperfect , and sin so powerful , that in the conjunction of good and evil , the good by a natural course are more easily corrupted than the evil rectified . we all know that it hath been the bane of many young men sent hither for education to mistake in the first choice of their company : and 't were well if some publick brand could be set upon such loose flagitious persons , as make it their business to seduce and corrupt others . a leper under the law was the type of a sinner ; and he was to go with his head uncovered that others might know and avoid him . these close and covered sinners are very dangerous , and may do much hurt by their infection ; there is scarce any such to be conversed with , qui non aliquod nobis vitium , aut commendat , aut imprimit , aut nescientibus allinit . 't is true , a man may make good use of the worst company , by observing the deformity and hating the evil of them the more ; but yet there is this danger in the frequent converse with such , that the edge of our zeal and hate should be somewhat abated by custom . he that with lot vexeth his soul with the wicked conversation of those amongst whom he lives , may in time be less and less vexed according as they grow more familiar to him . besides , conversing with such will be a means to make a man satisfie himself with any low or weak degrees of goodness ( which perhaps in comparison to his company may be considerable ; ) whereas amongst those that are better , we have still new matter of imitation and provocation . 't is a good rule of a heathen , cum his conversare , qui te meliorem facturi sunt ; illos admitte , quos tu potes facere meliores . chuse those for your intimates , by whom you may be made better your selves , admit such ; of whom you have any probable hopes that they may be made better by you . nothing is more incongruous and unsuitable than for a man that pretends love to religion , to delight in those that care not for it . such persons are of opposite relations and principles . every good man is on the lords side , the friend of god , and consequently is bound to hate that which is evil . wicked men are his enemies , the sons of belial , of their father the devil : good men are such as walk with god , and have their faces towards sion . wicked men walk contrary unto him , and turn their backs upon him ; and therefore such are by no means fit to associate withall . on the other side ; good men are all of a city , fellow citizens with the saints ; all of a family , of the houshold of faith ; all of a body , a body fitly joyned together and compact , by that which every joynt supplieth . god delights in them , tho he inhabit eternity , and dwells in that high and lofty place , yet he hath respect to those of humble and contrite spirits . they are styled his portion , his inheritance ; a peculiar treasure unto him ; the dearly beloved of his soul : he sets apart the man that is godly for himself . they that do not love such company here , have little reason to expect that they shall enjoy communion with them hereafter . a man may examin the choice of his friends by this rule : suppose he were in some great exigence , wherein there were no help to be expected but from heaven , can he then with any confidence send to his usual companions to relieve him with their prayers ? it may be he could heretofore freely discourse and jest with them , but are they fit to pray for him ; if not , this may convince his conscience that he had made a bad choice . . that we would labour for those special qualifications and abilities which may render us acceptable and useful in our conversing with others . there are four conditions , amongst many others , that are more especially suitable to this purpose . . a readiness to communicate , according to the gifts we have received , so ministring the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of god. there is much envy and narrowness of spirit in that close reserved humour which some men have ; who confine all their gifts to themselves , as if they should lose their own knowledge by communicating of it . such men live to themselves , as if they were not members of a body . . humility . that 's a sociable grace , lovely in it self and acceptable to all : it fits a man both to learn and to teach ; such an one will not contend , censure , disdain , but is kindly affectioned to others , esteeming better of them , than of himself . . prudence , in distinguishing of mens tempers , prejudices , infirmities ; in discerning of the right seasons and advantages to do good amongst them : teaching a man such an amiable and alluring facility , whereby he may insinuate into the affections of others , and the more easily provoke them to love and good works . . ingenuity , and candor of disposition , in owning of our own weaknesses or faults , anothers gifts or preheminences . a sobriety and calmness of spirit , in suspending rash censures , bitter expressions , or whatever may exasperate ; forbearing one another in love . there is in some good men such a sower and riged severity , such a proness to censure , as makes them less acceptable and useful in their society , and deprives them of many opportunities of doing good to others . i can but name these particulars ; each of them would deserve to be more largely insisted upon , as being so very suitable and necessary for us of this place . but i speak to wise men , and am loath any further to trespass upon your patience : so then the substance of what been said is this , that society being so necessary to humane nature , and the advantage or prejudice so very great as to our well or ill being , according to our choice of such friends with whom we do most famillarly converse , therefore will it concern men to be very cautious and wary in this matter . and if they would render themselves useful and acceptable to others , it must be by being wise and virtuous and religious persons . those only who are good in themselves being capable of doing good to others . the end of the eighth sermon . the ninth sermon . eccles . iv. . two are better than one . though the general design of this book be sufficiently plain and obvious , being a discourse from the most profound principles of reason and philosophy , de summo bono ; yet 't is not easie to find out the particular connexion in many parts of it . in the eighth verse of this chapter , the wiseman enters upon a description of the miseries of a covetous life , which he sets forth under these three considerations . . his drudgery and excessive toyl , because three is no end of his labour ; neither is his eyes satisfied with riches . a very proper expression that , concerning satisfying the eye ; that being the only enjoyment that a miser hath of his estate , namely , that he can look upon it as his own ; and no wonder if his labour be endless , if he must still drudge on till he have got enough to satisfie his eye . . his inconsiderateness , in that he doth bereave his soul of good , that is , deprive himself of the benefit which he might have in a cheerful fruition of his possessions ; and yet he asks not for whom do i labour , that is , he doth not dispose them to any end ; he neither uses them himself while he lives , nor knows who shall enjoy them when he dies . . his solitariness : there is one alone , there is not a second , yea , he hath neither child nor brother ; that is , he is a forlorn friendless man , without the benefit and help of society . which kind of misery the wiseman takes pains to set forth , by commending the contrary , shewing the advantage and convenience of a sociable life ; which is first generally asserted in the words of the text , two are better than one : then particularly illustrated by some common instances ; to shew the advantage of society , both to the attaining of good , and the preventing and avoiding of evil . there is in such a condition , mutual gain ; men rid more work when joyned in society , and so increase their reward , v. . mutual help in their infirmities , lifting one another when they fall , v. . in their defects and wants , warning one another , v. , in their dangers , in respect of enemies , whom an united strength may more effectually withstand , v. . the words of the text are for the scope and matter intended to assert the advantages of friendship and a sociable life . for the manner of them , they are in figurative expressions ; the force of which i shall endeavour to explain both negatively , and positively . . negatively : . by two is not meant any kind of multitude ; there may be too much of this , as well as too little . no where is there less enjoyment of a mans self than when a man is oppressed with clients and visitants . and according to this construction the words should be inverted ; and we might truly say one were better than two , retiredness than multitude . again , by two is not meant any kind of society or friends : not companions in iniquity , as were simeon and levi , this is rather a conspiracy than a company ; and though such do associate themselves , yet they shall be broken in pieces , isai , . . though they joyn hand in hand , yet they shall not go unpunished , prov. . . . by one is not meant any kind of solitude or privacy ; not such as is opposed to that hurry of business which men in publick imployments are exposed unto : those continual bustles and imbroilments , whereby a man is hindred from retiring into or being acquainted with himself . for according to this construction , the words should be inverted , and we might say one were better than two , privacy and retirement than multitude and tumult : again by one here , we are not to understand unity , and by two division , as those expressions do sometimes signifie : for unity is much better than division ; upon which account the pythagorean philosophers , amongst their other mystical traditions concerning numbers , were wont to set a note of infamy upon the number two , because it was the first departure from unity . . positively : . by two is meant such as have the mutual help and benefit of one another , being linked together in the bonds of friendship ; among whom those are especially to be comprehended who are joyned by that nearer and more sacred union of marriage . . by one is meant such an one as lives in a forlorn desolate condition , neither loving any , nor being loved by any but himself ; without the privilege of a friend to assist his labours , settle his fears , ease his griefs , and augment his comforts : so that the true meaning of the words may be comprehended in this proposition . that the sociable life of a friend is much more advantageous than to live alone . 't is a principle this , that hath so clear evidence for it in the very light of nature , that it might be needless to urge for it any scripture authority . 't is upon this ground that the philosopher doth describe a man to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a sociable creature , as if this did belong to the essence , and were one of the properties of humane nature . adam himself in the state of innocence could not be happy ( though in paradise ) without a companion . not to mention any thing of that tremendous mystery of the trinity of persons in the unity of the godhead . as for that imaginary wiseman of the stoicks whom they suppose to be clapt up in some dark dungeon , lost in some desolate island , yet then he shall enjoy such a kind of happiness as god himself would do if the world were destroyed , acquiescit sibi , cogitationibus suis traditus — in se reconditur , secum est : besides , that this is but boasting , and an imaginary idea of such a state of perfection as no man perhaps ever did , or shall attain unto . they themselves do likewise acknowledge that though their wiseman be seipso contentus , yet mavult amicum . though he may make some shift without a friend , yet he had much rather have one ; and therefore blame such , qui sapientem intra cutem suam cogunt , who would deny him this privilege and confine him to himself . there are three things of great consequence to the comfort and safety of life . . the rectifying of our judgments . . the regulating and composing of our passions . . the assistance of our labours . now the sociable life of a friend will be very advantageous in all these respects . . for the rectifying of our judgments ; that we may have a true notion of things and business , and be able to judge what is most fit and expedient in several cases and circumstances . there are two general defects which the understandings of men are liable unto , confusion and error . . confusion ; when our minds are overwhelmed with tumultuous thoughts for want of being methodized and digested by the relation of them . a man will be apt to run away with vain chimaera's , with weak and flat projects , whilst they remain meerly in speculation and in thoughts ; whereas when they are put into words in our relation of them to others , the weakness and defects of them will presently appear . so that a man had better ( saith a noble author ) discourse to a statue or picture than suffer his thoughts to pass in a smother . so that herein lies one special advantage of friendship , that a man hath the liberty of communicating his secret thoughts , and thereby clearing them up to himself . . he hath hereby likewise the benefit of faithful counsel to direct him against the error of his thoughts . 't is an usual saying , plus vident oculi quàm oculus ; two eyes see more than one : and a stander by many times discerns that which a better gamester overlooks . men are usually very partial in judging of things wherein they are concerned , according to their inclinations and interests ; apt to gloss them over with such appearances as may best sute with their own advantage ; and therefore in such cases they have need of the help of others . no wiseman will in a business of moment trust to the advice of a flatterer , because such an one will be sure to tell him what will please rather than what will profit ; why , for the same reason neither should he trust to himself in such cases , for maximus quisque adulator sibi , every man naturally is his own greatest flatterer : nor will a stranger be fit for this work of counsel , because such an one may not know the whole state of our businesses , the series and circumstances of our affairs : or if he do , yet we can have no security of such an ones faithfulness , but that he may be apt to warp and bend his counsels for his own private ends . 't is true indeed , books will give impartial counsel , without flattery or self-seeking : but there may be these inconveniences in such counsel ; that 't is not like to be so suitable to our particular occasions , in all the various circumstances of them ; nor so lively and efficacious as to the operation of it . and though good books may in some sense be said to be good friends and councellors , yet they are dead ones ; whereas the advice of a faithful friend hath in it a remedy against all these inconveniences ; such an one will neither flatter us nor serve his own ends ; his wisdom and fidelity will be ready to help us up when we fall , v. . and to warm us with vigor when we are slack and remiss , v. . . hence likewise in the second place may we expect the best help for the regulating and composing of our passions . that which for the most part proves the greatest disturbance to the peace and quiet of our lives is from the disorders and vicissitudes of our passions , whereby the mind is kept continually out of frame . what betwixt the frenzy of anger , the ague of hopes and fears , the feaver of love , the consumption of envy , our minds are kept in a continual disease and distemper . so that whatever will conduce to the preserving of these in a composedness and harmony , must needs be of great consequence to our well-fare : and the society of a friend may be very proper and effectual to this purpose ; not only for the liberty we have hereby of breathing out our secret troubles , preventing that inward restraint and suffocation whereby they would be multiplied , and by his counsel ( which i mentioned before ; ) but upon this account likewise , that such an one will help to bear a part with us , and so lighten us of our burden by his compassion , and so the less will come to our shares . the passions may be distinguished into two kinds ; such as are more violent , troublesome and unnatural , referring to evil ; as anger , fear , grief , &c. others more kindly and natural , relating to that which is good , and consequently have a greater agreeableness to our desires ; as love , hope , ioy , &c. now the first of these are by the help of a friend abated and weakened , the other strengthened and confirmed , and both ways our quiet much promoted . and the reason of this difference is founded in nature : union strengthens any thing that is natural , and weakens all violent impressions . that which adds to the vigor of any living creature , doth both fit it for its natural operations , and likewise to repel any praeternatural injury or violence . thus likewise is it in those things which concern the mind ; the union of a friend doth help to strengthen us in matters agreeable to our natures , and to weaken those which are repugnant . we divide to a friend our griefs , and so diminish them ; we communicate our joys , and so increase them . . the sociable life of a friend is likewise advantageous to us , for the assistance of us in our labours ; in respect of those many hazards and difficulties we shall meet with in our several imployments ; we may by this help be carried on , . with greater safety and confidence . . with greater cheerfulness and vigor . . with greater success and advantage ; and that both in secular and spiritual affairs . . with greater safety and confidence : which the wiseman doth take particular notice of in this place , under a twofold instance . . of two travailing together , and if one of them fall the other will lift him up ; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth , for he hath not another to help him , that is , if there be any evil which befalls a solitary helpless person , he may irrecoverably sink under it , whereas another man will find support and relief from the help of a friend . . of two contending together ; that opposition which may be too strong for one , may be withstood and overcome by two . which was the consideration wherewith ioab and his brother abishai did encourage one another , sam. . . if the syrians be too strong for me , then thou shalt help me , but if the ammonites be too strong for thee , then will i come and help thee . whereas those that live without this mutual entercourse of friendly officers , must be singly exposed to all kind of hazards . the strongest guards are but weak protections , in comparison to love and friendship : ab ipsis armis inter arma periculum est . those very arms which should defend us and be for our safety , may be turned against us and prove our ruine . non sic excubiae , nec circumstantia tela , quàm tutatur amor — saith claudian . and 't is true this , in respect of spiritual affairs as well as civil ; we may proceed in our duties with greater safety upon this account . solitariness is a time of advantage for satans temptations . he set upon eve when alone , and our saviour when in the desart : this tempts the tempter ; omnia nobis mala solitudo persuadet , saith seneca : nothing so mischievous but this may be a temptation unto : 't is an old saying , he that gives himself up to solitude , must be aut deus aut daemon , either he must have a self-sufficiency as god , or else sathan will make him as bad as himself . we are dependant creatures , and shall always in this world stand in need of mutual help from one another . . this will help to carry us on with greater cheerfulness , and vivacity in our business . society and mutual encouragement , will deceive the tediousness of our labour , and cheer us up against all the troubles and oppositions we meet with . 't is one of the main ends of friendship , this , to stand by and comfort a man when he is in distress : 't was the custom of ancient times , for friends to meet together for this very purpose ; which was the occasion of the visit which iob's friends made to him , in the time of his affliction : a friend is made for adversity , saith the wiseman . 't is no difficult matter for a man to be full of zeal and affection , whilst all things are well , and prosperous , and there is no temptation to the contrary : but , cùm deus intonuit , non se subducere nimbo , id demùm est pietas , id socialis amor . we are to expect from others , who do not stand in the relation of friends , that they should not own us in our troubles , but estrange themselves from us , lest they likewise should partake of our misery : like an herd of deer , who will push away any of their fellows that is wounded . but he that is a real friend , will then take occasion to manifest his fidelity : upon which account it is that the privilege of friendship hath been always esteemed one of the greatest comforts of life . how pleasant is it for brethren to live together in unity , psal. . . as oyntment and perfumes rejoyce the heart , so doth the sweetness of a mans friend , prov. . . and for the same reason is it , that the loss of such relations , is to be esteemed as one of the greatest afflictions that we are capable of ; losing a part of our selves , which cannot be without much pain and grief . which made david so bemoan the death of his friend ionathan in those pathetical complaints : i am distressed for thee my brother jonathan , very pleasant hast thou been unto me , thy love to me was wonderful , passing the love of women , sam. . . 't is so likewise as to our spiritual conditions , the society of christian friends being one main branch of the communion of saints . which is , next to the favour of god and the comfort of a good conscience , the greatest privilege we enjoy on this side of heaven . besides their good examples we have likewise their counsel and their comforts to direct and support us in the performances of our duty : and this is the work of an angel , nay of god himself , the son being styled the counsellor , isai . . and the holy ghost the comforter : so that by this means , one friend may be as an angel , nay as god to another . our saviour himself though he were all-sufficient , yet when he was in his agonie , thought fit to make use of the comfort of an angel. and as for the power of such to excite us unto duty , the wiseman hath well expressed it , prov. . . as iron sharpens iron , so doth a man his friend : upon which account the apostle exhorts to consider one another , to provoke unto love and good works , exhorting one another , heb. . , . . this will much promote the success of our labours , and procure for us a better reward , in the verse of the text. when several heads and hands joyn together in mutual fellowship , their affairs are managed with greater wisdom , and end with better success : vis unita fortior . and this is more peculiarly true in spiritual services . though god doth always hear men when we pray to him in secret and alone , yet he hath promised that when two or three are gathered together in his name , he will , after a more especial manner , be in the midst of them ; which made st. paul so earnestly desire the prayers of the romans , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that they might wrestle together with him , rom. . . and so more effectually prevail . 't was for this reason that our saviour sent out his disciples two by two , that so they might more successfully advantage one another in the work of their ministry . you know the story of king ioash , how he prospered in all his affairs during the life of his good friend iehoiada ; but after his death , he revolted to idolatry , and with an ungrateful cruelty slew the son of iehoiada , for reproving his apostacy ; after which nothing prospered with him , but having been first spoiled by the syrians , he was slain by his own servants , chron. . from all which the truth of the proposition may sufficiently appear , that the sociable life of a friend , is in many respects much more advantageous , than to live alone . . for the application of this ; it may in the first place serve to convince such as pretend to this relation , of the obligation they are under to observe those mutual offices of friendship towards one another ; of counselling them in their difficulties , bearing a share with them in their several conditions , rejoycing with them in their joys , and grieving with them in their griefs ; assisting them in their labours : without which all the professions of love and service , are but words of course that vanish into air and signifie nothing . nay those near relations of parent and child and brother , and which is nearer , for which a man is to forsake all other , that conjugal relation of husband and wife , are only valuable upon this account , as they are friends , and without this they are but empty names , deut. . . if thy brother the son of thy mother , or the son of thy daughter , or the wife of thy bosom , or thy friend that is as thy own soul. this last is the highest step in the gradation : all the other relations continue , though mixed with unkindness , but this last implies dearness in the very essence of it , and is altogether inseparable from it , a man may be a father , son , husband , and without loving , but 't is not possible for him to be a friend without love and friendship . . and that we may be thus mutually helpful , to such as we profess friendship to , we should labour for those due qualifications requisite to such a condition . of these i shall reckon four . . there must be true love , which is styled the bond of perfection , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , colos. . . the only bond that can make a perfect union . as two pieces of iron will never be perfectly hammered together , unless they are both red hot , so neither will two minds be joyned together in such an helpful union , unless they are both warmed with the same heats of affection . that kind of amity which is founded wholly upon private ends , negotiatio est , non amicitia , it is trafick but not friendship . . a wise freedom , not to conceal any thing that may be beneficial , though it may prove distasteful : an profecturus sim nescio , malum successum mihi , quàm fidem deesse : when we are uncertain of the issue of our admonitions , yet this we may be sure of , that 't is better to be without success on his part , than fidelity on our own . . patience : make no friendship with an angry man , and with a furious man thou shalt not go , prov. . . short spirited men , are neither good counsellors nor comforters . god is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to suffer ▪ and bear long with the manners of his people in the wilderness , acts . . and the apostle injoyns men to possess their souls in patience . implying , that he that is out of patience , is out of the possession of his own soul ; and therefore will not be fit to take care of anothers . . constancy , to hold out in all states and conditions , without deserting him in trouble . to forsake a friend in his distress argues a man to have much baseness and meaness of spirit , and to be without all true generosity . the carriage of the witch of endor towards saul will cast shame upon such unworthy persons : though she was sure that he was the next day to lose his kingdom and be slain with his sons , and so could neither hope for good nor fear any hurt from him , yet when she saw him exceedingly dejected , lying upon the ground , and refusing to eat , the remembrance of what he had been impresses upon her such a reverence , that instead of meditating revenge for the law he had enacted against persons of her trade , she courts him with all the humble and respective language that may be ; endeavours to cheer him up , bespeaks him to eat , kills for him her fatted calf ; bestirs her self to prepare unleavened bread , and uses him with as much respect as if he had been still to continue in his most flourishing estate . the example of this witch may be a just condemnation and reproach to the perfidiousness of an unconstant friend . but above all other kinds of friendship , this of the conjugal relation doth most firmly oblige to these mutual duties . and because the occasion of this present meeting is to commemorate a solemnity of this nature , which was celebrated in this church this day was years the happiness of which hath since that time been still continued with all the blessings of domestical love and peace , besides the comforts of a hopeful posterity to succeed ; therefore in order to the present occasion , the better to excite your gratitude for the mercies you commemorate , i would offer it to your consideration to look abroad into the world and take a view of the state of many other great families ; how uncomfortably they live by reason of domestical dissentions , which sometimes rise to that height as to make a separation of those whom god hath joyned , to their mutual dishonour and discomfort : and perhaps either no posterity to continue the name , or such a vicious and debauched one , as will be a scandal to it . they that understand the state of things abroad will find no great scarcity of examples to this purpose . and therefore how great reason have others to be thankful for their exemption in these respects . gods peculiar blessing of any in a relation is a farther obligation upon them to serve him in the duties of that relation , which are in this case either special to husband and wife , or joint and common to both . . husbands should love their wives as christ loves his church , ephes. . . or as they love their own selves , v. . . be kind to them , v. . not harsh and bitter against them , colos. . . lest she cover the altar of the lord with her tears , so that he will not regard thy offering any more , nor receive it with good will at thy hand , malachi . , . . give honour to them as the weaker vessels , as being heirs with you of the grace of life , pet. . . being tender of displeasing or disatisfying them , by any imprudent action , or seeming neglect . let her be unto thee as the loving hinde , or the tender roe , and be thou always satisfied with her love . the wife must : . be subject to her husband as to the lord , ephes. . . this is meet and comely , colos. . . for after this manner the holy women of old time , that trusted in god , were in subjection to their husbands , pet. . . which was signified by their heads covered , cor. . . they must not usurp authority over the man , tim. . . this would give occasion for the word of god to be blasphemed , titus . . . to reverence them , pet. . . and out of an awful regard to take care of pleasing them : she that is married takes care to please her own husband , cor. . . . to be of meek and sober spirits , placing their chiefest ornament in good works , as becometh women professing godliness , tim. . , . either keeping silence , v. . or speaking with wisdom , having the law of kindness in her lips , prov. . . the joint duties common to both are : . to be mutual helps : which was the end of this ordinance , gen. . . participating in one anothers cares and concernments ; this the very name imports , they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , conjuges , draw in the same yoke , and therefore should partake of the same burden and benefit . . in the educating of their children in the nurture and admonition of the lord ; being instrumental for their regeneration , continually exciting them to love of things that are truly virtuous and noble , and to a dislike and aversation of all such matters , as are sinful and unworthy , going before them in the example of a good life : they should whet the law upon them as the word signifies , deut. . . that is inculcate it , going it over and over again , as men do when they whet a thing ; th● first impressions are like to abide longest . to pray for them ; iob offered a sacrifice for each of his children : not to provoke them to wrath , ephes. . . lest they be discouraged , colos. . . using such a mixture of kindness and lenity in the exercise of parental authority as may excite a filial awe mixed of love and fear . . in the government of the whole family . if god have blessed you in these relations you shall take up ioshua's resolution , i and my house will serve the lord , setting up his fear and worship in your families . this is the best way to express your gratitude for mercies past , and will be the surest means to continue and secure them for the future . and if a blessing from this place , this mount of blessing , from the mouth and heart of him who had the happiness first to joyn your hands may be efficacious , i shall close up all with this benediction . the lord bless you , and lift up the light of his countenance upon you : continue you in mutual love and peace , and give you to see the desire of your souls upon your posterity ; that after many days of mutual comfort here , you may in a good old age be gathered to your fathers , and that your children after you may rise up and call you blessed for your love and care of them in a virtuous and christian education . the end of the ninth sermon . the tenth sermon . at the spittle easter wednesday , . isaiah xxxii . . the liberal deviseth liberal things ; and by liberal things shall he stand . in the former part of this chapter , we have a prophetical description of the happy state of the iewish church and nation under the reign of king hezekiah , who was in this respect a type of christ , as to his government in the times of the gospel . and whereas the former state of things , was under many wild confusions , by reason of violence in the governours , and slavish flattery and ignorance in the people , they should now be restored unto a due order and decorum . that this prince should by the justice of his government afford a security and refuge , against that general irregularity and oppression , which had before abounded : and after his delivery from sennacherib , and recovery from sickness , should effectually apply himself to the regulating of all publick violence and disorder in government ; which are here metaphorically described by those inconveniences of weather to which the inhabitants of that country were most lyable , winds , and tempests , and drought , and heats . he shall be a hiding place from the wind , and a cover● from the tempest , as streams of water in a dry place , as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land , v. . . and as for that gross ignorance and servile flattery , which this people had before been guilty of , in styling evil good , and vile persons by honourable names , this should now be rectified : their eyes shall not be dimn , and they shall understand knowledge , v. . . the vile person shall no more be called liberal , nor the churl said to be bountiful , v. . such kind of persons shall not any longer be in repute and esteem ; men shall not either by mistake or flattery , sooth up others in their vices . that which we translate vile , is elsewhere rendered foolish : nabal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sam. . . nabal is his name and folly is with him , but being here opposed to liberal , it may signifie a foolish niggard , not without some allusion to the story of nabal , whose name might in those days be used as a by-word . in the original there is an elegant paranomasia : nabal shall not be nadib . though their names be somewhat near , yet their natures are vastly distant : because such vile persons will both speak and contrive and practise vile , disingenuous , false , unworthy things , v. . . whereas on the contrary , the liberal deviseth liberal things , &c. that 's the scope of the place , and the connexion of the words : in them , we have these three parts or terms to be explained . . the subject , or person spoken of , the liberal man. . the property ascribed to him , deviseth liberal things . . the benefit or advantage promised to it , and by liberal things shall he stand . . for the subject , or person spoken of ; the liberal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : the vulgar translates it the prince ; the lxx . and the arabick , the religious ; the syriac , the great man. the original verb signifies properly to give with a ready willing mind , voluntariness , freeness , generosity , largeness of heart , a cheerful , bountiful giver . 't is frequently used in seripture for a prince , or a lord , because such kind of persons are by their conditions , more peculiarly obliged to be so : answerable to the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we translate benefactor , luke . . and equivalent to those english phrases , a man of honour , a generous person , one that is truly noble and worthy , of a free ingenuous spirit , without any tincture of servility or baseness . in opposition to a narrow , abject , sordid mind . . the property ascribed to this liberal person : he deviseth liberal things ; wherein there is an act and object . . the act , he deviseth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . consulit , meditatur ; the bent and inclination of his mind is set this way ; his thoughts are continually working upon it . the word may denote two things : either serious deliberation about it , or readiness of mind to it . i. serious deliberation about it ; he deviseth , that is , he imploys his most serious thoughts in this business , consulting and contriving in his mind , the most proper and effectual ways for it : this is styled , v. . the working of the heart ; speaking of the vile person , his heart doth work iniquity . and 't is elsewhere said of the wicked , that he deviseth mischief upon his bed , and sets himself in a way that is not good : the expression doth denote a purposed application of the thoughts , when men are studious and inquisitive how to effect and contrive things to the best advantage . ii. readiness and spontaneity , such an one doth not stay till he be provoked or necessitated by others to such kind of works , but doth of his own mind cast about in his thoughts , how to find the most fitting objects for them . it hath been a proverbial saying that liberalitas non facit syllogismum , liberality , doth not stay to argue and debate , when a proper and fitting occasion is offered , but upon the first suggestion doth most freely close and comply with it . . the object , liberal things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ea quae digna sunt principe , things that are noble and generous , such as become a person of a large and bountiful heart , such things as are of the most comprehensive nature , redounding to publick general benefit , and the good of mankind . in opposition to those little acts of fraud and circumvention and surprizal mentioned before , and all those narrow selfish designs , which vile persons are addicted to . . the benefit or advantage promised to it : by liberal things shall he stand , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the word may signifie to be established ( as it is rendered in the margin ) or to rise , propter liberalitates consurget . we are apt to think that these works of bounty , will be a means to undoe a man , and bring him down in his estate : which is an opinion that the philosopher , eth. lib. . chap. . doth expresly own , affirming that a liberal man cannot grow rich . but 't was because he was ignorant of those divine promises which are made to this virtue ; and had not sufficiently considered , the several instances to the contrary , which experience might have suggested to this purpose amongst the very heathens . such kind of persons shall not only be not ruined by their bounty , but they shall hereby be confirmed and advanced in all kind of prosperity ; what they bestow in this kind shall prove a saving instead of casting away ; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully . so that the text doth contain a description of this virtue of liberality , by its work or property ; and a recommendation of it by its wages , or the blessing and success that belongs to it . 't is a noble subject and very proper for the present solemnity . and if the plainest evidence from scripture , or the clearest deductions of reason may be of any force , i doubt not but to propose such considerations about it , as to men that will attend and consider , shall either convince them , and win them over to their duties , or leave them inexcusable . in the prosecution of this subject , i shall observe this plain method . . endeavour to shew the nature of this virtue ; what it is , and wherein it consists . . to prove the necessity of it , or the grounds of our obligation to it , from scripture and reason , and then : . to apply it to our selves by some useful inference . i. in treating concerning the first of these , the nature of this virtue , i shall speak briefly to these four heads : . the several names of this virtue . . the nature of it . . the qualifications of it , and opposites to it . . for the several names whereby 't is described . there are two hebrew words for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , both of them mentioned , v. . and they do each of them signifie nobility and dignity , because this virtue is so in it self , and 't is essential to such as deserve to be so esteemed ; answerable to those english words used to this purpose , nobleness and generosity : the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and latin liberalitas , from whence the english is derived , do import an ingenuous freedom in opposition to servility and baseness . the periphrastical descriptions of it , are such as these , opening our hands wide , deut. . . drawing out our souls , isa. . . dispersing abroad , cor. . . being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness , cor. . . to be rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate , tim. . . . for the nature of it ; 't is described by the philosopher to be , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a virtuous mediocrity in the right use of our wealth , directing a man to a due measure , both in the acquiring and keeping of his estate , but chiefly in giving and disposing of it upon fitting occasions : or , 't is a virtuous habit , whereby we are enabled and inclined to relieve the want , and promote the well-fare of others , in such cases where we are not obliged by humane laws . in persons of large and princely estates , and in works of splendidness and grandeur , 't is styled by the name of magnificence ; which differs only gradually from it : being extended to persons in a state of suffering and misery , 't is styled mercy or pity . to persons in a condition of want , 't is styled alms or charity : being each of them the same thing for kind and substance , and diversified only by the subjects and objects . . the qualifications or conditions required to the due exercise of it , which are chiefly four . . willingness : . freeness : . readiness , for the manner ; . largeness , for the measure ; in opposition to grudging , mercenariness , delay , sparingness . . it must be done willingly with spontaneity , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with forwardness of mind , cor. . . not grudgingly , but chearfully , v. . thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest to thy brother , deut. . . sic des , quemadmodum velles accipere . prevent being asked , which will exceedingly enlarge a kindness : non tulit gratis , qui cum rogasset accepit : an ingenuous man may pay dear for a kindness , when he is put to buy it with solicitation . an unjust judge may be prevailed upon with importunity : david doth with a kind of triumphant joy celebrate the temper of his people in offering so willingly their contributions towards the temple ; he looks upon it as such an excellent disposition , as was both acceptable to god and approved of men ; such , as was an honour to the nation , and which god did highly esteem . . it must be done freely , without expecting reward , luke . . do good — expecting nothing again ; freely you have received , freely give . he that is liberal upon design , may be styled mercenary . such kind of gifts are not benevolence , but a bargain ; not a dole but a bait : mittit in hamo ; venatio est non donatio , saith st. hierom : that 's a remarkable place , prov. . . he that oppresseth the poor to encrease his riches , and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to want . 't is obser●●ble there , that giving to the rich , is coupled with oppressing the poor ; both of them arising from the same kind of temper in men , and designing the same end , as being alike thought sure ways to encrease our wealth , but the issue will be that such shall surely want . there is another opposite text to this purpose , luke . . when thou makest a dinner call not thy rich neighbours , lest they also bid thee again , and so a recompence be made thee . one would think there should be no great hazard in that , and yet 't is mentioned as a dangerous thing , which men ought carefully to avoid , as being likely upon another account to redound to our loss and prejudice , by hindering our better recompences at the resurrection of the just , v. . . it must be done readily , without delay : if that saying be true that bis dat qui citò ; then he doth but half give who gives slowly : say not to thy neighbour , go and come again , and to morrow i will give thee , when thou hast it by thee , prov. . . tantum gratiae demis , quantum morae adjicis : we are apt our selves to be very impatient in our desires , when we are under any want or exigence , and to say with david , make hast o lord to help me : i am in trouble , o hear me speedily , for my spirit faileth . and 't is but reason that we should be willing to do as we would be done unto . . besides these several qualifications for the manner , it must likewise be done freely and liberally for the measure ; according to our several abilities , opening our hands wide and sowing bountifully . 't is for a brother of low degree to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sparingly : they that are rich in this world , must be rich in good works also . goats-hair and badgers-skins may be a sutable gift for the people , and a mite for a poor widow ; but the rich are to give purple , and gold , and iewels . and in this sense is that scripture to be fulfilled , that to whom much is given of them much shall be required . . the opposites to it ; which ( as of all other moral virtues ) are of two kinds , redundant , deficient ; & profuseness , and covetousness . whereas there is a twofold office of liberality , namely , to direct us in a due measure in getting or keeping , and in spending or giving . the prodigal is excessive in the latter and defective in the former : on the contrary the covetuous is excessive in the former and defective in the latter . . the exceeding extreme is styled prodigality , profuseness , riotousness , which observes neither the due manner , nor measure in keeping , or giving . it hath this peculiar folly belonging to it , that it takes care to destroy it self : quid stultius ( saith cicero ) quam quod libenter facias , curare ut id diutiùs facere non possis . . the deficient extream is churlishness , tenacity , shutting up the bowels of compassion , being greedy of filthy lucre . it hath these particular characters given to it in scripture ; 't is a kind of idolatry , inconsistent with religion , no man can serve god and mammon . he that loveth the world , the love of the father is not in him : 't is the root of all evil leading men into temptations and snares , into many foolish and noysome lusts , which drown men in perdition and destruction . 't is hateful to men , amongst whom it will render a person vile and contemptible : and 't is abominable to god , the covetuous whom god abhorreth , psal. . . ii. i proceed to the second head , the necessity of it , or the grounds of our obligation to it from scripture and reason . the scripture proofs to this purpose i shall reduce under these four heads : . the precepts for it : . the commendations of it : . the promises made to it : . the threats and iudgments denounced upon the neglect of it . . the precepts for it , which are very numerous , deut. . this duty within a little compass , is inculcated no less than four several times , and urged with much emphaticalness : thou shalt not harden thy heart , nor shut thy hand against thy poor brother , v. . but thou shalt open thy hand wide to him , v. . thou shalt surely give him , and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest to him , v. . therefore i command thee saying , thou shalt open thy hand wide to thy brother , to thy poor , and to thy needy in thy land , v. . eccles. . . cast thy bread upon the waters , give a portion to seven , and also to eight : in the morning sow thy seed , and in the evening withhold not thine hand , matth. . . give to him that asketh thee , luke . . do good — hoping for nothing again , tim. . . charge them that are rich in this world , that they be rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate , titus . . this i will that thou affirm constantly , that those who believe in god be careful to maintain good works . these are some of the scripture commands to this purpose , which are very plain and positive . nor can any reasonable man doubt , but that he ought in such cases , to yield obedience to him , who hath the supreme dominion over us . . the commendations of it : that which we translate a liberal soul , prov. . . in the hebrew is the soul of blessing ; because 't is so both actively and passively . as the virtue of charity is frequently celebrated for one of the most excellent amongst all the rest , and set forth by many peculiar commendations , as being better than sacrifice ; the fulfilling of the law ; the bond of perfectness ; the great commandment ; the royal law : so is bounty one of the top branches of charity . 't is justly counted a privilege , which men ought to seek after and rejoyce in , that they may receive good from others . now the scripture tells us , that 't is more blessed to give than to receive , acts . . 't is both the evidence and the ornament of our religion : 't is the chief fruit whereby we are to judge of our sincerity . men do vainly pretend to faith and religion , without the proof of such good works : obadiah doth urge this to the prophet as an evidence of his fearing god , that he had been careful to relieve others in distress . and the centurion was for this reason styled a man of worth : pure religion and undefiled , is to abound in works of this nature , to visit the fatherless and the widow , jam. . . the wisdom that is from above is full of mercy and good fruits , jam. . . the apostle describes liberality to be a demeaning our selves sutably , to our professed subjection to the gospel of christ , cor. . . and elsewhere he styles being fruitful in good works , a walking worthy of the lord unto all pleasing , providing things honest in the sight of all men , cor. . . works of bounty are in another place said to be an odour of a sweet smell , a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing unto god. the image of god doth more especially consist in this ; nothing renders us so like him , as beneficence . we shall for this be called the children of the highest , luke . . 't is styled by the name of perfection , luke . . compared with matth. . . by this a man is said to honour his maker , prov. . . to make god a debtor , prov. . . to feed hungry christ and to cloth naked christ : and at the day of judgment , these kind of services shall have the preference before all others , men being doom'd to their eternal states acco●ding as they have been forward or negligent in these duties . and what can be said more highly in the commendation of any thing ? . the promises that are made to it : in the general , of happiness , blessing , reward . he that hath mercy on the poor , happy is he , prov. . . he that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed , chap. . . and god will pay him again , chap. . his reward shall be great ; it shall be given unto him , good measure , pressed down , shaken together , and runing over , luke . . in special ; for this life , and that which is to come . . for this life . success in our affairs : for this , the lord thy god shall bless thee in all thy works , and in all that thou settest thine hand unto , deut . . deliverance out of trouble : if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry , and satisfie the afflicted soul , then shall thy light rise in obscurity , and thy darkness be as the noon day ; and the lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soul in drought , and make fat thy bones , and thou shalt be like a watered garden , and like a spring of water whose waters fail not , isai. . . . tranquillity in our conditions : daniel tells king nebuchadnezzar , that shewing mercy to the poor may be a good means to lengthen his tranquillity , dan. . . plenty : he that gives to the poor shall not lack , prov. . . the liberal soul shall be made fat , and he that watereth shall be watered also himself , chap. . . with this particular difference from the wealth that is gotten by other means , that the gain which is the fruit of the promise , and proceeds from the blessing of the lord , doth make rich and he adds no sorrow with it , prov. . . honour : such an one shall be had in everlasting remembrance , psal. . . his name shall be exalted with honour , v. . men shall rise up at the mention of him and call him blessed . provision for their posterity : his seed shall be blest , psal. . . so as not to beg their bread , psal. . . and as for the life to come : men may by this means make themselves friends of the unrighteous mammon , which shall hereafter receive them into everlasting habitations . they do hereby lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come , whereby they may lay hold on eternal life : the last doom and sentence of , come ye blessed , or go ye cursed , being pronounced upon men according as their demeanour hath been in this respect . . the threats and judgments denounced and executed upon the neglect of it , prov. . . whoso stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor , he also shall cry himself , but shall not be heard , chap. . . he that hideth his eyes from such as need his help , shall have many a curse : men will curse him in prosperity , and not pity him in adversity . he shall have judgment without mercy who hath shewed no mercy , jam. . . with what measure we mete to others , it shall be measured to us again . which was verified in that parable of dives , qui non dedit micam , non gustavit guttam . he that denied a crum of bread , could not receive a drop of water : you know the sentence upon that unmerciful servant , who having received great favour himself , would not yet shew any kindness or pity to his fellow , 't is said his lord was wroth with him , and delivered him to the tormentors , matth. . . this was the occasion of that dreadful sentence of excommunication denounced against the ammonites and moabites , deut. . . they shall not enter into the congregation of the lord for ever , ( i. e. ) as some interpreters would have it , though they should be willing to turn proselytes , yet should not they be admitted , nor shalt thou seek their peace and prosperity all thy days ; v. . and the reason was , because they met you not with bread and water in the way when ye came forth out of egypt . these being the only nations whom god had charged the israelites not to fight against , deut. . . and for them not to afford them any relief in their distress , had in it so much unkindness , as should set an everlasting brand of infamy upon their nations . one of the reasons which brought that fearful destruction upon sodom was , because she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy . ezek. . , . iob had such an abhorrency against this vice , that he professeth he had rather his arm should fall from his shoulder-blade , and his arms be broken from the bone , than be guilty of it . iob . . prov. . . there is that withholdeth more than is meet , but it tendeth to poverty . that place seems to refer to such as do give somewhat ( though sparingly ) and if such come to poverty , much more shall those that give nothing at all . i have done with the scripture proofs to this purpose . it cannot be , but that men who do in good earnest believe the scriptures , must needs be convinced by such plain evidences as these . i proceed to the arguments from reason , which i shall rank under these three heads . equity , iustice , advantage . . from equity : the rules of fitness and congruity , such as every one who pretends to reason or ingenuity , must submit unto , do oblige us to the exercise of this grace . which may be made out upon a threefold account . in respect of god , the poor , our selves . . in respect of god , who bestows upon us all that we have , and therefore may well expect that we should be ready to lay out some of it for his use , according to his appointment . all things come of thee , and of thine own we have given thee ( saith david ) chr. . . he renews his mercies to us every morning , and daily loads us with his benefits . he gives to us liberally , and upbraids us not , he spreads our tables and fills our cups , till they run over , that we may be more ready with our superfluities , to fill the empty , and satisfie the hungry with our good things , that our abundance may be a supply for others wants , that there may be an equality , cor. . . that passage tim. . . doth in every word of it contain an argument to this purpose , he gives us all things richly to enjoy . he gives , we can claim nothing as our due ; us , so unworthy ; richly ; ( i. e. bountifully ) that others might be supplyed out of our store ; to enjoy , not to hoard up or waste upon our lusts , but to dispose of to their proper end and use . for ye know the grace of our lord iesus christ , that though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor , that ye through his poverty might be made rich . cor. . . and there is all imaginable equity in this consequence , why god should require this of us , having done so much for us . suppose a man ransomed from death and slavery , and want , and put into the possession of a great estate by the bounty of another ; who thereupon should make it his earnest request to him , that for his sake he would spare some little of that plenty he had now conferred upon him , towards the relief of some friends of his , who were nearly related to him , upon whom he might have bestowed all that wealth , which he had chosen rather to confer upon him : and should adjure him to this , by all the entreaties , promises , and repeated importunities that could be ; would not heaven and earth cry shame against such a vile ungrateful wretch , as should in so small a matter neglect so great an obligation ? would not every mans heart rise up with much keenness and indignation against the very mention of such a monster ? but you will say , are there any such vile wretches in the world ? i answer , all those that are rich , and not bountiful upon good occasions , they are such . and if any such there be in this place , i would say to every one of them , as nathan did to david ; thou art the man. . 't is equitable in respect of the poor , who by reason of their relation to us , and their need of us , may reasonably expect assistance from us . god could have provided sufficiently for every one , but his providence hath so ordered it , that there shall be alwayes poor in the land , to prove us in this kind , that we might have fit matter for the exercise of this grace , & that we might have some visible examples of what he can reduce us to when he pleases . nor are dignities or riches upon any other account desirable , but as they afford means and opportunities of doing good to such as stand in need of our help . so that the different states and degrees amongst men as to riches and poverty , seem by the providence of god to be purposely designed in order to the exercise of this virtue . . 't is equitable in respect of our selves . we are miserable , despicable creatures , and can hope for nothing from god , but upon the account of bounty ; without his mercy we are all of us lost and undone . now the rules of congruity will require , that we should be as ready to shew mercy to others , as to expect it for our selves ; there is no man so absolute and independent , as not at some time to stand in need of the help of others ; humane society could not subsist , without the mutual offices of kindnesses ; and nothing is more sutable to natural reason , than that we should be ready to do as we would be done unto . that 's the first argument upon the account of common reason and ingenuity . . this is not only equitable and fitting , and the not doing of it an incongruous , unreasonable thing : but 't is likewise just , and the omission of it an injury or sin . 't is observed by some learned criticks , that in the hebrew , and the rest of the oriental tongues , this virtue of bounty and beneficence is styled by the name of iustice or righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this being the word most frequently used for it , and is accordingly often so rendered by the septuagint ; in that forecited place . psal. . . the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance : where the context will make it evident , that by righteous is meant the bountiful and charitable man. so psal. . . the wicked borroweth and payeth not again , but the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth : and in several other places . though one man cannot implead another before the bar of humane law , for not doing him a kindness , for not being liberal to him : the end of the law being to preserve men within the bounds of justice ; to keep them from doing injuries to one another , w ch is more immediately necessary to the peace of societies . yet in gods law , the not doing a kindness , when we have a fitting occasion , is counted injustice ; and he will arraign us for the omission of such occasions . the apostle having said rom. . . render to all their dues , pay to every man your debts , subjoyns in the next verses ; owe no man any thing , but to love one another ; implying that in the scripture sense , charity is a debt , and the not paying of it an injustice . 't is such a debt as we can never fully discharge , but though we are alwayes paying of it , yet we must still be in arrear , whilst there shall remain any ability , and occasion for our exercising of it . prov. . . withhold not good from him to whom it is due ( or from the owners thereof ) speaking of works of bounty . when there are fit objects proposed to us that need our help , they have a just title to it ; and the not assisting of them , is withholding from them their due . we are but stewards of our estate , and are to lay it out for such uses of the family , as are most agreeable to our masters will ; and the neglect of this is styled , being unfaithful in that which is another mans . god himself is the great soveraign and proprietor of the world ; all men are but his subjects and tenants ; there is a tribute or rent which he requires from them , upon the non-payment of which they forfeit their tenure , and afterwards do but usurp , being in his sight without any lawful title to what they possess . and he hath appointed two kind of receivers for this tribute or rent , which we owe to him , his ministers and the poor ; the not paying to one of these is expresly styled , robbing of god , malach. . . 't is so likewise in the other case , pauperibus non impertire rapina est , nay , it may prove much worse , a kind of murther , which is the highest kind of injustice , because not to save when we may is to destroy , as is implyed by our saviour , luke . . that 's the second argument upon the account of justice or duty . . 't is highly advantageous to us ; which is the last argument upon the account of interest . by liberal things shall we stand . 't is the best means to improve and confirm a mans condition , in all the felicities of this life , and a better . . for this life : 't is the most effectual way both to improve and preserve our estates , and to render us honourable and amiable in the esteem of others . . for the increasing of our estates : the apostle compares it to sowing , which refers to an harvest . the husbandman would never scatter his seed upon the ground , if he did not know , that 't is much better for him to dispose of it so , than to keep it in his granary . 't is of all others the most gainful way of trading . ars omnium quaestuosissima , as one of the fathers . when we receive much for a little , certain for uncertain , eternal things for temporal . . for the preserving it safe . the iews call alms by the name of salt , for its preserving power . 't is laying up treasures in heaven , where rust cannot corrupt , nor thieves break through and steal . such persons whom we help by our beneficence , are but so many treasurers whom we intrust with the custody of our wealth ; who will preserve it more safely for us , than any lock or guards , or any other repositories can do . as for that wealth which is not so disposed of , the thief may rob our treasuries ; the fire may devour our houses ; creditors may grow insolent ; our grounds may become fruitless and barren , by reason of unseasonable weather ; tempests may destroy our adventures in merchandize ; some mistake in our conveyances may overthrow the title of our purchases : every one of these may be subject to a thousand casualties . but , extra fortunam est , quicquid donatur amicis ; quas dederis , solas semper habebis opes . saith the epigrammatist . a man can be sure only of that wealth which he hath given away . 't is storyed of a great man , eminent for his bounty , that being asked by a friend , what he did intend to reserve for himself , after all his bountiful gifts bestowed upon others ? answered , ea ipsa quae dono : implying , that instead of alienating , he did rather confirm his propriety in them , by disposing of them to good uses . 't was a significant saying to this purpose , habeo quod dedi , perdidi quod servavi . i do keep what i gave , but i have lost what i kept . to which it may be added , that as these riches are not so much exposed to danger , so are they less lyable to the envy of others . for honour and repute , which is better than great riches , 't is said , he that hath mercy on the poor , honoureth his maker . prov. . . and god hath said , him that honoureth me , i will honour . every man is a friend to a man of gifts . nor is such an one so much a loser in his purse by his bounty , as he is a gainer in the hearts and affections of men . the centurion ( though of a different way from the iews ) was upon this account highly valued in their esteem , which made them so earnestly to intercede with our saviour in his behalf , as being a worthy generous person , who had obliged them by his publick beneficence ; and our saviour did upon that reason more readily comply with their desires upon the first motion . though upon another occasion being twice sollicited in the behalf of a noble man's son , he refused to go . this gives us an interest in the prayers of others . tim. . . the apostle mentioning the good offices done to him by onesiphorus , adds , the lord give mercy to his house , for he oft refreshed me , and was not ashamed of my chains , the lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the lord in that day . st. hierom speaking of a bountiful man , gives this reason why such an one must alwayes be safe and happy ; habet enim multos intercessores , & impossible est multorum preces non exaudiri . men do generally wish well to such and speak well of them ; and will be ready to stand by them , and assist them in their troubles . the highest expression of love that can be , is for a man to be ready to lay down his life for another ; greater love than this hath no man. now though scarcely for a righteous man will one dye , i. e. one of a severe innocence , yet for a good man some will dare to dye , rom. . . ( i. e. ) for a friend and benefactor ; one that is a publick good , and of general usefulness , worth a thousand others ; for such an one men may be ready to venture their lives ; which is the highest expression of love and honour that may be . and as for the advantage we hereby receive as to our future estates , this likewise is much every way . 't is some security from that danger and prejudice , which follows upon the having of riches . the evil of abundance is , that we are thereby tempted to forget god : and 't is the benefit of liberality , that it makes us to remember him , by laying up our treasures in heaven : and where the treasure is , there will the heart be also , luke . . works of beneficence are called by st. paul , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · the foundation of that reward we shall receive in the world to come . some criticks have observed that this greek word in the hellenistical use , hath an allusion to another hebrew word , which in the rabbinical dialect signifies tabulae contractus , a bill of contract , a bond or obligation , by vertue of which , at the day of payment , we may plead a right to the reward , as being justly due to us , not vi meriti , but vi pacti , by vertue of that promise whereby god hath been pleased to become our debtor . and which is most desirable , to have christ at the last day to be our debtor and rewarder , or our enemy and revenger ? iii. in the application of what hath been said , there are some few things i would observe , by way of doctrinal inference . practical inference . . by way of instruction , these corollaries . . if such persons only be truly noble and generous , who devise liberal things , then all such as are averse from such things are but nabals , vile and foolish , and ought to be so esteemed , amongst them that will pass righteous judgment , and are able to distinguish of things that differ . there may be an outward respect due to titles of honour and dignity , but when they are mee●ly nominal , without any foundation of real worth to answer them , 't is not to be expected that they should acquire an inward esteem in the judgments and affections of judicious persons . men may have the custody of great estates , but they are rather the slaves than the masters of them , unless they have hearts to dispose of them to good uses . . hence we learn what to think of those , who are so far from devising liberal things , that they must be forced to do just things . and will in cases of differences yield no further than they can be compelled by law : insisting to the utmost upon every punctilio of advantage , which the rigor and the letter of the law will afford them . these are so far from being persons of honour , that in the scripture sense they ought not to be reputed persons of honesty ; equity being necessary to that no less than iustice. . those persons are much mistaken , who think acts of this kind to be arbitrary ; that they may exert or restrain their bounty , at their own pleasure , without doing injury to any one . whereas 't is plain , that the scripture doth impose it as a necessary duty , and esteem the omission of it an injury . and though we cannot be accused for our neglects in this kind before mans tribunal , yet god will pass upon us our final sentence according to these works . . if this be so sure a means for the securing and improving our estates , and that by liberal things men shall stand : this may afford some ground for our enquiry , whether the neglect of this duty may not have some influence ▪ upon the general complaints in these times , of want of money and trading , and of mens failing in their estates . this is plain enough , that there is no age to be mentioned , wherein the generality of persons of all ranks and conditions have been more profuse and extravagant , as to those particular expences that concern themselves in all respects , buildings , diet , apparel , &c. and it may justly be feared that this excess in private expences , may occasion a defect in their publick bounty : and then no wonder if men by neglect of liberal things do fall and break . . by way of exhortation ; we may from hence be excited to these two things . . to give honour , love and respect to liberal persons : this is as much due to them from others , as their bounty and charity is due from them to others . and it cannot be less than an injury to detain from any one what is his due . it was an usual form amongst the iews upon the naming of worthy persons deceased , to add this clause to the mention of them , whose memory is blessed . and hence was that custom in the primitive times of appointing anniversary memorials and festivals in honour of the worthies deceased ; to recount their good deeds , celebrating the praises due to them , that others by their example might be excited to do the like . and here i cannot in justice omit the mentioning of a late publick good work ( not sufficiently taken notice of , though ) redounding much to the honour of our nation and religion , i mean the redemption of so many captives from slavery , and restoring them again to their native countries ; which certainly ought to be commemorated with praise as a work of a sweet savour , both to god and men : and a further addition to that double honour , which was before due to such as were the chief promoters of it ; i mean the clergy of this church , in gratitude to god for his gracious and wonderful restitution of them to their just rights and revenues . and i may truly speak it to the everlasting honour of this famous city , that it hath afforded as many liberal worthy benefactors for publick good works , ( and that too since the reformation , whatever the papists suggest to the contrary ) as any other city in the christian world. and which ought further to be acknowledged to their deserved praise , the several companies of it , have generally discharged the trust committed to them by the legacies of others , with much more honour and fidelity than particular men use to do . having of their own accord , without being necessitated to it by a course of law , observed that fair ingenuous equity , which is proper in such cases , by augmenting the allowances bequeathed in some proportion , according as the price and value of things hath increased . this i know hath been done in some cases ; and i am sure by the rules of equity it ought to be so in others . that what was at first designed by the will of the donour as a meet and liberal maintenance , and now by the rising of the value of things falls short of it , ( if the revenue will bear it ) ought to be augmented in some proportion to what was first intended . such persons cannot justly pretend to this character in the text of devising liberal things themselves , who are not free and generous in the right disposal of the liberality of others . . which brings me to the second branch of exhortation , with which i shall conclude : that as we are now convinced of , so should we be affected with , and accordingly practise this excellent virtue of liberality . and as we abound in every thing , in riches , peace , faith , knowledg , that we abound in this grace also . it may seem superfluous to add any thing further to that great cloud of testimonies and arguments which i have already urged to this purpose . without this bounty and pity to others we can have no good assurance of gods favour to us , nor any grounds to expect it . with what face or confidence can any man ask mercy for himself , who is not ready to shew it to others ? 't is this that must add an efficacy to our prayers , as it did with cornelius ; that must sanctifie our possessions , our unrighteous mammon , which otherwise will not be clean to us . 't is the parent of honour , safety , prosperity without us , of joy , peace , confidence within us ; the greatest comfort both in life and death , as being the surest evidence both of our grace here , and our glory hereafter . 't will be but a little while before every one of you shall be called to give an account of your stewardships ; and would it not be your wisdom , before that time to have a right state of your accounts and to examine how they stand ? i am sensible that i speak to men of experience , such as by their constant way of dealing must needs be well versed in things of this nature ; and do thoroughly understand what belongs to the making up and adjusting of accounts ; how to put together the charge , first of what they have received , and are responsible for ; and then the discharge , how it hath been laid out and expended . and i appeal to your consciences , can you think this would be a good account at the last day to say , lord thou hast intrusted me with so many talents , such a revenue in land , such a stock in money and commodities , such an income by trading , or by offices , to the value it may be of some thousands or hundreds by the year . of which receipts i have expended , imprimis , for my own use in buildings , furniture , apparel , feasting , recreations , law suits , and perhaps some more vicious way of expence , so many hundreds . item , for thy use and service towards the relief of thy poor members , to works of devotion or publick bounty , either so many blanks , or so many pence . if men would deal impartially with themselves , putting both these together , and compare them with one another ; would not this be enough to shame and confound men , if they were but serious in religion , and did in good earnest believe what they profess ? when we come to die , the remembrance of those sums , though but small ones , which we have sent before us to heaven in works of bounty and charity , will be a greater comfort and support to our minds than all those vast treasures which we must leave behind us upon earth . if men do not believe these things , why do they pretend to be christians ? if they do believe them , how is it possible they should walk so unanswerably to them ? oh! that what hath been said might prevail with some amongst you , to enter upon a firm resolution of altering the state of your accounts for the future , by reducing these two general heads for your selves , and for god , unto a more decent and equal proportion ; that the one may not consist only of pounds , and the other of pence . that so much at least may be laid out upon good works , as may afford to your faith and hope some ground and foundation to lay hold on eternal life . the eleventh sermon . luke vii . . for he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue . amongst the many passages in the gospel concerning those miraculous cures , which were wrought by our saviour , this of the centurion's servant is upon several accounts one of the most remarkable . we have it recorded in two several evangelists , by st. matthew , chap. . and here by st. luke . the first of these studying brevity and conciseness in the relation of it , doth thereupon omit several circumstances specified by the other ; whence there ariseth some seeming inconsistency betwixt them . from which the pagans and manichees of old , took advantage in their objections against the truth of the gospel . the chief circumstance wherein the difference lies , is concerning the persons who came unto christ. in st. matthew 't is said , that the centurion himself came , beseeching of christ , vers . . and answering of him , v. . and in this place 't is said , that the centurion first sent the elders to him , v. . and after his friends , v. . and part of their message is , neither thought i my self worthy to come unto thee , v. . several things are answered to this objection by those who write concerning the harmony of the evangelists . the most common solution is , that what is done by a man's proxy or messenger , may be ascribed to a mans self , apostolus cujusque est & quisque , he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me . christ is said to have preached peace to the ephesians , ephes. . . and repentance to the old world , pet. . . which he did not in his own person , but by his messengers . others conceive , that the centurion first sent the elders of the iews , whose commission was only to beseech cure for his servant : and when upon their request our saviour was pleased to come towards his house , then he sends some other friends to deprecate that trouble , and to let him know , that he was not so presumptuous as to expect or desire any such favour from him : but when notwithstanding this message , our saviour still kept on his way towards his house , then at last the centurion himself comes out , and tells him , that he is altogether unworthy to have so great a guest come under his roof . this being very suitable to all the circumstances of the story recorded by both evangelists , doth sufficiently reconcile the seeming difficulty about it . so that the text is part of that message which was sent to our saviour in behalf of the centurions servant . for the better understanding of the words , and the story to which they refer , it may be proper to premise something concerning these four particulars . . the person sending , . the message or errand . . the messengers employed , . their success , or the issue of this message . . the person sending , is here described by various circumstances ; his calling , religion , those special virtues for which he was eminent . . his calling or profession . a certain centurion , v. . a military officer , one of those captains who were quartered up and down the several parts of iudea , to prevent any commotions or seditions amongst the iews , whilst they were under the roman government ; and 't is likely that his garrison or head quarters were at capernaum , the place where this miracle was wrought . . for his religion , he was neither iew nor christian but a heathen ; acknowledging no other principles but what the light of nature might lead a man unto ; whereby men are obliged to renounce idols , to worship only the one true god , to observe the rules of justice and charity , dealing so with others as they desire to be dealt with themselves . which rules are particularly enumerated under seven heads , styled by the rabbins , the seven precepts of noah . and the observance of these was then counted sufficient to entitle a man a proselyte ; of which there were two kinds amongst the jews called by them , proselytes of the covenant and of the gate . those were called proselytes of the covenant , who took upon them the sign of it , namely circumcision , and did submit themselves to all the iewish rites injoyned by moses . and all such of what nation soever , who were thus fully converted to that religion , were afterwards counted as native iews , and admitted to the same common priviledges , and to worship with them , both in the times of the tabernacle and of the temple . such was vriah , &c. those were called proselytes of the gate , who during the time of solomons temple , stood only without at the gate , not being admitted within the septs or inclosures of it ; though in the second temple there was an outward court appointed for them called atrium gentium . these were neither circumcised nor observed any of the mosaical rites , but only those precepts of natural religion which i mentioned before . and of these there were some in all times amongst the iews , and usually great numbers in all cities and places of the gentiles where the iews had synagogues . such was naaman the syrian , in the old testament ; cornelius , and the centurion in the new. in the history of the acts of the apostles , there is frequent mention of these kind of proselytes under the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , worshippers or devout persons , chap. . ; . ; . , ; . . who also were the first gentiles converted to christianity . and though there was a wide difference betwixt the iews and these proselytes in matters of religion , yet did it not grow up to any such heats and animosities betwixt them , but they lived peaceably together . as for the iews , though they were by the law obliged to esteem such persons as gentiles and unclean , with whom they might not familiarly converse ; yet were they willing upon account of their virtue to allow them some share in their good opinion and friendship : esteeming them to be pious men , and such as ( according to their opinion ) should be admitted to some portion of happiness in the other world. and the apostle sayes of some of them that they feared god , acts . , . and chap. . . and on the other side , these heathen proselytes , though they did not believe the iewish religion , or submit to the rites of it , yet because they found the principles of it more rational than any other , in the prohibiting of all vices , in their worship of one god , and being free from idolatry , which all other nations were guilty of ; therefore had they a greater esteem for the iews than for any other ; frequenting their synagogues to hear the law read and expounded , and being ready to oblige them by any bounty and favour , whereby they might testifie a peculiar respect to them , as being devout and religious men . . as for those special virtues recorded of this centurion , there are observable in the story of him these four things for which he was eminent . . his great tenderness and pity towards his sick servant , who is said to be dear to him , v. . though 't is probable that he was but a slave , either bought with his money , or taken amongst the spoils of war ; for such kind of servants were then most usual with the romans , especially amongst military men ; yet you see how full of compassion he is towards him in his sickness , how solicitous for his recovery , making all the interest he could , and ingaging his chief friends to mediate in his behalf ; and from his being thus merciful we may probably infer that he was likewise a man of courage and valour . for as fierceness and cruelty is a sure indication of a coward , so gentleness and humanity are usually arguments of a great and generous mind . . his modesty and humility . though others that knew him had a great esteem of him , yet had he a mean opinion of himself ; neither thought he himself worthy to come unto christ. v. . he knew that the iews did count themselves polluted by any familiar converse with such as he was ; and much less could he think himself worthy to receive any such honour from christ , as that he should vouchsafe to come under his roof . . his bounty and generosity in works of devotion , manifested by building a synagogue for the iews , erecting for them a place of publick worship at his own charge , which was a matter of no small expence . . his great ingenuity of mind in submitting to sufficient evidence . having been informed of those great miracles wrought by our saviour , and that holy doctrine which he taught , he is immediately convinced that he must needs be a divine person . and accordingly he makes his address to him suitably to this belief ; expressing his faith in such a way as hath no other instance like it in scripture : his request is , say in a word , and my servant shall be healed . as if he should have said , i do not think it fitting either for me to ask , or christ to grant , that he should vouchsafe to come and see my servant , or to lay his hand on him ; 't will be sufficient if he shall please to speak the word only . and he gives this reason for it , for if i who am but a man under authority , have such a power over those committed to my charge as to make them come and go at my command , much more then may he send away diseases by a word of his mouth . for i am a man , thou art a divine person , i am set under authority , thou art the supreme lord of all ; i have soldiers under me , a rough untractable generation of men , and yet when i say to one go , he goes ; and to another come , he comes ; to a third do this , he does it . now sicknesses and diseases are thy servants , under thine absolute dominion and command , to be disposed of as thou pleasest ; and therefore as i am not worthy to come unto thee , nor is it fitting for me to expect that thou shouldst vouchsafe to come unto me ; so is neither of these necessary to the grant of my petition , 't is but saying the word , and my servant shall be healed . upon this message our saviour seems to be somewhat surprized : 't is said , he marvelled at him , and having made a stand , he turns about to the people that followed him , and said unto them , i have not found so great faith , no not in israel , v. . . the business or message ; which was to intercede with christ for cure of a sick servant . and this , those who were imployed on this account did accordingly endeavour with much earnestness ; pressing their request with arguments taken from the great merit and commendation of the person in whose behalf they did intercede ; which they express first in the general , saying , he is worthy for whom he should do this , v. . and this they further specifie by two particular instances : . from his publick spiritedness , he loves our nation ; he is not a person of the common temper , of a little narrow mind , immersed wholly in himself , or given up to some small designs for his own private gain and advantage . . his bounty and generosity in works of devotion , he hath built us a synagogue . what by the help of his soldiers , and his own expence , he hath very liberally erected for us a place for publick worship : which must needs be a great obligation to those who had any zeal for their religion ; and is accordingly made use of as a powerful motive of favour towards him . but here , before i proceed any further , it may be proper to speak something for the clearing up of this question , how it comes to be recorded as a commendable thing for a man to build a synagogue , when we find no command or institution for it in scripture ? and therefore it may seem to be a kind of will-worship , or humane invention , which may as well be said likewise concerning our churches in these times of christianity . we read indeed of a glorious tabernacle , and after of a stately temple appointed by god himself . all the parts , vtensils , services , officers , and every other circumstance belonging to that worship , being particularly determined in scripture . but we read nothing at all of any command concerning synagogues or churches . to this it may be answered , that the having of particular places set apart for the duties of publick worship is of natural obligation , and therefore doth not require any positive law for the commanding of it . though such kind of ceremonial and typical precepts , as are no way derivable from natural light , do receive all their obligation from being instituted ; yet in things that are moral , which a man may be acquainted with , and obliged unto by the meer light of nature , in such cases a man is left to the dictates of reason and prudence . and from this natural principle was it that the ancient patriarchs , who lived abroad in booths and tents , frequently changing their places for fresh pasture , when they came to any new place of abode , where they pitched their tents , their custom was to erect altars , and enclose them about , which was usually done in some mountains , high places and groves . and these ( before they came to be abused by idolatry ) were in general request amongst them , being styled by the name of sanctuaries or holy places , to which a reverence is commanded , ye shall keep my sabbaths , and reverence my sanctuaries , levit. . . when the israelites wandered in the wilderness without any setled habitation , they were commanded to make a moveable tabernacle , before which they were to worship , exod. . and before that glorious tabernacle was erected , moses had a tent without the camp for that purpose , called the tabernacle of the congregation . when they were to be in a setled condition , they are then commanded to fix unto the place which the lord their god should chuse , deut. . . after , when god had chosen ierusalem , and in it mount moriah , david did first , out of his own inclination , make an attempt towards this work of building the temple , which was afterwards accomplished by solomon . and that temple being destroyed , another was erected in the room of it , which ( though it fell much short of the former ) yet was it one of the most noble and famous structures in the whole world. each of these , the tabernacle and the temples , were by particular appointment . in after times we read of other kinds of buildings for worship , synagogues and oratories . synagogues were somewhat answerable to our parish-churches , in which they were wont to assemble for prayer , reading and interpreting the law. the oratories or proseuchae were lesser structures , commonly erected without the towns , and by the sea-side : into which it was usual for passengers to enter for praying , and giving of alms. when synagogues began first to be erected is very difficult to determine . the most common opinion is , that there were no buildings of this kind till after the captivity . as for that phrase , they have burnt up all the synagogues of god in the land , psal. . . the original word translated synagogues is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is frequently used in other scriptures to signifie tempus statutum , or stata solennitas ; according to which the meaning of it must be , that they have abrogated the solemn festivals , and caused them to cease : 't is so rendred by the chaldee paraphrase , the septuagint , and most of the other versions . and whereas st. iames saith , act. . . moses of old time had in every city those that preach him , being read in the synagogues every sabbath-day . to this it may be answered , that the phrase of old time is not necessarily to be extended unto the times of purest antiquity , but may be well enough restrained to four or five hundred years preceding , when synagogues might first begin , namely after the captivity . but of this i have had occasion to treat more largely in another discourse . only this is sufficiently evident , that the liberty of building synagogues , was allowed every where to the iews under the roman government in our saviours time ; that he himself and his apostles did very much frequent them , and consequently approve them ; that though the several officers and laws belonging to them were without any scripture-institution , yet our saviour doth rather suit the doctrine and precepts of christian worship to this of the synagogue , which was moral and perpetual , than to that of the temple-service which was instituted and transitory . as for publick buildings for christian worship , 't is obvious that this way being in the first ages every where opposed and spoken against , the professors of it were fain to meet ( as they could with safety ) sometimes in private houses , belonging to some of the disciples , where they had usually a fair upper room furnished and set a part for these meetings , and sometimes in grots and caves , and woods : till afterwards , the heat of persecution being somewhat abated , they had permission to build little oratories ; and in process of time as emperours and kings began to favour christianity , so were they careful to erect for them most sumptuous and magnificent temples . for which this land and nation of ours was more particularly famous above any other part of the world . our ancestors having been very devout and bountiful in works of this nature , according to the old verse : anglia , mons , pons , fons , ecclesia . — now though it be true that where ever men worship god with a sincere and upright heart they shall be accepted ; ieremy in the mire , ionah in the whales belly , daniel in the den , the three children in the furnace , the thief on the cross ; yet this doth not hinder but that when we have opportunity for it , our places of publick worship should be both built and maintained , and esteemed in some measure suitably to the dignity of that service they are to be imployed about . and when we are in a prosperous estate , 't is as proper for us to worship god in the beauty of holiness , as it is to do it in caves and prisons when we are in a condition that doth necessitate us thereunto . you have heard the two first particulars , the person sending , and his message . i shall speak more briefly to the other two. . the messengers imployed about this business ; which were of two kinds . those who were first sent are said to be the elders of the iews , v. . whether the magistrates of the city , or the governours of the synagogue , the civil or ecclesiastical rulers is not evident ; the word may signifie either . after these , 't is said he sent his friends , v. . who were perhaps some other of his fellow-officers belonging to that garrison . and these messengers ( it should seem ) were heartily concerned in the good success of that business they undertook , as appears by their earnestness about it : 't is said that they did beseech christ , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , v. . instantly , with much importunity and vehemence , thereby testifying their zeal and good affection for the person by whom they were imployed . . and lastly , the success or issue of this negotiation : 't is said that our saviour did upon the first motion condescend to their request . though at another time when he was twice sollicited in the behalf of the noblemans son , he refused to go , ioh. . . yet to shew his special esteem and favour for a person under so worthy a character as this centurion , he doth express his willingness , not only to gratifie him in the thing desired , the healing of his servant , but to do more for him than was asked , namely to give him a visit ; besides that large testimony and approbation which he gives to the people concerning his great worth . so much shall serve for the opening of the text and story . the observation i would make from the words is this : to be of a publick spirit , and of a bountiful generous mind in works of charity and devotion is a sure way to render a man acceptable to god and approved of men . it was by these virtues that the centurion ( though a heathen ) was so much endeared to the iews , and so well accepted of by our saviour . and the scripture doth attest to this truth in several other places . 't is said psal. . . of the bountiful man that he shall be had in everlasting remembrance ; and ver . . his name shall be exalted with honour . in conformity to which it hath been always a custom amongst the iews in their speaking of any worthy man deceased to add this clause to the mention of his name , whose memorial is blessed . chron. . when david had perswaded the people to offer willingly and freely towards the building of the temple , see how they did all rejoice and exult in the apprehension of it , v. . then the people rejoiced , and david the king also rejoiced with great joy , because they had offered willingly , and with a perfect heart unto the lord. they looked upon this work as a thing that was very well pleasing to god , and an honour to their nation , and consequently a just occasion of joy and triumph to all the people . when nehemiah , chap. . . had with great industry and success promoted the rebuilding of the temple , he doth , upon the reflection of it , break out into this expression , remember me , o my god , concerning this ; and wipe not out the good deeds that i have done for the house of my god , and for the officers thereof . it seems he believed his care and activity in this work to be a thing very acceptable to god ; which makes him desire that it might be recorded and kept in remembrance to his advantage . i might further confirm this observation by several reasons . i shall mention only two . . from the suitableness of such kind of duties unto the moral and more substantial parts of religion . the apostle tells us that the kingdom of god is not meat and drink , but righteusness and peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; and they who in these things serve christ shall be accepted with god , and approved of men , rom. . , . the word righteousness is frequently used in the scripture-phrase for the virtue of beneficence and bounty . by peace is meant that gentle and charitable disposition , whereby a man is inclined to promote the quiet of societies and good will amongst men . and by the joy in the holy ghost , we are to understand an ability to rejoice in an afflicted estate . these are the things recommended to us as being the more weighty and essential parts of religion . 't is no difficult matter for a man to be zealous about meats and drinks , he may do it to gratifie his contentious humour , and to endear himself to a party : nor is it hard for a man to pretend a zeal for religion by some good wishes or kind words , which are cheap things , and will cost him nothing ; but to give testimony of it by bountiful actions , that others may see our good works , this is that which will make them glorifie god in our behalf , and acknowledg that he is in us of a truth . it was an humour in the apostolical times , as well as since , that men set up for reputation in religion by their zeal about some opinions in lesser matters . against which the apostle cautions titus ; this i will that thou affirm constantly , that they which believe in god be careful to maintain good works . for which he gives this reason , for these things are good and profitable unto men . contentions and disputes may please and gratifie mens present humours and passions , but they are these works of piety and bounty that must promote the more lasting and publick welfare , and the general good of mankind . . persons thus qualified are supposed to be of an higher rank and degree above other men . it is in religion as in other professions ; there are some of a vulgar sort , of an ordinary and common standard ; and there are others of a taller stature , of a higher form and attainments , from whom it may be expected that they should adorn and add a luster to their profession . and they are the virtues of this kind , namely a bountiful and charitable disposition towards any publick good work , that must raise men to this higher pitch of esteem above others . when araunah offered david freely his threshing-floor , and oxen , and threshing instruments for sacrifice , 't is said , that he did it as a king , sam. . . in a royal and princely manner ; and david on the other side refused it as a king , thinking it unworthy of him to offer unto god of that which cost him nothing , v. . i shall add nothing further at present by way of confirmation of this point . that which i chiefly aim at is the application of it . i have purposely made choice of this subject , as having a peculiar suitableness to the present state of things in this place . god hath been pleased by his late severe dispensations , first to destroy the inhabitants of this city by the noisome pestilence , and since to lay waste our habitations by a dreadful fire ; wherein his own houses , those that were dedicated to his worship , did not escape ; but the devouring fire ( in the phrase of the psalmist ) did come into his sanctuaries , casting down the dwelling places of his name to the ground ; burning up the synagogues of god. and amidst the other dismal ruins of this place , 't is one of the saddest spectacles to behold so many sacred structures , the monuments of our forefathers devotion and bounty laid in the dust . i suppose it needless to prove the necessity of religion to government , or the necessity of places for publick worship to the keeping up of religion . those things are in themselves so plain and obvious , that no reasonable man can have any just cause to doubt of them . that which i aim at is , to excite others by this example of the centurion to such a love of their nation and city , as may engage them to some effectual care for the building up of our synagogues . and in order to this i would speak something : . particularly to such as are magistrates ; . generally to all sorts of people . . to you that are magistrates of this city : 't is one of the styles belonging to your offices to be repairers of breaches . publick things ought to be taken care of by publick persons . you have already made some provision to preserve mens proprieties in their grounds , to enlarge the passages and avenues , whereby the city may be rendered more safe , beautiful and convenient for trading ; which are good works , and such as become worthy magistrates : but these things concern you as you are men and citizens ; there are other things to be provided for as you are christians : and i would crave leave to be your remembrancer that some effectual care may be taken for the rebuilding of the places for publick worship . it would be very convenient that as several parishes are built up , so the repair of churches should be in some forwardness , to which the inhabitants might resort for the duties of religion . the doing of this will perhaps prove a matter of too great charge to be defrayed by the contribution of the inhabitants , considering their particular losses . but if any considerable help could be procured for it from the publick ( which there is no reason to doubt of ) the remainder might be made up by particular charities . and both together might prove sufficient for this great work . nor is there any reason to question , but if this business were seriously consulted , and vigorously pursued , such ways might be offered as might prove effectual both for the building of such a number of churches as shall be thought sufficient , and likewise for the providing of a sufficient maintenance for them , that none of their incumbents may be put to live precariously upon the benevolence of their hearers . i humbly offer this to your consideration , as a thing that is your duty , and will tend to your honour . and i do the rather mention it now , because this is the proper season for it , while the parliament is sitting , of whose assistance towards so pious and necessary a work , there is no reason to doubt . and because it will be a business of some time and much consideration , to enumerate and digest all such particulars as are necessary to be provided for , and established by law ; therefore will it be requisite that this work should be timely set about , that there may be sufficient leisure to deliberate and consult about the due management of it . . more generally to all sorts of people ; that they would lend their helping hands to so good a work as this is . if this centurion in the text , in a state of heathenism , under his more dark apprehensions of religion , was so forward in these works of publick bounty , much more then will it concern us that are christians not to be backward or defective in them . i might ( if the time would permit ) press this with great variety of arguments ; i shall mention only some few . . 't is our duty to be bountiful and liberal upon all good occasions , and may of right and justice be required of us . god is pleased indeed for the better encouragement of men to these things to style them gifts and loans which he engages himself to repay , but they are rent and tribute , and debt ; upon the due payment of which we hold our possessions , and upon the neglect or non-payment we forfeit our right to them . he is the supreme lord of all , we are but his tenants . as in the times of the law men were to acknowledg his right and dominion by the offering of sacrifice ; so should they in these times of the gospel by their liberal contributions towards any good work , for with such sacrifices god is well pleased . when there is any good occasion offered for our bounty , that is the time for the paying of our rent and tribute , and god doth then require it of us . . 't is our interest , a thing which upon several accounts tends to our advantage and benefit . . with respect to our safety : the bountiful man shall be delivered in the time of trouble , preserved from his enemies , strengthened upon the bed of languishment , psal. . , , . . 't is a means to promote the interest of our estates : the liberal man deviseth liberal things , and by liberal things shall he stand , isa. . . ( i. e. ) he shall by this means be established and improved in his estate . the liberal soul shall be made fat , and he that watereth shall be watered also himself , prov. . . such kinds of works are in the scripture-phrase compared to sowing , which is always in order to an harvest and encrease , and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully , cor. . . . this will promote the interest of honour and esteem amongst others : a bountiful man shall be had in everlasting remembrance , and his name shall be exalted with honour , psal. . , . every one is a friend to a man of gifts , prov. . . this will be a means to render our prayers and other services acceptable , and to entitle us to the divine favour . 't is mentioned as an argument of gods designing mercy and kindness to his people , when they became duly affected at his displeasure against them in the ruin of their temple , and were willing to engage in the repair of it , psal. . , . thou wilt arise and have mercy upon sion , for the time to favour her , yea the set time is come . for thy servants take pleasure in her stones , and favour the dust thereof . that psalm is thought to be composed by nehemiah , when he designed the repair of the temple ; and he mentions this as a ground of hope that god would now at last be favourable to his people , because they were affected with a sad resentment at the ruins of the temple , and a zeal for the repair of it . where 't is implied to be a mournful spectacle to see the temple of god lying in the dust , under decay and ruin ; and an argument of gods favour to a people when he puts it into their hearts to restore such ruins . there are several things which men are apt to pretend as excuses from such kind of duties : as , . the fear of want for themselves ; to this the scripture answers , that such as are bountiful shall not lack , prov. : . . they must lay up for their children : why ? he that is merciful , his seed shall be blessed , psal. . . . but they are but of a mean condition , being put to labour hard for a poor living . neither should this exempt men from works of charity . the apostle exhorts men to labour with their hands for this reason , that they may be able to give to such as need , ephes. . . this indeed will alter the case as to the measure of such mens bounty , but will not totally excuse them from it . goats hair , and badgers skins , were heretofore esteemed a suitable gift for the poor of the people . a brother of low degree may be allowed to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sparingly ; and a mite shall be accepted from a poor widow . but those who are rich in this world , should be rich in good works also , such were to bestow purple and gold , and jewels . and in this sense is that scripture to be fulfilled , that to whom much is given , of them much shall be required . there being no kind of cavil or exception apt to rise up in the hearts of men against this duty , but the scripture doth in several places purposely obviate and answer it . i have only this one word to add , that we must all of us shortly die , and after a few days are past , must go to the place whence we shall not return . and when we come to lye upon our death-beds , then the remembrance of our pious bounty and charity , and of the good deeds we have done for the house of our god , will minister more comfort to our minds than all the vast treasures that we can leave behind us upon earth . which consideration were enough to perswade any one to this duty , who is but serious in religion , and doth in good earnest believe what he professeth . the twelfth sermon . prov . xxv . . — a soft tongue breaketh the bone . the book of the proverbs is a miscellany of sentences full of various and profound wisdom ; such ruling sentences , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are fit to have a special authority over a man in the guidance of his affairs . they concern all kind of matters , the customs , vices , humours of men , the various businesses and conditions of life . quicquid agunt homines , votum , timor , ira , voluptas ; gaudia , discursus . and because there is no greater evidence of wisdom ( which is the thing here professed to be taught ) than the due regulating of our words and speeches , therefore is there no other subject which the wiseman doth more frequently insist upon than this . and 't is one of his proverbs of this kind that i have now made choice to treat of . amongst the many other rules and qualifications to be observed in the government of our words , that of mildness or meekness , both as to the matter and manner of them is one of the most considerable . and there is a special elegance in the text to this purpose ; 't is one of those proverbs that doth consist both of similitudes and antitheses or oppositions , every word in it is figurative and metaphorical . the reducing of them to their plain and natural significations will sufficiently unfold the meaning of them , and may serve for explication . . by tongue we are to understand the speech or discourse , by a metonymy of the cause for the effect . . by the softness of it , is meant that kind of disposition which is answerable to tenderness and yieldingness amongst tactile qualities , when a thing doth not resist the touch , so as to be offensive to it , but doth rather gently yield and give place to it . 't is styled elsewhere by the name of smoothness , and compared to butter and oyl , psal. . . it may comprehend under it these four general virtues . . meekness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pet. . . be ready to answer every one with meekness and reverence ; which is that virtue whereby we are to restrain the anger of our words . . gentleness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , moderation , candor , tit. . . speak evil of no man , be no brawlers but gentle ; whereby we relax from the highest extremity of things , and do abate of saying the utmost we might . . courteousness or affability , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pet. . . be courteous , not rendring evil for evil , or reviling for reviling , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , qui sapit amica : when a man endeavours to speak things benign and grateful , in whom there is a facility or accommodateness for humane converse . . kindness , prov. . . the law of kindness is said to be in the tongue of a virtuous person . the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies properly benignity , mercifulness , benevolence . the saying or doing more in the behalf of others , than in strictness we are obliged unto . these are the several virtues comprehended under the metaphor of a soft tongue . the opposites to it are described in scripture by these other expressions , . hardness , in opposition to softness , king. . . 't is said that rehoboam answered the people hardly , as 't is properly rendered in the margent , in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the same greek word that in the th verse by st. iude is translated hard speeches ; it denotes properly things that are harsh , stiff , rigorous ; 't is the same hebrew word with that which is rendered churlishness , sam. . . nabal is there said to be an evil & churlish person , a difficult intractable man , such as no art or industry could make pliable , or manage to any good purpose , as may be easily guessed by the manner of that answer which he returned to davids messengers . . roughness in opposition to smoothness , prov. . . the poor useth intreaties , but the rich answereth roughly . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortia , robusta , sava , boisterousness , imperiousness , that which is opposite to the meekness of obsecrations and intreaties . . sharpness , under the comparison of swords and arrows , and stings , and razors , that which is apt to pierce and wound men , instead of that opposite quality of healing , which there should be in a virtuous tongue . . bitterness , we read , ps. . . of bitter words ; and cursing is styled bitterness , iam. . , . and rom. . . they are both put together as being synonymous , whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness . amongst other kinds of evil speaking , the apostle reckons bitterness and wrath , and anger , which are prohibited , ephes. . . 't is styled by this name , because it hath such a kind of effect upon the mind of others as this quality of bitterness hath upon the palate to constringe and nauseate it . for the ear tasteth words as the mouth tasteth meats . . clamor , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , noise , loudness ; which is likewise forbidden in that forecited place , ephes. . . because 't is usually an indication of some such eager passions as do not become a sober and prudent man , and are not suitable to the spirit of christianity . . brawling , tit. . . to speak evil of no man , to be no brawlers , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; it signifies a verbal pugnacity , an aptness to wrangle and contend in words , to smite with the tongue . and so much shall serve for explication of the metaphor of softness , together with the opposites to it . . by the word bone , is meant that kind of hardness which is opposite to this softness , that is , surly , fierce , untractable passions or dispositions ; or else such with whom , by reason of their place and distance , 't is difficult for a man to prevail , as is implied in the former part of the verse , by long forbearing is a prince perswaded . . by breaking is meant perswading ( as in the forecited clause ) pacifying , convincing , appeasing , prevailing with . in brief , it signifies the subduing and taking away the proper effect of hardness , which is to resist and oppose any thing that it meets with . now things that are hard are not usually broken , but by such bodies as are more hard than they ; so that herein lyes the proper elegance of the text , that the tongue , which is a fleshy , tender and weak part , should by the softness of it , be able to break that which is the hardest of all the rest , the bones ; and yet so it is that a meek and gentle way of discourse is the most effectual means to overcome the fiercest passions , and most obdurate cruel dispositions . and that is the true sense of the words stript off their metaphors ; and 't is the proposition i intend to prosecute . there are several other scriptures to this purpose , prov. . . a soft answer turns away wrath . by wrath is meant the height and intention of anger ; a soft answer is prescribed as the best way to divert and appease it : be ready always to give an answer with meekness and reverence , pet. . . and then it follows in the next verse , that those who speak evil of you , and accuse you , may be ashamed . a calm and gentle way in vindicating our selves is the most effectual means to work confusion in such as would calumniate and reproach us . 't was st. pauls advised this , tim. . . in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , though they be such as set themselves against us . and his practice was accordingly . euodias and syntiche were two women in the church of philippi , who ( it should seem ) were at variance betwixt themselves , st. paul might have made use of his apostolical authority to have stated the difference , and to have rebuk'd the offending party ; but he rather chuseth this more effectual way of entreaty ; and perhaps they were both in fault : i beseech euodias , and i beseech syntiche , that they be of the same mind in the lord , phil. . . but the great power and efficacy of this will better appear , by the several instances and examples to this purpose recorded in scripture . gen. . we have a story of esau's meeting his brother iacob ; esau was a rough man as well in his inward disposition , as his outward behaviour and way of living , and 't is probable by his bringing four hundred men with him , that he came with a purpose of being revenged , and killing his brother iacob , according to his former resolution , gen. . . but those mild and humble expressions of iacob in styling him lord , and himself a servant ; that message he sent by the men who were to convey the droves , ver . . behold thy servant iacob is behind us , for he said i will appease him with a present , and afterwards i will see his face , peradventure he will accept of me . these speeches did so soften the rugged and inflexible disposition of esau , that instead of taking revenge he offers his brother kindness . iudg. . . when the men of ephraim did enter into a high contest with gideon , and did chide with him sharply , as the text hath it , he did by his mild and gentle answer , allay their heat : is not the gleaning of the grapes of ephraim better than the vintage of abiezer ? then their anger was abated towards him , when he said that , v. . sam. . old eli , who was mild more than enough towards his wicked sons , yet very severe in his censuring of hannah , when he tells her she was drunk , v. . she might have replied that he wronged her , and that she was no more drunk than himself ; but she rather chuses to answer , not so my lord , i am a woman of a sorrowful spirit , i have drunk neither wine nor strong drink , but have poured out my soul before the lord ; count not thy handmaid for a daughter of belial , ver . , . upon this mild answer of hers , the old prophet saw himself mistaken , and for his rebuking he now blesses her , go in peace , and the god of israel grant thee thy petition , v. . what a kind of temper saul was of , how full of passion and fierceness and cruelty doth appear by several instances ; what an enmity he had against david , with what ardor and impatience he did desire his ruin , may likewise be evident from his secret underminings , and his open pursuit of him ; and yet this harsh and cruel disposition of his , is strangely wrought upon by the mild and humble carriage of david . when he had cut off the skirt of his garment , sam. . and thereby testified his fidelity to him , in that he had refused an opportunity of hurting him , when it was in his power ; styling him , my lord and my father , the lords anointed , the king of israel , in comparison to whom himself was but as a dead dog , or a flea , v. . 't is said this did immediately so melt and dissolve that stony heart of saul , that he lift up his voice and wept , animum sanguinis & caedis sitientem repente ad lamenta & ejulatus compulit , saith one of the fathers : whereas before he thirsted for nothing so much as blood and slaughter , now he is so effectually wrought upon by this mildness as to break out into tears of kindness and pity . and now he returns him a gentle answer , is it thy voice my son david , v. . whom before he prosecuted as his chiefest enemy , now he acknowledges for a son , and commits to him ( as if he were his dearest friend ) the care of his posterity . v. . swear now therefore unto me , that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me , nor destroy my name out of my fathers house . sam. . there is another pregnant example to this purpose . when david was in a great chafe and fury against nabal , and in the heat of his passion had taken an oath to kill all that belonged to him , v. . for that churlish and taunting answer returned by his messengers ; then doth abigal by her soft and gentle speeches mollifie and allay this passion , she fell at his feet and said , let thy handmaid i pray thee speak in thine audience . v. . she acknowledges the fault , that he had deserved better from nabal ; beseeches his pardon , and tells him , that it will hereafter be no grief or offence of heart unto my lord , that thou hast not shed blood causeless , or avenged thy self . v. . by which she presently reduced him to a coolness and temper , made him gentle as a lamb , who was before fierce as a lyon. when our saviour called the caananitish woman dog : we know how her humble and gentle answer prevailed with him , for the success of her petition . and it may be pertinent to this purpose , though it be in a parable , what we read matth. . . of a certain king who called his servants to an account , and finding that one of them owed him ten thousand talents , commanded him to be sold with his wife and children and all that he had , who thereupon fell down and worshipped him , saying , lord have patience with we and i will pay thee all . ye know the issue of this humble demeanour ? 't is said , his lord was moved with compassion towards him , and forgave him his debt , v. . thus much shall serve for scripture testimonies and examples to this purpose . i proceed to the further confirmation of this truth by two reasons . . from the nature of these fierce passions , and this obduracy or hardness of temper , which are increased by opposition , and consequently must be abated by gentleness and yielding . the collision of two bodies that are hard , will be apt to strike fire betwixt them , which cannot be done when one of them is soft . wrath is oftentimes compared to fire ; now the way to extinguish fire is not by blowing it , or adding fewel to it , but rather by withdrawing that by which it is supplyed : and it was a wise saying of the son of sirach , ecclesiasticus . . he that striveth with a man of tongue , heaps wood upon his fire ; and again chap. . . if thou blow the spark it shall burn , if thou spit upon it , it shall be quenched , and both these come out of the mouth : i. e. such words may be spoken as may either inflame the anger of others , or extinguish it ; and of what kind these must be , may be easily known by what i have been discoursing . i appeal to every mans experience ; did you ever know any man convinced or converted by this wrathful boistrous way ? doth it not rather alienate mens minds , and set them at a further distance ? true indeed , it may be a means to fright some meaner timerous spirits to a seeming feigned compliance , to make them disguise their enmity , but it will never work them over to a hearty conviction , and make them true friends . with what reason can any man expect those counsels should be effectual , which are delivered in such a way as to argue a hatred and contempt of the persons whom we would perswade . though a man be supposed to have the truth on his side , and should be able to urge very cogent and strong arguments for the proof of it ; yet if they should be pressed with scorn and harshness and bitterness , the reason of them will not so much enforce , as the passion of them will weaken and disparage them : it will undoubtedly be the most effectual way to put hard arguments into soft words . . from the nature of lenity and gentleness , whose property it is to insinuate it self into the hardest things . 't is compared to oyle , which will penetrate and supple more than any other liquor . he that goes about to convince and perswade another , if he doth so manage it that it may appear he intends kindness to the person whom he would prevail upon , that he hath a love for him , and doth heartily desire his welfare , his work is half done . that prophecy psal. . . ride on prosperously because of the word of truth and meekness , doth refer to the doctrine of the gospel , and the kingdom of christ , which by the meekness of its professors , was first propagated and became triumphant , through the heathen world. the true nature of things may be more clearly distinguished , when there are no mists or clouds stirred up by the heat of contention . many differences might be half reconciled , if they were but mildly debated . it was not perhaps without some mystery , that noahs dove brought an olive branch in her mouth , to shew the mutual dependance betwixt these two , mildness and peace . 't is the end of anger to bring men to a sense of their fault , or be revenged upon them for it ; now a meek submission is one way of satisfying this end . besides , that mild and gentle carriage will discover the weakness and deformity of rage and fierceness , and in that respect may be a means to break it in others . this expression in the text concerning the hardest things being broken by the softest , may perhaps contain in it an allusion to that ordinary experiment of breaking of flint upon a pillow , and a sword upon a feather-bed ; when the concussion of a blow is more equally dispersed into all the parts of the body so as to operate upon the weakest . it is hippocrates his counsel , that a physician should alwayes be provided with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lenitives , gentle mollifying applications , as being of frequent use and great efficacy ; and they are so no less to the minds and passions of men , than to their bodily diseases . before i come to the application of this point , there are these three questions to be spoken unto for the clearer stating of it , how this doctrine may consist with . those imprecations , . those severe increpations , . the duty of zeal and reproving . . for the imprecations and curses . we have frequent example of these in scripture , not only against sin in general , as those pronounced in mount ebal ; but likewise against particular persons . they are frequent in the psalms , and especially that . psalm ; and in the new testament likewise , st. peter to simon magus , acts . . thy money perish with thee . st. paul to elymas , acts . . and elsewhere to alexander the copper-smith . tim. . . and he wishes they were cut off that trouble the church . gal. . . besides the many woes which are denounced by our saviour himself against the scribes and pharisees . now the question is , how these examples may consist with this doctrine concerning soft words ? to this several things may be said by way of answer and solution , which the time will not permit me to insist upon , i shall only mention these few . . diverse of these imprecations in scripture , though they are pronounced optatively , yet are they to be understood declaratively , as being declarations of the true state and condition of such persons . they are verba praedicentium , non vota imprecantium , as st. austin speaks . the hebrew phrase in those places which are rendred as imprecations , being as well capable of the indicative future , as the imperative mood and sense . . those who used these imprecations , were such as were extraordinary persons , endowed with the spirit of discerning , whereby they were enabled to judge of the incurable state of those with whom they conversed . there are some that are cursed children , as the apostle speaks , pet. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , filii maledictionis , execrandi homines , and to such curses are reserved as their due portion : and therefore no wonder though such as had an extraordinary spirit of discerning their true state do use imprecations against them , which yet can be no warrant for other persons to imitate . as none but the magistrate may use the sword for revenge , because of his publick station and calling , whereby he is authorized for it ; so none but extraordinary prophetical men should use these maledictions . if others shall presume upon it because of their example , they will justly fall under the rebuke of our saviour , luke . . you know not what spirit ye are of . the ordinary rule prescribed for mens practice , is that of matth. . . rom. . . bless i say and curse not . . we are to consider the motive or affection , upon which such imprecations as we read of have proceeded ; which were not carnal , or rash anger or desire of revenge in reference to any particular hurt or injury against themselves , the usual occasions of them in other men ; but spiritual and divine , respecting the interest and cause of god and zeal for his glory . in our own cases we are taught to be patient and long suffering , praying for our persecutors . . the wishing of evil directly to any under the notion of evil , must needs be malice , and can never be lawful ; not but that 't is lawful to pray for such things as by way of consequence will necessarily imply a blasting and kind of malediction upon the attempts of others , which is no way inconsistent with the true happiness of their persons . the wishing of such kind of temporal evils , as tend to the preventing of greater evils , or else are to be inflicted by way of correction and vindicating of divine justice , are not opposite to the rules of charity . 't is lawful for us to wish conditionally some temporal evils upon our selves by way of correction and restraint from sin , that god would rather afflict us than suffer sin upon us ; and consequently we may wish the same to others , the love of our selves being the rule and measure of our love to others . of this nature was that petition psal. . . fill their faces with shame o lord , that they may seek thy name . this is not to pray against them but for them . we may likewise pray against the unjust actions and attempts of our enemies . acts . . and now o lord ! behold their threatnings , but not against their persons . mr. perkins speaking concerning this question , in his cases of conscience , concludes it to be unlawful for a man to pray against the person of the pope , though he should believe him to be the antichrist , but only against his antichristian state and regiment , whereby he sets himself against the kingdom of christ. as for the imprecations of david that are sometimes repeated out of the psalms , they are by us to be used , either as the historical part of scripture , or else as being directed against the kingdom of sin in general , and the obdurate implacable enemies of god ; or as being a kind of prophecies , wherein the punishment and revenge of such is foretold . . how may this doctrine of mild and soft words consist with those severe increpations in scripture . doth not our saviour call the pharisees , serpents , and generation of vipers , mat. . ? and herod by the name of fox , luk. . ? doth not the apostle style some among the philippians , doggs , phil. . ? beware of dogs ; and the galatians , fools , . ? to this it may be said , . that such prophetical men as have an extraordinary spirit of discerning , whereby they are able to judg the true state of others , may use such hard words towards them , which it may not be lawful for others to imitate , as was said before concerning imprecations . . those that are in a publick station or in such a superior relation to us , as doth authorize them to correct and punish us , may likewise chide and reprehend us with severity ; but not such as are of a private condition , or have no superiority over us . . how may this consist with the duties of zeal and reproving , which ought sometimes to be done with severity , rebuke them sharply . he that saith , be angry and sin not , doth seem to suppose that a man may sometimes sin in not being angry , when by his sinful silence and lenity , he either really doth , or else seems to consent unto , and be partaker with others in their offences ? to this it may be said , that 't is not the nature of these things to oppose , but to regulate one another . we read , iam. . . of meekness of wisdom , that is , such a wise mildness as will direct a man how to order his zeal and rebukes , both as to the degrees , objects , occasions and manner of expressing them . that 's a bottomless boundless charity and severity which extends alike to all persons and offences . let the proper objects of these be duly distinguished , and these graces may very well consist together and be subservient to one another . when the matter we are to speak to , doth require any special indignation , it should appear to proceed from the zeal of a displeased friend , rather than the bitterness of a provoked enemy . it should seem to argue too much levity , for men to accustom themselves to an ironical and jeering way of rebuking others ; nor is it so sutable to that awful reverence which men should be affected with in the discharge of their ministerial employments . and it will be too much rashness to check men in a passionate revengeful manner . for the application of what hath been said , i would infer these few corollaries . . if soft words be of such a prevailing efficacy upon men , above such as are wrathful and harsh , then soft and gentle actions must be so too . words being of no other force than as they denote our inward thoughts or outward actions . we read hos. . . of the bands of a man , and the cords of love ; implying , that to such as have not put off the nature of humanity , there can be no such powerful obligation as that of kindness . . the folly and sinfulness of hard speeches , to which may be reduced cursing , reviling , upbraiding , scoffing or taunting , brawling , masterliness , or imperiousness of speech , ostentation , scorning , churlishness and roughness , or any other the like dispositions , whereby others may be provoked to anger and offence ; which will not become any man that pretends to christianity in his ordinary converse , much less ministers , and least of all in the discharge of this solemn duty . nugae in ore sacerdotis sunt blasphemiae . . the lawfulnese and fitness of giving men the reverence and honour in respect of their proper titles , just praise and other civil respects , belonging to their places and degrees . against that melancholick generation of men , of late risen up amongst us , who place so much of their religion in being unmannerly ; than which nothing is more disagreeable to the light of nature , or to the precepts and practice of scripture . the apostle exhorts , rom. . . that we should render to all their due , fear to whom fear , and honour to whom honour is due . and pet. . . we are enjoyned to honour all men , that is , to give every man that due esteem , both in our carriage and words , which according to the rules of justice or charity , may belong unto him in respect of his place or abilities , or condition . the compellations of lord and father are frequently used in the old testament , by way of civil respect to those in a superior condition . paul and silas did not give any check to the iaylour , act. . . when he styled them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sirs , masters or lords ▪ st. luke uses the title of most excellent theophilus , luk. . . when st. paul was to speak publickly for himself before a civil judicature , he doth with all imaginable softness insinuate himself into the good liking of his judges , by acknowledging his own happiness , in that he was to plead before a person so learned and expert in all the customs and questions among the iews as king agrippa was , act. . and afterwards when he was interrupted in his speech by festus , by that rugged and reproachful passage , in telling him he was mad ; he makes a soft and submissive answer to him , i am not mad most noble festus . as for that objection , mat. . , . call no man father upon earth , neither be ye called masters . this cannot refer to those titles of respect , which concern natural or civil relations , because these words were afterward frequently used by the apostles in this sense ; but they must refer to that signification of the words , wherein they were given to the leading men of the pharisees , whose dictates and traditions were to be received without any examination or dispute , as if they had a masterly or paternal power over the faith of men , and in this sense god only is our father or master . . for the reprehension of such as are apt to be transported unto bitter and provoking words . this is very unmanly , as being against the rules of morality , and very unchristian , against the precepts of the gospel . though others should begin with us by provoking language , yet 't will not be proper for us to return the like , this were to draw the saw of contention , which must needs make a very harsh ungrateful noise to any sober hearers . 't were more noble to yield to our adversary in this kind , than to subdue him ; whereas if you do not give place to him , you must give place to anger , and that is to give place to the devil . that whereby men use to cover and excuse their infirmities in this kind , is the pretence that it is the sins of others by which they are provoked to use so much sharpness to them ; and against sin men ought to be zealously angry . there are two considerations i would suggest to such : . have you any zeal against your own sins , do they fasten upon your thoughts with any displeasure and trouble proportionably to the injuries you suffer from men . to pretend that your zeal is against the sins of others , when you have little sense of your own must needs be hypocrisie . . if it be a sense of the sin and fault of others that you are so affected with , then you will be willing to use the most effectual way for the redressing of it , which is by such kind of reproofs as proceed from love , not anger or revenge , such as may convince not exasperate . let it be supposed that the thing you contend for is truth , yet you must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , follow the truth in love . if one man may be fierce and severe because he is in the right , why then another man that doth but think himself so , will be so too ; and at this rate , what would become of peace and society amongst men ? . i proceed to a word of exhortation , to perswade us unto that kind of softness and lenity in our speeches , which is here commended . . from the sinfulness , danger , mischief of the contrary disposition in a threefold regard . . as to the effect of it . 't is quite opposite to the other . as a soft tongue breaks the bone , so an hard tongue will be so far from breaking that which is hard , nay or so much as that which is soft , that it will rather render it more obdurate . grievous words will stir up anger , even amongst men of gentle and peaceable dispositions . david was a man of a meek and humble spirit , and yet what transport of fury was he under upon the churlish answer of nabal . and though at another time when his spirit was low and he was under great affliction , he did with another kind of temper endure the revilings of shimei ; yet that made an impression upon him afterwards ; and his followers were under no little indignation upon it , as may appear by that speech of abisha , why should this dead dog curse my lord the king , let me go over i pray thee , and take off his head , ver . . when the people were assembled at the coronation of rehoboam , professing their readiness to serve him , and beseeching him to make their yoke lighter , upon his answering of them roughly , you know what a mischievous consequence happened . . the punishment belonging to it . there are many severe threats and judgments denounced in scripture against hard speeches . psal. . . the lord will cut off the tongue that speaketh proud things . pride is the principle of this hardness , as humility is of softness , mat. . . whosoever shall say to his brother , racha , i. e. whosoever shall out of anger call him vain empty fellow , shall be in danger of the council , or the punishment of stoning ; whosoever shall use any more virulent opprobrious expressions , and call him fool , shall be in danger of the vivicomburium , to be burnt alive , ( i.e. ) there shall hereafter at the last judgment be such a kind of gradation in the punishment of these sins , as there are for the most capital offences among men . one of the principal things that men shall hereafter be condemned for , when the lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment , is their hard speeches , iude . . 't is an indication of a rough and unhewen spirit , not reduced from its natural ferity and savageness ; not polished by education , not tamed and made gentle for civil converse . a fool will upbraid churlishly , ecclus. . . 't is for a nabal to use hard words . all kind of cruelty is commonly an argument of cowardice . there is not usually a surer sign of an inveterate ill nature , than the habit of sharp provoking speeches . witness the son of sirach , ecclus. . . the man that is accustomed to opprobrious words , will never be reformed all the days of his life . 't is the work of a shimei and a rabshekah to revile , who upon that account are infamous to a proverb . 't is observable that in the distribution of the tribes , betwixt mount gerizim and mount ebal , for the work of blessing and cursing ; those tribes for the most part were appointed to stand upon mount ebal , who were the children of the bondwomen , less noble and generous than the rest , and so the fitter for this harsh and servile work . . there are other motives to this purpose , to be derived from the benefit and advantage of soft words , besides the efficacy and power of them . . they are of great ornament ; which should be a prevailing motive . men usually put an high value upon , and take great pains for those abilities which will render their speech graceful and acceptable , to which nothing will contribute more than this . upon which account the scripture styles it by this name , that very word which in one place is called kindness of the tongue , in another place is rendered goodliness , isa. . . all flesh is grass , and the goodliness , &c. implying that nothing is more comely and graceful than this . . it s suitableness to our profession , from the pattern set us by our lord and master . meekness was the grace of his lips ; when he was reviled , he reviled not again , when he suffered he threatned not , pet. . . he was mild and gentle towards his betrayers , accusers , condemners , crucifiers , as a sheep before his shearer . and he hath prescribed our imitation of him in this , as the surest way to find rest for our souls , mat. . . 't is for dogs and swine to bark and tear , and bite one another ; christians are , or should be , sheep and lambs . in brief , 't is a qualification this , that is usually an indication of wisdom and greatness of mind , 't is profitable to humane society , acceptable to god , pleasing to men , advantageous to our quiet , honour , safety , and therefore upon all these accounts may justly challenge our care and study . i have been forced to run over some of these things but slightly , for fear of being tedious . and oh that what i have said might effectually prevail with men , to lay aside all that bitterness and wrath , and evil speaking , which persons of different perswasions have in all times , been prone to ; that we might in this kind unanimously join our hearts , and tongues and pens , to promote the publick peace and prosperity both of church and state. what kind of importunities and obsecrations should we not use towards one another for this end . but men can but speak to the ear , 't is god that must speak to the heart ; let us beseech him , the god of all patience and comfort , that he would bestow upon us soft hearts , and soft tongues ; that he would set a watch before our mouths , and keep the door of our lips ; that upon the experience we have had , of the mischief of mutual exasperations , we may now every one of us apply our selves to the most effectual means for composing the spirits of men , and healing their differences , that laying aside all other provocations , we may make this our business , to consider one another , to provoke unto love and good works . the thirteenth sermon . phil. iv. . let your moderation be known unto all men , the lord is at hand . these words are among several other precepts and counsels which seem to have no connexion with one another , and therefore i shall handle them absolutely without any reference to the context . and there are these three parts considerable in the words : . a duty enjoined , moderation . . the extent or manner of its being exercised , it must be known unto all men . . a reason or argument to enforce it , the lord is at hand . i have severed the text into these parts for the more orderly explication of the several terms contained in it . i. concerning the virtue enjoined , your moderation , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in the original 't is an adjective put substantively , wherein there is a peculiar elegance and emphasis . the syriac and arabic render it mansuetudo , meekness . the vulgar , arias montanus , and others , modestia , modesty , a composedness of life and manners . the aethiopic , autoritas vestra , your autority ; for which there seems to be very little ground in the signification of the word . others humanitas : our old translation did render it by the word patience . and the same original word is by our present translation so rendred , tim. . . not given to filthy lucre , but patient , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ sometimes 't is translated clemency or courtesie , act. . . sometimes gentleness , cor , . . titus . . iam. . . pet. . . the hebrews express the same notion by three words , derived from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the one signifying rectitude , the other readiness to pardon , the other peace . the philosopher in his ethicks , where he treats particularly of it , makes it to be a species or branch of iustice , whereby we are directed and inclined to supply that by right reason , which is not provided for in the words of the written law. because 't is not possible in the making of general rules or laws to foresee all such particular cases and circumstances as may happen . therefore that habit whereby a man is inabled and inclined to deal according to the equitable sense of the law , and to allow for such particular circumstances as may make a real difference in several cases , this is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or equity , which is a moral virtue placed betwixt the two extremes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rigour , or summum jus on the one hand , insisting too much upon the letter ; and relaxatio nimia , remitting too much from the true sense of it , on the other hand . now both these extremes , the excess and the defect being evidently vices , it must thence necessarily follow , that the medium betwixt them must be a virtue , and have in it the obligation of a duty . so that he who in those things which the law-giver could not particularly provide for doth judg according to the equitable sense of the law , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an equal magistrate . and he who in such a case is willing to depart from his own strict right , out of compliance with that meaning which the legislator would in such a case have particularly determined could he have foreseen it , is homo aequus , as a private person . but now besides this forinsecal notion of the word as it refers to positive laws , and the dispensation of justice , there may yet be another more general sense of it , with relation to all kind of differences and contests amongst men , whether in matters of opinion or interest ; wherein they should demean themselves towards one another with such a kind of temper as may be mutually best for all , and may in the various changes and revolutions of things , most promote the good of mankind . and so 't is a virtue inclining us to such a kind of benign and equitable temper in our conversing with one another , whereby we may endeavour to preserve concord and amity in our treating concerning those things about which we differ . there are some virtues that go under several names , and yet are of the same family and very near of kin , being differenced rather modally than specifically , from the quality and condition of the person by whom they are to be exercised . so the same virtue which in the generality of men we call meekness and gentleness , this in superiours is styled ▪ clemency , which is lenitas superioris adversus inferiorem . not that it hath any different form or act , but is only distinguished by the object towards whom 't is exercised , namely towards those of an inferior rank . and thus it is with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is a kind of meekness , with this peculiar difference that it refers more especially to matters of controversie , and doth always incline to the most amicable and gentle way in judging of and accommodating of things , and such a prudent relaxation of the utmost rigor , as right reason shall direct according to the variety of cases and circumstances . and this i conceive to be the most proper notion of this word , according to its true scope and extent . there are several other virtues of affinity to it , being either fruits or concomitants of it , which i may have occasion to speak of afterwards . ii. the second particular observed in the words , was the extent or manner of this virtues being exercised , it must be known unto all men , which phrase may signifie three these things . . those manifest and real proofs we are to give of this virtue ; which must be such as may be seen and known unto all men . it must not only be internal as to our temper and frame of mind , but external too in all our dealings and carriage towards others . . that it be signal and eminent as to the degree of it , as being one of those properties whereby christians are to be distinguished from other professions and sects of men in the world . their light must so shine before men , that others seeing their good works , may speak well of them . they must adorn the doctrine they profess , by such a demeanour as may win over others to a love of it . . that it be universal as to the extent of it , both in regard of the acts , objects and occasions of it , by shewing equity and moderation in all businesses , towards all persons , as well inferiors as superiors , the unconverted gentiles , and the contentious iews ; that neither of these may have any just ground to accuse our good conversation . 't is no difficult matter for men to be fair and kind , and moderate towards such as are of the same way , and agree with them in the main . this is but a common and low attainment , and is not thank-worthy , doth not deserve any peculiar commendation . the rules of christianity do oblige to a greater extent of it , namely that it should be towards all men . iii. the third particular observed in the words is the reason or argument to enforce this duty , the lord is at hand , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , propè , he is near . which phrase is capable of various senses . it may refer either , . to his presence with us , and knowledg of our actions . he always looks on , and takes notice what our carriage and demeanour is ; whether it be with that gentleness and equity towards others , as his is towards us . he observes all our ways , and therefore we had need to demean our selves as being under his eye . . sometimes this phrase of gods being near doth refer to approaching judgments . so the time of the destruction of ierusalem is styled the coming of the day of christ , when he should execute temporal judgments upon his enemies . upon which account st. iohn styles that age by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the last hour , ioh. . . so likewise is that place interpreted , heb. . . ye have need of patience , for yet a little while , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and he that shall come will come and will not tarry . the scope of it being to comfort them that were ready to fall off from christianity , upon the persecution of the iews , amongst whom the hebrew christians lived . . he is near in respect of his coming to judgment , and that in a twofold respect . . in regard of every mans particular judgment at the time of his death . 't is but a little while that we are to continue in this world , we must shortly die , none of these lesser things are worth our eager contention . we should so demean our selves at the present , as may bring us comfort at the last . . in respect of the general judgment . that time cannot be far off , the end of all things is at hand , pet. . . he that shall come will come and will not tarry . the iudg is at the door , iam. . . there are several passages in the new testament , which seem to intimate as if the christians in the apostles times did expect that this day should come before the end of that generation . which st. paul doth caution them against , thes. . . be not soon shaken in mind or troubled as if the day of christ were at hand . so near at hand it was not . the belief and expectation of that , as if this were the sense of those prophecies concerning it , might upon the disappointment of it , prove a temptation to unbelief and apostasie from the christian faith : and therefore the apostle thinks fit to rectifie that mistake and prevent the further progress of it . but yet since no man knew when that day and hour would come , christians ought always to demean themselves as if it were at hand , and to live in a continual expectation of that time when christ shall come to judg the world and to vindicate his saints : when he shall render to every man according to his works , to them who by a moderate demeanour of themselves , amidst the various conditions of this life , and by a patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour , eternal life . but to them that are violent and contentious , tribulation and anguish , rom. . , . and therefore there is upon this account very good reason why our moderation should be known unto all men . the words thus explained will afford this observation : 't is the duty of christians to give signal testimony of their equity and moderation upon all occasions of difference and contest with one another : not to insist upon the utmost rigour of things , but to be ready to comply with all such gentle and prudent expedients , as may help to heal and accommodate the differences amongst them . though this word moderation do but seldom occur in scripture , being scarce any where else used but here : yet that which is the substance and meaning of it , is frequently commanded , and the contrary thereunto prohibited , under different expressions in other places of scripture . this some conceive to be the sense of that place , eccles. . . be not righteous over much , neither make thy self over wise , why shouldst thou destroy thy self . ( i. e. ) insist not upon the utmost extremity of things , as if it were wisdom to take all the advantages you could from the strict letter of the law. this were the readiest way to destroy your self by teaching other men to do the like against you ; there being no safety for any one , if every one must use another according to the utmost rigour . prov. . . it is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression . men may think to get the repute of strictness and zeal by being rigid and severe towards the failings of others : but 't is a much more glorious thing to shew gentleness and forbearance towards them ; it argues a man to have a noble and generous mind , and a real sense of humanity . there are several other expressions to this purpose in the new testament . as ephes. . , . i beseech you that ye walk worthy of that vocation wherewith ye are called , in all lowliness and meekness , with long suffering , forbearing one another in love . v. . and be ye kind to one another , tender hearted , forgiving one another , even as god for christs sake hath forgiven you . phil. . . let nothing be done through strife or vain glory , but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves . v. . gentleness is reckoned as the fruit of the spirit , gal. . . a mark of that wisdom which is from above , iam. . . an inseparable property of the servant of the lord , who must not strive , but be gentle , shewing all meekness to all men , tim. . . finally brethren , have compassion one of another , be pitiful , be courteous , not rendring evil for evil , or railing for railing , but contrarywise blessing , pet. . , . it were easie to back these precepts by several examples out of scripture . that of abraham's carriage in the contest betwixt him and his nephew lot , who for peace sake was willing to recede from his own right , and give him his choice , that there might be no strife betwixt them , because they were brethren , gen. . . that of our saviour in his yielding ●o pay tribute for the avoiding of offence , to which in strictness he was not obliged , mat. . . he was the great ●xemplar as of all others , so particularly of this christian grace . i beseech you brethren by the meekness and gentleness of christ , cor. . . st. paul himself was as eminent for the practice of this duty , as for the pressing of it upon others : in his becoming all things to all men , cor. . . and in pleasing all men in all things , not seeking his own profit , but the profit of many , that they might be saved , cor. . . suitable to this was that carriage of the council of the apostles , act. . in their not insisting upon the strict right of things , but accommodating those controversies of the primitive times about the iewish rites , by such a moderate expedient , as might most effectually heal and compose those differences . there are two kinds of reasons by which i would confirm the necessity of this duty . in respect of god and man. . in respect of god. . he is at hand . . he deals so with us . . he is at hand ; which is the argument in the text , he is near , being always about our paths , and about our beds , he spies out all our goings . he observes our carriage , to animadvert upon our failings , to assist and relieve us in our necessities , so that we need not fear any prejudice from others upon this account . if they shall from our moderation be so much the more ready to injure us , he will be as ready to vindicate and reward us . psal. . . he will arise to judgment , to save all the meek of the earth ; here in this life . but besides , he is near in respect of that final judgment and account he will call us unto at the last : either . particular . . general . . particular at every mans death , that time cannot be far off . when a few days are come we must all go to the place whence we shall not return . then all other things will forsake us and vanish away , and nothing will be of any real value to us , but the conscience of well-doing , which will go along with us , and abide with us for ever . men are here apt to put the greatest estimate upon those things that concern their secular interests and advantages , whereas such matters will be of little use to us then : and 't is usually mens being immersed in these lesser designs about some worldly selfish advantage that makes them more eager and fierce about other matters of difference . they that are of a narrow contracted soul in respect of their possessions , have not usually any largeness or generosity of mind in reference to opinion . . he is at hand likewise in respect of his general judgment ; when he will not only judg the world in equity , as the psalmist speaks , psal. . . but for their equity likewise ; when there shall be a particular account required of men for their works of mercy , kindness and pity , and according as their carriage hath been in these respects here , so shall their condition be hereafter ; when there shall be special notice taken of mens severe and rigorous demeanour in beating and insulting over their fellow-servants . how can such persons answer it then , when they shall expect mercy for themselves , and yet have not been ready to shew it to others ? god hath told us that he will not forgive us here , without this readiness to forgive our brethren ; and therefore we have no reason to expect it from him hereafter . . which brings me to the second branch of this first reason , we should deal so with others because god deals so with us . he is kind to the unthankful and the evil . be ye therefore merciful as your heavenly father is merciful : 't is our saviours inference , luk. . . it were not possible that the world should subsist one moment , if it were not that his mercy did moderate the rigour of his justice . if he should be severe to mark what is done amiss , who might abide it ? every minute we deserve hell , and might expect to be cast into it . it is because his compassions fail not , that we are not consumed . he considers what we are able to do and to suffer ; he knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust ; he chastiseth us with the rod of a man ; and doth never grieve willingly or afflict the children of men : and all this he doth upon this very ground , that we might from hence learn to deal so with others . the less gentle and moderate we are in our dealings with others , by so much the less sense have we of the guilt and danger of our own sins , and the less experience of gods love and mercy in the pardon of them . that 's a remarkable parable to this purpose , mat. . . concerning the servant who being indebted to his lord ten thousand talents , was yet forgiven out of great compassion . after which he did notwithstanding rigorously exact from his fellow-servant an hundred pence . you know what sentence was passed upon him for it , serve nequam , v. . o thou wicked servant , i forgive thee all thy debt , shouldst thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow servant , even as i had pity on thee ? and his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors . so likewise shall my heavenly father do unto you , if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses . the second kind of reasons which i proposed for the enforcing of this duty was in respect of men , with reference to whom this virtue of moderation will appear to be a thing , i. most reasonable and fitting in it self , considering the fallibility of humane judgment . mutability of humane affairs . ii. most beneficial and advantageous for the good of men , both in regard of our own private welfare . the good of humane societies in general . i. 't is a thing most reasonable and fitting in it self , because of the fallibility of humane judgment : and that not only from the impotence of our faculties , and the prejudices we are liable unto upon the account of interests , which will strangely biass a mans judgment against clear evidence : but likewise from the difficulty and obscurity of things ; there being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every-where , not only in nature and scripture , but likewise in political things , and the ordinary concernments of humane affairs , whether matters of right , or of fact : the most learned and inquisitive men many times differing in their judgments concerning matters of right : and as for matters of story and fact that are variously reported , if a man hath not been an eye-witness of them himself , it cannot be but that he must give credit to them according to that esteem and opinion which he hath of the persons by whom they are related . all which put together shew how exceeding difficult and next to impossible it is , that men should ever agree in the same apprehension of things . there is no considering man who hath with any serious thoughts reflected upon the common state and condition of mankind in this respect but must needs own and acknowledg the truth of that saying , pauci res ipsas sequuntur , plures nomina rerum , plurimi nomina magistrorum . the generality of men being carried away by the names of leaders and parties , taking up opinions by the bulk and in the gross , as they are owned and professed by that party of men amongst whom they are listed . many are swayed by the prejudice of the names of things either for or against a thing . if an opinion or a design do but pretend to such a name , they do accordingly either receive or reject it , without examining how far it doth really promote or prejudice the thing they aim at . and as for the nature of things in themselves , there are but few , very few , who set themselves to any serious impartial inquiry concerning them . now i say , he that considers the manifold mistakes which the judgments of men are liable unto upon these accounts , he must , unless he will go out of the world ( as the apostle speaks upon another occasion ) demean himself towards others , with this tenderness and moderation as to the things about which they differ . . from the mutability of humane affairs , which in their most secure and flourishing estate are subject to revolutions : it being beyond the contrivance of humane wisdom , to establish things unto such a fixedness as shall exempt them from change ; but many times those very courses which wise men take for the setling and securing of things , and which may in themselves have a natural aptitude to that purpose , are by the providence of god made use of as the means and occasions of trouble and change : ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus . he that hath not yet learnt this lesson upon the experience of all those various revolutions we have seen in these latter times may deserve to be taught it , as gideon taught the men of succoth with briars and thorns , iudg. . . nothing is more obvious to any observing man than this , that when revolutions have happened men make this their security and refuge , that they have in the former state of things demeaned themselves with moderation , and have by many kindnesses and civilities obliged such as differed from them . and this , if any thing can , redounds to their advantage afterwards , especially if they have to do with such as have any true greatness or generosity of mind . indeed if there were any certain way to fix the state of things unto such an immutable stability as could not alter , it would upon that account be more excusable for a man to act with an uniform vigor and severity against every one that differed . but supposing the meer possibility of change , nothing can be more irrational than to demean our selves so towards others with that harshness and severity as to render our selves incapable of receiving any kindness from them . i do not speak this out of any compliance with that machiavilian principle which directs a man to engage no further in any good cause than he can safely retreat . every worthy man should with fidelity and courage assert the cause he is well perswaded of ; but it should be without all kind of fierceness and bitterness against the persons of others , with as much forbearance and gentleness as the nature of the thing will bear . considering that continual mutability which every condition is liable unto , and which no humane wisdom can foresee and prevent , that kind of demeanour is most rational , which may be most beneficial and safe as to our own particulars , and mutually best for all others . which brings me to the other branch of this second reason . ii. this virtue is most advantageous for the good of men . . in regard of every mans private quiet and welfare in particular . it will help to establish a mans title to these earthly things both with reference to his possession of them . his fruition of them . psal. . . the meek shall inherit the earth , and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace . which is afterward repeated by our saviour , mat. . . and again in another place , learn of me for i am meek and lowly , and ye shall find rest for your souls , mat. . . the most effectual means to attain unto a quiet state of life with others , is to carry our selves gently and kindly to them , v. . of this chapter , and the peace of god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ iesus , pet. . . the apostle having exhorted them to be pitiful and courteous , not rendring evil for evil , or railing for railing , but contrariwise blessing , he presently subjoins , he that will love life and see good days , let him keep his tongue from evil , let him seek peace and ensue it . and then presently after , who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good ? no such way to render our lives quiet , comfortable and safe , as to demean our selves with candor and ingenuity towards those with whom we converse : and that not only in respect of the effects and consequences of such carriage , but from the nature of the thing it self ; it supposeth a calm and sedate temper of mind . whereas on the other side , that eagerness and fierceness of disposition , whereby a man is apt to be transported with heats and severity in matters of contest , as it doth suppose such aestuations and storms as are inconsistent with inward serenity , so likewise will it occasion outward trouble and opposition from others . they who are always biting of others , will be in continual danger of being devoured by others , gal. . . those two qualities of hateful and hating one another , are joined together as usual concomitants , tit. . . they who are apt to demean themselves as hating of others , will thereby be rendred hateful to them . . this vertue will be very advantageous to the peace and welfare of humane society in the general , which doth very much depend upon the mutual condescension and forbearance of men towards one another , in the things about which they differ : it being utterly impossible , considering the infirmity and prejudice to which our judgments are liable , that we should always agree in the same apprehension of things . if upon every difference men should think themselves obliged to prosecute matters to the utmost height and rigour , such eager persons may easily from hence be induced to have recourse to arms rather than such precious things as truth and justice shall suffer ; and being once thus engaged , it will be impossible ( if they will act consistently ) to end their differences by any accommodation , they must fight it out to the last till one side be wholly subdued and destroyed . and thus would men grow wild and savage , the benefits of society would be lost , and mankind destroyed out of the world . 't is this moderation and calmness of spirit which takes men off from their natural wildness and ferity , which tames and fits them for society . the less any man hath of it , the more doth he degenerate and draw near to the nature of brute creatures . the true notion of gentileness and nobility consisting in these kind of qualifications , whereby a man is fitted for a sociable condition . now the design of christianity being to promote the good of mankind and the peace of societies , therefore doth the doctrine of it so frequently insist upon those kind of virtues and graces which are most conducible to this end . and therefore upon all these accounts the truth of the doctrine will appear very evident , viz. that 't is the duty of christians to give signal testimony of their equity and moderation upon all occasions of difference and contests with one another . there remains only one objection to be briefly answered , and i shall proceed to application . 't is this , how may this consist with that zeal and strictness of duty which we are obliged unto ? to this it may be answered : . that zeal doth properly consist in an intention of mind , and earnestness of affection in the prosecuting of such things as are our duty , and in opposing such things whereby we are hindred in the performance of our duty . now supposing moderation to be a duty , a man ought to be zealous for this grace , and against all such persons and things as are enemies and hindrances of it . so that these things are not opposite , but consistent with , and subservient to one another . and as for that other branch of the objection concerning strictness and exactness of duty , from which a man ought not to deviate out of compliance with others . to this it may be said , that strictness is properly a keeping close to the law. now 't is not the naked letter , but the sense and meaning that is the law. and that man may be said to be most strict in his obedience , who doth most exactly comply with this . a man may violate the law by observing the letter , and he may keep the law by going against the letter . now divine laws themselves are capable of relaxation , which is the meaning of that proverbial saying so frequent in scripture , that god will have mercy and not sacrifice . and therefore much more will humane laws admit of it . there are these three things i would insist upon in the application of this point . . first , to enquire whether we our selves are such as the apostle doth here require christians to be . . and then secondly , if not , that we would endeavour to be convinced of that deformity and mischief which there is in the want of this grace . . lastly that we would be perswaded to be more careful in the attaining , improving , and exercising of this grace for the future . . to enquire whether we our selves are such as the apostle doth here require christians to be ; such as upon all occasions of difference are ready to give signal testimony of our gentleness and moderation . there are these two ways whereby this may be discovered , namely by the fruits and concomitants . vniversality and extent of it . . by the fruits and concomitants of this virtue . some have questioned whether this word do denote any single virtue , and not rather a complexion of many together . 't is certain that there are several other virtues of near affinity to this , such as are either the effects or concomitants of this virtue , by which the reality of it may be known . of these i shall mention six . . mutual forbearance towards one another , not taking all the advantages we may have of vindicating our selves , making allowance for the infirmity of those by whom we are injured . we that are strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak , and not to please our selves , but our neighbour for his good : for even christ pleased not himself . rom. . . we are to comfort the feeble-minded , and to support the weak , thes. ; not to be harsh and rigorous towards them . . a readiness to forgive and conceal the manifest injuries of others , when either the glory of god or the good of men either publick or private shall require it of us . that very expression which is translated ready to forgive , psal. . . is by the septuagint rendred by the same word in the text , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . long-suffering , both with respect to patience and hope ; not easily provoked to passions , being slow to anger ; not suddenly tired or discouraged by the continuance of the things we suffer , or the delay of the things we hope for . cor. . . charity suffereth long , and is kind . vers . . it beareth all things , hopeth all things . . benignity , kindness , courtesie ; a readiness to do good , to help and shew favour to those by whom we have been injured ; such an affable , amiable carriage as may win upon them ; not harsh , scornful , churlish ; over-coming evil with good ; a forwardness to promote love and peace with them , though it be by receding from somewhat of our own right . being favourable in our interpretation of the words and actions of others . approving what is good in them ; not aggravating what is evil ; taking doubtful matters in the best sense ; chusing rather to offend by too much mildness than by too much severity . . aequanimity , meekness , gentleness ; such a sedateness of mind , whereby a man is not easily transported to any high passions ; not difficultly appeased , especially upon submission and repentance . such an evenness and smoothness of disposition , as doth not only serve to attemper anger , but to add a sweetness and placidness to our carriage . an equal state of mind under the variety of outward conditions , without being elated or dejected by them , knowing how to want , and how to abound . when our hearts are not immersed in any of these earthly things , beyond their real worth and usefulness . . and lastly , easiness to be intreated , when a man is exorable without the violence of importunity ; not stiff and tenacious in matters of opinion beyond what the great evidence and importance of things doth require . manageing the business of our converse with others , without murmurings and disputings , phil. . . this same disputacity , or aptness to contend for victory , is no small occasion of discord amongst men . and on the contrary , this willingness to condescend , not leaning too much to our own understanding , is a special means to promote amity and peace amongst them . this very word in the text being used by the apostle , tim. . . is there by beza interpreted to be of the same sense with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , apt to yield and submit , non facilè contentiosus , not easily provoked to contentious disputes nor pertinacious in them . let a man look over the whole doctrine of the gospel in the new testament , and he shall find that there is not any other virtue or duty whatsoever so often and so earnestly inculcated as those of this nature ; as if our saviour had designed to fix upon these , as being the grand criteria whereby his followers should be distinguished from all other sects and professions of men in the world . now if we desire to make enquiry concerning our own conditions in this respect , these are some of those concomitants , effects , properties whereby this moderation is to be discerned . . another rule whereby we may examine our conformity to this precept in the text is the vniversality and extent of it ; whether we exercise it towards all men , in all times , upon all occasions . they that are for moderation in the managing of affairs at one time , and yet perhaps at another will look upon it as an argument of disaffection and style it by the name of lukewarmness and detestable neutrality , such persons cannot be said to love the virtue of moderation but the blessing and happiness of it . they are only for the passive not the active part , to receive it from others not to shew it to them . and to how narrow a compass an enquiry by this rule will confine this grace , amidst the several pretenders to it , i need not say . . in the next place we may hence be convinced of that deformity and mischief which there is in the want of this grace . it renders a man , . vnlike to god. . vnacceptable to men . . pernicious to himself . . it renders a man unlike to god ; in conformity to whom all our excellency and happiness doth consist . he is the father of mercies , the god of all consolation . his appearance was in the soft and still voice , king. . , ; not in whirlwinds and hurricanes : where there is spiritus procellae , it proceeds from another principle . christ is the prince of peace , the great exemplar of meekness . 't is prophesied of him that he shall come down like dew on a fleece of wool , like rain on the mowen grass , psal. . . he shall not cry , nor his voice be heard in the street , isa. . . the holy ghost was pleased to appear in the shape of a dove , the emblem of meekness . simplex animal & laetum , non felle amarum , non morsibus saevum , non unguium laceratione violentum . the true church is styled by the name of the lilly amongst thorns : the lilly doth not scratch and tear , that 's the property of thorns and briars . christians are the sheep and lambs . quid facit in pectore christiano luporum feritas , canum rabies ? saith the same father . . vnacceptable to men ; as being against that common peace and quiet which 't is every mans interest to promote . it seems very obvious for men to reflect what thoughts they have had concerning such persons as have been the chief drivers on of several interests , in those wild revolutions we have seen of late ; how we have looked upon them as incendiaries and enemies to publick peace . if it be said that the case is now altered , and we have a right side , and a good cause ; this ought to be most freely owned , and acknowledged with all thankfulness : but yet 't is farther considerable , that this virtue of moderation , doth suppose a matter of right and justice . and then besides , the better the cause is , the less need is there of any immoderate rigorous course in the asserting of it . we shall hereby rather prejudice than promote it ; by inducing a suspicion , that 't is not so much truth or justice as something else that drives us on . and then besides where would this principle end ? if one man may be severe and rigorous because he is in the right ; why then another who doth but think himself so , will be so too . and according to this , what would become of peace and society ? such blustering boisterous tempers as are all for the great river euphrates which runs with a torrent and a mighty noise , and refuse the still waters of shiloah which run soft and gently , as the prophet speaks , isa. . . such are no friends to peace , because 't is the latter which is the river whose streams must make glad the city of god , psal. . . that is , must promote the quiet and flourishing state of the church , as a reverend prelate hath elegantly exprest it : 't is the advice of seneca , that men would consider vtrum mundi status gratior sit , sereno & puro die , an cum fragoribus crebris omnia quatiuntur , & ignes hinc atque illinc micant . what difference there is betwixt a serene and clear day , and another full of thunder and flashes , and storms ; such difference there is , saith he , betwixt a calm moderate temper , and the passionate severity of others . . it will prove pernicious to a mans self . for which i shall only give that one instance , luk. . . the two disciples there , iames and iohn , those sons of thunder , being much offended with the samaritans , who refused to receive our saviour , would needs in their immoderate zeal have fire from heaven to destroy them ; for which they had a scripture example in the story of elias . but what must have been the consequence of this ? why a while after our saviour went up to ierusalem , where he was crucified , and therefore very good reason why fire should come upon that likewise . nay these very persons themselves , iames and iohn , desert and renounce him , and therefore there ought to be fire upon them also ; and so they make good that saying of the wise man , and by being righteous overmuch destroy themselves , eccles. . . nay one of these disciples tells us , ioh. . , . that the world knew him not , nor received him . therefore why should not that likewise be destroyed by fire ? of such a large and comprehensive mischief is this sin , according to the natural consequences of it . . lastly , we should hence be perswaded to be more careful in the attaining , improving , exercising of this grace for the future . 't is a duty this , wherein all sorts of persons are concerned , not only those of a private condition , in their dealings with one another , but likewise such as are publick magistrates , both as to their making and executing of laws . they who are to consult publick settlement should have special regard to this equity and moderation , thereby to heal the minds of men and to compose their differences . they should look upon past sufferings as happening to them , eo modo quo grandines ac diluvia accidere solent , and so bury them in oblivion . i might to the many arguments already mentioned , add divers other considerations to excite men unto this virtue ( would the time permit it ) . i cannot omit that passage out of seneca , so proper to this purpose , quod si dii placabiles & aequi delicta potentium non statim fulminibus prosequuntur , quanto aequius est , homines hominibus praepositos miti animo exercere imperium . if god doth not presently take vengeance of our faults with thunder from heaven , why should not men by his example become gentle and mild towards one another . 't is a thought this , very proper for a man to revolve in his mind when he is by his passion provoked to deal with rigour and extremity towards others . let him then consider , am not i more under gods power than this offending person is under mine ; more obnoxious to his wrath and justice than he is to me ? had he dealt with me according to my desert , i had long ago been cast into hell : yet i live and am spared , and do every day receive many testimonies of his kindness . is he thus favourable to me for this end , that i may be severe and cruel to others ? hath he forgiven my talents , that i may rigorously exact the pence from my brother ? that man who hath but any sparks of religion or ingenuity , cannot chuse but be either overwhelmed with confusion , or melted into compassion by such thoughts as these . the fourteenth sermon . rom . xii . . dearly beloved , avenge not your selves , but rather give place unto wrath : for it is written , vengeance is mine , i will repay , saith the lord. i have treated of late in a former discourse concerning the virtue of moderation ; shewing the true nature and necessity of it , and how seasonable and proper the pressing of it hath been and will continually be for all places and times ; and more particularly for such as in any revolution are apt to think it least seasonable , who for that very reason have more need to be put in remembrance of their duty in this particular . now because this other subject of revenge is of near affinity to it ; being in some sense the object of it , according to that definition of seneca where he describes clemency and moderation to be temperantia animi in potestate vlciscendi ; a temperance of mind when we have the power and opportunity of revenge : therefore i could not but judg it a very proper subject to be annexed to the former , and this text as proper to found a discourse upon of this nature as any other . in the former part of this epistle , the apostle had insisted at large upon several points of faith , more particularly upon that great doctrine of justification . in this chapter he proceeds to lay down certain precepts of christianity concerning practice and obedience , beginning with those that refer to god , in the three first verses : and amongst them , with that which is the foundation of all the rest , namely that we wholly devote and resign up our selves unto his spiritual service . v. . then he proceeds to such duties as we owe to our neighbours , whether , . those that are fellow-members of the same church , partakers of the same faith ; from ver . . to the . or dly , such as are enemies and persecutors , v. . bless them which persecute you ; and again , v. . recompence to no man evil for evil . and because 't is a duty ( this ) of more than ordinary difficulty , very much against the natural inclinations of men , therefore he returns again to the enforcing of it , in the words of the text , and so to the end of the chapter . the text is a dissuasive from the sin of revenge ; in it there lye four particulars very obvious : . an insinuating compellation , dearly beloved . . the precept or prohibition it self , avenge not your selves . . a direction for the better observance of this precept , but rather give place unto wrath . . a reason or argument for the enforcing of it , for it is written , vengeance is mine , or belongs to me . i will repay saith the lord. i shall briefly explain the several terms . . the compellation ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , dearly beloved . 't is but one word in the greek , but because of the special emphasis of it , signifying the most cordial love , therefore is it thus rendred in the english. and upon this account 't is usually ascribed to an onely child ; so the translate that place , gen. . . thine onely son , thy dearly beloved son. in which sense 't is frequently used by other greek authors , homer , plutarch , and others ( as divers criticks have observed . ) it signifies the dearest and most intimate affection . the apostle doth use it both here and in several other places , that by so mild and obliging a compellation he might the better insinuate and prevail with those whom he is to perswade : suitable to his own rule , in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves . . the precept or prohibition it self , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , non vosmet ipsos defendentes . so the vulgar , very improperly both as to the force of the word and the scope of the place . there are two particulars to be enquired unto for the explication of this clause : what is meant by revenging . revenging our selves . . what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , vltio or vindicta is may be very proper to be discussed , because 't is by several authors used in such various and equivocal senses ; sometimes for a passion of the mind , so plato defines it in his book de legibus , vindicta est passio justitiae sequax ; sometimes for a virtue , amongst the catalogue of which aristotle doth reckon it . eth. lib. . and so likewise aquinas . dae , making the two extremes of it to be cruelty , and too much remission or abjectness . and sometimes likewise 't is reckoned for a vice , as in the text , and according to the most usual acception of the word . and there is reason enough why it may be referred to each of these heads , because supposing it to be the first , a passion , it must likewise be capable of being both a virtue and a vice. as there is in every man a natural inclination to vindicate himself from injuries , so 't is a passion , that is , a natural act of the appetite . as this passion is duly guided in the exercise of its acts , by the rules of justice and prudence , both as to the proper objects , acts and circumstances of it , so 't is a virtue . as it doth deviate from and transgress these rules , so 't is a vice . which may be said of all the other passions likewise , anger , love , fear , &c. though because of the general proclivity of men to offend in this kind , therefore the most ordinary use of the word is in this worst sense . that desire which a man may have of occasioning to another some trouble and inconvenience upon the account of injury suffered from him , this is not absolutely and abstractedly considered , in it self evil , but may be both lawful and commendable , provided that the thing hereby chiefly aimed at be such a moderate castigation as may be requisite for the conviction and the amendment of the offender , a keeping up the authority of laws , and a due satisfaction for the damages we have suffered . there being a vast difference betwixt the study of revenge , and the endeavour of reparation . this latter being no ways opposite to christian love , meekness , mutual forgiveness ; god himself may remit the sin , and not hate the person , and yet he may correct the offender , to vindicate his law and repair his own honour . but now on the other hand , when the thing we chiefly aim at , is mischief to the person by whom we have been injured , though we our selves receive no benefit thereby , besides the satisfaction of our own inraged passions : such a wrathful retribution of evil is properly the sin of revenge ; whether or no the evil that we occasion to him , be either greater , or equal , or less , to what we have suffered from him . . what by revenging our selves ? this expression doth direct to the proper agent of that suffering and penalty which we may occasion to another . though persons of a private capacity may seek to bring such as injure them to punishment , yet they must not themselves inflict it , because there are others appointed to this work , namely the publick magistrate , whose proper office this is , he is the minister of god , a revenger , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the same word as in the text , to execute wrath upon him that doth evil , saith the apostle in the next chapter , rom. . . 't is a part this of distributive justice , and therefore doth belong to governours , either to the supreme , to whom it doth primarily appertain , or to those who are delegated by him ; who are the conservators of humane societies , and guardians of laws . without such revengers there could be no government in the world ; and therefore for private persons to invade their office , is in some sense to depose them , and consequently to destroy government . though even such publick persons to whose office this work doth properly belong , are not altogether exempted from the danger of this sin . upon which account it is that governours themselves ought not ordinarily to be judges in their own particular concernments ; or at least not to be the inflicters of the penalty upon such as injure them . to which may be added that such magistrates who take delight in inflicting punishment as punishment ; who do it with insolence , bitterness , contumely ( which are against the common laws of humanity ) such as do not principally respect the good of the community , and of the offending person , but have some secret regard to their own private utility , or the satisfaction of their particular anger : in such cases the magistrate himself , whose office it is to revenge , may yet be guilty of the sin of revenge . . the third particular observed in the words is a direction for the better observance of this duty , in that clause , but rather give place unto wrath . that expression of giving place , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , date locum , is a metaphorical phrase . but 't is such a metaphor as is not a peculiar phraseology , but is somewhat general and significant in several languages . the meaning of it is to yield and submit unto . what kind of wrath is hereby intended is another question , fit to be discussed . there are three several senses that have each of them a fair pretence to the scope and meaning of this place . . it may signifie the wrath of thine enemy ; do not immediately fly to an opposition of it , but rather withdraw from him that is provoked . dum furor in cursu est , currenti cede furori . iacob did so to his brother . esau , when he was inraged against him , and resolved to kill him . . it may signifie the wrath of god. do not prevent or hinder that by revenging your self . take heed of invading his office. leave him to his own work . commit your selves to him that judgeth righteously , pet. . . . it may refer to our own wrath . to the impetuousness of which we must so far give place as not to act any thing upon the instigation of it . respirate in vestro furore , neque ruite praecipites , donec ira vestra deferveat . let it have some time to cool and abate , and take heed of being transported with it . each of these are suitable enough to the sense of the place , though the two first seem to be more agreeable to the reason annexed . . which is the fourth particular observable in the words : for it is written , vengeance is mine , i will repay saith the lord , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which refers to that place , deut. . ▪ and to that psal. . . o lord god to whom vengeance belongeth . which is again repeated heb. . . for we know him that hath said , vengeance belongeth unto me , i will recompence saith the lord. and then it follows in the next verse of the text , which is cited out of prov. . . therefore if thine enemy hunger , feed him , if he thirst give him drink . under which expressions of meat and drink are comprehended all kind of necessaries or conveniences , which his condition may require . be kind and benevolous to him , not only in case of extreme exigence , but so often as you have opportunity of procuring any considerable advantage to his condition , for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head , whereby he shall be either melted into kindness , or burnt for his obdurateness . some think the meaning of this passage is to be restrained only to the first of these ; it being against the chief scope of the place , and the highest kind of revenge for a man to aim at the exposing of another to divine wrath and vengeance ; usually the roughest most obdurate tempers are to be subdued with kindness . david conquered saul this way , and melted him into tears of repentance for his enmity against him . nimis durus est animus , qui si dilectionem nolit impendere , nolit rependere , saith st. austin . that man must needs be of a very savage inflexible temper , who is not to be bent by gentleness and kindness . some conceive this phrase to be an allusion to the custom of artificers in their dealing with metals , which when they cannot bring to fusion by putting fire under them , they use to heap live coals on the head or top of them , and by that means do cause them to melt . that man is to be utterly despaired of as being without all sense of humanity , whom repeated kindness will not melt and dissolve . but now because the most usual sense of this expression , coals of fire , doth denote punishment and vengeance , according to the proper importance of it in other scriptures , as psal. . , , . & . . and several other places . therefore this sense is not to be wholly neglected , nor is it unlawful for a man in a secondary way to have respect unto it . and 't is most suitable to that clause in the precedent verse , vengeance is mine . though withal it must be granted , that the precept in the verse immediately following of overcoming evil with good , doth seem to favour more the former sense . and so much for explication of the text , both as to the context and the terms of it . the proposition i would insist upon shall be this : christians ought to be very cautious against this sin of revenge . the apostle doth in this place insist much upon it , frequently repeats the prohibition to this purpose , which he endeavours to insinuate by the most loving perswasions , and to enforce by several arguments to shew of how great moment and consequence this duty is . and 't is withal both agreeable to the light of nature , and to several other precepts and examples , both in the old and new testament . and first , 't is most consonant this to the clear light of nature , and such moral principles as are common to all mankind . though i know very well that divers eminent authors , the learned grotius and others do from hence endeavour to prove the insufficiency of reason and philosophy for the discovery and attainment of true virtue . because the wisest and best of the heathen do indulge themselves in this matter of revenge . to which purpose they usually cite those sayings out of aristotle , where he reckons it for a virtue , and in another place where he saith , servile est , si contumeliose tracteris , id tolerare . and that of cicero , where he mentions revenge amongst those things , quae ad jus naturae pertinent . besides that doctrine of the stoicks , who were a sect of men most strict and sublime in their morality ; amongst whom notwithstanding it was a principle , sapientem non ignoscere , non misereri . that a wise man ought not to pardon another mans faults , nor to compassionate his sufferings . for which seneca reasons thus , venia est poenae meritae remissio . ergo ei ignoscitur qui puniri debuit . sapiens autem nihil facit quod non debet . to which may be added that doctrine of the alchoran , wherein the remitting of injuries and neglect of revenge , is condemned as an impious thing . from all which 't is inferred that this prohibition of revenge is a pure institution belonging to the gospel and christian religion , and not derivable from the light of nature . but with reverence to those great names , this will upon an impartial inquiry be found to be a mistake ; all the agenda of christianity being so far from being opposite that they are most agreeable to humane reason , as 't is cultivated and heightned to its utmost improvement by philosophy . as for those speeches that are cited to this purpose , they may refer to the passion or virtue of revenge , not the vice of it . the same authors abounding in many severe prohibitions against this vice . besides the many arguments they produce of the unlawfulness and mischief of it , as the inconsistency of it with government and society , with several other reasons which i may have occasion to mention afterwards . and the plain truth is , there is not any one thing in morality that is capable of being made out by clearer natural evidence than the sinfulness of revenge , supposing men to live under laws and government , as i shall hereafter endeavour to shew . as for scripture evidence to this purpose out of the old testament , nothing can be more express than that place , levit. . . thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudg against the children of thy people , but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . to which is annexed the same reason as in the text , i am the lord. nor is this to be extended meerly to their persons , but to their possessions likewise . exod. . , . if thou meet thine enemies ox or his ass going astray , thou shalt surely bring it back to him again . if thou seest the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden , thou shalt surely help with him . though it cannot be denied that amongst the judicial laws of the iewish nation , there are some that seem to make an allowance and indulgence for the frowardness and hardness of that people in this particular ( whether the revenger of blood were not commanded to kill the man-slayer see weemes , . vol. . part , p. . ) as that concerning the liberty for the avenger of blood , while his heart is hot , to pursue him that had unwittingly slain his neighbour , and if he could overtake him before he got to one of the cities of refuge to be revenged of him , deut. . . iosh. . . besides those other laws of retaliation , of an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth ; yet these laws were not established amongst them out of any fitness or commendableness of the things in themselves absolutely considered , but only indulged by way of permission , as being most suitable to the imperfect state of that people , and for the prevention of greater mischiefs amongst them , as tertullian hath stated this business , and out of him the learned grotius in his book de jure belli & pacis , lib. . cap. . § . . prov. . . the wise man tells us that 't is the discretion of a man to defer his anger , and his glory to pass over a transgression . 't is the want of prudence and generosity that doth hastily transport men to the retribution of injuries . prov. . , . rejoice not when thine enemy falleth , and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth , lest the lord see it , and it displease him , and he turn away his wrath from him to thee . where not only the doing of mischief our selves , but the rejoicing at that which upon any other account doth happen to him is prohibited as an unworthy thing . and david complains of it as very injurious dealing that his enemies rejoiced at his adversity , psal. . . though he had compassion on them when they were sick , and behaved himself as to his friend or brother . ezek. . . there are severe threatnings denounced against edom , because he had greatly offended by taking vengeance , and revenging himself upon the house of iudah , ver . . therefore will i lay my vengeance upon edom , according to mine anger , and according to my fury , and they shall know my vengeance , saith the lord god. and ver . . because the philistines have dealt by revenge , and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart to destroy it for the old hatred ; therefore thus saith the lord , behold i will stretch out my hands against the philistines , and i will execute great vengeance upon them , with furious rebukes . but the gospel is much more copious to this purpose , wherein our saviour doth require an higher degree of perfection in this kind , and doth abolish those indulgences which the iudicial law did admit . he expects that christians should be so far from being overcome with this passion of private revenge , that they should rather suffer patiently a second and third injury than revenge one . which is the true meaning of that precept , mat. . whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek , turn to him the other also . that expression of turning the cheek , being a usual scripture-phrase to signifie bearing evil patiently , isa. . . lament . . . and v. . i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them which despitefully use you , and persecute you . for if you love them that love you , what reward have you , do not even publicans and sinners the same ? but when once you come to love and do good to enemies , this will prove you to be children of the highest , and render you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect , ver . . mat. . having taught his disciples that form of prayer , wherein they are to beg a conditional pardon of their own sins , forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us . of which it may be said ( as of the fifth commandment that it was the first with promise ) so was this the first , the only petition with condition . and having signified this form , he returns immediately after to comment upon this clause ( singling it out from all the other petitions as laying great weight upon it ) and this he doth both positively , ver . . for if ye forgive men their trespasses , then will your heavenly father forgive you your trespasses . and negatively , v. . but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses . by which place it appears that he who meditates revenge must curse himself when he prays ; he must carry in his own bosom the evidence that his sins are unpardoned , and likewise a bar and incapacity , whereby he is disabled to ask or expect the forgiveness of them . to which may be added that precept of being reconciled to our brother before we bring our gift to the altar , mat. . the thoughts of revenge will render our offerings and services unacceptable . as likewise that parable concerning the wicked servant , mat. . who refused to forgive his fellow servant a hundred pence , though his lord had remitted to him ten thousand talents . i might mention several examples to this purpose ; that of ioseph towards his brethren : that of iob , chap. . . who professed that he rejoiced not at the destruction of him that hated him ; nor lift up himself when evil found him . that of st. stephen who prayed for those that stoned him , saying , lord lay not this sin to their charge , act. . . and above all that of our saviour himself , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , when he suffered he threatned not , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously , pet. . . i proceed to some reasons or arguments for the confirmation of this proposition . and shall mention six . . 't is a sin against god , the supreme governour of the world , to whom this work of vengeance belongeth ; which is the reason in the text. and therefore men who intrude upon it without his commission , do but invade his office ; and consequently renounce their subjection to him , and put themselves out of his protection . we that are poor dependant creatures , earthen vessels , worms and no men , think our selves highly injured and affronted when those that are in any inferiour relation to us , our children or servants shall take upon them to revenge themselves upon one another without appealing to us to do them right . why , god is infinitely more just , powerful , omniscient , and therefore hath much more reason to resent it as an high indignity when his creatures and vassals shall so far forget their dependance upon him as to invade his office . the apostle tells us , iam. . . that the wrath of men worketh not the righteousness of god. that justice which is done by a wrathful man doth not render him righteous in the sight of god. or god hath not appointed that violent revengeful disposition of men to be the executor of his justice ; because 't is not like to effect it with such a mixture of mercy as he will approve or accept of . . 't is against government , magistrates , laws ; those bonds of societies , which are all needless and in vain , if every one may take a liberty of righting himself . 't is the very end of magistracy to prevent this . he is made a publick avenger , to distribute rewards and punishments according to stated laws , that private men might not intermeddle with it . 't is true indeed , as for such barbarous savage people as live wild , without being associated and united by those bonds of justice , 't is no wonder if such be continually retaliating of injuries according to the opportunities and advantages they can get over one another ; there being no other remedy for men who live according to a state of nature , amongst whom there is no person or place for appeal . and thus likewise is it with such publick persons , betwixt whom there is no common judg to state and vindicate their differences ( as soveraign princes are ) there being in such cases no other remedy ( unless they can accommodate things by treaty ) but that war must follow , and the sword decide their controversies . but when men are once associated under government and laws , they must then have recourse to such as are deputed to this office of vindicating common justice . have you received an injury , saith quintilian , est lex , forum , judex nisi vos jure vindicari pudet ; there are laws , courts , iudges , unless your cause be such as you are ashamed or afraid to bring it unto the trial and determination of law. though even in this way 't is not for every trivial offence that we are to trouble our neighbour ; nor for matters of moment , till all other ways of accommodation have been first offered and tried , law being a kind of war , which must be the last means for peace . . 't is against the very scope and spirit of christianity , which consists in self-denial , taking up the cross , meekness , loving our enemies , forgiving such as trespass against us . the great rule of christianity is not to do to others as they do to us , but as we would have them do to us . whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you , do you the same unto them , mat. . . . 't is against humanity ; inhumanum verbum est ultio , saith seneca . 't is proper enough for wild brute creatures , but not for men . nothing becomes humane nature more than gentleness and humanity . laus humanitatis potius quam voluptas ultionis concupiscenda est , saith one of the roman orators . the pleasure of revenge ought not to stand in any competition with the praise of humanity . nothing is more universally necessary for the peace and welfare of humane societies , than mutual pardon and forbearance ; because every one must frequently stand in need of it for himself , and therefore must be ready to extend it to others . he that hath any real sense of his own frail condition , will find reason enough not to take all advantages he may against others . . 't is against our own quiet and welfare ; which consists in such a serene and be calmed spirit as will not let the sun go down upon our wrath . the study of revenge will be a means to keep wounds green and festering , whereas otherwise they might heal . multi leves injurias altius sibi dimisêre dum vindicant . this gives impression to a slight injury , and makes it wound deep when we resent it with revengeful thoughts . maledicta , si irascaris , agnita videntur , spreta exolescunt . he that neglects an injury , doth blunt the edge of it . provoking words ( saith the son of syrach , eccles. . . ) are like a coal of fire , which if a man blow upon , it will kindle the more , but if he spit upon it , 't will go out . besides that it will be a means to multiply and renew fresh injuries upon us . if we cannot stop at the first blow , why should we expect that our adversary should stop at the second ? he that will strike when he is not provoked , will do so much more when he is smitten again , and so we shall but help to draw the sawe of contention , and multiply sufferings upon our selves by endeavouring to retaliate them upon others . . revenge is in it self as great , and in many respects a much greater sin , than the first injury whereby 't is occasioned . quid refert inter provocantem & provocatum , nisi quod ille prior in maleficio deprehenditur , & ille posterior . all the difference betwixt the provoker and revenger is this , that the one is first , the other second in the mischief . et quid refert primus pecces an ultimus ? and what advantage is there for a man to be first or second in an evil action ? it cannot certainly be any good argument , that because such an one sinned first , therefore we will second him : qui dolorem regerit tantum excusatius peccat ( saith seneca ) , he that doth revenge , doth sin as well as the other , though he have this excuse for it , that he was first provoked to it . and yet in another place he saith , non dubitabo dicere magis improbum esse eum , qui illatam ulciscitur quàm qui infert injuriam . i shall not doubt to affirm that man of the two to be the most wicked , who revenges , than he who inflicts an injury . qui replicat multiplicat . alter principium malo dedit , alter modum abstulit . one gives a beginning , the other growth , multiplication , continuance , and consequently endeavours to make it without measure or end . the first violates some particular branch of the law , but the revenge of that wrong doth depose the whole law , and puts it out of office . he that hath newly received an injury , and hath the sense of it fresh upon his own mind , doth thereby better understand the vexation and grievousness of it ; and therefore for him to deal hardly with others , whilst he hath this sense fresh upon him , must needs from hence receive an aggravation , qui exemplo peccat , bis peccat , he having immediately before experimented the deformity and mischief of that sin in another . if it be objected against all this which hath been delivered , that we read sometimes in scripture of good men who are said to rejoice at the sight of vengeance upon others , psal. . . the righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance . and elsewhere they are said to pray for vengeance , ier. . . o lord of hosts that judgest righteously , let me see thy vengeance upon them . so st. paul , tim. . . speaking of alexander the coppersmith doing him much harm , adds , the lord reward him according to his works . and revel . . . 't is said , that the souls under the altar do cry with a loud voice , saying , how long , o lord , holy and true dost thou not judg and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth . besides several imprecations in other places . to this it may be answered : . that as a man may pity men under those sufferings , which he may acknowledg to be just upon them , so he may rejoice at those sufferings as they are accomplishments of divine justice , though not as they are revenge for his particular injuries . . to speak unto god that he would vindicate us , is but to appeal unto the supreme judg that he would do us right , to commit our cause unto him that judgeth righteously , as is said of our saviour , pet. . . though this should be in such a manner as may tend to the conviction , reformation and forgiveness of the offending person , rather than to his ruin and condemnation ; unless it be for such extraordinary persons as have a spirit of discerning , and are able to penetrate into the true state of men as to their implacable incorrigible condition . other persons should consider what spirit they are of as our saviour tells the disciples iames and iohn . every man may not call for fire from heaven to destroy others , though elias did and might . the fifteenth sermon . rom . xii . . dearly beloved avenge not your selves , but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is written , vengeance is mine , i will repay , saith the lord. there are these three things i would insist upon in the application of this point . . to examine whether we are not guilty of this sin ? . to convince men of the deformity and mischief of it . . to quicken and excite them unto a greater degree of watchfulness over themselves , in respect of the temptations to this vice for the future . . to examine whether we our selves are not guilty of this sin ? there is no one thing wherein the corruption of nature is more apt to exert it self than in offences of this kind , as relating to that first fundamental principle of nature , which is self-preservation ; nor is it every ordinary degree of grace and virtue that will exempt a man from the power of this sin . according to that measure which there is in any , either of impotence , pride , cowardice , cruelty , narrowness of mind , selfishness , in such a proportion must that man be of a vindicative temper . and on the other side , he that is open and free in his way of converse , apt to put the best construction upon things , to take more notice of the virtues and kindnesses of men than of their failings , not subject to jealousies and evil surmisings , but of a noble generous temper and carriage , lifted up above the common level of vulgar minds , in such a degree will he be exempted from this sin . but now because there is a vindicative anger and indignation against others which is our duty , namely that which is against offenders and that every man is apt to palliate and excuse his own revengeful temper and carriage by pretending this ; therefore i shall briefly suggest these two rules , whereby the truth of it may be discovered , whether it be a virtue or vice. to examine whether , . our anger be not more against the persons than the offences . and , . whether it be not directed more against offences as they are injuries to us , than as they are violations of the divine law. in both which cases we fall under the guilt of this sin . . we are to examine whether our anger be not directed more against the persons of offenders than against their offences . if so , 't is not the virtue but the sin of revenge . and this may be known by our readiness to exert any act of charity towards the offending person , in pitying and grieving for him , and applying the most effectual means for his conviction and amendment . our saviour himself was angry at the sins of ierusalem , and yet he wept over and bemoaned their destruction . so did david for his enemies , psal. . , . when they were sick i put on sackcloth , and humbled my soul with fasting , i behaved my self as though he had been my friend or brother , i bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother . on the other side when we have no kind of compassion towards them , nor charity for them , but are continually reviling their persons , aggravating their faults , adding to and increasing their sufferings , 't is a sure sign this of a vindicative temper . . we are to examine whether our anger be not more directed against offences as they are injuries to us , than as they are violations of the divine law. which will appear by that sense which we have of such transgressions , wherein we our selves are not particularly reflected upon , though god be thereby highly dishonoured . if in such cases a man be calm and altogether unconcerned , if he have little or no displeasure against persons that are highly debauched and vicious , nay if he indulge himself in such kind of vices , 't is altogether in vain for such a man in his punishing of offenders , to pretend to zeal for the upholding of law and justice , and the glory of god. 't is a disguise that which every one may see through . and though the punishment inflicted by such may be righteous , and in it self justly deserved , yet as it comes from them under these qualifications , 't is not so much justice as revenge . . in the next place we may hence be convinced of that deformity and mischief which there is in this sin . there are these six things that do usually accompany it , either as causes , effects , or properties of it , folly , pride , impotence , cowardice , cruelty , ingratitude . . folly : the meditating of revenge is styled the resting or cherishing of anger in our bosoms . and the wise man tells us , that anger resteth in the bosom of fools , eccles. . . 't is the fool that rageth , prov. . . the discretion of a man will teach him to defer his anger , prov. . . and by the rule of contraries it must be his folly to precipitate and hasten to revenge . would not that man be counted exceeding fond and imprudent , who if a horse kick him , will think himself bound to recalcitrate or kick again , or to bite the dog by which he is bitten ? you will say those creatures want reason , and do not understand the injury they do . eo loco sit tibi quisquis consilio caret , saith seneca . why , so perhaps may those foolish men , by whom you have been unwarily provoked . . pride : every little injury will seem great , where men seem great to themselves . 't is from the opinion and conceit which they have of their own worth , that they are apt to aggravate every trespass as an high indignity . fierceness doth arise from pride . he that is puffed up with high imaginations of himself and of his own deserts , iove dignas concipit iras . what ? such a man as he ? of so much worth to be so unworthily used by such an one ? and thus ( as one well expresseth it ) as the boar whets and sharpens his tusks in his own foam , so doth a proud man excite and sharpen his own indignation and revenge in the frothy imagination of his own worth . this is the reason why our saviour doth join together meekness and lowliness , self-denial and taking up the cross. . impotence , weakness , narrowness of soul , which is apt to make a man suspicious , to startle and be provoked at every shadow . quo infirmiores eo magis iracundi . persons that are old , sick , weak , are usually upon this account most froward and vindicative . whereas he that hath any true courage and greatness of mind will think it below him so much as to take notice of every little injury . non est magnus animus quem incurvat injuria . 't is not every little blast that can shake him who is of a steady and noble courage . to be always fretting and aggravating of injuries , formicarum & muscarum est ( saith plutarch ) belongs to such little impotent creatures as ants and flies . and to the same purpose seneca , pusilli hominis est & miseri repetere mordentem . 't is the property of small and mean wretches to be always retaliating . mures & formicae , si manum admoveris , ora convertunt . imbecillia , se laedi putant si tanguntur . the more impotent any thing is , the more suspicious and vindicative is it . there are many other sayings to this purpose amongst the heathen writers . i cannot omit that one more out of the satyrist . iuvenal . sat. . — quippe minuti semper & infirmi est animi exiguique voluptas vltio , continuò sic collige , quod vindictâ nemo magis gaudet quam foemina , &c. i have the rather mentioned several of these sayings out of the heathen writers , in confirmation of what before i asserted , that revenge is a sin against the light of nature , and that the rules of philosophy are not in this kind so defective as some have suggested . . cruelty : this naturally follows from the other . the less confidence any one hath in his own courage , the more rigorous and severe must he be in taking the advantages which he hath against another . vltio est aestus & fervor animi turbidi , & mentis efferatae . revenge is the aestuation of an enraged mind . 't is styled humana feritas . it transports a man to savageness and ferity . upon which account it is that civil wars are of all others the most cruel , because they are commonly managed by the dregs of the people , such kind of persons as have no true generosity , which renders them fierce and cruel . . cowardice : this likewise is an usual concomitant of the other . nothing is more natural to men than to make themselves the rule and measure whereby to judg of others . and therefore it cannot be but that such persons must be very obsequious and timerous towards all such as are above them , out of an apprehension of what they themselves would do upon the like advantage . such persons as are usually most fierce in asserting a cause when it hath prevailed , are usually least serviceable and couragious in vindicating of it when it is low . vltio est desperationi proxima , etsi videri vult fortitudo . it puts on the disguise of gallantry and courage , which cannot bear the least shadow of dishonour , but it proceeds from no better a ground than timerousness and despair . all kind of insolence and tyranny whatsoever being founded upon fear and cowardice . . ingratitude : the very same unworthy temper and base principle , which makes revenge seem an ease , will make thanks seem a burden . that which aggravates injuries will diminish kindnesses . he who is ready to account every wrong intolerable , will be apt to esteem every favour a due debt . add to all this , that 't is a sin which will indispose a man for the duties of piety , render our services unacceptable , put us into an incapacity of having our sins forgiven , or so much as expecting or praying for it . besides that it will render a man feared and hated of all kind of persons whatsoever , as being accompanied with a train of such vile concomitants as i have before mentioned . he who wrongs one doth thereby threaten all whom he hath power to hurt . and 't is too true a saying , oderunt quem metuunt , men hate those whom they fear . but amongst all others this vice is more especially hateful in four sorts of people ( as a certain author hath observed . ) . in men of power and authority ; whose proper office it is in a legal regular way , to execute wrath upon evil doers , and to vindicate others from injury . if they become guilty in this kind themselves , they commit murder with the sword of justice , they transform themselves from gods to devils , and become wickednesses in high places . . in such persons as have been obliged by acts of kindness and friendship , which adds a peculiar aggravation to revengeful injurious dealing . had it been an enemy that had reproached me , then i could have born it ; or if he that hated me had lifted up himself against me , i would have hid my self from him : but it was thou my friend and my acquaintance , psal. , , . . professors of religion ; who are under the highest obligations and restraints from offending in this kind , gen. . . when abraham came to a place where the fear of god was not , there was no kind of injurious dealing but he thought he might expect from them ; but to meet with this from such as make profession of religion , must needs have in it this aggravation of a surprizal and disappointment , as being so directly against the principles they pretend to . . such as are poor , prov. . . a poor man that oppresseth is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food . such an one is most like to be violent and rapacious , because of his necessities . and yet 't is directly against his interest , as being most liable to suffer by such dealing himself . . to which i may add a fifth sort , namely , such as have but lately received any signal deliverance or mercy themselves , to whom their lord hath freely remitted ten thousand talents , for them immediately after to be rigorous with their fellow servants in exacting an hundred pence , hath in it a great unworthiness and incongruity . such as have but lately experimented what a suffering condition is , and can tell with what inward vexation and regret of mind they were affected at the hard revengeful dealing of others towards them ; for such men to endeavour to bring others into the same state , the evil whereof they have so lately tasted , hath in it a peculiar aggravation . . the third and last particular to be insisted upon , is to quicken and excite men unto a greater degree of watchfulness over themselves in respect of the temptations to this vice for the future . i have urged several arguments to this purpose already . to which i shall add some few other considerations by way of motive . . to be ready to pardon and forget injuries is an argument of generosity and greatness of mind , prov. . . he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth his own spirit than he that takes a city . 't is one of the properties whereby the philosopher doth describe a magnanimous generous man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he is not any deep resenter of injuries , nor is he vindicative of them . 't is from the same root that a man is made benign and grateful to friends , which renders him gentle and exorable towards enemies . and though it be a noble generous thing to contend in benefits , not to be out-done in kindnesses ; yet not so in injuries . illic vinci turpe est , hic vincere . that man hath the greatest mind who can subdue his enemies by suffering and forgiving , and those are the most ingenuous conquests which are made over the minds and affections of men by kindness . according to that old motto , nobile vincendi genus patientia . nothing renders a man more venerable and amiable than this readiness to forgive . as for such cases wherein 't is not safe to pardon , there the exacting of due punishment is not cruelty but just severity , and a political virtue : but when there is no such publick danger , when there may be any hopes of winning and obliging men by kindness , 't is not then only less profitable but likewise less glorious to pursue them with punishments . how do we reverence the memories , and rise up at the mention of the names of such persons as have in former ages been famous for their clemency and indulgence ? camillus , aristides , socrates , and caesar , of whom 't is said , that he was in vlciscendo lenissimus , apt to forget nothing so much as injuries . and cicero no great lover or flatterer of him , tells him , nil habet nec fortuna tua majus , quam ut possis , nec natura tua melius , quam ut velis , conservare quamplurimos . that herein did consist the true greatness of his fortune , that he was able , and the goodness of his nature that he was willing to shew favour to his adversaries . and on the other side with what horrour and aversation do we think of such as have been full of fierceness and immanity . . a second particular i would suggest , is , that we would consider what difference there is , betwixt the advantages to be acquired by revenging and pardoning of injuries . by occasioning some hurt and damage to an adversary we may procure some satisfaction to our own private particular passions . but on the other side , his prosperity and virtue will redound to the publick advantage . the pleasure of revenge is but short and momentany ; that which ariseth from the conscience of honest and worthy actions is lasting and permanent . by revenge a man is but even with his enemy , but by pardoning he is superior to him . he that suffers injury is but assaulted ; but he that studies revenge is overcome . be not overcome of evil . men are very averse from yielding to their adversaries , but he that hath a revengeful mind , doth that which is much worse , he gives place to the devil , ephes. . . who may be said to subdue us when he doth by his instruments provoke us to this sin . by revenge we may perhaps endamage our adversaries estate or body , but we do withal thereby hurt our own souls ; whereas by pardoning and relieving him we do that which will be advantageous both to him and our selves . 't is made a question amongst some , which is most eligible , whether to have one friend more , or one enemy less ? whether to add to our help , or substract from our opposition ? but without all scruple it must needs be more desirable , to effect both these , namely , both to get one friend more and one enemy less . which can only be done by subduing them with kindness . . though this be a duty always seasonable as to the habit , yet it is more particularly necessary as to our exerting the acts of it when we approach before god in any solemn duty . the duty of prayer , men must lift up holy hands without wrath , tim. . . hearing the word , receive with meekness the ingrafted word , jam. . . particularly the lords supper , which is therefore styled a communion , because of that mutual love and agreement which it supposeth amongst those that partake of it . there was a strict prohibition of leaven in the celebrating of the passover , and what was thereby signified the apostle may inform us , where he speaks of the leaven of malice and revenge , cor. . . mat. . . if thou bring thy gift to the altar , and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee , leave there thy gift , and go first be reconciled to him . though sacrifices and oblations were a duty of the first table , and one of the principal parts of religion , yet without this fraternal love and forbearance , it will not be acceptable . and 't is in vain for men to pretend to acts of piety , who are negligent in duties of charity , and god will have this kind of mercy rather than sacrifice . the apostle tells us that the giving of alms is a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour , phil. . . and yet in another place he tells us , that though a man should give all his goods to feed the poor , yet without this charity it would profit him nothing . so necessary is this to the rendring of our persons and services acceptable . for the better observance of our duty in this particular be pleased to take notice of these few directions . . labour to see the hand of providence in every evil that befalls you ; this will take us off from revengeful thoughts against the instruments of our sufferings . this was that which made iob so patient , iob . . his ascribing the losses he had by the sabeans and chaldeans to gods providence . and so david when shimei railed at him , pacified himself with this consideration , the lord hath bid him . . labour to get a true sense of your own sins and great unworthiness . where sins lye heavy , injuries will lye light . the more humble any man is the less revengeful will he be . . be very cautious to prevent the rising , or however to suppress the growth of anger , let not the sun go down upon it . that which is but anger when we go to bed , may rise up malice . . consider that there are no kind of injurious persons but upon cool deliberate thoughts , we may find sufficient reason not to revenge our selves upon . aut potentior , aut imbecillior , laesit : si imbecillior , parce illi ; si potentior , tibi . if he be much your inferiour , spare him out of charity and generosity ; if more potent , spare your self out of wisdom . is he a profest enemy ? he doth but according to his kind . have we deserved it from him ? he gives us but our due . is he a good man ? we should forgive him because god doth . is he a wicked person ? we may well forbear him , considering that dreadful vengeance he is exposed to from god , both for that and all his other sins . is he a friend ? we should the rather submit to some injuries , because we have received former kindnesses from him . it was a desperate speech that of cosmus duke of florence , though we read that we are commanded to forgive our enemies , yet we no where read that we are commanded to forgive our friends . whereas this follows à majori , if enemies much more friends ; for that very reason , whereby iob did humble and appease all impatient thoughts , shall we receive good from their hands , and shall we not receive evil ? so that i say there is no kind of provocation we can meet with , but may afford some ground or occasion for our forgiving of it . i could not think of any fitter subject with which to take my leave of this place than those that i have been lately insisting upon , concerning gentleness and moderation , mutual forbearance and forgiveness of one another ; which are so universally seasonable for all times and places , of such general advantage both as to publick and private welfare , so peculiarly suited to the main drift and spirit of the gospel . and i should esteem it for a very great happiness and success if i might be any ways instrumental to emancipate the minds of men from those narrow and fierce principles whereby they are so easily apt to be provoked to keenness and severity one against another , to the disturbance of society , and the taking men off from the quiet and comfort of their conditions . the scripture tells us that 't is this virtue which i have now been exhorting unto , that must render us perfect as our heavenly father is perfect ; that must raise us up unto the highest and nearest resemblance unto the deity ; that must promote our inward comfort , and our outward peace . and therefore i cannot more fitly shut up all than with that valediction of the apostles with which he concludes his second epistle to the corinthians . finally , brethren , farewell : be perfect , be of good comfort , be of one mind , live in peace , and the god of love and peace shall be with you . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e prop. iob. . . cor. . . cor. . . mat. . . rom. . . colos. . , . rev. . . , . tim. . . gen. . . object . ep. . . sol. sam. . . pet. . . . object . sol. gen. . . . object . sol. photius . dr. hammond . loyola . cor. . . sess. . can. . notes for div a -e maccab. chap. . prop. i. prop. ii. heb. . . mat. . . ioh. . garbott resurrect . of christ. gal. . . thes. . . revel . . . notes for div a -e prop. iii. tim. . . titus . . notes for div a -e vers. . pet. . . mat. . . heb. . . rom. . . reason . rev. . . reason . reason . numb . . . pet. . notes for div a -e deut. . . . phil. . . sam. . . psal. . . psal. . . prov. . eccles. . ecclus. . , . king. . . sam. . . v. . v. . v. . v. . see ierem . . senec. sen. epist. . cor. . . cor. . mat. . . cor. . . heb. . matt. . . acts . cicero . tusc. . notes for div a -e acts . . eccles. . . cor. . . richard swisset , a person that lived about years since ; of so profound learning and subtilty that * scaliger saith of him , that his abilities were fere supra humanum ingenium . cardan and he do both agree in this , that he is to be ranked amongst the first ten of the greatest wits that ever were . * de subtil . lib. . ex. , . notes for div a -e prop. prov. . . matth. . colos. . . object . ans. iob . psal. . . dan. . . notes for div a -e sen. benef. lib. . c. . cicero . dan. . . luke . matth. . . psal. . psal. . . seneca de tranq . c. . psal. . , . micah . . sen. ep sen. ep. . exod. . . ioh. . psal. . cron. . . gal. . . ephes. . . deut. . . exod. . ierem. . . psal. . . pet. . notes for div a -e acts . . prop. ovid de trist. lib. . el. . luke . . sam. . notes for div a -e exod. . c. . , . psal. . . prov. . psal. . psal. . . cor. . . cor. . chron. , . psal. , . , . cor. . . tim. . exod. . tim. . . tim. . , , , . kings , , . luke . . coll. . . heb . philip . colos. . . matth. . luke . . tim. . matth. . . deut. ●● . . prov. . . psal. . . luk. . martial . alphonsus . prov. . ioh . . cor. . . ioh. . . prov. . tim. . . mr. mede . nehem. . , . mat. . . luk. . cor. . , . notes for div a -e matt. . . chap. . . ier. . . lam. . . observ. tit. . . psal. . , . exod. . cor. . . notes for div a -e chrysost. matth. . obj. ans. . obj. answ. . obj. answ. appl. ephes. . , . prov. . king. . . prov. . . notes for div a -e aristot. ethic. lib. . cap. . rev. . . & . . . reas. . reas. st. cypr. de unit . eccles . bishop andrews serm. notes for div a -e dr. hammond . prop. de clementia . . . luk. . . quintil. senec. tertul. de patientia . de ira. chap. . . notes for div a -e robinson's essays . robinson's essays . ethic. . su●ton . cor. . sam. . . sen. de ira. cor. . . a sermon preached at the first general meeting of the gentlemen, and others in and near london, who were born within the county of york in the church of s. mary-le-bow, decemb. , / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- john xiii, - -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached at the first general meeting of the gentlemen , and others in and near london , who were born within the county of york . in the church of s. mary-le-bow , decemb. . . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over against the royal exchange in cornhill : and william rogers , at the maiden-head over against s. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . imprimatur , guil. jane r. p. d. hen. episc. lond. à sacris domest . feb. . / . to my honoured friends and countrymen , mr. hugh frankland , mr. leonard robinson , mr. abraham fothergill , mr. william fairfax , mr. thomas johnson , mr. john hardesty , mr. gervas wilcockes , mr. george pickering , mr. edward duffeild , mr. john topham , mr. jam. longbotham , mr. nathan holroyd , stewards of the york-shire feast . gentlemen , this sermon , which was first preached , and is now published at your desires , i dedicate to your names , to whose prudence and care the direction and management of this first general meeting of our country-men was committed : heartily wishing that it may be some way serviceable to the healing of our unhappy differences , and the restoring of unity and charity among christians , especially those of the protestant reform'd religion . gentlemen , i am your affectionate country-man and humble servant , jo. tillotson . a sermon preached at the first general meeting of the gentlemen , and others , in and near london , who were born within the county of york . john . , . a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another ; as i have loved you , that ye also love one another : by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another . as the christian religion in general , is the best philosophy and most perfect institution of life ; containing in it the most entire and compleat system of moral rules and precepts that was ever yet extant in the world : so it peculiarly excells in the doctrine of love and charity ; earnestly recommending , strictly enjoining , and vehemently and almost perpetually pressing and inculcating the excellency and necessity of this best of graces and vertues ; and propounding to us for our imitation and encouragement the most lively and heroical example of kindness and charity that ever was , in the life and death of the great founder of our religion , the author and finisher of our faith , jesus the son of god. so that the gospel , as it hath in all other parts of our duty , cleared the dimness and obscurity of natural light , and supplied the imperfections of former revelations ; so doth it most eminently reign and triumph in this great and blessed vertue of charity ; in which all the philosophy and religions that had been before in the world , whether jewish or pagan , were so remarkably defective . with great reason then doth our blessed saviour call this a new commandment , and assert it to himself as a thing peculiar to his doctrine and religion ; considering how imperfectly it had been taught , and how little it had been practised in the world before : a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another ; as i have loved you , that ye also love one another : by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another . i shall reduce my discourse upon these words under these six heads . first , to enquire in what sence our saviour calls this commandment of loving one another a new commandment . secondly , to declare to you the nature of this commandment , by instancing in the chief acts and properties of love. thirdly , to consider the degrees and measures of our charity with regard to the several objects about which it is exercised . fourthly , our obligation to this duty not only from our saviour's authority , but likewise from our own nature , and from the reasonableness and excellency of the thing commanded . fifthly , the great example which is here propounded to our imitation ; as i have loved you , that ye also love one another . sixthly and lastly , the place and rank which this precept holds in the christian religion . our saviour makes it the proper badge of a disciple , the distinctive mark and character of our profession ; by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another . i. in what sence our saviour calls this commandment of loving one another a new commandment ? not that it is absolutely and altogether new , but upon some special accounts . for it is a branch of the antient and primitive law of nature . aristotle truly observes that upon grounds of natural kindred and likeness , all men are friends , and kindly disposed towards one another . and it is a known precept of the jewish religion , to love our neighbour as our selves . in some sence then , it is no new commandment ; and so st. john , who was most likely to understand our saviour's meaning in this particular , ( all his preaching and writing being almost nothing else but an inculcating of this one precept ) explains this matter , telling us that in several respects it was , and it was not , a new commandment , joh. . , . brethren , i write no new commandment unto you , but that which ye had from the beginning , that is , from antient times : but then he corrects himself ; again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but yet , a new commandment i write unto you . so that though it was not absolutely new , yet upon divers considerable accounts it was so , and in a peculiar manner proper to the evangelical institution ; and is in so express and particular a manner ascribed to the teaching of the holy-ghost , which was conferr'd upon christians by the faith of the gospel , as if there hardly needed any outward instruction and exhortation to that purpose , thess. . . but as touching brotherly love ▪ ye need not that i write unto you , for ye your selves are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , divinely taught and inspired to love one another . this commandment then of loving one another is by our lord and saviour so much enlarged , as to the object of it , beyond what either the jews or heathens did understand it to be , extending to all mankind , and even to our greatest enemies ; so greatly advanced and heightned , as to the degree of it , even to the laying down of our lives for one another ; so effectually taught , so mightily encouraged , so very much urged and insisted upon , that it may very well be called a new commandment : for though it was not altogether unknown to mankind before , yet it was never so taught , so encouraged ; never was such an illustrious example given of it , never so much weight and stress laid upon it , by any philosophy or religion that was before in the world . ii. i shall endeavour to declare to you the nature of this commandment , or the duty required by it . and that will best be done , by instancing in the chief acts and properties of love and charity . as , humanity and kindness in all our carriage and behaviour towards one another ; for love smooths the dispositions of men , so that they are not apt to grate upon one another : next , to rejoyce in the good and happiness of one another , and to grieve at their evils and sufferings ; for love unites the in erests of men , so as to make them affected with what happens to another , as if it were in some sort their own case : then to contribute as much as in us lies to the happiness of one another , by relieving one anothers wants , and redressing their misfortunes : again , tenderness of their good name and reputation ; a proneness to interpret all the words and actions of men to the best sence ; patience and forbearance towards one another ; and when differences happen , to manage them with all possible calmness and kindness , and to be ready to forgive , and to be reconciled to one another ; to pray one for another ; and if occasion be , at least if the publick good of christianity require it , to be ready to lay down our lives for our brethren , and to sacrifice our selves for the furtherance of their salvation . iii. we will consider the degrees and measures of our charity , with regard to the various objects , about which it is exercised . and as to the negative part of this duty , it is to be extended equally towards all . we are not to hate or bear ill-will to any man , or to do him any harm or mischief ; love worketh no evil to his neighbour . this much charity we are to exercise towards all , without any exception , without any difference . and as to the positive part of this duty , we should bear an universal good-will to all men , wishing every man's happiness , and praying for it as heartily as for our own : and if we be sincere herein , we shall be ready upon all occasions to procure and promote the welfare of all men . but the outward acts and testimonies of our charity neither can be actually extended to all , nor ought to be to all alike . we do not know the wants of all , and therefore our knowledg of persons , and of their conditions , doth necessarily limit the effects of our charity within a certain compass ; and of those we do know , we can but relieve a small part for want of ability . whence it becomes necessary , that we set some rules to our selves for the more discreet ordering of our charity ; such as these : cases of extremity ought to take place of all other . obligations of nature , and nearness of relation , seem to challenge the next place . obligations of kindness , and upon the account of benefits received , may well lay the next claim . and then the houshold of faith is to be peculiarly considered . and after these , the merit of the persons , and all circumstances belonging to them , are to be weighed and valued : those who labour in an honest calling , but are oppress'd with their charge ; those who are fallen from a plentiful condition , especially by misfortune , and the providence of god , without their own fault ; those who have relieved others , and have been eminently charitable and beneficial to mankind ; and lastly , those whose visible necessities and infirmities of body or mind , whether by age or by accident , do plead for them : all these do challenge our more especial regard and consideration . iv. we will consider our obligations to this duty , not only from our saviour's authority , but likewise from our own nature , and from the reasonableness and excellency of the thing commanded . this is the commandment of the son of god , who came down from heaven with full authority to declare the will of god to us . and this is peculiarly his commandment , which he urgeth upon his disciples so earnestly , and so as if he almost required nothing else in comparison of this . joh. . . this is my commandment , that ye love one another : and vers . . these things i command you , that ye love one another . as if this were the end of all his precepts , and of his whole doctrine , to bring us to the practice of this duty . and so st. john , the loving and beloved disciple , speaks of it , as the great message , which the son of god was to deliver to mankind , joh. . . this is the message which ye have heard from the beginning , that ye should love one another . and ver . . this is his commandment , that we should believe on the name of his son jesus christ , and love one another , as he gave us commandment . and chap. . v. . this commandment have we from him , that he who loveth god , love his brother also . but besides the authority of our saviour , we have a precedent obligation to it from our own nature , and from the reasonableness and excellency of the thing it self . the frame of our nature disposeth us to it , and our inclination to society , in which there can be no pleasure , no advantage , without mutual love and kindness . and equity also calls for it , for that we our selves wish and expect kindness from others , is conviction enough to us that we owe it to others . the fulfilling of this law is the great perfection of our natures , the advancement and enlargement of our souls , the chief ornament and beauty of a great mind . it makes us like to god , the best , and most perfect , and happiest being , in that which is the prime excellency , and happiness , and glory of the divine nature . and the advantages of this temper are unspeakable and innumerable . it freeth our souls from those unruly , and troublesom , and disquieting passions , which are the great torment of our spirits ; from anger and envy , from malice and revenge , from jealousy and discontent . it makes our minds calm and cheerful , and puts our souls into an easy posture , and into good h●mor , and maintains us in the possession and enjoiment of our selves : it preserves men from many mischiefs and inconveniences , to which enmity and ill-will do perpetually expose them : it is apt to make friends , and to gain enemies , and to render every condition either pleasant , or easy , or tolerable to us . so that to love others , is the truest love to our selves , and doth redound to our own unspeakable benefit and advantage in all respects . it is a very considerable part of our duty , and almost equall'd by our saviour with the first and great commandment of the law. it is highly acceptable to god , most beneficial to others , and very comfortable to our selves . it is the easiest of all duties , and it makes all others easy ; the pleasure of it makes the pains to signify nothing , and the delightful reflection upon it afterwards is a most ample reward of it . it is a duty in every man's power to perform , how strait and indigent soever his fortune and condition be . the poorest man may be as charitable as a prince ; he may have as much kindness in his heart , tho his hand cannot be so bountiful and munificent . our saviour instanceth the giving of a cup of cold water , as a charity that will be highly accepted and rewarded by god. and one of the most celebrated charities that ever was ; how small was it for the matter of it , and yet how great in regard of the mind that gave it ? i mean the widow 's two mites , which she cast into the treasury : one could hardly give less , and yet none can give more , for she gave all that she had . all these excellencies and advantages of love and charity , which i have briefly recounted , are so many arguments , so many obligations to the practice of this duty . v. we will consider the great instance and example which is here propounded to our imitation ; as i have loved you , that ye also love one another . the son of god's becoming man , his whole life , his bitter death and passion , all that he did , and all that he suffered , was one great and continued proof and evidence of his mighty love to mankind . the greatest instance of love among men ; and that too but very rare , is for a man to lay down his life for another ▪ for his friend ; but the son of god died for all mankind , and we were all his enemies . and should we not cheerfully imitate the example of that great love and charity , the effects whereof are so comfortable , so beneficial , so happy to every one of us . had he not loved us , and died for us , we had certainly perish'd , we had been miserable and undone to all eternity . and to perpetuate this great example of charity , and that it might he always fresh in our memories , the great sacrament of our religion was on purpose instituted for the commemoration of this great love of the son of god , in laying down his life , and shedding his precious blood for the wicked and rebellious race of mankind . but i have not time to enlarge upon this noble argument as it deserves . vi. the last thing to be considered is the place and rank which this precept and duty holds in the christian religion . our blessed saviour here makes it the proper badge and cognisance of our profession ; by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another . the different sects among the jews had some peculiar character to distinguish them from one another : the scholars of the several great rabbis among them had some peculiar sayings and opinions , some customs and traditions whereby they were severally known : and so likewise the disciples of john the baptist were particularly remarkable for their great austerities . in allusion to these distinctions of sects and schools among the jews , our saviour fixeth upon this mark and character , whereby his disciples should be known from the disciples of any other institution , a mighty love and affection to one another . other sects were distinguish'd by little opinions , or by some external rites and observances in religion ; but our saviour pitcheth upon that which is the most real and substantial , the most large and extensive , the most useful and beneficial , the most human and the most divine quality of which we are capable . this was his great commandment to his disciples , before he left the world : this was the legacy he left them and the effect of his last prayers for them ; and for this end , among others , he instituted the sacrament of his blessed body and blood , to be a lively remembrance of his great charity to mankind , and a perpetual bond of love and union amongst his followers . and the apostles of our lord and saviour do upon all occasions recommend this to us , as a principal duty and part of our religion ; telling us , that in christ jesus , that is , in the christian religion , nothing will avail , no not faith it self , unless it be enlivened and inspir'd by charity ; that love is the end of the commandment , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the end of the evangelical declaration , the first fruit of the spirit , the spring and root of all those graces and virtues which concern our duty towards one another : that it is the sum and abridgment , the accomplishment and fulfilling of the whole law : that without this , whatever we pretend to in christianity , we are nothing , and our religion is vain : that this is the greatest of all graces and virtues , greater then faith and hope ; and of perpetual use and duration , charity never fails . and therefore they exhort us above all things to endeavour after it , as the crown of all other vertues ; above all things have fervent charity among your selves , saith st. peter : and st. paul , having enumerated most other christian vertues , exhorts us above all to strive after this , and above all these things put on charity , which is the bond of perfection . this st. john makes one of the most certain signs of our love to god , and the want of it an undeniable argument of the contrary : if a man say i love god , and hateth his brother , he is a lyar ; for he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen , how can he love god whom he hath not seen ? this he declares to be one of the best evidences that we are in a state of grace and salvation , hereby we know that we are passed from death to life , because we love the brethren . so that well might our blessed saviour chuse this for the badge of his disciples , and make it the great precept of the best and most perfect institution ▪ other things might have served better for pomp and ostentation , and have more gratified the curlosity , or enthusiasm , or superstition of mankind ▪ but there is no quality in the world which upon a sober and impartial consideration is of a more solid and intrinsick value . and in the first ages of christianity , the christians were very eminent for this vertue , and particularly noted for it ; nobis notam inurit apud quosdam , it is a mark and brand set upon us by some , saith tertullian ; and he tells us that it was proverbially said among the heathen , behold how these christians love one another . lucian , that great scoffer at all religion , acknowledgeth in behalf of christians , that this was the great principle which their master had instill'd into them ▪ and julian ▪ the bitterest enemy that christianity ever had ▪ could not forbear to propound to the heathen for an example the charity of the galileans , for so by way of reproach he calls the christians , who ( says he ) gave up themselves to humanity and kindness ; which he acknowledgeth to have been very much to the advantage and reputation of our religion : and in the same letter to arsacius , the heathen ▪ high priest of galatia ▪ he gives this memorable testimony of the christians ▪ that their charity was not limited and confin'd only to themselves , but extended even to their enemies ; which could not be said either of the jews or heathens : his words are these , it is a shame , that when the jews suffer none of theirs to beg , and the impious ▪ galileans relieve not only their own , but those also of our religion , that we only should be defective in so necessary a duty . by all which it is evident that love and charity is not only the great precept of our saviour , but was in those first and best times the general practice of his disciples , and acknowledged by the heathens as a very peculiar and remarkable quality in them . the application i shall make of this discourse shall be threefold . . with relation to the church of rome . . with regard to our selves who profess the protestant reform'd religion . . with a more particular respect to the occasion of this meeting . first , with relation to the church of rome : which we cannot chuse but think of , whenever we speak of charity and loving one another ; especially having had so late a discovery of their affection to us , and so considerable a testimony of the kindness and charity which they design'd towards us : such as may justly make the ears of all that hear it to tingle , and render popery execrable and infamous , a frightful and a hateful thing to the end of the world. it is now but too visible how grosly this great commandment of our saviour is contradicted , not only by the practices of those in that communion , from the pope down to the meanest fryar ; but by the very doctrines and principles , by the genius and spirit of that religion , which is wholly calculated for cruelty and persecution . where now is that mark of a disciple , so much insisted upon by our lord and master , to be found in that church ? and yet what is the christian church but the society and community of christ's disciples ? surely in all reason , that which our lord made the distinctive mark and character of his disciples , should be the principal mark of a true church . bellarmine reckons up no less then fifteen marks of the true church , all which the church of rome arrogates to her self alone : but he wisely forgot that which is worth all the rest , and which our saviour insists upon as the chief of all other , a sincere love and charity to all christians ▪ this he knew would by no means agree to his own church . but for all that , it is very reasonable that churches as well as particular christians should be judged by their charity . the church of rome would engross all faith to her self ; faith in its utmost perfection , to the degree and pitch of infallibility : and they allow no body in the world , besides themselves , no though they believe all the articles of the apostles creed , to have one grain of true faith ; because they do not believe upon the authority of their church , which they pretend to be the only foundation of true faith. this is a most arrogant and vain pretence ; but admit it were true , yet in the judgment of st. paul , though they had all faith , if they have not charity , they are nothing . the greatest wonder of all this is , that they who hate and persecute christians most , do all this while the most confidently of all others pretend to be the disciples of christ , and will allow none to be so but themselves . that church which excommunicates all other christian churches in the world , and if she could , would extirpate them out of the world , will yet needs assume to her self to be the only christian church : as if our saviour had said , hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye hate , and excommunicate , and kill one another . what shall be done unto thee , thou false tongue ? thou empty and impudent pretence of christianity ! secondly , with relation to our selves , who profess the protestant reformed religion . how is this great precept of our saviour not only shamefully neglected , but plainly violated by us ? and that not only by private hatred and ill-wills quarrels and contentions in our civil conversation and entercourse with one anothe ; but by most unchristian divisions and animosities in that common relation wherein we stand to one another , as brethren , as christians , as protestants . have we not all one father ? hath not one god created us ? and are we not in a more peculiar and eminent manner brethren , being all the children of god by faith in jesus : christ ? are we not all members of the same body , and partakers of the same spirit , and heirs of the same blessed hopes of eternal life ? so that being brethren upon so many accounts , and by so many bonds and endearments all united to one another , and all travelling towards the same heavenly country , why do we fall out by the way , since we are brethren ? why do we not , as becomes brethren , dwell together in unity ? but are so apt to quarrel , and break out into heats , to crumble into sects and parties , to divide and separate from one another , upon every slight and trifling occasion . give me leave a little more fully to expostulate this matter , but very calmly and in the spirit of weekness , and in the name of our dear lord , who loved us all at such a rate as to die for us , to recommend to you this new commandment of his , that ye love one another : which is almost a new commandment still , and hardly the worse for wearing ; so seldom is it put on , and so little hath it been practised among christians for several ages . consider seriously with your selves , ought not the great matters wherein we are agreed , our union in the doctrines of the christian religion , and in all the necessary articles of that faith which was once delivered to the saints ; in the same sacraments , and in all the substantial parts of god's worship , and in the great duties and vertues of the christian life , to be of greater force to unite us , than difference in doubtful opinions , and in little rites and circumstances of worship , to divide and break us ? are not the things about which we differ , in their nature indifferent , that is , things about which there ought to be no difference among wise men ? are they not at a great distance from the life and essence of religion , and rather good or bad as they tend to the peace and unity of the church , or are made use of to schism and faction , then either necessary or evil in themselves ? and shall little scruples weigh so far with us , as by breaking the peace of the church about them to endanger our whole religion ? shall we take one another by the throat for an hundred pence , when our common adversary stands ready to clap upon us an action of ten thousand talents ? can we in good earnest be contented that rather than the surplice should not be thrown out , popery should come in ? and rather than receive the sacrament in the humble but indifferent posture of kneeling , to swallow the camel of transubstantiation , and adore the elements of bread and wine for our god and saviour ? and rather than to submit to a set form of prayer , to have the service of god perform'd in an unknown tongue ? are we not yet made sensible , at least in this our day , by so clear a demonstration as the providence of god hath lately given us ; and had not he been infinitely mercifull to us , might have proved the dearest and most dangerous experiment that ever was : i say , are we not yet convinced , what mighty advantages our enemies have made of our divisions , and what a plentifull harvest they have had among us , during our differences , and upon occasion of them ; and how near their religion was to have entred in upon us at once at those wide breaches which we had made for it ? and will we still take counsell of our enemies , and chuse to follow that course to which , of all other , they who hate us and seek our ruin , would most certainly advise and direct us ? will we freely offer them that advantage , which they would be contented to purchase at any rate ? let us , after all our sad experience , at last take warning to keep a stedfast eye upon our chief enemy , and not suffer our selves to be diverted from the consideration and regard of our greatest danger by the petty provocations of our friends ; so i chuse to call those who dissent from us in lesser matters , because i would fain have them so , and they ought in all reason to be so : but however they behave themselves , we ought not much to mind those who only fling dirt at us , whilst we are sure there are others who fly at our throats , and strike at our very hearts . let us learn this wisedom of our enemies , who though they have many great differences among themselves , yet they have made a shift at this time to unite together to destroy us : and shall not we do as much to save our selves ? — fas est & ab hoste doceri . it was a principle among the ancient romans , a brave and a wise people , donare inimicitias reip. to give up , and sacrifice their private enmities and quarrels to the publick good , and the safety of the commonwealth . and is it not to every considerate man , as clear as the sun at noonday , that nothing can maintain and support the protestant religion amongst us , and found our church upon a rock , so that when the rain falls , and the winds blow , and the floods beat upon it , it shall stand firm and unshaken ? that nothing can be a bulwark of sufficient force to resist all the arts and attempts of popery , but an establisht national religion , firmly united and compacted in all the parts of it ? is it not plain to every eye , that little sects and separate congregations can never do it ? but will be like a foundation of sand to a weighty building , which whatever shew it may make cannot stand long , because it wants union at the foundation , and for that reason must necessarily want strength and firmness . it is not for private persons to undertake in matters of publick concernment ; but i think we have no cause to doubt , but the governours of our church ( notwithstanding all the advantages of authority , and we think of reason too on our side ) are persons of that piety and prudence , that for peace sake , and in order to a firm union among protestants , they would be content , if that would do it , not to insist upon little things ; but to yield them up , whether to the infirmity , or importunity , or , perhaps in some very few things , to the plausible exceptions of those who differ from us . but then surely on the other side , men ought to bring along with them a peaceable disposition , and a mind ready to comply with the church in which they were born and baptized , in all reasonable and lawfull things , and desirous upon any terms that are tolerable to return to the communion of it : a mind free from passion and prejudice , from peevish exceptions , and groundless and endless scruples ; not apt to insist upon little cavils and objections , to which the very best things , and the greatest and clearest truths in the world , are , and alwaies will be lyable : and whatever they have been heretofore , to be henceforth no more children , tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the sleight of men , and cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive . and if we were thus affected on all hands , we might yet be a happy church and nation ; if we would govern our selves by these rules , and walk according to them , peace would be upon us , and mercy , and on the israel of god. thirdly , i shall conclude all with a few words , in relation to the occasion of this present meeting . i have all this while been recommending to you , from the authority and example of our blessed saviour , and from the nature and reason of the thing it self , this most excellent grace and vertue of charity , in the most proper acts and instances of it : but besides particular acts of charity to be exercised upon emergent occasions , there are likewise charitable customs which are highly commendable , because they are more certain and constant , of a larger extent , and of a longer continuance : as the meeting of the sons of the clergy , which is now form'd and establish'd into a charitable corporation : and the anniversary meetings of those of the several counties of england , who reside , or happen to be in london ; for two of the best and noblest ends that can be , the maintaining of friendship , and the promoting of charity . these , and others of the like kind , i call charitable customes , which of late years have very much obtained in this great and famous city . and it cannot but be a great pleasure and satisfaction , to all good men , to see so generous , so humane , so christian a disposition to prevail and reign so much amongst us . the strange overflowing of vice and wickedness in our land , and the prodigious increase and impudence of infidelity and impiety , hath of late years boaded very ill to us , and brought terrible judgements upon this city and nation , and seems still to threaten us with more and greater : and the greatest comfort i have had , under these sad apprehensions of god's displeasure , hath been this , that though bad men were perhaps never worse in any age , yet the good , who i hope are not a few , were never more truly and substantially good : i do verily believe there never were , in any time , greater and more real effects of charity ; not from a blind superstition , and an ignorant zeal , and a mercenary and arrogant and presumptuous principle of merit , but from a sound knowledge , and a sincere love and obedience to god , or , as the apostle expresses it , out of a pure heart , and of a good conscience , and of faith unfeigned . and who , that loves god and religion , can chuse but take great contentment to see so general and forward an inclination in people this way ? which hath been very much cherished of late years by this sort of meetings : and that to very good purpose and effect , in many charitable contributions disposed in the best and wisest ways : and which likewise hathtended very much to the reconciling of the minds of men , and the allaying of those fierce heats and animosities which have been caused by our civil confusions , and religious distractions . for there is nothing many times wanting to take away prejudice , and to extinguish hatred and ill-will , but an opportunity for men to see and understand one another ; by which they will quickly perceive , that they are not such monsters as they have been represented one to another at a distance . we are , i think , one of the last counties of england that have entred into this friendly and charitable kind of society ; let us make amends for our late setting out by quickning our pace , that so we may overtake and outstrip those who are gone before us : let not our charity partake of the coldness of our climate , but let us endeavour that it may be equal to the extent of our country ; and as we are incomparably the greatest county of england , let it appear that we are so , by the largeness and extent of our charity . o lord , who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing , send thy holy ghost , and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity , the very bond of peace , and of all vertues : without which whosoever liveth , is counted dead before ▪ thee grant this for thy onely son jesus christ's sake . now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , that great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work to do his will ; working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ , to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . the end . advertisement . there is now in the press , a learned treatise of the pope's supremacy : by dr. isaac barrow , late master of trinity-college in cambridge . to be sold by brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over against the royal exchange in cornhill . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. i. ii. . the protestant religion vindicated, from the charge of singularity & novelty in a sermon preached before the king at white-hall, april the d / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the protestant religion vindicated, from the charge of singularity & novelty in a sermon preached before the king at white-hall, april the d / by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . , [ ] p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . running title: a sermon preached before the king. advertisement: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng protestantism -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the protestant religion vindicated , from the charge of singularity & novelty : in a sermon preached before the king at white-hall , april the d . . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . published by his majesties special command . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over-against the royal exchange in cornhil : and william rogers at the sun , over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . joshua xxiv . . if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom you will serve . these are the words of joshua ; who , after he had brought the people of israel thorough many difficulties and hazards into the quiet possession of the promised land , like a good prince and father of his country was very sollicitous , before his death , to lay the firmest foundation he could devise of the future happiness and prosperity of that people in whose present settlement he had , by the blessing of god , been so successful an instrument . and because he knew no means so effectual to this end , as to confirm them in the religion and worship of the true god , who had by so remarkable and miraculous a providence planted them in that good land ; he summons the people together , and represents to them all those considerations that might engage them and their posterity for ever , to continue in the true religion . he tells them what god had already done for them , and what he had promised to do more , if they would be faithful to him : and on the other hand , what fearful calamities he had threatned , and would certainly bring upon them , in case they should transgress his covenant and go and serve other gods. and after many arguments to this purpose , he concludes with this earnest exhortation at the th verse , now therefore fear the lord , and serve him in sincerity and in truth , and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood , and in egypt ; and serve ye the lord. and to give the greater weight and force to this exhortation , he do's by a very eloquent kind of insinuation as it were once more set them at liberty , and leave them to their own election : it being the nature of man to stick more stedfastly to that which is not violently imposed , but is our own free and deliberate choice : and if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom you will serve . which words offer to our consideration these following observations . . it is here supposed that a nation must be of some religion or other . joshua do's not put this to their choice , but takes it for granted . . that , though religion be a matter of choice , yet it is neither a thing indifferent in it self , nor to a good governour what religion his people are of . joshua do's not put it to them as if it were an indifferent matter whether they served god or idols ; he had sufficiently declared before which of these was to be preferred . . the true religion may have several prejudices and objections against it : if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , intimating that upon some accounts , and to some persons , it may appear so . . that the true religion hath those real advantages on its side , that it may safely be referr'd to any considerate mans choice . and this seems to be the true reason why joshua refers it to them : not that he thought the thing indifferent , but because he was fully satisfied that the truth and goodness of the one above the other was so evident , that there was no danger that any prudent man should make a wrong choice , if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom you will serve ; intimating , that the plain difference of the things in competition would direct them what to chuse . . the example of princes and governours hath a very great influence upon the people in matters of religion . this i collect from the context : and joshua was sensible of it ; and therefore though he firmly believed the true religion to have those advantages that would certainly recommend it to every impartial mans judgment , yet knowing that the multitud ▪ are easily imposed upon and led into error , he thought fit to encline and determine them by his own example , and by declaring his own peremptory resolution in the case , chuse you this day whom you will serve ; as for me , i and my house will serve the lord. laws are a good security to religion ; but the example of governours is a living law , which secretly over-rules the minds of men , and bends them to a compliance with it , — non sic inflectere sensus humanos edicta valent , ut vita regentis . the lives and actions of princes have usually a greater sway upon the minds of the people than their laws . all these observations are i think very natural , and very considerable . i shall not be able to speak to them all ; but shall proceed so far as the time and your patience will give me leave . first , it is here supposed that a nation must be of some religion or other . joshua do's not put it to their choice , whether they would worship any deity at all . that had been too wild and extravagant a supposition , and which it is likely in those days had never entered into any mans mind . but he takes it for granted that all people will be of some religion ; and then offers it to their consideration which they would pitch upon , chuse you this day whom you will serve , whether the gods which your fathers served , &c. religion is a thing to which men are not only formed by education and custom , but , as tully says , quo omnes duce naturâ vehimur , it is that to which we are all carried by a natural inclination : which is the true reason why some religion or other hath so universally prevailed in all ages and places of the world . the temporal felicity of men , and the ends of government can very hardly , if at all , be attained without religion . take away this , and all obligations of conscience cease : and where there is no obligation of conscience , all security of truth and justice and mutual confidence among men is at an end . for why should i repose confidence in that man , why should i take his word , or believe his promise , or put any of my interests and concernments into his power who hath no other restraint upon him but that of humane laws ; and is at liberty in his own mind and principles to do whatever he judgeth to be expedient for his interest , provided he can but do it without danger to himself ? so that declared atheism and insidelity doth justly bring men under a jealousie and suspition with all mankind : and every wise man hath reason to be upon his guard against those from whom he hath no cause to expect more justice and truth and equity in their dealings than he can compel them to by the mere dint and force of laws . for by declaring themselves free from all other obligations they give us fair warning what we are to expect at their hands , and how far we may trust them . religion is the strongest band of humane society ; and god so necessary to the welfare and happiness of mankind , as if the being of god himself had been purposely designed and contrived for no other end but the benefit and advantage of men : so that very well may it be taken for granted , that a nation must be of some religion or other . secondly , though religion be a matter of our choice , yet it is neither a thing indifferent in it self , nor to a good governour , what religion his people are of . notwithstanding the supposition of the text , joshua doth not leave them at liberty whether they will serve god or idols ; but by a very rhetorical scheme of speech endeavours to engage them more firmly to the worship of the true god. to countenance and support the true religion , and to take care that the people be instructed in it , and that none be permitted to debauch and seduce men from it , properly belongs to the civil magistrate . this power the kings of israel always exercised , not only with allowance , but with great approbation and commendation from god himself . and the case is not altered since christianity : the better the religion is , the better it deserves the countenance and support of the civil authority . and this power of the civil magistrate in matters of religion was never called in question , but by the enthusiasts of these later times : and yet among these , every father and master of a family claims this power over his children and servants , at the same time that they deny it to the magistrate over his subjects . but i would fain know where the difference lyes . hath a master of a family more power over those under his government than the magistrate hath ? no man ever pretended it : nay , so far is it from that , that the natural authority of a father may be , and often is , limited and restrained by the laws of the civil magistrate . and why then may not a magistrate exercise the same power over his subjects in matters of religion , which every master challengeth to himself in his own family , that is , to establish the true worship of god in such manner and with such circumstances as he thinks best , and to permit none to affront it , or to seduce from it those that are under his care . and to prevent all misunderstandings in this matter , i do not hereby ascribe any thing to the magistrate that can possibly give him any pretence of right to reject gods true religion , or to declare what he pleases to be so , and what books he pleases to be canonical and the word of god ; and consequently to make a false religion so currant by the stamp of his authority , as to oblige his subjects to the profession of it : because he who acknowledgeth himself to derive all his authority from god , can pretend to none against him. but if a false religion be established by law , the case here is the same as in all other laws that are sinful in the matter of them , but yet made by a lawful authority ; in this case the subject is not bound to profess a false religion , but patiently to suffer for the constant profession of the true . and to speak freely in this matter , i cannot think ( till i be better inform'd , which i am always ready to be ) that any pretence of conscience warrants any man , that is not extraordinarily commission'd as the apostles and first publishers of the gospel were , and cannot justifie that commission by miracles as they did , to affront the establish'd religion of a nation ( though it be false ) and openly to draw men off from the profession of it in contempt of the magistrate and the law : all that persons of a different religion can in such a case reasonably pretend to , is to enjoy the private liberty and exercise of their own conscience and religion ; for which they ought to be very thankful , and to forbear the open making of proselytes to their own religion , ( though they be never so sure that they are in the right ) till they have either an extraordinary commission from god to that purpose , or the providence of god make way for it by the permission of the magistrate . and that they are guilty however of gross hypocrisie who pretend a further obligation of conscience in this matter , i shall give this plain demonstration , which relies upon concessions generally made on all hands , and by all parties . no protestant ( that i know of ) holds himself obliged to go and preach up his religion and make converts in spain or italy : nor do either the protestant ministers or popish priests think themselves bound in conscience to preach the gospel in turky , to convert the mahometans . and what is the reason ? because of the severity of the inquisition in popish countreys , and of the laws in turky . but doth the danger then alter the obligation of conscience ? no certainly ; but it makes men throw off the false pretence and disguise of it : but where there is a real obligation of conscience , danger should not deter men from their duty , as it did not the apostles : which shews their case to be different from ours , and that probably this matter was stated right at first . so that whatever is pretended , this is certain , that the priests and jesuits of the church of rome have in truth no more obligation of conscience to make converts here in england than in sueden or turky ; where it seems the evident danger of the attempt hath for these many years given them a perfect discharge from their duty in this particular . i shall joyn the third and fourth observations together . that though the true religion may have several prejudices and objections against it , yet upon examination there will be found those real advantages on its side , that it may safely be referred to any considerate mans choice : if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse you this day whom you will serve . if it seem evil unto you , intimating that to some persons and upon some accounts it may appear so . but when the matter is truly represented , the choice is not difficult , nor requires any long deliberation , chuse you this day whom you will serve . let but the cause be fully and impartially heard , and a wise man may determine himself upon the spot , and give his verdict without ever going from the bar. the true religion hath always layen under some prejudices with partial and inconsiderate men ; which commonly spring from one of these two causes , either the prepossessions of a contrary religion , or the contrariety of the true religion to the vicious inclinations and practises of men , which usually lyes at the bottom of all prejudice against religion . religion is an enemy to mens beloved lusts , and therefore they are enemies to religion . i begin with the first , which is as much as i shall be able to compass at this time . i. the prepossessions of a false religion ; which commonly pretends two advantages on its side , antiquity and universality ; and is wont to object to the true religion novelty and singularity . and both these are intimated both before and after the text : ●ut away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood , and in egypt : and chuse you this day whom you will serve , whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood , or the gods of the amorites in whose land ye dwell . idolatry was the religion of their fathers , and had spread it self over the greatest and most ancient nations of the world , and the most famous for learning and arts , the chaldeans and egyptians ; and was the religion of the amorites and the nations round about them . so that joshua represents the heathen religion with all its strength and advantage , and do's not dissemble its confident pretence to antiquity and universality , whereby they would also insinuate the novelty and singularity of the worship of the god of israel . and it is very well worthy our observation , that one or both of these have always been the exceptions of false religions ( especially of idolatry and superstition ) against the true religion . the ancient idolaters of the world pretended their religion to be ancient and universal , that their fathers served these gods , and that the worship of the god of israel was a plain innovation upon the ancient and catholick religion of the world , and that the very first rise and original of it was within the memory of their fathers ; and no doubt they were almost perpetually upon the jews with that pert question , where was your religion before abraham ? and telling them , that it was the religion of a very small part and corner of the world , confined within a little territory : but the great nations of the world , the egyptians and chaldeans , famous for all kind of knowledg and wisdom , and indeed all the nations round about them , worshipped other gods : and therefore it was an intolerable arrogance and singularity in them , to condemn their fathers and all the world , to be of a religion different from all other nations , and hereby to separate themselves and make a schisme from the rest of mankind . and when the gospel appeared in the world , which the apostle to the hebrews ( to prevent the scandal of that word ) calls the time of reformation ; the jews and heathen still renewed the same objections against christianity . the jews urged against it , not the ancient scriptures and the true word of god , but that which they pretended to be of much greater authority , the unwritten word , the ancient and constant traditions of their church ; and branded this new religion with the name of heresie , after the way ( saith st. paul ) that you call heresy , so worship i the god of my fathers ; believing all things that are written in the law , and in the prophets . by which we see , that they of the church of rome were not the first who called it heresy to reject human traditions , and to make the scripture the rule of faith : this was done long before by their reverend predecessors , the scribes and pharisees . and the gentiles , they pretended against it both antiquity and universality , the constant belief and practice of all ages , and almost all places of the world ; sequimur majores nostros qui feliciter secuti sunt suos , says symmachus : we follow our fore-fathers , who happily followed theirs : but you bring in a new religion never known nor heard of in the world before . and when the christian religion was most miserably depraved and corrupted , in that dismal night of ignorance which overspred these western parts of the world about the ninth and tenth centuries ; and many pernicious doctrines and superstitious practices were introduced , to the woful defacing of the christian religion , and making it quite another thing from what our saviour had left it ; and these corruptions and abuses had continued for several ages : no sooner was a reformation attempted , but the church of rome make the same outcry of novelty and singularity : and though we have substantially answered it a thousand times , yet we cannot obtain of them to forbear that thread-bare question , where was your religion before luther ? i shall therefore apply my self to answer these two exceptions with all the brevity and clearness i can : and i doubt not to make it appear , that as to the point of universality ( though that be no wise necessary to justify the truth of any religion ) ours is not inferior to theirs ; if we take in the christians of all ages , and of all parts of the world : and as to the point of antiquity , that our faith and the doctrines of our religion have clearly the advantage of theirs ; all our faith being unquestionable ancient , their 's not so . . as to the point of universality ; which they of the church of rome , i know not for what reason , will needs make an inseparable property and mark of the true church . and they never flout at the protestant religion with so good a grace among the ignorant people , as when they are bragging of their numbers , and despising poor protestancy because embraced by so few . this pestilent northern heresy ( as of late they scornfully call it ) entertained it seems only in this cold and cloudy corner of the world , by a company of dull stupid people , that can neither penetrate into the proofs nor the possibility of transubstantiation ; whereas to the more refined southern wits all these difficult and obscure points are as clear as their sun at noon-day . but to speak to the thing it self . if number be necessary to prove the truth and goodness of any religion , ours upon enquiry will be found not so inconsiderable as our adversaries would make it . those of the reformed religion , according to the most exact calculations that have been made by learned men , being esteemed not much unequal in number to those of the romish persuasion . but then if we take in the ancient christian church , whose faith was the same with ours ; and other christian churches at this day , which all together are vastly greater and more numerous than the roman church , and which agree with us , several of them in very considerable doctrines and practices in dispute between us and the church of rome , and all of them agree in disclaiming that fundamental point and main hinge of the roman religion ( as bellarmine calls it ) i mean the supremacy of the bishop of rome over all christians and churches in the world ; then the number on our side will be much greater than on theirs . but we will not stand upon this advantage with them . suppose we were by much the fewer . so hath the true church of god often been , without any the least prejudice to the truth of their religion . what think we of the church in abraham's time , which for ought we know was confined to one family , and one small kingdom , that of melchisedec king of salem ? what think we of it in moses his time , when it was confined to one people wandering in a wilderness ? what of it in elijah's time , when besides the two tribes that worshipped at jerusalem there were in the other ten but seven thousand that had not bowed their knee to baal ? what in our saviour's time , when the whole christian church consisted of twelve apostles , and seventy disciples , and some few followers beside ? how would bellarmine have despised this little flock , because it wanted one or two of his goodliest marks of the true church , universality and splendor ? and what think we of the christian church in the height of arrianism and pelagianism , when a great part of christendom was over-run with these errors , and the number of the orthodox was inconsiderable in comparison of the hereticks ? but what need i to urge these instances ? as if the truth of a religion were to be estimated and carried by the major vote ; which as it can be an argument to none but fools , so i dare say no honest and wise man ever made use of it for a solid proof of the truth and goodness of any church or religion . if multitudes be an argument that men are in the right , in vain then hath the scripture said , thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil : for if this argument be of any force , the greater number never go wrong . . as to the point of antiquity . this is not always a certain mark of the true religion . for surely there was a time when christianity began , and was a new profession ; and then both judaism and paganism had certainly the advantage of it in point of antiquity . but the proper question in this case is , which is the true ancient christian faith , that of the church of rome , or ours ? and to make this matter plain it is to be considered , that a great part of the roman faith is the same with ours ; as , namely , the articles of the apostles creed , as explained by the first four general councils . and these make up our whole faith , so far as concerns matters of meer and simple belief , that are of absolute necessity to salvation . and in this faith of ours there is nothing wanting that can be shewn in any ancient creed of the christian church . and thus far our faith and theirs of the roman church are undoubtedly of equal antiquity , that is , as ancient as christianity it self . all the question is , as to the matters in difference between us . the principal whereof are the twelve articles of the creed of pope pius the iv , concerning the sacrifice of the mass , transubstantiation , the communion in one kind only , purgatory , &c. not one of which is to be found in any ancient creed or confession of faith generally allowed in the christian church . the antiquity of these we deny , and affirm them to be innovations ; and have particularly proved them to be so , not only to the answering , but almost to the silencing of our adversaries . and as for the negative articles of the protestant religion , in opposition to the errors and corruptions of the romish faith , these are by accident become a part of our faith and religion , occasioned by their errors ; as the renouncing of the doctrines of arrianism became part of the catholick religion , after the rise of that heresy . so that the case is plainly this ; we believe and teach all that is contained in the creeds of the ancient christian church , and was by them esteemed necessary to salvation : and this is our religion . but now the church of rome hath innovated in the christian religion , and made several additions to it , and greatly corrupted it both in the doctrines and practices of it : and these additions and corruptions are their religion , as it is distinct from ours ; and both because they are corruptions and novelties we have rejected them ; and our rejection of these is our reformation . and our reformation we grant ( if this will do them any good ) not to be so ancient as their corruptions : all reformation necessarily supposing corruptions and errors to have been before it . and now we are at a little better leisure to answer that captious question of theirs , where was your religion before luther ? where-ever christianity was ; in some places more pure , in others more corrupted ; but especially in these western parts of christendom overgrown for several ages with manifold errors and corruptions , which the reformation hath happily cut off , and cast away . so that though our reformation was as late as luther , our religion is as ancient as christianity it self . for when the additions which the church of rome hath made to the ancient christian faith , and their innovations in practice are pared off , that which remains of their religion is ours ; and this they cannot deny to be every tittle of it the ancient christianity . and what other answer than this could the jews have given to the like question , if it had been put to them by the ancient idolaters of the world , where was your religion before abraham ? but the very same in substance which we now give to the church of rome ? that for many ages the worship of the one true god had bin corrupted , and the worship of idols had prevailed in a great part of the world ; that abraham was raised up by god to reform religion , and to reduce the worship of god to its first institution ; in the doing whereof he necessarily separated himself and his family from the communion of those idolaters . so that though the reformation which abraham began was new , yet his religion was truly ancient , as old as that of noah , and enoch , and adam . which is the same in substance that we say , and with the same and equal reason . and if they will still complain of the newness of our reformation , so do we too , and are heartily sorry it began no sooner ; but however better late than never . besides , it ought to be considered , that this objection of novelty lies against all reformation whatsoever , though never so necessary , and though things be never so much amiss : and it is in effect to say , that if things be once bad , they must never be better , but must always remain as they are ; for they cannot be better without being reformed , and a reformation must begin sometime , and when ever it begins it is certainly new . so that if a real reformation be made , the thing justifies it self ; and no objection of novelty ought to take place against that which upon all accounts was so fit and necessary to be done . and if they of the church of rome would speak but their minds out in this matter , they are not so much displeased at the reformation which we have made because it is new , as because it is a reformation . it was the humour of babylon of old ( as the propbet tells us ) that she would not be healed ; and this is still the temper of the church of rome , they hate to be reformed , and rather than acknowledge themselves to have been once in an error , they will continue in it for ever . and this is that which at first made , and still continues the breach and separation between us ; of which we are no wise guilty who have only reform'd what was amiss , but they who obstinately persist in their errors , and will needs impose them upon us , and not let us be of their communion unless we will say they are no errors . ii. the other prejudice against the true religion is , the contrariety of it to the vicious inclinations and practices of men. it is too heavy a yoke , and lays too great a restraint upon humane nature . and this is that which in truth lies at the bottom of all objections against religion , men love darkness rather than light , because their deeds are evil . but this argument will require a discourse by it self , and therefore i shall not now enter upon it ; only crave your patience a little longer whilst i make some reflections upon what hath been already delivered . you see what are the exceptions which idolatry and superstition have always made , and do at this day still make , against the true religion ; and how slight and insignificant they are . but do we then charge the church of rome with idolatry ? our church most certainly does so , and hath always done it from the beginning of the reformation ; in her homilies , and liturgy , and canons , and in the writings of her best and ablest champions . and though i have , as impartially as i could , consider'd what hath been said on both sides in this controversy ; yet i must confess i could never yet see any tolerable defence made by them against this heavy charge . and they themselves acknowledg themselves to be greatly under the suspicion of it , by saying ( as cardinal perron and others do ) that the primitive christians for some ages did neither worship images , nor pray to saints , for fear of being thought to approach too near the heathen idolatry : and which is yet more , divers of their most learned men do confess , that if transubstantiation be not true , they are as gross idolaters as any in the world. and i hope they do not expect it from us , that in complement to them , and to acquit them from the charge of idolatry , we should presently deny our senses , and believe transubstantiation ; and if we do not believe this , they grant we have reason to charge them with idolatry . but we own them to be a true church ; which they cannot be , if they be guilty of idolatry : this they often urge us withal , and there seems at first sight to be something in it : and for that reason i shall endeavour to give so clear and satisfactory an answer to it , as that we may never more be troubled with it . the truth is , we would fain hope , because they still retain the essentials of christianity , and profess to believe all the articles of the christian faith , that notwithstanding their corruptions they may still retain the true essence of a church : as a man may be truly and really a man , though he have the plague upon him ; and for that reason be fit to be avoided by all that wish well to themselves : but if this will not do , we cannot help it . therefore to push the matter home , are they sure that this is a firm and good consequence , that if they be idolaters , they cannot be a true church ? then let them look to it . it is they , i take it , that are concerned to prove themselves a true church , and not we to prove it for them . and if they will not understand it of themselves , it is fit they should be told that there is a great difference between concessions of charity and of necessity , and that a very different use ought to be made of them . we are willing to think the best of them ; but if they dislike our charity in this point , nothing against the hair : if they will forgive us this injury , we will not offend them any more : but rather than have any further difference with them about this matter , we will for quietness sake compound it thus ; that till they can clearly acquit themselves from being idolaters , they shall never more against their wills be esteemed a true church . and now to draw to a conclusion . if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , and to worship him only ; to pray to him alone , and that only in the name and mediation of jesus christ , as he hath given us commandment ; because there is but one god , and one mediator between god and man , the man christ jesus . if it seem evil unto you , to have the liberty to serve god in a language you can understand ; and to have the free use of the holy scriptures , which are able to make men wise unto salvation ; and to have the sacraments of our religion entirely administred to us , as our lord did institute and appoint . and on the other hand , if it seem good to us , to put our necks once more under that yoke , which our fathers were not able to bear : if it be really a preferment to a prince to hold the pope's stirrup , and a privilege to be deposed by him at his pleasure , and a courtesy to be kill'd at his command : if to pray without understanding , and to obey without reason , and to believe against sense ; if ignorance , and implicit faith , and an inquisition be in good earnest such charming and desirable things : then welcome popery ; which , wherever thou comest , dost infallibly bring all these wonderful privileges and blessings along with thee . but the question is not now about the choice , but the change of our religion , after we have been so long settled in the quiet possession and enjoyment of it . men are very loth to change even a false religion . hath a nation changed their gods , which yet are no gods ? and surely there is much more reason why we should be tenacious of the truth , and hold fast that which is good . we have the best religion in the world , the very same which the son of god revealed , which the apostles planted , and confirmed by miracles , and which the noble army of martyrs sealed with their blood : and we have retrench'd from it all false doctrines and superstitious practices which have been added since . and i think we may without immodesty say , that upon the plain square of scripture and reason , of the tradition and practice of the first and best ages of the christian church , we have fully justified our religion , and made it evident to the world that our adversaries are put to very hard shifts , and upon a perpetual disadvantage in the defence of theirs . i wish it were as easy for us to justify our lives as our religion . i do not mean in comparison of our adversaries ( for that , as bad as we are , i hope we are yet able to do ) but in comparison of the rules of our holy religion , from which we are infinitely swerv'd ; which i would to god we all seriously consider and lay to heart : i say , in comparison of the rules of our holy religion , which teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world , in expectation of the blessed hope , and the glorious appearance of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ ; to whom with the father , and the holy ghost , &c. finis . advertisement . there is newly published a learned treatise of the pope's supremacy : to which is added , a discourse concerning the unity of the church . in quarto . by isaac barrow , d. d. late master of trinity-college in cambridg , and one of his majesty's chaplains in ordinary . printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over against the royal-exchange in cornhil . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e i. ii. iii. & iv. jer. . . a sermon preached at white-hall, april the th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at white-hall, april the th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . p. printed for brabazon aylmer, and william rogers ..., london : . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- epistles of john, st, iv, -- sermons. sermons, english. sermons -- england -- london -- th century - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached at white-hall , april the th , . by john tillotson d. d. dean of canterbury , and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty . published by his majesties special command . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over against the royal exchange in cornhil : and william rogers , at the maiden-head over against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . mdclxxix . a sermon preached at white-hall april the th , . i john iv.i. beloved , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they are of god : because many false prophets are gone out into the world. this caution and counsel was given upon occasion of the false prophets and teachers that were risen up in the church , who endeavoured to seduce men from the true doctrine of the gospel delivered by the apostles of our lord and saviour . and these teaching contrary things , could not both be from god : and therefore st. john calls upon christians to examin the doctrines and pretences of those new teachers ; whether they were from god or not . believe not every spirit ; that is , not every one that takes upon him to be inspired and to be a teacher come from god : but try the spirits ; that is , examine those that make this pretence , whether it be real or not ; and examin the doctrines which they bring : because there are many impostors abroad in the world. this is the plain sence of the words : in which there are contained these four propositions . first , that men may , and often do , falsly pretend to inspiration . and this is the reason upon which the apostle grounds this exhortation : because many false prophets are gone out into the world , therefore we should try who are true , and who are false . secondly , we are not to believe every one that pretends to be inspired , and to teach a divine doctrine : this follows upon the former : because men may falsly pretend to inspiration , therefore we are not to believe every one that makes this pretence . for any man that hath but confidence enough , and conscience little enough , may pretend to come from god. and if we admit all pretences of this kind , we lie at the mercy of every crafty and confident man , to be led by him into what delusions he pleaseth . thirdly , neither are we to reject all that pretend to come from god. this is sufficiently implied in the text ; for where the apostle says , believe not every spirit , he supposeth we are to believe some ; and when he saith , try the spirits whether they be of god , he supposeth some to be of god , and that those which are so , are to be believed . these three observations are so plain that i need only to name them , to make way for the fourth , which i principally designed to insist upon from these words . and that is this , that there is some way to discern mere pretenders to inspiration , from those who are truly and divinely inspired : and this is necessarily implied in the apostles bidding us to try the spirits whether they are of god. for it were in vain to make any trial , if there be no way to discern between pretended and real inspirations . now the handling of this will give occasion to two very material enquiries , and useful to be resolved . i. how we may discern between true and counterfeit doctrines : those which really are from god , and those which only pretend to be so ? ii. to whom this judgment of discerning doth appertain ? i. how we may discern between true and counterfeit doctrines and revelations ? for the clearing of this i shall lay down these following propositions . . that reason is the faculty whereby revelations are to be discerned ; or to use the phrase in the text , it is that whereby we are to judg what spirits are of god , and what not . for all revelation from god supposeth us to be men , and to be indued with reason ; and therefore it does not create new faculties in us , but propounds new objects to that faculty which was in us before . whatever doctrines god reveals to men are propounded to their understandings , and by this faculty we are to examin all doctrines which pretend to be from god , and upon examination to judg whether there be reason to receive them as divine , or to reject them as impostures . . all supernatural revelation supposeth the truth of the principles of natural religion . we must first be assured that there is a god , before we can know that he hath made any revelation of himself : and we must know that all his words are true , otherwise there were no sufficient reason to believe the revelations which he makes to us : and we must believe his authority over us , and that he will reward our obedience to his laws , and punish our breach of them ; otherwise there would neither be sufficient obligation nor encouragement to obedience . these , and many other things , are supposed to be true , and naturally known to us , antecedently to all supernatural revelation ; otherwise the revelations of god would signify nothing to us , nor be of any force with us . . all reasonings about divine revelations must necessarily be governed by the principles of natural religion : that is , by those apprehensions which men naturally have of the divine perfections , and by the clear notions of good and evil , which are imprinted upon our natures . because we have no other way to judg what is worthy of god and credible to be believed by him , and what not , but by the natural notions which we have of god , and of his essential perfections : which , because we know him to be immutable , we have reason to believe he will never contradict . and by these principles likewise , we are to interpret what god hath revealed ; and when any doubt ariseth concerning the meaning of any divine revelation ( as that of the holy scriptures ) we are to govern our selves in the interpretation of it , by what is most agreeable to those natural notions which we have of god , and we have all the reason in the world to reject that sence which is contrary thereto . for instance , when god is represented in scripture as having a humane shape , eyes , ears and hands , the notions which men naturally have of the divine nature and perfections do sufficiently direct us to interpret these expressions in a sence worthy of god , and agreeable to his perfection : and therefore it is reasonable to understand them as rather spoken to our capacity , and in a figure , than to be litterally intended . and this will proportionably hold in many other cases . . nothing ought to be received as a revelation from god which plainly contradicts the principles of natural religion , or overthrows the certainty of them . for instance , it were in vain to pretend a revelation from god , that there is no god , because this is a contradiction in terms . so likewise to pretend a command from god , that we are to hate and despise him ; because it is not credible that god should require any thing of reasonable creatures so unsuitable to their natures , and to their obligations to him : besides , that such a law as this does tacitely involve a contradiction ; because upon such a supposition , to despise god would be to obey him ; and yet to obey him is certainly to honour him . so that in this case to honour god , and to despise him , would be the same thing , and equal contempts of him . in like manner , it would be vain to pretend any revelation from god , that there is no life after this , nor rewards and punishments in another world : because this is contrary to those natural apprehensions which have generally possest mankind , and would take away the main force and sanction of the divine laws . the like may be said , concerning any pretended revelation from god , which evidently contradicts those natural notions which men have of good and evil ; as , that god should command , or allow sedition and rebellion , perfidiousness and perjury ; because the practise of these would be apparently destructive of the peace and happiness of mankind , and would naturally bring confusion into the world : but god is not the god of confusion , but of order , which st. paul appeals to as a principle naturally known . upon the same account nothing ought to be entertained as a divine revelation which overthrows the principles of natural religion ; because that would take away the certainty of divine revelation it self , which supposeth the truth of those principles . for instance , whoever pretends any revelation that brings the providence of god into question , does by that very thing make such a revelation questionable . for if god take no care of the world , have no concernment for humane affairs , why should we believe that he makes any revelation of his will to men ? and by this principle moses will have false prophets to be tried : deut. . . if there arise among you a prophet , and giveth thee a sign or wonder , and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee , saying , let us go after other gods , and let us serve them ; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet : and he gives the reason of this , ver . . because he hath spoken unto you to turn you away from the lord your god , which brought you out of the land of egypt . here is a case wherein a false prophet is supposed to work a true miracle , to give credit to his doctrine , ( which in other cases the scripture makes the sign of a true prophet ) , but yet in this case he is to be rejected as an impostor : because the doctrine he teacheth , would draw men off from the worship of the true god , who is naturally known , and had manifested himself to the people of israel in so miraculous a manner , by bringing them out of the land of egypt . so that a miracle is not enough to give credit to a prophet who teacheth any thing contrary to that natural notion which men have , that there is but one god , who only ought to be worshipped . . nothing ought to be received as a divine doctrine and revelation , without good evidence that it is so : that is , without some argument sufficient to satisfy a prudent and considerate man. now ( supposing there be nothing in the matter of the revelation that is evidently contrary to the principles of natural religion , nor to any former revelation which hath already received a greater and more solemn attestation from god ) miracles are owned by all mankind to be a sufficient testimony to any person , or doctrine , that they are from god. this was the testimony which god gave to moses to satisfy the people of israel that he had sent him ; exod. . , . moses said , they will not believe me , nor hearken unto my voice ; for they will say , the lord hath not appeared unto thee . upon this god endues him with a power of miracles , to be an evidence to them , that they may believe that the god of their fathers , abraham , isaac and jacob hath appeared unto thee . and all along in the old testament , when god sent his prophets to make a new revelation , or upon any strange and extraordinary message , he always gave credit to them by some sign or wonder which they foretold or wrought . and when he sent his son into the world , he gave testimony to him by innumerable great and unquestionable miracles , more and greater than moses and all the prophets had wrought . and there was great reason for this ; because our saviour came not only to publish a new religion to the world , but to put an end to that religion which god had instituted before . and now that the gospel hath had the confirmation of such miracles as never were wrought upon any other occasion , no evidence inferior to this can in reason controul this revelation , or give credit to any thing contrary to it . and therefore though the false prophets and antichrists , foretold by our saviour , did really work miracles , yet they were so inconsiderable in comparison of our saviours , that they deserve no credit in opposition to that revelation which had so clear a testimony given to it from heaven , by miracles , besides all other concurring arguments to confirm it . . and lastly , no argument is sufficient to prove a doctrine or revelation to be from god , which is not clearer and stronger than the difficulties and objections against it : because all assent is grounded upon evidence , and the strongest and clearest evidence always carries it : but where the evidence is equal on both sides , that can produce nothing but a suspence and doubt in the mind whether the thing be true or not . if moses had not confuted pharaoh's magicians by working miracles which they could not work , they might reasonably have disputed it with him who had been the true prophet : but when he did works plainly above the power of their magick and the devil to do , then they submitted , and acknowledged that there was the finger of god. so likewise , though a person work a miracle ( which ordinarily is a good evidence that he is sent by god ) yet if the doctrine he brings be plainly contrary to those natural notions which we have of god , this is a better objection aginst the truth of his doctrine than the other is a proof of it ; as is plain in the case which moses puts , deut. . which i mentioned before . upon the same account no man can reasonably believe the doctrine of transubstantiation to be revealed by god : because every man hath as great evidence that transubstantiation is false , as any man can pretend to have that god hath revealed any such thing . suppose transubstantiation to be part of the christian doctrine , it must have the same confirmation with the whole , and that is miracles : but of all doctrines in the world it is peculiarly incapable of being proved by a miracle . for if a miracle were wrought for the proof of it , the very same assurance which a man hath of the truth of the miracle , he hath of the falshood of the doctrine , that is , the clear evidence of his senses for both . for that there is a miracle wrought to prove , that what he sees in the sacrament is not bread but the body of christ , he hath only the evidence of his senses ; and he hath the very same evidence to prove , that what he sees in the sacrament is not the body of christ , but bread . so that here ariseth a new controversy , whether a man should believe his senses giving testimony against the doctrine of transubstantiation , or bearing testimony to the miracle which is wrought to confirm that doctrine : for there is just the same evidence against the truth of the doctrine , which there is for the truth of the miracle . so that the argument for transubstantiation , and the objection against it , do just ballance one another ; and where the weights in both scales are equal , it is impossible that the one should weigh down the other : and consequently transubstantiation is not to be proved by a miracle ; for that would be , to prove to a man by something that he sees , that he does not see what he sees . and thus i have endeavoured , as briefly and clearly as i could , to give satisfaction to the first enquiry i propounded , viz. how we may discern between true and counterfeit revelations and doctrines ? i proceed now to the ii. to whom this judgment of discerning does appertain . whether to christians in general , or to some particular person , or persons , authorised by god to judge for the rest of mankind , by whose judgment all men are concluded and bound up . and this is an enquiry of no small importance ; because it is one of the most fundamental points in difference between us and the church of rome . and however in many particular controversies , as concerning transubstantiation , the communion in one kind , the service of god in an unknown tongue ; the business of indulgences , the invocation of saints , the worship of images , they are not able to offer any thing that is fit to move a reasonable and considerate man ; yet in this controversy , concerning the judge of controversies , they are not destitute of some specious appearance of reason which deserves to be weighed and considered . therefore that we may examine this matter to the bottom , i shall do these three things . . lay down some cautions and limitations whereby we may understand how far the generality of christians are allowed to judg in matters of religion . . i shall represent the grounds of this principle . . endeavour to satisfy the main objection of our adversaries against it : and likewise to shew , that there is no such reason and necessity for an universal infallible judg as they pretend . i. i shall lay down some cautions and limitations , by which we may understand how far the generality of christians are allowed to judg in matters of religion . first , private persons are only to judg for themselves , and not to impose their judgment upon others , as if they had any authority over them . and this is reasonable , because if it were otherwise , a man would deprive others of that liberty which he assumes to himself , and which he can claim upon no other account , but because it belongs to others equally with himself . secondly , this liberty of judging is not so to be understood as to take away the necessity and use of guides and teachers in religion . nor can this be denied to be a reasonable limitation ; because the knowledge of revealed religion is not a thing born with us , nor ordinarily supernaturally infused into men ; but is to be learned , as other things are . and if it be to be learned , there must be some to teach and instruct others : and they that will learn , must be modest and humble ; and in those things , of which they are no competent judges , they must give credit to their teachers , and trust their skill : for instance , every unlearned man is to take it upon the credit of those who are skilful , that the scriptures are truly and faithfully translated ; and for the understanding of obscure texts of scripture , and more difficult points in religion , he is to rely upon those , whose proper business and employment it is to apply themselves to the understanding of these things . for in these cases every man is not capable of judging himself , and therefore he must necessarily trust others : and in all other things he ought to be modest ; and unless it be in plain matters , which every man can judg of , he ought rather to distrust himself than his teacher . and this respect may be given to a teacher without either supposing him to be infallible , or making an absolute resignation of my judgment to him . a man may be a very able teacher ( suppose of the mathematicks ) and fit to have the respect which is due to a teacher , though he be not infallible in those sciences : and because infallibility is not necessary to such a teacher , it is neither necessary nor convenient that i should absolutely resign up my judgment to him for though i have reason to credit him , within the compass of his art , in things which i do not know , i am not therefore bound to believe him in things plain contrary to what i and all mankind do certainly know . for example , if upon pretence of his skill in arithmetick , which i am learning of him , he should tell me , that twice two do not make four , but five ; though i believed him to be the best mathematician in the world , yet i cannot believe him in this thing : nor is there reason i should ; because i did not come to learn this of him , but knew as much of that before as he or any man else could tell me . the case is the same in matters of religion , in which there are some things so plain , and lie so level to all capacities , that every man is almost equally judg of them : as i shall have occasion farther to shew by and by . thirdly , neither does this liberty of judging exempt men from a due submission and obedience to their teachers and governours . every man is bound to obey the lawful commands of his governours : and what by publick consent and authority is determined and established , ought not to be gainsaid by private persons , but upon very clear evidence of the falshood or unlawfulness of it . and this is every mans duty , for the maintaining of order , and out of regard to the peace and unity of the church ; which is not to be violated upon every scruple and frivolous pretence : and when men are perverse and disobedient , authority is judg , and may restrain and punish them . fourthly , nor do i so far extend this liberty of judging in religion , as to think every man fit to dispute the controversies of religion . a great part of people are ignorant , and of so mean capacity , as not to be able to judg of the force of a very good argument , much less of the issue of a long dispute : and such persons ought not to engage in disputes of religion ; but to beg god's direction , and to rely upon their teachers ; and above all to live up to the plain dictates of natural light , and the clear commands of god's word ; and this will be their best security . and if the providence of god have placed them under such guides as do seduce them into error , their ignorance is invincible , and god will not condemn them for it , so long as they sincerely endeavour to do the will of god so far as they know it . and this being the case of many , especially in the church of rome , where ignorance is so industriously cherished , i have so much charity as to hope well concerning many of them : and seeing that church teacheth and enjoins the people to worship images , it is in some sence charitably done of them not to let them know the second commandment , that they may not be guilty of sinning against so plain a law. having premised these cautions , i proceed in the ii. place , to represent to you the grounds of this principle of our religion , viz. that we allow private persons to judg for themselves in matters of religion . first , because many things in religion , especially those which are most necessary to be believed and practised , are so plain that every man of ordinary capacity , after competent instruction in matters of religion ( which is always to be supposed ) can as well judg of them for himself , as any man or company of men in the world can judg for him . because in these he hath a plain rule to go by , natural light and clear revelation of scripture . and this is no new principle of the protestants , but most expresly owned by the antient fathers : whatever things are necessary , are plain , saith st. chrysostom . all things are plainly contained in scripture which concern faith and a good life , saith st. austin . and nothing can be more reasonable than that those things which are plain to every man should be left to every man's judgment . for every man can judg of what is plain ; of evident truth and falshood , vertue and vice ; of doctrines and laws plainly delivered in scripture , if we believe any thing to be so , which it is next to madness to deny . i will refer it to no man's judgment upon earth to determin for me , whether there be a god or not ? whether murder and perjury be sins ? whether it be not plain in scripture , that jesus christ is the son of god , that he became man , and died for us , and rose again . so that there is no need of a judg in these cases . nor can i possiby believe any man to be so absolutely infallible , as not to call his infallibility into question , if he determins any thing contrary to what is plain and evident to all mankind . for if he should determin that there is no god , or that he is not to be worshipped , or that he will not punish and reward men , or , which is the case that bellarmine puts , that virtue is vice , and vice virtue ; he would hereby take away the very foundation of religion ; and how can i look upon him any longer as a judg in matters of religion , when there can be no such thing as religion if he have judged and determined right . secondly , the scripture plainly allows this liberty to particular and private persons to judg for themselves . and for this i need go no farther than my text , which bids men try the spirits whether they be of god. i do not think this is spoken only to the pope or a general council , but to christians in general ; for to these the apostle writes . now if st. john had believed that god had constituted an infallible judg in his church , to whose sentence and determination all christians are bound to submit , he ought in all reason to have referred christians to him for the tryal of spirits , and not have left it to every man's private judgment to examine and to determine these things . but it seems st. paul was likewise of the same mind ; and though he was guided by an infallible spirit , yet he did not expect that men should blindly submit to his doctrine : nay , so far is he from that , that he commends the bereans for that very thing for which i dare say the church of rome would have check'd them most severely , namely , for searching the scriptures to see whether those things which the apostles delivered were so or not : this liberty st. paul allowed ; and though he was inspired by god , yet he treated those whom he taught like men . and indeed , it were a hard case that a necessity of believing divine revelations , and rejecting impostures , should be imposed upon christians ; and yet the liberty of judging , whether a doctrine be from god or not , should be taken away from them . thirdly , our adversaries themselves are forced to grant that which in effect is as much as we contend for . for though they deny a liberty of judging in particular points of religion , yet they are forced to grant men a liberty of judging upon the whole . when they of the church of rome would perswade a jew , or a heathen , to become a christian ; or a heretick ( as they are pleased to call us ) to come over to the communion of their church , and offer arguments to induce them thereto ; they do by this very thing , whether they will or no , make that man judge which is the true church , and the true religion . because it would be ridiculous to perswade a man to turn to their religion , and to urge him with reasons to do so , and yet to deny him the use of his own judgment whether their reasons be sufficient to move him to make such a change . now , as the apostle reasons in another case , if men be fit to judge for themselves in so great and important a matter as the choice of their religion , why should they be thought unworthy to judge in lesser matters ? they tell us indeed that a man may use his judgment in the choice of his religion ; but when he hath once chosen , he is then for ever to resign up his judgment to their church : but what tolerable reason can any man give , why a man should be fit to judge upon the whole , and yet unfit to judge upon particular points ? especially if it be considered , that no man can make a discreet judgment of any religion , before he hath examined the particular doctrines of it , and made a judgment concerning them . ●s it credible , that god should give a man judgment in the most fundamental and important matter of all , viz. to discern the true religion , and the true church , from the false ; for no other end , but to enable him to chuse once for all to whom he should resign and inslave his judgment for ever ? which is just as reasonable as if one should say , that god had given a man eyes for no other end , but to look out once for all , and to pitch upon a discreet person to lead him about blindfold all the days of his life . i come now to the iii. thing i propounded , which is , to answer the main objection of our adversaries against this principle ; and likewise to shew that there is no such reason and necessity for an universal infallible judge , as they pretend . now their great objection is this , if every man may judge for himself , there will be nothing but confusion in religion , there will be no end of controversies : so that an universal infallible judge is necessary , and without this god had not made sufficient provision for the assurance of men's faith , and for the peace and unity of his church : or , as it is expressed in the canon law , a liter dominus non videretur fuisse discretus , otherwise our lord had not seem'd to be discreet . how plausible soever this objection may appear , i do not despair but if men will lay aside prejudice , and impartially consider things , to make it abundantly evident , that this ground is not sufficient to found an infallible judge upon . and therefore in answer to it , i desire these following particulars may be considered . first , that this which they say , rather proves what god should have done according to their fancy , than what he hath really and actually done . my text expresly bids christians to try the spirits , which to any man's sense does imply that they may judge of these matters : but the church of rome says they may not ; because if this liberty were permitted , god had not ordered things wisely , and for the best , for the peace and unity of his church . but , as the apostle says in another case , what art thou , o man , that objectest against god ? secondly , if this reasoning be good , we may as well conclude that there is an universal infallible judge , set over the whole world in all temporal matters , to whose authority all mankind is bound to submit . because this is as necessary to the peace of the world , as the other is to the peace of the church . and men surely are every whit as apt to be obstinate and perverse about matters of temporal right , as about matters of faith. but it is evident in fact and experience that there is no such universal judge , appointed by god over the whole world , to decide all cases of temporal right ; and for want of him the world is fain to shift as well as it can . but now a very acute and scholastical man that would argue that god must needs have done whatever he fancies convenient for the world should be done , might by the very same way of reasoning conclude the necessity of an universal infallible judge in civil matters , as well as in matters of religion : and their aliter dominus non videretur fuisse discretus , otherwise god had not seem'd to be discreet , is every whit as cogent , and as civil , in the one case as the other . thirdly , there is no need of such a judge , to assure men in matters of religion ; because men be sufficiently certain without him . i hope it may be certain and clear enough that there is a god ; and that his providence governs the world ; and that there is another life after this , though neither pope nor council had ever declared any thing about these matters . and for revealed doctrines , we may be certain enough of all that is necessary , if it be true which the fathers tell us , that all things necessary are plainly revealed in the holy scriptures . fourthly , an infallible judge , if there were one , is no certain way to end controversies , and to preserve the unity of the church ; unless it were likewise infallibly certain , that there is such a judge , and , who he is . for till men were sure of both these , there would still be a controversie , whether there be an infallible judge , and who he is . and if it be true which they tell us , that without an infallible judge controversies cannot be ended , then a controversie concerning an infallible judge can never be ended . and there are two controversies actually on foot about an infallible judge ; one , whether there be an infallible judge or not ? which is a controversie between us and the church of rome : and the other , who this infallible judge is ? which is a controversie among themselves , which could never yet be decided : and yet till it be decided , infallibility , if they had it , would be of no use to them for the ending of controversies . fifthly , there is no such absolute need , as is pretended , of determining all controversies in religion . if men would divest themselves of prejudice and interest , as they ought , in matters of religion , the necessary things of religion are plain enough , and men would generally agree well enough about them : but if men will suffer themselves to be byassed by these , they would not hearken to an infallible judge , if there were one ; or they would find out some way or other to call his infallibility into question . and as for doubtfull and lesser matters in religion , charity and mutual forbearance among christians would make the church as peaceable and happy , as perhaps it was ever designed to be in this world , without absolute unity in opinion . sixthly and lastly , whatever may be the inconveniences of mens judging for themselves in religion , yet taking this principle with the cautions i have given , i doubt not to make it appear , that the inconveniences are far the least on that side . the present condition of humane nature doth not admit of any constitution of things , whether in religion or civil matters , which is free from all kind of exception and inconvenience : that is the best state of things which is liable to the least and fewest . if men be modest , and humble , and willing to learn , god hath done that which is sufficient for the assurance of our faith , and for the peace of his church , without an infallible judge : and if men will not be so , i cannot tell what would be sufficient . i am sure there were heresies and schisms in the apostles times , when those who governed the church were certainly guided by an infallible spirit . god hath appointed guides and teachers for us in matters of religion , and if we will be contented to be instructed by them in those necessary articles and duties of religion , which are plainly contained in scripture ; and to be counselled and directed by them in things that are more doubtfull and difficult , i do not see why we might not do well enough without any infallible judge or guide . but still it will be said , who shall judge what things are plain and what doubtfull ? the answer to this , in my opinion , is not difficult . for if there be any thing plain in religion , every man that hath been duly instructed in the principles of religion can judge of it , or else it is not plain . but there are some things in religion so very plain , that no guide or judge can in reason claim that authority over men , as to oblige them to believe or do the contrary ; no , though he pretend to infallibility ; no , though he were an apostle , though he were an angel from heaven . s. paul puts the case so high , gal. . . though we , or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel unto you than what you have received , let him be accursed : which plainly supposeth that christians may and can judge when doctrines are contrary to the gospel . what ? not believe an apostle , nor an angel from heaven , if he should teach any thing evidently contrary to the plain doctrine of the gospel ? if he should determine virtue to be vice , and vice to be virtue ? no ; not an apostle , nor an angel ; because such a doctrine as this would confound and overturn all things in religion . and yet bellarmine puts this very case , and says , if the pope should so ●●termine , we were bound to believe him , unless we would sin against conscience . i will conclude this discourse by putting a very plain and familiar case ; by which it will appear what credit and authority is fit to be given to a guide , and what not . suppose i came a stranger into england , and landing at dover , took a guide there to conduct me in my way to york , which i knew before by the mapp to lie north of dover : having committed my self to him , if he lead me for two or three days together out of any plain road , and many times over hedge and ditch , i cannot but think it strange , that in a civil and well-inhabited country there should be no high-ways from one part of it to another : yet thus far i submit to him , though not without some regret and impatience . but then if after this , for two or three days more he lead me directly south , and with my face full upon the sun at noon-day , and at last bring me back again to dover pere ; and still bids me follow him : then certainly no modesty do's oblige a man not to dispute with his guide , and to tell him , surely that can be no way because it is sea ▪ now though he set never so bold a face upon the matter , and tell me with all the gravity and authority in the world , that it is not the sea but dry land under the species and appearance of water ; and that whatever my eyes tell me , having once committed my self to his guidance , i must not trust my own senses in the case ; it being one of the most dangerous sorts of infidelity for a man to believe his own eyes rather than his faithfull and infallible guide : all this moves me not ; but i begin to expostulate roundly with him , and to let him understand that if i must not believe what i see , he is like to be of no farther use to me ; because i shall not be able , at this rate , to know whether i have a guide , and whether i follow him , or not . in short , i tell him plainly , that when i took him for my guide , i did not take him to tell me the difference between north and south , between a hedge and a high-way , between sea and dry land ; all this i knew before , as well as he or any man else could tell me ; but i took him to conduct and direct me the nearest way to york : and therefore after all his impertinent talk ; after all his motives of credibility to perswade me to believe him , and all his confident sayings , which he gravely calls demonstrations , i stand stiffly upon the shore , and leave my learned and reverend guide to take his own course , and to dispose of himself as he pleaseth ; but firmly resolved not to follow him . and is any man to be blamed that breaks with his guide upon these terms ? and this is truly the case , when a man commits himself to the guidance of any person or church : if by virtue of this authority , they will needs perswade me out of my senses , and not to believe what i see but what they say ; that virtue is vice , and vice virtue , if they declare them to be so : and that because they say they are infallible , i am to receive all their dictates for oracles , though never so evidently false and absurd in the judgment of all mankind : in this case there is no way to be ridd of these unreasonable people , but to desire of them , since one kindness deserves another and all contradictions are alike easie to be believed , th●t they would be pleased to believe that infidelity is faith , and that when i absolutely renounce their authority i do yield a most perfect submission and obedience to it . upon the whole matter , all the revelations of god , as well as the laws of men , go upon this presumption that men are not stark fools ; but that they will consider their interest , and have some regard to the great concernment of their eternal salvation . and this is as much to secure men from mistake in matters of belief , as god hath afforded to keep men from sin in matters of practice . he hath made no effectual and infallible provision that men shall not sin ; and yet it would puzzle any man to give a good reason , why god should take more care to secure men against errors in belief , than against sin and wickedness in their lives . i shall now only draw three or four inferences from this discourse which i have made , and so conclude . . that it is every mans duty , who hath ability and capacity for it , to endeavour to understand the grounds of his religion . for to try doctrines is to inquire into the grounds and reasons of them : which the better any man understands , the more firmly he will be established in the truth , and be the more resolute in the day of trial , and the better able to withstand the arts and assaults of cunning adversaries , and the fierce storms of persecution . and , on the contrary , that man will soon be moved from his stedfastness who never examined the grounds and reasons of his belief . when it comes to the trial , he that hath but little to say for his religion will probably neither do nor suffer much for it . . that all doctrines are vehemently to be suspected which decline trial , and are so loth to be brought into the light ; which will not endure a fair examination , but magisterially require an implicite faith : whereas truth is bold and full of courage , and loves to appear openly ; and is so secure and confident of her own strength , as to offer her self to the severest trial and examination . but to deny all liberty of enquiry and judgment in matters of religion is the greatest injury and disparagement to truth that can be , and a tacite acknowledgement that she lies under some disadvantage , and that there is less to be said for her than for error . i have often wonder'd why the people in the church of rome do not suspect their teachers and guides to have some ill design upon them , when they do so industriously debar them of the means of knowledge , and are so very loth to let them understand what it is that we have to say against their religion . for can any thing in the world be more suspicious than to perswade men to put out their eyes , upon promise that they will help them to a much better and more faithfull guide ? if any church , any profession of men , be unwilling their doctrines should be exposed to trial , it is a certain sign they know something by them that is faulty , and which will not endure the light . this is the account which our saviour gives us in a like case , it was because mens deeds were evil that they loved darkness rather than light . for every one that doth evil hateth the light ; neither cometh he to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved : but he that doth the truth cometh to the light , that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in god. . since reason and christianity allow this liberty to private persons to judge for themselves in matters of religion , we should use this privilege with much modesty and humility , with great submission and deference to our spiritual rulers and guides , whom god hath appointed in his church . and there is very great need of this caution , since by experience we find this liberty so much abused by many to the nourishing of pride and self-conceit , of division and faction ; and those who are least able to judge , to be frequently the most forward and confident , the most peremptory and perverse : and instead of demeaning themselves with the submission of learners , to assume to themselves the authority of judges , even in the most doubtfull and disputable matters . the tyranny of the roman church over the minds and consciences of men is not to be justified upon any account ; but nothing puts so plausible a colour upon it , as the ill use that is too frequently made of this natural privilege of mens judging for themselves in a matter of so infinite concernment , as that of their eternal happiness . but then it is to be consider'd , that the proper remedy in this case , is not to deprive men of this privilege , but to use the best means to prevent the abuse of it . for though the inconveniences arising from the ill use of it may be very great , yet the mischief on the other hand is intolerable . religion it self is liable to be abused to very bad purposes , and frequently is so ; but it is not therefore best that there should be no religion : and yet this objection , if it be of any force and be pursued home , is every whit as strong against religion it self , as against mens liberty of judging in matters of religion . nay i add farther , that no man can judiciously embrace the true religion , unless he be permitted to judge , whether that which he embraces be the true religion or not . . when upon due trial and examination we are well-settled and established in our religion , let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; and not be like children , tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine , through the sleight of men , and the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive . and above all , let us resolve to live according to the excellent rules and precepts of our holy religion ; let us heartily obey that doctrine which we profess to believe . we , who enjoy the protestant religion , have all the means and advantages of understanding the will of god , free liberty and full scope of enquiring into it , and informing our selves concerning it : we have all the opportunities we can wish of coming to the knowledge of our duty : the oracles of god lie open to us , and his law is continually before our eyes ; his word is nigh unto us , in our mouths , and in our hearts ; ( that is , we may read it and meditate upon it ) that we may do it : the key of knowledg is put into our hands , so that if we do not enter into the kingdom of heaven , it is we our selves that shut our selves out . and where there is nothing to hinder us from the knowledg of our duty , there certainly nothing can excuse us from the practice of it . for the end of all knowledg is to direct men in their duty , and effectually to engage them to the performance of it : the great business of religion is , to make men truly good , and to teach them to live well . and if religion have not this effect , it matters not of what church any man lists and enters himself ; for most certainly , a bad man can be saved in none . though a man know the right way to heaven never so well , and be entered into it , yet if he will not walk therein , he shall never come thither : nay , it will be an aggravation of this man's unhappiness , that he was lost in the way to heaven , and perished in the very road to salvation . but if we will in good earnest apply our selves to the practice of religion , and the obedience of god's holy laws , his grace will never be wanting to us to so good a purpose . i have not time to recommend religion to you at large , with all its advantages . i will comprise what i have to say in a few words , and mind them at your peril . let that which is our great concernment be our great care , to know the truth and to do it , to fear god and keep his commandments . considering the reasonableness and the reward of piety and vertue , nothing can be wiser : and considering the mighty assistance of god's grace , which he is ready to afford to us , and the unspeakable satisfaction and delight which is to be had in the doing of our duty , nothing can be easier : nothing will give us that pleasure , while we live ; nothing can minister that true and solid comfort to us , when we come to die : there is probably no such way for a man to be happy in this world ; to be sure , there is no way but this , to escape the intolerable and endless miseries of another world. now god grant that we may all know , and do , in this our day , the things that belong to our peace , for his mercies sake in jesus christ ; to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory now and for ever . amen . finis . advertisement . whereas there is surreptitiously printed , from very false and imperfect notes , a sermon preached decemb. d. . at the york-shire feast ; to the great abuse and injury of the author , and of the buyers of it : it is thought fit to give this notice of it ; and that it is since publish'd by the author , dr. tillotson dean of canterbury , in quarto . the false copy being but two sheets , and printed in octavo . there is now in the press , a learned treatise of the pope's supremacy , in quarto ; by dr. isaac barrow , late master of trinity colledg in cambridg . to be sold by brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons over against the royal exchange in cornhil . several discourses by the most reverend dr. john tillotson ... , being the fifth volume published from the originals by ralph barker ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) several discourses by the most reverend dr. john tillotson ... , being the fifth volume published from the originals by ralph barker ... tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - . the second edition corrected. [ ], p. printed for ri. chiswell ..., london : . "viz., proving jesus to be the messias, the prejudices against jesus and his religion consider'd, jesus the son of god, proved by his resurrection, the danger of apostacy from christianity, christ the author; obedience the condition of salvation, the possibility and necessity of gospel obedience, and its consistence with free grace, the authority of jesus christ, with the commission and promise which he gave to his apostles, the difficulties of a chirstian life consider'd, the parable of the rich man and lazarus, children of this world wiser than the children of light." reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion several discourses , viz. proving jesus to be the messias . the prejudices against jesus and his religion consider'd . jesus the son of god , proved by his resurrection . the danger of apostacy from christianity . christ the author : obedience the condition of salvation . the possibility and necessity of gospel obedience , and its consistence with free grace . the authority of jesus christ , with the commission and promise which he gave to his apostles . the difficulties of a christian life consider'd . the parable of the rich man and lazarus . children of this world wiser than the children of light. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson , late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . being the fifth volume ; published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . the second edition corrected . london : printed for ri. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard . . the contents of the fifth volume . serm. i. proving jesus to be the messias . matth . xi . , , , , . now when john had heard in prison the works of christ , he sent two of his disciples , and said unto him , art thou he that should come : or do we look for another ? jesus answered and said unto them , go and shew john again these things which ye do hear , and see . the blind receive their sight , and the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear , the dead are raised up , and the poor have the gospel preached unto them . and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . page . serm. ii , iii. the prejudices against christianity consider'd . matth . xi . . and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . p. , . serm. iv. jesus , the son of god , prov'd by his resurrection . rom . i. . and declared to be the son of god , with power , according to the spirit of holiness , by the resurrection from the dead . p. . serm. v. the danger of apostacy from christianity . heb. vi. , , . for it is impossible for those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy ghost , and have tasted the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come ; if they shall fall away , to renew them again unto repentance : seeing they crucify to themselves the son of god afresh , and put him to an open shame . p. . serm. vi. christ the author : and obedience the condition of salvation . heb. v. . and being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him . p. . serm. vii . the possibility and necessity of gospel-obedience , and its consistence with free grace . heb. v. . and being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him . p. . serm. viii . the authority of jesus christ , with the commission and promise which he gave to his apostles . mat. xxviii . , , . and jesus came and spake unto them , saying , all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth : go ye therefore and teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you : and lo , i am with you alway , even unto the end of the world. p. . serm. ix . the difficulties of a christian life consider'd . luke xiii . . strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many , i say unto you , will seek to enter in , and shall not be able . p. . serm. x , xi . the parable of the rich man , and lazarus . luke xvi . , . there was a certain rich man , which was cloathed in purple and fine linen , and fared sumptuously every day : and there was a certain beggar , named lazarus , which was laid at his gate full of sores . p. , . serm. xii . the parable of the rich man , and lazarus . luke xvi . . if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead . p. . serm. xiii . the children of this world wiser than the children of light. luke xvi . . for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. p. . sermon i. proving jesus to be the messias . matth . xi . , , , , . now when john had heard in prison the works of christ , he sent two of his disciples , and said unto him , art thou he that should come , or do we look for another ? jesus answered and said unto them , go and shew john again those things which ye do hear and see : the blind receive their sight , and the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear , the dead are raised up , and the poor have the gospel preached unto them . and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . about the time of our saviour's appearing in the world , there was a general expectation of a great prince , that should come out of judea , and govern all nations : this the gentiles had from the prophecies of the sybils , which spake of a great king that was to appear in the world about that time . so virgil tells us , that the time of augustus was the utmost date of that prophecy , vltima cumaei venit jam carminis aetas : and suetonius tells us , that all over the eastern countries , there was an ancient and constant tradition , that such a prince should spring out of judea : and for this reason it is , that our saviour is call'd by the prophet , the expectation of the nations . but more especially among the jews , there was at that time a more lively and particular expectation , grounded upon the predictions of their prophets , of a prince whom they call'd the messias , or the anointed ; and those who were more devout among them , did at that time wait for his appearance ; as it is said of simeon , that he waited for the consolation of israel . hence it was , that when john the baptist appeared in the quality of an extraordinary prophet , they sent from jerusalem to enquire whether he were the messias ? john . . the jews sent priests and levites from jerusalem to ask him , who art thou ? and he confessed , and denied not , but confessed , i am not the christ . the sanhedrim , to whom it belonged to judge who were true prophets , sent to know whether he was the messias or not ? he would not take this honour to himself , but told them the messias was just at hand ; and the next day , when jesus came to be baptized of him , he bare record , that he was the son of god , and that he saw the spirit descending , and abiding upon him . so that it is plain that he knew him , and bare witness of him , which makes it the more strange , that here in the text , he should send two of his disciples to enquire , whether he were the messias or not ? art thou he that should come , or do we look for another ? that is , art thou the messias , or not ? for so he is call'd in the ancient prophecies of him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he that should come , gen. . . the scepter shall not depart from judah , till shiloh come . for the resolution of this difficulty , it is very probably said by interpreters , and i think there is no reason to doubt of it , that john the baptist did not send this message for his own satisfaction , but to satisfy his disciples , who were never very willing to acknowledge jesus for the messias , because they thought he did shadow and cloud their master . from whence we may take notice , how men's judgments are apt to be perverted by faction and interest ; and that good men are too prone to be swayed thereby ; for such we suppose the disciples of john to have been ; they will not believe their own master , when they apprehend him to speak against their interest ; for they knew that they must rise and fall in their reputation and esteem , as their master did . they believed that their master was a prophet , and came from god ; yet for all that , they could not digest his testimony of christ , because that set him above their master ; which they were sagacious enough to perceive , that it tended to the diminution and lessening of themselves . and that this was the thing which troubled them , appears plainly from the complaint which they make to their master , john . . the disciples of john came to him and said , he that was with thee beyond jordan , to whom thou barest witness , behold the same baptizeth , and all men come to him . this troubled them , to see him invade their master's office , and that he began to have more followers than john had ; he baptizeth , and all men come to him . this prejudice john had endeavoured to root out of their minds , by telling them , that he had always declared that he was not the messias , v. . you your selves bear me witness , that i said , i am not the christ , but that i am sent before him . but when he perceived it still to stick with them , and that they observed all his actions , and the miracles that he wrought , as if they had a mind to pick a quarrel with him ( for st. luke , who relates the same story , tells us , that when our saviour had healed the centurion's servant , and raised from the dead the widows son at naim , the disciples of john shewed him all these things ) i say john baptist perceiving that they watched him so narrowly , sent two of his disciples to him , that they might receive full satisfaction from him . and st. luke tells us , that upon their coming to him , he wrought many of his miracles before them , to convince them that he was the true messias , luke . , . and in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities , and plagues , and of evil spirits ; and to many that were blind he gave sight ; and then said to the disciples of john , go your way , and tell john what things ye have seen and heard ; how that the blind see , and the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , the deaf hear , and the dead are raised , and to the poor the gospel is preached ; and blessed is he that is not offended in me . so that you see that the reason why john baptist sent to our saviour to know whether he was the messias , was not to satisfy himself , for he had no doubt of it ; but perceiving his disciples to be ill-affected towards our saviour , and hearing them speak with some envy of his miracles , he sent them to him , that by seeing what he did , and hearing what account he gave of himself , they might receive full satisfaction concerning him . i have been the longer in the clearing of this , that men upon every appearance of contradiction in the evangelical history , may not be too forward to suspect the truth of it ; but may be convinc'd , that if they would but have patience to examine things carefully , they would find that the story does sufficiently vindicate it self ; and tho' it be pen'd with great simplicity , yet there is sufficient care taken , to free it from being guilty of any contradiction to it self . the occasion of the words being thus cleared , there are in them these two things considerable . first , what it was that john the baptist sent his disciples to be satisfied about ; and that was , whether he was the messias or not ? now when john had heard in prison the works of christ , he sent two of his disciples . the circumstance of his being in prison , seems to be mention'd , to intimate to us the reason why he did not come himself along with them ; he sent two of his disciples to him , who said unto him , art thou he that should come , or do we look for another ? and then , secondly , the answer which our saviour returns to this message ; jesus answered and said unto them , go and shew john again the things which ye do see and hear ; the blind receive their sight , the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear , the dead are raised up , and the poor have the gospel preached unto them ; and blessed is he , whosoever shall not be offended in me . so that these words contain , first , the evidence which our saviour gives of his being the true messias . secondly , an intimation that notwithstanding all this evidence which he gave of himself , yet many would be offended at him , and reject him ; blessed is he whosoever is not offended in me . first , the evidence which our saviour gives of his being the true messias : and to prove this , there were but two things necessary . . to shew that he was sent by god , and had a particular commission from him . . that he was the very person of whom the prophets foretold that he should be the messias . the first of these he proves by the miracles which he wrought ; and the second , by the correspondency of the things he did , with what was foretold by the prophets concerning the messias ; the prophecies concerning the messias were accomplish'd in him . first , by the miracles which he wrought ; the blind receive their sight , and the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear , and the dead are raised up . here is a brief enumeration of the several sorts of miracles which our saviour wrought , and these were a testimony to him that he came from god , and was sent and commissioned by him to declare his will to the world. so he himself tells us , john . . i have a greater witness than that of john , for the works which the father hath given me to finish , the same works that i do , bear witness of me , that the father hath sent me . upon the evidence of these miracles , nicodemus , a ruler among the jews , was convinced that he was sent by god , john . . we know that thou art a teacher come from god , for no man can do these miracles that thou dost , except god be with him . nay his greatest enemies were afraid of his miracles , knowing how proper an argument they are to convince men , john . . when the chief priests and pharisees were met together in council against him , they concluded , that if he were permitted to go on and work miracles , he would draw all men after him . what do we ? ( say they ) for this man doth many miracles ; if we let him thus alone , all men will believe on him . this they said , upon occasion of the great miracle of raising lazarus from the dead . and in reason , miracles are the highest attestation that can be given to the truth and divinity of any doctrine ; and supposing a doctrine not to be plainly unworthy of god , and contrary to those natural notions which men have of god and religion , we can have no greater evidence of the truth of it , than miracles ; they are such an argument , as in its own nature is apt to persuade and induce belief . all truths do not need miracles ; some are of easy belief , and are so clear by their own light , that they need neither miracle nor demonstration to prove them . such are those self-evident principles which mankind do generally agree in ; others which are not so evident by their own light , we are content to receive upon clear demonstration of them , or very probable arguments for them , without a miracle . and there are some truths , which however they may be sufficiently obscure and uncertain to most men , yet are they so inconsiderable , and of so small consequence , as not to deserve the attestation of miracles ; so that there is no reason to expect that god should interpose by a miracle , to convince men of them . nec deus intersit , nisi dignus vindice nodus inciderit . but for such truths as are necessary to be known by us , but are not sufficiently evident of themselves , nor capable of cogent evidence , especially to prejudiced and interested persons , god is pleased in this case many times to work miracles for our conviction ; and they are a proper argument to convince us of a thing that is either in it self obscure and hard to be believed , or which we are prejudiced against , and hardly brought to believe ; for they are an argument à majori ad minus , they prove a thing which is obscure and hard to be believed , by something that is more incredible , which yet they cannot deny , because they see it done . thus our saviour proves himself to be an extraordinary person , by doing such things as never man did ; he convinceth them , that they ought to believe what he said , because they saw him do those things , which were harder to be believed ( if one had not seen them ) than what he said . miracles are indeed the greatest external confirmation and evidence that can be given to the truth of any doctrine , and where they are wrought with all the advantages they are capable of , they are an unquestionable demonstration of the truth of it ; and such were our saviour's miracles here in the text , to prove that he was the true messias ; here are miracles of all kinds , the blind receive their sight , and the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear , and the dead are raised up . for the nature of them , they are such as are most likely to be divine , and to come from god , for they were healing and beneficial to mankind . our saviour here instanceth in those things which are of greatest benefit and advantage , and which free men from the greatest miseries and inconveniencies ; the restoring of sight to the blind , and hearing to the deaf ; soundness and health to the lame and the leprous , and life to the dead . and then for the number of them , they were many ; not one instance of a kind , but several of every kind , and great multitudes of most of them ; and for the manner of their operation , they were publick , in the sight and view of great multitudes of people ; to free them from all suspicion of fraud and imposture , they were not wrought privately and in corners , and given out and noised abroad , but before all the people , so that every one might see them , and judge of them ; not only among his own disciples and followers , as the church of rome pretends to work theirs , but among his enemies , to convince those that did not believe ; and this not done once , and in one place , but at several times , and in all places where he came , and for a long time , for three years and a half ; and after his death , he endowed his disciples and followers with the same power , which lasted for some ages . and then for the quality of them , they were miracles of the greatest magnitude ; those of them , which in themselves might have been performed by natural means , as healing the lame , and the leprous , and the deaf , he did in a miraculous manner , by a word or a touch , yea and many times at a great distance . but others were not only in the manner of their operation , but in the nature of the thing unquestionably miraculous , as giving of sight to those that had been born blind , and raising up the dead to life , as lazarus , after he had lain in the grave four days ; and himself afterwards , the third day after he had been buried ; which , if there ever was or can be any unquestionable miracles in the world , ought certainly to be reputed such . so that our blessed saviour had all the attestation that miracles can give , that he came from god. and this is the first evidence of his being the messias . the jews acknowledge that the messias , when he comes , shall work great miracles ; and their own talmud confesseth , that jesus the son of joseph and mary did work great miracles ; and the history of the gospel does particularly relate more and greater miracles wrought by him , than by moses and all the prophets that had been since the world began ; so that we may still put the same question to the jews , which they did in our saviour's time to one another ; when christ cometh , when the messias whom ye expect comes , will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done ? but , secondly , this will yet more clearly appear by the correspondency of the things here mentioned , with what was foretold by the prophets concerning the messias . not to mention innumerable circumstances of his birth , and life , and death , and resurrection , and ascension into heaven , together with the success and prevalency of his doctrine in the world , all which are punctually foretold by some or other of the prophets : i shall confine my self to the particulars here in the text. first , it was foretold of the messias , that he should work miraculous cures . isa . . , , . speaking of the messias , he will come and save you ; then the eyes of the blind shall be opened , and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopp'd ; then shall the lame man leap as an hart , and the tongue of the dumb sing ; this you see was fulfilled here in the text. 't is true indeed , the text mentions another miracle which is not in the prophet , that he raised the dead ; but if god did more than he promised and foretold , this is no prejudice to the argument , if all that he foretold was accomplish'd in him . besides , the jews have a proverb , that god is not content to perform barely what he promiseth , but he usually doth something over and above his promise . that the messias should heal the blind , and the deaf , and the lame , isaiah prophesied ; and god makes good this promise and prediction to the full ; the messias did not only do these , but which is more and greater than any of these , he raised the dead to life . secondly , it was likewise foretold of the messias , that he should preach the gospel to the poor , isa . . . the spirit of the lord god is upon me , because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to preach the gospel or good tidings to the poor ; so the lxx render the words ; and they are the very words used by our saviour here in the text. 't is true indeed , this was no miracle , but it was the punctual accomplishment of a prophecy concerning the messias , and consequently an evidence that he was the messias . but besides , it had something in it which was very strange to the jews , and very different from the way of their doctors and teachers : for the rabbies among the jews would scarce instruct any but for great reward ; they would meddle with none but those that were able to requite their pains : the ordinary and poorer sort of people they had in great contempt , as appears by that slighting expression of them , john . , . have any of the rulers or of the pharisees believed on him ? but this people who knoweth not the law are cursed . and grotius upon this text tells us , that the jewish masters had this foolish and insolent proverb among them , that the spirit of god doth not rest but upon a rich man ; to which this prediction concerning the messias was a direct contradiction : the spirit of the lord god is upon me , because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor . in old time the prophets were especially sent to the kings and princes of the people : but this great prophet comes to preach the gospel to the poor . none have so little reason to be proud as the sons of men : but never was any so humble as the son of god , our saviour's whole life and doctrine was a contradiction to the false opinions of the world ; they thought the rich and great men of the world the only happy persons , but he came to preach glad tidings to the poor , to bring good news to them whom the great doctors of the law despised , and set at nought ; and therefore to confound their pride and folly , and to confute their false opinions of things , he begins that excellent sermon of his with this saying , blessed are the poor , for theirs is the kingdom of god. thirdly , it was foretold of the messias , that the world should be offended at him , isa . . . he shall be for a stone of stumbling , and for a rock of offence to both the houses of israel . and isa . . , , . who hath believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the lord revealed ? he hath no form nor comeliness , and when we see him , there is no beauty that we should desire him ; he is despised and rejected of men , and we hid as it were our faces from him ; he was despised , and we esteemed him not ; and this likewise is intimated in the last words of the text , and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . intimating , that notwithstanding the great works that he did among them , which testified of him that he came from god , notwithstanding the predictions of their prophets concerning the messias , were so clearly and punctually accomplish'd in him ; yet notwithstanding all this , they would take offence at him upon one account or other , and reject him and his doctrine ; but even this , that they rejected him , and would not own him for their messias , was another sign and evidence that he was the true messias foretold by the prophets ; for among other things this was expresly predicted concerning him , that he should be despised and rejected of men . and thus i have done with the first thing i propounded to speak to ; namely , the evidence which our saviour here gives of his being the true messias . first , the many and great miracles which he wrought , prove that he came from god. and , secondly , the correspondence of the things he did , with what was foretold by the prophets concerning the messias , declare him to be the true messias . i now proceed to the next thing i propounded to speak to , namely , secondly , an intimation in the text , that notwithstanding all the evidence christ gave of himself , yet many would be offended at him , and reject him and his doctrine . in speaking to which , it will be very proper to consider , first , how the poor came to be more disposed to receive the gospel , than others . secondly , what those prejudices are which the world had against our saviour and his religion at its first appearance , as also those which men have at this day against the christian religion , and to endeavour to shew the unreasonableness of them . thirdly , how happy a thing it is to escape and overcome the common prejudices which men have against religion . first , how the poor came to be more disposed to receive the gospel , than others ; the poor have the gospel preached unto them . which does not only signify that our saviour did more especially apply himself to them , but likewise that they were in a nearer disposition to receive it , and did of all others give the most ready entertainment to his doctrine : and this our saviour declares to us in the beginning of his sermon upon the mount , when he pronounceth the poor blessed upon this account , because they were nearer to the kingdom of god than others ; blessed are the poor , for theirs is the kingdom of god. so likewise st. james , chap. . v. . hath not god chosen the poor of this world rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdom , which he hath promised to them that love him ? so that it seems the poor were upon some account or other in a nearer disposition to receive the gospel , than the great and rich men of this world. and of this there are three accounts to be given . first , the poor had no earthly interest to engage them to reject our saviour and his doctrine . the high-priests , and scribes , and pharisees among the jews , they had a plain worldly interest which did engage them to oppose our saviour and his doctrine ; for if he were received for the messias , and his doctrine embraced , they must of necessity lose their sway and authority among the people ; and all that which rendred them so considerable , their pretended skill in the law , and in the traditions and observances of their fathers , together with their external shews of piety and devotion , would signify nothing , if our saviour and his doctrine should take place . and there are very few so honest and sincere , as to be content for truth's sake , to part with their reputation and authority , and to become less in the esteem of men than they were before . few are so impartial as to quit those things which they have once laid great weight upon , and kept a great stir about , because this is to acknowledge that they were in an error , and mistaken in their zeal ; which few have the ingenuity to own , tho' it be never so plain to others ; and therefore it is no wonder that our saviour's doctrine met with so much resistance from those , who were so much concern'd in point of honour and reputation , to make head against it . and this account our saviour himself gives us of their infidelity , john . . how can ye believe , which receive honour one of another , and seek not the honour which cometh of god only ? and chap. . . for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of god. and besides the point of reputation , those that were rich , were concerned in point of interest , to oppose our saviour and his doctrine ; because he call'd upon men to deny themselves , and to part with houses and lands , yea and life it self , for his sake , and for the gospel's , which must needs be a very hard and unpleasant doctrine to rich men , who had great estates , and had set their hearts upon them . upon this account it is that our saviour pronounceth it so hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of god ; and compares it with those things that are most difficult , and humanly impossible ; i say unto you , it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle , than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of god. but now the poor were free from these incumbrances and temptations ; they had nothing to lose , and therefore our saviour's doctrine went down more easily with them ; because it did not contradict their interest , as it did the interest of those who had great estates and possessions . secondly , another reason of this is , that those that are poor , and enjoy little of the good things of this life , are willing to entertain good news of happiness in another . those who are in a state of present misery and suffering , are glad to hear that it shall be well with them hereafter , and are willing to listen to the good news of a future happiness ; and therefore our saviour , when he had pronounced the poor , blessed , luke . . he adds by way of opposition , v. . but wo unto you that are rich ; for ye have received your consolation . they were in so comfortable a condition at present , that they were not much concerned what should become of them hereafter ; whereas all the comfort that poor men have , is the hopes of a better condition , non si male nunc , & olim sic erit , that if it be bad now , it will not be so always , and therefore no wonder if the promises and assurance of a future happiness be very welcome to them . thirdly , if by the poor we do not only understand those who were in a low and mean condition as to the things of this world , but such likewise as had a temper , and disposition of mind suitable to the poverty of their outward condition , which our saviour calls poverty of spirit , by which he means meekness and humility , there is no doubt but that such a frame and temper of spirit is a great disposition to the receiving of truth . and that this is included in the notion of poverty , is very plain , both from the words of the prophecy i cited before , isa . . . the spirit of the lord is upon me , because the lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek , and to bind up the broken-hearted ; and likewise from our saviour's description of these persons , in one of the evangelists , matth. . . blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of god. so that by the poor , who are so nearly disposed to receive the gospel , our saviour intended those , who , being in a poor and low condition in respect of outward things , were likewise meek and humble in their spirits . now meekness and humility are great dispositions to the entertaining of truth . these graces and virtues do prepare the minds of men for learning and instruction ; meekness , and modesty , and humility , are the proper dispositions of a scholar . he that hath a mean opinion of himself is ready to learn of others ; he who is not blinded by pride or passion , is more apt to consider things impartially , and to pass a truer judgment upon them , than the proud and the passionate . passion and pride are great obstacles to the receiving of truth , and to our improvement in knowledge . passion does not only darken the minds of men , but puts a false biass upon our judgments , which draws them off many times from truth , and sways them that way which our passion inclines them . a man of a calm and meek temper , stands always indifferent for the receiving of truth , and holds the ballance of his judgment even ; but passion sways and inclines it one way , and that commonly against truth and reason . so likewise pride is a great impediment to knowledge , and the very worst quality that a learner can have ; it obstructs all the passages whereby knowledge should enter into us , it makes men refuse instruction , out of a conceit they need it not . many men might have known more , had it not been for the vain opinion which they have entertained of the sufficiency of their knowledge . this is true in all kinds of learning , but more especially as to the knowledge of divine things . for god loves to communicate himself , and bestow his grace and wisdom upon meek and humble minds . so the scripture tells us , psal . . . the meek will be guide in judgment , and the meek will he teach his ways . and pet. . . be clothed with humility ; for god resisteth the proud , and giveth grace to the humble . and thus i have shewn in what respects the poor were more disposed for the receiving the gospel , than others . i proceed now to the second thing , namely , what those prejudices and objections are , which the world had against our saviour and his religion at their first appearance ; as also to enquire into those which men have at this day against the christian religion , and to shew the weakness and unreasonableness of them . i begin , first , with those prejudices which the world had against our saviour and his religion at their first appearance . both jews and gentiles were offended at him and his doctrine ; but not both upon the same account . they both took exceptions at him , especially at his low and suffering condition ; but not both upon the same reason . i shall begin with the exceptions which the jews took against our blessed saviour and his religion ; and i shall reduce them all , or at least the most considerable of them ( as i find them dispersed in the history of the gospel , and in the acts of the apostles ) to these six heads . first , the exceptions which they took against him upon account of his extraction and original . secondly , at the meanness of his condition , contrary to their universal expectation . thirdly , as to his miracles . fourthly , his conversation . fifthly , the prejudice that lay against him from the opposition that was made by persons of greatest knowledge and authority among them . and , lastly , that the religion which he endeavour'd to introduce , did abolish and supersede their ancient religion , as of no longer use and continuance , though it was plain it was at first instituted by god. first , the exceptions which they took at his extraction and original . in relation to this they were offended at three things . . that his original was known among them . this you find urged against him , john . . we know this man whence he is , but when the messias comes , no man knows whence he is . this to be sure was no just exception in reason against him . for what if his extraction were known , might he not be from god for all that ? they owned moses for the greatest prophet that ever was , and yet it was very well known from whence he was . but they seem to refer to some prophecy of the old testament , which did seem to assert so much . if they meant that his extraction should be altogether unknown ; they knew very well , and believed the contrary , that he was to be of the line of david , and to come out of bethlehem . if they referr'd to that prophecy , that a virgin should conceive and bear a son , and so understood that he should be without father ; this was really true , tho' they thought that he was the son of joseph . and if he affirmed that he had no father , he did sufficiently justify it by his miracles ; that being as easy to be believed possible by a divine power , as the miracles which he wrought ; which yet they could not deny , because they saw them . . another prejudice against his extraction , was the meanness of his parents and breeding . this you find mentioned , matth. . , . whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works ? is not this the carpenter's son , is not his mother called mary ; and his brethren james and j●ses , and simon and judas ? and his sisters , are they not all with us ? whence then hath this man these things ? and they were offended in him . and so likewise , john . . how knoweth this man letters , having never learned ? a strange prejudice and most unreasonable . they could not believe him to be an extraordinary person , because his parents and relations , his birth and breeding were so mean. he had been brought up to a trade , and not brought up to learning ; whereas in reason , this ought to have been an argument just the other way ; that he was an extraordinary person , and divinely assisted , who all on the sudden , without the help and assistance of education , gave such evidence of his great wisdom and knowledge , and did such mighty works . this could not be imputed to his breeding , for that was mean ; therefore there must be something extraordinary and divine in it . thus another man , who had been free from prejudice , would have reasoned . . the most unreasonable prejudice of all , in respect of his extraction , was grounded upon a spiteful and malicious proverb , concerning the country where our saviour was brought up , and they supposed him to be born ; and that was galilee . john . . can any good thing come out of nazareth ? and john . . shall the messias come out of galilee ? and v. . search and look , for out of galilee ariseth no prophet . but it seems nathanael , who was a good man , was easily taken off from this common prejudice , when philip said to him , come and see . he bids him come and see the works he did , and then refers it to him , whether he would believe his own eyes , or an old proverb . however , it seems the jews laid great weight upon it , as if this alone were enough to confute all his miracles , and after they had shot this bolt at him , the business were concluded clearly against him . but prudent and considerate men do not use to give much credit to ill-natur'd proverbs ; the good or bad characters which are given of countreys are not understood to be universally true , and without exception . there is no place but hath brought forth some brave spirits , and excellent persons ; whatever the general temper and disposition of the inhabitants may be . among the grecians , the beotians were esteemed a dull people , even to a proverb ; and yet pindar , one of their chief poets , was one of them . the scythians were a barbarous nation , and one would have thought no good could have come from thence ; and yet that country yielded anacharsis an eminent philosopher . the idumeans were aliens , and strangers to the covenant ; and yet job , one of the best men that ever was , came from thence . god can raise up eminent persons from any place ; abraham from vr of the chaldees , and an idolatrous people . nay as our saviour tells us , he can out of stones raise up children unto abraham . the wise god , in the government of the world , does not tie himself to our foolish proverbs . it is not necessary to make a man a prophet , that he should be bred in a good air. if god sends a man , it matters not from what place he comes . secondly , another head of exception against our saviour , was the meanness of his outward condition , so contrary to the universal expectation of the jews . the jews , from the tradition of their fathers , to which they ( as the church of rome does at this day , ) paid a greater reverence , than to the written word of god , were possest with a strong perswasion , that the messias , whom they expected , was to be a great prince and conqueror , and to subdue all nations to them ; so that nothing could be a greater defeat to their expectations , than the mean and low condition , in which our saviour appeared ; so that upon this account they were almost universally offended at him . but this prejudice was very unreasonable . for neither did their prophets foretel any such thing , as the temporal greatness of the messias : but on the contrary most expresly , that he should be despised and rejected of men , that he should be a man of sorrows and sufferings , and at last be put to death ; which was directly contrary to what they expected from their ill-grounded tradition . thirdly , against his miracles they made these two exceptions . . that he wrought them by magical skill , and by the power of the devil . which was so exorbitantly unreasonable and malicious , that our saviour pronounceth it to be an unpardonable sin , and for answer to it , appeals to every man's reason , whether it was likely that the devil should conspire against himself , and assist any man to overthrow his own kingdom ? for it was plain , our saviour's doctrine was directly contrary to the devil's design ; and therefore to assist him to work miracles for the confirmation of it , must have been apparently against his own interest , and to the ruin of his own kingdom . . they pretended that though he did many great works , yet he gave them no sign from heaven . matt. . . it is said , they desired him to shew them a sign from heaven . it seems they expected that god should give some immediate testimony to him from heaven ; as he did to elias , when fire came down from heaven , and consumed his enemies ; and particularly they expected , that when he was upon the cross , if he were the true messias , he should have come down and saved himself : and because he did not answer their expectation in this , they concluded him an impostor . now what could be more unreasonable ? when he had wrought so many other , and great miracles , perversly to insist upon some particular kind of miracle which they fancied ? as if god were bound to gratifie the curiosity of men ; and as if our saviour were not as much declared to be the son of god , by rising again from the dead , as if he had come down from the cross . fourthly , as to his conversation , they had these three exceptions . . that he used no severity in his habit or diet , took too much freedom , as they thought ; came eating and drinking , that is , he freely used the creatures of god , for the end for which they were given , with temperance and thanksgiving ; and did not lay those rigorous restraints upon himself in these matters , which many , that were esteemed the most religious among them , used to do . but he plainly shews them , that this exception was meerly out of their prejudice against him . for if he had come in the way of austerity , they would have rejected him as well . they were resolved to find fault with him , whatever he did . matth. . . whereunto shall i liken this generation ? john the baptist came neither eating nor drinking , and they say he hath a devil . he lived in a more austere and melancholly way , he came in the way of righteousness , used great strictness and severity in his habit and diet , and this they took exception at . our saviour was of a quite contrary temper , and that did not please them neither . the son of man came eating and drinking , and they say , behold , a wine-bibber , and a glutton . so that let our saviour have done what he would , he could not have carried himself so , as to have escaped the censures of men , so peevishly and perversly disposed . . that he kept company with publicans and sinners . to which exception nothing can be more reasonable than our saviour's own answer ; that he was sent to be a physician to the world , to call sinners to repentance ; and therefore they had no reason to be angry , or think it strange , if he conversed with his patients among whom his proper imployment lay . . they objected to him prophaneness in breaking the sabbath , and that surely was plain , that he could not be of god , if he kept not the sabbath-day . the truth was , he had healed one on the sabbath-day . to this our saviour gives a most reasonable and satisfactory answer , that surely it was lawful to do good on the sabbath-day ; that that was but a positive institution , but works of mercy are natural and moral duties ; and god himself had declared , that he would have even his own institutions to give way to those greater duties , that are of natural and eternal obligation . i will have mercy and not sacrifice . and then from the end of the sabbath ; the sabbath was made for the rest and refreshment of man ; and therefore could not be presumed to be intended to his prejudice . the sabbath was made for man : and not man for the sabbath . fifthly , another great prejudice against him , was , that persons of the greatest knowledge and authority among them , did not embrace his doctrine . john . . have any of the rulers or pharisees believed on him ? so that here was the infallible rule and authority of their church against him . there is no doubt , but the example and authority of our guides ought to sway very much with us , and over-rule us in doubtful cases : but not against plain and convincing evidence ; there we ought to follow , and obey god rather than men. there is sometimes a visible and palpable corruption in those who are to lead us ; they may have an interest to oppose the truth : and thus it was with the pharisees and rulers at that time : and so it hath been among christians in the great degeneracy of the roman church . the christian religion was never more endangered , nor never more corrupted , than by those who have been in greatest authority in that church , who ought to have understood relegion best , and have been the principal support of it . men may err : but god cannot . so that when god sends a prophet , or by his word does plainly declare his will to us , human example and authority ceaseth , and is of no force . the last prejudice i shall mention , which the jews had against our saviour and his doctrine , was , that it did abolish and supercede their religion , as of no longer use and continuance ; though it was plain it was instituted by god. this had been a very specious pretence indeed , had not this been part of their religion , and had not their own prophets foretold , that the messias should come and perfect what was wanting and defective in their institution . it was expresly said in their law , that god would raise unto them another prophet , like to moses , and that they should hear him , when he came . so that in truth it was the accomplishment of all those revelations which were made to the jews , and did not reprove the jewish religion , as false ; but as imperfect : and did not contradict and overthrow ; but perfect and fulfil the law and the prophets . and thus i have gone over the chief exceptions and offences which the jews took at our saviour and his doctrine ; and i hope sufficiently shown the unreasonableness of them . i have not now time to proceed to what remains : but by what hath been said , you may easily see , upon what slight and unreasonable grounds men may be prejudiced against the best person and things , and yet be very confident all the while that they are in the right . for so no doubt many of the jews , who opposed our saviour and his doctrine , thought themselves to be . therefore it concerns us to put on meekness , and humility , and modesty , that we may able to judge impartially of things , and our minds may be preserved free and indifferent to receive the truths of god , when they are offer'd to us : otherwise self-conceit and passion will so blind our minds , and biass our judgments , that we shall be unable to discern , and unwilling to entertain the plain , est and most evident truths . we see here by the sad example of the jews , that by giving way to passion , and cherishing pride and self-conceit , men may be so deeply prejudiced against the truth , as to resist the clearest light , and reject even salvation it self , when it is offer'd to them . so that it is not in vain , that the scripture saith , let every man be swift to hear , and slow to wrath ; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god ; and exhorts us so earnestly , to receive with meekness the word of god , which is able to save our souls . sermon ii. the prejudices against christianity consider'd . matth . xi . . and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . i have from these words propounded to consider two things . i. those prejudices and objections which the world had against our saviour and his religion at their first appearance ; as also to enquire into those which men at this day do more especially insist upon , against the christian religion ; and to show the unreasonableness of them . ii. how happy a thing it is to escape and overcome the common prejudices which men have against religion . i have entred upon the first of these , the prejudices which the world had against our saviour and his religion . when this great teacher of mankind came from god , though he gave all imaginable testimony and evidence that he was sent from heaven ; yet the greatest part of the world , both jews and gentiles , were mightily offended at him , and deeply prejudiced against him and his doctrine ; but not both upon the same account . i have already given you an account of the chief exceptions which the jews made against our saviour and his doctrine , and have shewn the unreasonableness of them . i proceed now to consider the principal of those exceptions , which the gentiles and heathen philosophers took at our saviour and his doctrine . i shall mention these four . first , that christianity was a great innovation , and contrary to the received institutions of the world. secondly , they objected against the plainness and simplicity of the doctrine . thirdly , that it wanted demonstration . fourthly , that the low and suffering condition of our saviour was unsuitable to one that pretended to be the son of god , and to be appointed by him for a teacher and reformer of the world. these are the chief exceptions which the heathen , and especially their philosophers , took at our saviour and his doctrine . first , that the christian religion was a great innovation , and contrary to the received institutions of the world ; and consequently that it did condemn the religion which had been so universally received and establish'd in the world by so long a continuance of time. and no wonder if this made a great impression upon them , and raised a mighty prejudice in the minds of men against the christian religion ; no prejudices being so strong as those that are fix'd in the minds of men by education : and of all the prejudices of education , none so violent and hard to be removed , as those about religion , yea though they be never so groundless and unreasonable . hath a nation changed their gods , which yet are no gods ? intimating to us , that men are very hardly brought off from that religion which they have been brought up in , how absurd soever it be . when christianity was first propounded to the heathen world , had men been free and indifferent , and not prepossess'd with other apprehensions of god and religion ; it might then have been expected from them , that they should have entertained it with a readiness of mind proportionable to the reasonableness of it . but the case was quite otherwise , the world had for many ages been brought up to another way of worship , and inur'd to rites and superstitions of a quite different nature . and this sways very much with men ; sequimur majores nostros , qui feliciter sequuti sunt suos ; as one of the heathens said in those days ; we follow our ancestors , who happily follow'd theirs . men are hardly brought to condemn those opinions and customs in religion , which themselves , and their forefathers have always embraced and followed . and wise men especially are loth to admit so great a change in a matter of so great concernment as religion is . so that this must be acknowledged to have been a considerable prejudice against the christian religion at its first appearance . but yet upon a through examination , this will not be found sufficient in reason to withhold men from embracing christianity , if we consider these four things . . no prudent person thinks that the example and custom of his forefathers obligeth him to that which is evil in it self , and pernicious to him that does it ; and there is no evil , no danger equal to that of a false religion ; for that tends to the ruin of men's souls , and their undoing for ever . a man might better alledge the example of his forefathers to justify his errors and follies in any other kind , than in this , which is so infinitely pernicious in the consequences of it . . in a great corruption and degeneracy , it is no sufficient reason against a reformation , that it makes a change. when things are amiss , it is always fit to amend and reform them ; and this cannot be done without a change. the wisest among the heathen did acknowledge , that their religion was mixt with very great follies and superstitions , and that the lives and manners of men were extremely corrupt and degenerate ; and they endeavour'd , as much as they could , and durst , to reform these things . and therefore there was no reason to oppose an effectual reformation , for fear of a change ; a change of things for the better , tho it be usually hard to be effected , being always a thing to be desired and wish'd for . . the change which christianity designed , was the least liable to exception that could be , being nothing else in the main of it , but the reducing of natural religion , the bringing of men back to such apprehensions of god , and such a way of worshipping him , as was most suitable to the divine nature , and to the natural notions of men's minds ; nothing else but a design to persuade men of the one true god , maker of the world , that he is a spirit , and to be worshipp'd in such a manner , as is suitable to his spiritual nature . and then for matters of practice , to bring men to the obedience of those precepts of temperance , and justice , and charity , which had been universally acknowledged even by the heathens themselves to be the great duties which men owe to themselves and others . and that this is the main design of the christian religion , the apostle hath told us in most plain and express words , tit. . , . the grace of god ( that is , the doctrine of the gospel ) which hath appeared to all men , and brings salvation , teacheth us , that denying vngodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world. and all that the christian religion adds beyond this , is means and helps for our direction , and assistance , and encouragement in the discharge and performance of these duties . for our direction , god hath sent his son in our nature , to declare his will to us , and to be a pattern and example of holiness and virtue . for our assistance , he hath promised the aids of his holy spirit ; and for our encouragement , he offers to us pardon of sin in the blood of his son , and eternal life and happiness in another world. this is a short sum and abridgment of the christian religion , and there is nothing of all this that can reasonably be excepted against . . god , considering the prejudice of the heathen against christianity , by reason of their education in a contrary religion , was strong and violent , was pleased to give such evidence of the truth of christianity , as was of proportionable strength and force to remove and conquer this prejudice . he was pleased to give testimony to the first founder of this religion by mighty miracles , and particularly by his resurrection from the dead : but because the report of these things was only brought to the heathen world , and they had not seen these things themselves ; therefore he enabled those who were the witnesses of these things to the world , to work as great miracles as he had done . and when they saw those who gave testimony to our saviour's miracles , do as great and strange things themselves , as they testified of him , there was no reason any longer to doubt of the truth of their testimony . so that though the prejudice of the heathen against christianity was very great , yet the evidence which god gave to it , was strong enough to remove it . the doctrine of christianity was such as might have recommended it self to impartial men , by its own reasonableness : but meeting with violent prejudices in those to whom it was offer'd , god was pleased to give such a confirmation to it , as was sufficient to bear down those prejudices . secondly , another objection against christianity , was the plainness and simplicity of the doctrine . they expected some deep speculations in natural or moral philosophy ; they made full account , a teacher sent from heaven would have instructed them in the profoundest points , and discoursed to them about the first principles of things , and the nature of the soul , and the chief end of man , with a subtilty and eloquence infinitely beyond that of their greatest sophisters , and able to bear down all opposition and contradiction : but instead of this , they are told a plain story of the life and miracles of jesus christ , and of his dying upon the cross , and rising from the dead , and ascending into heaven ; and a few plain precepts of life ; and all this deliver'd without any ornaments of art , or insinuation of eloquence , to gain the favour and applause of those to whom they related these things . but now , this truly considered , is so far from being any real objection against the christian doctrine , that it is one of the greatest commendations that can be given of it : for matter of fact ought to be related in the most plain , and simple , and unaffected manner ; and the less art and eloquence is used in the telling of a story , the more likely it is to gain belief . and as for our saviour's precepts , how plain soever they might be , i am sure they are a collection of the most excellent and reasonable rules of a good life , and the freest from all vanity and folly , that are to be met with in any book in the world. and can any thing be more worthy of god , and more likely to proceed from him , than so plain and useful a doctrine as this ? the language of law is not wont to be fine and persuasive , but short , and plain , and full of authority . thus it is among men : and surely it is much fitter for god to speak thus to men , than for men to one another . thirdly , it is objected , that the doctrine of our saviour and his apostles wanted demonstration ; they seemed to impose too much upon the understandings of men , and to deliver things too magisterially , not demonstrating things from intrinsical arguments , but requiring belief and assent without proof . this the apostle st. paul readily acknowledgeth , that in preaching the gospel to the world , they did not proceed in the way of the heathen orators and philosophers , cor. . . my speech and my preaching was not in the enticing words of man's wisdom : but in demonstration of the spirit and of power ; that is , they did not go in the way of human eloquence and demonstration : but yet their doctrine did not want its evidence and demonstration , though of another kind . they did not go about to bewitch men by eloquence , nor to entangle their minds by subtil reasonings , the force of which very few are capable of : but they offer'd to men a sensible proof and demonstration of the truth of what they delivered , in those strange and miraculous operations , to which they were enabled by the holy ghost . and this was a sensible evidence , even to the meanest capacity , of a divine assistance going along with them , and giving testimony to them . i appeal to any man , whether the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead , and his ascending into heaven , be not a clearer demonstration of another life after this , and more level to the capacities of all mankind , than the finest and subtilest arguments that can be drawn from the immaterial nature of the soul , its power of reflection upon it self , and independency upon the body as to some of its operations ; which yet are some of the chiefest arguments that philosophy affords , to prove the immortality of our souls . fourthly , the heathens objected , that the low and mean condition of our saviour , was unsuitable to one that pretended to be the son of god , and to be appointed by god to be a teacher and reformer of the world. this to the heathen philosophers did not only appear unreasonable , but even ridiculous . so st. paul tells us , cor. . . we preach christ crucified , to the jews a stumbling-block , and to the greeks foolishness : to think that a man who appeared in such mean circumstances , should be fit to reform the world ; and one who himself was put to death , should be relied upon for life and immortality . this objection i have heretofore considered at large , and therefore shall now speak but very briefly to it . besides those excellent reasons and ends which the scripture assigns of our saviour's humiliation ; as that he might be a teacher and example to us ; that he might make expiation for our sins ; that by suffering himself , he might learn to commiserate us ; that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death , that is , the devil , and might deliver those who through fear of death were all their lives subject to bondage ; i say , besides these , it was of great use that he should live in so mean and afflicted a condition , to confront the pride , and vanity , and fantastry of the world ; and to convince men of these two great truths , that god may love those whom he afflicts ; and that men may be innocent , and virtuous , and contented in the midst of poverty , and reproach , and suffering . had our blessed saviour been a great temporal prince , his influence and example might possibly have made more hypocrites and servile converts ; but would not have persuaded men one jot more to be inwardly good and virtuous . the great arguments which must do that , must be fetch'd , not from the pomp and prosperity of this world , but from the eternal happiness and misery of the other . besides , had he appeared in any great power and splendor , the christian religion could not have been so clearly acquitted from the suspicion of a worldly interest and design , which would have been a far greater objection against it , than this which i am now speaking to . add to all this , that the wisest of the heathen philosophers did teach , that worldly greatness and power are not to be admired , but despised by a truly wise man ; that men may be virtuous , and good , and dearly beloved of god , and yet be liable to great miseries and sufferings ; and that whoever suffers unjustly , and bears it patiently , gives the greatest testimony to goodness , and does most effectually recommend virtue to the world ; that a good man under the hardest circumstances of misery , and reproach , and suffering , is the fittest person of all other to be the minister , and apostle , and preacher of god to mankind : and surely they who say such things ( which the heathen have done ) had no reason to object to our blessed saviour his low and suffering condition . as to that part of the objection , that he who promis'd immortality to others could not save himself from death and suffering , considering that he who was put to death , rescu'd himself from the power of the grave : it is so far from being ridiculous , that nothing can be more reasonable than to rely upon him for our hopes of immortality , who by rising from the grave , and conquering death , gave a plain demonstration that he was able to make good what he promised . i have done with the exceptions which were made against our saviour and his doctrine at their first appearance in the world. i proceed in the ii. place to consider the prejudices and objections which men at this day do more especially insist upon , against our saviour and his religion : and they are many . first , some that relate to the incarnation of our saviour . secondly , to the time of his appearance . thirdly , that we have not now sufficient evidence of the truth of christianity ; the main arguments for it relying upon matters of fact , of which , at this distance , we have not , nor can be expected to have sufficient assurance . fourthly , that the terms of it seem very hard , and to lay too great restraints upon human nature . fifthly , that it is apt to dispirit men , and to break the vigour and courage of their minds . sixthly , the divisions and factions that are among christians . seventhly , the wicked lives of the greatest part of the professors of christianity . in answer to all which , i do not propose to say all that may be said , but as briefly as i can to offer so much , as may , if not give full satisfaction , yet be sufficient to break the force of them , and to free the minds of men from any great perplexity about them . as to the first , which relates to the incarnation of our saviour ; and the second to the time of his appearance ; i know that these and most of the rest i have mention'd , were urged by the heathen against christianity : but they are now more especially insisted upon both by the secret and open enemies of our religion . the objections against his incarnation i have elsewhere consider'd . and therefore shall proceed to the next , viz. secondly , as to the time of our saviour's appearance , it is objected , if he be the only way and means of salvation , why did he come no sooner into the world ; but suffer mankind so long without any hopes or means of being saved ? this was objected by porphyry of old , and still sticks in the minds of men. to this i answer , . it is not fit for creatures to call their creator to too strict an account of his actions . goodness is free , and may act when and how it pleaseth ; and as god will have mercy on whom he will have mercy , so he may have mercy at what time he pleaseth , and is not bound to give us an account of his matters . this is much like the objection of the atheist against the being of god ; that if there were such an infinite and eternal eeing , he would surely have made the world sooner , and not have been without all employment for so long a duration : such another objection is this against our saviour , that if he had been the son of god , he would have begun this great and merciful work of the redemption of mankind sooner , and not have delay'd it so long , and suffer'd mankind to perish for four thousand years together . but it seems in the one as well as the other , god took his own time , and he best knew what time was fittest . the scripture tells us , that in the fulness of time , god sent his son ; when things were ripe for it , and all things accomplisht that god thought requisite in order to it . in judging of the actions of our earthly governours , those who are at a distance from their councils , what conjectures soever they may make of the reasons of them , will nevertheless , if they have that respect for their wisdom which they ought , believe , that how strange soever some of their actions may seem , yet they were done upon good reason , and that they themselves , if they knew the secrets of their counsels , should think so . much more do we owe that reverence to the infinite wisdom of god , to believe that the counsels of his will are grounded upon very good reason , tho' we do not see many times what it is . . it is not true that the world was wholly destitute of a way and means of salvation before our saviour's coming . before the law of moses was given , men were capable of being received to the mercy and favour of god , upon their obedience to the law of nature , and their sincere repentance for the violation of it , by virtue of the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. men were saved by christ both before and under the law , without any particular and express knowledge of him . there were good men in other nations , as well as among the jews ; as job , and his friends also , seem to have been . in all ages of the world , and in every nation , they that feared god , and wrought righteousness were accepted of him . the sacrifice of christ which is the meritorious cause of the salvation of mankind , looks back as well as forward ; and god was reconcileable to men , and their sins were pardon'd , by virtue of this great propitiation that was to be made . in which sense perhaps it is , that christ is said to be the lamb slain from the foundation of the world , heb. . , . the apostle intimates to us , that if this sacrifice which was offer'd in the last ages of the world , had not been available in former ages , christ must have often suffer'd since the foundation of the world : but now hath he appeared once in the conclusion of the ages , to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself . . he did appear at that time , in which the world stood most in need of him ; when the whole world , both jews and gentiles , were sunk into the greatest degeneracy both in opinion and practice , and the condition of mankind seemed to be even desperate and past remedy . this was the needful time , when it was most seasonable for this great physician to come , and show his pity and skill in our recovery . god could have sent his son many ages before ; but he thought fit to try other ways first , and to reserve this powerful remedy to the last ; last of all he sent his son. . the time of our saviour's appearing was of all ages of the world the fittest season for his coming ; whether we consider , . that the world was at that time best prepared and disposed for receiving the christian religion : or , . that this was the fittest season that ever had been , for the easie diffusing and propagating of this religion . i assign these reasons as tending to give men some satisfaction , why this great blessing was delay'd so long ; it being rather an argument of wisdom and goodness , than of the want of either , to defer things to that time , in which they are most likely to have their effect . not but that perhaps other and better reasons may be given . to be sure god had very good reasons for this dispensation , whether we can hit upon them or not . in the mean time these seem not to be altogether inconsiderable . . that the world was at that time best prepared and disposed for receiving the christian religion . all the while our saviour's coming was delay'd god's providence was disposing things for it , and training up mankind for the entertaining of this great blessing . the jewish religion was always very burdensom , but much more so , towards the expiration of the jewish state , partly by the intolerable multitude of external observances , which were daily multiplied upon them , under pretence of traditions from their fathers ; and partly by reason of their subjection to the romans , which made the exercise of their religion in many respects more difficult . and the heathen world was in a very good measure prepared for christianity , by being civilized . about the time of our saviour's coming into the world , philosophy and learning had been so diffused by the roman conquests , as had brought a great part of the world from barbarism to civility . besides that their philosophy had this effect upon men , to refine their reason , and in a good degree to detect the follies of the heathen idolatry and superstition . 't is true indeed learning and philosophy flourisht a great while before in the time of the grecian empire , and perhaps before that in some other nations ; and the conquests of the grecians were very speedy and of vast extent : but yet they were neither so universal , nor so well settled ; nor did they propagate their philosophy and civility together with their conquests , as the romans did . so that there was no age of the world , wherein mankind were so generally prepared and disposed for the receiving of the gospel , as that wherein our saviour appeared . . this was likewise the fittest season for the easie diffusing and propagating of the christian religion . the romans , together with their conquests , did very much propagate their language , which made the ways of communication far more easie ; and by the long and frequent correspondence of the several parts of that empire one with another , the ways of travel and passage from one country to another were more ready and open . so that no age can be instanc'd , in all respects so convenient for the speedy propagating of a new religion , as that wherein our saviour appear'd , viz. when the roman empire was at its height . and it was very agreeable to the goodness and wisdom of the divine providence , that the bravest and most virtuous people in the world ( infinitely beyond either the persians or grecians ) should be chosen by god , as one of the chiefest means for the spreading of the best and most perfect revelation that ever god made to the world. thirdly , it is objected , that we have not now sufficient evidence of the truth of christianity , the main arguments for it relying upon matters of fact , of which at this distance , we have not , nor can be suppos'd to have , sufficient assurance . to this i answer , . that men not only may have , but have an undoubted assurance of matters of fact , ancienter than these we are speaking of ; and the distance of them from our times creates no manner of scruple in the minds of men concerning them . that there was such a man as alexander the great , and that he conquer'd darius and the persians ; that julius caesar invaded our nation , and in some measure subdued it ; and that he overcame pompey in the battel of pharsalia ; and innumerable other things which i might instance in , that were done before our saviour's time , are firmly believed without any manner of doubt and scruple by mankind , notwithstanding they were done so long ago . so that ancient matters of fact are capable of clear evidence , and we may have sufficient assurance of them . and where there is equal evidence , if we do not give equal belief , the fault is not in the argument , but in the passion or prejudice of those , to whom it is proposed . . we have every whit as great assurance , ( nay greater , if it can , or needed to be ) of the matters upon which the proof of christianity relies , as of those which i have mentioned . the matters of fact , upon which the truth of christianity relies , are , that there was such a person as jesus christ ; that he wrought such miracles ; that he was put to death at jerusalem under pontius pilate ; that he rose again from the dead , and was visibly taken up into heaven ; that he bestowed miraculous gifts and powers upon the apostles , to make them competent witnesses of his resurrection , and of the truth of that doctrine which they publisht in his name ; that accordingly they preached the gospel to the world , and in a short space , without any human advantages , did propagate it , and gain entertainment for it , in most parts of the then known world. now these matters of fact have the same testimony of histories , wrote in those times , and conveyed down to us , by as general and uncontroled a tradition , as the conquests of alexander , and julius caesar . so that if we do not afford equal belief to them , it is a sign that we have some prejudice or interest against the one , more than against the other , though the evidence for both be equal . nay i go further , that the evidence for these things which are the foundation of christianity , is so much the greater , because that which depended upon it , was of far greater concernment to the world , and consequently mankind were more obliged to search more narrowly into it . for our saviour's life , and death , and resurrection , we have the testimony of a great number of eye-witnesses , who have wrote the history of these things . and though they were truly extraordinary persons , and gave testimony to themselves by miracles ; yet at present i desire no more , but that they be looked upon , as knowing and honest relators of what they heard and saw ; and that the same credit be given to them , which we give to livy , and arian , and q. curtius , for plain events , and matters of fact. but yet i must add withal , that besides the miracles which they wrought , they gave greater testimony of their integrity , than any historian in the world ever did . for they willingly suffer'd the greatest persecution and torment , yea and death it self , in confirmation of the truth of what they deliver'd . and for the propagating of the christian religion through so great a part of the world , it is evident by the effect beyond all denial . so that for the matters of fact , upon which the truth of christianity does depend , here is greater , and more advantagious evidence of history , than for any other matter of equal antiquity whatsoever . . as to the substance of these matters of fact , we have the concurring testimony of the greatest enemies of the christian religion . that there were such persons as our saviour and his apostles , that they preached such a doctrine , that they wrought such miracles ; for this we have the acknowledgment of the jews , and the testimony of the heathen historians , and particularly of celsus , and porphyry , and julian , who were the particular and most learned adversaries of the christian religion . so that as to the matters of fact , there is no objection against them , whatever use we may make of them , or whatever consequences we may draw from them . and i presume it agreed by all objectors , that if these matters of fact be true , they are a sufficient foundation of the truth of our religion , and we are very unequal to our religion , if we make a doubt of these things , which the greatest enemies of christianity never had the face to deny . . and besides all this , to recompence the disadvantage which we have of those who saw the miracles of our saviour and his apostles , we have the testimonium rei , the evidence of the effects of these things to confirm our belief of them ; and this is an advantage which the first ages of christianity could not have . we see our saviour's predictions of the success of his religion in the world , in the propagating and establishing of it , fully accomplisht , notwithstanding the fierce opposition and resistance that was made against it by the greatest powers of the world. we see the dispersion of the jews in all nations , and the misery and contempt which they every where suffer ; and that now for above sixteen hundred years , they have continued a distinct people , and a spectacle of the divine justice and severity , for rejecting and crucifying the son of god , and for a lasting and standing testimony of the truth of our saviour's prediction , and of the christian religion . so that though we live at this distance from the first rise and beginning of christianity ; yet we have the relation of those things , which give confirmation to it , conveyed down to us in as credible a manner , as any ancient matter of fact ever was ; and the effects of things remaining to this day , do give testimony to the truth of it . fourthly , it is objected , that the terms of christianity seem very hard , and to lay too great restraints upon human nature . it commands us to mortify our lusts , and subdue our passions , and deny vngodliness , and to live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world ; to be holy in all manner of conversation ; to have respect to whatever things are honest , and true , and just , and virtuous , and of good report ; and to deny our selves ; and to part with the dearest enjoyments of this life , yea and with life it self , for the sake of christ , and his gospel . now these seem to be very hard terms , to forego all the present pleasures and injoyments of this life , in hopes of a future happiness which we are less assur'd of . to this i answer , . that this is a greater objection against religion in general , than the christian religion . for natural religion requires of us all the main duties that christianity does , and gives us far less assurance of the reward of our obedience . natural religion requires piety , and justice , and charity , the due government of our appetites and passions , as well as christianity does ; but does not discover to us the rewards of another world , by many degrees so clearly , as our lord and saviour , who hath brought life and immortality to light by the gospel , and by his resurrection from the dead , and ascension into heaven , hath given us full assurance of another life after this , and of a glorious immortality . so that though we have not , nor can have the evidence of sense , for a future state , yet we have all the rational evidence for it , that can be wisht or expected ; and much more than men have for those adventures of their lives and fortunes , which they frequently make in this world , and think themselves reasonable in so doing . . the restraints which christianity lays upon men , are in the judgment of mankind so far from being an objection against it , that they are highly to the commendation of it . nay it were the greatest objection that could be against our religion , if it did set us at liberty from those restraints . what can be more to the credit of any religion , than to command men to be just , and charitable , and peaceable ? and what more to the advantage of the professors of it ? and on the contrary , what can reflect more upon any religion , than to indulge and allow men in any vice contrary to these ? it shews men are glad to make any thing an objection against christianity when they lay hold of that , which , if it had been otherwise , they would have made ten times more clamour against it for the contrary . . as for most of those restraints which christianity lays upon us , they are of that nature , so much both for our private and publick advantage , that setting aside all considerations of religion , and of the rewards and punishments of another life , they are really good for us , and if god had not laid them upon us , we ought in reason , in order to our temporal benefit and advantage to have laid them upon our selves . if there were no religion , i know men would not have such strong and forcible obligations to these duties ; but yet i say , though there were no religion , it were good for men , in order to temporal ends , to their health , and quiet , and reputation , and safety , and , in a word , to the private and publick prosperity of mankind , that men should be temperate , and chaste , and just , and peaceable , and charitable , and kind , and obliging to one another , rather than the contrary . so that religion does not create those restraints arbitrarily , but requires those things of us , which our reason , and a regard to our own advantage , which the necessity and conveniency of the things themselves , without any consideration of religion , would in most cases urge us to . . as to the case of persecution for religion ; besides that it does not now happen so frequently as it did in the beginning of christianity , nay very seldom in comparison , if all things be consider'd , it cannot be thought unreasonable , both because religion offers to us , in consideration of our present sufferings , a happiness unspeakably greater than that which we forego for the sake of religion ; and because when it happens , god does extraordinarily enable men to go through it with courage and comfort , as we see in the examples of the primitive christians ; who in great numbers of all tempers and ages , did voluntarily chuse to give up themselves to these sufferings , when there was no necessity laid upon them , but fair terms of retreat were offer'd to them by their enemies . it is one thing when a man suffers by the law , and cannot help it ; and another thing when men may avoid suffering . in the former case men submit to necessity , and bear it as well as they can ; in the latter case , if men suffer , it is a sign they firmly believe the reward of it ; and if they suffer chearfully , and with joy , as most of the martyrs did , it is a plain evidence that god affords them extraordinary support in their sufferings ; and then the case is not very hard , when religion puts them upon nothing , but what it gives them cause , and enables them , to rejoice in the doing of it . fifthly , it is objected , that the christian religion is apt to dispirit men , and to break the courage and vigor of their minds , by the precepts of patience , and humility , and meekness , and of forgiving injuries , and the like . this objection hath made a great noise in the world , and hath been urged by men of great reputation , and a deep insight into the tempers of men , and the affairs of the world. it is said to be particularly insisted upon by machiavel , and very likely it may ; though i think that elsewhere he is pleased to speak with terms of respect , not only of religion in general , but likewise of the christian religion ; and ( which seems very much to contradict the other ) he says in the first book of his discourses upon livy , ( ch. . ) that the greatness and success of rome is chiefly to be ascribed to their piety and religion ; and that rome was more indebted to numa pompilius for settling religion among them , than to romulus the founder of their state ; and the reason he gives is much to our present purpose ; for , says he , without religion there can be no military discipline , religion being the foundation of good laws and good discipline . and particularly he commends the samnites , who betook themselves to religion , as their last and best remedy to make men couragious , nothing being more apt to raise men's spirits than religion . but howsoever this objection be . i dare appeal both to reason and experience for the confutation of it . . to reason , and that as to these two things . ( . ) that the christian religion is apt to plant in the minds of men principles of the greatest resolution and truest courage . it teacheth men upon the best and most rational grounds to despise dangers , yea and death it self , the greatest and most formidable evil in this world ; and this principle is likely to inspire men with the greatest courage ; for what need he fear any thing in this world , who fears not death , after which there is nothing in this world to be feared ? and this the christian religion does , by giving men the assurance of another life , and a happiness infinitely greater than any is to be enjoyed in this world. and in order to the securing of this happiness , it teacheth men to be holy , and just , and to exercise a good conscience both toward god and man , which is the only way to free a man from all inward and tormenting fears of what may happen to him after death . this makes the righteous man to be ( as solomon says ) bold as a lion. nothing renders a man more undaunted as to death , and the consequences of it , than the peace of his own mind ; for a man not to be conscious to himself of having wilfully displeased him , who alone can make us happy or miserable in the other world. so that a good man , being secure of the favour of god , may upon that account reasonably hope for a greater happiness after death than other men : whereas a bad man , if he be sober , and have his senses awakened to a serious consideration of things , cannot but be afraid to dye , and be extremely anxious and solicitous what will become of him in another world. and surely it would make the stoutest man breathing afraid to venture upon death , when he sees hell beyond it . possibly there may be some monsters of men , who may have so far suppress'd the sense of religion , and stupified their consciences , as in a good measure to have conquer'd the fears of death , and of the consequences of it . but this happens but to a very few , as the poet tells us in the person of an epicurean . felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas , atque metus omnes & inexorabile fatum subjecit pedibus , strepitumque acherontis avari . there are very few that attain to this temper , and but at some times . so that if vice and wickedness do generally break the firmness of men's spirits ; it remains , that nothing but religion can generally give men courage against death . and this the christian religion does eminently to those who live according to it ; our blessed saviour having delivered us from the fear of death , by conquering death for us , and giving us assurance of the glorious rewards of another life . ( . ) meekness , and patience , and humility , and modesty , and such virtues of christianity , do not in reason tend to dispirit men , and break their true courage , but only to regulate it , and take away the fierceness and bruitishness of it . this we see in experience , that men of the truest courage , have many times least of pride and insolence , of passion and fierceness . those who are better bred , are commonly of more gentle and civil dispositions : but yet they do not therefore want true courage , though they have not the roughness and fool-hardiness of men of ruder breeding . so in a true christian , courage and greatness of mind is very consistent with meekness , and patience , and humility . not that all good men are very couragious ; there is much of this in the natural tempers of men , which religion does not quite alter . but that which i am concerned to maintain is , that christianity is no hindrance to mens courage ; and that caeteris paribus , supposing men of equal tempers , no man hath so much reason to be valiant , as he that hath a good conscience ; i do not mean a blustering , and boisterous , and rash courage ; but a sober , and calm , and fixt valour . . i appeal to experience for the truth of this . did ever greater courage and contempt of death appear in all ages , and sexes , and conditions of men , than in the primitive martyrs ? were any of the heathen soldiers comparable to the christian legion , for resolution and courage , even the heathens themselves being judges ? the religion of mahomet seems to be contrived to inspire men with fierceness and desperateness of resolution , and yet i do not find , but that generally where there hath been any equality for number , the christians have been superior to them in valour , and have given greater instances of resolution and courage , than the turks have done . so that i wonder upon what grounds this objection hath been taken up against christianity , when there is nothing either in the nature of this religion , or from the experience of the world , to give any tolerable countenance to it . and surely the best way to know what effect any religion is likely to have upon the minds of men , is to consider what effects it hath had in the constant experience of mankind . there remains the other two objections , which i mention'd , but i must reserve them to another opportunity . sermon iii. the prejudices against jesus and his religion consider'd . matth . xi . . and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . from these words i proposed to consider these two things . i. the prejudices and objections which the world at first had , and many still have against our blessed saviour and his religion . ii. that it is a great happiness to escape the common prejudices which men are apt to entertain against religion . i have considered those objections which the jews and heathen philosophers made against our saviour and his religion : and , ii. those which at this day are insisted upon by the secret and open enemies of our religion . and i mentioned seven , the two last of which i shall now speak to . sixthly , it is objected , that there are many divisions and factions among christians . this i confess is a great reproach and scandal to our religion : but no sufficient argument against it . and , . to lessen and abate the force of this objection , it is to be consider'd , that a very great part of the divisions that are among those that are call'd christians , are about things that do not concern the essentials of christianity , and therefore they are no argument that christianity is not true , because they bring no suspicion of doubt and uncertainty upon the fundamentals of christianity , which all agree in , though they differ in other things . 't is true indeed they are very undecent , and contrary to the nature and precepts of the christian religion , which above any religion in the world , does strictly require love and unity . they take off much from the strength and beauty of our religion : but do by no means destroy the truth of it . . how many and great soever they may be , yet they can with no colour of reason be imputed to the christian religion , as giving any cause and encouragement to them , however by accident it may be the occasion of them . for no man doubts but that the best thing in the world may be perverted by bad men , and made an occasion of a great deal of mischief in the world , and yet be very innocent of all that mischief . no man can deny but that christianity does strictly enjoin love , and peace , and unity among all the members of that profession ; and so far as christians are factious and unpeaceable , so far they are no christians . so that a man may as well except against philosophy , because of the differences that were among the philosophers , and say there was no truth among them , because they were not all agreed in all things ; as call the truth of christianity in question , for the differences that are among christians . nay , a man might every whit as well except against laws and government ; because , notwithstanding them , there are frequent seditions and rebellions , infinite suits and controversies occasion'd even by the very laws : but no man was ever so unreasonable as to think this a good reason against laws and government . . the divisions of christians are so far from being an argument against christianity , that on the contrary , they are an argument that men should embrace christianity more heartily , and make more conscience of obeying the precepts of it . and if they did this , the greatest part of those contentions and uncharitable animosities which are among them would presently cease . if the christian religion were truly entertained , and men did seriously mind the precepts of it , and give up themselves to the obedience of its laws , differences would not be easily commenced , nor so vehemently prosecuted , nor so pertinaciously continued in , as they are . men would not , upon every slight reason , and little doubt and scruple , rend and tear the body of christ in pieces , and separate themselves from the communion of the church they live in , and in which they were baptized and received their christianity . if men seriously consider'd , and truly understood what they do , when they divide the church of christ upon little scruples and pretences , they would hardly be able to think themselves christians , whilst they continued in these unchristian and uncharitable practices . if men would but be , or do what christianity requires , there would be no occasion for this objection ; and if men will not , christian religion is not to be blamed for it , but those that act so contrary to the plain precepts and directions of it . i proceed to the seventh and last objection , the vicious and wicked lives of a great part of the professors of christianity . this is a heavy objection indeed , and such an one , that though we may justly be ashamed to own the truth of it , yet can we not have the face to deny it . 't is so sad a truth , that it is enough to confound us , and to fill all our faces with shame and blushing : but yet it is an objection not so strong against christianity , as it is shameful to christians . and notwithstanding the utmost force of it , we have no cause to be ashamed of the gospel of christ ; but the gospel of christ may justly be ashamed of us . for whatever we be , the gospel of christ is the power of god unto salvation . the natural tendency of it is to reform and save men , and the wrath of god is therein revealed against all vngodliness and vnrighteousness of men , however they may detain the truths of god in vnrighteousness , and not suffer them to have their due and proper influence upon their hearts and lives . but that i may give a more clear and particular answer to it , i desire you to attend to these following considerations . . it cannot be denied , but that christianity hath had once very great and marvellous effects upon the hearts and lives of men. and for this , i appeal to the lives and manners of the primitive christians , for which we have not only the testimony of our own books and writers , but even of the adversaries of our religion . what reformation christianity at first wrought in the manners of men , we have clear and full testimony , from what the apostles wrote concerning the several churches which they planted in several parts of the world. what hearty unity und affection there was among christians , even to that degree , as to make men bring in their private estates and possessions for the common support of their brethren , we may read in the history of the acts of the apostles . the city of corinth , by the account which strabo gives of it , was a very vicious and luxurious place , as most in the world ; and yet we see by st. paul , what a strange reformation the christian religion made in the lives and manners of many of them : cor . , , . be not deceived ; neither fornicators , nor adulterers , nor idolaters , nor effeminate , nor thieves , nor covetous , nor drunkards , nor revilers , nor extortioners , shall inherit the kingdom of god. and such were some of you : but ye are washed , but ye are sanctified , but ye are justified , in the name of the lord jesus , and by the spirit of our god. and surely it is no small matter to reclaim men from such a profligate course of life . the apostle instanceth in crimes and vices of the first rate , from which yet he tells us many were cleansed and purified by the name of the lord jesus , and the spirit of god ; that is , by the power and efficacy of the christian doctrine , together with the co-operation of god's holy spirit . after the apostles , the ancient fathers , in their apologies for christianity , give us a large account of the great power and efficacy of the christian doctrine upon the lives and manners of men. tertullian tells the roman governors , that their prisons were full of malefactors , committed for several crimes ; but they were all heathens . de vestris semper aestuat carcer , their prisons were thronged with criminals of their own religion : but there were no christians to be found committed there for such crimes ; nemo illic christianus , nisi hoc tantùm , &c. there were no christians in their prisons , but only upon account of their religion . or if there were any malefactors that had been christians , they left their religion when they fell into those enormities . and afterwards he adds , that if christians were irregular in their lives , they were no longer accounted christians , but were banish'd from their communion as unworthy of it . and they appealed to the heathens , what a sudden and strange change christianity had made in several of the most lewd , and vicious , and debauched persons , and what a visible reformation there presently appeared in the lives of the worst men , after they had once entertained the christian doctrine . and these testimonies are so much the stronger , because they are publick appeals to our adversaries , which it is not likely they who were so persecuted and hated as the christians were , would have had the confidence to have made , if they had not been notoriously true , even their enemies themselves being judges . and that they were so , we have the confession of the heathen themselves . i shall produce two remarkable testimonies to this purpose , and one of them from the pen of one of the bitterest enemies that the christian religion ever had . pliny , in his epistle to trajan the emperor , gives him an account , that having examined the christians , setting aside the superstition of their way , he could find no fault ; and that this was the sum of their error , that they were wont to meet before day , and sing a hymn to christ , and to bind themselves by solemn oath or sacrament , not to any wicked purpose ; but not to steal , nor rob , nor commit adultery , nor break their faith , nor detain the pledge . so that it seems the sum of their error was , to oblige themselves in the strictest manner against the greatest vices and crimes . which methinks is a great testimony from an enemy and a judge , one who would have been ready to discover their faults , and had opportunity of enquiring into them . my other witness is julian the emperor and apostate , who in one of his epistles tells us , the christians did severely punish sedition and impiety . and afterwards exhorting the heathen priests to all offices of humanity , and especially alms towards the poor ; he tells them , they ought to be more careful in this particular , and to mend this fault ; because ( says he ) the galileans taking advantage of our neglect in this kind , have very much strengthned their impiety ( for so he calls their religion ) by being very intent upon these offices , and exemplary in their charity to the poor , whereby they gained many over to them . and in his th epist . to arsacius the high-priest of galatia , he recommends to him , among other means for the advancement of paganism , the building of hospitals , and great liberality to the poor , not only of their own religion , but others . for , says he , it is a shame that the impious galileans should not only maintain their own poor , but ours also ; wherefore let us not suffer them to outdo us in this virtue . nothing but the force of truth could have extorted so full an acknowledgment of the great humanity and charity of the christians , from so bitter an enemy of our religion as julian was . if he owned it , we may be sure it was very great and exemplary . so that you see that the christian religion had a very great power and efficacy upon the lives and manners of men , when it first appeared in the world. and the true spirit and genius of any religion , the force of any institution is best seen in the primitive effects of it ; before it be weakned and dispirited by those corruptions , which in time are apt to insinuate themselves into the best things . for all laws and institutions are commonly more vigorous , and have greater effects at first , than afterwards ; and the best things are apt in time to degenerate and to contract soil and rust . and it cannot in reason be expected otherwise . so that though it be a thing to be bewailed , and by the greatest care and diligence to be resisted , yet it is not so extremely to be wonder'd at , if christianity , in the space of sixteen hundred years , hath abated much of its first strength and vigor . especially considering , that there were several circumstances , that gave christianity mighty advantages at first , especially the miraculous powers which did accompany the first publication of the gospel ; which must needs be full of conviction to those who saw the wonderful effects of it : the extraordinary operation of the spirit of god upon the minds of men , to dispose them to the receiving of it : the persecuted and suffering state that christians were generally in , which made those who embraced the profession , to be generally serious and in good earnest in it , and kept up a continual heat and zeal in the minds of men for that religion which cost them so dear , and for which they suffer'd so much : and the fury of their enemies against it , did naturally inflame their love and kindness to one another ; nothing being a greater endearment among men , than common sufferings in a common cause . so long as christians were not corrupted by secular interests ; and by denying all for christ , were free from covetousness and ambition , the great roots of all evil , the church of christ , though she was black , yet she was comely , and terrible , as an army with banners ; she was all this while in an excellent posture to resist the temptations , and fight against the vices and corruptions of the world : but after the world broke in upon the church , and christianity was countenanced by the powers of the world , and water'd with secular preferments and encouragements , no wonder if the tares began to grow up with the wheat ; then iniquity began to abound , and the love of many to grow cold . when the sun of prosperity began to shine upon the christian profession , then no wonder if the vermin bred and swarmed every where . when it grew creditable and advantagious for men to be christians , this must in all reason make a world of hypocrites , and counterfeit professors . these things , i reckon , must in reason make a mighty difference between the first ages of christianity , and those which have follow'd since ; and no wonder , if the real fruits and effects of religion in these several states of christianity be very unequal . for prosperity and adversity made a wide difference in this matter . the persecution of any religion naturally makes the professors of it real ; and the prosperity of it does as naturally allure and draw in hypocrites . besides that even the best of men are more corrupted by prosperity , than affliction . but though christians were best under persecution , yet god did not think fit always to continue them in that state , because he would not tempt them , and tire them out with perpetual sufferings ; and after he had given the world a sufficient experiment of the power and efficacy of the christian religion , in maintaining and propagating it self in despite of all the violence and opposition of the world , sufficient for ever to give reputation to it ; he then thought good to leave it to be kept up by more human ways , and such as offer less violence to the nature of a man. being once establish'd and settled in the world , and upon equal terms of advantage with other religions , god left it to be supported by more ordinary means ; by pious education , and diligent instruction , and good laws and government , without miracles , and without persecution , and without those extraordinary and overpowering communications of his grace and spirit which he afforded to the first ages of christianity . i have insisted the longer upon this , that men may see what effects christianity hath had upon the lives of men , by which we may see the proper nature and efficacy of it ; and withal may not wonder so much that it hath not the same effects now . though it be matter of great shame to us , that they are so vastly disproportionable to what they were at first . . though the disproportion be very great between the effects of christianity at first , and what it hath now upon the lives of men ; yet we ought not to deny , but it hath still some good effects upon mankind ; and it is our great shame and fault that it hath no better . if we will speak justly of things , as to the general civility of life and manners , freedom from tyranny , and barbarousness , and cruelty , and some other enormous vices , yea and as to the exemplary piety and virtue of great numbers of particular persons of several nations , there is no comparison between the general state of christendom , and the pagan and mahometan parts of the world. next to christianity , and the law of moses , ( which was confined to one nation ) philosophy was the most likely instrument to reform mankind that hath been in the world ; and it had very considerable effects upon some particular persons , both as to the rectifying of their opinions , and the reforming of their lives : but upon the generality of mankind it did very little in either of these respects , especially as to the rectifying of the absurd and impious opinions of the people concerning god , and their superstitious worship of the deity . whereas the christian religion did universally , where-ever it came , set men free from those gross impieties and superstitions , and taught men to worship the only true god in a right manner . though we must confess , to the eternal reproach of the christian religion , that the western church hath degenerated so far , that it seems to be in a great measure relaps'd into the ignorance and superstition of paganism ; out of which degeneracy , that god hath rescued us , as we have infinite cause to adore his goodness , so we have all the reason in the world to dread and detest a return into this spiritual egypt , this house of darkness and bondage , and the bringing of our necks again under that toke , which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear . so that you see that there are still very considerable effects of the christian religion in the world , yea and i doubt not but in those places where it is most corrupted and degenerated ; because they still retain the essential doctrines of christianity , which have not quite lost their force , notwithstanding the many errors and corruptions that are mixt with them . and as god knows , and every man sees it , that the generality of christians are very bad , notwithstanding all the influence of that excellent religion which they profess ; yet i think it is very evident , men would be much worse without it . for though very many who have entertained the principles of christianity are very wicked in their lives ; yet many are otherwise : and those that are bad have this advantage by their religion , that it is in its nature apt to reduce and recover men from a wicked course , and sometimes does : whereas the case of those persons would have been desperate , were it not for those principles of religion which were implanted in them by christian education , and though they were long suppress'd , yet did at last awaken them to a consideration of their condition , and proved the happy means of their recovery . . i will not deny but there are some persons as bad , nay perhaps worse , that have been bred up in the christian religion , than are commonly to be found in the darkness of paganism ; for the corruption of the best things is the worst , and those who have resisted so great a light as that of the gospel is , are like to prove the most desperately wicked of all other . there is nothing that men make worse use of , than of light and liberty , two of the best and most pleasant things in the world. knowledge is many times abused to the worst purpose , and liberty into licentiousness and sedition ; and yet no man for all that thinks ignorance desirable , or would wish a perpetual night and darkness to the world ; and conclude from the inconveniencies of abused liberty , that the best state of things would be , that the generality of mankind should be all slaves to a few , and be perpetually chained to the oar , or condemned to the mines . there are many times as bad consequences of good things , as of bad : but yet there is a great difference between good and bad for all that . as knowledge and liberty , so likewise the christian religion is a great happiness to the world in general , though some are so unhappy as to be the worse for it ; not because religion is bad , but because they are so . . if religion be a matter of mens free choice , it is not to be expected that it should necessarily and constantly have its effect upon men ; for it works upon us , not by way of force or natural necessity , but of moral persuasion . if religion , and the grace of god which goes along with it , did force men to be good and virtuous , and no man could be so unless he were thus violently forc'd , then it would be no virtue in any man to be good , nor any crime and fault to be otherwise . for then the reason why some men were good , would be because they could not help it ; and others bad , because the grace of god did not make them so whether they would or not . but religion does not thus work upon men. it directs men to their duty by the shortest and plainest precepts of a good life ; it persuades men to the obedience of these precepts , by the promises of eternal happiness , and the threatnings of eternal misery in case of obstinate disobedience ; it offers us the assistance of god's holy spirit , to help our weakness , and enable us to that , for which we are not sufficient of our selves : but there is nothing of violence or necessity in all this . after all , men may disobey these precepts , and not be persuaded by these arguments , may not make use of this grace which god offers , may quench and resist the holy ghost , and reject the counsel of god against themselves . and the case being thus , it is no wonder , if the temptations of this present world prevail upon the vicious inclinations of men against their duty , and their true interest ; and consequently if the motives and arguments of the christian religion have not a constant and certain effect upon a great part of mankind . not but that christianity is apt to bring men to goodness ; but some are so obstinately bad , as not to be wrought upon by the most powerful considerations it can offer to them . . it cannot be denied , but that christianity is as well framed to make men good , as any religion can be imagined to be ; and therefore wherever the fault be , it cannot be in the christian religion , that we are not good . so that the bad lives of christians are no sufficient objection either against the truth or goodness of the christian doctrine . besides the confirmation that was given to it by miracles , the excellency of the doctrine , and its proper tendency to make men holy and virtuous , are a plain evidence of its divine and heavenly original . and surely the goodness of any religion consists in the sufficiency of its precepts , to direct men to their duty ; in the force of its arguments to persuade men to it ; and the suitableness of its aids and helps to enable us to the discharge and performance of it . and all those advantages the christian religion hath above any religion or institution that ever was in the world. the reasonable and plain rules of a good life are no where so perfectly collected , as in the discourses of our blessed saviour and his apostles . no religion ever gave men so full assurance of the mighty rewards and punishments of another world ; nor such gracious promises of divine assistance , and such evidence of it , especially in the piety , and virtue , and patience , and self-denial of the primitive christians , as the doctrine of god our saviour hath done , which teacheth men to deny vngodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world , in contemplation of the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ ; who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works . . and lastly , after all that hath or can be said , it must be acknowledged , and ought sadly to be lamented by us , that the wicked lives of christians are a marvellous scandal and reproach to our holy religion , and a great obstacle to the spreading of it in the world , and a real objection against it to prejudiced persons , with whom it doth justly bring into doubt the goodness and efficacy of the institution it self , to see how little effect it hath upon the hearts and lives of men. it is hard for a man to maintain the reputation of an excellent master in any kind , when all the world sees , that most of his scholars prove dunces . whatever commendation may be given to any art or science , men will question the truth and reality of it , when they see the greatest part of those who profess it , not able to do any thing answerable to it . the christian religion pretends to be an art of serving god more decently and devoutly , and of living better than other men : but if it be so , why do not the professors of this excellent religion shew the force and virtue of it in their lives ? and though i have sufficiently shewn , that this is not enough to overthrow the truth , and disparage the excellency of the christian doctrine ; yet it will certainly go a great way with prejudiced persons , and it cannot be expected otherwise . so that we have infinite reason to be ashamed , that there is so plain a contrariety between the laws of christianity , and the lives of the greatest part of christians ; so notorious and palpable a difference between the religion that is in the bible , and that which is to be seen and read in the conversations of men. who that looks upon the manners of the present age , could believe , if he did not know it , that the holy and pure doctrine of the christian religion , had ever been so much as heard , much less pretended to be entertained and believed among us ? nay among those who seem to make a more serious profession of religion , when we consider how strangely they allow themselves in malice and envy , in passion , and anger , and uncharitable censures , and evil speaking , in fierce contentions and animosities ; who would believe that the great instrument of these mens religion , i mean the holy bible , by which they profess to regulate and govern their lives , were full of plain and strict precepts of love and kindness , of charity and peace , and did a hundred times with all imaginable severity , and under pain of forfeiting the kingdom of god , forbid malice and envy , and revenge , and evil speaking , and rash and uncharitable censures , and tell us so plainly that the christian religion obligeth men to put off all these ; and that if any man seem to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , that man's religion is vain ? do men read and hear these things every day , and profess to believe them to be the truths of god , and yet live as if they were verily persuaded they were false ? what can we conclude from hence , but either that this is not christianity , or the greatest part of us are no christians ? so that if one of the apostles or primitive christians should rise from the dead , and converse among us , how would he wonder to see the face and complexion of christianity alter'd from what it was in their days ; and were it not for the name and title which we bear , would sooner guess us to be any thing than christians ? so that upon the whole matter , there is no way to quit our selves of this objection , and to wash away the reproach of it , but to mend and reform our lives . 'till this be done , it is unavoidable , but the vicious manners of men will affect our religion with obloquy and reproach , and derive an ill conceit and opinion of it into the minds of men. and i cannot see how christianity can ever gain much ground in the world , 'till it be better adorned and recommended by the professors of it . nay we have just cause to fear , that if god do not raise up some great and eminent instruments to awaken the world out of this stupid lethargy , that christianity will every day decline , and the world will in a short space be over-run with atheism and infidelity . for vice , and superstition , and enthusiasm , which are the reigning diseases of christendom , when they have run their course , and finish'd their circle , do all naturally end , and meet in atheism . and then it will be time for the great judge of the world to appear , and effectually to convince men of that , which they would not be persuaded to believe by any other means . and of this our saviour hath given us a terrible and fearful intimation , in that question of his ; when the son of man comes , shall be find faith upon earth ? our saviour hath not positively affirmed it , and god grant that we may not make it , and find it true . and thus i have , by god's assistance , given the best satisfaction i could , to the most material exceptions i have met with against our blessed saviour and his religion . the ii. thing remains briefly to be spoken to , viz. how happy a thing it is to escape the common prejudices which men are apt to entertain against religion , blessed is he , whosoever shall not be offended in me . and this will appear if we consider these three or four things . first , that prejudice does many times sway and biass men against the plainest and clearest truths . we see in daily experience , what a false biass prejudice puts upon mens understandings . men that are educated in the grossest errors and superstitions , how hard it is to convince them that they are in a wrong way ! and with what difficulty are they persuaded of their mistake ! nay they have hardly the patience to be told they are in an error , much less to consider what may be offer'd against it . how do the passions and lusts of men blind them and lead them aside from the truth , and incline them to that side of the question which is most favourable to their lusts and interests ? how partially do men lean to that part which makes most for their advantage , though all the reason in the world lye on the other side ? now ignorance and mistake are a great slavery of the understanding , if there were no worse consequences of our errors : and therefore our saviour says excellently , that the truth makes men free ; ye shall know the truth , and the truth shall make you free . secondly , prejudice does not only biass men against the plainest truths , but in matters of greatest concernment , in things that concern the honour of god , and the good of others , and our own welfare and happiness . prejudices against religion occasion mistakes of the highest nature , and may lead men to superstition and idolatry , and to all manner of impiety , nay many times to atheism and infidelity . the prejudices against the doctrine of our saviour are of another concernment than the prejudices which men have against the writers of natural philosophy or eloquence , or any other human art or science . if a man's prejudice make him err in these matters , the thing is of no great moment : but the business of religion is a matter of the greatest and weightiest concernment to mankind . thirdly , the consequence of mens prejudices in these things prove many times fatal and destructive to them . men may upon unreasonable prejudices reject the counsel of god against themselves ; as it is said of the chief priests and pharisees among the jews . men may oppose the truth so obstinately and perversely , as to be fighters against god , and to bring certain ruin and swift destruction upon themselves , both in this world , and the other ; as the jews did , who by opposing the doctrine of the gospel , and persecuting our saviour and his disciples , fill'd up the measure of their sins , 'till wrath came upon them to the uttermost . it is easy to entertain prejudices against religion , and by considering only the wrong side of things , to fortify our prejudices to such a degree , and entrench our selves so strongly in our errors , that the plainest and most convincing truths shall not be able to have any access to us , or make any impression upon us : but all this while we do in truth undermine our own happiness , and are secretly working our own ruin ; and while we think we are opposing an enemy , we are destroying our selves ; for who hath harden'd himself against god and his truth , and prospered ? the principles of religion are a firm and immoveable rock , against which the more violently we dash our selves , the more miserably we shall be split and shatter'd . our blessed saviour and his religion , have been to many , and are to this day a stone of stumbling , and a rock of offence ; but he himself hath told us what shall be the fate of those who are offended at him ; whosoever shall fall on this stone , shall be broken ; but upon whomsoever it shall fall , it shall grind him to powder . and therefore well might he say here in the text , blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me . fourthly , there are but few in comparison , who have the happiness to escape and overcome the common prejudices which men are apt to entertain against religion . thus to be sure it was when christianity first appeared in the world : and though among us the great prejudice of education be removed ; yet there are still many , who upon one account or other , are prejudiced against religion , at least so far , as not to yield to the power of it in their lives . few men are so impartial in considering things , as not to be swayed by the interest of their lusts and passions , as to keep the balance of their judgments even , and to suffer nothing but truth and reason to weigh with them . we generally pretend to be pilgrims and strangers in the world , and to be all travelling towards heaven : but few of us have the indifferency of travellers ; who are not concern'd to find out the fairest and the easiest way , but to know which is the right way , and to go in it . thus it should be with us , our end should always be in our eye , and we should chuse our way only with respect to that ; not considering our inclination so much as our design ; nor chusing those principles for the government of our lives , which are most agreeable to our present desires , but those which will most certainly bring us to happiness at the last ; and that i am sure the principles of the christian religion , firmly believed and practised by us , will do . let us then be persuaded by all that hath been said upon this argument , to a firm belief of the christian doctrine . i hope you are in some measure satisfied , that the objections against it are not such , as ought much to move a wise and considerate man. if we believe that god hath taken so much care of mankind , as to make any certain revelation of his will to them , and of the way to eternal happiness ; let us next consider , whether any religion in the world can come in competition with the christian , and with half that reason pretend to be from god , that christianity is able to produce for it self , whether we consider the things to be believed , or the duties to be practised , or the motives and arguments to the practice of those duties , or the divine confirmation that is given to the whole . and if we be thus persuaded concerning it , let us resolve to live up to the laws and rules of this holy religion . our belief of it signifies nothing , without the fruits and effects of a good life . and if this were once resolved upon , the difficulty of believing would cease ; for the true reason why men are unwilling to believe the truths of the gospel , is because they are loth to put them in practice . every one that doth evil , hateth the light. the true ground of most mens prejudice against the christian doctrine , is because they have no mind to obey it ; and when all is done , the great objection that lies at the bottom of mens minds against it , is , that it is an enemy to their lusts , and they cannot profess to believe it without condemning themselves , for not complying with it in their lives and practice . sermon iv. jesus , the son of god , prov'd by his resurrection . rom . i. . and declared to be the son of god , with power , according to the spirit of holiness , by the resurrection from the dead . st . paul in the beginning of this epistle ( according to his custom in the rest ) stiles himself an apostle , particularly call'd , and set apart by god , for the preaching of the gospel ; the main subject whereof was , jesus christ our lord ; who as he was , according to his divine nature , the eternal son of god ; so according to his human nature , he was not only the son of man , but also the son of god. according to the flesh ( that is , the weakness , and frailty , and mortality of his human nature ) he was the son of david , that is , of his posterity by his mother , who was of that house and line . made of the seed of david , according to the flesh , v. . but according to the spirit of holiness ; ( that is , in regard of that divine power of the holy ghost , which was manifested in him , especially in his resurrection from the dead ) he was demonstrated to be the son of god ; even according to his human nature ; declared to be the son of god , with power , according to the spirit of holiness , by the resurrection from the dead . all the difficulty in the words , is concerning the meaning of this phrase ; of christ's being declared to be the son of god : the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which most frequently in scripture does signify predestinated , decreed , determined ; but it likewise signifies , that which is defined , declared , demonstrated , put out of all doubt and controversy . and in this sense our translation renders it . as if the apostle had said , that our lord jesus christ , though according to the frailty and weakness of his human nature , he was of the seed of david ; yet in respect of that divine power of the holy ghost , which manifested it self in him , especially in his resurrection from the dead , he was declared to be the son of god , with power , that is , mightily , powerfully demonstrated to be so ; so as to put the matter out of all dispute and controversy . and therefore following our own translation , i shall handle the words in this sense , as containing this proposition in them : that the resurrection of our lord jesus christ from the dead , by the holy ghost , is a powerful demonstration that he was the son of god. and it will conduce very much to the clearing of this proposition to consider these two things . first , upon what account christ , as man , is said to be the son of god. secondly , in what sense he is said to be declared to be the son of god , by his resurrection from the dead . the consideration of these two particulars will fully clear this proposition , and the apostles meaning in it . first , upon what account christ , as man , is said to be the son of god. and for our right apprehension of this matter , it is very well worthy our observation , that christ , as man , is no where in scripture said to be the son of god , but with relation to the divine power of the holy ghost , some way or other eminently manifested in him ; i say the divine power of the holy ghost , as the lord and giver of life , as he is call'd in the ancient creeds of the christian church . for as men are naturally said to be the children of those from whom they receive their life and being ; so christ , as man , is said to be the son of god , because he had life communicated to him , from the father , by an immediate power of the spirit of god , or the holy ghost . first at his conception , which was by the holy ghost . the conception of our blessed saviour was an immediate act of the power of the holy ghost , overshadowing , as the scripture expresseth it , the blessed mother of our lord : and then at his resurrection , when after his death , he was , by the operation of the holy ghost , raised to life again . now upon these two accounts only , christ as man , is said in scripture to be the son of god. he was really so upon account of his conception ; but this was secret and invisible : but most eminently and remarkably so , upon account of his resurrection , which was open and visible to all . . upon account of his conception by the power of the holy ghost . that upon this account he was called the son of god , st. luke most expresly tells us , luke . . where the angel tells the virgin mary , that the holy ghost should come upon her , and the power of the highest should overshadow her , and therefore that holy thing , which should be born of her , should be call'd the son of god. and this our saviour means by the father's sanctifying him , and sending him into the world ; for which reason he says he might justly call himself the son of god , john . , . if he call them gods , unto whom the word of god came , and the scripture cannot be broken : say ye of him , whom the father hath sanctified , and sent into the world , thou blasphemest , because i said i am the son of god ? if there had been no other reason , this had been sufficient to have given him the title of the son of god , that he was brought into the world by the sanctification , or divine power of the holy ghost . . christ is also said in scripture to be the son of god , and to be declared to be so upon account of his resurrection from the dead , by the power of the holy ghost . his resurrection from the dead , is here in the text ascribed to the spirit of holiness , or the holy ghost . and so in other places of scripture , rom. . . if the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead , dwell in you : and , pet. . . being put to death in the flesh : but quickned by the spirit ; that is , he suffer'd in that frail mortal nature which he assumed ; but was raised again by the power of the holy ghost , of the spirit of god which resided in him . and upon this account he is expresly said in scripture to be the son of god. psal . . . i will declare the decree ; the lord hath said unto me , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ; to which perhaps the apostle alludes here in the text , when he says that christ was decreed to be the son of god , by his resurrection from the dead . to be sure these words , this day have i begotten thee , st. paul expresly tells us were accomplish'd in the resurrection of christ ; as if god by raising him from the dead , had begotten him , and decreed him to be his son. acts . , . and we declare unto you glad tidings , how that the promise which was made unto the fathers , god hath fulfilled the same unto their children , in that he hath raised up jesus again , as it is also written in the second psalm , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee . he was the son of god before , as he was conceived by the holy ghost ; but this was secret and invisible , and known only to the mother of our lord : and therefore god thought fit to give a publick and visible demonstration of it , so as to put the matter out of all question , he declared him in a powerful manner to be his son , by giving him a new life after death , by raising him from the dead ; and by this new and eminent testimony given to him , declared him again to be his son , and confirmed the title which was given him before upon a true , but more secret account , of his being conceived by the holy ghost . and as our saviour is said to be the son of god upon this twofold account , of his conception by the holy ghost , and his resurrection to life by the spirit of god : so the scripture ( which does solicitously pursue a resemblance and conformity between christ and christians ) does likewise upon a twofold account ( answerable to our saviour's birth and resurrection ) call true believers and christians , the children of god ; viz. upon account of their regeneration or new birth , by the operation of the spirit of god ; and upon account of their resurrection to eternal life , by the power of the same spirit . upon account of our regeneration and becoming christians by the power and operation of the holy spirit of god upon our minds , we are said to be the children of god , as being regenerated and born again by the holy spirit of god. and this is our first adoption . and for this reason , the spirit of god conferred upon christians at their baptism , and dwelling and residing in them afterwards , is call'd the spirit of adoption ; rom. . . ye have received the spirit of adoption , whereby you cry , abba father ; and gal. . , . believers are said to receive the adoption of sons ; god having sent forth the spirit of his son into their hearts , crying abba father ; that is , all christians , for as much as they are regenerated by the holy spirit of god , and have the spirit of god dwelling in them , may with confidence call god father , and look upon themselves as his children . so the apostle tells us , rom. . that as many as are led ( or acted ) by the spirit of god , are the sons of god. but though we are said to be children of god upon account of our regeneration , and the holy spirit of god dwelling and residing in christians ; yet we are eminently so , upon account of our resurrection to eternal life , by the mighty power of god's spirit . this is our final adoption , and the consummation of it ; and therefore rom. . . this is called the glorious liberty of the sons of god , because by this we are for ever deliver'd from the bondage of corruption ; and by way of eminency , the adoption , viz. the redemption of our bodies . we are indeed the sons of god before , upon account of the regenerating and sanctifying virtue of the holy ghost ; but finally and chiefly upon account of our resurrection by the power of the divine spirit . so st. john tells us , that then we shall be declared to be the sons of god , after another manner than we are now : jo. . . behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us , that we should be called the sons of god. now we are the sons of god , ( that is , our adoption is begun in our regeneration and sanctification ) but it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; we shall be much more eminently so at the resurrection . we know , that when he shall appear , we shall be like him . but the most express and remarkable text to this purpose , is , luke . . where good men , after the resurrection , are for this reason said to be the children of god , because they are the children of the resurrection . but they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world , and the resurrection from the dead , neither marry , nor are given in marriage , neither can they die any more ; for they are equal to the angels , and are the children of god , being the children of the resurrection . for this reason they are said to be the children of god , because they are raised by him to a new life ; and to be made partakers of that which is promised to them , and reserved for them . for all that are raised by the power of god , out of the dust of the earth , are not therefore the children of god ; but only they that have part in the blessed resurrection to eternal life , and do inherit the kingdom prepared for them . not those who are raised to a perpetual death , and the resurrection of condemnation . these are not the children of god ; but the children of wrath , and the children of perdition . but the resurrection of the just , is the full and final declaration , that we are the children of god ; not only because we are restored to a new life , but because at the resurrection , we are admitted to the full possession of that blessed inheritance which is purchased for us , and promised to us . and the spirit of god which is conferred upon believers in their regeneration , and afterwards dwells and resides in them , is the pledge and earnest of our final adoption , by our resurrection to eternal life ; and upon this account , and no other , is said to be the earnest of our future inheritance , and the seal and confirmation of it . eph. . . in whom also , after that ye believed , ye were sealed by that holy spirit of promise , which is the earnest of our inheritance , until the redemption of the purchased possession ; that is , the holy spirit of god which christians were made partakers of , upon their sincere belief of the christian religion , is the seal and earnest of our resurrection to eternal life ; as the apostle plainly tells us , in that remarkable text ; rom. . . if the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead dwell in you , he that raised up christ from the dead , shall also quicken your mortal bodies , by his spirit that dwelleth in you . i have been the longer upon this , because it serves fully to explain to us those obscure phrases , of the seal , and earnest , and first fruits of the spirit , which many have mistaken to import some particular and spiritual revelation or impression upon the minds of good men , assuring them of their salvation . whereas the apostle intended no more by them , but that the spirit of god which dwells in believers , enabling them to mortifie the deeds of the flesh , and to bring forth the fruits of the spirit , is a pledge and earnest to us , of a blessed resurrection to eternal life by the power of the spirit of god which now dwells in us , and is the same spirit which raised up jesus from the dead . and in this chapter , the spirit of god is said , v. . to bear witness to our spirits , that is , to assure our minds , that we are the children of god ; that is , that we are his children now , and consequently heirs of a glorious resurrection to eternal life : for so it follows in the next words , and if children , then heirs , heirs of god , and joint heirs with christ ; if so be that we suffer with him , that we may also be glorified together . and this being glorified together with christ at the resurrection , he calls , v. . the manifestation of the sons of god. thus you see how in conformity to the son of god , our elder brother , we are said to be the sons of god , because we are now regenerated , and shall at the last day be raised up to eternal life , by the power of the spirit of god. i proceed to the second thing i propounded to speak to , for the clearing of these words , namely , in what sense christ is said to be declared , or demonstrated to be the son of god by his resurrection from the dead . by which the apostle means these two things . . that by his resurrection from the dead he was approved by god to be the true messias , and vindicated to the world from all suspicion of being a deceiver and impostor . and consequently in the . place , that hereby god gave testimony to the truth and divinity of his doctrine . . by his resurrection from the dead , he was approved by god to be the true messias , foretold by the prophets , and expected at that time by the jews , and sufficiently vindicated to the world to be no deceiver and impostor . and for our fuller understanding of this , we are to consider these two things . ( . ) what the apprehensions and expectations of the jews were concerning the messias . and , ( . ) what the many crimes were which they laid to our saviour's charge , and for which they condemned him . ( . ) what the apprehensions and expectations of the jews were concerning the messias . and it is very plain from the evangelical history , that they generally apprehended these two things of him : that the messias was to be the son of god , and the king of israel ; and therefore that our saviour , by affirming himself to be the messias , did call himself the son of god , and the king of israel ; john . . andrew tells his brother simon , we have found the messias . v. . philip tells nathanael , we have found him , of whom moses in the law , and the prophets did write ; that is , the messias . v. . nathanael upon discourse with our saviour , being convinced that he was the messias , owns him in these terms ; rabbi , thou art the son of god , thou art the king of israel . john . . peter declares his belief that he was the christ , or the messias , in these words , we believe and are sure that thou art the son of the living god. this appears likewise from the high-priest's question to him , matth. . . art thou the christ , ( that is , the messias ) the son of the living god ; or as it is in st. mark , the son of the blessed ; compared with pilate's question , art thou the king of the jews ? and when he was upon the cross , some reviled him under the notion of the son of god , matth. . . if thou be the son of god , come down from the cross : others under the notion of the king of israel , v. . if he be the king of israel , let him come down from the cross . from all which it is plain that the jews expected and believed , that the true messias was to be the son of god , and the king of israel ; and whoever was not so , was a deceiver and impostor . but our saviour affirmed himself to be true messias , and the son of god. now god by raising him from the dead , did abundantly vindicate him to the world , from all suspicion of imposture ; and gave testimony to him , that he was all that he said of himself , viz. the true messias , and the son of god. which will further appear , if we consider , ( dly , ) what were the crimes which the jews laid to our saviour's charge , and for which they condemned him ; and they were mainly these two , that by giving himself out to be the messias , he made himself king of israel , and the son of god. of the first of these , they accused him to pilate ; hoping by this accusation to make him guilty of sedition against the roman government ; for saying , that he was the king of israel . of the other they accused him to the chief priests , as being guilty of blasphemy , in that not being the messias , he call'd himself the son of god. and upon this they laid the main stress , as being a thing that would condemn him by their law. they charged him with this in his life-time , as appears by those words of our saviour , john . . say ye of him whom the father hath sanctified , and sent into the world , thou blasphemest , because i said i am the son of god ? and when he was arraigned before the chief priests , they accused him of this , and he owning this charge , that he call'd himself the son of god , upon this they judge him guilty of death . matth. . , . then the high-priest rent his cloaths , and said , he hath spoken blasphemy ; what further need have we of witness ? behold , now ye have heard his blasphemy . what think ye ? they answered , he is guilty of death . and when pilate told them , that he found no fault in him , they still instance in this as his crime , john . . we have a law , and by our law he ought to die , because he made himself the son of god. now this being the crime which was charged upon him , and for which he was crucified , and put to death ; god , by raising him up from the dead , and taking him up into heaven , gave testimony to him , that he was no impostor , and that he did not vainly arrogate to himself to be the messias and the son of god. god by raising him from the dead , by the power of the holy ghost , gave a mighty demonstration to him , that he was the son of god. for which reason he is said by the apostle , tim. . . to be justified by the spirit . the spirit gave testimony to him at his baptism , and by the mighty works that appeared in him in his life-time ; but he was most eminently and remarkably justified by the holy ghost , by his resurrection from the dead ; god hereby bearing him witness , that he was unjustly condemned , and that he assumed nothing to himself , but what of right did belong to him , when he said he was the messias , and the son of god. for how could a man that was condemned to dye , for calling himself the son of god , be more remarkably vindicated , and more clearly proved to be so , than by being raised from the dead , by the power of god ? and , dly , god did consequently hereby give testimony to the truth and divinity of our saviour's doctrine . being proved by his resurrection to be the son of god , this proved him to be a teacher sent by him , and that what he declared to the world was the mind and will of god. for this none was more likely to know , and to report truly to mankind , than the son of god , who came from the bosom of his father . and because the resurrection of christ is so great a testimony to the truth of his doctrine , hence it is that st. paul tells us , that the belief of this one article of christ's resurrection , is sufficient to a man's salvation , rom. . . if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord jesus , and shalt believe in thy heart , that god hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved . the reason is plain , because the resurrection of christ confirmed the truth and divinity of his doctrine ; so that the belief of our saviour's resurrection does by necessary consequence infer the belief of his whole doctrine . that god raised him from the dead , after he was condemned and put to death for calling himself the son of god , is a demonstration that he really was the son of god ; and if he was the son of god , the doctrine which he taught was true , and from god. and thus i have shewn you , how the resurrection of christ from the dead , is a powerful demonstration that he was the son of god. all that remains , is briefly to draw some practical inferences from the consideration of our saviour's resurrection . st . to confirm and establish our minds in the belief of the christian religion , of which the resurrection of christ from the dead is so great a confirmation . and therefore i told you that this one article is mentioned by st. paul as the sum and abridgment of the christian faith ; if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord jesus christ , and believe in thy heart that god hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved . the belief of our saviour's resurrection doth by necessary consequence infer the belief of his whole doctrine ; for he who believes that god raised him from the dead , after he was put to death for calling himself the son of god , cannot but believe him to be the son of god ; and consequently that the doctrine which he delivered was from god. dly . the resurrection of christ from the dead assures us of a future judgment , and of the recompences and rewards of another world. that christ was raised from the dead , is a demonstration of another life after this ; and no man that believes the immortality of our souls , and another life after this , ever doubted of a future judgment ; so that by the resurrection of christ from the dead , god hath given assurance unto all men of a future judgment , and consequently of the recompences and rewards of another world. the consideration whereof ought to have a mighty influence upon us , more especially to these three purposes . st . to raise our minds above the present enjoyments of this life . were but men convinced of this great and obvious truth , that there is an infinite difference between time and eternity , between a few days and everlasting ages ; would we but sometimes represent to our selves , what thoughts and apprehensions dying men have of this world , how vain and empty a thing it appears to them , how like a pageant and shadow it looks , as it passeth away from them ; methinks none of these things could be a sufficient temptation to any man to forget god and his soul ; but notwithstanding all the present delights and allurements of sense , we should be strongly intent upon the concernments of another world , and almost wholly taken up with the thoughts of the vast eternity which we are ready to enter into . for what is there in this world , this vast and howling wilderness , this rude and barbarous country which we are but to pass through , which should detain and entangle our affections , and take off our thoughts from our everlasting habitation , from that better , and that heavenly country , where we hope to live and to be happy for ever ? dly . the consideration of the rewards of another world should comfort and support us under the troubles and afflictions of this world. the hopes of a blessed resurrection are a very proper consideration to bear us up under the evils and pressures of this life . if we hope for so great a happiness hereafter , we may be contented to bear some afflictions in this world ; because the blessedness which we expect will so abundantly recompence and outweigh our present sufferings . so the apostle assures us , rom. . . we know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us . the consideration whereof was that which made the primitive christians to triumph in their sufferings , and in the midst of all their tribulations to rejoice in the hopes of the glory of god ; because their sufferings did really prepare and make way for their glory . so the same apostle tells us , cor. . , . our light afflictions which are but for a moment , work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; whilst we look not at the things which are seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal , but the things which are not seen are eternal . dly , and lastly , the assurance of our future reward is a mighty encouragement to obedience and a holy life . what greater encouragement can we have than this , that all the good which we do in this world will accompany us into the other ? that when we rest from our labours , our works will follow us ? that when we shall be stript of other things , and parted from them , these will still remain with us , and bear us company ? our riches and honours , our sensual pleasures and enjoyments will all take their leave of us , when we leave this world ; nay many times they do not accompany us so far as the grave , but take occasion to forsake us , when we have the greatest need and use of them : but piety and virtue are that better part which cannot be taken from us . all the good actions which we do in this world will go along with us into the other , and through the merits of our redeemer procure for us , at the hands of a gracious and merciful god , a glorious and eternal reward ; not according to the meanness of our services , but according to the bounty of his mind , and the vastness of his treasures and estate . now what an encouragement is this to holiness and obedience , to consider that it will all be our own another day ; to be assured that whoever serves god faithfully , and does suffer for him patiently , does lay up so much treasure for himself in another world , and provides lasting comforts for himself , and faithful and constant companions , that will never leave him nor forsake him ? let us then do all the good we can , while we have opportunity , and serve god with all our might , knowing that no good action that we do shall be lost and fall to the ground , that every grace and virtue that we exercise in this life , and every degree of them , shall receive their full recompence at the resurrection of the just . how should this inspire us with resolution and zeal and industry in the service of god , to have such a reward continually in our eye ? how should it tempt us to our duty , to have a crown and a kingdom offered to us , joys unspeakable and full of glory , such things as eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor have entred into the heart of man ? and such are the things which god hath laid up for them who love him heartily , and serve him faithfully in this world. sermon v. the danger of apostacy from christianity . heb. vi. , , . for it is impossible for those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy ghost , and have tasted the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come ; if they shall fall away , to renew them again unto repentance : seeing they crucify to themselves the son of god afresh , and put him to an open shame . these words are full of difficulties , and the misunderstanding of them hath not only been an occasion of a great deal of trouble , and even despair to particular persons , but one of the chief reasons why the church of rome did for a long time reject the authority of this book ; which by the way i cannot but take notice of as a demonstrative instance both of the fallible judgment of that church , and of the fallibility of oral tradition ▪ for st. jerom more than once expresly tells us , that in his time ( which was about years after christ ) the church of rome did not receive this epistle for canonical : but it is plain , that since that time , whether moved by the evidence of the thing , or ( which is more probable ) by the consent and authority of other churches , they have received it , and do at this day acknowledge it for canonical ; from whence one of these two things will necessarily follow ; either that they were in an error for years together while they rejected it ; or that they have since erred for a longer time in receiving it . one of these is unavoidable ; for if the book be canonical now , it was so from the beginning ; for bellarmine himself confesseth ( and if he had not confessed it , it is nevertheless true and certain ) that the church cannot make a book canonical , which was not so before ; if it was not canonical at first , it cannot be made so afterward ; so that let them chuse which part they will , it is evident , beyond all denial , that the church of rome hath actually erred in her judgment concerning the authority of this book ; and one error of this kind is enough to destroy her infallibility , there being no greater evidence that a church is not infallible , than if it plainly appear that she hath been deceived . and this also is a convincing instance of the fallibility of oral tradition . for if that be infallible in delivering down to us the canonical books of scripture , it necessarily follows , that whatever books were delivered down to us for canonical in one age , must have been so in all ages ; and whatever was rejected in any age , must always have been rejected : but we plainly see the contrary , from the instance of this epistle , concerning which the church of rome ( which pretends to be the great and faithful preserver of tradition ) hath in several ages deliver'd several things . this is a peremptory instance both of the fallibility of the roman church , and of her oral tradition . having observed this by the way , which i could not well pass by upon so fair an occasion , i shall betake my self to the explication of these words ; towards which it will be no small advantage to consider the particular phrases and expressions in the text. it is impossible for those who were once enlightned ; that is , were solemnly admitted into the church by baptism , and embraced the profession of christianity . nothing was more frequent among the ancients , than to call baptism , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illumination ; and those who were baptized were called , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , enlightned persons , because of that divine illumination which was convey'd to the minds of men by the knowledge of christianity , the doctrine whereof they made profession of at their baptism . and therefore justin martyr tells us , that by calling upon god the father , and the name of our lord jesus christ , and the name of the holy ghost , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the enlightned person is washed ; and again more expresly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this laver ( speaking of baptism ) is called illumination . and st. cyprian gives us the reason ; because by virtue of baptism in expiatum pectus ac purum desuper se lumen infundit , light is infused from above into the purified soul. and that this expression is so to be understood here in the text , as also chap. . . the syriac and ethiopic give us good ground to believe ; for they render the text thus , it is impossible for those who have been once baptized , and have tasted of the heavenly gift . and at the th . chap. v. . which we translate , but call to remembrance the former days , in which after ye were illuminated , ye endured a great fight of afflictions ; that is , call to mind the former days , in which after by baptism ye had publickly embraced the profession of christianity , ye were upon that account exposed to many grievous sufferings and persecutions . so that i think there can be no great doubt , but , by those that were once enlightned , the apostle means those that were baptized . to proceed then , for it is impossible for those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy ghost ; these two expressions seem to denote the spiritual benefits and graces of the holy ghost conferred upon christians by baptism ; particularly regeneration , which is the proper work of the holy ghost , and justification and remission of sins . so we find faith , whereby we are justified , called the gift of god , eph. . . faith is the gift of god ; and our justification is called a gift , and a free gift , five several times in one chapter , rom. . , , , . but not as the offence , so also is the free gift ; for if through the offence of one many be dead , much more the grace of god , and the gift by grace , which is by one man jesus christ , hath abounded unto many ; and what this free gift is , he tells us in the next words , viz. justification , or remission of sins , v. . and not as it was by one that sinned , so is the gift ; for the judgment was by one to condemnation ; but the free gift is of many offences unto justification . for if by one man's offence , death reigned by one , much more they which receive abundance of grace , and of the gift of righteousness , shall reign in life by one , jesus christ . therefore as by the offence of one , judgment came upon all men to condemnation : even so by the righteousness of one , the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life . so that by the heavenly gift , i understand remission of sins ; and by being made partakers of the holy ghost , the sanctifying power and efficacy of god's spirit . and have tasted the good word of god ; that is , entertained the gospel , which is here called the good word of god ; by reason of the gracious promises contained in it , particularly the promises of eternal life and happiness . and the powers of the world to come , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the powers of the gospel age ; that is , the miraculous powers of the holy ghost which were bestowed upon men , in order to the propagation of the gospel . and that this is the true meaning of this phrase , will i think be very plain to any one who shall but consider , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is generally in scripture used for miraculous powers and operations ; and particularly to express the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost , which were bestowed upon the apostles and first christians ; ( i need not cite the particular texts for the proof of this , they are so many and so well known ; ) and then if we consider farther , that the times of the gospel , the days of the messias , are frequently called by the jews seculum futurum , the age to come . and indeed this is the very phrase used by the lxx concerning our saviour , isa . . . where he is called , according to our translation , the everlasting father , but according to that of the lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the farher of the future age. and this very phrase is used once more in this epistle to the heb. ch . . . for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come , whereof we now speak . he had said before , that the law was given by angels , v. . if the word spoken by angels was stedfast ; but the dispensation of the gospel , which he calls the world to come , or the future age , was not committed to them , this was administred by the son of god ; vnto the angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come . and 't is observable , that this phrase is only used in this epistle to the hebrews , because the jews very well understood the meaning of it , being that whereby they commonly exprest the times of the gospel according to that ancient tradition of the house of elias , which distributed the duration of the world into three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or ages ; the age before the law , the age under the law , and the age of the messias , which they called the seculum futurum , or the age to come ; and which is likewise in scripture called , the last days , or times , and the conclusion of the ages ; concerning which , it was particularly prophesied , that the holy ghost should be poured forth upon men in miraculous gifts and powers . and to this very purpose the prophet joel is cited by st. peter , acts . , . this is that which was spoken by the prophet joel , and it shall come to pass in the last days , ( saith god ) i will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh ; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie , &c. from all which it is very evident , that by tasting the powers of the world to come , is meant being partakers of the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost , which were poured forth in the gospel age , by the jews commonly called , the world to come . if they shall fall away ; that is , if after all this they shall apostatize from this profession , out of love to this present world , or from the fear of persecutions and sufferings . it is impossible to renew them again to repentance ; that is , it is a thing very difficult , hardly to be hoped for , that such wilful and notorious apostates should be restored again by repentance . for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we translate impossible , is not always to be taken in the strictest sense , for that which absolutely cannot be ; but many times for that which is so very difficult that it seems next to an impossibility . so our saviour , that which in one place he calls exceeding hard , viz. for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven , he afterwards calls impossible with men ; and so here i understand the apostle , that those who apostatize from christianity , after baptism and the benefits of it , 't is exceeding hard to recover them again to repentance : this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to renew them again to repentance , some understand of restoring them again to the peace and communion of the church , by a course of penance , such as was prescribed in the ancient church to great offenders ; and then they understand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not a natural , but a moral impossibility ; that which cannot be done according to the orders and constitutions of the church ; that is , the church did refuse to admit apostates , and some other great offenders , as murderers and adulterers , to a course of penance , in order to their reconciliation with the church ; this tertullian tells us was the strictness of the church in his time , neque idololatriae , neque sanguini pax ab ecclesiâ redditur ; they admitted neither idolaters , nor murderers to the reconciliation of the church . though they were never so penitent , and shed never so many tears , yet he says they were jejunae pacis lacrimae , their tears were in vain , to reconcile them to the peace and communion of the church . he says indeed , they did not absolutely pronounce their case desperate in respect of god's pardon and forgiveness ; sed de veniâ deo reservamus , for that they referr'd them to god : but they were never to be admitted again into the church ; so strict were many churches , and that upon the authority of this text ; though the church of rome was more moderate in this matter , and for that reason call'd the authority of this book into question . but i see no reason why these words should primarily be understood of restoring men to the communion of the church by penance : but they seem to be meant of restoring men to the favour of god by repentance ; of which indeed their being restored to the communion of the church was a good sign . this the apostle says was very difficult , for those who after baptism , and the several benefits of it , did apostatize from christianity , to be recover'd again to repentance . seeing they crucifie to themselves the son of god afresh , and put him to an open shame . this is spoken by way of aggravation of the crime of apostacy , that they who fall off from christianity , in effect and by interpretation do crucifie the son of god over again , and expose him to shame and reproach , as the jews did ; for by denying and renouncing of him , they declare him to be an impostor , and consequently worthy of that death which he suffered , and that ignominy which he was exposed to ; and therefore , in account of god , they are said to do that , which by their actions they do approve ; so that it is made a crime of the highest nature , as if they should crucifie the son of god , and use him in the most ignominious manner , even tread under foot the son of god , as the expression is to the same purpose , ch. . . thus i have endeavour'd , as briefly and clearly as i could , to explain to you the true meaning and importance of the several phrases and expressions in the text ; the sense whereof amounts to this , that if those who are baptized , and by baptism have received remission of sins , and do believe the doctrine of the gospel , and the promises of it , and are endow'd with the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost , if such persons as these shall after all this apostatize from christianity , it is very hard , and next to an impossibility , to imagine how such persons should recover again by repentance , seeing they are guilty of as great a crime , as if in their own persons they had put to death and ignominously used the son of god ; because by rejecting of him , they declare to the world that he suffered deservedly . having thus explained the words , in order to the further vindication of them , from the mistakes and misapprehensions which have been about them , i shall endeavour to make out these five things . st , that the sin here mention'd is not the sin against the holy ghost . dly , that the apostle does not declare it to be absolutely impossible , but only that those who are guilty of it are recover'd to repentance with great difficulty . dly , that it is not a partial apostacy from the christian religion by any particular vicious practice . thly , that it is a total apostacy from the christian religion , and more especially to the heathen idolatry , which the apostle here speaks of . thly , the reason of the difficulty of the recovery of those who fall into this sin. st , that the sin here mention'd is not the sin against the holy ghost , which i have heretofore discoursed of , and shewn wherein the particular nature of it does consist . there are three things which do remarkably distingush the sin here spoken of in the text , from the sin against the holy ghost described by our saviour . st , the persons that are guilty of this sin here in the text , are evidently such as had embraced christianity , and had taken upon them the profession of it : whereas those whom our saviour chargeth with the sin against the holy ghost , are such as constantly opposed his doctrine , and resisted the evidence he offer'd for it . dly , the particular nature of the sin against the holy ghost consisted in blaspheming the spirit , whereby our saviour wrought his miracles , and saying he did not do those things by the spirit of god , but by the assistance of the devil ; in that malicious and unreasonable imputing of the plain effects of the holy ghost to the power of the devil , and consequently in an obstinate refusal to be convinced by the miracles that he wrought : but here is nothing of all this so much as intimated by the apostle in this place . dly , the sin against the holy ghost is declared to be absolutely unpardonable , both in this world , and in that which is to come . but this is not declared to be absolutely unpardonable ; which brings me to the d , thing , namely , that this sin here spoken of by the apostle , is not said to be absolutely unpardonable . it is not the sin against the holy ghost ; and whatever else it be , it is not out of the compass of god's pardon and forgiveness . so our saviour hath told us , that all manner of sin whatsoever that men have committed is capable of pardon , excepting only the sin against the holy ghost . and though the apostle here uses a very severe expression , that if such persons fall away , it is impossible to renew them again to repentance ; yet i have shewn that there is no necessity of understanding this phrase in the strictest sense of the word impossible ; but as it is elsewhere used , for that which is extreamly difficult . nor indeed will our saviour's dclaration , which i mention'd before , that all sins whatsoever are pardonable , except the sin against the holy ghost , suffer us to understand these words in the most rigorous sense . dly , the sin here spoken of , is not a partial apostacy from the christian religion by any particular vicious practice . whosoever lives in the habitual practice of any sin plainly forbidden by the christian law , may be said so far to have apostatized from christianity : but this is not the falling away which the apostle here speaks of . this may be bad enough , and the greater sins any man who professeth himself a christian lives in , the more notoriously he contradicts his profession , and falls off from christianity , and the nearer he approacheth to the sin in the text , and the danger there threatned : but yet for all that , this is not that which the apostle speaks of . thly , but it is a total apostacy from the christian religion , more especially to the heathen idolatry , the renouncing of the true god , and our saviour , and the worship of false gods , which the apostle here speaks of . and this will be evident , if we consider the occasion and main scope of this epistle . and that was to confirm the jews , who had newly embraced christianity , in the profession of that religion ; and to keep them from apostatizing from it , because of the persecutions and sufferings which attended that profession . it pleased god , when christianity first appeared in the world , to permit the powers of the world to raise a vehement persecution against the professors of it , by reason whereof many out of base fear did apostatize from it , and in testimony of their renouncing it , were forced to sacrifice to the heathen idols . this is that which the apostle endeavours to caution and arm men against throughout this epistle . ch. . . therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard , lest at any time we should fall away : and , chap. . . it is call'd an evil heart of vnbelief to apostatize from the living god. take heed , brethren , lest there be in any of you an evil heart of vnbelief to depart from the living god ; that is , to fall from the worship of the true god to idolatry . and , chap. . . let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering , not forsaking the assembling of our selves together ; that is , not declining the assemblies of christians , for fear of persecution ; and , v. . it is call'd a sinning wilfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth ; and , v. . a drawing back to perdition . and , ch. . it is call'd by way of eminency , the sin which so easily besets ; the sin , which in those times of persecution , they were so liable to . and i doubt not but this is the sin which st. john speaks of , and calls the sin unto death , and does not require christians to pray for those who fall into it , with any assurance that it shall be forgiven ; john . . there is a sin unto death ; i do not say that he shall pray for it . all vnrighteousness is sin , and there is a sin not unto death . we know that whosoever is born of god , sinneth not ; that is , does not fall into the sin of apostacy from christianity to that of the heathen idolatry : but he that is begotten of god , keepeth himself , and that wicked one toucheth him not . and then , v. . he adds this caution , little children keep your selves from idols . which sufficiently shews , what that sin was which he was speaking of before . so that this being the sin which the apostle design'd to caution men against throughout this epistle , it is very evident what falling away it is he here speaks of , namely , a total apostacy from christianity , and more especially to the heathen idolatry . thly , we will consider the reason of the difficulty of recovering such persons by repentance . if they fall away , it is extremely difficult to renew them again to repentance ; and that for these three reasons . . because of the greatness and heinousness of the sin. . because it renounceth , and casteth off the means of recovery . . because it is so high a provocation of god to withdraw his grace from such persons . . because of the greatness and heinousness of the sin , both in the nature and circumstances of it . it is a downright apostacy from god , a direct renouncing of him , and rejecting of his truth , after men have owned it , and been inwardly perswaded and convinced of it ; and so the apostle expresseth it in this epistle , calling it an apostacy from the living god , a sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth . it hath all the aggravations that a crime is capable of , being against the clearest light and knowledge , and the fullest conviction of a man's mind , concerning the truth and goodness of that religion which he renounceth ; against the greatest obligations laid upon him by the grace and mercy of the gospel ; after the free pardon of sins , and the grace and assistance of god's spirit received , and a miraculous power conferr'd for a witness and testimony to themselves , of the undoubted truth of that religion which they have embraced . it is the highest affront to the son of god , who revealed this religion to the world , and sealed it with his blood ; and , in effect , an expression of as high malice to the author of this religion , as the jews were guilty of , when they put him to so cruel and shameful a death . now a sin of this heinous nature is apt naturally either to plunge men into hardness and impenitency , or to drive them to despair ; and either of these conditions are effectual barrs to their recovery . and both these dangers the apostle warns men of in this epistle . ch. . , . take heed , brethren , lest there be in any of you an evil heart of vnbelief , to apostatize from the living god : but exhort one another daily , whilst it is call'd to day , lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin. or else the reflection upon so horrid a crime is apt to drive a man to despair ; as it did judas , who , after he had betray'd the son of god , could find no ease but by making away himself ; the guilt of so great a sin fill'd him with such terrors , that he was glad to flye to death for refuge , and to lay violent hands upon himself . and this likewise was the case of spira , whose apostacy , though it was not total from the christian religion , but only from the purity and reformation of it , brought him to that desperation of mind which was a kind of hell upon earth . and of this danger likewise the apostle admonisheth , ch. . . looking diligently , lest any man fail of the grace of god ( or as it is in the margine , lest any man fall from the grace of god ) lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you ; and then he compares the case of such persons to esau , who , when he had renounced his birth-right , to which the blessing was annex'd , was afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing , rejected , and found no place of repentance , though he sought it carefully with tears . dly . those who are guilty of this sin , do renounce and cast off the means of their recovery ; and therefore it becomes extremely difficult to renew them again to repentance . they reject the gospel , which affords the best arguments and means to repentance , and renounce the only way of pardon and forgiveness . and certainly that man is in a very sad and desperate condition , the very nature of whose disease is to reject the remedy that should cure him . and this , the apostle tells us , was the condition of those who apostatized from the gospel , chap. . , . for if we sin wilfully , after we have received the knowledge of the truth , there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin ; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment , and fiery indignation , which shall devour the adversary . the great sacrifice and propitiation for sin was the son of god ; and they who renounce him , what way of expiation can they hope for afterward ? what can they expect , but to fall into his hands as a judge , whom they have rejected as a sacrifice and a saviour ? and then , dly , those who are guilty of this sin , provoke god in the highest manner to withdraw his grace and holy spirit from them , by the power and efficacy whereof they should be brought to repentance ; so that it can hardly otherwise be expected , but that god should leave those to themselves , who have so unworthily forsaken him ; and wholly withdraw his grace and spirit from such persons , as have so notoriously offer'd despite to the spirit of grace . i do not say that god always does this , he is sometimes better to such persons than they have deserved from him , and saves those who have done what they can to undo themselves , and mercifully puts forth his hand to recover them who were drawing back to perdition ; especially if they were suddenly surprized by the violence of temptation , and yielded to it , not deliberately and out of choice , but merely through weakness and infirmity , and so soon as they reflected upon themselves , did return and repent : this was the case of st. peter , who being surprized with a sudden fear denied christ ; but being admonish'd of his sin by the signal which our saviour had given him , he was recovered by a speedy and hearty repentance . and so likewise several of the primitive christians , who were at first overcome by fear to renounce their religion , did afterwards recover themselves , and died resolute martyrs : but it is a very dangerous state , out of which but few recover , and with great difficulty . and thus i have done with the five things i propounded to make out , for the clearing of this text from the mistakes and misapprehensions which have been about it . i shall now draw some useful inferences from hence by way of application , that we may see how far this doth concern our selves , and they shall be these . st . from the supposition here in the text , that such persons as are there described ( namely , those who have been baptized , and by baptism have received remission of sins , and did firmly believe the gospel , and the promises of it , and were endowed with miraculous gifts of the holy ghost ) that these may fall away ; this should caution us all against confidence and security ; when those that have gone thus far may fall , let him that standeth take heed . some are of opinion , that those whom the apostle here describes are true and sincere christians , and that when he says , it is impossible if they fall away , to renew them again to repentance , he means that they cannot fall away totally , so as to stand in need of being renewed again to repentance : but this is directly contrary to the apostle's design , which was to caution christians against apostacy , because if they did fall away , their recovery would be so exceeding difficult ; which argument does plainly suppose that they might fall away . on the other hand , there are others who think the persons , here described by the apostle , to be hypocritical christians , who for some base ends had entertained christianity , and put on the profession of it , but not being sincere and in good earnest , would forsake it when persecution came . but besides that this is contrary to the description which the apostle makes of these persons , who are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift , and to have been made partakers of the holy ghost ; by which if we understand justification and remission of sins , and the sanctifying virtue of the holy ghost , which in all probability is the meaning of these phrases , these are blessings which did not belong to hypocrites , and which god does not bestow upon them ; i say , besides this , there is no reason to imagine that the apostle intended such persons , when it is likely that there were very few hypocrites in those times of persecution ; for what should tempt men to dissemble christianity , when it was so dangerous a profession ? or what worldly ends could men have in taking that profession upon them , which was so directly contrary to their worldly interests ? so that upon the whole matter , i doubt not but the apostle here means those who are real in the profession of christianity , and that such might fall away . for we may easily imagine , that men might be convinced of the truth and goodness of the christian doctrine , and in good earnest embrace the profession of it , and yet not be so perfectly weaned from the world , and so firmly rooted and established in that persuasion , as when it came to the trial , to be able to quit all for it , and to bear up against all the terrors and assaults of persecution ; so that they might be real christians , and no hypocrites , though they were not so perfectly established and confirmed , and so sincerely resolved as many others . they were not like st. paul , and those tried persons whom he speaks of , rom. . , . who shall separate us from the love of christ ? shall tribulation , or distress , or persecution , or famine , or nakedness , or peril , or sword ? nay , in all these things we are more than conquerors . ( they had been tried by all these , and yet had held out ) upon which he breaks out into those triumphant expressions ; i am persuaded , that neither death , nor life , nor angels , nor principalities , nor powers , nor things present , nor things to come , nor height , nor depth , nor any other creature , shall be able to separate us from the love of god , which is in christ jesus our lord. they might not ( i say ) be like those : and yet for all that be real in their profession of christianity , and no hypocrites . in short , i take them to be such as our saviour describes him to be , who received the seed into stony places , namely , he that heareth the word , and anon with joy receiveth it : yet hath he not root in himself , but dureth for a while ; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word , by and by he is offended . this is no description of a hypocrite ; but of one that was real , as far as he went , ( for he is said to receive the word with joy ) but was not well rooted , and come to such a confirmed state , as resolutely to withstand the assaults of persecution . so that tho' we have truly embraced christianity , and are in a good degree sincere in the profession of it , yet there is great reason why we should neither be secure nor confident in our selves . not secure , because there is great danger that our resolution may be born down one time or other by the assaults of temptation , if we be not continually vigilant , and upon our guard. not confident in our selves ; because we stand by faith , and faith is the gift of god ; therefore as the apostle infers , we should not be high-minded , but fear . men may have gone a great way in christianity , and have been sincere in the profession of it ; and yet afterwards may apostatize in the foulest manner , not only fall off to a vicious life , but even desert the profession of their religion . i would to god the experience of the world did not give us too much reason to believe the possibility of this . when we see so many revolt from the profession of the reformed religion , to the corruptions and superstitions of rome ; and others from a religious and sober life , to plunge themselves into all kind of lewdness and debauchery , and it is to be feared , into atheism and infidelity ; can we doubt any longer whether it be possible for christians to fall away ? i wish we were as certain of the possibility of their recovery , as we are of their falling , and that we had as many examples of the one as of the other . let us then be very vigilant over our selves , and according to the apostle's exhortation , pet. . . seeing we know these things before , beware , lest we also being led away with the error of the wicked , fall from our own stedfastness . dly , this shews us how great an aggravation it is , for men to sin against the means of knowledge which the gospel affords , and the mercies which it offers unto them . that which aggravated the sin of these persons was , that after they were once enlightned , that is , at their baptism were instructed in the christian doctrine , the clearest and most perfect revelation that ever was made of god's will to mankind , that after they were justified freely by god's grace , and had received remission of sins , and had many other benefits conferred upon them ; that after all this , they should fall off from this holy religion . this was that which did so heighten and enflame their guilt , and made their case so near desperate . the two great aggravations of crimes are wilfulness and ingratitude ; if a crime be wilfully committed , and committed against one that hath obliged us by the greatest favours and benefits . now he commits a fault wilfully , who does it against the clear knowledge of his duty . ignorance excuseth ; for so far as a man is ignorant of the evil he does , so far the action is involuntary : but knowledge makes it to be a wilful fault . and this is a more peculiar aggravation of the sins of christians , because god hath afforded them the greatest means and opportunities of knowledge ; that revelation which god hath made of his will to the world by our blessed saviour , is the clearest light that ever mankind had , and the mercies which the gospel brings are the greatest that ever were offer'd to the sons of men ; the free pardon and remission of all our sins , and the assistance of god's grace and holy spirit , to help the weakness of our nature , and enable us to do what god requires of us . so that we who sin after baptism , after the knowledge of christianity , and those great blessings which the gospel bestows on mankind , are of all persons in the world the most inexcusable . the sins of heathens bear no proportion to ours , because they never enjoyed those means of knowledge , never had those blessings conferred upon them , which christians are partakers of ; so that we may apply to our selves those severe words of the apostle in this epistle , how shall we escape , if we neglect so great salvation ? hear how our saviour aggravates the faults of men upon this account , of the wilfulness of them , and their being committed against the express knowledge of god's will ; luke . , . the servant which knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes ; for unto whomsoever much is given , of him shall much be required ; and to whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . the means and mercies of the gospel are so many talents committed to our trust , of the neglect whereof a severe account will be taken at the day of judgment . if we be wilful offenders , there is no excuse for us , and little hopes of pardon . if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth , ( says the apostle in this epistle ) there remains no more sacrifice for sin . i know the apostle speaks this particularly of the sin of apostacy from christianity ; but it is in proportion true of all other sins , which those who have received the knowledge of the truth are guilty of . they , who after they have entertained christianity , and made some progress in it , and been in some measure reformed by it , do again relapse into any vicious course , do thereby render their condition very dangerous . so st. peter tells us , pet. . , . if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the lord and saviour jesus christ , they are again entangled therein , and overcome , the latter end is worse with them than the beginning . for it had been better for them , not to have known the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them . therefore we may do well to consider seriously what we do , when , under the means and opportunities of knowledge which the gospel , affords us , and the inestimable blessings and favours which it confers upon us , we live in any wicked and vicious course . our sins are not of a common rate , when they have so much of wilfulness and unworthiness in them . if men shall be severely punish'd for living against the light of nature ; what vengeance shall be poured on those who offend against the glorious light of the gospel ? this is the condemnation , that light is come , &c. dly , the consideration of what hath been said is matter of comfort to those , who upon every failing and infirmity are afraid they have committed the unpardonable sin , and that it is impossible for them to be restor'd by repentance . there are many who being of a dark and melancholy temper , are apt to represent things worse to themselves than there is reason for , and do many times fancy themselves guilty of great crimes , in the doing or neglecting of those things which in their nature are indifferent , and are apt to aggravate and blow up every little infirmity into an unpardonable sin. most men are apt to extenuate their sins , and not to be sensible enough of the evil and heinousness of them ; but it is the peculiar infelicity of melancholy persons , to look upon their faults as blacker and greater , than in truth they are ; and whatsoever they hear and read in scripture , that is spoken against the grossest and most enormous offenders , they apply to themselves ; and when they hear of the sin against the holy ghost , and the sin unto death , or read this text which i am now treating of , they presently conclude that they are guilty of these sins , and that this is a description of their case . whereas the sin against the holy ghost is of that nature , that probably none but those that saw our saviour's miracles are capable of committing it ; and excepting that , there is no sin whatsoever that is unpardonable . as for the sin unto death , and that here spoken of in the text , i have shewn that they are a total apostacy from the christian religion , more especially to the heathen idolatry ; which these persons i am speaking of , have no reason to imagine themselves guilty of . and though great and notorious crimes committed by christians , may come near to this , and it may be very hard for those who are guilty of them , to recover themselves again to repentance ; yet to be sure , for the common frailties and infirmities of human nature , there is an open way of pardon in the gospel , and they are many times forgiven to us upon a general repentance ; so that upon account of these , which is commonly the case of the persons i am speaking of , there is not the least ground of despair ; and though it be hard many times for such persons to receive comfort , yet it is easy to give it , and that upon sure grounds , and as clear evidence of scripture , as there is for any thing ; so that the first thing that such persons , who are so apt to judge thus hardly of themselves , are to be convinced of ( if possible ) is this , that they ought rather to trust the judgment of others concerning themselves , than their own imagination , which is so distemper'd , that it cannot make a true representation of things . i know that where melancholy does mightily prevail , it is hard to persuade people of this : but 'till they be persuaded of it , i am sure all the reason in the world will signify nothing to them . thly . this should make men afraid of great and presumptuous sins , which come near apostacy from christianity ; such as deliberate murder , adultery , gross fraud and oppression , or notorious and habitual intemperance . for what great difference is there , whether men renounce christianity ; or professing to believe it , do in their works deny it ? some of these sins which i have mention'd , particularly murder and adultery , were ranked in the same degree with apostacy , by the ancient church ; and so severe was the discipline of many churches , that persons guilty of these crimes , were never admitted to the peace and communion of the church again , whatever testimony , they gave of their repentance . i will not say but this was too rigorous ; but this shews how inconsistent with christianity these crimes , and others of the like degree of heinousness , were in those days thought to be . they did not indeed , as tertullian tells us , think such persons absolutely incapable of the mercy of god ; but after such a fall , so notorious a contradiction to their christian profession , they thought it unfit afterwards that they should ever be reckon'd in the number of christians . thly . it may be useful for us upon this occasion to reflect a liltle upon the ancient discipline of the church , which in some places ( as i have told you ) was so severe , as in case of some great crimes after baptism , as apostacy to the heathen idolatry , murder , and adultery , never to admit those that were guilty of them , to the peace and communion of the church ; but in all churches was so strict , as not to admit those who fell after baptism into great and notorious crimes , to reconciliation with the church , but after a long and tedious course of penance , after the greatest and most publick testimonies of sorrow and repentance , after long fasting and tears , and the greatest signs of humiliation that can be imagined . in case of the greatest offences they were seldom reconciled , till they came to lye upon their death-beds : and in case of other scandalous sins , not 'till after the humiliation of many years this perhaps may be thought too great severity ; but i am sure we are as much too remiss now , as they were over rigorous then : but were the ancient discipline of the church in any degree put in practice now , what case would the generality of christians be in ? in what herds and shoals would men be driven out of the communion of the church ? 't is true , the prodigious degeneracy and corruption of christians hath long since broke these bounds , and 't is morally impossible to revive the strictness of the ancient discipline in any measure , till the world grow better : but yet we ought to reflect , with shame and confusion of face , upon the purer ages of the church , and sadly to consider , how few among us would in those days have been accounted christians ; and upon this consideration to be provoked to an emulation of those better times , and to a reformation of those faults and miscarriages , which in the best days of christianity were reckon'd inconsistent with the christian profession ; and to remember that though the discipline of the church be not now the same it was then , yet the judgment and severity of god is ; and that those who live in any vicious course of life , though they continue in the communion of the church , yet they shall be shut out of the kingdom of god. we are sure that the judgment of god will be according to truth , against them which commit such things , thly , and lastly , the consideration of what hath been said , should confirm and establish us in the profession of our holy religion . 't is true , we are not now in danger of apostatizing from christianity to the heathen idolatry ; but we have too many sad examples of those who apostatize from the profession of the gospel , which they have taken upon them in baptism , to atheism and infidelity , to all manner of impiety and lewdness . there are many who daily fall off from the profession of the reformed religion , to the gross errors and superstitions of the roman church , which in many things does too nearly resemble the old pagan idolatry . and what the apostle here says of the apostates of his time , is proportionably true of those of our days , that they who thus fall away , it is extremely difficult to renew them again to repentance . and it ought to be remembred , that the guilt of this kind of apostacy hath driven some to despair ; as in the case of spira , who , for resisting the light and convictions of his mind , was cast into those agonies , and fill'd with such terrors , as if the very pains of hell had taken hold on him ; and in that fearful despair , and in the midst of those horrors , he breathed out his soul. let us then hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; and let us take heed how we contradict the profession of our faith , by any impiety and wickedness in our lives ; remembring that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. i will conclude with the words of the apostle immediately after the text , the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it , and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed , receiveth blessing from god. but that which beareth thorns and briars , is rejected , and is nigh unto cursing , whose end is to be burned . and how gladly would i add the next words ! but , beloved , we are perswaded better things of you , and things that accompany salvation , though we thus speak . sermon vi. christ the author , and obedience the condition of salvation . heb. v. . and being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him . this is spoken of christ , our great high priest under the gospel ; upon the excellency of whose person , and the efficacy of his sacrifice for the eternal benefit and salvation of mankind , the apostle insists so largely in this , and the following chapters ; but the summ of all is briefly comprehended in the text , that our high priest being made perfect , became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him . in which words we have these four things considerable . st , the great blessing and benefit here spoken of , and that is eternal salvation ; and this implies in it , not only our deliverance from hell , and redemption from eternal misery ; but the obtaining of eternal life and happiness for us . dly , the author of this great blessing and benefit to mankind ; and that is jesus christ the son of god , who is here represented to us under the notion of our high priest , who , by making atonement for us , and reconciling us to god , is said to be the author of eternal salvation to mankind . dly , the way and means whereby he became the author of our salvation ; being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation . the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , having consummated his work , and finish'd his course , and receiv'd the reward of it . for this word hath an allusion to those that run in a race , where he that wins receives the crown . and to this the apostle plainly alludes , phil. . . where he says , not as though i had already attained , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not as if i had already taken hold of the prize ; but i am pressing , or reaching forward towards it ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or were already perfect ; that is , not as if i had finish'd my course , or had the prize or crown in my hand ; but i am pressing forward towards it . in like manner , our blessed saviour , when he had finish'd the course of his humiliation and obedience , which was accomplish'd in his sufferings , and had receiv'd the reward of them , being risen from the dead , and exalted to the right hand of god , and crown'd with glory and honour , he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made perfect ; and therefore when he was giving up the ghost upon the cross , he said , john . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is finish'd , or perfected ; that is , he had done all that was necessary to be done , by way of suffering , for our redemption . and the same word is likewise used luke . . concernining our saviour's sufferings , i do cures to day and to morrow , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the third day i shall be perfected ; this he spake concerning his own death . and therefore , ch. . . god is said to make the captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and thus our high priest being made perfect in this sense , that is , having finish'd his course , which was accomplished in his sufferings , and having received the reward of them , in being exalted at the right hand of god , he became the author of eternal salvation to us . thly , you have here the qualification of the persons , who are made partakers of this great benefit , or the condition upon which it is suspended , and that is obedience ; he became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him . these are the main things contained in the text. for the fuller explication whereof , i shall take into consideration these five things . st . how , and by what means christ is the author of our salvation . dly , what obedience the gospel requires as a condition , and is pleased to accept as a qualification , in those who hope for eternal salvation . dly , we will consider the possibility of performing this condition , by that grace and assistance which is offer'd , and ready to be afforded to us by the gospel . thly , the necessity of this obedience , in order to eternal life and happiness . and thly , i shall shew that this is no prejudice to the law of faith , and the free grace and mercy of god , declared in the gospel . st , we will consider how , and by what means christ is the author of our salvation ; and this is contain'd in these words , being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation , that is ( as i told you before ) having finish'd his course which was accomplish'd in his last sufferings ; and having received the reward of them , being exalted at the right hand of god , he became the author of eternal salvation to us ; so that by all that he did , and suffer'd for us , in the days of his flesh , and in the state of his humiliation , and by all that he still continues to do for us , now that he is in heaven at the right hand of god ; he hath effected and brought about the great work of our salvation . his doctrine and his life , his death and sufferings , his resurrection from the dead , and his powerful intercession for us at the right hand of god , have all a great influence upon the reforming and saving of mankind ; and by all these ways and means , he is the author and cause of our salvation ; as a rule , and as a pattern , as a price and propitiation , and as a patron and advocate that is continually pleading our cause , and interceding with god on our behalf , for mercy and grace to help in time of need . and indeed our condition requir'd an high priest who was qualified in all these respects , for the recovery of mankind out of that corrupt and degenerate state into which it was sunk ; an high priest whose lips should preserve knowledge , and from whose mouth we might learn the law of god ; whose life should be a perfect pattern of holiness to us , and his death a propitiation for the sins of the whole world ; and by whose grace and assistance , we should be endowed with power and strength to mortifie our lusts , and to perfect holiness in the fear of god ; and therefore such an high prist became us , who was holy , harmless , undefiled , and separate from sinners , who might have compassion on the ignorant , and them that are out of the way , and being himself compast with infirmities , might have the feeling of ours , being in all points tempted as we are , only without sin ; and , in a word , might be able to save to the utmost all those that come to god by him , seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us . by these qualifications our high priest is described in this epistle ; and by these he is every way suited to all our defects and infirmities , all our wants and necessities ; to instruct our ignorance by his doctrine , and to lead us in the path of righteousness by his most holy and most exemplary life ; to expiate the guilt of our sins by his death ; and to procure grace and assistance for us , by his prevalent intercession on our behalf . by all these ways , and in all these respects , he is said to be the author of eternal salvation . st , by the holiness and purity of his doctrine , whereby we are perfectly instructed in the will of god and our duty , and powerfully excited and perswaded to the practice of it . the rules and directions of a holy life were very obscure before , and the motives and encouragements to virtue but weak and ineffectual , in comparison of what they are now render'd by the revelation of the gospel . the general corruption of mankind , and the vicious practice of the world , had in a great measure blurr'd and defac'd the natural law ; so that the heathen world , for many ages , had but a very dark and doubtful knowledge of their duty , especially as to several instances of it . the custom of several vices had so prevail'd among mankind , as almost quite to extinguish the natural sense of their evil and deformity . and the jews , who injoy'd a considerable degree of divine revelation , had no strict regard to the morality of their actions ; and contenting themselves with some kind of outward conformity to the bare letter of the ten commandments , were almost wholly taken up with little ceremonies and observances , in which they placed the main of their religion , almost wholly neglecting the greater duties and weightier matters of the law. and therefore our blessed saviour , to free mankind from these wandrings and uncertainties about the will of god , revealed the moral law , and explained the full force and meaning of it , clearing all doubts , and supplying all the defects of it , by a more particular and explicite declaration of the several parts of our duty , and by precepts of greater perfection , than the world was sufficiently acquainted withal before ; of greater humility and more universal charity ; of abstaining from revenge , and forgiving injuries , and returning to our enemies good for evil , and love for ill-will , and blessings and prayers for curses and persecutions . these virtues indeed were sometimes , and yet but very rarely , recommended before in the counsels of wise men ; but either not in that degree of perfection , or not under that degree of necessity , and as having the force of laws , and laying an universal obligation of indispensable duty upon all mankind . and as our blessed saviour hath given a greater clearness , and certainty , and perfection , to the rule of our duty , so he hath reveal'd , and brought into a clearer light , more powerful motives and encouragements to the constant and careful practice of it ; for life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel ; the resurrection of christ from the dead being a plain and convincing demonstration of the immortality of our souls , and another life after this , and an evidence to us both of his power , and of the fidelity of his promise , to raise us from the dead . not but that mankind had some obscure apprehensions of these things before . good men had always good hopes of another life and future rewards in another world ; and the worst of men were not without some fears of the judgment and vengeance of another world : but men had disputed themselves into great doubts and uncertainties about these things ; and as men that are in doubt , are almost indifferent which way they go ; so the uncertain apprehensions which men had of a future state , and of the rewards and punishments of another world , had but a very faint influence upon the minds of men , and wanted that pressing and determining force to virtue and a good life , which a firm belief and clear conviction of these things , would have infused into them . but now the light of the glorious gospel of christ hath scatter'd all these clouds , and chased away that gross darkness which hid the other world from our sight , and hath removed all doubts concerning the immortality of mens souls , and their future state ; and now the kingdom of heaven , with all its treasures of life , and happiness , and glory , lies open to our view , and hell is also naked before us , and destruction hath no covering . so that the hopes and fears of men are now perfectly awakened , and all sorts of considerations that may serve to quicken and encourage our obedience , and to deter and affright men from a wicked life , are exposed to the view of all men , and do stare every man's conscience in the face . and this is that which renders the gospel so admirable and powerful an instrument for the reforming of mankind , and , as the apostle calls it , the mighty power of god unto salvation ; because therein life and immortality are set before us , as the certain and glorious reward of our obedience ; and therein also the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men . so that considering the perfection of our rule , and the powerful enforcements of it upon the consciences of men , by the clear discovery and firm assurance of the eternal recompence of another world ; nothing can be imagined better suited to its end , than the doctrine of the gospel is to make men wise , and holy , and good , unto salvation ; both by instructing them perfectly in their duty , and urging them powerfully to the practice of it . dly , the example of our saviour's life is likewise another excellent means to this end. the law lays an obligation upon us ; but a pattern gives life and encouragement , and renders our duty more easie , and practicable , and familiar to us ; for here we see obedience to the divine law practiced in our own nature , and performed by a man like our selves , in all things like unto us , sin only excepted . 't is true indeed , this exception makes a great difference , and seems to take off very much from the encouraging force and virtue of this example . no wonder if he that was without sin , and was god as well as man , performed all righteousness ; and therefore , where is the encouragement of this example ? that our nature , pure and uncorrupted , supported and assisted by the divinity to which it was united , should be perfectly confomed to the law of god , as it is no strange thing , so neither doth it seem to have that force and encouragement in it , which an example more suited to our weakness might have had . but then this cannot be deny'd , that it hath the advantage of perfection , which a pattern ought to have , and to which , though we can never attain , yet we may always be aspiring towards it ; and certainly we cannot better learn , how god would have men to live , than by seeing how god himself lived , when he was pleased to assume our nature , and to become man. and then , we are to consider , that the son of god did not assume our nature in its highest glory and perfection , but compast with infirmities , and liable in all points to be tempted like as we are ; but still it was without sin ; and therefore god doth not exact from us perfect obedience , and that we should fulfil all righteousness , as he did ; he makes allowance for the corruption of our nature , and is pleased to accept of our sincere , though very imperfect obedience . but after all this , his humane nature was united to the divinity , and he had the spirit without measure ; and this would indeed make a wide difference between us and our pattern , as to the purpose of holiness and obedience , if we were destitute of that assistance which is neceessary to enable us to the discharge of our duty ; but this god offers , and is ready to afford to us , for he hath promised to give his holy spirit to them that ask him : and the spirit of him that raised up christ jesus from the dead dwells in all good men , who sincerely desire to do the will of god ; in the working out our salvation , god worketh in us both to will and to do . so that as to that obedience which the gospel requires of us , if we be not wanting to our selves ; if we do not receive the grace of god in vain , and quench and resist his blessed spirit , we may be as really assisted as the son of god himself was ; for , in this respect , all true and sincere christians are the sons of god ; so that st. paul tells us , rom. . . as many as are led by the spirit of god , they are the sons of god. so that if all things be duly consider'd , the life of our blessed saviour , as it is the most perfect , so in the main , it is a very proper pattern for our imitation , and could not have come nearer to us , without wanting that perfection which is necessary to a compleat and absolute pattern . the son of god condescended to every thing that might render him the most familiar and equal example to us , excepting that , which as it was impossible , so had been infinitely dishonourable to him , and would have spoil'd the perfection of his example ; he came as near to us as was fit or possible , being in all things like unto us , sin only excepted ; that is , abating that one thing , which he came to destroy and abolish , and which would have destroyed the very end of his coming ; for if he had not been without sin , he could neither have made an expiation for sin , nor have been a perfect pattern of holiness and obedience . and as the life of our blessed saviour had all the perfection that is requisite to an absolute pattern ( so that by considering his temper and spirit , and the actions of his life , we may reform all the vicious inclinations of our minds , and the exorbitances of our passions , and the errors and irregularities of our lives ) so it is a very powerful example , and of great force to oblige and provoke us to the imitation of it ; for it is the example of one whom we ought to reverence , and have reason to love , above any person in the world : the example of our prince and soveraign lord , of our best friend and greatest benefactor , of the high priest of our profession , and the captain of our salvation , of the author and finisher of our faith , of one who came down from heaven for our sakes , and was contented to assume our nature together with the infirmities of it , and to live in a low and mean condition , for no other reason but that he might have the opportunity to instruct and lead mankind in the way to life , to deliver us from sin and wrath , and to bring us to god and happiness . 't is the example of one who laid down his life for us , and sealed his love to us in his blood , and whilst we were enemies , did and suffer'd more for us , than ever any man did for his friend . and surely these considerations cannot but mightily recommend and endear to us this example of our lord and saviour . we are ambitious to imitate those whom we highly esteem and reverence , and are apt to have their examples in great veneration , from whom we have received great kindnesses and benefits , and are always endeavouring to be like those whom we love , and are apt to conform our selves to the will and pleasure of those from whom we have received great favours , and who are continually heaping great obligations upon us . so that whether we consider the excellency of our pattern , or the mighty endearments of it to us , by that infinite love and kindness which he hath exprest towards us , we have all the temptation , and all the provocation in the world , to endeavour to be like him ; for who would not gladly tread in the steps of the son of god , and of the best friend that the sons of men ever had ? who will not follow that example to which we stand indebted for the greatest blessings and benefits that ever were procured for mankind ? thus you see of what force and advantage the example of our blessed saviour is toward the recovery and salvation of mankind . dly , he is the author of eternal salvation , as he hath purchased it for us , by the merit of his obedience and sufferings , by which he hath obtained eternal redemption for us ; not only deliverance from the wrath to come , but eternal life and happiness , when by our sins we had justly incurred the wrath and displeasure of almighty god , and were liable to eternal death and misery . he was contented to be substituted a sacrifice for us , to bear our sins in his own body on the tree , and to expiate the guilt of all our offences by his own sufferings . he died for us , that is , not only for our benefit and advantage , but in our place and stead ; so that if he had not died we had eternally perish'd ; and because he died , we are saved from that eternal ruin and punishment , which was due to us for our sins . and this , tho' it be no where in scripture call'd by the name or term of satisfaction , yet , which is the same thing in effect , it is call'd the prize of our redemption ; for as we are sinners , we are liable and indebted to the justice of god , and our blessed saviour by his death and sufferings hath discharged this obligation ; which discharge , since it was obtained for us by the shedding of his precious blood , without which , the scripture expresly says , there had been no remission of sin , why it may not properly enough be called payment and satisfaction , i confess i cannot understand . not that god was angry with his son , for he was always well pleased with him ; or that our saviour suffer'd the very same which the sinner should have done in his own person , the proper pains and torments of the damned : but that his perfect obedience and grievous sufferings , undergone for our sakes , and upon our account , were of that value and esteem with god , and his voluntary sacrifice of himself in our stead , so highly acceptable and well pleasing to him , that he thereupon was pleased to enter into a covenant of grace and mercy with mankind ; wherein he hath promised and engaged himself to forgive the sins of all those who sincerely repent and believe , and to make them partakers of eternal life . and hence it is , that the blood of christ , which was shed for us upon the cross , is call'd the blood of the covenant ; as being the sanction of that new covenant of the gospel , into which god is entred with mankind ; and not only the confirmation , but the very foundation of it ; for which reason , the cup in the lord's supper ( which represents to us the blood of christ ) is call'd the new testament in his blood , which was shed for many for the remission of sins . thly , and lastly , christ is said to be the author of our salvation , in respect of his powerful and perpetual intercession for us at the right hand of god. and this seems to be more especially intimated and intended , in that expression here in the text , that being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him . which words of his being perfected , do , as i have shew'd before , more immediately refer to his sufferings , and the reward that followed them , his exaltation at the right hand of god , where he lives for ever to make intercession for us ? by which perpetual and most prevalent intercession of his , he procures all those benefits to be bestowed upon us , which he purchased for us by his death ; the forgiveness of our sins , and our acceptance with god , and perfect restitution to his favour , upon our faith and repentance , and the grace and assistance of god's holy spirit to inable us to a sincere discharge of our duty , to strengthen us against all the temptations of the world , the flesh , and the devil , to keep us from all evil , and to preserve us to his heavenly kingdom . and this is that which our apostle calls obtaining of mercy , and finding grace to help in time of need , ch . . v. . of this epist . our blessed saviour , now that he is advanced into heaven , and exalted on the right hand of the majesty on high , doth out of the tenderest affection and compassion to mankind , still prosecute that great and merciful design of our salvation which was begun by him here on earth , and in virtue of his meritorious obedience and sufferings does offer up our prayers to god , and as it were plead our cause with god , and represent to him all our wants and necessities , and obtain a favourable answer of our petitions put up to god in his name , and all necessary supplies of grace and strength , proportionable to our temptations and infirmities . and by virtue of this powerful intercession of our blessed saviour and redeemer , our sins are pardoned upon our sincere repentance , our prayers are graciously answered , our wants are abundantly supplied , and the grace and assistance of god's spirit are plentifully afforded to us , to excite us to our duty , to strengthen us in well doing , to comfort us in afflictions , to support us under the greatest tryals and sufferings , and to keep us through faith unto salvation . and for this reason , as the purchasing of our salvation is in scripture attributed to the death and sufferings of christ ; so the perfecting and finishing of it is ascribed to the prevalency of his intercession at the right hand of god for us . so the apostle tells us , ch . . v. . that he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to god by him ; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us . he dyed once to purchase salvation for us ; and that we may not fall short of it , but receive the full benefit of this purchase , he lives for ever to make intercession for us ; and thus he saves to the uttermost all those that come to god by him ; that is , he takes care of the whole business of our salvation from first to last . and now that he is in heaven , he is as intent to procure our welfare and happiness , and as tenderly concerned for us , as when he lived here among us upon earth , as when he hung upon the cross , and poured out his soul an offering for our sins ; for he appears at the right hand of god in our nature , that which he assumed for our sakes , which was made subject to , and sensible of our infirmities , and which was tempted in all things like as we are , only without sin ; and therefore he knows how to pity and succour them that are tempted ; and from the remembrance of his own sufferings , is prompted to a compassionate sense of ours , and never ceaseth in virtue of his blood , which was shed for us , to plead our cause with god , and to intercede powerfully on our behalf . so that the virtue and efficacy of christ's intercession on our behalf , is founded in the redemption , which he wrought for us , by his blood and sufferings ; which , being entred into heaven , he represents to god on our behalf . as the high priest under the law did enter into the holy place , with the blood of the sacrifices that had been offered , and in virtue of that blood , interceded for the people : so christ by his own blood entred into the holy place , having obtained eternal redemption for us ; as the apostle speaks , ch . . v. . he entred into the holy place , that is into heaven it self , to make intercession for us , as the apostle explains himself , v. . christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands ; but into heaven it self , to appear in the presence of god for us . and ch . . v. . speaking of christ's appearing for us at the right hand of god , this man ( says he ) after he had offer'd one sacrifice for sin for ever ( that is , a sacrifice of perpetual virtue and efficacy ) sat down at the right hand of god , that is to intercede for us in virtue of that sacrifice . from all which it appears that the virtue of christ's mediation and intercession for us in heaven , is founded in his sacrifice , and the price of our redemption which he paid on earth , in shedding his blood for us . from whence the apostle reasons , that there is but one mediator between god and men , by whom we are to address our prayers to god ; tim. . . there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , who gave himself a ransome for all . his mediation is founded in his ransome , or the price which he paid for our redemption . the apostle indeed does not say there is but one mediator between god and man in express words , but surely he means so ; if by saying there is one god , he means there is but one god ; for they are joined together , and the very same expression used concerning both ; there is one god , and one mediator between god and men : that is , there is but one god , and one mediator . but then , they of the church of rome endeavour to avoid this plain text , by distinguishing between a mediator of redemption , and a mediator of intercession : but now if christ's mediation , by way of intercession , be founded in the virtue of his redemption ; then if there be but one mediator of redemption , then there is but one mediator of intercession in heaven for us . there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus , who gave himself a ransome for all . so that the power and prevalency of his intercession is founded in his ransome , that is , the price of our redemption ; in virtue whereof alone he intercedes with god for us , as the apostle to the hebrews does most plainly assert . so that all other intercessors in heaven for us are excluded from offering and presenting our prayers to god , besides our high priest , who is at the right hand of god , and lives for ever , to make intercession for us , and by virtue of his intercession , is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to god by him , that is , who put up their prayers to god in the alone virtue of his mediation . so that as there is no need of any other , if his intercession be available to save to the uttermost : so there is great danger in applying to any other ( whether saint or angel , or even the blessed virgin ) if the benefit of his innercession be limited to those who come to god by him . and thus i have shewn by what means christ is the author of our salvation ; which was the first thing i propos'd to be consider'd . i proceed to the second thing i proposed to enquire into ; namely , what obedience the gospel requires as a condition , and is pleased to accept as a qualification in those who hope for eternal salvation . and this i shall explain , first negatively , and then positively . st , negatively ; it is not a mere outward profession of the christian religion , and owning of christ for our lord and law-giver , that will be accepted in this case . not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , ( saith our saviour ) shall enter into the kingdom of god. by which we may very reasonably understand , all that profession of religion , which falls short of obedience and a holy life ; as the profession of faith in christ , being baptized into his name and religion , the mere belief of his doctrine , and the ownig of him for our lord and saviour ; no , nor the external worship of him , and profession of subjection to him , by prayer and hearing his word , and communicating in the holy sacrament . no , though this be set off in the most glorious manner , by prophesying and working miracles in his name ; for so it follows in the next words , many shall say to me in that day . lord , lord , have we not prophesied in thy name , and in thy name have cast out devils , and in thy name have done many wondrous works ? we have eat and drank in thy presence , and have heard thee preach in our streets . but he tells us , that nothing of all this , without obedience to his laws , will be sufficient to gain us admission into heaven . dly , positively ; that which god requires as a condition , and will accept as a qualification in those who hope for eternal life , is faith in christ , and a sincere and universal obedience to the precepts of his holy gospel . not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of god : but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . and here in the text it is expresly said , that christ is the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to them that hearken to him ; that is , to them that do so hear and believe his gospel , as to obey it ; to them , and no other , he is the author of eternal salvation . and that we may the more clearly and distinctly understand what obedience it is , which the gospel exacts as an indispensable condition of eternal salvation , and a necessary qualification in all those who hope to be made partakers of it ; we may be pleased to consider , that there is a virtual and an actual obedience to the laws of god ; a perfect and a sincere obedience to them ; the explication of these terms , will give us a distinct conception of the thing we are speaking of . st , there is a virtual , and there is an actual obedience to the laws of god. by an actual obedience , i mean the practice and exercise of the several graces and virtues of christianity , and the course and tenor of a holy life ; when out of a good conversation men do shew forth their works , and by the outward actions of their lives , do give real testimony of their piety , justice , sobriety , humility , meekness , and charity , and all other christian graces and virtues , as occasion is ministred for the practise and exercise of them . by a virtual obedience , i mean a sincere belief of the gospel , of the holiness and equity of its precepts , of the truth of its promises , and of the terror of its threatnings , and a true repentance for all our sins . this is obedience in the root and principle ; for he who sincerely believes the gospel , and does truly repent of the errors and miscarriages of his life , is firmly resolved to obey the commandments of god , and to walk before him , in holiness and righteousness all the days of his life ; so that there is nothing that prevents or hinders this man's actual obedience to the laws of god , in the course of a holy and good life , but only the want of time and opportunity for it . and this was the case of those , who , upon the hearing of the gospel when it was first preached to them , did heartily embrace it , and turn from their sins , and the worship of idols , to the true and living god , but perhaps were cut off soon after ; ( as there were many , who being but newly gained to christianity , were presently put to death , and suffer'd martyrdom for that profession ; ) there is no doubt to be made , but that in this case , a virtual obedience was in such persons a sufficient qualification for eternal life . but where there is time and opportunity for the exercise of our obedience , and the practice of the virtues of a holy life , there actual obedience to the laws and precepts of the gospel , is necessary to qualify us for eternal happiness ; so that tho' a man do sincerely believe the gospel , and truly repent of his sins , and resolve upon a better life ; yet if he do not afterwards in the course of his life put this resolution in practice , and bring forth fruits meet for repentance , and amendment of life , and persevere in a holy course , his first resolution of obedience , though it were sincere , will not avail him to salvation . nay , if he should continue for some time in the resolution and practice of a holy and virtuous life , and afterwards fall off from it , and turn from the holy commandment deliver'd unto him , his latter end would be worse than his beginning ; all his righteousness that he hath done would not be remembred ; he should die in his iniquity . for without holiness no man shall see the lord. if any man draw back , god's soul will have no pleasure in him . this is so very clear and plain from scripture , that no man can entertain a contrary persuasion , without contradicting the whole tenor of the bible . the sum of what i have said is this , that a virtual obedience , and sincere faith and repentance are sufficient where there is no time and opportunity for actual obedience and the practice of a holy life : but where there is opportunity for actual obedience , and the continued practice of a good life , and perseverance therein ; they are indispensably necessary in order to our eternal salvation , and a well grounded hope and assurance of it . dly . there is a perfect , and there is a sincere obedience . perfect obedience consists in the exact conformity of our hearts and lives to the law of god , without the least imperfection , and without failing in any point or degree of our duty . and this obedience , as it is not consistent with the frailty and infirmity of corrupt nature , and the imperfection of our present state , so neither doth god require it of us as a necessary condition of eternal life . we are indeed commanded to be perfect , as our father which is in heaven is perfect : but we are not to understand this strictly and rigorously ; for that is not only impossible to men in this present state of imperfection , but absolutely impossible to human nature , for men to be perfect , as god is perfect : but the plain meaning of this precept is , that we should imitate those divine perfections of goodness , and mercy , and patience , and purity , and endeavour to be as like god in all these as we can , and be still aspiring after a nearer resemblance of him , as may be evident to any one who considers the connexion and occasion of these words . by a sincere obedience i mean such a conformity of our lives and actions to the law of god , as to the general course and tenor of them , that we do not live in the habitual practice of any known sin , or in the customary neglect of any material and considerable part of our known duty ; and that we be not wilfully and deliberately guilty of the single act of heinous and notorious sins , as i have formerly explained this matter more at large , in another discourse . and this obedience , even in the best of men , is mixt with great frailty and imperfection ; but yet because it is the utmost that we can do in this state of infirmity and imperfection , the terms of the gospel are so merciful and gracious , as that god is pleased for the sake of the meritorious obedience and sufferings of our blessed saviour , to accept this sincere , though imperfect obedience , and to reward it with eternal life . and this , i doubt not , after all the intricate disputes , and infinite controversies about this business , is the true and clear state of this matter . and this sincere obedience which the gospel requires of us , as a condition of our happiness , though it be sometimes called by divines , evangelical perfection ; yet it is but very improperly so called ; for nothing is properly perfect to which any thing is wanting ; and great defects and imperfections must needs be acknowledged in the obedience of the best and holiest men upon earth ; and they who pretend to perfection in this life , do neither understand the law of god , nor themselves , but ( as st. john says of such persons ) they deceive themselves , and the truth is not in them ; and besides other imperfections , these two are evident in them , ignorance and pride . and thus much may suffice to have spoken to this second particular , namely , what obedience the gospel requires as a condition , and is pleased to accept as a qualification for eternal life . sermon vii . the possibility and necessity of gospel-obedience , and its consistence with free grace . heb. v. . and being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him . for the explication of these words , i propos'd to consider these five things . st . how , and by what means christ is the author of our salvation . dly . what obedience the gospel requires as a condition , and is pleased to accept as a qualification , in those who hope for eternal salvation . dly . the possibility of our performing this condition , by that grace and assistance which is offer'd , and ready to be afforded to us by the gospel . thly . the necessity of this obedience , in order to eternal life and happiness . thly . the consistency of this method and means of our salvation with the law of faith , and the free grace and mercy of god declared in the gospel . i have handled the two first of these , and now proceed to the third thing i propos'd to consider , viz. the possibility of our performing this condition , by that grace and assistance which is offer'd and ready to be afforded to us by the gospel . for if christ be the author of eternal salvation only to those who obey him ; then those who live in disobedience to the gospel , are in a state of damnation . but there cannot be the guilt of disobedience , where obedience is impossible ; no man being guilty , or justly liable to punishment , for the not doing of that , which it was no ways possible for him to do . therefore the covenant of the gospel , into which god is entred with mankind , doth necessarily suppose the possibility of performing the condition of it ; otherwise it leaves them in as bad a condition as they were in before , because it only offers new blessings and benefits to us , but sets us never the nearer the obtaining of them , if so be the condition upon which they are granted be altogether impossible to us ; nay , it renders our state many degrees worse , if our not performing the condition of such gracious offers bring us under new and greater guilt . if it be said , that some few persons have great benefit by it , because they by an especial and effectual grace shall be enabled to perform the conditions of this covenant ; is not this a mighty straitning to the grace and mercy of the gospel , to confine it within so narrow a compass , as still to leave the greatest part of mankind in a worse condition , than if salvation had never been offer'd to them ? as it certainly does , if ( as this doctrine does necessarily suppose ) the guilt and punishment of men shall be greatly increased and heightned by their contempt of , and disobedience to the gospel ; when at the same time it is acknowledged , that it was not possible for those men to obey it , for want of that special and effectual grace , which is necessary to enable them thereto . i do not love to handle these points contentiously , but this in my apprehension does as much derogate from the amplitude and riches of god's grace in the gospel , as any thing that can easily be said . and therefore , for the right stating and clearing of this matter , i shall endeavour to make out these three things . . that we are not sufficient of our selves , and by any power in us , to perform the condition of the gospel . . that the grace of god is ready to enable and assist us to the performance of these conditions , if we be not wanting to our selves . . that what the grace of god is ready to enable us to do , if we be not wanting to our selves , that may properly be said to be possible to us , and , in some sense , in our power . . that we are not sufficient of our selves , and by any power in us , to perform the condition of the gospel . the grace of god doth clearly appear in the whole business of our salvation : by grace ye are saved ( says the apostle ) and that not of your selves , it is the gift of god. faith is the gift of god , and so is repentance . it is god that works in us both to will and to do of his own goodness ; that is , who both inclines and excites us to that which is good , and enables us to do it . without me ( says christ ) ye can do nothing . and through christ strengthning me ( saith st. paul ) i am able to do all things ; all things which god requires of us , and expects to be done by us in order to our salvation . without the grace of christ , we are without strength ; and are not sufficient of our selves , as of our selves , to think a good thought ; that is , we are not sufficient of our selves to design or resolve upon any thing that is good ; but our sufficiency is of god. the depravation of our nature hath brought a great impotency and disability upon us to that which is good ; and we have made our selves much weaker by evil practice ; by the power of evil habits , we are enslaved to our lusts , and sold under sin. so that if at any time we are convinced of our duty , and from that conviction have an inclination to that which is good , evil is present to us . when the law of god gives us the knowledge of our duty , and stares our consciences in the face , there is another law in our members , warring against the law of our minds , and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin , which is in our members . sin brings us under the power of satan , and gives him dominion over us . for his servants ye are whom ye obey ; so that he rules and bears sway in us , and we are led captive by him at his pleasure . evil and vicious habits are a kind of second nature superinduced upon us , which takes away our power and liberty to that which is good , and renders it impossible to us to raise and rescue our selves ; so that we are prisoners and captives , 'till the son of god set us free ; and dead in trespasses and sins , 'till he give us life . and therefore the prophet represents the recovery of our selves from the bondage of sin , by such things as are naturally impossible , to shew how great our weakness and impotency is ; jer. . . can the ethiopian cleanse his skin , or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good , who are accustomed to do evil . and by how much stronger the chains of our sins are , and the more unable we are to break loose from them ; by so much the greater and more evident is the necessity of the divine assistance , and of the power of god's grace , to knock off those fetters , and to rescue us from this bondage and slavery . . the grace of god is ready to assist and enable us to the performance of these conditions , that is , to faith and repentance , and all the purposes of obedience and a holy life ; if we be not wanting to our selves , and do not reject or neglect to make use of that grace , which god offers us , and is ready to afford to us in a very plentiful manner . and this is that which renders all the mercies of the gospel effectual ( if it be not our own fault , and wilful neglect ) to the great end and design of our salvation ; and without this , all the gracious offers of the gospel would signify nothing at all to our advantage . and this likewise is that which renders the unbelief and impenitency and disobedience of men utterly inexcusable ; because nothing of all this does proceed from want of power , but of will to do better . and therefore this is so necessary an encouragement to all the endeavours of obedience and a good life , that men should be assured of god's readiness to assist and help them in the doing of their duty , that without this the revelation of the gospel , though never so clear , would signify nothing to us , all the precepts and directions for a good life , and the most vehement persuasions and exhortations to obedience , would have no force and life in them ; for what signifies it to direct the dead , and speak to them that cannot hear , and to persuade men , tho it were with all the earnestness in the world , to those things which it is impossible for them to do ? therefore our blessed saviour , when he had laid down , and explained the precepts of holiness and virtue in his sermon upon the mount , to encourage them to what he had been directing and proposing to them , he assures them that god is ready to afford his grace and assistance to all those that are sincerely desirous to do his will , and do earnestly implore his grace and assistance to that purpose , matth. . , , , , . ask ( saith he ) and it shall be given you ; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you : for every one that asketh , receiveth ; and he that seeketh , findeth ; and to him that knocketh , it shall be opened . so that if any man want the grace and assistance of god's holy spirit , it is his own fault ; it is either for want of seeking , or for want of earnestness in asking ; for our saviour expresly assures us , that he denies it to none ; for every one that asketh , receiveth . and to give us a more lively and sensible assurance of this , he represents the care and kindness of god to men , by the affections of earthly parents to their children , who tho they be many times evil themselves , yet are not wont to deny their children necessary good things , when they decently and dutifully beg them at their hands ; what man is there of you , whom if his son ask bread , will he give him a stone ? or if he ask a fish , will he give him a serpent ? if ye then being evil , know how to give good gifts unto your children , how much more shall your father which is in heaven , give good things to them that ask him ? here is a general promise and declaration , that upon our humble and earnest prayer to god , he will grant us whatever is good and necessary , by which is certainly intended in the first place , spiritual good things , because these are the best and most necessary ; and to satisfy us that our saviour did in the first place , and more especially mean these , st. luke does particularly instance in the grace and assistance of god's holy spirit , luke . . how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him ? the holy spirit , that is , the continual presence and influence of it to all the purposes of guidance and direction , of grace and assistance , of comfort and support in our christian course . and what else is the meaning of that parable of our saviour's concerning the talents entrusted with every man , according to his capacity and opportunities , matth. . i say , what else can be the meaning of it but this ? that god is before-hand with every man , by affording the advantages and opportunities of being happy , and such a measure of grace and assistance to that end , which if he faithfully improve , he shall be admitted into the joy of his lord. and upon this consideration of the gracious promises of the gospel to this purpose , it is , that the apostle st. paul doth so earnestly exhort christians to endeavour after the highest degree of universal holiness and purity , that we are capable of in this life ; cor. . . having therefore these promises , dearly beloved , let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of god. and so likewise phil. . , . wherefore , my beloved , work out your own salvation with fear and trembling ( that is , with great care and concernment , lest you should fall short of it ) for it is god that worketh in you both to will and to do , of his good pleasure . the consideration of god's readiness to assist us , and of his grace which is always at hand to stir up our wills to that which is good , and to strengthen us in the doing of it , ought to be a great argument and encouragement to us , to put forth our utmost endeavours , and so co-operate with the grace of god toward our own salvation . and the apostle st. peter useth the same argument to press men to use their utmost diligence , to make their calling and election sure , by abounding in all the virtues of a good life ; pet. . , . according as his divine power hath given us all things which pertain to life and godliness , ( that is , hath so plentifully furnisht us with all the requisites to a godly life ) through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue ( that is , by knowledge of the gospel and the grace therein offered to us ) whereby he hath given unto us exceeding great and precious promises , that by these ye might be partakers of a divine nature , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust . and then from the consideration of this divine power , conveyed to us by the gospel , and the promises of it , he exhorts men to give all diligence , to add to their faith virtue , and knowledge , and temperance , and patience , and godliness , and brotherly love , and charity . and indeed the scripture every where ascribes our regeneration and sanctification , the beginning , and progress , and perseverance of our obedience , to the powerful grace and assistance of god's holy spirit ; we are said to be regenerate and born again of the spirit , to be renewed and sanctified by the holy ghost , to be led by the spirit , and by the spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh , and in a word , to be kept by the mighty power of god through faith unto salvation . . what the grace of god is ready to enable us to do , if we be not wanting to our selves , may properly be said to be possible to us , and in some sense , in our power . that may be said to be possible to us , which tho' we cannot do of our selves , as of our selves , ( that is by our own natural power ) yet we can do by the help and assistance of another , if that assistance be ready to be afforded to us ; as we are sure the grace of god's holy spirit is , because he hath promised it to them that seek it , and he is faithful who hath promised . that cannot be said to be wholly out of a man's power , which he may have for asking ; that which we are able to do by the strength and assistance of another , is not impossible to us . surely st. paul did no ways derogate from the grace of god when he said , i am able to do all things thro' christ strengthening me ; he reckons himself able to do all that which by the strength of christ he was enabled to do . and this is the true ground of all the perswasions and exhortations , which we meet with in scripture , to holiness and obedience , which would all be , not only to no purpose , but very unreasonable , if we were wholly destitute of power to do what god commands : but if he be always ready at hand to assist us by a grace sufficient for us , if he co-operate with us in the work of our salvation , then is there abundant ground of encouragement to our endeavours ; and if we fall short of eternal salvation , it is wholly our own fault ; it is not because god is wanting to us in those aids and assistances of his grace which are necessary ; but because we are wanting to our selves , in not seeking god's grace more earnestly , or by neglecting to make use of it when it is afforded to us . for it is really all one , both to the encouragement of our endeavours , and to the rendring of our disobedience inexcusable , whether we be able of our selves to perform the condition of the gospel , or god be ready to assist us by his grace and holy spirit to that purpose . wherefore , as the apostle exhorts , heb. . , , , . lift up the hands which hang down , and the feeble knees , and make strait paths for your feet , lest that which is lame be turned out of the way , but let it rather be healed . follow holiness , without which no man shall see the lord ; looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of god ; intimating , that it is want of care and diligence on our part , if the grace of god fail of its end , and be not effectual to all the purposes of faith , and repentance , and obedience . god does not with-hold his grace from us : but men may receive it in vain , if they do not make use of it . and thus i have done with the third thing i proposed to consider from these words . i proceed to the fourth , . viz. to consider the necessity of this obedience , in order to our obtaining of eternal life and happiness . christ is the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him ; that is , to such , and only to such , as live in obedience to the precepts of his holy gospel , to them who frame the general course of their lives according to his laws . some men seem to be so afraid of the merit of obedience and good works , that they are loth to assert the neeessity of them , and do it with so much caution , as if they were not throughly perswaded of it , or did apprehend some dangerous consequence of it : but this fear is perfectly groundless ; as if merit could not be excluded , without casting off our duty , and releasing our selves from any necessary obligation to be good . for any man surely may easily discern a plain difference between a worthiness of desert , and a fitness of receiving a rebel , being penitent and sorry for what he hath done ; though he cannot deserve a pardon , yet he may thereby be qualified and made meet to receive it ; though repentance do not make him worthy , yet it may make him capable of it , which an obstinate rebel , and one that persists in his disloyalty , is not . this is a thing so plain of it self , that it would be waste of time and words to insist longer upon the proof of it . now the necessity of obedience , in order to eternal life and happiness , relies upon these three grounds . st , upon the constitution and appointment of god. dly , the general reason of rewards . dly , upon the particular nature of that reward , which god will confer upon us for our obedience . st , the constitution and appointment of god. eternal life is the gift of god ; and he may do what he will with his own , he may dispense his gifts and favours upon what terms and conditions he pleaseth ; and therefore if he hath plainly declared , that to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory , and honour , and immortality , he will give eternal life ; that without holiness , no man shall see the lord ; but if we have our fruit unto holiness , our end shall be everlasting life ; who shall resist his will , or dispute his pleasure ? the right and authority of god in this matter is so unquestionable , that it admits of no contest ; and the blessings and benefits propos'd , are so infinitely great and unvaluable , that no condition of obtaining them , which is possible to be perform'd by us , can be thought hard and unequal ; so that we ought thankfully to receive so great a favour , let the terms and conditions of it be what they will ; and if there were no other reason for the imposing of these conditions upon us , of faith , and repentance , and obedience , but merely the will and pleasure of god , this were enough to silence all objections against it . but dly , the necessity of obedience , in order to eternal life , is likewise founded in the reason of rewards in general . for though the measure and degree of our reward , so infinitely beyond the proportion of our best duty and service , as eternal life and happiness is , i say though the measure and degree of this reward be founded in the immense bounty and goodness of god ; yet the reason of reward in general , is necessarily founded in our obedience to god's laws ; for according to the true nature and reason of things , nothing but obedience is capable of reward . for though authority may pardon the breach and transgression of laws , and remit the punishment due thereto ; yet to reward the contempt of laws , and wilful disobedience to them , is directly contrary to the design of government , and does plainly overthrow the very reason and end of all laws , and makes obedience and disobedience to be all one , if so be they are equally capable of reward ; and therefore nothing can be more absurd and sensless , than for any man to hope to be rewarded by god , who does not live in a sincere obedience to his laws . every man that hath this hope in him , ( that is , in christ jesus , to be sav'd by him ) purifieth himself , even as he is pure ; that is , endeavours to be like him in the purity and obedience of his life ; and nothing surely can be more unreasonable , than to expect to be rewarded by the great governour and judge of the world , if we be disobedient to his laws ; for where obedience to law is refused , there all reason and equity of reward ceaseth . no wise prince can think fit to reward disloyalty and contempt of his laws ; because to reward it , would be to encourage it ; much less will god , the great and infinitely wise governour of the world. dly , the necessity of obedience will yet more evidently appear , if we consider the particular nature of that reward , which god will confer upon us for our obedience . the happiness of heaven , which is the reward promised in the gospel , is described to us by the sight and enjoyment of god. now to render us capable of this blessed reward , it is necessary that we be like god ; but nothing but obedience and holiness , and being renewed after the image of him who created us in righteousness , can make us like to god. for he that would be like god must be holy , and just , and good , and patient , and merciful , as god is ; and this alone can make us capable of the blessed sight and enjoyment of god ; for unless we be like him , we cannot see him as he is , and if we should be admitted into heaven , we could not find any pleasure and happiness in communion with him . blessed are the pure in heart ( says our saviour ) for they shall see god. without holiness ( says the apostle ) no man shall see the lord. and indeed , it is in the very nature of the thing impossible , that a wicked man ( whilst he remains so ) should ever be happy , because there can be no agreeable and delightful society between those that are of a quite contrary temper and disposition to one another , between him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity , and a sinful and impure creature . for what fellowship ( saith the apostle ) can righteousness have with unrighteousness ? what communion hath light with darkness , or god with belial ? that is , with the wicked and disobedient . till we become like to god in the frame and temper of our minds , there can be no happy society between him and us ; we could neither delight our selves in god , nor he take any pleasure in us ; for he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him . the wicked shall not stand in his sight , he hateth all the workers of iniquity . it cannot be otherwise , but that there must be an eternal jarring and discord between the righteous and holy god , and wicked and unrighteous men. i will behold thy face ( says david ) in righteousness . there is no looking god in the face , upon any other terms . if we have been workers of iniquity , god will cast us out of his sight , and in great anger bid us to depart from him ; and we also shall desire him to depart from us , as being unable to bear the sight of him . so that there is great reason why holiness and obedience should be made the conditions of eternal life and happiness , since in the very nature of the thing it is so necessary a qualification for the blessed sight and enjoyment of god , who is the cause and fountain of happiness . i come in the fifth and last place , to shew that this method and means of our salvation , is no prejudice to the law of faith , and to the free grace and mercy of god declared in the gospel . the gospel is called the law of faith , and the law of grace , in opposition to the jewish dispensation , which is called the law , or covenant of works , because it consisted so much in external rites and observances , which were but types and shadows of good things to come , ( as the apostle calls them in this epistle ; ) and which when they were come , that law did expire of it self , and was out of date , the obligation and observance of it was no longer necessary ; but a better covenant , which was establish'd upon better promises , came in the place of it , and men were justified by faith , that is , by sincerely embracing the christian religion , and were no longer under an obligation to that external , and servile , and imperfect dispensation , which consisted in circumcision , and in almost an endless number of external ceremonies . these are the works of the law so often spoken of by st. paul , concerning which , the jews had not only an opinion of the necessity of them , to a man's justification and salvation , but likewise of the merit of them ; in opposition to both which opinions , st. paul calls the covenant of the gospel , the law of faith , and the law of grace . but there is no where the least intimation given , either by our saviour , or his apostles , that obedience to the precepts of the gospel ( which are in substance the moral law cleared and perfected ) is not necessary to our acceptance with god , and the obtaining of eternal life ; but on the contrary , 't is our saviour's express direction to the young man , who ask'd , what good thing he should do , that he might obtain eternal life ? if thou wilt ( says he ) enter into life , keep the commandments ; and that he might understand what commandments he meant , he instanceth in the precepts of the moral law. and indeed , the whole tenour of our saviour's sermons , and the precepts and writings of the apostles , are full and express to this purpose . not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . whosoever heareth these sayings of mine ( that is , these precepts which i have delivered ) and doth them not , i will liken him to a foolish man , who built his house upon the sand , and the rain descended , and the floods came , and the winds blew , and beat upon that house , and it fell , and great was the fall of it . if ye know these things , happy are ye , if ye do them . in every nation , he that feareth god , and worketh righteousness , is accepted of him . in jesus christ neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor vncircumcision ; but faith , that is acted and inspired by charity . and that the apostle here means , that charity or love , which is the fulfilling of the law , is evident from what he says elsewhere ; that neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor vncircumcision ; but the keeping of the commandments of god ; in which text it is plain , that the apostle speaks of the terms of our justification , and what is available with god to that purpose . and st. james to the same purpose , tells us , that by the works of obedience our faith is made perfect , and that faith without works is dead ; and surely a dead faith will neither justifie nor save any man. st. john likewise very earnestly cautions us to take heed of any such doctrine , as would take away the necessity of righteousness and obedience ; little children ( says he ) let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous , as he is righteous . to all which , i shall only add the plain words of my text , that christ became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him . so that no man hath reason to fear , that this doctrine of the necessity of obedience to our acceptance with god , and the obtaining of eternal life , should be any ways prejudicial to the law of faith , and the law of grace . for so long as these three things are but asserted and secured , st . that faith is the root and principle of obedience and a holy life , and that without it , it is impossible to please god. dly , that we stand continually in need of the divine grace and assistance , to enable us to perform that obedience which the gospel requires of us , and is pleased to accept in order to eternal life . and , dly , that the forgiveness of our sins , and the reward of eternal life , are founded in the free grace and mercy of god , conferring these blessings upon us , not for the merit of our obedience , but only for the merit and satisfaction of the obedience and sufferings of our blessed saviour and redeemer ; i say , so long as we assert these three things , we give all that the gospel any where ascribes to faith , and to the grace of god revealed in the gospel . i have been careful to express these things more fully and distinctly , that no man may imagine , that whilst we assert the necessity of obedience and a holy life , we have any design to derogate in the least from the faith and the grace of god ; but only to engage and encourage men to holiness and a good life , by convincing them of the absolute and indispensable necessity of it , in order to eternal salvation . for all that i have said , is in plain english no more but this , that it is necessary for a man to be a good man , that he may get to heaven ; and whoever finds fault with this doctrine , finds fault with the gospel it self , and the main end and design of the grace of god therein revealed to mankind , which offers salvation to men upon no other terms than these which i have mentioned ; and to preach and press this doctrine , is certainly , if any thing in the world can be so , to pursue the great end and design of the christian religion , so plainly and expresly declared by st. paul , tit. . , . the grace of god that bringeth salvation , hath appear'd to all men , teaching us , that denying vngodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world. and if the grace of god declared in the gospel , have this effect upon us , then we may with confidence wait for the blessed hope , and the glorious appearance of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ , who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works ; and then he adds , these things teach , and exhort , and rebuke with all authority ; that is , declare and inculcate this doctrine , and rebuke severely those who teach or practise contrary to it . and he repeats it again with a more vehement charge to titus , to press upon men the necessity of obedience and good works , chap. . . this is a faithful saying , and these things i will that thou affirm constantly , that they who have belieed in god , be careful to maintain good works . all that now remains , is to make some useful inferences from what hath been said upon this argument , and so to conclude this discourse . first of all , to convince us that an empty profession of the christian religion , how specious and glorious soever it be , if it be destitute of the fruits of obedience and a holy life , will by no means avail to bring us to heaven . no profession of faith in christ , no subjection to him , tho' we be baptized in his name , and list our selves in the number of his disciples and followers , tho' we have made a constant profession of all the articles of the christian faith , and have performed all the external parts and duties of religion , have gone constantly to church , and frequented the service of god , and have joined in publick prayers to god with great appearance of devotion , and have heard his word with great reverence and attention , and received the blessed sacrament with all imaginable expressions of love and gratitude to our belessed redeemer ; nay tho' we had heard our blessed saviour himself teach in our streets , and had eaten and drunken in his presence ; yet if all this while we have not done the will of god , and obeyed his laws , none of all these things will signifie any thing to bring us to heaven , and make us partakers of that salvation , which he hath purchased for mankind . but we cannot plead so much for our selves , as those did , of whom our saviour speaks . none of us shall be able to alledge for our selves at the great day , that we had prophesied in his name , and in his name had cast out devils , and in his name had done many wonderful works ; and yet if we could alledge all this , it would do us no good . all that such can say for themselves is , that they have call'd him lord , lord , that is , they have made profession of his religion , and been call'd by his name , that they have paid an outward honour and respect to him , and declared a mighty love and affection for him ; but they have not done his will , but have hated to be reformed , and have cast his commandments behind their backs , they have only born the leaves of an outward profession , but have brought forth no fruit unto holiness , and therefore can have no reasonable expectation , that their end should be everlasting life . so that when these men shall appear before the great and terrible judge of the world , they shall have nothing to say , but those vain words , lord , lord ; to which our saviour will answer in that day , why call ye me lord , lord , when ye would not do the things which i said ? notwithstanding all your profession of faith in me , and subjection to me , ye have been workers of iniquity , therefore depart from me , i know ye not whence ye are . secondly , the consideration of what hath been said should stir as up to a thankful acknowledgement of what the author of our salvation hath done for us ; and there is great reason for thankfulness , whether we consider the greatness of the benefit conferred upon us , or the way and manner in which it was purchased , or the easie and reasonable terms upon which it may be obtained . st , if we consider the greatness of the benefit conferred upon us , and that is salvation , eternal salvation , which comprehends in it all the blessings and benefits of the gospel , both the means and the end , our happiness , and the way to it , by saving us from our sins ; from the guilt of them , by our justification in the blood of christ ; and from the power and dominion of them , by the sanctifying grace and virtue of the holy ghost . and it comprehends the end , our deliverance from hell and the wrath to come , and the bestowing of happiness upon us , a great and lasting happiness , great as our wishes , and immortal as our souls ; all this is comprehended in eternal salvation . dly , if we consider the way and manner in which this great benefit was purchased and procured for us ; in a way of infinite kindness and condescension , in the lowest humiliation , and the unparallel'd sufferings of the son of god ; for never was there any sorrow like unto his sorrow , wherewith the lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger ; in his taking upon him the form of a servant , and the person of a sinner , and his becoming obedient to death , even the death of the cross , which was the punishment of the vilest slaves , and the most hainous malefactors . the son of god came down from heaven , from the highest pitch of glory and happiness , into this lower world , this vale of tears , and sink of sin and sorrow ; and was contented himself to suffer , to save us from eternal ruin ; to be the most despicable , and the most miserable man that ever was , that he might raise us to glory and honour , and advance us to a state of the greatest happiness that humane nature is capable of . dly , if we consider the easie and reasonable terms upon which we may be made partakers of this unspeakable benefit , and that is by a constant and sincere and universal obedience to the laws of god , which supposeth repentance towards god , and faith in our lord jesus christ , as the root and principle of all the virtues of a good life ; that is , by doing that which best becomes us , and which is most agreeable to the original frame of our nature , and to the dictates of our reason , and which setting aside the consideration of the reward , is really best for our present benefit and advantage , our comfort and happiness , even in this world ; for god , in giving laws to us , hath imposed nothing upon us , but what in all reason ought to have been our choice , if he had not imposed it ; nothing but what is for our good , and is in its own nature necessary to make us capable of that happiness which he hath promised to us . and what can be more gracious , than to make one benefit the condition of a greater ? than to promise to make us happy for ever , if we will but do that which upon all accounts is really best and most for our advantage in this present life ? thirdly , here is abundant encouragement given to our obedience ; we have the divine assistance promised to us , to enable us to the performance of the most difficult parts of our duty ; we have the holy spirit of god to help our infirmities , to excite us to that which is good , and to help and strengthen us in the doing of it . for our further encouragement we are assured of the divine acceptance in case of our sincere obedience , notwithstanding the manifold failings and imperfections of it , for the sake of the perfect righteousness and obedience , and the meritorious sufferings of our blessed saviour : and tho when we have done all that we can do we are unprofitable servants , and have done nothing but what was our duty , yet god is pleased to accept what we can do , because it is sincere , and to forgive the defects and imperfections of our obedience , for his sake , who fulfilled all righteousness . and besides all this , we have the encouragement of a great and everlasting reward , infinitely beyond all proportion of any service and obedience that we can perform . and if god be ready to assist and strengthen us in the doing of our duty , and be willing so graciously to accept and to reward at such a rate the sincerity of our endeavours to please him , notwithstanding all the failings and imperfections of our best service and obedience ; what can we possibly desire more for our encouragement , to patient continuance in well-doing , and to be stedfast and unmoveable , and abundant in the work of the lord. fourthly and lastly , the consideration of what hath been said upon this argument may serve severely to rebuke the groundless presumption of those , who rely with so much confidence upon chrst for eternal salvation , without any conscience or care to keep his commandments ; as if salvation lay upon his hands , and he knew not how to dispose of it , and were glad of any one that would come and take it off upon any terms . no , he came to save us from our sins , to redeem us from all iniquity , and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works . so that the salvation which he hath purchased for us , doth necessarily imply our forsaking of our sins , and returning to god and our duty ; and his death and sufferings are not more an argument of his great love to mankind , than they are a demonstration of his perfect hatred of sin. so that if we continue in the love and practice of sin , we defeat the whole design of his coming into the world , and of all that he hath done and suffered for us ; and the redemption which christ hath wrought for us will not avail us in the least . salvation is far from the wicked , ( says david , psal . . . ) if we have been workers of iniquity , the saviour of the world when he comes to judge it , will bid us to depart from him . from all that hath been said , it is evident , that it is the greatest presumption in the world , for any man to hope to obtain eternal salvation by any device whatsoever , or in the communion of any church whatsoever , without obedience and a holy life . for tho' our obedience cannot merit ; yet it is necessary to qualifie and dispose us for it : tho' it does not make us strictly worthy ; yet it makes us meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light . sermon viii . the authority of jesus christ , with the commission and promise which he gave to his apostles . mat. xxviii . , , . and jesus came and spake unto them , saying , all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth : go ye therefore and teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you : and lo , i am with you alway , even unto the end of the world. these words are the last that our blessed saviour spake to his apostles , immediately before his ascension into heaven ; and there are these three things contained in them . i. a declaration of his own authority ; all power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth . ii. a commission to his disciples , grounded upon that authority ; go ye therefore , and teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you . iii. a promise to encourage them in this work ; and lo , i am with you always , even unto the end of the world . i. here 's our saviour's declaration of his own authority ; all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth . here 's an unlimited power and authority given him over all creatures in heaven and earth . this , the scripture tells us , was conferred upon him , as a reward of his sufferings ; phil. . , , . he humbled himself , and became obedient unto death , even the death of the cross . wherefore god also hath highly exalted him , and given him a name , which is above every name ; that at the name of jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven , and things in earth , and things under the earth ; that is , that all creatures , angels , and men , and devils , should do homage , and acknowledge subjection to him . ii. here is the commission he gave to his apostles , by virtue of this authority ; go ye therefore and teach all nations . the commission which he here gives , is founded in the authority he had before received . having all power committed to him , he constitutes and appoints the apostles and their successors , to manage the affairs of this his spiritual kingdom upon earth ; and this seems to be the same commission , which st. john mentions in other words , john . . as my father hath sent me , even so send i you ; that is , as my father commission'd me before , so now having received full authority from him , i commission you . now in this commission , which our saviour gave to his disciples , i shall take notice first , of the general import and design of it . secondly , a more particular declaration how they were to manage this design . first , the general import and design of this commission ; go ye and teach all nations . the word which we translate teach , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , disciple all nations , endeavour to make all the world christians . one would think here was a power plainly enough given them , to preach the gospel to the gentiles , as well as to the jews . which will more fully appear , if we compare this passage in st. matthew with the other evangelists . st. mark , oh . . . hath it ; go ye into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature . from which text i suppose st. francis thought himself bound to preach to beasts and birds , and accordingly did it very often , and with wonderful success , as they tell us in the legend of his life . but to extend our saviour's commission so far , is want of common sense ; in which st. francis ( tho' they tell us he had other gifts and graces to an eminent degree ) was plainly defective . but to proceed , st. luke , ch . . . tells us , our saviour commanded , that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations , beginning at jerusalem . so that their commission did plainly extend to the gentiles , as well as to the jews ; only they were to begin with the jews , and to preach the gospel first to them , and when they had gone over judea and samaria , then to pass to other nations , as st. luke doth most expresly declare , acts . ▪ ye shall receive power ; after that the holy ghost is come upon you , and ye shall be witnesses unto me , both in jerusalem , and in all judea , and in samaria , and unto the uttermost parts of the earth . but see the strange power of prejudice , to blind the eyes even of good men , in the plainest matters . the disciples of our saviour , for all they had entertained a new religion , yet they retained the old pride and prejudice of their nation , against the rest of the world ; as if none but themselves had any share in the favour of god , or were to have any part in the salvation of the messias . our saviour did so far consider this prejudice of theirs , that he never in his life time acquainted them with this matter , so as to make them fully to understand it , because they were not able to bear it . and it is very probable , that this is one of those things which our saviour meant , john . , . i have yet many things to say unto you ; but ye cannot bear them now . howbeit when the spirit of truth is come , he will guide you into all truth . that is , he should lead them into the knowledge of those truths , of which they were not then capable . and tho' our saviour , after his resurrection , seems to have declared this sufficiently to them ; yet by their practice after his ascension , it appears that they understood all this only of the jews , namely that they were to preach the gospel first to the jews that were at jerusalem , and in judea , and then to those that were dispersed in other nations ; for 't is clear from the history of their first preaching , recorded in the acts , that they preached to none but to the jews , and the proselytes of the jewish religion . so strong was their prejudice , that they had not the least suspicion that this blessing of the gospel was intended for the heathen world ; nor were they convinced to the contray , 'till st. peter had a special vision and revelation to this purpose , and the holy ghost came upon the gentiles in miraculous gifts , as he had done before upon the jews that were converted to christianity . and thus the spirit of god led them into this truth , and then they understood this command of our saviour's in a larger sense . and to this st. peter plainly refers , acts . . where he tells us , how that christ after his resurrection appeared to them , and commanded them to preach unto the people . so likewise do paul and barnabas , acts . . where they speak thus to the jews , it was necessary that the word should first be preached to you , but seeing you put it from you , lo we turn to the gentiles , for so hath the lord commanded us . now he no where commanded this , but in this commission , which he gave them before his ascension . secondly , you have here a particular declaration how they were to manage this work of making disciples to the christian religion . . by baptizing them into the chrstian faith. . by instructing them in the precepts and practices of a christian life . . by baptizing them into the christian faith , which is here call'd baptizing them into the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost . baptism is a solemn rite appointed by our saviour for the initiating of persons into the christian religion : but it was a ceremony in use before , both among the jews and gentiles . the heathen observed it at the initiating persons into their religious mysteries ; and the jews , when they admitted proselytes to their religion ; at which time the males ( as maimonides tells us ) were both circumcised and baptized , the women were only baptized . one circumstance of the baptism of grown persons was , that standing in the water up to the neck , they recited several precepts of the law. and as the jewish writers further tell us , this ceremony did not only belong to them that were of grown years , but to the children of proselytes , if it were desired , upon condition , that when they came to years they should continue in that religion . now tho' this was a religious ceremony used both by jews and gentiles , and without any divine institution , that we know of , our blessed saviour ( who in none of his institutions seems to have favour'd unnecessary innovations ) was so far from the superstition of declining it upon this account , that it had been in religious use both among jews and gentiles , that he seems the rather to have chosen it for that very reason . for seeing it was a common rite of all religions , and in it self very significant of that purity which is the great design of all religion , it was the more likely to find the easier acceptance , and to be most suitable to that , which he intended to be the universal religion of the world. as for the form of baptism , into the name of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost , it plainly refers to that short creed , or profession of faith , which was required of those that were to be baptized , answerable to the reciting of the precepts of the law , at the baptizing of proselytes among the jews ; now the articles of this creed were reduced to these three heads , of the father , son , and holy ghost , and contains what was necessary to be believed concerning each of these . and this probably is that which the apostle calls the doctrine of baptism , heb. . . viz. a short summary of the christian faith , the profession whereof was to be made at baptism ; of which the most ancient fathers make so frequent mention , calling it the rule of faith. it was a great while indeed before christians tied themselves strictly to that very form of words , which we now call the apostles creed , but the sense was the same , tho every one exprest it in his own words ; nay the same father reciting it upon several occasions , does not confine himself to the very same expressions : a plain indication that they were not then strictly bound up to any form of words , but retaining the sense and substance of the articles , every one exprest them as he pleased . so that to baptize in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , is to perform this rite or sacrament by the authority of , and with special relation to the three persons of the blessed trinity , father , son , and holy ghost , as the chief objects of the christian faith , whereof solemn profession was then made . so that upon this form in baptism appointed by our saviour , compared with what is elsewhere said in scripture , concerning the divinity of the son , and the holy ghost , is principally founded the doctrine of the blessed trinity , i mean in that simplicity in which the scripture hath delivered it , and not as it hath been since confounded and entangled in the cobwebs and niceties of the schools . the scripture indeed no where calls them persons , but speaks of them as we do of several persons , and therefore that word is not unfitly used to express the difference between them , or at least we do not know a fitter word for that purpose . by baptizing then in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , is meant , the initiating of men by this solemn rite or ceremony into the christian religion , upon their profession of the necessary doctrines of it , concerning the father , son , and holy ghost , and a solemn stipulation and engagement to live according to those doctrines : which promise of a suitable life and practice was likewise made at the same time , as justin martyr and other of the ancient fathers do testify . but before i leave this head , it is very fit to take particular notice what use the anabaptists make of this text , so as in effect to lay the whole stress of their cause upon it ; as if by virtue of this command of our saviour's , and the manner wherein it is exprest , all infants , even those of christian parents , who are themselves already admitted into the new covenant of the gospel , were excluded from baptism ; because it is here said by our saviour , go ye , and disciple all nations , baptizing them ; from whence they infer , ( and very clearly and strongly as they think ) that none are to be baptized , but such as are first throughly instructed in the christian religion , and made disciples , which infants are not , but only those who are grown to some maturity of years and understanding : but the opinion and practice of the ancient church in this matter , is a sufficient bar to this inference , at least to the clearness of it . and indeed it cannot reasonably be imagined , that the apostles , who had all of them been bred up in the jewish religion , which constantly , and by virtue of a divine precept and institution , admitted infants into that church , and to the benefits of that covenant , by the rite of circumcision , and likewise the infants of proselytes by baptism , ( as i observed before ) i say no man can reasonably imagine , that the apostles could understand our saviour , as intending by any consequence from this text , to exclude the children of christians out of the christian church , and to debar them of the benefits of the new covenant of the gospel : the children of christians being every whit as capable of being taken into this new covenant , and of partaking of the benefits of it , as children of the jews were of being admitted into the old : unless we will suppose ( which at first sight seems very harsh and unreasonable ) that by the terms of the christian religion , children are in a much worse condition , than the children of the jews were under the law. so that the parity of reason being so plain , nothing less than an express prohibition from our saviour , and an exception of children from baptism , can be thought sufficient to deprive the children of christians of any privilege , of which the jewish were capable . for the plain meaning of this commission to the apostles is , to go and proselyte all nations to the christian religion , and to admit them solemnly into it by baptism , as the jews were wont to proselyte men to their religion by circumcision and baptism ; by which rites also they took in the children of the proselytes , upon promise that when they came to years they should continue in that religion . and if this was our saviour's meaning , the apostles had no reason , from the tenor of their commission , to understand that the children of christian proselytes were any more excluded , than the children of proselytes to the jewish religion , unless our saviour had expresly excepted them ; for it is a favourable case , and in a matter of privilege , and therefore ought not to be determined to debar children of it , upon any obscure consequence from a text , which it is certain was never so understood by the christian church , for years together . i have done with the first part of their commission , which was to disciple or proselyte all nations to the christian religion , and to admit them into the christian church , by the rite or sacrament of baptism . i proceed to consider the second part of their commission , which was to instruct men in the precepts and duties of a christian life , teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded you . you see how their commission bounds and limits them , they were to teach others those precepts which christ had taught and deliver'd to them ; they had no power by virtue of this commission to make new laws , which should be of universal and perpetual obligation , and consequently necessary to the salvation of all christians ; they were only to be the publishers , but not the authors of this new religion . and therefore st. paul , when the corinthians consulted him about several things relating to marriage and virginity , he only gives his advice , but would not take upon him to make a law in those cases that should be binding to all christians . and for the same reason christians do generally at this day , think themselves absolved from the obligation of that canon , which was made even in a council of the apostles , as to all those branches of it , the reason whereof is now c●ased . but notwithstanding this , the authority which our saviour conferred upon his apostles to teach his doctrine , does in the nature of it necessarily imply a power of governing the societies of christians , under such officers , and by such rules , as are most suitable to the nature of such a society , and most fit to promote the great ends of the christian religion : for without this power of governing , they cannot be suppos'd to be endowed with sufficient authority to teach ; and therefore in pursuance of this commission , we find that the apostles did govern the societies of christians by such rules and constitutions , as were fitted to the then present circumstances of christianity . and as they did appoint temporary officers upon emergent occasions , so they constituted others that were of perpetual use in the church , for the instructing and governing of christians , and that in such a subordination to one another , as would be most effectual to the attaining of the end of government ; which subordination of governors , hath not only been used in all religions , but in all the well regulated civil societies that ever were in the world. and this may suffice to have spoken of the second part of their commission . the third and last thing in the text , is the promise which our saviour here makes for the encouragement of the apostles in this work ; lo , i am with you always , even unto the end of the world ; that is , tho' i be going from you in person , yet i will still be present with you by my power and spirit . and surely this must needs be a great encouragement to have him engaged for their assistance who had all power in heaven and earth committed to him , as he tells them at the th . verse . i shall endeavour therefore , as far as the time will permit , to explain to you the true meaning and extent of this promise . that it is primarily made to the apostles , no man can doubt , that considers that it was spoken to them immediately by our saviour ; and in regard to them , the meaning of it is plainly this , that our saviour would send down the holy ghost upon them , in miraculous gifts , to quality and enable them for the more speedy planting and propagating of the gospel in the world , and that he would be with them , and assist them extraordinarily in this work. and that this is the primary meaning of it , in regard to the apostles , will be very plain , by considering how this promise is exprest by the other evangelists ; mark . . instead of this promise , you have these words , immediately after our saviour had given them commission to go and preach the gospel , go ye into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature : he that believeth and is baptized , shall be saved , but he that believeth not shall be damned . and then it follows , these signs shall follow them that believe ; in my name they shall cast out devils , and shall speak with new tongues . and luke . . instead of lo , i am with you , it is said , behold , i send the promise of my father upon you , that is , the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost ; for it follows in the next words , but tarry ye in the city of jerusalem , until ye be endowed with power from on high . this st. luke himself interprets of the promise of the holy ghost , acts . he commanded them that they should not depart from jerusalem , but wait for the promise of the father , which , saith he , ye have heard of me . for john truly baptized with water , but ye shall be baptized with the holy ghost , not many days hence . and v. . ye shall receive power after that the holy ghost is come upon you , and ye shall be witnesses unto me , both in jerusalem , and in all judea , and in samaria , and unto the uttermost part of the earth . so that no man that compares these texts together , can doubt , but that this was the primary meaning of this promise , as it was made to the apostles . but then it is as plain likewise , that this promise is to be extended farther than to the persons of the apostles , even to all those that should afterwards succeed them in this work of preaching the gospel , and baptizing , because our saviour adds , that he would be with them to the end of the world ; which words because they reach far beyond the apostles times , ( as i shall shew by and by ) must necessarily be extended to such persons in after-ages , as should carry on the same work. there are two famous controversies about the sense of these words , in which this promise is exprest . the first is concerning the circumstance of time mentioned in this promise , alway , to the end of the world. the other concerning the substance of the promise it self , what is meant by our saviour's being with them . in the first we have to deal with the enthusiasts , in the latter with the papists . i shall examine the pretences of both these , as briefly and plainly as i can . first , concerning the circumstance of time exprest in these words , alway , to the end of the world . the enthusiasts would persuade us , that the meaning of these phrases is not to be extended beyond that age , and that this promise is to be limited to the apostles persons , and that the sense of it is , that christ would be with the apostles , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all their days , so long as they should live , and that would be , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to the end of that age ; thus they translate it , and with no worse design than to take away the necessity of a gospel-ministry . but this pretence will vanish , if we can make good these two things . . that the letter of this promise extends farther than the persons of the apostles , and the continuance of that age. . however that be , it is certain that the reason of it extends to all that should succeed them in their ministry , to the end of the world. . the letter of this promise extends farther than the persons of the apostles , and the continuance of that age. i will easily grant that the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies only continually ; i will be with you continually ; but then the other phrase , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , until the end of the world , is several times in scripture undeniably used for the end and dissolution of all things , and cannot with any probability be shewn to be ever used otherwise . in this sense it is unquestionably used three times , matth. . the harvest is the end of the world. v. . so shall it be at the end of the world. v. . and v. . it is said , that at the end of the world , the angels shall come forth , and sever the wicked from the just , and cast them into the furnace ; which must either be understood of the end of the world , and of the day of judgment , or there will be no clear text in the whole bible to that purpose ; and it is very probable , that this phrase is used in the same sense , matth. . . where the disciples ask our saviour , what shall be the sign of thy coming , and of the end of the world ? as will appear to any one that considers our saviour's answer to this question ; the latter part whereof cannot , without too much violence , be accommodated to any thing but the final dissolution of the world. now if this phrase be every where else in scripture used in this sense , there is no reason why it should be taken otherwise in the text , only to serve the purpose of an unreasonable opinion . i know there are phrases very near a-kin to this , which are used in a quite different sense , namely , for the expiration of the jewish state ; and that we may know how to distinguish them , it is observable , that when the scripture speaks of the end of the world , it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the end of the age , in the singular number ; but when it speaks of the times before the gospel , it always expresseth them in the plural ; the reason of which is , that famous tradition among the jews , of the house of elias , which distributed the whole duration of the world into three ages ; the age before the law , the age under the law , and the age of the messias ; and this last age they looked on with great difference from the rest , as the famous and glorious age , which was to be as it were the beginning of a new world : and therefore the jews in their writings constantly call it the seculum suturum , the age , or the world to come : and therefore the apostle in this epistle to the hebrews , calls the state of the gospel by that name , as best known to them , heb. . . but unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come , whereof we now speak ; that is , the law was given by the disposition of angels ; but the dispensation of the gospel , which is call'd the world to come , was managed and administred by the son of god. so likewise heb. . . those miraculous powers which accompanied the first preaching of the gospel . are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the powers of the world to come , that is , of the gospel-age . so that this last age of the gospel , is that which the scripture by way of eminency calls the age ; those that went before are constantly call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the ages , in the plural number . so we find , eph. . . the gospel is call'd the dispensation of the mystery that was hid in god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from ages ; and you have the same phrase , col. . . upon the same account , the expiration of the jewish state , is in scripture called the last times , and the last days , heb. . . but in these last days , god hath spoken to us by his son : cor. . . these things are written for our admonition , upon whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the ends of the ages are come . in the same sense the apostle , heb. . . speaking of christ , says , that he appeared , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , at the end of the ages , to take away sin ; that is , at the conclusion of the ages which had gone before , in the last age. so that if we will be governed in the interpretation of this text , by the constant use of this phrase in scripture , the letter of this promise will extend to the end of the world . . but however this be , it is certain that the reason of this promise does extend to all those that should succeed the apostles in their ministry , to the end of the world : i will suppose now ( to give our adversaries their utmost scope ) that which we have no reason to grant , that the letter of this promise reacheth only to the apostles and their age , and that our saviour's meaning was no more but this , that he would send down the holy ghost upon them in miraculous gifts , to qualify and enable them for the speedy planting and propagating of the gospel in the world , and that he would be with them , 'till this work was done . now supposing there were nothing more than this intended in the letter of it , this ought not much to trouble us , so long as it is certain , that the reason of it does extend to the successors of the apostles in all ages of the world . i do not mean , that the reason of this promise does give us sufficient assurance , that god will assist the teachers and governors of his church in all ages , in the same extraordinary manner , as he did the apostles , because there is not the like reason and necessity for it ; but that we have sufficient assurance from the reason of this promise , that god will not be wanting to us , in such fitting and necessary assistance , as the state of religion , and the welfare of it in every age shall require : for can we imagine that god would use such extraordinary means to plant a religion in the world , and take no care of it afterwards ? that he who had begun so good a work , so great and glorious a design , would let it fall to the ground for want of any thing that was necessary to the support of it ? this is reasonable in it self ; but we are not also without good ground for thus extending the general reason of particular promises beyond the letter of them . the apostle hath gone before us in this , for heb. . , . he there extends two particular promises of the old testament to all christians , let your conversation ( says he ) be without covetousness , and be content with such things as ye have : for he hath said , i will never leave thee nor forsake thee . and again , the lord is my helper , i will not fear what man can do unto me . these promises were made to particular persons ; the first of them to joshua , and the other to david ; but yet the apostle applies them to all christians , and to good men in all ages , because the general ground and reason of them extended so far . he who gave joshua and david this encouragement to their duty , will certainly be as good to us , if we do ours . and thus i have done with the first controversie about the sense of these words , which concerns the circumstance of time mentioned in this promise , always to the end of the world , and have plainly shewn , that both the letter and the reason of this promise does extend further than the persons of the apostles , and the continuance of that age , even to all that should succeed them in their ministry to the end of the world. i come now to consider , secondly , the substance of the promise it self , namely , what is meant by our saviour's being with them . and here our adversaries of the church of rome would fain perswade us , that this promise is made to the church of rome , and that the meaning of it is , that that church should always be infallible , and never err in the faith. but as there is no mention of the church of rome in this promise , nor any where else in scripture upon the like occasion , whereby we might be directed to understand this promise to be made to that church ; so to any unprejudiced person the plain and obvious sense of this promise can be no other than this , that our saviour having commissionated the apostles to go and preach the christian religion in the world , he promises to assist them in this work , and those that should succeed them in it , to the end of the world. but how any man can construe this promise , so as to make it signifie the perpetual infallibility of the roman church , i cannot for my life devise ; and yet this is one of the main texts upon which they build that old and tottering fabrick of their infallibility . here is a general promise of assistance to the pastors and governours of the church , in all ages to the end of the world ; but that this assistance shall always be to the degree of infallibility , ( as it was to the apostles ) can neither be concluded from the letter of this promise , nor from the reason of it ; much less can it be from hence concluded , that the assistance here promised , if it were to the degree of infallibility , is to be limited and confined to the supream pastor and governour of the roman church . that the assistance here promised shall always be to the degree of infallibility , can by no means be concluded from the letter of this promise . indeed there is no pretence or colour for it ; he must have a very peculiar sagacity , that can find out in these words , i am with you always , a promise of infallible assistance . is not the promise which god made to joshua , and which the apostle to the hebrews applies to all christians , and to all good men in all ages , i will never leave thee nor forsake thee , the very same in sense with this , i will be with you always ? and yet surely , no man did ever imagine , that by virtue of this promise , every christian , and every good man is infallible . but neither can it be inferr'd from the reason of this promise , that this assistance shall always be to the degree of infallibility . it was so indeed to the apostles ; the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost , which were bestowed upon them for the more speedy and effectual planting and propagating of the gospel in the world , were a divine testimony and confirmation to the doctrine which they delivered ; and having this divine testimony given to them , we are certain that they were secured from error in the delivery of that doctrine . so that the apostles had no other infallibility , but what depended upon , and was evidenced by the miraculous gifts wherewith they were endowed ; and therefore without the like gifts , none can with reason pretend to the like infallibility . for infallibility signifies an extraordinary assistance of god's spirit , whereby those who are thus assisted are secured from error . this every confident man may , if he pleaseth , pretend to ; but no man is to be believed to have it , but he who can give such evidence of it , as is fit to satisfie reasonable men , that he hath it . now the only sufficient evidence of such an extraordinary divine assistance is the power of miracles . this indeed is the great external testimony of a teacher come from god , if he do such works as none can do , except god he with him ; and this evidence the prophets of old , and our saviour , and his apostles , always gave of their infallibility . and if the pope and general councils , can give the testimony of such miracles for their infallibility , as moses , and our saviour , and his apostles did work , we are ready to acknowledge it . such a testimony as this would give the world a thousand times more satisfaction concerning their infallibility , than all the subtil arguments of bellarmine , and all their writers . but if they cannot , they may dispute about it to the end of the world ; and every man that hath but the same confidence may pretend to it , with as much reason as they do . but to proceed in my argument , here is a plain reason why this extraordinary assistance should be granted to the apostles at first ; and another reason as plain , why it should not be continued afterwards . it was reasonable , and in some degree necessary , that the apostles should be thus assisted at the first publicacation of the gospel , namely to give satisfaction to the world , that they were faithful and true witnesses of the doctrine and miracles of christ . but since this doctrine and these miracles are recorded to posterity , by those very persons that were thus assisted , here is as plain a reason , why after the gospel was planted and establisht in the world , this infallibility should cease . so long as we have an infallible foundation of faith , namely , the divine revelation consigned in writing , and transmitted down to us by testimony of undoubted credit , what need is there now of a fixt and standing infallibility in the church ? but having handled this argument more at large else-where , i shall insist no further upon it here . i have now done with the three things i propounded to discourse upon , from this text. you have heard what authority our saviour had given him ; what commission he gave to his disciples ; and what assistance he hath promised to the pastors and governors of his church to the end of the world ; namely , such an assistance as is suitable to the exigencies of the church , in the several ages and states of christianity ; which assistance was at first very extraordinary and miraculous . god was pleased to give witness to the first teachers and publishers of the gospel , with signs and wonders and divers miracles , and gifts of the holy ghost ; and this at first was in a very great degree necessary , it not being otherwise imaginable , how christianity could have born up against all that force and violent opposition which was raised against it : but this extraordinary assistance was but a temporary and transient dispensation . god did , as it were , pass by , in the strong and mighty wind , in the earthquake , and in the fire : but he was in the still voice , that is , he designed to settle and continue in that dispensation , in that more calm and secret way of assistance , which offers less violence to the nature of man , but which was intended for the constant and permanent dispensation . so that we have no reason to think , that god hath now forsaken his church , though he be not with it in so sensible and extraordinary a manner . but then if any particular church desire and expect this blessed presence and assistance of god's holy spirit , we must remember , that there is a condition to be performed on our parts . for how absolute soever this promise may be , in respect of the church universal ; it is certainly conditional , to any particular church , as sad experience in many instances hath shewn . god hath long since left the church of jerusalem , where the gospel was first publisht ; he hath left the church of antioch , where the believers of the gospel were first call'd christians ; he hath left the famous churches of asia , to that degree of desolation , that the ruins and places of some of them , are hardly at this day certainly known . and this may also be the fate of any particular church , not excepting rome her self , for all her pride and confidence to the contrary . behold therefore the goodness and severity of god : towards them that fell severity ; but towards us goodness , if we continue in his goodness : otherwise we also shall be cut off . this , as i observed before , is spoken particularly to the roman church ; the apostle supposeth that the church of rome her self may be guilty of apostacy from the faith , and cut off by unbelief , and indeed seems to foretel it ; which how it consists with their confident pretence to infallibility , let them look to it . and let all particular churches look to themselves that they do not forfeit this promise of divine assistance . for christ hath not so tyed himself to any particular church , but that if they forsake him , he may leave them , and remove his candlestick from them . there have been many sad instances of this , since the first planting of christianity ; and we have no small reason to apprehend that it may come to be our own case ; for certainly we have many of those marks of ruin among us , which did foretel the destruction of the jewish church and nation ; horrible prophaness and contempt of religion , division and animosities to the highest degree , and an universal dissoluteness and corruption of manners . and why should we , who do the same things , think our selves exempted from the same fate ? what can we expect , but that god should deal with us , as he did with them , take away the kingdom of god from us , and give it to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it ? the condition of this great promise here in the text , to the pastors and governors of the christian church , is the faithful execution of their commission ; if they do sincerely endeavour to gain men to the belief and practice of christianity , christ hath promised to be with them . the performance of this condition doth primarily concern the chief governours of the church , and next to them the ministers of the gospel in general , that they would be diligent and faithful in their respective stations , teaching men to observe all things , whatsoever christ hath commanded . and if we would make this our great work , to instruct our respective charges , in the necessary doctrines of faith , and the indispensable duties of a good life , we should have far less trouble with them about other matters . and that we may do this work effectually , we must be serious in our instructions , and exemplary in our lives . serious in our instructions ; this certainly the apostle requires in the highest degree , when he chargeth ministers , so to speak , as the oracles of god , to which nothing can be more contrary , than to trifle with the word of god , and to speak of the weightiest matters in the world , the great and everlasting concernments of the souls of men , in so slight and indecent a manner , as is not only beneath the gravity of the pulpit , but even of a well regulated stage . can any thing be more unsuitable , than to hear a minister of god from this solemn place to break jests upon sin , and to quibble upon the vices of the age ? this is to shoot without a bullet , and as if we had no mind to do execution , but only to make men smile at the mention of their faults ; this is so nauseous a folly , and of so pernicious consequence to religion , that hardly any thing too severe can be said of it . and then if we would have our instructions effectual , we must be exemplary in our lives . aristotle tells , that the manners of the speaker have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the most soveraign power of perswasion . and therefore cato puts it into the definition of an orator , that he is , vir bonus , dicendi peritus , a good man , and an eloquent speaker . this is true as to all kinds of perswasion ; the good opinion which men have of the speaker , gives great weight to his words , and does strangely dispose the minds of men to entertain his counsels . but the reputation of goodness is more especially necessary and useful to those whose proper work it is to perswade men to be good ; and therefore the apostle , when he had charged titus to put men in mind of their duty , he immediately adds , in all things shewing thy self a patern of good works . none so fit to teach others their duty , and none so likely to gain men to it , as those who practise it themselves ; because hereby we convince men that we are in earnest , when they see that we perswade them to nothing , but what we chuse to do our selves . this is the way to stop the mouths of men , and to confute their malice , by an exemplary piety and virtue . so st. peter tells us , pet. . . for so is the will of god , that by well doing ye put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. sermon ix . the difficulties of a christian life consider'd . luke xiii . . strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many , i say unto you , will seek to enter in , and shall not be able . there are two great mistakes about the nature of religion , equally false , and equally pernicious to the souls of men ; and the devil , whose great design it is to keep men off from religion by any means , makes use of both these mistakes , to serve his own purpose and design upon the several tempers of men. those who are melancholy and serious , he disheartens and discourageth from attempting it , by the extream trouble and difficulty of it , representing it in so horrid and frightful a shape , encumber'd with such difficulties , and attended with such troubles and sufferings , as are insuperable , and intolerable to human nature ; whereby he perswades men , that they had better never attempt it , since they may despair to go through with it . on the other hand , those who are sanguine and full of hopes , he possesses with a quite contrary apprehension ; that the business of religion is so short and easie a work , that it may be done at any time , and if need be , at the last moment of our lives , tho' it is not so well to put it upon the last hazard ; and by this means , a great part of mankind are lull'd in security , and adjourn the business of religion from time to time ; and because it is so easie , and so much in their power , they satisfie themselves with an indeterminate resolution to set about that business some time or other before they die , and so to repent , and make their peace with god once for all . these pretences contradict one another , and therefore cannot be both true , but they may both be false , as indeed they are , and truth lies between them ; religion being neither so slight and easie a work as some would have it , nor so extreamly difficult and intolerable , as others would represent it . to confute the false apprehensions which some have of the easiness of it , our saviour tells us , there must be some striving ; and to satisfie us , that the difficulties of religion are not so great and insuperable , as some would make them , our saviour tells us , that those who strive shall succeed and enter in ; but those who only seek , that is , do not vigorously set about the business of religion , but only make some faint attempts to get to heaven , shall not be able to enter in . strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many , i say unto you , will seek to enter in , but shall not be able . the occasion of which words of our blessed saviour , was a question , that was put to him , by one of his disciples , concerning the number of those , that should be saved , v. . one said unto him , lord , are there few that be saved ? to which curious question , our saviour ( according to his manner , when such kind of questions were put to him ) does not give a direct answer , because it was neither necessary , nor useful for his hearers to be resolved in it , it did not concern them , to know what number of persons should be saved , but what course they should take that they might be of that number ; and therefore , instead of satisfying their curiosities , he puts them upon their duty ; admonishing them , instead of concerning themselves what should become of others , to take care of themselves . and he said unto them , strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many , i say unto you , shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able . he does not say , that but few shall be saved ; ( as some have presumptuously ventur'd to determine ) but only few in comparison of those many , that shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able . in these words we may consider these two things . first , the duty enjoined , strive to enter in at the strait gate . secondly , the reason or argument to enforce it , for many shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able . first , the duty enjoined ; strive to enter in at the strait gate . which words being metaphorical , i shall strip them of the metaphor , that so we may see the plain meaning of them . now by this metaphor , or rather allegory , these three things are plainly intended . st . the course of a holy and christian life , in order to the obtaining of eternal happiness , is here represented to us by a way , which every man , that would come to heaven , must walk in . for so st. matth. ( who expresseth this more fully ) makes mention of a way ; as well as a gate , by which we must enter into it ; strait is the gate , and narrow is the way , that leadeth to life . and this , tho' it be not express'd by st. luke , is necessarily understood , strive to enter in by the strait gate , that is , into the way that leads to life . dly , the first difficulties of a holy and religious course of life , are here represented to us by a strait gate . for the gate at which we enter , and the way in which we walk , can signifie nothing else , but the beginning and progress of a holy and religious course . dly . our diligence and constancy in this course , are represented by striving , a word which hath a great force and emphasis in it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a metaphor taken from the earnest contention which was used in the olympick games , by those who strove for mastery in running or wrestling , or any of the other exercises which were there used . secondly , here is a reason added to enforce the exhortation or duty ; for many shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able ; that is , there are a great many that will do something in christianity , and make some faint attempts to get to heaven , who yet shall fall short of it , for want of such a firm resolution and earnestness of endeavour , as is necessary to the attaining of it . having thus explained the words , i shall take occasion from the first part of them , namely , the duty or exhortation , to handle these three points , very useful for us to consider , and to be well instructed in . st . the difficulties of a holy and christian course . dly , the firm resolution , and earnest endeavour that is required on our part for the conquering of these difficulties . dly , that these difficulties are not so great and insuperable , as to be a just discouragement to our endeavours ; if we will strive , we may master them . first , the difficulties of a holy and christian course . and these are either from our selves , or from something without us . . from our selves , from the original corruption and depravation of our nature , and the power of evil habits and customs , contracted by vicious practices . our natures are vitiated and depraved , inclined to evil , and impotent to good ; besides that being habituated to sin and vice , it is a matter of infinite difficulty to break off a custom , and to turn the course of our life another way . now because this is the difficulty of our first entrance into religion , it is represented by a strait gate which is hard to get through . . there are likewise other difficulties from without ; as namely , the opposition and persecution of the world , which was very raging and violent in the first beginnings of christianity . and this our saviour represents by the ruggedness and roughness of the way , as st. matth. expresseth it , chap. . . strait is the gate , and narrow is the way that leads to life , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , confragosa est via , ( so grotius renders it ) the way is craggy , full of afflictions and troubles . so that these are the two great difficulties in a christian course , indisposition from within , and opposition from without . . indisposition from within . and this makes religion so much the more difficult , because it checks us at our very first entrance upon our christian course , and makes us unwilling to set out . the corruption of our nature , and those vicious habits which by a long custom of sin we have contracted , do strongly encline us the contrary way , so that a man must offer great force and violence to himself that will conquer this difficulty . it is one of the hardest things in the world to break off a vicious habit , and to get loose from the tyranny of custom . the prophet jeremiah speaks of it , as next to a natural impossibility , chap. . . can the ethiopian change his skin ? or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good , that are accustomed to do evil . this requires great striving indeed . nothing shows the spirit , and resolution of a man more , than to contend with an inveterate habit ; for in this case a man strives against the very bent and inclination of his soul ; and 't is easier to set a man against all the world , than to make him fight with himself : and yet this every man must do , who from any wicked course of life , betakes himself seriously to religion : he must as it were lay violent hands upon himself , and fight with the man he was before ; and this in scripture is emphatically exprest to us , by crucifying the old man , with the affections and lusts thereof . a christian when he first enters upon a holy and good course of life , is represented as two persons or parties at civil wars one with another ; the old , and the new man : so that whoever will be a christian must put off himself , and become another man ; and 't is no easie matter for a man to quit himself . . in our christian course , we must likewise expect to meet with great opposition from without . blessed be god , christianity hath generally been for many ages free from this difficulty , which attended the first profession of it ; it was then indeed a very steep and craggy way , very rough and thorny , not to be travelled in without sweat and blood ; then the dangers and hazards of that profession were such , as were not to be encountred by a mere moral resolution , and the natural strength of flesh and blood ; the persecution that attended it was so hot , and the torments which threatned it so terrible , that the sensual and inconsiderate part of mankind would rather venture hell at a distance , than run themselves upon so present and evident a danger . but since these ages of persecution , this difficulty hath been in a great measure removed . not but that the true religion hath still its enemies in the world ; but they are not let loose , as they were in those times ; it is still persecuted and exposed to the malice and reproach , but not to the rage and fury of unreasonable men. in the calmest times there is hardly any man can be a strict and sincere christian , without being liable to hatred and contempt , without denying himself many of those worldly advantages , which those who make no conscience of the strict laws of christianity may make to themselves ; so that at all times it requires a good degree of constancy and resolution to persevere in a holy course , and to bear up against the opposition of the world , and to withstand its temptations , to be harmless and blameless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation ; not to be infected with the eminent and frequent examples of vice , and carryed down with the stream of a corrupt and degenerate age. so that tho' our difficulties be not always the same , and equal to those which the primitive christians encountred , yet there is enough to exercise our best resolution and care ; tho' the main body of the enemies of christianity be broken , and the sons of anak be destroyed out of the land ; yet some of the old inhabitants are still left , to be thorns in our sides , and pricks in our eyes , that true religion may always have something to exercise its force and vigour upon . i have done with the first point , the difficulties of a christian course . i proceed to the second , the earnest endeavour that is to be used on our part , for the conquering of these difficulties . and to the business of religion , if we will set upon it in good earnest , these three things are required . st , a mighty resolution to engage us in a holy and christian course . dly , great dilligence and industry to carry us on in it . dly , an invincible constancy to carry us through it , and make us persevere in it to the end . st , a mighty resolution to engage us in a holy and good course . for want of this , most men miscarry and stumble at the very threshold , and never get through the strait gate , never master the difficulties of the first entrance . many are well disposed toward religion , and have fits of good inclination that way , ( especially in their young and tender years ) but they want firmness of resolution to conquer the difficulties of the first entrance upon a religi-and virtuous life ; like the young man that came to our saviour , well inclined to do some good thing , that he might inherit eternal life ; but when it came to the point , he gave back , he was divided betwixt christ and the world , and had not resolution enough to part with all for him . many men ( i doubt not ) have frequent thoughts and deliberations about a better course of life , and are in a good mind to take up , and break off that lewd and riotous course they are in ; but they cannot bring themselves to a fixt purpose and resolution : and yet without this nothing is to be done , the double minded man is unstable in all his ways . there must be no indifferency and irresoluteness in our minds , if we will be christians ; we must not stop at the gate , but resolve to press in . we see that men can take up peremptory resolutions in other matters , to be rich and great in the world , and they can be true and stedfast to these resolutions ; and why should not men resolve to be wise and happy , and stand to these resolutions , and make them good ? god is more ready to assist and strengthen these kind of resolutions than any other ; and i am sure no man hath so much reason to resolve upon any thing , as to live a holy and virtuous life ; no other resolution can do a man that good , and bring him that comfort and happiness , that this will. dly , the business of religion , as it requires a mighty resolution to engage us in a holy and good course , so likewise a great diligence to carry us on in it . when we are got through the strait gate , we must account to meet with many difficulties in our way ; there are in the course of a christian's life many duties to be performed , which require great pains and care ; many temptations to be resisted , which will keep us continually upon our guard ; a great part of the way is up hill , and not to be climb'd without labour ; and the scripture frequently calls upon us , to work out our salvation with fear and trembling , that is with great care and industry ; to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure ; to follow holiness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to pursue it with great earnestness . nothing of this world that is of value , is to be had upon other terms ; and we have low thoughts of heaven , if we think any pains too much to get thither . dly , the business of religion requires an invincible constancy to carry us through it , and to make us persevere in it to the end. resolution may make a good entrance ; but it requires great constancy and firmness of mind , to hold out in a good course . a good resolution may be taken up , upon a present heat , and may cool again ; but nothing but a constant and steady temper of mind will make a man persevere ; and yet without this , no man shall ever reach heaven . he that continueth to the end shall be saved ; but if any man draw back , god's soul will have no pleasure in him . god puts this case by the prophet , and determines it , ezekiel . . when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness , shall he live ? all his righteousness that he hath done , shall not be mentioned ; in his trespass that he hath trespassed , and in his sin that he hath sinned , in them he shall die ; nay so far will his righteousness be from availing him , if he do not persevere in it , that it will render his condition much worse , to have gone so far towards heaven , and at last to turn his back upon it . so st. peter tells us , pet. . , . for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world , through the knowledge of the lord and saviour jesus christ , they are again entangled therein and overcome ; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning ; for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them . i proceed to the third point , namely , that the difficulties of a holy and a christian life are not so great and insuperable , as to be a just ground of discouragement to our endeavours . all that i have said concerning the difficulties of religion , was with no design to damp , but rather to quicken our industry ; for , upon the whole matter , when all things are duly considered , it will appear , that christ's yoke is easy and his burthen light ; that the commandments of god are not grievous ; no , not this commandment of striving to enter in at the strait gate ; which i shall endeavour to make manifest by taking these four things into consideration . . the assistance which the gospel offers to us . god hath there promised to give his holy spirit to them that ask him ; and by the assistance of god's holy spirit , we may be able to conquer all those difficulties . indeed if we were left to our selves , to the impotency and weakness of our own nature , we should never be able to cope with these difficulties ; every temptation would be too hard for us ; every little opposition would discourage us : but god is with us , and there is nothing too hard for him . if the principles of a holy life , were only the birth of our own resolution , they would easily be born down ; but they are from god , of a heavenly birth and original ; and whatsoever is born of god , overcometh the world. john . , . as many as received him , to them gave he power ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the priviledge ) to become the sons of god , even to them that believe on his name , which were born not of blood , nor of the will of the flesh , nor of the will of man , but of god. god considers the impotency of humane nature , in this deprav'd and degenerate state into which we are sunk , and therefore he hath not left us to our selves ; but when he commands us to work out our own salvation , he tells us for our encouragement , that he himself works in us both to will and to do ; he does not bid us to be strong in our own strength , for he knows we have no strength of our own , but to be strong in the lord , and in the power of his might ; and what may not even a weak creature do , that is so powerfully assisted ? if we will but make use of this strength , nothing can be too hard for us . all that god expects from us is , that we should comply with the motions of his spirit , and be as sincere in the use of our own endeavours , as he is in the offers of his grace and assistance . . let us consider , that the greatest difficulties are at first ; 't is but making one manful onset , and sustaining the first brunt , and the difficulties will abate and grow less , and our strength will every day encrease and grow more . the gate is strait : but when we have once got through it , our feet will be set in an open place . after some strugling to get through , we shall every day find our selves at more ease and liberty . it will be very hard at first , to master our vicious inclinations , to change the habit of our minds , and the course of our lives , and to act contrary to what we have been long accustomed : but this trouble lasts but for a little while ; these pangs of the new-birth , tho' they be sharp , yet they are not usually of long continuance . it does indeed require great resolution and firmness of mind , to encounter the first difficulties of religion : but if we can but stand it out for one brunt , our enemy will give way , and the pleasure of victory will tempt us on . it is troublesome to conflict with great difficulties , and men are loth to be brought to it : but when we are engaged , it is one of the greatest pleasures in the world to prevail and conquer . many men are loth to go to war ; but after a little success , they are as loth to give over ; that which was a terrour to them at first , turns into a pleasure . . consider that custom will make any course of life tolerable , and most things easie . religion , and the practice of a holy life is difficult at first : but after we are once habituated to it , the trouble will wear off by degrees , and that which was grievous will become easie ; nay , by degrees , much more pleasant than ever the contrary practice was we see the daily experience of this , in the most difficult and laborious employments of this world ; a little pains tires a man at first , but when he is once seasoned and enured to labour , idleness becomes more tedious and troublesome to him than the hardest work . custom will make any thing easie , tho' it be a little unnatural . nothing is more unnatural than sin ; 't is not according to our original nature and frame , but it is the corruption and depravation of it , a second nature superinduced upon us by custom : whereas the practice of holiness and virtue is agreeable to our original and primitive state , and sin and vice are the perverting of nature , contrary to our reason , and the design of our beings , and to all obligations of duty and interest : but by returning to god and our duty , we return to our primitive state , we act naturally , and according to the intention of our beings ; and when the force of a contrary custom is taken off , and the byass clapt on the other side , we shall run the ways of god's commandments with more delight and satisfaction , than ever we found in the ways of sin. for sin is a violence upon our natures , and that is always uneasie , yet it is made more tolerable by custom : but religion restores men to their natural state , and then we are at ease and rest . religion is at first a yoke and burthen : but unless we take this upon us , we shall never find rest to our souls . thly and lastly , consider the reward that religion propounds , and this must needs sweeten and mitigate all the troubles and difficulties that are occasioned by it . this strait gate , through which we must enter , and this craggy way which we are to climb up , leads to life ; and he is a lazy man indeed , that will not strive and struggle for life . all that a man can do , he will do for his life , for this miserable life , which is so short and uncertain , and born to trouble as the sparks fly upward ; a life not worth the having , nor worth the keeping with any great care and trouble , if it were not in order to a better and happier life . but 't is not this life which our saviour means ; that indeed were not worth all this striving for : 't is eternal life ; a state of perfect and endless happiness ; of joys unspeakable and full of glory . and who would not strive to enter in at that gate , which leads to so much felicity ? can a man possibly take too much pains , be at too much trouble for a few days , to be happy for ever ? so often as i consider what incredible industry men use for the things of this life , and to get a small portion of this world , i am ready to conclude , that either men do not believe the rewards of another world , or that they do not understand them ; else they could not think much to be at the same pains for heaven , that they can chearfully bestow for the obtaining of these corruptible things . can we be so unconscionable , as to think god unreasonable , when he offers heaven and everlasting happiness to us , upon as easy terms , as any thing in this world is ordinarily to be had ? and are not we very foolish and unwise , to put away eternal life from us , when we may have it upon terms so infinitely below the true worth and value of it ? i have now done with the three things which i propounded to speak to from the first part of these words , which are so many arguments to enforce the exhortation here in the text ; to strive to enter in at the strait gate , and to give all diligence , by the course of a holy and virtuous life , to get to heaven ; and we may assure our selves , that nothing less than this will bring us thither . so our saviour tells us , in the latter part of the text ; that many shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able . i proceed now to the second part of the text ; the reason or argument whereby this exhortation is enforced ; strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many , i say unto you , shall seek to enter in , and shall not be able . every seeking to enter in will not gain our admission into heaven ; therefore there must be striving : for men may do many things in religion , and make several faint attempts to get to heaven , and yet at last fall short of it , for want of that earnest contention and endeavour which is necessary to the attaining of it . we must make religion our business , and set about it with all our might , and persevere and hold out in it , if ever we hope to be admitted to heaven ; for many shall seek to enter , that shall be shut out . now what this seeking is , which is here opposed to striving to enter in at the strait gate , our saviour declares after the text , v. . when once the master of the house is risen up , and hath shut to the door ; and ye begin to stand without , and knock at the door , saying , lord , lord , open unto us ; and he shall answer and say unto you , i know you not whence ye are : then shall ye begin to say , we have eaten and drunk in thy presence , and thou hast taught in our streets ; but he shall say , i tell you , i know you not whence ye are ; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity . st. matth. mentions some other pretences which they should make ; upon which they should lay claim to heaven , mat. . , , . not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . many will say unto me in that day , lord , lord , have we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonderful works ? and then will i profess unto them , i never knew you ; depart from me ye that work iniquity . after all their seeking to enter in , and notwithstanding all these pretences , they shall be shut out , and be for ever banisht from the presence of god. this shall be their doom , which will be much the heavier , because of the disappointment of their confident expectation and hope . so st. luke tells us , v . there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ; when ye shall see abraham ▪ and isaac , and jacob , and all the prophets in the kingdom of god , and ye your selves thrust out . and they shall come from the east , and from the west , and from the north , and from the south , and shall sit down in the kingdom of god. to which st. matthew adds , chap . v. . but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . and then our saviour concludes ( luke . ) behold , there are last that shall be first , and first which shall be last . from all which it appears , with what confidence many men , upon these false pretences ( which our saviour calls seeking to enter in ) shall lay claim to heaven , and how strangely they shall be disappointed of their expectation and hope ; when they shall find themselves cast out of heaven , who they thought had out done all others in religion , and were the only members of the true church , and the children and heirs of the kingdom ; and shall see others , whom they thought to be out of the pale of the true church , and excluded from all terms of salvation , come from all quarters , and find free admission into heaven ; and shall find themselves so grosly and widely mistaken , that those very persons , whom they thought to be last , and of all others farthest from salvation , shall be first ; and they themselves whom they took for the children of the kingdom , and such as should be admitted into heaven in the first place , shall be rejected and cast out . so that by seeking to enter , we may understand all those things which m●n may do in religion , upon which they shall pretend to lay claim to heaven , nay and confidently hope to obtain it ; and yet shall be shamefully disappointed , and fall short of it . whatever men think , and believe , and do in religion , what privileges soever men pretend , what ways and means soever men endeavour to appease the deity , and to recommend themselves to the divine favour and acceptance , all this is but seeking to enter in , and is not that striving which our saviour requires . if men do not do the will of god , but are workers of iniquity , it will all signify nothing to the obtaining of eternal happiness . our saviour here instanceth in mens profession of his religion , calling him lord , lord ; in their personal familiarity and conversation with him , by eating and drinking in his presence and company ; in their having heard him preach the doctrine of life and salvation , thou hast taught in our streets ; in their having prophesied , and wrought great miracles in his name and by his power , have we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonderful works ? these were great and glorious things which they boasted of ; and yet nothing of all this will do , if men do not the will of god ; notwithstanding all this , he will say unto them , i know ye not whence ye are , depart from me , ye workers of iniquity . and by a plain parity of reason , whatever else men do in religion , what attempts soever men may make to get to heaven , upon what priviledges or pretences soever they may lay claim to eternal life , they will certainly fall short of it , if they do not do the will of god , but are workers of iniquity . my business therefore at this time shall be , to discover the several false claims and pretences which men may make to heaven , and yet shall never enter into it . and to this purpose i shall instance in several particulars , by one or more of which , men commonly delude themselves , and are apt to entertain vain and ill-grounded hopes of eternal salvation . st , some trust to the external profession of the true religion . dly , others have attained to a good degree of knowledge in religion , and they rely much upon that . dly , there are others that find themselves much affected with the word of god , and the doctrines contained it it . thly , others are very strict and devout in the external worship of god. thly , others confide much in their being members of the only true church , in which alone salvation is to be had , and in the manifold privileges and advantages which therein they have above others of getting to heaven . thly , others think their great zeal for god , and his true religion , will certainly save them . thly , others go a great way in the real practice of religion . thly , others rely much upon the sincerity of their repentance and conversion , whereby they are put into a state of grace , and become the children of god , and heirs of everlasting life ; and being once truly so , they can never fall from that state , so as finally to miscarry . lastly , others venture all upon a death-bed repentance , and their importunity with god to receive them to mercy at the last . i shall briefly go over these particulars , which are the several ways whereby men seek to enter into heaven , and hope to get thither at last ; and shall shew the insufficiency of them ; and that there is something beyond all this necessary to be done for the attainment of everlasting salvation . st , some trust to the mere external profession of the true religion , and think it enough to call christ , lord , lord , to be baptized in his name , and thereby to be admitted members of the christian church . what the apostle says of the profession of the jewish religion , and the outward badge of it , circumcision , may be applied to the profession of christianity made in baptism , rom. . , , , . behold , thou art called a jew , and restest in the law , and makest thy boast of god. circumcision verily profiteth , if thou keep the law ; but if thou be a breaker of the law , thy circumcision is made vncircumcision : for he is not a jew that is one outwardly , neither is that circumcision , which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a jew which is one inwardly , and circumcision is that of the heart , in the spirit , and not in the letter . the case is the same of those who make only an outward profession of christianity . baptism verily profiteth , if we perform the condition of that covenant which we entred into by baptism ; but if we do not , our baptism is no baptism : for he is not a christian , which is one outwardly , nor is that baptism which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a christian which is one inwardly , and baptism is of the heart , in the spirit , and not in water only . so st. peter tells us , pet. . . that baptism is not only the washing of the body with water , and the putting away of the filth of the flesh ; but the answer of a good conscience towards god. the promise of eternal life and happiness is not made to the external profession of religion , without the sincere and real practice of it . why call ye me , lord , lord , ( says our saviour ) and do not the things which i say ? the scripture hath no where said , he that is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth and is baptized , he that repenteth and is baptized , shall be saved . this deserves to be seriously considered by a great many christians , who have nothing to shew for their christianity , but their names ; whose best title to heaven is their baptism , an engagement entred into by others in their name , but never confirmed and made good by any act of their own ; a thing which was done before they remember , and which hath no other effect upon their hearts and lives , than if it were quite forgotten . dly , there are others who have attained to a good degree of knowledge in religion , and they hope that will save them . but if our knowledge in religion , though never so clear and great , do not descend into our hearts and lives , and govern our actions , all our hopes of heaven are built upon a false and sandy foundation . so our saviour tells us , matth. . . every one that heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them not , shall be likened unto a foolish man , which built his house upon the sand. and john . . if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . there is not a greater cheat in religion , nothing wherein men do more grosly impose upon themselves , than in this matter , as if the knowledge of religion , without the practice of it , would bring men to heaven . how diligent are many in reading and hearing the word of god , who yet take no care to practise it in their lives ? like those in the prophet , ezek. . . of whom god complains , they come unto thee as the people cometh , and they sit before thee as my people , and they hear my words ; but they will not do them . none do so foolishly , and yet so deservedly miss of happiness , as those who are very careful to learn the way to heaven , and when they have done , will take no pains at all to get thither . dly , there are others who find themselves much affected with the word of god , and the preaching of it ; and this they take for a very good sign , that it hath its due effect upon them . and this happens very frequently , that the word of god makes considerable impressions upon men for the present , and they are greatly affected with it , and troubled for their sins , and afraid of the judgments of god , and the terrible vengeance of another world ; and upon this they take up some resolutions of a better course , which after a little while vanish and come to nothing . this was the temper of the people of israel , they delighted to hear the prophet speak to them in the name of god , ezek. . . and lo , thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice , and can play well upon an instrument ; for they hear thy words , but they do them not . mark . . it is said that herod had a great reverence for john the baptist , that he observed him , and heard him gladly ; but yet for all that , he continued the same cruel and bad man that he was before . and in the parable of the sower , matth. . . there are one sort of hearers mention'd , who , when they heard the word , received it with joy ; but having no root in themselves , they endured but for a while , and when tribulation or persecution ariseth , because of the word , presently they are offended . there are many men who have sudden motions in religion , and are mightily affected for the present : but it must be a rooted and sixt principle , that will endure and hold out against great difficulties and opposition . acts . . it is said , that when st paul reasoned of righteousness , and temperance , and judgment to come , felix trembled ; and nothing is more frequent , than for men to be mightily startled at the preaching of the word , when their judgments are convinced and born down , and their consciences touched to the quick ; a lively representation of the evil of sin , and the infinite danger of a sinful course , may stir up the passions of grief and fear , and dart such stings into the consciences of men , as may make them extremely restless and unquiet , and work some good thoughts and inclinations in them towards a better course ; and yet like metals , when the heat is over , they may be the harder for having been melted down . thly , others shew great strictness and devotion in the worship of god , and this they hope will be accepted , and cannot sail to bring them to heaven : and yet some of the worst of men have been very eminent for this . the pharisees were the most exact people in the world in matter of external ceremony and devotion ; and yet for all this , our saviour plainly tells them , that they were farther from the kingdom of god , than those who seemed to be farthest , than publicans and harlots ; and that because they were so very bad , under so great a pretence of devotion , therefore they should receive the greater damnation . not but that external devotion is a necessary expression of religion , and highly acceptable to god , when it proceeds from a pious and devout mind , and when men are really such in their hearts and lives , as their external devotion represents them to be : but when the outward garb of religion is only made a cloak for sin and wickedness , when there is nothing within to answer all the shew that we see without , nothing is more odious and abominable to god. these are mere engines and puppits in religion , all the motions we see without proceed from an artificial contrivance , and not from any inward principle of life ; and as no creature is more ridiculous than an ape , because the beast makes some pretence to human shape ; so nothing is more fulsome than this hypocritical devotion , because it looks like religion , but is the farthest from it of any thing in the world. thly , others confide very much in their being members of the only true church , in which alone salvation is to be had , and in the manifold privileges and advantages which they have thereby above others , of getting to heaven . thus the jews confined salvation to themselves , and looked upon all the rest of the world as excluded from it . and not only so , but they believed that by one means or other every israelite should be saved . so that they were the jewish catholick church , out of which there was no hope of salvation for any . the same pretence is made by some christians at this day , who engross salvation to themselves , and will allow none to go to heaven out of the communion of their church ; and have so ordered the matter , that hardly any that are in it can miscarry . they are members of an infallible church , which cannot possibly err in matters of faith , they have not only eat and drunk in christ's presence , but have eat and drunk his very corporal presence , the natural substance of his flesh and blood ; they have not only our blessed saviour , but innumerable other intercessors in heaven ; they have not only their own merits to plead for them , but in case they be defective , they may have the merits of others assigned and made over to them , out of the infinite stock and treasure of the church , upon which they may challenge eternal life , as of right and due belonging to them ; and by a due course of confession and absolution , may quit scores with god for all their sins from time to time . or if they have neglected all this , they may , after the most flagitious course of life , upon attrition ( that is , upon some trouble for sin , out of fear of hell and damnation ) joined with confession , and absolution , get to heaven at last ; provided the priest mean honestly , and do not for want of intention , deprive them of the saving benefit and effect of this sacrament . but is it possible men can be deluded at this rate ! as to think that confidence of their own good condition , and want of charity to others , will carry them to heaven ? that any church hath the privilege to save impenitent sinners ? and they are really impenitent , who do not exercise such a repentance , as the gospel plainly requires ; and if men dye in this state , whatever church they are of , the great judge of the world hath told us , that he will not know them , but will bid them to depart from him , because they have been workers of iniquity . thly , others think that their zeal for god and his true religion will certainly save them . but zeal , if it be not according to knowledge , if it be mistaken in its object , or be irregular and excessive in the degree , is so far from being a virtue , that it may be a great sin and fault ; and tho' it be for the truth , yet if it be destitute of charity , and separated from the virtues of a good life , it will not avail us . so st. paul tells us , that tho' a man should give his body to be burnt ; yet if he have not charity , it is nothing . thly , others go a great way in the real practice of religion , and this sure will do the business . and it is very true , and certain in experience , that religion may have a considerable awe and influence upon men's hearts and lives , and yet they may fall short of happiness . men may in many considerable instances perform their duty to god and man ; and yet the retaining of one lust , the practice of any one known sin , may hinder them from entring in at the strait gate . herod did not only hear john gladly , but did many things in obedience to his doctrine ; and yet he was a very bad man. the pharisee thanked god ( and it may be truly ) that he was not like other men , an extortioner , or unjust , or an adulterer ; and yet the penitent publican was justified before him . the young man who came to our saviour to know what he should do to enter into life , and of whom our saviour testifies , that he was not far from the kingdom of god , and that he wanted but one thing ; yet for want of that he miscarried . and st. james assures us , that if a man keep the whole law. and yet fail in one point , he is guilty of all , if we be workers of iniquity in any one kind christ will disown us , and bid us depart from him . thly , others rely upon the sincerity of their repentance and conversion , whereby they are put into a state of grace , from whence they can never finally fall . they did once very heartily repent of their wicked lives , and did change their course , and were really reformed , and continued a great while in that good course . and all this may be certainly true ; but it is as certain that they are relapsed into their former evil course : and if so , the prophet hath told us their doom , that if the righteous man forsake his righteousness , his righteousness shall not be remembred ; but in the sin that he hath sinned , in that shall he die . so that a righteous man may turn from his righteousness , and commit iniquity and dye in it . for the prophet doth not here ( as some vainly pretend ) put a case , which is impossible in fact should happen , unless they will say , that the other case which he puts together with it , of the wicked mans turning away from his wickedness : and doing that which is lawful and right , is likewise impossible , which god forbid . and that men may fall from a state of grace is no matter of discouragement to good men ; but a good caution against security , and an argument to greater care and watchfulness , according to that of the apostle , let him that standeth take heed lest he fall ; which admonition were surely to little purpose , if it were impossible for them that stand to fall . lastly , others venture all upon a death-bed repentance , and their importunity with god to receive them to mercy at last . this indeed is only to seek , and not to strive to enter in ; and these perhaps are they whom our saviour represents as standing without , and knocking at the door , saying lord , lord , open unto us ; or as st. matthew expresseth it , many shall say to me in that day , lord , lord , which is most probably meant of the day of judgment , when their case is brought to the last extremity ; and next to that is the day of death , when men are entring into a state of endless happiness or misery . and no wonder , if the sinner would then be glad , when he can no longer continue in this world , to be admitted into happiness in the next : but the door is then shut to most sinners , and it is a miracle of god's grace and mercy , if any repentance that men can then exercise , ( which at the best must needs be very confused and imperfect ) will then be accepted ; if any importunity which men can then use , will be available . for with what face can we expect , that after all the evil actions of a long life , god should be mollified towards us by a few good words , and accept of a forc'd and constrained repentance for all our wilful and deliberate crimes , and that he should forgive us all our sins upon a little importunity , when we can sin no longer , and would repent no sooner . let us then by all that hath been said , be effectually perswaded to mind the business of religion in good earnest , and with all our might , especially the practice of it , in the exercise of all the graces and virtues of a good life . let us heartily repent of all the sins of our past life , and resolve upon a better course for the future ; and let us not delay and put off this necessary work to the most unfit and improper time of old age , and sickness , and death : but let us set about it presently , and enter upon a good course , and make all the speed and progress in it we can . and let us remember , that whatever we do in religion will not bring us to heaven if we do not do the will of our father which is in heaven ; if we do not give up our selves to a constant and universal obedience of his laws . this is to strive to enter in at the strait gate : and tho' we strive to enter in a thousand other ways , we shall not be able ; and after all our confidence and conceit of our selves , and our own righteousness , and security of our salvation from the privileges of any church , it will be a strange damp and disappointment to us , to see the sincere christians , who have done the will of god , and lived in obedience to his laws , to come from all quarters , and churches in the world , and sit down with abraham , isaac , and jacob in the kingdom of god , when we who thought our selves the children of the kingdom , shall be cast out , because we have been workers of iniquity . i will conclude all with those plain words of the apostle , rom. . , , . to them , who by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for glory and honour , and immortality ; eternal life : but unto them that are contentious , and do not obey the truth , but obey vnrighteousness ; indignation and wrath , tribulation , and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil ; in the day when god shall judge the secrets of men by jesus christ according to the gospel . sermon x. the parable of the rich man and lazarus . sermon i. luke xvi . , . there was a certain rich man , which was cloathed in purple and fine linen , and fared sumptuously every day : and there was a certain beggar , named lazarus , which was laid at his gate full of sores . i intend by god's assistance to go over this parable , than which i think there is none in the whole gospel , which is more apt to affect men , or which is more artificially contrived , and in the circumstances whereof a greater decorum is observed . it is a great question among interpreters , whether this narration concerning the rich man and lazarus be a parable , or a history , or a mixture of both . that it is not a history , the resemblance between it , and others of our saviour's parables , will easily convince any man that is not contentious ; besides that , in some ancient copies , 't is usher'd in with this preface , and he spake a parable to his disciples , a certain rich man , &c. but yet , as some of the ancients have not improbably conjectur'd , it seems to be such a kind of parable , as had something of a real foundation ; as namely , that there was such a poor man as lazarus is here described , and of that name among the jews : for in a meer parable 't is altogether unusual to name persons , nor is this done in any other of our saviour's parables . but whether this be so or not , is not worth the disputing , because it alters not the case as to our saviour's purpose , and the instructions which we may learn from it . in the handling of this parable , i shall explain it as i go along , and draw two sorts of instructions or observations from it . the first sort of observations shall be from the circumstances which serve for the decorum of the parable : and these i will not warrant to be all intended by our saviour ; but only to be true in themselves and useful and to have a probable rise from some circumstances of the parable ; and therefore i shall speak but very briefly to them . the second sort of observations shall be such as are grounded upon the main scope and intent of the parable ; and these i shall insist more largely upon . i begin , first , with those observations and instructions which i shall gather up from the circumstances which serve for the decorum of the parable ; and i shall take them in order as they lie in the parable . ver. . there was a certain rich man , which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen , and fared sumptuously every day . some think that our saviour in this description reflected upon herod , because he describes this rich man to be cloathed in purple . but this conjecture is without reason ; for besides that , it was not our saviour's custom in his preaching , to give secret girds to the magistrate ; 't is certain that it was long after our saviour's time , that purple was appropriated to kings . it was then , and a great while after , the wear of rich and powerful men , and of the favourites and great men of the court , who are frequently in ancient histories call'd the purpurati , those that wore purple . that which i observe from hence , is , that the rich man is not here censured for enjoying what he had , for wearing rich apparel , and keeping a great table . this of it self , if it be according to a man's estate and quality , and without intemperance , is so far from being a fault , that it is a commendable virtue . but here was his fault , that he made all to serve his own sensuality and luxury , without any consideration of the wants and necessities of others : whereas , one of the great uses of the plentiful tables of rich men , is from the superfluity of them to feed the poor and the hungry . ver. . and there was a certain beggar named lazarus , as if our saviour had said , for instance , poor lazarus whom ye all knew . and here i cannot but take notice of the decorum which our saviour uses . he would not name any rich man , because that was invidious , and apt to provoke . he endeavours to make all men sensible of their duty ; but he would provoke none of them by any peevish reflection ; for nothing is more improper than to provoke those whom we intend to perswade . while a man's reason is calm and undisturbed , it is capable of truth fairly propounded ; but if we once stir up men's passions , it is like muddying of the waters , they can discern nothing clearly afterwards . but to proceed in the parable . there was a certain beggar named lazarus , which was laid at the rich man's gate full of sores , and was desirous to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table , moreover the dogs came and licked his sores . here are three great aggravations of the rich man's uncharitableness . st , that here was an object presented it self to him . dly , such an object as would move any ones pity , a man reduced to extream misery and necessity . dly , a little relief would have contented him . st , here was an object presented it self to him , lazarus laid at the rich man's gate ; so that so often as he went out of his own house and came in , he could not but take notice of him . good men that are charitably disposed , will enquire out objects for their charity , and not always stay 'till they thrust themselves upon them : but he is a very bad man , who , when an object of great pity and charity is presented , is so far from relenting towards him , that he stops his ear to his cry , and turns away his face from him . he is an uncharitable man , who being rich , and hearing of the miseries of others , does not take them into consideration : but what we see with our eyes is much more apt to affect us . so that this was an argument of a very cruel disposition in the rich man , that having so many occasions of seeing lazarus , he should never be moved to commiserate him . dly , here was such an object presented to him , as would move any ones pity , a man reduced to extream misery and necessity . here was no common object of charity , a man , not only in extream want , but in great pain and anguish , and so helpless , that he was unable to keep off the dogs from being troublesome to him . and yet this did not move him . dly , a very little relief would have contented this poor man , and have been a great kindness to him ; that which the rich man might have spared without the least prejudice to himself . he would have been glad to have been fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table ; and yet the parable intimates that the rich man was so hard-hearted , as not to afford him these . ver. . and it came to pass that the beggar died , and was carried by the angels into abraham's bosom . here was a great and sudden change ! he , who when he was alive was neglected by men , and contumeliously exposed like a dead carcass to the dogs , when he dies , is attended on by the angels , and by them safely conveyed into a state of unspeakable happiness . he who lay at the rich man's gate , and could find no entrance there , is admitted into heaven . the beggar died , and was carried into abraham's bosom . 't is very observable , that our saviour in this parable represents men as passing immediately out of this life into a state of hppiness or torment . and as in no other place of scripture , so neither in this , where it had been so proper , does our saviour give the least intimation of the state of purgatory , which the church of rome hath devised , and makes so much profit and advantage of , which , because it is so visible and apparent , we may without uncharitableness suppose to be the reason why they keep such a stir about it . and was carried by the angels into abraham's bosom . it was an ancient tradition among the jews , that the angels did attend good men at their death , and carry their souls into paradice , which is here call'd abraham's bosom . and this was a proper place for lazarus , who had been neglected by the rich man ; to be conveyed into abraham's bosom , who was of a quite contrary temper , and loved to entertain and relieve strangers . and paradice is fitly call'd abraham's bosom , because the jews had so great a veneration for abraham , and that deservedly for his eminent faith and obedience , that they gave him the first place among the blessed . hence is the expression , matth. . . of sitting down with abraham , and isaac , and jacob in the kingdom of god. now this expression of being in abraham's bosom , is an allusion to the custom of feasts among the jews , where the most esteemed and beloved guest sat next him that was chief at the feast , and leaned on his bosom . hence st. john is call'd the disciple whom jesus loved , because when he sat at meat , he leaned on his bosom . john . . hence likewise is the expression of our saviour's being in the bosom of his father , to signifie his dearness to him , john . . no man hath seen god at any time ; the only begotten son which is in the bosom of the father , he hath declared him . i proceed . the rich man also died , and was buried . the rich man also died ; this is very elegant and emphatical , insinuating to us , what the scripture so often takes notice of , that riches , for all men's confidence in them , will not deliver from death . this rich man indeed was out of danger of being starved and famisht , as poor lazarus was : but death had other ways to come at him . it is probable enough , that he might be surfeited by faring sumptuously every day . the rich man also died . and was buried . and here again we may observe the strict decorum which our saviour uses in this parable . it is not said of lazarus , that he was buried , but only that he died ; it is probable that he was flung out of the way into some pit or other : but of the rich man it is said , he was buried . and this is all the advantage which a rich man hath by a great estate after he is dead , to have a pompous and solemn funeral ; which yet signifies nothing to him after death , because he is insensible of it . ver. . and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments , and seeth abraham afar off , and lazarus in his bosom . as corporal acts are attributed to god in scripture , so likewise to separated souls . in hell he lift up his eyes , being in torments ; intimating to us , that this sensual and voluptuous man had stupidly past away his life without any serious thoughts and consideration : but now at last he was awakened , when it was too late , and began to consider . in hell he lift up his eyes , being in torments . o the stupidity of sinners ! who run on blindly in their course , and never open their eyes 'till they are fallen into the pit ; who cannot be brought to consider , 'till consideration will do them no good ; 'till it serve to no other purpose , but to enrage their consciences , and to multiply the stings of them . thus it was with this rich man , he lift up his eyes being in torments , and seeth abraham afar off , and lazarus in his bosom . our saviour represents him as seeing that which would then most probably come to his mind . feeling his own misery , he began to consider the happy condition of the poor man whom he had so cruelly neglected . and indeed one great part of the torment of hell consists in those reflections which men shall make upon the happiness which they have wilfully lost and neglected , and the sins whereby they have plunged themselves into that miserable state. ver. . and he cried , and said , father abraham , have mercy on me , and send lazarus , that he may dip the tip of his finger in water , and cool my tongue ; for i am tormented in this flame . see how the scene is changed ; now he is fain to beg relief of the beggar , who had sued to him in vain . send lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water , and cool my tongue . here is another very decent circumstance ; the rich man is represented as not having the face to beg any great relief from lazarus , towards whom he had been so hard-hearted . to dip the tip of his finger in water , to cool his tongue , had been a very great favour from lazarus , to whom the rich man had denied even the crumbs which fell from his table . for i am tormented in this flame . the scripture loves to make use of sensible representations , to set forth to us the happiness and misery of the next life ; partly by way of condescension to our understandings , and partly to work more powerfully upon our affections . for whilst we are in the body , and immers'd in sense , we are most apt to be moved by such descriptions of things as are sensible ; and therefore the torments of wicked men in hell , are usually in scripture described to us , by one of the quickest and sharpest pains that human nature is ordinarily acquainted withal , namely , by the pain of burning ; fire being the most active thing in nature , and therefore capable of causing the sharpest pains . but we cannot from these and the like expressions of scripture certainly determine that this is the true and proper pain of hell : all that we can infer from these descriptions is this , that the sufferings of wicked men in the other world , shall be very terrible , and as great , and probably greater than can possibly be described to us by any thing that we are now acquainted withal ; for who knows the power of god's anger , and the utmost of what omnipotent justice can do to sinners ? for as the glory of heaven , and the joys of god's presence are now inconceivable ; so likewise are the torments of hell , and the miseries of the damned . eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither have entred into the heart of man , those dreadful things which god prepares for them that hate him . who can imagine the utmost significancy of those phrases which the scripture uses to set forth this to us , of god's being a consuming fire , of being tormented in flames , of god's wrath and jealousy smoaking against sinners , and all the curses that are written in his book , falling upon them ? who can conceive the horror of those expressions , of the worm that dies not , and the fire that is not quenched , of god's pouring out the vials of his wrath , of being deliver'd over to the tormentor , of being thrust into utter darkness , of being cast into the lake of fire and brimstone ? these forms of speech seem to be borrowed from those things which among men are most dreadful and affrighting , and to be calculated and accommodated to our capacities , and not so much intended to express to us the proper and real torments of hell , as to convey to us in a more sensible and affecting manner the sense of what the scripture says in general , that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. ver. . but abraham said , son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things , and likewise lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted , and thou art tormented . abraham said , son , remember . it is very observable , how our saviour chuses to represent to us the discourse between abraham and the rich man ; tho' there was the greatest difference between them imaginable , the one was in heaven , and the other in hell , yet they treated one another civily . abraham is brought in giving the common terms of civility to this wretched wicked man , and calling him son ; son , remember . it was indeed a very severe thing which he said to him , he put him in mind of his former prosperity ; and of his fault in his unmerciful usage of lazarus ; remember , son , that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things , and lazarus , &c. but yet whilst he speaks such sharp things to him , he ' bates bad language . a man may say very severe things , where a just occasion requires it ; but he must use no reviling ; rem ipsam dic , mitte male loqui , say the thing , but use no bad language . and this , as one says , is the true art of chiding , the proper stile wherein we must use to reprove . if we do it with malice , and anger , and contempt , it is misbecoming , even tho' we despair of doing good : but if we hope for any good effect , we are like to miss of it this way ; for as the apostle says excellently , the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god. some think that abraham gives the rich man the title of son ironically , and by way of jeer : but without all reason . for surely there is not so much bad nature in heaven , as to scoff at those who are in misery . besides that we find our saviour observing this decorum of good language in other of his parables ; as particularly , in that of the king who invited guests to the marriage of his son , matth. . . when the king saw there the man , that came without his wedding garment , tho' he past a very severe sentence upon him , yet he gives him the common terms of civility ; friend , how camest thou hither ? this should teach us christians , how we ought to demean our selves towards those who are at the greatest distance from us , and how we ought to behave our selves towards one another in the greatest differences of religion . none sure can be at greater distance , than abraham in paradise , and the rich man in hell ; and yet our saviour would not represent them as at terms of defiance with one another . one might have expected that abraham should have reviled this poor wretch , and disdain'd to have spoken to him : but this is not the temper of heaven , nor ought it to be of good men upon earth , even towards the worst of men. how does this condemn our rudeness and impatience with one another in our religious differences ! we think no terms bad enough to use towards one another : and yet one of the most famous disputes that we find mentioned in scripture , and that between the most opposite parties that can be imagined , was managed after another fashion ; i mean that recorded by st. jude between michael the arch-angel , and the devil , v. . yet michael the archangel , when contending with the devil , he disputed about the body of moses , durst not bring a railing accusation , he durst not allow himself this , no not in the heat of dispute , when persons are most apt to fly out into passion , because it was indecent , and would have been displeasing to god ; this i believe is the true reason why it is said , he durst not bring a railing accusation . and yet i may add another , which is not improper for our consideration , i am sure it hath a good moral ; the devil would have been too hard for him at railing , he was better skill'd at that weapon , and more expert at that kind of dispute . which consideration may be a good argument to us against reviling any man. if we revile the good , we are unjust , because they deserve it not ; if we revile the bad , we are unwise , because we shall get nothing by it . i could almost envy the character which was given of one of the romans ; nescivit quid esset male dicere , he knew not what it was to give bad language . i proceed son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things . thy good things , those which thou didst value and esteem so highly , and didst place thy chief happiness in , as if there had been no other good to be sought after . thy good things , and indeed so he used them , as if he had been the sole lord and proprietor of them , and they had not been committed to him , as a steward , to be dispensed for his master's use , for the cloathing of the naked , and the feeding of the hungry , and the relieving of those in distress . ver. , . then he said , i pray thee therefore father , that thou wouldst send him to my father's house : for i have five brethren ; that he may testifie unto them , lest they also come into this place of torment . here the rich man , tho' in hell , is represented as retaining some tenderness for his relations , as solicitous lest they should be involved in the same misery with himself . the last piece of that which commonly remains in men , is natural affection , which is not so much a virtue , as a natural principle , and is common to many brute beasts . when a man puts off this , we may give him up for lost to all manner of goodness . to be without natural affection , is the worst character can be given of a man. our saviour represents this rich man in hell as not so totally degenerate as to be quite destitute of this . i ●●ink some attribute this motion of the rich man concerning his brethren to another cause ; as if he had desired it , not out of kindness to them , but out of regard to himself , as being afraid that if his brethen , who probably were corrupted by his example , had perisht by that means , it would have been an aggravation of his torments . but this conjecture is too subtile , and without any good ground ; for every man carries his burthen of guilt with him out of this world , and it is not encreased by any consequence of our actions here . for the crime of a bad example is the same , whether men follow it or not , because he that gives bad example to others , does what in him lies to draw them into sin ; and if they do not follow it , that is no mitigation of his fault . i have but one observation more , and that is from the mention of his brethren as his nearest relations , which is a great aggravation of the rich man's uncharitableness , because he is represented as having no children to take care for , and yet he would not consider the poor . and thus i have , as briefly as i could , endeavour'd to explain this parable , and have made such observations from the circumstances of it , as may be useful for instruction . but as i premised at first , i will not warrant all these observations to be certainly intended by our saviour ; i know very well that every circumstance of a parable is not to be prest too far , the moral accommodation does chiefly belong to the main scope of it , and many circumstances are only brought in to fill up the parable , and to make handsomer way for that which is most material , and principally intended : but so long as the observations are true and useful , and have a fair colour and occasion from the circumstances , it is well enough ; to be sure there is no harm done . i proceed to the second sort of observations , namely , such as are drawn from the main scope and intent of the parable , which i promised to speak more largely to ; and they are six , which i shall handle in order . first , i observe that uncharitableness and unmercifulness to the poor , is a great and damning sin. we find no other fault imputed to the rich man but this , that he took no care out of his superfluity and abundance to relieve this poor man that lay at his gate . he is not charged for want of justice , but of charity ; not for having got a great estate by fraud or oppression , but that in the midst of this abundance he had no consideration and pity for those that were in want . i shall endeavour to make out this observation by the parts of it . st , that unmercifulness and uncharitableness to the poor is a great sin. dly , such a sin , as alone and without any other guilt , is sufficient to ruin a man for ever . i shall speak to these severally . st , that unmercifulness and uncharitableness to the poor is a very great sin. it contains in its very nature two black crimes , inhumanity and impiety . . inhumanity ; it is an argument of a cruel and savage disposition , not to pity those that are in want and misery . and he doth not truly pity the miseries of others , that doth not relieve them when he hath ability and opportunity in his hands . tenderness and compassion for the sufferings of others is a virtue so proper to our nature , that it is therefore call'd humanity , as if it were essential to human nature , and as if without this , we did not deserve the name of men. to see a man like our selves , bone of our bone , and flesh of our flesh , labouring under want and necessity , and yet not to be moved to commiserate him , this is a sign that we have put off our own nature , otherwise we should pity the sufferings of it in others . for whenever we behold a man like our selves groaning under want , and prest with necessity , and do not relent toward him , and are not ready to relieve him , we are hard-hearted to our own nature , and do in some sense what the apostle says no man ever did ( that is , none retaining the temper and affections of a man ) hate his own flesh . this the scripture speaks of as a most barbarous sort of inhumanity , and calls it murder , john . . whoso hateth his brother is a murderer ; and not to relieve our brother in want is to hate him ; for this is the instance which the apostle gives at the th . verse , whoso hath this worlds goods , and seeth his brother in want , and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him ; whoso doth not consider the poor , is a man-slayer and a murderer , he is cruel to his own nature , nay were he sufficiently sensible of the condition of humane nature , he is cruel to himself . seest thou a poor man in great misery and want , there is nothing hath befallen him , but what is common to man , what might have been thy lot and portion as well as his , and what may happen to thee or thine another time . make it therefore thine own case ; ( for so the providence of god may make it one time or other , and thou provokest him to make it so speedily , by thy unmerciful disposition toward the poor ; ) i say , make it thine own case , if thou wert in the poor man's condition , and he in thine , consult thine own bowels , and tell me how thou wouldst wish him to be affected toward thee . wouldst thou be willing that he should slight and repulse thee , and shut up his bowels of compassion from thee ? if not , then do not thou deal so with him , consider that it may be thine own case , therefore do not thou give the world any bad example in this kind , do not teach men to be unmerciful , lest they learn of thee , and thou find the ill effects of it , when it comes to be thine own condition . this is the first aggravation of this sin , the inhumanity of it . but , . besides the inhumanity of this sin , it is likewise a great impiety toward god. unmercifulness to the poor hath this fourfold impiety in it ; it is a contempt of god ; an usurpation upon his right ; a slighting of his providence ; and a plain demonstration that we do not love god , and that all our pretences to religion are hypocritical and insincere . . it is a contempt of god , and a reproaching of him ; so solomon tells us , prov. . . he that oppresseth the poor , ( not only he that dealeth unjustly with a poor man , but he that is uncharitable towards him , as appears by the opposition , but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor ; here oppression of the poor is opposed to want of charity towards him ; ) he that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his maker ; how is that ? he despiseth god who made him after his own image and likeness : for the poor man bears the image of god as well as the rich , so that thou canst not oppress or neglect him , without some reflection upon god , whose image he bears . the uncharitable man is an usurper upon god's right . the earth is the lord's , and the fulness thereof , and he hath given it to the children of men , not absolutely to dispose of as they please , but in trust , and with certain reservations , so as to be accountable to him for the disposal of it . in respect of other men , we are indeed true proprietors of our estates : but in respect of god , we are but stewards ; and he will call us to an account how we have laid them out . so much as we need is ours ; but beyond what will support us , and be a convenient provision for our family , in the rank wherein god hath placed us , all that is given to us , that we may give it to others . and if god hath been liberal to us in the blessings of this life , it is on purpose to give us an opportunity , and to engage us to be so to others that stand in need of our charity ; and we are false to our trust , if we keep those things to our selves , which we receive from god for this very end that we might distribute them to others , according to the proportion of our ability and their necessity . this is to hide our lord's talent in a napkin , and that which thou storest up in this case is unjustly detained by thee ; for god intended it should have been for bread for the hungry , and for cloaths for the naked , for the relief and support of those who were ready to perish . . the uncharitable man is impious in slighting of god's providence . he does not consider that riches and poverty are of the lord , that he can soon change our condition , and that it is an easy thing with him to make a rich man poor . we do not sufficiently reverence the providence which rules the world , if when god hath blest us with plenty and abundance , we have no pity and regard for those that are in need . god can soon turn the wheel , and lay thee as low as the poor man whom thou dost neglect . he can cast down the mighty from their seat , and exalt the humble and meek ; fill the hungry with good things , and send the rich empty away . god's providence could easily have disposed of things otherwise , to have secured every man from want : but he hath on purpose order'd this variety of conditions , high and low , rich and poor , not that some men might have an advantage to insult over and despise others , but that there might be an opportunity for the exercise of several virtues ; that the poor might have an opportunity to exercise their dependance upon god , and their patience and submission to his will ; and that the rich might show their temperance , and moderation , and charity . . unmercifulness to the poor is a plain demonstration that we do not love god , and that all our other pretences to religion are hypocritical and insincere . st. james tells us , that pure religion and undefiled before god and the father , is this , to visit the fatherless and the widow , ja. . . that the wisdom which is from above is full of mercy and good fruits , ch . . . st. john represents this uncharitable disposition as utterly inconsistent with the true love of god , john . . but whoso hath this world's goods , and seeth his brother have need , and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him ; how dwelleth the love of god in him ? in vain does such a man pretend to love god ; nay ch . . v. . he tells us that it is impossible such a man should love god. if a man say i love god , and hateth his brother , he is a liar ; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen , how can he love god whom he hath not seen ? this deserves to be seriously consider'd by those who make a great shew of devotion , and are at great pains in prayer , and fasting , and reading , and hearing the word of god , and in all other frugal exercises of religion , which stand them in no money ; lest all their labour be lost for want of this one necessary and essential part , lest with the young man in the gospel , after they have kept all other commandments , they be rejected by christ for lack of this one thing . i have done with the first part of the observation , that unmercifulness is a very great sin. i proceed to the d , that it is such a sin , as alone , and without any other guilt , is sufficient to ruin a man for ever . the parable lays the rich man's condemnation upon this ; it was the guilt of this sin that tormented him when he was in hell. the scripture is full of severe threatnings against this sin. prov. . . whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor , he also shall cry himself , but shall not be heard . god will have no regard or pity for the man that regardeth not the poor . that is a terrible text , jam. . . he shall have judgment without mercy , that hath shewed no mercy . our saviour hath two parables to represent to us the danger of this sin ; this here in the text , and that in luke . concerning the covetous man that enlarged his barns , and was still laying up , but laid nothing out upon the poor ; upon which our saviour makes this observation , which is the moral of the parable , v. . so is he that layeth up treasure for himself , and is not rich towards god ; so shall he be , such an issue of his folly may every one expect , who layeth up treasure for himself , but does not lay up riches with god. how is that ? the scripture tells us , by works of mercy and charity ; this our saviour calls laying up for our selves treasures in heaven , matth. . . and luke . . he calls giving of alms , providing for our selves bags that wax not old , a treasure in heaven that faileth not . there is no particular grace and virtue to which the promise of eternal life is so frequently made in scripture , as to this of mercy and charity to the poor . matth. . . blessed are the merciful , for they shall find mercy . which promise , as it does not exclude a reward in this world , so it seems principally to respect the mercy of god at the great day . luke . , , when thou makest a feast , invite not the rich , for they will recompence thee again : but invite the poor , and the maimed , and the lame , and the blind , for they cannot recompense thee ; but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just . luke . . make therefore to your selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness , that when ye shall fail , they may receive you into everlasting habitations . tim. . , , . charge them that are rich in this world , that they do good , that they be rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate , laying up in store for themselves a good foundation , as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used , a good treasure against the time which is to come , that they may lay hold of eternal life . but the most considerable text of all other to this purpose , is in matth. . where our saviour gives us a description of the judgment of the great day : and if that be a true and proper representation of the process of that day , then the grand enquiry will be , what works of charity have been done or neglected by us , and accordingly sentence shall be past upon us . the proper result from all this discourse is to persuade men to this necessary duty . our eternal happiness does not so much depend upon the exercise of any one single grace or virtue , as this of charity and mercy . faith and repentance are more general and fundamental graces , and as it were the parents of all the rest : but of all single virtues the scripture lays the greatest weight upon this of charity ; and if we do truly believe the precepts of the gospel , and the promises and threatnings of it , we cannot but have a principal regard to it . i know how averse men generally are to this duty , which makes them so full of excuses and objections against it . . they have children to provide for . this is not the case of all , and they whose case it is , may do well to consider , that it will not be amiss to leave a blessing , as well as an inheritance to their children . . they tell us , they intend to do something when they die . i doubt that very much ; but granting their intention to be real , why should men chuse to spoil a good work , and to take away the grace and acceptableness of it , by the manner of doing ? it shews a great backwardness to the work , when we defer it as long as we can . he that will not do good , till he be enforced by the last necessity , diu noluit , was long unwilling . it is one of the worst complements we can put upon god , to give a thing to him when we can keep it no longer . . others say they may come to want themselves , and it is prudence to provide against that . to this i answer , ( . ) i believe that no man ever came the sooner to want for his charity . david hath an express observatinn to the contrary , psa . . . i have been young and now am old , yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken , nor his seed begging bread . and tho' he use a general word , yet that by the righteous here he intended the merciful man , is evident from the next words , he is ever merciful and lendeth . and besides david's observation , we have express promises of god to secure us against this fear . psal . . , . blessed is he that considereth the poor , the lord will deliver him in time of trouble , the lord will preserve him and keep him alive , and he shall be blessed upon the earth . pro. . . he that giveth unto the poor shall not lack . ( . ) thou mayest come to want tho' thou give nothing ; thou may'st lose that which thou hast spared in this kind as well as the rest ; thou may'st lose all , and then thou art no better secured against want , than if thou hadst been charitable . besides that , when thou art brought to poverty , thou wilt want the comfort of having done this duty , and may'st justly look upon the neglect of this duty as one of the causes of thy poverty . ( . ) after all our care to provide for our selves , we must trust the providence of god ; and a man can in no case so safely commit himself to god as in well doing . if the providence of god ( as we all believe ) be peculiarly concern'd to bless one man more than another , i dare say the charitable man will not have the least portion . . there is a worse objection than all these made by some grave men , who would be glad under a pretence of piety to slip themselves out of this duty ; and that is this , that it savours of popery to press good works with so much earnestness upon men , as if we could merit heaven by them ; so that they dare not be charitable out of a pious fear , as they pretend , lest hereby they should entertain the doctrine of merit . but if the truth were known , i doubt covetousness lyes at the bottom of this objection : however it is fit it should be answered . and , ( . ) i say that no man that is not prejudiced either by his education or interest , can think that a creature can merit any thing at the hand of god , to whom all that we can possibly do , is antecedently due ; much less that we can merit so great a reward as that of eternal happiness . ( . ) tho we deny the merit of good works , yet we firmly believe the necessity of them to eternal life . and that they are necessary to eternal life , is as good an argument to perswade a wise man to do them , as if they were meritorious ; unless a man be so vain-glorious as to think heaven not worth the having unless he purchase it himself at a valuable consideration . and now let me earnestly intreat you , as you love god and your own souls , not to neglect this duty ; lest you bring your selves to the same miserable state with this rich man , to whom the least charity that could be askt was denied . our saviour hath purposely left this parable on record , to be a testimony and a witness to us ; lest we being guilty of the same sin , should come into the same place of torment . and if any ask me according to what proportion of his estate he ought to be charitable ? i cannot determine that . only , let no man neglect his duty , because i cannot ( and it may be no one else can ) tell him the exact proportion of his charity to his estate . there are some duties that are strictly determined , as those of justice ; but god hath left our charity to be a free will offering . in the proportion of this duty , every one must determine himself by prudence and the love of god : god hath left this duty undetermined , to try the largeness of our hearts towards him ; only to encourage us to be abundant in this grace , he hath promised , that according to the proportion of our charity , shall be the degree of our happiness ; cor. . he that soweth plentifully , shall reap plentifully . but let us be sure to do something in this kind ; any part of our estate rather than none . i will conclude with that excellent counsel of the son of syrach , eccl. . my son defraud not the poor , and make not the needy eye to wait long ; make not a hungry soul sorrowful , neither provoke a man in his distress ; add not more trouble to a heart that is vexed , defer not to give to him that is in need . reject not the supplication of the afflicted , nor turn away thy face from a poor man ; turn not away thy eye from the needy , and give him none occasion to curse thee . for if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul , his prayer shall be heard of him that made him . let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor , and give him a friendly answer with meekness . be as a father to the fatherless , and instead of a husband to their mother ; so shalt thou be as the son of the most high , and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth . sermon xi . the parable of the rich man and lazarus . sermon ii. luke xvi . , . there was a certain rich man , which was cloathed in purple and fine linen , and fared sumptuously every day : and there was a certain beggar , named lazarus , which was laid at his gate full of sores . i proceed to our second observation , that a man may be poor and miserable in this world , and yet dear to god. this beggar lazarus , tho' he was so much slighted , and despised in his life-time by this great rich man , yet it appeared when he came to die , that he was not neglected by god , for he gave his angels charge concerning him , to convey him to happiness ; v. . the beggar died , and was carried into abraham's bosom . but this truth is not only represented to us in a parable , but exemplified in the life of our blessed saviour . never was any man so dear to god as he was , for he was his only begotten son , his beloved son , in whom he was well pleased : and yet how poor and mean was his condition in this world ! insomuch that the jews were offended at him , and could not own one that appeared in so much meanness , for the true messias . he was born of mean parents , and persecuted as soon as he was born ; he was destitute of worldly accommodations , the foxes had holes , and the birds of the air had nests ; but the son of man had not where to lay his head . he was despised and rejected of men , a man of sorrows , and acquainted with grief . god could have sent his son into the world with majesty and great glory , and have made all the kings of the earth to have bowed before him , and paid homage to him : but the wisdom of god chose rather that he should appear in a poor and humble , in a suffering and afflicted condition , to confound the pride of the world , who measure the love of god by these outward things , and think that god hates all those whom he permits to be afflicted . now it was not possible to give a greater and clearer demonstration of this truth , that goodness and suffering may meet together in the same person , than in the son of god , who did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth ; yet it pleased the lord to bruise him , and to put him to grief . afflictions in this world are so far from being a sign of god's hatred , that they are an argument of his love and care ; whom the lord loveth he chastneth , and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth . those he designs for great things hereafter , he trains up by great hardships in this world , and by many tribulations prepares them for a kingdom . this course god took more especially in the first planting of christianity ; the poor chiefly were those that received the gospel . not many mighty , nor many noble ; but the base things of the world , and the things that were despised did god chuse . hearken , my beloved brethren , saith st. james , ch . . . hath not god chosen the poor in this world , rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdom , which he hath promised to them that love him ? now this consideration should persuade to patience under the greatest sufferings and afflictions in this world . god may be our father , and chasten us severely ; nay this very thing is rather an argument that he is so . god may love us tho' the world hate us . 't is but exercising a little patience , and these storms will blow over , and we shall be removed into a calmer region , where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes ; and death and sorrow shall be no more . this was the portion of the son of god here ; but it is a faithful saying , that if we be dead with him , we shall also live with him , if we suffer with him , we shall also reign with him . therefore those who suffer in this world ought not to be moved , as tho some strange thing hapned unto them ; but should rather rejoice , in as much as they are partakers of christ's sufferings , that when his glory shall be revealed , they also may be glad with exceeding joy , pet. . , . i proceed to a third observation , which is the different estate of good and bad men after this life ; lazarus died , and was carried by the angels into abraham's bosom : the rich man died , and went to hell . this the justice of the divine providence seems to require ; so that if there had been no revelation of god to this purpose , it is a thing very credible to natural reason , whether we consider god or our selves . if we consider god ; our reason tells us , that he is the holy and righteous governor of the world , and consequently , that he loves goodness and hates sin , and therefore is concern'd to countenance the one , and discountenance the other , in such a solemn and publick manner , as may vindicate his holiness and justice to the whole world. now the dispensations of his providence are promiscuous in this world ; and therefore it seems very reasonable , that there should be a general assizes , a fair and open trial ; when god will render to every man according to his works . and if we consider our selves , this will appear very credible ; for this hath been the constant opinion , not only of the common people , but of the wisest persons , who had only the light of nature to guide them . nay if we do but search our own consciences , we shall find an inward and secret acknowledgment of this , in that inward peace and satisfaction we find in any good action , and in that shame and fear and horror that haunts a man after the commission of any , tho' never so secret a sin. and as reason and scripture together do assure us of a future judgment ; so likewise , that men , when they pass out of this world , shall meet with the proper consequences and rewards of their actions in the other . and tho' the happiness or misery of men be not so compleat as it shall be after the publick judgment ; yet it is unspeakably great . lazarus is represented as very happy immediately after his passing out of this world , he is said to be carried into abraham's bosom ; by which the jews express the happiness of the future state. and the rich man is represented , as in great anguish and torment . but what the happiness of good men , and the misery of wicked men shall be in the other state , we can but now imperfectly and unskilfully describe . each of these i have in another discourse spoken something to . i proceed to a fourth observation , the vast difference between men's conditions in this world , and the other . the rich man prospered here , and was afterward tormented : lazarus was poor and miserable in this world , and happy in the other ; v. . remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things and lazarus evil things ; but now he is comforted , and thou art tormented . and it is very agreeable to the wisdom of god , to make such a difference between mens conditions in this world and the other ; and that for these two reasons . st . for the trying of mens virtue . dly , in order to the recompencing of it . . for the tryal of men's virtue . for this end principally god ordains the sufferings of good men , and permits the best of his servants many times to be involved in the greatest calamities to try their faith in him , and love to him ; to improve their virtue , and to prevent those sins into which the mighty temptations of a perpetual prosperity are apt to draw even the best of men ; to take off their affections from the love of this vain world , and to engage and fix them there , where they shall never repent that they have placed them ; to prove their sincerity towards god , and to exercise their patience and submission to his will ; to prepare them for the glory of the next life , and to make the happiness of heaven more welcome to them , when they shall come to it . dly , in order to the recompencing of men ; that they who will take up with the pleasures and enjoyments of this present world , and take no care for their future state , that they who will gratify their senses , and neglect their immortal souls , may inherit the proper consequences of their wretched choice . and on the other hand , that they who love god above all things , and had rather endure the greatest evils , than do the least , that they who look beyond the present scene of things , and believe the reality and eternity of the other state , and live accordingly , may not be disappointed in their hopes , and serve god , and suffer for him for nothing . from this consideration of the difference between the condition of men in this world and the other , we may infer , . that no man should measure his felicity or unhappiness by his lot in this world . if thou receivest thy good things , art rich and honourable , and hast as much of the things of this world as thine heart can wish , art splendidly attired , and farest sumptuously every day ; art in no trouble like other men , neither art plagued like other folk ; do not upon this bless thy self as the happy man. on the other hand , art thou poor and miserable , destitute of all the conveniences and accommodations of this life ? do not repine at thy lot , and murmur at god for having dealt hardly with thee . no man can be pronounced happy or miserable for what befals him in this life ; no man knows love or hatred by these things ; this life is but a short and inconsiderable duration , and it matters not much what entertainment we meet withal , as we are passing through this world : the state of eternity is that wherein the happiness or misery of men shall be determined . he is the happy man who is so in that life which shall never have an end ; and he is miserable that shall be so for ever . . we should not set too great a value upon the blessings of this life . we may receive our good things here , and be tormented hereafter ; nay this very thing will be no inconsiderable part of our torment , none of the least aggravations of our misery , that we did receive our good things . nothing afflicts a man more , and toucheth him more sensibly when he is in misery , than the remembrance of his former prosperity ; had he never been happy , his misery would be the less . therefore we should be so far from applauding our selves in the prosperity of this world , that we should rather be afraid of receiving our good things here ; lest god should put us off with these things , and this should be all our portion , and lest our misery in the next world should be the greater for our having been happy . the felicities of this world are transient , and tho' our happiness were never so compleat , yet it is going off , and passing away ; and when it is gone and past , if misery succeed it , it had better never have been . remember , thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things ; these things are only for our life time , and how short is that ! did men seriously consider this , they would not set such a price upon any of the transient enjoyments of this life , as for the sake of them to neglect the great concernments of another world. we are apt to be dazled with the present glittering of worldly glory and prosperity : but if we would look upon these things as they will be shortly gone from us , how little would they signifie ! the rich man here in the parable did , no doubt , think himself a much happier man than poor lazarus that lay at his door ; and yet after a little while how glad would he have been to have changed conditions with this poor man ! when he was in torments , then no doubt he wisht that he had suffered all the misery and want in this world which lazarus did , provided he might have been comforted as he was , and carried by angels into abraham's bosom . we should value this world , and look upon it , as this rich man did , not when he enjoyed it , but when he was taken from it ; and we should esteem it and use it while we may , as he wisht he had done when it was too late . . we should not be excessively troubled , if we meet with hardship and affliction here in this world ; because those whom god designs for the greatest happiness hereafter , may receive evil things here . thus our blessed saviour , the captain of our salvation , was made perfect through sufferings : this was the method which god used towards his own son , first he suffered , and then entred into glory . he suffered more than any of us can bear ; and yet he supported himself under all his sufferings by the consideration of the glory that would follow ; for the joy that was set before him , he endured the cross , and despised the shame . the same consideration should arm us with patience and constancy under the greatest evils of this life . the evils that we lie under are passing and going off ; but the happiness is to come . and if the happiness of the next world were no greater , nor of longer continuance , than the miseries of this world ; or if they did equally answer one another ; yet a wise man would chuse to have misery first , and his happiness last . for if his happiness were first , all the pleasure and comfort of it would be eaten out , by dismal apprehensions of what was to follow : but his sufferings , if they were first , would be sweetned by the consideration of his future happiness ; and the bitterness of his sufferings would give a quicker relish to his happiness when it should come , and make it greater . but a good man under the sufferings of this life , hath not only this comfort , that his happiness is to come , but likewise that it shall be infinitely greater than his sufferings ; that these are but short , but that shall never have an end . and this was that which fortified the first christians against all that the malice and cruelty of the world could do against them . they thought themselves well paid , if through many tribulations they might at last enter into the kingdom of god ; because they believed that the joys of the next life would abundantly recompence all their labours and sufferings in this world. they expected a mighty reward far beyond all their sufferings ; they were firmly perswaded that they should be vast gainers at the last . so the apostle tells us of himself , rom. . . i reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed . and to the same purpose , cor. . , . our light afflictions , which are but for a moment , work for us an eternal weight of glory , whilst we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal , but the things which are not seen are eternal . if we would consider all things together , and fix our eyes as much upon the happiness and glory of the next world , as upon the pomp and splendor of this , if we would look as much at the things which are not seen , as the things which are seen , we should easily perceive , that he who suffers in this world does not renounce his happiness , only puts it out to interest , upon terms of the greatest advantage . . we should do all things with a regard to our future and eternal state. it matters not much what our condition is in this world , because that 's to continue but for a little while : but we ought to have a great and serious regard to that state that never shall have an end . therefore whenever we are doing any thing , we should consider what influence such an action will have upon the happiness or misery of the next life . we should measure every action , and every condition of our lives by the reference of them to eternity . to be rich and great in this world will contribute nothing to our future happiness ; all these things which we so much dote upon , and pursue with so much eagerness , will not commend any man to god ; they will signifie nothing when we come to appear before our judge . death will strip us of these things , and in the other world , the soul of the poorest man that ever lived shall be upon equal terms with the richest . nothing but holiness and virtue will then avail us ; and it is but a little while and we shall all certainly be of this mind , that the best thing men can do in this world , is to provide for the other . i proceed to a fifth observation , that the state of men in the next world is fixt and unchangeable ; which i ground upon v. . between us and you there is a great gulf fixt , so that they that would pass from hence to you cannot , neither can they pass to us that would come from thence . by which words our saviour seems not only to intend , that they that are in heaven and hell can have no communication and intercourse with one another ; but likewise that they are lodg'd in an immutable state. those that are happy are like to continue so ; and those that are miserable are immutably fixt in that state. . as to those that are in happiness there can be no great doubt . for what can tempt men that have so narrowly scap'd the dangers and temptations of a wicked world , and are possest of so great a happiness by the free grace and mercy of god , to do any thing whereby they may forfeit their happiness ; or so much as to entertain a thought of offending that god , to whom they cannot but be sensible how infinitely they are obliged . in this imperfect state few men have so little goodness as to sin without a temptation ; but in that state where men are perfectly good , and can have no temptation to be otherwise , it is not imaginable that they should fall from that state . . as to the state of the damned , that that likewise is immutable the scripture does seem plainly enough to assert , when it calls it an everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and uses such expressions to set forth the continuance of their misery , as signifie the longest and most interminable duration , expressions of as great an extent as those which are used to signifie the eternal happiness of the blessed ; and as large and unlimited , as any are to be had in those languages wherein the scriptures are written . besides that wicked men in the other world are in scripture represented , as in the same condition with the devils , of whom there is no ground to believe that any of them ever did or will repent . not because repentance is impossible in its own nature to those that are in extream misery ; but because there is no place left for it . being under an irreversible doom , there is no encouragement to repentance , no hope of mercy and pardon , without which repentance is impossible . for if a man did utterly despair of pardon , and were assured upon good ground , that god would never shew mercy to him , in this case a man would grow desperate , and not care what he did . he that knows that whatever he does , he is miserable and undone , will not matter how he demeans himself . all motives to repentance are gone after a man once knows it will be to no purpose . and this the scripture seems to represent to us , as the case of the devils and damned spirits . because their state is finally determined , and they are concluded under an irreversible sentence , therefore repentance is impossible to them . sorry , no doubt , they are , and heartily troubled that by their own sin and folly they have brought this misery upon themselves , and they cannot but conceive an everlasting displeasure against themselves , for having been the cause and authors of their own ruin ; and the reflection of this will be a perpetual spring of discontent , and fill their minds with eternal rage and vexation ; and so long as they feel the intolerable punishments of sin , and groan under the insupportable torments of it , and see no end of this miserable state , no hope of getting out of it , they can be no otherwise affected , than with discontent at themselves , and rage and fury against god. they are indeed penitent so far , as to be troubled at themselves for what they have done ; but this trouble works no change and alteration in them ; they still hate god who inflicts these punishments upon them , and who they believe is determined to continue them in this miserable state . the present anguish of their condition , and their despair of bettering it , makes them mad ; and their minds are so distracted by the wildness of their passions , and their spirits so exasperated and set on fire by their own giddy motions , that there can be no rest and silence in their souls , not so much as the liberty of one calm and sedate thought . or if at any time they reflect upon the evil of their sins , and should entertain any thoughts of returning to god and their duty , they are presently checkt with this consideration , that their case is determined , that god is implacably offended with them , and is inexorably and peremptorily resolved to make them miserable for ever ; and during this perswasion , no man can return to the love of god and goodness , without which there can be no repentance . this consideration , of the immutable state of men after this life , should engage us with all seriousness and diligence to endeavour to secure our future happiness . god hath set before us good and evil , life and death , and we may yet chuse which we please ; but in the other world , we must stand to that choice which we have made here , and inherit the consequences of it . by sin mankind is brought into a miserable state ; but our condition is not desperate and past remedy . god hath sent his son to be a prince and a saviour , to give repentance and remission of sins . so that tho' our case be bad , it need not continue so , if it be not our own fault . there is a possibility now of changing our condition for the better , and of laying the foundation of a perpetual happiness for our selves . the grace of god calls upon us , and is ready to assist us ; so that no man's case is so bad , but there is a possibility of bettering it , if we be not wanting to our selves , and will make use of the grace which god offers , who is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men. under the influence and assistance of this grace , those who are dead in trespasses and sins , may pass from death to life , may be turned from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god. so long as we are in this world there is a possibility of being translated from one state to another , from the dominion of satan , into the kingdom of god's dear son. but if we neglect the opportunities of this life , and stand out against the offers of god's grace and mercy , there will no overtures be made to us in the other world . after this life is ended , god will try us no more ; our final miscarriage in this world will prove fatal to us in the other , and we shall not be permitted to live over again to correct our errors . as the tree falls , so it shall lye ; such a state as we are settled in , when we go out of this world , shall be fixt in the other , and there will be no possibility of changing it . we are yet in the hand of our own counsel , and by god's grace we may mould and fashion our own fortune . but if we trifle away this advantage , we shall fall into the hands of the living god , out of which there is no redemption . god hath yet left heaven and hell to our choice , and we had need to look about us , and chuse well , who can chuse but once for all and for ever . there is yet a space and opportunity left us of repentance ; but so soon as we step out of this life , and are entred upon the other world , our condition will be sealed , never to be reverst . and because after this life there will be no further hopes of mercy , there will be no possibility of repentance . this is the accepted time , this is the day of salvation ; therefore to day if ye will hear his voice , harden not your hearts ; lest god swear in his wrath that we shall not enter into his rest . i proceed to a sixth observation , that a standing revelation of god is evidence sufficient for divine things . they have moses , and the prophets , let them hear them ; that is , they have the books of moses and the prophets , written by men divinely inspired , these do sufficiently declare to them the will of god and their duty ; and it is unreasonable to demand or expect that god should do more for their conviction and satisfaction . i know very well the text speaks only of the scriptures of the old testament , those of the new being not then extant , when this parable was deliver'd . but what is here said concerning the scriptures of the old testament , is equally applicable to the new ; and tho' abraham do only recommend moses and the prophets , there is no doubt but he would have said the same concerning christ and his apostles , if the books of the new testament had been then extant . so that what i shall say upon this observation , does indifferently concern the whole scripture . and that i may make out this observation more fully , i shall take these five things into consideration . st . what we are to understand by a divine revelation . dly . give a brief account of the several kinds of it . dly . shew what advantage this standing revelation of the scriptures hath above any other way of conveying the will of god to the world . thly , that there is sufficient evidence for the divinity of the scriptures . thly , that it is unreasonable to expect that god should do more for our conviction , than to afford such a standing revelation of his mind and will. i shall go over these as briefly as i can . i begin with the st , what we are to understand by a divine revelation . by a divine revelation we are to understand a supernatural discovery , or manifestation of any thing to us ; i say supernatural , because it may either be immediately by god ; or by the mediation of angels , as most , if not all the revelations of the old testament were . a supernatural discovery or manifestation , either immediately to our minds , by our understandings and inward faculties ; ( for i do not so well understand the distinction between understanding and imagination , as to be careful to take notice of it , ) or else mediately to our understandings by the mediation of our outward senses , as by an external appearance to our bodily eyes ; or by a voice and sound to the sense of hearing . a discovery or manifestation of a thing , whether it be such as cannot be known at all by the use of our natural reason and understanding ; or such as may be discovered by natural light , but is more clearly revealed or made known , or we are awakened to a more particular and attentive consideration of it . for it is not at all unsuitable to the wisdom of god , to make a supernatural discovery to us of such things as may be known by the light of nature , either to give us a clearer manifestation of such truths as were more obscurely known , and did as it were lie buried in our understandings ; or else to quicken our minds to a more serious and lively consideration of those truths . dly . for the several kinds of divine revelation . that they were various , the apostle to the hebrews tells us , ch . . . god who at sundry times , and in several manners , spake to the fathers by the prophets ; where by prophets we are to understand not only those who did foretel future things ; but any person that was divinely inspired , and to whom god was pleased to make any supernatural discovery of himself . now the several kinds of revelation taken notice of by the jews , are visions ; dreams ; prophecy ; oracle ; inspiration , or that which they call the holy ghost ; voice bath-col ; or that which was the highest of all , which they call gradus mosaicus , the degree of revelation which was peculiar to moses . the jewish writers , especially maimonides , have many subtil observations about the differences of these several kinds of revelation , which depends upon subtil and philosophical distinctions of the faculties of perception ; as that some of these revelations were by impression only upon the understanding ; some only upon the imagination ; some upon both ; some upon the outward senses : but the simple and plain difference between them , so far as there is any ground in scripture to distinguish them , seems to be this ; vision was a representation of something to a man , when he was waking , in opposition to dreams , which were representations made to men in their sleep . prophecy might be either dream or vision , and the jews observe that it was always one of these two ways , which they grounded upon numb . . . if there be a prophet among you , i the lord will make my self known to him in a vision , and will speak unto him in a dream . but prophecy in the strict notion of it , had this peculiarly belonging to it , that it was not only monitory or instructive , but did foretel some event of concernment to others ; and the jewish doctors tell us , that it was a clearer revelation , and carried greater assurance along with it ; and that this was common to all the three , that there was something of extasie and transport of mind in all these . the fourth sort of revelation , which was by oracle , which is call'd vrim and thummim , was a rendring of answers to questions , by the high-priest looking upon the stones in the breast-plate , which how it was done , is uncertain . the fifth sort of revelation is that which they call the holy ghost , which was a more calm and gentle inspiration , without any extraordinary transport of mind or extasie ; such as david had in the writing of the psalms . the lowest of all was that which they call'd bath col , which was by a voice from heaven ; and this is the way of revelation , which the jews observed did only continue among them from the days of the prophet malachi to our saviour . the highest of all was that which they call'd gradus mosaicus , to which the jews give several prerogatives above all the other ways of revelation ; as that it was done by impression merely upon the understanding , without extasie , or rapture , or transport , when he was waking , and in his ordinary temper , and his senses not bound up either by extasie or sleep , that it was a revelation immediately from god himself , and not by the mediation of angels ; without any fear , or amazement , or fainting , which was incident to other prophets ; and the spirit of prophecy rested upon him , and he could exert it arbitrarily , and put it forth when he would . of which thus much is evidently true from the story of him , that the spirit of prophecy did rest more constantly upon him , and that he could exert it with greater freedom , and without any discernable amazement or transport from his ordinary temper . but that it was by impression merely upon his understanding , as that is a distinct faculty from the imagination , is not so certain ; that it was always by an immediate communication from god , without the mediation of angels , seems not to be true ; for st. stephen tells us , that the law was given by the disposition of angels , acts . . and st. paul , that it was ordained by the angels in the hand of a mediator , that is moses , gal. . . but that the revelation which was made to him , had some singular prerogatives above those of other prophets , is plain from scripture , numb . . , , , , when aaron and miriam contended with moses as being equal to him , god tells them that there was a vast difference between him and other prophets ; hear now my words , if there be a prophet among you , i the lord will make my self known unto him in a vision , and will speak unto him in a dream . my servant moses is not so — with him will i speak mouth to mouth , even apparently , and not in dark speeches , &c. ex. . . and the lord spake unto moses face to face , as a man speaketh unto his friend . deut. . . and there arose not a prophet since in israel like unto moses , whom the lord knew face to face . all which signify at least this , that god made the clearest , and most familiar , and most perfect discoveries to moses of any of the prophets ; only our lord jesus christ , by whom god hath discovered his will to us under the new testament , did excel moses ; moses being but a faithful servant that is , humilis amicus , a meaner sort of friend ; but the lord jesus christ , the only begotten son of god , who came from the bosom of his father , and was intimately acquainted with the secrets of his will , and had not the spirit given him by measure , but the most plentiful effusion of it , being anointed above his fellows . now these being the several sorts and degrees of revelation , which god hath made of himself to the world , the holy scriptures are a system or collection of these , the authentick instrument or record , by which the things revealed any of these ways , are transmitted to us , and is therefore call'd the word of god , as containing those things which god in several ages hath spoken to the world ; that is , matters of divine revelation , which are necessary to be known by men , in order to their eternal happiness . and this being now the great and standing revelation of god , which is to continue to the end of the world , i intend to limit my discourse solely to this , as being the only revelation which we are concern'd to enquire after . and therefore in the d place to shew you what advantages this standing revelation of the scriptures hath , above private revelations made to particular persons , and frequently repeated and renewed in several ages ; that so it may appear both agreeable to the wisdom of god to settle revelations in this way , as being more commodious ; and likewise to his goodness , it being a real priviledge which these later ages of the world enjoy , that they have a more fixt and certain way of being acquainted with the will of god , than those ages had , which were govern'd by such private revelations , as were now and then made to particular persons . and the advantages are these . . it is a more certain way of conveyance of things , and more secure and free from imposture . suppose a revelation made to a particular person , which is of general concernment , that this may have a general and lasting effect , he must impart it to others , as many as he can , and give them the best assurance he can of it ; and these must relate it to others ; and so it must pass from hand to hand , to be delivered from parents to their children . now this way of conveying a revelation by oral report must needs be liable to many uncertainties , both by involuntary mistakes , through weakness of memory or understanding ; and wilful falsifications and impostures , out of malice and design . so that the effect of an unrecorded revelation can neither be large nor lasting , it can but reach a few persons , and continue a little while in its full credibility ; and the further it goes , the weaker , like circles made in water , which the more they inlarge themselves , and the longer they continue , the less discernable they are 'till at length they quite disappear . whereas being once recorded by persons secured from error , by supernatural and divine assistance , they are not liable to those easie falsifications or mistakes , which traditional reports and relations are necessarily , through human malice or weakness , liable to . . it is a more general and universal way of conveyance ; which is evident from the common experience of the world , who have pitched upon this way of writing things in books , as that which doth most easily convey the knowledge and notice of things to the generality of men. . it is a more uniform way of conveyance ; that is , things that are once written and propagated that way , lye equally open to all , and come in a manner with equal credit to all ; it being not morally possible that a common book , that passeth through all hands , and which is of vast importance and concernment , should be liable to any material corruption , without a general conspiracy and agreement , which cannot be , but that it must be generally known . so that considering the commonness , and universal concernment of this book of the scriptures , all men are in a manner equally , that is , every man is sufficiently and competently assur'd of the credit of it ; that is , that we are not in any material thing imposed upon by false copies . but in traditional revelation it is quite otherwise ; traditional being a very unequal and ununiform way of conveyance . for seeing it may be of general concernment , and all cannot have it at the first hand , that is , immediately from him to whom it was made ; but some at the second , others at the third , fourth , or fifth hand , or much further off ; the credit of it will be necessarily weakned by every remove . a report that comes through many hands , being like the argument we call induction ; and as the strength and goodness of that depends upon the truth of every one of those instances that make it up , so that if any of them fail , the whole argument is naught ; so the credit of a report that passeth through twenty hands , depends upon the integrity and sufficiency of all the relators , and whatever there is either of falshood and malice , or of incapacity of understanding , or frailty of memory in any of the relators , so much weakness is derived into the report or testimony ; and consequently the assurance which we can have of a private revelation , which is deliver'd traditionally through a great many persons , must needs be very unequal . . it is a more lasting way of conveyance . which likewise appears by experience , we having now nothing at all of the history of ancient times , but what is conveyed down to us in writing . . it is a more human way of conveyance , which requires less of miracle and supernatural interposition for the preservation of it . this book of the scriptures may with ordinary human care be transmitted intire , and free from any material error , to all succeeding ages . but revelations unwritten , if they have any lasting and considerable effect , they must at least in every age be renewed and repeated ; otherwise in a very short space , either through the unfaithfulness , or carelessness and frailty of men , they will either be quite lost , or so corrupted and depraved , that they will signifie nothing . from all which it appears , that we have so little cause to murmur and repine at the providence of god , which in these later ages of the world does not make those more immediate discoveries and manifestations of himself to us , that he did to former ages , that we have rather great reason to admire the wisdom and goodness of god's providence , which hath privileged us with this standing revelation of his written word , which hath so many ways the advantage of frequent and extraordinary revelation , and in respect of the generality of mankind , is much more useful and effectual to its end . i know there are some that have endeavour'd to perswade the world , that doctrines may much better be preserved by common rumor and report , than by writing and record ; but i hope there is no man so destitute of common sense as to believe them contrary to the experience of all men. i come now to the th thing i propos'd to be consider'd ; namely , that there is sufficient evidence of the divinity of the scriptures . by the divinity of the scriptures , i mean , that they were revealed by god , and that the things contained in them were not invented by men , but discovered to men by god ; and that the pen-men of these books did not write their own private conceptions , but were inspired by the holy ghost . now if we can be satisfy'd of this , we ought to receive the scriptures with the same reverence , as if an angel from heaven should declare these things unto us , or as if god should immediately reveal them to our minds ; for nothing can come with greater authority than this , that we believe it to be revealed by god ; and provided we be assured of this , it matters not which way ; the thing hath the same authority . now that we have sufficient evidence of the divinity of the scriptures , will best appear , by considering what is sufficient to give authority to a book , so that no prudent or reasonable man can question , but that the book was writ by him whose name it bears . for what evidence we would accept of , for the authority of other books , we must not refuse in this case for the scriptures ; if we do , we deal unequally , and it is a sign that we do not want evidence for the authority of the scriptures , but that we have no mind to believe them . now the utmost authority that any book is capable of , is , that it hath been transmitted down to us by the general and uncontroll'd testimony of all ages , and that the authority of it was never questioned in that age wherein it was written , nor invalidated ever since . and this evidence we have for the authority of the scriptures . as for the old testament , i shall not now labour in the proof of that by arguments proper to it self , but shall take the divinity of them upon the authority of the new , which , if it be proved , is sufficient evidence for it , tho' there were no other . now for the scriptures of the new testament , i desire but these two things to be granted to me at first . . that all were written by those persons whose names they bear ; and for this we have as much authority , as for any books in the world , and so much as may satisfie men in other cases , and therefore not to be rejected in this . . that those who wrote those books were men of integrity , and did not wilfully falsifie in any thing ; and this cannot reasonably be denied , because these very persons gave the utmost evidence that men could give of their integrity . the highest attestation that any man can give of the truth of what he relates , is to lay down his life for the testimony of it ; and this the apostles did . now if this be granted , that they did not falsifie in their relations concerning the miracles of christ , and his resurrection , and the miraculous gifts which were bestowed upon the apostles after his ascension ; this is as great an evidence as the world can give , and as the thing is capable of , that our saviour was a teacher come from god , and that the apostles were extraordinarily assisted by the holy ghost ; and if this be granted , what can be desired more to prove the divinity of their writings ? but it may be said , that tho' the apostles were granted to be men of integrity , and that they did not wilfully falsifie in their relations , yet they might be mistaken about those matters . but that they were not , we have as much evidence as can be for any thing of this nature , namely , that the things which are related are plain sensible matters of fact , about which no man need mistake , unless he will ; and they did not write things upon the report of others , who might possibly have designs to deceive , but upon the surest evidence in the world , their own knowledge , and the testimony of their senses ; the things that we have seen and heard testifie we unto you . so that if they were mistaken in these things , no man can be sure of any thing ; and by the same reason that we disbelieve the authority of the scriptures upon this account , we must believe nothing at all . this is in short the whole force of the argument for the divinity of the scriptures , which i might have enlarged infinitely upon ; but i design now only briefly to represent to you , that we , who live at the distance of so many ages from the time of this revelation , are not destitute of sufficient evidence for the authority of the scriptures , and such evidence , as they who reject in other cases , are esteemed unreasonable , i should come now to the th , and last thing , namely , that it is unreasonable to expect , that god should do more for our conviction , than to afford us a standing revelation of his mind and will , such as the books of the holy scriptures are . but this i shall refer to another opportunity , in a particular discourse upon the verse , which contains the main design , the sum , and substance of this whole parable . sermon xii . the parable of the rich man and lazarus . sermon iii. preach'd at whitehall , anno . luke xvi . . if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be persuaded tho' one rose from the dead . these words are the conclusion of that excellent parable of our saviour concerning the rich man and lazarus , and they are the final answer which abraham gives to the rich man's last request ; who being in great torment , and not able to obtain any ease for himself , is represented as concerned for his relations , whom he had left behind him upon earth ; lest they also by their own carelessness and folly should plunge themselves into the same misery that he was in , and therefore he begs of abraham , that he would send lazarus to his father's house , where he had five brethren , that he might testify unto them , lest they also should come into that place of torment . to which request abraham answers , that there was no necessity of such an extraordinary course to be used toward those who had sufficient means of conviction so near at hand , if they would but hearken to them , and make use of them . abraham saith unto him , they have moses and the prophets ; let them hear them . but the rich man presseth his request further , upon this reason , that they might not perhaps be moved by moses and the prophets , nay it was likely they would not be moved by them ; for they had always had them , and yet they remained impenitent : but if a special messenger should be sent to them from the dead , this certainly could not fail to awaken them , and bring them to repentance , v. . and he said , nay , father abraham , but if one went unto them from the dead , they will repent . to which abraham makes this peremptory reply , if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be persuaded , tho one rose from the dead . in which words abraham absolutely denies that there is any such probability , much less certainty , that those who reject a publick credible revelation of god , such as that of the holy scriptures is , should be effectually convinced by a messenger from the dead . and our saviour brings in abraham delivering himself very positively in this matter , and therefore we may presume it to be our saviour's own sense , and may rely upon it for a truth ; which however at first sight it may not be so evident , yet i hope in the progress of this discourse to make it sufficiently clear . but before i undertake that , i shall promise a caution or two to prevent all mistake in this matter . first . that we are not to understand these words too strictly and rigorously , as if the thing were simply and in it self impossible , that a man who is not convinced by hearing or reading moses and the prophets , should be brought to repentance any other way . for it is very possible in the nature of the thing , yea and likely enough , that a man who is not convinced by calm evidence and perswasion , may yet be very much wrought upon by a strange and amazing accident ; and if one , whom he had known when he was alive , should appear to him from the dead , and declare the certainty of a future state , and the condition of things in another world , there is little doubt to be made , but that this would more rouze and awaken him to consider his danger , than all the threatnings of god's word ; and 't is very possible that , by the concurrence of god's grace , this might prove an effectual means to convince such a man , and to bring him to repentance . and yet for all this , it is not probable upon the whole matter , and if all circumstances be duly consider'd , that this should generally have a permanent effect upon men , so as throughly to reclaim such persons as do obstinately resist the light and counsels of god's word . secondly , another caution i would give is this , that we are not to understand these words so , as to weaken the force of that argument from miracles for the proof and confirmation of a divine doctrine ; as if our saviour intended to insinuate , that miracles are not a proper and sufficient argument to convince men. for our saviour does not here oppose moses and the prophets to a miraculous testimony ; but he advanceth the publick evidence and testimony which moses and the prophets had above the evidence of a single and private miracle ; for moses and the prophets had their confirmation from miracles ; and miracles are the great evidence and attestation which god hath always given to the divinity of any person or doctrine ; and therefore abraham cannot be thought to speak any thing to the prejudice of miracles , when he says , if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be persuaded , tho one rose from the dead . nay so far is he from that , that this reasoning of his is rather for the advantage of miracles . for moses and the prophets had the confirmation of many and great , of publick and unquestionable miracles ; a credible relation whereof was conveyed down to after ages . so that if rational means of conviction were the thing desired , it was not likely that those , who were not persuaded by moses and the prophets , which were acknowledged by themselves to have had the confirmation of so many undoubted miracles , should in reason be convinced by a private and single miracle . these considerations being premised by way of caution , i come now to make out the truth of what is here asserted in the text. and for the full clearing of this matter , i shall speak to these two propositions . first , that it is unreasonable to expect that god should do more for the conviction of men , than to afford them a standing revelation of his mind and will ; such as that of the holy scriptures is . and if so , then secondly , that upon the whole matter it is very improbable , that those who reject this publick revelation of god , should be effectually convinced , tho' one should speak to them from the dead . first , that it is unreasonable to expect that god should do more for the conviction of men , than to afford them a standing revelation of his mind and will ; such as that of the holy scriptures is . this is strongly impli'd in abraham's first answer , they have moses and the prophets , let them hear them ; as if he had said , having such means of conviction so near at hand , why should they desire and expect any other ? it is in this case of the scriptures , as in that of god's providence ; god does not commonly prove his providence to men by extraordinary instances of his power , and by changing the course of nature , to convince every man in the world that he governs it : but by standing testimonies of his wisdom , and power , and goodness ; by these god does sufficiently satisfie considerate men of his government and care of the world ; and tho' he do seldom manifest himself in supernatural and extraordinary ways , yet he hath not left himself without a witness , by the constant course of nature , in the returns of day and night , in the revolutions of the seasons of the year , in that he gives us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . and these standing arguments of his providence , tho' they be not so much taken notice of , because they are so common , yet are they daily miracles , and we can hardly imagine greater , and we should be strangely amazed at them , but that they are so very frequent and familiar . the case is the same as to divine revelation . god hath not thought fit to gratified the perverse curiosity of men , by affording to every man a particular and immediate revelation of his mind and will : but he hath given us a standing revelation , which at first had the greatest and most miraculous confirmation , and he hath still left us sufficient means of being assured of the truth of this revelation , and of the confirmation that was at first given to it ; and we tempt god , by demanding extraordinary signs , when we may receive so abundant satisfaction in an ordinary way . this being admitted , i shall proceed in the second place to shew , that it is upon the whole matter , and all circumstances consider'd , very improbable , that those who reject this publick revelation from god , should be effectually convinced , tho' one should speak to them from the dead . and this is that which is expresly asserted here in the text , if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be persuaded , tho' one rose from the dead . not but that any man would be very much startled and amazed , if one should come from the dead to warn him of the danger of his wicked life ; but yet for all that , it is very unlikely that they who obstinately and perversely refuse to be convinced by moses and the prophets , would be effectually persuaded , ( that is , so as to be brought to repentance and reformation of their lives ) tho' one should rise from the dead . and that for these reasons . . because if such miracles were frequent and familiar , it is very probable they would have but very little effect ; and unless we suppose them common and ordinary , we have no reason to expect them at all . . men have as great or greater reason to believe the threatnings of god's word , as the discourse of one that should speak to them from the dead . . the very same reason which makes men to reject the counsels of god in his word , would in all probability hinder them from being convinced by a particular miracle . . experience does abundantly testifie , how ineffectual extraordinary ways are to convince those who are obstinately addicted and wedded to their lusts . . an effectual persuasion ( that is , such a belief as produceth repentance and a good life ) is the gift of god , and depends upon the operation and concurrence of god's grace , which there is no reason to expect either in an extraordinary way , or in an extraordinary degree , after men have obstinately rejected the ordinary means which god hath appointed to that end . . if such miracles , as a special messenger from the dead to warn and admonish men , were frequent and familiar , it is very probable they would have but very little effect upon men , and unless we suppose them common and ordinary , we have no reason to expect them at all . for it is unreasonable at first sight , that the worst and more obstinate sort of sinners should expect this , as a peculiar favour and priviledge to themselves , and that god should not do as much for others , who have deserved it more , and would probably make better use of it ; and if these things were common , it is very probable that men would not be much moved by them . it may be , while the apprehension of such a thing were fresh upon them , they would take up some good resolutions ; as sinners usually do , while they are under present convictions of conscience , and the hand of god , by some great affliction or sickness , lies heavy upon them : but still they would be apt to defer their repentance , and put it off 'till the present amazement were a little over , and the terrour of their first apprehensions were abated and worn off by degrees , and after a little while they would return to their former course . and this is too too probable , from what we see men do in other cases not very much remote from this . it is a very terrible and amazing thing to see a man die , and solemnly take his last leave of the world. the very circumstances of dying men are apt to strike us with horror ; to hear such a man how sensibly he will speak of the other world , as if he were just come from it , rather than going to it ; how severely he will condemn himself for the folly and wickedness of his life ; with what passion he will wish that he had lived better , and served god more sincerely ; how seriously he will resolve upon a better life , if god would be pleased to raise him up , and try him but once more ; with what zeal and earnestness he will commend to his best friends and nearest relations , a religious and virtuous course of life , as the only thing that will minister comfort to them when they come to be in his condition . such discourses as these , are very apt to move and affect men for the time , and to stir up in them very good resolutions , whilst the present fit and impression lasts : but because these sights are very frequent , they have seldome any great and permanent effect upon men. men consider that it is a very common case , and sinners take example and encouragement from one another ; every one is affected for the present , but few are so effectually convinced , as to betake themselves to a better course . and if apparitions from the dead were as common , as it is for men to die , we may reasonably presume that the discourses of dead and dying , of those that are going , and those who come from the dead , would have much the same effect upon the generality of men. but if we suppose this a singular case , ( which there is no reason to do ) in that case the effect would probably be this ; a man that were strongly addicted to his lusts , and had no mind to leave them , would be apt when the fright were over , to be easily persuaded that all this was merely the work of fancy and imagination ; and the rather , because such things did not happen to others , as well as to himself . . we have as great or greater reason to believe the warnings or threatnings of god's word , as the discourses of one that should come to us from the dead . for the threatnings of god's word against such sins as natural light convinceth men of , have the natural guilt and fears of men on their side , the particular testimony of every man's conscience , and the concurrent testimony of mankind to the probability of the thing ; and to give us full assurance of the truth and reality of them , we have a credible relation of great and unquestionable miracles wrought on purpose to give testimony to those persons who denounced those threatnings , that they came from god. so that here is a very publick and authentick testimony given to the threatnings of god's word , more suitable to the generality of mankind , and of greater authority than a private apparition , or a single miracle ; and if that will not convince men , why should we suppose that this will ? . the very same reason which makes men to reject the counsels of god in his word , would , in all probability , hinder men from being convinced by an apparition from the dead . it is not generally for want of evidence , that men do not yield a full and effectual assent to the truth of god's word , i mean , that they do not believe it so as to obey it : but from the interest of some lust . the true cause is not in mens understandings , and because there is not reason enough to satisfy them , that the scriptures are the word of god ; but in the obstinacy of their wills , which are enslaved to their lusts . and the disease being there , it is not to be cured by more evidence , but by more consideration , and by the grace of god , and better resolutions . the man is addicted to some vice or other , and that makes him unwilling to entertain those truths which would check and controul him in his course . the light of god's word is offensive to him , and therefore he would shut it out . this account our blessed saviour gives of the enmity of the jews against him and his doctrine , john . . light is come into the world ▪ and men love darkness rather than light , because their deeds are evil : for every one that doeth evil , hateth the light , neither cometh he to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved . upon the same account it is , that men resist the doctrine of the holy scriptures ; not because they have sufficient reason to doubt of their divine authority ; but because they are unwilling to be govern'd by them , and to conform their lives to the laws and precepts of that holy book : for the wills of men have a great influence upon their understandings , to make assent easy or difficult ; and as men are apt to assent to what they have a mind to , so they are slow to believe any thing which crosseth their humours and inclinations ; so that tho' greater evidence were offer'd , it is likely it would not prevail with them , because the matter does not stick there . their wills are distemper'd , men hate to be reform'd , and this makes them cast the laws of god behind their backs ; and if god himself should speak to them from heaven , as he did to the people of israel ; yet for all that , they might continue a stiff-necked and rebellious people . tho' the evidence were such as their understandings could not resist ; yet their wills might still hold out , and the present condition of their minds might have no lasting influence upon their hearts and lives ; such a violent conviction might affect them for the present , but the sense of it might perhaps wear off by degrees , and then they would return to their former hardness . men , by a long and obstinate continuance in sin , may bring themselves to the temper and disposition of devils ; who though they believe and tremble at the thoughts of god and his threatnings , yet they are wicked still ; for so long as men retain a strong affection for their lusts , they will break through all conviction , and what evidence soever be offer'd to them , they will find some way or other to avoid it , and to delude themselves . the plain truth of the case is this , ( if men will honestly speak their consciences , they cannot deny it ) they do not call for more evidence , either because they want it , or are willing to be convinced by it ; but that they may seem to have some excuse for themselves , for not being convinced by that evidence which is afforded to them . thly , experience does abundantly testify , how ineffectual extraordinary ways are to convince and reclaim men of depraved minds , and such as are obstinately addicted to their lusts . we find many remarkable experiments of this in the history of the bible . what wonders were wrought in the sight of pharaoh and the egyptians ! yet they were harden'd under all these plagues . balaam , who greedily followed the wages of unrighteousness , was not to be stopt by the admonition of an angel. the jews , after so many miracles which their eyes had seen , continued to be a stiffneck'd and gain saying people ; so that it is hard to say which was more prodigious , the wonders which god wrought for them , or their rebellions against him ; and when in the fulness of time , the son of god came and did among them the works which never man did , such , as one would have thought , might have brought the worst people in the world to repentance , those of tyre and sydon , of sodom and gomorrah , yet they repented not . yea the very things , which the rich man here in my text , requested of abraham for his brethren , was done among them ; lazarus did rise from the dead , and testified unto them , and they were not perswaded . and which is yet more , our saviour himself , according to his own prediction while he was alive , rose again from the dead the third day , and was visibly taken up into heaven ; and yet how few among them did believe , and give glory to god! so that we see the very thing here spoken of in the text , made good in a famous instance ; they who believed not moses and the prophets , which testified of the messias , were not perswaded when he rose from the dead . and does not our own experience tell us , how little effect the extraordinary providences of god have had upon those who were not reclaimed by his word . it is not long since god shewed himself among us , by terrible things in righteousness , and visited us with three of his sorest judgments , war , and pestilence , and fire ; and yet how does all manner of wickedness and impiety still reign and rage among us ! it is a very sad consideration , to see how little those who have outlived these plagues , have been reformed by them ; we have not return'd to the lord , nor sought him for all this . i may appeal to the experience of particular persons . how frequently do we see men , after great afflictions , and tedious sufferings , and dangerous sicknesses , return to their former evil courses ! and tho' they have been upon the brink of eternity , and the terrors of death have compass'd them about , and the pains of hell have almost taken hold of them , tho' they have had as lively and sensible convictions of another world , as if they had spoken with those that had come from thence , or even been there themselves ; yet they have taken no warning , but upon their deliverance and recovery , have been as mad , as furious sinners as they were before ; so that it ought to be no such wonder to us , which the text tells us , that if men hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be perswaded , though one rose from the dead . especially , if we consider in the th and last place , that an effectual perswasion ( that is , such a belief as produceth repentance and a good life ) is the gift of god , and depends upon the operation and concurrence of his grace , which is not to be expected in an extraordinary way , where men have obstinately rejected the ordinary means appointed by god for that end . to be effectually perswaded to change our lives , and become new men , is a work not to be done without the assistance of god's grace ; and there is little reason to expect that god will afford his grace to those , who reject and despise the counsels of his word . the doctrine of salvation contain'd in the holy scriptures , and the promises and threatnings of god's word , are the ordinary means which god hath appointed for the conversion of men , and to bring them to repentance ; and if we sincerely use these means , we may confidently expect the concurrence of god's grace , to make them effectual , but if we neglect and resist these means , in confidence that god should attempt our recovery by some extraordinary ways ; though he should gratifie our presumptuous and unreasonable curiosity , so far as to send one from the dead to testifie unto us ; yet we have no reason to expect the assistance of his grace , to make such a conviction effectual to our repentance , when we have so long despised his word , and resisted his spirit , which are the power of god unto salvation . without his grace and assistance , the most probable means will prove ineffectual to alter and change our corrupt natures ; by grace we are saved , and that not of our selves ; it is the gift of god. this grace is revealed to us in the gospel ; and the assistances of it are conveyed to us by the gospel ; and it is great presumption to promise to our selves the assistance of god's grace in any other way than he hath been pleased to promise it to us . and thus i have shewn you , as briefly and plainly as i could , how unlikely it is , that those who obstinately reject a clear and publick revelation of god , should be effectually convinced and brought to repentance by any apparitions from the dead . i shall only make two or three inferences from this discourse which i have made , and so conclude . st . since the scriptures are the publick and standing revelation of god's will to men , and the ordinary means of salvation , we may hence conclude , that people ought to have them in such a language as they can understand . this our saviour plainly supposeth in the discourse which he represents between abraham and the rich man , desiring that lazarus might be sent from the dead to his brethren , to testifie unto them ; to which request abraham would not have given this answer and advice , they have moses and the prophets , let them hear them , had he supposed that the scriptures then were , or for the future ought to be lockt up from the people in an unknown tongue ; for the rich man might very well have replied , nay father abraham , but they are not permitted to have moses and the prophets in such a language as they can understand ; and therefore there is more need why one should be sent from the dead to testifie unto them . nor would abraham have said again , if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be perswaded . for how should men hear what they cannot understand , so as to be persuaded by it . it is evident then , that our saviour , according to the reasoning of this parable , takes it for granted , that the holy scriptures are the standing and ordinary means of bringing men to faith and repentance , and that the people are to have the free use of them . but since our saviour's time , the church of rome hath found a mighty inconvenience in this , and therefore hath taken the scriptures out of the hands of the people . they will not now let them have moses and the prophets , the gospel of our blessed saviour , and the writings of his apostles , because they are really afraid they should hear them , and by hearing of them , be convinced and perswaded of the errors and corruptions of their church ; but instead of the scriptures of the old and new testament , they have put into their hands a legend of famous apparitions of men from the dead , testifying unto them concerning purgatory and transubstantiation , and the worship of the blessed virgin and the saints , and the great benefit and refreshment which souls in purgatory have by the indulgences of the pope , and the prayers of the living put up to saints and angels on their behalf ; so that in the church of rome , quite contrary to our saviour's method , men are persuaded of their religion , of their new articles of faith , and ways of worship , not by moses and the prophets , not by the doctrine of the holy scriptures ( for they every where testifie against them ) but by absurd romances , and ill-contriv'd fictions of apparitions from the dead . i will dismiss this matter with this one observation , that however interested and confident men may set a bold face upon any thing , yet it cannot to considerate men but seem a very hard case , that there should be no salvation to be had out of the church of rome ; and yet the ordinary , and ( in our saviour's judgment ) the most effectual means of salvation are not to be had in it . but i pass from this , to that which does more immediately concern our practice . dly , let us hear and obey that publick revelation of god's will , which in so much mercy to mankind , he hath been pleased to afford to us . this is an inestimable priviledge and advantage which the world in many ages was destitute of , having no other guide to conduct them to eternal happiness but the light of nature , and some particular revelations , which now and then god was pleased to make of his will to men : but now god hath set up a great and standing light in the world , the doctrine of the holy scriptures ; and by the gospel of his blessed son , hath given the knowledge of salvation to all men , for the remission of their sins , through the tender mercies of god , whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us , to give light to them that sat in darkness , and in the shadow of death , and to guide our feet into the way of peace , to convince us of the error of our ways , and to direct us in our duty . we , upon whom the ends of the world are come , do enjoy all the advantages of divine revelation which the world ever had , and as great as the world ever shall have . god in these last days hath spoken unto us by his son , and if we will not hear him , god will imploy no other extraordinary prophet and messenger to us . if the wrath of god so clearly revealed from heaven by the gospel of our blessed saviour , against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ; if the terror of the great day , and the fear of eternal torment ; if the dreadful sufferings of the son of god for our sins , and the merciful offers of pardon and reconciliation in his blood , and the glorious hopes of eternal life and happiness will not prevail with us to leave our sins , and to amend our lives , we have no reason to expect that god should use any farther means to reclaim us ; that he should ever make any more attempts for our recovery . and therefore , dly , and lastly , those who are not brought to repentance , and effectually perswaded by this clear and publick revelation which god hath made of his will to men in the holy scriptures , have reason to look upon their case as desperate . methinks it should not be a desirable thing to any of us to be convinced by an apparition , the thing is so dreadful and full of terrour ; besides that it argues men to be strangely hardned in a bad course , and obstinately bent upon their evil ways , when nothing will affright them from their sins , but what will almost put them out of their wits ; when nothing will keep them from running into hell , but a fearful and ghastly messenger from thence . what a terrible sight would it be to any of us , to meet one of our companions , whom we had lately known in this world , fresh come out of those flames , with the smell of fire and brimstone upon him ! what imagination can paint to it self the dread and horror of such a spectacle ! the rich man here in the parable , when he was in hell , is represented as sensible of the inconvenience of this , and therefore he did not desire to be sent himself to his brethren , but desired that lazarus might go and testifie unto them ; he was apprehensive how frightful a sight he himself must needs have been to them , and therefore he desires that they might have a gentler warning by one , who from out of abraham's bosom had seen the miseries of the damned , but enjoyed the state of the blessed . but let not us tempt god by any such unreasonable demand , who speaks to us every day by the plain declarations of his word , and hath of late years call'd so loudly upon us by the voice of his providence to repent and turn to him ; by so many miracles of mercy and deliverance , as god hardly ever wrought for any prince and people , and by such terrible vollies of judgments , and full viols of wrath , as have seldom been poured out upon any nation . god speaks to you by his ministers , men like your selves ( god knows , poor frail and sinful men ) but we are sure , that when we call you to repentance , we deliver to you the will and pleasure , the counsels and commands of the great god , which ( whatever account may be made of us ) do certainly challenge your most awful attention and regard . and we are sensible that we are call'd to a very difficult and unpleasant work , to contend with the lusts and vices of men , to strive against the strong and impetuous streams of a wicked and perverse generation ; and nothing in the world could move us to this unwelcome and grievous importunity , but a great and just sense of our own duty , and your danger . and if we will not take these warnings , why should we expect that god should vouchsafe to send an express messenger to us from the other world , to certifie us how all things are there , and that not so much to help the weakness of our faith , as to humour the perverseness of our infidelity ? and why should we imagine that this course would prove more effectual ? let us not deceive our selves , the same lusts which now detain men so strongly in impenitency and unbelief , would in all probability hurry them on to hell , tho' an angel from heaven should meet them in their way , to give a stop to them . this indeed might startle us ; but nothing is like to save us , if the word of god and his grace do not . but are we in earnest , and would we be perswaded if one should rise from the dead ? god hath condescended thus far to us , there is one risen from the dead to testifie unto us , jesus the son of god , who died for our sins , and rose again for our justification , and is ascended into heaven , and set down at the right hand of god , to assure us of a blessed resurrection , and a glorious immortality . and if this will not satisfie us , god will gratifie our curiosity no farther . if we will not believe him , whom god hath sent , and to convince us that he hath sent him , hath raised him up from the dead , we shall die in our sins , and perish in our impenitency . god hath in great mercy to mankind done that which is abundantly sufficient to convince those who are of a teachable temper and disposition : but in great wisdom and justice he hath not thought fit to provide any remedy for the wilful obstinacy and intractable perverseness of men. now god who hath the hearts of all men in his hands , perswade us all , to break off our sins by repentance , and to give glory to god , before death and darkness come , and the day of our final visitation overtake us , when we may perhaps be surprized by a sudden stroke , or seized upon by a violent disease , and may have no sense and apprehension of our approaching danger ; or if we have , may find no place for repentance , tho' we seek it with tears ; which god grant may never happen to be the case of any of us , for his mercy 's sake in christ jesus , to whom with the father , &c. sermon xiii . the children of this world wiser than the children of light. preached at whitehall , anno . luke xvi . . for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. these words are in the parable of the rich man's steward , who being called upon to give up his accounts , in order to his being discharged from his office , cast about with himself , what course he had best to take , to provide for his subsistence , when he should be turned out of his employment . at last he resolves upon this ; that he will go to his lord's debtors , and take a favourable account of them ; and instead of a hundred measures of oil , write down fifty , and instead of a hundred measures of wheat write down fourscore ; that by this means he might oblige them to be kind to him in his necessity . the lord hearing of this , commends the unjust steward , because he had done wisely ; that is , he took notice of his dishonesty ; but praised his shrewdness and sagacity , as having done prudently for himself , though he did not deal justly with him ; and this is usual among men. when we see a man ingeniously bad , to commend his wit , and to say it is great pity , he doth not use it better , and apply it to good purposes . upon the whole , our saviour make this observation ; that the children of this world , are in their generation wiser than the children of light ; as if he had said , thus did this worldly wise-man , thus provident was he for his future security and subsistence . he no sooner understands that he is to be turned out of his office , but he considers what provision to make for himself against that time . and is it not pity , that good men do not apply this wisdom to better and greater purposes ? for is not every man such a steward , entrusted by god with the blessings of this life ; and many opportunities of doing good ? for all which , since he must shortly give an account , he ought in all reason so to use them , as thereby to provide for the happiness of another life , against this temporal life have an end . and this is all the parallel intended in this parable , as we may see by our saviour's application of it . for parables are not to be stretched to an exact parallel in all the parts and circumstances of them ; but only to be applied to the particular point and purpose intended . a parable , and the moral accommodation of it , being ( as one well observes ) not like two plains , which touch one another in every part ; but like a globe upon a plain , which only toucheth in one point . thus our saviour separates the wisdom of this steward from his injustice , and proposeth that to our imitation ; the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. the words are a comparison ; in which we have st . the persons compared , the children of this world , and the children of light. it is a very usual phrase among the hebrews , when they would express any thing to partake of such a nature , or quality , to call it the son or child of such a thing . thus good men are call'd the children of god , and bad men the children of the devil ; those who mind earthly things , and make the things of this world their greatest aim and design , are called the children of this world ; and those who are better enlightned with the knowledge of their own immortality , and the belief of a future state after this life , are call'd the children of light . dly . here is the thing , wherein they are compared , and that is , as to their wisdom and prudence . dly . the object of this prudence , which is not the same in both ; as if the sense were , that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light , as to the things of this world ; but here are two several objects intended , about which the prudence of these two sorts of persons is respectively exercised ; the concernments of this world and the other . and our saviour's meaning is , that the children of this world are wiser in their generation ; that is , in their way , viz. as to the interests and concernments of this world , than the children of light are in theirs , viz. as to the interests and concernments of the other world . thly . here is a decision of the matter , and which of them it is that excels in point of prudence , in their way ; and our saviour gives it to the children of this world ; they are wiser in their generation , than the children of light. now this proposition is not to be taken in the utmost strictness and rigor ; as if it were universally true , and without any exception ; as if no man had ever been so wise and provident for his soul , and the concernments of another world , as worldly men are for the interests and concernments of this life . for there are some that are fools at large , and imprudent in their whole conduct and management , both as to the affairs of this world , and the other ; who are in too strict a sense , the children of this world . they mind nothing but this world , and yet are grosly imprudent , even in their prosecution of their temporal interests . they neglect and forego all other worldly advantages , for the sake of a little sensual pleasure ; and then they lose and destroy that too , by an over-hot and eager pursuit of it , and turn it at last into gall and wormwood . and there are others , ( as st. paul for instance ) who , i doubt not , have been as prudent , and zealous , and industrious for the promoting of religion , and the salvation of themselves and others , as any man can be about the affairs of this present life ; and i hope there are some such in every age , but god knows they are very few , and their wisdom and industry is seldom so equal , and constant , and uniform , as that of the men of this world . so that we are to understand this saying of our saviour's with the same allowance as we generally do all moral and proverbial speeches , that they are true for the most part , and the instances and exceptions to the contrary are very rare . it is seldom seen , that good men are so wise for the concernments of their souls , and of religion , as many worldly men are for their worldly interests . in speaking to this proposition , i shall do these three things . first , confirm and illustrate the truth of it , by considering the several parts and properties of wisdom . secondly , give some probable account of this , by considering what advantages the children of this world have above the children of light. thirdly , i shall draw some inferences from the whole , by way of application . first , i shall endeavour to confirm and illustrate the truth of this , by considering the several parts and properties of wisdom . now this is wisdom , to mind and regard our chief end , and by all means to promote it ; and this regard to our chief end doth express it self chiefly in these particulars ; in our being firmly fixt and resolved upon it ; in chusing the fittest means for the compassing and accomplishing of it ; in a diligent use of those means ; in an invincible constancy and perseverance in the prosecution of it ; and in making all things to submit and to stoop to it . these are the principal parts and properties of wisdom ; and i shall shew , that in all these the children of this world do usually excel the children of light. st . they are usually more firmly fixt and resolved upon their end. whatever they set up for their end , riches , or honours , or pleasures , they are fixt upon it , and steady in the prosecution of it . if they set up for riches or honour , they neglect and despise pleasure , if it cross either of those ends. and this fixt resolution of the end is the great spring of action , and that which inspires men with vigour and diligence in the use of means ; and the more resolved men are upon the end , the more active and industrious they will be in the use of means ; for the end governs the means , and gives law and measure to our activity and industry in the use of them , and sweetens and allays the trouble and difficulty of them . so that where the end is once firmly fixt and resolved upon , there will not be wanting fervour of prosecution ; but if we be wavering and unsteady as to our end , this will weaken our hands , and quench the heat of our endeavours , and abate the eagerness of our pursuit , and according to the degree of it , will derive a debility and inconstancy into all our motions . the double-minded man ( as st. james says ) being unstable in all his ways . now the children of this world are commonly more fixt and resolved upon their end , than the children of light . 't is rare to see the whole life and actions of a good man , so constantly and uniformly conspiring to the furtherance of his great end , so directly tending to the salvation of his soul , and the encrease of his glory and happiness in another world ; as the actions of a worldly man , and the whole course of his life do , to the advancing of his worldly interests . the covetous or ambitious man seldom do any thing , to the best of their knowledge , that is impertinent to their end , much less contrary to it ; through every thing that they do , one may plainly see the end they aim at , and that they are always true to it : whereas the best men do many things , which are plainly cross and contrary to their end , and a great many more , which have no relation to it ; and when they mind it , it is , rather by fits and starts , than in any even course and tenor of actions . and of this we have a famous instance in that worldly and secular church , which now for several hundreds of years hath more steadily pursued the end of secular greatness and dominion , than any other church hath done the ends of true religion , the glory of god , and the salvation of the souls of men , so that there is hardly any doctrine or practice peculiar to that church , and differing from our common christianity , but it hath a direct and visible tendency to the promoting of some worldly interest or other . for instance , why do they deny the people the holy scriptures and the service of god , in a language which they can understand ? but that by keeping them in ignorance , they may have them in more perfect slavery and subjection to them ? why do they forbid their priests to marry ? but that they may have no interest distinct from that of their church , and leave all to it when they die ? to what end is auricular confession ? but to keep people in awe , by the knowledge of their secrets ? why must the laity only receive the sacrament in one kind , but to draw a greater reverence to the priest , whose priviledge it shall be to receive in both ? and why is the intention of the priest necessary to the efficacy of the sacraments ? but to perswade the people , that notwithstanding the gracious intention of god toward mankind , they cannot be saved without the good will of the priest ? the doctrines of purgatory and indulgences are a plain device to make their markets of the sins and souls of men. i might instance in a hundred things more in that church , which are of the same tendency . this st. john foretold should be the character of the spirit of antichrist , that it should be a worldly spirit , and the doctrines of it should serve a secular interest and design , john . . they are of the world , and they speak from the world , and the world hears them . what church is there in the world , so true throughout to the interest of religion , as this worldly church hath been to its own secular power and greatness ? dly . the children of this world are wiser in the choice of means in order to their end ; and this is a great part of wisdom . for some means will bring about an end , with less pains , and difficulty , and expence of time than others . and the men of the world are very ingenious in discerning the fitness and force of means to their several ends. to what a certainty have men reduced all the ways and arts of gain , and growing rich , and of rising to honour and preferment ? what long trains will men lay to bring about their desired end ? what subtil methods have men devised , to insinuate themselves into court ; and when they are there , to plant themselves in the eye of their prince , and in the sunshine of his favour ? and then they have as many ways of worming others out , as of screwing themselves in . but in the concernments of our souls , and the affairs of another world , how dull and injudicious are we ? and how awkardly and untowardly do we apply means to ends , as if men were only wise to do evil , but to do good had no understanding , as the prophet complains ? by what incongruous and irregular means do many ( who would seem to be , and sometimes perhaps are very zealous in religion ) endeavour ( as they think ) to promote god's glory , by pious frauds and counterfeit miracles , and telling officious lies for god ? what a compass do many men fetch to go to heaven , by innumerable devices of will-worship , by voluntary severities , neither pleasing to god , nor profitable to men ? by tedious pilgrimages , and senseless ceremonies , and innumerable little external observances , of no virtue and efficacy in religion ? and by wandring through a wilderness of opinions , and the bushes and brakes of unprofitable questions , and controversies ? whereas the way to heaven lies plain and straight before us , consisting in simplicity of belief , and in holiness and innocency of life . not but that there are great differences in the church of rome , between the secular priests and the regular ; between the jansenists and the jesuits : but they still unite in a common interest , and are subject to antichrist their common head. they do not separate from one another , and excommunicate one another , and declare against one another , that they are not of the true church . satan never casts out satan ; and though he love divisions among christians , yet he always takes care , that his own kingdom be not divided against it self , so as to endanger the ruin of it . and whenever they have any hopeful design for the extirpation of protestants they can lay aside their enmities , and be reconciled in such a design . then the pope and the kings of the earth take counsel together , and like herod and pilate , when christ was to be crucified , can be made friends at a days warning . whereas the divisions ●f the true church are pernicious to it ; and as we see at this day among our selves , our senseless differences and wild heats on both sides , do contribute to the setting up of popery , and the ruin of the reformed religion ; and yet no perswasion , no experience can make us wiser . dly . the children of this world are commonly more diligent in the use of means for the obtaining of their end ; they will sweat and toil , and take any pains , rise up early , and lie down late , and eat the bread of carefulness ; their thoughts are continually running upon their business , and they catch at every opportunity of promoting it ; they will pinch nature , and harass it ; and rob themselves of their rest , and all the comfort of their lives to raise their fortune and estate . what drudges were caesar and alexander in the way of fame and ambition ? how did they tire themselves and others with long and tedious marches ? to what inconveniences and dangers did they expose themselves and thousands more ? what havock and destruction did they make in the world , that they might gain to themselves the empty title of conquerors of it ? when the men of the worl● engage in any design , how intent are they upon it , and with what vigour do they prosecute it ? they do not counterfeit a diligence , and seem to be more serious and industrious than in truth they are ; they are rather hypocrites the other way , and would conceal their covetousness and ambition , and not seem to aspire after riches , and honours , so much as indeed they do . but in the pursuit of better things , how cold and remiss are we ? with what a careless indifference do most men mind their souls ? how negligent and formal , and many times hypocritical are they in the service of god , and the exercise of religion ? with what a pitiful courage , and with what faint spirits do they resist sin , and encounter the temptations of it ; and how often , and how easily are they foil'd and baffl'd by them . thly . the men of the world are more invincibly constant and pertinacious in the pursuit of earthly things ; they are not to be bribed or taken off by favour or fair words ; not to be daunted by difficulties , or dasht out of countenance by the frowns and reproaches of men . offer an ambitious man any thing short of his end and aim , to take him off from the prosecution of it ; he scorns the motion , and thinks you go about to fool him out of his interest . bait a covetous man with temptations of pleasure , to get his money from him ; how generously will this mean-spirited man trample upon pleasure , when it would tempt him from his design of being rich ? difficulties do not daunt them , but whet their courage , and quicken their endeavours , and set a keener edge upon their spirits . give an ambitious man almost a demonstration of the impossibility of his attempt ; contrà audentior ibit , he will go on so much the more boldly and resolutely . in the ways of religion men are apt to be discouraged and put out of countenance , by contempt and reproach : but a covetous man is not to be jeer'd and flurted out of his money and estate ; he can be content to be rich , and give leave to those that are not so , to laugh at him . populus mihi sibilat , at mihi plaudo . the rich worldling can hug himself and his bags , when the world hisseth at him ; he can bear to be hated , and persecuted , and have all manner of evil spoke against him for money sake . and in the pursuit of these designs , men will , with great resolution , encounter enmity and opposition , and endure great sufferings and persecution . how many have been martyrs to their lusts , and have sacrificed their ease and health , and even their lives in the prosecution of their ambitious , and covetous , and voluptuous designs ? but on the other hand , how easily are men check'd and diverted from a good course , by the temptations and advantages of this world ? how many are cold in their zeal for religion , by the favour and friendship of this world ? and as their goods and estate have grown greater , their devotion hath grown less . how apt are they to be terrified at the apprehension of danger and sufferings ; and by their fearful imaginations , to make them greater than they are ; and with the people of israel , to be dishearten'd from all further attempts of entring into the land of promise , because it is full of giants and the sons of anak ? how easily was peter frighted into the denial of his master ? and when our saviour was apprehended , how did his disciples forsake him , and flye from him ? and tho they were constant afterwards to the death , yet it was a great while before they were perfectly armed and steel'd against the fear of suffering . thly . the men of the world will make all things stoop and submit to that , which is their great end and design ; their end rules them , and governs them , and gives law to all their actions ; they will make an advantage of every thing , and if it will not serve their end one way or other , they will have nothing to do with it . if an ambitious man seek wealth , it is but in order to his design , to purchase friends , and strengthen his interest , and make his rising the easier ; he will lay his whole estate at the stake , rather than miss of his end. the covetous man will quit his pleasure , when it lies cross to his interest ; if he have any expensive lust , and chargeable vice , he will turn it off , or exchange it for some more frugal and profitable sin. but in the affairs of religion , and the concernments of our souls , how frequently do men act without a due regard and consideration of their great end ? and instead of making other things submit to it , they often bow and bend it to their inferior interests . they make heaven stoop to earth , and religion to serve a worldly design ; and the glory of god to give way to gain ; and the great concernments of their souls , and their eternal salvation , to their temporal profit and advantage . the men of the world are generally true to their great end , and pay it that respect which is due to it , and will suffer nothing to take place of it in their esteem and affection ; and if men were as wise for their souls and for another world , they would bring all things to their great end , and make all the concernments of this temporal life to yield and give way to the great concernments of their eternal happiness . i proceed in the second place to give some account of this , whence it comes to pass , that the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. and this i shall do , by considering what advantages the children of this world have , as to the affairs of this world , above what good men have , as to the concernments of another world . i shall instance in four or five of the chief . st . the things of this world are present and sensible , and because of their nearness to us , are apt to strike powerfully upon our senses , and to affect us mightily , to excite our desires after them , and to work strongly upon our hopes and fears : but the things of another world being remote from us , are lessen'd by their distance , and consequently are not apt to work so powerfully upon our minds ; they are invisible to us , and only discerned by faith , which is a more obscure and less certain perception of things , than we have of those objects which are presented to our bodily eyes . the things which god hath prepared for them that love him , the glory and happiness of the next world , are things which eye hath not seen , nor ear heard . the children of light do not see god , as the children of this world see mammon . dly . the sensual delights and enjoyments of this world , are better suited and more agreeable to the corrupt and degenerate nature of men , than spiritual and heavenly things are to those that are regenerate . in this lapsed and degenerate state of mankind , appetite and sense are apt to prevail above reason ; and therefore those things which are most delightful to sense we savour and mind , and love to busy our selves about them , because they are most suitable to the animal life , which is the governing principle of corrupt nature . and the reason of this is plain , because that principle in worldly and sensual men which pursues earthly things , is in those who are unregenerate , entire and undivided , and consequently the affections and inclinations of the whole man do all tend one way , and run out towards those things in a full and undivided stream : whereas good men are but regenerate in part , and tho' they have a principle of spiritual life in them , yet their affections are divided , and there is a great struggling and conflict between flesh and spirit , and it is a great while before the spiritual principle doth clearly prevail , and get a perfect victory over our sensual appetites and inclinations . mens affections to the world are entire and unbroken , and therefore they pursue these things with all their might : but the best men are but good in part ; and that heavenly principle which is in them , is very much hindred in its operations by a contrary principle , our earthly and sensual inclinations , which are hardly ever perfectly subdu'd and brought under in this world . dly . the worldly man's faith , and hope , and fear of present and sensible things , is commonly stronger than a good man's faith , and hope , and fear of things future and eternal . now faith , and hope , and fear , are the great principles which govern and bear sway in the actions and lives of men . if a man be once firmly persuaded of the reality of a thing , and that it is good for him , and possest with good hopes of obtaining it , and great fears and apprehensions of the danger of missing it , this man may almost be put upon any thing . the merchant trafficks , and the husbandman plows and sows in faith and hope , because he is convinced that bread is necessary to the support of life , and hopes that god will so bless his labours , that he shall reap the fruit of them ; and plainly sees , that if he do not take this pains , he must starve . but how few are there that believe , and hope , and fear concerning the things of another world , as the children of this world do concerning the things of this world ? if any man asks me , how i know this ? i appeal to experience ; it is plain and visible in the lives and actions and endeavours of men . good men are seldom so effectually and throughly perswaded of the principles of religion , and the truth of the sayings contained in the holy scriptures , as the men of the world are of their own sayings and proverbs . men do not believe that honesty is the best policy , or as solomon express●th it , that he that walketh uprightly , walketh surely ; as the men of the world believe their own maxims , that a man may be too honest to live ; that plain dealing is a jewel , but he that wears it shall die a beggar . few men's hopes of heaven are so powerful and vigorous , and have so sensible an effect upon their lives , as the worldly man's hopes of gain and advantage . men are not so afraid to swear , as they are to speak treason ; they are not so firmly perswaded of the danger of sin to their souls and bodies in another world , as of the danger to which some crimes against the laws of men do expose their temporal lives and safety ; therefore they will many times venture to offend god , rather than incur the penalty of human laws . thly , the men of the world have but one design , and are wholly intent upon it , and this is a great advantage . he that hath but one thing to mind , may easily be skill'd and excel in it . when a man makes one thing his whole business , no wonder if he be very knowing and wise in that . now the men of the world mind worldly things , and have no care and concernment for any thing else . it is a saying i think of thomas aquinas , cave ab illo qui unicum legit librum : he is a dangerous man that reads but one book ; he that gives his mind but to one thing , must needs be too hard for any man at that . application to one thing , especially in matters of practice , gains a man perfect experience in it , and experience furnisheth him with observations about it , and these make him wise and prudent in that thing . but good men , tho' they have a great affection for heaven and heavenly things , yet the business and necessities of this life , do very much divert and take them off from the care of better things , they are divided between the concernments of this life and the other ; and tho' there be but one thing necessary in comparison , yet the conveniences of this life are to be regarded ; and tho' our souls be our main care , yet some consideration must be had of our bodies , that they may be sit for the service of our souls ; some provision must be made for their present support , so long as we continue in these earthly tabernacles ; and this will necessarily engage us in the world , so that we cannot always and wholly apply our selves to heavenly things , and mind them as the men of the world do the things of this world . thly , and lastly , the men of the world have a greater compass and liberty in the pursuit of their worldly designs , than good men have in the prosecution of their interest . the children of light are limited and confined to the use of lawful means for the compassing of their ends ; but the men of the world are not so strait-laced , quocunque modo rem , they are resolved upon the point , and will stick at no means to compass their end. they do not stand upon the nice distinctions of good and evil , of right and wrong , invented by speculative and scrupulous men , to puzle business , and to hinder and disappoint great designs . if ahab have a mind to naboth's vineyard , and naboth will not let him be honest , and have it for a valuable consideration , he will try to get it a cheaper way . naboth shall by false witness be made a traytor , and his vineyard by this means shall be forfeited to him . and thus the unjust steward in the parable provided for himself , he wronged his lord , to secure a retreat to himself in the time of his distress . the third and last thing only remains , to make some inferences from what hath been said , by way of application . and , st , notwithstanding the commendation which hath been given of the wisdom of this world , yet upon the whole matter it is not much to be valued and admired . it is indeed great in its way and kind : but it is applied to little and low purposes , imployed about the concernments of a short time and a few days , about the worst and meanest part of our selves , and accompanied with the neglect of greater and better things , such as concern our soul , and our whole duration , even our happiness to all eternity . and therefore that which the world admires and cries up for wisdom , is in the esteem of god , who judgeth of things according to truth , but vanity and folly. the wisdom of the world ( saith st. paul ) is foolishness with god. the rich man in the parable , who increased his goods , and enlarged his barns , and laid up for many years , did applaud himself , and was no doubt applauded by others for a very wise man : but because he laid up treasure for himself , and was not rich towards god , that is , did not employ his estate to good and charitable purposes , therefore god , who calls no body out of his right name , calls this man fool ; thou fool , this night shall thy soul be taken from thee , and then whose shall all these things be ? and our saviour here in the text , while he commends the wisdom of the children of this world , he adds that which is a considerable blemish and abatement to it , the children of this world are wiser , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for their age , for the concernments of this present life ; but this is but a short and purblind wisdom , which sees but a little way , and considers only things present and near at hand : whereas true wisdom hath a larger and farther prospect , and regards the future as well as the present , and takes care to provide for it . nay our saviour gives the wisdom of this world its utmost due , when he says , the children of this world are wise for their generation ; for this is the very best that can be said of it , it seldom looks so far , and holds out so long . many men have survived their own projects , and have lived to see the folly and ill fate of their covetous and ambitious designs . so the prophet tells us , jer. . . as the partridge sitteth on eggs , and hatcheth them not ; so he that getteth riches , and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of his days , and at his end shall be a fool. this is wisdom , to regard our main interest ; but if we be wrong in our end , ( as all worldly men are ) the faster and farther we go , the more fatal is our error and mistake . the children of this world are out in their end , and mistaken in the main ; they are wise for this world , which is inconsiderable to eternity ; wise for a little while , and fools for ever . dly , from what hath been said we may infer , that if we lose our souls , and come short of eternal happiness , it is through our own fault and gross neglect ; for we see that men are wise enough for this world ; and the same prudence , and care , and diligence applied to the concernments of our souls , would infallibly make us happy . nay our saviour here in the text tells us , that usually less wisdom and industry , than the men of this world use about the things of this world , is exercised by the children of light , who yet at last , through the mercy of god , do attain eternal life . so that it is very plain , that if men would but take that care for their immortal souls , which they generally do for their frail and dying bodies , and be as heartily concern'd for the unseen world , and for eternity , as they are for things visible and temporal , they would with much more certainty gain heaven , than any man can obtain worldly riches and honours . and can we in conscience desire more , than to be happy for ever , upon as easy and upon more certain terms , than any man can be rich or great in this world ? for we may miss of these things after all our travel and pains about them ; or if we get them , we may lose them again : but if we seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , if we be sincerely good , we are sure to have the reward of it , even that eternal life , which god , that cannot lie , hath promised ; if we lay up for our selves treasures in heaven , they will be safe and secure there , where no moth can corrupt , nor thieves break through and steal . if we would seriously think of the other world , and were throughly possest with a firm belief of the eternity of that happiness or misery , which remains for men after this life , we should pray to god , and hear his word , and perform all the duties of religion , with the same care and concernment , with the same fervour and intention of mind , as men prosecute their worldly business . were we fully perswaded of the unseen glories and torments of the other world , we should be much more affected with them , than with all the temptations and terrors of sense ; because in reason they are much more considerable . the disgrace of the pillory will fright men from perjury ; and will not everlasting shame and confusion ? the fear of death will deter many men from robbing and stealing , who would perhaps venture upon these crimes , if there were no danger in them ; and will not the horrors of the second death , of the worm that dies not , and the fire that is not quenched , have as great an awe and influence upon us ? if they have not , it is a sign , that we do not equally believe the danger of human laws , and the damnation of hell. surely men have not the same belief of heaven , and affection for it , that they have for this world . if they had , their care and diligence about these things would be more equal . for we are not so weak as we make our selves ; we are not yet so degenerate , but if we would set our selves seriously to it , and earnestly beg the assistance of god's grace , we might come to know our duty , and our wills might be engaged to follow the directions of our understandings , and our affections to obey the command of our wills , and our actions to follow the impulse of our affections . much of this is naturally in our power ; and what is wanting , the grace of god is ready to supply . we can go to church , and we can hear the word of god , and we can consider what we hear , we can pray to god , and say we believe , lord help our unbelief , and enable us to do what thou requirest of us ; and we can forbear a great many sins , which we rashly and wilfully run into ; a great present danger will fright us from sin , a terrible storm will drive us to our devotion , and teach us to pray ; a sharp fit of the gout , will take a man off from drinking ; the eye of a master or magistrate will restrain men from many things , which they say they cannot forbear . so that we do but counterfeit , and make our selves more cripples than we are , that we may be pitied ; for if fear will restrain us , it is a sign that we can forbear ; if the rod of affliction will fetch it out of us , and make us do that , which at other times we say we are unable to do , this is a demonstration that it is in us , and that the thing is in our power . it is true , we can do nothing that is good without the assistance of god's grace : but that assistance which we may have for asking , is in effect in our own power . so that if the matter were searched to the bottom , it is not want of power that hinders us from doing our duty ; but sloth and negligence ; for god hath given us exceeding great and precious promises , whereby we may be made partakers of a divine nature ; and by virtue whereof , if we be not wanting to our selves , we may cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and perfect holiness in the fear of god. dly and lastly , what a shame and reproach is this to the children of light ! our saviour speaks this by way of upbraiding , as we may judge by the terms of comparison which he useth , that the children of this world should be wiser than the children of light , that is , than wisdom's own children ; and that they should be wiser in their generation , that is , for the concernments of a short and inconsiderable time , than the others are for all eternity . how should it make our blood to rise in our faces , and fill us with confusion , that the men of this world should be more prudent and skilful in the contrivance and management of their little affairs , more resolute and vigorous in the prosecution of them ; than we are about the everlasting concernments of our souls ! that a worldly church should use wiser and more effectual means to promote and uphold ignorance , and error , and superstition ; than we do to build up the true church of christ in knowledge and faith and charity ! that the men of the world should toil and take more pains for the deceitful riches ; than we do for the true ; and be contented to hazard more for a corruptible crown , than we for an incorruptible ! that they should love pleasure more than we do god , and mind their bodies and temporal estates more , than we do our souls and our eternal happiness ! do but observe the men of the world , what a pace they go , what large and nimble steps they take in the pursuit of earthly things , they do not seek riches as if they sought them not , and love the world as if they loved it not , and enjoy the present delights of this world , as if they possest them not ; tho' the fashion of this world passeth away : but we seek heaven , as if we sought it not , and love god as if we loved him not , and mind eternity and the world to come , as if we minded them not ; and yet the fashion of that world doth not pass away . but to all this it may be said , you have already told us , that the children of this world have so many advantages above the children of light , that it is no wonder if they excel and out-strip them ; and it is very true , that in many respects they have the advantage of them . but if the children of light would look about them , and take all things into consideration , they might see something very considerable to balance the advantages on the other side . it is true , the things of this world are present and sensible : but so long as we have sufficient assurance of the reality of a future state , and of the rewards and punishments of it , the greatness and eternity of these is such an amazing consideration that no distance can render them inconsiderable to a prudent and thinking man. and tho' the men of the world have an entire principle , which is not divided between god and the world ; whereas in good men there is a great conflict of contrary principles , the flesh and spirit : yet this disadvantage is likewise ballanced by that powerful assistance of god's grace , which is promised to all good men , who heartily beg it of him , and are sincerely resolved to make use of it . and lastly , tho' the men of the world have many ways to compass their ends ; yet the children of light have one great and infallible one . all the means which the men of the world use to accomplish their designs , may fail and miscarry ; for the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , nor yet bread to the wise , nor riches to man of understanding , nor favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happen to all : but he that sincerely serves god , and useth the means for the attaining of everlasting salvation , is sure to attain it ; if we seek the righteousness of god as we ought , we shall certainly be admitted into his kingdom . and this surely is an unspeakable advantage which the children of light have above the children of this world , that if we faithfully use the means , we cannot fail of the end ; if we have our fruit unto holiness , our end shall be everlasting life ; which god of his infinite goodness grant to us all , for his mercy 's sake . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . joh. . . serm. iii. notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e serm. on rom. . , . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . notes for div a -e vol. v. ser. . sixteen sermons, preached on several subjects. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the third volume; published from the originals, by ralph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) sixteen sermons, preached on several subjects. by the most reverend dr. john tillotson late lord arch-bishop of canterbury. being the third volume; published from the originals, by ralph barker, d.d. chaplain to his grace tillotson, john, - . barker, ralph, - . [ ], p. : ill., port. printed for ri. chiswell, at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard, london : mdcxcvi. [ ] includes table of contents. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sixteen sermons , preached on several subjects . by the most reverend dr. john tillotson late lord arch-bishop of canterbury . being the third volume ; published from the originals , by ralph barker , d. d. chaplain to his grace . london , printed for ri. chilwell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard , mdcxcvi . the most reverend dr. iohn tillotson late arch-bishop of canterbury . the contents . sermon i. galat. i. , . but tho' we , or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed . as we said before , so say i now again , if any man preach any other gospel unto you , than that ye have received , let him be accursed . pag. . sermon ii , iii , iv. john vii . . if any man will do his will● he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self . p. , , . sermon v , vi , vii , viii . luke xii . . and he said unto them , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . p. , , , . sermon ix , x. matth . vi. . but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you . p. , . sermon xi . psal. cxix . . i have seen an end of all perfection ; but thy commandment is exceeding broad . p. . sermon xii , xiii . peter . i. . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises ; that by th●se ye might be partakers of the divine nature . p. , . sermon xiv , xv. peter iv. . wherefore , let them that suffer according to the will of god● commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing , as unto a faithful creator . p. , . sermon xvi . john ix . . i must work the works of him that sent me , while it is day : the night cometh when no man can work . p. . a sermon on galat. i. , . but tho' we , or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed . as we said before , so say i now again , if any man preach any other gospel unto you , than that ye have received , let him be accursed . before i come to handle the words , for our better understanding of them , i shall give a brief account of the occasion of them , which was this . some false apostles had made a great disturbance in the churches planted by the apostles of christ , by teaching that it was necessary for christians , not only to embrace , and entertain the doctrines and precepts of the christian religion ; but likewise to be circumcised , and keep the law of moses . of this disturbance which was raised in the christian church , you have the history at large , acts . and as in several other churches , so particularly in that of galatia , these false apostles and seducers had perverted many , as appears by this epistle ; in the beginning whereof st. paul complains , that those who were seduced into this error of the necessity of circumcision , and keeping the law of moses , had by this new article of faith , which they had added to the christian religion , quite altered the frame of it , and made the gospel another thing from that which our saviour delivered , and commanded his apostles to teach all nations . for he tells us , ver . . of this chapter , that he marvelled , that they were so soon removed from him that called them by ( or through ) the grace of christ , unt● another gospel , that is , so different from that which they had been instructed in by those who first preached the gospel unto them : for the making of any thing necessary to salvation , which our saviour in his gospel had not made so , he calls another gospel . i marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you by the grace of christ , unto another gospel , which is not another , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is no other thing , or by which i mean nothing else , but that there are some that trouble you , and would pervert the gospel of christ ; as if he had said , when i say that ye are removed to another gospel , i do not mean , that ye have renounced christianity , and are gone over to another religion , but that ye are seduced by those who have a mind to pervert the gospel of christ , by adding something to it , as a necessary and essential part of it , which christ hath not made so : this the apostle calls a perverting or overthrowing of the gospel ; because by thus altering the terms and conditions of it , they made it quite another thing from what our saviour delivered it . and then at the th and th verses he denounceth a terrible anathema against those , whoever they should be , yea tho' it were an apostle , or an angel from heaven , who by thus perverting the gospel of christ ( that is by making any thing necessary to be believed or practised , which our saviour in his gospel had not made so ) should in effect preach another gospel ; but tho' we , or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him be anathema , an accursed thing . and then to express his confidence and vehemency in this matter , and to shew that he did not speak this rashly , and in a heat , but upon due consideration , he repeats it again in the next verse , as we said before , so say i now again , if any man preach any other gospel unto you , than that ye have received , let him be accursed . from the words thus explained by the consideration of the context , and of the main scope and design of this epistle , these following observations do naturally arise . first , that the addition of any thing to the christian religion , as necessary to be believed and practised in order to salvation , is a perverting the gospel of christ , and preaching another gospel . secondly , that no pretence of infallibility is sufficient to authorise and warrant the addition of any thing to the christian doctrine , as necessary to be believed and practised in order to salvation . thirdly , that christians may judge and discern when such additions are made . fourthly , and consequently , that since the declaration of the gospel , and the confirmation of it , there is no authority in the christian church , to impose upon christians any thing as of necessity to salvation , which the gospel hath not made so . fifthly , that there is no visible judge ( how infallible soever he may pretend to be ) to whose definitions and declarations in matters of faith and practice , necessary to salvation , we are bound to submit , without examination , whether these things be agreeable to the gospel of christ , or not . sixthly , and lastly , whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to salvation , to be believed or practised , besides what the gospel of christ hath made necessary , does fall under the anathema here in the text ; because in so doing , he perverteth the gospel of christ , and preacheth another gospel . now the apostle expresly declares , that tho' we ( that is , he himself , or any of the apostles ) or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel unto you , than what we have preached unto you , let him be accursed : as we said before , so say i now again , if any man preach any other gospel unto you , than that ye have received , let him be accursed . i. that the addition of any thing to the christian religion , as necessary to be believed or practised in order to salvation , is a perverting the gospel of christ , and preaching another gospel . this is evident from the instances here given in this epistle ; for the apostle chargeth the false apostles , with perverting the gospel of christ , and preaching another gospel , upon no other account , but because they added to the christian religion , and made circumcision , and the keeping of the law of moses , an essential part of the christian religion , and imposed upon christians the practice of these things , and the belief of the necessity of them , as a condition of eternal salvation . that this was the doctrine of those false teachers , we find expresly , acts . . and certain men which came down from judea , taught the brethren , and said , except ye be circumcised after the manner of moses , y● cannot be saved ; and ver . . in the letter written by the apostles and elders at jerusalem , to the churches abroad , there is this account given of it ; forasmuch as we have heard , that certain which went out from us , have troubled you with words , subverting your souls , saying ye must be circumcised , and keep the law , to whom we gave no such commandment . where you see that this doctrine is declared to be of pernicious consequence , tending to subvert the souls of men , and likewise to be an addition to the doctrine of the gospel which was delivered by the apostles , who here with one consent declare , that they had given no such commandment ; that is ; had delivered no such doctrine as this , nor put any such yoke upon the necks of christians ; but on the con-contrary had declared , that the death of christ having put an end to the jewish dispensation , there was now no obligation upon christians to observe the law of moses . and from the reason of the thing it is very plain , that the addition of any thing to the christian religion , as necessary to be believed or practised in order to salvation , which the gospel hath not made so , is preaching another gospel ; because it makes an essential change in the terms and conditions of the gospel covenant , which declares salvation unto men upon such and such terms , and no other . now to add any other terms to these , as of equal necessity with them , is to alter the condition of the covenant of the gospel , and the terms of the christian religion , and consequently to preach another gospel , by declaring other terms of salvation , than christ in his gospel hath declared , which is to pervert the gospel of christ . ii. no pretence of infallibility is sufficient to authorise and warrant the addition of any thing to the christian doctrine , as necessary to be believed or practised , in order to salvation . after the delivery of the gospel by the son of god , and the publication of it to the world by his apostles , who were commissioned and inspired by him to that purpose , and the confirmation of all , by the greatest and most unquestionable miracles that ever were , no person whatever , that brought any other doctrine , and declared salvation to men upon any other terms than those which are declared in the gospel , was to be credited , what pretence soever he should make to a divine commission , or an infallible assistance . the apostle makes a supposition as high as can be , tho' we ( says he ) or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him be an anathema . if the apostles themselves , who were divinely commissioned and infallibly assisted in the preaching of the gospel , should afterwards make any addition to it , or declare any other terms of salvation , than those which are declared in the gospel which they had already published to the world , they ought not to be regarded . and the reason is plain ; because what claim soever any person may make to infallibility , and what demonstration soever he may give of it , we cannot possibly believe him , if he contradict himself , and deliver doctrines which do plainly clash with one another : for if he spake true at first , i cannot believe him declaring the contrary afterwards : and if he did not speak true at first , i cannot believe him at all ; because he can give no greater proof of his divine commission , and infallible assistance and inspiration , than he did at first . and the reason is the same , if an angel from heaven should come and preach a contrary doctrine to that of the gospel , he were not to be believed neither ; because he could bring no better credentials of his divine commission and authority , than those had who publish'd the gospel , and consequently he ought not to be credited in any thing contrary to what they had publish'd before . for tho' a man were never so much disposed to receive a revelation from god , and to submit his faith to it ; yet it is not possible for any man to believe god against god himself ; that is , to believe two revelations , plainly contradictory to one another , to be from god ; and the reason of this is very obvious ; because every man doth first and more firmly believe this proposition or principle , that contradictions cannot be true , than any revelation whatsoever ; for if contradictions may be true , then no revelation from god can signifie any thing , because the contrary may be equally true , and so truth and falsehood be all one . the apostle indeed only makes a supposition , when he says , tho' we , or an angel from heaven , preach any other doctrine unto you ; but by this supposition he plainly bars any man , or company of men , from adding to the christian religion any article of faith or point of practice , as of necessity to salvation , which the gospel hath not made so ; i say any man , or company of men , whatever authority or infallibility they may lay claim to , because they cannot pretend to a clearer commission , and greater evidence of infallible assistance , than an apostle , or an angel from heaven , and yet the text tells us , that would not be a sufficient warrant to preach another gospel ; it might indeed bring in question that which they had preached before , but could not give credit and authority to any thing plainly contrary to it , and inconsistent with it . iii. christians may judge and discern when another gospel is preached , when new articles of faith , or points of practice , not enjoyned by the gospel , are imposed upon christians . this the apostle supposeth every particular church , and for ought i know every particular christian , that is duly instructed in the christian religion , to be a competent judge of , and to be sufficiently able to discern when another gospel is preached , and new terms and conditions , not declared in the gospel , are added to the christian religion ; for if they be not able to judge of this , the apostle does in vain caution them against the seduction of those who perverted the doctrine of christ , and endeavoured to remove them from him that had called them by the grace of christ , unto another gospel . it may perhaps be said , that there was no need that they should be able to discern and judge of the doctrines of those false teachers , it was sufficient for them to believe the apostle concerning the doctrines of those seducers , when he declared to them the falsehood and pernicious consequence of them . but the apostle speaks to them upon another supposition , which does necessarily imply , that they were able to discern and judge what doctrines were agreeable to the gospel , and what not ; for he puts the case , that if he himself , or any of the apostles , or an angel from heaven , should preach to them another doctrine , contrary to that of the gospel , they ought to reject it with detestation ; but this doth necessarily suppose them able to judge , when such doctrines were preached , and consequently that all things necessary to be believed and practised by all christians are clearly and plainly declared in the gospel ; all the doctrines whereof are now contained in the holy scriptures , in which all things necessary to faith and a good life are so plainly delivered , that any sober and inquisitive person may learn them from thence , and the meanest capacity , by the help and direction of their guides and teachers , may be instructed in them . and this is not only the principle of protestants , but the express and constant doctrine of the ancient fathers of the church , whatever the church of rome , for the maintaining of her usurp'd authority over the consciences of men , pretends to the contrary . and if this were not so , that men are able to discern and judge which are the doctrines of the gospel , and what is contrary to them ; the doctrine of the gospel was in vain preached , and the holy scriptures containing that doctrine were written to no purpose . some things in scripture are granted to be obscure and difficult , on purpose to exercise the study and enquiries of those who have leisure and capacity for it : but all things necessary are sufficiently plain ; otherwise it would be impossible to judge when another gospel is preached , which the apostle here supposeth the galatians capable of doing . for if the revelation of the gospel be not sufficiently plain in all things necessary to be believed and practised , then christians have no rule whereby to judge what doctrines are agreeable to the gospel , and what not : for an obscure rule is of no use ; that is , in truth is no rule to those to whom it is obscure . i proceed to the ivth observation , which is plainly consequent from those laid down before ; namely , that since the declaration of the gospel , and the confirmation given to it , there is no authority in the christian church to impose upon christians any thing , as of necessity to salvation , which the gospel hath not made so . the commission given by our lord and saviour to his apostles , was to preach the gospel to all nations , or ( as st. matthew expresses it ) to go and teach all nations , to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them ; and this is that which we call the gospel , viz. that doctrine which christ commanded his apostles to preach and publish to the world ; and if the apostles themselves had exceeded their commission , and added any other points of faith or practice to those which our saviour gave them in charge to teach and publish to the world , they had in so doing been guilty of that which st. paul here in the text chargeth the false apostles with , viz. of preaching another gospel : and if the apostles had ●o authority to add any thing to the gospel , much less can any pretend to it ; since they have neither so immediate a commission , nor such a miraculous power to give testimony to them , that they are teachers come from god. now this doctrine of the gospel , which the apostles preached to the world , is that which christians are so often , and so earnestly by the apostles in all their epistles exhorted to continue in , and not to suffer themselves to be shaken in mind , by every wind of new doctrine , because that which the apostles had delivered to them , was the intire doctrine of the gospel , which was never to receive any addition or alteration . this is that which st. peter calls the holy commandment which was delivered unto them , pet. . . it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them speaking in all probability of those who were seduced by the errors of the gnosticks , from the purity of the christian doctrine delivered to them by the apostles . this likewise st. paul calls the common faith , titus . . and st. jude ver . . the common salvation ; that is , the doctrine which contains the common terms of our salvation , and the faith w hich was once delivered to the saints , that is , by the apostles of our lord , who publish'd the gospel ; once delivered , that is , once for all , so as never afterwards to admit of any change or alteration . this faith he exhorts christians earnestly to contend for , against those several sects of seducers , which were crept into the christian church , and did endeavour by several arts to pervert the gospel of christ , and to deprave the faith delivered by the apostles . so that the doctrine of the gospel publish'd by the apostles , is fix'd and unalterable , and there can be no authority in the church to make any change in it , either by taking from it , or adding any thing to it , as necessary to be believed or practised in order to salvation . v. it follows likewise from the foregoing observations , that there is no visible judge ( how much soever ●e may pretend to infallibility ) to whose determination and decision in matters of faith and practice necessary to salvation , christians are bound to submit without examination , whether those things be agreeable to the doctrine of the gospel , or not . when our saviour appeared in the world , tho' he had authority enough to exact belief from men , yet because there was a standing revelation of god made to the jews , he appeals to that revelation , as well as to his own miracles , for the truth of what he said , and offered himself , and his doctrine , to be tried by the agreeableness of it to the scriptures of the old testament , and the predictions therein concerning him . and this was but reasonable , it being impossible for any man to receive two revelations , as from god , without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to , and consistent with one another . in like manner the apostles of our lord and saviour , tho' they were guided and assisted by an infallible spirit , and had an immediate commission from christ to preach the doctrine of the gospel , did not require from men absolute submission to their doctrines and dictates , without examination of what they delivered , whether it were agreeable to that divine revelation which was contained in the ancient scriptures . this was st. paul's constant custom and way of teaching among the jews , who had received the revelation of the old testament ; he did not dictate to them by vertue of his infallibility , but reasoned with them out of the scriptures , and required their belief no further , than what he said , should upon examination appear agreeable to the scriptures . so we find acts . , . and paul , as his manner was , went in unto them ( speaking of the jews ) and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures , opening and alledging , that christ must needs have suffered , and risen again from the dead , and that this jesus whom i preach unto you , is the christ . and chap. . . he mightily convinced the jews , and that publickly , shewing by the script●res , that jesus was the christ . and st. paul was so far from reproving them for examining his doctrine by the scriptures , that he commended it , as an argument of a noble and generous mind in the bereans , that they did not give full assent to his doctrine , 'till upon due search and examination they were satisfied that what he had said was agreeable to the scriptures . chap. . , . where speaking of the bereans , it is said , that these were more noble than those in thessalonica , in that they received the word , with all readiness of mind , and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so ; therefore many of them believed ; that is , because upon search they found what he delivered to be agreeable to the scriptures ; and it was not a slight , but diligent and deliberate search , they took time to examine things thoroughly ; for it is said they searched the scriptures daily . and here in the text st. paul puts the case , that if he , or any other of the apostles , concerning whose divine commission and assistance they were so fully satisfied , should deliver any thing to them contrary to the gospel which they had formerly preached , they were to reject it with the greatest abhorrence and detestation ; and this necessarily supposeth a liberty to examine what was delivered , even by those whom they believed to be infallibly assisted , and a capacity to discern and judge whether what they said was agreeable to the gospel at first delivered to them , or not . and after this , shall any person or church ( what claim soever they may make to infallibility ) assume to themselves an authority to dictate in matters of faith , and that their dictates ought to be received with an absolute submission , and without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to the faith once delivered to the saints ; and tho' they add new articles to the christian faith , and of which there is not the least foot-step or intimation in any of the ancient creeds of the christian church , and do plainly impose upon christians the practice and belief of several things as necessary to salvation , which the gospel never declared to be so , yet no body shall judge of this , but every man ought without more ado , to believe blindfold , and to resign up his understanding and judgment to the directions of this visible infallible judge ? but surely this is not the reasonable obedience of faith , but the forc'd submission of slaves to the tyranny of their masters . christians are expresly forbid to call any man father or master upon earth , because we have one father and master in heaven . now to make an absolute submission of our understandings to any upon earth , so as without examination to receive their dictates in matters of faith , is surely , if any thing can be so , to call such a person father and master , because a greater submission than this we cannot pay to our father who is in heaven , even to god himself . i come now to the sixth , and last observation from the text ; that whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to salvation , to be believed or practised , besides what the gospel of christ hath made necessary , does fall under the anathema here in the text ; because they that do so , do according to the mind of st. paul , pervert the gospel of christ , and preach another gospel . for the reason why he chargeth the false apostles with preaching another gospel , and those that were seduced by them , as being removed from him that called them by the grace of christ unto another gospel , is plainly this ; that they had changed the terms of the christian religion , by adding new articles to it , which were not contained in the gospel ; that is , by making it necessary to believe it to be so , because they taught so . now st. paul expresly declares this to be preaching another gospel , because they plainly alter'd the terms of salvation declared in the gospel , and made that to be necessary to the salvation of men , which the gospel had not made so . and whatever person or church does the same , does in●ur the same guilt , and falls under the anathema and censure here in the text ; yea , tho' he were an apostle , or an angel : and i am sure no bishop or church in the world can pretend either to an equal authority or infallibility with an apostle , or an angel from heaven . let us then hear what st. paul declares in this case , and consider seriously , with what earnestness and vehemency he declares it ; tho' we ( says he ) or an angel from heaven preach any ●her gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him b● accursed . as we said before , so say i now again , if any man preach any other gospel unto you , than that ye have received , let him be accursed . st. paul you see is very earnest in this matter , and very peremptory , and therefore i cannot but think this declaration of his to be more considerable , and every way more worthy of our regard and dread , than all the anathema's of the council of trent , which in direct affront and contempt of this anathema of st. paul , hath presumed to add so many articles to the christian religion , upon the counterfeit warrant of tradition , for which there is no ground or warrant from the scripture , or from any ancient creed of the christian church . and for the truth of this , i appeal to the creed of pope pius the iv th , compiled out of the definitions of the council of trent ; by which council the pope only is authorised to interpret the true sense and meaning of the canons and decrees of that council ; and consequently his interpretations must be of equal force and authority with that of the council it self . so that whatsoever he hath put into ●is new creed for an article of faith , ought to be received with the ●ame pious affection and veneration , as if the creed had been compiled by the council it self ; because the pope , it seems , and no body else understands the true meaning of that council , at least is thought fit to declare it . and therefore one may justly wonder at the presumption of those , who after this declaration of the council , have taken upon them to expound the catholick faith , and to represent that religion to us , as it is defined in that council ; because if there be any controversie about the meaning of its definitions ( as there have been a great many , even betwixt those who were present at the council when those definitions were made ) none but the pope himself can certainly tell the meaning of them . now in this creed of pope pius there are added to the ancient creed of the christian church twelve or thirteen new articles , as concerning purgatory , transubstantiation , the worship of images , the invocation of saints , the communion in one kind , and that the church of rome is the mother and mistress of all churches , and that there is no salvation to be had out of it ; and several other points , all which have either no foundation in scripture , or are plainly contrary to it , and none of them ever esteemed as articles of faith in the ancient christian church for the first five hundred years ; and yet they are now obtruded upon christians , as of equal necessity to salvation , with the twelve articles of the apostles creed , and this under a pretence of infallibility , which st. paul tells us would not have justified an apostle , or an angel from heaven , in making such additions to the christian religion , and the imposing of any thing as necessary to salvation , which is not so declared by the gospel of christ . and all that they have to say for this , is , that we do not pretend to be infallible ; but there is a necessity of an infallible judge to decide these controversies , and to him they are to be referred . which is just as if in a plain matter of right , a contentious and confi●●nt man should desire a reference , and contrive the matter so as to have it refer'd to himself , upon a sleeveless pretence , without any proof or evidence , that he is the only person in the world that hath authority and infallible skill to decide all such differences . thus the church of rome would deal with us in things which are as plain as the noon-day ; as whether god hath forbidden the worship of images in the second commandment ? whether our saviour did institute the sacrament in both kinds ? whether the people ought not to read the scriptures , and to have the publick service of god in a known tongue ? these , and the like , they would have us refer to an infallible judge ; and when we ask who he is , they tell us that their church , which hath imposed these things upon christians , and made these additions to the gospel of christ , is that infallible judge . but if she were as infallible as she pretends to be , even as an apostle , or an angel from heaven , st. paul hath denounced an anathema against her , for preaching another gospel , and making those things necessary to the salvation of men , which are not contained in the gospel of christ . the inference from all this discourse in short , is this ; that we should contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints , and not suffer our selves by the confident pretences of seducers , to be removed from him that hath called us through the grace of christ unto another gospel . the necessary doctrines of the christian religion , and the common terms of salvation are so plain , that if any man be ignorant of them , it is his own fault ; and if any go about to impose upon us any thing as of necessity to be believed and practised in order to salvation , which is not declared to be so in the holy scriptures , which contain the true doctrine of the gospel , what authority soever they pretend for it , yea , tho' they assume to themselves to be insallible ; the apostle hath plainly told us what we are to think of them ; for he hath put the case as high as is possible here in the text , when he says , tho' we , or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed . i will conclude all with that counsel which the spirit of god gives to the churches of asia , revel . . . remember therefore how thou hast received and heard , and hold fast ; and chap. . . fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : be thou faithful unto the death , and i will give thee a crown of life . a sermon on john . vii . . if any man will do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self . since there are so many different opinions and apprehensions in the world about matters of religion , and every sect and party does with so much confidence pretend that they , and they only , are in the truth ; the great difficulty and question is , by what means men may be secured from dangerous errors and mistakes in religion . for this end some have thought it necessary that there should be an infallible church , in the communion whereof every man may be secured from the dangers of a wrong belief . but if seems god hath not thought this necessary : if he had , he would have revealed this very thing more plainly than any particular point of faith whatsoever . he would have told us expresly , and in the plainest terms , that he had appointed an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith , and would likewise have told us as plainly who he was , and where we migh● find him , and have recourse to him upon all occasions ; because the sincerity of our faith depending upon him , we could not be safe from mistake in particular points , without so plain and clear a revelation of this infallible judge , that there could be no mistake about him ; nor could there be an end of any other controversies in religion , unless this infallible judge ( both that there is one , and who he is ) were out of controversie . but neither of these are so : it is not plain from scripture that there is an infallible judge and guide in matters of faith ; much less is it plain who he is ; and therefore we may certainly conclude , that god hath not thought it necessary that there should be an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith , because he hath revealed no such thing to us ; and that bishop , and that church who only have arrogated infallibility to themselves , have given the greatest evidence in the world to the contrary ; and have been detected , and stand convinc'd of the greatest errors : and it is in vain for any man , or company of men , to pretend to infallibility , so long as the evidence that they are deceived is much greater and clearer than any proof they can produce for their infallibility . if then god hath not provided an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith ; there is some other way whereby men may be secured against dangerous and damnable errors in religion , and whereby they may discern truth from imposture , and what doctrines are from god , and what not ; and this our saviour declares to us here in the text , namely , that an honest and sincere mind , and a hearty desire to do the will of god , is the best preservative against fatal errors and mistakes in matters of religion ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if any man desire to do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self . there are two dangerous mistakes in religion : to reject any thing which really comes from god ; and to receive and entertain any thing as from god , which doth not really come from him . first , to reject any thing which really comes from god. this mistake the jews frequently fell into , when they rejected the true prophets which god from time to time sent to them , slighting their message , and persecuting their persons : but they miscarried most fatally and remarkably in their contempt of the true messias , that great prophet whom they had so long expected , and whom god sent at last , to bring salvation to them ; but when he came , they knew him not , nor would receive him , but used him with all the despite and contempt imaginable , not as a teacher come from god , but as a deceiver , and impostor . now the danger of rejecting any thing that comes from god , consists in this , that it cannot be done without the highest affront to the divine majesty . to reject a divine message , or revelation , is to oppose god , and fight against him . so our saviour tells the jews , that in despising him , they despised him that sent him . secondly , there is also another dangerous mistake on the other hand , in entertaining any thing as a revelation from god , which is not really from him . and this likewise the jews were frequently guilty of , in receiving the false prophets which spake in the name of the lord , when he had not sent them . and this is commonly the temper of those who reject the truth , greedily to swallow error and delusion . so our saviour tells us of the jews , john . . i am come in my fathers name , and ye receive me not ; if another shall come in his own name , him ye will receive . this prediction of our saviour's concerning the jews , was fully accomplish'd ; for after they had rejected him , who gave such abundant evidence that he was the true messias , and a teacher sent from god , they received others , who really came in their own names , and ran after those who pretended to be the messias , and were in great numbers destroyed with them . and this is very just with god , that those who receive not the truth in the love of it , should be given up to strong delusions , to believe lies . no● these being the two great dangerous mistakes in religion which men are liable to , my work at this time shall be to shew , how a sincere desire and endeavour to do the will of god , is a security to men against both those dangers ; and it will appear to be so , upon these two accounts . i. because he who sincerely desires and endeavours to do the will of god , is hereby better qualified and disposed to make a right judgment of spiritual and divine things . ii. because god's providence is more especially concerned to secure such persons from dangerous errors and mistakes in things which concern their eternal salvation . these shall be the two heads of my following discourse . first , because he who sincerely desires and endeavours to do the will of god , is hereby better qualified and disposed to make a right judgment of spiritual and divine things , and that for these two reasons . i. because such a person hath a truer notion of god , and divine things . ii. because he is more impartial in his search and enquiry after truth . first , because such a person hath a truer notion of god , and divine things . no man is so likely to have clear and true apprehensions of god , as a good man , because he hath transcribed the divine perfections in his own mind , and is himself in some measure and degree what god is . and for this reason it is , that the scripture so often lays the foundation of all divine knowledge in the practice of religion . job . . the fear of the lord , that is wisdom , and to depart from evil , is understanding ; and psal . . . the fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom ( that is ) the principle and foundation of it ; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments : whereas the vices and lusts of men darken their reason , and distort their understandings , and fill the mind with gross and sensual apprehensions of things , and thereby render men unfit to discern those truths which are of a spiritual nature and tendency , and altogether indisposed to receive them . for tho' the vices of men be properly seated in their wills , and do not possess their understandings ; yet they have a bad influence upon them , as fumes and vapours from the stomach are wont to affect the head. nothing indeed is more natural to the mind and understanding of men , than the knowledge of god ; but we may abuse our faculties , and render them unfit for the discerning even of their proper objects . when men by wicked practices have rendred themselves unlike to god , they will not love to retain the knowlenge of him in their minds , but will become vain in their imaginations concerning him . what clouds and mists are to the bodily eye , that the lusts and corruptions of men are to the understanding ; they hinder it from a clear perception of heavenly things ; the pure in heart , they are best qualified for the sight of god. now according as a man's notions of god are , such will be his apprehensions of religion . all religion is either natural , or revealed : natural religion consists in the belief of a god , and in right conceptions and apprehensions concerning him , and in a due reverence and observance of him , and in a ready and chearful obedience to those laws which he hath imprinted upon our nature ; and the sum of our obedience consists in our conformity to god , and an endeavour to be like him . for , supposing god to have made no external revelation of his mind to us , we have no other way to know his will , but by considering his nature , and our own ; and if so , then he that resembles god most , is like to understand him best , because he finds those perfections in some measure in himself , which he contemplates in the divine nature ; and nothing gives a man so sure a notion of things , as practice and experience : every good man is in some degree partaker of a divine nature , and feels that in himself , which he conceives to be in god : so that this man does experience what others do but talk of ; he sees the image of god in himself , and is able to discourse of him from an inward sense and feeling of his excellency , and perfections . and as for revealed religion , the only design of that is , to revive and improve the natural notions which we have of god ; and all our reasonings about divine revelation , are necessarily gathered by our natural notions of religion : and therefore he that sincerely endeavours to do the will of god , is not apt to be imposed upon by the vain and confident pretences of divine revelation ; but if any doctrine be proposed to him , which pretends to come from god , he measures it by those steady and sure notions which he hath of the divine nature and per●ections , and by those he will easily discern whether it be worthy of god , or not , and likely to proceeed from him : he will consider the nature and tendency of it , and whether it be ( as the apostle expresses it ) a doctrine according to godliness , such as is agreeable to the divine nature and perfections , and tends to make us like to god : if it be not , tho' an angel from heaven should bring it , he will not receive it : if it be , he will not reject it upon every idle pretence , and frivolous exception that prejudiced and ill minded men may make against it ; but after he is satisfied of the reasonableness and purity of the doctrine , he will accept of such evidence and confirmation of it , as is fit for god to give to his own revelations ; and if the person that brings it , hath the attestation of miracles ( which is necessary in case it be a new doctrine ) and if he carry on no earthly interest and design by it , but does by his life and actions make it evident that he aims at the glory of god , and the good of men , in this case , a good man , whose mind is free from passion and prejudice , will easily assent , that this man's doctrine is of god , and that he does not speak of himself . this was the evidence which our saviour offered to the jews , in vindication of himself , and his doctrine , joh. . . he that speaketh of himself , seeketh his own glory : but he that seeketh his glory that sent him , the same is true , and no unrighteousness is in him ; as if he had said , hereby may you distinguish one that really comes from god , from an impostor : if any man seek his own glory , you may conclude that god hath not sent him , but whatever he pretends , that he speaks of himself ; but he who by his life , and the course of his actions demonstrates that he seeks the honour of god , and not any interest and advantage of his own , the same is true , and there is no unrighteousness in him ; that is , no falsehood or design to deceive ( for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does sometimes signifie ) ; you may conclude such an one to be no deceiver , or impostor . and if any man sincerely desires and endeavours to do the will of god , he may by such marks and characters as these , judge of any doctrine that pretends to be from god , whether it be so or not . this is the first reason ; because he that sincerely desires and endeavours to do the will of god , hath the truest notion of god , and of divine things . secondly , such a person is more impartial in his search and enquiry after truth , and therefore more likely to find it , and to discern it from error . he that hath an honest mind , and sincerely endeavours to do the will of god , is not apt to be swayed and biassed by any interest or lust : for his great interest is to please god , and he makes all his other interests and concernments to stoop and yield to that . but if a man be governed by any earthly interest or design , he will measure all things by that , and is not at liberty to entertain any thing that crosses it , and to judge equally of any doctrine that is opposite to his interest . this our saviour gives for a reason , why the great rabbies and teachers among the jews did not believe and embrace his doctrine , john . . how can ye believe , which receive honour one of another ? if men have any other design in religigion than to please god , and to advance his honour and glory in the world , no wonder if they be apt to reject the most divine truths ; because these are calculated , not to approve us to men , but to god. and as vain-glory , and a desire of the applause of men ; so likewise doth every other lust make a man partial in his judgment of things , and clap a false biass upon his understanding , which carries it off from truth , and makes it to lean towards that side of the question which is most favourable to the interest of his lusts . a vicious man is not willing to entertain those truths which would cross and check him in his course : he hath made the truth his enemy , and therefore he thinks himself concern'd to oppose it , and rise up against it : the light of it offends him , and therefore he shuts his eyes that he may not see it . those holy and pure doctrines , which are from god , reprove the lusts of men , and discover the deformity of them ; and therefore no wonder if bad men be so hard to be reconciled to them . this account our saviour likewise gives of the fierce enmity of the jews to him , and his doctrine , jo● . . , . light is come into the world , and men loved darkness rather than light , because their deeds were evil ; for every one that doeth evil , hateth the light , neither cometh to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved . the vicious inclinations of men are a dead weight upon their understandings , and able to draw down the scales against the clearest truths : for tho' it be absolutely in no man's power to believe , or to dis-believe what he will ; yet men's lives have many times a great influence upon their understandings , to make assent easie , or difficult ; and as we are forward to believe what we have a mind to , so are we very backward and slow in yielding our assent to any thing that crosseth our inclinations . men that allow themselves in ungodliness and worldly lusts , will not easily believe those doctrines , which charge men so strictly with all manner of holiness , and purity . this is the way which the devil hath always used to blind the eyes of men , that the light of the glorious gospel of christ might not shine into them . and certainly the most effectual way to keep men in infidelity , is to debauch them in their lives ; therefore the apostle gives this as the reason of the infidelity of men in the last times , thes . . . they believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . when men once abandon themselves to lewd and vicious practices , infidelity becomes their interest ; because they have no other way to defend and excuse a wicked life , but by denying the truth which opposeth it , and finds fault with it . that man only stands fair for the entertainment of truth , who is under the dominion of no vice , or lust ; because he hath nothing to corrupt or bribe him , to seduce him , or draw him aside in his enquiry after truth ; he hath no interest but to find the truth , and follow it : he is enquiring after the way to heaven , and eternal happiness , and he hath the indifferency of a traveller , which is not inclined to go this way rather than another ; for his concernment is to find out the right way , and to walk in it : such an indifferency of mind hath every good man , who sincerely desires to do the will of god ; he stands ready to receive truth , when sufficient evidence is offered to convince him of it ; because he hath no manner of concernment that the contrary proposition should be true . as in mathematicks , a man is ready to give his assent to any proposition , that is sufficiently demonstrated to him , because he hath no inclination or affection to one side of the question more than to the other ; all his design and concernment is to find out the truth , on which side soever it lies ; and he is like to find it , because he is so indifferent , and impartial . but if a man be biass'd by any lust , and addicted to any vicious practice , he is then an interested person , and concerned to be partial in his judgment of things , and is under a great temptation to infidelity , when the truths of god are proposed to him ; because whatever the evidence for them be , he cannot but be unwilling to own the truth of that doctrine , which is so contrary to his inclination and interest . if the affections and interests of me● were as deeply concerned , and as sensibly touched in the truth of mathematical propositions , as they are in the principles of morality , and religion , we should find , that when a proposition stood in their way , and lay cross to their interest , tho' it were never so clearly demonstrated , yet they would raise a dust about it , and make a thousand cavils , and fence even against the evidence of a demonstration ; they would palliate their error with all the skill and art they could and tho' the absurdity of it were never so great and palpable , yet they would hold it fast against all sense and reason , and face down mankind in the obstinate defence of it ; for we have no reason to doubt , but that they who in matters of religion will believe directly contrary to what they see , would if they had the same interest and passions to sway them in the case , believe contrary to the clearest mathematical demonstration ; for where there is an obstinate resolution not to be convinc'd , all the reason and evidence in the world signifies nothing . whereas he that is biassed by no passion or interest , but hath an honest mind , and is sincerely desirous to do the will of god , so far as he knows it , is likely to judge very impartially concerning any doctrines that are proposed to him : for if there be not good evidence that they are from god , he hath no reason to deceive himself , in giving credit to them ; and if there be good evidence that they are divine , he hath no interest or inclination to reject them ; for it being his great design to do the will of god , he is glad of all opportunities to come to the knowledge of it , that he may do it . thus you see how a sincere desire and endeavour to obey the will of god , does secure men against fatal errors and mistakes in matters of religion ; because such persons are hereby better disposed to make a right judgment of divine things , both because they have truer and surer notions of god and religion , and are more impartial in their search and enquiry after truth . this is the first account . secondly , another reason why they who sincerely desire to do the will of god , have a great security in discerning truth from error , is , because the providence of god is more especially concerned to preserve such persons from dangerous errors and mistakes in things which concern their eternal salvation . when men are of a teachable temper , god loves to reveal himself and his truth to them ; and such is an humble and obedient frame of mind . psal . . . the meek will he guide in judgment ; the meek will he teach his way . the proper disposition of a scholar , is to be willing to learn ; and that which in religion we are to learn , is what is the good and acceptable will of god , that we may do it ; for practice is the end of knowledge . if you know these things ( says our blessed lord ) happy are ye if ye do them . it is necessary to know the will of god ; but we are happy only in the doing of it : and if any man be desirous to do the will of god , his goodness is such , that he will take effectual care to secure such an one against dangerous and fatal errors . he that hath an honest mind , and would do the will of god , if he knew it , god will not suffer him to remain ignorant of it , or to be mistaken about it , in any necessary points of faith , or practice . st. paul is a wonderful instance of the goodness of god in this kind . he was undoubtedly a man of a very honest mind ; he had entertained the jewish religion , as revealed by god , and been bred in it ; and out of a blind reverence and belief of his teachers , who rejected christ and his doctrine , he likewise opposed and persecuted them with a mighty zeal , and an honest intention , being verily perswaded ( as he himself tells us ) that he ought to do what he did , against the name of jesus of nazareth ; he was under a great prejudice upon account of his education , and according to the heat of his natural temper , transported with great passion : but because he did what he did , ignorantly , and in unbelief ; god was pleased to shew mercy to him , and in a miraculous manner to convince him of the truth of that religion which he persecuted . he was sincerely desirous to do the will of god , and therefore god would rather work a miracle for his conversion , than suffer him to go on in so fatal a mistake concerning the christian religion . and as the providence of god doth concern it self to secure good men from dangerous errors and mistakes in matters of religion ; so by a just judgment he gives up those who allow themselves in vicious practices , to error , and infidelity . and this is the meaning of that passage of the prophet esa . ch. . . so often cited by our saviour , and applied to the jews , of making the heart of that people fat , and their ears heavy , and closing their eyes , lest they should understand , and be converted . so again , isa . . , . god threatens the people of israel , that because they were wicked and abominable in their lives , he would abandon them , and give them over to a spirit of delusion ; they have chosen their own ways , and their soul delighteth in their abominations ; i also will chuse their delusions . god is said to chuse those things for us , which he permits us to fall into : so rom. . . god is said to give over the abominable heathen to a reprobate mind . as they did not like to retain god in their knowledge , god gave them over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to an injudicious and undiscerning mind . when men abandon themselves to wickedness and impiety , god withdraws his grace from them ; and by his secret and just judgment they are deprived of the faculty of discerning between truth and error , between good and evil. thes . . , , . it is said , that the man of sin should come with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish , because they received not the love of the truth , that they might be saved : and that for this cause , god would send them strong delusion , that they should believe a lye ; that they all might be damned , who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . and it is just with god , that men of vicious inclinations and practices should be exposed to the cheat of the grossest and vilest impostors . god's providence is concerned for men of honest minds , and sincere intentions : but if men take pleasure in unrighteousness , god takes no further care of them , but delivers them up to their own hearts lusts , to be seduced into all those errors , into which their own vain imaginations , and their foolish hearts are apt to lead them . thus have i endeavoured , as briefly as i could , to shew that an honest mind , that sincerely desires and endeavours to do the will of god , is the best security against fatal errors and mistakes in matters of religion ; both because it disposeth a man to make a true judgment of divine things , and because the providence of god is more especially concerned for the security of such persons . there remains ●an objection to be answered , to which this discourse may seem liable ; but this , together with the inferences which may be made from this discourse , i shall referr to another opportunity . the second sermon on john . vii . . if any man will do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self . i made entrance into these words the last day ; in which our saviour declares to us , that an honest and sincere mind , and an hearty desire and endeavour to do the will of god , is the best security and preservative against dangerous errors and mistakes in matters of religion ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if any man desire to do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self . now there are ( i told you ) two great mistakes in religion : to reject any thing which really is from god ; and to receive and entertain any thing as from god , which is not really from him . and therefore i proposed from this text to shew how a sincere desire and endeavour to do the will of god , is a security to men against both these dangers , namely , upon these two accounts . first , because he who sincerely desires and endeavours to do the will of god , is hereby better qualified and disposed to make a right judgment of spiritual and divine things ; and that for these two reasons . i. because such a person hath a truer notion of god , and divine things . he that resembleth god most , is like to understand him best , because he finds those perfections in some measure in himself , which he contemplates in the divine nature ; and nothing gives a man so sure a notion of things , as practice , and experience . ii. because such a person is more impartial in his search and enquiry after truth , and therefore more likely to find it , and to discern it from error . that man only stands fair for the entertainment of truth , who is under the power and dominion of no vice , or lust ; because he hath nothing to corrupt or bribe him , to seduce him , and draw him aside in his enquiry after truth : he hath no manner of concernment that the contrary proposition should be true , having the indifferency of a traveller , and no other interest , but to find out the right way to heaven , and to walk in it . but if a man be biass'd by any lust , and addicted to any vicious practice , he is then an interested person , and concern'd to make a partial judgment of things , and is under a great temptation to infidelity , when the truths of god are proposed to him ; because whatever the evidence for them be , he cannot but be unwilling to own the truths of those doctrines , which are so contrary to his inclination , and interest . secondly , another reason why they who sincerely desire to do the will of god , have a greater security in discerning truth from error , is , because the providence of god is more especially concern'd to preserve such persons from dangerous errors and mistakes , in things which concern their eternal salvation . when men are of a teachable temper , of an humble and obedient frame of mind , god loves to reveal himself , and his truth to them . psal . . . the meek will he guide in judgment , and the meek will he teach his way . the proper disposition of a scholar , is to be willing to learn ; and that which in religion we are to learn , is , what is the good and acceptable will of god , that we may do it ; for practice is the end of knowledge ; if ye know these things ( saith our saviour ) happy are ye if ye do them . it is necessary to know the will of god ; but we are only happy in the doing of it ; and if any man be desirous to do the will of god , his goodness is such , that he will take effectual care to secure such a one against dangerous and fatal errors . he that hath an honest mind , and would do the will of god , if he knew it , god will not suffer him to remain ignorant of it , or to be mistaken about it , in any necessary point of faith , or practice . thus far i have gone . i shall now proceed to remove an objection , to which this discourse may seem liable , and then draw some infer●nces from the whole . after all that hath been said , some perhaps may ask , is every good man then secure from all error and mistake in matters of religion ? this is a mighty priviledge indeed : but do not we find the contrary in experience ? that an honest heart , and a weak head , do often meet together ? for answer to this , i shall lay down these following propositions . first , that if there were any necessity , that a good man should be secured from all manner of error and mistake in religion , this probity of mind , and sincere desire to do the will of god , is the best way to do it ; because such a temper and disposition of mind gives a man the best advantages to discern betwixt truth , and error ; and god is most likely to reveal his will to such persons . but there is no necessity of this ; because a man may be a good man , and go to heaven , notwithstanding a great many mistakes in religion about things not necessary . for while we are in this imperfect state , we know but in part , and see many things very imperfectly : but when we shall come into a more perfect state , that which is imperfect shall be done away ; the light of glory shall scatter all those mists and clouds , which are now upon our understandings , and hinder us from a clear sight and judgment of things ; we shall then see god , and other things , as they are ; and be freed from all that ignorance , and those many childish mistakes , which we are liable to here below ; and till then , it is not necessary that we should be secured from them . humility under a sense of our ignorance is better for us , than infallibility would be . secondly , this temper and disposition of mind which i have been speaking of , is a certain security against fatal mistakes in religion , and a final continuance in such errors as would prove damnable ; and this is all that this discourse pretends to , or our saviour hath promised in this text. and considering the goodness of god , nothing is more improbable , than that an honest mind that seeks impartially after truth , should miss of it ; in things that are fundamentally necessary to salvation . and if we could suppose such a man to fall into such an error , either it would not be fundamental to him , having not been perhaps proposed to him with sufficient evidence , and would be forgiven him upon a general repentance for all sins and errors known , or unknown ; or he would not be permitted to continue in it ; but the providence of god would find out some way or other to convince him of his error , and to bring him to the acknowledgment of the truth , that he might be saved . god would rather speak to him immediately from heaven ( as he did to st. paul ) than suffer him to continue in such an error , as would infallibly carry him to hell. thirdly , there is no such depth of judgment , and subtilty of wit required , to discern between gross and damnable errors in religion , and necessary and saving truth , but that an ordinary capacity may be able to do it . there is so plain a line drawn between great truth , and gross errors , that it is visible to every capacity ; and an ordinary understanding , that is not under a violent prejudice , or blinded by some vice or fault of the will , may easily discern it . indeed , in matters of lesser moment and concernment , and which have no such considerable and immediate influence upon the practice of an holy life , the difference betwixt truth and error is not always so gross , and sensible , as to be obvious to every unprejudiced eye . but we have all the reason in the world to believe , that the goodness and justice of god is such , as to make nothing necessary to be believed by any man , which by the help of due instruction may not be made sufficiently plain to a common understanding . god hath so tender a care of good men , who sincerely love him and his truth , that we may reasonably presume , that he will not leave them under an unavoidable mistake , concerning those matters upon which their eternal salvation does depend . the judge of all the world will do right ; and then we may certainly conclude , that he will not condemn any man for no fault , and make him for ever miserable , for falling into an error , which with all his care and diligence he could not possibly either discern , or avoid . fourthly , god hath made abundant provision for our security from fatal and dangerous errors in religion , by these three ways . i. by an an infallible rule , sufficiently plain in all things necessary . ii. by sufficient means of instruction , to help us to understand this rule . iii. by an infallible promise of security from dangerous errors and mistakes , if with an honest mind , and due diligence we will apply our selves to understand this rule , and make use of the means of instruction , which god hath provided for that purpose . first , god hath given us an infallible rule , sufficiently plain in all things necessary . he hath given us the holy scriptures , which were given at first by divine inspiration , i. e. by men infallibly assisted in the writing of them , and therefore must needs be an infallible rule ; and all scripture divinely inspired , is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction in righteousness , as st. paul tells us , tim. . . speaking there of the books of the old testament ; and there is the same reason as to the inspired writings of the new. now if the scriptures be an infallible rule , and profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness , i. e. to teach us to believe , and do ; it follows of necessity , that they are sufficiently plain in all things necessary to faith , and a good life ; otherwise they could not be useful for doctrine and instruction in righteousness ; for a rule that is not plain to us in these things , in which it is necessary for us to be directed by it , is of no use to us ; that is in truth , it is no rule . for a rule must have these two properties ; it must be perfect , and it must be plain . the scriptures are a perfect rule , because the writers of them being divinely inspired , were infallible : and they must likewise be plain ; otherwise , tho' they be never so perfect , they can be of no more use to direct our faith and practice , than a sun-dial in a dark room is , to tell us the hour of the day . for tho' it be never so exactly made , unless the sun shine clearly upon it , we had as good be without it . a rule that is not plain to us , what ever it may be in it self , is of no use at all to us , 'till it be made plain , and we understand it . ii. god hath likewise provided sufficient means of instruction to help us to understand this rule . it is not necessary that a rule should be so plain , that we should perfectly understand it at first sight ; it is sufficient , if it be so plain , that those of better capacity and understanding may , with due diligence and application of mind , come to the true knowledge of it ; and those of a lower and more ordinary capacity , by the help and instruction of a teacher . euclid's elements is a book sufficie●tly plain to teach a man geometry : but yet not so plain that any man at first reading should understand it perfectly ; but that by diligent reading , by a due application , and steady attention of mind , a man of extraordinary sagacity and understanding may come to understand the principles and demonstrations of it , and those of a more ordinary capacity , with the help of a teacher , may come to the knowledge of it . so when we say that the scriptures are plain in all things necessary to faith , and a good life , we do not mean that every man at first hearing or reading of these things in it , shall perfectly understand them ; but by diligent reading and consideration , if he be of good apprehension and capacity , he may come to a sufficient knowledge of them ; and if he be of a meaner capacity , and be willing to learn , he may by the help of a teacher , be brought to understand them without any great pains ; and such teachers god hath appointed in his church for this very purpose , and a succession of them to continue to the end of the world. in a word , when we say the scriptures are plain to all capacities , in all things necessary , we mean , that any man of ordinary capacity , by his own diligence and care , in conjunction with the helps and advantages which god hath appointed , and in the due use of them , may attain to the knowledge of every thing necessary to his salvation ; and that there is no book in the world more plain , and better fitted to teach a man any art or science , than the bible is , to direct and instruct men in the way to heaven ; and it is every man's fault if he be ignorant of any thing necessary for him to believe , or do , in order to his eternal happiness . iii. good men are likewise secured from fatal errors in religion , by the infallible promise of god , if so be that with honest minds and due diligence they apply themselves to the understanding of this rule , and make use of the means of instruction which god hath provided for that purpose . god hath promised to gaide and teach the humble and meek ; that is , such as are of a submissive and teachable temper , desirous and diligent to be instructed in the truth . prov. . , , , . if thou incline thine ear to wisdom , and apply thine heart to understanding ; yea , if thou cryest after knowledge , and liftest up thy voice for understanding , if thou seekest her as silver , and searchest for her , as for hid treasures ; then shalt thou understand the fear of the lord , and find the knowledge of god. and here in the text our saviour assures us , that if any man be desirous to do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether he spake of himself ; i. e. he shall be able to discern the doctrines which are from god. this is the provision which god hath made for our security from fatal mistakes in religion ; and this is in all respects a better security , and more likely to guide and conduct us safely to heaven , than any infallible church , and that for these reasons . first , because it is much more certain that god hath made this provision which i have mentioned , than that there is an infallible church appointed and assisted by him to this purpose . that the scriptures are an infallible and adequate rule , and sufficiently plain in all things necessary , i have already proved ; and i add further , that this was the constant judgment of the ancient church , and so declared by the unanimous consent of the fathers of it for many ages ; and that all councils in their determination of faith , proceeded upon this rule , 'till the second councel of nice . i have likewise proved , that god hath provided a succession of pastors and teachers in his church , to instruct us in this rule ; and that we have god's infallible promise for our security from dangerous errors and mistakes , if with an honest mind and due diligence we apply our selves to understand this rule , and make use of the means of instruction which god hath provided for that purpose . but that there is an infallible church appointed and assisted by god , to declare and determine matters of faith , and to be an infallible interpreter of scripture , is not certain , because there is no clear and express text of scripture to that purpose , that any church whatsoever , much less that the church of rome hath this power , and priviledge . nay , i add further , that it is impossible , according to the principles of the church of rome , that this should be proved from scripture ; because , according to their principles , we cannot know either which are the true books of scripture , or what is the true sense of scripture , but from the authority and infallible declaration of that church . and if so , then the infallibility of the church must be first known , and proved , before we can either know the scriptures , or the sense of them ; and yet 'till we know the scriptures , and the sense of them , nothing can be proved by them . now to pretend to prove the infallibility of their church by scripture , and at the same time to declare , that which are the true books of scripture , and what is the true sense of them , can only be proved by the infallible authority of their church , is a plain and shameful circle , out of which there is no way of escape ; and consequently that god hath appointed an infallible church is impossible , according to their principles , ever to be proved from scripture , and the thing is capable of no other proof . for that god will infallibly assist any society of men , is not to be known , but by divine revelation . so that unless they can prove it by some other revelation than that of scripture ( which they do not pretend to ) the thing is not to be proved at all . yes , they say , by the notes and marks of the true church ; but what those marks are , must either be known from scripture , or some other divine revelation , and then the same difficulty returns ; besides that one of the most essential marks of the true church must be the profession of the true faith ; and then it must first be known which is the true faith , before we can know which is the true church ; and yet they say that no man can learn the true faith , but from the true church ; and this runs them unavoidably into another circle as shameful as the other . so that which way soever they go to prove an infallible church , they are shut up in a plain circle , and must either prove the scriptures by the church , and the church by the scriptures ; or the true church by the true faith , and the true faith by the true church . secondly , this provision and security which i have mentioned , is more humane , better accommodated and suited to the nature of man ; because it doth not suppose and need a standing and perpetual miracle , as the other way of an infallible church doth . all inspiration is supernatural and miraculous , and this infallible assistance which the church of rome claims to her self , must either be such as the apostles had , which was by immediate inspiration , or something equal to it , and alike supernatural : but god does not work miracles without need , or continue them when there is no occasion for them . when god delivered the law to the people of israel , it was accompanied with miracles , and the prophets which he sent to them from time to time , had an immediate inspiration ; but their supream judicature , or their general council , which they call the sanhedrim , was not infallibly assisted in the expounding of the law , when doubts and difficulties arose about it ; no , nor in judging of true and false prophets ; but they determined this , and all other emergent causes , by the standing revelation and rule of their written law ; and that they were not infallibly assisted , is evident from the great errors they fell into , in making void the commandments of god by their traditions , and in their rejecting and crucifying the true messias , and the son of god. in like manner the apostles and first teachers of the christian religion , were immediately inspired , and miraculously assisted in the publishing of the christian doctrine , and for the speedy and more effectual propagating and planting of it in the world , in despite of the violent prejudices that were against it , and the fierce opposition that was made to it . but when this was done , this miraculous and extraordinary assistance ceased , and god left the christian religion to be preserved and continued by more humane and ordinary ways , the doctrines of it , being committed to writing for a standing rule of faith and practice in all ages , and an order of men appointed to instruct people in those doctrines , with a promise to secure both teachers and people , that sincerely desi●e to know and do the will of god , from all fatal errors and mistakes about things necessary to their eternal salvation ; and this is a provision more likely to be made by god , and better suited to the nature of man , than the perpetual and needless miracle of an inspired , or any otherwise infallible church . thirdly , this way is likewise more agreeable to the nature of religion , and the virtue of faith. the design of an infallible church is to secure all that continue in the communion of it , against all possibility of error in matters of faith. the question now is not , whether an infallible church would do this ? but whether that church which arrogates infallibility to it self , does not pretend to do this ? and if they could do it , it would not be agreeable to the nature of religion , and the virtue of faith. for faith , which is the principle of all religious actions , would be no virtue , if it were necessary . a true and right belief can be no virtue , where a man is infallibly secured against error . there is the same reason of virtuous and criminal actions , and as there can be no crime or fault in doing what a man cannot help ; so neither can there be any virtue . all virtuous actions are matter of praise and commendation , and therefore it can be no virtue in any man ; because it deserves no commendation , to believe and own that the sun shines at noon-day , when he sees it does so . no more would it be a virtue in any man , and deserve praise , to believe aright , who is in a church wherein he is infallibly secured against all error in matters of faith. make any thing necessary , and impossible to be otherwise ; and the doing of it ceases to be a virtue . god hath so framed religion , and the evidence of truth , and the means of coming to the knowledge of it , as to be a sufficient security to men of honest minds , and teachable tempers , against all fatal and final mistakes concerning things necessary to salvation ; but not so , that every man that is of such a church , should be infallibly secured against all errors in matters of faith ; and this on purpose to try the virtue and disposition of men , whether they will be at the pains to search for truth , and when it is proposed to them with sufficient evidence , tho' not by an infallible hand , they will receive it in the love of it , that they may be saved . fourthly , this is as much security against error in matters of faith , as god hath provided against sin and vice in matters of practice ; and since a right belief is only in order to a good life , a man would be hard put to it , to give a wise reason , why god should take greater care for the infallible security of mens faith , than of their obedience . the reason pretended why god should make such infallible provision for a right faith , is , for the better security of mens eternal salvation , and happiness . now the virtues of a good life , have a more direct and immediate influence upon that , than the most orthodox belief . the end of the commandments , ( i. e ) of the declaration of the gospel , is charity . in the christian religion that which mainly avails to our justification and salvation is , a faith that worketh by charity , and the keeping of the commandments of god. he that heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them ( saith our blessed lord ) i will liken him to a wise man that built his house upon a rock ; and again , not every one that saith unto me , lord , lord , ( i. e. ) makes profession of faith in me , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven ; and again , if ye know these things , happy are ye , if ye do them . and the apostle st. peter exhorts christians to add to their faith and knowledge , virtue , and godliness , and brotherly kindness , and charity , that so an abundant entrance may be ministred to them , into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and saviour jesus christ . so that the virtues of a good life have the greatest influence upon our salvation , and the main stress of christianity is to be laid there . and therefore whatever reason can be assigned , why god should provide for the infallible security of our faith , is much stronger , why an equal provision should be made to secure holiness , and obedience of life ; because without this , faith cannot infallibly attain its end , which is the salvation of our souls . but this it is granted god hath not done , and experience shews it ; and therefore it is unreasonable to suppose that he hath done the other . it is sufficient , that in both kinds he hath done that which is sufficient to make us capable of happiness , if we be not wanting to our selves ; the rest he hath left to the sincerity of our endeavours ; expecting that we on our part , should work out our salvation with fear and trembling , and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure . and if god hath made such provision by the gospel , for all that enjoy the light and advantage of it , that none can miscarry without their own fault ; then both his goodness and wisdom are sufficiently acquitted , without an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith , and that irreverent way of arguing in the canon law , might well have been spared ; that of necessity there must be an infallible judge of controversies in religion ; aliter dominus non videretur fuisse discretus , otherwise god would not seem to have ordered matters discreetly . but what infallible security soever they have in the church of rome , as to matters of faith , they are certainly the worst provided of wholsom and safe directions for the consciences and lives of men , of any church in the world. no religion that i know of in the world , ever had such lewd and scandalous casuists . witness the moral divinity of the jesuits , which hath been so exposed to the world , not only by those of our religion , but by their own writers also . nor is this mischief only confined to that order ; their casuists in general , and even the more ancient of them , who writ before the order of jesuits appeared in the world , have given such a liberty , and loose , to great immorality in several kinds , as is infinitely to the reproach of the best and purest religion in the world. insomuch that sir tho. moor himself , who was a great zealot for that religion , could not forbear to make a loud complaint of it , and to pass this severe censure upon the generality of their casuists : that their great business seemed to be , not to keep men from sin , but to teach them quàm propè ad pec●atum liceat accedere sine peccato ; how near to sin they might lawfully come without sinning . in the mean time the consciences of men are like to be well directed , when instead of giving men plain rules for the government of their hearts and lives , and clear resolutions of the material doubts which frequently occur in humane life , they entangle them in niceties , and endless scrupulosities , teaching them to split hairs in divinity , and how with great art and cunning they may avoid the committing of any sin , and yet come as near to it as is possible . this is a thing of a most dangerous consequence to the souls of men ; and if men be but once encouraged to pass to the utmost bounds of what is lawful , the next step will be into that which is unlawful . so that unless faith without works will save men , notwithstanding the infallible security which they pretend to give men of a sound and right belief ( if it were really as much as they talk of ) the salvation of men would still be in great hazard and uncertainty , for want of better and safer directions for a good life , than are ordinarily to be met with in the casuistical writings of that church ; especially if we consider that the scriptures are lock'd up from the people in an unknown tongue , where the surest and plainest directions for a good life are most plentifully to be had ; insomuch , that a man had better want all the volumes of casuistical divinity , that ever were written in the world , than to be without the bible ; by the diligent studying of which book alone , he may sooner learn the way to heaven , than by all the books in the world without it . fifthly , and lastly , this provision which god hath made , is , when all is done , as good a security against fatal errors and mistakes in religion , as an infallible church could give , if there were one ; and it is as good a way to prevent and put an end to controversies in religion , so far as it is necessary that they should be prevented , and have an end put to them : and these are the two great reasons why an infallible judge is so importunately demanded , and insisted upon . i shall speak to these distinctly , and severally ; but because they will require a longer discourse than the time will allow , i shall not enter upon them at present , but refer them to another opportunity . the third sermon on john vii . . if any man will do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self . when i made entrance into these w●●ds , i proposed from this text , first , to shew that an honest and sincere mind , and a hearty desire and endeavour to do the will of god , is the greatest security and best preservative against dangerous errors and mistakes in matters of religion . in the next place , i proceeded to remove an objection , to which my discourse upon this subject might seem liable . some perhaps might ask , is every good man then secure from all error and mista●e in ma●ters of religion ? this is a mighty ●riviledge i●deed . but do we not find the contrary in experience , that an honest heart , and a weak head do often meet together ? for answer to this , i laid down several propositions . by the last of which i shew'd , that god hath made abundant provision for our security from fatal and dangerous errors in religion , both by the infallible rule of the holy scripture , and by sufficient means of instruction to help us to understand this rule , and by his infallible promise of assisting us , if with honest minds , and a due diligence we apply our selves to the understanding of this rule , and the use of these means . and this , i told you , was in all respects a better security , and more likely to conduct us safe to heaven , than any infallible church whatsoever ; and that for five reasons ; four of which i have already treated of , and now proceed to the fifth , and last , viz. because this provision which i have shewn god hath made , is both as good a security against fatal errors and mistakes in religion , as an infallible church could give , if there were one : and it is likewise as good a way to prevent and put an end to controversies in religion , so far as it is necessary they should be prevented , or have an end put to them . and these are the two great reasons why an infallible judge is so importunately demanded , and insisted upon . i shall speak to these two points , distinctly , and severally . first , because this is as good a security against fatal errors and mistakes in religion , as an infallible church could give if there were one . for an infallible church , if there were such an one upon earth , could not infallibly secure particular christians against errors in faith , any other way , than by the definition and declaration of those who are infallible in that church . and there are but three that pretend to it ; either the pope , or a council general , or the pope and a general council agreeing in the same definitions . not the pope by himself , nor the general council without the pope ; because the church which pretends to infallibility , is not agreed , that either of these alone is infallible , and therefore their definitions can be no certain , much less infallible foundation of faith ; no , not to that church which pretends to infall●bility . so that if there be an infallible oracle in that church , it must be the pope and council in conjunction , or the definition of a council confirmed by the pope . now in that case , either the council was infallible in its definitions , before they had the pope's confirmation , or not . if the council was infallible in its definitions , before they had the pope's confirmation ; then the council alone and of its self was infallible ( which a great part of the church of rome deny ) and then it needed not the pope's confirmation to make it infallible : or else a general council is not infallible in its definitions , before they receive the pope's confirmation ; and then the pope's confirmation cannot make it so : for that which was not infallibly defined by the council , cannot be made infallible by the pope's confirmation . but there is another difficulty yet : it is a maxim generally receiv'd , and that even in the roman church , that the definitions of a general council , confirmed by the pope , are not obligatory , unless they be receiv'd by the universal church . from whence these two great inconveniencies will unavoidably follow . i● that no man is obliged to believe such definitions , 'till he certainly know that they are received by the universal church ; which how he should certainly , much less infallibly know , i cannot understand ; unless he either speak with all the christians in the world , or the representatives of all particular churches return back and meet again in council , to declare that the universal church hath received their definitions ; which i think was never yet done . ii. it will follow , that the definitions of a general council , confirmed by the pope , are not infallible , 'till they be received by the universal church . for if they were infallible without that , they would be obligatory without it ; because an infallible definition , if we know it to be so , lays an obligation to believe it , whether it be receiv'd by the universal church , or not . and if such definitions are not infallible 'till they be received by the universal church , they cannot become infallible afterwards ; because if the definitions were not infallible before , they cannot be received as such by the universal church , nor by the meer reception of them , be made to be infallible definitions , if they were not so before . but if we should pass over all these difficulties , there is a greater yet behind , and that is , supposing the definitions of general councils confirmed by the pope to be infallible , particular christians cannot be secured infallibly from error without the knowledge of those definitions . and there are but two ways imaginable of conveying this knowledge to them : either by the living voice of their particular pastors , whom they are implicitely to believe in these matters ; but particular pastors are fallible ( as they themselves grant ) and therefore their words can neither be an infallible foundation of faith , or an infallible means of conveying it ; and it is unreasonable , they say , for men that own themselves to be fallible , to require an implicit belief to be given to them : or else the knowledge of the definitions of councils must be conveyed to particular christians by writing ; and if so , then there will only be an infallible rule , but no living infallible judge . and if an infallible rule will serve the turn , we have the scriptures , which we are sure are infallible , and therefore at least as good as any other rule . but they say , that the definitions of councils give us an infallible interpretation of scripture , and therefore are of greater advantage to us . but do not the definitions of councils sometimes also need explication , that we may know the certain sense of them , without which we cannot know the doctrines defined ? yes certainly , they need explication as much as scripture , if there be any difference about the meaning of them ; and there have been , and still are great differences among those of their own church about the meaning of them . and if the explications of general councils need themselves to be explain'd , then there is nothing got by them , and we are but where we were before : for differences about the meaning of the definitions of general councils , make as great difficulties and uncertainties in faith , as the differences about the meaning of scripture . well , but the people have the living voice of their particular pastors to explain the definitions of councils to them . but this does not help the matter neither , for these two reasons . first , because particular pastors have no authority to explain the definitions of general councils . the council of trent hath by express decree , reserved to the pope , and to him only , the power to explain the definitions of the council , if any difference arise about the meaning of them . so that if there be any difference about the true sense and meaning of any of the definitions of the council , particular pastors have no authority to explain them ; and where there is no doubt or difference about the meaning of them , there is no occasion for the explication of them . secondly , but suppose they had authority to explain them , this can be no infallible security to the people that they explain them right ; both because particular pastors are fallible ; and likewise because we see in experience , that they differ in their explications ; witness the bishop of condom's exposition of the catholick faith , and of the definitions of the council of trent , which is in many material points very different from that of bellarmine , and many other famous doctors of that church . and which is more , witness the many differences betwixt ambro●ius catharinus , and dominicus asoto , about the definitions of that council , in which they were both present , and heard the debates , and themselves bore a great part in them . now if they who were present at the framing of the definitions of that council , cannot agree about the meaning of them , much less can it be expected from those that were absent . secondly , this provision which i have mentioned , is likewise as good a way to prevent and put an end to controversies in religion , so far as it is necessary they should be prevented , or have an end put to them , as any infallible church would be , if there were one : and this is another reason why an infallible church is so much insisted upon , that there may be some way and means for a final decision of controversies , which the scriptures cannot be , because they are only a dead rule , which can end no controversie without a living judge ready at hand , to interpret and apply that rule upon emergent occasions . it is not necessary that all controversies in religion should either be prevented , or decided : this the church which pretends to be infallible , cannot pretend to have done ; because there are manifold controversies , even in the church of rome her self , concerning matters of religion , which still remain undecided ; and in their commentaries upon scripture , many differences about the sense of several texts , concerning which she hath not thought fit to give an infallible interpretation . and where their popes , and several of their general councils have thought fit to meddle with scripture , they have applyed and interpreted texts more improperly and absurdly , than even their private doctors . and which is more , in differences about points of faith , which are pretended on both sides to be fundamental , this church hath not thought fit to put an end to them by her infallible decision , after two hundred years brangling about them . for instance , in that fierce and long difference about the immaculate conception of the blessed virgin , which on both sides is pretended to be an article of faith , and for which , contrary revelations of their canonized saints are so frequently pretended ; and yet neither pope , nor general council , have thought fit to exert their infallibility for the decision of this controversie . so that if their church had this talent of infallibility ever committed to them , they have with the slothful servant , laid it up in a napkin ; and according to our saviour's rule , have long since forfeited it , for not making use of it . and whereas it is pretended , that the scripture is but a dead r●l● , which can end no controversies without a living judge ready at hand , to interpret and apply that rule upon emergent occasions ; the same objection lies against them , unless a general council , which is their living judge were always sitting . for the d●finitions of their councils in writing are liable to the same , and greater objections , than the written rule of the scriptures . the summ of all is this . in differences about lesser matters , mutual charity and forbearance will secure the peace of the church , tho' the differences remain undecided ; and in greater matters , an infallible rule searched into with an honest mind , and due diligence , and with the help of good instruction , is more likely to extinguish and put an end to such differences , than any infallible judge , if there were one ; because an humble and honest mind is more likely to yield to reason , than a perverse and cavilling temper is to submit to the sentence of an infallible judge , unless it were back'd with an inquisition . the church of rome supposeth her self infallible , and yet notwithstanding that , she finds that some question and deny her infallibility , and then her sentence signifies nothing . and of those who own it , many dispute the sense and meaning of her sentence ; and whether they deny the infallibility of her sentence , or dispute the sense of it , in neither of these cases will it prove effectual to the deciding of any difference . but after all this provision which we pretend god hath made for honest and sincere minds , do we not see that men fall into dangerous and damnable errors , who yet cannot , without great uncharitableness , be supposed not to be sincerely desirous to know the truth , and to do the will of god ? to this i shall briefly return these two things . i. that the same errors are not equally damnable to all . the innocent and ( humanly speaking ) almost invincible prejudices of education in some persons , even against a fundamental truth ; the different capacities of men , and the different means of conviction afforded to them ; the greater and lesser degrees of obstinacy , and a faulty will in opposing the truths proposed to them ; all these , and perhaps several other considerations besides , may make a great difference in the guilt of mens errors , and the danger of them . ii. when all is done , the matter must be left to god , who only know●th the hearts of all the children of men. we cannot see into the hearts of men , nor know all their circumstances , and how they may have provoked god to forsake them , and give them up to error and delusion , because they would not receive the truth in the love of it , that they might be saved . and as on the one hand god will consider all mens circumstances , and the disadvantages they were under for coming to the knowledge of the truth , and make allowance to men for their invincible errors , and forgive them upon a general repentance : so on the other hand , he who sees the insincerity of men , and that the errors of their understandings did proce●d from gross faults of their lives , will deal with them accordingly . but if men be honest and sincere , god , who hath said , if any man will do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , will certainly be as good as his word . it now remains only to draw some inferences from this discourse , and they shall be these three . first , from this text , and what hath been discoursed upon it , we may infer how slender and ill-grounded the pretence of the church of rome to infallibility is ; whether they place it in the pope , or in a general council , or in both . the last is the most general opinion ; and yet it is hard to understand how infallibility can result from the pope's confirmation of a general council , when neither the council was infallible in framing its definitions , nor the pope in confirming them . if the council were infallible in framing them ; then they needed no confirmation : if they were not ; then infallibility is only in the pope that confirms them , and then it is the pope only that is infallible . but no man that reads these words of our saviour , if any man will do his will , he shall know of the doctrine , would ever imagine that the bishop of rome ( whoever he shall happen to be ) were secured from all fatal errors in matters of faith , much less that he were endowed with an infallible spirit , in judging what doctrines are from god , and what not : for it cannot be denied , but that many of their popes have been notoriously wicked and vicious in their lives : nay bellarmine himself acknowledgeth , that for a succession of fifty popes together , there was not one pious and virtuous man that sate in that chair ; and some of their popes have been condemned and deposed for heresie ; and yet after all this , the pope , and the governing part of that church , would bear the world in hand that he is infallible . but if this saying of our saviour be true , that if any man will do his will , he shall know of his doctrine , whether it be of god ; then every honest man that sincerely desires to do the will of god , hath a fairer pretence to infallibility , and a clearer text for it , than is to be found in the whole bible for the infallibility of the bishop of rome . what would the church of rome give , that the●e were but as express a text in scripture for the infallibility of their popes , as this is for the security of every good man , in his judgment of doctrines ( which makes infallibility needless ) ? what an unsufferable noise , and what endless triumphs would they make upon it , if it had been any where said in the bible , that if any man be bishop of rome , and sit in st. peter's chair , he shall know of my doctrine whether it be of god ? had there been but such a text as this , we should never have been troubled with their impertinent citation of texts , and their remote and blind inferences from pasce oves , and super hanc petram ; feed my sheep ; and upon this rock will i build my church ; to prove the pope's infallibility . and yet no man of sense or reason ever extended the text i am speaking to , so far as to attempt to prove from it the infallibility of every good man ; but only his security from ●atal errors and mistakes in religion . the largest promises that are made in scripture of security from error and mistake about divine things , are made to good men , who sincerely desire to do the will of god. and if this be so , we must conclude several popes to have been the furthest from infallibility of any men in the world. and indeed there is not a more compendious way to perswade men that the christian religion is a fable , than to set up a lewd and vicious man for the oracle of it . nay , i will go farther yet ; that there are no other promises made in scripture , of direction , or assistance , or security from mistake , to any church ; but the same are made in as full and express terms to every good man that sincerely desires to know the truth , and to practise it . is it promis'd to the church , or to the pastors of it , i will be with you always ? and hath not our saviour promised the same to every one that is obedient to his word ? john . . if a man love me , he will keep my words ; and my father will love him , and we will come unto him , and make our abode with him . and does not the apostle apply the same promise to every good christian , heb. . . i will never leave thee , nor forsake thee ? for where is the difference between these expressions ? i will be with you , and i will make my abode with him ? i will be with you always , and i will never leave thee , nor forsake thee ? is it promised to the church , that the spirit shall lead her into all truth ? and is not the same promise made to every good man ? john . . he that hath my commandments , and keepeth them , he it is that loveth me : and he that loveth me , shall be loved of my father ; and i will love him , and will manifest my self to him ; that is , god will reveal his will to those that love him , and keep his commandments . hath god promised to build his church upon a rock ? and doth not our saviour use the same metaphor concerning every man that doth the will of god ? mat. . . whosoever heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them , is like a wise man that built his house upon a rock . so that if to be built upon a rock signifies infallibility , it belongs to every good man , who sincerely practiseth what he knows , as much as to any church . when men are enabled by god to work miracles for the confirmation of the doctrines which they deliver , there is great reason to believe that they are infallibly assisted in the delivery of those doctrines : but without this , 't is the vainest thing in the world , for any person or church to pretend to it ; because they offer no evidence ●it to satisfie any man , that they are so assisted : and i do not hear that the pope , among all his priviledges , does pretend to the power of miracles . secondly , from hence likewise we may infer the great reason of error and infidelity in the world. if any man be an infidel , it is not the fault of his understanding , but of his will ; it is not because there is not sufficient evidence that the christian religion is from god , but because mens interests and lusts make them partial and incompetent judges of matters of religion . the evidence of the christian religion is such , as recommends it to every man's reason and conscience ; so that ( as st. paul argues ) if the gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost ; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not , lest the light of the glorious gospel of christ , who is the image of god , should shine unto them , cor. . , . if men did but stand indifferent for the entertainment of truth , and were not swayed by the interest of any lust or passion , i am confident that no man that hath the gospel fairly proposed to him , would continue an infidel . if men did but truly live up to the principles of natural religion , they would easily be convinc'd , that the christian religion , which is so suitable thereto , is from god. thirdly , and lastly , what hath been said , is a great argument and encouragement to obedience , and holiness of life . do we desire not to be mistaken about the mind of god ? let us heartily endeavour to do his will. if we would not be seduced by the error of the wicked ; let us take heed of their vicious practices . the best way certainly to preserve a right judgment in matters of religion , is to take great care of a good life . god's goodness is such , that he will not suffer any man's judgment to be betrayed into a damnable error , without some vice and fault of his will. the principles of natural religion are born with us , and imprinted upon our minds , so that no man can be ignorant of them , nor need to be mistaken about them ; and as for those revelations which god hath made of himself to the world , he hath been pleased to accompany them with so much evidence , that an honest and sincere mind may easily discern them from error , and imposture . so our saviour hath assured us , that if any man desire to do his will ; he shall know of the doctrine , whether it be of god. on the other hand , if we see any oppose the clear truth , or to depart from it , and to embrace gross errors and delusions , we may almost certainly conclude that there is some worldly interest or lust at the bottom of it . so our saviour has likewise told us , that the reason why men love darkness rather than light , is , because their deeds are evil ; and every one that doth evil hateth the light , neither cometh to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved . i will conclude this whole discourse with st. peter's exhortation , the d of pet. . , . ye therefore , beloved , seeing ye know these things before , beware , lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked , fall from your own stedfastness . but grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ : to him be glory , both now , and for ever . amen . a sermon on luke xii . . and he said unto them , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . among all the irregular appetites of men , there is none that is more common and unreasonable , and of a more universal bad influence upon the hearts and lives of men , than this of covetousness ; and therefore in speaking of this vice , i shall strike at the root of a great many others ; even of apostacy from god's truth and religion , of which covetousness , and the love of this present world , is one of the most common causes . so that if i can contribute any thing to the cure of this great distemper of mens minds , i shall in so doing remove that , which is the cause and occasion of a great part of the evils and mischiefs which are in the world. and to this end i have pitched upon these words of our blessed saviour to his hearers ; and he said unto them , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . in which words are these thre● things observable . first , the manner of the caution which our saviour here gives , take heed and beware ; he doubles it , to shew the great need and concernment of it . secondly , the matter of the caution , or the vice which our saviour here warns his hearers against , and that is covetousness ; take heed and beware of covetousness . thirdly , the reason of this caution , because a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . humane life is sustain'd by a little , and therefore abundance is not necessary , either to the support or comfort of it . 't is not a great estate and vast possessions that make a man happy in this world ; but a mind that is equal to his condition , whatever it be . i. the manner of the caution which our saviour here gives , take heed and beware . this is a peculiar kind of caution , and no where else , or upon any other occasion , that i know of , used in scripture ; in which , for the greater emphasis and weight , the words of caution are doubled , as if the matter were of so much concernment , that no caution about it could be too much ; to signifie to us both the great danger of this sin of covetousness , and the great care men ought to use to preserve themselves from it . first . the great danger of this sin ; how apt we are to fall into this vice , and of how pernicious a consequence it is to those in whom it reigns . . how apt we are to fall into this vice : and excepting those vices which are immediately founded in a man's natural temper and constitution , there is none that men have a more universal propension to , than this of covetousness . for there are two things which human nature does more especially desire to be secured against , which are want , and contempt : and riches seem to be a certain remedy against both these evils . and because men think they can never be sufficiently secured against these , therefore their desire of riches grows endless and insatiable ; so that unless men be very jealous and watchful over themselves , this desire will grow upon them , and enlarge it self beyond all bounds . . as men are very apt to fall into this vice , so is it of very pernicious consequence to those in whom it reigns . the mischief of it is very great , and very extensive : so st. paul tells us , tim. . , , . where he presseth men to be contented with a small competency of the things of this life , because of the great danger and mischief of a covetous mind ; having food and raiment , let us be therewith content . but they that will be rich ( that is , they that are bent and resolv'd upon being rich ) fall into temptation , and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtful lusts , which drown men in destruction and perdition . for the love of mony is the root of all evil. but this i shall speak more fully to , when i come to shew the great evil and unreasonableness of this vice. secondly , this earnest kind of caution , as it signifies the great danger of this sin of covetousness , so likewise the great care that men ought to use to preserve themselves from it ; for the greater the danger is in any kind , so much the greater care should be used for the avoiding of it . men are not so solicitously concerned to defend themselves against a slight mischief ; but when a terrible one threatens us , we should be continually upon our guard against it , and summon all our strength and for●e to resist it . thus much for the manner of the caution . i proceed to the second thing to be considered in the text , viz. the matter of the caution , or the vice which our saviour here warns his hearers against , and that is covetousness ; take heed and beware of covetousness . and in speaking of this , i shall consider these two things . . wherein the nature of this vice consists . . i shall endeavour to shew the great evil and unreasonableness of it . i shall be large in both . . for the nature of this vice of covetousness . the shortest description that i can give of it is this ; that it is an inordinate desire and love of riches ; but when this desire and love are inordinate , is not so easie to be determined . and therefore that we may the better understand what this sin of covetousness is , which our saviour doth so earnestly caution against , it will be requisite to consider more particularly wherein the vice and fault of it doth consist ; that whilst we are are speaking against covetousness , we may not under that general word condemn any thing that is commendable , or lawful . to the end then that we may the more clearly and distinctly understand wherein the nature of this vice doth consist , i shall first , endeavour to shew what is not condemned under this name of covetousness , either in scripture , or according to right reason : and secondly , what is condemned by eit●er of these as a plain instance o● branch of this sin. . what things are not condemned under the name of covetousness , either in scripture , or according to right reason , which yet have some appearance of it ; namely , these three things . . not a provident care about the things of this present life . . not a regular industry and diligence for the obtaining of them : nor . every degree of love and affection to them . i mention these three , because they may all seem to be condemned by scripture , as parts or degrees of this vice , but really are not . i. not a provident care about the things of this present life . this indeed seems to be condemned in scripture as a branch of covetousness , namely , in our saviour's sermon upon the mount , mat. . . take no thought for your life , what ye shall eat , or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body , what ye shall put on . here our saviour seems to forbid all care , even about the necessaries of life , meat , and drink , and cloathing ; much more about the delights and conveniencies of it . but this is not absolutely and in ordinary cases intended by our saviour to be condemned , as i shall shew by and by , under the next head. secondly , neither is a regular industry and diligence for the obtaining of these things condemned in scripture ; tho' this also seems to be prohibited by our saviour in the same chapter , ver . . behold the fowls of the air : for they sow not , neither do they reap , nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly father feedeth them ; and ver . . why take ye thought for raiment ? consider the lilies of the field , how they grow ; they toil not , neither do they spin . in which words our saviour seems to intimate , that we ought to depend upon the providence of god for food and raiment , and to use no more industry for the obtaining of them , that the fowls of the air do , or the lilies of the field : and the same may seem to be collected out of this chapter of st. luke : for after our saviour had in my text cautioned them against covetousness , and spoken to them a parable to that purpose , of a rich man who enlarged his barns , and laid up goods for many years , he infers from thence , ver . . that men should take no thought for the things of this life , nor use any industry about them ; and he said unto his disciples , therefore i say unto you , take no thought for your life , what ye shall eat ; neither for the body , what ye shall put on . now to avoid all inconvenience from our saviours words , i think that it is commonly said by interpreters , that he does here only condemn a distrustful and anxious care about the things of this life , and an over-solicitous industry and diligence for the obtaining of them ; but that he allows a prudent care and regular industry about these things : and this were very well said , if it would agree with the scope and design of our saviour's discourse ; but the instances which he gives of the fowls of the air , and the lilies of the field , which are sufficiently provided for without any care and industry of theirs , and which he seems to set before us for a pattern , behold ( says he ) the fowls of the air , i say these instances , which he gives , seem to exclude even all regular and ordinary care and diligence about these things . what shall we say then , that our saviour intended by his religion to take men off from all labour and industry in their callings ? this seems to be unreasonable ; and indeed so it certainly were , if our saviour had given this for a standing and ordinary rule to all christians ; and not only so , but contrary to the apostles doctrine , who constantly charged christians to labour with great diligence in their callings , that they might be able to provide for themselves , and their families . but this discourse of our saviour's was not intended for a general and standing rule to all christians ; but only designed for his disciples , to take them off from all care about the things of this life , that they might attend upon his person , and wholly give up themselves to that work to which he had called them . and therefore st. luke takes notice , that after he had cautioned his hearers in general against covetousness , he applies himself particularly to his disciples , and tells them that he would have them so far from this vice of covetousness , that they should not so much as use that ordinary care and industry about the things of this life , which is not only lawful , but necessary for men in all ordinary cases , ver . . and he said unto his disciples , therefore i say unto you , take no thought for your life , what ye shall eat . and this agrees very well with the direction which our saviour gave to his disciples , when he first sent them forth to preach , mat. . . provide neither gold , n●r silver , nor brass in your purses , neither coat , nor scrip ; which no man ever understood as a general law to all christians , but as a particular precept to the apostles at that time . and if this be our saviour's meaning , there is then no reason to think , that this caution against covetousness does forbid men to use a provident care and regular industry about the things of this life . thirdly , nor is every degree of love and affection to the things of this world condemned in scripture , as any branch , or part of this vice of covetousness ; but such a love of the things of this world as is truly consistent with the love of god , and a due and serious care of our souls , is allowed both by scripture and reason . st. john indeed seems to condemn all love of the world , and of the things of it , as utterly inconsistent with the love of god , joh. . . love not the world , neither the things that are in the world ; if any man love the world , the love of the father is not in him : but this is according to the hebrew phrase and manner of speaking , to forbid things absolutely , which are to be understood only comparatively . so mat. . . lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth ; but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven ; i. e. be not so solicitous for the good things of this world , as for the glory and happiness of the next . and luke . . be not afraid of them that kill the body ; that is , fear them not so much as him that can destroy both body and soul in hell : and luke . . if any man come unto me , and hate not his father and mother , and all that he hath ; that is , if he do not love me more than all these things , he cannot be my disciple : and john . . labour not for the meat which perisheth , but for that which endureth to everlasting life ; that is , labour not so much for the one as for the other , be not so solicitous about the things of this life , as about the great concernments of eternity . so likewise colos . . . set your affections on things above , not on things on the earth ; i. e. set them more on things above , than on earthly things . so here , love not the world , neither the things of the world ; that is , do not over-value them , do not love them so much as not to be able to part with them for christ ; for if any man thus love the world , he does not love god as he ought . so that when the scripture commands us not to love the world , this is to be understood comparatively , that we should not love these things in comparison of god , and the great concernments of another world : but it does not forbid us to love the●e things in a due degree , and with a due subordination to those things which are more excellent , and of infinitely greater concernment to us . for nothing can be more inconsistent , than to recommend to men diligence in their worldly callings and employments ( as the scripture frequently does ) and that in order to the attaining of the good things of this life ; and yet to forbid us to love these things at all . for if men have no degree of love to them , the best argument to diligence for the obtaining of them would be taken away . besides , that we are commanded in scripture to be thankful to god for bestowing on us the blessings of this life , and we are to love him upon this account . now can any man love the giver , for bestowing such gifts upon him , which if he do as he ought , he must not love ? you see then what those things are , which the scripture does not condemn as any branch or degree of this vice of covetousness ; a provident care , and a regular industry , and such a degree of love to the things of this world , as is consistent with the love of god , and the care of our souls . . i come now to shew what is condemned in scripture under the name of covetousness ; and by this we shall best understand wherein the nature of this sin doth consist . now covetousness is a word of a large signification , and comprehends in it most of the irregularities of mens minds , either in desiring , or getting , or in possessing , and using an estate . i shall speak to each of these severally . first , covetousness in the desire of riches , consists in an eager and unsatiable desire after the things of this world. this the scripture condcmns , tho' it be free from injustice , as it seldom happens to be . this insatiable desire of wealth god plainly condemns by his prophet , isa . . . wo unto them that joyn house to house , and lay field to field , till there be no place , that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth . and this is that which our saviour here in the text seems to have a more particular respect to , when he cautions men against the sin of covetousness , as appears both from the reason which he gives of this caution , and from the parable whereby he illustrates it . from the reason which he gives of this caution , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for the life of man doth not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . as if he had said , take great care to set some bounds to your desires after the things of this world. for whatever men may imagine , it is certain in experience , that it is not the abundance of outward things which makes the life of man happy . wealth and content do not always dwell together ; nay , so far from that , that perhaps they very seldom meet . and the parable likewise which follows upon this caution , doth sufficiently shew this to be our saviour's meaning ; for he illustrates what he was speaking of , by a rich man , whose desire of wealth was never satisfied , but he was continually increasing his estate , and enlarging his barns , to make more room still for his fruits , that he might lay up goods in store for many years . the parable does not so much as intimate any indirect and unjust ways of gain , which this man used to increase his estate ; but condemns his insatiable desire and thirst after more ; so that even this alone is covetousness , and a great fault , tho' it were attended with no other ; because it is unreasonable , and without end . secondly , there is covetousness likewise in getting an estate ; and the vice or evil of this kind of covetousness consists chiefly in these three things . . in the use of unlawful and unjust ways to get or increase an estate . he is a covetous man , who by the greediness of gain is tempted to do any unjust action , whether it be in the way of fraud and deceit , or of violence and oppression . and this perhaps is that which is most frequently in scripture call'd covetousness . and this i ●ake to be the meaning of the tenth commandment , thou shalt not covet ; wherein is forbidden all unjust desire of that which is another man's , and all unjust endeavours and attempts to deprive him of it . for so our saviour renders it , mark . . where he says to the young man that came to be directed by him , what good thing he should do , that he might inherit eternal life ; thou knowest the commandments , do not commit adultery , do not kill , do not steal , do not bear false witness ; and then instead of the tenth commandment , thou shall not covet , or rather by way of explication of it , he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , de●raud not ; as if he had said , in a word , be not injurious to thy neighbour in any kind , in desiring or endeavouring to deprive him of any thing that is his . as the romans in their laws were wont to comprehend those crimes which had no proper name , by the general name of stellionatus , and dolus malus ; so here in the decalogue , after god had instanced in the chief and most common sorts of injuries which men are guilty of towards their neighbour , as murder , adultery , theft , bearing of false witness ; he summs up all the rest , which could not so easily be reckon'd , particulary in this short and general prohibition , thou shalt not covet ; that is , thou shalt not be injurious to thy neighbour in any other kind ; in his wife , or servant , or house , or cattle , or any thing that is his . covetousness , or any inordinate desire of that which is our neighbours , being commonly the root and parent of all these kinds of injuries . and for the same reason , st. matthew , instead of the tenth commandment , puts this general precept , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self , as being the sense of it in other words ; mat. . , . thou shalt do no murder , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not bear false witness , honour thy father and thy mother , and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . and this command of loving our neighbour as our selves , our saviour elsewhere tells us was the summ of the duties of the second table ; and it is the same in sense with that precept of our saviour , mat. . . therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them . that is , as thou wouldest have no man to be injurious to thee in any thing , so be not thou so to any other man in any kind . and the apostle , rom. . , , . shews us upon what account this general precept , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self , is the summ of the second table . he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law : for this , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not bear false witness , thou shalt not covet ; and if there be any other commandment , it is briefly comprehended in this saying , namely , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . and then he adds in the next words , love worketh no ill to his neighbour ; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. that is , he that truly loves his neighbour , will not be injurious to him in any kind : therefore love is the summ of the law. the design of all this is to shew that he that is injurious to his neighbour in his estate in any kind , is properly guilty of the sin of covetousness , which is forbidden in the tenth commandment . so that all arts of fraud and oppression , whereby men endeavour to get and increase an estate by the injury of their neighbour , is a branch of the sin of covetousness . . the vice of covetousness in getting wealth , does likewise consist in an anxious and tormenting care about obtaining the things of this life . the regular and due temper of a man's mind about the things of this world , is to commit our selves to the providence of god in the use of honest and lawful endeavours , and to refer the success of all to his good pleasure ; and whatsoever is beyond this , is a branch of the evil root of covetousness . we distrust the providence of god , when after we have used our best endeavours , and begg'd his blessing upon them , we torment our selves about the issue and event of things . and as this is sinful , so it is vain , and to no purpose . diligence in our business is the way to get an estate ; but no man was ever the richer , for tormenting himself , because he was not so . the reason why men seek the t●ings of this world , and take pains to get them , is to make life convenient and comfortable ; and consequently he that torments himself about the getting of these things , contradicts himself in his own design , because he makes his life miserable , that he may make it comfortable . . the sin of covetousness in getting , consists in seeking the things of this life , with the neglect of things infinitely better , and which are of far greater and nearer concernment to us . he is a covetous man , who so minds the world , as to neglect god , and his soul ; who is so busie and intent upon making provision for this life , as to take no care of the other ; so concern'd for the few days of his pilgrimage here , as to have no consideration and regard for his eternal abode in another world. god allows us to provide for this life , and considers the necessities which do continually press us while we are in the body : but while we are making provision for these dying bodies , he expects that we should remember that we have immortal souls ; which since they are to have an endless duration in another world , ought to be provided for with far greater care. 't is an inordinate desire of riches , when men so lay out all their care and industry for the obtaining of them , as if nothing else were to be regarded , as if no consideration at all were to be had of another world , and of that better part of our selves which is to continue and live for ever . all desires and endeavours after riches , which take men off from the business of religion , and the care of their souls , which allow men neither the leisure and opportunity , nor the heart and affection to love god , and to serve him , are to be referred to this sin of covetousness , which is here condemned by our saviour in the text. . there is covetousness likewise in possessing or using an estate : and this consists chiefly in these three things . first , when men are sordid towards themselves , and cannot find in their hearts to use and enjoy what they possess ; are continually adding to their estate , without any design of enjoyment ; and take infinite pains to raise a huge fortune , not that they may use it , but that they may be said to have it . this is a degree of covetousness even beyond that of the rich man in the parable after the text : for he it seems , after he had enlarg'd his barns to his mind , and laid up goods for many years , design'd at last to have taken his ease , and have fallen to the enjoyment of what he had gotten ; to have eat and drank , and to have been merry ; and this , tho' it proved but a foolish design in the issue , he being cut off in that very instant when he was come to the point of satisfaction and enjoyment ; yet is it infinitely more reasonable , than to take great pains to get an estate , with a full resolution never to be the better for it . secondly , men are covetous in keeping an estate , when they do not use it charitably ; when they cannot find in their hearts to spare any thing out of their abundance , to the relief of those who are in want . tho' a man get an estate without covetousness , and have an heart to enjoy it , yet so far he is covetous , as he is uncharitable . he loves mony more than he ought , who having enough to spare , chuseth rather to keep it , than to do good with it , and to use it to one of the principal ends for which god gives an estate . thirdly , they likewise are covetous , who place their chief trust and happiness in riches , who ( as the expression is , job . . ) make gold their hope , and say to the fine gold , thou art my confidence . and this is the reason why covetousness is so often in scripture call'd idolatry ; because the covetous man sets up his riches in the place of god , putting his trust and confidence in them , and setting his whole heart upon them , loving them as he should love god only , with all his heart , and soul , and strength : and therefore mammon , which signifies riches , is in scripture represented as a deity , and the ●●vetous man , as a servant , or worshipper of mammon . so that in scripture he is a covetous man who placeth his chief felicity in a great fortune , and will venture to lose any thing , rather than to part with that ; who will quit his religion , and violate his conscience , and run the hazard of his soul , rather than forfeit his estate , or the hopes of advancing it to his mind . and this in times of trial and difficulty , is the great temptation to which the covetous man is exposed . when a man may not only save himself , but get considerable advantage by departing from the truth ; and in changing his religigion , may have a good summ of mony to boot , or which is equal to it , a good place ; this to a covetous mind is a very strong temptation , and almost irresistible . when error and delusion can bid so high , and offer so good terms , no wonder if it gain some proselytes among the covetous and ambitious part of mankind . this the apostle gives warning of , as a great temptation to rich men in times of suffering , tim. . , . they that will be rich , fall into temptation , and a snare : for the love of mony is the root of all evil ; which while some have lusted after , they have erred from the faith. the young man in the gospel is a sad instance of this kind , who chose rather to leave christ , than to part with his great possessions . and such a one was demas , who forsook the apostles , and christianity it self , to cleave to this present world. thus i have done with the first thing i proposed to speak to , the nature of this vice , which our saviour in the text cautions men so earnestly against ; take heed and beware of covetousness . i should now proceed in the second place to shew the evil and unreasonableness of this vice. but that shall be the subject of another discourse . the second sermon on luke xii . . and he said unto them , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . i have made entrance into a discourse upon these words , in which i told you there are three things observable . first , the manner of the caution which our saviour here gives , take heed and beware . secondly , the matter of the caution , or the sin which our saviour here warns his hearers against , take heed and beware of covetousness : and thirdly , the reason of this caution , because a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . in discoursing of the second of these , viz. the matter of the caution , i proposed . . to consider wherein the nature of this vice of covetousness does consist . . to shew the evil and unreasonableness of it . the first of these i have dispatched , and now go on to the second , viz. to shew the great evil and unreasonableness of the vice of covetousness . now covetousness will appear to be very evil , and unreasonable , upon these following accounts . i. because it takes men off from religion , and the care of their souls . ii. because it tempts men to do many things which are inconsistent with religion , and directly contrary to it . iii. because it is an endless and insatiable desire . iv. because the happiness of humane life doth not consist in riches . v. because riches do very often contribute very much to the misery and infelicity of men. first , covetousness takes men off from religion , and the care of their souls . the covetous man is wholly intent upon this world ; and his inordinate desire after these things , makes him to neglect god , and the eternal concernments of his soul. he employs all his time , and care , and thoughts about these temporal things , and his vehement love and eager pursuit of these things steals away his heart from god , robs him of his time , and of all opportunities for his soul , and diverts him from all serious thoughts of another world , and the life to come . and the reason of this is , that which our saviour gives , mat. . . no man can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one , and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one , and despise the other . ye cannot serve god , and mammon . no man can serve two masters so different as god and the world are , because they will give cross commands , and enjoyn contrary things . god he calls upon us to mind the duties of his worship and service , to have a serious regard to religion , and a diligent care of our souls : but the cares of the world , and the importunity of business , and an eager appetite of being rich , call us off from these divine and spiritual employments , or disturb us in them . god calls upon us to be charitable to those that are in want , to be willing to distribute , and ready to communicate to the necessities of our brethren : but our covetousness pulls us back , and hales us another way , and checks all merciful and charitable inclinations in us . god calls us to self-denial , and suffering for the sake of him , and his truth , and commands us to preferr the keeping of faith , and a good conscience , to all worldly considerations whatsoever : but the world inspires us with other thoughts , and whispers to us to save our selves , not to be righteous over much , and rather to trust god with our souls , than men with our bodies and estates . if we set our hearts and affections strongly upon any thing , they will partake of the object which they are conversant about ; for where our treasure is ( as our lord hath told us ) there will our hearts be also . if a great estate be our chief end and design , if riches be our treasure , and our happiness , our hearts will be found among the stuff . we cannot bestow our affections freely upon two objects . we cannot intensly love god , and the world ; for no man can have two ultimate ends , two principal designs . our riches may increase ; but if we set our hearts upon them , and give them the chief place in our affections , we make them our lord and master . whatever we make our ultimate end , we give it a sovereignty and empire over us ; we put our selves under its dominion , and make our selves subject to all its commands . so that if it bid us go , we must go ; come , we must come ; do this , we must do it ; because we are under authority : the world is our master , and we are its slaves . now he that is under the rule and dominion of this master , must withdraw his obedience from god , and in many cases decline obedience to his laws . this worldly covetous disposition was that which made those in the parable to make so many excuses , when they were invited to the supper , luke . . one had bought a farm , and he could not come : another had bought so many yoke of oxen , and therefore he desired to be excused . riches do so fill the covetous man's heart , and the cares of the world so possess his mind , that he hath no room left in his soul for any other guests : intus existens prohibet alienum , that which is full already , can receive no more . the covetous man's heart is taken up with such things as keep out god , and christ , and better things . if any man love the world , and the things of it to this degree , st. john tells us that the love of the father is not in him . in the parable of the sower , mat. . . our saviour represents to us the cares of the world , which choak the word of god , by thorns which sprang up among the seed , and stifled the growth of it . the cares of the world will not suffer the word of god to take deep root in our hearts , and to have any permanent effect upon them : and ezek. . . god gives this as a reason why the people of israel would not hearken to the words of his prophet , because their hearts were upon the world. they come unto thee , ( says god there to the prophet ) as the people cometh , and they sit before thee as my people , and they hear thy words , but they will not do them : for with their mouth they shew much love , but their heart goeth after their covetousness . a heart that is deeply engaged in the world , will stand out against all the invitations , and promises , and threatnings of god's word . when the word of god invites such persons , it is like making love to those who have already fix'd their hearts and affections elsewhere ; the promises and threatnings of the gospel signifie but very little to such men , because their hearts are set upon worldly things , and all their affections are bent that way ; all their hopes and desires are worldly , to be rich , and abound in wealth ; and all their fears are of poverty and loss . now such a man can only be moved with the promises and threatnings of temporal things ; for no promises have any effect upon us , but such as are of some good , which we care for and value : nor are any threatnings apt to move us , but such as are of some evil , which we dread , and are afraid of . and therefore when eternal life , and the happiness of another world , are offered to a worldly-minded man , he does not desire it , he is not at all sensible of the value of it● the man's heart is full already of other hopes and desires , and the full soul loatheth the hony-comb . promise to such a man the kingdom of heaven , and the pleasures of god's presence , and the joys of eternity , this does not signifie to such a man any good or happiness that he is sensible of , or knows how to relish . and on the other hand , threaten him with the loss of god , and an eternal separation from that fountain of happiness , and with the unspeakable anguish and torments of a long eternity ; these things , tho' they be terrible , yet they are at a distance , and the covetous man is enured to sense , and is only to be moved with things present and sensible ; he cannot extend his fears so far as another world , so long as he finds himself well and at ease , as to the things of this present life . if we would affect such a man , we must offer to his consideration something that is fit to work upon him ; threaten him with breaking open his house , and ri●●ing his coffers , and carrying away his full bags ; with questioning his title to his estate , or starting a precedent mortgage , or something of the like nature : these things indeed are dreadful and terrible to him ; now you speak intelligibly to him , and he understands what you mean : tell him of a good bargain , or an advantagious purchase , offer him decently a good bribe , or give him notice of a young heir that may be circumvented , and drawn in , then you say something to him that is worthy of his regard and attention ; the man may be tempted by such offers and promises as these : but discourse to him with the tongue of m●● and angels , of the excellency of virtue and goodness , and of the necessity of it , to the obtaining of a glory and happiness that shall neither have bounds nor end ; and lo ! thou art unto him as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice , and can play well upon an instrument , for he hears thy words , but he will not do them ; as the prophet expresseth it , ezek. . . such discourses as these they look upon as fine talk , or a melodious ●ound , that vanisheth into air , but leaves no impression behind it . perhaps even these dull and stupid kind of men are affected a little for the present with the liveliness of the romance , and the poetical vein of the preacher ; but these things pass away like a tale that is told , but have no lasting effect upon them . so effectually doth covetousness , and the love of this present world , obstruct all those passages , through which the consideration of religion and heavenly things should enter into our minds . secondly , as covetousness hinders men from religion , and takes them off from a due care of their souls ; so it many times tempts and engageth men to do many things contrary to religion , and inconsistent with it : it is the natural source and fountain of a great many evils , and the parent of most of the worst of vices . he that will engage deep in the world , must use much more guard and caution than most men do , to do it without sin. how many temptations is the covetous man exposed to in the getting , and in the securing , and in the spending and enjoying of a great estate ? it is no easie task to reckon them up , and much more difficult to escape or re●ist them ; and yet each of these temptations bring him into the danger of a great many sins . for , i. in the getting of an estate , he is exposed to all those vices which may seem to be serviceable to this design . nothing hath been the cause of more and greater sins in the world , than covetousness , and making haste to be rich. it is solomon's observation , prov. . . he that maketh haste to be rich , shall not be innocent . he does not say he cannot be innocent , but he speaks as if there were all the probability in the world that he will not prove to be so ; but being in so much haste , will almost unavoidably fall into a great many oversights and faults . and the heathen poet makes the very same observation in more words , inde ferè scelerum causae , nec plura venena miscuit , aut ferro grassatur saepiùs ullum humanae mentis vitium , quam saeva cupido immodici censûs : nam dives qui fieri vult , et cito vult fieri ; sed quae reverentia legum , quis metus aut pudor est unquam properantis avari ? this , says he , is the cause of most sins : nor is there any vice of which the mind of man is capable , that hath been guilty of more murders and poysonings , than a furious desire of immode●ate wealth ; for he that will be rich , will make haste to be so : and what reverence of laws , what fear or shame was ever seen in any man that was in in haste to be rich ? and this is the sense of what the apostle says concerning this vice of covetousness , this peremptory resolution of being rich , tim. . , . they that will be rich , fall into temptation , and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtful lusts , which drown men in destruction and perdition . for the love of mony is the root of all evil. if this vice of covetousness once reign in us , if we have once fix'd our end , and set up this resolution with our selves , that we will be rich , we shall then make every thing stoop and submit to this design . a cov●tous man will make his principles and his conscience to bend to his resolution of being rich , and to bow to that interest . the eager desire of riches makes men to pursue them in indirect and uncharitable ways , by falsehood and perjury , by undermining and over-reaching , by dissembling and flattery , by corrupting and imbasing of commodities , by false weights and measures , by taking fees with both hands , by making use of their power and wit to oppress and defraud their brother , by imposing upon his ignorance and simplicity , or by making a prey of his poverty and necessity . covetousness many times makes men cruel and unjust ; nay it makes them guilty of the worst sort of cruelty and oppression . for ( as one says well ) the covetous man oppresseth his neighbour , not for any good to himself ; for he does not enjoy what he tears and rends from others ; so that he is of that most hateful kind of beasts of prey , that kill other creatures , not to eat them , but that they may see them lie dead by them . lyons and wolves kill out of hunger ; but the covetous man , like a serpent , or scorpion , stings and bites others to death , not for his need , but for his pleasure and recreation . covetousness is the parent of the most monstrous sins ; because it fixeth a man in a resolution of getting an estate by any means . if falseness and deceit , violence and oppression will further this end ; the earnest desire of the end tempts men to use any sort of means whereby the end may be compassed ; and tho' a man may have some averseness from them at first , yet that wears off by degrees , and the strong desire of the end , reconciles a man at last to the love and liking of the means , how wicked and unwarrantable soever . covetousness tempted achan to steal the accursed thing , and gehazi to lie to the prophet , and ahab to oppress and murder naboth . nay , a small summ tempted the covetous mind of judas to betray his master , and his saviour . and how do many men every day strain their consciences to get an estate , and hazard their souls for mony ; nay exchange their souls , which are of more value than the whole world , for a very small portion of it ? ii. there are likewise many other temptations which a covetous man is exposed to in the keeping and securing of an estate , when he hath got it . a covetous and worldly-minded man , when it comes to the trial , is in great danger of quitting his religion , and making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience . when his estate comes to be in hazard , he is very apt to fall off from the truth ; 't is an hundred to one but in these circumstances he will chuse rather to violate his conscience , than to forfeit his estate . what the devil falsely said of job , is true of the covetous man , he does not serve god for nought . upon these terms it was , that christ and the young man parted ; he had great possessions , and it troubled him to part with them . when demas was brought to the trial , and put to it , whether he would stick to the profession of the gospel , or his worldly possessions , he quitted st. paul , and declared for the world , the d of tim. . . demas hath forsaken me , having loved this present world. so far had his covetous humour besotted him , as to make him prefer his present interest in these temporal things , before those eternal rewards which the gospel offered . iii. there are likewise many temptations which men are exposed to in the enjoying and spending of a great estate . it is hard to have a great estate , and not to be master'd by the love of it ; not to have our cares and thoughts , our hearts and affections swallowed up by it . 't is no easie thing for a man that hath riches , not to over-value them , and love them more than he ought ; not to be puft up by them , and so place his trust and confidence in them . prov. . . the rich man's wealth is his strong city , and as an high wall in his own conceit . the covetous man setteth up his riches in the place of god , and is apt to fall down before this golden calf , and worship it : to say to the gold , thou art my hope , and to the fine gold , thou art my confidence : to rejoyce , because his wealth is great , and because his hand hath gotten much . riches are a great temptation to irreligion and atheism . upon this account agur wisely prays to god for a moderate estate , because of the danger of both the extreams of riches and poverty ; because of the great and violent temptations which men are exposed to in both these conditions , prov. . , . give me neither poverty , nor riches ; but feed me with food convenient for me . why not riches ? le●t i be full , and deny thee , and say , who is the lord ? and much more do riches tempt men to pride and insolence towards others , prov. . . the poor useth intreaties , but the rich answereth roughly . mens spirits are commonly blown up and bloated with their fortunes , and their pride , and stomach , and passion do usually increase in proportion to their wealth . and many times riches tempt men to luxury , and intemperance , and all manner of excess . rich men have a mighty temptation to allow themselves all manner of unlawful pleasures , because he who hath a great estate , is furnish'd with that to which hardly any thing can be denied . and this is not inconsistent with a covetous humour ; for there are many times men who are covetous in getting , for no other end and reason , but that they may spend it upon their l●sts . as covetousness sometimes starves other vices , so sometimes it serves them , and is made subordinate to a man's ambition , or lust , or some other reigning vice. there is no such absolute inconsistency between riches and virtue , but that it is possible that a man that is very rich , may be very good . but yet if we consult experience , i doubt it will be found a true observation , that there are but very few rich men , who are not insupportable , either for their vanity , or their vices ; so that our saviour had reason for that severe question , how hard is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of god ? and well might he upon this account pronounce the poor , ( the poor in estate , as well as the poor in spirit ) blessed , as we find he does , luke . . blessed be ye poor , for yours is the kingdom of god. they oftner enter there , than the rich. thirdly , covetousness is likewise evil and unreasonable , because it is an endless and insatiable desire . a covetous mind may propose to it self some certain bounds and limits , and a man may think that when he is arrived to such an estate , and hath raised his fortune to such a pitch , that he will then sit down contented and satisfied , and will seek after no more . but he deceives himself in this matter ; for when he hath attain'd to that which he proposed to himself , he will be never the nearer being satisfied . so solomon tells us , eccles . . . he that loveth silver , shall not be satisfied with silver ; nor he that loveth abundance , with increase ; for no degree of wealth can satisfie a covetous mind . he may think so before-hand , that if he had so much , it would be enough ; but when he hath attained it , he will be still reaching after more ; for covetousness is a disease of the mind , and an unnatural thirst , which is inflamed by that which should quench it . every desire that is natural , is satisfied and at rest , when it hath once obtained the thing it desired . if a man be hungry , he is satisfied when he hath eaten ; or if he be thirsty , his thirst is allay'd and quench'd when he hath drank to such a proportion as nature doth require ; and if he eat and drink beyond this measure , nature is oppress'd , and it is a burthen to him . but covetousness is not the thirst of nature , but of a diseased mind . it is the thirst of a fever , or of a dropsie ; the more a man drinks , the more he desires , and the more he is inflam'd . in like manner , the more the covetous man increaseth his estate , the more his desires are enlarged and extended , and he finds continually new occasions and new necessities ; and every day as he grows richer , he discovers new wants ; and a new poverty to be provided against , which he did not think of before , comes into his mind : et minùs haec optat , qui not habet ; and he that is without these things , covets them less than he that hath them . so far is a covetous man's attaining to riches from giving him satisfaction , that he who hath scarce any thing at all , is many times much nearer to contentment , than he that hath got so much ; nay so unreasonable is this appetite , as to desire more , even when the man knows not how to bestow what he hath already . this solomon observed long since , ( for the vices and humours of men are much the same in all ages ) eccles . . . there is one alone , and there is not a second ; yea he hath neither child nor brother ; yet is there no end of all his labour , neither is his eye satisfied with riches , neither saith he for whom do i labour , and bereave my soul of good ? this is also vanity , yea it is a sore travel . and indeed what can be greater vanity and folly , than to be at certain pains and labour all the days of a man's life , and yet to be uncertain all the while , for whom it is that he drudgeth , and taketh all these pains . and if this be the nature of this vice , the more it gets , still to covet the more ; then nothing can be more unreasonable , than to think to grati●ie this appetite ; because at this rate , the man can never be contented , because he can never have enough ; nay so far is it from that , that every new accession to his fortune , sets his desires one degree farther from rest and satisfaction : for a covetous mind having no bounds , it is very probable that the man's desire will increase much faster than his estate ; and then the richer he is , he is still the poorer , because he is still the less contented with his condition . however , it is impossible that the man's desire should ever be satisfied ; for desire being always first , if the man's desire of riches advanceth and goes forward as fast as riches follow , then it is not possible for riches ever to overtake the desire of them , no more than the hinder wheels of a coach can overtake those which are before : because as they were at a distance at first setting out , so let them go never so far , or so fast , they keep the same distance still . so that it is the vainest thing in the world , for a man to design his own satisfaction by the perpetual increase of his fortune , because contentment doth not arise from the abundance of what a man hath , but it must spring from the inward frame and temper of our minds ; and the true way to it , is not to enlarge our estate , but to contract our desires ; and then it is possible that a man's mony and his mind may meet ; otherwise the pursuit is endless , and the farther a man follows contentment , it will but flee so much the farther from him ; and when he hath attained the estate of a prince , and a revenue as great as that of france , or the turkish empire , he shall be farther from being satisfied , than when he began the world , and had no more before-hand than would just pay for his next meal . i should now have proceeded to the fourth thing , whereby the unreasonableness of covetousness doth appear ; because the happiness of humane life doth not consist in riches . and this is the argumeut which i shall more especially insist upon , because it is that which our saviour useth here in the text , to take men off from this vice. the life of man consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . and this certainly is one of the best and most reasonable considerations in the world , to moderate mens affections towards these things . every reasonable desire propounds some end to itself . now to what purpose should any man desire to increase his wealth so vastly beyond the proportion of his necessities , and real occasions ? what benefit and advantage would it be to any man , to have a hundred times more than he knows what to do withall ? but i shall not enlarge upon this argument at present , but referr it to another opportunity . the third sermon on luke xii . . and he said unto them , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . after i had , in my first discourse upon this subject , given you an account of the nature of the vice of covetousness , i proceeded in the next place to represent the great evil and unreasonableness of it . first , because it takes men off from religion , and the care of their souls . secondly , because it tempts men to many things which ar● inconsisten● with religion , and dir●●●ly contra●y to it . thirdly , because it is an endless and insatiable desire● thus far i have gone , i proceed to the fourth thing , whereby the unreasonableness of covetousness will yet farther appear . namely , because the happiness of humane life doth not consist in riches , and abundance . and this i shall insist upon somewhat the more largely , because it is the argument which our saviour makes use of here in the text , to take men off from this sin. the life of man co●sisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth : therefore take heed and beware of covetousness . and this certainly is one of the best and most reasonable considerations in the world , to moderate our affections towards these things . for every reasonable desire propounds some end to itself . now to what purpose should any man desire to increase his wealth so vastly , and beyond the proportion of his necessities and real occasions ? what benefit and advantage can it be to any man , to have an hundred , or perhaps a thousand times more than he knows what to do withall ? and as for the other world , no man ever pretended that the heaping up riches here , would be useful to him there ; riches will not deliver him in the day of wrath . no man was ever so senseless , as to imagine that he could take his estate along with him into the other world ; or if he could , that heaven was to be bought with mony ; or that a great estate , or a great many lordships would recommend him to the favour of god. 't is true indeed , a man may so use riches in this world , as thereby to promote and further his happiness in the next . but then it is likewise as true , that a man may so demean himself in a poor and low condition , as thereby to render himself as acceptable to god , and capable of as great a reward , as the richest man can do . the poor woman's two mites chearfully given to pious and charitable uses , will go as far in the other world , and find as great a reward there , as the rich man's thousands of gold and silver . and a man may be as truly generous and charitable of a little , as out of the greatest fortune . besides that the poor man's contentedness in a mean condition , is more admirable in it self , and more valuable with god , than for a rich man to be so . so that the great use of riches respects this world , and the best use of them is in ways of charity ; and the poor man's charity , tho' it cannot be of so great an extent in the effects of it , yet in the degree of its virtue and merit it may be equal to it . now the two great designs of men , in regard to this world , are these . . to maintain and support our lives as long as we can . . to make our lives as truly happy and comfortable as we can . to the first of these ends , namely the support of our lives , a very little will suffice , and 't is not much that is necessary to the other , to render our lives as truly comfortable as this world can make them ; so that a vast estate is not necessary to either of these ends ; for a man may live by having what is necessary , and may live comfortably by having that which is convenient . no man lives the longer by having abundance ; it is many times an occasion of shortning a man's life , by ministring to excess and intemperance ; but seldom of prolonging it . and setting aside the vain fancy and conceit of men , no man lives the more happily , for having more than he hath real use and occasion for . these two heads i shall at present speak to , to make out the full force of this reason , which our saviour here useth ; namely , that a man's life consist●th not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . i. that riches do not contribute to the support of our lives ; nor , ii. to the happiness and comfort of them . that is , they are not necessary to either of these ends. for by riches i mean whatever is beyond a su●●icient competency of those things , which a●e requisite to the real uses and occasions of humane life . first , riches and abundance do not contribute to the support of our lives . and this our saviour very well represents to us in the parable immed●ately after the text , of the rich man , who was continually encreasing his estate , so that he had goods laid up for many years ; but he lived not one jot the longer , for being provided of the conveniencies of life for so long a time before-hand ; for whilst he was blessing himself , as if he had secured his happiness sufficiently for this world , he was uncertain of his continuance in it ; god having decreed to take him out of this world , at that very time when he had determin'd to enter upon the enjoyment of those things , which he had been so long laying up . god says to him , thou fool , this night shall thy soul be required of thee ; and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided ? that is , what good then will all these things do thee , when thou hast no farther use and occasion for them ? so that if he had been the poorest man in the world , and had not been provided for the next meal , he might have lived as long as he did with all his stores . you see then that in this sense , a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . for notwithstanding all his great barns , and the abundance of fruits he had stowed in them , he did not live one jot the longer , than the poorest man might have done . secondly , nor do riches contribute to the happiness and comfort of our lives . happiness is not to be bought and purchas'd together with great lordships ; it depends upon a great many causes , among which , a competency of the things of this world is one ; but riches and abundance is none of them . the happiness of this world consists in these two things , . in the enjoyment of good. and , . in a state of freedom from evil. now riches do not necessarily make a man happy in either of these respects . first , for the enjoyment of good , a competent estate suitable to the condition and station in which god hath set us in this world , will give a man whatever nature and reason can desire ; and abundance cannot make a man happier . if a man had an hundred times more than he needed , he could but enjoy it according to the capacity of a man ; for if he consulted his own happiness , and would tr●ly enjoy what he hath , he must eat and drink within the bounds of temperance and health , and must wear no more cloaths than are for his convenience . 't is true , he hath wherewithal to put on a new suit every day ; which is to be uneasie all the days of his life ; and may drink , if he please , every time out of a new cup ; which would be a vain expence , and a great trouble to his servants , without any manner of convenience to himself . but then if riches fall into the covetous man's hands , they can be no happiness to him , because he hath no heart to enjoy them . he hath indeed the estate of a rich man , but he wants the comfort of it , because he hath the mind of a poor man ; and enjoyment is all the felicity that is in a great fortune ; what we enjoy is ours , but what we lay up , is from that time not ours , but some bodies else . he that heaps up riches , and enjoys them not , is rich only for his heir , but a beggar for himself . we are apt to pity poor men , and too apt to despise them ; but surely no man's condition is more to be deplored than his , who starves himself in the midst of plenty , and being surrounded with the blessings of god , turns them into the greatest curse ; for it is a much greater curse , not to use an estate when one has it , than not to have it . it is like a plentiful table without an appetite . but it may be it is a great happiness to have a great estate , tho' a man never use it ; the pleasure of seeing it , and telling it over , may be like the removing of billets , which may warm a man as much as if he had spent and consumed them . but this is real , and the other only imaginary . i doubt not , many covetous men take a great deal of pleasure in ruminating upon their wealth , and in re-counting what they have ; but they have a great deal of tormenting care and fear about it ; and if they had not , it is very hard to understand where the reasonable pleasure and happiness lies of having things to no end . it is at the best , like that of some foolish birds , which they say take pleasure in stealing money , that they may hide it ; as if it were worth the while , for men to take pains to dig silver out of the earth , for no other purpose , but to melt it down , and stamp it , and bury it there again . but many necessities may happen , which we cannot fore-see , and it is good to provide against them . there is nothing so bad , but something may be said in excuse of it ; and i do not deny , but that a provident care against the common accidents of humane life is very commendable ; but it is unreasonable to think of providing against all possibilities , which it is impossible either to fore-see , or prevent . 't is very possible , that after a man hath gotten the greatest estate imaginable , he may lose it all by some fatal accident ; and then to what purpose was all this provision made , when that which was so long a time a getting , and laying up , is lost at once ? besides , that it is not easie to conceive what necessity can happen to a covetous man , to give him an occasion of using his estate ; he cannot find in his heart to bestow it upon himself in such things as are convenient , nay almost necessary for the support of his life ; for no man can feed his servants more penuriously than he does himself ; all the religion he values himself upon , is a strict observance of the lessian diet , which he recommends to those few that can deny themselves to dine with him , in hopes to make better meals upon his estate when he is gone . and if he be so penurious to himself , the neces●ities of others are not like to mov● him to be liberal . i can but imagine one occasion that could tempt such a man to lay out what he hath ; namely , when one part of his estate is in danger , to spend the other to secure it . and yet even in that case , if his cause were not very clear and good , he would go nigh to lose it , using it as he does himself ; that is , by starving it . and if this be all , then a man had as good be without an estate , and save himself the trouble either of getting it , or securing it ; for if it were all gone , he might live as well as he does , and that with half the care and pains . secondly , the happiness of this world consists in a state of freedom from evil. now the great evils that men are liable to in this world , are such as are incident to them either in the course of their lives , or at the time of their death ; and riches do not contribute to mens happiness , by freeing them from either of these . i shall speak to these severally . . not from the evils which are incident to men in the course of their lives . these are of two kinds , inward , or outward . . inward evils , by which i mean those of the mind ; and our greatest troubles are from within , from the anxiety of our minds , and the guilt of our consciences , from the vicious inclinations of our wills , and the irregularity and disorders of our passions . now riches were an admirable thing indeed , and worth our coveting , if they would help to cure these distempers of our minds ; but they are the least fitted for such a purpose of any thing in the world : for not he that hath the greatest estate , but he that hath the fewest and most reasonable desires , and the best govern'd passions , and the most virtuous inclinations , is the happiest man , and dwells nearest to satisfaction . nemo malus foelix , no bad man can be happy , tho' he were possessed of the whole world ; because he hath that within him , which frets and discontents him , which galls his spirit , and keeps his mind restless and uneasie ; and he that does not enjoy himself , can enjoy nothing else . did but men know how much happiness hath been enjoyed by many a pious and virtuous man in a mean fortune , how quiet and easie their minds have been , how much fuller of joy and pleasure , than the heart of any covetous worldling ever was in his most prosperous estate , and when his corn , and wine , and oyl abounded ; did we ( i say ) but know this , we should not envy the men of mighty fortunes . nam neque divitibus contingunt gaudia solis . rich men are not the only happy people in the world. if they be not good as well as rich , happiness is a greater stranger to their dwellings , than to the cottages of poorer men. now riches are so far from helping to make men good , that they are one of the greatest temptations to them in the world to be otherwise ; which it the reason , why our saviour says , it is so very hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven ; because considering the powerful and almost irresistible temptations of a great estate , and the impotency and weakness of humane nature to govern it self in a plentiful fortune , it is very hard for a rich man to be so good as he ought , it requires a great force and firmness of resolution , a very solid and vigorous constitution of mind , to bear a great fortune , and not to be corrupted by it ; and a man hath never more reason to implore god's gracious help and assistance , and to consult his own best and coolest thoughts , to know what he ought to do , and how he ought to demean himself , than when the outward blessings of this life flow in amain upon him ; felicitate corrumpimur , nothing sooner debaucheth men than prosperity ; and he is a very happy man , whom wealth and a good fortune do not make licentious and dissolute ; because these tempt men with the power and opportunity to do all the ill that their wicked● hearts can design , or desire . the temptation of riches , and the power that goes along with them , is so forcible and prevalent , that the devil , who is a sagacious spirit , and hath great and long experience in this kind , when he was making the experiment whether christ was a meer man , or the son of god , reserved this for his last temptation ; resolving if that would not do , to try him no farther . after he had assaulted him in several kinds , he represents to him at last that which was sufficient to have surfeited two of the most insatiable desires of humane nature , ambitio● , and covetousness , even all the kingdoms of the world , and the glory of them , in a moment , or point of time ; he brings all the rays of this glory to one point , that the temptation might kindle and take hold the sooner ; and says to him , all this will i give thee , if thou wilt fall down and worship me . he supposed with great probability , that if he were but a meer man , the strongest and most resolved mind would bend and yield to so dazling a temptation as this ; but when he saw that this temptation was rejected , he found himself baffled , and gave him over ; since this did not move him , he concluded now that he was the son of god indeed , and that it was in vain to tempt him any farther . from all this it appears , that riches are so far from making men virtuous , that nothing is more dangerous to virtue , than a full condition ; if men have not a great degree of grace , as well as discretion to manage it . solomon tells us , that the prosperity of fools destroyeth them . and yet how do most of us court this temptation , and are forward to thrust and venture our selves upon it ? there are a great many other things , in which most men make a right judgment of themselves , and will readily acknowledge that they are altogether unfit for them . every man will not take upon him to be a physician , or a lawyer , to prescribe medicines in dangerous cases , and to give counsel to men in knotty and difficult points about their estates ; but every man thinks himself fit enough to be rich , and sufficiently qualified to manage a great estate , if he can but get it ; when perhaps there are few things in the world , which men are more insufficient for , than to weild and govern a great fortune , nor wherein there is greater danger and miscarriage . it is not every bodies talent , to be wealthy , and wise ; rich , and innocent . . as for the outward evils of this life , such as want , and contempt , bodily pains and diseases , unhappiness in friends and relations , a great estate is by no means a sufficient security or remedy to a covetous man against these . . as for want . and surely one would think , that if riches were good for any thing , they are a very proper remedy against this evil , and a most certain and infallible cure of it ; but experience tells us quite otherwise . socrates was wont to say , that to want nothing is the priviledge of the deity , and proper to god alone ; but to stand in need of as few things as may be , is the priviledge of a wise and good man , and a state of happiness , next to that of god himself ; because he that hath the fewest wants , is the most easily supplied , and is next to him that is self-sufficient . now a man of moderate desires hath infinitely fewer wants than a covetous man ; and because his desires are moderate , a moderate estate will satisfie them : but the wants of a covetous mind are never to be supplied , because it hath ordered the matter so cunningly , as to want even that which it hath ; such a man does not get riches to supply his wants , but is content to want , that he may be rich ; insomuch that he hath not the heart to use his estate for the supply of his real necessities . how many do almost starve themselves in the midst of plenty and abundance ? there is no greater sign of poverty , than to be deeply in debt : now the covetous man lives and dies in debt to himself . some men have been so shamefully penurious and stingy to themselves , as even to die , to save charges , which yet perhaps is the most generous thing they ever did in their whole lives , in respect to the world ; because by this means some body may come to the enjoyment of their estates , and that great dunghil which they have been so long in raking together , may by this means come to be spread abroad for the publick benefit . so that if a covetous man were possess'd of the wealth of both the indies , all this would not free him from want . a poor man's wants may be satisfied , when he hath obtained what he wants : but the covetous man labours of an incurable want ; because he wants that which he hath , as well as that which he hath not . . as for contempt , riches will not secure a covetous man against this neither ; nay so far is it from that , that he is commonly the more ridiculous and despised for living poor in the midst of abundance , than if he were really so . did i say really so ? he is the most really poor of all other men. for as one says well , the rich poor man is emphatically poor . . neither will riches free men from bodily illness and pain . the rich are liable to as many diseases , and as sharp pains , as the poor , and they have commonly less patience to bear them than the poor ; because they have not been inured to other sorts of evils . they that have been accustomed to labour , are generally best fitted to bear pain ; the rich are commonly more tender and delicate , and have a quicker sense of pain , more matter , and greater quantity of humors to feed a disease , and to enflame it to a greater heighth . i must not here forget that there is a sort of rich men , i mean the penurious misers , who starve themselves more than the poor , and fare many times more hardly ; and for this reason , tho' they be not in danger of the diseases that come from intemperance , and a plentiful table ; yet they are liable to the diseases which proceed from starving and emptiness ; which the physicians say are more dangerous than the other : so that neither the prodigal , nor the niggardly rich man is secured from bodily pains and diseases by a great estate . . neither will riches secure a man from being unhappy in his friends and relations . a great estate will not make a man's children either more dutiful or wise , than the children of meaner persons ; and if they be not so , his estate cannot be so great an happiness to him , as they may prove an affliction . solomon tells us , that the very fear and apprehension of this did very much imbitter the fruit of all his labour ; and he seems to speak it sensibly , and very probably with a melancholy reflection upon his son rehoboam , eccles . . , . yea i hated all my labour which i had taken under the sun , because i should leave it unto the man that shall be after me ; and who knows whether he shall be a wise man , or a fool ? yet shall he have rule over all my labour , wherein i have labour'd , and wherein i have shew'd my self wise under the sun. who knows whether he shall be a wise man , or a fool ? he seems to speak doubtfully : but he had a very shrewd guess what kind of man his son would make ; for he speaks more despondingly in the next words , ( ver . , . ) therefore i went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which i took under the sun ; ( that is , when i thought seriously of it , i began to think that all the pains i had taken to get an estate , would be but to l●ttle purpose ; ) for there is a man ( saith he ) whose labour is in wisdom , and in knowledge , and in equity ( that is , who by wise and honest means hath ●ais'd a great estate ) yet to a man that hath not laboured therein ( that is , to a man who is endowed with none of these qualities ) shall he leave it for his portion ; this also is vanity , and a great evit . and as for friends , tho' the rich man have many that will call themselves so , yet he had almost as good have none ; for he can hardly ever know whether they be so or not , unless he chance to fall into poverty , and then indeed the change of his condition may give him that advantage and opportunity , which otherwise he is never like to have , of discerning between his friends and his flatterers . thus you see that riches are no security against the most considerable evils which attend us in the course of our lives . secondly , when we come to die , nothing will minister less comfort to us at that time , than a great estate . it is then a very small pleasure to a man , to reflect how much he hath gotten in the world , when he sees that he must leave it ; nay , like the young man in the gospel , he goes away so much the more sorrowful , because he had great possessions . all the things of this world seem very inconsiderable to a man , when he approaches to the confines of the other : for when he sees that he must leave this world , then he would fain make a virtue of necessity , and begins to change his apprehensions of these things , and to have very slight and mean thoughts of them , when he is convinc'd he can enjoy them no longer . what the philosopher was wont to say of the pleasures of this world , is as true of riches , and all the other enjoyments of it ; that if they did but put on the same countenance , and look with the same face , when they come to us , that they will do , when they turn from us , and take their leave of us , we should hardly entertain them . now if a man have placed his chief happiness in this world , as the covetous man does in his riches , his great trouble when he comes to die , will be , that he must leave them . nothing could be more severely said to the covetous man , than that which god says to the rich man in the parable ; thou fool , this night shall thy soul be required of thee , and then whose shall these things be ? for of all things in the world such men cannot endure to think of parting with these things , or that what they have got with such great care and labour , should come to the possession of another . and therefore when we are so hot and eager in the pursuit of these things , we should do well to consider , how they will appear to us in a dying hour . and this consideration well imprinted upon our minds , would make us very careful , to treasure up other kind of comforts to our selves against such a time , and to labour after those things which we shall never grow out of conceit withall , but shall value them to the last , and then most of all , when we come to die , and leave this world. for as a poet of our own says excellently , 't is not that which first we love : but what dying we approve . thus i have done with the fourth thing , whereby the evil and unreasonableness of covetousness doth appear ; namely , that the happiness of humane life doth not consist in a great estate ; the life of man doth not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . the great ends of religion , and covetousness , are very different . the great end which religion proposeth to it self , is happiness : but the great end which covetousness proposeth , is riches ; which are neither a necessary nor a probable means of happiness . i should now have proceeded to the fifth and last particular ; namely , that riches are so far from being the happiness of humane life , that they usually contribute very much to our misery , and sorrow ; as will appear if we consider these four things . first , the labour and care which covetous men are at in the getting of a great estate . secondly , the anxiety of keeping it , together with the fears of losing it . thirdly , the trouble and vexation of having lost it ; and , fourthly , the dreadful and heavy account which every man must give of a great estate . but these particulars , together with the application of this whole discourse , i shall refer to another opportunity . the fourth sermon on luke xii . . and he said unto them , take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . in my two last discourses on this subject , i have represented the evil and unreasonableness of the vice of covetousness in four particulars . i proceed now to the fifth and last particular , whereby i told you the evil● and unreasonableness of it would appear ; viz● that riches are so far from being the happiness of humane life , that they usually contribute very much to our misery and sorrow ; as will evidently appear , if we consider these four things . first , the labour and care which the covetous man is at in the getting of a great estate . secondly , the anxiety of keeping it , together with the fears of losing it . thirdly , the trouble and vexation of having lost it . fourthly , the heavy and dreadful account which every man must give of a great estate . first , the labour and care which the covetous man hath in getting a great estate . he that will be rich must sweat for it , and refuse no pains and trouble ; he must rise up early , and lie down late , and eat the bread of carefulness . a slave that diggs in the mines , or rows in the gallies , is not a greater drudge , than some covetous worldlings are ; only with this difference , that the covetous man thinks that he labours and takes all these pains for himself ; whereas the slave understands the matter more truly , and thinks that he does it for another . but besides the pains he takes , he is full of care and anxiety . how is he , through the greedy desire of having , rack'd between the hopes of getting , and the fear of missing what he seeks ? the apostle observes what tormenting cares accompany this vice , tim. . . the love of mony ( ●aith he ) is the root of all evil ; not only of the evil of sin , but of the evil likewise of trouble and disquiet . for it follows , which while some coveted after , they have pierced themselves through with many sorrows : variety of troubles attend them that will be rich. secondly , if we consider the anxiety of keeping what they have got , together with the fear of losing it again , this is another great part of a covetous man's infelicity . the rich man here in the parable after the text , when he saw his estate coming upon him so fast , cries out , what shall i do ? poor man ! who would not pity his condition , to see him put to this difficulty and distress , and to hear him make as heavy a moan as the poorest man could do ! now that he hath a plentiful harvest , and his crop hath answered , if it were possible , his covetous desire , he is in a great deal of perplexity , and almost at his wits end how to dispose of it ; he was horribly afraid lest any of it should be lost for want of a secure place to store it up in . what shall i do , because i have no room where to bestow my fruits ? where was the difficulty of this ? why , he was loth to lose his fruits , and he was loth to lay out mony to secure them . but upon farther consideration , he resolves of the two evils to ●huse the least ; and he said , this will i do , i will pull down my barns , and build greater , and there will i bestow all my fruits , and my goods . but why could he not let the barns he had stand , and build more ? no , that he did not think so well , he loved to see all his good things at one view , and what a goodly show they would make together . besides that it is the humour of covetousness , when it breaks out into expence , to over-do ; the miser's buildings are like his feasts , always extravagant . the covetous man ( as to the business of expence ) is like a coward as to fighting , he declines it as long as he can ; but when he is push'd to the last necessity , he grows desperate , and lays about him . tantis parta malis , curâ majore metuque servantur , misera est magni custodia censûs . riches which are got with so much trouble , are not kept without greater fear and care . a covetous man is in nothing more miserable , than in the anxiety and care of disposing and securing what he hath got . when a man's desires are endless , his cares and fears will be so too . thirdly , as great an evil as any of the former , is the vexation of having lost these things . if by any accident the man happens to be deprived of them , then he takes on heavily , hangs down his head and mourns , as a man would do for his first-born ; and is ready to cry out with micah , they have taken away my gods , and what have i more ? upon every little loss the covetous man is undone , tho' he have a hundred times more left than he knows what to do withal . so deeply are the hearts of earthly-minded men many times pierced with earthly losses , as with rachel to refuse to be comforted . nay st. paul observes , that the sorrow of the world sometimes worketh death , cor. . . fourthly , but the saddest consideration of all is , that heavy and dreadful account that must one day be given , both of the getting and using of a great estate . they that have got an estate by fraud and falsehood , or by oppression and grinding the face of the poor , may read their doom at large , james . , , , , . go to now ye rich men , weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you , your riches are corrupted , and your garments moth-eaten , your gold and silver is canker'd , and the rust of them shall ●e a witness against you , and shall eat your flesh as it were fire : ye have heaped treasure together for the last days . behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields , which is of you kept back b● fraud , cryeth , and the crys of them which have reaped , are entred into the ears of the lord of sabbath ; ye have lived in pleasure on the earth , and been wanton , ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter . and we must be accountable likewise for the using of our estates . god gives them to us in trust , and the greater they are , the more we are to account for ; so much as we need is ours , but beyond what will support us , and be a convenient provision for our families , in the rank god hath placed them , all that is given to us , that we may give it to others ; and indeed it is not ours ; we are the proprietors of it in respect of men , but in respect of god we are but trustees , and stewards , and god will require an account of us how we have disposed of it . and can there be a more reigning madness among men , than to take care only to increase their account more and more , by receiving much ; whereas our great care and concernment should be to clear our account , by laying out what we receive , according to the trust reposed in us . how much we shall receive of the things of this world , is in the care and will of our master ; but our care and fidelity is seen in laying it out as we ought . among men ( says one ) it is well enough , if a steward can give an account of so much laid out , and so much in cash , and upon this he shall have his discharge : but we cannot this way clear our account with god ; for it is not offering him his own again that will satisfie him , as we may learn from the parable of the talents . so that upon the whole matter , we should be so far from envying the rich , that we should rather envy the safety and happiness of those who are not intrusted with such dangerous blessings , and who are free from the temptations of a plentiful fortune , and the curse of a covetous mind , and from the heavy account of a great estate . i come now , in the last place , to make some application of this discourse to our selves . . let our saviour's caution take place with us , let these words of his ●●nk into our minds , take heed and beware of covetou●ness . our saviour i told you doubles the caution , that we may double our care. it is a sin very apt to steal upon us , and sliely to insinuate it self into us , under the spec●ous pretence of industry in our callings , and a provident care of our families : but however it may be coloured over , it is a great evil , dangerous to our selves , and mischievous to the world. now to kill this vice in us , besides the considerations before-mentioned taken from the evil and unreasonableness of it , i will urge these three more . . that the things of this world are uncertain . . that our lives are as uncertain as these things : and , . that there is another life after this . . the uncertainty of the things of this world. this should very much cool our affections toward them , that after all our care and diligence for the obtaining of them , we are not sure to enjoy them , we may be deprived of them by a thousand accidents . this consideration solomon urgeth , to take men off from an over-eager pursuit of these things , prov. . . wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ; for riches certainly make to themselves wings , they flye away as an eagle towards heaven . after we have sat brooding over an estate many years , it may all on a sudden , before we are aware , take wing , and flye away like an eagle towards heaven , soaring suddenly out of our sight , and never to return again . and the same argument st. paul ●seth , to take off mens affections from the world , cor. . . because the fashion of this world passeth away , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . he compares the things of this world to a scene , which is presently changed , and vanisheth almost as soon as it appears . now seeing these things are so uncertain , we should take heed how we fix our hearts too much upon them ; we should not make love to any thing that is so fickle and inconstant as this world is . we should be afraid to contract too near and intimate a friendship with any thing which will forsake us , after we have courted it with so much importunity , and purchas'd it with so much pains , and endeavour'd to secure it with so much caution , and tenderness . . our lives are as uncertain as these things . if our estates remain with us , we are continually in danger of being removed from them . and ( as one says ) it is folly to build our hopes upon a match , where both parties a●e so uncertain and inconstant . why should we place our dearest affections upon things which we are not sure to enjoy one moment ? thou fool , this night shall thy soul be taken from thee , and then whose shall those things be ? i remember seneca tells us a real story , just answerable to the rich man in the parable , of an acquaintance of his , who by long and great industry had arrived to a vast estate ; and just when he began to enjoy it , after one of the first good meals which perhaps he ever made in his life , that very night his soul was taken from him , for presently after supper he died . in ipso actu bene sedentium rerum , in ipso procurrentis fortunae impetu . in the heighth of his prosperity , and in the full career of his good fortune . but if we live to enjoy for any time what we have got , we should remember that our life is but a passage through the world , and that we are but pilgrims and stranger in the world , as all our fathers were , that we have here no abiding place , no continuing city , but are travelling towards our own country . and why should we load our selves whilst we are upon our journey , and cumber our selves with those things which will be of no use to us there , whither we are a going ? but the great wonder of all is , that this vice should so strongly reign , and even grow upon men in old age , and get strength , as weakness creeps upon us . this very thought that we are to dye , should work in us a great indifferency towards the things of this world. but when men are convinc'd they cannot live long , and that every step they take , they are in danger of stumbling into the grave , this one would think should wean our affections from this world ; and yet usually none take so fast hold of it , and embrace it so kindly as old men ; like friends , who tho' they know they must leave one another , yet are loth to part . do we not see many pursue these things with as much eagerness and appetite , when they are leaving the world , as if they were to stay in it a hundred years longer ? so that in this sense also , they are children again , and are as fond of these toys , as if they were just beginning the world , and setting out for their whole life . . there is another life after this , to be seriously thought on , and provided for with great care : and did men firmly believe this , they would not with martha , busie themselves about many things , but would mind the one thing necessary , and with mary chuse that better part which could not be taken from them . they would overlook the trifles of this world , and scarce take notice of the things which are seen , but be only intent upon the things which are not seen ; because the things which are seen are but temporal , but the things which are not seen are eternal . the great concernments of another world would employ their utmost care , and their best thoughts . whilst we are in this world , we should remember that this is not our home , nor the place of our rest ; and therefore as men do in an inn , we should make a shift with those indifferent accommodations which the world will afford us , and which we can have upon easie terms , without too much trouble and stir , because we are not to continue long here ; and in the mean time we should cheer up our selves with the thoughts of the pleasure and the plenty of our father's house , and of that full contentment and satisfaction which we shall meet withal , when we come to those everlasting habitations . so that our great care should be to provide for eternity . if we have unbounded desires , let us place them upon such objects as are worthy of them . let us earnestly covet the best things , and seek after the true riches . we should so mind the world , as to make heaven our great care , as to make sure to provide for our selves bags that wax not old , a treasure in the heavens , that faileth not , where no thief approacheth , neither moth corrupteth , as our saviour adviseth , luke . . to the same purpose is the counsel of st. paul , tim. . , , . charge them that are rich in this world , that they be rich in good works , willing to distribute , ready to communicate , laying up for themselves a good foundation ; or ( as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may also be rendred ) a good treasure , against the time which is to come , that they may lay hold of eternal life . i have told you that all these things will fail in a short space , we shall either be stripp'd of them , or separated from them when we come to dye , and shall look over to that vast eternity which we must shortly enter upon ; this world , and all the enjoyments of it , will then be as nothing to us , and we shall be wholly taken up with the thoughts of another world , and be heartily sorry that the things of this world have taken up so much of our time and care , and that the great and weighty concernments of all eternity have been so little minded and regarded by us . now seeing all these things shall be , pardon me , if i earnestly beg of you , in the midst of all your worldly cares , to have some consideration for your immortal souls , which are no wise provided for by a great estate , but are design'd for nobler enjoyments than this world can afford . when you are taking care to feed and cloath these dying bodies , remember that better part of your selves which is to live for ever . let not all your enquiry be , what shall i eat ? or what shall i drink ? or wherewithal shall i be cloathed ? but sometimes ask your selves this question , what shall i do to be saved ? i have an immortal spirit , it is but fit some care should be taken of that , to train it up to eternity , and to make it fit to be made partaker of an inheritance among them that are sanctified . the firm belief and serious consideration of the great things of another world cannot surely but cool the heat of our affections towards these dying and perishing things , and make us resolved not to do any thing whereby we may violate the peace of our consciences , or forfeit our interest and happiness in another world. . by way of remedy against this vice of covetousness , it is good for men to be contented with their condition . this the apostle prescribes as the best cure of this vice , heb. . . let your conversation be without covetousness , and be content with such things as ye have ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being contented with the present , and thinking that sufficient . a covetous man cannot enjoy the present , for fear of the future ; either out of fear that he shall come to want , or out of a sickness and uneasiness of mind , which makes that nothing pleaseth him : but if we could bring our minds to our condition , and be contented with what we have , we should not be so eager and impatient after more . this contentedness with our present condition doth not hinder , but that men by providence , and industry , and lawful endeavours , may lay the foundation of a more plentiful fortune than they have at present . for provided a man use no indirect and dishonest ways to increase his estate , and do not torment himself with anxious cares , do neither make himself guilty , nor miserable , that he may be rich ; provided he do not neglect better things , to attain these ; and have not an insatiable appetite towards them ; provided he do not idolize his estate , and set his heart upon these things ; and if he can find in his heart to enjoy them himself , and to be charitable to others ; nothing hinders but that he may be contented with his present condition , and yet take all fair opportunities which the providence of god puts into his hands of enlarging his fortune . it is a good character which the poet gives of aristippus , omnis aristippum decuit color , & status & res ; tentantem majora , ferè praesentibus aequum . every state and condition became him ; for tho' he endeavoured after more , yet his mind was always in a manner equal to his present condition . but if a man be discontented with the present , and restless because he hath no more , the whole world will not satisfie him ; and if god should raise him from one step to another , he would never think his fortune high enough , and in every degree of it would be as little contented as he was at first . our saviour represents this sort of men by the rich man here in the parable , who when his barns were full , and ready to crack , his mind was not fill'd ; therefore he pulls them down , and builds greater ; and if he had lived 'till these had been full , they must have gone down too , and he would still have built greater . so that tho' he designed when he had raised his estate to such a pitch , to have sat down , and taken his ease , yet his covetous humour would have been stirring again , and still have stept in between him and contentment , and for ever have hindred him from arriving at it . thirdly , by way of direction , i would perswade those who are rich , to be charitable with what they have . if god have blest us with abundance , and we would not be like this rich man here in the parable , we must lay out of our estates , in ways of piety and charity , for the publick good , and for the private relief of those who are in want ; for that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or moral of the parable ; so is he that layeth up treasures for himself , and is not rich toward god. so shall he be ; such an issue of his folly may every one expect , ( to be taken away from his estate before he comes to enjoy it ) who layeth up treasures for himself , but is not rich toward god ; but does not lay up riches with god. how is that ? by works of mercy , and charity . this our saviour calls laying up for our selves treasure in heaven , mat. . . and at the d verse of this chapter , he calls giving of alms , providing for our selves baggs which wax not old , a treasure in the heavens which faileth not ; they who do thus , who are rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate , are said to lay up for themselves a good treasure against the time which is to come , that they may lay hold on eternal life , tim. . , . extra fortunam est quicquid donatur ; whatsoever we give to the poor is safely disposed , and put out of the reach of fortune , because it is laid up in heaven , where we may expect the return and recompence of it . charity to our poor brethren is a certain way of transmitting our riches into the other world , to make way fo● our reception there . so our lord tells us , luke . . i say unto you make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness , that when ye shall fail ( that is ) when ye shall leave this world , and the enjoyments of it , they may receive you into everlasting habitations . at the great day of judgment , when we shall all appear before god , and , according to our saviour's representation of the proceedings of that day , shall hear him thus expostulating with men , i was hungry , and ye gave me no meat ; thirsty , and ye gave me no drink ; naked , and ye cloathed me not ; sick , and in prison , and ye visited me not ; what would we then give , how much of our estates , if we had them then at our command , would we not be willing to part withal , to have that comfortable sentence past upon us ; come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , before the foundation of the world ! but if we be found among those who would spare nothing out of their abundance to any charitable use and purpose , i have not the heart to tell you how miserable the condition of such persons will be , and how dreadful a doom will be passed upon them . it is a sad consideration , that there are some persons in the world , who seem to be only defective in this duty ; like the young man in the gospel , who lacked but this one thing to make him perfect ; he had kept the commandments from his youth , and preserved himself from those gross sins which the law did plainly forbid ; and yet for want of this one thing he parted from his saviour , and , for any thing we know , fell short of eternal life . there are many who are very devout and religious , much in prayer and fasting , and all the other frugal exercises of piety , which cost them no mony ; but yet are very defective in alms , and charity , which in scripture are so frequently joyn'd with the fastings and prayers of good men ; and by this means , all their devotion and diligence in the other parts of religion is lost , and will not bring them to heaven . and is it not great pity , that they who are not far from the kingdom of god , should fall short of it ? that they , who in most other things bid so fair for heaven , should break wit● god upon this single point ? i know men have several ways to deceive their own hearts , and to defend themselves against all these assaults . first , they say they are injurious to no man , in not being charitable . and 't is true , that in humane courts the poor can have no action against the rich for want of charity to them ; but yet for all that , they do injuriously detain that which doth not of right belong to them . they are cruel , and hard-hearted , and they are guilty of high breach of trust , in respect of god , whose stewards they are , and who hath dealt so liberally with them in the things of this life , on purpose to oblige them to be so to others . that which thou storest up , without regard to the necessities of others , is unlawfully detained by thee , since god intended it should have been for bread to the hungry , and cloaths to the naked , and for help and relief of those who are ready to perish . for why art thou rich , and another poor ? but that thou mightest exercise thy charity upon those fitting objects which the providence of god presents to thee . it had been easie for god ( since the earth is his , and the fu●ness thereof ) so to have contrived things , that every man should have had a sufficiency , and have been in a moderate condition ; but then a great many virtues would have been shut out of the world , and lost , for want of opportunity to exercise them . where then had been the poor man's patience , and the rich man's pity ? and the contentedness of men of moderate fortune ? secondly , men say that they have children to provide for . and do so in god's name , for he allows us to do it liberally ; but unless their condition and wealth set them above an ordinary calling , do not chuse so to provide for them , as to take them off from all employment , lest you put them in the ready way to be undone ; have a care of leaving them no other business , but to spend what you have left them ; if you do so , they will in all probability do that work very effectually , and make as much haste to be poor , as you did to make them rich. if men could but be contented to do that which is best for their children , they might do a great deal better for themselves , by disposing what they have to spare in charity . thirdly , others would fain excuse themselves from this duty at present , by telling what they intend to do when they come to die , that is , when they can keep what they have no longer . it seems then thou wilt leave it to thy executor to do good in thy stead this shews thou hast no great heart to the business , when thou deferrest it as long as ever thou canst . but why wilt thou trust another with the disposal of thy charity , rather than thy self ? this is hardly to offer either a reasonable , or a living sacrifice to god , to do good only when we are dead . it is well that god hath made all men mortal , and that it is appointed for all men once to die ; otherwise some men would never do good at all . wherefore setting aside these , and all other excuses , which will not be admitted , nor will any of us have the face to plead them at the day of judgment ; i say , setting aside all excuses whatsoever , let us resolve to do good with what we have whilst we can ; and to that end let us lay aside some portion of what god has blest us withal , for the uses of piety , and charity , and let it bear some decent proportion to what god hath given us . there is never want of proper objects for our largest charity , and now less than ever . besides those at home , which present themselves to us in great numbers every day , god hath sent us many from abroad , who call loud upon us for our pity and help , both as they are reduced to the greatest extremi●y , and are sufferers in the best cause , that of our common religion , which ought now to be dearer to us than ever . let us shew mercy now , as we expect mercy from others , in any day of our distress in this world , and as ever we hope , when ever we come to appear before the judgment seat of christ , to find mercy with the lord in that day . consider what i have said upon this argument , and let this extraordinary kind of caution , which our saviour here gives , make a deep impression upon your minds ; take heed and beware of covetousness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . a sermon on matth . vi. . but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righ●●ousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you . in the latter part of this chapter , our saviour doth in a long discourse caution his disciples against an inordinate care about the things of this life , which he concludes with a strict charge to make religion their first and great concernment , and above all things to take care to secure to themselves the happiness of another life ; but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , &c. in the handling of which words , i shall do these four things . first , i shall explain what is here meant by the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . secondly , what by seeking of these . thirdly , i shall lay down some necessary and plain directions , which if we observe , we cannot miscarry in this matter . fourthly , i shall set before you some of the most proper and powerful motives and encouragements to the minding of this great interest and concernment ; among which , i shall particularly consider the argument or encouragement here used in the text , and all these things shall be added unto you . . i shall explain to you what is here meant by the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . first , what is meant by the kingdom of god. and there are two famous acceptations of this phrase , and both of them very frequent in the new testament . sometimes it is used to signifie the state of the gospel , or the christian religion , which by the jews was called the kingdom of god , or the kingdom of the messias , mark . . the kingdom of god is at hand ; that is , the state or dispensation of the gospel is now approaching , and ready to take place . luke . . the pharisees demanding of our saviour when the kingdom of god should come , that is , when the reign of the messias should commence ; he answers them , the kingdom of god cometh not with observation ; that is , not with any temporal pomp and splendor , so as to draw the eyes of people after it , as the jews did vainly imagine ; but the kingdom of god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is among you ; not within you , as our translation hath improperly rendred it ; the kingdom of god ( he tells them ) is already come unto you , the messias is among you , and ye are not aware of him . in the like sense this phrase is used , mat. . . the kingdom of god ( that is , the gospel ) shall be taken from you , and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof . and so likewise the phrase of the kingdom of heaven is used , mat. . . where speaking of john the baptist , our saviour saith , that among them that were born of women , there hath not risen a greater than john the baptist ; that is , there was no greater person than he , under the jewish dispensation , and yet he that is least in the kingdom of heaven ( that is under the dispensation of the gospel ) is greater than he . now tho' this sense of the kingdom of god be not wholly excluded in the text , yet there is another sense of this phrase very usual likewise in the scripture , and which is more agreeable to the scope of our saviour's argument and discourse● and so it signifies that future state of happiness and glory which good men shall be advanced to in another world , in opposition to this life , and the enjoyments of it , which our saviour had before forbidden his disciples to be so solicitous about . take ye no thought , saying , what shall we eat ? or what shall we drink ? or wherewithal shall we be cloathed ? and then it follows in direct opposition to this inordinate and solicitous care about worldly things , but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . that is , be not so solicitous about the conveniencies and necessaries of this life , as about the happiness of the other , and the means to it . and this sense of this phrase of the kingdom of god is so very frequent in the new testament , that i shall not need to give particular instances of it . secondly , what is meant by righteousness ; seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . righteousness , in the strictest and most proper sense of the word , signifies the particular virtue of justice ; and very frequently in the old testament it is used for charity to the poor , or alms-giving , psal . . , . i have been young , and now am old , yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken , nor his seed begging bread ; he is ever merciful , and lendeth ; and psal . . . he hath dispersed , he hath given to the poor , his righteousness endureth for ever . but righteousness in its largest and most extended sense , comprehends all the virtues of a good man ; and so it signifies here in the text , and in many other places of scripture . so that the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , comprehends the whole business of religion , our last end , which is eternal life and happiness in another world ; and the way and means to this end , which is righteousness , or that universal goodness which god requires of us , and whereof he himself is a pattern and example to us ; for which reason 't is call'd his righteousness . and in this sense of our last end , and the way and means to it , the kingdom of heaven , and righteousness , are used in another place , even of this sermon of our saviour's upon the mount , matth. . . except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven ; where righteousness is made the necessary means and condition of eternal life . i proceed in the second place , to explain what is meant by seeking first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . and this signifies the greatest intention of mind , and earnestness of endeavour about the business of religion , in order to our attaining of eternal happiness ; such a seriousness and earnestness of endeavour as earthly-minded men use about the things of this world. for after all these things ( says our saviour immediately after the text ) do the gentiles seek ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which words signifie an intense care , and vigorous endeavour ; but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his rightousness ; that is , be ye who profess your selves christians , as intent upon the business of religion , and the salvation of your souls , as the heathen , who are in a great measure ignorant of god and another life , are about the things of this life . and here are two things to be explained . . what is here meant by seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and , . what by seeking them in the first place . for the first : a sincere and earnest seeking of the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , does imply in it these four things . first , a fix'd design and resolution as to the end ; that we do not only propound to our selves the eternal happiness and salvation of our souls as our chief end , but that we be immoveably fixt upon it , and always have it in our aim and design ; that here we set up our resolution , if it be possible , to be happy for ever ; that we have this end always in our eye , and be firmly resolved to do all that we can towards the attaining of it . not that we are obliged always actually to think upon it ; but to have it frequently in our minds , and habitually to intend and design it , so as to make it the scope of all our endeavours and actions , and that every thing we do be either directly and immediately in order to it , or some way or other subservient to this design , or however not inconsistent with it ; like the term and end of a man's journey , towards which the traveller is continually tending , and hath it always habitually in his intention , tho' he doth not always think of it every step that he takes , and tho' he be not always directly advancing and moving towards it , yet he never knowingly goes out of the way . and tho' he bate and lodge by the way , and does many other things which do not directly set him forward , yet they are all subservient to his journey , or in prosecution of it ; or at least no wilful deviations from it . thus it should be with us , while we are sojourning in this world ; our fix'd aim and design should be to get to heaven , and thither we should be continually tending in our desires and endeavours . and if this resolution be deeply root●d and fix'd in our minds , it will govern all our actions , and keep them steady to their main end. whereas , if we be uncertain , and unresolv'd upon our great end , and be divided between the happiness of the next life , and the present enjoyments of this , we shall be fickle and unsteady in all our motions . he that hath two ends , can pursue neither vigorously ; but while he is moving towards the one , he leans and inclines to the other ; and like a needle between two loadstones , is always in a doubtful and trembling condition ; inclines to both , but is constant to neither : and this is the meaning of that aphorism of st. james , the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways . he that is unresolved as to his main end , hath two minds , and can prosecute nothing vigorously : but if our mind be once fix'd and resolv'd , that will determine and govern all our motions , and inspire us with diligence , and zeal , and perseverance in the prosecution of our end. secondly , seeking the kingdom of god and his righteousness , implies incessant care and diligence as to the means ; that we make religion our business , and exercise our selves in the duties of it , both in publick and private , at proper times and seasons , with the same seriousness and application of mind , as men do in their callings and professions , for the gaining of wealth and preferment ; especially on the lord's-day , which god hath taken to himself , and set apart for the duties of his worship and service . not that we are excused from minding religion at other times ; but that those who are prest and straitned by the necessary cares of this life , may be sure to mind it then , and may have no colour of excuse for the neglect of it at that time , which god hath allotted for that very purpose , and which it is unlawful to employ about our worldly affairs . god expects that we should serve him at other times , that we should live in an habitual sense of him , and ( as solomon expresseth it , prov. . . ) be in the fear of the lord all the day long ; so as to be careful not to offend or transgress in any thing , and so as to redeem all opportunities for the exercise of piety , and devotion ; but this day he peremptorily challengeth to himself , and expects we should imploy it in his service , and dedicate it to religion , to the contemplation of god and heavenly things , and the care of our immortal souls , with the same seriousness and diligence , as we do upon other days labour for the bread which perisheth ; and the less leisure we have upon other days for this purpose , the more entirely should we devote and consecrate this day to the purposes and duties of religion . not but that our whole life , and all the actions of it , should be under the government of religion , and directed by the laws and rules of it ; and it should be our continual care and endeavour to please god in all things , and we should take as much pains , and be as heartily concerned to be good men , as the men of the world are to grow rich and great in this world ; nay so much more , by how much it is a better and nobler design to improve in grace and virtue , than to prosper and thrive in our temporal estate ; and we do not in good earnest seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , if this be not our great study and endeavour , to subdue our lusts , and govern our passions , and , in a word , to reform whatever is amiss in the inward frame and temper of our minds , and in our outward conversation . and indeed nothing does require greater diligence , and attention , and care , than for a man to become truly and thoroughly good , to be meek and humble , and patient and contented , and resigned to the will of god in every condition ; to be peaceable , and charitable , and placable , and ready to forgive ; these are great and difficult things , and , whatever we think , not the work of a wish , or the effect of a sudden resolution before the receiving of the holy sacrament , no nor the fruit of frequent and ●ervent prayers , without the hearty concurrence of our own care and endeavour , to render our lives such , as we pray god by his grace to assist and enable us to be . thirdly , seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , does further imply zeal and earnestness in the pursuit of this design : and this is a degree above diligence , for zeal is an ardour and ●ervency of mind in the prosecution of a thing for which we are greatly concerned , and which we vehemently desire to obtain ; it is the hottest and most intense degree of our affection towards any thing , of our desire and love , mixt with anger at every thing that stands in our way , and hinders us from obtaining what we seek after ; such an heat as ambition does commonly inspire men withall , in the pursuit of power and preferment . such ought to be the temper of our minds , and the edge of our spirits , in seeking the kingdom of god , as does usually possess men in seeking the kingdoms of this world , and the glory of them . we must remember , that it is a kingdom which we seek for , and aspire after , not like the unstable and tottering kingdoms of this world , but a kingdom which cannot be shaken , as the apostle calls it . so that the greatness of the design , and the excellency of what we seek after , will justifie and warrant the highest degree of a discreet zeal and fervour in the prosecution of it ; and therefore no wonder that the scripture in this matter useth words that import the greatest vehemency and earnestness , bidding us to strive to enter in at the strait gate , to labour and watch , to run , and wrestle , and fight , and , in a word , to give all diligence , to make our calling and election sure . lastly , seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , does imply patience and perseverance in our endeavours after them , and that we never cease our pursuit of them , 'till we have obtained them ; and this , notwithstanding all the difficulties and discouragements , the opposition and persecution that we meet with for righte●usness sake : for this we must expect , and reckon upon before-hand , to encounter many difficulties , and find many discouragements in the ways of religion ; for strait is the gate , and narrow is the way that leads to life , as our lord himself hath told us : nay we must count to be grievously persecuted for righteousness sake , and , if god see it good for us , to pass through many tribulations , before we shall enter into the kingdom of god ; and therefore we had need to be armed with a great deal of patience , and a very firm and obstinate resolution , to enable us to bear up , and to hold out against all these ; for this is a necessary qualification for our seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . so our lord hath told us , mat. . . he that endureth to the end , shall be saved ; if we hope to receive the crown of life , we must be faithful to the death , rev. . . and to the same purpose st. paul declares , rom. . . that they only shall be made partakers of eternal life , who by patient continuance in well doing , seek for glory , and honour , and immortality . you see what is meant by seeking th● kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; it remains briefly to be shewn , in the second place , what is meant by seeking these first ; seek ye f●rst the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; that is , let this be your main and principal design , so as to take place of all others in your esteem and affections , in your aim and endeavour ; in comparison of this , mind nothing else , not the comforts and conveniencies , no not the necessaries of life , what ye shall eat , and what ye shall drink , and wherewithal ye shall be cloathed . these you see our saviour instanceth in before the text , as not to be regarded and taken care of , when they come in competition with the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . and our saviour tells us elsewhere , that not only none of the comforts and necessaries of life are to be valued against him , and his religion ; but that even this temporal life itself , as dear as it is to us , is to be parted withall , and given up , rather than to quit the profession of his truth and religion , mat. . . . he that loveth father or mother more than me , is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me , is not worthy of me . he instanceth in the nearest relations , those towards whom we have the most tender and relenting affections , and yet he tells us , that the consideration of his truth and religion ought to take place of these , nay even of life it self ; for so it follows , and he that taketh not his cross , and followeth after me , is not worthy of me . st. luke expresseth it more strongly and vehemently , luke . . if any man come to me ( that is , take upon him the profession of my religigion ) and hate not his father , and mother , and wife , and children , and brethren , and sisters , yea , and his own life also , he cannot be my disciple . when these come in competition with our religion , and the great interest of our eternal salvation , we are to regard and value them no more than if they were the objects of our hatred , but to set aside all consideration of affection to them , so far as it would tempt us from constancy in our religion , and the care of our souls . so that when our saviour bids us first to seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , his meaning is , tha● religion , and the concernments of our souls , and the eternal happiness of them in another world , should be our first and chief care ; and that all other things should be made subordinate and subservient to this great design , and be no further minded by us , than they really are so : for that which is our great end , will subdue all other things , and bring them into subjection to it , and will reject them , and throw them aside , if they be inconsistent with it . if heaven be our utmost aim , and in order to that , it be our great study and endeavour to be righteous , and holy , this resolution and design , sincerely entertained , will over-rule all other considerations , and make all the things of this world to stoop and give way to that which is our chief end , the eternal happiness and salvation of our souls . and thus i have done with the second thing i proposed , namely , what is meant by seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and what by seeking them first . i proceed in the third place , to lay down some plain rules for our direction and furtherance in seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; that is , in the great business of religion . first , let us always live under a lively and powerful sense of another world ; that we are placed here in this world , but for a little while , and that wholly in order to our preparation for a better and a happier life . let this thought be often in our minds , that eternity is the most considerable duration , and the next world the place of our everlasting abode , where we must dwell and continue for ever ; and therefore our present state is but of little moment and consideration to us , but only in order to our future and everlasting condition . we may please our selves here for a little while with toys , and trifles , with dreams and shadows of pleasure and happiness , and may be exercised with some troubles and afflictions for a short space , for a moment ( as the apostle calls it , our light afflictions which are but for a moment , and so indeed it is , compared with all eternity ; but the substantial and durable happiness or misery remain for men in the other world , and will certainly be their portion , according as they have demeaned themselves in this world. now the serious consideration of this cannot fail to put us upon vigorous preparations for another world , and to make us wholly intent upon our eternal concernments , and to resolve whatever becomes of us in this world , to take effectual care that we may be happy for ever . he that firmly believes the immortality of his soul , and a life after death , which will never have an end , must needs take into consideration his whole duration , and bend all his care and thoughts , how he may avoid the greatest and most lasting misery , and secure to himself an immortality of bliss and happiness . secondly , let us be always under a conviction of the absolute and indispensable necessity of holiness and righteousness , as the only way and means whereby the kingdom of god is to be attained , and that holiness and happiness are not to be separated , the one being a necessary condition and qualification for the other ; and consequently , that it is the vainest thing in the world for any man to hope to enter into the kingdom of god , without endeavouring after his righteousness ; there is so strong a connexion between them , that a man may as reasonably expect to be well and at ease without health , as to be happy without holiness ; for this makes us like to god , and our likeness and conformity to god is that alone which can make us capable of the blessed sight and enjoyment of god. we must be partakers of a divine nature , in order to our participation of the divine blessedness . and the consideration of this will effectually engage us to seek the righteousness of god , without which we shall never enter into his kingdom ; and to follow holiness , without which no man shall see the lord. thirdly , let us always remember that righteousness is of a great extent , and comprehends in it all goodness , it takes in all the duties of religion , and the practice of all of them ; it is a complication of all graces and virtues , of all the parts and ingredients , of all the duties and offices of a good man. to denominate a man righteous , all causes must concurr ; all the essential principles and parts of religion and goodness must meet together ; knowledge and practice , faith and good works , right opinions and real virtues , an orthodox profession and a holy life , abstaining from sin and doing of righteousness , purity of heart and unspotted manners , godliness and honesty , the bridling of our tongue , and the government of our passions , and above all things charity , which is the band of perfection . for righteousness is our conformity to the law of god , as unrighteousness and sin is the transgression of it : now this , if it be real and sincere , will be uniform and universal , equally respecting all the laws of god , and every part of our known duty , and will not content it self with an especial regard to one or two precepts of the law , tho' never so considerable , and then allow it self in the neglect and violation of the rest ; no nor with the observation of the duties of one table of the law , if it overlook the other ; no nor with obedience to all the commandments of god , one only excepted . st. james hath put this very case , and determined it , that he that shall keep the whole law , save only that he offend in one point , is guilty of all ; that is , he is not sincere in his obedience to the rest : and therefore if we seek the righteousness of god , our righteousness must be universal ; as he that hath called us is holy , so must we be holy in all manner of conversation , in the tenor of our actions , and the whole course of our lives ; and any one reigning sin and vice , any gross and notorious defect in the virtues of a good life , will spoil all our righteousness , and will effectually shut us out of the kingdom of heaven . fourthly , let us wisely subordinate the several parts and duties of religion to one another , according to the intrinsical worth and value of them , that so we may mind every part of religion in its due place , and according to the true nature and importance of it . knowledge and faith are in order to practice , and a good life ; and signifie nothing , unless they produce that ; the means of religion , such as prayer , and fasting , diligent reading and hearing of the word of god , reverent and devout receiving of the blessed sacrament , are of less account and value , than that which is the end of all these , which is to make us inwardly and really good , and fruitful in all the works of righteousness , which by jesus christ are to the praise and glory of god. and therefore the means of religion which i have mentioned , are to be regarded and used by us , in order to the attaining of these ends , without which they are meer formalility and hypocrisie , and instead of finding acceptance with god , they are an abomination to him , and his soul hates them . and so likewise the circumstances of religion are less considerable than the substantial means and instruments of it . and therefore all rites and ceremonies are in religion of less consideration , than the substance of god's worship , and ought always to be subordinate to it . in like manner , the moral duties of religion , comprehended under the two great commandments of the love of god , and our neighbour , because they are of eternal , and indispensable obligation , are to be preferr'd to matters of meer positive institution ; and where they cannot stand togother , that which is positive ought to be set aside , and to give way for the present , to that which is moral and good in its own nature , and not only because it is commanded , and enjoyned ; for in this case god hath expresly declared that he will have mercy , and not sacrifice . upon which ground our saviour declares , that the law of the sabbath ought to give place to works of mercy . upon the same account , peace and charity are to be valued above matters of nicety and scruple , of doubtful dispute and controversie ; because the former are unquestionably good , the latter doubtfully and uncertainly so . all these things ought to be considered , and are of great moment to make a man sincerely and wisely religious . for men may keep a great stir about some parts of religion , and be very careful and diligent , zealous and earnest about the means and instruments of religion , and in the exercises of piety and devotion ; and yet be destitute of the power and life of it , and fall short of that inward , and real , and substantial righteousness , which alone can qualifie us for the kingdom of god. the fifth and last direction i would give , is this ; that we have a particular regard to the great duty of charity , or alms-giving , this being very frequently in scripture called righteousness , as being an eminent part of religion , and a great evidence of the truth and sincerty of our piety . and this our saviour particularly directs to , as the way to the kingdom of god , luke . . after this general exhortation , to seek the kingdom of god , he instanceth in charity , as the direct way to it ; give alms , provide for your selves bags that wax not old , a treasure in the heavens , that faileth not . and elsewhere our saviour speaks of this grace and virtue , as that which , above all others , will make way for our admission into heaven , luke . . i say unto you , make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness , that when ye fail , they may receive you ( or ye may be received ) into everlasting habitations . and st. paul calls it , laying in store for our selves a good foundation ; or ( as the word may better be rendred in this place ) a good treasure against the time to come , that we may lay hold on eternal life , tim. . . st. james speaks of it , as a main and most essential part of religion , and the great evidence of a true and sincere piety , jam. . . pure religion , and undefiled before god and the father , is this ; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction . finally , our lord instanceth in this , as the very thing which will admit us into , or shut us out of heaven ; by the performance whereof we shall be absolved , and for the neglect whereof we shall be condemned , in the judgment of the great day , mat. . so that this part of righteousness or religion ought in a more especial manner to be regarded by us ; because upon the performance or neglect of this duty , our eternal happiness doth so much depend . the fourth and last thing only remains to be spoken to ; which is , to set before you the most proper and powerful motives and incouragements , to the minding of this great interest and concernment . but this will be the subject of another discourse . the second sermon on matth . vi. . but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you . these words , which i began to discourse upon the last day , are a strict charge and command to all christians , to mind the business of religion in the first place , and to take all imaginable care to secure the happiness of another life ; but seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you . in the handling of which argument , first , i explained what is meant by the kingdom of god , and his righteousness . secondly , i shew'd what is meant by seeking these ; and what by seeking them first . thirdly , i laid down some rules for our direction and furtherance in this great business . i shall now proceed to represent to you , in the fourth and last place , some of the most proper and powerful arguments and encouragements , to engage us to the minding of this great inte●est and concernment ; amongst which , i shall in the last place particularly consider the encouragement here given in the text , seek ye first the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you . . my first argument shall be from the worth and excellency of the things we seek , the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; which are certainly the greatest and best things we can seek . the kingdom of god , is the eternal salvation of our souls , everlasting life and happiness in another world ; which , to animate our endeavours , and to tempt our ambition the more , are set forth to us under the notion of a kingdom . and what will not men do to obtain that ? what pains will they not take ? what hazards will they not run ? what difficulties will they not grapple with , and break through if they can , to come at a kingdom ? which when they have obtained , they are exposed to as many , and commonly to more cares and fears , to greater difficulties and dangers in the keeping , than they were for the getting of it : and yet all this men will do for a corruptible crown , for one of the petty kingdoms and principalities of this world , which are continually tottering , and ready to be overturned by open violence , or to be undermined by secret treachery . but the kingdom which i am speaking of , and perswading you and my self to seek after , is not like the kingdoms of men , and of this world ; it is called the kingdom of god , to signifie to us the excellency and stability of it ; as much beyond any of the kingdoms of this world , as the heavens are high above the earth , and as god is greater than man ; a kingdom which cannot be shaken , a crown which fadeth not away , a scepter which cannot be wrested from us . but to quit the metaphor , and speak to the thing ; the kingdom of god imports the eternal salvation of our souls ; i say of our souls , which both in respect of the dignity of their nature , and their immortal duration , are infinitely more valuable than any of the perishing things of this world , and ought to be much dearer to us . other things are without us , they neither constitute our being , nor are ●ssential to our happiness ; but our souls are our selves , and the loss of them is our utter ruine and destruction . so that nothing is to be regarded by us with equal care and concernment , as the salvation of our immortal souls ; that is , that we may be rescued from eternal misery , and everlastingly happy in another world. and can we be at too much cost and pains upon such a design , to escape so dismal a condition , so dreadful a ruine , as that of body and soul to all eternity ? can any man be concerned enough to bring about so great a good to himself ? or , can he purchase it too dear , whatever he give or part with for it ? a good so desirable and so durable , as our being happy for ever . when we purchase the things of this world , the riches and honours of it , at the expence of so much time , and care , and trouble , we pay dear for trifles and fancies ; but eternal happiness is a jewel of so inestimable a price , that a wise merchant will have it at any rate , and sell all that he hath to purchase it . of such value is the kingdom of god ; and next to it is righteousness , which is the only way and means whereby this kingdom is to be attained , and therefore to be sought by us with the greatest diligence and earnestness : for that which is the only means to a great and desirable end , and which alone can make us capable of that end , and which in truth is a degree of it , is valuable next to the end , and almost equally with it ; and such is righteousness , in respect of the kingdom of god ; it is the only means to it , it is that alone which qualifies us , and makes us capable of happiness ; nay , it is an essential ingredient into it , and that which does in a great measure constitute the happiness of heaven : for that temper of mind , that conformity and likeness to god , which holiness and righteousness brings us to , is the true foundation of our happiness , and according to the best apprehensions we have now of it , is the very formal cause and essence of our blessedness . so st. john tells us , joh. . . it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that when he shall appear , we shall be like him ; that is , we do not now distinctly understand wherein the happiness of the next life consists , we are not able to frame a clear and perfect idea of it ; but this we know in general , that it consists in our likeness to god , in a conformity to the moral perfections of the divine nature , which are exprest by the name of purity and holiness ; and therefore every one that hopes for the happiness of heaven , must endeavour after holiness ; every man that hath this hope in him , must purifie himself , even as he is pure . so that the things which i am pressing you to seek after , are most effectually recommended , by telling you what they are ; the kingdom of god is eternal life and happiness , and his righteousness is universal holiness and goodness , without which no man is qualified for this blessed state. now if there be any thing better than goodness , any thing more desirable than a happiness which ha●h no bounds , nor no end ; do not mind them , nor look after them : but if there be not ; then certainly these a●e worthy of the care and endeavour of our whole life . secondly , another consideration that should very much excite and quicken our endeavour and diligence in seeking these things , is the difficulty of obtaining them . this i confess is no encouragement , but it is a very good motive and argument to whet our industry in seeking these things , when we plainly see that they are not to be had upon other terms . and this consideration our saviour useth to quicken us to strive and to contend earnestly for eternal life , mat. . . because strait is the gate , and narrow is the way which leadeth to life , and few there be that find it : and luke . . strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many , i say unto you , will seek to enter in , and shall not be able . seeking here , in opposition to striving , is a faint and weak endeavour , which will not carry us through this narrow and difficult passage ; and this is the reason why many miscarry , who make some attempts towards heaven ; but they do not strive , they do not put forth any vigorous endeavours to get thither . now the difficulty of attaining eternal happiness , ariseth from the difficulty of the way and means to it ; and it is therefore hard to attain the kingdom of god , because it is hard to attain his righteousness . as desirable as it is , it must be acknowledged very difficult for a man to raise himself to that temper and disposition of mind , so to subdue his lusts , and govern his passions , to bridle his tongue , and order all the actions of his life , as is necessary to qualifie him for happiness , and to make him fit to be admitted into the kingdom of god. and this difficulty is chiefly in our selves , but greatly increased by temptation and opposition from without : chiefly i say in our selves , from the strong biass of our evil and corrupt inclinations , and the strong power of vicious habits and customs , which when they are grown inveterate , do tyrannize over us , and make us perfect slaves , and lead us captive at their pleasure ; so that our nature must be quite changed , and as the apostle expresseth it , we must be renewed in the spirit of our minds , our souls must be new moulded and fashioned , we must be as it were created and born again , before we can enter into the kingdom of god. in this our saviour is positive and perempto●y , joh. . . verily verily i say unto you , except a man be born again , he cannot see the kingdom of god. this difficulty indeed is greatest at first , but it is considerable afterwards , 'till a through change be made , and new inclinations planted in us , and the contrary habits of grace and virtue be super-induced . and that which increaseth the difficulty is outward temptation and opposition from the world , and the devil ; which to withstand and resist , requires great courage and resolution , great watchfulness and guard over our selves . but yet for our comfort , these difficulties are not insuperable to that grace and assistance , which god is always ready to afford to us upon so good an occasion , and to so good a purpose● greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world. and this i am sure is matter of great incouragement to us , that tho' the difficulty ●f working out our salvation be great , yet if we do in good earnest set about it , god is ready to assist and second our sincere endeavours , to work in us both to will and to do of his own goodness , and so to prevent us with his gracious favour , and to further us with his continual aid , that finally by his mercy we may obtain eternal life . thirdly , another powerful argument to care and diligence , is the fatal danger of miscarriage in a matter of so great concernment . we may do many things in religion , and take some pains to get to heaven , and yet fall short of it . the rich young man in the gospel , our saviour tells us , was not far from the kingdom of god , and he broke with our saviour only upon one point , he was too much addicted to the world , and loth to part with his great possessions , and distribute them in charity to the poor , and thereupon he left our saviour , and for any thing that we find , never returned to him again . if the world govern and bear sway in our hearts , if we mind earthly things first , and make these our chief care and design , the kingdom of god and his righteousness shall not be added unto us ; i● we will not mind them in the first place , they are too good to be accessories . and if upon any one point we miscarry , either out of love to the world , or affection to any other lust or vice that we are loth to part withal , our miscarriage is fatal , and the ruine which we bring upon our selves irreparable ; for the soul once lost , is lost for ever . if we have neglected the opportunity of working out our own salvation , while we are in this world , it will never return into our power again , death will shut the door against us , and we shall never see the kingdom of god. fourthly , it is a mighty encouragement to us to consider , that if we sincerely seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , there is not only a fair probability of obtaining them , but all the security we can desire . men may be in good earnest for the things of this world , may love them with all their hearts and souls ( as we see too many do ) and seek them with all their might and strength , and yet after all their endeavours may be shamefully frustrated and disappointed of their end. there are many examples of this kind daily before our eyes , and yet men are not discouraged from seeking these things . a fair probability , nay almost a possibility of attaining them , is enough to a worldly-minded man to drudge and toil for them . why the same affection● the ●ame zeal , the same unwearied endeavour to serve god , and to save our souls , would infallibly bring us to heaven . it was a sad but true saying of cardinal wolsey , when he was leaving the world , had i been but as careful to please god , as i have been to serve my prince , he would not have forsaken me now in the time of my gray hairs . nay it is to be hoped , that less diligence and care about the concernments of our souls , and another life , than many men use about the things of this life , will secure our eternal happiness ; or else it is to be feared , that but very few would be saved : and who would not place his industry and endeavour upon a design in which he is sure not to miscarry , if he do but heartily and in good earnest pursue it ? especially when it will be of infinite greater advantage to him , than any design he can propound to himself for this world. if a man may be certainly happy for ever , upon the same , or easier terms , than he can ordinarily compass any of those little designs which men propose to themselves in this world , who would not seek that which is most worthy the having , and which he is surest to obtain ? fifthly , and lastly , the encouragement here in the text is not inconsiderable ; that if we seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , all these things shall be added unto us . this certainly is a very tempting consideration ; for who would not be glad to reconcile the enjoyment of this world with the hopes of heaven , and eternal happiness ? but men do not generally like our saviour's method , they would seek the things of this world in the first place , and get to heaven at last ; they would be content to seek the one , and have the other cast in and conferred upon them , without their seeking . but this will not be granted , this way will not do . and yet our saviour hath gone as far as one would think could in reason be desired ; he hath promised that if we will make religion , and the salvation of our souls , our first and chief care , that all these things shall be added unto us . so that the design of going to heaven , and being happy for ever , is no ways inconsistent with a competent portion of the things of this life . godliness ( the apostle tells us ) hath the promise of this life , and of that which is to come . the business of religion , the practice of a holy and virtuous life , is no hindrance to a man's thriving in his temporal estate ; nay in many respects it is apt to promote and advance it ; by engaging us to diligence in our calling , and by deriving the blessing of god upon our honest and lawful endeavours ; by obliging us to the strict and constant practice of truth , and justice , and fidelity in all our dealings and commerce , which are the best way to establish a clear and solid reputation , and good esteem among men , which is an unspeakable advantage in business , and , at the long run , one of the best and most lasting instruments of prosperity and success . besides that religion frees a man from those passions and vices , which do naturally tend to dissipate and ruine mens estates ; as intemperance and lewdness , which are every way chargable vices , and do not only take men off from business , and render them unfit for it ; but waste their estates , and bring many other inconveniencies upon their persons and families . religion makes men meek and peaceable , and inoffensive in word and deed , which is a great security against chargeable suits and contentions , and all sorts of injuries and affronts from others . among all the beatitudes of our saviour , he only promiseth temporal happiness to meekness , blessed are the meek , for they shall inherit the earth . they who provoke and offend no body , are likely to be least disturbed and disquieted by others in their possession and enjoments ; who will harm you ( saith the apostle , pet. . . ) if ye be followers of that which is good ? some may be so perverse as to persecute a man for his goodness ; but it rarely happens ; most men have not only a kindness , but a veneration for true goodness . by all these ways religion naturally tends to the temporal prosperity of men , and the promoting of their wellfare and happiness even in this world ; besides that the providence of god is very peculiarly concerned for good men , and a special blessing attends them in all their undertakings . so that excepting the case of persecution ( which god will particularly consider , and reward in another world ) the religious and good man , who sincerely seeks the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , stands as fair , and is upon as good terms , for all the lawful enjoyments of this world , as he that makes it his only design to be rich and great in this world ; nay as to the necessaries of life , and a competency of outward things , he hath a much greater and better security from the providence and promise of god , than the men of the world have by all their care and pains . besides that he hath this considerable advantage , by minding these things only as accessories , that if he miss of them , he hath something better to support him in the want of them ; being secure of a happiness which this world can neither give nor take from him . but now the worldly man , if he be defeated in his designs , is of all men most miserable , because he hath nothing else to comfort him , nothing else to trust to ; he fails of his hopes as to this world , and hath done what in him lies , to make his case desperate , as to the other . upon all these considerations and encouragements , you see how reasonable it is , that we should make religion , and the concernments of another life , our great care and business . and yet how are these neglected by the greatest part of mankind ! and by the best of us ( god knows ) not minded as they ought , and as they deserve ! what can we say for our selves , in excuse of so intolerable a folly ? there are two or three things which men commonly pr●tend , if not in justification , yet in mitigation and excuse of this great neglect . first , they pretend great difficulties and discouragements in the ways of religion . this i have already acknowledged to be true , so far as to awaken our care , and to whet our industry ; but by no means to make us despond , and give over all care of so great a concernment , because of the difficulties it is attended withall . men who have no mind to a thing , are apt to imagine great difficulties in the attaining of it , and to magnifie them in their fancies beyond reason . as the people of israel , when they were to enter into canaan ( which was the type of the kingdom of heaven ) represented the inhabitants of the land , whom they were to conquer , more terrible than in truth they were ; reporting to one another , that the land was full of giants , and sons of anak , men of prodigious stature , which reached up to heaven . and this the wise man observes to be the perpetual excuse of the sloathful ; when they have no mind to a thing , they say there is a lyon in the way ; that is , they fancy to themselves dangers and terrors which are not . thus men who are averse from religion , and have no mind to be at the trouble and pains to get to heaven , are apt to complain of the monstrous and insuperable difficulties of religion , and how hard it is for a man to mortifie his lusts , and subdue his appetites , and govern his passions , and to do all those things which are necessary to bring him to heaven . well! it is acknowledg'd to be difficult . and is it not so to get an estate , and to rise to any thing in this world ? the true pains which men take about these things , shew that they are difficult ; only when men have a mind to a thing , and their heart is set upon it , they do not stand to complain of the difficulty , but buckle to it , and grapple with it . is religion difficult ? and what is not so , that is good for any thing ? is not the law a difficult and crabbed study ? does it not require great labour , and perpetual drudging , to excel in any kind of knowledge , to be master of any art or profession ? in a word , is there any thing in the world worthy the having , that is to be gotten without pains ? and is eternal life and glory the only slight and inconsiderable thing , that is not worth our care and industry ? is it fit that so great a good should be exposed to the faint and idle wishes , to the cheap and lazy endeavours of sloathful men ? for what reason ? nay with what conscience can we bid less for heaven and eternal life , than men are contented to give for the things of this world ; things of no value in comparison , not worthy the toiling for , not sure to be attained by all our endeavours ; things which perish in the using , and which , when we have them , we are liable to be deprived of by a thousand accidents ? one fit of a feaver may shatter our understandings , and confound all our knowledge , and turn us into fools and ideots ; an inundation or a fire may sweep away and devour our estates ; a succession of calamities may in a few hours make the richest and greatest man as poor as job , and set him upon a dunghill . but be the difficulty what it will of attaining the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , they are to be sought at any rate ; because they are absolutely necessary , and we miserable and undone if we have them not . and therefore not to dissemble in the matter , the difficulties of religion are considerable ; but then they are much greater a● first , and will every day abate and grow less , and the work by degrees will become ea●●e , and turn into pleasure and delight ; a pleasure so great , as none knows but he that hath it ; and he that hath it , would not exchange it for all the sensual pleasures and enj●yments of this world. secondly , others pretend want of time for the minding of so great a work. and 't is very true , that all persons have not equal leisure for this purpose ; some are much more straitned than others , and more taken up with the necessary cares of this life : but god hath put no man upon this hard necessity , that for want of time he shall be forced to neglect his body and his health , his family and estate , to save his soul. and yet if any man were brought to this distress , it were well worth his while to secure his eternal salvation , tho' it were with the neglect and loss of all other things . but those who are most straitned for time , have so much as is absolutely necessary : for there is a considerable part of religion which does not require time , but resolution and care. not to commit sin , not to break the laws of god , not to be intemperate , to make no provision for the flesh , to fulfill the lusts thereof , does not spend time , but saves it for better purposes ; so that every man hath time not to do that which he ought not to do : and for the positive part of religion , whether it consists in the exercise of our minds , or in the external acts of religion ; no man is so distrest , but he hath time to think of heaven , and eternity ; time to love god , to esteem him , and delight in him above all things . and this a man may do very frequently , and very acceptably , while he is labouring and travelling about his worldly affairs ; while his hand is upon the plow , his heart may be with god ; and while he converseth here upon earth , his thoughts and affections may be in heaven . every man hath time to pray to god every day , for his mercy and forgiveness , for his grace and assistance , for his preservation and support , and to thank him heartily for all his blessings , and benefits . and a little time seriously employed in this kind , would have the same acceptance with god , as the more solemn and longer devotions of those who have more leisure and opportunities for them . to be sure we have all of us time to serve god upon his own day , and to employ it wholly in the exercises of piety , and in the care and consideration of our souls . but this , when all is said , is the case but of very few ; most of us have no colour for this complaint ; non inopes temporis , sed prodigi sumus , ( as seneca says ) we are not poor , but prodigal of our time , and lavish it away profusely upon folly and vanity . our vices and lusts , our pleasures and diversions , consume and divert those precious hours , which should be employed to these better purposes ; nay many times time oppresseth us , and is a burthen to us , and lies upon our hands , and we know not how to get rid of it ; and yet we chuse rather to let it run waste , than to bestow it upon religion , and the care of our souls ; insomuch that i fear this will be the condition of many , that when they were at a loss what to do with their time , and knew not how to spend it , they would not lay it out upon that which was best and most necessary ; for this surely is the very best use that can be made of time , to prepare and provide for eternity . thirdly , others pretend it will be time enough to mind these things hereafter . but this ( as bad excuses seldom hang together , and agree with one another ) directly contradicts the former pretence , which supposeth so much time necessary , and more than many have to spare ; and yet now they would make us believe that a very little time will suffice for this work , and that it may be done at any time , even just when we are going out of this world. but this , of all other , is the strangest interpretation of seeking the kingdom of god , and his righteousness first , to put it off to the very last . this surely is a greater error on the other hand , to think that the business of religion is so quickly to be dispatched , and that the great work of our lives can be crowded into so narrow a corner of it , that the time of sickness and old age , nay the hour of death , well employed to this purpose , will be sufficient . alas ! what can we then do that is good for any thing ? that can in reason be thought either acceptable to god , or available for our selves ? when we have not sense and understanding enough to dispose of our temporal concernments , and to make our wills , do we think we shall be fit to repent of the sins and miscarriages of our whole lives , and to make our peace with god ? every man must not expect to have saul's fortune , who when he was wearied with seeking his father's asses , met with a kingdom . we must not think when we are tired with pursuing the follies and vanities of this world , to retire into heaven , and to sit down with abraham , isaac , and jacob , in the kingdom of god. our saviour hath taken care to caution us against this desperate folly , by a parable to this very purpose , of the foolish virgins , who having trifled away their time 'till the bridegroom was coming , and neglected to get oyl into their lamps , ( by which we are to understand all those good preparations and dispositions which are necessary to qualifie us for the kingdom of god ) i say , having neglected their opportutunity of getting this oyl , while they were looking after it too late , the door was shut against them . they thought to have repaired all at last , by borrowing of others , and supplying themselves that way . and thus many deceive themselves , hoping to be supplied out of another store , when they have no grace and goodness of their own ; out of the treasure of the church , from the redundant merit of the saints , and their works of supererrogation , of which some believe ( i know not for what reason ) that there is a great stock which the pope may dispose of , to supply those who have taken no care to get oyl into their lamps . but i know not for what reason works of supererrogation are supposed ; the wise virgins knew not of any merit they had to spare , it was the foolish virgins only that entertained this senseless conceit . i am sure the parable insinuates the quite contrary , that the best and holiest persons ( which are represented by the wise virgins ) have nothing to spare for the supply of others , who have been careless of their souls ; the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl , for our lamps are gone out ; but the wise answered , saying , not so , lest there be not enough for us and you , but go ye rather to them that sell , and buy for your selves . it seems they had no works of supererrogation that they knew of ; but they do ironically send them to a market that was set up somewhere , and where these things were pretended to be sold ; but how they sped , the conclusion of the parable tells us , that whilst they were running about in great haste to make this purchase of the merits and good works of others , the bridegroom came , and the wise virgins , that were ready , went in with him to the marriage , and the rest were shut out . and there are those likewise among our selves , who having been careless to qualifie themselves for the kingdom of god , hope to be supplied out of the infinite treasure of christ's merits : but this also is a vain hope . for tho' there be merit enough in the death and sufferings of christ to save all mankind , yet no man can lay claim thereto , who does not perform the condition of the gospel . others think by sending for the minister , when the physician hath given them over , to receive in a few hours such advice and direction , as will do their business , as effectually , as if they had minded religion all their lives long ; and that a few devout prayers said over them when they are just imbarking for another world , will , like a magical wind , immediately waft them over into the regions of bliss and immortality . but let us not deceive our selves ; we may defer the business so long , 'till we shall get nothing by our late application to god , and crying to him lord , lord , open unto us , but that severe answer , depart from me , ye workers of iniquity , i know ye not whence ye are . if we would not have this our doom , let us first seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , that so having our fruit unto holiness , our end may be everlasting life . a sermon on psal. cxix . . i have seen an end of all perfection ; but thy commandment is exceeding broad . this psalm seems to have a great deal more of poetical number and skill in it , than at this distance from the time and age in which it was written , we can easily understand . the main scope and design of i● is very plain and obvious ; namely , to magni●ie the law of god , and the observation of its precepts , as that wherein true religion doth mainly consist . and indeed if we attentively read and consider it , every part of this psalm does with great variety of expression , and yet very little difference of the sense , descant upon the same ground , viz. the excellency and perfection of the law of god. a●d t●● wor●● of t●● te●t seem to be as full and comprehensive of the sense and design of the whole psalm , as any one sentence in it ; i have seen an end of all perfection , but thy commandm●nt is exceeding broad . these words are variously rendred , and understood by interpreters , who yet in this variety do very much conspire and agree in the same sens●● the chaldee paraphrase renders the words thus , i have seen an end of all things , about which i have employ'd my care ; but thy commandment is very large . the syriac version thus , i have seen an end of all regions , and countries ( that is , i have found the compass of this habitable world to be ●ini●e , and limited ) but thy commandment is of a vast extent . others explain it thus , i have seen an end of all perfection ; that is , of all the things of this world , which men value and esteem at so high a rate● of all worldly wisdom and knowledge , of wealth , and honour , and greatness , which do all perish and pass away ; but thy law is eternal , and still abideth the same ; or , as the scripture elsewhere expresseth it , the word of the lord endureth for ever . thy law ; that is , the rule of our duty natural and revealed ; or , in a word , religion , which consists in the knowledge and practice of the laws of god● is of greater perfection than all other things which are so highly valued in this world : for the perfection of it is infinite , and of a vast influence and extent ; it reacheth to the whole man , to the happiness of body and soul ; to our whole duration both in this world , and the next , of this life , and of that which is to come . and this will clearly appear , if we consider the reasonableness and the wisdom of religion , which consists in the knowledge of god , and the keeping of his laws . first , the reasonableness of religion ; which is able to give a very good account of it self , because it settles the mind of man upon a firm basis , and keeps it from rolling in perpetual uncertainty ; whereas atheism and infidelity wants a stable foundation , ●t centers no where but in the denial of god and religion , and yet substitutes no principle , no tenable and constituent scheme of things in the place of them ; its whole business is to unravel all things , to unsettle the mind of man , and to shake all the common notions and received principles of mankind ; it bends its whole force to pull down and to destroy , but lays no foundation to build any thing upon , in the stead of that which it pulls down . it runs upon that great absurdity which aristotle ( who was always thought a great master of reason ) does every where decry , as a principle unworthy of a philosopher , namely , a progress of causes in in●initum , and without end ; that this was the cause of that , and a third thing of that , and so on without end , which amounts to just nothing ; and finally resolves an infinite number of effects into no first cause ; than which nothing can be more unskilful and bungling , and less worthy of a philosopher . but this i do not intend at present to insist upon , having treated largely on the same subject upon another * occasion . i shall therefore proceed in the second place , to consider the wisdom of religion . the fear of the lord is wisdom , so saith the psalmi●t ; it is true wisdom indeed , it is the beginning of wisdom , caput sapientiae , the top and perfection of all wisdom . here true wisdom begins , and upon this foundation it is raised and carried on to perfection ; and i shall in my following discourse endeavour to make out these two things . . that true wisdom begins and is founded in religion , in the fear of god , and in the keeping of his commandments . . that this is the perfection of wisdom , there is no wisdom without this , nor beyond it . first , true wisdom begins and is founded in religion , and the fear of god , and regard to his laws . this is the first principle of wisdom , and the foundation upon which the whole design of our happiness is to be built . this is in the first place to be supposed , and to be taken into consideration in all the designs and actions of men : this is to govern our whole life , and to have a main influence upon all the affairs and concernments of it . as the first principle of humane society , and that which is to run through the whole frame of it , is the publick good ; this was always to be taken into consideration , and to give law to all laws and constitutions about it : so religion is the first principle of humane wisdom , by which all our actions are to be conducted and govern'd ; and all wisdom which does not begin here , and lay religion for its foundation , is preposterous , and begins at the wrong end ; and is just as if in the forming of humane society , every one in the settlement of the constitution , and the framing of laws , should have an eye to his own private and particular advantage , without regard to the publick good , which is the great end of society , and the rule and measure of government and laws , and in the last issue and result of things , the only way to procure the setled welfare , and to secure the lasting interests of particular persons , so far as that is consistent with the publick good. and it would be a very preposterous policy to go about to found humane society upon any other terms , and would certainly end in mischief and confusion . and such is all the wisdom of men , in relation to their true happiness , which does not b●gin with religion , and lay its foundation there ; which does not take into consideration god , and his providence , and a future state of rewards and punishments after this life . all wisdom which does not not proceed upon a supposition of the truth and reality of these principles , will certainly end in shame and disappointment , in misery and ruine ; because it builds a house upon the sand , which when it comes to be try'd by stress of weather , and assaulted by violent storms , will undoubtedly fall , and the fall of it will be great . and this error every man commits , who pursues happiness by following his own inclination , and gratifying his irregular desires , without any consideration of god , and of the restraint which his laws have laid upon us , not for his own pleasure , but for our good . for when all things are duly considered , and all accounts cast up , it will appear upon a just calculation of things , that all the restraints which the laws of god lay upon men , are highly reasonable , and greatly for their benefit and advantage , and do not abridge us of any true pleasure or happiness ; but are wise and merciful provisions of heaven , to prevent our harm and mischief ; so that we are not wise , if we act without regard to god , and his laws , and are not willing to be govern'd by him , who loves us better than we do our selves , and truly designs our happiness , and commands us nothing but what directly tends to it . for the laws of god are not arbitrary constitutions , and meer instances of soveraign will and power ; but wise rules and means to procure and advance our happiness . and in like manner , all that wisdom which men use to compass their worldly designs , of riches , and greatness , without consideration of the providence of god , and dependance upon it for the success of our affairs , is all perfect folly and mistake . for tho' the design be never so well laid , and vigorously prosecuted , and no means which humane wisdom can devise for the attaining of our end have been omitted by us ; yet if we leave god out of the account , we forget that which is principal , and signifies more to the success of any design , than all other things put together . for if god favours our designs , the most improbable shall take effect ; and if he blow upon them , the most likely shall misca●ry . whenever he pleaseth to inter●o●e , to cross the counsels and desig●● of m●n , the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong ; neither yet bread ●o the wise , nor riches to men of understanding , nor favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happens to all . so that it is great folly not to consider the providence of god in all our designs and undertakings , not to implore his favour and blessing , without which nothing that we take in hand can prosper . that which is principal to any purpose , ought to be considered in the first place , nothing being to be attempted either without or against it . and such is the providence of god in all humane affairs ; it is more considerable to the promoting or hindering of any event , than all things in the world besides ; and therefore all policy , which sets aside god and his providence , is vain ; because there is no wisdom , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. so likewise all that wisdom which only considers and regards this short life , and the narrow concernments of it , and makes provision only for our welfare in this world ; and therefore can only be tempted with the hopes of temporal advantages , and terrified only with the danger of temporal evils and sufferings ; but hath no sense of an immortal spirit within us , no prospect of a life after death , no consideration of a happy or miserable eternity , of rewards and punishments , infinitely greater than all the temptations and terrors of time and sense ; i say all this is a preposterous and pernicious wisdom , and proceeds upon a false supposition , and a quite contrary scheme of things to what really is ; and consequently our whole life , and all the designs and actions of it do run upon a perpetual mistake , and a false stating of our own case ; and whatever we do pursuant to this mistake is foolish and hurtful , and so far from conducing to our true interest , that it is all either besides it , or contrary to it ; because we act upon a supposal only of this life , and a being only in this world , and that there is nothing either to be feared or hoped for beyond it ; and being thus grosly mistaken , we set our hearts only upon temporal things , and study our present security and satisfaction , and in all our counsels and actions are swayed only by the consideration of temporal good and evil , of the present ease and pleasure , the disturbance and pain of our fleshly and sensual parts ; without any sense of our own immortality , and of that everlasting state which remains for us in another world. but there is ( my brethren ) most certainly there is another life after this ; we are not beasts , if we do not make our selves so ; and if we die , we shall not die like them , neither shall our last end be like theirs ? for whatever we may think or wish , it will not be in our power to extinguish our own beings when we have a mind to be rid of them , and to chuse whether or no we shall live for ever . and if this be a false scheme of things which we have framed to our selves , and proceeded upon ( as undoubtedly it is ) then our whole life is one great error , and a perpetual mistake , and we are quite wrong in all ●hat we design to do . our wisdom ha●● begun at the wrong end , and we have made a false calculation and account of things , and have put our case otherwise than it is ; and the farther we proceed ugon this mistake , our miscarriage will be so much the more fatal in the issue . but if our wisdom begin at the right end , and our case be truly stated , that god hath put into these frail and mortal bodies of ours , immortal spirits that shall live for ever ; and hath sent u● into this world to so●ourn here for a little while , and to be disciplin'd and train'd up for eternity ; and that after a short proof and trial of our obedience , we shall be translated into an everlasting state of unspeakable happiness or misery , according as we have demeaned our selves in this world ; if we believe this to b● truly our case , our interest is then plainly before us , and we see where our happiness lies , and what remains for us to do , in order to the obtaining of it , and what we are to expect to suffer , if we do it not . now this foundation being laid , it is evident , that the best thing we can do for our selves , is to provide for our future state , and to secure the everlasting happiness of another life . and the best way to do that , is to live in obedience to those laws which our maker , and our soveraign , hath prescribed to us ; and according to which he will one day sentence us to eternal rewards or punishments . it is evident likewise , that all our sensual appetites and desires are to be bounded by the rules of reason and virtue , which are the laws of god ; and that no present ease and pleasure , trouble and suffering , are to be considered and regarded by us , in competition with the things which are eternal ; and that sin is of all other the greatest evil , and most mischievous to our main interest , and therefore with all possible care to be avoided ; and that the favour of god is to be sought , and the salvation of our souls to be provided for at any pains and expence whatsoever , and even with the hazard and loss of our dearest interests in this world , yea and of life it self . and now if this matter hath been rightly stated , then religion , and the fear of god , is the first principle and foundation of true wisdom , and that which we are to consider , and take along with us in all the designs and actions of our lives ; and all wisdom which does not begin here , is preposterous , and will prove folly in the issue . secondly , as religion is the beginning of wisdom , so it is the perfection of it , it is the highest point of wisdom in which we can be instructed . the fear of the lord ( says solomon , prov. . . ) is the instruction of wisdom . a good understanding ( says david , psal . . . ) have all they that do his commandments . the practice of religion is the perfection of wisdom ; and he understands himself best , who lives most according to the laws of god. and this i might shew , by instancing in particular virtues , the practice whereof is much wiser , and every way more for our interest , than the contrary vices ; but this is too large an argument to engage in , and therefore i shall content my self at present , briefly to shew , that the chief characters and properties of wisdom do all meet in religion , and agree to it . the first point of wisdom is to understand our true interest , and to be right in our main end ; and in this , religion will best instruct and direct us . and if we be right in our main end , and true to the interest of it , we cannot miscarry : but if a man mistake in this , he errs fatally , and his whole life is vanity and folly. another property of wisdom is to be steady and vigorous in the prosecution of our main end. to oblige us hereto , religion gives us the most powerful arguments , the glorious happiness , and the dismal misery of another world. the next point of wisdom is , to make all things stoop and become subservient to our main end. and where-ever religion bears sway , it will make all other things subordinate to the salvation of our souls , and the interest of our everlasting happiness ; as the men of this world make every thing to submit and give way to their covetous , and ambitious , and sensual designs . another part of wisdom is , to consider the future , and to look to the last end and issue of things . it is a common folly among men , to be so intent upon the present , as to have little or no regard to the future , to what will be hereafter . men design and labour for this present life , and their short continuance here in this world , without taking into serious consideration their main duration , and their eternal abode in another world. but religion gives us a clear prospect of a life after death , and overlooks time , and makes eternity always present to us , and minds us of making timely provision and preparation for it . it takes into consideration our whole duration , and inspires us with wisdom , to look to the end of things , and to what will be hereafter , as well as to what is present . it is likewise a great property of wisdom , to secure the main chance , and to run no hazard in that . and this religion directs us to take care of , because the neglect of it will prove fatal . another mark of wisdom is , to lay hold of opportunities , those especially , which , when they are once past , will never return again . there are some seasons wherein great things may be done , which if they be let slip , are never to be retrieved . a wise man will lay hold of these , and improve them ; and religion inculcates this principle of wisdom upon us , that this life is the opportunity of doing great things for our selves , and of making our selves for ever ; this very day and hour may , for ought we know , be the last and only opportunity of repentance , and making our peace with god ? therefore to day , whilst it is called to day , let us set about this necessary work , lest any of us be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin ; to morrow it may be too late to begin it , and the justice of god may cut us off whilst we are wilfully delaying it ; and the opportunities of saving our immortal souls may vanish , and be for ever hid from our eyes . the next property of wisdom is , to foresee dangers , and to take timely care to prevent them . the prudent man ( saith solomon ) foreseeth the evil , and hideth himself ; that is , shelters and secures himself against it ; but the simple pass on , and are punished ; that is , the evil overtakes them , and their folly is punish'd in their fatal ruine . now the greatest danger is from the greatest power ; even from him who is able to save , and to destroy ; i will tell you ( says the wisdom of god ) whom ye shall fear ; fear him , who after he hath killed , can destroy both body and soul in hell. again , another main point of wisdom is , to do as little as we can to be repented of , trusting rather to the wisdom of prevention , than to that of remedy . religion first teacheth men innocency , and not to offend ; but in case we do , ( as in many things we offend all ) it then directs us to repentance , as the only remedy . but this certainly is folly , to sin in hopes of repentance , that is , first to make work for repentance , and then run the hazard of it ; for we may certainly sin , but it is not certain that we shall repent . and if it were , yet it is great folly to lay in before hand , and to make work for trouble ; ne tu stultus homuncio es , qui malis veniam precari , quam non peccare , was a wise saying of old cato ; thou are ( says he ) a silly man indeed , who chusest rather to ask forgiveness , than not to offend . if a man had the best remedy in the world , he would not make himself sick to try the virtue of it ; and it is a known comparison , and a very fit one , that repentance is tabula post na●fragium , a plank after shipwreck . but i am greatly afraid that thousands of souls , who have trusted to it , have perished before they could get to land , with this plank in their arms . the last character of wisdom i shall mention is , in all things to consult the peace and satisfaction of our own minds , without which nothing else can make us happy ; and this , obedience to the laws of god doth naturally procure . great peace have they ( says david ) that love thy law , and nothing shall offend them . the work of righteousness , says the prophet , shall be peace , and the effect of righteousness , quietness , and assurance for ever . the fear of god , and the keeping of his commandments , is the best preservative against the troubles of a guilty conscience , and the terrifying apprehensions of a future judgment . and this is the great wisdom of religion , that whosoever liveth according to the rules and precepts of it , prevents the chief causes of discontent , and lays the surest foundation of a perpetual satisfaction of mind , a jewel of inestimable price , which none knows but he that has it ; and he that hath it , knows the value of it too well to part with it for the pleasures of sin , which are but for a season , and which always prove bitt●rness in the end , and for the little sweetness which they yielded , leave a terrible sting behind them . thus have i briefly represented the reasonableness and wisdom of religion . it is of infinite perfection , and of a vast influence and extent , it reacheth to the whole man , the happiness of soul and body ; and to our whole duration , the happiness of this world and the next ; for godliness ( that is true religion and piety ) hath the promise of this life , and of that which is to come . but now where are the effects of true religion , in the full compass and extent of it , to be found ? such real effects as do in any measure bear a proportion to the power and perfection of their cause . for nothing certainly is more excellent and amiable in its definition than true religion is ; but , alas ! how imperfect is it in the subject , i mean in us , who ought to shew forth the power and perfection of it , in the practice and actions of our lives , the best demonstration of the excellent frame and temper of our minds . what a conflict and strugling do the best men find between their inclination and their duty ? how hard to reconcile our practice and our knowledge , and to make our lives to agree with the reason of our minds , and the clear conviction of our consciences ? how difficult for a man , in this dangerous and imperfect state , to be in any measure either so wise or so good as he ought ? how rare is it for a man to be good natur'd , gentle , and easie to be intreated , without being often betray'd into some weakness and sinful compliances , especially in the bad company of our betters ? how next to impossible is it to be strict and severe in our lives , without being sower ? to govern our lives with that perpetual caution , and to maintain that evenness of temper , as not to be sometimes peevish , and passionate ? and when we are so , not to be apt to say with jonah , we do well to be angry ? there are two precepts in the new testament , that seem to me to be the nicest of all other , and hardest to be put in practice . one is that of our blessed saviour , be wise as serpents , and innocent as doves . how hard is it to hit upon the just temper of wisdom and innocency ; to be wise , and hurt no body ; to be innocent , without being silly ? the other is , that of the apostle , be angry , and sin not . how difficult is this , never to be angry but upon just cause ; and when the cause of our anger is just , not to be transported beyond due bounds , either as to the degree of our anger , or as to the duration and continuance of it ? this is so very nice a matter , that one would be almost tempted to think that this were in effect a prohibition of anger in any case ; be ye angry , and sin not ; be ye so , if ye can , without sin. i believe whosoever observes it , will find that it is as easie to suppress this passion at any time , as to give way to it , without offending in one kind , or other . but to proceed , how hard a matter is it , to be much in company , and free in conversation , and not to be infected by it ? to live in the midst of a wicked world , and yet to keep our selves free from the vices of it ? to be temperate in the use of things pleasing , so as neither to injure our health , nor to lose the use of our reason , nor to offend against conscience ? to fast often , without being conceited of it , and bargaining as it were with god for some greater liberties in another kind ; and without censuring those who do not tie up themselves to our strict rules either of piety or abstinence ? when perhaps they have neither the same opportunities of doing it , nor the same reason to do it that we have ; nay perhaps have a much better reason for not doing just as we do : for no man is to prescribe to others his own private method , either of fasting , or of devotion , as if he were the rule , and his example a kind of proclamation , enjoyning all his neighbours the same days of fasting and prayer which he himself , for reasons best known to himself , thinks fit to observe . and then how hard is it to be chearful , without being vain ? and grave and serious , without being morose ? to be useful and instructive to others , in our conversation and discourse , without assuming too much authority to our selves ? which is not the best and most effectual way of doing good to others ; there being something in the nature of man , which had rather take a hint and intimation from another , to advise himself , and would rather chuse to imitate the silent good example which they see in another , than to have either his advice or his example imposed upon them . how difficult is it to have a mind equal to every condition , and to be content with mean and moderate things ? to be patient in adversity , and humble in prosperity , and meek upon sudden and violent provocations ? to keep our passions free from getting head of our reason , and our zeal from out-running our knowledge ? to have a will perfectly submitted and resigned to the will of god , even when it lies cross and thwart to ours , so that whatever pleaseth god , should please us ? to be resolute , when our duty happens to be difficult and dangerous ; or even to believe that to be our duty ( tho' it certainly be so ) which is very inconvenient for us to do ? to hold out and be unwearied in well-doing ? to be careful to preserve our lives , and yet upon a great occasion , and whenever god calls for them , to be content to lay them down ? to be wise and innocent ; men in understa●ding , and yet in malice children ? to have many great virtues , and not to want that which gives the great lustre to them all , i mean real and unaffected modesty , and humility ? in short , how difficult is it , to have regard to ●ll god's commandments , and to hate every evil and false way ? to have our duty continually in our eye , and ready to be put in practice upon every proper occasion ? to have god , and the consideration of another world , always before us , present to our minds , and operative upon our practice ? to live as those that know they must die , and to have our thoughts perpetually awake , and intent upon the great and everlasting concernments of our immortal souls ? these are great things indeed , easie to be talkt of , but hard to be done ; nay not to be done at all , without frequent and fervent prayer to god , and the continual aids and supplies of his grace ; not without an earnest endeavour on our parts , a vigorous resistance of temptations , and many a sore conflict with our own perverse wills and sensual inclinations ; not without a perpe●●al guard and watchfulness over our lives , and our unruly appetites and passions . little do unexperienced men , and those who have taken no great pains with themselves , imagine what thought and consideration , what care and attention , what resolution and firmness of mind , what diligence and patient continuance in well-doing , are requisite to make a truly good man ; such a one as st. paul describes , that is perfect and entire , and wanting nothing ; that follows god fully , and fulfils every part of his duty , having a conscience void of offence towards god , and towards man. who is there among us , that is either wise enough for his own direction , or good enough for the peace and satisfaction of his own mind ; that is so happy as to know his duty , and to do it ; as to have both the understanding and the will to do in all things as he ought ? after our best care , and all our pains and endeavours , the most of us will still find a great many defects in our lives , and cannot but discern great and manifold imperfections in our very best duties and services ; insomuch that we shall be forced to make the same acknowledgment concerning them , which solomon does concerning the imperfection of all things under the sun ; that which is crooked cannot be made streight , and that which is wanting cannot be numbred . and when all is done , we have all of us reason to say , not only that we are unprofitable servants , having done nothing but what was our duty to do ; but have cause likewise , with great shame and confusion of face , to acknowledge that we have been in many respects wicked and slothful servants , and so very far from having done what was our duty to do , that the greatest part of the good which the most of us have done , is the least part of the good which we might and ought to have done . the practice of religion , in all the parts and instances of our duty , is work more than enough for the best and greatest mind , for the longest and best order'd life . the commandment of god is exceeding broad ; and an obedience in any good measure equal to the extent of it , extreamly difficult . and after all , as the man in the gospel said with tears to our saviour , concerning the weakness of his own faith , lord , i believe , help thou my unbelief , mar. . . so the best of men may say , and say it with tears too , concerning every grace and virtue wherein they excel most , lord , i aspire , i endeavour after it , be thou pleased to assist my weakness , and to help me by thy grace continually to do better . the summ of all is this , if we be careful to do our best , and make it the constant and sincere endeavour of our lives to please god , and to keep his commandments , we shall be accepted of him : for god values this more than whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices , more than thousands of rams , and ten thousands of rivers of o●l ; because this is an essential part of religion , to love god with all our hearts , and minds , and strength , and to love our neighbours as our selves . the duties comprehended in these two great commandments , sincerely practised by us ( though with a great deal of imperfection ) will certainly be acceptable in the sight of god , in and through the merits and mediation of jesus christ the righteous . blessed are they ( saith st. john very plainly , in the conclusion of that obscure book of his revelation ) blessed are they that do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life , rev. . . i speak now to a great many who are at the upper end of the world , and command all the pleasures and enjoyments of it ; but the time is coming , and ( whether we think of it or not ) is very near at hand , when we shall see an end of all perfection , and of all that is desirable upon earth , and upon which men are apt to value themselves so much in this world ; and then nothing but religion , and the conscience of having done our duty to god and man , will stand us in stead , and yield true comfort to us . when we are going to leave the world , how shall we then wish that we had made religion the great business of our lives ; and in the day of god's grace and mercy , had exercised repentance , and made our peace with god , and prepared our selves for another world ; that after our departure hence , we might be admitted into the presence of god , where is fulness of joy , and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore ? let no man therefore , of what rank or condition soever he be in this world , think himself too great to be good , and too wise to be religious , and to take care of his immortal soul , and his everlasting happiness in another world ; since nothing but this will approve it self it to be true wisdom at the last . all other things will have an end with this life ; but religion and the fear of god is of a vast extent , and hath an influence upon our whole duration , and , after the course of this life is ended , will put us into the secure possession of a happiness which shall never have an end . i will conclude this whole discourse with those words of our blessed saviour , if ye know these things , happy are ●e if ye do them . which thou , who art the eternal spring of truth and goodness , grant that we may all know and do in this our day , for thy mercies sake in jefus christ ; to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , now and for ever . amen . a sermon on peter i. . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises ; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature . the connection of these words with the fo●mer is somewhat obscure , but it seems to be this . the apostle had in the verse before said , that the divine power of christ hath by the knowledge of the gospel given us all things that pertain to life and godliness ; that is , by the knowledge of the gospel we are furnish'd with all advantages which conduce to make men happy in the next life , and religious in this ; and then it follows , whereby are given unto ●s exceeding great and precious promises . where●● ; this seems to refer to the whole of the foregoing verse ; as if it had bee●●●id , christ by the gospel hath given to us all things that conduce to our future happiness ; and in order thereto , all things which tend to make men holy and good . or else life and godliness are , by a hebraism frequent in the new testament , put for a godly life . and then among all those things which conduce to a godly life , the apostle instanceth in the promises of the gospel , which do so directly tend to make men partakers of a divine nature . in the handling of these words , i shall , first , consider the promises here spoken of ; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises . secondly , the influence which these promises ought to have upon us ; that by these ye might be made partakers of a divine nature . first , we will consider the promises which are here spoken of ; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises . and because the chief promises of the gospel are here intended , i shall take occasion from this text to handle the doctrine of the promises , which is frequently discours'd of in divinity , but not always so clearly stated . and to this purpose , it will be proper to take into consideration these four things . . what the promises are which are here spoken of ; whereby are given unto us promises . . why they are said to be so great and precious ; exceeding great and precious promises . . we will consider the tenour of these promises . . when men are said to have a right to them , so as they may apply them to themselves . these four heads will comprehend what i have to say upon this argument . . what the promises are which the apostle here speaks of ; whereby are given unto us promises . and no doubt the apostle here intends those great and excellent promises which christ hath made to us in the gospel . so that to satisfie our selves in this enquiry , we need only to consider what are the principal promises of the gospel . now the great promises of the gospel are these three . ( . ) the promise of the free pardon and forgiveness of our sins , upon our faith and repentance . ( . ) the promise of god's grace and holy spirit to assist our obedience . ( . ) the promise of eternal life to reward it . ( . ) the promise of the pardon and forgiveness of our sins upon our faith and repentance . the gospel hath made full and clear promises to this purpose ; that if we believe the gospel , and will forsake our sins , and amend our wicked lives , all that is past shall be forgiven us , and that christ died for this end , to obtain for us remission of sins in his blood. the light of nature , upon consideration of the mercy and goodness of god , gave men good hopes , that upon their repentance god would forgive their sins , and turn away his wrath from them . but mankind was doubtful of this , and therefore they used expiatory sacrifices to appease the offended deity . the jewish religion allowed of no expiation , but for legal impurities , and involuntary transgressions , such as proceeded from ignorance and inadvertency ; but not for sins of presumption , and such as were committed with an bigh hand . if men sin'd wilfully , there was no sacrifice appointed by the law for such sins . but the grace of the gospel justifies us from the greatest sins , upon our faith and sincere repentance . so st. paul tells the jews , acts . , . be it known ●nto you therefore , men and brethren , that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : and by him all that believe are justified from all things , from which ye could not be justified by the law of moses . there was no general promise of pardon , nor way of expiation under the law ; perfect remission of sins is clearly revealed , and ascertain'd to us only by the gospel . ( . ) another great promise of the gospel is the promise of god's grace and holy spirit to assist our obedience . our blessed saviour hath promised , that our heavenly father will give his holy spirit to them that ask him . 't is true indeed , there was a peculiar promise of the holy ghost to the apostles and christians of the first ages , which is not now to be expected ; namely , an extraordinary and miraculous power , whereby they were qualified to publish the gospel to the world , and to give confirmation to it . but now that the christian religion is propagated and setled in the world , the great end and use of these miraculous gifts is ceased : but yet the spirit of god doth still concur with the gospel , and work upon the minds of men , to excite and assist them to that which is good . and tho' this operation be very secret , so as we cannot give an account of the manner of it , yet the effects of it are very sensible , and this influence of god's holy spirit is common to all christians in all ages of the world. this proposition is universally true , and in all ages and times ; if any man have not the spirit of christ , he is none of his . it must be acknowledged , that the spirit doth not now work upon men in that sudden and sensible manner , as it did in the first times of christianity ; because then men were strongly possest with the prejudices of other religions , which they had been brought up in ; and therefore as more outward means of conviction were then necessary , so likewise a more powerful internal operation of the spirit of god upon the minds of men , to conquer and bear down those prejudices , and to subdue them to the obedience of faith. but now the principles of religion and goodness are more gradually instilled into the minds of men , by the gentle degrees of pious instruction and education ; and with these means the spirit of god concurrs in a more humane way , which is more suited and accommodated to our reason , and offers less violence to the nature of men. so that this promise of god's holy spirit is now made good to us , as the necessity and circumstances of our present state do require . god does not use such extraordinary means for the producing of those effects , which may be accomplish'd in a more ordinary way . the assistance of god's holy spirit is still necessary to men , to encline and enable them to that which is good ; but not in that manner and degree that it was necessary at first : because the prejudices against christianity are not now so great , and many of those advantages which were necessarily wanting at first , are now supplied in an ordinary way ; and therefore it is not reasonable now to expect the same extraordinary operation of the spirit of god upon the minds of men , which we read of in the first beginnings of christianity . ( . ) there is likewise the promise of eternal life to reward and crown our obedience . and this the scripture speaks of , as the great promise of the gospel , job . . . this is the promise which he hath promised us , even eternal life . and upon this account the new covenant of the gospel is preferred before the old covenant of the law , because it is establish'd upon better promises . all the special and particular promises of the law were of temporal good things , and these were the great encouragements that were given to obedience , under that imimperfect dispensation : but now godliness hath not only the promise of the life that now is , but of that which is to come ; as the apostle tells us , tim. . . the gospel hath clearly revealed to us a happy state of immortality after this life , of which men had but very obscure and doubtful apprehensions . so the same apostle tells us , tim. . . that it is now made manifest , by the appearance of our saviour j●sus christ , who hath ab●lisbed death , and hath brought life and immortality to light , through the gospel . holy men had good hopes of it before ; but they had no sure distinct apprehensions of it , no such full assurance concerning it , no such clear and express promises of it , as the gospel hath given us . thus you see what those great promises are which the gospel hath given us , namely , the promise of the free pardon and forgiveness of our sins , upon our faith and repentance ; the promise of god's grace and holy spirit to assist our obedience , and the promise of eternal life and happiness to reward it . these are the three eminent promises of the gospel , and in all probability those which the apostle here calls great and precious promises , which brings me to the second thing which i propounded to consider , namely , why they are said to be exceeding great and precious ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the greatest and the most valuable promises . and to satisfie us that they are such , the very consideration of the b●essings and benefits that they carry in them will be sufficient . if we consider the condition that mankind was in , when god was pleased to make these gracious declarations to us , we shall see great reason to set a high value upon every one of these promises . mankind was extreamly degenerated , all flesh had corrupted its ways , and the whole world was guilty before god , and liable to all that misery which the sinner had reason to apprehend from the incensed justice of the almighty . we had forfeited that happiness to which our immortal nature was designed , and , which made our condition more sad , we were without strength to recover our selves out of it , by our repentance for what was past ( if god would have accepted of it ) and by our future obedience . now the promises of the gospel offer relief to us in all these respects , and thereby obviate all the difficulties and dis●ouragements which mankind lay under . the gracious promise of pardon frees us from guilt , and s●cures us from the terrible wrath of god , which our guilty consciences did so much dread ; and without this promise , mankind would have been under the greatest doubts and discouragements . for when men are afraid their sins are greater than will be forgiven them , they are apt to fall into despair , and despair is an effectual bar to repentance ; for when men think their condition is desperate , they care not what they do . and the promise of god's grace and holy spirit , to assist and enable us to do our duty , does fully answer all the discouragements and objections from our own weakness , and the power of temptation . we may do all things through christ strengthning us ; and how weak soever we are of our selves , we are strong in the lord , and in the power of his might . if god be for us , who or what can stand against us ? the devil is a very powerful enemy , and much too strong for flesh and blood to encounter in its own strength ; but there is another principle in the world , which is mightier and more powerful than he , the holy spirit of god , who is always ready to help , when we do not repulse and refuse his assistance ; gre●ter is he that is in you , than he that is in the world , says the apostle , joh. . . the spirit of god dwell● in all those who are willing to admit him , and is ever ready to assist those who comply with his blessed motions , and do vigorously put forth their own endeavours . and then the promise of eternal life , that answers all the difficulties of our obed●ence , and sets us above any thing that the world can threaten us withal , for our constancy to god , and his tr●th . a wise man will be content to suffer any thing , or to quit any thing upon terms of far greater advantage : and what greater consideration can be offered to encourage our constancy and obedience , than an eternity of happiness ? so that the apostle had reason to call these exceeding great and valuable promises ; so valuable , that if any one of them had been wanting , our redemption and recovery had either been absolutely impossible , or extreamly difficult . i proceed to the third thing i propounded , which was to consider the tenour of these promises ; that is , whether god have made them absolutely to us , without requiring any thing to be done on our part , o● upon certain terms and conditions to be performed by us . that god may ( if he please ) make an absolute promise of any blessing or benefit to us , there is no doubt ; and that god's grace does prevent many , and is beforehand with them , is as little to be doubted ; the spirit of god goes along with the gospel , moving and inclining men to yield obedience to it , many times before any inclination and disposition thereto on their parts . but as to this promise of god's grace and holy spirit , the great question is not about the first motion of it , but the continuance of this assistance , and the encrease of it ; and this , i think may safely be affirmed , is promised only conditionally , as also the pardon of sin , and eternal life . and concerning each of these , the matter may quickly be decided , by plain texts of scripture . concerning the promise of the grace and assistance of god's holy spirit , the scripture takes notice of two conditions . first , that we beg it earnestly of god : and this our saviour expresseth by asking , seeking , and knocking , which signifies the importunity of our requests ; our heavenly father will give his holy spirit to them that thus ask it . and then secondly , that we improve and make use of the grace which god affords us ; to him that hath , shall be given , and from him that hath not , shall be taken away even that which he seems to have . that is ( as appears plainly from the scope of the parable ) to him that useth that grace , and those advantages which god affords him , more shall be given ; but from him that makes no use of them , and therefore is as if he had them not , shall be taken away that which he but seems to have , because he makes no use of it . concerning the pardon of sins ; the scripture plainly suspends that upon the general condition of repentance , and the change of our lives ; repent , that your sins may be forgiven you : and upon the condition of our forgiving others ; if ye forgive men their trespasses , then will your heavenly father also forgive you ; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your father forgive your trespasses , says our saviour , mat. . , . and then the promise of eternal life , is every where in scripture suspended upon the condition of faith and repentance , and perseverance in well doing . he that believes ( says our saviour ) shall be saved , which indeed implies the whole condition of the gospel . he that believes ; that is , he that effectually assents to the doctrine of christ , and is so perswaded of the truth of it , as to live according to it , shall be saved . but if obedience were not included in the scripture notion of faith , yet the scripture elsewhere expresly makes it the condition of our eternal salvation . heb. . . christ is there said to be the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him ; thereby implying , that none shall be saved by christ , but those that obey the gospel . heb. . . follow holiness , without which no man shall see the lord. rom. . , , . to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory , and honour , and immortality , god will give eternal life ; but to them who are contentious , and obey not the truth , that is , the gospel , but obey unrighteousness ; indignation , and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil. i cannot well imagine what can reasonably be answered to such plain texts ; but i will tell you what is commonly answered ; namely , that god gives the condition which he requires ; and therefore though these promises run in a conditional form , yet in truth they are absolute ; because he that makes a promise to another , upon a condition which he will also perform , doth in effect make an absolute promise . as if a man promised another such an estate , upon condition he pay such a summ for it , and does promise withal to furnish him with that summ , this in effect amounts to an absolute promise of the estate . and this is very well argued , if the case were thus . but god hath no where promised to work the condition in us , without the concurrence of our own endeavours . god may , and oftentimes doth prevent men by his grace ; but he hath no where promised to give his holy spirit , but to them that ask it of him . and he hath no where promised to continue his grace and assistance to us , unless we will use our sincere endeavours ; nay in case we do not , he hath threatned to take away his grace and assistance from us . and if this be so , then the promises of the gospel do not only seem to be conditional , but are really so . and it is a wonder that any man should doubt of this , who considers how frequently in the new testament the gospel is represented to us under the notion of a covenant , since a covenant in the very nature of it doth imply a mutual obligation between the parties that enter into it . but if the gospel contain only blessings which are promised on god's part , without any thing required to be done and performed on our part , in order to the obtaining of those blessings , then the gospel is nothing else but a promise , or deed of gift , making over certain benefits and blessings to us ; but can in no propriety of language in the world be called a covenant : but if there be some things required on our part , in order to our being made partakers of the promises which god hath made to us ( as the scripture every where tells us there is ) then the promises are plainly conditional . to instance in the promise of forgiveness of sins ; repent , that your sins may be blotted out ; that is , upon this condition that ye repent of your sins , they shall be forgiven ; and not otherwise . can there be any plainer condition in the world , than is in those words of our saviour ? if ye forgive men their trespasses , your hea●enly father will also forgive your trespasses ; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses . this is so far from being any prejudice to the freeness of gods grace , who is infinitely gracious in offering such great blessings to us upon any condition that we can perform ; yet it were one of the absurdest things in the world , to imagine that god should grant to men forgiveness of sins , and eternal life , let them behave themselves as they will. fourthly , the last thing i proposed for the explaining of this doctrine of the promises of god , was , to consider when men may be said to have a right to these promises , so as to be able upon good grounds to apply them to themselves ? and the answer to this is very plain and easie ; namely , when they find the conditions of these promises in themselves ; and not till then . when a man hath truly repented of his sins , so as to forsake them , and lead a new life ; and when he does from his heart forgive those that have offended him , and hath laid down all animosity against them , and thoughts of revenge , then hath he a right to the promise of pardon and forgiveness , and may apply to himself in particular what the scripture saith in general , that god will blot out all his transgressions , and remember his iniquities no more . when a man doth constantly and earnestly implore the assistance of god's holy spirit , and is ready to yield to the motions of it , and does faithfully make use of that strength and assistance which god affords him , then he may expect the continuance of his grace , and further degrees of it . when a man makes it the constant and sinsincere endeavour of his life , to please god , and to walk in all the ordinances and commandments of the lord blameless , and is effectually taught by the grace of god to deny ungodliness , and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , and righteously , and godlily in this present world , then he may with comfort and joy wait for the blessed hope , and the glorious appearance of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ ; then he may with confidence depend upon god , in sure and certain hope of that eternal life , which god , that cannot lie , hath promised . when he can say with st. paul , i have fought a good fight , i have finished my course , i have kept the faith , then he may likewise triumph , as he did , henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness , which god the righ●eous judge shall give me in that day . upon these terms , and in these cases , men may upon good grounds apply to themselves these exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel ; and so far as any man is doubtful and uncertain of the performance of the conditions which the gospel requires , so far he must necessarily question his right and title to the blessings promised . and if any man think this doctrine too uncomfortable , and be willing to reject it upon this account , i shall only say this , that men may cheat themselves , if they please , but most certainly they will never find any true and solid comfort in any other . this is a plain and sensible account of a mans confidence and good hopes in the promises of god ; but for a man to apply any promise to himself , before he finds the condition in himself , is not faith , but either fancy , or presumption . and therefore it is a very preposterous course which many take , to advise and exhort men , with so much earnestness , to apply the promises of god to themselves , and to tell them that they are guilty of great unbelief in not doint it . that which is proper to exhort men to , is to ●ndeavour to perform the condition upon which god hath promised any blessing to us ; and when men find the condition in themselves , they will without any great perswasion take comfort from the promise , and apply it to themselves ; but till they discern the condition in themselves , it is impossible for a man that understands himself , to apply the promise to himself ; for till the condition be performed , he hath no more right to the promise , than if such a promise had never been made . and 't is so far from being a sin in such a man , to doubt of the benefit of such a promise , that it is his duty to do so ; and no man that understands himself , and the promises of god , can possibly do otherwise . therefore 't is a vain and groundless trouble which perplexeth many people , that they cannot apply the promises of god to themselves ; whereas the true ground of their trouble should be this , that they have not been careful to perform the condition of those promises which they would apply to themselves ; the other is an endless trouble ; let them but look to the condition , and the promise will apply it self . i speak all this on purpose to free men from those perplexities wherewith many have entangled themselves , by false apprehensions of the promises of god , either as if they were not made to us upon certain conditions to be performed by us , or as if any man could comfortably apply them to himself , before he hath performed those conditions upon which god hath made such promises . for if men will believe that which is not true , or expect things upon such terms as they are not to be had , they may trouble themselves eternally , and all the world cannot help it . i have now done with the first thing i propounded to speak to , namely the promises which are here spoken of . the second thing , ( viz. ) what influence these promises ought to have upon us , that by them we may be made partakers of a divine nature , i shall reserve to another opportunity . the second sermon on peter i. . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises ; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature . i made entrance into these words the last day , in the handling whereof i proposed to do these two things . first , to consider the promises here spoken of ; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises . secondly , the influence which these promises ought to have upon us ; that by these ye might be partakers of a divine nature . the first of these i have done with , and proceed now to the second , viz. the influence which these promises ought to have upon us ; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises , that by these ye might be partakers of a divine nature . not that we can partake of the essence and nature of god , as some have blasphemously affirmed , pretending , in their canting and senseless language , to be godded with god , and christed with christ . in this sense it is impossible for us to partake of the divine nature ; for this would be for men to become gods , and to be advanced to the state and perfection of the deity . but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth frequently in scripture signifie a temper and disposition ; and to be partakers of a divine nature , is to be of a divine temper and disposition , to have our corrupt natures rectified and purged from all sinful lusts , and irregular passions , and from all vicious and corrupt affections ; and therefore it follows in the text , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust ; and besides this , giving all diligence , add to your faith virtue , and to virtue knowledge , and to knowledge temperance , and to temperance patience , and to patience godliness , and to godliness brotherly-kindness , and to brotherly-kindness charity . so that we are made partakers of a divine nature , as the apostle here explains it , these two ways ; by cleansing our selves from the lusts of the flesh , which the apostle here calls the corruption or defilement which is in the world through lust ; and by a diligent endeavour after all christian graces , and virtues , faith , and temperance , and patience , a sincere love of the brethren , and an universal charity and good-will towards all men. and that this is the proper influence and efficacy of the great promises of the gospel upon the hearts and lives of men , the apostle st. paul fully declares to us , cor. . . having th●refore these promises , dearly beloved , let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh , and spirit ; that is , from the lusts of the flesh , and of uncleanness , and from all evil and corrupt affections of the mind , such as wrath , envy , malice , hatred , strife , revenge , cruelty , pride , and the like ; perfecting holiness in the fear of god ; that is , continually aspiring still more and more after further degrees of holiness , and virtue , and goodness , which are the great perfections of the divine nature . and thus by a constant and sincere endeavour to cleanse our selves from all impurity of flesh and spirit , and by practising all the virtues of a good life , we shall by degrees raise and advance our selves to a godlike temper and disposition , imitating in all our actions the goodness , and mercy , and patience , and truth , and faithfulness of god , and all those other perfections of the divine nature , which are comprehended und●r the term of holiness . this is that which the apostle here calls partaking of a divine nature ; or , as our blessed saviour expresseth it , to be perfect , as our father which is in heaven is perfect . this the gospel designs to raise us to ; and one of the great instruments whereby this is effected , are those exceeding great and precious promises which i have insisted upon : and they are capable of effecting it these two ways . first , by way of internal efficacy and assistance ; and , secondly , by way of external motive and argument : both these ways , some or other of these promises have a mighty influence upon us ( if we be not wanting to our selves ) to raise us to a godlike temper and disposition , that is , to the greatest perfection of virtue and goodness which we are capable of in this life . first , by way of internal efficacy and assistance . and this influence the promise of god's holy spirit , and of the gracious help and assistance thereof , hath upon the minds of men , inclining them to that which is good , and enabling them to do it . for the holy spirit is promised to us , in consideration and commiseration of that impotency and weakness which we have contracted in that degenerate and depraved condition into which mankind is sunk ; to help us , who are without strength to recover our selves , out of that evil and miserable state into which by wilful transgression we are fallen ; to quicken us who are dead in trespasses and sins , ( as the scripture expresseth the condition of unregenerate persons ) to raise ●s to a new life , and to cherish this principle of spiritual life , which is commonly weak at first , and to carry it through alldiscouragements and oppositions ; to excite us continually to our duty , and to enable us to the most difficult parts of obedience , such as are most contrary to our natural inclinations , and against the grain of flesh and blood , to bear down the strength of sin and temptation ; and in all our conflicts with the world , and the flesh , the devil , and all the powers of darkness , to make us victorious over them ; and , in a word , to be a principle within us , more mighty and powerful than the lusts and inclinations of our evil hearts , than the most obstinate and inveterate habits of sin and vice , and than all the temptations and terrors of sense . so that if we will make use of this assistance , and lay hold of this strength which god affords us in the gospel , and ( as the apostle expresseth it ) be workers together with god , we need not despair of victory and success ; for our strength will continually encrease , and the force and violence of our lusts will be abated , god will give us more grace , and we shall walk from strength to strength , and our path will be ( as solomon says of the way of the righteous ) as the light which shines more and more unto the perfect day . for the holy spirit of god conducts and manageth this great work of our sanctification and salvation from first to last , by opening our hearts to let in the light of divine truth upon our minds , by representing to us with advantage such arguments and considerations as are apt to perswade us to embrace it , and yield to it ; by secret and gentle reprehensions , softning our hard hearts , and b●nding our stiff and stubborn wills to a compliance with the will of god , and our duty . and this is that great work which the scripture calls our regeneration , and sanctification , the turning us from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god , a new creation , and a resurrection from the death of sin , to the life of holiness . and then by leading and directing us in the ways of holiness and obedience ; by quickning our devotion , and stirring up in us holy desires and dispositions of soul , rendring us fit to draw near to god in prayer , with a due sense of our own wants and unworthiness , and an humble confidence in the goodness of god , that he will grant us those good things that we ask of him ; in supporting and comforting us in all our afflictions and sufferings , especially for truth and righteousness sake ; and by sealing and confirming to us the blessed hopes of eternal life . thus the spirit of god carries on the work of our sanctification , and makes us partakers of a divine nature , by way of inward efficacy and assistance . secondly , the promises of the gospel are apt likewise to have a mighty influence upon us by way of motive and argument , to engage and encourage us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and to perfect holiness in the fear of god. for , first , a full pardon and indemnity for what is past , is a mighty encouragement for us to return to our duty , and a forcible argument to keep us to it for the future . for since god , who hath been so highly injured and affronted by us , is so willing and ready to forgive us , as not only to provide and purchase for us the means of our pardon , by the grievous sufferings of his dear son , but to offer it so freely , and invite us so earnestly to accept of it , and to be reconciled to him ; the consideration of this ought in all reason , ingenuity , and gratitude , to melt us into sorrow and repentance for our sins , and a deep sense of the evil of them , and to enflame our hearts with a mighty love to god , and our blessed redeemer , who hath loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood ; and to make us extreamly unwilling , nay most firmly resolved never more to offend that merciful and gracious god , who is so slow to punish , and so forward to forgive ; and effectually to engage us to a dutiful and constant and chea●ful obedience to god's holy laws and commandments , lest by our wilful transgression and violation of them , we should run our selves into a deeper guilt , and aggravate our condemnation . now that by the tender mercies of our god we are made whole , we should be infinitely afraid to sin any more , lest worse things come to us ; lest we relapse into a more incurable state , and bring a heavier load of guilt and misery upon our selves . secondly , the promise of god's grace and holy spirit is likewise a very powerful argument and encouragement to holiness , and goodness , engaging us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , that our souls and minds may be a fit temple for the holy ghost , which will not dwell in an impure soul : and likewise encouraging us hereto , by this consideration , that we have so unerring a guide to counsel and direct us , so powerful an assistant to strengthen us with all might in the inner man , to stand by us in all our conflicts with sin and satan , and to make us ( as the apostle expresseth it ) more than conquerours over all our spiritual enemies . for tho' we be weak , and our lusts strong , our enemies many , and temptations mighty and violent ; yet we need not be disheartned , so long as we know that god is with us , and the grace of his holy spirit sufficient for us , against all the strength of sin , and hell ; tho' our duty be hard , and our strength small , yet we cannot fail of success , if we be sure that the omnipotent grace of god is always ready to second our sincere , tho' never so weak , endeavours . so that when we see all the enemies of our salvation drawn up in array against us , we may encourage our selves , as the prophet elisha did his servant , when he told him that an host compassed the city with horses and chariots , and said , alas ! my master , how shall we do ? and he answered , fear not , for they that be with us , are more than they that be with them , king. . . or , as hezekiah comforted the people , when they were afraid of the mighty force of the king of assyria , chron. . , . be strong and couragious , be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of assyria , nor for all the multitude that is with him : for there be more with us , than with him . with him is an arm of flesh , but with us is the lord our god , to help us , and to fight for us . this is the case of every christian ; the force that is against us is finite and limited ; but the almighty god is on our side , and fights for us ; and every one of us may say with st. paul , philip. . . i can do all things through christ which strengthneth me . thirdly , the promise of eternal life and happiness , if duly weighed and considered , hath a mighty force in it to take us off from the love and practice of sin , and to encourage our obedience , and patient continuance in well-doing . the assurance of enjoying unspeakable and endless happiness in another world , and of escaping extream and eternal misery , is a consideration of that weight , as one would think could not fail of its efficacy upon us , to put all temptations to sin out of countenance , and to bear down before us all the difficulties and discouragements in the way of our duty . and if this make no impression upon us , if heaven and hell be of no weight with us , it will be in vain to use any other arguments , which in comparison of this , are but as the very small dust upon the balance . for if on the one hand the hopes of perfect comfort , and joy , and felicity , perpetual in duration , and vast beyond all imagination , such as ●ye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive : and if on the other hand , the dread of the terrible wrath of god , and of the vengance of eternal fire , together with the insupportable torments of a guilty conscience , and the perpetual stings of bitter remorse and anguish for the wilful folly of our wicked lives , and the rage of horrible despair of ever getting out of so miserable a state ; if neither of these considerations , if both of them will not prevail upon us to cease to be evil , and to resolve to be good , that we may obtain one of these conditions , and may escape the other ; there is no hope that any words that can be used , any arguments and considerations that can be offered , should work upon us , or take place with us . he that is not to be tempted by such hopes , nor to be terrified by such fears , is proof against all the force of perswasion in the world. and thus i have done with the two things which i proposed to consider from these words ; the nature of these promises , and the influence they are apt , and ought to have upon us , to raise us to the perfection of virtue and goodness , which the apostle here calls our being partakers of a divine nature . all that now remains is , to make some useful reflections upon what hath been discoursed upon these two heads . first of all , if we expect the blessings and benefits of these exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel , we must be careful to perform the conditions which are indispensably required on our parts . it is a great mistake , and of very pernicious consequence to the souls of men , to imagine that the gospel is all promises on god's part ; and that our part is only to believe them , and to rely upon god for the performance of them , and to be very confident that he will make them good , tho' we do nothing else but only believe that he will do so . that the christian religion is only a declaration of god's good will to us , without any expectation of duty from us ; this is an error which one could hardly think could ever enter into any who have the liberty to read the bible , and do attend to what they read , and find there . the three great promises of the gospel are all very expresly contain'd in our saviour's first sermon upon the mount. there we find the promise of blessedness often repeated ; but never absolutely made , but upon certain conditions , and plainly required on our parts ; as repentance , humility , righteousness , mercy , peaceableness , meekness , patience . forgiveness of sins is likewise promised ; but only to those that make a penitent acknowledgment of them , and ask forgiveness for them , and are ready to grant that forgiveness to others , which they beg of god for themselves . the gift of god's holy spirit is likewise there promised ; but it is upon condition of our earnest and importunate prayer to god. the gospel is every where full of precepts , enjoyning duty and obedience on our part , as well as of promises on god's part , assuring blessings to us ; nay of terrible threatnings also , if we disobey the precepts of the gospel . st. paul gives us the summ of the gospel in very few and plain words , declaring upon what terms we may expect that salvation which the gospel offers to all men , tit. . , , , . the grace of god which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men ; teaching us , that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world , looking for that blessed hope , and the glorious appearing of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ ; who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purisie unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works . and then he adds , these things speak and exhort , and rebuke with all authority ; intimating , that tho' men were very averse to this doctrine , it ought to be inculcated with great authority and earnestness , and those who opposed and despised it , to be severely rebuked : and with great reason , because the contrary doctrine does most effectually undermine and defeat the whole design of the christian religion . secondly , from hence we learn , that if the promises of the gospel have not this effect upon us , to make us partakers of a divine nature , it is our own fault , and because we are wanting to our selves . god is always ready to do his part ; if we do not fail in ours . there is a divine power and efficacy goes along with the gospel , to make way for the entertainment of it in the hearts of men , where they put no bar and obstacle to it . but if men will resist the motions of god's blessed spirit , and quench the light of it , and obstinately hold out against the force of truth ; god will withdraw his grace and holy spirit from them . the gospel would raise us to the perfection of all virtue and goodness ; and the promises of it are admirably fitted to relieve the infirmities and weakness of humane nature , and to renew us after the image of god , in righteousness , and true holiness ; to take us off from sin and vice , and to allure us to goodness ; and to assist and encourage us in the practice of it : but if we will not comply with the gracious design of god in the gospel , and suffer these promises to have their due influence and efficacy upon us ; we wilfully deprive our selves of all the blessings and benefits of it , we reject the counsel of god against our selves , and receive the grace of god in vain ; and and by rejecting and despising his promises , we provoke him to execute his threatnings upon us . thirdly , and lastly , if the promises of the christian religion are apt in their own nature to work this great effect upon us , to make us like to god , and to bring us to so near a resemblance of the divine perfections , to make us good , and just , and merciful , and patient , and holy in all manner of conversation , to purge us from our iniquities , and to make us a peculiar and excellent people , zealous of good works ; i say if this be the proper tendency of the gospel , and the promises of it , how doth this upbraid the degenerate state of the christian world at this day ? which does so abound in all kind of wickedness and impiety ; so that we may cry out as he did , upon reading the gospel ; profectò aut hoc non est evangelium ; aut nos non sumus evangelici ; either this is not the gospel which we read , and the christian religion which we profess ; or we are no christians . we are so far from that pitch of goodness and virtue which the christian religion is apt to raise men to , and which the apostle here calls the divine nature , that a great part of us are degenerated into beasts and devils , wallowing in abominable and filthy lusts , indulging our selves in those devilish passions of malice and hatred , of strife and discord , of revenge and cruelty , of sedition , and disturbance of the publick peace , to that degree , as if the grace of god had never appeared to us to teach us the contrary . and therefore it concerns all those who have the face to call themselves christians , to demean themselves at another rate , and for the honour of their religion , and the salvation of their own souls , to have their conversation as becometh the gospel of christ ; and by departing from the vicious practices of this present evil world , to do what in them lies to prevent the judgments of god which hang over us ; or if they cannot do that , to save themselves from this untoward generation . a sermon on peter iv. . wherefore , let them that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing , as unto a faithful creator . this epistle was written by st. peter , who was the apostle of the circumcision , to the dispersed jews , who were newly converted to christianity ; and the design of it is to confirm and establish them in the profession of it ; and to instruct them how they ought to demean themselves towards the heathen or gentiles , among whom they lived ; and more particularly to arm and prepare them for those sufferings and persecutions , which he foretels would shortly overtake them for the profession of christianity , that when they should happen , they might not be surprised and startled at them , as if some strange and unexpected thing were come upon them ; at the v. of this chapter , beloved , think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you ; that is , do not wonder and be not as●onish'd at it , as if some strange thing hapned unto you . and then he instructs them more particularly , how they ought to behave themselves under those tr●als and sufferings , when they should happen ; not only with patience , which men ought to exercise under all kinds of sufferings , upon what account and cause soever ; but with joy and cheerfulness ; considering the glorious example and reward of them , v. . but rejoyce , in as much as ye are partakers of christs sufferings ; that when his glory shall be revealed , ye may be glad also with exceeding joy : and at the . ver . he tells them , that besides the encouragement of so great an example , and so glorious a reward , they should be supported and assisted in a very extraordinary manner , by the spirit of god resting upon them in a glorious manner , as a testimony of the divine power and presence with them ; v. . if ye be reproached for the name of christ , happy are ye , for the spirit of glory and of god resteth upon you ; or , as it is in the best copies , for the spirit of glory and of power , even the spirit of god res●eth upon you ; that is , the glorious power of the divine spirit is present with you , to comfort and bear up your spirits under these sufferings . but then he cautions them , to take great care , that thei● sufferings be for a good cause , and a good conscience ; v. . but let none of you suffer as a m●●therer , or as a thief , or as an evil-doer , ( that is , as an offender in any kind against human laws , made to preserve the peace and good order of the world ) or as a busy-body in other mens matters ; ( that is , as a pragmatical person , that meddles out of his own sphere , to the disquiet and disturbance of human society : ) for to suffer upon any of these accounts , would be matter of shame and trouble , but not of joy and comfort : but if they suffer'd upon account of the profession of christianity , this would be no cause of shame and reproach to them ; but they ought rather to give god thanks for calling them to suffer in so good a cause , and upon so glorious an account . v. . yet if any man suffer as a christian ( if that be his only crime ) let him not be ashamed , but let him glori●ie g●d on this behalf ; for the time is come , that judgment must begin at the house of god ; ( that is , the wise and just providence of god , hath so order'd it at this time , for very good reasons and ends , that the first calamities and sufferings should fall upon christians , the peculiar people and church of god , for their tryal , and a testimony to the truth of that religion , which god was now planting in the world : ) and if i● first begin at us , ( that is , at us jews , who were the ancient people of god , and have now embraced and entertained the revelation of the gospel ) what shall the end be of them , that obey not the gospel of god ? ( that is , how much more severely will god deal with the rest of the jews who have crucified the son of god , and still persist in their infidelity and disobedience to the gospel ? ) and if the righteous scarcely be saved , where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ? ( that is , if good men be saved with so much difficulty , and must through so many tribulations enter into the kingdom of god , what will become of all ungodly and impenitent sinners ? where shall they appear ? how shall they be able to stand in the judgment of the great day ? ) from the consideration of all which , the apostle makes this inference or conclusion , in the last ver . of this chapter , wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing , as unto a faithful creator . thus you see the connexion and dependance of these words , upon the apostle's foregoing discourse . i shall explain the several expressions in the text , and then handle the main points contained in them . the expressions to be explained are these : what is meant by those that suffer according to the will of god ? what by committing the keeping of our souls to god , ●s unto a faithful creator ? and what by well-doing ? . what is meant by suffering according to the will of god ? this may be understood of suffering in a good cause , such as god will approve : but this is not so probable ; because this is mentioned afterwards , in the following expressions of committing the keeping of our souls to god in well-doing ; that is , in suffering upon a good account : and therefore the plain and genuine sense of this expression , seems to be this ; that those who according to the good pleasure of god's will , and the wise dispensation of his providence , are appointed to suffer for his cause , should demean themselves so and so ; let them that suffer according to the will of god ; that is , those whom god thinks fit to call to suffering . and this agrees very well with the like expression , chap. . of this epist . ver . . for it is better , if the will of god be so , ( that is , if god have so appointed it , and think it fit ) that ye suffer for well-doing , than for evil-doing . secondly , what is here meant by committing the keeping of our souls to god , as to a faithful creator ? that is , to deposit our lives , and all that belongs to us , in a word our selves , into the hands and custody of his merciful care and providence who made us ; and therefore we may be sure will faithfully keep what we commit to him : for as we are his creatures , he is engaged to take care of us , and will not abandon the work of his own hands . besides that , he hath promised to be more especially concerned for good men , to support them in their sufferings for a good cause , and to reward them for it ; and he is faithful that hath promised . and therefore there is great reason and great encouragement , in all our sufferings for god's cause and truth , to commit our souls to his care and custody : our souls , that is ( as i said before ) our lives , and all that belongs to us ; in a word , our selves : for so the word soul is frequently used both in the old and new testament , psal . . . let the enemy persecute my soul , and take it ; that is , my life ; for so it follows in the next words ; yea , let him tread do●n my life upon the earth . and psal . . . oppressors seek after my soul. and psal . . . they lie in wa●t for my soul ; that is , my life . and psal . . . thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; my soul , that is , my self , thou wilt not suffer me to continue in the grave , and under the power of death , but wilt raise me up to life again . and so likewise in the new testament , mar. . . whosoever will save his life , shall lose it ; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospels , the same shall save it . the same word which is here rendred life , in the very next verse is rendred soul ; for what shall it profit a man , if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ? that is , his life . and so likewise jo● . . . he that loveth his life , shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this world , ( in the original the word signifies soul ) he that hateth his life in this world ( that is , who neglecteth and exposeth his life in this world , for the sake of christ ) shall keep it unto life eternal . and luke . . that which the other evangelists render by the word soul , or life , he renders himself ; for what is a man advantaged , if he gain the whole world , and lose himself ? and so here in the text , to commit the keeping of our souls to god , is to commit our selves to his care and providence . thirdly , what is here meant by committing our selves to him in well-doing ? by well-doing is here meant , a fixt purpose and resolution of doing our duty , notwithstanding all hazards and sufferings ; which is call'd by st. paul , rom. . . a patient continuance in well-doing . it signifies sometimes acts of goodness and charity ; but in this epistle it is taken in a larger sense , for constancy and resolution in the doing of our duty ; as chap. . . for so is the will of god , that with well-doing ( that is by a resolute constancy in a good course ) ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. and ver . . but if when ye do well , and s●ffer for it ( that is , if when ye suffer for well-doing ) ye take it patiently , this is acceptable with god. and chap. . ver . . as long as ye do well , and are not afraid with any amazement ; that is , are resolute and constant in doing your duty , notwithstanding all threatnings and terrors . and ver . . for it is better , if the will of god be so , that ye suffer for well-doing , than for evil-doing ; that is , for your religion and constancy in so good a cause , as christians , and not as criminals upon any other account . so that the plain meaning of the words is , as if the apostle had said , wherefore being forewarned of suffering and persecution for the cause of religion , the summ of my direction and advice upon the whole matter is this ; that since it is the will of god that ye should suffer upon this account , commit your selves in the constant discharge of your duty , and a good conscience , to the particular care and providence of almighty god , as the faithful creatour . and now i come to handle the particular points contained in the words ; and they are these three . first , that when men do suffer really and truly for the cause of religion , they may with confidence commit themselves ( their lives and all that is dear to them ) to the particular and more especial care of the divine providence . secondly , always provided , that we do nothing contrary to our duty , and a good conscience ; for this the apostle means , by committing our selves to god , in well-doing . if we step out of the way of our duty , or do any thing contrary to it , god's providence will not be concerned for us , to bear us out in such sufferings . thirdly , i shall consider what ground of comfort and encouragement the consideration of god , as a faithful creatour , affords to us in all our sufferings , for a good cause , and a good conscience . first , when men do suffer really and truly for the cause of religion , and god's truth , they may with confidence and good assurance commit themselves , ( their lives and all that is dear to them ) to the particular and more especial care of his providence . in the handling of this , i shall consider these three things . . when men may be said to suffer really and truly for the cause of religion ; and when not . . how far they may rely upon the providence of god , to bear them out in these sufferings . . what ●●ound and reason there is to expect the more particular and especial care of god's providence , in case of such sufferings . . when men may be said to suffer really and truly for the cause of religion , and god's truth ; and when not . in these cases . first , when men suffer for not renouncing the true religion , and because they will not openly declare against it , and apostatize from it . but it will be said , that in all these cases the question is , what is the true religion ? to which i answer ; that all discourses of this nature , about suffering for religion , do suppose the truth of some religion or other . and among christians , the truth of the christian religion is taken for granted , where ever we speak of mens suffering persecution for it . and the plainest case among christians , is , when they are persecuted , because they will not openly deny and renounce the christian religion . and this was generally the case of the primitive christians ; they were threatned with tortures and death , because they would not renounce jesus christ , and his religion , and give demonstration thereof , by offering sacrifices to the heathen-gods . secondly , men do truly suffer for the cause of religion , when they are persecuted only for making an open profession of the christian religion , by joyning in the assemblies of christians for the worship of god ; tho' they be not urged to deny and disclaim it , but only to conceal and dissemble the profession of it , so as to forbear the maintenance and defence of it upon fitting occasions , against the objections of those who are adversaries of it . for to conceal the profession of it , and to decline the defence of it , when just occasion is offer'd , is to be ashamed of it ; which our saviour interprets to be a kind of denial of it , and is opposed to the confessing of him before men , mat. . , . whosoever shall confess me before men , him will i also confess before my father which is in heaven : but whosoever shall deny me before men , him will i also deny before my father which is in heaven . and this by st. mark is express'd by being ashamed of christ ; that is , afraid and ashamed to make an open profession of him , and his religion ; mark . . whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me , and of my words , in this adulterous and finful generation , of him also shall the son of man be ashamed , when he cometh in the glory of his father , with the holy angels . and this likewise was the case of the primitive christians under the moderate emperors , when the persecution of them was not so hot , as to drive them to a denial of christ ; provided they would be contented to conceal and dissemble their religion ; in that case they did not hunt them out , nor prosecute them to renounce their religion , if they made no discovery of themselves . but yet they who suffered , because they would not conceal their profession of christianity , did truly suffer for the cause of religion . thirdly , men do likewise truly suffer for the cause of religion , when they suffer for not betraying it , by any indirect and unworthy means ; such as among the primitive christians was the delivering up their bibles to the heathen , to be burnt and destroyed by them : for to give up that holy book , which is the great instrument of our religion , is in effect to give up christianity it self , and to consent to the utter extirpation of it . and such likewise is the case of those , who suffer in any kind for not contributing to break down the fences of religion in any nation , where the providenc● of god hath given it a legal establishment and security ; or , in a word , for refusing to countenance and further any design , which visibly tends to the ruine of religion : for to destroy religion , and to take away that which hinders the destruction of it , are in effect much the same thing . fourthly , men do truly suffer for the cause of religion , when they suffer for the maintenance and defence of any necessary and fundamental article of it , tho they be not required to renounce the whole christian religion : for what st. paul says of the article of the resurrection of the dead is true of any other necessary article of the christian religion , that the denyal of it , is a subversion of the whole christian faith ; because it tends directly to the overthrow●ng of christianity , being a wound given to it in a vital and essential part. and this was the case of those , who in any age of christianity have been persecuted by hereticks , for the defence of any article of christianity . and i cannot but observe by the way , that after the heathen pe●secutions were ceased , persecution was first begun among christians by hereticks ; and hath since been taken up , and carried much beyond that bad pattern , by the church of rome ; which , besides a standing inquisition in all countries , which are entirely of that religion ; ( a court , the like whereto , for the clancular and secret manner of proceeding , for the unjust and arbitrary rules of it , for the barbarous usage of mens persons , and the cruelty of its torments , to extort confessions from them , the sun never saw erected under any government in the world , by men of any religion whatsoever . ) i say , which , besides this court , hath by frequent croisadoes for the extirpation of hereticks , and by many bloody massacres in france and ireland , and several other places , destroyed far greater numbers of christians , than all the ten heathen persecutions ; and hath of late revived , and to this very day continues the same or greater cruelties , and a fiercer persecution of protestants , if all the circumstances of it be considered , than was ever yet practised upon them ; and yet whilst this is doing almost before our eyes , in one of our next neighbour nations , they have the face to complain of the cannibal laws , and bloody persecutions of the church of england ; and the confidence to set up for the great patrons of liberty of conscience , and enemies of all compulsion and force in matters of religion . fifthly , men do truly suffer for the cause of god and religion , when they suffer for asserting and maintaining the purity of the christian doctrine and worship ; and for opposing and not complying with those gross errors and corruptions , which superstition and ignorance had in a long course of time brought into the christian religion . upon this account many good people suffer'd in many past ages , for resisting the growing errors and corruptions of the church of rome , which at first crept in by degrees , but at last broke in like a mighty flood , which carryed down all before it , and threatned ruin and destruction to all that opposed them . upon this account also , infinite numbers suffered among the waldenses and albigenses , in bohemia , and in england , and in most other countries in this western part of christendom : and they who suffer'd upon this account● suffer'd in a good cause , and for the testimony of the truth . sixthly , and lastly , men do truly suffer for the cause of religion , when they suffer for not disclaiming and renouncing any clear and undoubted truth of god whatsoever ; yea though it be not a fundamental point and article of religion . and this is the case of those many thousands , who , ever since the iv. council of lateran , which was in the year , ( when transubstantiation was first defin'd to be an article of faith , and necessary to salvation to be believ'd ) were persecuted with fire and sword , for not understanding those words of our saviour , this i● my body , ( which are so easily capable of a reasonable sense ) in the absurd and impossible sense of transubstantiation . and though this disowning of this doctrin , be no express and direct article of the christian religion ; yet it is a fundamental article of right reason and common sense : because the admitting of transubstantiation , does undermine the foundation of all certainty whatsoever , and does more immediately shake the very foundation of christianity it self . yea , tho' the christian religion were no ways concerned in this doctrine , yet out of reverence to reason and truth , and a just animosity and indignation at confident nonsense , a man of an honest and generous mind would as soon be brought to declare or swear , that twice two do not make four , but five , as to profess his belief of transubstantiation . and tho' all truths are not of equal consequence and concernment , yet all truth is of god ; and for that reason , tho' we are not obliged to make an open profession of all truths at all times , yet we are bound not to deny or renounce any truth , nor to make profession of a known falsehood or error : for it is meerly because of the intrinsical evil of the thing , that it is impossible for god to lie ; and the son of god thought it worth his coming into the world , and laying down his life , to bear witness to the truth . so he himself tells us , joh. . . to this end was i born , and for this cause came i into the world , that i should bear witness to the truth . thus i have shewn you in these plain instances ( to which most other cases may be reduced ) when men may be said to suffer truly for the cause of religion , and truth . i shall mention two or three cases wherein men may seem to suffer for the cause of religion , but cannot truly be said to do so . first , when men rashly expose themselves to danger , and run upon sufferings for the sake of religion . thus several of the primitive christians voluntarily exposed themselves , when they were not called in question , and in the heat of their affection and zeal for god and religion , offered themselves to martyrdom , when none enquired after them . this , in the gracious interpretation of god , who knowing the sincerity of their zeal , was pleased to overlook the indiscreet forwardness and rashness of it , might be accepted for a kind of martyrdom : but cannot in reason be justified , so a● to be fit to be made a pattern , and to be recommended to our imitation . for tho' god may be pleased to excuse the weakness of a well-meaning zeal ; yet he can approve nothing but what is reasonable . to suffer chearfully for the cause of god and his truth , when he calls us to fight this good fight of faith , and to resist unto blood ; and when we are reduced to that strait , that we must either die for god and his truth , or deny them ; to suffer i say in this case with courage and patience , is one of the noblest of all the christian virtues . but to be perfect volunteers , and to run our selves upon sufferings , when we are not called to them , looks rather like the sacrifice of fools ; which tho' god may mercifully excuse , and pardon the evil of the action , for the good meaning of it ; yet he can never perfectly approve and accept of it . but i think there is little need nowa-days to caution men against this rashness ; it is well if they have the grace and resolution to suffer when it is their duty , and when they are called to it . secondly , nor can men be truly said to suffer for the cause of religion , when they suffer not for their faith , but their fancy , and for the wilful and affected error of a mistaken conscience . as when men suff●r for indifferent things , which in heat and passion they call superstition and idoltary ; and for their own false opinions in religion , which they mistake for fundamental articles of the christian faith. in this case , their mistake about these things will not change the nature of them , nor turn their sufferings into martyrdom ; and yet many men have certainly suffered for their own mistakes . for as men may be so far deluded , as to think they do god good service , when they kill his fa●thful servants ; so likewise may they be so far deceived , as to sacrifice their lives , and all that is dear to them , to their own culpable errors and mistakes . but this is zeal without knowledge● not the wisdom which descends from above , but that which comes from beneath , and is like the fire of hell , which is heat without light . thirdly , and lastly ; nor can men truly be said to suffer for the cause of god and religion , when they suffer for the open profession and defence of truths not necessary . for tho' a man be obliged to make an open profession of all fundamental and necessary truths ; yet he is under no such obligation to make profession of truths not necessary at all times ; and unless he be called to deny them , he is not bound either to declare or defend them ; he may hold his peace at other times , and be silent about them , especially when the open profession of them will probably do no good to others , and will certainly do hurt to our selves , and the zealous endeavour to propagate such truths will be to the greater prejudice of charity , and the disturbance of the publick peace of the church . it was a good saying of erasmus ( if we understand it , as i believe he meant it , of truths not necessary ) adeo invis● sunt mihi discordi● , ut veritas etiam contentiosa displiceat : i am ( says he ) so perfect a hater of discord , that i am even displeased with truth , when it is the occasion of contention . as a man is never to deny truth , so neither is he obliged to make an open profession of truths not necessary , at all times ; and if he suffer upon that account , he cannot justifie it to his own prudence , nor have comfort in such sufferings ; because he brings them needlesly upon himself ; and no man can have comfort , but in suffering for doing his duty . and thus i have done with the first thing i proposed to enquire into ; namely , when men may be truly said to suffer for the cause of religion ? i proceed now to the second enquiry ; namely , how far men may rely upon the providence of god , to bear them out in such sufferings ? to which i answer ; that provided we do what becomes us , and is our duty on our part , the providence of god will not be wanting on his part , to bear us out in all our sufferings for his cause , one of these three ways . first , to secure us from that violent degree of temptation and suffering , which would be too strong for humane strength and patience ; or , secondly , in case of such extraordinary temptation and trial , to give us the extraordinary supports and comforts of his holy spirit ; or else , thirdly , in case of a temporary fall and miscarriage , to raise us up by repentance , and a greater resolution and constancy under sufferings . i shall speak severally to these . . either the providence of god will not be wanting to secure us from that violent degree of temptation and suffering , which would be too strong for humane strength and patience to bear . and this is a great security to good men , against the fears of a final miscarriage , after all their labours , and pains , and sufferings in a religious course , by being over-born at last by the assault of a very violent and powerful temptation . not but that the best of men ought always to have a prudent distrust of themselves , so as to keep them from security ; according to the apostle's caution and counsel ; be not high minded , but fear ; and let him that stands , take heed lest he fall ; because , 'till we come to heaven , we shall never be out of the danger and possibility of falling : but yet for all this , we may hope , by the sincerity and firmness of our resolution , under the usual influences of god's grace , to acquit our selves like men , in ordinary cases of temptation and suffering . and to this end , we should represent to our selves those exceeding great and precious promises , which he hath made to good men , and his merciful providence , which continually watcheth over them , and steers their course for them in this world , among those many rocks which they are in danger to split upon ; that he is able to stablish us in the truth , and to keep us from falling , and to present us faultless before the presence of h●s glory with exceeding joy , and to preserve us to his heavenly kingdom ; and that if we do not forsake him , and forfeit his care and protection , he will keep us by his mighty power through faith unto salvation ; either by his merciful foresight and prevention of those temptations , which would probably be too hard for us ; or if he thinks fit they should befal us , by supporting us under them in an extraordinary manner . for i doubt not , but that the best men do own their security and perseverance in goodness , much more to the merciful providence of god , preventing the assaults of violent and dangerous temptations , than to the firmness and constancy of their own resolutions . for there are very few persons of so firm and resolute virtue , but that one time or other , a temptation might assault them upon such a disadvantage , as would in all probability not only stagger them , but bear them down . now herein th●●●ovidence of god towards good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very remarkable , in secu●●●● 〈◊〉 ●rom those temptations , which 〈◊〉 ●oo st●ong for them to grapple wi●●al ; like a kind and tender father , who , if he be satisfied of the dutiful disposition of his child towards him , will not try his obedience to the utmost , nor permit too strong a temptation to the contrary to come in his way . so the psalmist represents god's tender regard and consideration of the frailty and infirmity of his children , psal . . , . like as a father pitieth his children , so the lord pitieth them that fear him : for he knoweth our frame , he remembreth that we are dust ; that is , he considereth us as men , and deals with us accordingly . provided we be sincere , he will not suffer us to be set upon by temptations that are too big for us . andtherefore our blessed saviour makes it one of the petitions of that excellent prayer , which he hath recommended to us ; lead us not into temptation ; that is , we should every day beg of god , that his providence would keep us out of the way of great and dangerous temptations , as knowing that this will be a greater security to us , than any strength and resolution of our own . secondly , or in case of such violent and extraordinary temptations , the providence of god will not be wanting to give us the extraodinary support and comfort of his holy spirit , to bear us up under them . the providence of god did take care of good men in all ages , and did afford comfort to them , under great tryals and sufferings ; but god never made so express and general a promise of this , to all good men , as he hath done by the christian religion . never was so constant a presence and influence of the divine spirit vouchsafed and assured to men under any dispensation , as that of the gospel ; wherein the spirit of god is promised to all that sincerely embrace the christian religion , to reside and dwell in them ; not only to all the purposes of sanctification and holiness , but of support and comfort under the heaviest pressures and sufferings . for which reason the gospel is called the ministration of the spirit ; and is upon this account said to be more glorious than any other revelation which god had ever made to mankind . we are naturally apt to be very much disheartned and cast down at the apprehension of great sufferings , from the consideration of our own weakness and frailty ; but the spirit of christ dwells in all true christians , and the same glorious power , which raised up jesus from the dead , works mightily in them that believe . st. paul useth very high expressions about this matter , eph. . . that ye may know ( saith he , speaking to all christians ) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who b●lieve , accord●ng to the working of his mighty power , which he wrought in christ , when he raised him from the dead , and set him at his own right hand . so that every christian is endowed with a kind of omnipotence , being able ( as st. paul speaks of himself ) to do and to endure all things , through christ strengthning him . of our selves we are very weak , and the temptations and terrors of the world are very powerful ; but there is a principle residing in every true christian , that is able to bear us up against the world , and the power of all its temptations . whatsoever is born of god ( saith st. john ) overcometh the world ; for greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world . the holy spirit of god , which dwells in all true christians , is a more powerful principle of resolution , and courage , and patience , under the sharpest trials and sufferings , than that evil spirit which rules in the world is , to stir up and set on the malice and rage of the world against us . ye are of god , little children ( he speaks this to the youngest and weakest christians ) ye are of god , little children , and have overcome ; because greater is he that is in you , than he that is in the world . the malice and power of the devil is very great ; but the goodness and power of god is greater . and therefore in case of extraordinary temptation , good men , by virtue of this promise of god's holy spirit , may expect to be born up and comforted in a very extraordinary and supernatural manner , under the greatest tribulations and sufferings for righteousness sake . and this was in a very signal and remarkable manner afforded to the primitive christians , under those fierce and cruel persecutions to which they were exposed . and this may still be expected , in like cases of extraordinary sufferings for the testimony of god's truth . if ye be reproached ( saith st. peter , in this th chap. ver . . ) for the name of christ , happy are ye ; for the spirit of glory and of god resteth upon you . the spirit of god is here promised to strengthen and support all that suffer for the name of christ , in a very conspicuous and glorious manner , according to that prayer of st. paul , col. . . that christians might be strengthned with all might , according to god's glorious power , unto all patience , and long-suffering , with joyfulness . for when god is pleased to exercise good men with trials more than humane , and such sufferings as are beyond the common rate of humane strength and patience to bear , he hath engaged himself to endue and assist them with more than humane courage , and resolution . so st. paul tells the corinthians , who had not then felt the utmost rage of persecution , cor. . . no tempt●tion or trial hath yet befallen you , but what is common to man ; that is , nothing but what is frequently incident to humane nature , and what by humane strength , with an ordinary assistance of god's grace , may be grapled withal . but , in case god shall call you to extraordinary sufferings , he is faithful that hath promised , who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able , but will with the temptation also make a way to escape , that ye may be able to bear it ; that is , as he hath ordered and appointed so great a temptation or trial to befall you , so he will take care that it shall have a happy issue , by enabling you to bear it , by affording you grace and strength equal to the violence and power of the temptation . for , as he is said to fall into temptation , that is conquered by it ; so he is said to get out of it , or escape it , who is enabled to bear it , and , in so doing , gets the better of it . and for this we may rely upon the faithfulness of god , who hath promised that we shall not be tried above our strength ; either not above the strength which we have , or not above the strength which he will afford us in such a case . and why then should we be daunted at the apprehension of any suffering whatsoever , if we be secured that our comfort shall be encreased in proportion to our trouble , and our strength in proportion to the sharpness and weight of our sufferings ? or else , thirdly , in case of temporary falling , the providence and goodness of god will give them the grace and opportunity of recovering themselves from their fall by repentance . for the providence of god may sometimes , for wise ends and reasons , see it fit to leave good men to their own frailty , and to faint and fall shamefully under sufferings , so as to renounce and deny the truth ; sometimes to punish their vain confidence in themselves ; as in the case of peter , who declared more resolution , and bare it out with a greater confidence , than any of the disciples , when he said to our saviour , tho' all men forsake thee , yet will not i ; and yet after this he fell more shamefully than any of the rest , so as to deny his master with horrid oaths , and imprecations , and this , tho' our saviour had prayed particularly for him , that his faith might not fail . from which instance we may learn , that god doth not engage himself absolutely to secure good men from falling , in case of a great temptation and tryal ; but if they be sincere , he will not permit them to fall finally , though he may suffer them to miscarry grievously for a time , to covince them of the vanity of their confidence in themselves and their own strength . sometimes god my suffer good men to fall , in order to their more glorious recovery , and the greater demonstration and triumph of their faith and constancy afterwards ; which was the case of that happy instrument of our reformation here in england , arch-bishop cranmer , who after he had been so great a champion of the reformation , was so overcome with fear , upon the apprehension of his approaching sufferings , as to subscribe those errors of the chuch of rome , which he had so stoutly opposed a great part of his life : but he did not long continue in this state , but by the grace of god , which had not forsaken him , was brought to repentance ; and when he came to suffer , gave such a testimony of it , and of his faith and constancy , as was more glorious , and more to the confirmation of the faith of others , than a simple martyrdom could have been , if he had not fallen ; for when he was brought to the stake , he put his right hand ( withwhich he had signed his recantation ) into the fire , and with an undaunted constancy held it there , til it was quite burnt , for a testimony of his true repentance for that foul miscarriage ; and when he had done , gave the rest of his body to be burnt , which he endured with great courage and cheerfulness to the last . so that he made all the amends possible for so great a fault ; and the goodness of god , and the power of his grace was more glorified in his repentance and recovery , than if he had never fallen . but what shall we say , when notwithstanding these promises of extraordinary comfort and support , in case of extraordinary sufferings , so great numbers are seen to faint in the day of trial , and to fall off from their stedfastness ? of which there were many sad instances , among the primitive christians , and have likewise been of late in our own times , and n places nearer to us . this i confess is a very melancholy consideration , but yet i think is capable of a sufficient answer . and first of all , let this be establish'd for a firm and undoubted principle , that god is faithful to his promise ; and therefore we ought much rather to suppose in all these cases , that there is some default on our part , than any failure and unfaithfullness on god's part. thus st. paul , determines in a like case , when the promise of god seemed not to be made good to the jews , he lays the blame of it on their unbelief , but acquits god of any unfaithfulness in his promise , rom. . , . for what if some did not believe , shall their unbelief make the faith ( or fidelity ) of god without effect ? god forbid : yea , let god be true , but every man a lyar . this i confess does not answer the difficulty ; but yet it ought to incline and dispose us , to interpret what can fairly be offer'd for the removal of it , with all the favour that may be on god's side . i say then , secondly , that when good men fall in case of extraordinary temptation , and recover again by repentance , and give greater demonstration afterwards of their constancy and resolution , in the cause of god and his truth , the faithfulness of god in his promises is sufficiently vindicated , as in the cases i mentioned : because the promise of god is not absolute , that good men shall be preserv'd from falling ; but that the temptation shall have a h●ppy issue , and that they shall not finally miscarry . for promises of this nature are to be interpreted by us , and understood , as we do our saviour's prayer for peter before his fall , that his faith should not fail finally ; but though he fell through too much confidence in himself , he should , through the grace of god assisting him , be enabled to recover by repentance . thirdly , the sincerity or insinc●rity of men in the profession of the true religion , is a thing which we cannot certainly know , because we do not see into mens hearts ; but he who knows the heart , and trys the spirits of men in a ballance , cannot be deceiv'd in this matter ; and where men are not sincere , the promise of god is not concerned to hinder them from discovering themselves ; and the fall of such persons , is no reflection upon the faithfulness of god. and it is reasonable enough to presum● , that this may be the case of not a few , and that ( like simon m●gus ) after they have made a very solemn profession of christianity , their hearts may not be right in the sight of god. fourthly , if we put the case at the hardest , that some that were very sincere , after they have h●ld out a great while , under the extremity of torments , have at last fainted under them , and yielded to the malice and cruelty of their persecutors , and in this amazement and distraction have not long after expired , without any testimony of their repentance ; in this case , both reason and charity ought to restrain us from passing any very positive and severe sentence upon the state of such persons . for what do we know , but god whose goodness will certainly make all the allowance to human frailty that reason can require ; ( for he knows whereof we are made ; and remembers that we are but dust ; he mercifully considers every man's case , and weighs all the circumstances of it in an exact ballance ; ) i say who can tell , but that in such a case as i have mentioned , god may graciously be pleased to accept such a degree of constant suffering of great torments for so long a time , for a true martyrdom , and not expect a more than humane patience and resolution , where he is not pleased to afford more than humane strength and support ; and whether he may not look upon their failing and miscarriage at last , in the same rank with the indeliberate actions of men in a frenzy , and besides themselves ? and thus god may be said with the temptation to make a way to escape , or , to give a happy issue to it ; since they were enabled to bear it , 'till being distracted by their torments , their understandings wer● thrown off the hinges , and incapable of exercising any deliberate acts of reason . and without some such equitable consideration of the case of such persons , it will be very hard to reconcile some appearances of things with the goodness of god , and the faithfulness of his promise . however , it will become us to abstain from all uncharitable and peremptory censure of the final estate of such persons , especially 'till we our selves have given greater and better testimony of our constancy ; and in the mean time , to leave them to the righteous and merciful sentence of their master and ours , to whose judgment we must all stand or fall . i am sure it will very ill become those , who by the providence of god have escaped those sufferings , and are at present out of danger themselves , to ●it in judgment upon those who are left to endure this terrible conflict , and have perhaps held out as long , or longer , than they themselves would have done in the like circumstances . let us rather earnestly beg of the god of all grace and patience , that he would endue us with a greater measure of patience and constancy , if he see fit to call us to the exercise of it ; and ( which we lawfully may , after the example of our blessed saviour ) that if it be his will , he would let this cup pass from us , and not try us with the like sufferings , lest we also be weary , and faint in our minds . i come now to the third , and last enquiry which i proposed ; what ground and reason there is , for good men to expect the more peculiar and especial care of god's providence in case of such sufferings ? the providence of god extends to all his creatures , according to that of the psalmist , the lord is good to all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . but he exerciseth a more particular providence towards mankind ; and more peculiar yet towards those who study to please him , by obeying his laws , and doing his will. he that is assured of his own heart , that he loves god , and would do or suffer any thing for him , can have no cause to doubt but that god loves him , and is concerned for his happiness . no man was ever afraid of god , that was not conscious to himself that he had offended him , and by the wilful breach of his laws had put himself out of the care of his providence . but on the contrary , if our hearts give us this testimony , that we have made it our sincere endeavour to please him , we are naturally apt to have good assurance and confidence of his favour and good-wil● towards us . this comfort the mind of every good man is apt to give him , from his own reason , and the natural notions which he hath of god. but to free us from all doubt in this matter , god himself hath told us so , and given us plentiful assurance of it in his word , psal . . . the righteous lord loveth righteousness , his countenance doth behold the upright ; that is , he will be favourable unto them . psal . . . behold , the eye of the lord is upon them that fear him ; upon them that hope in his mercy . the eye of god , signifies his watchful care and providence over good men. so that besides the sure and well-grounded reasonings , from the essential perfections of the divine nature , the mercy and goodness of god ; we have a more sure word of promise , in ●the express declarations of god's word , and more particularly in the case of great temptations and sufferings . for can we think , that the scripture saith in vain , wait on the lord , and be of good courage , and he shall strengthen thine heart ? m●ny are the afflictions of the righteous , but the lord delivereth him out of all ? the steps of a good man are ordered by the lord , and he delighteth in his ways ; tho' he fall , he shall not utterly be cast down , for the lord upholdeth him with his hand ? the salvation of the righteous is of the lord , he is their help in time of trouble . the same promises we find in the new testament . all things shall work together for good , to them that love god. god is faithful , who hath promised , that he will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able , but will with the temptation make a way to escape . and to mention no more ; hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering , he is faithful that bath promised ; viz. to support you under sufferings , and to reward them . thus much for the first point , namely , that when men do suffer truly for the cause of religion , they may with confidence commit themselves to the more peculiar care of the divine providence . the second sermon on peter iv. . wherefore , let them that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing , as unto a faithful creator . from these words i proposed to consider these three points . first , that when men do suffer really and truly for the cause of religion , they may with confidence commit themselves ( their lives , and all that is dear to them ) to the peculiar and more especial care of the divine providence . secondly , this we may do always , provided that we be careful of our duty , and do what is required on our part ; and that neither to avoid sufferings , nor to rescue our selves out of them , we do any thing contrary to our duty and a good conscience ; for this is the meaning of committing our selves to god in well-doing . thirdly , to shew what ground of comfort and encouragement the consideration of god , under the notion of a faithful creator , does afford to us , under all our sufferings for a good cause and a good conscience . the first of these points i have treated on at large in my former discourse . i proceed now to the second , namely , when in all our sufferings for the cause of religion , we may with confidence and good assurance , commit our selves to the peculiar and more especial care of god's providence● this is to be understood , always provided that we be careful of our duty , and do what is required on our part ; and that neither to avoid sufferings , nor to rescue our selves out of them , we do any thing contrary to our duty and a good conscience . and this i told you was the meaning of committing our selves to god in well-doing ; for if we either neglect our duty , or step out of the way of it , by doing things contrary to it , the providence of god will not be concern'd to bear us out in such sufferings . so that in our sufferings for the cause of god and religion , to commit our selves to him in well-doing , may reasonably comprehend in it these following particulars . . provided always , that we neglect no lawful means of our preservation from sufferings , or our deliverance out of them : in this case men do not commit themselves to the providence of god , but cast themselves out of his care and protection ; they do not trust god , but tempt him , and do as it were try whether he will stand by us , when w● desert our selves ; and bring us out of trouble , when we would take no care , would use no endeavours to prevent it . if we will needlesly provoke trouble , and run our selves upon sufferings ; if we will neglect our selves , and the lawful means of our preservation ; if we will give up , and part with those securities of our religion , which the providence of god , and the laws of our country have given us ; if we our selves will help to pull down the fence which is about us ; if we will disarm our selves , and by our own act expose our selves naked and open to danger and sufferings ; why should we think in this case , that god will help us ; when we would not help our selves , by those lawful ways , which the providence of god had put into our hands ? all trust in god , and dependance upon his providence , does imply , that we joyn prayer and endeavour together ; faith in god , and a prudent and diligent use of means : if we lazily trust the providence of god , and so cast all our care upon him , as to take none at all our selves , god will take no care of us . in vain do we rely upon the wisdom , and goodness , and power of god ; in vain do we importune and tire heaven with our prayers , to help us against our enemies and persecutors , if we our selves will do nothing for our selves : in vain do we hope that god will maintain and defend our religion , against all the secret contrivances and open assaults of our enemies , if we , who are united in the profession of the same religion , and in all the essentials of faith and worship , will for some small differences in lesser matters , which are of no moment , in comparison of the things wherein we are agreed : i say , if for such slight matters , we will divide and fall out among our selves ; if when the enemy is at the gates , we will still pursue our heats and animosities , and will madly keep open those breaches , which were foolishly made at first ; what can we expect , but that the common enemy should take the advantage , and enter in at them ; and whilst we are so unseasonably and senselesly contending with one another , that they should take the opportuity which we give them , to destroy us all . . provided likewise , that we do not attempt our own preservation or deliverance from suffering , by evil and unlawful means : we must do nothing that is contrary to our duty , and to a good conscience ; nor comply with any thing , or lend our helping hand thereto , that apparently tends to the ruin of our religion , neither to divert and put off sufferings for the present , not to rescue our selves from under them ; because we cannot with confidence commit our selves to the providence of god , but in well●doing . this is an eternal rule , from whence we must in no case depart , that men must do nothing contrary to the rules and precepts of religion , no not for the sake of religion it self : we must not break any law of god , nor disobey the lawful commands of lawful authority , to free our selves from any sufferings whatsoever ; because the goodness of no end can sanctifie evil means , and make them lawful : we must not speak deceitfully for god , nor lye , no not for the truth ; nor kill men , though we could thereby do god and religion the greatest service . and tho' all the casuists in the world should teach the contrary doctrine , ( as they generally do in the church of rome ) yet i would not doubt to oppose to all those the single authority of st. paul , who expresly condemns this principle , and brands it for a d●mnable doctrine , that evil may be done by us , that good may come . rom. . . and not as we be slanderously reported , and as some affirm thas we say , let us do evil , that good may come , whose damnation is just . st. paul it seems looked upon it as a most devilish calumny , to insinuate that the christian religion gives the least countenance to such damnable doctrines and doings as these ; and pronounceth their damnation to be just , who either teach any such principle as the doctrine of christianity , or practise according to it . let those look to it , who teach , that a right intention , and a good end , will render things , which are otherwise evil and unlawful , not only lawful to be done by us , but in many cases meritorious ; especially where the good of the church , and the extirpation of heresie are more immediately concerned . of this nature are the doctrines of equivocation and mental reservation , and the lawfulness of such artificial ways of lying , to avoid the danger of the law , when they are brought before heretical magistrates ; and this is the common doctrine of the most learned casuists of all orders in the church of rome : and such likewise are their doctrines , of the law●ulness of extirpating hereticks , by the most barbarous and bloody means , and of breaking faith with them , tho' given by emperours and princes , in the most publick and solemn manner ; both which are the avowed doctrines of their general councils , and have frequently been put in practice , to the destruction of many millions of christians , better and more righteous than them●elves . but we have not so l●arned christ , who have heard him , and been taught by him , as the truth is in jesus . they who are rightly instructed in the christian religion , are so far from thinking it lawful to do any thing that is evil , to bring others under suffering , that they do not allow it in any case whatsoever , no not for the cause of god and religion , and to free themselves from the greatest sufferings that can be inflicted upon them . . provided also , that we do trust the providence of god , and do indeed commit our selves to it ; relying upon his wisdom and goodness , and entirely submitting and resigning up our selves to his will and disposal , both as to the degree and the duration of our sufferings ; believing that he will do that for us , which upon the whole matter , and in the final issue and result of things , will be best for us . that blessing , wherewith moses the man of god blest the people of israel before his death , doth belong to good men in all ages : he loveth his people , and all his saints are in his hand : deut. . . innumerable are the pro●ises in scripture concerning the merciful providence and goodness of god , towards those who trust in him , and hope in his mercy . psal . . . many sorrows shall be to the wicked : but he that trusteth in the lord , mercy shall compass him about . psal . . ● , , , . behold , the eye of the lord is upon them that fear him : upon them that hope in his mercy : to deliver their soul from death , and to keep them alive in famine . our soul waiteth for the lord : he is our help and our shi●ld . for our heart shall rejoyce in him : because we have trusted in his holy name . let thy mercy , o lord , be upon us , according as we hope in thee . psal . . . the lord redeemeth the soul of his servants : and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate . psal . . , . but th● salvation of the righteous is of the lor● , he is their strength in the time of trouble . and the lord shall help them and deliver them : he shall deliver them from the wicked , and save them because they trust in him . psal . . . o how great is thy goodness , which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men ! psal . . . cast thy burden upon the lord , and he shall sustain thee : he shall never suffer the right●ous to be moved . psal . . . they that trust in th● lord shall be as mount zion , which cannot be removed , but a●id●th for ever . esa . , . thou wilt keep him in perfect peace , whose mind is stayed on thee , because he trus●eth in thee . trust ye in the lord for ever : for in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . . provided yet further , that we pray earnestly to god for his gracious help and assistance , for his merciful comfort and support under sufferings ; that he would be pleased to strengthen our faith , and to encrease and lengthen out our patience , in proportion to the degree and duration of our sufferings . all the promises which god hath made to us , are upon this condition , that we earnestly seek and sue to him for the benefit and blessing of them . psal . . . call upon me in the day of trouble ; i will deliver thee , and thou shalt glorifie me . ezek. . . after a great deliverance , and many blessings promised to them , this condition is at last added , thus saith the lord god , i will yet for this be enquired of by the house of israel , to do it for them . and this likewise is the tenor of the promises of the new testament , mat. . . ask , and it shall be given you : seek , and ye shall find : knock , and it shall be opened unto you . and in this very case that i am speaking of , god expects that we should apply our selves to him , for spiritual wisdom and grace , to behave our selves under sufferings as we ought : jam. . , , . where speaking of the manifold temptations that christians would be exercised withal ; he directs them to pray to god for wisdom to demean themselves under persecutions , with patience , and constancy , and chearfulness , my brethren account it all joy , when ye fall into divers temptations ; ( meaning the temptations and tryals of suffering in several kinds ) knowing this , that the trying of your faith worketh patience . but let patience have its perfect work . and because this is a very difficult duty , and requires a great deal of spiritual skill , to demean our selves under sufferings as we ought , therefore he adds in the next words : if any of you lack wisdom , let him ask of god , that giveth to all men liberally , and upbraideth not ; and it shall be given him . and this earnest application we are to make to god , for his grace and seasonable help in time of need ; not to put him in mind of his promise , but to testifie our dependance upon him , and expectation of all good from him . and we must likewise use great importunity in our prayers to god , to assist us and stand by us in the day of trial , and the hour of temptation . and therefore our saviour heaps up several words , to denote the great earnestness and importunity which we ought to use in prayer , bidding us to ask , and seek , and knock . and to shew that he lays more than ordinary weight upon this matter , and to encourage our importunity , he spake two several parables to this purpose ; the first , luke . . of the man who by meer importunity prevailed with his friend to rise at midnight to do him a kindness , which our saviour applies to encourage our importunity in prayer , ver . . and i say unto you , ask , and it shall be given you ; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you . the other is the parable of the importunate widow , and unjust judge , related by the same evangelist , luke . . with this preface to it ; and he spake a parable unto them to this end , that men ought always to pray , and not to faint . and to speak the truth , they seem at first sight two of the oddest of all our saviour's parables , if the design of them were to insinuate to us that god is to be prevailed upon , by the meer importunity of our prayers , to grant our requests : but our blessed saviour , who best knew his own meaning , tells us , that all he design'd by it , was only to signifie , that we ought always to pray , and not to faint ; that is , to continue instant in prayer , and not to give over after once asking , as if we despaired of prevailing . not that meer importunity prevails with god to give us those things which he is otherwise unwilling to grant ; but because it becomes us to be fervent , and earnest , to testifie our faith and confidence in the goodness of god , and the deep sense we have of our own weakness , and wants , and unworthiness ; and likewise that we set a true value upon the blessings and favours of god , as worth all the earnestness and importunity we can use : and in this decent and sober sense , the success of our prayers may truly be said to depend upon our importunity ; not that it is necessary to move god to grant our requests , but that it becomes us to be thus affected , that we may be the more fitly qualified for the grace and mercy which god is willing to confer upon us . i have been the longer upon this , to give us a right notion of this matter , and that we may the more distinctly understand the true reason why our saviour does require so much earnestness and importunity of prayer on our part ; not at all to work upon god , and to dispose him to shew mercy to us ( for that he is always inclinable to , when ever we are fit for it ) but only to dispose and qualifie us to receive the grace and mercy of god , with greater advantage to our selves . fifthly , provided moreover , that we be not confident of our selves , and of the force and strength of our own resolution . we know not our selves , nor the frailty and weakness of our own resolution , 'till we are tried . 't is wise advice which solomon gives us , and never more seasonable than in the day of trial , prov. . , , . trust in the lord with all thine heart , and lean not to thine own understanding ; in all thy ways acknowledge him , and he shall direct thy paths ; be not wise in thine own eyes ; that is , be not conceited and confident of thine own wisdom and strength , or ability in any kind ; there is a secret providence of god , which mingles it self with the actions and spirits of men , and disposeth of us unknown to our selves ; and what we think to be the effect of our own strength and resolution , of our own wisdom and contrivance , proceeds from an higher cause , which unseen to us , does steer and govern us . so the wise man observes , prov. . . man's goings are of the lord , how can a man then understand his own ways ? and therefore we have reason every one to say with the prophet , jer. . . o lord , i know that the way of man is not in himself , it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps . our feet will soon slip , if god do not uphold us by his hand . remember how shamefully the chief of our lord's disciples miscarried , by too much confidence in himself , i mean st. peter ; in whose fall we may all see our own frailty ; if god do but permit the devil to have the winnowing of us , there will be a great deal of chaff found in the best of us . what st. paul said of himself , cor. . . when i am weak , then am i strong , we shall all find true , when it comes to the trial ; we are then strongest , when , in a just sense of our own weakness , we rely most upon the strength and power of god. sixthly , provided furthermore , that according to our ability we have been much in the exercise of alms and charity . for well-doing , or doing good , is sometimes taken in a narrower sense , not improper here to be mentioned , tho' perhaps not so particularly intended here in the text , for works of charity and alms. as heb. . . but to do good , and to communicate ( that is , to the necessities of the poor ) forget not , for with such sacrifices god is well pleased . this kind of well-doing is a special preservative in times of evil ; there is no kind of grace or virtue to which there are in scripture more special promises made , of our protection and preservation from evil and suffering , of support and comfort under them , and deliverance out of them , than to this of a charitable and compassionate consideration of those who labour under want or suffering . psal . . . trust in the lord , and do good , so shalt thou dwell in the land , and verily thou shalt be fed : and ver . . speaking of righteous or merciful men , they shall not be ashamed in the evil time , and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied . psal . . , . blessed is he that considereth the poor , the lord will deliver him in time of trouble ; the lord will preserve him , and keep him alive , and he shall be blessed upon the earth ; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies . there are likewise in the apocryphal books excellent sayings for the encouragement of charity , as that which will be particularly considered and rewarded to us in the times of danger and distress , in the days of affliction and suffering , tob. . , , , . give alms of thy substance , and turn not thy face from any poor man , and the face of god shall not be turned away from thee ; if thou hast abundance , give alms accordingly , if thou hast but a little , be no● afraid to give according to that little , for thou layest up for thy self a good treasure against the day of necessity , because that alms do deliver from death , and suffereth not to come into darkness . ecclus . . . speaking of him that gives alms , and is ready to do kindness to others , he is mindful of that which may come hereafter ; and when he falleth he shall find a stay . and , chap. . , , . lay up thy treasure according to the commandment of the most high , and it shall bring thee more profit than gold , shut up alms in thy store-houses , and it shall deliver thee from all affliction , it shall fight for thee against thine enemies , better than a mighty shield , and strong spear . i have often said it , and am verily perswaded of it , that one of the best ●igns of gods mercy and favour to this poor nation , is , that god hath been pleased of late years to stir up so general a disposition in men to works of alms and charity , and thereby to revive the primitive spirit of christianity , which so eminently abounded in this grace , and taught those who believed in god , to be careful to maintain and pract●se good works . and nothing gives me greater hopes that god hath mercy still in store for us , than that men are so ready to shew mercy ; there are great objects to exercise our charity upon in this time of the general suspension of trade and business , from an apprehension of approaching troubles ; by reason whereof , both the numbers and the necessities of the poor are greatly and daily increased among us ; and besides the poor of our own nation , god hath sent us great numbers from abroad ; i mean those who are fled hither for shelter , from that violent storm of persecution which hath lately fallen upon them for the cause of our common religion . according to the compassion we shew to them , we may expect that god will either preserve us from the like sufferings , or graciously support us under them . what do we know , but that god is now trying us , and hath purposely put this opportunity into our hands , of preventing , or mitigating , or shortning our own sufferings , according as we extend our charity and pity to those who have suffered so deeply for the cause of god , and his truth . seventhly , provided in the last place , and above all , that we be sincere in our religion , and endeavour to be universally good , and holy in all manner of conversation , and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness , which are by jesus christ , to the praise and glory of god. this is the largest sense of well-doing , and the most necessary of all the rest , to prepare us for sufferings , and to give us courage and constancy under them ; and likewise to engage the providence of god to a tender care of us , and concernment for us , if he shall ●ee it fit to bring us into a state of suffering . but if we live in open contempt and violation of god's laws , if we make no conscience of our ways and actions , we cannot possibly have any well grounded trust and confidence in god , for he hates all the workers of iniquity , and his providence sets it self against them for evil . bad men draw many mischiefs and inconveniencies upon themselves , as the natural consequence of their actions ; but besides this , the vengeance of god haunts and pursues evil-doers , and his just providence many times involves them in many difficulties and dangers , besides and beyond the natural course of things : upon the wicked ( says david ) he will rain snares : so that as ever we expect the comfortable effects of the divine care and providence , we must live in a dutiful obedience to god's holy will and laws . bad men may make a profession of the true religion , and may in some sort believe it , tho' they do not live according to it ; and yet perhaps for all this , out of meer generosity and obstinacy of mind , they cannot bear to be threatned and terrified out of the profession of the truth ; and will endure a great deal of trouble and inconvenience , before they will renounce it ; knowing themselves to be so far in the right , that they stand for the truth , and hoping perhaps thereby to make some amends for their bad practice . but when all is done , nothing gives a man true courage and resolution , like the testimony of our own hearts , concerning our own sincerity , and the conscience of well-doing . and on the contrary , he that hath not the resolution and patience to mortifie his lusts , and to restrain his appetites , and to subdue his irregular passions , for the sake of god and religion , will not easily bring himself to submit to great sufferings upon that account . there is considerable difficulty in the practice of religion , and the resolute course of a holy life ; but surely it is much easier to live as religion requires we should do , than to lay down our lives for it ; and ( as i have told you upon another occasion ) he that cannot prevail with himself to live like a saint , will much more hardly be perswaded to die a martyr . i proceed to the third point , namely , what ground of comfort and encouragement the consideration of god under the notion of a faithful creator , does afford to us under all our sufferings for a good censcience and a good cause . let them that suffer according to the will of god , commit the keeping of their souls to him , in well-doing , as unto a faithful creator . and in this i shall be very brief . and this is a firm ground of comfort and encouragement to us , under all our sufferings for god , to consider him as the author of our beings , or as it is exprest in the text , as a faithful creator ; one that is not fickle and inconstant in his affection and kindness to his creatures ; but is true to his own design , and will not abandon and forsake the work of his own hands : so great a benefit as that of our beings , freely conferr'd upon us , is but an earnest of god's further kindness to us , and future care of us ; if by our ill carriage towards him , we do not render our selves unworthy and incapable of it : that we are god's creatures , is a demonstration that he hath kindness for us ; if he had not , he would never have made us ; as it is excellently said in the wisdom of solomon , cap. . . . thou hast mercy upon all , for thou lovest all the things that are , and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made : for never wouldst thou have made any thing , if thou hadst hated it . and ver . . thou sparest all , for they are thine , o lord , thou lover of souls . to whom then may be with so much confidence commit our selves , as to him who freely gave us our being ? from whom may we expect so tender a regard and consideration , of our case , and all the circumstances of it ; as from this great founder and benefactor ? for he that made us knows our frame , and whereof we are made , and how much we are able to bear ; he considers our strength , or rather our weakness , and what courage and resolution he hath endued us withal , and what comfort and support we stand in need of in the day of tribulation . and as they who make armour , are wont to try that which they think to be good and well temper'd , with a stronger charge , not to break and hurt it , but to prove and praise it . so god exerciseth those whom he hath fitted and t●mpered for it , with manyfold temptations , that the tryal of their faith , as st. peter expresseth it , pet. . . being much more precious th●n of gold tried in the fir● , may be found unto praise , and honour , and glory , at the appearing of jesus christ . so that this consideration that we are god's creatures , does ( as i may say ) oblige him in faithfulness to his own act , and in consequence of his bringing us into being at first , to be concern'd for us afterwards , so as never to abandon us , nor quite to take away his loving-kindness and mercy from us ; till we are good for nothing , and do in a manner cease to be what he made us , that is reasonable creatures . a person or people must have proceeded to the utmost degree of degeneracy , when god will consider them no longer as his creatures , nor shew any pity or favour to them ; things must be come to extremity , when god deals thus with us , as he threatned the people of issr●el , isa . . . when the boughs are withered , they shall be broken off , and set on fire : for it is a people of no understanding : therefore he that made them , will not have mercy on them , and he that formed them , will shew them no favour . and now i have done with the three points which i proposed to handle from this text , and the discourse which i have made upon them , does all along apply it self , by dir●cting us how we ought to commit our selves to the providence of god , in all cases of danger and suffering , especially for the cause of god and his truth , viz. in the faithful discharge of our duty and a good conscience , and by a firm trust and confidence in the wisdom and goodness of the d●vine providence , not doubting but that he who made us , and knows our frame , will have a tender care of us , and not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able . and as to our present danger , and that terrible storm which threatens us , let us pray to god , if it be his will , to divert it ; but if otherwise he hath determined , to fit and prepare us for it . and let us be fervent and earnest in our prayers to him ; not that he is moved by our importunity , but that we may thereby be qualified and made fit to receive the mercy which we beg of him . and let us take this occasion to do that which we should have done without it , to brea● off our sins by repentance , and to turn every one of us from the evil of our ways● that hereby we may render god propitious to us , and put our selves under the more immediate care and protection of his providence ; that we may prevent his judgments , and turn away his wrath and displeasure from us , as he did once from a great and sinful city and people , upon their sincere humiliation and repentance , jonah . . where it is said of the people of niniveh , that god saw their works , that they turned from their evil way , and god repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them , and he did it not . above all , let us be sincere in the profession of our religion , and conscientious in the practice of it ; nothing will bear us up under great trials and sufferings , like the testimony of a good conscience , void of offence towards god and men. i will conclude this whole discourse with those apostolical blessings and prayers , colos . . , . that ye may walk worthy of the lord , unto all pleasing , being fruitful in every good work , strengthned with all might , according to his glorious power , unto all patience , and long-suffering , with joyfulness . and thes . . , . now our lord jesus christ himself , and god even our father , who hath loved us , and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace , comfort your hearts , and stablish you in every good word , and work . to him be glory and dominion , for ever , and ever , amen . a sermon on john ix . . i must work the works of him that sent me , while it is day : the night cometh when no man can work . these words our blessed saviour spake of himself , whilst he was upon earth ; in which he tells us , that he was sent by god into the world , and had a certain work and imployment appointed him during his abode in it . a great work indeed ! to instruct , and reform , and save mankind . a work of great labour , and pains , and patience , not to be done in a short time ; and yet the time for doing it was not long after he came into the world : it was a good while before he began it , and after he began it , the time of working was not long , before the night came and put an end to it : i must work the works of him that sent me , while it is day : the night cometh when no man can work . but this which our saviour here speaks of himself , and which properly belongs to him , and no other ; may ye● be accommodated to every man , with some allowance for the difference and disproportion . for tho' every man be not sent by god into the world , after so peculiar a manner , and upon so particular and vast a design : yet upon a general account , every man is sent by god into this world , and hath a work given him to do in it , which he is concern'd vigorously to mind and to prosecute with all his might . and tho' every man be not sent to save the whole world , as the son of god was , yet every man is sent by god into the world , to work out his own salvation , and to take care of that in the first place , and then to promote the salvation of others , as much as in him lies . so that every one of us may , in a very good sense , accommodate these words of our saviour to himself : i must work the works of him that sent me , while it is day : the night cometh when no man can work . i shall therefore at this time take the liberty to handle these words according to this moral accommodation of them , and apply what our saviour here says of himself to every man that cometh into the world : and this i shall do , by shewing these three things . first , that every man hath a work assigned him to do in this world , by him that sent him into it ; and may in some sense say , as our blessed saviour did of himself , i must work the works of him that sent me . secondly , that there is a certain and limited time for every man to do this work in . while it is day . thirdly , that after this season is expired , the●e will be no further oportunity of working . the night cometh when no man can work . first , every man hath a work assigned him to do in this world , by him that sent him into it ; and may in some sense say , as our blessed sav●our did of himself ; i must work the works of him that ●ent me . god who made man a reasonable creature , and hath endowed him with faculties , whereby he is capable of knowing and serving him ; hath appointed him a work and service suitable to these faculties : and having infused an immortal soul into this earthy body , hath certainly designed him for a state beyond this life , in which he shall be for ever happy or miserable , according as he useth and demeans himself in this world. so that the work which every one of us hath to do in this world , is to prepare , and fit our selves for that eternal duration which remains for us after death : for the life which we live now in this world , is a time of exercise , a short state of probation and tryal , in order to a durable and endless state , in which we shall be immutably ●ixt in another world. this world , into which we are now sent for a little while , is as it were god's school , in which immortal spirits , clothed with flesh , are trained and bred up for eternity ; and therefore the best , the only sure way to be happy for ever , is , so to improve the short and uncertain time of this life , that we may approve our selves to god in this world , and enjoy him in the next ; or ( as st. paul expresseth it ) that having our fruit unto holiness , our end may be everlasting life . and this work consists in these three things . first , in the care of our own salvation . secondly , in doing what we can , to promote the salvation of others . thirdly , and in order to both these , in the careful improvement and good husbandry of our time . first , in the care of our own salvation . and this consists in two things . . in the worship of almighty god. . in the careful and conscientious practice and obedience of his holy laws . . the care of our own salvation consists in the pious and devout worship of almighty god ; that we honour him , and pay him that homage and respect , which is due from creatures to him that made them , and is the great soveraign , and judge of the world ; that we have an inward reverence and esteem of him , and that we express this by all solemn externalacknowledgments of him ; as by praying to him for the supply of our wants ; by praising him for all the blessings and benefits which we have received at his hands ; and that we set apart constant and solemn times for the performance of these duties ; and that when we are employed in them , we be serious , and hearty , and attentive to what we are about , and perform every part of divine worship with those circumstances of reverence and respect , which may testifie our awful sense of the divine majesty , and our inward and profound veneration of him , with whom we have to do . and this is that which is directly and properly religion . . this care of our own salvation , does consist likewise in the conscientious and constant obedience and practice of all god's holy laws , in the conformity of our lives and actions to the laws which he hath given us , whether they be natural or written upon our hearts , or made known to us by the revelation of his word ; that we govern our passions by reason , and moderate our selves in the use of sensual delights , so as not to transgress the rules of temperance and chastity ; that we demean our selves towards others , and converse with them with justice and fidelity , with kindness and charity . these are the sum of the divine laws , and the heads of our duty towards our selves and others ; all which are more powerfully enforced upon us , by the revelation of the gospel , and the plain promises and threatnings of it ; the faith of christ being the most firm and effectual principle both of piety towards god , and of universal obedience to all his particular commands . and this is the great work which god hath sent us to do in the world ; so the wise man sums up our duty , eccl. . . fear god , and keep his commandments , for this is the whole duty of man. the fear and reverence of the divine majesty , is the great foundation and principle of religion , but obedience to god's laws is the life and practice of it . god does not expect that we should spend the greatest part of our time , in the immediate acts of religion , and in the solemn duties of his worship and service , but only that we should allot a fitting proportion of our time to these , according to the circumstances of our condition in this world , and the example of holy and good men that are in the like circumstances with our selves : for such is the goodness of god , that he does not only allow us to provide for the necessities and conveniencies of this life , but hath made it our duty so to do . it is one of the precepts of the gospel , which the apostle chargeth the bishops and teachers of the gospel to inculcate frequently upon christians , that they which have believed in god , should be careful to maintain good works ; that is , to employ themselves in the works of an honest calling for necessary uses ; that is , for the support of their families , and the relief of those who are in want and necessity . and the apostle lays great weight and stress upon this , as a very great duty , tit. . . this is a faithful saying , and these things i will that thou affirm constantly , that they which have believed in god , might be careful to maintain good works . these things are good and profitable unto men ; that is , of general benefit and advantage to mankind . so that no man's calling is a hindrance to religion , but a part of it ; and by performing the duties of piety in their proper seasons , and spending the rest of our time in any honest and useful employment , we may make our whole life a perpetual serving of god ; we may glorifie god in our eating and drinking , and in all other lawful and useful actions of life ; in serving the occasions and necessities of life , with sobriety and temperance , and in managing our worldly commerce with justice and integrity , we may serve god , and perform considerable duties of religion . so that provided we do nothing that is sinful , and manage the actions and concernments of this life , with a due regard and subserviency to the great interests of eternity , we may do the work of god all the while we are providing for our selves , and employed in the works of an honest calling : for god , who hath designed this life in order to the other , considers the necessities of our present state , and allows us to make provision for it . there are some persons indeed , whose birth and condition sets them above the common employments of life , and the works of an ordinary calling : but these also have a work given them to do ; for god hath sent no man into the world to no purpose , and only to take his pastime therein ; neque enim ita generati sumus à natura , ut ad ludum & jocum facti esse videamur ; sed ad severitatem potius , & quaedam studia graviora atque majora ; for ●e are not ( says tully de off. lib. . ) so framed by nature , as if we were made for sport and jest ; but for more serious employments , and for greater and weightier business ; and those who are tied to no particular calling , may allow so much larger portions of their time to religion , and the service of god ; and god likewise expects from them , that they should be useful to mankind in some higher and nobler way , according to the publickness of their station , and influence . such persons may be serviceable to their country , and the affairs of government , and in the care of publick justice , and may employ their time in preparing and rendring themselves more fit for this service . they may find a great deal of work to do in the good government of their families , and in the prudent care and management of their estates , and in reconciling differences among their neighbours , and in considering the necessities of the poor , and providing for their supply . so that besides the proper work of religion , and the more immediate service of god , every man in the world , how exempt soever his condition be from the common care an●gdrudgery of humane life , may find work e●ough wherein he may usefully employ all his time , and provide for his own , and for the common benefit of mankind : and god expects it as a duty from such , that every man should employ himself in some work or other , suitable to the station in which god hath placed him in this world. secondly , the work which god hath given us to do in the world , consists in doing what we can to further and promote the salvation of others : this chiefly lies upon us , who are the ministers of god , and to whom the word of reconciliation is committed . we are more especially commissioned and appointed for this work , and are ambassadors for christ , to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled to god. we are sent by god in a more peculiar manner , and appointed for this very work , to watch for mens souls , and to be the instruments and means of their eternal happiness . and therefore we who are sent by god in a more peculiar manner , and have this work assigned to us to do in the world , ought to be very vigorous and industrious in i●● and this , whether we consider the nature of our employment , or the glorious reward of it . first , if we consider the nature of our employment , both in respect of the honour and the happiness of it ; 't is the most honourable work that mortal man can be employed in ; 't is the same in kind , and in the main end and design o● it with that of the blessed angels , for we also are ministring spirits , sent forth by god to minister , for the good of those who shall be heirs of salvation . we are the messengers and ambassadors of god to men , sent to treat with them about the terms of their peace and reconciliation with god , to offer salvation to them , and to direct them to the best ways and means of procuring it . nay , we have the honour to be employed in the very same work that the son of god was , when he was upon earth , to see● and to save them that are lost ; and to call sinners to repentance ; and to carry on that work , whereof he himself ●aid the foundation when he was in the world. and what greater honour can be put upon the sons of men , than to help forward that glorious design and undertaking of the son of god , for the salvation of mankind . and 't is an employment no less happy than honourable ; 't is not to drudge about the mean and low concernments of this life , a perpetual toil and care about what we shall eat and drink , and wherewithal we shall be cloathed , which is the business of a worldly employment ; but it is a direct and immediate seeking of the kingdom of god , and his righteousness , and a continual endeavour to promote these . it does not consist in the labour of our body , and in bodily toil ; but in the delightful exercise of our minds , about the best and noblest objects , god , and heaven , and eternity ; in an earnest and faithful endeavour by all wise ways and means to gain souls to god , and to turn sinners from the error of their ways , and to prevent their eternal ruine and destruction ; and next to the procuring of our own happiness , to be instrumental to the happiness of others , which is certainly the most pleasant and noble work that we can possibly be employed in ; especially if we consider , that by the very nature of our employment , we do at the same time , and by the very same means , carry on both these designs , of the salvation of our selves , and others . so st. paul tells timothy , when he exhorts him upon this very consideration , to give hi●self wholly to this blessed work ; because , says he , in doing this , thou shalt both save thy self , and them that hear thee , tim. . . and when two of the greatest and best designs in the world , our own happiness , and the salvation of others , do so happily meet in one , and are jointly carried on by the same labour ; this ought to be a great spur and incitement to us , to be vigorous and unwearied , and abundant in the work of the lord ; and a mighty encouragement to us to preach the word , to be instant in season , and out of season , and to be examples to others , in word , in conversation , in charity , in spirit , in faith , in purity ; as st. paul chargeth timothy in the most solemn and awful manner , before god , and the lord jesus christ , who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing , and his kingdom , tim. . . and tim. . . and then , secondly , if we consider the glorious reward of this work . if we be faithful and industrious in it , it will advance us to a higher degree of glory and happiness in the other world : they that be wise ( says the prophet , dan. . . ) shall shine as the brightness of the firmament , and they that turn many to righteousness , as the stars for ever and ever . they that are industrious in this work , as they are worthy of double honour in this world , so they shall shine with a double glory and lustre in the other . but tho' this work of promoting the salvation of others , be chiefly incumbent upon those whose office it is to attend upon this very thing ; yet we are all of us concerned in it , according to the advantages and opportunities we have for it . every man is concerned to help forward the salvation of his brother , and not to let him perish , if he can help it ; and it is in every man's power to contribute something to this blessed work of saving others , by seasonable counsel and advice , by kind and gentle reproof , but especially by a holy and exemplary conversation , by a shining virtue , which hath a silent power of perswasion , and i know not what secret charm and attraction to draw and allure others to the imitation of it . thirdly , and in order to both these , the saving of our selves , and others , this work which god hath given us to do in the world , consists in the careful use and good husbandry of our time ; for without this , neither of the other can be promoted and carried on to any purpose . time is the season and opportunity of carrying on of any work , and for that reason is one of the most valuable things ; and yet nothing is more wastfully spent , and more prodigally squandred away by a great part of mankind than this , which next to our immortol souls is of all other things most precious ; because upon the right use or abuse of our time , our eternal happiness or misery does depend . men have generally some guard upon themselves , as to their mony and estates , and will not with eyes open suffer others to rob and deprive them of it ; but we will let any body almost rob us of our time , and are contented to expose this precious treasure to every bodies rapine and extortion ; and can quietly look on , whilst men thrust in their hands , and take it out by whole handfuls , as if it were of no greater value than silver was in solomon's days , no more than the stones in the street . and yet when it is gone , all the silver and gold in the world cannot purchase and fetch back the least moment of it , when perhaps we would give all the world for a very small part of that time , which we parted with upon such cheap and easie terms . good god! what a stupid and senseless prodigality is this ! do we consider what we do , when we give away such large portions of our time to our ease and pleasure , to diversion and idleness , to trifling and unprofitable conversation , to the making and receiving of impertinent visits , and the usual and almost inseparable attendants thereof , spiteful observations upon them that are present , and slandering and backbiting those that are absent ; ( for the great design of most people in visits , is not to better one another , but to spie and make faults , and not to mend them ; to get time off their hands , to shew their fine cloaths , and to recommend themselves to the mutual contempt of one another , by a plentiful impertin●nce ; ) when we part with it by wholesale in sleep and dressing , and can spend whole mornings between the comb and the glass , and the afternoon at plays , and whole nights in gaming , or in riot , and lewdness , and intemperance ; in all which people commonly wast their mony and their time together ! nay how do even the best of us misplace this precious treasure ; and tho' we do not employ it to wicked purposes , and in works of iniquity , yet we do not apply it to the best and noblest use , to the glory of god , and the good and salvation of men ! by thus laying out this treasure , we might lay up for our selves treasures in heaven , and help others on in the way thither . thus our blessed saviour employed his precious time , in going about doing good , in all kinds and upon all occasions , healing the bodies , and enlightning the minds , and saving the souls of men : this was his business , and this was his delight ; it was his meat and drink , and his very life , he spent himself in it , and sacrificed his ease , and his safety , and his life to these great ends , for which he came into the world ; he considered the goodness and the greatness of his work , and the little time he had to do it in , which made him incessantly industrious in it , and to run the race which was set before him with great speed , and to work while it was day , because he knew the night would come when no man can work . and this brings me to the second thing , i observed from the text , namely , that there is a certain and limited time for every man to do this work in , while it is day : i must work the works of him that sent me , whilst it is day . and this day comprehends all the oportunities of our life , which will soon be over , and therefore had need to be well spent . a great part of our life is past , before the season of working begins ; it is a great while before the use of our reason begins , and we come to have our senses exercised to discern between good and evil ; be●ore our understandings are ripe for the serious consideration of god and religion , and for the due care of our souls , and of the eternal concernment of another world ; so that this first part of our life is in a great measure useless , and unprofitable to us , in regard to our great design . for infancy and childhood are but the dawnings of this day , and no fit time to work in ; and youth , which is as the morning of this day , tho' it is the flower of our time , and the most proper season of all other for the remembrance of god , and the impressions of religion ; yet it is usually possest by vanity and vice ; the common custom and practice of the world , hath devoted this best part of our age to the worst employments , to the service of sin and of our lusts . how very few are there that lay hold of this opportunity , and employ it to the best purposes ! and yet the following course of our lives , doth in a great measure depend upon it ; for most persons do continue and hold on in the way in which they set out at first , whether it be good or bad . and those who neglect to improve this first opportunity of their lives , do seldom recover thems●lves afterwards . god's grace may seize upon men in any part of their lives ; but according to the most ordinary methods of it , the foundations and principles of religion and virtue are most commonly laid in a pious and virtuous education . this is the great opportunity of our lives , which setleth and fixeth most men , either in a good or bad course ; and the fortune of their whole lives does usually follow it , and depend upon it . 't is true indeed our day continues many times a great while longer , and we are to work while it continues ; and 't is never too late to begin to do well , and to enter upon a good course : but there is no such proper and advantagious season for the beginning of this work , as in our youth and tender years . this is the accepted time , this is the day of salvation . god's grace is then most forward and ready to assist us ; and we are then least of all indisposed for the receiving of the impressions of it ; and the impressions of it do then go deepest into our minds , and are most lasting and durable . but if we neglect this opportunity , we provoke god by degrees to withdraw his grace , and to take away his holy spirit from us , and by degrees we settle in vicious habits , and are every day more and more hardned through the deceitfulness of sin . it is never too late to work while the day lasts ; but the sooner we begin this work , and set about it in good earnest , the easier we shall find it ; if we defer it late , every step will be up the hill , and against the grain . thirdly , after this season is expired , there will be no ●urther oportunity of working ; when this day is once at an end , then cometh the night when no man can work . the night is a time unfit for work , when we can hardly do any thing , if we had never so great mind to it ; and there is such a night coming upon every one of us , and wo be to us if we have our work to do when the night overtakes us . there is usually an evening before this night , when it will be very difficult for us , and next to impossible , to do this work ; and this is the time of sickness and old age , in which men are commonly unfit for any work ; but most of all that which requires the whole force and vigour of our minds , the business of religion . if we attempt this work then , we shall go very heartlesly about it , and do it very imperfectly , and be forc'd to slubber it over , and to huddle it up in great haste and confusion , and so as we can hardly hope that god will accept it . for how unfit are men to do any thing , when they are full of the sense of their own infirmities , and life it self is become so great a burthen to them , that they are hardly fit to stand under it ! how uncapable shall we then be of doing the greatest and most momentous work of our lives , when our faculties are almost quite spent and worn out , and all the powers of life ar● decayed in us ; when our understandings are dark and dull , our memories frail and treacherous , and our hearts hard & deceitful above all things ! when sickness and old age overtake us , we shall then find to our sorrow , that sufficient for that day is the evil thereof ; we shall have need then of nothing else to do , but to bear our infirmities with patience and decency ; and it is well if we can rally together of the broken forces of our reason , so much as may be a sufficient guard to us against peevishness and discontent ; we had need then have nothing else to do , but to be old and weak , to be sick and die . besides , how can we expect that god should accept of any work that we do at such a time ? with what face can we put off god with the dregs of our life ? or how can we hope that he will be pleased with the service of those years , which we our selves take no pleasure in ? if we offer the lame in sacrifice , is it not evil ? and if we offer the blind , is it not evil ? offer it now to thy governour , and see if he will be pleased with thee ? and sickness is commonly as bad a time as old age , and usually in●umber'd with greater difficulties , and clog'd with more indispositions . if a violent distemper seize upon us , it many times takes away the use of our reason , and deprives us of all opportunity of consideration ; it makes us both insensible of the danger of our condition , and incapable of using the means to avoid it . and if we have neglected religion before , and have put off the great work of our life to the end of it , our opportunity is irrevocably lost ; for there is nothing to be done in religion , when our reason is once departed from us ; the night is then come indeed , and darkness hath overtaken us ; and tho' we be still alive , yet are we as unfit for any work , as if we were naturally dead . and this is no such rare and extraordinary case ; for it happens to many ; and every man that wilfully defers the work of religion and repentance to a hour , hath reason to fear that he shall be thus surprized in his sin , and security , and by the just judgment of god deprived of all the opportunity of life and salvation , while he is yet in the land of the living . but if god be more merciful unto us , and visit us with such a sickness , as leaves us the use of our understandings ; yet all that we do in religion at such a time , proceeds from so violent a cause , from the present terror of death , and the dreadful apprehension of that eternal misery which is just ready to swallow us up , that it is one of the hardest things in the world , not only for others , but even for our selves , to know whether our resolutions , and this sudden and hasty fit of repentance be sincere or not . for it is natural , and almost unavoidable , for a man to repent and be sorry for what he hath done , when he is going to execution : but the great question is , what this man would do , if his-life were spared ? whether his repentance would hold good , and he would become a new man , and change his former course of life , or relapse into it again ? and it is by no means certain , that he would not be as bad as he was before : because we see many , who , when they lie upon a sick bed , give all imaginable testimony of a deep sorrow , and a hearty repentance for their sins , who yet upon their recovery return to their former sins with a greater appetite , and make themselves ten times more the children of wrath than they were before . so that all the work that we can do at such a time , ought not to be much reckoned upon , and can give us little or no comfort ; because it is so infinitely uncertain whether it be real and sincere , and whether the effect of so violent a cause would last and continue , if the cause were removed . therefore we should work while it is day ; for whatever we do in this evening of our lives , will be done with very great difficulty , and with very doubtful success . but besides this evening , there is a night coming when no man can work ; death will seize upon us , and then our state will be irrecoverably concluded ; after that it will be impossible for us to do any thing towards our own salvation , or to have any thing done for us by others ; the prayers of the living will not avail the dead , as the tree falls so it lies ; there is no wisdom , nor counsel , nor device in the grave whither we are going ; therefore , according to the counsel of the wise man , what our hand findeth to do , let us do it with our might . this counsel concerns all ages and persons . i will apply it to the young , in the words of the wise preacher , eccles . . . remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth , while the evil days come not , nor the years draw nigh , when thou sh●lt say , i have no pleasure in them . to them who are in the vigour of their age , in the words of the prophet , isa . ch. . . seek the lord while he may be found , call ye upon him while he is near . and to them that are old , in the words of another prophet , jer. . . give glory to the lord your god , before he causeth darkness , and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains , and while ye look for light , he turn it into the shadow of death , and make it gross darkness . and let us every one of us , of what age or condition soever , apply it to our selves , in the words of our blessed saviour here in the text , i must work the works of him that sent me , while it is day : the night cometh , when no man can work . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * vide serm. st , of the first vol. publish'd by the author . a letter to a friend relating to the present convocation at westminster approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing p estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a letter to a friend relating to the present convocation at westminster prideaux, humphrey, - . kidder, richard, - . tillotson, john, - . 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xml conversion a letter to a friend relating to the present convocation at westminster . london , printed for brabazon aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill . mdcxc . a letter to a friend , relating to the present convocation at westminster . sir , i have fully considered what you have been pleased to offer to me in yours concerning the convocation now met at westminster , and the alterations intended to be made therein in the present offices , rites and constitutions of our church , and all what you say i apprehend to be reducible to these three heads : . that no alterations ought at all to be made in things pertaining to religion but when there is a very great necessity for it . . that at present there is no such necessity for the alterations intended . and , . that , if there were , this is no time for it , when so many of the fathers of our church , and other eminent persons of the clergy do now by their suspension stand incapacitated to act with us in this matter . as to the first , i readily grant what you say , that nothing is more dangerous to religion , than frequently to make alterations in the things pertaining thereto , because an unsteadiness as to these , although in outward circumstantials onely , which are always alterable , may to many become an argument against the whole . for there being multitudes among us who are not able to distinguish between what is circumstantial and what is essential in our worship , what is in the power of the church to alter , and what is not , and are apt to call every alteration though in things merely indifferent , and which the variation of times have made totally insignificant to the first end of their establishment , to be a change of the religion it self ; and therefore concluding that we have no firm bottom at all for that which they see us so often vary from , may from hence be induced to cast off all regard both for our church and the worship of god established therein , and become apostates from us either to popery or atheism all their life after . for the prevention whereof i readily grant what you say , that such alterations ought not to be attempted but when there is an absolute necessity for them . and therefore the church of england may be justifyed in her proceedings hitherto , that she hath not been forward on every demand of the dissenters to unhinge those of her communion from her long received establishments , but hath to the utmost resisted all alterations from them , hoping by other less dangerous methods to cure the distractions and heal the divisions that are among us . but when after her utmost tryal of all other ways they have all proved ineffectual to attain the end proposed , and the church hath still grown weaker and weaker , and those that dissent from it still stronger and stronger under all those attempts which have been made use of for the reuniting them to us , so that now we are brought to that pass , that without coming to a temper with them , and abating something on our side for the sake of peace and union with them , we cannot have that prospect as formerly of supporting the church of god and maintaining the honour of his worship with success among us . i think now to make such alterations as are proposed a thing so absolutely necessary as ought not any longer to be deferr'd . and this i hope i shall be able clearly to convince you of in answer to your second head of objection , from these following reasons . for , first , there lyes an indispensable obligation upon us to doe the utmost we are able to remove this mischievous schism , from among us , which hath so long disturb'd the church of christ in this land. how prejudicial this hath been to the honour of god and the salvation of men , and how advantageous to the encrease of popery and atheism , and the propagating also of all manner of iniquity among us , is that which by wofull experience is too well known unto you to need a description : and all this evil most certainly must lye at our doors as far as we doe not the utmost that in us lyeth to remove it , and what other way is there now left of attempting it but by coming to some terms of moderation and temper with those that dissent from us . we have already tryed all methods of persuasion to mollifie them , all force of argumentation to convince them ; we have tryed also church censures and penal laws , and inflicted them too with a severity perchance beyond what we can justifie ; and what have we availed our selves of all this , but onely to heighten the divisions and increase the mischief which we endeavoured to remove ; and therefore what other remedy is now left us , what other means for us to have recourse to for the curing of this prevailing evil among us , but that , as far as we are able we abate of that which hath given the whole origin thereto ; those excepted passages in our liturgy , and those ceremonies in our worship which our dissenting brethren cannot conform with us in . and for this the late act of toleration hath added a very pressing necessity . for when our divisions ran so high , and our animosities against each other so far increased as that dissenters were driven by them to take shelter from us in the camp of our common enemy , and join with the papists against us to the endangering both of church and state to utter ruin . the parliament then thought it time to provide for the publick safety by reconciling those men thereto by an act of toleration and indulgence , whereby they being now put upon as good a bottom of legal right and protection as we our selves , there is no other way left us of coming to a union with them but by following the same steps which the state hath gone in before us , and by condescension and abatements to reconcile those men unto us : for they are now no more in our power to force them to a conformity with us than we are in theirs , and therefore they being on equal terms with us of right and protection from the government under which we live , treaty and mutual abatement is the onely method now whereby we can be brought to a union with each other ; and why we should not abate for the sake of this which carrieth with it a promise of so great good and benefit to the church of christ among us , i would desire a reason from him that is able to give it . for what are those things which we differ about , that we must for ever sacrifice to them the peace both of church and state without abating the least tittle for so great a good as that of the common union of christians among us ? are a few excepted passages in our liturgy , and two or three ceremonies in our worship things of so great value that we must for the sake of them still maintain those discords and divisions both in church and state which have so long harassed both almost to utter ruine ? is it not enough that we have had already a twenty years war about them ? and , is it not enough , that ever since our deliverance from that , for the sake of those trifles , we have for these thirty years last past driven up our divisions and animosities against each other to that height as that we had almost totally given up our church to popery and our government to tyranny thereby ? certainly , after all this , it 's time to sit down and consider whether those things are of such great value for the sake of which we bring so much mischief to this poor distressed church and nation , that nothing must be abated of that unreasonable rigor whereby we have hitherto maintained them . and if the consideration of things past cannot move us , i beseech you , consider a little the present posture of our affairs ; we have a formidable enemy in our neighbourhood now engaged in war against us , who thinks of nothing less than subjugating these three kingdoms to his absolute tyranny , and imposing popish idolatry and superstition upon all the inhabitants of them ; and that which gives him the greatest advantage against us , and the greatest hopes for our destruction is , our divisions among our selves at home which enfeeble both our hearts and hands for the battel , and make us unable to resist him with that success which formerly used to attend most of our other expeditions against enemies altogether as potent ; and what remedy have we left to prevent this terrible ruin that now so formidably threatens us , but to come to as firm a union among our selves as we are able ? and could but this be once happily effected , we need not fear all the power of france and rome in the firmest union against us ; but should be strong enough to resist all their efforts for our ruin ; and , by the blessing of god , still continue in safety , in spight of all the endeavours of both to the contrary . and since it hath pleased god to move the king to call us together in convocation in this conjuncture , i hope we shall not let slip this opportunity of doing the utmost we are able to unite the nation now our affairs do so much require it for the publick safety thereof . for the expectations of all men are now upon us for this purpose , and the hopes of preserving church and state in the great dangers under which they are now both involv'd , do in a great measure depend upon what we shall doe for our common peace now met together and put in a way to remove those obstacles which have so long disturbed it . have we not already lost our reputation with the people of the land by insisting too rigorously on those things ? and now we have in a great measure again retriev'd it by our firm and successfull engagement against the popish cause , shall we be so far infatuated as again to run the same risk ? will we but now come to that temper and moderation in our establishments as may remove that bone of contention which hath so long disturbed us , and think of such abatements as may tend to the setling of peace and union among us , the mouths of all this people shall bless us , and we shall acquire thereby that veneration and regard among them that they shall all look on us as the onely faithfull shepherds whose voice they are to hear , and we thereby be enabled to discharge the duties of our ministry among them with that comfort to our selves and benefit to them as shall soon fix our church upon a foundation never more to be shaken by any of its enemies . but if on the contrary we still persist in our old rigor , and abate no expression in our liturgy , nor ceremony in our worship , for the sake of so great a good ; for my part , i can expect nothing less than that we become abhorr'd of the whole nation , as the common enemies of its peace , and be treated accordingly in every parish where we live among them . were those matters in which abatements are desired of us by our dissenting brethren things of that moment that they either carried with them the force of a divine institution , or were of their own nature so necessary to our worship that either the honour of god or the interest of man's salvation should suffer the least prejudice by their omission , it would become us then , whatever the consequences should be , to stick to them to the utmost , and with the same constancy as formerly the ancient christians did against the arrians , not yield a letter to them to end the whole controversie between us . but notwithstanding what our learned prolocutor hath been pleased in his latin speech to the convocation to suggest , this is by no means our present case . for what article of faith , what necessary requisite of our worship is it in which any alterations are at all intended to be proposed in this present convocation ? if he knows of any such , he would doe well to discover them , and when they come to be offered , oppose them to the utmosh but , alas , the alterations intended , how great oppositions soever they may meet with , are so far from touching upon any thing of this nature , that i can assure him , and he himself well knows it , as being one of the commission , where they are prepared , that they are onely in those indifferent things , which have through all ages of the church from the beginning been ever allowed to be alterable , whensoever the good of the church should require it . and therefore since at present ( as i have shown ) not onely the good of the church in order to the establishment of its peace among us , but also the publick interest of the state too in order to its preservation in its present exigencies do so much require that those alterations should be made , why do we so obstinately stick at those matters , whereby not onely the cause of god in the welfare of his church , but our own also in the publick interest of the nation , is so greatly prejudiced by us ? as it is a great errour in some of our dissenting brethren to allow nothing lawfull to be made use of in our publick worship but what they find particular warrant for in scripture , so is it no less a mistake in us to hold any thing of this nature not prescribed there to be unalterable . for our saviour having given us his divine law , and therein among other precepts , commanded in the worship of god , the celebration of his sacraments , and the government of his church for the better influencing of every member of it to all the duties enjoined , for this very reason descended not to prescribe the particular manner , rites and constitutions which his church afterwards made use of in the performance of all this , because it was impossible that any unalterable rule could at all be given of those matters . for the reason of these being only decency and order in the church of god , and to be as helps therein the better to influence the minds of men to the performance of the divine commands must necessarily be of their own nature variable , according as to the different variations of times , circumstances and the customs of men they more or less become capable of answering the end design'd , and therefore have ever been in the power of the church to constitute , alter and abolish them according as the honour of god , the good of his church and the interest of religion might be best promoted thereby . as long therefore as these forms of prayer which are used in our church , and those rites and constitutions which are received therein do answer the end of their first establishment in being usefull to the promoting the honour of god and the edification of his people , so long they ought with constancy always to be retained ; but when either the infirmity or the wickedness of men , or any other cause hath made that alteration in the times , and in the humours and customs of those that live in them , that these things instead of conducing any longer to that good end proposed , do on the contrary administer only to schism and division in the church , and to distraction and discord in the state , whereby the peace of both is miserably disturb'd , as is too manifestly our case ; from hence there ariseth a reason altogether as strong for their alteration , as ever there was at first for their institution . were they become only useless and no longer answered their end , this would be a sufficient reason alone for an alteration in them , but when over and above they become mischievous too in the evils that they bring both upon church and state this adds an obligation , which cannot i think without guilt be resisted , of coming to a change in these matters . and to come to the particular things controverted between us , i readily assent that the cross in baptism had a very good reason for its first institution : for when in the primitive times the heathens made it a matter of constant reproach to the christians , that they worshipped a crucified god , they for this reason appointed the cross after baptism to be thenceforth put as a badge upon all whom they received into the church , to let them know , that they ought not to be ashamed hereof . and i doubt not but that it was of excellent use in those times to fortifie the minds of christians with that constancy and resolution as was requisite to bear them up against the scoffs and reproaches of their heathen adversaries amongst whom they lived . but now heathenism hath so many ages since been totally extinguished in those parts of the world , and we live in a state which is totally christian , so that the cross of christ is no longer liable of being objected to us as a reproach by any , it cannot be denied but that this ceremony hath now totally lost its use , and although it might innocently enough be still retain'd , yet may it with as much innocency also be totally laid aside now the alterations of times have made it wholly useless to the end for which it was first designed . but in our present circumstances , when it is become not only useless but also mischievous to the cause of christ by reason of the dissensions and schisms which it occasions in his church , and is thereby instead of a badge of union and christian constancy under the banner of the captain of our salvation , as was first intended , become an ensign of war to make us fight against each other , and a cross of torment thereon again to crucifie the lord of life in his body the church , and rent its bowels asunder by those lamentable divisions which it causeth among us ; in this case i think we have an obligation upon us not to be resisted from the absolute necessity of the thing , either totally to lay this ceremony aside , or else make such abatements concerning its use , as may allay all these heats of contention and mischiefs of separation which have been caused in the church of christ thereby . and i here plainly aver that the church of england cannot be guiltless in this matter , if she doth not on this opportunity , now put into her hands by this present meeting of the convocation , doe something herein , and that especially since by an unwary expression in her canons , wherein she hath explained this ceremony to be that whereby the person baptized is dedicated to the service of jesus christ , she hath wrongfully attributed thereto the sacramental effect which belongs to baptism onely , and thereby administred a great part of the occasion to all the divisions which have been risen about it . . as to the surplice i am sufficiently satisfied that nothing is more unreasonable than those cavils which are risen against it . for it is onely an habit of distinction , which the minister for the sake of order and decency makes use of in the execution of his function in the same manner as is practised in all other offices and professions of men , and those that except against it may as well except against the robes of a judge on the bench , or the gown of a mayor when he presides in his corporation , it being altogether as reasonable that a minister should be distinguished by a proper habit in the execution of his office , as they in theirs . but when through the malice of some in working strange objections against it into the minds of men , and the weakness of others in receiving and believing them , it is now become so great a stumbling-block of offence as to drive multitudes to forsake our churches , and be disaffected to the worship of god which is performed in them ; whatsoever was the reason of its first appointment , sure i am that from hence there is a much greater totally to lay it aside , and appoint another that may be less offensive in its stead . the union of the church and the benefit which the souls of men may receive thereby being certainly things of far greater moment than to be sacrificed to so trivial a matter as that of a garment . . kneeling at the sacrament of the lord's supper is a posture so proper to that holy ordinance , that of all the constitutions of our church , this is the last i should be willing to part with ; because i think the highest posture of devotion is that which is always most natural for us to be in when we are receiving from christ so great and inestimable benefits as those which are reached out unto us in that holy mystery . but since the weakness of many who are good and well meaning men have been so far imposed on by several fallacious arguments which they have not skill enough to see through , as to think it sinfull to receive in this posture , and hereby the table of the lord becomes deserted , and the souls of many deprived of the benefit of that spiritual food which is administred thereon , contrary to the intention of our saviour , who hath by no means impowred us on any such account as this to debar men from communion , and deprive them thereby of those benefits of salvation which we are sent to administer unto them , it is time for us now to abate of our rigor in this matter ; and when we are not able to bring men up by reason of their weakness to the constitutions of the church , be so far indulgent as to descend to them , and give them the sacrament in their own way , rather than for the sake of a posture onely debar them of the benefits which their souls may receive thereby ; and to doe otherwise i doubt will not onely be a sin against christian charity , in prejudicing the salvation of many , but also be an abuse of the commission intrusted with us . for i can by no means be persuaded that christ hath given us the power of the keys to shut out those from the benefits of this sacrament who in all other respects being good and righteous men , have onely this weakness , that they cannot comply with us in receiving thereof in that posture which the church prescribes , and for which it hath no other warrant but its own constitutions . for how fitting a posture soever kneeling may be for the receiving of this sacrament , this must undeniably be allowed , that neither scripture directs it , nor antiquity ever used it ; it having been for several ages after christ the constant practice of all the churches in the world to communicate standing , and why this may not again by a particular dispensation from the present establishment be allowed to weak and scrupulous persons for the sake of peace and union with them , i can see no reason that savours either of a christian temper or christian charity that can be said to the contrary . . as to the liturgy of our church i freely acknowledge , and i think no man can contradict me herein , that it i● the best which was ever yet used in any christian church , but that it should therefore be so perfect as not to be capable of amendments or alterations for the better doth by no means follow . for nothing of humane composure can be such , especially in a thing of this nature , where process of time and alteration of circumstances frequently produce a necessity for correction , as most certainly in our liturgy they very often doe . for the language in which it is wrote being constantly in fluxu , as all other living languages are , in every age some words that were in use in the former grow obsolete , and some phrases and expressions formerly in grace and fashion through difuse become uncouth and ridiculous , and always to continue these in our liturgy without correction would be to bring a disparagement upon the whole , and expose to contempt the worship of god among us . besides there are several things which in one age may conduce to devotion , which through variation of times and circumstances may not be born in another ; several things which may be the proper matter of prayer at one time which may not be so in another , and all those things call for alterations and amendments whenever they happen . and therefore i am so far from assenting with some of our brethren in this particular , that our liturgy ought not to be altered , that i think it absolutely necessary from the abovementioned particulars that it be always at least once in years brought to a review for this purpose . and i am sure this hath been the judgment of the whole christian church from the beginning till this time . the greek church hath so often altered as to this , and made so many different forms of their liturgies , that a collection of them in a late auction amounted to twenty volumes ; and the latin church who brag most of their constancy in these matters have rather exceeded than come behind them herein , as in the old manuscripts of their liturgies will sufficiently appear to any that will take the pains to look into them . nay they were so far from continuing one age in conformity with another herein , that they observed none at all in this matter , but almost every province had its different liturgy , and it 's well known that there were five different forms of them in this kingdom till the reformation , and the like was also practised in other parts of the latin or romish church , and a general agreement as to this was then so far from being thought necessary , that the act of king edward the vith was the first law for a uniform liturgy in any church that was ever enacted from the beginning of christianity to that time . but neither did that exclude all varying from it in after times . the liturgy that was first established in that king's reign , within a very little while after underwent a review , which produced very considerable alterations in it . and when q. eliz. came to the crown many others were made therein . and those who compute the late alterations decreed in the convocation of . tell us they amount to the number of . and why we onely of this present time should be debarred the privilege of bettering our selves in this matter , which all other times of the church before us have enjoyed , i would fain know a reason . thus far sure i am that no time had ever more need to make use of it for the publick good than this in which we now live . for the exigences of the state call loudly upon us to doe that herein which may tend to its safety , and the peace of the church and the interest of religion plead as hard on the other hand to the same purpose , for the removing of animosities and divisions , and the restoring of union and charity among us . and what can we say for our selves if we continue deaf as to all this ? but to come to the liturgy it self ; are there not many things in it which with some shew of reason our dissenting brethren except against ? and are there not many more which we our selves heartily wish might be amended and improved ? certainly , were there no other reason to induce us to comply with our brethren that dissent from us , in making such alterations as would satisfie them , i should think this a very sufficient one , that that we have an opportunity given us at the same time also to gratifie our selves in such further alterations and improvements which we our selves desire . for must the story of tobit and his dog and that of bell and the dragon always supplant canonical scripture in our churches , and we be forced to read such ridiculous things to our people instead of the word of god ? must we always be forced to read the old translation of the psalms , and impose that on the people for true scripture , which in so great a number of places quite differs from it ? must we always be forced in our addresses to god almighty with a flattery not to be warranted , to call every king that reigns over us most religious , though the whole tenor of his life may be quite the contrary ; and pray that he may be kept and strengthned in the true worshipping of god , though openly professing so false a worship as that of popery ? and must we also be forced still to put that abuse upon the power of the keys committed to our charge , as to excommunicate , and thereby thrust out of our churches sometimes the best of our people for being right or wrong overthrown in some penny or twopenny cause in our ecclesiastical courts ? and must we always be necessitated to pronounce all damn'd that do not believe every tittle in athanasius's creed which so few do understand ; and on the contrary to declare every man sav'd at his burial how wickedly soever he liv'd all his life before ? and must we always be bound to many other grievances and defects of this nature , which i could tell you of , and still deny our selves all redress under the burden of them , by refusing all those desirable alterations and improvements which are now in our own power to effect , because some of our brethren are obstinately bent to doe nothing for the satisfaction of those that dissent from us ? in summ , it cannot be denied , but that there are many things in our liturgy which may be amended and improved , many defects in our discipline and constitutions which may be supplied , and abundance of other particulars in our church which may receive a great advance for the better enabling us to promote religion and piety , and suppress sin and iniquity among us . and since the king and parliament are now so well inclined to comply with us in all these particulars , which we have so often laboured for in vain in other times , provided that we will on our side doe what justly we may to satisfie our dissenting brethren for the sake of peace and union among us , which the necessities of our present circumstances doe so much require for our common safety ; it is a barter of that advantage on our side , that none i think can refuse that have any regard to the honour of god , the good of his church , or the true interest of religion among us . but to all what i have said i very well know many objections will be made , which i daily hear from those who are of your opinion in this matter . the first is , that altering any thing in this now constituted church will be like the plucking of a beam out of a well built house , and that it cannot be done without endangering the whole fabrick . to this i answer , if all had been of this mind we could never have reformed from popery , because this argument would have been as strong against all alterations then as now ; but i thank god we altered for the better then , and still preserv'd our church , and therefore i hope we may be able to doe so still without any prejudice thereto . . it is objected , if we once begin to alter , where shall we stop ? to this i answer , whensoever any thing is proposed to us which is not fit to be done . . it 's objected , if we yield now , they will still be craving more , and never rest till at last they have taken all from us . to which i answer , when they doe this , then it will be time enough to resist them ; in the interim let us not refuse them what is just and sitting for us to grant them , lest thereby we make good the old saying , omnia dat qui justa negat ; and we give them an advantage against us , by our obstinate rigor against yielding any thing , to get that power on their side which may deprive us of all . . it 's objected , that some of those alterations which they require are in things as ancient as the primitive church , from which we ought not to vary , as may be instanced in the cross in baptism . to which i answer , that we are not bound to retain all things that were used in the primitive church . for if so , why have we not still their love-feasts and their deaconesses , which have been long since disused in all christian churches , and yet the mention of them is as ancient as the scriptures themselves . for in truth it is not ancient usage , but the necessities and exigencies of the church that are the reasons of all its constitutions and establishments , which are to be framed in every age as will best sute with the promoting of the honour of god , and the edification of his people , to which abundance of things might very well serve in the primitive times , which will not now ; and therefore to say , that what was in use , in the primitive times must be retained now for this reason onely without any other to enforce it is just the same as if we were bound to revive all the old saxon and british laws , because they were the ancient constitutions of this land , without considering whether they are usefull to us or no. . the fifth objection is , that it will be a reproach to change . to which i answer , that it will be a much greater reproach obstinately to resist a change when there is good reason for it . and therefore i cannot approve the confidence of that gentleman , who hath lift up his banner against the whole intent and design of this convocation , with a nolumus leges angliae mutare . for doth he think we are bound never to make any new constitutions in our church , or abolish old ones , according as the exigencies of it doe require ? if so , why have we any convocations at all ? for is not the whole intent and reason of these assemblies of the clergy of this church , to consider its grievances and corruptions in the same manner as the parliament doth those of the state , and from time to time , in like manner , provide remedies for them , and that by abolishing old constitutions , as well as by decreeing new ones ? and hath not the church ever asserted this power as one of the most essential things which belong to its constitution ? and must it now renounce all this for the sake of this gentleman's motto ? and now , in this critical time , when its safety doth so much depend upon what it shall doe for it self , rather sit quietly down and languish to death , than make the least motion of effort to save it self . if this be it which this gentleman would have , we have no reason to thank him either for his speech or his motto , the last of which , i suppose , pleased him best , because it carried a double stab with it , the one against the church , and the other against him that was his greatest benefactor to promote him in it . . the sixth objection is , that we have no reason to alter any thing for the sake of dissenters , because the fault of our divisions is not from any constitutions of ours , but from their obstinacy and perverseness in unreasonably dissenting from them . to which i answer , that i acknowledge all this to be true , that it is not the church which is the cause of our divisions by any of its constitutions or impositions , which are all rational and good , but they onely who refuse to conform to them . but it doth not follow therefore , that when nothing else will remove the divisions now raised among us on the account of these things , or again reduce dissenters to the unity of the church , but some alterations in them , ( which without the least prejudice to our church , or the worship of god therein we may lawfully make ) it may not be a great fault in us now to be over obstinate in these matters , and that we ought not rather when there is before us so great a good , as the peace of the church and the salvation of so many therein ( which it 's to be fear'd may be too much obstructed by these divisions ) be ready to comply with them as far as lawfully we may for the sake hereof . for they being the 〈…〉 k and the infirm whom we are sent to heal , our part to them must be that of a physician , who , when he finds his patient , through that peevishness which is commonly incident to the sick , obstinately refuse an wholsom medicine which he prescribes him , doth not for this reason immediately cast off all care of him , but thinks of something else more agreeable to his palate and humour , that may doe as well . . the seventh objection is , if we make those alterations and so often change , how shall we answer the papists , who will upbraid us with it ? to this i answer , as well as we did in the first of queen elizabeth , and in . or , if this be an objection , as well as they can us for their alterations by the council of trent , the late reformation of their mass-books at paris , and the last pope's abolishing several offices concerning the virgin mary . . the eighth objection is , we shall by these alterations dissatisfie our own people . to which i answer , why more now than in . when all readily complyed with and approved the like alterations ? but i believe more noise is made of this objection , than there is truth or reason in it ; perchance there may be some few ignorant and weak people , that may be over zealously affected to these matters among us , but they being our own , i hope are capable of being better instructed by us ; than to think any of those things in which the alterations are desired so sacred as not to be meddled with : for this is to attribute that to the appointments of men , which is due onely to the divine institutions , and is a sinfull superstition , in which they ought by no means to be indulged , but are as to this to be corrected , and better informed by us , under whose care they are . and thu● far having shewn you what necessity is upon us to c 〈…〉 ent to the alterations that will be proposed in this present convocation , from the great obligation we have to remove the scisms and heal the divisions that are among us , i shall in the second place shew you another reason of this necssity from the promise , whereby we have obliged our selves so to doe . for the bishops , in their petition to king james , promised that they would come to a temper with the dissenters , whenever put in a legal way , and this promise all the clergy in the land have seemed to approve of by owning that petition in which it was contained , as they all plainly did who refused to read that king's declaration in compliance therewith ; and therefore now we are put in a legal way by being called together in convocation , we are bound to make this promise good . for hereby we have not only raised the expectations of the dissenters , but also of the whole nation too , who are earnest for the sake of the publick good and peace of the kingdom , that the differences between us should be composed ; and if we doe nothing in complyance herewith , what can we expect , but that the general clamour of the people will be raised against us hereon , as a base and false sort of men , who can promise fair in times of adversity , and forget all performances when they are over , and we become the reproach of every man hereon , i know the answer hereto is , that the dissenters will do nothing on their part towards this temper , and that after all that we can doe on ours we cannot have assurance that any one of them will come over to us thereon , and therefore it will be in vain for us to proceed any further on this project . to which i reply , first , that it is by no means true that all dissenters are so averse to a reconciliation with us , as this answer suggests , for i know multitudes that on granting the alterations proposed would most gladly come in and unite themselves to us . that their ministers are not so forward as to this i believe to be true , because they having many of them very beneficial conventicles , where they have a more plentifull income , greater respects , and a larger power than they can hope for in a church benefice , would rather for the sake of self interest continue as they are , and have no comprehension at all , than to be brought into the church thereby to their loss . but with the people i know it will be otherwise , who will in large numbers come in to us as soon as those alterations shall be in our churches ; and when they are once come off , it will not be long ere their ministers also will be forced to follow . but , secondly , suppose it true , that no dissenter at all would be brought over to us by the concessions proposed , yet i say that we are still bound as well by interest as duty to perform what we have promised : for by doing our part herein , first , we shall leave them without excuse , if they be not satisfied thereon , and deliver our selves from abundance of their clamour , which we are now continually vexed with by them on this account . secondly , we shall thereby give satisfaction to the nation , who expect this from us , and fix them thereby the more firmly to us . for say we what we will of the strength and number of those that are for us , let us not deceive our selves , as they that are zealous for the dissenters are no great number , neither are they that are zealous for us . the main body of the nation i look on to stand indifferently affected both to them and us , and although they now come to our churches , yet are they as ready to joyn also with them were they in the publick ministry , as in the times of cromwell hath been sufficiently made appear . for they think not the controversie between us of that moment , and therefore cry loudly to us to agree , and take it very ill that such discords and divisions should be still maintained in the nation so much to the prejudice of the publick peace and safety about such trifling matters as they think them to be which we contend with each other about . and at present i must tell you they are readier to cast the blame of all this rather on us than them because they are now the suffering party . but if we do our part on this occasion , and make all those steps to peace and agreement which are proposed , we shall not onely set our selves right with them as to this , but if the dissenters do not hereon come in and comply with us , they will so plainly manifest themselves thereby to be a sort of obstinate and unreasonable people , that the whole nation shall condemn them and justifie us , and be thereby firmly fixed on our side ever after . but on the contrary if we do not our part , but break our promises , and reject the present opportunity put into our hands of doing our best towards the restoring peace to this poor divided church and nation , which all now so earnestly desire , and the exigency of our present affairs do make so necessary for our safety , we shall so far lose the people of the land , and give our adversaries that advantage over us thereby , as i fear may become our total ruine . but , thirdly , another reason there is which shews the necessity of our doing what is propos'd , because if we do not doe it most certainly the parliament will. for it may be very well remembred , that in the last sessions the bill past the house of lords in order hereto , and when it came down into the house of commons it was by their desire that the matter was referred to us , and if we now do nothing in it , you may assure your self the parliament will resume it again , and doe it their own way , and they have the whole thanks for it , and we onely the odium of the whole nation for refusing it . to prevent which let us not cast the present opportunity out of our hands of doing the thing our selves : for we as divines are best able to doe it as it ought without prejudice to the church , whereas if we cast it into the hands of laymen , they may instead of altering circumstantials strike at essentials , and so make a breach upon the religion it self to the undoing of all . and although this should be avoided , as i fear it will not in some particulars i could instance , as particularly in that of our orders , yet the least mischief we can expect will be totally to extinguish all convocations for the future , and resolve the whole power of the church into the two houses of parliament , and thereby perpetually fix that reproach of the papists upon us , that our religion is a parliamentary religion . and whether the church of england is now met together onely to be felo de se is that which the members of this present convocation are earnestly desired to consider . but in answer to all this your third head of objection tells us , that how necessary soever this may be from the abovementioned reasons , yet this is no proper time for it , when so many of the fathers of our church , and other eminent persons of the clergy by their suspension stand incapacitated to act with us in this matter , and that because if this be now done , when their consent cannot be had in the doing of it , they will renounce it all , and by sticking to the present form create a new schism among us , and thereby as great a breach be made in the church on the one hand , as possibly can be made up on the other . and this i hear is a reason much insisted on to defeat the whole design and intent of this convocation but in answer hereto i must tell you those excellent persons are very little beholding to them that talk of them at this rate , there being nothing that can be a more bitter libel against them . for is it possible to imagine that those who have so eminently signallized themselves in the defence of the church , and so readily yielded themselves to be confessors for it ( as all well know in the late reign ) should now on a sudden turn their hands against it to wound and destroy it , and all this onely out of a desperate peevishness , because they have some infelicities at present upon them which none of us can help . far be it from those eminent fathers of the church to become guilty of so great a wickedness against it , and i must tell you it is impossible they ever should , whatsoever some men may talk hereof to serve their own purpose . for how can they who have so long● preached and wrote against schism and the wickedness of it in separating from the church without a just cause , now become guilty hereof themselves , when there is no cause at all to drive them to it ? should we indeed put any thing either into our liturgy or constitutions , which is contrary either to the doctrine or the precepts of our religion , i must confess then there would be reason for them to separate , and i my self would make one of their number ; but those that are most hot against the design of this present convocation do not tell us that any thing of this is likely to be done therein , and therefore we may suppose the liturgy after its present review will have nothing of this therein , and that any then should separate from us in that where they can find no fault to object is a thing that cannot be imagined , but of such onely as are most perversly bent against reason and conscience to doe all the wickedness they can to gratifie a peevish humour . and therefore those that talk after this rate of those excellent and most religious persons have a great deal to answer for to them for the injury which they doe them by this slanderous and vile imputation . but since they will have it so we will for once ( begging their pardon for doing so ) suppose what they suggest to be true , that those who are now of so tender a conscience in reference to the oaths , will have none at all as to this which is a much plainer case , but go on in opposition to all which we shall do in this present convocation to make that schism which they would fright us with , the hurt will be so little which they will be able to doe us thereby , as that it will not need either to be feared or regarded by us . for their number is so small , and the proselytes they are like to get so few , and the resentments of the state will be so heavy upon them , as being enemies to them as well as us in this opposition , that they can no sooner appear in the schism which is talked so much of , but they must immediately be crush'd and fall to nothing , and therefore to talk of this as some do , in so formidable a manner for the obstructing all the good intentions of this present convocation , is a scare-crow which knaves may lift up , but none but fools can be frighted therewith . and thus far having shewn you the necessity which urgeth us to doe what may become us in this present convocation , methinks the case is so plain , that i cannot imagine from whence it is that the present opposition may arise , unless it be that some , when they hear of reformation , are afraid of their church power and church promotions . if this be the matter , as i doubt it is , that makes so many hang off from the publick good of the church at this time , i desire they would consider whether they doe not take the most effectual course to bring that about which they fear . if by such moderate abatements as are required we give satisfaction to the nation , they will be the better inclined to bear with us in all things else , and make the continuance of our establishments more lasting among them . but if on the contrary , by our refusal , we provoke them against us , i know not but that , instead of that moderate and just reformation which they will now be contented with , they may take the matter into their own hands , and bring us to that of scotland , which we are so much afraid of , and deprive us of all . and of this we have a plain instance in the case of the council of trent . had they granted any moderate concessions to the just demands of the germans , and yielded them but some of those things which are now a burthen to them , and which they would be gladly rid of , if they could with reputation , i doubt not the church of rome might have retained its power over the whole latin church till this time ; but their jealousie of this power making them rigorous to yield nothing , hath put them in the direct way to lose all . and if we follow the same course , i doubt the same effect will ensue . in summ , such bye ends are always most unjustifiable in ecclesiastical councils , in which no considerations of secular interest , but those onely which may best tend to the honour of god and the salvation of men ought to influence all our determinations , and could we but all come together with this mind , i should think our selves so sure of the blessing of god upon all our endeavours , that i durst promise you all the good success from this convocation that can be desired , whatever appearance there may at present be to the contrary . as to the account which you desire of our proceedings hitherto , i can onely tell you , that on monday last we chose our prolocutor , and adjourned to this day , and are now again adjourned till monday next , and then we expect to have our commission to act and fall to business . the first thing to be brought before us will be the reformation of the kalendar , that is , whether the apocryphal lessons shall be struck out or no ; and here i apprehend the main question will come to the debate , whether alterations , or no alterations : if the latter be carried , you will have your desire , and i my liberty again to return home , where the old saying , quos deus perdet dementat , must necessarily have that influence upon my mind , as to make me fear our total ruin cannot be long behind after so great an infatuation ; if it must be so , i am sure our sins have deserved it , and god endue us with patience to submit thereto . i am , sir , your affectionate humble servant , a. b. nov. . . finis . a persuasive to frequent communion in the holy sacrament of the lord's supper tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : b, : ) a persuasive to frequent communion in the holy sacrament of the lord's supper tillotson, john, - . the third edition. [ ], , [ ] p. printed by m. flesher, for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . attributed to john tillotson. cf. blc. copy on reel : is seventh item in v. of: a collection of cases and other discourses / by some divines of the city of london. advertisement: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng lord's supper -- early works to . lord's supper -- church of england -- early works to . lord's supper -- frequency of communion -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a persuasive to frequent communion in the holy sacrament of the lord's supper . the third edition . london , printed by m. flesher , for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill , and william rogers , at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet , . a persuasive to frequent communion . my design in this argument , is from the consideration of the nature of this sacrament of the lord's supper , and of the perpetual use of it to the end of the world , to awaken men to a sense of their duty , and the great obligation which lies upon them to the more frequent receiving of it . and there is the greater need to make men sensible of their duty in this particular , because in this last age by the unwary discourses of some , concerning the nature of this sacrament , and the danger of receiving it unworthily , such doubts and fears have been raised in the minds of men as utterly to deter many , and in a great measure to discourage almost the generality of christians from the use of it ; to the great prejudice and danger of mens souls , and the visible abatement of piety by the gross neglect of so excellent a means of our growth and improvement in it ; and to the mighty scandal of our religion , by the general disuse and contempt of so plain and solemn an institution of our blessed lord and saviour . therefore i shall take occasion as briefly and clearly as i can to treat of these four points . first , of the perpetuity of this institution ; this the apostle signifies when he saith , that by eating this bread , and drinking this cup , we do shew the lord's death till he come . secondly , of the obligation that lies upon all christians to a frequent observance of this institution ; this is signified in that expression of the apostle , as often as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup : which expression considered and compared together with the practice of the primitive church , does imply an obligation upon christians to the frequent receiving of this sacrament . thirdly , i shall endeavour to satisfie the objections and scruples which have been raised in the minds of men , and particularly of many devout and sincere christians , to their great discouragement from their receiving this sacrament , at least so frequently as they ought : which objections are chiefly grounded upon what the apostle says , wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread , and drink this cup of the lord unworthily , is guilty of the body and bloud of the lord : and doth eat and drink damnation to himself . fourthly , what preparation of our selves is necessary in order to our worthy receiving of this sacrament : which will give me occasion to explain the apostle's meaning in those words , but let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of that bread , and drink of that cup. i. for the perpetuity of this institution , implyed in those words , for as often as yet eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye do shew forth the lord's death till he come ; or the words may be read imperatively and by way of precept , shew ye forth the lord's death till he come . in the three verses immediately before , the apostle particularly declares the institution of this sacrament , with the manner and circumstances of it , as he had received it not onely by the hands of the apostles , but as the words seem rather to intimate , by immediate revelation from our lord himself , ver . . for i have received of the lord that which i also delivered unto you : that the lord jesus in the same night that he was betrayed took bread , and when he had given thanks he brake it , and said , take , eat , this is my body which is broken for you ; this doe in remembrance of me . after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped , saying , this cup is the new testament in my bloud : this doe as often as ye shall drink it in remembrance of me . so that the institution is in these words , this doe in remembrance of me . in which words our lord commands his disciples after his death to repeat these actions of taking and breaking and eating the bread , and of drinking of the cup , by way of solemn commemoration of him . now whether this was to be done by them once onely , or oftner ; and whether by the disciples onely , during their lives , or by all christians afterwards in all successive ages of the church , is not so certain merely from the force of these words , doe this in remembrance of me : but what the apostle adds puts the matter out of all doubt , that the institution of this sacrament was intended for all ages of the christian church ; for as often as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye do shew the lord's death till he come : that is , untill the time of his second coming , which will be at the end of the world. so that this sacrament was designed to be a standing commemoration of the death and passion of our lord till he should come to judgment ; and consequently the obligation that lies upon christians to the observation of it is perpetual , and shall never cease to the end of the world. so that it is a vain conceit and mere dream of the enthusiasts concerning the seculum spiritûs sancti , the age and dispensation of the holy ghost , when , as they suppose , all humane teaching shall cease , and all external ordinances and institutions in religion shall vanish , and there shall be no farther use of them . whereas it is very plain from the new testament that prayer , and outward teaching , and the use of the two sacraments , were intended to continue among christians in all ages . as for prayer , ( besides our natural obligation to this duty , if there were no revealed religion ) we are by our saviour particularly exhorted to watch and pray , with regard to the day of judgment , and in consideration of the uncertainty of the time when it shall be : and therefore this will always be a duty incumbent upon christians till the day of judgment , because it is prescribed as one of the best ways of preparation for it . that outward teaching likewise and baptism were intended to be perpetual is no less plain , because christ hath expresly promised to be with the teachers of his church in the use of these ordinances to the end of the world , matth. . , . go and disciple all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost : and lo i am with you always to the end of the world. not onely to the end of that particular age , but to the end of the gospel age , and the consummation of all ages , as the phrase clearly imports . and it is as plain from this text , that the sacrament of the lord's supper was intended for a perpetual institution in the christian church , till the second coming of christ , viz. his coming to judgment : because st. paul tells us , that by these sacramental signs the death of christ is to be represented and commemorated till he comes . doe this in remembrance of me : for as oft as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye do shew the lord's death till he come . and if this be the end and use of this sacrament , to be a solemn remembrance of the death and sufferings of our lord during his absence from us , that is , till his coming to judgment , then this sacrament will never be out of date till the second coming of our lord. the consideration whereof should mightily strengthen and encourage our faith in the hope of eternal life so often as we partake of this sacrament : since our lord hath left it to us as a memorial of himself till he come to translate his church into heaven , and as a sure pledge that he will come again at the end of the world and invest us in that glory which he is now gone before to prepare for us . so that as often as we approach the table of the lord , we should comfort our selves with the thoughts of that blessed time when we shall eat and drink with him in his kingdom , and shall be admitted to the great feast of the lamb , and to eternal communion with god the judge of all , and with our blessed and glorified redeemer and the holy angels and the spirits of just men made perfect . and the same consideration should likewise make us afraid to receive this sacrament unworthily , without due preparation for it , and without worthy effects of it upon our hearts and lives . because of that dreadfull sentence of condemnation which at the second coming of our lord shall be past upon those , who by the profanation of this solemn institution trample under foot the son of god , and contemn the bloud of the covenant ; that covenant of grace and mercy which god hath ratified with mankind by the bloud of his son. the apostle tells us that he that eateth and drinketh unworthily is guilty of the body and bloud of the lord , and eateth and drinketh damnation to himself . this indeed is spoken of temporal judgment ( as i shall shew in the latter part of this discourse , ) but the apostle likewise supposeth , that if these temporal judgments had not their effect to bring men to repentance , but they still persisted in the profanation of this holy sacrament , they should at last be condemned with the world. for as he that partaketh worthily of this sacrament confirms his interest in the promises of the gospel , and his title to eternal life ; so he that receives this sacrament unworthily , that is without due reverence ; and without fruits meet for it ; nay , on the contrary , continues to live in sin whilst he commemorates the death of christ , who gave himself for us that he might redeem u● from all iniquity , this man aggravates and seals his own damnation , because he is guilty of the body and bloud of christ , not onely by the contempt of it , but by renewing in some sort the cause of his sufferings , and as it were crucifying to himself afresh the lord of life and glory , and putting him to an open shame . and when the great judge of the world shall appear and pass final sentence upon men , such obstinate and impenitent wretches as could not be wrought upon by the remembrance of the dearest love of their dying lord , nor be engaged to leave their sins by all the tyes and obligations of this holy sacrament , shall have their portion with pilate and judas , with the chief priests and souldiers , who were the betrayers and murtherers of the lord of life and glory ; and shall be dealt withall as those who are in some sort guilty of the body and bloud of the lord. which severe threatning ought not to discourage men from the sacrament , but to deter all those from their sins who think of engaging themselves to god by so solemn and holy a covenant . it is by no means a sufficient reason to make men to fly from the sacrament , but certainly one of the most powerfull arguments in the world to make men forsake their sins ; as i shall shew more fully under the third head of this discourse . ii. the obligation that lyes upon all christians to the frequent observance and practice of this institution . for though it be not necessarily implyed in these words , as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ; yet if we compare these words of the apostle with the usage and practice of christians at that time , which was to communicate in this holy sacrament so often as they solemnly met together to worship god , they plainly suppose and recommend to us the frequent use of this sacrament , or rather imply an obligation upon christians to embrace all opportunities of receiving it . for the sense and meaning of any law or institution is best understood by the general practice which follows immediately upon it . and to convince men of their obligation hereunto , and to ingage them to a sutable practice , i shall now endeavour with all the plainness and force of persuasion i can : and so much the more , because the neglect of it among christians is grown so general , and a great many persons from a superstitious awe and reverence of this sacrament are by degrees fallen into a profane neglect and contempt of it . i shall briefly mention a threefold obligation lying upon all christians to frequent communion in this holy sacrament ; each of them sufficient of it self , but all of them together of the greatest force imaginable to engage us hereunto . . we are obliged in point of indispensable duty , and in obedience to a plain precept and most solemn institution of our blessed saviour that great lawgiver , who is able to save and to destroy , as st. james calls him : he hath bid us doe this . and st. paul , who declares nothing in this matter but what he tells us he received from the lord , admonisheth us to doe it often . now for any man that professeth himself a christian to live in the open and continued contempt or neglect of a plain law and institution of christ is utterly inconsistent with such a profession . to such our lord may say as he did to the jews , why call ye me lord , lord , and doe not the things which i say ? how far the ignorance of this institution , or the mistakes which men have been led into about it , may extenuate this neglect is another consideration . but after we know our lord's will in this particular and have the law plainly laid before us , there is no cloak for our sin . for nothing can excuse the wilfull neglect of a plain institution from a downright contempt of our saviour's authority . . we are likewise obliged hereunto in point of interest . the benefits which we expect to be derived and assured to us by this sacrament are all the blessings of the new covenant , the forgiveness of our sins , the grace and assistence of god's holy spirit to enable us to perform the conditions of this covenant required on our part ; and the comforts of god's holy spirit to encourage us in well-doing , and to support us under sufferings ; and the glorious reward of eternal life . so that in neglecting this sacrament we neglect our own interest and happiness , we forsake our own mercies , and judge our selves unworthy of all the blessings of the gospel , and deprive our selves of one of the best means and advantages of confirming and conveying these blessings to us . so that if we had not a due sense of our duty , the consideration of our own interest should oblige us not to neglect so excellent and so effectual a means of promoting our own comfort and happiness . . we are likewise particularly obliged in point of gratitude to the carefull observance of this institution . this was the particular thing our lord gave in charge when he was going to lay down his life for us , doe this in remembrance of me . men use religiously to observe the charge of a dying friend , and , unless it be very difficult and unreasonable , to doe what he desires : but this is the charge of our best friend ( nay of the greatest friend and benefactour of all mankind ) when he was preparing himself to dye in our stead and to offer up himself a sacrifice for us ; to undergo the most grievous pains and sufferings for our sakes , and to yield up himself to the worst of temporal deaths that he might deliver us from the bitter pains of eternal death . and can we deny him any thing he asks of us who was going to doe all this for us ? can we deny him this ? so little grievous and burthensome in it self , so infinitely beneficial to us ? had such a friend , and in such circumstances , bid us doe some great thing would we not have done it ? how much more when he hath onely said , doe this in remembrance of me ; when he hath onely commended to us one of the most natural and delightfull actions , as a fit representation and memorial of his wonderfull love to us , and of his cruel sufferings for our sakes ; when he hath onely enjoyned us , in a thankfull commemoration of his goodness , to meet at his table and to remember what he hath done for us ; to look upon him whom we have pierced , and to resolve to grieve and wound him no more ? can we without the most horrible ingratitude neglect this dying charge of our sovereign and our saviour , the great friend and lover of souls ? a command so reasonable , so easie , so full of blessings and benefits to the faithfull observers of it ! one would think it were no difficult matter to convince men of their duty in this particular , and of the necessity of observing so plain an institution of our lord ; that it were no hard thing to persuade men to their interest , and to be willing to partake of those great and manifold blessings which all christians believe to be promised and made good to the frequent and worthy receivers of this sacrament . where then lyes the difficulty ? what should be the cause of all this backwardness which we see in men to so plain , so necessary , and so beneficial a duty ? the truth is , men have been greatly discouraged from this sacrament by the unwary pressing and inculcating of two great truths ; the danger of the unworthy receiving of this holy sacrament , and the necessity of a due preparation for it . which brings me to the iii. third particular i proposed , which was to endeavour to satisfie the objections and scruples which have been raised in the minds of men , and particularly of many devout and sincere christians , to their great discouragement from the receiving of this sacrament , at least so frequently as they ought . and these objections , i told you , are chiefly grounded upon what the apostle says at the th . verse . wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the lord unworthily , is guilty of the body and bloud of the lord. and again ver . . he that eateth and drinketh unworthily , eateth and drinketh damnation to himself . upon the mistake and misapplication of these texts have been grounded two objections , of great force to discourage men from this sacrament , which i shall endeavour with all the tenderness and clearness i can to remove . first , that the danger of unworthy receiving being so very great , it seems the safest way not to receive at all . secondly , that so much preparation and worthiness being required in order to our worthy receiving , the more timorous sort of devout christians can never think themselves duly enough qualified for so sacred an action . . that the danger of unworthy receiving being so very great it seems the safest way wholly to refrain from this sacrament and not to receive it at all . but this objection is evidently of no force if there be ( as most certainly there is ) as great or a greater danger on the other hand , viz. in the neglect of this duty : and so though the danger of unworthy receiving be avoided by not receiving , yet the danger of neglecting and contemning a plain institution of christ is not thereby avoided . surely they in the parable that refused to come to the marriage-feast of the king's son and made light of that gracious invitation were at least as faulty as he who came without a wedding garment . and we find in the conclusion of the parable , that as he was severely punished for his disrespect , so they were destroyed for their disobedience . nay of the two it is the greater sign of contempt wholly to neglect the sacrament , than to partake of it without some due qualification . the greatest indisposition that can be for this holy sacrament is one's being a bad man , and he may be as bad , and is more likely to continue so , who wilfully neglects this sacrament , than he that comes to it with any degree of reverence and preparation , though much less than he ought : and surely it is very hard for men to come to so solemn an ordinance without some kind of religions awe upon their spirits , and without some good thoughts and resolutions , at least for the present . if a man that lives in any known wickedness of life do before he receive the sacrament set himself seriously to be humbled for his sins , and to repent of them , and to beg god's grace and assistence against them ; and after the receiving it , does continue for some time in these good resolutions , though after a while he may possibly relapse into the same sins again ; this is some kind of ▪ a restraint to a wicked life ; and these good moods and fits of repentance and reformation are much better than a constant and uninterrupted course of sin : even this righteousness , which is but as the morning cloud and the early dew which so soon passeth away , is better than none . and indeed scarce any man can think of coming to the sacrament , but he will by this consideration be excited to some good purposes , and put upon some sort of endeavour to mend and reform his life : and though he be very much under the bondage and power of evil habits , if he do with any competent degree of sincerity ( and it is his own fault if he do not ) make use of this excellent means and instrument for the mortifying and subduing of his lusts and for the obtaining of god's grace and assistence , it may please god by the use of these means so to abate the force and power of his lusts , and to imprint such considerations upon his mind in the receiving of this holy sacrament and preparing himself for it , that he may at last break off his wicked course and become a good man. but , on the other hand , as to those who neglect this sacrament , there is hardly any thing left to restrain them from the greatest enormities of life , and to give a check to them in their evil course : nothing but the penalty of humane laws , which men may avoid and yet be wicked enough . heretofore men used to be restrained from great and scandalous vices by shame and fear of disgrace , and would abstain from many sins out of regard to their honour and reputation among men : but men have hardened their faces in this degenerate age , and those gentle restraints of modesty which governed and kept men in order heretofore signifie nothing now adays . blushing is out of fashion , and shame is ceased from among the children of men . but the sacrament did always use to lay some kind of restraint upon the worst of men : and if it did not wholly reform them , it would at least have some good effect upon them for a time : if it did not make men good , yet it would make them resolve to be so , and leave some good thoughts and impressions upon their minds . so that i doubt not but it hath been a thing of very bad consequence , to discourage men so much from the sacrament , as the way hath been of late years : and that many men who were under some kind of check before , since they have been driven away from the sacrament have quite let loose the reins , and prostituted themselves to all manner of impiety and vice . and among the many ill effects of our past confusions , this is none of the least ▪ that in many congregations of this kingdom christians were generally disused and deterred from the sacrament , upon a pretence that they were unfit for it ; and being so , they must necessarily incur the danger of unworthy receiving ; and therefore they had better wholly to abstain from it . by which it came to pass that in very many places this great and solemn institution of the christian religion was almost quite forgotten , as if it had been no part of it ; and the remembrance of christ's death even lost among christians : so that many congregations in england might justly have taken up the complaint of the woman at our saviour's sepulchre , they have taken away our lord , and we know not where they have laid him . but surely men did not well consider what they did , nor what the consequences of it would be , when they did so earnestly dissuade men from the sacrament . 't is true indeed the danger of unworthy receiving is great ; but the proper inference and conclusion from hence is not that men should upon this consideration be deterred from the sacrament , but that they should be affrighted from their sins , and from that wicked course of life which is an habitual indisposition and unworthiness . st. paul indeed ( as i observed before ) truly represents , and very much aggravates the danger of the unworthy receiving of this sacrament ; but he did not deter the corinthians from it , because they had sometimes come to it without due reverence , but exhorts them to amend what had been amiss and to come better prepared and disposed for the future . and therefore after that terrible declaration in the text , whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the lord unworthily , is guilty of the body and bloud of the lord , he does not add , therefore let christians take heed of coming to the sacrament , but , let them come prepared and with due reverence , not as to a common meal , but to a solemn participation of the body and bloud of christ ; but let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. for , if this be a good reason to abstain from the sacrament , for fear of performing so sacred an action in an undue manner , it were best for a bad man to lay aside all religion and to give over the exercise of all the duties of piety , of prayer , of reading and hearing the word of god ; because there is a proportionable danger in the unworthy and unprofitable use of any of these . the prayer of the wicked ( that is , of one that resolves to continue so ) is an abomination to the lord. and our saviour gives us the same caution concerning hearing the word of god ; take heed how ye hear . and st. paul tells us , that those who are not reformed by the doctrine of the gospel , it is the savour of death , that is deadly and damnable , to such persons . but now will any man from hence argue , that it is best for a wicked man not to pray , not to hear or reade the word of god , lest by so doing he should endanger and aggravate his condemnation ? and yet there is as much reason from this consideration , to persuade men to give over praying and attending to god's word as to lay aside the use of the sacrament . and it is every whit as true that he that prays unworthily and hears the word of god unworthily , that is , without fruit and benefit , is guilty of a great contempt of god and of our blessed saviour ; and by his indevout prayers and unfruitfull hearing of god's word does further and aggravate his own damnation : i say , this is every whit as true , as that he that eats and drinks the sacrament unworthily is guilty of a high contempt of christ , and eats and drinks his own judgment ; so that the danger of the unworthy performing this so sacred an action is no otherwise a reason to any man to abstain from the sacrament , than it is an argument to him to cast off all religion . he that unworthily useth or performs any part of religion is in an evil and dangerous condition ; but he that casts off all religion plungeth himself into a most desperate state , and does certainly damn himself to avoid the danger of damnation : because he that casts off all religion throws off all the means whereby he should be reclaimed and brought into a better state . i cannot more fitly illustrate this matter than by this plain similitude : he that eats and drinks intemperately endangers his health and his life , but he that to avoid this danger will not eat at all i need not tell you what will certainly become of him in a very short space . there are some conscientious persons who abstain from the sacrament upon an apprehension that the sins which they shall commit afterwards are unpardonable . but this is a great mistake ; our saviour having so plainly declared that all manner of sin shall be forgiven men except the blasphemy against the holy ghost ; such as was that of the pharisees , who as our saviour tells us blasphemed the holy ghost in ascribing those great miracles which they saw him work , and which he really wrought by the spirit of god , to the power of the devil . indeed to sin deliberately after so solemn an engagement to the contrary is a great aggravation of sin , but not such as to make it unpardonable . but the neglect of the sacrament is not the way to prevent these sins ; but , on the contrary , the constant receiving of it with the best preparation we can is one of the most effectual means to prevent sin for the future , and to obtain the assistence of god's grace to that end : and if we fall into sin afterwards , we may be renewed by repentance ; for we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous , who is the propitiation for our sins ; and as such , is in a very lively and affecting manner exhibited to us in this blessed sacrament of his body broken , and his bloud shed for the remission of our sins . can we think that the primitive christians , who so frequently received this holy sacrament , did never after the receiving of it fall into any deliberate sin ? undoubtedly many of them did ; but far be it from us to think that such sins were unpardonable , and that so many good men should because of their carefull and conscientious observance of our lord's institution unavoidably fall into condemnation . to draw to a conclusion : such groundless fears and jealousies as these may be a sign of a good meaning , but they are certainly a sign of an injudicious mind . for if we stand upon these scruples , no man perhaps was ever so worthily prepared to draw near to god in any duty of religion , but there was still some defect or other in the disposition of his mind , and the degree of his preparation . but if we prepare our selves as well as we can , this is all god expects . and for our fears of falling into sin afterwards , there is this plain answer to be given to it ; that the danger of falling into sin is not prevented by neglecting the sacrament , but encreased : because a powerfull and probable means of preserving men from sin is neglected . and why should not every sincere christian , by the receiving of this sacrament and renewing his covenant with god , rather hope to be confirmed in goodness , and to receive farther assistences of god's grace and holy spirit to strengthen him against sin , and to enable him to subdue it ; than trouble himself with fears which are either without ground , or if they are not , are no sufficient reason to keep any man from the sacrament ? we cannot surely entertain so unworthy a thought of god and our blessed saviour , as to imagine that he did institute the sacrament not for the furtherance of our salvation , but as a snare , and an occasion of our ruine and damnation . this were to pervert the gracious design of god , and turn the cup of salvation into a cup of deadly poison to the souls of men . all then that can reasonably be inferred from the danger of unworthy receiving is , that upon this consideration men should be quickened to come to the sacrament with a due preparation of mind , and so much the more to fortifie their resolutions of living sutably to that holy covenant which they solemnly renew every time they receive this holy sacrament . this consideration ought to convince us of the absolute necessity of a good life , but not to deter us from the use of any means which may contribute to make us good . therefore ( as a learned divine says very well ) this sacrament can be neglected by none but those that do not understand it , but those who are unwilling to be tyed to their duty and are afraid of being engaged to use their best diligence to keep the commandments of christ : and such persons have no reason to fear being in a worse condition , since they are already in so bad a state . and thus much may suffice for answer to the first objection concerning the great danger of unworthy receiving this holy sacrament . i proceed to the . second objection , which was this ; that so much preparation and worthiness being required to our worthy receiving , the more timorous sort of christians can never think themselves duly enough qualified for so sacred an action . for a full answer to this objection , i shall endeavour briefly to clear these three things . first , that every degree of imperfection in our preparation for this sacrament is not a sufficient reason for men to refrain from it . secondly , that a total want of a due preparation , not onely in the degree but in the main and substance of it , though it render us unfit at present to receive this sacrament , yet it does by no means excuse our neglect of it . thirdly , that the proper inference and conclusion from the total want of a due preparation is not to cast off all thoughts of receiving the sacrament , but immediately to set upon the work of preparation that so we may be fit to receive it . and if i can clearly make out these three things i hope this objection is fully answered . . that every degree of imperfection in our preparation for this sacrament is not a sufficient reason for men to abstain from it : for then no man should ever receive it . for who is every way worthy and in all degrees and respects duly qualified to approach the presence of god in any of the duties of his worship and service ? who can wash his hands in innocency , that so he may be perfectly fit to approach god's altar ? there is not a man on earth that lives and sins not . the graces of the best men are imperfect ; and every imperfection in grace and goodness is an imperfection in the disposition and preparation of our minds for this holy sacrament : but if we do heartily repent of our sins , and sincerely resolve to obey and perform the terms of the gospel and of that covenant which we entred into by baptism and are going solemnly to renew and confirm by our receiving of this sacrament , we are at least in some degree and in the main qualified to partake of this holy sacrament ; and the way for us to be more fit is to receive this sacrament frequently , that by this spiritual food of god's appointing , by this living bread which comes down from heaven our souls may be nourished in goodness , and new strength and vertue may be continually derived to us for the purifying of our hearts and enabling us to run the ways of god's commandments with more constancy and delight . for the way to grow in grace and to be strengthned with all might in the inner man , and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness which by christ jesus are to the praise and glory of god , is with care and conscience to use those means which god hath appointed for this end : and if we will neglect the use of these means it is to no purpose for us to pray to god for his grace and assistence . we may tire our selves with our devotions and fill heaven with vain complaints , and yet by all this importunity obtain nothing at god's hand : like lazy beggars that are always complaining and alway asking , but will not work , will doe nothing to help themselves and better their condition ; and therefore are never like to move the pity and compassion of others . if we expect god's grace and assistence , we must work out our own salvation in the carefull use of all those means which god hath appointed to that end . that excellent degree of goodness which men would have to fit them for the sacrament , is not to be had but by the use of it . and therefore it is a preposterous thing for men to insist upon having the end before they will use the means that may further them in the obtaining of it . . the total want of a due preparation , not onely in the degree but in the main and substance of it , though it render us unfit at present to receive this sacrament , yet does it by no means excuse our neglect of it . one fault may draw on another , but can never excuse it . it is our great fault that we are wholly unprepared , and no man can claim any benefit by his fault , or plead it in excuse or extenuation of it . a total want of preparation and an absolute unworthiness is impenitency in an evil course , a resolution to continue a bad man , not to quit his lusts and to break off that wicked course he hath lived in : but is this any excuse for the neglect of our duty that we will not fit our selves for the doing of it with benefit and advantage to our selves ? a father commands his son to ask him blessing every day , and is ready to give it him ; but so long as he is undutifull to him in his other actions , and lives in open disobedience , forbids him to come in his sight . he excuseth himself from asking his father blessing because he is undutifull in other things , and resolves to continue so . this is just the case of neglecting the duty god requires , and the blessings he offers to us in the sacrament , because we have made our selves incapable of so performing the one as to receive the other ; and are resolved to continue so . we will not doe our duty in other things , and then plead that we are unfit and unworthy to do it in this particular of the sacrament . . the proper inference and conclusion from a total want of due preparation for the sacrament is not to cast off all thoughts of receiving it , but immediately to set about the work of preparation , that so we may be fit to receive it . for if this be true , that they who are absolutely unprepared ought not to receive the sacrament , nor can do it with any benefit ; nay by doing it in such a manner render their condition much worse , this is a most forcible argument to repentance and amendment of life : there is nothing reasonable in this case but immediately to resolve upon a better course that so we may be meet partakers of those holy mysteries , and may no longer provoke god's wrath against us by the wilfull neglect of so great and necessary a duty of the christian religion . and we do wilfully neglect it , so long as we do wilfully refuse to fit and qualifie our selves for the due and worthy performance of it . let us view the thing in a like case ; a pardon is graciously offered to a rebel , he declines to accept it , and modestly excuseth himself because he is not worthy of it . and why is he not worthy ? because he resolves to be a rebel , and then his pardon will do him no good , but be an aggravation of his crime . very true : and it will be no less an aggravation that he refuseth it for such a reason , and under a pretence of modesty does the impudentest thing in the world . this is just the case ; and in this case there is but one thing reasonable to be done , and that is , for a man to make himself capable of the benefit as soon as he can , and thankfully to accept of it : but to excuse himself from accepting of the benefit offered , because he is not worthy of it nor fit for it , nor ever intends to be so , is as if a man should desire to be excused from being happy because he is resolved to play the fool and to be miserable . so that whether our want of preparation be total , or onely to some degree , it is every way unreasonable : if it be in the degree onely , it ought not to hinder us from receiving the sacrament ; if it be total , it ought to put us immediately upon removing the impediment , by making such preparation as is necessary to the due and worthy receiving of it . and this brings me to the iv. fourth and last thing i proposed , viz. what preparation of our selves is necessary in order to the worthy receiving of this sacrament . which i told you would give me occasion to explain the apostle's meaning in the last part of the text , but let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. i think it very clear from the occasion and circumstances of the apostle's discourse concerning the sacrament that he does not intend the examination of our state , whether we be christians or not , and sincerely resolved to continue so ; and consequently that he does not here speak of our habitual preparation by the resolution of a good life . this he takes for granted , that they were christians and resolved to continue and persevere in their christian profession : but he speaks of their actual fitness and worthiness at that time when they came to receive the lord's supper . and for the clearing of this matter , we must consider what it was that gave occasion to this discourse . at the th . verse of this chapter he sharply reproves their irreverent and unfutable carriage at the lord's supper . they came to it very disorderly , one before another . it was the custome of christians to meet at their feast of charity , in which they did communicate with great sobriety and temperance ; and when that was ended they celebrated the sacrament of the lord's supper . now among the corinthians this order was broken : the rich met and excluded the poor from this common feast . and after an irregular feast ( one before another eating his own supper as he came ) they went to the sacrament in great disorder ; one was hungry having eaten nothing at all , others were drunk , having eaten intemperately , and the poor were despised and neglected . this the apostle condemns as a great profanation of that solemn institution of the sacrament ; at the participation whereof they behaved themselves with as little reverence as if they had been met at a common supper or feast . and this he calls not discerning the lord's body , making no difference in their behaviour between the sacrament and a common meal : which irreverent and contemptuous carriage of theirs he calls eating and drinking unworthily : for which he pronounceth them guilty of the body and bloud of the lord , which were represented and commemorated in their eating of that bread and drinking of that cup. by which irreverent and contemptuous usage of the body and bloud of our lord , he tells them that they did incur the judgment of god ; which he calls eating and drinking their own judgment . for that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which our translatours render damnation , does not here signifie eternal condemnation , but a temporal judgment and chastisement in order to the prevention of eternal condemnation , is evident from what follows ; he that eateth and drinketh unworthily , eateth and drinketh judgment to himself : and then he says , for this cause many are weak and sickly among you , and many sleep : that is , for this irreverence of theirs god had sent among them several diseases , of which many had dyed . and then he adds , for if we would judge our selves , we should not be judged . if we would judge our selves ; whether this be meant of the publick censures of the church , or our private censuring of our selves in order to our future amendment and reformation , is not certain . if of the latter , which i think most probable , then judging here is much the same with examining our selves , ver . . and then the apostle's meaning is , that if we would censure and examine our selves , so as to be more carefull for the future , we should escape the judgment of god in these temporal punishments . but when we are judged , we are chastened of the lord , that we should not be condemned with the world . but when we are judged ; that is , when by neglecting thus to judge our selves we provoke god to judge us ; we are chastened of the lord , that we should not be condemned with the world ; that is , he inflicts these temporal judgments upon us to prevent our eternal condemnation . which plainly shews , that the judgment here spoken of is not eternal condemnation . and then he concludes , wherefore , my brethren , when ye come together to eat tarry for one another . and if any man hunger , let him eat at home , that ye come not together unto judgment : where the apostle plainly shews both what was the crime of unworthy receiving , and the punishment of it . their crime was , their irreverent and disorderly participation of the sacrament ; and their punishment was , those temporal judgments which god inflicted upon them for this their contempt of the sacrament . now this being , i think , very plain ; we are proportionably to understand the precept of examination of our selves before we eat of that bread and drink of that cup. but let a man examine himself ; that is , consider well with himself what a sacred action he is going about , and what behaviour becomes him when he is celebrating this sacrament instituted by our lord in memorial of his body and bloud , that is , of his death and passion : and if heretofore he have been guilty of any disorder and irreverence ( such as the apostle here taxeth them withall ) let him censure and judge himself for it , be sensible of and sorry for his fault , and be carefull to avoid it for the future ; and having thus examined himself , let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. this , i think , is the plain sense of the apostle's discourse ; and that if we attend to the scope and circumstances of it , it cannot well have any other meaning . but some will say , is this all the preparation that is required to our worthy receiving of the sacrament , that we take care not to come drunk to it , nor to be guilty of any irreverence and disorder in the celebration of it ? i answer in short , this was the particular unworthiness with which the apostle taxeth the corinthians ; and which he warns them to amend , as they desire to escape the judgments of god , such as they had already felt for this irreverent carriage of theirs , so unsutable to the holy sacrament : he finds no other fault with them at present in this matter , though any other sort of irreverence will proportionably expose men to the like punishment . he says nothing here of their habitual preparation , by the sincere purpose and resolution of a good life answerable to the rules of the christian religion : this we may suppose he took for granted . however , it concerns the sacrament no more than it does prayer or any other religious duty . not but that it is very true that none but those who do heartily embrace the christian religion and are sincerely resolved to frame their lives according to the holy rules and precepts of it , are fit to communicate in this solemn acknowledgment and profession of it . so that it is a practice very much to be countenanced and encouraged , because it is of great use , for christians by way of preparation for the sacrament to examine themselves in a larger sense than in all probability the apostle here intended : i mean , to examine our past lives and the actions of them in order to a sincere repentance of all our errours and miscarriages , and to fix us in the steady purpose and resolution of a better life : particularly , when we expect to have the forgiveness of our sins sealed to us , we should lay aside all enmity and thoughts of revenge , and heartily forgive those that have offended us , and put in practice that universal love and charity which is represented to us by this holy communion . and to this purpose we are earnestly exhorted in the publick office of the communion by way of due preparation and disposition for it , to repent us truly of our sins past , to amend our lives and to be in perfect charity with all men , that so we may be meet partakers of those holy mysteries . and because this work of examining our selves concerning our state and condition , and of exercising repentance towards god and charity towards men is incumbent upon us as we are christians , and can never be put in practice more seasonably and with greater advantage than when we are meditating of this sacrament , therefore besides our habitual preparation by repentance and the constant endeavours of a holy life , it is a very pious and commendable custome in christians before their coming to the sacrament to set apart some particular time for this work of examination . but how much time every person should allot to this purpose , is matter of prudence ; and as it need not , so neither indeed can it be precisely determined . some have greater reason to spend more time upon this work , than others ; i mean those whose accounts are heavier because they have long run upon the score and neglected themselves : and some also have more leisure and freedom for it , by reason of their easie condition and circumstances in the world ; and therefore are obliged to allow a greater portion of time for the exercises of piety and devotion . in general , no man ought to doe a work of so great moment and concernment slightly and perfunctorily . and in this , as in all other actions , the end is principally to be regarded . now the end of examining our selves is to understand our state and condition , and to reform whatever we find amiss in our selves . and provided this end be obtained , the circumstances of the means are less considerable : whether more or less time be allowed to this work it matters not so much , as to make sure that the work be throughly done . and i do on purpose speak thus cautiously in this matter , because some pious persons do perhaps err on the stricter hand , and are a little superstitious on that side ; insomuch that unless they can gain so much time to set apart for a solemn preparation , they will refrain from the sacrament at that time , though otherwise they be habitually prepared . this i doubt not proceeds from a pious mind ; but as the apostle says in another case about the sacrament , shall i praise them in this ? i praise them not . for , provided there be no wilfull neglect of due preparation , it is much better to come so prepared as we can , nay i think it is our duty so to doe , rather than to abstain upon this punctilio . for when all is done , the best preparation for the sacrament is the general care and endeavour of a good life : and he that is thus prepared may receive at any time when opportunity is offered , though he had no particular foresight of that opportunity . and i think in that case such a one shall do much better to receive than to refrain ; because he is habitually prepared for the sacrament , though he had no time to make such actual preparation as he desired . and if this were not allowable how could ministers communicate with sick persons at all times , or persuade others to do it many times upon very short and sudden warning ? and indeed we cannot imagine that the primitive christians , who received the sacrament so frequently that for ought appears to the contrary they judged it as essential and necessary a part of their publick worship as any other part of it whatsoever , even as their hymns and prayers , and reading and interpreting the word of god : i say , we cannot well conceive how they who celebrated it so constantly , could allot any more time for a solemn preparation for it , than they did for any other part of divine worship : and consequently , that the apostle when he bids the corinthians examine themselves could mean no more than that considering the nature and ends of this institution they should come to it with great reverence ; and reflecting upon their former miscarriages in this matter , should be carefull upon this admonition to avoid them for the future and to amend what had been amiss : which to do , requires rather resolution and care than any long time of preparation . i speak this , that devout persons may not be entangled in an apprehension of a greater necessity than really there is of a long and solemn preparation every time they receive the sacrament . the great necessity that lies upon men is to live as becomes christians , and then they can never be absolutely unprepared . nay , i think this to be a very good preparation ; and i see not why men should not be very well satisfied with it , unless they intend to make the same use of the sacrament that many of the papists do of confession and absolution , which is to quit with god once or twice a year , that so they may begin to sin again upon a new score . but because the examination of our selves is a thing so very usefull , and the time which men are wont to set apart for their preparation for the sacrament is so advantageous an opportunity for the practice of it ; therefore i cannot but very much commend those who take this occasion to search and try their ways , and to call themselves to a more solemn account of their actions . because this ought to be done sometime , and i know no fitter time for it than this . and perhaps some would never find time to recollect themselves and to take the condition of their souls into serious consideration , were it not upon this solemn occasion . the sum of what i have said is this , that supposing a person to be habitually prepared by a religious disposition of mind and the general course of a good life , this more solemn actual preparation is not always necessary : and it is better when there is an opportunity to receive without it , than not to receive at all . but the greater our actual preparation is , the better . for no man can examine himself too often , and understand the state of his soul too well , and exercise repentance , and renew the resolutions of a good life too frequently . and there is perhaps no fitter opportunity for the doing of all this , than when we approach the lord's table , there to commemorate his death and to renew our covenant with him to live as becomes the gospel . all the reflexion i shall now make upon this discourse , shall be from the consideration of what hath been said earnestly to excite all that profess and call themselves christians to a due preparation of themselves for this holy sacrament , and a frequent participation of it according to the intention of our lord and saviour in the institution of it , and the undoubted practice of christians in the primitive and best times , when men had more devotion and fewer scruples about their duty . if we do in good earnest believe that this sacrament was instituted by our lord in remembrance of his dying love , we cannot but have a very high value and esteem for it upon that account . methinks so often as we reade in the institution of it those words of our dear lord , doe this in remembrance of me , and consider what he who said them did for us , this dying charge of our best friend should stick with us and make a strong impression upon our minds : especially if we add to these , those other words of his not long before his death , greater love than this hath no man , that a man lay down his life for his friend ; ye are my friends if you doe whatsoever i command you . it is a wonderfull love which he hath expressed to us , and worthy to be had in perpetual remembrance . and all that he expects from us , by way of thankfull acknowledgment , is to celebrate the remembrance of it by the frequent participation of this blessed sacrament . and shall this charge , laid upon us by him who laid down his life for us , lay no obligation upon us to the solemn remembrance of that unparallel'd kindness which is the fountain of so many blessings and benefits to us ? it is a sign we have no great sense of the benefit when we are so unmindfull of our benefactour as to forget him days without number . the obligation he hath laid upon us is so vastly great , not onely beyond all requital but beyond all expression , that if he had commanded us some very grievous thing we ought with all the readiness and chearfulness in the world to have done it ; how much more when he hath imposed upon us so easie a commandment , a thing of no burthen but of immense benefit ? when he hath onely said to us , eat o friends , and drink o beloved ? when he onely invites us to his table , to the best and most delicious feast that we can partake of on this side heaven ? if we seriously believe the great blessings which are there exhibited to us and ready to be conferred upon us , we should be so far from neglecting them , that we should heartily thank god for every opportunity he offers to us of being made partakers of such benefits . when such a price is put into our hands , shall we want hearts to make use of it ? methinks we should long with david ( who saw but the shadow of these blessings ) to be satisfied with the good things of god's house , and to draw near his altar ; and should cry out with him , o when shall i come and appear before thee ! my soul longeth , yea even fainteth for the courts of the lord , and my flesh cryeth out for the living god. and if we had a just esteem of things , we should account it the greatest infelicity and judgment in the world to be debarred of this privilege , which yet we do deliberately and frequently deprive our selves of . we exclaim against the church of rome with great impatience , and with a very just indignation , for robbing the people of half this blessed sacrament , and taking from them the cup of blessing , the cup of salvation ; and yet we can patiently endure for some months , nay years , to exclude our selves wholly from it . if no such great benefits and blessings belong to it , why do we complain of them for hindring us of any part of it ? but if there do , why do we by our own neglect deprive our selves of the whole ? in vain do we bemoan the decay of our graces and our slow progress and improvement in christianity , whilst we wilfully despise the best means of our growth in goodness . well do we deserve that god should send leanness into our souls , and make them to consume and pine away in perpetual doubting and trouble , if , when god himself doth spread so bountifull a table for us and set before us the bread of life , we will not come and feed upon it with joy and thankfulness . the end . a catalogue of books and sermons , writ by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury . viz. . sermons preached upon several occasions , in two volumes in octavo . . the rule of faith , &c. . a sermon preached on the th . of november , . at st. margarets westminster , before the honourable house of commons , upon st. luke . , . but he turned , and rebuked them , and said , ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of ; for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives , but to save them . . a sermon preached at the first general meeting of the gentlemen and others in and near london , who were born within the county of york , upon john . , . a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another , &c. . a sermon preached before the king , at white-hall , april th . , upon john . . beloved , believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they are of god , &c. . a sermon preached before the king , at white-hall , april d . , upon joshua . . if it seem evil unto you to serve the lord , chuse ye this day whom ye will serve . . the lawfulness , and obligation of oaths . a sermon preached at the assizes held at kingstone upon thames , july . , upon heb. . . and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife . . a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend mr. thomas gouge , november th . , with an account of his life , upon luke . , . now that the dead are raised , even moses shewed at the bush , &c. . a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benjamin whichcot , d.d. and minister of st. lawrence jewry , london may th . , upon cor. v. . wherefore we are always confident , knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the lord. . a persuasive to frequent communion in the holy sacrament of the lord's supper , preached in two sermons upon cor. . , , . for as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup , ye do shew the lord's death till he come , &c. . a treatise against transubstantiation , in to . sold by brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill , and william rogers , at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . advertisement of books . the works of the learned dr. isaac barrow , late master of trinity college in cambridge ; published by the reverend dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury : in two volumes in folio . the first containing thirty two sermons , preached upon several occasions , an exposition of the lord's prayer and the decalogue ; a learned treatise of the pope's supremacy , a discourse concerning the unity of the church : also some account of the life of the authour , with alphabetical tables . the second volume containing sermons and expositions upon all the apostles creed : with an alphabetical table ; and to which may be also added the life of the authour . printed for brabazon aylmer . sermons preached upon several occasions : by the right reverend father in god , john wilkins , d. d. and late lord bishop of chester . never printed before . printed for william rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . now in the press , five sermons of contentment , one sermon of patience , and one of resignation to the divine will : by isaac barrow , d. d. never before published : in octavo . for brabazon aylmer in cornhill . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cor. . . cor. . . ver. . ver. . obj. . obj. . sermons preach'd upon several occasions by john tillotson, d.d. dean of canterbury, preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn, and one of his majesties chaplains in ordinary. the second volume. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) sermons preach'd upon several occasions by john tillotson, d.d. dean of canterbury, preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn, and one of his majesties chaplains in ordinary. the second volume. tillotson, john, - . [ ], , [ ], , , p. printed for edw. gellibrand, and are to be sold by henry bonwicke, at the red-lyon in st. paul's-church-yard, london : . with an initial imprimatur leaf dated novemb. , . with two title pages; title taken from second title page, first title page torn and not included in pagination or foliation. each sermon has divisional title page; each sermon within quires b-g has a separate pagination. signatures: a⁴ b-g b-p q⁴. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatur , guil. sill , r. p. d. henr. episc . lond. à sac. dom. novemb. . . sermons preach'd upon several occasions . by john tillotson , d.d. dean of canterbury , preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn , and one of his majesties chaplains in ordinary . the 〈…〉 printed 〈…〉 at t●● 〈…〉 sermons preach'd upon several occasions . by john tillotson , d. d. dean of canterbury , preacher to the honourable society of lincolns-inn , and one of his majestie 's chaplains in ordinary . the second volume . london , printed for edw. gellibrand , and are to be sold by henry bonwicke , at the red-lyon in st. paul's-church-yard , . sermon i. isaiah ix . , , for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still : for the people turneth not to him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts . sermon ii. heb. iii. , exhort one another daily while it is called to day , lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . sermon iii. cor. iii. , but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . sermon iv. psal . cxix . , great peace have they that love thy law , and nothing shall offend them . sermon v. psal . cxix . , i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . sermon vi. psal . cxix . , i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . sermon vii . john iii. , in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil : whosoever doth not righteousness is not of god. sermon viii . luke xv. , i say unto you , that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance . sermon ix . matth. ix . , , wherefore i say unto you , all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men ; but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven unto men . and whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man , it shall be forgiven him : but whosoever speaketh against the holy ghost , it shall not be forgiven him , neither in this world , neither in the world to come . sermon x. acts x. . — who went about doing good . a sermon preached before the king , june th . isa . ix . , . for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still : for the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts . in the former part of this th verse , the prophet threatens that israel should be brought into great distress , and set upon by enemies on every side , the syrians before , and the philistines behind ; and that they should devour israel with open mouth : and though this was like to be a very sore and dreadful judgment , yet he foretells that this would not stay gods hand , nor satisfie his anger , because he foresaw that they would still grow worse , and continue impenitent . for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still : for the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts . in which words there are these two things , very useful at all times , but at this time especially most proper and seasonable for our consideration . . the design and intention of god in sending judgments upon a people ; and that is , to reclaim them from their sins , imply'd in these words , for the people turneth not to him that smiteth them ; which intimate to us , that this is the end which god aims at in his judgments , to take us off from our sins , and to bring us to himself . . the reason of the continuance of gods judgments ; because the people were not reclaimed by them . and this is fully express'd in the text , that therefore gods anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still , because the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them , &c. of these two i crave leave to speak as plainly and briefly as i can . i. the design and intention of god in sending judgments upon a people ; and that is to reclaim them from their sins . this indeed is the intention of all gods dispensations towards us in this world. the end of all his mercies and benefits , is to take us off from sin , and to oblige and win us to our duty : so the apostle tells us rom. . , that the design of gods goodness , and long-suffering , and forbearance towards us , is , to lead us to repentance . and this is the way wherein god delights to deal with us . the way of judgment and severity is that which he is more averse from , a course which he unwillingly takes with us , and not without some difficulty and reluctancy , he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men : and were it not that we are such perverse creatures as not to be wrought upon by kindness , so wild as not to be tamed by gentle usage , god would not handle us in any other way . it is our obstinacy and intractableness to the methods of his goodness which constraineth , and almost forceth him against his inclination , to take the rod into his hand , and to chastise us with it . he would draw us with the cords of love , and the bands of a man , ( as he expresseth himself in the prophet ) , but we will not follow him : and therefore we provoke him to turn these cords into whips , and to change the gentle methods of his kindness into ways of harshness and severity . and yet when he comes to take this course with us , he still , like a kind and tender-hearted father , aims at our benefit and advantage . he designs kindness to the sons of men by all those judgments which do not kill them , and cut them off from the opportunity and possibility of improving them . if he send evils upon us , it is that thereby he may do us some greater good : if he afflict us , it is not because it is pleasant to him to deal harshly with us , but because it is profitable and necessary for us to be so dealt withall : and if at any time he imbitter our lives by miseries and sufferings , it is because he is loth to see us perish in pleasant ways , and chuseth rather to be somewhat severe towards us , than suffer us to be utterly undone . this moses declares to have been the great end of all the severe providences of god towards the people of israel , in their long wandring in the wilderness , and all the difficulties and hardships they were there exercised withall for the space of forty years , deut. . , : who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness , wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions , &c. that he might humble thee , and that he might prove thee , to do thee good at thy latter end . so that the afflicting providences of god are not only apt in their own nature to do us good , but which is a more express argument of the divine goodness , god intends and aims at this end by them : he does not send judgments upon this theatre of the world for his sport and pastime , nor set on one part of his creation to bait another for his own diversion : he does not , like some of the cruel roman emperours , take pleasure to exercise men with dangers , and to see them play bloody prizes before him . nay , he does nothing that is severe out of humour and passion , as our earthly parents many times do . indeed he is angry with us for our sins ; but yet so as still to pity our persons : and when his providence makes use of any sharp and cutting instruments , it is with this merciful design , to let out our corruption : if he cast us into the furnace of affliction , it is that he may refine and purifie us from our dross . so that though the judgments of god be evils in themselves , yet considering the intention of god in them , they are no real objections against his goodness , but rather arguments for it ; as will appear if we consider these three things . . that the judgments of god are proper for the cure of a far greater evil of another kind . . they are proper for the prevention of far greater evils of the same kind . . they are not only proper to these ends , but in many cases very necessary . first , the judgments of god are very proper for the cure of a far greater evil of another kind ; i mean the evil of sin . we take wrong measures of things , when we judg those to be the greatest evils which afflict our bodies , wound our reputation , and impoverish our estates . for those certainly are far the greatest , which affect our noblest part ; which vitiate our understandings , and deprave our wills , and wound and defile our souls . what corrupt humours are to the body , that sin is to the souls of men , their disease and their death . now it is very agreeable with the goodness and mercy of the divine providence , to administer to us whatever is proper for the cure of so great an evil . if we make our selves sick , that is our own folly , and no fault of the physitian ; but we are beholden to him if he recover us , though it be by very bitter and unpleasing means . all temporal judgments which are short of death , are properly medicinal ; and if we will but suffer them to have their kindly operation upon us , they will work a cure ; and how grievous and distastful soever they may be for the present , they will prove mercies and blessings in the issue . upon this account david reckons afflictions among the happy blessings of his life , psal . . , it is good for me ( saies he ) that i have been afflicted ; and he gives the reason of it in the same psalm , ver . , before i was afflicted i went astray , but now have i learn'd thy precepts . so that though all afflictions are evils in themselves , yet they are good for us ; because they discover to us our disease , and tend to our cure : they are a sensible argument and conviction to us of the evil and danger of sin . we are commonly such fools as solomon speaks of , who make a mock of sin ; and like children , will be playing with the edge of it till it cut and wound us : we are not sufficiently sensible how great an evil it is , till we come to feel the dismal effects and consequences of it . and therefore to rectify our apprehensions concerning it , god makes us to suffer by it . thus elihu describes to us the happy effect of afflictions upon sinners , job . , , , if they be bound in fetters , and held in cords of affliction , then god sheweth them their work , and their transgression that they have exceeded . he openeth also their ear to discipline , and commandeth that they return from their iniquity . god doth but invite and entreat us by his mercies , but his judgments have a more powerful and commandng voice . when he holds men in cords of affliction , then he openeth their ear to discipline . in our prosperity we are many times incapable of counsel and instruction ; but when we are under gods correcting hand , then are we fit to be spoken withall . secondly , the judgments of god are likewise proper for the preventing of far greater evils of the same kind ; i mean farther punishments . in sending of temporal judgments upon sinners , god usually proceeds with them by degrees : first he le ts flye several single shots at them , and if upon these they will take warning and come in , they may prevent the broad-sides and volleys of his wrath . but the great advantage of all is , that temporal judgments may prove to us the opportunities of preventing the miserable and unspeakable torments of a long eternity . for all judgments which are not final , leaving men a space of repentance , have in them the mercy of reprieve , which by a serious and timely return to god , may be improv'd into a pardon . besides , that adversity and afflictions do usually dispose men , and put them into a fit temper for repentance ; they fix our minds , and make us serious , and are apt to awaken us to consideration , and suggest to us such thoughts and meditations as these : if temporal evils be so grievous , how insupportable then will be the extreme and endless torments of the next life ? if in this day of gods grace and patience we sometimes meet with such severity , what may we not look for in the day of vengeance ? if these drops of gods wrath which now and then fall upon sinners in this world , fill them with so much anguish and affliction , how deplorably miserable will those wretches be upon whom the storms of his fury shall fall ? who would venture to continue in sin , when the greatest miseries and calamities which we feel in this life , are but a small and inconsiderable earnest of those woful wages which sinners shall receive in the day of recompences ? thirdly , the judgments of god are not only proper to these ends , but in many cases very necessary . our condition many times is such , as to require this severe way of proceeding , because no other course that god hath taken , or can take with us , will probably do us good . god does not delight in the miseries and calamities of his creatures , but we put him upon these extremities ; or rather his own goodness and wisdom together , do prompt and direct him to these harsh and rigorous ways . may be we have brought our selves into that dangerous state , and the malignity of our distemper is such , that it is not to be remov'd without violent physick ; and that cannot be administred to us without making us deadly sick . so that the judgments of god which are many times abroad in the earth , are nothing else but the wise methods which the great physitian of the world uses for the cure of mankind ; they are the rods of his school , and the discipline of his providence , that the inhabitants of the world may learn righteousness : they are a merciful invention of heaven , to do men that good which many times nothing else will ; and to work that blessed effect upon us , which neither the wise counsels and admonitions of gods word , nor his milder and gentler dealings with us can usually attain . thus we find in the parable , luk. . that the providence of god makes use of hunger and extreme necessity to bring home the prodigal ; and by him our saviour represents to us the temper of most sinners : for till we have spent that stock of mercies which god hath given us , till we come to be pinch'd with want , and are ready to perish , we are not apt to entertain thoughts of returning to our father . it may be there are some sinners which are more tractable and easie to be reduced to goodness , that are not so headstrong and obstinate in their way , but that they may be reclaimed by milder and softer means : but there are likewise a great many sensless and outragious sinners , who are madly and furiously bent upon their own ruin : now to treat these fairly , with the allurements of kindness , and the gentle arts of perswasion , would be to no purpose : the only way that is left of dealing with them , is rigour and severity . when sinners are thus besides themselves , some thing that looks like cruelty is perhaps the greatest mercy that can be shown to them ; nothing so proper for such persons as a dark room , and a spare diet , and severe usage ; a rod for the back of fools , as the wise-man speaks . thus have i done with the first thing i propounded to speak to , namely , the merciful design and intention of god in sending judgments upon a people , which is , to bring them to repentance , and by repentance to prevent their ruin. i proceed to the ii. the reason of the continuance of gods judgments , viz. because the people were not reclaimed by them ; therefore his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still , because the people turneth not to him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts . and how can it be expected it should be otherwise ; when incorrigibleness under the judgments of god is a provocation of so high a nature , a sign of a most deprav'd and incorrigible temper , and an argument of the greatest obstinacy in evil ? upon this account we find that the holy spirit of god in scripture brands ahaz as a singular and remarkable sort of sinner , ( chron. . . ) because , in the time of his distress he sinned yet more against the lord. the longer pharaoh and the egyptians resisted the judgments of god , the more still they were harden'd , and the more they were plagu'd : levit. . , after god had there threatned his people with several sore judgments for their sins , he tells them , that if they will not be reform'd by all these things , he will punish them seven times more , and after that , seven times more for their sins : and if in such a case the just god will punish seven times more , we may safely conclude that sins after judgments are seven times greater . so likewise , deut. , after a long and dreadful catalogue of curses there denounc'd against the people of israel in case of their disobedience , god at last threatens them with a forreign enemy , that should distress them in their gates ; and if they would not be reclaim'd by all this , he tells them , that he hath still more and greater judgments for them in store , v. , and , if thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law , that thou mayest fear this great and glorious name , the lord thy god , then the lord will make thy plagues wonderful . if we be of so strange and monstrous a disposition , as to grow worse under judgments , god will deal with us after an unusual and prodigious manner , he will make our plagues wonderful . this incorrigible temper the prophets of old every where make the great aggravation of the sin of israel , isa . . , , ah sinful nation ! a people laden with iniquity ; and after a great many other expressions to set forth what heinous sinners they were , he sums up all in this , that they were so far from being reform'd by the several judgments of god which had been inflicted upon them , that they were the worse for correction ; why should they be stricken any more ? they will revolt more and more . so likewise , hos . . , , ephraim , though brought very low , is represented as of the same refractory temper , strangers have devour'd his strength , &c. but they do not return to the lord , nor seek him for all this . i will mention but one text more ( and methinks it bears but too near a resemblance with our own condition , both in respect of the judgments which have been upon us , and our carriage under them , ) amos . where god upbraids his people several times with this , as the great aggravation of their sins , that they continued impenitent under all those terrible judgments of god which had been upon them ; i have sent among you ( says he ) famine ; and then pestilence ; and then the sword ; and last of all a terrible fire which had almost utterly consumed them , vers . . i have overthrown some of you as i overthrew sodom and gomorrah , and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning : yet have ye not return'd unto me . and because all these judgments had not been effectual to reclaim them , he tells them that he was resolved to go on in punishing ; and therefore he bids them to expect it , and prepare themselves for it , vers . . therefore thus will i do unto thee , o israel ; and because i will do this unto thee , prepare to meet thy god , o israel . when god hath begun to punish a people , and they are not amended by it , the honour of his justice is concern'd to proceed , and not to give over . by every sin that we commit , we offend god ; but if he smite us , and we stand out against him , then do we contend with him , and strive for mastery . and when the sinner is upon these stubborn and insolent terms , then prepare to meet thy god ; a bitter sarcasme , as if man could be a match for god , and a poor weak creature in any wise able to encounter him to whom power belongs . there 's a severe expression concerning gods dealing with such perverse and obstinate sinners , psal . . , with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward , or , as the words may more properly and conveniently be render'd , with the froward thou wilt wrestle . god will not be outbrav'd by the sins of men ; and therefore if we continue impeninent we have all the reason in the world to expect that god will go on to punish . but to come nearer to our selves , and to consider our own case ; which is in truth so very bad that we may almost be afraid to consider it . the wise and good god , like a prudent and indulgent father , hath used all the arts of his providence towards this nation , to reclaim us . he hath invited us to him by many blessings , but we would not come ; so that ( to borrow an apt illustration from a great divine of our own ) we have forced him to deal with us as absalom did with joab ; he sent one civil message to him after another ; but he would not come ; at last he sets on fire his corn-field to try whether that would bring him : this course god hath taken with us ; we would not be perswaded by messages of kindness ( by his many blessings and favours ) to return to him , and therefore hath he sent amongst us the terrible messengers of his wrath . first we were engag'd in a foreign war ; and though god was pleas'd to give us some considerable success in it , yet it seems our provocations were so great , that he was resolv'd to punish us . he was loth to let us fall into the hands of men ; and therefore he took the work into his own hand , and punish'd us himself , by sending a pestilence amongst us , the sorest and most destructive that hath befallen this nation for many ages . but we did not upon this , return to him ; and therefore his fierce anger kindled a fearful fire amongst us , which hath laid the honour of our nation , one of the greatest and richest cities in the world in the dust ; and that by so sudden and irresistible , so dismal and amazing a devastation as , in all the circumstances of it is , scarce to be parallel'd in any history . i doubt not but most of us were mightily affected with this judgment whilst it was upon us . so astonishing a calamity , could not but make us open our eyes a little , and awaken us to consideration ; even the rich-man in the gospel , though he had all his life-time been immers'd in sensuality , yet could not but lift up his eyes when he was in flames . and surely god expects , that such judgments as these should not only rouze us a little for the present , but that they should have a permanent operation and effect upon us , and work a thorough and lasting reformation amongst us ; but yet i am afraid that this dreadful fire hath had no other influence upon us , but what it uses to have upon metals , which are only melted by it for the present , but when the fire is removed , they suddenly cool and return to their former hardness . one would have thought , that the sense of such a calamity as this , should have remain'd longer upon us . methinks god seem'd to say to us after this judgment as he did once to jerusalem , zeph. . , surely thou wilt fear me , thou wilt receive instruction ; but we ( like them ) have been but the more forward to provoke him , ( they rose early and corrupted their doings ) we have after all this harden'd our hearts from his fear , and refused to return . and therefore god is now come to one of his last judgments , our enemy distresseth us in our gates . god hath begun to let us fall into the hands of men , and by giving our enemies a sudden and fatal advantage upon us , hath smitten us with a breach great as the sea. these were terrible calamities indeed to come so thick and so swiftly upon us , like desolation , and as a whirlwind . such a quick succession of judgments , treading almost upon one anothers heels , does but too plainly declare that god is highly incens'd against us . for surely these are not the wounds of a friend , but the terrible assaults of an enemy . they do not look like the displeasure of a father , but the severity of a judg ; not like visitation , but like vengeance . and besides these more visible judgments upon the nation , we are by a secret curse of god insensibly decayed in our riches and strength . we are , i know not how , strangely impoverisht in the midst of plenty , and almost undone by victories . and which adds to our misery , few among us seem to be sufficiently sensible of it , or to take any notice by what silent steps and imperceptible degrees ( like gray hairs and the infirmities of old age ) poverty and weakness are stealing in upon us ; so that we may fitly apply to our selves , what the prophet says of ephraim , hos . . , strangers have devoured his strength , and he knoweth it not ; yea , gray hairs are here and there upon him , and yet he knoweth it not . and our condition , as we are a church , is not much better . how is this famous protestant church of ours , which was once the admiration of her friends , and the envy of her enemies , sunk and declin'd in her glory , and reduc'd into a very narrow compass ? so that she is left like the daughter of sion , ( isa . . . ) as a cottage in a vineyard , as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers , as a besieged city ; straitned and hem'd in on all parts , by the impudence of atheism , the insolencies of popery , and the turbulency of faction ; all which do every day visibly and apace gain ground upon her , and distress her on every side ; just as the condition of the jewish church is describ'd before my text , the syrians before , and the philistines behind , both ready to devour israel with open mouth . and surely it is not for nothing that god hath brought us thus low , that he hath sent all these judgments upon us , and that he doth still threaten us with more : the reason is plain , because we are still impenitent ; the people turneth not to him that smiteth them . there hath been almost an universal degeneracy amongst us , and there is still , i fear , a general impenitency , the people turneth not , &c. notwithstanding all those dismal calamities which our eyes have seen , wickedness doth still prevail in the nation , and overflows it like a mighty deluge ; so as to overspread all ranks and orders of men : and not only so , but is grown impudent , and appears with a whores forehead ; all kind of modesty seems to have forsaken the sinners of this age. and is this repentance ? to live in filthy and abominable lusts , to teare the name of god by horrid oaths and imprecations ; to be atheistical and prophane , and by an unexampled boldness to turn the word of god it self , and the gravest and most serious matters of religion into raillery ? this is not to turn to him that smiteth us , but to turn upon him and smite him again . and yet such crying and clamorous sins as these , are almost come to be the garb and fashion of the nation , and to be aecounted the wit and gallantry of the age. and shall not god visit for these things ? shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a nation as this ? yes , he hath visited ; and 't is for these things that the wrath of god hath been so manifestly revealed from heaven against us . for this cause , misery and destruction have been in our ways , and the way of peace have we not known , because there hath been no fear of god before our eyes . hence it is , that god's anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still , because the people turneth not to him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts . but do not we seek god ? do we not every day acknowledg our sins to him , and pray that he would have mercy upon us miserable offenders , and grant , that we may hereafter live godly , righteous and sober lives ? do not we seek the lord of hosts , when we continually beg of him to save and deliver us from the hand of our enemies ? indeed we do thus seek him , but we should first turn to him ; otherwise , if we hope our prayers will prevail with god to do us good , we do but trust in lying words . if we go on in our sins , our very prayers will become sin , and encrease our guilt : for the prayer of the wicked ( that is , of one that is resolv'd to continue so ) is an abomination to the lord. can we think it reasonable for men to address themselves to god after this manner ? lord , though we have no mind to turn to thee , yet we pray thee turn away thine anger from us ; though we are resolv'd not to forsake our sins , yet we make no doubt but that thy mercy will forgive them : give peace in our time , o lord , that we may pursue our lusts securely and without disturbance : deliver us , we pray thee , from the hands of our enemies , that we may sin against thee without fear all the days of our lives . would it not be horrible impudence and impiety to put up any such petitions to god ? and yet this , i fear , is the most genuine interpretation of our prayers and lives compar'd together . and if this be our case , what can we expect ? god may give us peace with our enemies , but then he will find out some other way to punish us : for if we still persist in our atheism and prophaneness , in our contempt of god and of his holy worship , in our scorn and derision of religion , in our abominable lusts and horrid impieties , what can we look for , but that god should be angry with us until he have consum'd us , and there be no escaping ? nothing can be a sadder presage of our ruin , than not to be reform'd by those dreadful judgments of god which have been upon us . this was that which brought final destruction upon the egyptians in the red sea , that they had held out so obstinately against so many judgments , and had been hardned under ten plagues . to be impenitent after such severe corrections , is to poyson our selves with that which is intended for our physick , and by a miraculous kind of obstinacy to turn the rods of god into serpents . and now perhaps some will be apt to say , that these are things fit for men of our profession , because it is our trade and we live by it . indeed they are so , things very fit to be said , and withall very fit for every one to consider , who professeth himself a christian , and who owns the belief of a god , and a providence , and another world. and if they be so , where is the fault ? is it , that there is a peculiar profession of men whose proper work it is to tell men of their faults , and to perswade them to reform ? no , there is no harm in that neither . is it then that they live by their profession , and yet would be believed ? yes , there lies the force of the objection . to which i shall only at present return this answer , that men do not argue thus in other cases , where yet the reason seems to be the very same . in matters that concern their bodies and estates , the physitian and the lawyer are believ'd , though it is verily thought that they live by their professions as well as we ; why then should men deal so partially and unequally only with their souls ? were we not mov'd by better principles , and sway'd by the arguments and considerations of another world , we might , for ought we know , with every whit as much advantage to our selves , suffer men to be quiet , and to sleep on securely in their sins ; if we did not believe our selves in these matters , what should hinder , but that we might with as much gravity and confidence cry peace , peace , when there is no peace , and flatter men with as much art , and with as good a grace as any of those can do , who live delicately , and wear soft clothing ? but we believe the threatnings of god , and therefore do we speak : we know the terrour of the lord , and therefore we endeavour to perswade men . and o! that we could perswade them to break off their sins by righteousness , and to turn every one from the evil of his way , and from the violence that is in his hands : and then , who can tell but god may turn and repent , and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not . the good god make us all wise , to know in this our day the things that belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes ; and grant that we may all turn to him that hath smitten us , by repentance and real reformation of our lives ; that god may be pleas'd to turn away his anger from us , and to stretch out his hand for our deliverance ; which we humbly beg of him for the sake of christ . to whom with the father , &c. a sermon preached before the king , in lent , . heb. iii. . exhort one another daily while it is called to day , lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . among the many considerations which the word of god and our own reason offer to us to discourage us from sin this is none of the least considerable , that he that once engages in a vicious course is in danger to proceed in it , being insensibly trained on from one degree of wickedness to another : so that the farther he advanceth , his retreat grows more difficult , because he is still pushed on with a greater violence . all errour , as well of practise as of judgment , is endless ; and when a man is once out of the way , the farther he shall go on the harder he will find it to return into the right way . therefore there is great reason why men should be often cautioned against the beginnings of sin : or if they have been so unhappy as to be engaged in a bad course , why they should be warned to break it off presently and without delay , lest by degrees they be hardened in their wickedness , till their case grow desperate and past remedy . and to this purpose is the apostles advice here in the text ; exhort one another daily while it is called to day , lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . from which words i shall . endeavour to represent to you the growing danger of sin ; and by what steps and degrees bad habits do insensibly gain upon men , and harden them in an evil course . . i shall from this consideration take occasion to shew what great reason and need there is to warn men of this danger ; and to endeavour to rescue them out of it . and then . i shall apply my self to the duty here in the text , of exhorting men with all earnestness and importunity to resist the beginnings of sin ; or if they be already entred upon a wicked course , to make haste out of this dangerous state ; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . i. first , i shall endeavour to represent to you the growing danger of sin ; and by what steps and degrees bad habits do insensibly gain upon men , and harden them in an evil course . all the actions of men which are not natural , but proceed from deliberation and choice , have something of difficulty in them , when we begin to practise them ; because at first we are rude and unexercised in that way : but after we have practised them awhile , they become more easie : and when they are easie , we begin to take pleasure in them : and when they please us , we do them frequently , and think we cannot repeat them too often : and by frequency of acts a thing grows into a habit : and a confirmed habit is a second kind of nature : and so far as any thing is natural , so far it is necessary , and we can hardly do otherwise ; nay , we do it many times when we do not think of it . for by vertue of a habit , a mans mind or body becomes pliable and enclined to such kind of actions as it is accustomed to , and does as it were stand bent and charged such a way ; so that being touched and awakened by the least occasion it breaks forth into such or such actions . and this is the natural progress of all habits indifferently considered , whether they be good or bad . but vicious habits have a greater advantage , and are of a quicker growth . for the corrupt nature of a man is a rank soil , to which vice takes easily , and wherein it thrives apace . the mind of man hath need to be prepared for piety and virtue ; it must be cultivated to that end , and ordered with great care and pains : but vices are weeds that grow wild and spring up of themselves . they are in some sort natural to the soil , and therefore they need not to be planted and watered , 't is sufficient if they be neglected and let alone . so that vice having this advantage from our nature , it is no wonder if occasion and temptation easily draw it forth . but that we may take a more distinct account of the progress of sin , and by what steps vice gains upon men , i shall mark out to you some of the chief and more observable gradations of it . . men begin with lesser sins . no man is perfectly wicked on the sudden . sunt quaedam vitiorum elementa ; there are certain rudiments of vice , in which men are first entered , and then they proceed by degrees to greater and fouler crimes . for sin hath its infancy and tender age , and its several states of growth . men are not so totally degenerate but at first they are ashamed when they venture upon a known sin , though it be but small in comparison . hence it is that at first men are very sollicitous to palliate and hide their faults by excuses ; but after they have frequently committed them , and they grow too visible to be concealed , then they will attempt to defend and maintain them ; and from thence they come by degrees to take pleasure in them , and in those that do the same things . . after men have been some time initiated in these lesser sins , by the commission of these they are prepared and disposed for greater : such as lay waste the conscience , and offer more violence to the light and reason of their minds . by degrees a sinner may grow to be so hardy as to attempt those crimes which at first he could not have had the thought of committing without horrour . like hazael , who when he was told by the prophet elisha what barbarous cruelties he should one day be guilty of towards the people of israel , when he should come to be king of syria , he abominated the very thought and mention of them ; is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing ? and yet , for all this , we know he did it afterward . 't is true indeed when a sinner is first tempted to the commission of a more gross and notorious sin , his conscience is apt to boggle and start at it , he doth it with great difficulty and regret ; the terrours of his own mind , and the fears of damnation , are very troublesome to him : but this trouble wears off by degrees ; and that which at first was difficult , does by frequent practice and long custome become tolerable . . when a man hath proceeded thus far , he begins to put off shame , one of the greatest restraints from sin which god hath laid upon humane nature . and when this curb once falls off , there is then but little left to restrain and hold us in . at first setting out upon a vicious course men are a little nice and delicate , like young travellers , who at first are offended at every speck of dirt that lights upon them ; but after they have been accustomed to it , and have travelled a good while in foulways , it ceaseth to be troublesome to them to be dashed and bespatter'd . . after this , it is possible , men may come to approve their vices . for if mens judgments do not command their wills and restrain their lusts it is great odds but in process of time the vicious inclinations of their wills will put a false byass upon their judgments : and then it is no wonder if men come to boast of their sins , and to glory in their vices , when they are half perswaded that they are generous and commendable qualities . thus much is certain in experience , that some men have gotten so perfect a habit of some sins , as not to know and take notice many times when they commit them : as in the case of swearing , which some men have so accustomed themselves to , that without any consideration they do of course put an oath or two into every sentence that comes from them . and it hath been observed of some persons that they have told an untruth so often , and averr'd it with so much confidence , till at last , forgetting that it was a lie at first , they themselves have in process of time believed it to be true . . from this pitch of wickedness men commonly proceed to draw in others , and to make proselytes to their vices . now this signifies not only a great approbation of sin , but even a fondness for it , when men are not content to sin upon their own single accounts , but they must turn zealous agents and factors for the devil ; become teachers of sin and ministers of unrighteousness , and are factiously concerned to propagate together with their atheistical principles their lewd practices , and to draw followers and disciples after them . and when they are arrived to this height , it is natural for them to hate reproof , and to resist the means of their recovery ; to quarrel against all the remedies that shall be offered to them , and to count those their greatest enemies who have so much courage and kindness as to deal plainly with them , and to tell them the truth . and then all the wise counsels of gods word , and the most gentle and prudent admonitions in the world , when they are tendered to such persons , serve only to provoke their scorn or their passion . and surely that man is in a sad case , that is so disposed that in all probability he will turn the most effectual means of his amendment into the occasion of new and greater sins . but that which renders the condition of such persons much more sad and deplorable is , that all this while god is withdrawing his grace from them . for every degree of sin causeth the holy spirit of god with all his blessed motions and assistances to retire farther from them : and not only so , but the devil ( that evil spirit which the scripture tells us , works effectually in the children of disobedience ) does according as men improve in wickedness , get a greater and a more establish'd dominion over them . for as they who are reclaimed from an evil course , are said in scripture to be rescued out of the snare of the devil , and to be turned from the power of satan unto god ; so , on the other hand , the farther men advance in the ways of sin , so much the farther they depart from god , from under the influences of his grace , and the care of his protection and providence ; and they give the devil , ( who is not apt to neglect his advantages upon them ) greater opportunities every day to gain the firmer possession of them . and thus , by passing from one degree of sin to another , the sinner becomes hardened in his wickedness , and does insensibly slide into that state in which without a miraculous grace of god he is like for ever to continue . for the mind of man , after it hath been long accustomed to evil , and is once grown old in vice , is almost as hard to be rectified , as it is to recover a body bowed down with age to its first streightness . the scripture speaks of some that commit sin with greediness , and that drink up iniquity as the oxe drinketh up water , with a mighty appetite and thirst , as if they were not able to refrain from it . and to express to us the miserable condition of such persons , it representeth them as perfect slaves to their vices , that have sold themselves to do wickedness , and are led captive by satan at his pleasure . and when men have brought themselves to this pass , they are almost under a fatal necessity of sinning on . i do not believe that god hath absolutely predestinated any man to ruin ; but by a long course of wilful sins men may in a sort predestinate themselves to it , and choose wickedness so long till it almost become necessary ; and till they have brought themselves under all imaginable disadvantages of contributing any thing towards their own recovery ; being bound in the chains of their own wickedness , and held in the cords of their sins : nay , like sampson , not only bound by those lusts which they have embraced , but likewise robbed of all their strength whereby they should break loose from those bonds . god grant that none of us may ever have the woful experience of it : but i am horribly afraid it is too true , that a sinner may arrive to that confirmed state of impiety as almost totally to lose his liberty to do better : he may attain to that perfection in vice , as to continue to be a bad man upon the same account that the historian extravagantly says cato was virtuous , quia aliter esse non potuit ; because he could not be otherwise . can the ethiopian change his skin , or the leopard his spots ? it is the scripture comparison to set forth to us how hard a thing it is for a man to be brought to goodness , that hath been long accustomed to do evil . he that is thus deeply engaged and entangled in a bad course , will scarce ever have the heart and resolution to break loose from it , unless he be forced violently out of it by some severe affliction , by a sharp sickness , or by a terrible calamity , or by the present apprehensions of death and the terrours of a future judgment . nor will these be effectual neither to change such a person , without an extraordinary degree of gods grace ; which , considering the greatness and the continuance of his provocations , he hath very little reason to expect or hope god should ever bestow upon him . wretched man ! that hast brought thy self into this miserable state , out of which there is but just a possibility left of thy being rescued : that hast neglected thy disease so long , till it is almost too late to apply remedies : that hast provoked god so far , and sinned to such a prodigious height , that thou hast reason almost to despair both of his grace and assistance for thy repentance , and of his mercy for thy pardon . i speak not this to discourage even the greatest of sinners from repentance . though their case be extremely difficult , yet it is not quite desperate . for those things which seem impossible with men , are possible with god. but i speak it on purpose to stop sinners in their course ; and to discourage men from going on in sin till they be hardened through the deceitfulness of it ; and have brought themselves by insensible degrees , into that dangerous and difficult state which i have all this while been representing to you . i come now to the ii. second thing i propounded , which was ; from this consideration to shew what great reason and need there is to warn men of this danger ; and to endeavour to rescue them out of it . the apostle directs this precept to all christians . exhort one another daily , lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . that is , lest you be hardened by degrees , and be finally ruined . and surely , every man is concerned to do what in him lies to rescue his brother from so imminent a danger ; it is every ones place and duty to endeavour to save those whom he sees ready to perish : much more does it concern those who are peculiarly set apart for this work ; i mean , the ministers of gods holy word ; whose proper office and business it is to exhort and warn every man day and night ; who are set as watchmen to the house of israel ; and whose blood , in case any of them miscarry through our neglect , shall be required at our hands . so that if we believe the threatnings of god , which we declare to others ; if we have any apprehension of the dreadful misery of another world ; if we have any sense of our own duty and safety ; if we have any pity for perishing souls , we cannot but be very importunate with sinners to look about them , and to consider their danger , and to bethink themselves seriously of the miserable event and issue of a wicked life : we cannot but be earnest with them to break off their sins , and to give glory to god by repentance , before darkness come , and their feet stumble upon the dark mountains . when we are convinced more fully than we can desire , that misery and destruction are in their ways ; when we plainly see the evil day hasting toward them a-pace , and destruction coming upon them like a whirlwind ; heaven above threatning them , and hell beneath moving her self to meet them at their coming , can we possiby do less than to warn such persons to flee from the wrath which is to come , and out of a sad apprehension of the danger that hangs over them , to caution them against it , and endeavour with all our might to rescue them from the misery which is ready to swallow them up ? indeed one would be apt to think it a very vain thing to disswade men from being miserable ; to use great vehemency of argument to hinder a man from leaping into a pit , or from running into the fire ; to take great pains to argue a sick man into a desire of health , and to make a prisoner contented to have his shackles knocked off , and to be set at liberty ; one would think all this were perfectly needless : but yet we see in experience sin is a thing of so stupifying a nature , as to make men insensible of their danger , although it be so near , and so terrible . it is not so with men in other cases : when we labour of any bodily distemper , it is much to find a man that is patient of his disease ; but when our souls are mortally sick , that we should be contented with our condition , and fond of our disease , that we should fight with our physitian , and spurn at our remedy ; this surely is the height of distraction , for men to be thus absolutely bent upon their own ruin , and to resolve to make away themselves forever . and we who are the messengers of god to men , must be born of the rocks , and have hearts harder than the nether milstone , if we can patiently look on and endure to see men perish , without using our utmost endeavour to save them . therefore i shall in the iii. third and last place apply my self to this work of exhortation , the duty commanded here in the text. and here i shall address my self to two sorts of persons . . to perswade those who are yet innocent of great crimes , to resist the beginnings of sin , lest it gain upon them by degrees . . to press and urge those that are already entered upon a wicked course , that they would make haste out of this dangerous state ; lest , at last , they be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin . . to perswade those who are yet in some measure innocent , to resist the beginnings of sin lest it gain upon them by degrees . vice may easily be discouraged at first . 't is like a slight disease ; which is easie to be cured , but dangerous to be neglected . the first approaches of sin and temptation are usually very modest ; but if they be not discountenanced they will soon grow upon us , and make bolder attempts . every inclination to sin , every compliance with temptation is a going down the hill : while we keep our standing we may command our selves ; but if we once put our selves into violent motion downward , we cannot stop when we please . omne in praecipiti vitium stetit — all vice stands upon a precipice ; and to engage in any sinful course , is to run down the hill . and if we once let loose the propensions of our nature , we cannot gather in the reins and govern them as we please : if we give way to presumptuous sins , they will quickly get dominion over us . it is much easier not to begin a bad course , than to put a stop to our selves after we have begun it . stulta res est nequitiae modus . 't is a fond thing for a man to think to set bounds to himself in any thing that is bad ; to resolve to sin in number , weight and measure , with great temperance and discretion , and government of himself : that he will commit this sin , and then give over ; entertain but this one temptation , and after that he will shut the door and admit of no more . our corrupt hearts when they are once in motion , they are like the raging sea , to which we set no bounds , nor say to it hitherto thou shalt go and no further . sin is very cunning and deceitful , and does strangely gain upon men when they once give way to it . it is of a very bewitching nature , and hath strange arts of address and insinuation : the giving way to a small sin does marvellously prepare and dispose a man for a greater : by giving way to one little vice after another , the strongest resolution may be broken . for though it be not to be snapt in sunder at once , yet by this means it is untwisted by degrees , and then 't is easie to break it one thread after another . 't is scarce imaginable of what force one sinful action is to produce more : for sin is very teeming and fruitful ; and though there be no blessing annext to it , yet it does strangely encrease and multiply . as there is a connexion of one virtue with another , so vices are linkt together , and one sin draws many after it . when the devil tempts a man to commit any wickedness , he does as it were lay a long train of sins ; and if the first temptation take , they give fire to one another . let us then resist the beginnings of sin ; because then we have most power , and sin hath least . this is the first . . to perswade those who are already engaged in a wicked course , to make haste out of this dangerous state . and there is no other way to get out of it but by repentance ; that is , by a real change and reformation of our lives ; for herein the nature of true repentance does consist . and without this all the devices which men use , to get rid of the guilt of their sins , are vain and to no purpose . 't is not to be done by a formal confession and absolution , nor by a long pilgrimage , nor by one of those little tickets from rome , which they call indulgences . a wise man would much sooner perswade himself that god would not at all punish the sins of men , than that he would forgive them so easily , and receive great offenders to favour upon such slight terms . let us not deceive our selves ; there is one plain way to heaven , viz. sincere repentance , and a holy life ; and there is no getting thither by tricks . and without this change of our lives , all our sorrow , and fasting , and humiliation for sin , which at this season we make profession of , will signifie nothing . there is an excellent passage of the son of syrach to this purpose , eccles . . , , he that washeth himself after the touching of a dead body , if he touch it again , what availeth his washing ? so is it with a man that fasteth for his sins , and goeth again and doth the same things , who will hear his prayer , or what doth his humbling profit him ? there is this plain difference between trouble for sin and repentance ; sorrow only respects sins past , but repentance is chiefly preventive of sins for the future : and god therefore requires that we should be troubled for our sins , that we may resolve to leave them . and to oblige us to a vigorous and speedy resolution in this matter , let us consider that we have engaged too far already in a bad course ; and that every day our retreat will grow more dangerous and difficult ; that by our delays we make work for a sadder and longer repentance , than that which we do now so studiously decline : let us consider likewise , that our life is concerned in the case ; that except we repent and turn , we shall die ; and that the evil day may overtake us , while we are deliberating whether we should avoid it or not : that vice is so far from being mortified by age , that by every days continuance in it we encrease the power of it ; and so much strength as we add to our disease , we certainly take from our selves : and this is a double weakning of us , when we do not only lose our own strength , but the enemy gets it , and imploys it against us . the deceitfulness of sin appears in nothing more than in keeping men off from this necessary work , and perswading them to hazard all upon the unreasonable hopes of the mercy of god , and the uncertain resolution of a future repentance . i do not think there are any here but do either believe , or at least are vehemently afraid that there is another life after this ; and that a wicked life , without repentance , must unavoidably make them miserable in another world ; and that to cast off all to a death-bed repentance , puts things upon a mighty hazard . and they have a great deal of reason to think so : for alas , how unfit are most men at such a time for so great and serious a work as repentance is , when they are unfit for the smallest matters : and how hard is it for any man , then to be assured of the truth and reality of his repentance , when there is no sufficient opportunity to make trial of the sincerity of it . i deny not the possibility of the thing ; but it is much to be feared that the repentance of a dying sinner is usually but like the sorrow of a malefactor when he is ready to be turned off ; he is not troubled that he hath offended the law , but he is troubled that he must die . for when death is ready to seise upon the sinner , and he feels himself dropping into destruction , no wonder if then the mans stomack come down , and he be contented to be saved ; and seeing he must stay no longer in this world , be desirous to go to heaven rather than hell ; and in order to that , be ready to give some testimonies of his repentance : no wonder if when the rack is before him , this extort confession from him ; and if in hopes of a pardon he make many large promises of amendment , and freely declare his resolurion of a new and better life . but then it is the hardest thing in the world to judg , whether any thing of all this that is done , under so great a fear and force , be real . for a sick man as he hath lost his appetite to the most pleasant meats and drinks , so likewise his sinful pleasures and fleshly lusts are at the same time nauseous to him ; and for the very same reason : for sickness having altered the temper of his body , he hath not at that time any gust or rellish for these things . and now he is resolved against sin , just as a man that hath no stomach is resolved against meat . but if the fit were over , and death would but raise his siege , and remove his quarters a little farther from him , it is to be feared that his former appetite would soon return to him , and that he would sin with the same eagerness he did before . besides , how can we expect that god should accept of his repentance at such a time ; when we are conscious to our selves , that we did resolve to put off our repentance till we could sin no longer . can we think it fit for any man to say thus to god in a dying hour ; lord , now the world leaves me , i come to thee . i pray thee give me eternal life , who could never afford to give thee one good day of my life : grant that i may live with thee , and enjoy thee for ever , who could never endure to think upon thee . i must confess that i could never be perswaded to leave my sins out of love to thee , but now i repent of them for fear of thee : i am conscious to my self that i would never do any thing for thy sake ; but yet i hope thy goodness is such , that thou wilt forgive all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of my life , and accept of this forced submission which i now make to thee . i pray thee do not at last frustrate and disappoint me in this design which i have laid , of sinning while i live , and getting to heaven when i die . surely no man can think it fit to say thus to god ; and yet i am afraid this is the true interpretation of many a mans repentance who hath defer'd it till he comes to die . i do not speak this to discourage repentance even at that time . it is always the best thing we can do . but i would by all means discourage men from putting off so necessary a work till then . 't is true indeed when 't is come to this , and a sinner finds himself going out of the world , if he have been so foolish and so cruel to himself , as to put things upon this last hazard ; repentance is now the only thing that is left for him to do ; this is his last remedy , and the only refuge he has to fly to : and this is that which the minister in this case ought by all means to put the man upon , and earnestly to perswade him to . but when we speak to men in other circumstances , that are well and in health , we dare not for all the world encourage them to venture their souls upon such an uncertainty . for to speak the best of it , it is a very dangerous remedy ; especially when men have designedly contrived to rob god of the service of their best days , and to put him off with a few unprofitable sighs and tears at the hour of death . i desire to have as large apprehensions of the mercy of god as any man ; but withall , i am very sure that he is the hardest to be imposed upon of any one in the world . and no man that hath any worthy apprehensions of the deity , can imagine him to be so easie , as to forgive men upon the last word and intimation of their minds ; and to have such a fondness for offenders as would reflect upon the prudence of any magistrate and governour upon earth . god grant that i may sincerely endeavour to live a holy and virtuous life ; and may have the comfort of that when i come to die : and that i may never be so unwise as to venture all my hopes of a blessed eternity upon a death-bed repentance . i will conclude all with those excellent sayings of the son of syrach , ( eccles . . , . . , . . , , say not , gods mercy is great , and he will be pacified for the multitude of my sins . for mercy and wrath is with him ; he is mighty to forgive , and to pour out displeasure : and as his mercy is great , so are his corrections also . therefore make no tarrying to turn to the lord , and put not off from day to day : for suddenly shall the wrath of the lord come forth , and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed . humble thy self before thou be sick , and in the time of sins shew repentance . let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vows in due time , and defer not till death to be justified . a sermon preached before the king at white-hall , in april . cor. iii. . but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . the context is thus . according to the grace of god which is given unto me , as a wise master-builder , i have laid the foundation , and another buildeth thereon : but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon . for other foundation can no man lay , than that which is laid , jesus christ . now if any man build upon this foundation , gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay , stubble , every mans work shall be made manifest , for the day shall declare it ; because it shall be revealed by fire , and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is . if any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon , he shall receive a reward . if any mans work shall be burnt , he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . in these words the apostle speaks of a sort of persons , who held indeed the foundation of christianity , but built upon it such doctrines or practices as would not bear the trial ; which he expresses to us by wood , hay , and stubble , which are not proof against the fire . such a person , the apostle tells us , hath brought himself into a very dangerous state , though he would not absolutely deny the possibility of his salvation ; he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . that by fire here , is not meant the fire of purgatory , as some pretend ( who would be glad of any shadow of a text of scripture to countenance their own dreams ) i shall neither trouble you nor my self to manifest ; since the particle of similitude [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] plainly shews , that the apostle did not intend an escape out of the fire literally , but such an escape as men make out of a house or town that is on fire . especially since very learned persons of the church of rome do acknowledg , that purgatory cannot be concluded from this text ; nay , all that estius contends for from this place is , that it cannot be concluded from hence , that there is no purgatory ; which we never pretended , but only that this text does not prove it . it is very well known , that this is a proverbial phrase , used not only in scripture , but in prophane authors , to signifie a narrow escape out of a great danger . he shall be saved , yet so as by fire , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , out of the fire . just as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used pet. . . where the apostle speaking of the eight persons of noah's family , who escap'd the flood , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they escaped out of the water . so here this phrase is to be rendred in the text , he himself shall escape , yet so as out of the fire . the like expression you have , amos . , i have pluckt them as a firebrand out of the fire . and jude , others save with fear , plucking them out of the fire . all which expressions signifie the greatness of the danger , and the difficulty of escaping it ; as one who when his house at midnight is set on fire , and being suddenly wak'd , leaps out of his bed , and runs naked out of the doors , taking nothing that is within along with him , but imploying his whole care to save his body from the flames , as st. chrysostome upon another occasion expresseth it . and so the roman orator * ( who , it is likely did not think of purgatory ) useth this phrase ; quo ex judicio , velut ex incendio , nudus effugit ; from which judgment or sentence he escaped naked , as it were out of a burning . and one of the greek orators * tells us , that to save a man out of the fire , was a common proverbial speech . from the words thus explained , the observation that naturally ariseth is this , that men may hold all the fundamentals of christian religion , and yet may superadd other things whereby they may greatly endanger their salvation . what those things were , which some among the corinthians built upon the foundation of christianity , whereby they endanger'd their salvation , we may probably conjecture , by what the apostle reproves in this epistle , as the tolerating of incestuous marriages , communicating in idol-feasts , &c. and especially by the doctrine of the false apostles , who at that time did so much disturb the peace of most christian churches , and who are so often and so severely reflected upon in this epistle . and what their doctrine was , we have an account act. . viz. that they imposed upon the gentile christians , circumcision , and the observation of the jewish law , teaching , that unless they were circumcised , and kept the law of moses , they could not be saved . so that they did not only build these doctrines upon christianity , but they made them equal with the foundation , saying , that unless men believed and practised such things , they could not be saved . in speaking to this observation , i shall reduce my discourse to these two heads . . i shall represent to you some doctrines and practices which have been built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . and to be plain , i mean particularly by the church of rome . . i shall enquire , whether our granting a possibility of salvation ( though with great hazard ) to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us , be a reasonable argument and encouragement to any man to betake himself to that church . and there is the more reason to consider these things , when so many seducing spirits are so active and busie to pervert men from the truth ; and when we see every day so many and their religion so easily parted . for this reason these two considerations shall be the subject of the following discourse . i. first , we will consider some doctrines and practices which the church of rome hath built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . it is not denied by the most judicious protestants , but that the church of rome do hold all the articles of the christian faith which are necessary to salvation . but that which we charge upon them , as a just ground of our separation from them , is , the imposing of new doctrines and practices upon christians , as necessary to salvation , which were never taught by our saviour , or his apostles ; and which are either directly contrary to the doctrine of christianity , or too apparently destructive of a good life . and i begin , . with their doctrines . and , because i have no mind to aggravate lesser matters , i will single out four or five points of doctrine , which they have added to the christian religion , and which were neither taught by our saviour and his apostles , nor own'd in the first ages of christianity . and the first which i shall mention , and which being once admitted , makes way for as many errors as they please to bring in , is , their doctrine of infallibility . and this they are very stiff and peremptory in , though they are not agreed among themselves , where this infallibility is seated ; whether in the pope alone , or a council alone , or in both together , or in the diffusive body of christians . but they are sure they have it , though they know not where it is . and is this no prejudice against it ? can any man think , that this priviledg was at first conferred upon the church of rome , and that christians in all ages did believe it , and had constant recourse to it , for determining their differences , and yet that that very church , which hath enjoyed and used it so long , should now be at a loss where to find it ? nothing could have fallen out more unluckily , than that there should be such differences among them , about that which they pretend to be the onely means of ending all differences . there is not the least intimation in scripture of this priviledg confer'd upon the roman church ; nor do the apostles , in all their epistles , ever so much as give the least direction to christians to appeal to the bishop of rome for a determination of the many differences , which even in those times happen'd among them . and it is strange they should be so silent in this matter , when there were so many occasions to speak of it , if our saviour had plainly appointed such an infallible judg of controversies , for this very end , to decide the differences that should happen among christians . it is strange , that the ancient fathers in their disputes with hereticks , should never appeal to this judg ; nay , it is strange they should not constantly do it , in all cases , it being so short and expedite a way for the ending of controversies . and this very consideration to a wise man is instead of a thousand arguments , to satisfie him that in those times no such thing was believed in the world . now this doctrine of infallibility , if it be not true , is of so much the more pernicious consequence to christianity , because the conceit of it does confirm them that think they have it , in all their other errors ; and gives them a pretence of assuming an authority to themselves , to impose their own fancies and mistakes upon the whole christian world . . their doctrine about repentance ; which consists in confessing their sins to the priest ; which if it be but accompanied with any degree of contrition , does upon absolution received from the priest put them into a state of salvation , though they have lived the most lewd and debauched lives that can be imagin'd ; than which nothing can be more plainly destructive of a good life . for if this be true , all the hazard that the most wicked man runs of his salvation , is only the danger of so sudden a death as gives him no space for confession and absolution . a case that happens so rarely , that any man that is strongly addicted to his lusts , will be content to venture his salvation upon this hazard ; and all the arguments to a good life will be very insignificant to a man that hath a mind to be wicked , when remission of sins may be had upon such cheap terms . . the doctrine of purgatory ; by which they mean a state of temporary punishments after this life , from which men may be released , and translated into heaven , by the prayers of the living , and the sacrifice of the mass . that this doctrine was not known in the primitive church , nor can be proved from scripture , we have the free acknowledgment of as learned and eminent men as any of that church ; which is to acknowledg that it is a superstructure upon the christian religion . and though in one sense , it be indeed a building of gold and silver upon the foundation of christianity , considering the vast revenues which this doctrine ( and that of indulgences , which depends upon it ) brings into that church ; yet i doubt not , but in the apostles sense , it will be found to be hay and stubble . but how groundless soever it be , it is too gainful a doctrine to be easily parted withall . . the doctrine of transubstantiation . a hard word , but i would to god that were the worst of it ; the thing is much more difficult . i have taken some pains to consider other religions that have been in the world , and i must freely declare , that i never yet , in any of them , met with any article or proposition , imposed upon the belief of men , half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this is : and yet this , in the romish church , is esteemed one of the most principal articles of the christian faith ; though there is no more certain foundation for it in scripture , than for our saviours being substantially changed into all those things which are said of him , as that he is a rock , a vine , a door , and a hundred other things . but this is not all . this doctrine hath not only no certain foundation in scripture , but i have a far heavier charge against it , namely , that it undermines the very foundation of christianity it self · and surely nothing ought to be admitted to be a part of the christian doctrine , which destroys the reason of our belief of the whole . and that this doctrine does so , will appear evidently , if we consider what was the main argument which the apostles used to convince the world of the truth of christianity ; and that was this , that our blessed saviour , the author of this doctrine , wrought such and such miracles , and particularly that he rose again from the dead : and this they proved , because they were eye-witnesses of his miracles , and had seen him and conversed with him after he was risen from the dead . but what if their senses did deceive them in this matter ? then it cannot be denied , but that the main proof of christianity falls to the ground . well! we will now suppose ( as the church of rome does ) transubstantiation to have been one principal part of the christian doctrine , which the apostles preached . but if this doctrine be true , then all mens senses are deceived in a plain sensible matter , wherein 't is as hard for them to be deceived , as in any thing in the world : for two things can hardly be imagin'd more different , than a little bit of water , and the whole body of a man. so that the apostles perswading men to believe this doctrine , perswaded them not to trust their senses , and yet the argument which they used to perswade them to this was built upon the direct contrary principle , that mens senses are to be trusted . for if they be not , then notwithstanding all the evidence the apostles offer'd for the resurrection of our saviour , he might not be risen ; and so the faith of christians was vain . so that they represent the apostles as absurdly as is possible , viz. going about to perswade men out of their senses , by virtue of an argument , the whole strength whereof depends upon the certainty of sense . and now the matter is brought to a fair issue . if the testimony of sense be to be relied upon , then transubstantiation is false : if it be not , then no man is sure that christianity is true . for the utmost assurance that the apostles had of the truth of christianity , was the testimony of their own senses concerning our saviours miracles ; and this testimony every man hath against transubstantiation . from whence it plainly follows , that no man ( no not the apostles themselves ) had more reason to believe christianity to be true , than every man hath to believe transubstantiation to be false . and we who did not see our saviours miracles ( as the apostles did ) and have only a credible relation of them , but do see the sacrament , have less evidence of the truth of christianity than of the falshood of transubstantiation . but cannot god impose upon the senses of men , and represent things to them otherwise than they are ? yes , undoubtedly . and if he hath revealed that he doth this , are we not to believe him ? most certainly . but then we ought to be assured that he hath made such a revelation ; which assurance no man can have , the certainty of sense being taken away . i shall press the business a little farther . supposing the scripture to be a divine revelation , and that these words [ this is my body ] if they be in scripture , must necessarily be taken in the strict and literal sense , i ask now , what greater evidence any man has , that these words [ this is my body ] are in the bible , than every man has that the bread is not chang'd in the sacrament ? nay no man has so much ; for we have only the evidence of one sense that these words are in the bible , but that the bread is not chang'd we have the concurring testimony of several of our senses . in a word , if this be once admitted , that the senses of all men are deceiv'd in one of the most plain sensible matters that can be , there is no certain means left either to convey or prove a divine revelation to men ; nor is there any way to confute the grossest impostures in the world : for if the clear evidence of all mans senses be not sufficient for this purpose , let any man , if he can , find a better and more convincing argument . . i will instance but in one doctrine more ; and that shall be , their doctrine of deposing kings in case of heresie , and absolving their subjects from their allegiance to them . and this is not a meer speculative doctrine , but hath been put in practice many a time by the bishops of rome , as every one knows that is vers'd in history . for the troubles and confusions which were occasion'd by this very thing , make up a good part of the history of several ages . i hope no body expects that i should take the pains to shew , that this was not the doctrine of our saviour and his apostles , nor of the primitive christians . the papists are many of them so far from pretending this , that in some times and places , when it is not seasonable and for their purpose , we have much a-do to perswade them that ever it was their doctrine . but if transubstantiation be their doctrine , this is ; for they came both out of the same forge , i mean the council of lateran under pope innocent the third . and if ( as they tell us ) transubstantiation was then establish'd , so was this . and indeed one would think they were twins , and brought forth at the same time , they are so like one another , that is , both of them so monstrously unreasonable . ii. i come now in the second place , to consider some practices of the church of rome ; which i am afraid will prove as bad as her doctrines . i shall instance in these five . . their celebrating of their divine service in an unknown tongue . and that not only contrary to the practice of the primitive church , and to the great end and design of religious worship , which is the edification of those who are concerned in it , ( and it is hard to imagine how men can be edified by what they do not understand ) but likewise in direct contradiction to st. paul , who hath no less than a whole chapter , wherein he confutes this practice as fully , and condemns it as plainly , as any thing is condemned in the whole bible . and they that can have the face to maintain that this practice was not condemned by st. paul , or that it was allowed and used in the first ages of christianity , need not be ashamed to set up for the defence of any paradox in the world. . the communion in one kind . and that notwithstanding , that even by their own acknowledgment , our saviour instituted it in both kinds , and the primitive church administred it in both kinds . this i must acknowledg is no addition to christianity , but a sacrilegious taking away of an essential part of the sacrament . for the cup is as essential a part of the institution as the bread ; and they might as well , and by the same authority , take away the one as the other , and both as well as either . . their worshipping of images . which practice ( notwithstanding all their distinctions about it , which are no other but what the heathens used in the same case ) is as point-blank against the second commandment , as a deliberate and malicious killing of a man is against the sixth . but if the case be so plain , a man would think that at least the teachers and guides of that church should be sensible of it . why , they are so , and afraid the people should be so too ; and therefore in their ordinary catechisms and manuals of devotion , they leave out the second commandment , and divide the tenth into two to make up the number ; lest if the common people should know it , their consciences should start at the doing of a thing so directly contrary to the plain command of god. . the worshipping of the bread and wine in the eucharist , out of a false and groundless perswasion , that they are substantially changed into the body and blood of christ . which if it be not true ( and it hath good fortune if it be , for certainly it is one of the most incredible things in the whole world ) then by the confession of several of their own learned writers , they are guilty of gross idolatry . . the worship and invocation of saints and angels ; and particularly of the virgin mary , which hath now for some ages been a principal part of their religion . now a man may justly wonder that so considerable a part of religion , as they make this to be , should have no manner of foundation in the scripture . does our saviour any-where speak one word concerning the worshipping of her ? nay , does he not take all occasions to restrain all extravagant apprehensions and imaginations concerning the honour due to her , as foreseeing the degeneracy of the church in this thing ? when he was told that his mother and brethren were without : who ( says he ) are my mother and my brethren ? he that doth the will of my father , the same is my mother , and sister , and brother . and when the woman brake forth into that rapture concerning the blessed mother of our lord , blessed is the womb that bare thee , and the paps that gave thee suck ! our saviour diverts to another thing , yea rather , blessed are they that hear the word of god and keep it . does either our saviour or his apostles in all their particular precepts and directions concerning prayer , and the manner of it , and by whom we are to address our selves to god , give the least intimation of praying to the virgin mary , or making use of her mediation ? and can any man believe , that if this had been the practice of the church from the beginning , our saviour and his apostles would have been so silent about so considerable a part of religion ; insomuch that in all the epistles of the apostles i do not remember that her name is so much as once mentioned ? and yet the worship of her is at this day in the church of rome , and hath been so for several ages , a main part of their publick worship , yea and of their private devotions too ; in which it is usual with them to say ten ave maries for one pater noster , that is , for one prayer they make to almighty god , they make ten addresses to the blessed virgin ; for that is the proportion observed in their rosaries . he that considers this , and had never seen the bible , would have been apt to think , that there had been more said concerning her in scripture , than either concerning god , or our blessed saviour ; and that the new testament were full from one end to the other of precepts and exhortations to the worshipping of her ; and yet when all is done , i challenge any man to shew me so much as one sentence in the whole bible that sounds that way . and there is as little in the christian writers of the first three hundred years . the truth is , this practice began to creep in among some superstitious people about the middle of the fourth century ; and i remember particularly , that epiphanius , who lived about that time , calls it the heresie of the women . and thus i have given you some instances of several doctrines and practices , which the church of rome have built upon the foundation of christianity . much more might have been said of them ; but from what hath been said , any man may easily discern how dangerous they are to the salvation of men . i proceed now in the second place . ii. to consider , whether our granting a possibility of salvation , though with great hazard , to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us , be a sufficient argument and encouragement to any man to quit our church and go to theirs . and there is the more need to consider this , because this is the great popular argument , wherewith the emissaries and agents of that church are wont to assault our people . your church ( say they ) grants that a papist may be saved ; ours denies that a protestant can be saved : therefore it is safest to be of our church , in which salvation , by the acknowledgment of both sides , is possible . for answer to this , i shall endeavour to shew , that this is so far from being a good argument , that it is so intolerably weak and sophistical , that any considerate man ought to be asham'd to be catch'd by it . for either it is good of it self , and sufficient to perswade a man to relinquish our church , and to pass over to theirs , without entring into the merits of the cause on either side , and without comparing the doctrines and practises of both the churches together , or it is not . if it be not sufficient of it self to perswade a man to leave our church , without comparing the doctrines on both sides , then it is to no purpose , and there is nothing got by it . for if upon examination and comparing of doctrines , the one appear to be true , and the other false , this alone is sufficient inducement to any man to cleave to that church where the true doctrine is found ; and then there is no need of this argument . if it be said , that this argument is good in it self , without the examination of the doctrines of both churches ; this seems a very strange thing for any man to affirm , that it is reason enough to a man to be of any church , whatever her doctrines and practices be , if she do but damn those that differ from her , and if the church that differs from her do but allow a possibility of salvation in her communion . but they who use this argument , pretend that it is sufficient of it self ; and therefore i shall apply my self to shew , as briefly and plainly as i can , the miserable weakness and insufficiency of it , to satisfie any mans conscience or prudence to change his religion . and to this end i shall , . shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies . . give some parallel instances by which it will clearly appear that it concludes false . . i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . . shew how unfit it is to work upon those to whom it is propounded . and . how improper it is to be urged by those that make use of it . i. i shall shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies ; and that is this , that whatever different parties in religion agree in , is safest to be chosen . the true consequence of which principle , if it be driven to the head , is , to perswade men to forsake christianity , and to make them take up in the principles of natural religion , for in these all religions do agree . for if this principle be true , and signifie any thing , it is dangerous to embrace any thing wherein the several parties in religion differ ; because that only is safe and prudent to be chosen wherein all agree . so that this argument , if the foundation of it be good , will perswade further than those who make use of it desire it should do ; for it will not only make men forsake the protestant religion , but popery too ; and which is much more considerable , christianity it self . ii. i will give some parallel instances , by which it will clearly be seen that this argument concludes false . the donatists denied the baptism of the catholicks to be good , but the catholicks acknowledged the baptism of the donatists to be valid . so that both sides were agreed , that the baptism of the donatists was good ; therefore the safest way for st. austin and other catholicks ( according to this argument ) was to be baptized again by the donatists , because by the acknowledgment of both sides , baptism among them was valid . but to come nearer to the church of rome . several in that church hold the personal infallibility of the pope , and the lawfulness of deposing and killing kings for heresie , to be de fide , that is , necessary articles of faith , and consequently , that whoever does not believe them , cannot be saved . but a great many papists , though they believe these things to be no matters of faith , yet they think those that hold them may be saved , and they are generally very favourable towards them . but now , according to this argument , they ought all to be of their opinion in these points , because both sides are agreed , that they that hold them may be saved ; but one side positively says , that men cannot be saved if they do not hold them . but my text furnisheth me with as good an instance to this purpose as can be desired . st. paul here in the text acknowledgeth the possibility of the salvation of those who built hay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity ; that they might be saved , though with great difficulty , and , as it were , out of the fire . but now among those builders with hay and stubble , there were those who denied the possibility of st. paul's salvation , and of those who were of his mind . we are told of some who built the jewish ceremonies and observances upon the foundation of christianity , and said , that unless men were circumcised and kept the law of moses , they could not be saved . so that by this argument st. paul and his followers ought to have gone over to those judaizing christians , because it was acknowledged on both sides that they might be saved . but these judaizing christians were as uncharitable to st. paul and other christians , as the church of rome is now to us ; for they said positively , that they could not be saved . but can any man think , that st. paul would have been moved by this argument , to leave a safe and certain way of salvation , for that which was only possible , and that with great difficulty and hazard ? the argument , you see , is the very same , and yet it concludes the wrong way ; which plainly shews , that it is a contingent argument , and concludes uncertainly and by chance , and therefore no man ought to be moved by it . iii. i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . i shall mention but these two : . according to this principle , it is always safest to be on the uncharitable side . and yet uncharitableness is as bad an evidence , either of a true christian , or a true church , as a man would wish . charity is one of the most essential marks of christianity ; and what the apostle saith of particular christians , is as true of whole churches , that though they have all faith , yet if they have not charity , they are nothing . i grant that no charity teacheth men to see others damned , and not to tell them the danger of their condition . but it is to be consider'd , that the damning of men is a very hard thing ; and therefore whenever we do it , the case must be wonderfully plain . and is it so in this matter ? they of the church of rome cannot deny , but that we embrace all the doctrines of our saviour , contain'd in the apostles creed , and determined by the four first general councils : and yet they will not allow this , and a good life , to put us within a possibility of salvation , because we will not submit to all the innovations they would impose upon us . and yet i think there is scarce any doctrine or practice in difference between them and us , which some or other of their most learned writers have not acknowledged , either not to be sufficiently contained in scripture , or not to have been held and practised by the primitive church ; so that nothing can excuse their uncharitableness towards us . and they pay dear for the little advantage they get by this argument ; for they do what in them lies , to make themselves no christians , that they may prove themselves the truer and more christian church ; a medium which we do not desire to make use of . . if this argument were good , then by this trick a man may bring over all the world to agree with him in an error , which another does not account damnable , whatever it be ; provided he do but damn all those that do not hold it ; and there wants nothing but confidence and uncharitableness to do this . but is there any sense , that another mans boldness and want of charity should be an argument to move me to be of his opinion ? i cannot illustrate this better , than by the difference between a skilful physician and a mountebank . a learned and skilful physician is modest , and speaks justly of things : he says , that such a method of cure which he hath directed is safe , and withall , that that which the mountebank prescribes , may possibly do the work , but there is great hazard and danger in it : but the mountebank , who never talks of any thing less then infallible cures , ( and always the more mountebank , the stronger pretence to infallibility ) , he is positive that that method which the physician prescribes will destroy the patient , but his receipt is infallible , and never fails . is there any reason in this case , that this man should carry it , meerly by his confidence ? and yet if this argument be good , the safest way is to reject the physicians advice , and to stick to the mountebanks . for both sides are agreed , that there is a possibility of cure in the mountebank's method , but not in the physician 's ; and so the whole force of the argument lies in the confidence of an ignorant man. iv. this argument is very unfit to work upon those to whom it is propounded : for either they believe we say true in this , or not . if they think we do not , they have no reason to be moved by what we say . if they think we do , why do they not take in all that we say in this matter ? namely , that though it be possible for some in the communion of the roman church to be saved , yet it is very hazardous ; and that they are in a safe condition already in our church . and why then should a bare possibility , accompany'd with infinite and apparent hazard , be an argument to any man to run into that danger ? lastly , this argument is very improper to be urged by those who make use of it . half of the strength of it lies in this , that we protestants acknowledg , that it is possible a papist may be saved . but why should they lay any stress upon this ? what matter is it , what we hereticks say , who are so damnably mistaken in all other things ? methinks , if there were no other reason , yet because we say it , it should seem to them to be unlikely to be true . but i perceive , when it serves for their purpose we have some little credit and authority among them . by this time i hope every one is in some measure satisfied of the weakness of this argument , which is so transparent , that no wise man can honestly use it , and he must have a very odd understanding that can be cheated by it . the truth is , it is a casual and contingent argument , and sometimes it concludes right , and oftner wrong ; and therefore no prudent man can be moved by it , except only in one case , when all things are so equal on both sides , that there is nothing else in the whole world to determine him ; which surely can never happen in matters of religion necessary to be believed . no man is so weak , as not to consider in the change of his religion , the merits of the cause it self ; as not to examine the doctrines and practices of the churches on both sides ; as not to take notice of the confidence and charity of both parties , together with all other things which ought to move a conscientious and a prudent man : and if upon enquiry there appear to be a clear advantage on either side , then this argument is needless , and comes too late , because the work is already done without it . besides , that the great hazard of salvation in the roman church ( which we declare upon account of the doctrines and practices which i have mentioned ) ought to deter any man much more from that religion , than the acknowledged possibility of salvation in it , ought to encourage any man to the embracing of it : never did any christian church build so much hay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity ; and therefore those that are saved in it , must be saved , as it were , out of the fire . and though purgatory be not meant in the text , yet it is a doctrine very well suted to their manner of building ; for there is need of an ignis purgatorius , of a fire to try their work what it is , and to burn up their hay and stubble . and i have so much charity ( and i desire always to have it ) as to hope , that a great many among them who live piously , and have been almost inevitably detain'd in that church by the prejudice of education and an invincible ignorance , will upon a general repentance find mercy with god ; and though their work suffer loss and be burnt , yet they themselves may escape , as out of the fire . but as for those who have had the opportunities of coming to the knowledg of the truth , if they continue in the errors of that church , or apostatize from the truth , i think their condition so far from being safe , that there must be extraordinary favourable circumstances in their case to give a man hopes of their salvation . i have now done with the two things i propounded to speak to . and i am sorry that the necessary defence of our religion , against the restless importunities and attempts of our adversaries upon all sorts of persons , hath engaged me to spend so much time in matters of dispute , which i had much rather have employed in another way . many of you can be my witnesses , that i have constantly made it my business , in this great presence and assembly , to plead against the impieties and wickedness of men ; and have endeavour'd , by the best arguments i could think of , to gain men over to a firm belief and serious practice of the main things of religion . and , i do assure you , i had much rather perswade any one to be a good man , than to be of any party or denomination of christians whatsoever . for i doubt not , but the belief of the ancient creed , provided we entertain nothing that is destructive of it , together with a good life , will certainly save a man ; and without this no man can have reasonable hopes of salvation , no not in an infallible church , if there were any such to be found in the world . i have been , according to my opportunities , not a negligent observer of the genius and humour of the several sects and professions in religion . and upon the whole matter , i do in my conscience believe the church of england to be the best constituted church this day in the world ; and that , as to the main , the doctrine , and government , and worship of it , are excellently framed to make men soberly religious : securing men on the one hand , from the wild freaks of enthusiasm ; and on the other , from the gross follies of superstition . and our church hath this peculiar advantage above several professions that we know in the world , that it acknowledgeth a due and just subordination to the civil authority , and hath always been untainted in its loyalty . and now shall every trifling consideration be sufficient to move a man to relinquish such a church ? there is no greater disparagement to a mans understanding , no greater argument of a light and ungenerous mind , than rashly to change ones religion . religion is our greatest concernment of all other , and it is not every little argument , no nor a great noise about infallibility , nothing but very plain and convincing evidence , that should sway a man in this case . but they are utterly inexcusable , who make a change of such concernment , upon the insinuations of one side only , without ever hearing what can be said for the church they were baptized and brought up in , before they leave it . they that can yield thus easily to the impressions of every one that hath a design and interest to make proselytes , may at this rate of discretion change their religion twice a day , and instead of morning and evening prayer , they may have a morning and an evening religion . therefore , for gods sake , and for our own souls sake , and for the sake of our reputation , let us consider and shew our selves men ; let us not suffer our selves to be shaken and carried away with every wind ; let us not run our selves into danger when we may be safe . let us stick to the foundation of religion , the articles of our common belief , and build upon them gold , and silver , and precious stones , i mean , the virtues and actions of a good life ; and if we would do this , we should not be apt to set such a value upon hay and stubble . if we would sincerely endeavour to live holy and virtuous lives , we should not need to cast about for a religion , which may furnish us with easie and indirect ways to get to heaven . i will conclude all with the apostles exhortation ; wherefore , my beloved brethren , be ye stedfast and unmoveable , always abounding in the work of the lord. now the god of peace , which brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , by the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work , to do his will ; working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ , to whom he glory for ever and ever . amen . a sermon preached before the king at white-hall , in lent , march th · psal . cxix . . great peace have they that love thy law , and nothing shall offend them . in these words there are two things contained , the description of a good man , and the reward of his goodness . . the description of a good man. he is said to be one that loves the law of god , that is , that loves to meditate upon it , and to practise it . . the reward of his goodness ; great peace have they that love thy law. the word peace is many times used in scripture in a very large sense , so as to comprehend all kind of happiness : sometimes it signifies outward peace and quiet in opposition to war and contention ; and sometimes inward peace and contentment in opposition to inward trouble and anguish . i understand the text chiefly in this last sense , not wholly excluding either of the other . my design at present from these words is , to recommend religion to men from the consideration of that inward peace and pleasure which attends it . and surely nothing can be said more to the advantage of religion in the opinion of considerate men than this . for the aim of all philosophy , and the great search of wise men , hath been how to attain peace and tranquillity of mind . and if religion be able to give this , a greater commendation need not be given to religion . but before i enter upon this argument , i shall premise two things by way of caution . first , that these kind of observations are not to be taken too strictly and rigorously , as if they never failed in any one instance . aristotle observed long since , that moral and proverbial sayings are understood to be true generally and for the most part ; and that is all the truth that is to be expected in them : as , when solomon says , train up a child in the way wherein he should go , and when he is old he will not depart from it : this is not to be so taken , as if no child that is piously educated did ever miscarry afterwards , but that the good education of children is the best way to make good men , and commonly approved to be so by experience . so here , when it is said that great peace have they that love gods law ; the meaning is , that religion hath generally this effect , though in some cases , and as to some persons , it may be accidentally hindered . secondly , when i say that religion gives peace and tranquillity to our minds , this is chiefly to be understood of a religious state , in which a man is well settled and confirmed , and not of our first entrance into it , for that is more or less troublesome according as we make it . if we begin a religious course betimes , before we have contracted any great guilt , and before the habits of sin be grown strong in us , the work goes on easily , without any great conflict or resistance . but the case is otherwise when a man breaks off from a wicked life , and becomes religious from the direct contrary course , in which he hath been long and deeply engaged . in this case no man is so unreasonable as to deny , that there is a great deal of sensible trouble and difficulty in the making of this change ; but when it is once made , peace and comfort will spring up by degrees , and daily encrease , as we grow more confirmed and established in a good course . these two things being premised , i shall now endeavour to shew , that religion gives a man the greatest pleasure and satisfaction of mind , and that there is no true peace , nor any comparable pleasure to be had in a contrary course . and that from these two heads . from testimony of scripture ; and from the nature of religion , which is apt to produce peace and tranquility of mind . i. first , from testimony of scripture . i shall select some of those texts which are more full and express to this purpose , job . , speaking of god , acquaint thy self now with him , and be at peace . to acquaint our selves with god , is a phrase of the same importance with coming to god , and seeking of him , and many other like expressions in scripture , which signifie nothing else but to become religious , psal . . , mark the perfect man , and behold the upright , for the end of that man is peace : or , as these words are rendred , according to the lxx . in our old translation , keep innocency , take heed to the thing that is right , for that shall bring thee peace at the last . prov. . , where solomon speaking of wisdom , which with him is but another name for religion , says , her ways are ways of pleasantness , and all her paths are peace . isa . . ; the work of righteousness shall be peace , and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever . matt. . , , come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest . now to come to christ , is to become his disciples , to believe and practise his doctrine ; for so our saviour explains himself in the next words ; take my yoke upon you , and learn of me , and ye shall find rest for your souls . rom. . , glory and honour and peace to every man that worketh good . and on the contray ; the scripture represents the condition of a sinner to be full of trouble and disquiet . david , though he was a very good man , yet when he had grievously offended god , the anguish of his mind was such , as even to disorder and distemper his body , psal . . , , , thine arrows stick fast in me , and thy hand presseth me sore ; there is no soundness in my flesh , because of thine anger , neither is there any rest in my bones , because of my sin ; for mine iniquities are gone over mine head , and as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me . isa . . , , the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest , whose waters cast up mire and dirt ; there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked . and isa . . . , misery and destruction are in their paths , and the way of peace they know not ; they have made themselves crooked paths , whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace . rom. . , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil . you see how full and express the scripture is in this matter . i come now in the ii. second place , to give you a more particular account of this , from the nature of religion , which is apt to produce peace and tranquillity of mind . and that i shall do in these three particulars . . religion is apt to remove the chief causes of inward trouble and disquiet . . it furnisheth us with all the true causes of peace and tranquillity of mind . . the reflection upon a religious course of life , and all the actions of it , doth afterwards yield great pleasure and satisfaction . first , religion is apt to remove the chief causes of inward trouble and disquiet . the chief causes of inward trouble and discontent are these two , doubting and anxiety of mind , and guilt of conscience . now religion is apt to free us from both these . . from doubting and anxiety of mind . irreligion and atheism makes a man full of doubts and jealousies whether he be in the right , and whether at last things will not prove quite otherwise than he hath rashly determined . for though a man endeavour never so much to settle himself in the principles of infidelity , and to perswade his mind that there is no god , and consequently that there are no rewards to be hoped for , nor punishments to be feared in another life ; yet he can never attain to a steddy and unshaken perswasion of these things : and however he may please himself with witty reasonings against the common belief of mankind , and smart reparties to their arguments , and bold and pleasant raillery about these matters ; yet i dare say , no man ever sate down in a clear and full satisfaction concerning them . for when he hath done all that he can to reason himself out of religion , his conscience ever and anon recoyls upon him , and his natural thoughts and apprehensions rise up against his reasonings , and all his wit and subtilty is confuted and born down by a secret and strong suspicion , which he can by no means get out of his mind , that things may be otherwise . and the reason hereof is plain , because all this is an endeavour against nature , and those vigorous instincts which god hath planted in the minds of men to the contrary . for whenever our minds are free , and not violently hurried away by passion , nor blinded by prejudice , they do of themselves return to their first and most natural apprehensions of things . and this is the reason why , when the atheist falls into any great calamity , and is awakened to an impartial consideration of things , by the apprehension of death and judgment , and despairs of enjoying any longer those pleasures , for the sake of which he hath all this while rebelled against religion , his courage presently sinks , and all his arguments fail him , and his case is now too serious to admit of jesting , and at the bottom of his soul he doubts of all that which he asserted with so much confidence , and set so good a face upon before ; and can find no ease to his mind , but in retreating from his former principles , nor no hopes of consolation for himself , but in acknowledging that god whom he hath denied , and imploring his mercy whom he hath affronted . this is always the case of these persons when they come to extremity ; not to mention the infinite checks and rebukes , which their own minds give them upon other occasions ; so that 't is very seldom that these men have any tolerable enjoyment of themselves , but are forced to run away from themselves into company , and to stupify themselves by intemperance , that they may not feel the fearful twitches and gripings of their own minds . whereas he who entertains the principles of religion , and therein follows his own natural apprehensions , and the general voice of mankind , and is not conscious to himself , that he knowingly and wilfully lives contrary to these principles , hath no anxiety in his mind about these things ; being verily perswaded they are true , and that he hath all the reason in the world to think so ; and if they should prove otherwise ( which he hath no cause to suspect ) yet he hath this satisfaction , that he hath taken the wisest course , and hath consulted his own present peace and future security , infinitely better than the atheist hath done , in case he should prove to be mistaken . for it is a fatal mistake to think there is no god , if there be one ; but a mistake on the other hand hath no future bad consequences depending upon it ; nor indeed any great present inconvenience , religion only restraining a man from doing some things , from most of which it is good he should be restrained however : so that at the worst , the religious man is only mistaken , but the atheist is miserable if he be mistaken : miserable beyond all imagination , and past all remedy . . another , and indeed a principal cause of trouble and discontent to the minds of men is guilt . now guilt is a consciousness to our selves that we have done amiss ; and the very thought that we have done amiss is apt to lie very cross in our minds , and to cause great anguish and confusion . besides that guilt is always attended with fear , which naturally springs up in the mind of man from a secret apprehension of the mischief and inconvenience that his sin will bring upon him , and of the vengeance that hangs over him from god , and will overtake him either in this world , or the other . and though the sinner , while he is in full health and prosperity , may make a shift to divert and shake off these fears ; yet they frequently return upon him , and upon every little noise of danger , upon the apprehension of any calamity that comes near him , his guilty mind is presently jealous that it is making towards him , and is particularly levelled against him . for he is sensible that there is a just power above him , to whose indignation he is continually liable , and therefore he is always in fear of him ; and how long soever he may have scaped punishment in this world , he cannot but dread the vengeance of the other ; and these thoughts are a continual disturbance to his mind , and in the midst of laughter make his heart heavy ; and the longer he continues in a wicked course , the more he multiplies the grounds and causes of his fears . but now religion frees a man from all this torment , either by preventing the cause of it , or directing to the cure ; either by preserving us from guilt , or clearing us of it in case we have contracted it . it preserves us from guilt by keeping us innocent ; and in case we have offended , it clears us of it , by leading us to repentance and the amendment of our lives ; which is the onely way to recover the favour of god , and the peace of our own consciences , and to secure us against all apprehension of danger from the divine justice ; though not absolutely from all fear of punishment in this world , yet from that which is the great danger of all , the condemnation and torment of the world to come . and by this means a man's mind is setled in perfect peace , religion freeing him from those tormenting fears of the divine displeasure , which he can upon no other terms rid himself of ; whereas the sinner is always sowing the seeds of trouble in his own mind , and laying a foundation of continual discontent to himself . secondly , as religion removes the chief grounds of trouble and disquiet , so it ministers to us all the true causes of peace and tranquillity of mind . whoever lives according to the rules of religion , lays these three great foundations of peace and comfort to himself . . he is satisfied that in being religious he doth that which is most reasonable . . that he secures himself against the greatest mischiefs and dangers , by making god his friend . . that upon the whole matter he do's in all respects most effectually consult and promote his own interest and happiness . . he is satisfied that he does that which is most reasonable . and it is no small pleasure to be justified to our selves , to be satisfied that we are what we ought to be , and do what in reason we ought to do ; that which best becomes us , and which according to the primitive intention of our being is most natural , for whatever is natural is pleasant . now the practice of piety towards god , and of every other grace and virtue which religion teacheth us , are things reasonable in themselves , and what god when he made us , intended we should do . and a man is then pleased with himself , and his own actions , when he doth what he is convinced he ought to do ; and is then offended with himself , when he goes against the light of his own mind , by neglecting his duty , or doing contrary to it ; for then his conscience checks him , and there is something within him that is uneasie , and puts him into disorder ; as when a man eats or drinks any thing that is unwholsom , it offends his stomach . and puts his body into an unnatural and a restless state . for every thing is then at rest and peace , when it is in that state in which nature intended it to be ; and being violently forced out of it , it is never quiet till it recover it again . now religion and the practice of its virtues , is the natural state of the soul , the condition to which god designed it . as god made man a reasonable creature , so all the acts of religion are reasonable and suitable to our nature : and our souls are then in health , when we are what the laws of religion require us to be , and do what they command us to do . and as we find an unexpressible ease and pleasure when our body is in its perfect state of health , and on the contrary every distemper causeth pain and uneasiness ; so is it with the soul . when religion governs all our inclinations and actions , and the temper of our minds , and the course of our lives is conformable to the precepts of it , all is at peace . but when we are otherwise , and live in any vitious practice , how can there be peace , so long as we act unreasonably , and do those things whereby we necessarily create trouble and disturbance to our selves ? how can we hope to be at ease , so long as we are in a sick and diseased condition ? till the corruption that is in us be wrought out , our spirits will be in a perpetual tumult and fermentation ; and it is as impossible for us to enjoy the peace and serenity of our minds , as it is for a sick man to be at ease : he may use what arts of diversion he will , and change from one place and posture to another : but still he is restless , because there is that within him which gives him pain and disturbance . there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked . such men may dissemble their condition , and put on the face and appearance of pleasantness and contentment ; but god , who sees all the secrets of mens hearts , knows it is far otherwise with them . there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked . . another ground of peace which the religious man hath , is , that he hath made god his friend . now friendship is peace and pleasure both ; it is mutual love , and that is a double pleasure ; and it is hard to say which is the greatest , the pleasure of loving god , or of knowing that he loves us . now whoever sincerely endeavours to please god , may rest perfectly assured that god hath no displeasure against him ; for the righteous lord loveth righteousness , and his countenance shall behold the upright , that is , he will be favourable to such persons . as he hates the workers of iniquity , so he takes pleasure in them that fear him , in such as keep his covenant and remember his commandments to do them . and being assured of his favour , we are secured against the greatest dangers and the greatest fears ; and may say with david , return then unto thy rest , o my soul , for the lord hath dealt bountifully with thee : the lord is my light and my salvation , whom shall i fear ; the lord is the strength of my life , of whom shall i be afraid ? what can reasonably trouble or discontent that man who hath made his peace with god , and is restored to his favour , who is the best and most powerful friend , and can be the sorest and most dangerous enemy in the whole world ? . by being religious we do most effectually consult our own interest and happiness . a great part of religion consists in moderating our appetites and passions , and this naturally tends to the composure of our minds . he that lives piously and virtuously acts according to reason , and in so doing maintains the present peace of his own mind ; and not only so , but he lays the foundation of his future happiness to all eternity . for religion gives a man the hopes of eternal life : and all pleasure does not consist in present enjoyment ; there is a mighty pleasure also , in the firm belief and expectation of a future good ; and if it be a great and a lasting good , it will support a man under a great many present evils . if religion be certainly the way to avoid the greatest evils , and to bring us to happiness at last , we may contentedly bear a great many afflictions for its sake . for though all suffering be grievous , yet it is pleasant to escape great dangers , and to come to the possession of a mighty good , though it be with great difficulty and inconvenience to our selves . and when we come to heaven ( if ever we be so happy as to get thither ) it will be a new and a greater pleasure to us , to remember the pains and troubles whereby we were saved and made happy . so that all these , put together , are a firm foundation of peace and comfort to a good man. there is a great satisfaction in the very doing of our duty , and acting reasonably , though there may happen to be some present trouble and inconvenience in it . but when we do not only satisfie our selves in so doing , but likewise please him whose favour is better than life , and whose frowns are more terrible than death ; when in doing our duty we directly promote our own happiness , and in serving god do most effectually serve our own interest , what can be imagined to minister more peace and pleasure to the mind of man ? this is the second thing . religion furnisheth us with all the true causes of peace and tranquillity of mind . thirdly , the reflection upon a religious and virtuous course of life doth afterwards yield a mighty pleasure and satisfaction . and what can commend religion more to us , than that the remembrance of any pious and virtuous action gives us so much contentment and delight ? so that whatever difficulty and reluctancy we may find in the doing of it , to be sure , there is peace and satisfaction in the looking back upon it . no man ever reflected upon himself with regret for having done his duty to god or man ; for having lived soberly , or righteously , or godly in this present world . nay , on the contrary , the conscience of any duty faithfully discharged , the memory of any good we have done , does refresh the soul with a strange kind of pleasure and joy . our rejoycing is this ( saith st. paul ) the testimony of our consciences , that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world . but , on the other side , the course of a vicious life , all acts of impiety to god , of malice and injustice to men , of intemperance and excess in reference to our selves , do certainly leave a sting behind them . and whatever pleasure there may be in the present act of them , the memory of them is so tormenting , that men are glad to use all the arts of diversion to fence off the thoughts of them . one of the greatest troubles in the world to a bad man is to look into himself , and to remember how he hath lived . i appeal to the consciences of men whether this be not true . and is not here now a mighty difference between these two courses of life ; that when we do any thing that is good , if there be any trouble in it , it is soon over , but the pleasure of it is perpetual : when we do a wicked action , the pleasure of it is short and transient , but the trouble and sting of it remains for ever ? the reflection upon the good we have done , gives a lasting satisfaction to our minds ; but the remembrance of any evil committed by us leaves a perpetual discontent . and , which is yet more considerable , a religious and virtuous course of life does then yield most peace and comfort , when we most stand in need of it ; in times of affliction , and at the hour of death . when a man falls into any great calamity , there is no comfort in the world like to that of a good conscience : this makes all calm and serene within , when there is nothing but clouds and darkness about him . so david observes of the good man , psal . . , vnto the upright there ariseth light in darkness . all the pious and virtuous actions that we do , are so many seeds of peace and comfort , sown in our consciences , which will spring up and flourish most in times of outward trouble and distress . light is sown for the righteous , and gladness for the upright in heart . and , at the hour of death , the righteous hath hopes in his death , saith solomon . and what a seasonable refreshment is it to the mind of man , when the pangs of death are ready to take hold of him , and he is just stepping into the other world , to be able to look back with satisfaction upon a religious and well-spent life ? then , if ever , the comforts of a good man do overflow , and a kind of heaven springs up in his mind , and he rejoyceth in the hopes of the glory of god. and that is a true and solid comfort indeed , which will stand by us in the day of adversity , and stick close to us when we have most need of it . but with the ungodly it is not so : his guilt lies in wait for him especially against such times , and is never more fierce and raging than in the day of distress ; so that according as his troubles without are multiplyed , so are his stings within . and surely affliction is then grievous indeed , when it falls upon a galled and uneasie mind . were it not for this , outward afflictions might be tolerable ; the spirit of a man might bear his infirmities , but a wounded spirit who can bear ? but especially at the hour of death . how does the guilt of his wicked life then stare him in the face ? what storms and tempests are raised in his soul ? which make it like the troubled sea when it cannot rest . when eternity , that fearful and amazing sight , presents it self to his mind , and he feels himself sinking into the regions of darkness , and is every moment in a fearful expectation of meeting with the just reward of his deeds ; with what regret does he then remember the sins of his life ? and how full of rage and indignation is he against himself for having neglected to know , when he had so many opportunities of knowing them , the things that belonged to his peace ; and which , because he hath neglected them , are now , and likely to be for ever , hid from his eyes ? and if this be the true case of the righteous and wicked man , i need not multiply words , but may leave it to any mans thoughts , in which of these conditions he would be . and surely the difference between them is so very plain , that there can be no difficulty in the choice . but now , though this discourse be very true , yet for the full clearing of this matter , it will be but fair to consider what may be said on the other side ; and the rather , because there are several objections which seem to be countenanced from experience , which is enough to overthrow the most plausible speculation . as , . that wicked men seem to have a great deal of pleasure and contentment in their vices . . that religion imposeth many harsh and grievous things , which seem to be inconsistent with that pleasure and satisfaction i have spoken of . . that those who are religious , are many times very disconsolate and full of trouble . to the first . i deny not that wicked men have some pleasure in their vices ; but when all things are rightly computed , and just abatements made , it will amount to very little . for it is the lowest and meanest kind of pleasure , it is chiefly the pleasure of our bodies and our senses , of our worst part ; the pleasure of the beast , and not of the man ; that which least becomes us , and which we were least of all made for . those sensual pleasures which are lawful , are much inferiour to the least satisfaction of the mind ; and when they are unlawful , they are always inconsistent with it . and what is a man profited , if to gain a little sensual pleasure , he lose the peace of his soul ? can we find in our hearts to call that pleasure , which robs us of a far greater and higher satisfaction than it brings ? the delights of sense are so far from being the chief pleasure for which god designed us , that , on the contrary , he intended we should take our chief pleasure in the restraining and moderating of our sensual appetites and desires , and in keeping them within the bounds of reason and religion . and then , it is not a lasting pleasure . those fits of mirth which wicked men have , how soon are they over ? like a sudden blaze , which after a little flash and noise is presently gone . it is the comparison of a very great and experienced man in these matters , like the crackling of thorns under a pot ( saith solomon ) , so is the laughter of the fool , that is , the mirth of the wicked man ; it may be loud , but it lasts not . but , which is most considerable of all , the pleasures of sin bear no proportion to that long and black train of miseries and inconveniences which they draw after them . many times , poverty and reproach , pains and diseases upon our bodies , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil . so that if these pleasures were greater than they are , a man had better be without them , than purchase them at such dear rates . to the second . that religion imposeth many harsh and grievous things , which seem to be inconsistent with that pleasure and satisfaction i have spoken of : as , the bearing of persecution , repentance and mortification , fasting and abstinence , and many other rigours and severities . as to persecution ; this discourse doth not pretend that religion exempts men from outward troubles , but that , when they happen , it supports men under them , better than any thing else . as for repentance and mortification ; this chiefly concerns our first entrance into religion , after a wicked life , which i acknowledged , in the beginning of this discourse , to be very grievous : but this doth not hinder , but that though religion may be troublesome at first to some persons , whose former sins and crimes have made it so , it may be pleasant afterwards when we are accustomed to it . and whatever the trouble of repentance be , it is unavoidable , unless we resolve to be miserable ; for except we repent we must perish . now there is always a rational satisfaction in submitting to a less inconvenience to remedy and prevent a greater . as for fasting and abstinence ; which is many times very helpful and subservient to the ends of religion , there is no such extraordinary trouble in it , if it be discreetly managed , as is worth the speaking of . and as for other rigours and severities , which some pretend religion does impose , i have only this to say , that if men will play the fool , and make religion more troublesome than god hath made it , i cannot help that : and , that this is a false representation of religion , which some in the world have made , as if it did chiefly consist not in pleasing god , but in displeasing and tormenting our selves . this is not to paint religion like her self , but rather like one of the furies , with nothing but whips and snakes about her . to the third . that those who are religious are many times very disconsolate and full of trouble . this , i confess , is a great objection indeed , if religion were the cause of this trouble ; but there are other plain causes of it , to which religion , rightly understood , is not accessary . as , false and mistaken principles in religion . the imperfection of our religion and obedience to god. and a melancholly temper and disposition . false and mistaken principles in religion . as this for one ; that god does not sincerely desire the salvation of men , but hath from all eternity effectually barr'd the greatest part of mankind from all possibility of attaining that happiness which he offers to them ; and every one hath cause to fear that he may be in that number . this were a melancholly consideration indeed , if it were true ; but there is no ground either from reason or scripture to entertain any such thought of god. our destruction is of our selves ; and no man shall be ruined by any decree of god , who does not ruin himself by his own fault . or else , the imperfection of our religion and obedience to god. some , perhaps , are very devout in serving god , but not so kind and charitable , so just and honest in their dealings with men . no wonder if such persons be disquieted ; the natural consciences of men being not more apt to disquiet them for any thing , than for the neglect of those moral duties , which natural light teacheth them . peace of conscience is the effect of an impartial and universal obedience to the laws of god ; and i hope no man will blame religion for that which plainly proceeds from the want of religion . or lastly . a melancholly temper and disposition ; which is not from religion , but from our nature and constituion , and therefore religion ought not to be charged with it . and thus i have endeavoured , as briefly and plainly as i could , to represent to you what peace and pleasure , what comfort and satisfaction , religion , rightly understood and sincerely practised , is apt to bring to the minds of men . and i do not know by what sort of argument religion can be more effectually recommended to wise and considerate men . for in perswading men to be religious , i do not go about to rob them of any true pleasure and contentment , but to direct them to the very best , nay indeed the onely way of attaining and securing it . i speak this in great pity and compassion to those who make it their great design to please themselves , but do grievously mistake the way to it . the direct way is that which i have set before you , a holy and virtuous life , to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world . a good man ( saith solomon ) is satisfied from himself : he hath the pleasure of being wise , and acting reasonably ; the pleasure of being justified to himself in what he doth , and of being acquitted by the sentence of his own mind . there is a great pleasure in being innocent , because that prevents guilt and trouble ; it is pleasant to be virtuous and good , because that is to excel many others ; and it is pleasant to grow better , because that is to excel our selves : nay , it is pleasant even to mortifie and subdue our lusts , because that is victory : it is pleasant to command our appetites and passions , and to keep them in due order , within the bounds of reason and religion , because this is a kind of empire , this is to govern . it is naturally pleasant to rule and have power over others , but he is the great and the absolute prince who commands himself . this is the kingdom of god within us , a dominion infinitely to be preferred before all the kingdoms of this world , and the glory of them . it is the kingdom of god , described by the apostle , which consists in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost . in a word ; the pleasure of being good and of doing good , is the chief happiness of god himself . but now the wicked man deprives himself of all this pleasure , and creates perpetual discontent to his own mind . o the torments of a guilty conscience ! which the sinner feels more or less all his life long . but , alas , thou dost not yet know the worst of it , no not in this world. what wilt thou do when thou comest to die ? what comfort wilt thou then be able to give thy self ? or what comfort can any one else give thee ? when thy conscience is miserably rent and torn , by those waking furies , which will then rage in thy breast , and thou knowest not which way to turn thy self for ease ; then , perhaps at last , the priest is unwillingly sent for , to patch up thy conscience as well as he can , and to appease the cryes of it ; and to force himself out of very pity and good nature , to say , peace , peace , when there is no peace . but alas man ! what can we do ? what comfort can we give thee , when thine iniquities testifie against thee to thy very face ? how can there be peace , when thy lusts and debaucheries , thy impieties to god and thy injuries to men , have been so many ? how can there be peace , when thy whole life hath been a continued contempt and provocation of almighty god , and a perpetual violence and affront to the light and reason of thy own mind ? therefore whatever temptation there may be in sin at a distance , whatever pleasure in the act and commission of it , yet remember that it always goes off with trouble , and will be bitterness in the end . those words of solomon have a terrible sting in the conclusion of them , rejoyce o young man in thy youth , and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth , and walk in the ways of thine heart , and in the sight of thine eyes ; but know , that for all these things god will bring thee into judgment . this one thought which will very often unavoidably break into our minds ( that god will bring us into judgment ) is enough to dash all our contentment , and to spoil all the pleasure of a sinful life . never expect to be quiet in thine own mind , and to have the true enjoyment of thy self , till thou livest a virtuous and religious life . and if this discourse be true ( as i am confident i have every mans conscience on my side ) i say , if this be true , let us venture to be wise and happy , that is , to be religious . let us resolve to break off our sins by repentance , to fear god and keep his commandments , as ever we desire to avoid the unspeakable torments of a guilty mind , and would not be perpetually uneasie to our selves . grant we beseech thee , almighty god , that we may every one of us know and do in this our day the things that belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes . and the god of peace which brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , by the blood of the everlasting covenant , make us perfect in every good work , to do his will , working in us always that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ our lord , to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . a sermon preached before the king , febr. th / . a sermon preached before the king , febr. th / . psal. cxix . . i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . the two great causes of the ruin of men , are infidelity and want of consideration . some do not believe the principles of religion , or at least have by arguing against them rendered them so doubtful to themselves , as to take away the force and efficacy of them : but these are but a ve-very small part of mankind , in comparison of those who perish for want of considering these things . for most men take the principles of religion for granted , that there is a god , and a providence , and a state of rewards and punishments after this life , and never entertained any considerable doubt in their minds to the contrary : but for all this , they never attended to the proper and natural consequences of these principles , nor applyed them to their own case ; they never seriously considered the notorious inconsistency of their lives with this belief , and what manner of persons they ought to be who are verily perswaded of the truth of these things . for no man that is convinced that there is a god , and considers the necessary and immediate consequences of such a perswasion , can think it safe to affront him by a wicked life : no man that believes the infinite happiness and misery of another world , and considers withall that one of these shall certainly be his portion , according as he demeans himself in this present life , can think it indifferent what course he takes . men may thrust away these thoughts , and keep them out of their minds for a long time ; but no man that enters into the serious consideration of these matters , can possibly think it a thing indifferent to him whether he be happy or miserable for ever . so that a great part of the evils of mens lives would be cured , if they would but once lay them to heart ; would they but seriously consider the consequences of a wicked life , they would see so plain reason , and so urgent a necessity for the reforming of it , that they would not venture to continue any longer in it . this course david took here in the text , and he found the happy success of it ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . in which words there are these two things considerable . i. the course which david here took for the reforming of his life ; i thought on my ways . ii. the success of this course . it produced actual and speedy reformation ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; i made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments . these are the two heads of my following discourse ; which when i have spoken to , i shall endeavour to perswade my self and you to take the same course which david here did , and god grant that it may have the same effect . i. we will consider the course which david here took for the reforming of his life ; i thought on my ways , or , as the words are rendered in our old translation , i called mine own ways to remembrance . and this may either signifie a general survey and examination of his life , respecting indifferently the good or bad actions of it : or else , which is more probable , it may specially refer to the sins and miscarriages of his life ; i thought on my ways , that is , i called my sins to remembrance . neither of these senses can be much amiss in order to the effect mentioned in the text , viz. the reformation and amendment of our lives ; and therefore neither of them can reasonably be excluded , though i shall principally insist upon the later . . this thinking of our ways may signifie a general survey and examination of our lives , respecting indifferently our good and bad actions . for way is a metaphorical word , denoting the course of a mans life and actions . i thought on my ways , that is , i examined my life , and called my self to a strict account for the actions of it ; i compared them with the law of god , the rule and measure of my duty , and considered how far i had obeyed that law , or offended against it ; how much evil i had been guilty of , and how little good i had done , in comparison of what i might and ought to have done : that by this means i might come to understand the true state and condition of my soul , and discerning how many and great my faults and defects were , i might amend whatever was amiss , and be more careful of my duty for the future . and it must needs be a thing of excellent use , for men to set apart some particular times for the examination of themselves , that they may know how accounts stand between god and them . pythagoras ( or whoever were the author of those golden verses which pass under his name ) doth especially recommend this practice to his scholars , every night before they slept , to call themselves to account for the actions of the day past ; enquiring wherein they had transgressed , what good they had done that day , or omitted to do . and this no doubt is an admirable means to improve men in vertue , a most effectual way to keep our consciences continually waking and tender , and to make us stand in awe of our selves , and afraid to sin , when we know before-hand that we must give so severe an account to our selves of every action . and certainly it is a great piece of wisdom to make up our accounts as frequently as we can , that our repentance may in some measure keep pace with the errors and failings of our lives , and that we may not be oppressed and confounded by the insupportable weight of the sins of a whole life falling upon us at once ; and that perhaps at the very worst time , when we are sick and weak , and have neither understanding nor leisure to recollect ourselves , and to call our sins distinctly to remembrance , much less to exercise any fit and proper acts of repentance for them . for there is nothing to be done in religion when our reason is once departed from us ; then darkness hath overtaken us indeed , and the night is come when no man can work . but though we were never so sensible , and should do all we can at that time , yet after all this , how it will go with us god alone knows . i am sure it is too much presumption for any man to be confident that one general and confused act of repentance will serve his turn for the sins of his whole life . therefore there is great reason why we should often examine our selves , both in order to the amendment of our lives , and the ease of our consciences when we come to dye . . this thinking of our ways may particularly and specially refer to the sins and miscarriages of our lives : i thought on my ways , that is , i called my sins to remembrance ; i took a particular account of the errors of my life , and laid them seriously to heart ; i considered all the circumstances and consequences of them , and all other things belonging to them ; and reasoning the matter throughly with my self , came to a peremptory and fixed resolution of breaking off this wicked course of life , and betaking my self to the obedience of god's laws . and the consideration of our ways taken in this sense ( which seems to be the more probable meaning of the words ) may reasonably imply in it these following particulars . . the taking of a particular account of our sins , together with the several circumstances and aggravations of them . . a hearty trouble and sorrow for them ; i thought on my ways , that is , i laid them sadly to heart . . a serious consideration of the evil and unreasonableness of a sinful course . . a due sense of the fearful and fatal consequences of a wicked life . . a full conviction of the necessity of quitting this course . . an apprehension of the possibility of doing this . . the taking of a particular account of our sins , together with the several circumstances and aggravations of them . and to this end , we may do well to reflect particularly upon the several stages and periods of our lives , and to recollect at least the principal miscarriages belonging to each of them . and the better to enable us hereto , it will be useful to have before our eyes some abridgement or summary of the laws of god , containing the chief heads of duties and sins , of vertues and vices ; for this will help to bring many of our faults and neglects to our remembrance , which otherwise perhaps would have been forgotten by us . we should likewise consider the several relations wherein we have stood to others , and how far we have transgressed or failed of our duty in any of those respects . and having thus far made up our sad account , we may in a great measure understand the number and greatness of our sins ; abating for some particulars which are slipp'd out of our memory , and for sins of ignorance , and dayly infirmities , which are innumerable . by all which we may see , what vile wretches and grievous offenders we have been : especially if we take into consideration the several heavy circumstances of our sins , which do above measure aggravate them ; the heinousness of many of them , as to their nature , and the injurious consequences of them to the person , or estate , or reputation of our neighbour ; their having been committed against the clear knowledg of our duty , against the frequent checks and convictions of our consciences , telling us when we did them that we did amiss ; against so many motions and suggestions of gods holy spirit , so many admonitions and reproofs from others ; and contrary to our own most serious vows and resolutions , renewed at several times , especially upon the receiving of the blessed sacrament , and in times of sickness and distress : and all this notwithstanding the plainest declarations of gods will to the contrary , notwithstanding the terrors of the lord , and the wrath of god revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ; notwithstanding the cruel sufferings of the son of god for our sins , and the most merciful offers of pardon and reconciliation in his blood : add to this the scandal of our wicked lives to our holy religion , the ill example of them to the corrupting and debauching of others , the affront of them to the divine authority , and the horrible ingratitude of them to the mercy and goodness and patience of god , to which we have such infinite obligations . thus we should set our sins in order before our eyes , with the several aggravations of them . . a hearty trouble and sorrow for sin ; i thought on my ways , that is , i laid my sins sadly to heart . and surely whenever we remember the faults and follies of our lives , we cannot but be inwardly touched and sensibly grieved at the thoughts of them ; we cannot but hang down our heads , and smite upon our breasts , and be in pain and heaviness at our very hearts . i know that the tempers of men are very different , and therefore i do not say that tears are absolutely necessary to repentance , but they do very well become it ; and a thorough sense of sin will almost melt the most hard and obdurate disposition , and fetch water out of a very rock . to be sure , the consideration of our ways should cause inward trouble and confusion in our minds . the least we can do when we have done amiss , is to be sorry for it , to condemn our own folly , and to be full of indignation and displeasure against our selves for what we have done , and to resolve never to do the like again . and let us make sure that our trouble and sorrow for sin have this effect , to make us leave our sins ; and then we shall need to be the less solicitous about the degrees and outward expressions of it . . a serious consideration of the evil and unreasonableness of a sinful course . that sin is the stain and blemish of our natures , the reproach of our reason and understanding , the disease and the deformity of our souls , the great enemy of our peace , the cause of all our fears and troubles : that whenever we do a wicked action , we go contrary to the clearest dictates of our reason and conscience , to our plain and true interest , and to the strongest tyes and obligations of duty and gratitude . and which renders it yet more unreasonable , sin is a voluntary evil which men wilfully bring upon themselves . other evils may be forced upon us , whether we will or no ; a man may be poor or sick by misfortune , but no man is wicked and vitious but by his own choice . how do we betray our folly and weakness , by suffering our selves to be hurried away by every foolish lust and passion , to do things which we know to be prejudicial and hurtful to our selves ; and so base and unworthy in themselves , that we are ashamed to do them , not only in the presence of a wise man , but even of a child or a fool . so that if sin were followed with no other punishment , besides the guilt of having done a shameful thing , a man would not by intemperance make himself a fool and a beast ; one would not be false and unjust , treacherous or unthankful , if for no other reason , yet out of meer greatness and generosity of mind , out of respect to the dignity of his nature , and out of very reverence to his own reason and understanding . for let witty men say what they will in defence of their vices , there are so many natural acknowledgments of the evil and unreasonableness of sin , that the matter is past all denial : men are generally galled and uneasie at the thoughts of an evil action , both before and after they have committed it ; they are ashamed to be taken in a crime , and heartily vexed and provoked whenever they are upbraided with it ; and 't is very observable , that though the greater part of the world was always bad , and vice hath ever had more servants and followers to cry it up , yet never was there any age so degenerate , in which vice could get the better of vertue in point of general esteem and reputation : even they whose wills have been most enslaved to sin , could never yet so far bribe and corrupt their understandings , as to make them give full approbation to it . . a due sense of the fearful and fatal consequences of a wicked life . and these are so sad and dreadful , and the danger of them so evident , and so perpetually threatning us , that no temptation can be sufficient to excuse a man to himself and his own reason for venturing upon them . a principal point of wisdom is to look to the end of things ; not only to consider the present pleasure and advantage of any thing , but also the ill consequences of it for the future ; and to ballance them one against the other . now sin in its own nature tends to make men miserable . it certainly causes trouble and disquiet of mind : and to a considerate man , that knows how to value the ease and satisfaction of his own mind , there cannot be a greater argument against sin , than to consider that the forsaking of it is the only way to find rest to our souls . besides this , every vice is naturally attended with some particular mischief and inconvenience , which maketh it even in this life a punishment to it self ; and commonly , the providence of god and his just judgment upon sinners strikes in to heighten the mischievous consequences of a sinful course . this we have represented in the parable of the prodigal ; his riotous course of life did naturally and of it self bring him to want , but the providence of god likewise concurred to render his condition more miserable , at the same time there arose a mighty famine in the land ; so that he did not only want wherewithall to supply himself , but was cut off from all hopes of relief from the abundance and superfluity of others . sin brings many miseries upon us , and god many times sends more and greater than sin brings ; and the further we go on in a sinful course , the more miseries and the greater difficulties we involve our selves in . but all these are but light and inconsiderable , in comparison of the dreadful miseries of another world ; to the danger whereof , every man that lives a wicked life doth every moment expose himself . so that if we could conquer shame , and had stupidity enough to bear the infamy and reproach of our vices , and the upbraidings of our consciences for them , and the temporal mischiefs and inconveniences of them ; though for the present gratifying of our lusts we could brook and dispense with all these , yet the consideration of the end and issue of a sinful course , is an invincible objection against it , and never to be answered ; though the violence of our sensual appetities and inclinations should be able to bear down all temporal considerations whatsoever , yet methinks the interest of our everlasting happiness should lye near our hearts , the consideration of another world should mightily amaze and startle us ; the horrors of eternal darkness , and the dismal thought of being miserable for ever , should effectually discourage any man from a wicked life . and this danger continually threatens the sinner , and may , if god be not merciful to him , happen to surprize him the next moment . and can we make too much haste , to flye from so great and apparent a danger ? when will we think of saving our selves , if not when ( for ought we know ) we are upon the very brink of ruine , and just ready to drop into destruction ? . upon this naturally follows , a full conviction of the necessity of quitting this wicked course . and necessity is always a powerful and over-ruling argument , and doth rather compel than perswade : and after it is once evident leaves no place for further deliberation . and the greater the necessity is , it is still the more cogent argument . for whatever is necessary , is so in order to some end ; and the greater the end , the greater is the necessity of the means without which that end cannot be obtained . now the chief and last end of all reasonable creatures is happiness , and therefore whatever is necessary in order to that , hath the highest degree of rational and moral necessity . we are not capable of happiness , till we have left our sins , for without holiness no man shall see the lord. but though men are convinced of this necessity , yet this doth not always enforce a present change ; because men hope they may continue in their sins , and remedy all at last by repentance . but this is so great a hazard in all respects , that there is no venturing upon it : and in matters of greatest concernment wise men will run no hazards , if they can help it . david was so sensible of this danger , that he would not defer his repentance and the change of his life for one moment ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies : i made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments . this day , this hour , for ought we know , may be the last opportunity of making our peace with god. therefore we should make haste out of this dangerous state , as lot did out of sodom , lest fire and brimstone overtake us . he that cannot promise himself the next moment , hath a great deal of reason to seize upon the present opportunity . while we are lingering in our sins , if god be not merciful to us , we shall be consumed . therefore make haste , sinner , and escape for thy life , lest evil overtake thee . . lastly , an apprehension of the possibility of making this change . god who designed us for happiness at first , and after we had made a forfeiture of it by sin , was pleased to restore us again to the capacity of it by the redemption of our blessed lord and saviour , hath made nothing necessary to our happiness that is impossible for us to do , either of our selves , or by the assistance of that grace which he is ready to afford us , if we heartily beg it of him . for that is possible to us , which we may do by the assistance of another , if we may have that assistance for asking : and god hath promised to give his holy spirit to them that ask him . so that notwithstanding the great corruption and weakness of our natures , since the grace of god which brings salvation hath appeared , it is not absolutely out of our power to leave our sins , and to turn to god : for that may truly be said to be in our power , which god hath promised to enable us to do , if we be not wanting to our selves . so that there is nothing on gods part to hinder this change . he hath solemnly declared , that he sincerly desires it , and that he is ready to assist our good resolutions to this purpose . and most certainly , when he tell us , that he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live ; that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledg of the truth ; that he would not that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance , he means plainly as he saith , and doth not speak to us with any private reserve or nice distinction between his secret and revealed will , that is , he doth not decree one thing , and declare the contrary . so far is it from this , that if a sinner entertain serious thoughts of returning to god , and do but once move towards him , how ready is he to receive him ! this is , in a very lively manner , described to us in the parable of the prodigal son , who when he was returning home , and was yet a great way off , what haste doth his father make to meet him ? he saw him , and had compassion , and ran . and if there be no impediment on gods part , why should there be any on ours ? one would think all the doubt and difficulty should be on the other side , whether god would be pleased to shew mercy to such great offenders as we have been . but the business doth not stick there . and will we be miserable by our own choice , when the grace of god hath put it into our power to be happy ? i have done with the first thing , the course which david here took for the reforming of his life ; i thought on my ways . i proceed to the ii. the success of this course . it produced actual and speedy reformation . i turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . and if we consider the matter throughly , and have but patience to reason out the case with our selves , and to bring our thoughts and deliberations to some issue , the conclusion must naturally be , the quitting of that evil and dangerous course in which we have lived . for sin and consideration can not long dwell together . did but men consider what sin is , they would have so many unanswerable objections against it , such strong fears and jealousies of the miserable issue and event of a wicked life , that they would not dare to continue any longer in it . i do not say , that this change is perfectly made at once . a state of sin and holiness are not like two ways that are just parted by a line , so as a man may step out of the one full into the other ; but they are like two ways that lead to two very distant places , and consequently are at a good distance from one another , and the farther any man hath travelled in the one , the further he is from the other ; so that it requires time and pains to pass from the one to the other . it sometimes so happens , that some persons are by a mighty conviction and resolution , and by a very extraordinary and over-powering degree of gods grace , almost perfectly reclaimed from their sins at once , and all of a sudden translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. and thus it was with many of the first converts to christianity ; as their prejudices against the christian religion were strong and violent , so the holy spirit of god was pleased to work mightily in them that believed . but in the usual and setled methods of gods grace , evil habits are mastered and subdued by degrees , and with a great deal of conflict , and many times after they are routed they rally and make head again ; and 't is a great while before the contrary habits of grace and virtue are grown up to any considerable degree of strength and maturity , and before a man come to that confirmed state of goodness , that he may be said to have conquered and mortified his lusts . but yet this ought not to discourage us . for so soon as we have seriously begun this change , we are in a good way , and all our endeavours will have the acceptance of good beginnings , and god will be ready to help us ; and if we pursue our advantages , we shall every day gain ground , and the work will grow easier upon our hands ; and we who moved at first with so much slowness and difficulty , shall after a while be enabled to run the ways of gods commandments with pleasure and delight . i have done with the two things i propounded to speak to from these words , the course here prescribed , and the success of it . and now to perswade men to take this course , i shall offer two or three arguments . . that consideration is the proper act of reasonable creatures . this argument god himself uses , to bring men to a consideration of their evil ways , isa . . , remember , and shew your selves men ; bring it again to mind , o ye transgressors . to consider our ways , and to call our sins to remembrance , is to shew our selves men . 't is the great fault and infelicity of a great many , that they generally live without thinking , and are acted by their present inclinations and appetites , without any consideration of the future consequences of things , and without fear of any thing , but of a present and sensible danger ; like brute creatures , who fear no evils but what are in view , and just ready to fall upon them : whereas to a prudent and considerate man , a good or evil in reversion is capable of as true an estimation , proportionably to the greatness and distance of it , as if it were really present . and what do we think has god given us our reason and understandings for , but to foresee evils at a distance , and to prevent them ; to provide for our future security and happiness , to look up to god our maker , who hath taught us more than the beasts of the earth , and made us wiser than the fowls of heaven ; but to consider what we do , and what we ought to do , and what makes most for our future and lasting interest , and what against it ? what can a beast do worse , than to act without any consideration and design , than to pursue his present inclination without any apprehension of true danger ? the most dull and stupid of all the brute creatures can hardly exercise less reason than this comes to . so that for a man not to consider his ways , is to the very best intents and purposes , to be without understanding , and like the beasts that perish . . this is the end of gods patience and long-suffering towards us , to bring us to consideration . the great design of gods goodness , is to lead men to repentance . he winks at the sins of men , that they may repent . he bears long with us , and delays the punishment of our sins , and doth not execute judgment speedily , because he is loth to surprize men into destruction ; because he would give them the liberty of second thoughts , time to reflect upon themselves , and to consider what they have done , and to reason themselves into repentance . consider this all ye that forget god , lest his patience turn into fury , and he tear you in pieces , and there be none to deliver . . consideration is that which we must all come to , one time or other . time will come , when we shall consider and cannot help it ; when we shall not be able to divert our thoughts from those things , which we are now so loth to think upon . our consciences will take their opportunity , to bring our ways to remembrance , when some great calamity or affliction is upon us . thus it was with the prodigal , when he was brought to the very last extremity , and was ready to perish for hunger , then he came to himself . when we come to die , then we shall think of our ways with trouble and vexation enough ; and how glad would we then be , that we had time to consider them ? and perhaps while we are wishing for more time , eternity will swallow us up . to be sure , in the other world , a great part of the misery of wicked men will consist in furious reflections upon themselves , and the evil actions of their lives . 't is said of the rich voluptuous man in the parable , that in hell he lift up his eyes , being in torments ; as if he had never considered and bethought himself till that time . but alas ! it will then be too late to consider : for then consideration will do us no good ; it will serve to no other purpose , but to aggravate our misery , and to multiply our stings , and to give new life and rage to those vultures which will perpetually prey upon our hearts . but how much a wiser course would it be , to consider these things in time , in order to our eternal peace and comfort ; to think of them while we may redress them , and avoid the dismal consequences of them , than when our case is desperate and past remedy ? and now what can i say more , to perswade every one of us to a consideration of our own ways ? we are generally apt to busie our selves in observing the errors and miscarriages of our neighbours , and are forward to mark and censure the faults and follies of other men ; but how few descend into themselves , and turn their eyes inward , and say , what have i done ? 't is an excellent saying of antoninus the great emperour and philosopher , no man was ever unhappy , for not prying into the actions and condition of other men ; but that man is necessarily unhappy , who doth not observe himself , and consider the state of his own soul . this is our proper work ; and now is a proper season for it , when we pretend to god and men to set apart a solemn time for the examination of our selves , and for a serious review of our lives , in order to humiliation and repentance , to the reforming and amendment of what is amiss . and though we would venture to dissemble with men , yet let us not dissemble with god also : for shall not he that pondereth the heart consider it , and he that keepeth thy soul , shall not he know it ; and shall not he render to every man according to his ways ? i know it is a very unpleasant work which i am now putting you upon , and therefore no wonder that men are generally so backward to it ; because it will of necessity give some present disturbance to their minds . they whose lives have been very vicious , are so odious a sight , so horrid a spectacle to themselves , that they cannot endure to reflect upon their own ways ; of all things in the world they hate consideration , and are ready to say to it , as the evil spirit did in the gospel to our saviour , what have i to do with thee ? art thou come to torment me before the time ? but let not this affright us from it ; for whatever trouble it may cause at present , it is the only way to prevent the anguish and the torments of eternity . the things which i have offered to your consideration , are of huge moment and importance . they do not concern your bodies and estates , but that which is more truly your selves , your immortal souls , the dearest and most durable part of your selves : and they do not concern us for a little while , but forever . let me therefore bespeak your most serious regard to them , in the words of moses to the people of israel , after he had set the law of god before them , togeher with the blessings promised to obedience , and the terrible curses threatned to the transgression of it , deut. . , set your hearts to the words which i testifie to you this day , for it is not a vain thing , because it is your life . your life , your eternal life and happiness depends upon it . and besides a tender regard to your selves and your own interests , which methinks every man , out of a natural desire of being happy , and dread of being miserable , should be forward enough to consider : be pleased likewise to lay to heart the influence of your example upon others . i speak now to a great many persons , the eminence of whose rank and quality renders their examples so powerful , as to be able almost to give authority either to virtue or vice. people take their fashions from you , as to the habits of their minds as well as their bodies . so that upon you chiefly depends the ruine or reformation of manners , our hopes or despair of a better world . what way soever you go , you are followed by troops . if you run any sinful or dangerous course , you cannot perish alone in your iniquity , but thousands will fall by your side , and ten thousands at your right hands : and on the contrary , 't is very much in your power , and i hope in your wills and designs , to be the sovereign restorers of piety and virtue to a degenerate age. it is our part indeed to exhort men to their duty , but 't is you that would be the powerful and effectual preachers of righteousness : we may endeavour to make men proselytes to vertue , but you would infallibly draw disciples after you : we may try to perswade , but you could certainly prevail , either to make men good , or to restrain them from being so bad . therefore consider your ways , for the sake of others as well as your selves . consider what you have done , and then consider what is fit for you to do , and if you do it not , what will be the end of these things ? and to help you forward in this work , it is not necessary that i should rip up the vices of the age , and set mens sins in order before them . it is much better , that you your selves should call your own ways to remembrance . we have every one a faithful monitor and witness in our own breasts , who , if we will but hearken to him , will deal impartially with us , and privately tell us the errors of our lives . to this monitor i refer you , and to the grace of god , to make these admonitions effectual . let us then every one of us , in the fear of god , search and try our ways , and turn unto the lord. let us take to our selves words , and say to god , with those true penitents in scripture , i have sinned , what shall be done unto thee , o thou preserver of men ? behold , i am vile , what shall i answer thee ? i will lay my hand upon my mouth , i will abhor my self , and repent in dust and ashes . for surely it is meet to be said unto god , i will not offend any more ; that which i know not , teach thou me , and if i have done iniquity i will do no more . o that there were such an heart in us ! o that we were wise , that we understood this , that we would consider our latter end ! and god , of his infinite mercy , inspire into every one of our hearts this holy and happy resolution ; for the sake of our blessed saviour and redeemer , to whom with the father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , now and for ever . amen . a sermon preached before the king , apr. th . psal . cxix . . i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . in the words immediately going before , you have the course which david took for the reforming of his life , and the success of that course ; i thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . a serious reflection upon the past errors and miscarriages of his life , produced the reformation of it . and you have a considerable circumstance added in the words that i have now read to you , viz. that this reformation was speedy and without delay , i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . upon due consideration of his former life , and a full conviction of the necessity of a change , he came to a resolution of a better life , and immediately put this resolution in execution ; and to declare how presently and quickly he did it , he expresses it both affirmatively and negatively ; after the manner of the hebrews , who when they would say a thing with great certainty and emphasis , are wont to express it both ways , i made haste , and delayed not ; that is , i did with all imaginable speed betake my self to a better course . and this is the natural effect of consideration ; and the true cause why men delay so necessary a work , is , because they stifle their reason , and suffer themselves to be hurried into the embraces of present objects , and do not consider their latter end , and what will be the sad issue and event of a wicked life . for if men would take an impartial view of their lives , and but now and then reflect upon themselves , and lay to heart the miserable and fatal consequences of a sinful course , and think whither it will bring them at last , and that the end of these things will be death and misery : if the carnal and sensual person would but look about him , and consider how many have been ruin'd in the way that he is in , how many lye slain and wounded in it , that it is the way to hell , and leads down to the chambers of death , this would certainly give a check to him , and stop him in his course . for it is not to be imagined , but that that man who hath duly considered what sin is , the shortness of its pleasures , and the eternity of its punishment , should resolve immediately to break off his sins , and to live another kind of life . would any man be intemperate and walk after the flesh , would any man be unjust and defraud or oppress his neighbour , be prophane and live in the contempt of god and religion , or allow himself in any wicked course whatsoever , that considers and believes a judgment to come , and that because of these things the terrible vengeance of god will one day fall upon the children of disobedience ? it is not credible , that men who apply themselves seriously to the meditation of these matters , should venture to continue in so imprudent and dangerous a course , or could by any temptation whatsoever be trained on one step farther in a way that does so certainly and visibly lead to ruin and destruction . so that my work at this time shall be , to endeavour to convince men of the monstrous folly and unreasonableness of delaying the reformation and amendment of their lives ; and to perswade us to resolve upon it , and having resolved , to set about it immediately and without delay ; in imitation of the good man here in the text , i made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . and to this end , i shall first , consider the reasons and excuses which men pretend for delaying this necessary work , and shew the unreasonableness of them . secondly , i shall add some farther considerations , to engage us effectually to set about this work speedily and without delay . i. we will consider a little the reasons and excuses which men pretend for delaying this necessary work , and not only shew the unreasonableness of them , but that they are each of them a strong reason and powerful argument to the contrary . . many pretend , that they are abundantly convinced of the great necessity of leaving their sins and betaking themselves to a better course , and they fully intend to do so ; only they cannot at present bring themselves to it , but they hope hereafter to be in a better temper and disposition , and then they resolve by gods grace to set about this work in good earnest , and to go through with it . i know not whether it be fit to call this a reason ; i am sure it is the greatest cheat and delusion that any man can put upon himself . for this plainly shews , that thou dost not intend to do this , which thou art convinced is so necessary , but to put it off from day to day . for there is no greater evidence that a man doth not really intend to do a thing , than when notwithstanding he ought upon all accounts , and may in all respects better do it at present than hereafter , yet he still puts it off . whatever thou pretendest , this is a meer shift to get rid of a present trouble : it is like giving good words and making fair promises to a clamorous and importunate creditour , and appointing him to come another day , when the man knows in his conscience that he intends not to pay him , and that he shall be less able to discharge the debt then , than he is at present . whatever reasons thou hast against reforming thy life now , will still remain and be in as full force hereafter , nay , probably stronger than they are at present . thou art unwilling now , and so thou wilt be hereafter , and in all likelihood much more unwilling . so that this reason will every day improve upon thy hands , and have so much the more strength , by how much the longer thou continuest in thy sins . thou hast no reason in the world against the present time , but only that 't is present ; why , when hereafter comes to be present , the reason will be just the same . so that thy present unwillingness is so far from being a just reason against it , that 't is a good reason the other way ; because thou art unwilling now , and like to be so , nay , more so hereafter ; if thou intendenst to do it at all , thou shouldst set about it immediately , and without delay . . another reason which men pretend for the delaying of this work , is the great difficulty and unpleasantness of it . and it cannot be denied , but that there will be some bitterness and uneasiness in it , proportionably to the growth of evil habits , and the strength of our lusts , and our greater or less progress and continuance in a sinful course : so that we must make account of a sharp conflict , of some pain and trouble in the making of this change , that it will cost us some pangs and throws before we be born again . for when nature hath been long bent another way , it is not to be expected that it should be reduced and brought back to its first strenghtness without pain and violence . but then it is to be considered , that how difficult and painful soever this work be , it is necessary ; and that should over-rule all other considerations whatsoever : that if we will not be at this pains and trouble , we must one time or other endure far greater , than those which we now seek to avoid : that it is not so difficult as we imagine , but our fears of it are greater than the trouble will prove ; if we were but once resolved upon the work and seriously engaged in it , the greatest part of the trouble were over ; it is like the fear of children to go into the cold water , a faint trial increaseth their fear and apprehension of it ; but so soon as they have plunged into it , the trouble is over , and then they wonder why they were so much afraid . the main difficulty and unpleasantness is in our first entrance into religion ; it presently grows tolerable , and soon after easie , and after that by degrees so pleasant and delightful , that the man would not for all the world return to his former evil state and condition of life . we should consider likewise , what is the true cause of all this trouble and difficulty ; 't is our long continuance in a sinful course that hath made us so loth to leave it ; 't is the custom of sinning that renders it so troublesome and uneasie to men to do otherwise ; 't is the greatness of our guilt , heightned and inflamed by many and repeated provocations , that doth so gall our consciences , and fill our souls with so much terror ; 't is because we have gone so far in an evil way , that our retreat is become so difficult ; and because we have delayed this work so long , that we are now so unwilling to go about it ; and consequently , the longer we delay it , the trouble and difficulty of a change will encrease daily upon us . and all these considerations are so far from being a good reason for more delays , that they are a strong argument to the contrary : because the work is difficult now , therefore do not make it more so ; and because your delays have encreased the difficulty of it , and will do more and more , therefore delay no longer . . another pretended encouragement to these delays , is the great mercy and patience of god. he commonly bears long with sinners , and therefore there is no such absolute and urgent necessity of a speedy repentance and reformation of our lives . men have not the face to give this for a reason ; but yet for all that , it lies at the bottom of many mens hearts : so solomon tells us , eccles . . , because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil . but it is not always thus . there are few of us but have seen several instances of gods severity to sinners , and have known several persons surprized by a sudden hand of god , and cut off in the very act of sin , without having the least respite given them , without time or liberty so much as to ask god forgiveness , and to consider either what they had done , or whither they were a-going . and this may be the case of any sinner , and is so much the more likely to be thy case , because thou dost so boldly presume upon the mercy and patience of god. but if it were always thus , and thou wert sure to be spared yet awhile longer ; what can be more unreasonable and disingenuous , than to resolve to be evil because god is good , and because he suffers so long , to sin so much the longer , and because he affords thee a space of repentance , therefore to delay it and put it off to the last ? the proper design of gods goodness is to lead men to repentance , and he never intended his patience for an encouragement to men to continue in their sins , but for an opportunity and an argument to break them off by repentance . these are the pretended reasons and encouragements to men to delay their repentance and the reformation of their lives , and you see how groundless and unreasonable they are ; which was the first thing i propounded to speak to . ii. i shall add some farther considerations , to engage men effectually to set about this work speedily , and without delay . and because they are many , i shall insist upon those which are most weighty and considerable , without being very curious and solicitous about the method and order of them : for provided they be but effectual to the end of perswasion , it matters not how inartificially they are rang'd and disposed . . consider , that in matters of great and necessary concernment , and which must be done , there is no greater argument of a weak and impotent mind , then irresolution ; to be undermined , where the case is so plain , and the necessity so urgent ; to be always about doing that , which we are convinced must be done . victuros agimus semper , nec vivimus unquam . we are always intending to live a new life , but can never find a time to set about it . this is as if a man should put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day and night to another , till he have starved and destroyed himself . it seldom falls under any mans deliberation , whether he should live or not , if he can chuse ; and if he cannot chuse , 't is in vain to deliberate about it . it is much more absurd to deliberate , whether we should live virtuously and religiously , soberly and righteously in the world ; for that upon the matter is to consult , whether a man should be happy or not : nature hath determined this for us , and we need not reason about it ; and consequently , we ought not to delay that which we are convinced is so necessary in order to it . . consider , that religion is a great and a long work ; and asks so much time , that there is none left for the delaying of it . to begin with repentance , which is commonly our first entrance into religion : this alone is a great work , and is not only the business of a sudden thought and resolution , but of execution and action : 't is the abandoning of a sinful course , which we cannot leave till we have in some degree mastered our lusts ; for so long as they are our masters , like pharaoh they will keep us in bondage , and not let us go to serve the lord. the habits of sin and vice are not to be plucked up and cast off at once ; as they have been long in contracting , so without a miracle , it will require a competent time to subdue them and get the victory over them : for they are conquered just by the same degrees that the habits of grace and virtue grow up and get strength in us . so that there are several duties to be done in religion , and often to be repeated ; many graces and virtues are to be long practised and exercised , before the contrary vices will be subdued , and before we arrive to a confirmed and setled state of goodness ; such a state as can only give us a clear and comfortable evidence of the sincerity of our resolution and repentance , and of our good condion towards god. we have many lusts to mortifie , many passions to govern and bring into order ; much good to do , to make what amends and reparation we can for the much evil we have done : we have many things to learn ; and many to unlearn , to which we shall be strongly prompted by the corrupt inclinations of our nature , and the remaining power of ill habits and customs : and perhaps we have satisfaction and restitution to make for the many injuries we have done to others , in their persons , or estates , or reputations : in a word , we have a body of sin to put off , which clings close to us , and is hard to part with ; we have to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and to perfect holiness in the fear of god ; to encrease and improve our graces and virtues ; to add to our faith knowledg , and temperance , and patience , and brotherly kindness , and charity ; and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness , which are by jesus christ to the praise and glory of god : we have to be useful to the world , and exemplary to others in a holy and virtuous conversation ; our light is so to shine before men , that others may see our good works , and glorifie our father which is in heaven . and do we think all this is to be done in an instant , and requires no time ? that we may delay and put off to the last , and yet do all this work well enough ? do we think we can do all this in time of sickness and old age , when we are not fit to do any thing , when the spirit of a man can hardly bear the infirmities of nature , much less a guilty conscience and a wounded spirit ? do we think that when the day hath been idlely spent and squandered away by us , that we shall be fit to work when the night and darkness comes ? when our understanding is weak , and our memory frail , and our will crooked , and by a long custom of sinning obstinately bent the wrong way , what can we then do in religion ? what reasonable or acceptable service can we then perform to god ? when our candle is just sinking into the socket , how shall our light so shine before men , that others may see our good works ? alas ! the longest life is no more than sufficient for a man to reform himself in , to repent of the errors of his life , and to amend what is amiss ; to put our souls into a good posture and preparation for another world , to train up our selves for eternity , and to make our selves meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light . . consider , what a desperate hazard we run by these delays . every delay of repentance is a venturing the main chance . it is uncertain whether hereafter we shall have time for it , and if we have time , whether we shall have a heart to it , and the assistance of gods grace to go thorough with it . god indeed hath been graciously pleased to promise pardon to repentance , but he hath no-where promised life and leisure , the aids of his grace and holy spirit to those who put off their repentance : he hath no-where promised acceptance to meer sorrow and trouble for sin , without fruits meet for repentance , and amendment of life : he hath no-where promised to receive them to mercy and favour , who only give him good words , and are at last contented to condescend so far to him , as to promise to leave their sins when they can keep them no longer . many have gone thus far in times of affliction and sickness , as to be awakened to a great sense of their sins , and to be mightily troubled for their wicked lives , and to make solemn promises and professions of becoming better ; and yet upon their deliverance and recovery all hath vanished and come to nothing , and their righteousness hath been as the morning cloud , and as the early dew which passeth away : and why should any man , meerly upon account of a death-bed repentance , reckon himself in a better condition than those persons , who have done as much , and gone as far as he ; and there is no other difference between them but this , that the repentance of the former was tryed , and proved insincere , but the death-bed repentance never came to a tryal ; and yet for all that , god knows whether it were sincere or not , and how it would have proved if the man had lived longer . why should any man , for offering up to god the meer refuse and dregs of his life , and the days which himself hath no pleasure in , expect to receive the reward of eternal life and happiness at his hands ? but though we do not design to delay this work so long , yet ought we to consider , that all delays in a matter of this consequence are extreamly dangerous ; because we put off a business of the greatest concernment to the future ; and in so doing , put it to the hazard whether ever it shall be done : for the future is as much out of out power to command , as it is to call back the time which is past . indeed if we could arrest time , and strike off the nimble wheels of his charriot , and like joshua bid the sun stand still , and make opportunity tarry as long as we had occasion for it ; this were something to excuse our delay , or at least to mitigate and abate the folly and unreasonableness of it : but this we cannot do . it is in our power , under the influence of gods grace and holy spirit , to amend our lives now , but it is not in our power to live till to morrow ; and who would part with an estate in hand , which he may presently enter upon the possession of , for an uncertain reversion ? and yet thus we deal in the great and everlasting concernments of our souls ; we trifle away the present opportunities of salvation , and vainly promise to our selves the future ; we let go that which is in our power , and fondly dispose of that which is out of our power , and in the hands of god. lay hold then upon the present opportunities , and look upon every action thou dost , and every opportunity of doing any , as possibly thy last ; for so it may prove , for any thing thou canst tell to the contrary . if a mans life lay at stake , and he had but one throw for it , with what care and with what concernment would he manage that action ? what thou art doing next may , for ought thou knowest , be for thy life , and for all eternity . so much of thy life is most certainly past , and god knows thou hast yet done little or nothing towards the securing of thy future happiness : it is not certain , how much or how little is remaining , therefore be sure to make the best use of that little which may be left , and wisely to manage the last stake . . seeing the delay of repentance doth mainly rely upon the hopes and encouragement of a future repentance , let us consider a little how unreasonable these hopes are , and how absurd the encouragement is which men take from them . to sin in hopes that hereafter we shall repent , is to do a thing in hopes that we shall be one day mightily ashamed of it , that we shall one time or other be heartily grieved and troubled that we have done it : it is to do a thing in hopes that we shall afterwards condemn our selves for it , and wish a thousand times we had never done it ; in hopes that we shall be full of horrour at the thoughts of what we have done , and shall treasure up so much guilt in our consciences as will make us a terror to our selves , and be ready to drive us even to despair and distraction . and is this a reasonable hope ? is this a fitting encouragement for a wise man to give to himself , to any action ? and yet this is plainly the true meaning of mens going on in their sins , in hopes that hereafter they shall repent of them . . if you be still resolved to delay this business , and put it off at present ; consider well with your selves , how long you intend to delay it . i hope not to the last ; not till sickness come , and death make his approaches to you . this is next to madness , to venture all upon such an after game . 't is just as if a man should be content to be shipwrackt , in hope that he shall afterwards escape by a plank , and get safe to shore . but i hope none are so unreasonable ; yet i fear that many have a mind to put it off to old age , though they do not care to say so . seneca expostulates excellently with this sort of men ; who should ensure thy life till that time ? who shall pass his word for thee , that the providence of god will suffer all things to happen and fall out , just as thou hast designed and forecast them ? art thou not ashamed to reserve the reliques of thy life for thy self , and to set apart only that time to be wise and virtuous in , which is good for nothing ? how late is it then to begin to llve well , when thy life is almost at an end ? what a stupid forgetfulness is it of our mortality , to put off good resolutions to the fiftieth or sixtieth year of our age , and to resolve to begin to do better at that time of life , to which but very few persons have reached ? but perhaps thou art not altogether so unreasonable , but desirest only to respite this work , till the first heat of youth and lust be over , till the cooler and more considerate part of thy life come on : that perhaps thou thinkest may be the fittest and most convenient season . but still we reckon upon uncertainties , for perhaps that season may never be : however , to be sure it is much more in our power , by the assistance of gods grace , which is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men , to conquer our lusts now , and to resist the most heady and violent temptations to vice , than either to secure the future time , or to recover that which is once past and gone . some seem yet more reasonable , and are content to come lower , and desire only to put it off for a very little while . but why for a little while ? why till to morrow ? to morrow will be as this day , only with this difference , that thou wilt in all probability be more unwilling and indisposed then . so that there is no future time which any man can reasonably pitch upon . all delay in this case is dangerous , and as senseless as the expectation of the ideot , described by the poet ; who being come to the river side , and intending to pass over , stays till all the water in the river be gone by , and hath left the channel a dry passage for him . — at ille labitur , & labetur in omne volubilis aevum . but the river runs , and runs , and will run , and if he should stay a thousand years , will never be the nearer being dry . so that if the man must go over , and there be a necessity for it , ( as there is for repentance ) the only wise resolution to be taken in this case , is to wade or swim over as well as he can , because the matter will never be mended by tarrying . . lastly , consider what an unspeakable happiness it is , to have our minds settled in that condition , that we may without fear and amazement , nay , with comfort and confidence , expect death and judgment . death is never far from any of us , and the general judgment of the world may be nearer than we are aware of ; for of that day and hour knoweth no man : and these are two terrible things ; and nothing can free us from the terror of them , but a good conscience ; and a good conscience is only to be had , either by innocence , or by repentance and amendment of life . happy man ! who by this means is at peace with god , and with himself ; and can think of death and judgment , without dread and astonishment . for the sting of death is sin ; and the terror of the great day only concerns those , who have lived wickedly and impenitently , and would not be perswaded , neither by the mercies of god , nor by the fear of his judgments , to repent and turn to him : but if we have truely forsaken our sins , and do sincerely endeavour to live in obedience to the laws and commands of god , the more we think of death and judgment , the greater matter of joy and comfort will these things be to us : for blessed is that servant , whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing . let us therefore , as soon as possibly we can , put our selves into this posture and preparation ; according to that advice of our blessed saviour , luke . , , let your loins be girded about , and your lamps burning , and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their lord. and now i hope that enough hath been said , to convince men of the great unreasonableness and folly of these delays ; nay , i believe , most men are convinced of it by their own thoughts , and that their consciences call them fools a thousand times for it : but o that i knew what to say , that might prevail with men , and effectually perswade them to do that , which they are so abundantly convinced is so necessary . and here i might address my self to the several ages of persons . you that are young and have hitherto been in a good measure innocent , may prevent the devil , and by an early piety give god the first possession of your souls ; and by this means , never be put to the trouble of so great and solemn a repentance , having never been deeply engaged in a wicked life : you may do a glorious , i had almost said a meritorious thing , in cleaving stedfastly to god , and resolving to serve him , when you are so importunately courted , and so hotly assaulted by the devil and the world. however , you may not live to be old ; therefore upon that consideration begin the work presently , and make use of the opportunity that is now in your hands . you that are grown up to ripeness of years , and are in the full vigor of your age ; you are to be put in mind , that the heat and inconsiderateness of youth is now past and gone ; that reason and consideration are now in their perfection and strength ; that this is the very age of prudence and discretion , of wisdom and wariness : so that now is the proper time for you to be serious , and wisely to secure your future happiness . as for those that are old , they methinks should need no body to admonish them , that it is now high time for them to begin a new life , and that the time past of their lives is too much to have spent in sin and folly . there is no trifling where men have a great work to do , and but little time to do it in . your sun is certainly going down and neer its setting ; therefore you should quicken your pace , considering that your journey is never the shorter because you have but little time to perform it in . alas man ! thou art just ready to dye , and hast thou not yet begun to live ? are thy passions and lusts yet unsubdued , and have they had no other mortification than what age hath given them ? 't is strange to see , how in the very extremities of old age , many men are as if they had still a thousand years to live , and make no preparation for death , though it dogs them at the heels , and is just come up to them and ready to give them the fatal stroke . therefore let us not put off this necessary work of reforming our selves , in what part and age of our lives soever we be . to day , whilst it is called to day , least any of you be hardened thorough the decitfulness of sin . nay , to day is with the latest to begin this work , had we been wise we would have begun it sooner . 't is gods infinite mercy to us , that it is not quite too late , that the day of gods patience is not quite expired , and the door shut against us . therefore do not defer your repentance to the next solemn time , to the next occasion . of receiving the blessed sacrament : do not say , i will then reform and become a new man , after that i will take leave of my lusts and sin no more . for let us make what haste we can , we cannot possibly make too much . — properat vivere nemo satis . no man makes haste enough to be good , to cease to do evil , and to learn to do well . be as quick as we will , life will be too nimble for us , and go on faster than our work does ; and death will go nigh to prevent us , and surprize us unawares . do , do sinner ; abuse and neglect thy self yet a little while longer , till the time of regarding thy soul and working out thy own salvation be at an end , and all the opportunities of minding that great concernment be slipped out of thy hands , never to be recovered , never to be called back again ; no , not by thy most earnest wishes and desires , by thy most fervent prayers and tears ; and thou be brought into the condition of prophane esau , who for once despising the blessing , lost it for ever ; and found no place of repentance , though he sought it carefully with tears . to conclude : art thou convinced , that thy eternal happiness depends upon following the advice which hath now been given thee ? why then , do but behave thy self in this case , as thou and all prudent men are wont to do in matters which thou canst not but acknowledg to be of far less concernment . if a man be travelling to such a place , so soon as he finds himself out of the way , he presently stops and makes towards the right way , and hath no inclination to go wrong any farther : if a man be sick , he will be well presently if he can , and not put it off to the future : most men will gladly take the first opportunity that presents it self , of being rich or great ; every man almost catches at the very first offers of a great place or a good purchase , and secures them presently if he can , least the opportunity be gone , and another snatch these things from him . do thou thus so much more , in matters so much greater . return from the error of thy way , be well , save thy self , as soon as possibly thou canst . when happiness presents it self to thee , do not turn it off , and bid it come again to morrow . perhaps thou mayest never be so fairly offered again ; perhaps the day of salvation may not come again to morrow ; nay , perhaps to thee to morrow may never come . but if we were sure that happiness would come again , yet why should we put it off ? does any man know how to be safe and happy to day , and can he find in his heart to tarry till to morrow ? now the god of all mercy and patience , give every one of us the wisdom and grace , to know and to do in this our day , the things that belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes ; for the sake of our blessed saviour and redeemer ; to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory now and for ever . amen . a sermon preached before the king , febr. th / . john iii. . in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil : whosoever doth not righteousness is not of god. it is certainly a matter of the greatest consequence to us , both in order to our present peace and future happiness , truly to understand our spiritual state and condition , and whether we belong to god and be his children or not : and it is not so difficult as is commonly imagined to arrive at this knowledg , if we have a mind to it , and will but deal impartially with our selves ; for the text gives us a plain mark and character whereby we may know it , in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil : whosoever doth not righteousness , is not of god. from which words i shall endeavour , by gods assistance , to lay men open to themselves , and to represent to every one of us the truth of our condition ; and then leave it to the grace of god , and every mans serious consideration , to make the best use of it . and it will conduce very much to the clearing of this matter , to consider briefly the occasion of these words . and this will best appear by attending stedfastly to the main scope and design of this epistle . and i think that no man that reads it with attention can doubt , but that it is particularly designed against the impious sect of the gnosticks ; who , as the fathers tell us , sprang from simon magus , and pretended to extraordinary knowledg and illumination , from whence they had the name of gnosticks ; but notwithstanding this glittering pretence , they did allow themselves in all manner of impious and vicious practice , turning the grace of god into lasciviousness , as st. jude speaks of them . and that st. john particularly aims at this sort of men is very evident from the frequent and plain allusions throughout this epistle , to those names and titles which this sect assumed to themselves , as chap. . ver . , he that saith , i know him , and keepeth not his commandments , is a liar , and the truth is not in him . and vers . , he that saith he is in the light , and hateth his brother , is in darkness even until now . which passages , and many more in this epistle , do plainly refer to the pretences of this sect , to more than ordinary knowledg and illumination in the mysteries of religion ; notwithstanding , they did so notoriously contradict these glorious pretences by the impiety of their lives , and particularly by their hatred and enmity to their fellow-christians . for , as the ancient fathers tell us , they pretended that whatever they did , they could not sin : and this our apostle intimates in the beginning of this epistle , if we say that we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us . and they held it lawful to renounce christianity to avoid persecution ; and not only so , but also to joyn with the heathen in persecuting the christians ; which seems to be the reason why the apostle so often taxeth them for hatred to their brethren ; and calls them murderers . now to shew the inconsistence of these principles and practises with christianity , the apostle useth many arguments ; amongst which , he particularly insisteth upon this , that nothing is more essential to a disciple of christ and a child of god ( by which titles christians were commonly known ) , than to abstain from the practise of all sin and wickedness ; vers . . of this chap. whosoever abideth in him sinneth not ; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him , neither known him , ( whatever knowledg they might pretend to , it was evident they were destitute of the true knowledg of god and his son jesus christ ) and vers . , little children , let no man deceive you ; he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous ; and vers . , he that committeth sin is of the devil ; and vers . , whosoever is born of god doth not commit sin ; let men pretend what they will , wickedness is a plain mark and character of one that belongs to the devil ; as on the contrary , righteousness is an evidence of a child of god , in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil , &c. i shall briefly explain the words , and then consider the matter contained in them . by the children of god , and the children of the devil , are meant good and bad men ; it being usual in the phrase of scripture , to call persons or things which partake of such a nature or quality , the children of those who are eminently endued with that nature and disposition . thus they who are of the faith of abraham , and do the works of abraham , are called abraham's children : in like manner , those who in their disposition and actions imitate god , are called the children of god ; and on the contrary , those that addict themselves to sin and impiety are counted of another race and descent , they resemble the devil , and belong to him as the chief and head of that faction . by righteousness , is here meant universal goodness and conformity to the law of god , in opposition to sin which is the transgression of that law. by being manifest , is meant , that hereby good and bad men are really distinguished ; so that every one that will examine his condition by this mark , may know of which number he is , and to what party he belongs . i come now to the main argument contained in the words , which is to give us a certain character , and mark of distinction between a good and bad man ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil : whosoever doth not righteousness , is not of god. in the management of the following discourse , i shall proceed in this method . first , we will consider the character and mark of difference between a good and bad man , which is here laid down ; whosoever doth not righteousness , is not of god. secondly , i shall endeavour to shew , that by this mark every man may , with due care and diligence , come to the knowledg of his spiritual estate and condition . by this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil . thirdly , i shall enquire whence it comes to pass , that notwithstanding this , so many persons are at so great uncertainty concerning their condition . i. we will consider the character and mark of difference between a good and bad man , which is here in the text , whosoever doth not righteousness , is not of god ; which implies likewise on the contrary , that whosoever doth righteousness , is of god. now in the strictest sense of this phrase , he only who lives in all the commandments of god blameless , can be said to do righteousness : but in this sense there is none that doth righteousness , no not one , and consequently none could be the children of god ; but the text supposes some to be so , and therefore by doing righteousness the apostle must necessarily be understood to mean something that is short of perfect and unsinning obedience . so that the question is , what doing of righteousness is sufficient to denominate a man a child of god , and to put him into a state of grace and favour with him. and i do not intend nicely to state this matter . 't is not perhaps possible to be done ; nothing being more difficult , than to determine the very utmost bounds and limits of things , and to tell exactly and just to a point where the line of difference between virtue and vice , between the state of a good and bad man is to be placed : and if it could be done , it would be of no great use ; for i take it to be no part of my business to tell men how many faults they may have , and how little goodness , and yet be the children of god : but rather to acquaint them , what degrees of holiness and goodness are necessary to give men a clear and comfortable evidence of their good estate towards god ; and then to perswade them , in order to their peace and assurance , to endeavour after such degrees . wherefore to state the business so far as is necessary to give men a sufficient knowledg of their condition , i shall briefly consider who they are that in the apostles sense may be said to be doers of righteousness , or not doers of it . and because the apostle lays down the rule negatively , i shall therefore in the first place , enquire who they are that in the apostles sense may be said not to do righteousness . . they that live in the general course of a wicked life ; in the practise of great and known sins , as injustice , intemperance , filthy and sensual lusts , profane neglect and contempt of god and religion ; so that by the whole course and tenour of their actions , it is plain beyond all denial that there is no fear of god before their eyes . concerning these the case is so very evident , that it seems too mild and gentle an expression to call them not doers of righteousness . . they who live in the habitual practice of any one known sin , or in the neglect of any considerable part of their known duty . for any vicious habit denominates a man , and puts him into an evil state . . they who are guilty of the single act of a very heinous and notorious crime ; as a deliberate act of blasphemy , of murther , perjury , fraud or oppression , or of any other crime of the like enormity . for though ordinarily one single act of sin doth not denominate one a bad man , when the general course of the mans life is contrary ; yet the single acts of some sorts of sins are so crying and heinous , and do so stare every mans conscience in the face , that they are justly esteemed to be of equal malignity with vicious habits of an inferiour kind ; because they do almost necessarily suppose a great depravation of mind , and a monstrous alienation from god and goodness in the person that deliberately commits them . and they who are guilty in any of these three degrees now mentioned , are most certainly not doers of righteousness , and consequently it is manifest that they are not the children of god. in the second place , i shall enquire who they are , that in the apostles sense may be said to do righteousness . in short , they who in the general course of their lives do keep the commandments of god. and thus the scripture generally expresseth this matter , by keeping the commandments of god , and by having respect to all his commandments , by obedience to the gospel of christ , by being holy in all manner of conversation ; by abstaining from all kind of evil , by cleansing our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit , and by practising holiness in the fear of god : to which i shall add the description which st. luke gives us of the righteousness of zacharias and elizabeth , luk. . , they were both righteous before god , walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the lord blameless . all which expressions do plainly signifie the actual conformity of our lives and actions , in the general course and tenour of them , to the laws and commands of god. and this implies these two things ; that the tenour of our lives and actions be agreeable to the laws of god : and that these actions be done with a sincere and upright mind , out of regard to god and another world , and not for low and temporal ends . and i chuse rather to describe a righteous man by the actual conformity of the general course of his actions to the law of god , than ( as some have done ) by a sincere desire or resolution of obedience . for a desire may be sincere for the time it lasts , and yet vanish before it come to any real effect . and how innocently soever it was intended , it is certainly a great mistake in divinity , and of very dangerous consequence to the souls of men , to affirm that a desire of grace is grace ; and consequently , by the same reason , that a desire of obedience , is obedience . a sincere desire and resolution to be good is indeed a good beginning , and ought by all means to be cherished and encouraged ; but yet it is far enough from being the thing desired , or from being accepted for it in the esteem of god : for god never accepts the desire for the deed , but where there is no possibility , no opportunity of doing the thing desired ; but if there be , and the thing be not done , there is no reason to imagine that the desire in that case should be accepted as if the thing were done . for instance , if a man give alms according to his ability , and would give more if he were able , in this case the desire is accepted for the deed . and of this case it is and no other , that the apostle speaks , cor. . , if there be first a willing mind , it is accepted according to that a man hath , and not according to that he hath not . that is , god interprets and accepts the charity of men according to the largeness of their hearts , and not according to the straitness of their fortunes : but it is a great mistake , to draw a general conclusion from this text , that in all cases god accepts the will for the deed . for though a man sincerely desire and resolve to reform his life ( as i doubt not many men often do ) but do it not , when there is time and opportunity for it , these desires and resolutions are of no account with god ; all this righteousness is but as the morning cloud , and as the early dew which passeth away . men are not apt to mistake so grosly in other matters . no man believes hunger to be meat , or thirst to be drink ; and yet there is no doubt of the truth and sincerity of these natural desires . no man thinks that covetousness or a greedy desire to be rich , is an estate ; or that ambition or an insatiable desire of honour is really advancement : just so , and no otherwise , a desire to be good is righteousness . the apostle's caution a little before the text may fitly be applied to this purpose , little children , let no man deceive you : he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous . not but that the best of men do sometimes fall through infirmity , and are betrayed by surprise , and born down by the violence of temptation ; but if the general course of our actions be a doing of righteousness , the grace of the gospel , in and through the merits of our blessed saviour , doth accept of this imperfect but sincere obedience . ii. i shall endeavour to shew , that by this mark every man may , with due care and diligence , arrive at the certain knowledg of his spiritual estate and condition . by this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil : whosoever doth not righteousness , is not of god. by which the apostle means , that this is a real mark of difference betwixt good and bad men , and that whereby they very often manifest themselves to others ; especially when the course of their lives is eminently pious and virtuous , or notoriously impious and wicked . but because it doth not so much concern us curiously to enquire into , much less severely to censure the state of other men , i shall only consider at present , how far by this mark and character every man may make a certain judgment of his own good or bad condition . . by this character , as i have explained it , he that is a bad man may certainly know himself to be so , if he will but consider his condition , and do not wilfully deceive and delude himself . as for those who are vicious in the general course of their lives , or have been guilty of the act of some heinous and notorious sin , not yet repented of ; their case is so plain , for the most part , even to themselves , that they can have no manner of doubt concerning it . such men stand continually convicted , and condemned by the sentence of their own minds : and whenever they reflect upon themselves ( which they do as seldom as they can ) they are a terrour to themselves , and full of amazement and fearful expectation of judgment . not but that , even in so plain a case , many men do use great endeavour to cheat themselves ; and would be very glad to find out ways to reconclle a wicked life with the hopes of heaven , and to gain the favour , at least the forgiveness of god , without repentance and amendment of their lives . and to this end they are willing to confess their sins , and to undergo any pennance that shall be imposed upon them , that only excepted which only can do them good , i mean , real reformation . and when the priest hath absolv'd them , they would fain believe that god hath forgiven them too ; however , they return to their former course , and being strongly addicted to their lusts , between stupidity and foolish hopes , they at last come to this desperate resolution , to venture all upon the absolution of the priest , et valeat quantum valere potest , let it have what effect it can ; though i dare say , that in their most serious thoughts they are horribly afraid it will do them no good . and for those who are sinners of a lesser rate , and perhaps allow themselves only in one kind of vice , they likewise have reason to conclude themselves in a bad condition ; especially if they consider that he who lives in the breach of any one commandment of god is guilty of all , because he contemns that authority which enacted the whole law. and 't is easie for any man to discern the habit of any sin in himself ; as when he frequently commits it , when he takes up no firm resolutions against it , when he useth no competent care to avoid the temptations to it , nor puts forth any vigorous endeavours to break off from it ; or however , still continues in the practice of it . for the customary practice of any known sin , is utterly inconsistent with sincere resolutions and endeavours against it ; there being no greater evidence of the insincerity of resolutions and endeavours in any kind , than still to go on to do contrary to them . . by this character likewise , they that are sincerely good may generally be well assured of their good condition , and that they are the children of god. and there are but two things necessary to evidence this to them ; that the general course and tenour of their actions be agreeable to the laws of god ; and that they be sincere and upright in those actions . and both these every man may sufficiently know concerning himself ; for if the laws of god be plain , and lye open to every mans understanding , then is it as easie for every man to know when he obeys god and keeps his commandments , as when he obeys the commands of his father or his prince , and when he keeps the known laws of the land. and no sensible and considerate man ever had any doubt of this kind ; for if a man can know any thing , he can certainly tell when he keeps or breaks a known law ; so that all doubts of this nature are frivolous and idle pretences to cover mens faults , and such as they would be ashamed to alledg in any other case . and a good man may likewise know when he obeys god sincerely . not but that men often deceive themselves with an opinion , or at least a groundless hope of their own sincerity ; but if they will deal fairly with themselves , and use due care and diligence , there are very few cases ( if any ) wherein they may not know their own sincerity in any act of obedience to god : for what can a man know concerning himself , if not the reality of his own intentions ? if any man should in earnest tell me , that he doubted very much whether he had that friendship for me which he made profession of , and that he was afraid that his affection to me was not real and sincere , i confess i should doubt of it too ; because i should certainly conclude that no man could know that matter so well as he himself . and there is no doubt but whoever hath a hearty kindness for another , and a sincere desire to serve and please him , knows he has it . and accordingly good and holy men in scripture do every where with great confidence and assurance appeal to god , concerning the integrity and sincerity of their hearts towards him : job and david , hezekiah and nehemiah in the old testament ; and in the new st. paul for himself and timothy , makes this solemn profession of their sincerity , cor. . , our rejoycing is this , the testimony of our conscience , that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in the world . and i cannot call to mind so much as any one passage in scripture , from whence it can be collected that any good man ever doubted of his own sincerity : and to say the truth , it would not be modesty but impudence in any man to declare that he suspects himself of hypocrisie ; good men have always abhorred the thoughts of it . ye have heard of the patience of job , and yet he could not bear to have his integrity questioned . it was a brave and a generous speech of his , till i dye , i will not remove my integrity from me . and yet it hath so happened , that this is become a very common doubt among religious people ; and they have been so unreasonably cherished in it , as to have it made a considerable evidence of a mans sincerity to doubt of it himself . it is indeed said in scripture , jer. . , that the heart is deceitful above all things , and desperately wicked ; who can know it ? which is true concerning our future intentions and actions ; no man knowing how his mind may change hereafter . little did hazael think that ever he should do those things which the prophet foretold him . but though this be true in it self , yet 't is not the meaning of that text. for the prophet in that chapter plainly makes use of this consideration of the falshood and deceitfulness of mans heart , as an argument to take off the people of israel from trusting in the arm of flesh , and in those promises which were made to them of forreign assistance from egypt : because men may pretend fair , and yet deceive those that rely upon them ; for the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked , and none but god knows whether mens inward intentions be answerable to their outward professions ; for he searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins . and this , i verily believe , is all that the prophet here intends , that there is a great deal of fraud and deceit in the hearts of bad men , so that no man can rely upon their promises and professions ; but god knows the hearts of all men . but now because god alone knows the hearts of all men , and the sincerity of their intentions towards one another , doth it from hence follow that it is a thing either impossible or very difficult for any man to know the sincerity of his own present intentions and actions ? to make any such conclusion , were to condemn the generation of gods children , those holy and excellent men in scripture , job , and david , and hezekiah , and st. paul , who do so frequently appeal to god concerning their own integrity . and surely when the apostle saith , no man knows the things of a man , but the spirit of a man which is in him , he plainly supposes that every man is conscious to the motions and intentions of his own mind . i have insisted the longer upon this , that i might from the very foundation destroy an imagination , which is not only untrue in it self , but has likewise been a very great hindrance to the peace and comfort of many good men . iii. let us enquire whence it comes to pass , that notwithstanding this , so many persons are at so great uncertainty about their spiritual condition . for the clearing of this matter , we will distinctly consider these three things . first , the grounds of the false hopes and confidence of men really bad , concerning their good condition . secondly , the causeless doubts and jealousies of men really good concerning their bad condition . and thirdly , the just causes of doubting in others . as for the troubles and fears of men who are notoriously bad , and live in the practice of known vices , these do not fall under our consideration : if they be troubled about their condition , it is no more than what they ought to be ; and if they be only doubtful of it , it is less than they ought to be . to persons in this condition there is only counsel to be given , to leave their sins and become better ; but no comfort to be administred to them , till first they have followed that counsel : for till they reform , if they think themselves to be in a bad condition , they think just as they ought , and as there is great reason ; and no body should go about to perswade them otherwise . first then , we will consider the grounds of the false hopes and confidence of men really bad concerning their good condition . i do not now mean the worst of men , but such as make some shew and appearance of goodness . it is very unpleasing to men to fall under the hard opinion and censure of others , but the most grievous thing in the world for a man to be condemned by himself ; and therefore it is no wonder that men use all manner of shifts to avoid so great an inconvenience as is the ill opinion of a mans self concerning himself and his own condition . some therefore rely upon the profession of the christian faith and their being baptized into it . but this is so far from being any exemption from a good life , that it is the greatest and most solemn obligation to it . dost thou believe the doctrine of the gospel ? thou of all men art inexcusable if thou allowest thy self in ungodliness and worldly lusts . others trust to their external devotion , they frequent the church and serve god constantly , they pray to him , and hear his word , and receive the blessed sacrament : but let us not deceive our selves , god is not mocked . all this is so far from making amends for the impiety of our lives , that on the contrary , the impiety of our lives spoils all the acceptance of our devotions . he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law ( that is , from obeying it ) even his prayer shall be an abomination . others , who are sensible they are very bad , depend very much upon their repentance , especially if they set solemn times apart for it . and there is no doubt but that a sincere repentance will put a man into a good condition : but then it is to be considered , that no repentance is sincere but that which produceth a real change and reformation in our lives . for we have not repented to purpose , if we return again to our sins . it is well thou art in some measure sensible of thy miscarriage , but thou art never safe till thou hast forsaken thy sins ; thy estate and condition towards god is not chang'd , till thou hast really alter'd thy self and the course of thy life . others satisfie themselves with the exercise of some particular graces and vertues , justice , and liberality , and charity . and is it not a thousand pities that thy life is not all of a piece , and that all the other parts of it are not answerable to these ; that thou shouldest lose the reward of so much real goodness , out of thy fondness to any one vice or lust ; that when thou art not far from the kingdom of god , for lack of one or two things more thou shouldst fall short of it ? hast thou never heard what the scripture saith , that he who offends in one point is a transgressour of the whole law ? to make a man a good man , all parts of goodness must concur , but any one way of wickedness is sufficient to denominate a man bad . lastly , some , who are very careful of their outward carriage and conversation , but yet are conscious to themselves of great secret faults and vices , when they can find no comfort from themselves , and the testimony of their own consciences , are apt to comfort themselves in the good opinion which perhaps others have of them . but if we know our selves to be bad , and our own hearts do condemn us ; it is not the good opinion of others concerning us which can either alter or better our condition . they may have reason for their charity , and yet thou none for thy confidence . trust no body concerning thy self rather than thy self , because no body can know thee so well as thou mayst know thy self . these , and such as these , are the hopes of the hypocrite , which job elegantly compares to the spiders web , finely and artificially wrought , but miserably thin and weak ; so that we our selves may see through them , and if we lay the least stress upon them they will break . they are but pleasant dreams and delusions , which whenever we are awaken'd to a serious consideration of our condition by apprehensions of approaching death and judgment , will presently vanish and disappear ; so the same holy man tells us , job . , what is the hope of the hypocrite , when god taketh away his soul ? secondly , we will consider in the next place the causeless doubts and jealousies of men really good , concerning their bad condition . for as some are prone beyond all reason to delude themselves with vain hopes of their good condition , so others are apt as unreasonably to torment themselves with groundless fears and jealousies that their estate is bad . and of these doubts there are several occasions , the chief whereof i shall mention , by which we may judg of the rest that are of the like nature . . some are afraid that they are reprobated from all eternity , and therefore they cannot be the children of god. this is so unreasonable , that if it were not a real cause of trouble to some persons , it did not deserve to be considered . for no man that sincerely endeavours to please god and to keep his commandments , hath from scripture the least ground to suspect any latent or secret decree of god against him , that shall work his ruin . but whatever the decrees of god be concerning the eternal state of men , since they are secret to us , they can certainly be no rule either of our duty or comfort . and no man hath reason to think himself rejected of god , either from eternity , or in time , that does not find the marks of reprobation in himself , i mean an evil heart and life . by this indeed a man may know that he is out of gods favour for the present , but he hath no reason at all , from hence to conclude that god hath from all eternity and for ever cast him off . that god calls him to repentance , and affords to him the space and means of it , is a much plainer sign that god is willing and ready to have mercy on him , than any thing else is , or can be , that god hath utterly cast him off . and therefore for men to judg of their condition by the decrees of god which are hid from us , and not by his word which is near us and in our hearts , is as if a man wandring in the wide sea , in a dark night when the heaven is all clouded about him , should yet resolve to steer his course by the stars , which he cannot see , but only guess at ; and neglect the compass , which is at hand and would afford him a much better and more certain direction . this therefore is to be rejected as a fond and groundless imagination , and which ought to trouble no body , because no body doth , nor can know any thing concerning it . moses hath long since very well determin'd this matter , deut. . , secret things belong unto the lord our god , but those things which are revealed , unto us , and to our children for ever , that we may do all the words of this law. . good men are conscious to themselves of many frailties and imperfections , and therefore they are afraid of their condition . but god considers the infirmities of our present state , and expects no other obedience from us , in order to our acceptance with him , but what this state of imperfection is capable of : and provided the sincere endeavour and general course of our lives be to please him and keep his commandments , the terms of the gospel are so merciful , that our frailties shall not be imputed to us , so as to affect our main state , and to make us cease to be the children of god. and though we may be guilty of many errours and secret sins which escape our notice and observation , yet it is not impossible for us to exercise such a repentance for these as will be available for their pardon . for we have to deal with a merciful god , who is pleased to accept of such an obedience and of such a repentance as we are capable of performing . now there is a great difference between those sins which require a particular repentance before we can hope for the pardon of them , ( as all great and deliberate and presumptuous sins do , which are never committed without our knowledg , and are so far from slipping out of our memory , that they are continually flying in our faces , and we cannot forget them if we would ) and sins of infirmity occasion'd by surprise and violence of temptation , through ignorance or inadvertency : for a general repentance , such as we every day exercise in our devotions and prayers to god , may suffice for these . i speak not this to hinder any from a more particular repentance of all their known failings , the more particular the better ; but to remove the groundless fears and jealousies of men about their main estate and condition . and if any ask , how i know that a general repentance will suffice for these kind of sins ; i answer , because more than this in many cases is impossible ; so that either we must rest satisfied that god will forgive them upon these terms , or conclude that they shall not be forgiven at all , which is contrary to the whole tenour of the scriptures : i say , in many cases , more than this is impossible , because sins of ignorance , and those common errours and frailties of human life , which david calls secret sins , are not particularly known to us when they are committed , and consequently it is impossible that we should particularly repent of them . and therefore in this case there can be no doubt but that god doth accept of a general repentance , as he did from david when he made that humble confession and prayer to him , psal . . , who can understand his errours ? cleanse thou me from secret sins . . they are afraid their obedience is not sincere , because it proceeds many times from fear , and not always out of pure love to god. for answer to this : it is plain from scripture , that god propounds to men several motives and arguments to obedience ; some proper to work upon their fear , as the threatnings of punishment ; some upon their hope , as the promises of blessing and reward ; others upon their love , as the mercies and forgiveness of god. from whence it is evident he intended they should all work upon us . and accordingly the scripture gives us instances in each kind . noah moved with fear obeyed god in preparing an ark : moses had respect unto the recompence of reward : mary magdalen loved much . and as it is hard to say , so it is not necessary to determine just how much influence and no more each of these hath upon us : it is very well if men be reclaimed from their sins and made good , by the joint force of all the considerations which god offers to us . to be sure , love is the noblest and most generous principle of obedience , but fear commonly takes the first and fastest hold of us , and in times of violent temptation is perhaps the best argument to keep , even the best of men , within the bounds of their duty . . another cause of doubting in good men is , from a sense of their imperfect performance of the duties of religion , and of the abatement of their affections towards god at some times . they have many wandring thoughts in prayer and other exercises of devotion , and they cannot for their life keep their minds continually intent on what they are about . this we should strive against as much as we can , and that is the utmost we can do ; but to cure this wholly is impossible , the infirmity of our nature and the frame of our minds will not admit of it : and therefore no man ought to question his sincerity , because he cannot do that which is impossible for men to do . and then for the abatement of our affections to god and religion at some times , this naturally proceeds from the inconstancy of mens tempers , by reason of which it is not possible that the best of men should be able always to maintain and keep up the same degree of zeal and fervour towards god. but our comfort is , that god doth not measure mens sincerity by the tides of their affections , but by the constant bent of their resolutions , and the general tenour of their life and actions . . another cause of these doubts is , that men expect more than ordinary and reasonable assurance of their good condition ; some particular revelation from god , and extraordinary impression upon their minds , to that purpose , which they think the scripture means by the testimony and seal and earnest of the spirit . god may give this when , and to whom he pleases ; but i do not find he hath any where promised it . and all that the scripture means by those phrases of the testimony , and seal , and earnest of the spirit , is to my apprehension no more but this , that the holy spirit which god bestowed upon christians in so powerful and sensible a manner was a seal and earnest of their resurrection to eternal life , according to that plain text , rom. . , if the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead dwell in you , he that raised up christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies , by his spirit that dwelleth in you . but then , who they are that have the spirit of god , is only to be known by the real fruits and effects of it . if we be led by the spirit , and walk in the spirit , and do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh , then the spirit of christ dwelleth in us . but this is very far from an immediate and extraordinary revelation from the spirit of god to the minds of good men , telling them in particular that they are the children of god. i know not what peculiar favour god may shew to some , but i know no such thing , nor ever yet met with any wise and good man that did affirm it of himself : and i fear that in most of those who pretend to it , it is either meer fancy or gross delusion . . as for the case of melancholy , it is not a reasonable case , and therefore doth not fall under any certain rules and directions . they who are under the power of it , are seldom fit to take that counsel which alone is fit to be given them ; and that is , not to believe themselves concerning themselves , but to trust the judgment of others rather than their own apprehensions . in other cases every man knows himself best , but a melancholy man is most in the dark as to himself . this cause of trouble and doubting is very much to be pitied , but hard to be removed , unless by physick , or by time , or by chance . one may happen to say something that may hit the humour of a melancholy man , and satisfie him for the present ; but reason must needs signifie very little to those persons , the nature of whose distemper it is to turn every thing that can be said for their comfort into objections against themselves . thirdly , but besides those who mistake their condition , either by presuming it to be better , or fearing it to be worse than it is ; there are likewise others who upon good grounds are doubtful of their condition , and have reason to be afraid of it : those i mean , who have some beginnings of goodness , which yet are very imperfect : they have good resolutions , and do many things well , but they often fall , and are frequently pull'd back by those evil inclinations and habits which are yet in a great measure unsubdued in them . these i cannot liken better than to the borderers between two countries , who live in the marches and confines of two powerful kingdoms , both which have a great influence upon them , so that it is hard to say whose subjects they are , and to which prince they belong : thus it is with many in religion , they have pious inclinations , and have made some fair attempts towards goodness ; they have begun to refrain from sin , and to resist the occasions and temptations to it ; but ever and anon they are mastered by their old lusts , and carryed off from their best resolutions ; and perhaps upon a little consideration they repent and recover themselves again ; and after a while are again entangled and overcome . now the case of these persons is really doubtful , both to themselves and others . and the proper direction to be given them , in order to their peace and settlement , is by all means to encourage them to go on and fortifie their good resolutions ; to be more vigilant and watchful over themselves , to strive against sin and to resist it with all their might . and according to the success of their endeavours in this conflict , the evidence of their good condition will every day clear up and become more manifest : the more we grow in grace , and the seldomer we fall into sin , and the more even and constant our obedience to god is , so much the greater and fuller satisfaction we shall have of our good estate towards god : for the path of the just is as the shining light , which shines more and more unto the perfect day : and the work of righteousness shall be peace , and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever . i shall only make two or three inferences from what hath been discoursed upon this argument , and so conclude . . from hence we learn the great danger of sins of omission as well as commission ; whosoever doth not righteousness , is not of god. the mere neglect of any of the great duties of religion , of piety towards god , and of kindness and charity to men , though we be free from the commission of great sins , is enough to cast us out of the favour of god , and to shut us for ever out of his kingdom ; i was hungry and ye gave me no meat , thirsty , and ye gave me no drink , sick and in prison and ye visited me not , therefore depart ye cursed . . it is evident from what hath been said , that nothing can be vainer than for men to live in any course of sin and impiety , and yet to pretend to be the children of god , and to hope for eternal life . the children of god will do the works of god , and whoever hopes to enjoy him hereafter will endeavour to be like him here ; every man that hath this hope in him , purifies himself , even as he is pure . . you see what is the great mark and character of a mans good or bad condition ; whosoever doth righteousness is of god , and whosoever doth not righteousness is not of god. here is a plain and sensible evidence by which every man that will deal honestly with h●mself may certainly know his own condition ; and then according as he finds it to be , may take comfort in it , or make haste out of it . and we need not ascend into heaven nor go down into the deep , to search out the secret counsels and decrees of god ; there needs no anxious enquiry whether we be of the number of gods elect : if we daily mortifie our lusts , and grow in goodness , and take care to add to our faith and knowledg , temperance and patience and charity , and all other christian graces and vertues , we certainly take the best course in the world to make our calling and election sure . and without this , it is impossible that we should have any comfortable and well grounded assurance of our good condition . this one mark of doing righteousness is that into which all other signs and characters , which are in scripture given of a good man , are finally resolved : and this answers all those various phrases , which some men would make to be so many several and distinct marks of a child of god ; as whether we have the true knowledg of god and divine illumination , for hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments : whether we sincerely love god , for this is the love of god that we keep his commandments : and whether god loves us , for the righteous lord loveth righteousness , and his countenance will behold the upright . whether we be regenerate and born of god , for whosoever is born of god sinneth not : whether we have the spirit of god witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of god , for as many as have the spirit of god are led by the spirit , and by the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh : whether we belong to christ , and have an interest in him or not , for they that are christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof : in a word , whether the promise of heaven and eternal life belong to us , for without holiness no man shall see the lord , but if we have our fruit unto holiness , the end will be everlasting life . so that you see at last , the scripture brings all to this one mark , viz. holiness and obedience to the laws of god , or a vicious and wicked life ; in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil : whosoever doth not righteousness is not of god. let us then deal impartially with our selves , and bring our lives and actions to this tryal ; and never be at rest till the matter be brought to some issue , and we have made a deliberate judgment of our condition , whether we be the children of god or not . and if upon a full and fair examination , our consciences give us this testimony , that by the grace of god we have denyed ungodliness and worldly lusts , and have lived soberly and righteously and godly in this present world , we may take joy and comfort in it ; for if our heart condemn us not , then have we confidence towards god : but if upon the search and tryal of our ways our case appear clearly to be otherwise , or if we have just cause to doubt of it , let us not venture to continue one moment longer in so uncertain and dangerous a condition . and if we desire to know the way of peace , the scripture hath set it plainly before us , wash ye , make ye clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes , cease to do evil , learn to do well : come now and let us reason together , saith the lord ; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow : let the wicked forsake his way , and the unrighteous man his thoughts , and let him return unto the lord , and he will have mercy upon him , and to our god , for he will abundantly pardon . though our case be very bad , yet it is not desperate ; this is a faithful saying , and worthy of all men to be embraced , that jesus christ came into the world to save sinners : and he is still willing to save us , if we be but willing to leave our sins , and to serve him in holiness and righteousness the remaining part of our lives . we may yet be turned from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god : we who have ventured so long upon the brink of ruin , may yet by the infinite mercies of god , and by the power of his grace , be rescu'd from the base and miserable slavery of the devil and our lusts into the glorious liberty of the sons of god. and thus i have endeavoured , with all the plainness i could , to represent every man to himself , and to let him clearly see what his condition is towards god , and how the case of his soul and of his eternal happiness stands . and i do verily believe that what i have said in this matter is the truth of god , to which we ought all gladly to yield and render up our selves . for great is truth , and mighty above all things : she is faithful and impartial in her counsels , and though she be not always welcome , yet 't is always wise to hearken to her , for in great kindness and charity she lets men know their condition and the danger of it , that they may take care to prevent it : with her is no accepting of persons , and in her judgment there is no unrighteousness . i will conclude all with that excellent advice of a heathen philosopher , make it no longer a matter of dispute what are the marks and signs of a good man , but immediately set about it , and endeavour to become such an one . a sermon preached at white-hall in lent , march th . luke xv. . i say unto you , that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance . after many attempts made in vain , to reclaim sinners from their evil ways , and to bring them to the wisdom of the just , it is hard for us who are the messengers of god to men , not to sit down in despondence , and at last quite to despair of doing good upon them . but when i consider the infinite patience of god with sinners , and how long his spirit strives with them ; why should we , we who are sinners our selves , think much to bear with sinners , and patiently to contend with their obstinacy and perverseness ? when i consider that our blessed saviour , the great preacher and pattern of righteousness , did not give over the worst of men , nor despair of their recovery : this methinks should make us , who are ambassadours for christ , unwearied in beseeching men in his stead to be reconciled to god. and of this we have a famous instance in this chapter : the publicans and sinners , as they had done several times before , came to hear our saviour : he treated them very kindly , and conversed familiarly with them ; at this the pharisees were displeased , and murmured , and this unreasonable murmuring of theirs gave occasion to the three parables in this chapter . in which our saviour does at once answer the objection of the pharisees , and give all possible encouragement to the repentance of these great sinners . he answers the pharisees , by letting them plainly see that he was about the best work in the world , the most acceptable to god , and matter of greatest joy to all the heavenly inhabitants . instead of a severe reproof of their uncharitableness , he offers that calmly to their consideration which ought in all reason to convince them , that he was no ways to blame for this familiar conversation of his with sinners ; having no other design upon them but to reclaim them from their vices , and to make them fit company for the best of men ; that he was a spiritual physitian , and therefore his proper work and employment lay among his patients . and then , instead of terrifying these sinners , who seemed to come with a good mind to be instructed by him , he gently insinuates the most winning arguments and the greatest encouragements to repentance by shewing how ready god was , after all their sins and provocations , to receive them to his grace and favour , provided they did sincerely repent and betake themselves to a better course : and not only so , but that the repentance of a sinner is great joy to the great king of the world , and to all that holy and heavenly host that attend upon him . from which method of our saviour , in treating so great sinners so gently , i cannot but make this observation , for my own use , as well as for others ; that it is good to give , even the greatest of sinners , all the encouragement we can to repentance ; and though men have been never so bad , yet if they have but this one good quality left in them , that they are patient to be instructed , and content to hear good counsel , we should use them kindly , and endeavour to recover them by the fairest means ; not so much upbraiding them for their having been bad , as encouraging them to become better . to this purpose our saviour uttered three parables ; of the recovery of a lost sheep ; of finding a lost piece of money ; of the return of a prodigal son to his father . and though they all aim at the same scope and design , yet our saviour useth this variety , not only to convey the same thing to several capacities in a more acceptable manner , one similitude happening to hit one person , and another another ; but likewise to inculcate so weighty a matter the more upon his hearers , and to fix it more deeply in their minds . the words which i have read are the moral or application of the first parable , concerning a man who had an hundred sheep , and having lost one , leaves the ninety and nine to go to seek that which was lost ; and having found it , with great joy brings it home . by which our saviour gives us to understand , what joy god , and the blessed spirits above , take in the conversion of a sinner . i say unto you , that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance . than which nothing could have been more proper , both to silence the uncharitable murmuring of the pharisees against our saviour , for conversing with publicans and sinners to so good an end ; and likewise to encourage sinners to repent : for why should the pharisees be displeased at that , which was so great a pleasure to god and the holy angels ? and what greater encouragement to repentance than this , that god is not only willing to receive the returning sinner , but that the news of his repentance is entertained in heaven with so much joy , that if it be possible for the blessed inhabitants of that place to have any thing added to their happiness , this will be a new accession to it ? there are three things in the words which require a very careful explication . . how we are to understand the joy that is in heaven at the conversion of a sinner ? . who are here meant by the just persons that need no repentance ? . with what reason it is here said , that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance ? there is something of difficulty in each of these , which deserves our heedful and attentive consideration . i. how we are to understand the joy that is in heaven at the repentance of a sinner ? and this ( as indeed this whole passage of our saviours ) we are not to understand too strictly and rigorously , but as spoken in a great measure after the manner of men , and by way of accommodation to our capacity , so far as the persons here spoken of are capable of any addition to their joy and happiness . as it refers to god , it seems very inconsistent with the happiness and perfection of the divine nature to suppose him really capable of joy , any more than of grief or any other passion . because this would be to imagine some new accession to his pleasure and happiness , which being always infinite , can never have any thing added to it . and therefore we are to understand this , as it relates to god , in the same manner as we do infinite other passages of scripture , where humane passions are ascribed to him , to be spoken by way of condescension , and after the language and manner of the sons of men ; and to signifie only thus much to us , that the conversion of a sinner is a thing highly pleasing and acceptable to god. as it refers to angels , and other blessed spirits , i see no inconvenience why it may not be understood more strictly and literally ; that they conceive a new joy at the news of a sinners repentance , and find a fresh pleasure and delight springing up in their minds whenever they hear the joyful tydings of a sinner rescued from the slavery of the devil , and the danger of eternal damnation ; of a new member added to the kingdom of god , that shall be a companion and sharer with them in that blessedness which they enjoy . there seems to me to be nothing in this repugnant to the nature and happiness of blessed spirits in another world . for it is certain , that there are degrees of happiness among the blessed : from whence it necessarily follows , that some of them may be happier than they are . and it is very probable , since the happiness of angels and good men is but finite , that those who are most happy do continually receive new additions to their blessedness ; and that their felicity is never at a stand , but perpetually growing and improving to all eternity ; and that as their knowledg and love do encrease , so likewise the capacity and causes of their happiness are still more and more enlarged and augmented : so that it is reasonable enough to suppose , that there is really joy among the angels and spirits of just men made perfect , over every sinner that repenteth . ii. who are here meant by the just persons who need no repentance ? that our saviour in this expression gives some glance and reflection upon the pharisees ( who prided themselves in their own righteousness ; and instead of confessing their sins to god , stood upon their own justification , as if they needed no repentance ) is very probable ; because this parable was designed to answer their murmurings against him , for conversing with publicans and sinners ; and by the by to give a check to those who were so conceited of their own righteousness , as if they had no need of repentance . and this is very suitable to what our saviour elsewhere says to them upon the like occasion , that the whole have no need of the physitian , but the sick ; that he came not to call the righteous , but the sinners to repentance . but yet though our saviour expresseth himself so as that the pharisees might with reason enough apply it to themselves , that there was more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , than over ninety and nine of them , who were so conceited of their own righteousness , that they thought they had no need of repentance ( for indeed our saviour delivers himself so , as to leave room for such a severe application ) yet i think there is little doubt to be made but that he intended something further ; and that supposing the pharisees were as just as they pretended , and were really righteous men , so as to stand in no need of such a repentance as great sinners do , yet our saviour affirms , there was more joy in heaven over one penitent sinner , than over ninety and nine such just persons . but are there any persons in the world so just , as absolutely to stand in need of no repentance ? no , there was never any such person in the world , him only excepted who said this , our blessed saviour , who had no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth . and therefore this phrase of needing no repentance is to be understood in a qualified sense , and with some allowance ; otherwise our blessed saviour had supposed a case which never was , of a great number of perfectly righteous men . and our saviours meaning in this is sufficiently explained in the last parable of this chapter , concerning the prodigal son : where the prodigal son is the sinner that repented ; and his elder brother , who had always observed and obeyed his father , he is the just person who needed no repentance . so that by him our saviour plainly designs those who being religiously educated and brought up in the fear of god , had never broke out into any extravagant and vicious course of life , and so in some sense had no need of repentance , that is , of changing the whole course of their lives , as the prodigal son had . not but that the best of men are guilty of many faults and infirmities , which they have too much cause to repent of , as our saviour sufficiently intimates in that parable : for certainly it was no small infirmity in the elder brother , to be so envious and to take so heinously the joyful welcome and entertainment which his prodigal brother at his return found from his father : but yet this single fault and sudden surprize of passion considering the constant duty which he had paid to his father throughout the course of his life , did not make him such a sinner as to need such a repentance as his brother did , which consisted in a perfect change of the whole course of his life . and of such just persons as these , and of such a repentance as this , it seems very plain that our saviour intended this discourse . iii. but the main difficulty of all is , with what reason it is here said that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance ? is it not better not to offend , than to sin and repent ? is not innocence better than amendment , and the wisdom of prevention to be preferred before that of remedy ? is it worth the while to do amiss to make way for repentance ; and is not this almost like sinning that grace may abound ? and if repentance be not better than righteousness , why is there more joy in heaven over the penitent than over the righteous ; nay , over one penitent sinner , than over ninety and nine just persons ? do not the blessed always rejoyce most in that which is really best ? here is the difficulty ; and it requires some care and consideration clearly to remove it . in order to which be pleased to consider these three things ; which i think to be very material to the clearing of it . i. that the same thing , considered in several respects , may in some respects have the advantage of another thing , and for those reasons be preferred before it , and yet not have the advantage of it absolutely and in all respects . moral comparisons are not to be exacted to a mathematical strictness and rigour . to this purpose i have observ'd in a former discourse , that it was long since judiciously noted by aristotle , that moral and proverbial speeches are not to be taken too strictly , as if they were universally true , and in all cases : it is sufficient if they be true for the most part , and in several respects which are very considerable . and of this nature are most of the proverbs of solomon ; and whosoever shall go about to make out the truth of them in all cases , does in my opinion take a very hard task upon himself . but which is nearer to my purpose , our saviour himself in the chapter before my text , and in the moral application of a parable too , ( namely that of the unjust steward ) useth a proverbial speech just in the same manner ; the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light : which is only a wise observation that is generally true , and in many respects , but not absolutely , and universally . for some men have been as wise and diligent for the glory of god and interest of their souls , as ever any man was for this world , and for the advancement of his temporal interest . of the like nature is this saying used by our saviour , probably taken ( as our saviour did many other proverbial speeches ) from the jews , and applied to his own purpose . for there are several sayings of the jewish masters much to this purpose : as , great is the dignity of penitents ; great is the vertue of them that repent , so that no creature may stand in their rank and order . and again , the righteous may not stand in the same place with those that have repented . these i confess were very high sayings , but yet very well designed for the encouragement of repentance . and they are not without good reason , as will appear if we consider these two things . first , that the greater the difficulty of vertue is , so much the greater is the praise and commendation of it : and not only we our selves take the more joy and comfort in it , but it is more admirable and delightful to others . now it cannot be denyed to be much more difficult to break off a vicious habit , than to go on in a good way , which we have been trained up in and always accustomed to . those that have been well educated have great cause to thank god , and to acknowledg the care of their parents and teachers : for piety and goodness are almost infinitely easier to such persons , than to those who have wanted this advantage . it is happy for them they never tasted of unlawful pleasures ; if they had , they would possibly have drank as deep as others : it is well they were never entangled in a sinful course , nor enslaved to vicious habits , nor hardened through the deceitfulness of sin ; if they had , they might possibly never have been recovered out of the snare of the devil . by the happiness of a good education , and the merciful providence of god , a great part of many mens vertue consists in their ignorance of vice , and their being kept out of the way of great and dangerous temptations ; rather in the good customs they have been bred up to , than in the deliberate choice of their wills ; and rather in the happy preventions of evil , than their resolute constancy in that which is good . and god , who knows what is in man , and sees to the bottom of every man's temper and inclination , knows how far this man would have fallen , had he had the temptations of other men ; and how irrecoverably perhaps , he would have been plunged in an evil course , had he once entered upon it . so that repentance is a very great thing ; and though it be the most just , and fit , and reasonable thing in the world , yet for all that , it deserves great commendation , because it is for the most part so very hard and difficult . and therefore , though absolutely speaking , innocence is better than repentance , yet , as the circumstances may be , the vertue of some penitents may be greater than of many just and righteous persons . secondly , there is this consideration further to recommend repentance , that they who are reclaimed from a wicked course , are many times more thoroughly and zealously good afterwards : their trouble and remorse for their sins does quicken and spur them on in the ways of vertue and goodness ; and a lively sense of their past errours is apt to make them more careful and conscientious of their duty , more tender and fearful of offending god , and desirous , if it were possible , to redeem their former miscarriages by their good behaviour for the future . their love to god is usually more vehement , and burns with a brighter flame ; for to whomsoever much is forgiven , they will love much : and they are commonly more zealous for the conversion of others ; as being more sensible of the danger sinners are in , and more apt to commiserate their case , remembring that it was once their own condition , and with what difficulty they were rescued from so great a danger . and for the most part great penitents are more free from pride and contempt of others , the consideration of what themselves once were , being enough to keep them humble all their days . so that penitents are many times more throughly and perfectly good , and after their recovery do in several respects outstrip and excel those who were never engaged in a vicious course of life : as a broken bone that is well set , is sometimes stronger than it was before . . it will conduce also very much to the extenuating of this difficulty , to consider that our saviour does not here compare repentance with absolute innocence and perfect righteousness , but with the imperfect obedience of good men , who are guilty of many sins and infirmities ; but yet upon account of the general course and tenour of their lives are , by the mercy and favour of the gospel , esteemed just and righteous persons , and for the merits and perfect obedience of our blessed saviour so accepted by god. now this alters the case very much , and brings the penitent and this sort of righteous persons much nearer to one another : so that in comparing them together , the true penitent may in some cases , and in some respects , have the advantage of the righteous , and deserve upon some accounts to be prefer'd before him . . which is principally to be considered for the full clearing of this difficulty ; this passage of our saviours is to be understood as spoken very much after the manner of men , and suitably to the nature of humane passions , and the usual occasions of moving them . we are apt to be exceedingly affected with the obtaining of what we did not hope for , and much more with the regaining of what we looked upon as lost and desperate . whatever be the reason of it , such is the nature of man , that we are not so sensibly moved at the continuance of a good which we have long possest , as at the recovery of it after it was lost and gone from us . and the reasons of a judicious value and esteem of a settled pleasure and contentment are one thing , and the causes of sudden joy and transport another . a continued course of goodness may in it self be more valuable , and yet repentance after a great fall and long wandrings may be much more moving and surprizing . for where things are constant and keep in the same tenour , they are not apt in their nature to give any new and sudden occasion of joy . and this is the reason given in the parable of the prodigal son ; where the father tells his eldest son , who was so offended at the joyful reception and wellcome of his prodigal brother , that he had been always with him , and all that he had was his ; that is , he was sensible of his constant duty and obedience , than which nothing could have been more acceptable ; and that it had not , nor should not lose its reward : but the return of his other son , after he had given over all hopes of him , and looked upon his case as desperate , this was a marvellous surprise , and a happiness beyond expectation ; which is the proper and natural cause of joy and gladness : and therefore he tells him , that upon such an occasion it was meet that we should make merry and be glad ; for this thy brother was dead , and is alive again ; was lost , and is found . his elder sons continuance in his duty was the enjoyment of what he had always had ; but the return of his prodigal son was the retrieving of what he had given up for lost , and a kind of resurrection from the dead . and thus our blessed saviour to encourage the repentance of sinners , represents god after the manner of men ; as if our heavenly father did conceive such a joy upon the repentance of a sinner , as earthly parents are wont to do upon the return of a wild and extravagant son to himself and his duty . having thus as briefly and clearly as i could explained the several difficulties in the text , i shall now deduce some inferences from it , and so conclude . . first , that the blessed spirits above have some knowledg of the affairs of men here below , because they are said to rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner . this is spoken more particularly of the angels , as appears by comparing what is more generally said in the text , that there is joy in heaven , with what is more particularly express'd in the th verse , that there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth . now whether the angels come to this knowledg by vertue of their ministry here below , for the good of the elect ; and so in their continual entercourse between heaven and earth , bring to their fellow-servants in heaven the joyful news of the repentance of sinners upon earth : or whether god be pleased from time to time to reveal it to them , as a thing extreamly welcom and delightful to good spirits , and tending to the increase of their happiness ; as it is not very material to enquire , so perhaps impossible for us to determine . however , it cannot from hence be concluded that the angels or saints in heaven have such an universal knowledg of our condition and affairs , as to be a reasonable ground and warrant to us to pray to them , yea or to desire them to pray for us ; no , though this were done without any solemn circumstances of invocation . for they may very well know some things concerning us , wherein their own comfort and happiness is likewise concerned , and yet be ignorant of all the rest of our affairs . this one thing we are sure they know , because our saviour hath told us so ; but we are sure of no more . and there is neither equal reason for their knowledg of our other concernments , nor is there any revelation in scripture to that purpose . . secondly , if god and the blessed spirits above rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner , so should we too : and not fret and murmur as the pharisees here did . this is the temper of the devil , and of very bad men , to regret and envy the good and happiness of others . for it is reasonable to believe , that proportionably to the joy that is in heaven at the repentance of a sinner , is the grief and vexation of the devil and his instruments , of evil spirits and wicked men . and as the devil delights in destroying souls , and goes about like a roaring lion , seeking whom he may devour ; so no doubt he is in great rage , and gnasheth out of very discontent , when at any time he is frustrated of his hopes , and the prey , which he thought himself sure of , is snatched out of his jaws . and thus we see it is with bad men , they do persecute those that forsake them and their wicked ways , and refuse any further to go along with them to the same excess of riot . and this is no where more visible than among those of the church of rome . how full of wrath and indignation are they against those who out of pure conviction of the errours and corruptions of their church come over to ours ? how do they persecute them with slanders and reproaches , and with all the effects of hatred and malice ? so that many times they can scarce refrain from doing them a real mischief , even where it is dangerous to themselves to attempt it : as if they envied them the grace of god , and the opportunity of being saved . i know it is too natural to those of all communions to be eager and fierce against those that desert them : and yet supposing they had the truth certainly on their side ( which they cannot all have ) , i see no great reason for this temper and carriage ; for why should i cast away my patience and my charity because another man hath made shipwrack of his faith ? but i do not remember any where among mankind to have observed a more implacable malice , a more sincere and hearty ill-will , than they of the church of rome do constantly express towards those that forsake them ; nay , though they give never so modest and reasonable an account of their change , and behave themselves towards their old friends with all the kindness and compassion in the world : yet their hatred and indignation against them runs so high , that one may plainly see they would sooner forgive a man the greatest sins that humane nature can be guilty of , and the breach of all the ten commandments , than this one crime , of leaving their church , that is in truth , of growing wiser and better . . thirdly , the consideration of what hath been said should mightily inflame our zeal , and quicken our industry and diligence for the conversion of sinners . for if the conversion of one soul be worth so much labour and pains , and matter of such joy to the blessed god and good spirits ; what pains should not we take in so corrupt and degenerate an age as this of ours ; where impenitent sinners do so much abound , and the just are almost failed from among the children of men ? our blessed saviour indeed ( according to the extraordinary decency of all his parables ) puts the case very charitably , and lays the supposition quite on the other side : if there were but one sinner in the world , or but one of an hundred , yet we should very zealously intend , and with all our might , the reduction of this one lost sheep ; and should never be at rest , till this single wandring soul were found and saved . but god knows this is not our case , but quite otherwise : which should quicken our endeavours so much the more , and make us bestir our selves to the utmost ; having always in our minds that admirable saying of st. james , he that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way , shall save a soul from death . he that knows the value of an immortal soul , and how fearful a thing it is to perish everlastingly , can think no pains too much to take to save a soul from death . . lastly , what an argument and encouragement is here to repentance , even to the greatest of sinners ? they , i am sure , stand most in need of it : and though they of all others have the least reason to look for mercy , yet they shall not be refused ; though they be like the publicans and heathens among the jews , who were not only reputed , but many times really were the worst of men ; though like the prodigal son here in the parable , they have run away from their father , and wasted their estate in lewd and riotous courses ; yet whenever they come to themselves , and are willing to return to their father , to acknowledg their folly and repent of it , he is ready to receive them ; nay , much more ready to receive them than they can be to come to him : for when the prodigal was but coming towards his father , and was yet afar off , the father runs to meet him , and embraceth him with as much kindness as if he had never offended him , and entertains him with more joy than if he had always continued with him . how does the great god condescend to encourage our repentance ; representing himself and all the blessed company of heaven as transported with joy at the conversion of a sinner , and almost setting a greater value upon repentance than even upon innocence it self ? and if our heavenly father , who hath been so infinitely offended , and so highly provoked by us beyond all patience , be so ready , so forward , so glad to receive us , and there be no hindrance , no difficulty , no discouragement on his part ; is it possible after all this , that we can be such fools , and such enemies to our selves , as to be backward to our own happiness ! all of us , the best of us , have too much cause for repentance ; and i fear too many of us stand in need of that repentance intended by our saviour in the text , which consists in the change of our whole lives . but i will not upbraid you with your faults ; having no design to provoke , but only to perswade men . i leave it to every ones conscience to tell him , how great a sinner , how grievous an offender he hath been . god knows we take no pleasure in mentioning the sins of men , but only in their amendment ; and we would if it were possible even without minding them how bad they have been perswade and encourage them to be better . it is but a small consideration to tell you , how much it would chear and comfort our hearts , and quicken our zeal and industry for the salvation of souls , to see some fruit of our labours ; that all our pains are not lost , and that all the good counsel that is from hence tendered to you is not like rain falling upon the rocks , and showers upon the sands . but i have much greater considerations to offer to you ; that your repentance will at once rejoyce the heart of god , and angels , and men : that it is a returning to a right mind , and the restoring of you to your selves , to the ease and peace of your own consciences , and to a capacity of being everlastingly happy : that it is to take pity upon your selves and your poor immortal souls ; and to take due care to prevent , that which is to be dreaded above all things , the being miserable for ever : and last of all , that if you will not repent now , the time will certainly come , and that perhaps in this life , when you shall see the greatest need of repentance , and yet perhaps with miserable esau find no place for it , though you seek it carefully with tears ; when you shall cry , lord , lord , and the door shall be shut against you ; and shall seek to enter , but shall not be able to be sure in the other world you shall eternally repent to no purpose ; and be continually lamenting your wretched condition without hopes of remedy ; for there shall be weeping and wailing without effect , without intermission , and without end . and what cause have we to thank god that this is not yet our case ; that we are yet on this side the pit of destruction and the gulf of despair ? o the infinite patience and boundless goodness of god to sinners ! with what clemency hath he spared us , and suffered our manners thus long ? and with what kindness and concernment does he still call upon us to leave our sins and to return to him ; as if in so doing we should make him happy , and not our selves ? with what earnest longings and desires does he wait and wish for our repentance , saying , o that there were such a heart in them ! o that they would hearken unto my voice ! when shall it once be ? thus god is represented in scripture as patiently attending and listening what effect his admonitions and counsels , his reproofs and threatnings will have upon sinners , jer. . , i hearkened and i heard , but they spake not aright : no man repented him of his wickedness , saying , what have i done ? every one turned to his course , as the horse rusheth into the battel . and is not this our case ? god hath long waited for our repentance ; and once a year we solemnly pretend to set about it : but many of us hitherto , i fear , instead of returning to god , have but more blindly and furiously run on in our course , like the horse that hath no understanding ; yea , in this more brutish than the beast , that he rusheth into the battel without any consideration of death or danger , and destroys himself without a syllogism : but we sinners have reason , and yet are mad ; the greatest part of evil-doers are sufficiently sensible of the danger of their course , and convinced that eternal misery and ruin will be the end of it ; and yet , i know not how , they make a shift upon one pretence or other to discourse and reason themselves into it . but because the word of god is quick and powerful , and sharper than a two-edged-sword , and comes with a greater weight and force upon the minds of men than any humane perswasion whatsoever ; i will conclude all with those short and serious counsels and exhortations of god to sinners by his holy prophets . consider and shew your selves men , o ye transgressors : be instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee : seek the lord while he may be found ; call upon him while he is near : repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions , so iniquity shall not he your ruin . a sermon concerning the sin against the holy ghost . matth xii . , . wherefore i say unto you , all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men ; but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven unto men : and whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man , it shall be forgiven him : but whosoever speaketh against the holy ghost , it shall not be forgiven him , neither in this world , neither in the world to come . the occasion of these words of our blessed saviour was the blasphemy of the pharisees against that divine power by which he wrought his miracles , and particularly did cast out devils . which works of his , though they were wrought by the spirit of god , yet they obstinately and maliciously imputed them to the power of the devil . upon which our saviour takes occasion to declare the danger of this sin , which he calls blaspheming of the holy ghost : and tells them , that this was so great a sin above all others , that it is in a peculiar manner unpardonable . wherefore i say unto you , &c. for the explaining of these words , and the nature and unpardonableness of this sin , we will enquire into these four things : first , what is the difference between speaking against the son of man , and speaking against the holy ghost . secondly , wherein the nature of this sin or blasphemy against the holy ghost doth consist . thirdly , in what sense this sin is here said to be peculiarly unpardonable . and fourthly , upon what account it is so . . what is the difference between speaking against the son of man and speaking against the holy ghost . the reason of this enquiry is , because the text plainly puts a great difference between them , though it be not obvious to discern where it lies . for our saviour tells us , that whosoever speaks a word against the son of man , it shall be forgiven him , but whosoever speaketh against the holy ghost it shall never be forgiven him : and yet this blasphemy of the pharisees against the holy ghost was a speaking against the son of man. for to say that he cast out devils by the power of the devil , though it was a blaspheming of the holy ghost by whose power he wrought these miracles , yet it was likewise a blaspheming of christ himself ; and was in effect to say , that he was no true prophet , nor did come from god , but was a magician and impostor . for the removing of this difficulty i shall not need to say , as some learned men have done , that by the son of man is here to be understood any man , and that our saviour is not particularly designed by it . that seems very hard , when our saviour is so frequently in the gospel called the son of man. and especially when st. luke reciting these words , does immediately before give him this very title , to put the matter out of all doubt , luke . , , , also i say unto you , whosoever shall confess me before men , him shall the son of man also confess before the angels of god : but he that denieth me before men , shall be denied before the angels of god. upon which it follows , and whosoever shall speak a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him . so that in all reason the son of man is the very same person that had this title given him in the foregoing words , viz. our blessed saviour . so that i take it for granted , that by speaking against the son of man , is here meant speaking against christ : and by speaking against him , as it is opposed to speaking against the holy ghost , is meant all those reproaches and contumelies which they cast upon our saviours person , without reflecting upon that divine power which he testified by his miracles . as , their reproaching him with the meanness of his birth , is not this the carpenters son ? with the place of it ( as they supposed ) out of galilee ariseth no prophet : their reflecting upon his life , saying that he was a wine-bibber and a glutton , a friend of publicans and sinners ; with many other calumnies which they maliciously cast upon him . but by speaking against the holy ghost is meant their blaspheming and reproaching that divine power whereby he wrought his miracles : which though it did at last likewise reflect upon our saviours person , yet it was an immediate reflection upon the holy ghost , and a blaspheming of him ; and therefore it is called speaking against the holy ghost by way of distinction or opposition to the other calumnies which they used against our saviour ; which were proper blasphemies and reproaches of his person , but not of the holy ghost also , as this was . this seems to me to be the true difference here intended by our saviour between speaking against the son of man , and speaking against the holy ghost . let us in the ii. second place , enquire wherein the nature of this sin or blasphemy against the holy ghost doth consist . and the true nature of this sin , though it be so plainly to be gathered from our saviours description of it , yet i know not how a great many learned men have made a hard shift to mistake it . some have made it to be final impenitency , because that is unpardonable . but why that rather than any thing else that is bad should be called a blaspheming of the holy ghost , it is hard to give a reason . others have placed the nature of it in a wilful and malicious opposition of the truth : which though it be a great sin , and included in the sin here spoken of , or a concomitant of it ; yet is there great reason to believe that this is not all that is here meant by it . others would have it to consist in a malicious opposition of the truth , when men know and are convinced that it is the truth , which is a great sin indeed , if ever any man were guilty of it ; but it is a great question whether humane nature be capable of it . and to mention no more , others think it to consist in a renouncing of the truth for fear of suffering ; which made francis spira to think that he had committed this sin . but with all due respect to the judgment of others , i cannot think that any of these is the sin our saviour here describes . as i shall endeavour plainly to shew , by considering the occasion of our saviours mentioning of it ; the persons upon whom our saviour chargeth this sin ; and upon what account he chargeth them with it . at the ver . of this chapter there was brought to our saviour one possessed with a devil blind and dumb , and he healed him . upon this the people were amazed , and said , is not this the son of david ? that is , the messias . the pharisees hearing this , with great bitterness and contempt said , this fellow doth not cast out devils but by beelzebub the prince of devils . upon on this our saviour represents to them the unreasonableness of this calumny : and that upon these two considerations : st . that it was very unlikely that the devil should lend him this power to use it against himself . every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation : and every city or house divided against it self shall not stand . and if satan cast out satan , he is divided against himself , how shall then his kingdom stand ? dly , our saviour tells them , they might with as much reason attribute all miracles to the devil . there were those among themselves who cast out devils in the name of the god of abraham , isaac and jacob ( as origen and tertullian , and justin martyr tell us ) . of these our saviour speaks , and asks the pharisees , by what power they cast them out . but they aknowledged that these did it by the power of god : and there was no cause but their malice , why they should not have acknowledged that he did it likewise by the same power , ver . , if i by beelzebub cast out devils , by whom do your children cast them out ? therefore they shall be your judges . that is , this may be sufficient to convince you malice of to me : but if i cast out devils by the spirit of god , then the kingdom of god is come unto you ; that is , the messias is come : because he wrought these and other miracles to prove that he was the messias . and then it follows , wherefore i say unto you , all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men , but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven unto men . so that the pharisees are the persons charged with this sin or blasphemy against the holy ghost . and their blasphemy was plainly this , that when he cast out devils by the spirit of god , they said he did it by the power of the devil : they maliciously ascribed these works of the holy ghost to the devil . and that this is the ground why our saviour chargeth them with this sin against the holy ghost is yet more plain from st. mark , mark . , , , verily i say unto you , all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men , and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme : but he that blasphemeth against the holy ghost , hath never forgiveness , but is in danger of eternal damnation : because they said he hath an unclean spirit . that is , because the pharisees charged him to be a magician , and to have a familiar spirit , by whose assistance he did those works , when in truth he did them by the spirit of god , therefore our saviour declares them guilty of this sin of blaspheming the holy ghost , which should never be forgiven . so that the nature of this sin did consist in a most malicious opposition to the utmost evidence that could be given to the truth of any religion . our blessed saviour to shew that he was sent by god , and came from him , wrought miracles , such as did plainly evidence a divine power and presence accompanying of him . for in st. luke he is said to do them by the finger of god , luke . , by the finger of god , that is , to do such things as were an undeniable evidence of the divine power and presence . and this is the utmost testimony that god ever gave to any person that was sent by him . and the pharisees were eye-witnesses of those miracles which our saviour wrought , so that they could not deny them : yet such was their opposition to him and his doctrine , that , though they saw these things done by him , and could not deny the reality of them , yet rather than they would own him to be the messias , and his doctrine to come from god , they most maliciously and unreasonably ascribed them to the power of the devil . and this was the blasphemy which they were guilty of against the holy ghost . and herein lay the greatness of their sin , in resisting the evidence of those miracles which were so plainly wrought by the holy ghost ; and which though themselves saw , yet they maliciously imputed them to the devil , rather than they would be convinced by them . and this is so very plain , that hardly any man that considers our saviours discourse upon this occasion can otherwise determine the nature of this sin ; especially if he do but attend to those remarkable words which i cited before ( mark . , ) but he that blasphemeth against the holy ghost hath never forgiveness , but is in danger of eternal damnation ; because they said he hath an unclean spirit . i come now to the iii. third thing i propounded , namely , in what sense this sin is here said to be peculiarly unpardonable ? for this our saviour positively affirms to be in this different from all other sins , that it is capable of no pardon : i say unto you , all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men ; but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven unto men : and to shew what he means by the not forgiving of it , he tells us , that eternal punishment shall follow it in the other world. whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him : but whosoever speaketh against the holy ghost it shall never be forgiven him , neither in this world , nor in the world to come . which st. mark expresseth more plainly ; that it shall bring those who are guilty of it to eternal damnation , mark . , he that blasphemeth against the holy ghost hath never forgiveness , but is liable to eternal damnation . so that when our saviour says , it shall never be forgiven , neither in this world nor in the world to come , he does not intend to insinuate that some sins which are not forgiven in this world , may be forgiven in the other : but in these words he either alludes to the opinion of the jews concerning the effect of the highest excommunication , the sentence whereof they held not to be reversible , neither in this world nor the other ; or else the reason of this expression may probably be to meet with a common and false opinion amongst the jews , which was , that some sins which are not pardoned to men in this life , may by sacrifices be expiated in the other ; and therefore he says it shall never be forgiven , neither in this world nor the other . and st. mark more plainly , that those who are guilty of it shall never have forgiveness , but be liable to eternal damnation . so that our saviour's meaning seems plainly to be this , that this sin is altogether incapable of forgiveness . i know some have endeavoured to mollifie this matter , but ( i think ) without sufficient reason . grotius understands the words comparatively , that any sort of sin shall sooner be forgiven than this against the holy ghost ; and that our saviour only intended to express the greatness and heinousness of this sin above others ; in which respect the pardon of it would be more difficult than of any other sin ; but yet that the case of such a person is not absolutely desperate : but if our saviour had intended to say that this sin was absolutely unpardonable , i would fain know how could he have expressed the matter in higher fuller words ? dr. hammond mollifies the words another way ; that this sin shall never be pardoned but upon a particular repentance for it : as if our saviour's meaning was , that a general repentance , which was sufficient for sins of ignorance , would not be sufficient in this case , but there must be a particular repentance for it , without which it would never be pardoned . but this is by no means agreeable to the scope of our saviour's discourse : because he plainly intends to difference this from all other sorts of sins , i say unto you , all manner of sin and blasphemy , shall be forgiven unto men . but according to this interpretation our saviour must mean , that all other sins would be forgiven upon a general repentance ; which is not true , for there are many other sins besides sins of ignorance ; there are wilful and heinous sins , such as wilful murder and adultery and blasphemy , ( that only excepted which is against the holy ghost ) and the like gross sins , which all divines hold shall not be forgiven , but upon a particular repentance . so that this interpretation does not sufficiently difference this sin from all other sorts of sins , which yet it is very plain our saviour intended to do . it remains then that these words must in all reason be understood absolutely ; that the persons that are guilty of this great sin shall never have it forgiven to them . and it may be this will not seem so harsh , when we have considered in the iv. fourth place , how it comes to pass that this sin is above all others incapable of pardon : and that , upon these two accounts . first , because by this sin men resist their last remedy , and oppose the best and utmost means of their conviction . what can god be imagined to do more to convince a man of a divine revelation , or of the truth of any doctrine or message that comes from him , than to work miracles to this purpose ? and what greater assurance can men have that miracles are wrought , than to be eye-witnesses of them themselves ? and if men will resist such evidence , what can god do more for their satisfaction ? if when men see plain miracles wrought , they will say that it is not the power of god that does them , but the power of the devil : and if when men see the devils cast out , they will say that the devil conspires against himself , this is to outface the sun at noon-day , and there is no way left to convince such perverse persons of the truth of any divine revelation . so that there is no remedy , but such persons must continue in their opposition to the truth . for this is such a sin as does in its own nature shut out and prevent all remedy . and he that thus perversely and maliciously opposeth the truth , must upon the same grounds unavoidably continue in his opposition to it ; because there is nothing left to be done for his conviction , more than is already done . if god should send a person immediately from heaven to him , to convince him of his errour , he can give him no greater testimony that he comes from god than miracles : and if when god enables that person to work these by the power of his spirit , this man will obstinately impute them to the power of the devil , he defeats all the imaginable means of his own conviction . so that it is no wonder if that sin be unpardonable , which resists the last and utmost means which god hath ever yet thought fit to use to bring men to repentance and salvation . and if god were willing to reveal himself , and the way to pardon and salvation to such a one , he doth by this very temper and disposition render himself incapable of being satisfied and convinced concerning any divine revelation . secondly , because this sin is of that high nature that god is therefore justly provoked to withdraw his grace from such persons ; and , it is probable , resolved so to do : without which grace they will continue impenitent . there is no doubt but god , if he will , can work so powerfully upon the minds of men by his grace and spirit , as to convince the most obstinate : and supposing them to be convinced and repent , it cannot be denied but that they would be forgiven . and therefore , when our saviour here says , they shall not be forgiven , it is reasonable to suppose that he means , that when persons are come to that degree of obstinacy and malice , god will ( as justly he may ) withdraw his grace from them : his spirit will not strive with them , to overcome their obstinacy ; but will leave them to the byass of their own perverse and malicious minds ; which will still engage them in a further opposition to the truth , and finally sink them in perdition . so that being deserted by god , and for want of the necessary help and aid of his grace ( justly withdrawn from them ) continuing finally impenitent , they become incapable of forgiveness both in this world and that which is to come . and there is nothing that can seem harsh or unreasonable in this , to those who grant ( as i think all men do ) that god may be so provoked by men as justly to withdraw his grace from them in this life ; that grace which is necessary to their repentance . and surely if any provocation be likely to do it , this cannot be denied to be of all others the greatest , obstinately and maliciously to oppose the utmost evidence that god ever gave to the truth of any doctrine revealed by him . and of this the pharisees , who are here charged with this sin against the holy ghost , were notoriously guilty , in resisting the clear evidence of our saviours miracles . and thus i have done with the four things i propounded to enquire into from these words . namely , the difference between speaking against the son of man , and speaking against the holy ghost ; wherein the nature of this sin or blasphemy against the holy ghost doth consist ; and in what sense this sin is said to be unpardonable ; and upon what account it is so , namely , because men by this sin resist their last remedy , and oppose the best and utmost means of their conviction : and because it may reasonably be supposed , that upon a provocation of this high nature god may , and is resolved to withdraw that grace from such persons which is necessary to their repentance , without which their sin remains for ever unpardonable . all that now remains is to make this discourse some way or other useful to our selves . and it may very well serve to these two purposes . first , to comfort some very good and pious persons who are liable to despair out of an apprehension that they have committed this sin . secondly , to caution others against the approaches to it . . first , to comfort some very good and pious persons , who are liable to despair upon an apprehension that they have committed this great and unpardonable sin ; and consequently , are utterly incapable of ever being restored to the mercy and favour of god. and nothing can be more for the comfort of such persons than to understand aright what the nature of this sin was , and wherein the heinousness of it doth consist ; which i have endeavoured to manifest . and if this be the nature of it which i have declared , as it seems very plain that it is , then i cannot see how any person now is likely to be in those circumstances as to be capable of committing it . and being a sin of so heinous a nature , and declared by our saviour to be absolutely unpardonable , there is no reason to extend it beyond the case to which our saviour applies it ; which was the resisting of the evidence of the miracles which were wrought for the truth of christianity , by those who were eye-witnesses of them , that is , by those who had the utmost assurance of them that humane nature is capable of . and not only a bare resistance of that evidence , but with a very malicious circumstance , so as to impute those works which were wrought by the holy ghost , to the power of the devil . this was the case of the pharisees , whom our saviour chargeth with this sin . and no body hath warrant to extend this sin any further than this case : and without good warrant it would be the most uncharitable thing in the world to extend it any further . that which comes nearest to it , both in the heinousness of the crime , and the unpardonableness of it , is total apostasie from christianity after the embracing of it , and full conviction of the truth of it . and this the scripture seems to place , if not in the same rank , yet , very near to it . and of this the apostle speaks very often in the epistle to the hebrews under the name of unbelief , and sin by way of eminence , as being the great sin that christians were in danger of falling into , call'd in that epistle ( heb. . . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the sin which christians , by reason of the circumstances they were then in , were especially subject to : and he parallels it with the case of the jews in the wilderness , concerning whom god sware that they should not enter into his rest , namely , the earthly canaan , which was a type of heaven . chap. . ver . . and chap. . ver . , , , more expresly . for it is impossible that those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy ghost , and have tasted the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come , if they should fall away , to renew them again to repentance . where by impossible , the least that can be meant is , that it is extremely difficult for such persons to recover themselves by repentance . and 't is observable that those persons are said to have been partakers of the holy ghost ; by which is meant , that they were either endued with a power of miracles by the holy ghost , or were under the conviction of them as having seen them wrought by others . so that this apostasie may be said in that respect to be a sin against the holy ghost . so likewise , chap. . ver . , if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth ( that is , if we apostatize from christianity after we have embraced the profession of it , as appears plainly from the scope of the apostles discourse ) there remains no more sacrifice for sin : which expression declares this sin either to be unpardonable , or something very like it . and at the . vers . those persons are said to tread under foot the son of god , and to do despite unto the spirit of grace . which signifies that the sin there spoken of is more immediately committed against the holy spirit of god. st. peter likewise declares the great danger of this sin , pet. . , if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of the lord and saviour jesus christ , they are again entangled therein and overcome , the latter end is worse with them than the beginning . st. john likewise seems to speak of this sin of apostacy , and to call it a sin unto death : discouraging christians rather , from praying for those who were fallen into it ; which gives great suspicion that he looked upon it as hardly pardonable , joh. . , if any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death , he shall ask , and he shall give him life for those that sin not unto death . there is a sin unto death ; i do not say that he shall pray for it . now that by the sin unto death , the apostle here means apostacy from the christian religion to the heathen idolatry seems extremely probable from what follows , ver . , we know that whosoever is born of god sinneth not , but keepeth himself , and that wicked one toucheth him not ; that is , he preserveth himself from idolatry , which the devil had seduced the world into , ver . , and we know that we are of god ; and the whole world lieth in wickedness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the wicked one ; that is , is under the power of the devil : and we know that the son of god is come , and hath given us understanding to know him that is true ; that is , to distinguish between the true god and idols . and then it follows , this is the true god , and eternal life : little children keep your selves from idols . which last caution is a key to the understanding of all the rest ; and makes it very probable that the sin unto death is apostacy from christianity unto idolatry : otherwise it is hard to imagine how the last clause comes in ; little children keep your selves from idols . and this is that sin which of all other approacheth nearest to this sin against the holy ghost , which our saviour speaks of ; and concerning the pardonableness of which the scripture seems to speak very doubtfully . but if it were of the same unpardonable nature , yet this can be no trouble to those persons i am speaking of , who cannot but know themselves to be far enough from the guilt of this sin . as for those other sins which by some are taken to be the sins against the holy ghost , they are either such as no man is capable of committing , as a malicious opposition to the truth when i am convinced and know it to be the truth : for this is a contradiction . because to know any thing to be the truth is to believe it to be so : and therefore no man can disbelieve it while he believes it to be truth . or else , they are such as no man can know he is guilty of in this life ; as , final impenitency ; which supposeth a man to live and die without repentance . or else , such as i think not good man is incident to ; as , a malicious and perverse opposing of the truth after sufficient means of conviction . however , none of these are that which the scripture descrihes to be the sin against the holy ghost , as i have already shewn . but still there are two things which usually trouble honest and well-meaning persons ; but are rather the effects of melancholy than any reasonable ground of trouble . some think that every deliberate sin against knowledg , and after conviction , is the sin against the holy ghost . this is aknowledged to be a very great aggravation of sin , and such as calls for a great and particular repentance ; but does by no means render a man incapable of forgiveness . others are troubled with blasphemous thoughts , and those they think to be the sin against the holy ghost . but this is generally the meer effect of melancholy . and the persons that are troubled with these black thoughts are no ways consenting to them ; but they rise in their minds perfectly against their wills , and without any approbation of theirs : and in this case they are so far from being the unpardonable sin , that i hope , yea and verily believe they are no sins at all , but the meer effects of a bodily distemper ; and no more imputed to us , than the wild and idle ravings of a man in a frenzy or a fever : and god forbid that the natural effects of a bodily disease should bring guilt upon our souls . so that these persons have reason enough for comfort ; but the misery is , their present distemper renders them incapable of it . . secondly , the other use i would make of this discourse is , to caution men against the degrees and approaches of this sin . for if the sin against the holy ghost be of such a high nature and so unpardonable , then all approaches to it are very dreadful . such as are , profane scoffing at religion , and the holy spirit of god which dwells in good men : abuse of the holy scriptures , which were indited by the spirit of god : perverse infidelity , notwithstanding all the evidence which we have for the truth of christianity , and sufficient assurance of the miracles wrought for the confirmation of it , brought down to us by credible history , though we were not eye-witnesses of them : obstinacy in a sinful and vicious course , notwithstanding all the motives and arguments of the gospel to perswade men to repentance . sinning against the clear conviction of our consciences , and the motions and suggestions of god's holy spirit to the contrary : malicious opposing of the truth , when the arguments for it are very plain and evident to any impartial and unprejudiced mind ; and when he that opposeth the truth , hath no clear satisfaction in his own mind to the contrary , but suffers himself to be furiously and headily carried on in his opposition to it . these are all sins of a very high nature , and of the nearest affinity with this great and unpardonable sin , of any that can easily be instanced in . and though god , to encourage the repentance of men , have not declared them unpardonable , yet they are great provocations ; and if they be long continued in , we know not how soon god may withdraw his grace from us , and suffer us to be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin . be ready then to entertain the truth of god , whenever it is fairly propounded to thee ; and with such evidence , as thou art willing to accept in other matters , where thou hast no prejudice nor interest to the contrary . do nothing contrary to thy known duty , but be careful in all things to obey the convictions of thine own conscience , and to yield to the good motions and suggestions of god's holy spirit , who works secretly upon the minds of men , and inspires us many times gently with good thoughts and inclinations , and is griev'd when we do not comply with them ; and after many repulses will at last withdraw himself from us , and leave us to be assaulted by the temptations of the devil , and to be hurried away by our own lusts into ruin and perdition . a sermon of charity and almes . acts x. . — who went about doing good . when almighty god designed the reformation of the world , and the restoring of man to the image of god , the pattern after which he was first made , he did not think it enough to give us the most perfect laws of holiness and virtue ; but hath likewise set before us a living pattern , and a familiar example , to excite and encourage us , to go before us and shew us the way , and , as it were , to lead us by the hand in the obedience of those laws . such is the sovereign authority of god over men , that he might , if he had pleased , have only given us a law written with his own hand , as he did to the people of israel from mount sinai : but such is his goodness , that he hath sent a great embassadour from heaven to us , god manifested in the flesh , to declare and interpret his will and pleasure ; and not only so , but to fulfil that law himself , the observation whereof he requires of us . the bare rules of a good life are a very dead and ineffectual thing in comparison of a living example , which shews us the possibility and practicableness of our duty ; both that it may be done , and how to do it . religion indeed did always consist in an imitation of god , and in our resemblance of those excellencies which shine forth in the best and most perfect being : but we may imitate him now with much greater ease and advantage , since god was pleased to become man , on purpose to shew us how men may become like to god. and this is one great end for which the son of god came into the world , and was made flesh , and dwelt among us , and conversed so long and familiarly with mankind ; that in his own person and life he might give us the example of all that holiness and vertue which his laws require of us . and as he was in nothing liker the son of god than in being and doing good ; so is he in nothing a fitter pattern for our imitation , than in that excellent character given of him here in the text , that he went about doing good . in which words two things offer themselves to our consideration . first , our saviour's great work and business in the world , which was , to do good : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , who employed himself in being a benefactour to mankind . this refers more especially to his healing the bodily diseases and infirmities of men . god anointed jesus of nazareth with the holy ghost and with power ; who went about doing good , and healing all that were oppressed of the devil . intimating to us by this instance of his doing good , that he who took so much pains to rescue mens bodies from the power and possession of the devil , would not let their souls remain under his tyranny . but though the text instanceth only in one particular , yet this general expression of doing good comprehends all those several ways whereby he was beneficial to mankind . secondly , here is his diligence and industry in this work , he went about doing good ; he made it the great business and constant imployment of his life . i shall propound to you the pattern of our saviour in both these particulars . i. his great work and business in the world was , to do good . the most pleasant and delightful , the most happy and glorious work in the world . it is a work of a large extent , and of an universal influence ; and comprehends in it all those ways whereby we may be useful and beneficial to one another . and indeed it were pity that so good a thing should be confined within narrow bounds and limits . it reacheth to the souls of men , and to their bodies ; and is conversant in all those ways and kinds whereby we may serve the temporal or spiritual good of our neighbour , and promote his present and his future happiness . what our blessed saviour did in this kind , and we , in imitation of him , ought to do , i shall reduce to these two heads . first , doing good to the souls of men , and endeavouring to promote their spiritual and eternal happiness . secondly , the procuring of their temporal good , and contributing as much as may be to their happiness in this present life . . doing good to the souls of men , and endeavouring to promote their spiritual and eternal happiness , by good instruction , and by good example . first , by good instruction . and under instruction i comprehend all the means of bringing men to the knowledg of their duty , and exciting them to the practice of it ; by instructing their ignorance , and removing their prejudices , and rectifying their mistakes , by persuasion , and by reproof ; and by making lasting provision for the promoting of these ends. by instructing mens ignorance . and this is a duty which every man owes to another , as he hath opportunity ; but especially to those who are under our care and charge , our children and servants , and near relations ; those over whom we have a special authority , and a more immediate influence . this our blessed saviour made his great work in the world , to instruct all sorts of persons in the things which concerned the kingdom of god , and to direct them in the way to eternal happiness ; by publick teaching , and by private conversation , and by taking occasion from the common occurrences of humane life , and every object that presented it self to him , to instil good counsel into men , and to raise their minds to the consideration of divine and heavenly things . and though this was our saviour's great employment , and is theirs more particularly whose office it is to teach others : yet every man hath private opportunities of instructing others , by admonishing them of their duty , and by directing them to the best means and helps of knowledg ; such as are books of piety and religion , with which they that are rich may furnish those who are unable to provide them for themselves . and then by removing mens prejudices against the truth , and rectifying their mistakes . this our saviour found very difficult ; the generality of those with whom he had to do , being strongly prejudiced against him and his doctrine by false principles , which they had taken in by education , and been trained up to by their teachers . and therefore he used a great deal of meekness in instructing those that opposed themselves , and exercised abundance of patience in bearing with the infirmities of men , and their dulness and flowness of capacity to receive the truth . and this is great charity , to consider the inveterate prejudices of men ; especially those which are rooted in education , and which men are confirmed in by the reverence they bear to those that have been their teachers . and great allowance is to be given to men in this case , and time to bethink themselves , and to consider better . for no man that is in an errour think he is so : and therefore if we go violently to rend their opinions from them , they will but hold them so much the faster ; but if we have patience to unrip them by degrees , they will at last fall in pieces of themselves . and when this is done , the way is open for counsel and perswasion . and this our saviour administred in a most powerful and effectual manner , by encouraging men to repentance , and by representing to them the infinite advantages of obeying his laws , and the dreadful and dangerous consequences of breaking of them . and these are arguments fit to work upon mankind , because there is something within us that consents to the equity and reasonableness of god's laws . so that whenever we perswade men to their duty , how backward soever they may be to the practice of it , being strongly addicted to a contrary course ; yet we have this certain advantage , that we have their consciences and the most inward sense of their minds on our side , bearing witness , that what we counsel and perswade them to , is for their good . and if need be , we must add reproof to counsel . this our saviour did with great freedom , and sometimes with sharpness and severity , according to the condition of the persons he had to deal withal . but because of his great authority , being a teacher immediately sent from god , and of his intimate knowledg of the hearts of men , he is not a pattern to us in all the circumstances of discharging this duty ; which , if any other , requires great prudence and discretion , if we intend to do good , the only end to be aimed at in it . for many are fit to be reproved , whom yet every man is not fit to reprove ; and in that case we must get it done by those that are fit , and great regard must be had to the time , and other circumstances of doing it , so as it may most probably have its effect . i will mention but one way of instruction more , and that is , by making lasting provision for that purpose : as , by founding schools of learning , especially to teach the poor to read , which is the key of knowledg ; by building of churches and endowing them ; by buying or giving in impropriations , or the like . these are large and lasting ways of teaching and instructing others , which will continue when we are dead and gone ; as it is said of abel , that being dead , he yet speaks . and this our saviour virtually did , by appointing his apostles after he had left the world to go and teach all nations , and ordering a constant succession of teachers in his church , to instruct men in the christian religion , together with an honourable maintenance for them . this we cannot do in the way that he did , who had all power in heaven and earth ; but we may be subservient to this design in the ways that i have mentioned . which i humbly commend to the consideration of those whom god hath blessed with great estates , and made capable of effecting such great works of charity . secondly , another way of doing good to the souls of men is by good example . and this our blessed saviour was in the utmost perfection . for he fulfilled all righteousness , had no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth . and this we should endeavour to be , as far as the frailty of our nature and imperfection of our present state will suffer . for good example is an unspeakable benefit to mankind , and hath a secret power and influence upon those with whom we converse , to form them into the same disposition and manners . it is a living rule , that teacheth men without trouble , and lets them see their faults without open reproof and upbraiding . besides that it adds great weight to a man's counsel and perswasion , when we see that he adviseth nothing but what he does ; nor exacts any thing from others from which he himself desires to be excused . as , on the contrary , nothing is more cold and insignificant , than good counsel from a bad man , one that does not obey his own precepts , nor follow the advice which he is so forward to give to others . these are the several ways of doing good to the souls of men ; wherein we , who are the disciples of the blessed jesus , ought , in imitation of his example , to exercise our selves according to our several capacities and opportunities . and this is the noblest charity , and the greatest kindness that can be shewn to humane nature ; it is in the most excellent sense , to give eyes to the blind , to set the prisoners at liberty , to rescue men out of the saddest slavery and captivity , and to save souls from death . and it is the most lasting and durable benefit ; because it is to do men good to all eternity . . the other way of being beneficial to others is , by procuring their temporal good , and contributing to their happiness in this present life . and this , in subordination to our saviour's great design of bringing men to eternal happiness , was a great part of his business and employment in this world . he went about healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases , and rescuing the bodies of men from the power and possession of the devil . and though we cannot be beneficial to men in that miraculous manner that he was , yet we may be so in the use of ordinary means : we may comfort the afflicted , and vindicate the oppressed , and do a great many acts of charity which our saviour , by reason of his poverty , could not do without a miracle : we may supply the necessities of those that are in want , feed the hungry , and cloath the naked , and visit the sick , and minister to them such comforts and remedies as they are not able to provide for themselves : we may take a child that is poor and destitute of all advantages of education , and bring him up in the knowledg and fear of god ; and , without any great expence , put him into a way wherein , by his diligence and industry , he may arrive to a considerable fortune in the world , and be able afterwards to relieve hundreds of others . men glory in raising great and magnificent structures , and find a secret pleasure to see sets of their own planting to grow up and flourish : but surely it is a greater and more glorious work , to build up a man , and to see a youth of our own planting , from the small beginnings and advantages we have given him , to grow up into a considerable fortune , to take root in the world , and to shoot up to such a height , and spread his branches so wide , that we who first planted him may our selves find comfort and shelter under his shadow . we may many times with a small liberality shore up a family that is ready to fall , and struggles under such necessities , that it is not able to support it self . and if our minds were as great as sometimes our estates are , we might do great and publick works of a general and lasting advantage , and for which many generations to come might call us blessed . and those who are in the lowest condition may do great good to others by their prayers , if they themselves be as good as they ought . for the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much . the intercession of those who are in favour with god ( as all good men are ) are not vain wishes , but many times effectual to procure that good for others , which their own endeavours could never have effected and brought about . i have done with the first thing , the great work and business which our blessed saviour had to do in the world ; and that was , to do good . i proceed to the ii. second thing contained in the text , our saviour's diligence and industry in this work , he went about doing good . he made it the great business and constant employment of his life ; he travelled from one place to another to seek out opportunities of being useful and beneficial to mankind . and this will fully appear , if we briefly consider these following particulars . first , how unwearied our blessed saviour was in doing good . he made it his only business , and spent his whole life in it . he was not only ready to do good to those that came to him , and gave him opportunity for it , and besought him to do it ; but went himself from one place to another , to seek out objects to exercise his charity upon . he went to those who could not , and to those who would not come to him : for so it is written of him , he came to seek and to save that which was lost . he was contented to spend whole days in this work , to live in a crowd , and to be almost perpetually opprest with company : and when his disciples were moved at the rudeness of the people in pressing upon him , he rebuked their impatience ; and , for the pleasure he took in doing good , made nothing of the trouble and inconvenience that attended it . secondly , if we consider how much he denied himself in the chief comforts and conveniences of humane life , that he might do good to others . he neglected the ordinary refreshments of nature , his meat and drink and sleep , that he might attend this work . he was at every bodie 's beck and disposal , to do them good . when he was doing cures in one place , he was sent for to another ; and he either went , or sent healing to them , and did by his word at a distance what he could not come in person to do . nay , he was willing to deny himself in one of the dearest things in the world , his reputation and good name . he was contented to do good , though he was ill thought of and ill spoken of for it . he would not refuse to do good on the sabbath-day , though he was accounted profane for so doing . he knew how scandalous it was among the jews to keep company with publicans and sinners ; and yet he would not decline so good a work , for all the ill words they gave him for it . thirdly , if we consider the malicious opposition and sinister construction that his good deeds met withal . never did so much goodness meet with so much enmity , endure so many affronts , and so much contradiction of sinners . this great benefactour of mankind was hated and persecuted , as if he had been a publick enemy . while he was instructing them in the meekest manner , they were ready to stone him for telling them the truth : and when the fame of his miracles went abroad , though they were never so useful and beneficial to mankind , yet upon this very account they conspire against him , and seek to take away his life . whatever he said or did , though never so innocent , never so excellent , had some bad interpretation put upon it ; and the great and shining vertues of his life were turned into crimes and matter of accusation . for his casting out of devils , he was called a magician ; for his endeavour to reclaim men from their vices , a friend of publicans and sinners ; for his free and obliging conversation , a wine-bibber and a glutton . all the benefits which he did to men , and the blessings which he so liberally shed among the people , were construed to be a design of ambition and popularity , and done with an intention to move the people to sedition , and to make himself a king : enough to have discouraged the greatest goodness , and have put a damp upon the most generous mind , and to make it sick and weary of well-doing . for what more grievous , than to have all the good one does ill interpreted , and the best actions in the world made matter of calumny and reproach ? and then , lastly , if we consider how chearfully , notwithstanding all this , he persevered and continued in well-doing . it was not only his business , but his delight ; i delight ( says he ) to do thy will , o my god. the pleasure which others take in the most natural actions of life , in eating and drinking when they are hungry , he took in doing good ; it was his meat and drink to do the will of his father . he plyed this work with so much diligence , as if he had been afraid he should have wanted time for it . i must work the work of him that sent me , while it is day : the night cometh , when no man can work . and when he was approaching towards the hardest and most unpleasant part of his service , but of all others the most beneficial to us , i mean , his death and sufferings , he was not at ease in his mind till it was done ; how am i straitned , ( says he ) till it be accomplished ? and just before his suffering , with what joy and triumph does he reflect upon the good he had done in his life ? father , i have glorified thee upon earth , and have finished the work which thou hast given me to do . what a blessed pattern is here of diligence and industry in doing good ? how fair and lovely a copy for christians to write after ? and now that i have set it before you , it will be of excellent use to these two purposes : to shew us our defects ; and to excite us to our duty . i. to shew us our defects . how does this blessed example upbraid those who live in a direct contradiction to it ; who , instead of going about doing good , are perpetually intent upon doing mischief ; who are wise and active to do evil , but to do good have no inclination , no understanding ? and those likewise , who , though they are far from being so bad , yet wholly neglect this blessed work of doing good ? they think it very fair to do no evil , to hurt and injure no man : but if preachers will be so unreasonable as to require more , and will never be satisfied till they have persuaded them out of their estate , and to give to the poor till they have almost impoverish'd themselves , they desire to be excused from this importunity . but we are not so unreasonable neither . we desire to put them in mind , that to be charitable according to our power is an indispensable duty of religion : that we are commanded not only to abstain from evil , but to do good ; and that our blessed saviour hath given us the example of both ; he did not only do no sin , but he went about doing good . and upon this nice point it was , that the young rich man in the gospel and his saviour parted . he had kept the commandments from his youth , thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not steal : he had been very careful of the negative part of religion : but when it came to parting with his estate , and giving to the poor , this he thought too hard a condition , and upon this he forsook our saviour , and forfeited the kingdom of heaven . and it is very considerable , and ought to be often and seriously thought upon , that our saviour , describing to us the day of judgment , represents the great judg of the world acquitting and condemning men according to the good which they had done , or neglected to do , in ways of mercy and charity ; for feeding the hungry , and cloathing the naked , and visiting the sick , or for neglecting to do these things : than which nothing can more plainly and effectually declare to us the necessity of doing good , in order to the obtaining of eternal happiness . there are many , indeed , who do not altogether neglect the doing of this work , who yet do in a great measure prevent and hinder themselves from doing it as they ought , under a pretence of being employed about other duties and parts of religion . they are so taken up with the exercises of piety and devotion in private and publick , with prayer , and reading and hearing sermons , and preparing themselves for the sacrament , that they have scarce any leisure to mind the doing of good and charitable offices to others : or , if they have , they hope god will pardon his servants in this thing , and accept of their piety and devotion instead of all . but they ought to consider , that when these two parts of religion come in competition , devotion is to give way to charity , mercy being better than sacrifice : that the great end of all the duties of religion , prayer , and reading and hearing the word of god , and receiving the holy sacrament , is to dispose and excite us to do good , to make us more ready and forward to every good work : and that it is the greatest mockery in the world , upon pretence of using the means of religion , to neglect the end of it ; and because we are always preparing our selves to do good , to think that we are for ever excused from doing any . others are taken up in contending for the faith , and spend all their zeal and heat about some controversies in religion ; and therefore they think it but reasonable that they should be excused from those meaner kind of duties , because they serve god , as they imagine , in a higher and more excellent way ; as those who serve the king in his wars use to be exempted from taxes and offices . but do those men consider upon what kind of duties more especially , our blessed saviour and his apostles lay the great weight and stress of religion ? that it is to the meek and merciful and peaceable that our saviour pronounceth blessedness ? that pure religion and undefiled before god and the father is this , to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction ? that the wisdom which is from above is full of mercy and good works ? these are the great and weighty things of religion , which , whatever else we do , ought not to be left undone . do they consider , that a right faith is wholly in order to a good life , and is of no value any farther then it hath an influence upon it ? so that whatever other duties we may be obliged to , nothing can excuse us from this . how much better is it to do good , to be really useful and beneficial to others , and how much more clearly and certainly our duty , than to quarrel about doubtful and uncertain opinions ? were men christians indeed , they would be so much delighted and taken up with this better work , ( more acceptable to god , and more profitable to men ) that they could not find leisure , or , if they could , they could not find in their hearts to employ all their time and zeal about things which are at so great a distance from the life and heart of religion , as most of those questions are which christians at this day contend and languish about . were we possessed with the true spirit of christianity , these would be but dry and insipid and tastless things to us , in comparison of the blessed employment of doing good in a more real and substantial way . if the sincere love of god and our neighbour were but once throughly kindled in our hearts , these pure and heavenly flames would in a great measure extinguish the unchristian heats of dispute and contention ; as fires here below are ready to languish and go out , when the sun in his full strength shines upon them . ii. but the hardest part of my task is yet behind ( and it is strange it should be so ) : and that is , to perswade us to the imitation of this blessed example . let us go and do likewise ; let the same mind be in us that was in christ jesus ; let us tread in the steps of the great god and the best man that ever was , our blessed saviour , who went about doing good . methinks the work it self is of that nature , that men should not need to be courted to it by perswasion , nor urged by importunity . the very proposal of the thing , and the pattern which i have set before you , is temptation and allurement enough to a generous and well-disposed mind . but yet to inflame you the more to so good a work , be pleased to dwell with me a little upon these following considerations . first , it is an argument of a great and generous mind , to employ our selves in doing good , to extend our thoughts and care to the concernments of others , and to use our power and endeavours for their benefit and advantage : because it shews an inclination and desire in us , to have others happy as well as our selves . those who are of a narrow and envious spirit , of a mean and sordid disposition , love to contract themselves within themselves , and like the hedg-hog , to shoot out their quills at every one that comes near them . they take care of no body but themselves ; and foolishly think their own happiness the greater , because they have it alone and to themselves . but the noblest and most heavenly dispositions think themselves happiest when others share with them in their happiness . of all beings god is the farthest removed from envy ; and the nearer any creature approacheth to him in blessedness , the farther is it off from this hellish quality and disposition . it is the temper of the devil , to grudg happiness to others ; he envied that man should be in paradise , when he was cast out of heaven . other perfections are ( as one says ) of a more melancholick and solitary disposition , and shine brightest when they are alone , or attained to but by a few ; once make them common , and they lose their lustre . but it is the nature of goodness , to communicate it self ; and the farther it spreads , the more glorious it is . god reckons it as one of his most glorious titles , as the brightest gem in his diadem , the lord mighty to save . he delights not to shew his soveraignty in ruining the innocent , and destroying helpless creatures ; but in rescuing them out of the jaws of hell and destruction . to the devil belongs the title of the destroyer . without this quality of goodness , all other perfections would change their nature , and lose their excellency . great power and wisdom would be terrible , and raise nothing but dread and suspicion in us : for power without goodness would be tyranny and oppression , and wisdom would become craft and treachery . a being endued with knowledg and power , and yet wanting goodness , would be nothing else but an irresistible evil , and an omnipotent mischief . we admire knowledg , and are afraid of power , and suspect wisdom ; but we can heartily love nothing but goodness , or such perfections as are in conjunction with it . for knowledg and power may be in a nature most contrary to god's ; the devil hath these perfections in an excelling degree . when all is done , nothing argues a great and generous mind but only goodness ; which is a propension and disposition to make others happy , and a readiness to do them all the good offices we can . secondly , to do good is the most pleasant employment in the world. it is natural ; and whatever is so , is delightful . we do like our selves whenever we relieve the wants and distresses of others . and therefore this vertue among all others hath peculiarly entituled it self to the name of humanity . we answer our own nature , and obey our reason , and shew our selves men , in shewing mercy to the miserable . whenever we consider the evils and afflictions of others , we do with the greatest reason collect our duty from our nature and inclination , and make our own wishes and desires and expectations from others , a law and rule to our selves . and this is pleasant , to follow our nature , and to gratifie the importunate dictates of our own reason . so that the benefits we do to others are not more welcom to them that receive them , than they are delightful to us that do them . we ease our own nature and bowels , whenever we help and relieve those who are in want and necessity . as , on the contrary , no man , that hath not devested himself of humanity , can be cruel and hard-hearted to others , without feeling some pain in himself . there is no sensual pleasure in the world comparable to the delight and satisfaction that a good man takes in doing good . this cato in tully boasts of , as the great comfort and joy of his old age ; that nothing was more pleasant to him , then the conscience of a well-spent life , and the remembrance of many benefits and kindnesses done to others . sensual pleasures are not lasting , but presently vanish and expire : but that is not the worst of them , they leave a sting behind them ; as the pleasure goes off : — succedit frigida cura , sadness and melancholly come in the place of it , guilt and trouble and repentance follow it . but the pleasure of doing good remains after the thing is done ; the thoughts of it lie easy in our minds , and the reflexion upon it afterwards does for ever minister joy and delight to us . in a word , that frame of mind which inclines us to do good is the very temper and disposition of happiness . solomon , after all his experience of worldly pleasures , pitcheth at last upon this as the greatest felicity of humane life , and the only good use that is to be made of a prosperous and plentiful fortune , eccl. . , i know that there is no good in them , but for a man to rejoyce and do good in his life . and a greater and a wiser than solomon hath said , that it is more blessed to give than to receive . thirdly , to employ our selves in doing good , is to imitate the highest excellency and perfection . it is to be like god , who is good , and doth good ; and to be like him in that which he esteems his greatest glory , and that is , his goodness . it is to be like the son of god , who , when he took our nature upon him , and lived in the world , went about doing good . it is to be like the blessed angels , whose great employment it is to be ministring spirits for the good of others . to be charitable and helpful and beneficial to others , is to be a good angel , and a saviour , and a god to men . and the example of our blessed saviour more especially , is the great pattern which our religion propounds to us . and we have all the reason in the world to be in love with it ; because that very goodness which it propounds to our imitation was so beneficial to our selves : when we our selves feel and enjoy the happy effects of that good which he did in the world , this should mightily endear the example to us , and make us forward to imitate that love and kindness to which we are indebted for so many blessings , and upon which all our hopes of happiness do depend . and there is this considerable difference between our saviour's charity to us , and ours to others : he did all purely for our sakes , and for our benefit ; whereas all the good we do to others is a greater good done to our selves . they indeed are beholden to us for the kindness we do them , and we to them for the opportunity of doing it . every ignorant person that comes in our way to be instructed by us ; every sinner whom we reclaim , every poor and necessitous man whom we relieve , is a happy opportunity of doing good to our selves , and of laying up for our selves a good treasure against the time which is to come , that we may lay hold on eternal life . by this principle the best and the happiest man that ever was , governed his life and actions , esteeming it a more blessed thing to give than to receive . fourthly , this is one of the greatest and most substantial duties of religion ; and next to the love and honour which we pay to god himself , the most acceptable service that we can perform to him . it is one half of the law , and next to the first and great commandment , and very like unto it : like to it in the excellency of its nature , and in the necessity of its obligation . for this commandment we have from him , that he who loveth god , love his brother also . the first commandment excels in the dignity of the object ; but the second hath the advantage in the reality of its effects . for our righteousness extendeth not to god , we can do him no real benefit ; but our charity to men is really useful and beneficial to them . for which reason god is contented , in many cases , that the external honour and worship which by his positive commands he requires of us , should give way to that natural duty of love and mercy which we owe to one another . and to shew how great a value he puts upon charity , he hath made it the great testimony of our love to himself ; and for want of it rejects all other professions of love to him as false and insincere . if any man say , i love god , and hateth his brother , he is a liar . for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen , how can he love god whom he hath not seen ? fifthly , this is that which will give us the greatest comfort when we come to die . it will then be no pleasure to men to reflect upon the great estates they have got , and the great places they have been advanced to , because they are leaving these things , and they will stand them in no stead in the other world ; riches profit not in the day of wrath : but the conscience of well-doing will refresh our souls even under the very pangs of death . with what contentment does a good man then look upon the good he hath done in his life ? and with what confidence doth he look over into the other world , where he hath provided for himself bags that wax not old , a treasure in the heavens that faileth not ? for though our estates will not follow us into the other world , our good works will ; though we cannot carry our riches along with us , yet we may send them before us , to make way for our reception into everlasting habitations . in short , works of mercy and charity will comfort us at the hour of death , and plead for us at the day of judgment , and procure for us at the hands of a merciful god a glorious recompence at the resurrection of the just . which leads me to the last consideration i shall offer to you ; which is , the reward of doing good both in this world and the other . if we believe god himself , he hath made more particular and encouraging promises to this grace and virtue , than to any other . the advantages of it in this world are many and great . it is the way to derive a lasting blessing upon our estate . acts of charity are the best deeds of settlement . we gain the prayers and blessings of those to whom we extend our charity ; and it is no small thing to have the blessing of them that are ready to perish to come upon us . for god hears the prayers of the destitute ; and his ear is open to their cry . charity is a great security to us in times of evil : and that not only from the special promise and providence of god , which are engaged to preserve from want those that relieve the necessities of others ; but likewise from the nature of the thing , which makes way for its own reward in this world . he that is charitable to others , provides a supply and retreat for himself in the day of distress : for he provokes mankind by his example , to like tenderness towards him ; and prudently bespeaks the commiseration of others , against it comes to be his turn to stand in need of it . nothing in this world makes a man more and surer friends than charity and bounty , and such as will stand by us in the greatest troubles and dangers . for a good man ( says the apostle ) one would even dare to die . 't is excellent counsel of the son of sirach ; lay up thy treasure according to the commandment of the most high , and it shall bring thee more profit than gold . shut up thy alms in thy store-house , and it shall deliver thee from all affliction : it shall fight for thee against thine enemies , better than a mighty shield and strong spear . it hath sometimes happened , that the obligation that men have laid upon others by their charity , hath , in case of danger and extremity , done them more kindness than all the rest of their estate could do for them ; and their alms have literally delivered them from death . but what is all this to the endless and unspeakable happiness of the next life ; where the returns of doing good will be vastly great beyond what we can now expect or imagine ! for god takes all the good we do to others as a debt upon himself ; and he hath estate and treasure enough to satisfie the greatest obligations we can lay upon him . so that we have the truth , and goodness , and sufficiency of god for our security , that what we scatter and sow in this kind , will grow up to a plentiful harvest in the other world : and that all our pains and expence in doing good for a few days , will be recompensed and crowned with the joys and glories of eternity . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e bishop sanderson . notes for div a -e juven . vell. patere . seneca . notes for div a -e * tully . * aristides notes for div a -e antonin . lib. . a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benjamin whichcot, d.d. and minister of s. lawrence jewry, london, may th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benjamin whichcot, d.d. and minister of s. lawrence jewry, london, may th, by john tillotson ... tillotson, john, - . whichcote, benjamin, - . [ ], p. : port. printed by m. flesher, for brabazon aylmer ..., and william rogers ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng funeral sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - spi global rekeyed and resubmitted - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion beniamin whichcot s. s. t. professor a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend benjamin whichcot , d. d. and minister of s. lawrence jewry , london , may th , . by john tillotson , d. d. and dean of canterbury . london , printed by m. flesher , for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill , and william rogers , at the sun against s. dunstan's church in fleetstreet , . a sermon preached at the funeral of the reverend beniamin whichcot , d.d. may th , . cor. v. . wherefore we are always confident , knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the lord. these words contain one of the chief grounds of encouragement which the christian religion gives us against the fear of death . for our clearer understanding of them it will be requisite to consider the context , looking back as far as the beginning of the chapter : where the apostle pursues the argument of the foregoing chapter ; which was to comfort and encourage christians under their afflictions and sufferings from this consideration , that these did but prepare the way for a greater and more glorious reward ; our light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . and suppose the worst , that these sufferings should extend to death , there is comfort for us likewise in this case , ver . . of this chapter , for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved , we have a building of god , &c. if our earthly house of this tabernacle ; he calls our body an earthly house , and that we may not look upon it as a certain abode and fixed habitation , he doth by way of correction of himself add , that it is but a tabernacle or tent which must shortly be taken down : and when it is , we shall have a building of god , a house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . this is a description of our heavenly habitation , in opposition to our earthly house or tabernacle : it is a building of god , not like those houses or tabernacles which men build , and which are liable to decay and dissolution , to be taken down or to fall down of themselves , for such are those houses of clay which we dwell in whose foundations are in the dust , but an habitation prepared by god himself , a house not made with hands ; that which is the immediate work of god being in scripture opposed to that which is made with hands and effected by humane concurrence and by natural means : and being the immediate work of god , as it is excellent , so it is lasting and durable , which no earthly thing is ; eternal in the heavens , that is eternal and heavenly . for in this we groan earnestly ; that is , while we are in this body we groan by reason of the pressures and afflictions of it . desiring to be clothed vpon with our house which is from heaven : if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked . desiring to be clothed upon ; that is , we could wish not to put off these bodies , not to be stripp'd of them by death , but to be of the number of those who at the coming of our lord without the putting off these bodies shall be changed and clothed upon with their house which is from heaven , and without dying be invested with those spiritual and glorious and heavenly bodies which men shall have at the resurrection . this i doubt not is the apostle's meaning in these words ; in which he speaks according to a common opinion among the disciples grounded ( as saint john tells us ) upon a mistake of our saviour's words concerning him , if i will that he tarry till i come : upon which saint john tells us that there went a saying among the brethren that that disciple should not die ; that is , that he should live till christ's coming to judgment , and then be changed ; and consequently that christ would come to judgment before the end of that age. suitably to this common opinion among christians the apostle here says , in this we groan earnestly , desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven , if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked . it hath puzzled interpreters what to make of this passage , and well it might ; for whatever be meant by being clothed , how can they that are clothed be found naked ? but i think it is very clear that our translatours have not attained the true sense of this passage , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is most naturally rendred thus , if so be we shall be found clothed , and not naked : that is , if the coming of christ shall find us in the body and not devested of it : if at christ's coming to judgment we shall be found alive , and not dead . and then the sense of the whole is very clear and current : we are desirous to be clothed upon with our house from heaven ( that is , with our spiritual and immortal bodies ) if so be it shall so happen that at the coming of christ we shall be found alive in these bodies , and not stripp'd of them before by death . and then it follows , for we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burthened ( that is , with the afflictions and pressures of this life ) not that we would be unclothed ( that is , not that we desire by death to be devested of these bodies ) but clothed upon ( that is , if god see it good we had rather be found alive , and changed , and without putting off these bodies have immortality as it were superinduced ) that so mortality might be swallowed up of life . the plain sense is , that he rather desires ( if it may be ) to be of the number of those who shall be found alive at the coming of christ , and have this mortal and corruptible body while they are clothed with it changed into a spiritual and incorruptible body , without the pain and terrour of dying : of which immediate translation into heaven without the painfull divorce of soul and body by death , enoch and elias were examples in the old testament . it follows , ver . . now he that hath wrought for us the self same thing is god : that is , it is he who hath fitted and prepared for us this glorious change : who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit . the spirit is frequently in scripture called the witness and seal and earnest of our future happiness and blessed resurrection or change of these vile and earthly bodies into spiritual and heavenly bodies . for as the resurrection of christ from the dead by the power of the holy ghost is the great proof and evidence of immortality , so the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead dwelling in us is the pledge and earnest of our being made partakers of it . from all which the apostle concludes in the words of the text , therefore we are always confident , that is , we are always of good courage against the fear of death , knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the lord , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which may better be rendred whilst we converse or sojourn in the body , than whilst we are at home ; because the design of the apostle is to shew that the body is not our house but our tabernacle ; and that whilst we are in the body we are not at home , but pilgrims and strangers . and this notion the heathens had of our present life and condition in this world . ex vita discedo ( saith tully ) tanquam ex hospitio non tanquam ex domo ; commorandi enim natura diversorium nobis , non habitandi locum dedit . we go out of this life as it were from an inn , and not from our home ; nature having designed it to us as a place to sojourn but not to dwell in . we are absent from the lord ; that is , we are detained from the blessed sight and enjoyment of god , and kept out of the possession of that happiness which makes heaven . so that the apostle makes an immediate opposition between our continuance in the body , and our blissfull enjoyment of god ; and lays it down for a certain truth , that whilst we remain in the body we are detained from our happiness , and that so soon as ever we leave the body we shall be admitted into it , knowing that whilst we converse in the body we are absent from the lord. and ver . . we are willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the lord ; intimating that so soon as we quit these bodies we shall be admitted to the blessed sight and enjoyment of god. my design from this text is to draw some usefull corollaries or conclusions from this assertion of the apostle , that whilst we are in these bodies we are detained from our happiness ; and that so soon as ever we depart out of them we shall be admitted to the possession and enjoyment of it . and they are these , . this assertion shews us the vanity and falshood of that opinion , or rather dream , concerning the sleep of the soul from the time of death till the general resurrection . this is chiefly grounded upon that frequent metaphor in scripture by which death is resembled to sleep , and those that are dead are said to be fallen asleep . but this metaphor is no where in scripture , that i know of , applied to the soul but to the body resting in the grave in order to its being awakened and raised up at the resurrection . and thus it is frequently used with express reference to the body . dan. . . many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake . matth. . . and the graves were opened , and many bodies of saints which slept arose . acts . . david after he had served his own generation by the will of god fell on sleep , and was laid to his fathers and saw corruption ; which surely can no otherwise be understood than of his body . cor. . . now is christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept : that is , the resurrection of his body is the earnest and assurance that ours also shall be raised . and ver . . we shall not all sleep , but shall all be changed ; where the apostle certainly speaks both of the death and change of these corruptible bodies . thessal . . . if we believe that jesus died and rose again , even so them also that sleep in jesus shall god bring with him ; that is the bodies of those that died in the lord shall be raised , and accompany him at his coming . so that it is the body which is said in scripture to sleep , and not the soul. for that is utterly inconsistent with the apostle's assertion here in the text , that while we are in the body we are absent from the lord , and that so soon as we depart out of the body we shall be present with the lord. for surely to be with the lord must signifie a state of happiness , which sleep is not , but onely of inactivity : besides , that the apostle's argument would be very flat , and it would be but a cold encouragement against the fear of death , that so soon as we are dead we shall fall asleep and become insensible . but the apostle useth it as an argument why we should be willing to dye as soon as god pleaseth , and the sooner the better , because so soon as we quit these bodies we shall be present with the lord , that is , admitted to the blissfull sight and enjoyment of him ; and while we abide in the body we are detained from our happiness : but if our souls shall sleep as well as our bodies till the general resurrection , it is all one whether we continue in the body or not , as to any happiness we shall enjoy in the mean time ; which is directly contrary to the main scope of the apostle's argument . . this assertion of the apostle's doth perfectly conclude against the feigned purgatory of the church of rome ; which supposeth the far greater number of true and faithfull christians , of those who dye in the lord and have obtained eternal redemption by him from hell not to pass immediately into a state of happiness , but to be detained in the suburbs of hell in extremity of torment ( equal to that of hell for degree , though not for duration ) till their souls be purged , and the guilt of temporal punishments , which they are liable to , be some way or other paid off and discharged . they suppose indeed some very few holy persons ( especially those who suffer martyrdom ) to be so perfect at their departure out of the body as to pass immediately into heaven , because they need no purgation : but most christians they suppose to dye so imperfect that they stand in need of being purged ; and according to the degree of their imperfection are to be detain'd a shorter or a longer time in purgatory . but now , besides that there is no text in scripture from whence any such state can probably be concluded ( as is acknowledged by many learned men of the church of rome ) and even that text which they have most insisted upon ( they shall be saved , yet so as by fire ) is given up by them as insufficient to conclude the thing . estius is very glad to get off it , by saying there is nothing in it against purgatory : why ? no body pretends that , but we might reasonably expect that there should be something for it in a text which hath been so often produced and urged by them for the proof of it . i say , besides that there is nothing in scripture for purgatory , there are a great many things against it , and utterly inconsistent with it . in the parable of the rich man and lazarus , which was designed to represent to us the different states of good and bad men in another world , there is not the least intimation of purgatory , but that good men pass immediately into a state of happiness and bad men into a place of torment . and saint john , rev. . . pronounceth all that dye in the lord happy , because they rest from their labours ; which they cannot be said to do who are in a state of great anguish and torment , as those are supposed to be who are in purgatory . but above all , this reasoning of s. paul is utterly inconsistent with any imagination of such a state . for he encourageth all christians in general against the fear of death from the consideration of that happy state they should immediately pass into , by being admitted into the presence of god ; which surely is not purgatory . we are of good courage ( says he ) and willing rather to be absent from the body : and great reason we should be so , if so soon as we leave the body we are present with the lord. but no man sure would be glad to leave the body to go into a place of exquisite and extreme torment , which they tell us is the case of most christians when they dye . and what can be more unreasonable , than to make the apostle to use an argument to comfort all christians against the fear of death which concerns but very few in comparison ? so that if the apostle's reasoning be good , that while we are in this life we are detained from our happiness , and so soon as we depart this life we pass immediately into it , and therefore death is desirable to all good men : i say , if this reasoning be good , it is very clear that saint paul knew nothing of the doctrine now taught in the church of rome concerning purgatory ; because that is utterly inconsistent with what he expresly asserts in this chapter ; and quite takes away the force of his whole argument . . to encourage us against the fear of death . and this is the conclusion which the apostle makes from this consideration . therefore ( says he ) we are of good courage , knowing that whilst we converse in the body we are absent from the lord. there is in us a natural love of life , and a natural horrour and dread of death ; so that our spirits are apt to shrink at the thoughts of the approach of it . but this fear may very much be mitigated and even overruled by reason and the considerations of religion . for death is not so dreadfull in it self , as with regard to the consequences of it : and those will be as we are , comfortable and happy to the good , but dismal and miserable to the wicked . so that the onely true antidote against the fear of death is the hopes of a better life ; and the onely firm ground of these hopes is the mercy of god in jesus christ , upon our due preparation for another world by repentance and a holy life . for the sting of death is sin ; and when that is taken away the terrour and bitterness of death is past : and then death is so far from being dreadfull , that in reason it is extremely desirable ; because it lets us into a better state , such as onely deserves the name of life . hi vivunt qui ex corporum vinculis tanquam è carcere evolaverunt : vestra vero quae dicitur vita , mors est . they truly live ( could a heathen say ) who have made their escape out of this prison of the body ; but that which men commonly call life is rather death than life . to live indeed , is to be well , and to be happy ; and that we shall never be till we are got beyond the grave . . this consideration should comfort us under the loss and death of friends , which certainly is one of the greatest grievances and troubles of humane life . for if they be fit for god , and go to him when they dye , they are infinitely happier than it was possible for them to have been in this world : and the trouble of their absence from us is fully balanced by their being present with the lord. for why should we lament the end of that life which we are assured is the beginning of immortality ? one reason of our trouble for the loss of friends is because we loved them : but it is no sign of our love to them to grudge and repine at their happiness . but we hoped to have enjoyed them longer : be it so : yet why should we be troubled that they are happy sooner than we expected ? but they are parted from us , and the thoughts of this is grievous : but yet the consideration of their being parted for a while is not near so sad , as the hopes of a happy meeting again , never to be parted any more , is comfortable and joyfull . so that the greater our love to them was , the less should be our grief for them , when we consider that they are happy , and that they are safe ; past all storms , all the troubles and temptations of this life , and out of the reach of all harm and danger for ever . but though the reason of our duty in this case be very plain , yet the practice of it is very difficult ; and when all is said , natural affection will have its course : and even after our judgment is satisfied , it will require some time to still and quiet our passions . . this consideration should wean us from the love of life ; and make us not onely contented but willing and glad to leave this world , whenever it shall please god to call us out of it . this inference the apostle makes , ver . . we are confident , i say , and willing rather to be absent from the body , and present with the lord. though there were no state of immortality after this life , yet methinks we should not desire to live always in this world . habet natura ( says tully ) ut aliarum rerum , sic vivendi modum : as nature hath set bounds and measures to other things , so likewise to life ; of which men should know when they have enough , and not covet so much of it till they be tyred and cloyed with it . if there were no other inconvenience in long life , this is a great one , that in a long course of time we unavoidably see a great many things which we would not ; our own misfortunes and the calamities of others ; publick confusions and distractions ; the loss of friends and relations ; or which is worse , their misery ; or which is worst of all , their miscarriage : especially , a very infirm and tedious old age is very undesirable : for who would desire to live long uneasie to himself , and troublesome to others ? it is time for us to be willing to dye , when we cannot live with the good will even of our friends : when those who ought to love us best think much that we live so long , and can hardly forbear to give us broad signs that they are weary of our company . in such a case a man would almost be contented to dye out of civility ; and not chuse to make any long stay where he sees that his company is not acceptable . if we think we can be welcome to a better place , and to a more delightfull society , why should we desire to thrust our selves any longer upon an ill-natured world , upon those who have much adoe to refrain from telling us that our room is better than our company ? some indeed have a very happy and vigorous old age , and the taper of life burns clear in them to the last : their understandings are good , their memories and senses tolerable , their humour pleasant and their conversation acceptable , and their relations kind and respectfull to them . but this is a rare felicity , and which seldom happens but to those who have lived wisely and vertuously , and by a religious and regular course of life have preserved some of their best spirits to the last , and have not by vice and extravagance drawn off life to the dregs and left nothing to be enjoyed but infirmities and ill humours , guilt and repentance : but on the contrary have prudently laid up some considerable comforts and supports for themselves against this gloomy day ; having stored their minds with wisedom and knowledge , and taken care to secure to themselves the comfortable reflexions of an usefull and well-spent life , and the favour and loving-kindness of god which is better than life it self . but generally the extremities of old age are very peevish and querulous , and a declining and falling back to the weak and helpless condition of infancy and childhood . and yet less care is commonly taken of aged persons , and less kindness shewed to them than to children : because these are cherished in hopes , the others in despair of their growing better . so that if god see it good it is not desirable to live to try nature , and the kindness and good will of our relations to the utmost . nay there is reason enough why we should be well contented to dye in any age of our life . if we are young , we have tasted the best of it : if in our middle age , we have not onely enjoyed all that is desirable of life , but almost all that is tolerable : if we are old , we are come to the dregs of it , and do but see the same things over and over again , and continually with less pleasure . especially if we consider the happiness from which we are all this while detained . this life is but our infancy and childhood in comparison of the manly pleasures and employments of the other state . and why should we desire to be always children ; and to linger here below to play the fools yet a little longer ? in this sense that high expression of the poet is true — dii celant homines , ut vivere durent , quàm sit dulce mori — the gods conceal from men the sweetness of dying , to make them patient and contented to live . this life is wholly in order to the other . do but make sure to live well , and there is no need of living long . to the purpose of preparation for another world , the best life is the longest . some live a great pace , and by continual diligence and industry in serving god and doing good do really dispatch more of the business of life in a few years , than others do in a whole age ; who go such a santring pace towards heaven , as if they were in no haste to get thither . but if we were always prepared we should rejoyce at the prospect of our end ; as those who have been long tost at sea are overjoyed at the sight of land . i have now done with my text , but have another subject to speak of ; that excellent man in whose place i now stand : whom we all knew ; and whom all that knew him well did highly esteem and reverence . he was born in shropshire of a worthy and ancient family , the th of march , . was the sixth son of his father : and being bred up to learning and very capable of it , was sent to the university of cambridge , and planted there in emanuel college , where he was chosen fellow , and was an excellent tutour and instructour of youth , and bred up many persons of great quality and others , who afterwards proved usefull and eminent ; as many perhaps as any tutour of that time. about the age of four or five and thirty he was made prevost of king's college ; where he was a most vigilant and prudent governour , a great encourager of learning and good order , and by his carefull and wise management of the estate of the college brought it into a very flourishing condition , and left it so . it cannot be denied ( nor am i much concerned to dissemble it ) that here he possess'd another man's place , who by the iniquity of the times was wrongfully ejected ; i mean dr. collins the famous and learned divinity-professour of that university . during whose life ( and he lived many years after ) by the free consent of the college there were two shares out of the common dividend allotted to the prevost , one whereof was constantly paid to dr. collins , as if he had been still prevost . to this dr. whichcot did not onely give his consent ( without which the thing could not have been done ) but was very forward for the doing of it , though hereby he did not onely considerably lessen his own profit , but likewise incurr no small censure and hazard , as the times then were . and left this had not been kindness enough to that worthy person whose place he possessed , in his last will he left to his son , sir john collins , a legacy of one hundred pounds . and as he was not wanting either in respect or real kindness to the rightfull owner , so neither did he stoop to doe any thing unworthy to obtain that place ; for he never took the covenant : and not onely so , but by the particular friendship and interest which he had in some of the chief of the visitours he prevailed to have the greatest part of the fellows of that college exempted from that imposition ; and preserved them in their places by that means . and to the fellows that were ejected by the visitours , he likewise freely consented that their full dividend for that year should be paid them , even after they were ejected . among these was the reverend and ingenious dr. charles mason ; upon whom , after he was ejected , the college did confer a good living which then fell in their gift , with the consent of the prevost , who , knowing him to be a worthy man , was contented to run the hazard of the displeasure of those times . so that i hope none will be hard upon him , that he was contented upon such terms to be in a capacity to doe good in bad times . for , besides his care of the college , he had a very great and good influence upon the university in general . every lord's day in the afternoon , for almost twenty years together , he preached in trinity church , where he had a great number not onely of the young scholars , but of those of greater standing and best repute for learning in the university his constant and attentive auditours : and in those wild and unsettled times contributed more to the forming of the students of that university to a sober sense of religion than any man in that age. after he left cambridge he came to london , and was chosen minister of black-friars , where he continued till the dreadfull fire : and then retired himself to a donative he had at milton near cambridge : where he preached constantly ; and relieved the poor , and had their children taught to reade at his own charge ; and made up differences among the neighbours . here he stayed till , by the promotion of the reverend dr. wilkins , his predecessour in this place , to the bishoprick of chester , he was by his interest and recommendation presented to this church . but during the building of it , upon the invitation of the court of aldermen , in the mayoralty of sir william turner , he preached before that honourable auditory at guild hall chapel every sunday in the afternoon , with great acceptance and approbation , for about the space of seven years . when his church was built , he bestowed his pains here twice a week , where he had the general love and respect of his parish ; and a very considerable and judicious auditory , though not very numerous by reason of the weakness of his voice in his declining age. it pleased god to bless him , as with a plentifull estate , so with a charitable mind : which yet was not so well known to many , because in the disposal of his charity he very much affected secrecy . he frequently bestowed his alms ( as i am informed by those who best knew ) on poor house-keepers disabled by age or sickness to support themselves , thinking those to be the most proper objects of it . he was rather frugal in expense upon himself , that so he might have wherewithall to relieve the necessities of others . and he was not onely charitable in his life , but in a very bountifull manner at his death ; bequeathing in pious and charitable legacies to the value of a thousand pounds . to the library of the university of cambridge fifty pounds : and of king's college one hundred pounds : and of emanuel college twenty pounds : to which college he had been a considerable benefactour before ; having founded there several scholarships to the value of a thousand pounds , out of a charity with the disposal whereof he was entrusted , and which not without great difficulty and pains he at last recovered . to the poor of the several places where his estate lay , and where he had been minister he gave above one hundred pounds . among those who had been his servants , or were so at his death , he disposed in annuities and legacies in money to the value of above three hundred pounds . to other charitable uses and among the poorer of his relations , above three hundred pounds . to every one of his tenants he left a legacy according to the proportion of the estate they held , by way of remembrance of him : and to one of them that was gone much behind he remitted in his will seventy pounds . and as became his great goodness , he was ever a remarkably kind landlord , forgiving his tenants , and always making abatements to them for hard years or any other accidental losses that happened to them . i must not omit the wise provision he made in his will to prevent law-suits among the legatees , by appointing two or three persons of greatest prudence and authority among his relations final arbitratours of all differences that should arise . having given this account of his last will , i come now to the sad part of all : sad , i mean , to us , but happiest to him . a little before easter last he went down to cambridge : where , upon taking a great cold , he fell into a distemper which in a few days put a period to his life . he died in the house of his ancient and most learned friend , dr. cudworth , master of christ's college . during his sickness he had a constant calmness and serenity of mind : and under all his bodily weakness possest his soul in great patience . after the prayers for the visitation of the sick ( which he said were excellent prayers ) had been used , he was put in mind of receiving the sacrament ; to which he answered , that he most readily embraced the proposal : and after he had received it , said to dr. cudworth i heartily thank you for this most christian office ; i thank you for putting me in mind of receiving this sacrament : adding this pious ejaculation , the lord fulfill all his declarations and promises , and pardon all my weaknesses and imperfections . he disclaimed all merit in himself ; and declared that whatever he was , he was through the grace and goodness of god in jesus christ. he expressed likewise great dislike of the principles of separation : and said he was the more desirous to receive the sacrament that he might declare his full communion with the church of christ all the world over . he disclaimed popery , and , as things of near affinity with it , or rather parts of it , all superstition and usurpation upon the consciences of men . he thanked god , that he had no pain in his body , nor disquiet in his mind . towards his last he seemed rather unwilling to be detained any longer in this state ; not for any pains he felt in himself , but for the trouble he gave his friends : saying to one of them who had with great care attended him all along in his sickness , my dear friend , thou hast taken a great deal of pains to uphold a crazy body , but it will not do : i pray thee give me no more cordials ; for why shouldst thou keep me any longer out of that happy state to which i am going . i thank god i hope in his mercy , that it shall be well with me . and herein god was pleased particularly to answer those devout and well-weighed petitions of his which he frequently used in his prayer before sermon , which i shall set down in his own words , and i doubt not those that were his constant hearers do well remember them ; and super add this , o lord , to all the grace and favour which thou hast shewn us all along in life , not to remove us hence but with all advantage for eternity , when we shall be in a due preparation of mind , in a holy constitution of soul , in a perfect renunciation of the guise of this mad and sinfull world , when we shall be intirely resigned up to thee , when we shall have clear acts of faith in god by jesus christ , high and reverential thoughts of thee in our minds , inlarged and inflamed affections towards thee , &c. and whensoever we shall come to leave this world , which will be when thou shalt appoint ( for the issues of life and death are in thy hands ) afford us such a mighty power and presence of thy good spirit that we may have solid consolation in believing , and avoid all consternation of mind , all doubtfulness and uncertainty concerning our everlasting condition , and at length depart in the faith of god's elect , &c. mark the perfect man , and behold the upright , for the end of that man is peace . thus you have the short history of the life and death of this eminent person ; whose just character cannot be given in few words , and time will not allow we to use many . to be able to describe him aright it were necessary one should be like him ; for which reason i must content my self with a very imperfect draught of him . i shall not insist upon his exemplary piety and devotion towards god , of which his whole life was one continued testimony . nor will i praise his profound learning , for which he was justly had in so great reputation . the moral improvements of his mind , a godlike temper and disposition ( as he was wont to call it ) he chiefly valued and aspired after ; that universal charity and goodness , which he did continually preach and practise . his conversation was exceeding kind and affable , grave and winning , prudent and profitable . he was slow to declare his judgment , and modest in delivering it . never passionate , never peremptory : so far from imposing upon others , that he was rather apt to yield . and though he had a most profound and well-poized judgment , yet was he of all men i ever knew the most patient to hear others differ from him , and the most easie to be convinced when good reason was offered ; and , which is seldom seen , more apt to be favourable to another man's reason than his own . studious and inquisitive men commonly at such an age ( at forty or fifty at the utmost ) have fixed and settled their judgments in most points , and as it were made their last vnderstanding ; supposing they have thought , or read , or heard what can be said on all sides of things ; and after that , they grow positive and impatient of contradiction , thinking it a disparagement to them to alter their judgment : but our deceased friend was so wise , as to be willing to learn to the last ; knowing that no man can grow wiser without some change of his mind , without gaining some knowledge which he had not , or correcting some errour which he had before . he had attained so perfect a mastery of his passions , that for the latter and greatest part of his life he was hardly ever seen to be transported with anger : and as he was extremely carefull not to provoke any man , so not to be provoked by any ; using to say , if i provoke a man he is the worse for my company , and if i suffer my self to be provoked by him i shall be the worse for his . he very seldom reproved any person in company otherwise than by silence , or some sign of uneasiness , or some very soft and gentle word ; which yet from the respect men generally bore to him did often prove effectual : for he understood humane nature very well , and how to apply himself to it in the most easie and effectual ways . he was a great encourager and kind directour of young divines : and one of the most candid hearers of sermons , i think , that ever was : so that though all men did mightily reverence his judgment , yet no man had reason to fear his censure . he never spake well of himself , nor ill of others : making good that saying of pansa in tully , neminem alterius , qui suae confideret virtuti , invidere ; that no man is apt to envy the worth and vertues of another , that hath any of his own to trust to . in a word , he had all those vertues , and in a high degree , which an excellent temper , great consideration , long care and watchfulness over himself , together with the assistance of god's grace ( which he continually implored , and mightily relied upon ) are apt to produce . particularly he excelled in the vertues of conversation , humanity , and gentleness , and humility , a prudent and peaceable reconciling temper . and god knows we could very ill at this time have spared such a man ; and have lost from among us as it were so much balme for the healing of the nation , which is now so miserably rent and torn by those wounds which we madly give our selves . but since god hath thought good to deprive us of him , let his vertues live in our memory , and his example in our lives . let us endeavour to be what he was , and we shall one day be what he now is , of blessed memory on earth and happy for ever in heaven . and now methinks the consideration of the argument i have been upon , and of that great example that is before us , should raise our minds above this world and fix them upon the glory and happiness of the other . let us then begin heaven here , in the frame and temper of our minds , in our heavenly affections and conversation ; in a due preparation for , and in earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state which we firmly believe and assuredly hope to be one day possessed of : when we shall be removed out of this sink of sin and sorrows into the regions of bliss and immortality : where we shall meet all those worthy and excellent persons who are gone before us , and whose conversation was so delightfull to us in this world ; and will be much more so to us in the other , when the spirits of just men shall be made perfect and shall be quit of all those infirmities which did attend and lessen them in this mortal state : when we shall meet again with our dear brother , and all those good men whom we knew in this world , and with the saints and excellent persons of all ages to enjoy their blessed friendship and society for ever , in the presence of the blessed god where is fulness of joy , and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore . in a firm persuasion of this happy state let us every one of us say with david , and with the same ardency of affection that he did , as the heart panteth after the water brooks , so panteth my soul after thee , o god : my soul thirsteth for god , for the living god ; o when shall i come and appear before god. that so the life which we now live in this world may be a patient continuance in well-doing in a joyfull expectation of the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great god and our saviour jesus christ ; to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory , now and for ever . now the god of peace who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , through the bloud of the everlasting covenant , make us perfect in every good work to doe his will ; working in us always that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ , to whom be glory for ever , amen . the end . a sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ. preached before the queen at whitehall, april ., . tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ. preached before the queen at whitehall, april ., . tillotson, john, - . [ ], - p. s.n., [london : ] title page lacking on film; title from half t.p. attributed to john tillotson by wing. publication information suggested by wing. reproduction of original in: newberry library, chicago, illinois. includes bibliographical references in marginal notes. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng jesus christ -- sermons. church of england -- sermons. bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews ix, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. suffering of god. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ. preached before the queen at whitehall , april . . a sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ , &c. heb. ix . . but now once hath he appeared in the end of the world , to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . among many other great ends and reasons for which god was pleased to send his son into the world to dwell amongst us , this was one of the chief , that by a long course of the greatest innocency and the greatest sufferings in our nature he might be capable to make a perfect expiation of sin : but now once in the end of the world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the conclusion of the ages , that is in the last age of the world , which is the gospel age , hath he appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . the general design of god in sending his son into the world was to save mankind from eternal death and misery , and to purchase for us eternal life and happiness . so the author of our salvation himself tells us , that god so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . now in order to the procuring of this salvation for us , the impediments and hindrances of it were to be removed : these were the guilt , and the dominion of sin : by the guilt of sin we were become obnoxious to the wrath of god and to eternal condemnation , and by the defilement and dominion of it we were incapable of the happiness of heaven and the reward of eternal life . to remove these two great hindrances two things were necessary : the forgiveness of sins past , in order to our deliverance from the wrath of god and the eternal torments of the next life ; and the reformation of our hearts and lives to make us capable of eternal life and happiness in another world. and both these , if god had so pleased , might for any thing we certainly know to the contrary , have been effected by the abundant mercy and powerful grace of god , without this wonderful method and dispensation of sending his son in our nature to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself : but it seems the wisdom of god thought fit to pitch upon this way and method of our salvation , and no doubt for very good reasons ; amongst which these three seem to be very obvious and very considerable . first , to vindicate the honour of his laws , which if sin had gone altogether unpunish'd would have been in great danger of falling into contempt . for if god had proclaimed a general pardon of sin to all mankind , without any testimony of his wrath and displeasure against it , who would have had any great veneration for his laws , or have believed in good earnest that the violation of them had been either so extremely offensive to him , or so very dangerous to the sinner ? therefore to maintain the honour of his laws , rather than sin should pass unpunish'd god would lay the punishment of it upon his only begotten son , the dearest person to him in the world : which is a greater testimony of his high displeasure against sin , and of his tender regard and concernment for the honour of his laws , than if the sinner had suffered the punishment due to it in his own person . secondly , another reason of this dispensation , and that likewise very considerable , was , that god might forgive sin in such a way as yet effectually to discountenance and discourage it , and to create in us the greatest horror and hatred of it : which could not have been by an absolute pardon , without any punishment inflicted , or satisfaction made to the honour of his justice . for had sin been so easily forgiven , who would have been sensible of the great evil of it , or afraid to offend for the future ? but when god makes his own son a sacrifice , and lays upon him the punishment due for the iniquities of us all , this is a demonstration that god hates sin as much , if it be possible , as he loved his own son. for this plainly shews what sin deserves , and what the sinner may justly expect , if after this severity of god against it he will venture to commit it . and if this sacrifice for sin , and the pardon purchased by it , be not effectual to reclaim us from sin , and to beget in us an eternal dread and detestation of it : if we sin wilfully after so clear a revelation of the wrath of god from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , there remains no more sacrifice for sin , but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to consume the adversaries . for what could god do more to testify his displeasure against sin , and to discountenance the practice of it , than to make his only son an offering for sin , and to give him up to be wounded for our transgressions , and bruised for our iniquities ? in what clearer glass can we at once behold the great evil and demerit of sin , and the infinite goodness and mercy of god to sinners , than in the sorrows and sufferings of the son of god for our sins and for our sakes ? thirdly , another reason of this dispensation seems to have been a gracious condescension and compliance of almighty god with a certain apprehension and persuasion , which had very early and universally obtained among mankind , concerning the expiation of sin and appeasing the offended deity by sacrifices : by the sacrifices of living creatures , of birds and beasts ; and afterwards by human sacrifices and the blood of their sons and daughters : by offering to god , as the expression is in the prophet , their first-born for their transgression , and the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls . and this notion of the expiation of sin by sacrifice , whether it had its first rise from divine revelation , and was afterwards propagated from age to age by tradition : i say , from whence soever this notion came , it hath of all other notions concerning religion , excepting those of the being of god , and his providence , and of the recompences of another life , found the most universal reception , and the thing hath been the most generally practised in all ages and nations , not only in the old , but in the new discovered parts of the world. and indeed a very great part of the jewish religion , which was instituted by god himself , seems to have been a plain condescension to the general apprehension of mankind , concerning this way of appeasing the offended deity by sacrifices : as it was also a figure of that great and efficacious sacrifice which should in due time be offer'd to god to make atonement once for all for the sins of all mankind . and the apostle to the hebrews doth very particularly insist upon this condescension of god to them , in the dispensation of the gospel : and whereas they apprehended so great a necessity of an high-priest and of sacrifices to make expiation for the sins of the people , that it was an established principle among them , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins ; god was pleased to comply so far with these notions and apprehensions of theirs , as to make his own son both a priest and a sacrifice , to do that once for all which their own high-priest pretended to do year by year . and from hence the same apostle takes occasion to recommend to them the new covenant and dispensation of the gospel , as having a greater and more perfect high-priest and a more excellent sacrifice , than were the high-priests and the sacrifices under the law ; the son of god having by one sacrifice of himself obtained eternal redemption for us , and perfected for ever them that are sanctified . and this apprehension prevailed no less in the heathen world , and proceeded to the sacrifices of men , even of their first born . and with this apprehension , not to countenance but to abolish it , god was pleased to comply so far as to make a general atonement for the sins of mankind by the death of his son , appearing in our nature to become a voluntary sacrifice for us : god permitting him to be unjustly put to death and his blood to be shed by the malice of men , in appearance as a malefactor , but in truth as a martyr ; and accepting of his death as a meritorious sacrifice and propitiation for the sins of the whole world : that by this wise counsel and permission of his providence he might for ever put an end to that barbarous and inhuman way of serving god which had been so long in use and practice among them : the son of god by the voluntary sacrifice of himself having effected all that at once , and for ever , which mankind from the beginning of the world had in vain been endeavouring to accomplish by innumerable and continual sacrifices ; namely , the pardon of their sins , and perfect peace and reconciliation with god. for these ends and reasons , and perhaps for many more as great and considerable as these which our shallow understandings are not able to fathom , the wisdom of god hath pitched upon this way and method of delivering mankind from the guilt and dominion of sin by the sacrifice of his son. and to this end it was requisite that he should appear in our nature and dwell amongst us for some considerable time , that by a long course of the greatest innocency and of the greatest sufferings in our nature he might be capable of making a perfect expiation of sin. so that two things were requisite to qualify him for this purpose ; perfect innocency and obedience , and great sufferings in our nature , even to the suffering of death . both these the scripture declares to be necessary qualifications of a person capable to make expiation of sin ; and both these were found in the person of our b. saviour . first , unspotted innocency and perfect obedience . this the scripture testifies concerning him , and the whole course of his life and actions . he was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin , saith the apostle to the hebrews . he always did the things which pleased god , as he testifies concerning himself , and we are sure that his witness is true . he did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth , as st. peter tells us of him. and this was necessary to qualify him for the perfect expiation of sin , whether we consider him as a priest , or as a sacrifice . as a priest , he could not have been fit to make expiation for the sins of others , had he not been without sin himself . and this the apostle tells us is one great advantage of our high-priest under the gospel , above the high-priest under the law , who being a sinner himself , as well as those for whom he offer'd , had need to offer for himself before he could make so much as a legal expiation for the sins of others : but a perfect and effectual expiation of sin , so as to purge the conscience from the guilt of it , cannot be made but by an high priest who is holy and innocent himself ; for such an high-priest , saith the apostle , became us , that is , now under the dispensation of the gospel , when a perfect expiation of sins is to be made , such an high-priest is necessary , as is holy , harmless , undefiled , separate from sinners , who needs not as those high-priests , that is as the high-priests under the law , to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins , and then for the people : the plain force of which argument is this , that he who will be qualified to make atonement for the sins of others must be without sin himself . and then if we consider christ as a sacrifice for sin ; perfect holiness is necessary to make a sacrifice acceptable and available for the expiation of sin. the necessity of this was typified by the quality of the expiatory sacrifices under the law : the beasts that were to be offered were to be without spot and blemish : to which the apostle alludes , speaking of the quality and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ : how much more , says he , shall the blood of christ , who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god , purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living god ? and to the same purpose st. peter , for asmuch as ye know ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , hereby intimating , that nothing less than the perfect innocency and holiness of him who was to be a sacrifice for us could have expiated the guilt of our sins and purchased eternal redemption for us . secondly , great sufferings likewise in our nature , even to the suffering of death , were requisite to the perfect expiation of sin : i say , even to the suffering of death . for the sacrifices which were to make expiation were to be slain . and it was a constant maxime and principle among the jews , and the apostle more than once in this epistle seems to allow and confirm it , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins . not that god could not have pardoned sin without satisfaction made to his justice , either by the suffering of the sinner himself , or of a sacrifice in his stead : but , according to the method and dispensation which the wisdom of god had pitched upon , he was resolved not to dispense forgiveness in any other way . for which reason he seems either to have possess'd mankind with this principle , or to have permitted them to be so perswaded , that sin was not to be expiated but by blood , that is , either by the death of the sinner , or of the sacrifice . now the life of our b. saviour , as well as his death , was made up of sufferings of one kind or other : continual sufferings from his cradle to his cross , from the time he drew his first breath to his giving up of the ghost : and not only continual sufferings , but the greatest that ever were , considering the dignity of the person that suffered , and the nature of the sufferings : considering likewise that these sufferings were not only wholly undeserved on his part , but unmerited also on ours , for whose sake he submitted himself to them : nay , on the contrary , he had obliged to the utmost those for whom and by whom he suffered , and continued still to oblige them by the greatest blessings and benefits purchased and procured for them by those very sufferings which with so much malice and cruelty they inflicted on him . had our b. saviour been a mere man , the perfect innocency and unspotted purity of his whole life ; his zeal to do the will of god , and his delight in doing it ; his infinite pains and unwearied diligence in going about doing good : his constant obedience to god in the most difficult instances , and his perseverance in well doing , notwithstanding the ill usage and hard measure , the bitter reproaches and persecutions he met withal for it , from a wicked and ill natured world : his perfect submission to the will of god , his invincible patience under the greatest and bitterest sufferings , and his infinite charity to his enemies and persecutors : these must needs be highly acceptable to god , and if man could merit of god , likely enough to be available for the sins of others . but our saviour and our sacrifice being the son of god in our nature ; and he voluntarily assuming it , and submitting to the condition of humanity in its lowest and most miserable state , sin only excepted ; and his being contented to live a life of doing good and suffering evil , and at last to be put to death and slain a sacrifice for us : the dignity of the person who did and suffered all this for us , and his dearness to god , must needs add a mighty value to so perfect an obedience and such patient sufferings ; so as to render them a full , perfect and sufficient sacrifice , oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. and all this being willingly performed in our nature , and accepted by god as done upon our account , may reasonably be presumed to redound to our benefit and advantage , as much as if we our selves had performed it in our own persons : nothing being so proper , and so available to make an honourable amends and satisfaction to the justice of god for the sins of all mankind , as the voluntary obedience and sufferings of human nature in a person of so great dignity and dearness to god as his eternal and entirely beloved son. now that expiation of sin was made by the sufferings of christ in our stead , i shall endeavour to make good these three ways . first , from plain testimonies of h. scripture , declaring this matter to us as clearly and fully as it is possible for words to do it . secondly , from the nature and intention of expiatory sacrifices , both among the jews and heathen ; to which the death of christ is in the new testament so frequently compared , and in point of vertue and efficacy to take away sin infinitely preferred to it . thirdly , by vindicating this method and dispensation of the divine wisdom from the objections which are brought against it ; and by shewing that there is nothing in it that is unreasonable , or any wise unworthy of god. i. i shall produce some plain testimonies of h. scripture which deciare this matter as clearly and fully as it is possible for words to do it ; namely , that the son of god , in order to the effectual expiation of sin , suffered in our stead , and bore the wrath of god for us , and made a perfect atonement for sin , and obtained eternal redemption for us . this the scripture declares to us in great variety of expressions ; as , that christ dyed for us , and for our sins ; that he was a sacrifice for us , and a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , that is , of all mankind ; that he bare our sins in his own body on the tree , and appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself ; that we are justified in his blood , and redeemed by the price of it ; and in very many other expressions to the same purpose . and this is so evidently the scope and meaning of these expressions , that it cannot be denied without offering the greatest violence imaginable to the h. scriptures . for can any man think that god would have used so many expressions in scripture , the plain and most obvious sense of all which is that the son of god suffered for our sins and in our stead , if this had not been his design and meaning ? would not this be in effect to say , that god hath written a great book to puzzle and confound , but not to instruct and teach mankind ? i will at present single out some few of those many texts of scripture which might be produced to this purpose : he hath made him to be sin for us , who knew no sin , that is , he hath made him who had no sin himself a sacrifice for our sins . again ; and walk in love , as christ also hath loved us and given himself for us , an offering and a sacrifice to god. st. peter to the same purpose tells us , that christ also hath once suffered for sins , the just for the unjust , that he might bring us to god , being put to death in the flesh : here christ is said to have suffered for sin ; and to declare that the apostle did not only mean that christ suffered upon the occasion of our sins , but that he suffered in the place and stead of the sinner , he adds , the just for the unjust , that is , the son of god , who was innocent and had no sin , suffered for us who were sinners ; or as it is elsewhere express'd , he bare our sins in his own body on the tree . it is true indeed , that christ suffered for our benefit and advantage ; which the socinians would have to be all that is meant in the texts which i have cited : but then it ought to be considered , that christ's suffering for our benefit and advantage does by no means exclude , nor is any wise inconsistent with his suffering in our stead . for whoever suffers in another man's stead , and to save him from suffering , does undoubtedly suffer for his benefit and advantage , and gives the best demonstration of it that can be : but the manner of the expression , if compared with other parellel texts of scripture , and especially with what is so often said of our saviour's being a sacrifice , which i shall have occasion further to urge by and by : i say the manner of the expression , if well considered , will appear to any man that is not contentious to signify our saviour's suffering instead of the sinner . but not to argue from words and phrases , i will produce two texts which declare this matter so plainly , that the force of them is not to be avoided without the most shameful wresting and perverting of them . this is my commmandment , says our saviour , that you love one another , as i have loved you . how is that ? he declares in the next words , greater love than this hath no man , that a man lay down his life for his friend , that is , that he be contented to die in his stead . and to the same purpose st. paul , for when ye were yet sinners in due time christ died for the ungodly : now the question is , whether by this expression of christ's dying for the ungodly be meant only his dying for the benefit and advantage of sinners , but not his dying in their stead ? this , let the words which immediately follow determine : for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye , yet peradventure for a good man one would even dare to dye : but god commendeth his love to us , in that whilst we were yet sinners christ dyed for us . and now i appeal to any man of good sense , whether it be not plain that the apostle here speaks of christ's dying for sinners in the same sense as one man is said to dye for another , that is , to save another from death ; which what is it else but to dye in his stead ? he that can deny this , is perverse to the highest degree , and i fear almost beyond the possibility of being convinced . and the argument from these two texts is so much the stronger , because we do not here reason merely from the phrase and expression , but from the main scope of our saviour's discourse in the one , and of st. paul's in the other . for the design of both is to recommend the superlative love of christ to us above the greatest love that ever any man express'd to another . the highest pitch that human affection did ever rise to , was for a man to lay down his life for his friend ; but the son of god laid down his life for his enemies . scarcely , says st. paul , would one lay down his life for a righteous man , that is , for one who is but strictly just and honest , and does no body wrong ; but for a good man , that is , for one that is kind and beneficial to all , and hath obliged mankind by great benefits , some one may be found that would lay down his life to save the life of such a person : but the love of christ hath gone far beyond this : he dyed for sinners , for those who were neither good men nor righteous : but god commendeth his love to us , in that whilst we were yet sinners christ dyed for us . now where doth the force of this argument lye , if not in this ? that christ hath done that for us , who were enemies and sinners , which some very few persons in the world have done for their friend , or for some very eminently good man : and what is that ? why they have laid down their lives in their stead : and so christ hath done for us . this seems to be so very plain , that i do not see how the force of this argument is possible to be avoided . it is evident then from scripture , that christ dyed not only for our advantage but in our stead ; as truly and really as any man ever did or can dye for another who lays down his own life to save another from death . for if christ had not dyed , we had perished everlastingly ; and because he dyed , we are saved from eternal death and misery . and though this be no where in scripture spoken of by the name or term of satisfaction , yet it is said to be the price of our redemption ; which surely is the same thing in effect with satisfaction . for as we are sinners we are liable , and , as i may say , indebted to the justice of god : and the son of god , by his death and sufferings in our nature , hath discharged this obligation and paid this debt for us : which discharge since it was obtained for us by the shedding of christ's blood , and the scripture tells us that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins : and since god is graciously pleased to accept of it for the debt which we owed to his justice , and to declare himself fully pleased and contented with it , why it may not properly enough be called payment or satisfaction i confess i am not able to understand . men may eternally wrangle about any thing , but what a frivolous contention , what a trifling in serious matters , what barretrie in divinity is this ? not that god was angry with his son , when he thus laid on him the iniquities of us all : no he was always well pleased with him ; and never better , than when he became obedient to the death , even the death of the cross , and bore our sins in his own body on the tree . nor yet that our saviour suffered the very same that the sinner should have suffered , namely ▪ the proper pains and torment of the damned : but that his obedience and sufferings were of that value and esteem with god , and his voluntary sacrifice of himself so well-pleasing to him , that he thereupon entred into a covenant of grace and mercy with mankind , wherein he hath engaged himself to forgive the sins of those who believe and repent , and to make them partakers of eternal life . and hence the blood of christ which was shed for us upon the cross is called the blood of the covenant , as being the sanction of that new covenant , into which god is entred with mankind : and not only the sanction and confir mation of that covenant , but the very foundation of it : for which reason the cup in the lord's supper is called the new testament , or , as the word should rather be rendred , the new covenant in his blood , which was shed for many for the remission of sins . i proceed now to the ii d. thing propounded , which was to shew that the expiation of our sins was made by the sufferings of christ , from the nature and intention of expiatory sacrifices , both among the jews and heathen ; to which the death of christ is in the new testament so frequently compared , and in point of vertue and efficacy to take away sin infinitely preferr'd to it . now the nature and design of expiatory sacrifices was plainly this : to substitute one living creature to suffer and die instead of another ; so that what the sinner deserved to have suffered was supposed to be done to the sacrifice , that is , it was slain to make an atonement for the sinner . and though there was no reason to hope for any such effect from the blood of bulls , or goats , or of any other living creatures that were wont to be offered up in sacrifice ; yet that both jews and heathen did expect and hope for it , is so very evident , that it cannot without extreme ignorance or obstinacy be deny'd . but this expectation , how unreasonable soever , plainly shews it to have been the common apprehension of mankind , in all ages , that god would not be appeased , nor should sin be pardoned without suffering : but yet so that men generally conceived good hopes that upon the repentance of sinners god would accept of a vicarious punishment , that is , of the suffering of some other in their stead . and very probably , as i said before , in compliance with this apprehension of mankind , and in condescention to it , as well as for other weighty reasons best known to the divine wisdom , god was pleased to find out such a sacrifice as should really and effectually procure for them that great blessing of the forgiveness of sins , which they had so long hoped for from the multitude of their own sacrifices . and the apostle to the hebrews doth in a large discourse shew the great vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ , to the purpose of remission of sins , above that of the sacrifices under the law : and that the death of christ is really and effectually to our advantage all that which the sacrifices under the law were supposed to be to the sinner : but now once , saith the apostle here in the text , in the end of the world , hath he appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . this is the great vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ , that what ever was expected from any other sacrifices , either by jews or heathens , was really effected by this . this was plainly signified by the jewish passover , wherein the lamb was slain , and the sinner did escape and was pass'd by . in allusion whereto st. paul makes no scruple to call christ our passover or paschal lamb , who was slain that we might escape : christ our passover , says he , is slain or offer'd for us ; that is , he by the gracious appointment of god was substituted to suffer all that in our stead which the paschal lamb was supposed to suffer for the sinner . and this was likewise signified by the sinners laying his hand upon the sacrifice that was to be slain , thereby as it were transferring the punishment which was due to himself upon the sacrifice that was to be slain and offered up . for so god tells moses , that the sinner , who came to offer an expiatory sacrifice , should do : he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering , and it shall be accepted for him , to make an atonement for him . and the apostle tells us , that it was an established principle in the jewish religion , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins : which plainly shews that they expected this benefit of the remission of sins , from the blood of their sacrifices . and then he tells us , that we are really made partakers of this benefit by the blood of christ , and by the vertue of his sacrifice : and again , christ , says he , was once offered to bear the sins of many ; plainly alluding to the sacrifices under the law , which did , as it were , bear the faults of the sinner . and that this expression , of christ's being offered to bear our sins , cannot be meant of his taking away our sins by his holy doctrine which was confirmed by his death , but of his bearing our sins by way of imputation , and by his suffering for them in our stead , as the sacrifice was supposed to do for the sinner ; this , i say , is evident beyond all denial from the opposition which follows , after the text , between his first appearance and his second ; christ , says our apostle , was once offered to bear our sins , but unto them that look for him he shall appear a second time without sin unto salvation . why ? did he not appear the first time without sin ? yes certainly , as to any inherent guilt ; for the scripture tells us he had no sin. what then is the meaning of the opposition , that at his first coming he bore our sins , but at his second coming he shall appear without sin unto salvation ? these words can have no other imaginable sense but this , that at his first coming he sustain'd the person of a sinner and suffered instead of us ; but his second coming shall be upon another account , and he shall appear without sin unto salvation , that is , not as a sacrifice , but as a judge to confer the reward of eternal life upon those who are partakers of the benefit of that sacrifice which he offered to god for us in the days of his flesh . i proceed to the iii d. thing i proposed , and which yet remains to be spoken to ; namely , to vindicate this method and dispensation of the divine wisdom from the objections which are brought against it ; and to shew that there is nothing in it that is unreasonable , or any wise unworthy of god. i shall mention four objections which are commonly urged in this matter , and i think they are all that are considerable . obj. st . first , that this method , of the expiation of sin by the sufferings of christ , seems to argue some defect and want of goodness in god , as if he needed some external motive and were not of himself disposed to forgive sinners . to which i think the answer is not difficult , namely , that god did not want goodness to have forgiven sin freely and without any satisfaction , but his wisdom did not think it meet to give encouragement to sin by too easy a forgiveness , and without some remarkable testimony of his severe displeasure against it : and therefore his greater goodness and compassion to mankind devised this way to save the sinner , without giving the least countenance and encouragement to sin. for god to think of saving us any way , was excessive goodness and mercy ; but to think of doing it in this way , by substituting his dearly beloved son to suffer in our stead , is a condescention so very amazing , that if god had not been pleased of his own goodness to stoop to it , it had almost been blasphemy in man to have thought of it , or desired it . obj. d. secondly , how can our sins be said to have been forgiven freely , if the pardon of them was purchased at so dear a rate and so mighty a price was paid for it ? in answer to this i desire these two things may be considered . st . that it is a wonderful grace and favour of god to admit of this translation of the punishment which was due to us , and to accept of the sufferings of another in our stead , and for our benefit ; when he might justly have exacted it of us in our own persons : so that , even in this respect , we are , as st. paul says , justified freely by his grace , through the redemption that is in jesus christ : and freely too in respect of any necessity that lay upon god to forgive us in this or any other way . it was a free act of his goodness to save us , even by the satisfaction and sufferings of his own son. ly . it was in effect freely too , notwithstanding the mighty price which was paid for our redemption . because this price was not of our own procuring , but of god's providing ; he found out this ransome for us . and will any man say , that a prince who prevails with his son to intercede for the pardon of a rebel , yea and to suffer some punishment or to pay a fine for the obtaining of it , does not in effect and in all equitable and grateful construction forgive him freely ? obj. d. thirdly , it is yet further objected , that this seems to be more unreasonable than the sacrificing of beasts among the jews , nay than the sacrificing of men among the heathen , and even of their own sons and daughters : because this is the offering up of the son of god , the most innocent and the most excellent person that ever was . to which i answer , that if we consider the manner , and the design of it , the thing will appear to be quite otherwise . as to the manner of it , god did not command his son to be sacrificed , but his providence permitted the wickedness and violence of men to put him to death : and then his goodness and wisdom did over-rule this worst of actions to the best of ends. and if we consider the matter aright , how is this any more a reflection upon the holy providence of god , than any enormities and cuelties which by his permission are daily committed in the world ? and then if we consider the end and design of this permission of christ's death , and the application of it to the purpose of a general expiation ; we cannot but acknowledge , and even adore the gracious and mercifull design of it . for by this means god did at once put an end to that unreasonable and bloody way of worship , which had been so long practiced in the world : and after this one sacrifice , which was so infinitely dear to god , the benefit of expiation was not to be expected in any other way ; all other sacrifices being worthless and vain in comparison of this : and it hath ever since obtained this effect , of making all other sacrifices to cease , in all parts of the world where christianity hath prevailed . obj. th . fourthly , the last objection is , the injustice and cruelty of an innocent person 's suffering instead of the offender . to this i answer , that they who make so great a noise with this objection do seem to me to give a full and clear answer to it themselves , by acknowledging , as they constantly and expresly do , that our saviour suffered all this for our benefit and advantage , though not in our place and stead . for this , to my apprehension , is plainly to give up the cause , unless they can shew a good reason why there is not as much injustice and cruelty in an innocent person 's suffering for the benefit and advantage of a malefactor , as in his suffering in his stead : so little do men , in the heat of dispute and opposition , who are resolved to hold fast an opinion in despite of reason and good sense , consider , that they do many times in effect , and by necessary consequence , grant the very thing which in express terms they do so stifly and pertinaciously deny . the truth of the matter is this ; there is nothing of injustice or cruelty in either case ; neither in an innocent person 's suffering for the benefit of an offender , nor in his stead ; supposing the suffering to be voluntary : but they have equally the same appearance of injustice and cruelty : nor can i possibly discern any reason why injustice and cruelty should be objected in the one case more than in the other , there being every whit as little reason why an innocent person should suffer for the benefit of a criminal , as why he should suffer in his stead . so that i hope this objection , which above all the rest hath been so loudly and so invidiously urged , hath received a just answer . and i believe , if the matter were searched to the bottom , all this perverse contention , about our saviour's suffering for our benefit but not in our stead , will signify just nothing . for if christ dyed for our benefit so as some way or other , by vertue of his death and sufferings , to save us from the wrath of god and to procure our escape from eternal death , this , for ought i know , is all that any body means by his dying in our stead . for he that dies with an intention to do that benefit to another as to save him from death , doth certainly to all intents and purposes dye in his placea nd stead . and if they will grant this to be their meaning , the controversie is at an end ; and both sides are agreed in they will give up that which by their own confession is an undoubted article of the christian faith and not controverted on either side ; except only by the socinians , who yet are hearty enemies to transubstantiation , and have exposed the absurdity of it with great advantage . but i shall endeavour to return a more particular answer to this objection ; and such a one as i hope will satisfy every considerate and unprejudiced mind , that after all this confidence and swaggering of theirs there is by no means equal reason either for the receiving or for the rejecting of these two doctrines of the trinity and transubstantiation . first , there is not equal reason for the belief of these two doctrines . this objection , if it be of any force , must suppose that there is equal evidence and proof from scripture for these two doctrines : but this we utterly deny , and with great reason ; because it is no more evident from the words of scripture that the sacramental bread is substantially changed into christ's natural body by virtue of those words , this is my body , than it is that christ is substantially changed into a natural vine by virtue of those words , i am the true vine ; or than that the rock in the wilderness , of which the israelites drank , was substantially changed into the person of christ , because it is expresly said , that rock was christ ; or than that the christian church is substantially changed into the natural body of christ , because it is in express terms said of the church , that it is his body . but besides this , several of their own most learned writers have freely acknowledged , that transubstantiation can neither be directly proved , nor necessarily concluded from scripture : but this the writers of the christian church did never acknowledge concerning the trinity , and the divinity of christ ; but have always appealed to the clear and undeniable testimonies of scripture for the proof of these doctrines . and then the whole force of the objection amounts to this , that if i am bound to believe what i am sure god says , tho i cannot comprehend it ; then i am bound by the same reason to believe the greatest absurdity in the world , though i have no manner of assurance of any divine revelation concerning it . and if this be their meaning , though we understand not transubstantiation , yet we very well understand what they would have , but cannot grant it ; because there is not equal reason to believe two things , for one of which there is good proof , and for the other no proof at all . secondly , neither is there equal reason for the rejecting of these two doctrines . this the objection supposes , which yet cannot be supposed but upon one or both of these two grounds : either because these two doctrines are equally incomprehensible , or because they are equally loaded with absurdities and contradictions . the first is no good ground of rejecting any doctrine , merely because it is incomprehensible ; as i have abundantly shew'd already . but besides this , there is a wide difference between plain matters of sense , and mysteries concerning god ; and it does by no means follow that , if a man do once admit any thing concerning god which he cannot comprehend , he hath no reason afterwards to believe what he himself sees . this is a most unreasonable and destructive way of arguing , because it strikes at the foundation of all certainty , and sets every man at liberty to deny the most plain and evident truths of christianity , if he may not be humor'd in having the absurdest things in the world admitted for true . the next step will be to persuade us that we may as well deny the being of god because his nature is incomprehensible by our reason , as deny transubstantiation because it evidently contradicts our senses . dly . nor are these two doctrines loaded with the like absurdities and contradictions : so far from this , that the doctrine of the trinity , as it is delivered in the scriptures , and hath already been explained , hath no absurdity or contradiction either involved in it , or necessarily consequent upon it : but the doctrine of transubstantiation is big with all imaginable absurdity and contradiction . and their own schoolmen have sufficiently exposed it ; especially scotus , and he designed to do so , as any man that attentively reads him may plainly discover : for in his disputation about it he treats this doctrine with the greatest contempt , as a new invention of the council of lateran under pope innocent iii. to the decree of which council concerning it he seems to pay a formal submission , but really derides it as contrary to the common sense and reason of mankind , and not at all supported by scripture ; as any one may easily discern that will carefully consider his manner of handling it and the result of his whole disputation about it . and now suppose there were some appearance of absurdity and contradiction in the doctrine of the trinity as it is delivered in scripture , must we therefore believe a doctrine which is not at all revealed in scripture , and which hath certainly in it all the absurdities in the world , and all the contradictions to sense and reason ; and which once admitted , doth at once destroy all certainty , yes , say they , why not ? since we of the church of rome are satisfied that this doctrine is revealed in scripture ; or , if it be not , is defined by the church , which is every whit as good . but is this equal , to demand of us the belief of a thing which hath always been controverted , not only between us and them , but even among themselves , at least till the council of trent ? and this upon such unreasonable terms , that we must either yield this point to them or else renounce a doctrine agreed on both sides to be revealed in scripture . to shew the unreasonableness of this proceeding , let us suppose a priest of the church of rome pressing a jew or turk to the belief of transubstantiation , and because one kindness deserves another , the jew or turk should demand of him the belief of all the fables in the talmud , or in the alchoran ; since none of these , nor indeed all of them together , are near so absurd as transubstantiation : would not this be much more reasonable and equal than what they demand of us ? since no absurdity , how monstrous and big soever , can be thought of , which may not enter into an understanding in which a breach hath been already made wide enough to admit transubstantiation . the priests of baal did not half so much deserve to be exposed by the prophet for their superstition and folly , as the priests of the church of rome do for this sensless and stupid doctrine of theirs with a hard name . i shall only add this one thing more , that if this doctrine were possible to be true , and clearly prov'd to be so ; yet it would be evidently useless and to no purpose . for it pretends to change the substance of one thing into the substance of another thing that is already and before this change is pretended to be made . but to what purpose ? not to make the body of christ , for that was already in being ; and the substance of the bread is lost , nothing of it remaineth but the accidents which are good for nothing , and indeed are nothing when the substance is destroy'd and gone . all that now remains is to make some practical inferences from this doctrine of the unity of the divine nature . and they shall be the same which god himself makes by moses , which text also is cited by our saviour , hear , o israel , the lord thy god is one lord ; and thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thine heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind , and with all thy strength : and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . so that according to our saviour the whole duty of man , the love of god and of our neighbour is founded in the unity of the divine nature . i. the love of god ; the lord thy god is one lord , therefore thou shalt love him with all thy heart , &c. this is the first and great commandment : and it comprehends in it all the duties of the first table as naturally flowing from it . as that we should serve him only , and pay no religious worship to any but to him. for to pay religious worship to any thing is to make it a god and to acknowledge it for such : and therefore god being but one we can give religious worship to none but to him only . and among all the parts of religious worship none is more peculiarly appropriated to the deity than solemn invocation and prayer . for he to whom men address their requests , at all times , and in all places , must be supposed to be always every where present , to understand all our desires and wants , and to be able to supply them ; and this god only is , and can do . so likewise from the unity of the divine nature may be inferr'd , that we should not worship god by any sensible image or representation : because god being a singular being there is nothing like him , or that can without injuring and debasing his most spiritual and perfect and immense being be compared to him : as he himself speaks in the prophet , to whom will ye liken me , saith the lord , and make me equal ? and therefore with no distinction whatsoever can it be lawful to give religious worship , or any part of it , to any but god : we can pray to none but to him , because he only is every where present , and only knows the hearts of all the children of men ; which solomon gives as the reason why we should address our supplications to god only , who dwelleth in the heavens . so that the reason of these two precepts is founded in the unity and singularity of the divine nature , and unless there be more gods than one , we must worship him only , and pray to none but him : because we can give invocation to none but to him only whom we believe to be god ; as st. paul reasons , how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? ii. the love likewise of our neighbour is founded in the unity of the divine nature , and may be inferr'd from it : hear , o israel , the lord thy god is one lord , therefore thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . and the apostle gives this reason why christians should be at unity among themselves ; there is one god and father of all , and therefore we should keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , that is , live in mutual love and peace . the prophet likewise assigns this reason why all mankind should be upon good terms with one another , and not be injurious one to another , have we not all one father ? hath not one god created us ? why do we then deal treacherously every man against his brother . and therefore when we see such hatred and enmity among men , such divisions and animosities among christians , we may not only ask st. paul's question , is christ divided ? that we cannot agree about serving him ; either all to serve him in one way , or to bear with one another in our differences : i say we may not only ask st. paul's question , is christ divided ? but may ask further , is god divided ? is there not one god , and are we not all his offspring ? are we not all the sons of adam , who was the son of god ? so that if we trace our selves to our original , we shall find a great nearness and equality among men : and this equality that we are all god's creatures and image , and that the one only god is the father of us all , is a more real ground of mutual love , and peace , and equity in our dealings one with another , than any of those petty differences and distinctions of strong and weak , of rich and poor , of wise and foolish , of base and honourable , can be to encourage men to any thing of insolence , injustice , and inequality of dealing one towards another . because that wherein we all agree , that we are the creatures and children of god and have all one common father , is essential and constant ; but those things wherein we differ are accidental and mutable , and happen to one another by turns . thus much may suffice to have spoken concerning the first proposition in the text , there is one god : to him , father , son , and h. ghost be all honour and glory , dominion and power , now and for ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e john . . heb. . . joh. . . pet. . . heb. . , . heb. . . pet. . , . cor. . . eph. . . pet. . . joh. . . v. . rom. . , , . cor. . . lev. . . heb. . . v. . joh. . . eph. . . deut. . . mark. . . , . isa . . . kings . . rom. . . eph. . . mal. . . a letter written to my lord russel in newgate, the twentieth of july, tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a letter written to my lord russel in newgate, the twentieth of july, tillotson, john, - . sheet ([ ] p.) printed for r. baldwin ..., london : . signed: j. tillotson. cf. nuc pre- . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng russell, william, -- lord, - . broadsides -- england -- london -- th century - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a letter written to my lord russel in newgate , the twentieth of july , . my lord , i was heartily glad to see your lordship this morning in that calm and devout temper at the receiving of the blessed sacrament ; but peace of mind unless it be well-grounded will avail little : and because transient discourse many times hath little effect for want of time to weigh and consider it , therefore in tender compassion of your lordships case , and from all the good will that one man can bear to another , i do humbly offer to your lordships deliberate thoughts these following considerations concerning the points of resistance . if our religion and rights should be invaded , as your lordship puts the case , concerning which i understand by dr. b. that your lordship had once received satisfaction , and am sorry to find a change . first , that the christian religion doth plainly forbid the resistance of authority . secondly , that though our religion be established by law , ( which your lordship urges as a difference between our case , and that of the primitive christians ) yet in the same law which establishes our religion it is declared , that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up arms , &c. besides that , there is a particular law declaring the power of the militia to be solely in the king. and that ties the hands of subjects , though the law of nature and the general rules of scripture had left us at liberty ; which i believe they do not , because the government and peace of humane society could not well subsist upon these terms . thirdly , your lordships opinion is contrary to the declared doctrin of all protestant churches ; and though some particular persons have taught otherwise , yet they have been contradicted herein and condemned for it by the generality of protestants . and i beg your lordship to consider how it will agree with an avowed asserting of the protestant religion , to go contrary to the general doctrine of protestants . my end in this is to convince your lordship that you are in a very great and dangerous mistake , and being so convinced , that which before was a sin of ignorance , will appear of much more heinous nature , as in truth it is , and call for a very particular and deep repentance ; which if your lordship sincerely exercise upon the sight of your error , by a penitent acknowledgment of it to god and men , you will not only obtain forgiveness of god , but prevent a mighty scandal to the reformed religion . i am very loath to give your lordship any disquiet in the distress you are in , which i commiserate from my heart , but am much more concerned , that you do not leave the world in a delusion and false peace , to the hinderance of your eternal happiness . i heartily pray for you , and beseech your lordship to believe that i am with the greatest sincerity and compassion in the world , my lord , your lordships most faithful and afflicted servant , j. tillotson . london , printed for r. baldwin in the old bailey . . sermons preach'd upon several occasions. by john lord archbishop of canterbury. the fourth volume tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing t b estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) sermons preach'd upon several occasions. by john lord archbishop of canterbury. the fourth volume tillotson, john, - . [ ], , [ ], - , [ ], - , [ ], - p. : ill. (port.) printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal-exchange in cornhill; and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet, london : mdcxciv. [ ] with a frontispiece portrait of john tillotson signed r white sculpt. text and register are continuous despite pagination. each of the twelve sermons has a divisional title page. reproduction of the original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sermons preach'd upon several occasions . by john lord archbishop of canterbury . the fourth volume . london : printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal-exchange in cornhill ; and w. rogers at the sun against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . mdcxciv . his grace john lord arch-bishop of canterbury the texts of each sermon . sermon i. matth. xxv . , , &c. then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins , which took their lamps , and went forth to meet the bride-groom . and five of them were wise , and five were foolish , &c. page . sermon ii. ezra ix . , . and after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass ; seeing that thou our god hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve , and hast given us such a deliverance as this : should we again break thy commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations ; wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? sermon iii. matth. v. . but i say unto you , love your enemies ; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you ; pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you . page sermon iv. luke x. . but one thing is needful . sermon v. matth. . . and these shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . sermon vi. ecclesiastes ix . . i returned , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , nor yet bread to the wise , nor yet riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happeneth to them all . sermon vii . jeremiah vi. . be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . page sermon viii . acts xxiv . . and herein do i exercise my self , to have always a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men . sermon ix . zech. vii . . speak unto all the people of the land , and to the priests , saying , when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month , even those seventy years , did ye at all fast unto me , even unto me ? sermon x. psalm lxxiii . . whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . sermon xi . jer. ix . , . thus saith the lord , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might : let not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. sermon xii . tit. iii. . to speak evil of no man. the parable of the ten virgins . in a sermon preached before her royal highness the princess ann of denmark at tunbridge-wells september d. . the parable of the ten virgins . matth . xxv . , . &c. then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins , which took their lamps , and went forth to meet the bridegroom . and five of them were wise , and five were foolish , &c. my design at present is to explain this parable , and to make such observations upon it as seem most naturally and without squeezing the parable to spring from it : and then to make some application of it to our selves . then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins ; by the kingdom of heaven is meant the state and condition of things under the gospel ; by the ten virgins , those who embraced the profession of it , which is here represented by their taking their lamps and going forth to meet the bridegroom : in allusion to the ancient custom of marriages , in which the bridegroom was wont to lead home his bride in the night by the light of lamps or torches . but this profession was not in all equally firm and fruitful ; and therefore those who persever'd and continued stedfast in this profession , notwithstanding all the temptations and allurements of the world , and all the fierce storms and assaults of persecution to which this profession was exposed ; and being thus firmly rooted in it , did bring forth the fruits of the spirit and abound in the graces and virtues of a good life , these are the wise virgins : but those who either deserted this profession , or did not bring forth fruits answerable to it , are the foolish virgins . and that this is the true difference between them will appear , if we consider how the parable represents them , vers . , . they that were foolish took their lamps , and took no oyl with them : but the wise took oyl in their vessels with their lamps . so that they both took their lamps , and both lighted them , and therefore must both be suppos'd to have some oyl in their lamps at first , as appears from verse . where the foolish virgins said unto the wise , give us of your oyl , for our lamps are gone out . they had it seems some oyl in their lamps at first , which kept them lighted for a little while , but had taken no care for a future supply . and therefore the difference between the wise and foolish virgins did not , as some have imagin'd , consist in this , that the wise virgins had oyl , but the foolish had none ; but in this , that the foolish had taken no care for a further supply , after the oyl which was at first put into their lamps was spent ; as the wise had done , who besides the oyl that was in their lamps carried likewise a reserve in some other vessel , for a continual supply of the lamp , as there should be occasion ; the wise took oyl in their vessels with their lamps . now the meaning of all this is , that they who are represented by the wise virgins had not only embraced the profession of the christian religion , as the foolish virgins also had done , for they both had their lamps lighted ; but they likewise persever'd in that profession , and brought forth fruits answerable to it . for by oyl in their lamps and the first lighting of them , which was common to them both , is meant that solemn profession of faith and repentance which all christians make in baptism : by that farther supply of oyl , which the wise virgins only took care to provide , is signified our constancy and perseverance in this profession , together with the fruits of the spirit , and the improvement of the grace received in baptism by the practice and exercise of all the graces and virtues of a good life whereby men are fitted and prepar'd for death and judgment , which are here represented to us by the coming of the bridegroom . this being plainly the main scope and intention of the parable , i shall explain the rest of it , as there shall be occasion , under the several observations which i shall raise from the several parts of it . and they shall be these . first , i observe the charitable decorum which our b. saviour keeps in this as well as in the rest of his parables ; as if he would fain suppose and hope , that among those who enjoy the gospel and make profession of it , the number of them that are truly good is equal to those that are bad . for our b. saviour here represents the whole number of the professors of christianity by ten virgins , the half whereof the parable seems to suppose to be truly and really good , and to persevere in goodness to the end , vers . , . then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins , which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom : and five of them were wise , and five were foolish . secondly , i observe how very common it is for men to neglect this great concernment of their souls , viz. a due preparation for another world ; and how willing men are to deceive themselves herein , and to depend upon any thing else , how groundless and unreasonable soever , rather than to take pains to be really good and fit for heaven . and this is in a very lively manner represented to us in the description of the foolish virgins , who had provided no supply of oyl in their vessels , and when the bridegroom was coming would have furnish'd themselves by borrowing or buying of others , vers . . , . thirdly , i observe , that even the better sort of christians are not careful and watchful as they ought to prepare themselves for death and judgment : whilst the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept ; even the wise virgins as well as the foolish . fourthly , i observe further , how little is to be done by us , to any good purpose , in this great work of preparation , when it is deferr'd and put off to the last . thus the foolish virgins did , and what a sad confusion and hurry they were in we may see vers . , , , . and at midnight there was a cry made , behold ! the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. at midnight ; the most dismal and unseasonable time of all other : then all those virgins arose , and trimmed their lamps : and the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl for our lamps are gone out : but the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you ; but go ye rather to them that sell , and buy for your selves . and how ineffectual all that they could do at that time prov'd to be , we find , verse , , ; and whilst they went to buy the bridegroom came , and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage , and the door was shut . afterwards came also the other virgins , saying , lord , lord , open to us : but he answered and said , verily i say unto you , i know you not . fifthly , i observe that there is no such thing as works of super-erogation ; that no man can do more than needs , and is his duty to do , by way of preparation for another world. for when the foolish virgins would have begg'd of the wise some oyl for their lamps , the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you . it was only the foolish virgins that had entertain'd this foolish conceit , that there might be an over-plus of grace and merit in others sufficient to supply their want : but the wise knew not of any that they had to spare , but suppos'd all that they had little enough to qualify them for the reward of eternal life ; not so , say they , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lest at any time , lest when there should be need and occasion , all that we have done , or could do , should prove little enough for our selves . sixthly and lastly , i observe , that if we could suppose any persons to be so over-good , as to have more grace and goodness than needs to qualify them for the reward of eternal life , yet there is no assigning and transferring of this over-plus of grace and virtue from one man to another . for we see , verse , . that all the ways which they could think of , of borrowing , or buying oyl of others , did all prove ineffectual ; because the thing is in its own nature impracticable , that one sinner should be in a condition to merit for another . all these observations seem to have some fair and probable foundation in some part or other of this parable ; and most of them , i am sure , are agreeable to the main scope and intention of the whole . i shall speak to them severally , and as briefly as i can . first , i observe the charitable decorum which our b. saviour keeps in this , as well as in the rest of his parables ; as if he would fain suppose and hope , that among those who enjoy the gospel and make profession of it , the number of those who make a firm and sincere profession of it , and persevere in goodness to the end , is equal to the number of those who do not make good their profession , or who fall off from it . i shall not be long upon this , because i lay the least stress upon it , of all the rest . i shall only take notice , that our b. saviour in this parable represents the whole number of the professors of christianity by ten virgins , the half of which the parable seems to suppose to have sincerely embraced the christian profession , and to have persever'd therein to the last ; the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgin , which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom : and five of them were wise , and five were foolish . and this decorum our b. saviour seems carefully to observe in his other parables : as in the parable of the prodigal , luke . where for one son that left his father , and took riotous courses , there was another that stayed always with him and continued constant to his duty . and in the parable of the ten talents , which immediately follows that of the ten virgins , two are supposed to improve the talents committed to them , for one that made no improvement of his . he that had five talents committed to him made them five more , and he that had two gained other two ; and only he that had but one talent , hid it in the earth , and made no improvement of it . and in the parable which i am now upon , the number of the professors of christianity , who took care to fit and prepare themselves for the coming of the bridegroom , is supposed equal to the number of those who did not . and whether this be particularly intended in the parable or not , it may however be thus far instructive to us ; that we should be so far from lessening the number of true christians , and from confining the church of christ within a narrow compass , so as to exclude out of its communion the far greatest part of the professors of christianity ; that on the contrary , we should enlarge the kingdom of christ as much as we can , and extend our charity to all churches and christians , of what denomination soever , as far as regard to truth and to the foundations of the christian religion will permit us to believe and hope well of them ; and rather be contented to err a little on the favourable and charitable part than to be mistaken on the censorious and damning side . and for this reason perhaps it is , that our b. saviour thought fit to frame his parables with so remarkable a byass to the charitable side : partly to instruct us , to extend our charity towards all christian churches , and professors of the christian religion , and our good hopes concerning them , as far as with reason we can : and partly to reprove the uncharitableness of the jews , who positively excluded all the rest of mankind , besides themselves , from all hopes of salvation . an odious temper , which to the infinite scandal of the christian name and profession , hath prevail'd upon some christians to that notorious degree , as not only to shut out all the reform'd part of the western church , almost equal in number to themselves , from all hopes of salvation under the notion of hereticks ; but likewise to un-church all the other churches of the christian world , which are of much greater extent and number than themselves , that do not own subjection to the bishop of rome : and this they do , by declaring it to be of necessity to salvation for every creature to be subject to the roman bishop . and this supremacy of the bishop of rome over all christian churches bellarmin calls the sum of the christian religion . so that the roman communion is plainly founded in schism , that is , in the most unchristian and uncharitable principle that can be , namely , that they are the only true church of christ , out of which none can be saved : which was the very schism of the donatists . and in this they are so positive , that the learned men of that church , in their disputes and writings , are much more inclinable to believe the salvation of heathens to be possible , than of any of those christians whom they are pleas'd to call hereticks . the faith of the church of rome is certainly none of the best ; but of one of the greatest and most essential vertues of the christian religion , i mean charity , i doubt they have the least share of any christian church this day in the world. secondly , i observe , not from any particular circumstance , but from the main scope and design of this parable , how very apt a great part of christians are to neglect this great concernment of their souls , viz , a careful and due preparation for another world ; and how willing they are to deceive themselves in this matter , and to depend upon any thing else , how groundless and unreasonable soever , rather than to take the pains to be really good and fit for heaven . and this is in a very lively manner represented to us in the description of the foolish virgins , who had provided no supply of oyl in their vessels , and when the bridegroom was coming would have furnish'd themselves by borrowing or buying of others , vers . , , . they contented themselves with having their lamps lighted at their first setting out to meet the bridegroom , that is , with their being admitted into the profession of christianity by baptism , but either were not stedfast in this profession , or were not careful to adorn it with the graces and vertues of a good life . and the true reason why men are so very apt to deceive themselves in this matter , and are so hardly brought to those things wherein religion mainly consists , i mean the fruits of the spirit and the practice of real goodness ; i say , the true reason of this is , because they are extremely desirous to reconcile , if it were possible , the hopes of eternal happiness in another world with a liberty to live as they list in this present world : they are loth to be at the trouble and drudgery of mortifying their lusts , and governing their passions , and bridling their tongues , and practising all those duties which are comprehended in those two great commandments of the love of god and of our neighbour : they would fain gain the favour of god , and make their calling and election sure , by some easier way than by giving all diligence to add to their faith and knowledge the graces and vertues of a good life . for the plain truth of the matter is , men had rather that religion should be any thing than what indeed it is , viz , the thwarting and crossing of their vicious inclinations , the curing of their evil and corrupt affections , the due care and government of their unruly appetites and passions , the sincere endeavour and the constant practice of all holiness and virtue in their lives : and therefore they had much rather have something that might handsomely palliate and excuse their evil inclinations and practices , than to be obliged to retrench and renounce them ; and rather than amend and reform their wicked lives , they would be contented to make an honourable amends and compensation to almighty god in some other way . this hath been the way and folly of mankind in all ages , to defeat the great end and design of religion , and to thrust it by , by substituting something else in the place of it which , as they think , may serve the turn as well , having the appearance of as much devotion and respect towards god , and really costing them more money and pains , than that which god requires of them . men have ever been apt thus to impose upon themselves , and to please themselves with a conceit of pleasing god full as well , or better , by some other way than that which he hath prescribed and appointed for them . by this means , and upon this false principle , religion hath ever been apt to degenerate both among jews and christians , into external and little observances , and into a great zeal for lesser things with a total neglect of the greater and weightier matters of religion ; and , in a word , into infinite superstitions of one kind or other , and an arrogant conceit of the extraordinary righteousness and merit of these things : in which some have proceeded to that height , as if they could drive a strict bargain with god for eternal life and happiness ; and have treated him in so insolent a manner , by their doctrine of the merit of their devotions and good works , as if god were as much beholden to them for their service and obedience , as they are to him for the reward of them ; which they are not afraid to say they may challenge at god's hands as of right and justice belonging to them . nay , so far have they carried this doctrine in the church of rome , as not only to pretend to merit eternal life for themselves , but likewise to do a great deal more for the benefit and advantage of others who have not righteousness and goodness enough of their own : which was the silly conceit of the foolish virgins here in the parable , as i shall have occasion to shew more fully by and by . and it is no great wonder that such easy ways of religion and pleasing god are very grateful to the corrupt nature of man , and that men who are resolv'd to continue in an evil course are glad to be of a church which will assure salvation to men upon such terms : the great difficulty is , for men to believe that things which are so apparently absurd and unreasonable can be true ; and to persuade themselves that they can impose upon god by such pretences of service and obedience , as no wise prince or father upon earth is to be deluded withal by his subjects or children . we ought to have worthier thoughts of god , and to consider that he is a great king , and will be obey'd and observ'd by his creatures in his own way and make them happy upon his own terms : and that obedience to what he commands is better and more acceptable to him than any other sacrifice that we can offer , which he hath not required at our hands : and likewise , that he is infinitely wise and good ; and therefore that the laws , which he hath given us to live by , are much more likely and certain means of our happiness , than any inventions and devices of our own . thirdly , i observe that even the better and more considerate sort of christians are not so careful and watchful as they ought to prepare themselves for death and judgment ; whilst the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept . even the disciples of our saviour , whilst he was yet personally present with them , and after a particular charge given them from his own mouth , watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation ; yet did not keep that guard upon themselves as to watch with him for one hour . in many things , says st. james , we offend all ; even the best of us : and who is there that doth not , some time or other , remit of his vigilancy and care , so as to give the devil an advantage and to lye open to temptation , for want of a continual guard upon himself ? but then the difference between the wise and foolish virgins was this , that tho they both slept , yet the wise did not let their lamps go out ; they neither quitted their profession , nor did they extinguish it by a bad life : and tho when the bridegroom came suddenly upon them , they were not so actually prepar'd to meet him by a continual vigilancy , yet they were habitually prepar'd by the good disposition of their minds and the general course of a holy life : their lamps might burn dim for want of continual trimming , but they had oyl in their vessels to supply their lamps , which the foolish virgins had taken no care to provide . but surely the greatest wisdom of all is to maintain a continual watchfulness , that so we may not be surpriz'd by the coming of the bridegroom , and be in a confusion when death or judgment shall overtake us . and blessed are those servants , and wise indeed , whose lamps always burn bright , and whom the bridegroom when he comes shall find watching and in a fit posture and preparation to meet him. fourthly , i observe likewise , how little is to be done by us , to any good purpose , in this great work of preparation , when it is deferr'd and put off to the last . and thus the foolish virgins did , but what a sad confusion and hurry they were in at the sudden coming of the bridegroom , when they were not only asleep , but when after they were awaken'd they found themselves altogether unprovided of that which was necessary to trim their lamps and to put them in a posture to meet the bridegroom : when they wanted that which was necessary at that very instant , but could not be provided in an instant : i say , what a tumult and confusion they were in , being thus surpriz'd , the parable represents to us at large , vers . , , , . and at midnight there was a cry made , behold ! the bridegroom cometh , go ye out to meet him . then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps , that is , they went about it as well as they could ; and the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl , for our lamps are gone out . at midnight there was a cry made , that is , at the most dismal and unseasonable time of all other ; when they were fast asleep , and suddenly awaken'd in great terror , when they could not on the sudden recollect themselves , and consider what to do ; when the summons was so very short , that they had neither time to consider what was fit to be done , nor time to do it in . and such is the case of those who put off their repentance and preparation for another world , till they are surpriz'd by death or judgment ; for it comes all to one in the issue , which of them it be . the parable indeed seems more particularly to point at our lord 's coming to judgment , but the case is much the same as to those who are surpriz'd by sudden death ; such as gives them but little , or not sufficient time for so great a work : because such as death leaves them , judgment will certainly find them . and what a miserable confusion must they needs be in , who are thus surpriz'd either by the one or the other ? how unfit should we be , if the general judgment of the world should come upon us on the sudden , to meet that great judge at his coming , if we have made no preparation for it before that time ? what shall we then be able to do , in that great and universal consternation , when the son of man shall appear in the clouds of heaven , with power and great glory ; when the sun shall be darken'd , and the moon turned into blood , and all the powers of heaven shall be shaken : when all nature shall feel such violent pangs and convulsions , and the whole world shall be in a combustion flaming and cracking about our ears : when the heavens shall be shrivel'd up as a scroll when it is roll'd together , and the earth shall be toss'd from its center , and every mountain and island shall be removed ? what thoughts can the wisest men then have about them , in the midst of so much noise and terror ? or if they could have any , what time will there then be to put them in execution ? when they shall see the angel , that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth , lifting up his hand to heaven and swearing by him that liveth for ever and ever that time shall be no longer ; as this dreadful day is described rev. . , . and chap. . . where sinners are represented at the appearance of this great judge , not as flying to god in hopes of mercy , but as flying from him in utter despair of finding mercy with him : the kings of the earth , and the great men , and the mighty men , and the rich men , and the great captains hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the earth ; and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne , and from the wrath of the lamb : for the great day of his wrath is come , and who shall be able to stand ? the biggest and the boldest sinners that ever were upon earth , shall then flee from the face of him whom they have so often blasphemed and denied ; and shall so far despair of finding mercy with him in that day , who would sue to him for it no sooner , that they shall address themselves to the mountains and rocks , as being more pitiful and exorable than he ; to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne , and from the wrath of the lamb : from the wrath of the lamb , to signify to us that nothing is more terrible than meekness and patience when they are throughly provok'd and turn'd into fury . in such dreadful confusion shall all impenitent sinners be , when they shall be surpriz'd by that great and terrible day of the lord : and the case of a dying sinner , who would take no care in the time of his life and health to make preparation for another world , is not much more hopeful and comfortable . for alas ! how little is it that a sick and dying man can do in such a strait of time ? in the midst of so much pain and weakness of body , and of such confusion and amazement of mind . with what heart can he set about so great a work , for which there is so little time ? with what face can he apply himself to god in this extremity , whom he hath so disdainfully neglected all the days of his life ? and how can he have the confidence to hope , that god will hear his cries and regard his tears that are forc'd from him in this day of his necessity ? when he is conscious to himself that in that long day of god's grace and patience he turned a deaf ear to all his merciful invitations , and rejected the counsel of god against himself . in a word , how can he who would not know , in that his day , the things which belonged to his peace , expect any other but that they should now be for ever hid from his eyes , which are ready to be clos'd in utter darkness ? i will not pronounce any thing concerning the impossibility of a death-bed repentance : but i am sure that it is very difficult , and i believe very rare . we have but one example , that i know of , in the whole bible of the repentance of a dying sinner ; i mean that of the penitent thief upon the cross : and the circumstances of his case are so peculiar and extraordinary , that i cannot see that it affords any ground of hope and encouragement to men in ordinary cases . we are not like to suffer in the company of the son of god and of the saviour of the world ; and if we could do so , it is not certain that we should behave our selves towards him so well as the penitent thief did , and make so very good an end of so very bad a life . and the parable in the text is so far from giving any encouragement to a death bed repentance and preparation , that it rather represents their case as desperate who put off their preparation to that time. how ineffectual all that the foolish virgins could do at that time did in the conclusion prove , is set forth to us at large in the parable ; they wanted oyl , but could neither borrow nor buy it : they would then fain have had it , and ran about to get it ; but it was not to be obtain'd neither by entreaty , nor for money : first they apply themselves to the wise virgins , for a share in the over-plus of their graces and virtues ; the foolish said unto the wise , give us of your oyl for our lamps are gone out ; but the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : the wise virgins , it seems knew of none they had to spare : and then they are represented as ironically sending the foolish virgins to some famous market where this oyl was pretended to be sold ; go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves : and as dying and desperate persons are apt to catch at every twig , and when they can see no hopes of being saved , are apt to believe every one that will give them any ; so these foolish virgins follow the advice ; and whilst they went to buy , the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage , and the door was shut ; and afterwards came also the other virgins , saying , lord , lord , open to us ; but he answered and said , verily i say unto you , i know you not . you see how little , or rather no encouragement at all there is from any the least circumstance in this parable , for those who have delay'd their preparation for another world till they be overtaken by death or judgment , to hope by any thing that they can then do , by any importunity which they can then use , to gain admission into heaven . let those consider this with fear and trembling , who forget god and neglect religion all their life-time , and yet feed themselves with vain hopes by some device or other to be admitted into heaven at last . fifthly , i observe that there is no such thing as works of super-erogation , that is , that no man can do more than needs , and than is his duty to do , by way of preparation for another world. for when the foolish virgins would have begg'd of the wise some oyl for their lamps , the wise answered , not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : it was only the foolish virgins that in the time of their extremity , and when they were conscious that they wanted that which was absolutely necessary to qualify them for admission into heaven , who had entertain'd this idle conceit that there might be an over-plus of grace and merit in others sufficient to supply their want : but the wise knew not of any they had to spare , but supposed all that they had done , or could possibly do , to be little enough to qualify them for the glorious reward of eternal life : not so , say they , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest at any time , that is , lest when there should be need and occasion , all that we have done , or could do , should be little enough for our selves : and in this point they had been plainly instructed by the bridegroom himself , but ye , when ye have done all , say we are unprofitable servants , and have done nothing but what was our duty to do . and yet this conceit of the foolish virgins , as absurd as it is , hath been taken up in good earnest by a grave matron , who gives out her self to be the mother and mistress of all churches , and the only infallible oracle of truth , i mean the church of rome , whose avowed doctrine it is , that there are some persons so excellently good that they may do more than needs for their own salvation : and therefore when they have done as much for themselves as in strict duty they are bound to do , and thereby have paid down a full and valuable consideration for heaven , and as much as in equal justice between god and man it is worth ; that then they may go to work again for their friends , and begin a new score ; and from that time forwards may put the surplusage of their good works as a debt upon god , to be laid up in the publick treasury of the church , as so many bills of credit which the pope by his pardons and indulgences may dispense , and place to whose account he pleases : and out of this bank , which is kept at rome , those who never took care to have any righteousness of their own may be supplied at reasonable rates . to which they have added a further supply of grace , if there should be any need of it , by the sacrament of extreme vnction , never heard of in the christian church for many ages ; but devised , as it were on purpose , to furnish such foolish virgins with oyl as are here described in the parable . and thus by one device or other they have enervated the christian religion to that degree , that it hath almost quite lost its true virtue and efficacy upon the hearts and lives of men : and , instead of the real fruits of goodness and righteousness , it produceth little else but superstition and folly ; or if it produce any real virtues , yet even the virtue of those virtues is in a great measure spoil'd by their arrogant pretences of merit and super-erogation , and is render'd insignificant to themselves by their insolent carriage and behaviour towards god. sixthly and lastly , if we could suppose any persons to be so overgrown with goodness , as to have more than needs to qualify them for the reward of eternal life ; yet there can be no assigning and transferring of this over-plus of grace and virtue from one man to another . for we see that all the ways that could be thought on of begging , or borrowing , or buying oyl of others , did all prove ineffectual ; because the thing is in its own nature impracticable , that one sinner who owes all that he hath , and much more to god , should have any thing to spare wherewithal to merit for another . indeed our b. saviour hath merited for us all the reward of eternal life , upon the conditions of faith and repentance and obedience : but the infinite merit of his obedience and sufferings will be of no benefit and advantage to us , if we our selves be not really and inherently righteous . so st. john tells us , and warns us to beware of the contrary conceit , little children , let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous . if we do sincerely endeavour to please god and to keep his commandments in the general course of a holy and virtuous life , the merit of christ's perfect obedience and sufferings will be available with god for the acceptance of our sincere though but imperfect obedience . but if we take no care to be righteous and good our selves , the perfect righteousness of christ will do us no good ; much less the imperfect righteousness of any other man who is a sinner himself . and the holiest man that ever was upon earth can no more assign and make over his righteousness , or repentance , or any part of either , to another that wants it , than a man can bequeath his wisdom , or learning to his heir , or his friend : no more than a sick man can be restored to health by virtue of the physick which another man hath taken . let no man therefore think of being good by a deputy , that cannot be contented to be happy and to be saved the same way , that is , to go to hell and to be tormented there in person , and to go to heaven and be admitted into that place of bliss only by proxy . so that these good works with a hard name , and the making over the merit of them to others , have no manner of foundation either in scripture or reason , but are all mere fancy and fiction in divinity . the inference from all this shall be the application which our saviour makes of this parable , watch therefore , for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh ; as if he had said , the design of this parable is to instruct us that we ought to be continually vigilant , and always upon our guard and in a constant readiness and preparation to meet the bridegroom ; because we know not the time of his coming to judgment , nor yet , which will be of the same consequence and concernment to us , do any of us know the precise time of our own death . either of these may happen at any time , and come when we least expect them . and therefore we should make the best and speediest provision that we can for another world , and should be continually upon our watch and trimming our lamps , that we may not be surprized by either of these ; neither by our own particular death , nor by the general judgment of the world : because the son of man will come in a day when we look not for him , and at an hour when we are not aware . more particularly , we should take up a present and effectual resolution not to delay our repentance and the reformation of our lives , that we may not have that great work to do when we are not fit to do any thing ; no not to dispose of our temporal concernments , much less to prepare for eternity , and to do that in a few moments which ought to have been the care and endeavour of our whole lives : that we may not be forced to huddle up an imperfect , and i fear an insignificant repentance ; and to do that in great haste and confusion , which certainly does require our wisest and most deliberate thoughts , and all the consideration in the world . and we should provide store of oil in our vessels , wherewith to supply our lamps that they may burn bright to the last ; i mean , we should improve the grace which we received in baptism , by abounding in the fruits of the spirit and in all the substantial virtues of a good life ; that so an entrance may be ministred to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and saviour jesus christ . by this means , when we are called to meet the bridegroom , we shall not be put to those miserable and sharking shifts which the foolish virgins were driven to , of begging , or borrowing , or buying oyl ; which will all fail us , when we come to depend upon them : and though the dying man may make a hard shift to support himself with these false comforts for a little while , yet when the short delusion is over , which will be assoon as ever he is stepp'd into the other world , he will to his everlasting confusion and trouble find the door of heaven shut against him , and that notwithstanding all his vast treasure of pardons and indulgences , which have cost him so much and are worth so little , he shall never see the kingdom of god. and lastly , we should take great care that we do not extinguish our lamps by quitting the profession of our holy religion upon any temptation of advantage , or for fear of any loss or suffering whatsoever . this occasion will call for all our faith and patience , all our courage and constancy , nunc animis opus , aenea , nunc pectore firmo . when it comes to this trial , we had need to gird up the loins of our minds , to summon all our forces , and to put on the whole armour of god , that we may be able to stand fast in an evil day , and when we have done all to stand . and now , my brethren , to use the words of st. peter , i testify unto you , that this is the true grace of god wherein ye stand . the protestant reformed religion , which we in this nation profess , is the very gospel of christ , the true ancient christianity . and , for god's sake , since in this hour of temptation , when our religion is in so apparent hazard , we pretend to love it to that degree as to be contented to part with any thing for it , let us resolve to practise it ; and to testify our love to it in the same way that our saviour would have us shew our love to him , by keeping his commandments . i will conclude all with the apostle's exhortation , so very proper for this purpose , and to this present time , only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ , that is , chiefly and above all take care to lead lives suitable to the christian religion : and then , as it follows , stand fast in one spirit , with one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel : and in nothing terrified by your adversaries , which to them is an evident token of perdition , but to you of salvation , and that of god. now unto him that is able to stablish you in the gospel , and to keep you from falling ; and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy : to the only wise god our saviour , be glory and majesty , dominion and power , both now and ever . amen . a thanksgiving-sermon for our deliverance by the p. of orange . preached at lincolns-inn-chappel , january . . to the worshipful the masters of the bench , and the rest of the gentlemen of the honourable society of lincolns-inn . though i was at first very unwilling to expose to the publick a sermon made upon so little warning , and so great an occasion ; yet upon second thoughts i could not think it fit to resist the unanimous and earnest request of so many worthy persons , as the masters of the bench of this honourable society ; to whom i stand so much indebted for your great and continued respects to me , and kind acceptance of my labours among you for now above the space of five and twenty years . in a most grateful acknowledgment whereof , this discourse , such as it is , in mere obedience to your commands , is now humbly presented to you , by your most obliged and faithful servant , john tillotson . feb. . / . a thanksgiving-sermon for our deliverance by the p. of orange . ezra ix . , . and after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass ; seeing that thou our god hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve , and hast given us such a deliverance as this : should we again break thy commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations ; wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? i am sufficiently aware that the particular occasion of these words is , in several respects very different from the occasion of this day 's solemnity . for these words were spoken by ezra at a time appointed for publick and solemn humiliation . but i shall not now consider them in that relation , but rather as they refer to that great deliverance which god had so lately wrought for them ; and as they are a caution to take heed of abusing great mercies received from god ; and so they are very proper and pertinent to the great occasion of this day . nay these words , even in their saddest aspect , are not so unsuitable to it . for we find in scripture upon the most solemn occasions of humiliation , that good men have always testified a thankful sense of the goodness of god to them . and indeed , the mercy of god doth then appear above measure merciful , when the sinner is most deeply sensible of his own vileness and unworthiness . and so ezra here , in the depth of their sorrow and humiliation , hath so great a sense of the greatness of their deliverance , that he hardly knew how to express it ; and hast given us such a deliverance as this . and on the other hand , we find that good men , in their most solem praises and thanksgivings , have made very serious reflections upon their own unworthiness . and surely the best way to make men truly thankful is first to make them very humble . when david makes his most solemn acknowledgments to god for his great mercies to him ; how doth he abase himself before him ; but who am i , and what is my people ? and so likewise , after he had summoned all the powers and faculties of his soul to join in the praises of god , he interposeth this seasonable meditation , he hath not dealt with us after our sins , nor rewarded us according to our iniquities . the greater and more lively sense we have of the goodness of god to us , the more we shall abhor our selves in dust and ashes ; nothing being more apt to melt us into tears of repentance , than the consideration of great and undeserved mercies vouchsafed to us . the goodness of god doth naturally lead to repentance . having thus reconciled the text to the present occasion , i shall for the more distinct handling of the words take notice of these two parts in them . first , here is a case supposed ; should we , after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and since god hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve , and hath given us such a deliverance as this ; should we again break his commandments . secondly , here is a sentence and determination in the case ; wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consum'd us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? this is not spoken doubtfully , though it be put by way of question ; but is the more vehemently positive , the more peremptorily affirmative ; as if he had said , it cannot otherwise be in reason expected , but that after such repeated provocations god should be angry with us till he had consumed us . first , here is a case supposed ; should we , after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass ; and since god hath punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve , and hath given us such a deliverance as this : should we again break his commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations . in which words these following propositions seem to be involv'd , which i shall but just mention , and pass to the second part of the text. . that sin is the cause of all our sufferings , after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass . our evil deeds bring all other evils upon us . . that great sins have usually a proportionable punishment ; after all that is come upon us , there is the greatness of our punishment ; for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass , there is the greatness of our sin. but when i say that great sins have a proportionable punishment , i do not mean that any temporal punishments are proportionable to the great evil of sin ; but that god doth usually observe a proportion in the temporal punishments of sin , so that although no temporal punishment be proportionable to sin , yet the temporal punishment of one sin holds a proportion to the punishment of another ; and consequently , lesser and greater sins have proportionably a lesser and greater punishment . . that all the punishments which god inflicts in this life do fall short of the demerit of our sins ; and seeing thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve . in the hebrew it is , and hast kept down our iniquities , that is , that they should not rise up against us . the lxx . expresseth it very emphatically , thou hast eased us of our sins , that is , thou hast not let the whole weight of them fall upon us . were it not for the restraints which god puts upon his anger , and the merciful mitigations of it , the sinner would not be able to bear it , but must sink under it . indeed it is only said in the text , that the punishment which god inflicted upon the jews , though it was a long captivity , was beneath the desert of their sins : but yet it is universally true , and ezra perhaps might intend to insinuate so much , that all temporal punishments , though never so severe , are always less than our iniquities deserve . . that god many times works very great deliverances for those who are very unworthy of them ; and hast given us such a deliverance as this , notwithstanding our evil deeds , and notwithstanding our great trespass . . that we are but too apt , even after great judgments , and after great mercies , to relapse into our former sins ; should we again break thy commandments . ezra insinuates that there was great reason to fear this , especially considering the strange temper of that people , who when god multiply'd his blessings upon them , were so apt to wax fat and kick against him ; and tho he had cast them several times into the furnace of affliction , though they were melted for the present yet they were many times but the harder for it afterwards . . that it is good to take notice of those particular sins which have brought the judgments of god upon us . so ezra does here ; after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass ; and , should we again join in affinity with the people of these abominations . secondly , here is a sentence and determination in the case ; wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? which question , as i said before , doth imply a strong and peremptory affirmative ; as if he had said , after such a provocation there is great reason to conclude that god would be angry with us till he had consumed us . from whence the observation contained in this part of the text will be this , that it is a fearful aggravation of sin , and a sad presage of ruin to a people , after great judgments and great deliverances , to return to sin , and especially to the same sins again . hear how passionately ezra expresses himself in this case , verse . i am ashamed , o my god , and blush to lift up mine eyes to thee , my god. why ? what was the cause of this great shame and confusion of face ? he tells us , verse . for we were bondmen , yet our god hath not forsaken us in our bondage , but hath extended his mercy to us , to give us a reviving , to set up the house of our god , and to repair the desolations thereof , and to give us a wall in judah and in jerusalem ; that is , to restore to them the free and safe exercise of their religion . here was great mercy , and a mighty deliverance indeed ; and yet after this they presently relapsed into a very great sin , verse . and now , o our god , what shall we say after this ? for we have forsaken thy commandments . in the handling of this observation , i shall do these two things . first , i shall endeavour to shew that this is a very heavy aggravation of sin , and secondly , that it is a fatal presage of ruin to a people . first , it is a heavy aggravation of sin after great judgments , and after signal mercies and deliverances to return to sin , and especially to the same sins again . here are three things to be distinctly spoken to . . that it is a great aggravation of sin to return to it after great judgments . . to do this after great mercies and deliverances . . after both to return to the same sins again . . it is a great aggravation of sin after great judgments have been upon us to return to an evil course . because this is an argument of great obstinacy in evil . the longer pharaoh resisted the judgments of god , the more was his wicked heart hardned , till at last he arriv'd at a monstrous degree of hardness , having been , as the text tells us , hardned under ten plagues . and we find , that after god had threaten'd the people of israel with several judgments , he tells them , that if they will not be reformed by all these things , he will punish them seven times more for their sins . and if the just god will in such a case punish seven times more , we may conclude that the sin is seven times greater . what sad complaints doth the prophet make of the people of israel growing worse for judgments . ah! sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , children that have been corrupters , a seed of evil doers . he can hardly find words enough to express how great sinners they were ; and he adds the reason in the next verse , why should they be smitten any more ? they will revolt more and more . they were but the worse for judgments . this renders them a sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity . and again , the people turneth not to him that smiteth them , neither do they seek the lord of hosts ; therefore his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still . and the same prophet further complains to the same purpose , when thy hand is lifted up they will not see . there is a particular brand set upon king ahaz , because affliction made him worse : this is that king ahaz , that is , that grievous and notorious sinner : and what was it that rendr'd him so ? in the time of his distress he sinned yet more against the lord ; this is that king ahaz , who is said to have provoked the lord above all the kings of israel which were before him . . it is likewise a sore aggravation of sin , when it is committed after great mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to us . because this is an argument of great ingratitude . and this we find recorded as a heavy charge upon the people of israel , that they remembred not the lord their god , who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side ; neither shewed they kindness to the house of jerubbaal , namely gideon who had been their deliverer , according to all the goodness which he had shewed to israel . god , we see , takes it very ill at our hands , when we are ungrateful to the instruments of our deliverance ; but much more , when we are unthankful to him the author of it . and how severely does nathan the prophet reproach david upon this account ? thus said the lord god of israel , i anointed thee king over israel , and delivered thee out of the hand of saul , &c. and if this had been too little , i would moreover have done such and such things . wherefore hast thou despis'd the commandment of the lord to do evil in his sight ? god here reckons up his manifold mercies and deliverances , and aggravates david's sin upon this account . and he was very angry likewise with solomon for the same reason , because he had turned from the lord god of israel , who had appear'd to him twice . however we may slight the mercies of god , he keeps a punctual and strict account of them . it is particularly noted , as a great blot upon hezekiah , that he returned not again according to the benefits done unto him . god takes very severe notice of all the unkind and unworthy returns that are made to him for his goodness . ingratitude to god is so unnatural and monstrous , that we find him appealing against us for it to the inanimate creatures . hear o heavens , and give ear o earth ! for the lord hath spoken ; i have nourish'd and brought up children , but they have rebelled against me . and then he goes on and upbraids them with the brute creatures , as being more grateful to men than men are to god. the ox knoweth his owner , and the ass her masters crib , but israel doth not know , my people doth not consider . and in the same prophet there is the like complaint , let favour be shewn to the wicked , yet will he not learn righteousness . in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly , and will not behold the majesty of the lord. lord , when thy hand is lifted up , they will not see , but the shall see and be ashamed . they that will not acknowledge the mercies of god's providence shall feel the strokes of his justice . there is no greater evidence in the world of an intractable disposition , than not to be wrought upon by kindness , not to be melted by mercies , not to be obliged by benefits , not to be tamed by gentle usage . nay , god expects that his mercies should lay so great an obligation upon us , that even a miracle should not tempt us to be unthankful . if there arise among you a prophet , says moses to the people of israel , or a dreamer of dreams , and giveth thee a sign or a wonder , and the sign or the wonder cometh to pass , whereof he spake to thee , saying , let us go after other gods and serve them ; thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet . and he gives the reason ▪ because he hath spoken to turn you away from the lord god of israel , which brought you out of the land of egypt , and delivered you out of the house of bondage . . it is a greater aggravation yet , after gteat mercies and judgments to return to the same sins . because this can hardly be without our sinning against knowledge , and after we are convinced how evil and bitter the sin is which we were guilty of , and have been so sorely punish'd for before . this is an argument of a very perverse and incorrigible temper , and that which made the sin of the people of israel so above measure sinful , that after so many signal deliverances , and so many terrible judgments , they fell into the same sin of murmuring ten times ; murmuring against god the author , and against moses the glorious instrument of their deliverance out of egypt ; which was one of the two great types of the old testament , both of temporal and spiritual oppression and tyranny . hear with what resentment god speaks of the ill returns which they made to him for that great mercy and deliverance . because all these men which have seen my glory , and my miracles which i did in egypt , and in the wilderness , and have tempted me now these ten times , and have not hearkned unto my voice : surely they shall not see the land which i sware to their fathers . and after he had brought them into the promised land , and wrought great deliverances for them several times , how does he upbraid them with their proneness to fall again into the same sin of idolatry ? and the lord said unto the children of israel , did not i deliver you from the egyptians , and from the amorites ; from the children of ammon , and from the philistins ? the zidonians also and the amalekites and maonites did oppress you ; and ye cryed unto me , and i delivered you out of their hand : yet you have forsaken me , and served other gods ; wherefore i will deliver you no more : go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen , let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation . this incensed god so highly against them , that they still relaps'd into the same sin of idolatry after so many afflictions and so many deliverances . upon such an occasion well might the prophet say , thine own wickedness shall correct thee , and thy sins shall reprove thee : know therefore , that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the lord thy god. it is hardly possible but we should know that the wickedness for which we have been so severely corrected is an evil and bitter thing . thus much for the first part of the observation , namely , that it is a fearful aggravation of sin , after great judgments and great deliverances to return to sin , and especially to the same sins again . i proceed to the second part , namely , that this is a fatal presage of ruin to a people ; should we again break thy commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations , wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? and so god threatens the people of israel in the text which i cited before , wherefore i will deliver you no more . wherefore ; that is , because they would neither be reform'd by the afflictions wherewith god had exercised them , nor by the many wonderful deliverances which he had wrought for them . and there is great reason why god should deal thus with a people that continues impenitent both under the judgments and mercies of god. . because this doth ripen the sins of a nation ; and it is time for god to put in his sickle when a people are ripe for ruin . when the measure of their sins is full , it is no wonder if the cup of his indignation begin to overflow . it is said of the amorites , four hundred years before god brought that fearful ruin upon them , that god deferr'd the extirpation of them , because the iniquity of the amorites , was not yet full . when neither the mercies nor the judgments of god will bring us to repentance , we are then fit for destruction ; according to that of the apostle , what if god willing to shew his wrath , and make his power known , endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction ? they who are not wrought upon neither by the patience of god's mercies , nor by the patience of his judgments , seem to be fitted and prepared , to be ripe and ready for destruction . . because this incorrigible temper shews the case of such persons to be desperate and incurable . why should they be smitten any more ? says god of the people of israel , they will revolt more and more . how often would i have gathered you , says our b. saviour to the jews , even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings ? and ye would not . behold , your house is left to you desolate , that is , ye shall be utterly destroyed ; as it hapned forty years after to jerusalem , and to the whole jewish nation . when god sees that all the means which he can use do prove ineffectual and to no purpose , he will then give over a people , as physicians do their patients when they see that nature is spent and their case past remedy . when men will not be the better for the best means that heaven can use , god will then leave them to reap the fruit of their own doings , and abandom them to the demerit of their sin. that which now remains is to apply this to our selves , and to the solemn occasion of this day . and if this be our case , let us take heed that this be not also our doom and sentence . first , the case in the text doth very much resemble ours . and that in three respects . god hath sent great judgments upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespasses : he hath punish'd us less than our iniquities have deserv'd : and hath given us a very great and wonderful deliverance . . god hath inflicted great judgments upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespasses . great judgments , both for the quality , and for the continuance of them . it shall suffice only to mention those which are of a more ancient date . scarce hath any nation been more calamitous than this of ours , both in respect of the invasions and conquests of foreigners , and of our own civil and intestine divisions . four times we have been conquer'd ; by the romans , saxons , danes , and normans and our intestine divisions have likewise been great and of long continuance . witness the barons wars , and that long and cruel contest between the two houses of york and lancaster . but to come nearer to our own times , what fearful judgments and calamities of war , and pestilence , and fire , have many of us seen ? and how close did they follow one another ? what terrible havock did the sword make amongst us for many years ? and this not the sword of a forreign enemy , but of a civil war ; the mischiefs whereof were all terminated upon our selves , and have given deep wounds , and left broad scars upon the most considerable families in the nation . — alta manent civilis vulnera dextrae . this war was drawn out to a great length , and had a tragical end , in the murther of an excellent king ; and in the banishment of his children into a strange countrey , whereby they were exposed to the arts and practices of those of another religion ; the mischievous consequences whereof we have ever since sadly labour'd under , and do feel them at this day . and when god was pleas'd in great mercy at last to put an end to the miserable distractions and confusions of almost twenty years , by the happy restoration of the royal family , and our ancient government ; which seem'd to promise to us a lasting settlement , and all the felicities we could wish : yet how soon was this bright and glorious morning overcast , by the restless and black designs of that sure and inveterate enemy of ours , the church of rome , for the restoring of their religion amongst us . and there was too much encouragement given to this design , by those who had power in their hands , and had brought home with them a secret good will to it . for this great trespass , and for our many other sins , god was angry with us , and sent among us the most raging pestilence that ever was known in this nation , which in the space of eight or nine months swept away near a third part of the inhabitants of this vast and populous city , and of the suburbs thereof ; besides a great many thousands more in several parts of the nation . but we did not return to the lord , nor seek him for all this . and therefore , the very next year after , god sent a terrible and devouring fire , which in less than three days time laid the greatest part of this great city in ashes . and there is too much reason to believe that the enemy did this ; that perpetual and implacable enemy of the peace and happiness of this nation . and even since the time of that dreadful calamity , which is now above twenty years agone , we have been in a continual fear of the cruel designs of that party , which had hitherto been incessantly working under ground , but now began to shew themselves more openly : and especially since a prince of that religion succeeded to the crown , our eyes have been ready to fail us for fear , and for looking after those dreadful things that were coming upon us , and seem'd to be even at the door . a fear which this nation could easily have rid it self of , because they that caused it were but a handful in comparison of us , and could have done nothing without a foreign force and assistance ; had not the principles of humanity , and of our religion too , restrain'd us from violence and cruelty , and from every thing which had the appearance of undutifulness to the government which the providence of god had set over us . an instance of the like patience under the like provocations , for so long a time , and after such visible and open attempts upon them , when they had the laws so plainly on their side , i challenge any nation or church in the world , from the very foundation of it , to produce . insomuch , that if god had not put it into the hearts of our kind neighbours , and of that incomparable prince , who laid and conducted that great design with so much skill and secrecy , to have appear'd so seasonably for our rescue , our patience had infallibly , without a miracle , been our ruine . and i am sure if our enemies had ever had the like opportunity in their hands , and had overbalanced us in numbers but half so much as we did them , they would never have let it slip ; but would long since have extirpated us utterly , and have made the remembrance of us to have ceas'd from among men . and now if you ask me , for what sins more especially god hath sent all these judgments upon us ? it will not , i think , become us to be very particular and positive in such determinations . thus much is certain , that we have all sinn'd and contributed to these judgments ; every one hath had some hand , more or less , in pulling down this vengeance upon the nation . but we are all too apt to remove the meritorious cause of god's judgments as far as we can from our selves , and our own party , and upon any slight pretence to lay it upon others . yet i will venture to instance in one or two things which may probably enough have had a more particular and immediate hand in drawing down the judgments of god upon us . our horrible contempt of religion on the one hand , by our infidelity and prophaneness ; and our shameful abuse of it on the other , by our gross hypocrisy , and sheltering great wickedness and immoralities under the cloak and profession of religion . and then , great dissensions and divisions , great uncharitableness and bitterness of spirit among those of the same religion ; so that almost from the beginning of our happy reformation the enemy had sown these tares , and by the unwearied malice and arts of the church of rome the seeds of dissension were scattered very early amongst us ; and a sowre humour had been fermenting in the body of the nation , both upon account of religion and civil interests , for a long time before things broke out into a civil war. and more particularly yet ; that which is call'd the great trespass here in the text , their joining in affinity with the people of these abominations , by whom they had been detain'd in a long captivity : this , i say , seems to have had , both from the nature of the thing , and the just judgment of god , no small influence upon a great part of the miseries and calamities which have befallen us . for had it not been for the countenance which popery had by the marriages and alliances of our princes , for two or three generations together , with those of that religion , it had not probably had a continuance among us to this day . which will , i hope , now be a good warning to those , who have the authority to do it , to make effectual provision by law for the prevention of the like inconvenience and mischief in this nation for ever . . another parallel between our case and that in the text , is , that god hath punish'd us less than our iniquities did deserve . and this acknowledgment we have as much reason to make for our selves , as ezra had to do it in behalf of the jews ; thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve . thou , our god , hast punish'd us ; there is the reason of so much mercy and mitigation . it is god , and not man , with whom we have to do ; and therefore it is , that we the children of men are not consumed . and it is our god likewise , to whom we have a more peculiar relation , and with whom , by virtue of our profession of christianity , we are in covenant : thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve . he might justly have pour'd forth all his wrath , and have made his jealousie to have smoak'd against us , and have blotted out the remembrance of us from under heaven : he might have given us up to the will of our enemies , and into the hands of those whose tender mercies are cruelty : he might have brought us into the net which they had spred for us , and have laid a terrible load of affliction upon our loins , and suffer'd insolent men to ride over our heads , and them that hated us with a perfect hatred , to have had the rule over us : but he was graciously pleas'd to remember mercy in the midst of judgment , and to repent himself for his servants , when he saw that their power was gone , and that things were come to that extremity , that we were in all humane probability utterly unable to have wrought out our own deliverance . . the last parallel between our case , and that in the text , is the great and wonderful deliverance which god hath wrought for us . and whilst i am speaking of this , god is my witness , whom i serve in the gospel of his son , that i do not say one word upon this occasion in flattery to men , but in true thankfulness to almighty god , and constrain'd thereto from a just sense of his great mercy to us all , in this marvellous deliverance , in this mighty salvation which he wrought for us . so that we may say with ezra , since thou our god hast given us such a deliverance as this : so great , that we know not how to compare it with any thing but it self . god hath given us this deliverance . and therefore , not unto us , o lord , not unto us , but to thy name be the praise . for thou knowest , and we are all conscious to our selves , that we did in no wise deserve it ; but quite the contrary . god hath given it , and it ought to be so much the welcomer to us , for coming from such a hand . it is the lord 's doing , and therefore ought to be the more marvellous in our eyes . it is a deliverance full of mercy , and i had almost said , full of miracle . the finger of god was visibly in it ; and there are plain signatures and characters upon it , of a more immediate divine interposition . and if we will not wisely consider the lord's doings , we have reason to stand in awe of that threatning of his , because they regard not the works of the lord , nor the operation of his hands , he shall destroy them , and not build them up . it was a wonderful deliverance indeed , if we consider all the circumstances of it : the greatness of it ; and the strangeness of the means whereby it was brought about ; and the suddenness , and easiness of it . the greatness of it ; it was a great deliverance , from the greatest fears , and from the greatest dangers ; the apparent and imminent danger of the saddest thraldom and bondage , civil and spiritual ; both of soul and body . and it was brought about in a very extraordinary manner , and by very strange means : whether we consider the greatness and difficulty of the enterprise ; or the closeness and secrecy of the design , which must of necessity be communicated at least to the chief of those who were to assist and engage in it : especially the states of the vnited provinces , who were then in so much danger themselves , and wanted more than their own forces for their own defence and security : a kindness never to be forgotten by the english nation . and besides all this , the difficulties and disappointments which happen'd , after the design was open and manifest , from the uncertainties of wind and weather , and many other accidents impossible to be foreseen and prevented . and yet in conclusion a strange concurrence of all things , on all sides , to bring the thing which the providence of god intended to a happy issue and effect . and we must not here forget the many worthies of our nation , who did so generously run all hazards of life and fortune , for the preservation of our religion , and the asserting of our ancient laws and liberties . these are all strange and unusual means ; but which is stranger yet , the very counsels and methods of our enemies did prepare the way for all this , and perhaps more effectually , than any counsel and contrivance of our own could have done it . for even the jesuits , those formal politicians by book and rule , without any consideration or true knowledge of the temper , and interest , and other circumstances of the people they were designing upon , and had to deal withal ; and indeed without any care to know them : i say , the jesuits , who for so long a time , and for so little reason , have affected the reputation of the deepest and craftiest states-men in the world , have upon this great occasion , and when their whole kingdom of darkness lay at stake , by a more than ordinary infatuation and blindness , so outwitted and over-reach'd themselves in their own counsels , that they have really contributed as much , or more , to our deliverance from the destruction which they had designed to bring upon us , than all our wisest and best friends could have done . and then , if we consider further , how sudden and surprising it was , so that we could hardly believe it when it was accomplish'd ; and like the children of israel , when the lord turned again the captivity of zion , we were like them that dream . when all things were driving on furiously , and in great haste , then god gave an unexpected check to the designs of men , and stopp'd them in their full cariere . who among us could have imagin'd , but a few months ago , so happy and so speedy an end of our fears and troubles ? god hath at once scatter'd all our fears , and outdone all our hopes by the greatness and suddenness of our deliverance . o that men would praise the lord for his goodness , and for his wonderful works to the children of men . and lastly , if we consider the cheapness and easiness of this deliverance . all this was done without a battel , and almost without blood. all the danger is , lest we should loath it , and grow sick of it , because it was so very easy . had it come upon harder terms , and had we waded to it through a red sea of blood , we would have valued it more . but this surely is great wantonness , and whatever we think of it , one of the highest provocations imaginable : for there can hardly be a fouler and blacker ingratitude towards almighty god , than to slight so great a deliverance , only because it came to us so easily , and hath cost us so very cheap i will mention but one circumstance more , which may not be altogether unworthy our observation . that god seems in this last deliverance , in some sort to have united and brought together all the great deliverances which he hath been pleas'd to work for this nation against all the remarkable attempts of popery , from the beginning of our reformation . our wonderful deliverance from the formidable spanish invasion design'd against us , happen'd in the year . and now just a hundred years after , god was pleased to bring about this last great and most happy deliverance . that horrid gun-powder conspiracy , without precedent , and without parallel , was design'd to have been executed upon the fifth day of november ; the same day upon which his highness the prince of orange landed the forces here in england which he brought hither for our rescue . so that this is a day every way worthy to be solemnly set apart and joyfully celebrated by this church and nation , throughout all generations ; as the fittest of all other to comprehend , and to put us in mind to commemorate all the great deliverances which god hath wrought for us , from popery , and its inseparable companion , arbitrary power . and we may then say with the holy psalmist , this is the lord 's doing , it is marvellous in our eyes . this is the day which the lord hath made , we will rejoice and be glad in it . secondly , as the case in the text is much like ours , so let us take heed that the doom and sentence there be not so too . if after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great trespass , and since god hath punish'd us less than our iniquities did deserve ; should we again break his commandments , and join in affinity with the people of these abominations , would he not be angry with us till he had consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? what could we in reason expect after all this , but utter ruin and destruction ? we may here apply , as st. paul does , god's dealing with the people of israel , to the times of the gospel ; for he speaks of it as an example and admonition to all ages to the end of the world. now these things , says the apostle , were our examples , to the intent we should not lust after evil things , as they also lusted ; neither be ye idolaters , as were some of them , &c. neither let us tempt christ , as some of them also tempted , and were destroyed of serpents . for the explication of this passage we must have recourse to the history , which gives this account of it . and the people spake against god , and against moses , wherefore have ye brought us up out of egypt , to die in the wilderness ? &c. impeaching god and his servant moses , as if by this deliverance they had put them into a much worse condition than they were in when they were in egypt . and the lord sent fiery serpents among the people , and they bit the people , and much people of israel died . \ but how was this a tempting of christ ? neither let us tempt christ , as some of them also tempted ; that is , let not us , now under the gospel , tempt our saviour and deliverer , as the israelites did theirs , by slighting that great deliverance , and by speaking against god , and against moses . neither murmur ye , as some of them also murmured , and were destroyed of the destroyer . and how far this may concern us , and all others , to the end of the world , who shall tempt christ , the great patron and deliverer of his church , and murmur without cause , as the israelites did , at the deliverances which he works for them , and against the instruments of it , the apostle tells us in the next words : now all these things happened unto them for ensamples , or types ; and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come . let us not tempt christ ; who is now beginning the glorious deliverance of his church from the tyranny of antichrist . to draw now towards a conclusion ; i will comprehend my advice to you upon the whole matter , in as few words as i can . let us use this great deliverance which god hath given us , [ such a deliverance as this ] from our enemies , and from the hand of all that hate us ; not by using them as they would have done us , had we fallen under their power , with great insolence , and rage , and cruelty ; but with great moderation and clemency making as few examples of severity as will be consistent with our future security from the like attempts upon our religion and laws : and even in the execution of justice upon the greatest offenders , let us not give so much countenance to the ill examples which have been set of extravagant fines and punishments , as to imitate those patterns which with so much reason we abhor ; no , not in the punishment of the authors of them . and let us endeavour , for once , to be so wise , as not to forfeit the fruits of this deliverance , and to hinder our selves of the benefit and advantage of it , by breaches and divisions among our selves . as we have no reason to desire it , so i think we can hardly ever hope to understand popery better , and the cruel designs of it , than we do already , both from the long trial and experience which we have had of it in this nation , and likewise from that dismal and horrid view which hath of late been given us of the true spirit and temper of it in one of our neighbour nations , which hath long pretended to the profession of the most refin'd and moderate popery in the world ; but hath now at last shewed it self in its true colours , and in the perfection of a persecuting spirit ; and have therein given us a most sad and deplorable instance , of a religion corrupted and degenerated into that which , if it be possible , is worse than none . and since , by the undeserved mercy of god to us , we have , upon such easy terms in comparison , escap'd their rage and fury ; let us now at length resolve , never to join in affinity with the people of these abominations ; since our alliances with them by marriage have had so fatal an influence , both upon the publick peace and tranquility of the nation , and upon the welfare also of private families . i have known many instances of this kind , but hardly ever yet saw one that prov'd happy ; but a great many that have been pernicious and ruinous to those protestant families in which such unequal , and , as i think , unlawful matches have been made : not that such marriages are void in themselves , but yet for all that sinful ; because of the apparent danger and temptation to which those of our church and religion that enter into them do evidently expose themselves , of being seduc'd from their religion ; not by the good arguments which the other can offer to that purpose , but by the ill arts which they have the confidence and the conscience to make use of in the making of proselytes . and let us pay our most hearty and thankful acknowledgments , chiefly and in the first place to almighty god , the blessed author of this deliverance ; and under him , to that happy instrument , whom god hath been pleased , in great pity to this sinful and unworthy nation , to raise up on purpose for it , his highness the prince of orange ; and to that end did in his all-wise providence lay the foundation of our then future deliverance , in that auspicious match which was concluded here in england , about eleven years ago , between this renowned prince and our excellent princess . this is that most illustrious house of nassau and orange , which god hath so highly honoured above all the families of the earth , to give a check to the two great aspiring monarchies of the west , and bold attempters upon the liberties of europe : to the one , in the last age ; and to the other , in the present . as if the princes of this valiant and victorious line had been of the race of hercules , born to rescue mankind from oppression , and to quell monsters . and lastly , let us beseech almighty god , all whose ways and works are perfect , that he would establish that which he hath wrought , and still carry it on to further and greater perfection . which , after such an earnest of his favour and good will to us , we have no reason to doubt but that he is ready to do for us ; if by our own fickleness and inconstancy , disgusting the deliverance now it is come , which we so earnestly desir'd before it came ; if by our ingrateful murmurings and discontents , by our own foolish heats and animosities , kindled and carried on by the ill designs of some , working upon the tenderness and scruples of others , under the specious pretences of conscience and loyalty : i say , if by some or all these ways we do not refuse the blessing which god now offers , and defeat and frustrate the merciful design of this wonderful revolution ; god will still rejoice over us , to do us good , and think thoughts of peace towards us , thoughts of good , and not of evil , to give us an expected end of our long troubles and confusions . but if we will not know , in this our day , the things which belong to our peace , our destruction will then be of our selves ; and there will be no need that god should be angry with us , for we shall be undone by our own differences and quarrels about the way and means of our being saved ; and so be angry with one another till we be consumed . which god , of his infinite goodness , give us all the grace and wisdom to prevent ; for his mercies sake , in jesus christ , to whom , with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , thanksgiving and praise , both now and ever . amen . of forgiveness of injuries , and against revenge . a sermon preached before the queen at white hall , march . / . of forgiveness of injuries , and against revenge . matth . v. . but i say unto you , love your enemies ; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you ; pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you . the gospel hath promised forgiveness of sins to us upon two conditions ; that we sincerely repent of the sins which we have committed against god ; and , that we heartily forgive to men the injuries and offences which they have been guilty of towards us . i shall at this time , by god's assistance , treat of the latter of these , from the words which i have recited to you ; which are part of our saviour's excellent sermon upon the mount. in which he doth not only explain , but enlarge and perfect the moral and natural law , by adding to it precepts and prohibitions of greater perfection , than either the law of moses or the natural law , in their largest extent , did contain . he forbids polygamy , and divorce except only in case of adultery ; and likewise revenge ; none of which were forbidden either by the law of nature , or by the law which was given by moses . and to these prohibitions our blessed saviour adds several new precepts of greater perfection than any laws that were extant before . but i say unto you , love your enemies . the jewish law commanded them to love their neighbour , meaning their brethren and those of their own nation : but our saviour , by commanding us to love our enemies , hath in the most emphatical manner that can be commanded us to love all men . for if any were to be excluded from our charity , none so likely to be so as our enemies . so that after a command to love our enemies it was needless to name any others ; because men are naturally apt to love those that love them . i say unto you , love your enemies ; here the inward affection is requir'd . bless them that curse you ; here outward civility and affability are requir'd , in opposition to rude and uncivil language ; for so blessing and cursing do in scripture frequently signify . do good to them that hate you ; here real acts of kindness are commanded to be done by us to our bitterest and most malicious enemies . pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you . these are the highest expressions of enmity that can be , calumny and cruelty ; and yet we are commanded to pray for those that touch us in these two tenderest points of all other , our reputation and our life and to secure the sincerity of our charity towards our enemies , we are requir'd to express it by our hearty prayers to god for them : to god , i say , before whom it is both impious and dangerous to dissemble ; and from whom we can expect no mercy for our selves , if with feigned lips we beg it of him for others . you see what is the duty here required ; that we bear a sincere affection to our most malicious and implacable enemies , and be ready upon occasion to give real testimony of it . and because this may seem a hard duty , and not so easy to be reconciled either to our inclination , or our reason ; i shall endeavour to shew , that this law is not only reasonable , but much more perfect and excellent , and the practice of it more easy and delightful , and upon all accounts much more for our benefit and advantage , than the contrary : and that upon four considerations ; which i shall endeavour to represent with their just advantage , and so as may , i hope , not only convince our judgments of the reasonableness of this precept , but likewise bend and sway our wills to the obedience and practice of it . i. if we consider the nature of the act here requir'd , which is to love ; which when it is not a mere passion , but under the government of our reason , is the most natural , and easy , and delightful of all the affections which god hath planted in humane nature : whereas ill will , and hatred , and revenge , are very troublesome and vexatious passions . both the devising of mischief , and the accomplishment of it , and the reflection upon it afterwards , are all uneasy : and the consequences of it many times pernicious to our selves . the very design of revenge is troublesome , and puts the spirits into an unnatural fermentation and tumult . the man that meditates it is always restless , his very soul is stung , swells and boiles , is in pain and anguish , hath no ease , no enjoyment of it self so long as this passion reigns . the execution of it may perhaps be attended with some present pleasure , but that pleasure is unreasonable and brutish , momentany and short , like a flash of lightning , which vanisheth in the twinkling of an eye . it is commonly said that revenge is sweet , but to a calm and considerate mind patience and forgiveness are sweeter , and do afford a much more rational and solid and durable pleasure than revenge . the monuments of our mercy and goodness are a far more pleasing and delightful spectacle , than of our rage and cruelty . and no sort of thought does usually haunt men with more terror , than the reflection upon what they have done in way of revenge . besides that the consequences of this passion do commonly prove very prejudicial to our selves . for the revenge of one injury doth naturally draw on more , and will oblige us for the same reason to a new revenge of them ; and this brings on a perpetual and endless circulation of injuries and revenges . so that whoever seeks revenge upon another doth commonly in the issue take it upon himself , and whilst he thinks to transfer the injury which he hath receiv'd upon him that did it , he doubles it upon himself . such , and so great are the troubles and inconveniences of a malicious and revengeful temper : but there is no torment in love , as st. john excellently says . to be kindly affection'd towards all , to bear no grudge or ill-will , no thought of displeasure or revenge towards any man , is the easiest posture , the most pleasant state of the mind . so that if not for their sakes , yet for our own , we should love our enemies and do good to them that hate us ; because to be thus affected towards all men , is as great a kindness to our selves as it is charity to others . ii. if we consider the qualification of the object ; it is our enemy whom we are requir'd to love. in whom though there be something that is justly disgustful , yet there is something also that is lovely ; and if we persist in our kindness to him , notwithstanding his enmity to us , the enmity may wear off , and perhaps at length be chang'd into a sincere and firm friendship . 't is true indeed , that with regard to our selves personal enmity towards us is one of the most inconvenient qualities that a man can have , but not therefore the worst in it self . if we could be impartial and lay aside prejudice , we might perhaps discern several very lovely qualities in him who hates us : and vertue is to be own'd , and prais'd , and lov'd , even in an enemy . and perhaps his enmity towards us is not so great and inexcusable a fault , as we apprehend ; he is not perhaps our enemy to that degree , nor so altogether without cause , as we imagine ; possibly we have provok'd him , or by his own mistake , or through the malicious representation of others , he may be induc'd to think so : and are not we our selves liable to the like misapprehensions concerning others ? of which we are many times afterwards convinc'd and asham'd : and so may he , and then his enmity will cease , if we will but have a little patience with him , as we always wish in the like case that others would have with us . at the worst , though never so sore and causeless an enemy , though never so bad a man , yet he is a man , and as such , hath something in him which the blindest passion cannot deny to be good and amiable . he hath the same nature with our selves , which we cannot hate , or despise , without hatred and contempt of our selves . let a man's faults be what they will , they do not destroy his nature and make him cease to be a man. the two great foundations of love are relation and likeness . no one thing , says tully , is so like , so equal to another , as one man is to another . what difference soever there may be between us and another man , yea , though he be our enemy , yet he is still like us in the main ; and perhaps , but too like us in that for which we find so much fault with him , a proneness to offer affronts and injuries . and there is an essential relation , as well as likeness , between one man and another ; which nothing can ever dissolve , because it is founded in that which no man can divest himself of , in humane nature . so far is it from being true , which mr. hobbs asserts as the fundamental principle of his politicks , that men are naturally in a state of war and enmity with one another ; that the contrary principle , laid down by a much deeper and wiser man , i mean aristotle , is most certainly true , that men are naturally akin and friends to each other . some unhappy accidents and occasions may make men enemies , but naturally every man is friend to another : and that is the surest and most unalterable reason of things which is founded in nature , not that which springs from mutable accidents and occasions . so that whoever is recommended to us under the notion of a man , ought not to be look'd upon by us , and treated as an enemy . consider farther that an enemy , even whilst he is exercising his enmity towards us , may do us many acts of real advantage ; which though they do not proceed from kindness , yet in truth are benefits . the malicious censures of our enemies , if we make a right use of them , may prove of greater advantage to us , than the civilities of our best friends . we can easily afford , nay the wisest men can hardly forbear , to love a flatterer ; to embrace him , and to take him into our bosom ; and yet an open enemy is a thousand times better and less dangerous than he . it is good for many men that they have had enemies , who have many times been to them the happy occasion of reforming those faults , which none but an enemy would have taken the freedom , i had almost said would have had the friendship , to have told them of . but what if after all , this enemy of ours , this hated man , prove to be one of our best friends ? for so reconciled enemies usually are . and if any thing will reconcile an enemy , love and kindness will. an obstinate goodness is apt to conquer even the worst of men. it is hardly in the nature of man to withstand the kindness of one whom , by all that we could do , we have not been able to make our enemy . after a man hath done the greatest injury to another , not only to find no revenge following upon it , but the first opportunity taken to oblige him , is so very surprizing , that it can hardly fail to gain upon the worst disposition and to melt down the hardest temper . so that we should love our enemies , if not for what they are at present , yet for what they may be , and in hope that by these means they may in the time become our friends . iii. if we consider the excellency and generosity of the thing it self . to love our enemies , and to do good to them that hate us , is the perfection of goodness , and the advancement of it to its highest pitch . it is the most excellent and perfect act of the greatest and most perfect of all graces and vertues , i mean charity ; which by st. paul is call'd the bond of perfection ; and by st. james , the perfect and the royal law : because it inspires men with a greatness of mind fit for kings and princes , in whom nothing is more admirable than a generous goodness and clemency , even towards great enemies and offenders , so far as is consistent with the publick good. love for love is but justice and gratitude ; love for no love is favour and kindness ; but love for hatred and enmity is a most divine temper , a steddy and immutable goodness that is not to be stirr'd by provocation , and so far from being conquer'd that it is rather confirm'd by its contrary : for if hatred and enmity do not extinguish love , what can ? this is goodness indeed ; not only without merit and obligation , without invitation or motive ; but against all reasonable expectation , and in despite of all temptation and provocation to the contrary . so that to return good for evil and love for hatred , is one of the greatest arguments of a great mind , and of deep wisdom and consideration : for naturally our first inclinations and thoughts towards our enemies are full of anger and revenge ; but our second and wiser thoughts will tell us , that forgiveness is much more generous than revenge . and a more glorious victory cannot be gain'd over another man than this , that when the injury began on his part the kindness should begin on ours . if both the ways were equally in our power , yet it is a much more desirable conquest to overcome evil with good , than with evil . by this , we can only conquer our enemy , and may perhaps fail in that ; but by the other , we certainly conquer our selves , and perhaps our enemy too ; overcoming him in the noblest manner , and walking him gently till he be cool , and without force effectually subduing him to be our friend . this , as one fitly compares it , is like a great and wise general , by art and stratagem , by meer dint of skill and conduct , by patience and wise delay ; without ever striking a stroke , or shedding one drop of blood , to vanquish an enemy , and to make an end of the war without ever putting it to the hazard of a battel . revenge is blind and rash , and does always proceed from impotency and weakness of mind . 't is anger that spurs men on to it ; and anger is certainly one of the foolishest passions of humane nature , and which commonly betrays men to the most imprudent and unreasonable things . so solomon observes , he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly ; and again , anger resteth in the bosom of fools : but to be able to bear provocation , is an argument of great wisdom ; and to forgive it , of a great mind : so the same wise-man tells us , he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty , and he that ruleth his spirit , than he that taketh a city . it is a greater thing , in case of great provocation , to calm a mans own spirit , than to storm and take a strong city . whereas the angry man loseth and lets fall the government of himself , and lays the reins upon the neck of the wild beast , his own brutish appetite and passion ; which hurries him on first to revenge , and then to repentance for the folly which he hath been guilty of in gratifying so unreasonable a passion . for it very seldom happens that any man executes an act of revenge , but the very next moment after he hath done it , he is sorry for it , and wisheth he had not done it : whereas patience and forgiveness do wisely prevent both the mischief to others , and the trouble to our selves , which is usually consequent upon revenge . iv. if we consider the perfection and prevalency of the examples which the gospel proposeth to us , to allure and engage us to the practice of this duty . and they are the examples of god himself , and of the son of god in the nature of man. . the example of god himself . the scripture doth frequently set before us the goodness of gods common providence to sinners , for our pattern . and this is the argument whereby our blessed saviour presseth the duty in the text upon us , in the verse immediately after it ; that ye may be the children of your heavenly father , who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good , and his rain to fall on the just and the unjust . the same argument seneca also urgeth to the same purpose . how many ( says he ) are unworthy of the light , and yet the day visits them ? and speaking of the gods , they bestow , ( says he ) their benefits upon the unthankful , and are ready to help those who make a bad construction and use of their kindness . and almost in the very words of our saviour , etiam sceleratis sol oritur , &c. the sun riseth even upon the most vile and profligate persons , and the seas are open to pirates . thus is god affected towards those who are guilty of the greatest provocations towards him. he bestows upon them the gifts of his common providence ; and not only so , but is ready to forgive innumerable offences to them for christ's sake . this pattern the apostle proposeth to our imitation , be ye kind , tender-hearted , forbearing one another , forgiving one another , even as god for christ's sake hath forgiven you : be ye therefore imitaters of god as dear children . this temper and disposition of mind , is the prime excellency and perfection of the divine nature ; and who would not be ambitious to be like the most perfect and best of beings ? and so our b. saviour concludes this argument , in the last verse of this chapter , be ye therefore perfect , as your father which is in heaven is perfect , which st. luke renders , be ye therefore merciful , as your father which is in heaven is merciful . so that in that very thing which we think to be so hard and difficult , you see that we have perfection it self for our pattern . and this example ought to be of so much greater force with us , by how much greater reason there is why we should do thus to one another , than why god should do thus to us . our offences against god are more and greater , than any man ever was or could be guilty of towards us : besides , that there are many considerations which ought to tye up our hands , and may reasonably restrain us from falling furiously upon one another , which can have no place at all in god. we may justly fear , that the consequence of our revenge may return upon our selves , and that it may come to be our own case to stand in need of mercy and forgiveness from others : and therefore out of necessary caution and prudence , we should take heed not to set any bad example in this kind , lest it should recoil upon our selves . we who stand so much in need of forgiveness our selves , ought in all reason to be very easy to forgive others . but now the divine nature is infinitely above any real injury or suffering . god can never stand in need of pity or forgiveness ; and yet of his own meer goodness , without any interest or design , how slow is he to anger , and how ready to forgive ? and , which comes yet nearer to us , there is also the example of the son of god , our blessed saviour ; who in our nature , and in case of the greatest injuries and provocations imaginable , did practise this vertue to the height : and all this for our sakes , as well as for our example . so that he requires nothing of us , but what he himself submitted to with the greatest patience and constancy of mind ; in our stead , and wholly for our advantage . he render'd good for evil to all mankind , and shew'd greater love to us , whilst we were enemies to him , than ever any man did to his friend . he pray'd for those that despitefully used him and persecuted him . and this , not upon cool consideration , after the injury was done , and the pain of his sufferings was over ; but whilst the sense and smart of them was upon him , and in the very agony and bitterness of death : in the height of all his anguish , he pour'd out his soul an offering for the sins of men , and his blood a sacrifice to god , for the expiation of the guilt of that very sin whereby they shed it ; pleading with god , in the behalf of his murderers , the only excuse that was possible to be made for their malice , that is , their ignorance ; and spending his last breath in that most charitable prayer for them , father forgive them , for they know not what they do . the last declaration which he made of his mind , was love to his enemies ; and the last legacy he bequeath'd was an earnest request to god for the forgiveness of his persecutors and murderers . so that if any example ought to be dear to us , and effectually to engage us to the imitation of it , this of our blessed saviour should ; since the injuries which he suffer'd have saved us from suffering , and the greatest blessing and happiness that ever befel mankind is due to this excellent example : and then with what confidence , nay with what conscience , can we pretend to share in the benefits of this example , without imitating the vertues of it ? can we seriously contemplate the excessive kindness and charity of the son of god to the sinful sons of men , after all our bitterest enmity towards him , and most cruel and injurious usage of him ; and all this charity exercis'd towards us , whilst he was under the actual sense and suffering of these things : and yet not be provok'd by an example so admirable in it self , and of such mighty advantage to us , to go and do likewise ? but notwithstanding the power of these arguments to perswade to this duty , i must not dissemble some objections which are , i believe , in many of your minds against it ; and to which for the full clearing of this matter , it will be fit to give some satisfaction . and they are these : . that this precept in the text does not seem so well to agree with another of our blessed saviour's , in another evangelist , if thy brother trespass against thee , rebuke him ; and if he repent , forgive him . and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day , and seven times in a day turn again to thee , saying , i repent , thou shalt forgive him . here our blessed saviour seems not to require forgiveness , unless he that hath done the injury declare his repentance for it : but the text plainly requires us to forgive those who are so far from repenting of their enmity , that they still pursue it , and exercise it upon us . thus our lord teacheth us , and thus he himself practised towards his persecutors . but this appearance of contradiction will quickly vanish , if we consider that forgiveness is sometimes taken chiefly for abstaining from revenge ; and so far we are to forgive our enemies , even whilst they continue so , and though they do not repent : and not only so , but we are also to pray for them , and to do good offices to them , especially of common humanity : and this is the meaning of the precept in the text. but sometimes forgiveness does signify a perfect reconciliation to those that have offended us , so as to take them again into our friendship ; which they are by no means fit for , till they have repented of their enmity , and laid it aside . and this is plainly the meaning of the other text. . it is further objected , that this seems to be a very imprudent thing , and of dangerous consequence to our selves ; because by bearing one injury so patiently , and forgiving it so easily , we invite more ; and not only tempt our enemy to go on , but others also by his example to do the like : which will make ill natur'd men to provoke us on purpose , with a crafty design to wrest benefits from us : for what better trade can a man drive , than to gain benefits in exchange for injuries ? to this i answer three things : first , it is to be feared that there are but few so very good , as to make this kind return for injuries : perhaps , of those that call themselves christians , not one in a hundred . and he is not a cunning man that will venture to make an enemy , when there is the odds of a hundred to one against him , that this enemy of his will take the first opportunity to take his revenge upon him . secondly , it is also on the other hand to be hoped , that but very few are so prodigiously bad , as to make so barbarous a return for the unexpected kindness of a generous enemy . and this is encouragement enough to the practice of this duty , if there be a probable hope that it will have a good effect ; and however , if it should fall out otherwise , yet this would not be reason enough to discourage our goodness , especially since the kindness which we do to our friends is liable almost to an equal objection , that they may prove ungrateful , and become our enemies : it having been often seen that great benefits , and such as are beyond requital , instead of making a man more a friend have made him an enemy . thirdly , our saviour never intended by this precept , that our goodness should be blind and void of all prudence and discretion , but that it should be so managed , as to make our enemy sensible both of his own fault , and of our favour ; and so , as to give him as little encouragement , as there is reason for it , to hope to find the like favour again upon the like provocation . our saviour commands us to do the thing , but hath left it to our prudence to do it in such a manner as may be most effectual , both to reclaim the offender , and likewise to secure our selves against future and further injuries . . lastly , it is objected , what can we do more to our best friends , than to love them and bless them , than to do good to them and to pray for them ? and are we then to make no difference betwixt our enemies and our friends ? yes surely ; and so we may , notwithstanding this precept : for there are degrees of love , and there are benefits of several rates and sizes . those of the first rate we may with reason bestow upon our friends , and with those of a second or third rate there is all the reason in the world why our enemies should be very well contented . besides that we may abstain from revenge , yea , and love our enemy , and wish him and do him good ; and yet it will not presently be necessary that we should take him into our bosom , and treat and trust him as our intimate and familiar friend . for every one that is not our enemy is not fit to be our friend ; much less one that hath been our enemy , and perhaps is so still . there must be a great change in him that hath been our enemy , and we must have had long experience of him , before it will be fit , if ever it be so , to take him into our friendship . all that now remains is to make some inferences from the discourse which i have made upon this argument , by way of application . and they shall be these four : i. if we think it so very difficult to demean our selves towards our enemies , as the christian religion doth plainly require us to do ; to forgive them , and love them , and pray for them , and to do good offices to them , then certainly it concerns us in prudence to be very careful how we make enemies to our selves . one of the first principles of humane wisdom , in the conduct of our lives , i have ever thought to be this , to have a few intimate friends , and to make no enemies , if it be possible , to our selves . st. paul lays a great stress upon this , and presseth it very earnestly . for after he had forbidden revenge , recompence to no man evil for evil . as if he were very sensible how hard a matter it is to bring men to this , he adviseth in the next words , to prevent , if it be possible , the occasions of revenge , if it be possible , and as much as lieth in you , live peaceably with all men : that is , if we can avoid it , have no enmity with any man. and that for two weighty reasons . the first i have already intimated ; because it is so very hard to behave our selves towards enemies as we ought . this we shall find to be a difficult duty to flesh and blood ; and it will require great wisdom , and consideration , and humility of mind , for a man to bring down his spirit to the obedience of this command : for the fewer enemies we have , the less occasion will there be of contesting this hard point with our selves . and the other reason is , i think , yet plainer and more convincing , because enemies will come of themselves , and let a man do what he can , he shall have some . friendship is a thing that needs to be cultivated , if we would have it come to any thing ; but enemies , like ill weeds , will spring up of themselves without our care and toil . the enemy , as our saviour calls the devil , will sow these tares in the night , and when we least discern it will scatter the seeds of discord and enmity among men ; and will take an advantage either from the envy , or the malice , or the mistakes of men , to make them enemies to one another . which would make one wonder to see what care and pains some men will take , to provoke mankind against them ; how they will lay about them , and snatch at opportunities to make themselves enemies , as if they were afraid to let the happy occasion slip by them : but all this care and fear surely is needless ; we may safely trust an ill natur'd world , that we shall have enemies enough , without our doing things on our part to provoke and procure them . but above all , it concerns every man in prudence to take great care not to make personal enemies to himself ; for these are the sorest and the surest of all other , and when there is an opportunity for it , will sit hardest upon us . injuries done to the publick are certainly the greatest , and yet they are many times more easily forgiven , than those which are done to particular persons . for when revenge is every bodies work , it may prove to be no bodies . the general wrongs which are done to humane society , do not so sensibly touch and sting men , as personal injuries and provocations . the law is never angry or in passion , and it is not only a great indecency , but a fault , when the judges of it are so heat of prosecution belongs to particular persons ; and it is their memory of injuries , and desire to revenge them , and diligence to set on and sharpen the law , that is chiefly to be dreaded : and if the truth were known , it is much to be fear'd that there are almost as few private as publick acts of oblivion pass'd in the world ; and they commonly pass as slowly , and with as much difficulty , and not till the grace and good effect of them is almost quite lost . ii. secondly , if we ought to be thus affected towards our enemies , how great ought our kindness , and the expressions of it , to be to others ? to those who never disobliged us , nor did us any injury by word or deed ; to those more especially , who stand in a nearer relation to us ; to our natural kindred , and to our spiritual brethren to whom we are so strongly link'd and united by the common bond of christianity ; and lastly , to our benefactors , and those who have been before-hand with us in obligation : for all these are so many special ties and endearments of men to one another , founded either in nature or religion , or in common justice and gratitude . and therefore between all these and our enemies we ought to make a very wide and sensible difference , in our carriage and kindness towards them . and if we do not do so , we represent our saviour as an unreasonable lawgiver , and do perversly interpret this precept of his contrary to the reasonable and equitable meaning of it . for whatever degree of kindness is here required towards our enemies , it is certain that so much more is due to others , as according to the true proportion of our tie and obligation to them they have deserved at our hands : nothing being more certain than that our blessed saviour , the founder of our religion , did never intend by any precept of it to cancel any real obligation of nature , or justice , or gratitude ; or to offer violence in the least to the common reason of mankind . iii. thirdly , hence we learn the excellency and the reasonableness of the christian religion , which hath carried our duty so high in things which do so directly tend to the perfection of humane nature , and to the peace of humane society ; and , which if all things be rightly consider'd , are most agreeable to the clearest and best reason of mankind : so that those things which were heretofore look'd upon , and that only by some few of the wiser sort , as heroical instances of goodness and above the common rate of humanity , are now by the christian religion made the indispensable duties of all mankind . and the precepts of no other religion , that ever yet appeared in the world , have advanced humane nature so much above it self , and are so well calculated for the peace and happiness of the world , as the precepts of the christian religion are : for they strictly forbid the doing of injuries , by way of prevention ; and in case they happen , they endeavour to put a present stop to the progress of them , by so severely forbidding the revenging of them . and yet after all this , it must be acknowledg'd to be a very untoward objection against the excellency and the efficacy of the christian religion , that the practice of so many christians is so unequal to the perfection of these precepts . for who is there in the changes and revolutions of humane affairs , and when the wheel of providence turns them uppermost , and lays their enemies at their feet , that will give them any quarter ? nay , that does not greedily seize upon the first opportunities of revenge , and like an eagle , hungry for his prey , make a sudden stoop upon them with all his force and violence ; and when he hath them in his pounces , and at his mercy , is not ready to tear them in pieces ? so that after all our boasts of the excellency of our religion , where is the practice of it ? this , i confess is a terrible objection indeed ; and i must intreat of you , my brethren , to help me to the best answer to it : not by any nice distinctions and speculations about it , but by the careful and honest practice of this precept of our religion . this was the old objection against philosophy , that many that were philosophers in their opinions were faulty in their lives : but yet this was never thought by wise men to be a good objection against philosophy . and unless we will lay more weight upon the objections against religion , and press them harder than we think it reasonable to do in any other case , we must acknowledge likewise , that this objection against religion is of no force . men do not cast off the art of physick , because many physicians do not live up to their own rules , and do not themselves follow those prescriptions which they think fit to give to others : and there is a plain reason for it because their swerving from their own rules doth not necessarily signify that their rules are not good , but only that their appetites are unruly , and too hard and headstrong for their reason : nothing being more certain than this , that rules may be very reasonable , and yet they that give them may not follow them . iv. the fourth and last inference from this whole discourse shall be this , that being convinced by what hath been said upon this argument , of the reasonableness of this duty , we would resolve upon the practice of it , when ever there is occasion offer'd for it in the course of our lives . i need not to put you in mind , that there is now like to be great occasion for it : i shall only say , that whenever there is so , nothing can be tied more strictly upon us than this duty is . it hath often been a great comfort and confirmation to me , to see the humanity of the protestant religion , so plainly discovering it self , upon so many occasions , in the practice of the professours of it . and setting aside all other advantages which our religion hath been evidently shewn to have above popery in point of reason and argument , i cannot for my life but think that to be the best religion which makes the best men , and from the nature of its principles is apt to make them so ; most kind and merciful , and charitable ; and most free from malice , and revenge , and cruelty . and therefore our blessed saviour , who knew what was in man better than any man that ever was , knowing our great reluctancy and backwardness to the practice of this duty , hath urged it upon us by such forcible and almost violent arguments , that if we have any tenderness for our selves , we cannot refuse obedience to it . for he plainly tells us , that no sacrifice that we can offer will appease god towards us , so long as we our selves are implacable to men ; verse d. of this chapter , if thou bring thy gift to the altar , and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee , leave thy gift before the altar , and go thy way : first go and be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . to recommend this duty effectually to us , he gives it a preference to all the positive duties of religion : first go and be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . till this duty be discharged , god will accept of no service , no sacrifice at our hands . and therefore our liturgy doth with great reason declare it to be a necessary qualification for our worthy receiving of the sacrament , that we be in love and charity with our neighbours ; because this is a moral duty , and of eternal obligation , without which no positive part of religion , such as the sacraments are , can be acceptable to god ; especially since in this blessed sacrament of christ's body and blood we expect to have the forgiveness of our sins ratified and confirmed to us : which how can we hope for from god , if we our selves be not ready to forgive one another ? he shall have judgment without mercy , says st. james , who hath shewed no mercy . and in that excellent form of prayer which our lord himself hath given us , he hath taught us so to ask forgiveness of god , as not to expect it from him , if we do not forgive one another . so that if we do not practice this duty , as hard as we think it is , every time that we put up this petition to god , [ forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us ; ] we send up a terrible imprecation against our selves , and do in effect beg of god not to forgive us . and therefore , to imprint this matter the deeper upon our minds , our blessed saviour immediately after the recital of this prayer , hath thought fit to add a very remarkable enforcement of this petition , above all the rest ; for if , says he , ye forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your father forgive your trespasses . and our saviour hath likewise in his gospel represented to us , both the reasonableness of this duty , and the danger of doing contrary to it , in a very lively and affecting parable , deliver'd by him to this purpose : concerning a wicked servant , who , when his lord had but just before forgiven him a vast debt of ten thousand talents , took his poor fellow-servant by the throat , and , notwithstanding his humble submission and earnest intreaties to be favourable to him , haled him to prison for a trifling debt of an hundred pence . and the application which he makes of this parable , at the end of it , is very terrible , and such as ought never to go out of our minds ; so likewise , says he , shall my heavenly father do also unto you , if ye do not from your hearts forgive every one his brother his trespasses . one might be apt to think at first view , that this parable was over done , and wanted something of a due decorum ; it being hardly credible , that a man after he had been so mercifully and generously dealt withal , as upon his humble request to have so huge a debt so freely forgiven , should whilst the memory of so much mercy was fresh upon him , even the very next moment , handle his fellow servant , who had made the same humble submission and request to him which he had done to his lord , with so much roughness and cruelty , for so inconsiderable a sum. this , i say , would hardly seem credible ; did we not see in experience how very unreasonable and unmerciful some men are , and with what confidence they can ask and expect great mercy from god , when they will shew none to men. the greatness of the injuries which are done to us , is the reason commonly pleaded by us why we cannot forgive them . but whoever thou art , that makest this an argument why thou canst not forgive thy brother , lay thine hand upon thy heart , and bethink thy self how many more and much greater offences thou hast been guilty of against god : look up to that just and powerful being that is above , and consider well , whether thou dost not both expect and stand in need of more mercy and favour from him , than thou canst find in thy heart to shew to thine offending brother ? we have all certainly great reason to expect that as we use one another , god will likewise deal with us . and yet after all this , how little is this duty practis'd among christians ? and how hardly are the best of us brought to love our enemies , and to forgive them ? and this , notwithstanding that all our hopes of mercy and forgiveness from god do depend upon it . how strangely inconsistent is our practice and our hope ? and what a wide distance is there between our expectations from god , and our dealings with men ? how very partial and unequal are we , to hope so easily to be forgiven , and yet to be so hard to forgive ? would we have god , for christ's sake , to forgive us those numberless and monstrous provocations which we have been guilty of against his divine majesty ? and shall we not for his sake , for whose sake we our selves are forgiven , be willing to forgive one another ? we think it hard to be oblig'd to forgive great injuries , and often repeated ; and yet woe be to us all , and most miserable shall we be to all eternity , if god do not all this to us , which we think to be so very hard and unreasonable for us to do to one another . i have sometimes wonder'd how it should come to pass , that so many persons should be so apt to despair of the mercy and forgiveness of god to them ; especially considering what clear and express declarations god hath made of his readiness to forgive our greatest sins and provocations upon our sincere repentance : but the wonder will be very much abated , when we shall consider with how much difficulty men are brought to remit great injuries , and how hardly we are perswaded to refrain from flying upon those who have given us any considerable provocation . so that when men look into themselves , and shall carefully observe the motions of their own minds towards those against whom they have been justly exasperated , they will see but too much reason to think that forgiveness is no such easy matter . but our comfort in this case is , that god is not as man ; that his ways are not as our ways , nor his thoughts as our thoughts ; but as the heavens are high above the earth , so are his ways above our ways , and his thoughts above our thoughts . and the best way to keep our selves from despairing of god's mercy and forgiveness to us , is to be easy to grant forgiveness to others : and without this , as god hath reason to deny forgiveness to us , so we our selves have all the reason in the world utterly to despair of it . it would almost transport a christian to read that admirable passage of the great heathen emperour and philosopher m. aurelius antoninus , can the gods , says he , that are immortal , for the continuance of so many ages , bear without impatience with such and so many sinners as have ever been ; and not only so , but likewise take care of them , and provide for them that they want nothing : and dost thou so grievously take on , as one that can bear with them no longer ? thou , that art but for a moment of time ; yea , thou that art one of those sinners thyself . i will conclude this whole discourse with those weighty and pungent sayings of the wise son of syrach , he that revengeth shall find vengeance from the lord , and he will certainly retain his sins . forgive thy neighbour that hath hurt thee , so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest . one man beareth hatred against another , and doth he seek pardon of the lord ? he sheweth no mercy to a man like himself , and doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins ? enable us , o lord , by thy grace , to practise this excellent and difficult duty of our religion : and then , forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us : for thy mercies sake , in jesus christ ; to whom with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , adoration and obedience , both now and ever . amen . the care of our souls the one thing needful . a sermon preached before the king and queen at hampton-court , april the th . . the care of our souls the one thing needful . luke . x. . but one thing is needful . in the accounts of wise men , one of the first rules and measures of human actions is this , to regard every thing more or less , according to the degree of its consequence and importance to our happiness . that which is most necessary to that end ought in all reason to be minded by us in the first place , and other things only so far as they are consistent with that great end , and subservient to it . our b. saviour here tells us that there is one thing needful , that is , one thing which ought first and principally to be regarded by us : and what that is , it is of great concernment to us all to know , that we may mind and pursue it as it deserves . and we may easily understand what it is by considering the context , and the occasion of these words , which was briefly this : our saviour , as he went about preaching the kingdom of god , came into a certain village , where he was entertain'd at the house of two devout sisters . the elder , who had the care and management of the family and the affairs of it , was imployed in making entertainment for such a guest : the other sate at our saviour's feet , attending to the doctrine of salvation which he preach'd . the elder finding her self not able to do all the business alone , desires of our saviour that he would command her sister to come and help her . upon this our saviour gives her this gentle reprehension , martha , martha , thou art careful and troubled about many things , but one thing is needful . and what that is he declares in the next words , and mary hath chosen that good part , which shall not be taken away from her ; that is , she hath chosen to take care of her salvation , which is infinitely more considerable than any thing else . our saviour doth not altogether blame martha for her respectful care of him , but cmmends her sister for her greater care of her soul ; which made her either wholly to forget , or unwilling to mind other things at that time . so that , upon the whole matter , he highly approves her wise choice , in preferring an attentive regard to his doctrine , even before that which might be thought a necessary civility to his person . from the words thus explain'd the observation which i shall make is this . that the care of religion and of our souls is the one thing necessary , and that which every man is concern'd in the first place and above all other things to mind and regard . this observation seems to be plainly contain'd in the text. i shall handle it as briefly as i can ; and then by way of application shall endeavour to persuade you and my self to mind this one thing necessary . and in speaking to this serious and weighty argument i shall do these two things . first , i shall endeavour to shew wherein this care of religion and of our souls does consist . secondly , to convince men of the necessity of taking this care . i. i shall shew wherein this care of religion and of our souls doth consist . and this i shall endeavour to do with all the plainness i can , and so as every one that hears me may understand and be sufficiently directed what is necessary for him to do in order to his eternal salvation . and of this i shall give an account in the five following particulars , in which i think the main business of religion and the due care of our souls does consist . first , in the distinct knowledge , and in the firm belief and persuasion of those things which are necessary to be known and believed by us in order to our eternal salvation . secondly , in the frequent examination of our lives and actions , and in a sincere repentance for all the errours and miscarriages of them . thirdly , in the constant and daily exercise of piety and devotion . fourthly , in avoiding those things which are pernicious to our salvation , and whereby men do often hazard their souls . fifthly , in the even and constant practice of the several graces and vertues of a good life . i. the due care of religion and our souls does consist in the distinct knowledge , and in the firm belief and persuasion of those things which are necessary to be known and believ'd by us in order to our eternal salvation . for this knowledge of the necessary principles and duties of religion is the foundation of all good practice , wherein the life of religion doth consist . and without this no man can be truly religious . without faith , saith the apostle to the hebrews , it is impossible to please god : for he that cometh to god , must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. now these two expressions of pleasing god and seeking him , are plainly of the same importance , and do both of them signify religion , or the worship and service of god ; which doth antecedently suppose our firm belief and persuasion of these two fundamental principles of all religion , that there is a god , and , that he will reward those that serve him : because unless a man do first believe these , there would neither be ground nor encouragement for any such thing as religion . and this knowledge of the necessary principles of religion our b. saviour calls eternal life , because it is so fundamentally necessary in order to our attaining of it : this is life eternal , says he , to know thee , the only true god ; and him whom thou hast sent , jesus christ , that is , to be rightly instructed in the knowledge of the only true god , and of his son jesus christ our lord : under which two general heads are comprehended all the necessary principles both of the natural and of the christian religion . and to the attaining of this knowledge which is absolutely necessary to salvation , no such extraordinary pains and study is requir'd ; but only a teachable disposition , and a due application of mind . for whatever in religion is necessary to be known by all , must in all reason be plain and easie , and lye level to all capacities ; otherwise we must say , that god who would have all men to be saved hath not provided for the salvation of all men . and therefore , now that the knowledge of the true god and the light of christianity are shed abroad in the world , all that enjoy the gospel are , or may be , sufficiently instructed in all things necessary to their happiness : unless such care be used , as is in the church of rome , to take away the key of knowledge , and to lock up the scriptures from the people in an unknown tongue ; and this , as they pretend , upon a very charitable consideration , only it is to be hop'd that it is not true , that the generality of mankind are mad and have need to be kept in the dark . but supposing men to be allowed those means of knowledg which god affords , and hath appointed for us , the great difficulty doth not commonly lie in mens understandings , but in their wills : only when men know these things , they must attend to them and consider them ; that the light which is in their understandings may warm their hearts , and have its due influence upon their lives . ii. the due care of our souls consists in the frequent examination of our lives and actions , and in a sincere repentance for all the errors and miscarriages of them : in a more particular and deep humiliation and repentance for deliberate and wilful sins , so far as we can call them to our remembrance ; and in a general repentance for sins of ignorance , and infirmity , and surprize . in the exercise whereof we are always to remember , that the nature of true repentance doth not consist only in an humble confession of our sins to god , and a hearty trouble and contrition for them ; but chiefly in the stedfast purpose and resolution of a better life , and in prosecution of this resolution , in actual reformation and amendment . by the constant exercise hereof , we are put into a safe condition ; provided that we persevere in this holy resolution and course : but if we still retain the love and practice of any known sin , or if after we have taken up these good resolutions we return again to an evil course ; this is a clear evidence , either that our repentance was not sincere at first , or that we are relaps'd into our former state : and then our souls are still in apparent danger of being lost , and will continue in that dangerous state , till we have renew'd our repentance and made it good in the following course of our lives . iii. the due care of our souls consists in the constant and daily exercise of piety and devotion , both in private , and in publick if there be opportunity for it , especially at proper times and upon more solemn occasions : by fervent prayer to god , and by hearing and reading the word of god with reverence and godly fear : by frequenting his publick worship , and demeaning our selves in it with that solemnity and seriousness which becomes the presence and service of the great and glorious majesty of god , who observes our behaviour and sees into our hearts : and by receiving the b. sacrament , as often as we have opportunity , with due preparation and devotion of mind . for these are not only outward testimonies of our inward piety , but they are means likewise appointed by god to improve and confirm us in holiness and goodness . and whoever neglects these duties of religion , or performs them in a flight and superficial manner , doth plainly shew that he hath neither a due sense of god , nor care of himself : for in vain does any man pretend that he does in good earnest design the end , when he neglects the best and most proper means for the attainment of it . iv. the due care of our souls consists also in avoiding those things which are pernicious to our salvation , and whereby men do often hazard their souls . such in general is the practice of any known sin. by this we do , as it were , run upon the swords point , and do endanger our salvation as much as a deep wound in our body would do our life : and tho such a wound may perhaps be cur'd afterwards by repentance , yet no man that commits any wilful sin knows the dismal consequence of it , and whither by degrees it may carry him at last : for upon such a provocation god may leave the sinner to himself , and withdraw his grace from him , and give him up to a hard and impenitent heart to proceed from evil to worse , and from one wickedness to another , till he be finally ruin'd . so dangerous a thing is it knowingly to offend god , and to commit any deliberate act of sin. more particularly , an inordinate love of the world is very pernicious to the souls of men ; because it quencheth the heavenly life , and fills our minds with earthly cares and designs ; it tempts men to forsake god and religion when their worldly interests come in competition with them ; and betrays them to fraud , and falshood , and all kind of injustice , and many other hurtful lusts which drown the soul in perdition . but besides these dangers which are more visible and apparent , there is another which is less discernible because it hath the face of piety ; and that is faction in religion : by which i mean an unpeaceable and uncharitable zeal about things wherein religion either doth not at all , or but very little consist . for besides that this temper is utterly inconsistent with several of the most eminent christian graces and vertues , as humility , love , peace , meekness , and forbearance towards those that differ from us ; it hath likewise two very great mischiefs commonly attending upon it , and both of them pernicious to religion and the souls of men . first , that it takes such men off from minding the more necessary and essential parts of religion they are so zealous about small things , the tithing of mint and anise and cummin , that they neglect the weightier things of the law , faith and mercy , and judgment , and the love of god : they spend so much of their time and heat about things doubtful , that they have no leisure to mind the things that are necessary : and are so concern'd about little speculative opinions in religion , which they always call fundamental articles of faith , that the practice of religion is almost wholly neglected by them : and they are so taken up in spying out and censuring error and heresy in others , that they never think of curing those lusts and vices and passions which do so visibly reign in themselves . deluded people ! that do not consider that the greatest heresy in the world is a wicked life , because it is so directly and fundamentally opposite to the whole design of the christian faith and religion : and that do not consider , that god will sooner forgive a man a hundred defects of his understanding than one fault of his will. secondly , another great mischef which attends this temper is , that men are very apt to interpret this zeal of theirs against others to be great piety in themselves , and as much as is necessary to bring them to heaven ; and to think that they are very religious , because they keep a great stir about maintaining the out-works of religion , when it is ready to be starv'd within ; and that there needs no more to denominate them good christians , but to be of such a party , and to be listed of such a church , which they always take for granted to be the only true one ; and then zealously to hate and uncharitably to censure all the rest of mankind . how many are there in the world , that think they have made very sure of heaven , not by the old plain way of leaving their sins and reforming their lives , but by a more close and cunning way of carrying their vices along with them into another church , and calling themselves good cathliques , and all others heretiques ? and that having done this , they are in a safe condition ; as if a mere name would admit a man into heaven , or as if there were any church in the world that had this phantastical privilege belonging to it , that a wicked man might be saved for no other reason but because he is of it . therefore , as thou valuest thy soul , take heed of engaging in any faction in religion ; because it is an hundred to one but thy zeal will be so employed about lesser things , that the main and substantial parts of religion will be neglected : besides , that a man deeply engag'd in heats and controversies of this nature , shall very hardly escape being possess'd with that spirit of uncharitableness and contention , of peevishness and fierceness , which reigns in all factions , but more especially in those of religion . v. the due care of our souls consists in the even and constant practice of the several graces and vertues of a good life ; or , as the apostle expresseth it , in exercising our selves always to have a conscience void of offence towards god and men . for herein is religion best seen , in the equal and uniform practice of every part of our duty : not only in serving god devoutly , but in demeaning our selves peaceably and justly , kindly and charitably towards all men : not only in restraining our selves from the outward act of sin , but in mortifying the inward inclination to it , in subduing our lusts , and governing our passions , and bridling our tongues . as he that would have a prudent care of his health and life , must not only guard himself against the chief and common diseases which are incident to men , and take care to prevent them ; but must likewise be careful to preserve himself from those which are esteemed less dangerous , but yet sometimes do prove mortal : he must not only endeavour to secure his head and heart from being wounded , but must have a tender care of every part ; there being hardly any disease or wound so slight but that some have dyed of it : in like manner , the care of our souls consists in an universal regard to our duty , and that we be defective in no part of it : though we ought to have a more especial regard to those duties which are more considerable and wherein religion doth mainly consist ; as piety towards god , temperance and chastity in regard of our selves , charity towards the poor , truth and justice , goodness and kindness towards all men : but then no other grace and vertue , though of an inferiour rank , ought to be neglected by us . and thus i have endeavour'd , as plainly and briefly as i could , to declare to you in what instances the due care of religion and our souls doth chiefly consist . and i would not have any man think that all this is an easy business and requires but little time to do it in , and that a small degree of diligence and industry will serve for this purpose : to master and root out the inveterate habits of sin , to bring our passions under the command and government of our reason , and to attain to a good degree of every christian grace and vertue : that faith and hope and charity ; humility and meekness and patience , may all have their perfect work ; and that , as st. james says , we may be perfect and entire , wanting nothing ; nothing that belongs to the perfection of a good man , and of a good christian . and this , whenever we come to make the trial , we shall find to be a great and a long work . some indeed would make religion to be a very short and easy business , and to consist only in believing what christ hath done for us , and relying confidently upon it : which is so far from being the true notion of christian faith , that , if i be not much mistaken , it is the very definition of presumption . for the bible plainly teacheth us , that unless our faith work by charity , and purify our hearts and reform our lives ; unless like abraham's faith it be perfected by works , it is but a dead faith , and will in no wise avail to our justification and salvation . and our b. saviour , the great author and finisher of our faith , hath no where , that i know of , said one word to this purpose , that faith separated from obedience and a good life will save any man : but he hath said very much to the contrary , and that very plainly . for he promiseth blessedness to none , but those who live in the practice of those christian graces and vertues which are particularly mention'd by him in the beginning of his excellent sermon upon the mount ; of humility , and repentance , and meekness , and righteousness , and mercifulness , and purity , and peaceableness , and patience under persecution and sufferings for righteousness sake . and afterwards in the same sermon , not every one , saith he , that saith unto me , lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven , but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven . and again , whosoever heareth these sayings of mine , and doth them , i will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock . and afterwards , he tells us , that whosoever builds his hopes of eternal happiness upon any other foundation , than the faith of the gospel and the practice of its precepts , doth build his house upon the sand ; which when it comes to be tryed by the rain and the winds , will fall ; and the fall of it will be great . and elsewhere ; if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . and he does very severely check the vain confidence and presumption of those , who will needs rely upon him for salvation without keeping his commandments ; why call ye me , says he , lord , lord , and do not the things which i say ? does any man think that he can be saved without loving god and christ ? and this , saith st. john , is the love of god , that we keep his commandments : and again , he that saith i know him , and by the same reason , he that saith i love him , and keepeth not his commandments , he is a lyar , and the truth is not in him . if ye love me , saith our b. lord , keep my commandments : and again , he that hath my commandments and keepeth them , he it is that loveth me . does any man think , that any but the children of god shall be heirs of eternal life ? hear then what st. john saith , little children , let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous , even as he is righteous : and again , in this the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil , he that doth not righteousness is not of god. in a word , this is the perpetual tenour of the bible , from the beginning of it to the end . if thou dost well , saith god to cain , shalt thou not be accepted ? and again , say ye to the righteous , it shall be well with him , for they shall eat the fruit of their doings : wo unto the wicked , it shall be ill with him , for the reward of his hands shall be given him . and in the gospel , when the young man came to our saviour to be instructed by him what good thing he should do that he might inherit eternal life , our lord gives him this short and plain advice , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments . and in the very last chapter of the bible we find this solemn declaration , blessed are they that do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life , and enter in through the gates into the city , that is , into heaven , which the apostle to the hebrews calls the city which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is god. so vain and groundless is the imagination of those , who trust to be saved by an idle and ineffectual faith , without holiness and obedience of life . ii. i proceed now in the second place to convince us all , if it may be , of the necessity of minding religion and our souls . when we call any thing necessary , we mean that it is so in order to some end , which cannot be attained without it . we call those things the necessaries of life , without which men cannot subsist and live in a tolerable condition in this world : and that is necessary to our eternal happiness , without which it cannot be attain'd . now happiness being our chief end , whatever is necessary to that is more necessary than any thing else ; and in comparison of that , all other things not only may , but ought to be neglected by us . now to convince men of the necessity of religion , i shall briefly shew , that it is a certain way to happiness : that it is certain that there is no other way but this : and that if we neglect religion , we shall certainly be extremely and for ever miserable . first , that religion is a certain way to happiness . and for this we have god's express declaration and promise , the best assurance that can be . he that cannot lye hath promised eternal life , to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality all the happiness that we can desire , and of which the nature of man is capable is promised to us upon the terms of religion , upon our denying ungodliness , and worldly lusts , and living soberly , and righteously and godlily in this present world : a mighty reward for a little service ; an eternity of happiness , of joys unspeakable and full of glory , for the diligence and industry of a few days : a happiness large as our wishes , and lasting as our souls . secondly , 't is certain also that there is no other way to happiness but this . he , who alone can make us happy , hath promised it to us upon these and no other terms he hath said , that if we live after the flesh , we shall die ; but if by the spirit we mortify the deeds of the flesh , we shall live : that without holiness no man shall see the lord : and , that he that lives in the habitual practice of any vice , of covetousness , or adultery , or malice , or revenge , shall not enter into the kingdom of god : and we have reason to believe him concerning the terms of this happiness , and the means of attaining it , by whose favour and bounty alone we hope to be made partakers of it . and if god had not said it in his word , yet the nature and reason of the thing doth plainly declare it . for religion is not only a condition of our happiness , but a necessary qualification and disposition for it . we must be like to god in the temper of our minds , before we can find any felicity in the enjoyment of him . men must be purged from their lusts , and from those ill-natur'd and devilish passions of malice , and envy , and revenge , before they can be fit company for their heavenly father , and meet to dwell with him who is love , and dwells in love . thirdly , if we neglect religion , we shall certainly be extreamly and for ever miserable . the word of truth hath said it , that indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul of man that doth evil . nay , if god should hold his hand , and should inflict no positive torment upon sinners , yet they could not spare themselves , but would be their own executioners and tormentors . the guilt of that wicked life which they had led in this world , and the stings of their own consciences must necessarily make them miserable , whenever their own thoughts are let loose upon them ; as they will certainly be in the other world , when they shall have nothing either of pleasure or business to divert them . so that if we be concern'd , either to be happy hereafter , or to avoid those miseries which are great and dreadful beyond all imagination , it will be necessary for us to mind religion ; without which we can neither attain that happiness , nor escape those miseries . all that now remains , is to perswade you and my self seriously to mind this one thing necessary . and to this end , i shall apply my discourse to two sorts of persons ; those who are remiss in a matter of so great concernment , and those who are grosly careless , and mind it not at all . first , to those who are remiss in a matter of such vast concernment : who mind the business of religion in some degree , but not so heartily and vigorously as a matter of such infinite consequence doth require and deserve . and here i fear the very best are greatly defective ; and so much the more to be blamed , by how much they are more convinc'd than others , of the necessity of a religious and holy life , and that without this no man shall ever be admitted into the mansions of the blessed : they believe likewise , that according to the degrees of every mans holiness and vertue in this life , will be the degrees of his happiness in the other ; that he that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly , and he that sows plentifully shall reap plentifully ; and that the measure of every man's reward shall be according to his improvement of the talents that were committed to him . but how little do men live under the power of these convictions ? and notwithstanding we are allur'd by the most glorious promises and hopes , and aw'd by the greatest fears , and urg'd by the most forcible argument in the world , the evident necessity of the thing ; yet how faintly do we run the race that is set before us ? how frequently and how easily are we stop'd or diverted in our christian course by very little temptations ? how cold , and how careless , and how inconstant are we in the exercises of piety , and how defective in every part of our duty ? did we act reasonably , and as men use to do in matters of much less moment , we could not be so indifferent about a thing so necessary , so slight and careless in a matter of life and death , and upon which all eternity does depend . let us then shake off this sloth and security , and resolve to make that the great business of time , which is our great concernment to all eternity : and when we are immers'd in the cares and business of this life , and troubled about many things , let this thought often come into our minds , that there is one thing needful , and which therefore deserves above all other things to be regarded by us . secondly , there are another sort of persons , who are grosly careless of this one thing necessary , and do not seem to mind it at all : who go on securely in an evil course , as if either they had no souls , or no concernment for them . i may say to these as the master of the ship did to jonah , when he was fast asleep in the storm , what meanest thou , o sleeper ? arise and call upon thy god. when our souls are every moment in danger of sinking , it is high time for us to awake out of sleep , to ply every oar , and to use all possible care and industry to save a thing so precious from a danger so threatning and so terrible . we are apt enough to be sensible of the force of this argument of necessity in other cases , and very carefully to provide against the pressing necessities of this life , and how to avoid those great temporal evils of poverty and disgrace , of pain and suffering : but the great necessity of all , and that which is mainly incumbent upon us , is to provide for eternity , to secure the everlasting happiness , and to prevent the endless and insupportable miseries of another world. this , this , is the one thing necessary ; and to this we ought to bend and apply all our care and endeavours . if we would fairly compare the necessity of things , and wisely weigh the concernments of this life and the other in a just and equal balance , we should be ashamed to misplace our diligence and industry as we do ; to bestow our best thoughts and time about these vain and perishing things , and to take no care about that better part which cannot be taken from us . fond and vain men that we are ! who are so solicitous how we shall pass a few days in this world , but matter not what shall become of us for ever . but as careless as we are now about these things , time will come when we shall sadly lay them to heart , and when they will touch us to the quick : when we come to lie upon a death-bed , if god shall be pleas'd to grant us then so much time and use of our reason as to be able to recollect our selves , we shall then be convinc'd how great a necessity there was of minding our souls , and of the prodigious folly of neglecting them , and of our not being sensible of the value of them , till we are ready to despair of saving them . but , blessed be god , this is not yet our case , though we know not how soon it may be . let us then be wise , and consider these things in time , lest death and despair should overtake and oppress us at once . you that are young , be pleas'd to consider that this is the best opportunity of your lives , for the minding and doing of this work . you are now most capable of the best impressions , before the habits of vice have taken deep root , and your hearts be harden'd through the deceitfulness of sin : this is the acceptable time , this is the day of salvation . and there is likewise a very weighty consideration to be urg'd upon those that are old , if there be any that are willing to own themselves so ; that this is the last opportunity of their lives , and therefore they should lay hold of it , and improve it with all their might : for it will soon be past , and when it is , nothing can call it back . it is but a very little while before we shall all certainly be of this mind , that the best thing we could have done in this world , was to prepare for the other . could i represent to you that invisible world which i am speaking of , you would all readily assent to this counsel , and would be glad to follow it and put it speedily in practice . do but then open your eyes , and look a little before you to the things which are not far off from any of us , and to many of us may perhaps be much nearer than we are aware : let us but judge of things now , as we shall all shortly judge of them : and let us live now , as after a few days we shall every one of us wish with all our souls that we had liv'd ; and be as serious , as if we were ready to step into the other world , and to enter upon that change which death will quickly make in every one of us . strange stupidity of men ! that a change so near , so great , so certain , should affect us so coldly , and be so little consider'd and provided for by us : that the things of time should move us so much , and the things of eternity so little . what will we do when this change comes , if we have made no preparation for it ? if we be christians , and do verily believe the things which i am speaking of , and that after a few days more are pass'd death will come , and draw aside that thick veil of sense and security which now hides these things from us ; and shew us that fearful and amazing sight which we are now so loth to think upon : i say , if we believe this , it is time for us to be wise and serious . and happy that man , who in the days of his health hath retir'd himself from the noise and tumult of this world , and made that careful preparation for death and a better life , as may give him that constancy and firmness of spirit , as to be able to bear the thoughts and approaches of his great change without amazement ; and to have a mind almost equally poiz'd between that strong inclination of nature which makes us desirous to live , and that wiser dictate of reason and religion which should make us willing and contented to die whenever god thinks fit . many of us do not now so clearly discern these things , because our eyes are dazzel'd with the false light and splendor of earthly felicity : but this assuredly is more worth than all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them , to be able to possess our souls at such a time , and to be at perfect peace with our own minds , having our hearts fixed trusting in god : to have our accounts made up , and estate of our immortal souls as well settled and secur'd , as by the assistance of god's grace humane care and endeavour , though mix'd with much humane frailty , is able to do . and if we be convinc'd of these things , we are utterly inexcusable if we do not make this our first and great care , and prefer it to all other interests whatsoever . and to this end ; we should resolutely disentangle our selves from worldly cares and incumbrances ; at least so far , that we may have competent liberty and leisure to attend this great concernment , and to put our souls into a fit posture and preparation for another world : that when sickness and death shall come , we may not act our last part indecently and confusedly , and have a great deal of work to do when we shall want both time and all other advantages to do it in : whereby our souls , when they will stand most in need of comfort and support , will unavoidably be left in a trembling and disconsolate condition , and in an anxious doubtfulness of mind what will become of them for ever . to conclude , this care of religion and our souls is a thing so necessary , that in comparison of it we are to neglect the very necessaries of life . so our lord teacheth us . take no thought saying , what shall we eat ? or what shall we drink ? or wherewithal shall we be cloathed ? but seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness . the calls of god and religion are so very pressing and importunate , that they admit of no delay or excuse whatsoever : this our saviour signifies to us by denying the disciple , whom he had call'd to follow him , leave to go and bury his father , let the dead , says he , bury their dead , but do thou follow me . there is one thing needful , and that is the business of religion and the care of our immortal souls , which whatever else we neglect should be carefully minded and regarded by every one of us . o that there were such a heart in us . o that we were wise , that we understood this , that we would consider our latter end : which god grant we may all do , in this our day ; for his mercies sake in jesus christ , to whom with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , now and ever . amen . of the eternity of hell-torments . a sermon preached before the queen at whitehall , march . / . of the eternity of hell-torments . matth . . . and these shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . among all the arguments to repentance and a good life , those have the greatest force and power upon the minds of men , which are fetch'd from another world ; and from the final state of good and bad men after this life . and this our saviour represents to us in a most lively manner , in that prospect which , in the latter part of this chapter , he gives us of the judgment of the great day , namely , that at the end of the world the son of man shall come in his glory , with his holy angels , and shall sit upon the throne of his glory ; and all nations shall be gathered before him , and shall be separated into two great companies , the righteous and the wicked ; who shall stand the one on the right hand , and the other on the left of this great judge ; who shall pronounce sentence severally upon them according to the actions which they have done in this life : the righteous shall be rewarded with eternal happiness , and the wicked shall be sentenc'd to everlasting punishment . and these , that is , the wicked , shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . the words are plain and need no explication . for i take it for granted , that every one , at first hearing of them , does clearly apprehend the difference between the righteous and the wicked , and between endless happiness and misery : but although these words be so very easy to be understood , they can never be too much consider'd by us . the scope and design of them is , to represent to us the different fates of good and bad men in another world , and that their ends there , will be as different , as their ways and doings have been here in this world : the serious consideration whereof is the greatest discouragement to sin , and the most powerful argument in the world to a holy and vertuous life : because it is an argument taken from our greatest and most lasting interest , our happiness or our misery to all eternity : a concernment of that vast consequence , that it must be the greatest stupidity and folly in the world for any man to neglect it . this eternal state of rewards and punishments in another world , our blessed saviour hath clearly revealed to us . and as to one part of it , viz. that good men shall be eternally happy in another world , every one gladly admits it : but many are loth that the other part should be true , concerning the eternal punishment of wicked men . and therefore they pretend that it is contrary to the justice of god to punish temporary crimes with eternal torments : because justice always observes a proportion between offences and punishments : but between temporary sins and eternal punishments there is no proportion . and as this seems hard to be reconcil'd with justice , so much more with that excess of goodness which we suppose to be in god. and therefore they say , that though god seem to have declar'd that impenitent sinners shall be everlastingly punish'd , yet these declarations of scripture are so to be mollified and understood , as that we may be able to reconcile them with the essential perfections of the divine nature . this is the full force and strength of the objection . and my work at this time shall be to clear , if i can , this difficult point . and that for these two reasons . first , for the vindication of the divine justice and goodness : that god may be justified in his sayings , and appear righteous when he judgeth . and secondly , because the belief of the threatnings of god in their utmost extent is of so great moment to a good life , and so great a discouragement to sin : for the sting of sin is the terrour of eternal punishment ; and if men were once set free from the fear and belief of this , the most powerful restraint from sin would be taken away . so that in answer to this objection , i shall endeavour to prove these two things . first , that the eternal punishment of wicked men in another world is plainly threatned in scripture . secondly , that this is not inconsistent either with the justice or the goodness of god. first , that the eternal punishment of wicked men in another world is plainly threatned in scripture , namely , in these following texts , matth. . . it is better for thee to enter into life halt and maimed , than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire . and matth. . . depart ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . and here in the text , these , that is , the wicked , shall go away into everlasting punishment . and mark . it is there three several times with great vehemency repeated by our saviour , where their worm dyeth not , and the fire is not quenched . and thes . . . speaking of them that know not god and obey not the gospel of his son , it is said of them , who shall be punish'd with everlasting destruction . i know very well that great endeavour hath been us'd to avoid the force of these texts , by shewing that the words , for ever and everlasting , are frequently us'd in scripture in a more limited sense , only for a long duration and continuance . thus , for ever , doth very often in the old testament only signify for a long time and till the end of the jewish dispensation . and in the epistle of st. jude , verse th . the cities of sodom and gomorrah are said to be set forth for an example , suffering the vengeance of eternal fire , that is , of a fire that was not extinguish'd till those cities were utterly consumed . and therefore to clear the meaning of the forementioned texts . first , i shall readily grant , that the words , for ever and everlasting , do not always in scripture signify an endless duration ; and that this is sufficiently proved by the instances alledg'd to this purpose . but then , secondly , it cannot be denied on the other hand , that these words are often in scripture used in a larger sense and so as necessarily to signify an interminable and endless duration . as where eternity is attributed to god , and he is said to live for ever and ever : and where eternal happiness in another world is promised to good men , and that they shall be for ever with the lord. now the very same words and expressions are used concerning the punishment of wicked men in another life , and there is great reason why we should understand them in the same extent : both , because if god had intended to have told us that the punishment of wicked men shall have no end , the languages wherein the scriptures are written do hardly afford fuller and more certain words , than those that are used in this case , whereby to express to us a duration without end : and likewise , which is almost a peremptory decision of the thing , because the duration of the punishment of wicked men is in the very same sentence express'd by the very same word which is us'd for the duration of the happiness of the righteous : as is evident from the text , these , speaking of the wicked , shall go away , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into eternal punishment , but the righteous , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into life eternal . i proceed to the second thing i propos'd ; namely , to shew that this is not inconsistent either with the justice or the goodness of god. for in this the force of the objection lies . and it hath been attempted to be answered several ways , none of which seems to me to give clear and full satisfaction to it . first , it is said by some , that because sin is infinite in respect of the object against whom it is committed , which is god , therefore it deserves an infinite punishment . but this i doubt will upon examination be found to have more of subtlety than of solidity in it . 't is true indeed , that the dignity of the person against whom any offence is committed is a great aggravation of the fault . for which reason all offences against god are certainly the greatest of all other . but that crimes should hereby be heighten'd to an infinite degree can by no means be admitted ; and that for this plain reason ; because then the evil and demerit of all sins must necessarily be equal ; for the demerit of no sin can be more than infinite : and if the demerit of all sins be equal , there can then be no reason for the degrees of punishment in another world : but to deny that there are degrees of punishment there , is not only contrary to reason , but to our saviour's express assertion , that some shall be beaten with many stripes and some with fewer , and that it shall be more tolerable for some in the day of judgment than for others . besides , that by the same reason that the least sin that is committed against god may be said to be infinite because of its object , the least punishment that is inflicted by god may be said to be infinite because of its author ; and then all punishments from god as well as all sins against him would be equal ; which is palpably absurd . so that this answer is by no means sufficient to break the force of this objection . secondly , it is said by others , that if wicked men lived for ever in this world they would sin for ever , and therefore they deserve to be punish'd for ever . but this hath neither truth nor reason enough in it to give satisfaction . for who can certainly tell that if a man lived never so long he would never repent and grow better ? besides , that the justice of god doth only punish the sins which men have committed in this life , and not those which they might possibly have committed if they had lived longer . thirdly , it is said in the last place , that god hath set before men everlasting happiness and misery , and the sinner hath his choice . here are two things said which seem to bid fairly towards an answer . first , that the reward which god promiseth to our obedience is equal to the punishment which he threatens to our disobedience . but yet this i doubt will not reach the business : because though it be not contrary to justice to exceed in rewards , that being matter of meer favour ; yet it may be so , to exceed in punishments . secondly , it is further said , that the sinner in this case hath nothing to complain of , since he hath his own choice . this i confess is enough to silence the sinner , and to make him to acknowledge that his destruction is of himself ; but yet for all that , it does not seem so clearly to satisfy the objection from the disproportion between the fault and the punishment . and therefore i shall endeavour to clear , if it may be , this matter yet a little further by these following considerations . first , let it be consider'd , that the measure of penalties with respect to crimes is not only , nor always , to be taken from the quality and degree of the offence , much less from the duration and continuance of it , but from the ends and reasons of government ; which require such penalties as may , if it be possible , secure the observation of the law , and deterr men from the breach of it . and the reason of this is evident , because if it were once declar'd that no man should suffer longer for any crime than according to the proportion of the time in which it was committed , the consequence of this would be that sinners would be better husbands of their time and sin so much the faster , that they might have the greater bargain of it , and might satisfy for their sins by a shorter punishment . and it would be unreasonable likewise upon another account ; because some of the greatest sins may perhaps be committed in the shortest time ; for instance , murther ; the act whereof may be over in a moment , but the effects of it are perpetual . for he that kills a man once kills him for ever . the act of murther may be committed in a trice , but the injury is endless and irreparable . so that this objection of temporary crimes being punish'd with so much longer sufferings is plainly of no force . besides , that whoever considers how ineffectual the threatning even of eternal torments is to the greatest part of sinners , will soon be satisfy'd that a less penalty than that of eternal sufferings would to the far greatest part of mankind have been in all probability of little or no force . and therefore if any thing more terrible than eternal vengeance could have been threatned to the workers of iniquity , it had not been unreasonable , because it would all have been little enough to deterr men effectually from sin . so that what proportion crimes and penalties ought to bear to each other , is not so properly a consideration of justice , as of wisdom and prudence in the lawgiver . and the reason of this seems very plain , because the measure of penalties is not taken from any strict proportion betwixt crimes and punishments ; but from one great end and design of government , which is to secure the observation of wholesome and necessary laws ; and consequently whatever penalties are proper and necessary to this end are not unjust . and this consideration i desire may be more especially observed , because it strikes at the very foundation of the objection . for if the appointing and apportioning of penalties to crimes be not so properly a consideration of justice , but rather of prudence in the lawgiver ; then whatever the disproportion may be between temporary sins and eternal sufferings justice cannot be said to be concern'd in it . justice indeed is concern'd , that the righteous and the wicked should not be treated alike ; and farther yet , that greater sins should have a heavier punishment , and that mighty sinners should be mightily tormented ; but all this may be consider'd and adjusted in the degree and the intenseness of the suffering , without making any difference in the duration of it . the case then in short stands thus . whenever we break the laws of god we fall into his hands and lye at his mercy , and he may without injustice inflict what punishment upon us he pleaseth : and consequently , to secure his law from violation , he may beforehand threaten what penalties he thinks fit and necessary to deterr men from the transgression of it . and this is not esteemed unjust among men , to punish crimes that are committed in an instant with the perpetual loss of estate , or liberty , or life . secondly , this will yet appear more reasonable when we consider , that after all he that threatens hath still the power of execution in his own hands . for there is this remarkable difference between promises and threatnings , that he who promiseth passeth over a right to another , and thereby stands obliged to him in justice and faithfulness to make good his promise ; and if he do not , the party to whom the promise is made is not only disappointed but injuriously dealt withal : but in threatnings it is quite otherwise . he that threatens keeps the right of punishing in his own hand and is not obliged to execute what he hath threatned any further than the reasons and ends of government do require : and he may without any injury to the party threatned remit and abate as much as he pleaseth of the punishment that he hath threatned : and because in so doing he is not worse but better than his word , no body can find fault , or complain of any wrong or injustice thereby done to him . nor is this any impeachment of god's truth and faithfulness , any more than it is esteem'd among men a piece of falshood not to do what they have threatned . god did absolutely threaten the destruction of the city of niniveh , and his peevish prophet did understand the threatning to be absolute , and was very angry with god for employing him in a message that was not made good . but god understood his own right , and did what he pleas'd notwithstanding the threatning he had denounc'd , and for all jonah was so touch'd in honour that he had rather have dyed himself than that niniveh should not have been destroy'd , only to have verifi'd his message . i know it is said in this case , that god hath confirm'd these threatnings by an oath , which is a certain sign of the immutability of his counsel ; and therefore his truth is concern'd in the strict and rigorous execution of them . the land of canaan was a type of heaven , and the israelites who rebell'd in the wilderness were also a type of impenitent sinners under the gospel ; and consequently the oath of god concerning the rebellious israelites , when he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest , that is , into the land of canaan , doth equally oblige him to execute his threatning upon all impenitent sinners under the gospel , that they shall never enter into the kingdom of god. and this is very truly reason'd , so far as the threatning extends ; which if we attend to the plain words of it , beyond which threatnings are never to be stretch'd , doth not seem to reach any further than to the exclusion of impenitent sinners out of heaven and their falling finally short of the rest and happiness of the righteous : which however , directly overthrows the opinion ascrib'd to origen that the devils and wicked men shall all be saved at last ; god having sworn in his wrath that they shall never enter into his rest . but then , as to the eternal misery and punishment threatned to wicked men in the other world , though it be not necessarily comprehended in this oath that they shall not enter into his rest : yet we are to consider , that both the tenour of the sentence which our blessed saviour hath assur'd us will be pass'd upon them at the judgment of the great day , depart ye cursed into everlasting fire ; and likewise this declaration in the text , that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment , though they do not restrain god from doing what he pleases , yet they cut off from the sinner all reasonable hopes of the relaxation or mitigation of them . for since the great judge of the world hath made so plain and express a declaration , and will certainly pass such a sentence , it would be the greatest folly and madness in the world for the sinner to entertain any hope of escaping it , and to venture his soul upon that hope . i know but one thing more , commonly said upon this argument , that seems material . and that is this , that the words death and destruction and perishing , whereby the punishment of wicked men in the other world is most frequently express'd in scripture , do most properly import annihilation and an utter end of being ; and therefore may reasonably be so understood in the matter of which we are now speaking . to this i answer , that these words , and those which answer them in other languages , are often , both in scripture and other authors , used to signify a state of great misery and suffering , without the utter extinction of the miserable . thus god is often in scripture said to bring destruction upon a nation when he sends great judgments upon them , though they do not exterminate and make an utter end of them . and nothing is more common in most languages , than by perishing to express a person's being undone and made very miserable . as in that known passage in tiberius his letter to the roman senate , * let all the gods and goddesses , saith he , destroy me worse than at this very time i feel my self to perish , &c. in which saying , the words , destroy and perish , are both of them us'd to express the miserable anguish and torment which at that time he felt in his mind , as tacitus tells us at large . and as for the word death ; a state of misery which is as bad or worse than death may properly enough be call'd by that name : and for this reason the punishment of wicked men after the day of judgment is in the book of the revelation so frequently and fitly call'd the second death . and the lake of fire , into which the wicked shall be cast to be tormented in it , is expresly call'd the second death . but besides this , they that argue from the force of these words , that the punishment of wicked men in the other world shall be nothing else but an utter end of their being , do necessarily fall into two great inconveniencies . first , that hereby they exclude all positive punishment and torment of sinners . for if the second death , and to be destroy'd , and to perish , signify nothing else but the annihilation of sinners and an utter extinction of their being ; and if this be all the effect of that dreadful sentence which shall be pass'd upon them at the day of judgment , then the fire of hell is quench'd all at once , and is only a frightful metaphor without any meaning . but this is directly contrary to the tenour of scripture , which doth so often describe the punishment of wicked men in hell by positive torments : and particularly our blessed saviour , describing the lamentable state of the damned in hell , expresly says that there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth ; which cannot be , if annihilation be all the meaning and effect of the sentence of the great day . secondly , another inconvenience of this opinion is , that if annihilation be all the punishment of sinners in the other world , then the punishment of all sinners must of necessity be equal , because there are no degrees of annihilation or not-being . but this also is most directly contrary to scripture , as i have already shewn . i know very well that some who are of this opinion do allow a very long and tedious time of the most terrible and intolerable torment of sinners , and after that they believe that there shall be an utter end of their being . but then they must not argue this from the force of the words before mentioned , because the plain inference from thence is , that annihilation is all the punishment that wicked men shall undergo in the next life ; and if that be not true , as i have plainly shewn that it is not , i do not see from what other words or expressions in scripture they can find the least ground for this opinion , that the torment of wicked men shall at last end in their annihilation . and yet admitting all this , for which i think there is no ground at all in scripture , i cannot see what great comfort sinners can take in the thought of a tedious time of terrible torment , ending at last in annihilation and the utter extinction of their beings . thirdly , we may consider further , that the primary end of all threatnings is not punishment , but the prevention of it . for god does not threaten that men may sin and be punish'd , but that they may not sin , and so may escape the punishment threaten'd . and therefore the higher the threatning runs , so much the more mercy and goodness there is in it ; because it is so much the more likely to hinder men from incurring the penalty that is threatned . fourthly , let it be consider'd likewise , that when it is is so very plain that god hath threatned eternal misery to impenitent sinners , all the prudence in the world obliges men to believe that he is in good earnest and will execute these threatnings upon them , if they will obstinately stand it out with him , and will not be brought to repentance . and therefore in all reason we ought so to demean our selves , and so to perswade others , as knowing the terrour of the lord , and that they who wilfully break his laws are in danger of eternal death . to which i will add in the fifth and last place , that if we suppose that god did intend that his threatnings should have their effect to deterr men from the breach of his laws , it cannot be imagin'd that in the same revelation which declares these threatnings any intimation should be given of the abatement or non-execution of them . for by this god would have weaken'd his own laws , and have taken off the edge and terror of his threatnings : because a threatning hath quite lost its force , if we once come to believe that it will not be executed : and consequently , it would be a very impious design to go about to teach or perswade any thing to the contrary , and a betraying men into that misery which had it been firmly believ'd might have been avoided . we are all bound to preach , and you and i are all bound to believe the terrors of the lord. not so , as sawcily to determine and pronounce what god must do in this case ; for after all , he may do what he will , as i have clearly shewn : but what is fit for us to do , and what we have reason to expect , if notwithstanding a plain and express threatning of the vengeance of eternal fire , we still go on to treasure up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god ; and will desperately put it to the hazard , whether , and how far god will execute his threatnings upon sinners in another world. and therefore there is no need why we should be very sollicitously concern'd for the honour of god's justice or goodness in this matter . let us but take care to believe and avoid the threatnings of god ; and then , how terrible soever they are , no harm can come to us . and as for god , let us not doubt but that he will take care of his own honour ; and that he , who is holy in all his ways , and righteous in all his works , will do nothing that is repugnant to his eternal goodness and righteousness ; and that he will certainly so manage things at the judgment of the great day , as to be justified in his sayings , and to be righteous when we are judged . for , notwithstanding his threatnings , he hath reserved power enough in his own hands to do right to all his perfections : so that we may rest assur'd , that he will judge the world in righteousness ; and if it be any-wise inconsistent either with righteousness or goodness , which he knows much better than we do , to make sinners miserable for ever , that he will not do it ; nor is it credible , that he would threaten sinners with a punishment which he could not justly execute upon them . therefore sinners ought always to be afraid of it , and reckon upon it : and always to remember , that there is great goodness and mercy in the severity of god's threatnings ; and that nothing will more justify the infliction of eternal torments , than the foolish presumption of sinners in venturing upon them , notwithstanding such plain and terrible threatnings . this , i am sure , is a good argument to all of us , to work out our salvation with fear and trembling ; and with all possible care to endeavour the prevention of that misery which is so terribly severe , that at present we can hardly tell how to reconcile it with the justice and goodness of god. this god heartily desires we would do ; and hath solemnly sworn , that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live . so that here is all imaginable care taken to prevent our miscarriage , and all the assurance that the god of truth can give us of his unwillingness to bring this misery upon us . and both these , i am sure , are arguments of great goodness . for what can goodness do more , than to warn us of this misery , and earnestly to persuade us to prevent it ; and to threaten us so very terribly , on purpose to deterr us from so great a danger ? and if this will not prevail with us , but we will still go on to despise the riches of god's goodness , and long suffering , and forbearance ; what in reason remains for us , but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to consume us ? and what almost can justice , or even goodness it self do less , than to inflict that punishment upon us , which with eyes open we would wilfully run upon ; and which no warning , no persuasion , no importunity could prevail with us to avoid ? and when , as the apostle says , knowing the judgment of god , that they which commit such things are worthy of death ; yet for all that , we would venture to commit them . and therefore , whatever we suffer , we do but inherit our own choice , and have no reason to complain of god , who hath set before us life and death , eternal happiness and misery , and hath left us to be the carvers of our own fortune : and if , after all this , we will obstinately refuse this happiness , and wilfully run upon this misery , wo unto us ! for we have rewarded evil to our selves . you see then , by all that hath been said upon this argument , what we have all reason to expect , if we will still go on in our sins , and will not be brought to repentance . you have heard , what a terrible punishment the just god hath threatned to the workers of iniquity : and that in as plain words as can be used to express anything . these , that is , the wicked , shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal . here are life and death , happiness and misery set before us . not this frail and mortal life , which is hardly worth the having , were it not in order to a better and happier life ; nor a temporal death , to get above the dread whereof should not methinks be difficult to us , were it not for the bitter and terrible consequences of it : but an eternal life , and an eternal enjoyment of all things which can render life pleasant and happy ; and a perpetual death , which will for ever torment us , but never make an end of us . these god propounds to our choice : and if the consideration of them will not prevail with us to leave our sins , and to reform our lives , what will ? weightier motives cannot be propos'd to the understanding of man , than everlasting punishment , and life eternal ; than the greatest and most durable happiness , and the most intolerable and lasting misery that human nature is capable of . now , considering in what terms the threatnings of the gospel are express'd , we have all the reason in the world to believe that the punishment of sinners in another world will be everlasting . however , we cannot be certain of the contrary , time enough to prevent it ; not till we come there , and find by experience how it is : and if it prove so , it will then be too late either to prevent that terrible doom , or to get it revers'd . some comfort themselves with the uncomfortable and uncertain hope of being discharg'd out of being , and reduc'd to their first nothing ; at least after the tedious and terrible suffering of the most grievous and exquisite torments for innumerable ages . and if this should happen to be true , good god! how feeble , how cold a comfort is this ? where is the reason and understanding of men , to make this their last refuge and hope ; and to lean upon it as a matter of mighty consolation , that they shall be miserable beyond all imagination , and beyond all patience , for god knows how many ages ? have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? no right sense and judgment of things ? no consideration and care of themselves , no concernment for their own lasting interest and happiness ? origen , i know not for what good reason , is said to have been of opinion , that the punishment of devils and wicked men , after the day of judgment , will continue but for a thousand years ; and that after that time , they shall all be finally saved . i can very hardly persuade my self , that so wise and learned a man as origen was , should be positive in an opinion for which there can be no certain ground in reason , especially for the punctual and precise term of a thousand years ; and for which there is no ground at all , that i know of , from divine revelation . but upon the whole matter , however it be ; be it for a thousand years , or be it for a longer and unknown term , or be it for ever , which is plainly threatned in the gospel : i say , however it be , this is certain , that it is infinitely wiser to take care to avoid it , than to dispute it , and to run the final hazard of it . put it which way we will , especially if we put it at the worst , as in all prudence we ought to do , it is by all possible means to be provided against : so terrible , so intolerable is the thought , yea the very least suspicion of being miserable for ever . and now give me leave to ask you , as st. paul did king agrippa , do you believe the scr●ptures ? and i hope i may answer for you my self as he did for agrippa , i know you do believe them . and in them these things are clearly revealed , and are part of that creed of which we make a solemn profession every day . and yet when we consider how most men live , is it credible that they do firmly believe this plain declaration of our saviour and our judge , that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal ? or if they do in some sort believe it , is it credible that they do at all consider it seriously , and lay it to heart ? so that if we have a mind to reconcile our belief with our actions , we must either alter our bible and our creed , or we must change our lives . let us then consider , and shew our selves men . and if we do so , can any man to please himself for a little while be contented to be punish'd for ever ; and for the shadow of a short and imperfect happiness in this life , be willing to run the hazard of being really and eternally miserable in the next world ? surely this consideration alone , of the extreme and endless misery of impenitent sinners in another world , if it were but well wrought into our minds , would be sufficient to kill all the temptations of this world , and to lay them dead at our feet ; and to make us deaf to all the enchantments of sin and vice : because they bid us so infinitely to our loss , when they offer us the enjoyment of a short pleasure , upon so very hard and unequal a condition as that of being miserable for ever . the eternal rewards and punishments of another life , which are the great sanction and security of god's laws , one would think should be a sufficient weight to cast the scales against any pleasure , or any pain , that this world can tempt , or can threaten us withal . and yet , after all this , will we still go on to do wickedly ; when we know the terrors of the lord , and that we must one day answer all our bold violations of his law , and contempts of his authority , with the loss of our immortal souls , and by suffering the vengeance of eternal fire ? what is it then that can give men the heart and courage ; but i recall that word , because it is not true courage , but fool hardiness , thus to out brave the judgment of god , and to set at nought the horrible and amazing consideration of a miserable eternity ? how is it possible that men that are awake , and in their wits , should have any ease in their minds , or enjoy so much as one quiet hour , whilst so great a danger hangs over their heads , and they have taken no tolerable care to prevent it ? if we have any true and just sense of this danger , we cannot fail to shew that we have it , by making haste to escape it , and by taking that care of our souls , which is due to immortal spirits that are made to be happy or miserable to all eternity . let us not therefore estimate and measure things as they appear now to our sensual and deluded and deprav'd judgments ; but let us open our eyes , and look to the last issue and consequence of them : let us often think of these things , and consider well with our selves , what apprehensions will then probably fill and possess our minds , when we shall stand trembling before our judge , in a fearful expectation of that terrible sentence which is just ready to be pronounced , and as soon as ever it is pronounc'd to be executed upon us : when we shall have a full and clear sight of the unspeakable happiness , and of the horrible and astonishing miseries of another world : when there shall be no longer any veil of flesh and sense to interpose between them and us , and to hide these things from our eyes : and , in a word , when heaven with all the glories of it , shall be open to our view ; and , as the expression is in job , hell shall be naked before us , and destruction shall have no covering . how shall we then be confounded , to find the truth and reality of those things which we will not now be persuaded to believe ? and how shall we then wish , that we had believed the terrors of the lord ; and instead of quarrelling with the principles of religion , and calling them into question , we had lived under the constant sense and awe of them ? blessed be god , that there is yet hope concerning us , and that we may yet flee from the wrath to come ; and that the miseries of eternity may yet be prevented in time : and that for this very end and purpose , our most gracious and merciful god hath so clearly revealed these things to us , not with a desire to bring them upon us , but that we being warned by his threatnings , might not bring them upon our selves . i will conclude all with the counsel of the wise man ; seek not death in the error of your life , and pull not upon your selves destruction with the works of your own hands . for god made not death , neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living : but ungodly men with their works and words have called it down upon themselves . which that none of us may do , god of his infinite goodness grant , for his mercies sake in jesus christ : to whom , with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , thanksgiving and praise , both now and for ever . amen . success not always answerable to the probability of second causes . a fast-sermon preached before the house of commons , on wednesday , april the th . . jovis . die april . . ordered , that the thanks of this house be given to dr. tillotson , dean of st. pauls , for the sermon preached before this house yesterday ; and that he be desired to print the same ; and that sir edmund jenings do acquaint him therewith . paul jodrell , cler. dom. com. success not always answerable to the probability of second causes . ecclesiastes ix . . i returned , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , nor yet bread to the wise , nor yet riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happeneth to them all . next to the acknowledgment of god's being , nothing is more essential to religion , than the belief of his providence , and a constant dependance upon him , as the great governor of the world , and the wise disposer of all the affairs and concernments of the children of men : and nothing can be a greater argument of providence , than that there is such an order of causes laid in nature , that in ordinary course every thing does usually attain its end ; and yet that there is such a mixture of contingency , as that now and then , we cannot tell how nor why , the most likely causes do deceive us , and fail of producing their usual effects . for if there be a god and a providence , it is reasonable that things should be thus : because a providence does suppose all things to have been at first wisely fram'd , and with a fitness to attain their end ; but yet it does also suppose that god hath reserved to himself a power and liberty to interpose , and to cross as he pleases , the usual course of things ; to awaken men to the consideration of him , and a continual dependance upon him ; and to teach us to ascribe those things to his wise disposal , which , if we never saw any change , we should be apt to impute to blind necessity . and therefore the wise-man , to bring us to an acknowledgment of the divine providence , tells us that thus he had observed things to be in this world ; that though they generally happen according to the probability of second causes , yet sometimes they fall out quite otherwise , i returned , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , &c. the connexion of which words , with the foregoing discourse , is briefly this . among many other observations which the wise preacher makes in this sermon of the vanity and uncertainty of all things in this world , and of the mistakes of men about them , he takes notice here in the text , and in the verse before it , of two extremes of human life : some , because of the uncertainty of all worldly things , cast off all care and diligence , and neglect the use of proper and probable means , having found by experience , that when men have done all they can , they many times fail of their end , and are disappointed they know not how : others , on the contrary , rely so much upon their own skill and industry , as to promise success to themselves in all their undertakings ; and presume so much upon second causes , as if no consideration at all were to be had of the first . the wise preacher reproves both these extremes , and shews the folly and vanity of them . on the one hand , of those who sit still , and will use no care and endeavour , because it may all happen to be disappointed , and to fail of success : not considering , that though prudent care and diligence will not always do the business , yet there is nothing to be done without them , in the ordinary course of things ; and that , in the order of second causes , these are the most likely and effectual means to any end : and therefore , rejecting this lazy principle , he counsels men , whatever they propose to themselves , to be very diligent and vigorous in the use of proper means for the attainment of it ; in the verse immediately before the text , whatever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thy might . but then he observes also , as great a folly and vanity on the other hand ; that they who manage their affairs with great wisdom and industry , are apt to presume and reckon upon the certain success of them , without taking into consideration that which in all human affairs is most considerable , the favour and blessing of that almighty and wise providence which rules the world ; i returned , says he , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong , &c. i returned and saw , that is , having consider'd on the one hand the folly of sloth and carelessness , i turned mine eyes the other way , and saw as great an error on the other hand ; in mens presuming too much upon their own diligence and conduct , without taking notice of the providence of god. for i have found , says solomon , by manifold observation , that the success of things does not always answer the probability of second causes and means . so that the sum of the preacher's advice is this : when thou propoundest any end to thy self , be diligent and vigorous in the use of means ; and when thou hast done all , look above and beyond these to a superior cause which over-rules , and steers , and stops as he pleases , all the motions and activity of second causes : and be not confident that all things are ever so wisely and firmly laid , that they cannot fail of success . for the providence of god doth many times step in to divert the most probable event of things , and to turn it quite another way : and whenever he pleaseth to do so , the most strong and likely means do fall lame , or stumble , or by some accident or other come short of their end . i returned , and saw under the sun , that is , here below , in this inferior world. that the race is not to the swift : this the chaldee paraphrast does understand with relation to warlike affairs , i beheld , says he , and saw , that they who are swift as eagles do not always escape in the day of battel . but i chuse rather to understand the words in their more obvious sense , that in a race many things may happen to hinder him that is swiftest from winning it . nor the battel to the strong ; that is , victory and success in war do not always attend the greatest force and preparations , nor doth that side which in humane estimation is strongest always prevail and get the better . nor yet bread to the wise ; neque doctorum panem esse , so some render the words , that learned men are not always secured against poverty and want . nor yet riches to men of understanding , for so some interpreters translate the words , neque industriis divitias esse , that those who take most pains do not always get the greatest estates . nor yet favour to men of skill ; that is , to those who understand men and business , and how to apply themselves dextrously to the inclinations and interests of princes and great men . others interpret these words more generally , neque peritorum artificum esse gratiam , that those who excel most in their several arts and professions do not always meet with fuitable encouragement : but because the word , which is here render'd favour , is so frequently us'd by solomon for the favour of princes , the former sense seems to be more easy and natural . but time and chance happeneth to them all ; that is , saith aben ezra , there is a secret providence of god which sometimes presents men with unexpected opportunities , and interposeth accidents which no human wisdom could foresee : which gives success to very unlikely means ; and defeats the swift , and the strong , and the learned , and the industrious , and them that are best vers'd in men and business , of their several ends and designs . it sometimes happens , that he that is swiftest , by a fall , or by fainting , or by some other unlucky accident may lose the race . it sometimes falls out , that a much smaller and weaker number , by the advantage of ground , or of a pass ; by a stratagem , or by a sudden surprise , or by some other accident and opportunity , may be victorious over a much greater force . and that an unlearned man , in comparison , by favour , or friends , or by some happy chance of setting out to the best advantage the little learning he has , before one that hath less , may arrive at great things ; when perhaps at the same time , the man that is a hundred times more learned than he , may be ready to starve . and that men of no great parts and industry may stumble into an estate , and by some casual hit in trade , may attain such a fortune , as the man that hath toil●d and drudg'd all his life shall never be able to reach . and lastly , that a man of no great ambition or design may fall into an opportunity , and by happening upon the mollia tempora fandi , some soft and lucky season of address , may slide into his prince's favour , and all on the sudden be hoisted up to that degree of dignity and esteem , as the designing man who hath been laying trains to blow up his rivals , and waiting opportunities all his days to worm others out and to skrew himself in , shall never be able to attain . the words thus explain'd contain this general proposition , which shall be the subject of my following discourse . that in human affairs the most likely means do not always attain their end , nor does the event constantly answer the probability of second causes ; but there is a secret providence which governs and over-rules all things , and does , when it pleases , interpose to defeat the most hopeful and probable designs . in the handling of this proposition i shall do these three things . first , i shall confirm and illustrate the truth of it , by an induction of the particulars which are instanc'd in , here in the text. secondly , i shall give some reason and account of this , why the providence of god doth sometimes interpose to hinder and defeat the most probable designs . thirdly , i shall draw some inferences from the whole , suitable to the occasion of this day . in all which i shall endeavour to be as brief as conveniently i can . first , for the confirmation and illustration of this proposition , that the most likely means do not always attain their end ; but there is a secret providence which over-rules and governs all events , and does , when it pleases , interpose to defeat the most probable and hopeful designs . this is the general conclusion which solomon proves by this induction of particulars in the text. and he instanceth in the most probable means for the compassing of the several ends which most men in this world propose to themselves . and the great darlings of mankind are victory , riches , and honour : i do not mention pleasure , because that seems rather to result from the use and enjoyment of the other . now if a man design victory , what more probable means to overcome in a race than swiftness ? what more likely to prevail in war than strength ? if a man aim at riches , what more proper to raise an estate than understanding and industry ? if a man aspire to honour , what more likely to prefer him to the king's favour and service than dexterity and skill in business ? and yet experience shews that these means , as probable as they seem to be , are not always successful for the accomplishment of their several ends . or else we may suppose that solomon by these instances did intend to represent the chief engines and instruments of humane designs and actions . now there are five things more especially , which do eminently qualify a man for any undertaking ; expedition and quickness of dispatch ; strength and force ; providence and forecast ; diligence and industry ; knowledge , and insight into men and busines : and some think that solomon did intend to represent these several qualities by the several instances in the text. the race is not to the swift , that is , men of the greatest expedition and dispatch do not always succeed : for we see that men do sometimes out-run business , and make haste to be undone . nor the battel to the strong , that is , neither does force and strength always carry it . nor yet bread to the wise ; which some understand of the provident care and pains of the husbandman , whose harvest is not always answerable to his labour and hopes . nor yet riches to men of understanding , or industry ; that is , neither is diligence in business always crown'd with success . nor yet favour to men of skill , that is , neither have they that have the greatest dexterity in the management of affairs always the fortune to rise . and if we take the words in this sense , the thing will come much to one : but i rather approve the first interpretation , as being less forc'd and nearer to the letter . so that the force of solomon's reasoning is this . if the swiftest do not always win the race ; nor the strongest always overcome in war : if knowledge and learning do not always secure men from want ; nor industry always make men rich ; nor political skill always raise men to high place ; nor any other means , that can be instanced in as most probable , do constantly and infallibly succeed : then it must be acknowledg'd that there is some other cause which mingles it self with humane affairs and governs all events ; and which can , and does when it pleases , defeat the most likely , and bring to pass the most improbable designs : and what else can that be imagin'd to be , but the secret and over-ruling providence of almighty god ? when we can find no other , we are very unreasonable if we will not admit this to be the cause of such extraordinary events , but will obstinately impute that to blind necessity or chance which hath such plain characters upon it of a divine power and wisdom . i might be large upon every one of these instances in the text , and illustrate them by pat and lively examples both out of scripture and other histories . but i shall briefly pass over all of them , but the second , the battel is not to the strong . the race is not to the swift . if we understand this literally , it is obvious to every man to imagine a great many accidents in a race , which may snatch victory from the swiftest runner . if we understand it , as the chaldee paraphrase does , with relation to war , that the swiftest does not always overcome or escape in the day of battel ; of this asahel is an eminent instance , who though he was , as the scripture tells us , light of foot as a wild roe , yet did he not escape the spear of abner . it seems that among the ancients , swiftness was look'd upon as a great qualification in a warriour , both because it serves for a sudden assault and onset , and likewise for that which in civility we call a nimble retreat . and therefore david ; in his poetical lamentation over those two great captains , saul and jonathan , takes particular notice of this warlike quality of theirs ; they were , says he , swifter than eagles , stronger than lyons : and the constant character which homer gives of achilles , one of his principal heroes , is , that he was swift of foot : the poet feigns of him , that by some charm or gift of the gods he was invulnerable in all parts of his body except his heel : and that was the part to which he trusted ; and in that he received his mortal wound : the wise poet hereby instructing us , that many times our greatest danger lies there , where we place our chief confidence and safety . nor yet bread to the wise , or to the learned . the poverty of poets is proverbial ; and there are frequent instances in history of eminently learned persons that have been reduced to great straits and necessities . nor yet riches to men of understanding : by which , whether we understand men of great parts , or of great diligence and industry ; it is obvious to every man's observation , that an ordinary capacity and understanding does usually lie more level to the business of a common trade and profession , than more refin'd and elevated parts ; which lie rather for speculation than practice , and are better fitted for the pleasure and ornament of conversation , than for the toil and drudgery of business : as a fine razor is admirable for cutting hairs , but the dull hatchet much more proper for hewing a hard and knotty piece of timber . and even when parts and industry meet together , they are many times less successful in the raising of a great estate , than men of much lower and slower understandings : because these are apt to admire riches , which is a great spur to industry ; and because they are perpetually intent upon one thing , and mind but one business , from which their thoughts never straggle into vain and useless enquiries after knowledge , or news , or publick affairs ; all which being foreign to their business they leave to those who are , as they are wont to say of them in scorn , more curious , and too wise to be rich . nor yet favour to men of skill . all history is full of instances of the casual advancement of men to great favour and honour , when others , who have made it their serious study and business , have fallen short of it . i could give a famous example in this kind , of the manifold and manifest disappointment of a whole order of men : the slyest and most subtile , in their generation , of all the children of this world ; the most politically instituted , and the best studied and skill'd in the tempers and interests of men ; the most pragmatical , and cunning to insinuate themselves into the intrigues of courts and great families : and who , by long experience , and an universal intelligence , and communicated observations , have reduced humane affairs , at least as they think , to a certain art and method , and to the most steddy rules that such contingent things are capable of : i believe you all guess before-hand whom i mean , even the honest jesuits : and yet these men of so much art and skill have met with as many checks and disappointments , as any sort of men ever did : they have been discountenanc'd by almost all princes and states , and , one time or other , banish'd out of most of the courts and countries of europe . and it is no small argument of the divine providence , that so much cunning hath met with so little countenance and success ; and hath been so often , so grosly infatuated , and their counsels turn'd into foolishness . but i promis'd only to mention these , and to insist upon the second instance in the text , i return'd , and saw under the sun , that the battel is not to the strong , to the gibborim , the gyants , for so the hebrew word signifies ; in which solomon might possibly have respect to the history of the israelites subduing the canaanites , a people of great strength and stature , among whom were the gyants , the sons of anak : or more probably , to the famous encounter of his father david with the great goliah : but however that be , the scripture is full of examples to this purpose ; that when the providence of god is pleased to interpose in favour of any side , it becomes victorious ; according to the saying of king asa in his prayer to god , it is nothing with thee to help , whether with many , or with those that have no power . sometimes god hath defeated great armies by plain and apparent miracles : such was the drowning of pharaoh and his host in the red sea ; and the stars fighting in their courses against sisera ; by which poetical expression i suppose is meant sisera's being remarkably defeated by a visible hand from heaven : and such was the destruction of the proud king of assyria's army by an angel , who slew an hundred and fourscore and five thousand of them in one night . sometimes god does this by more humane ways ; by striking mighty armies with a panick and unaccountable fear ; and sometimes by putting extraordinary spirits and courage into the weaker side , so that an hundred shall chase a thousand , and a thousand shall put ten thousand to flight . this made david so frequently to acknowledge the providence of god , especially in the affairs of war. there is no king saved by the multitude of an host , neither is a mighty man delivered by much strength . and again , i will not trust in my bow , neither shall my sword save me . and solomon confirms the same observation , there is no wisdom , says he , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. the horse is prepared against the day of battel , but safety , or , as some translations render it victory , is of the lord. gideon , by a very odd stratagem of lamps and pitchers , defeated a very numerous army , only with three hundred men . jonathan and his armour-bearer , by climbing up a rock , and coming suddenly on the back of the philistines camp , struck them with such a terror as put their whole army to flight . king asa , with a much inferior number , defeated that huge ethiopian army which consisted of a million . and how was xerxes his mighty army overthrown , almost by a handful of grecians ? and , to come nearer our selves , how was that formidable fleet of the spaniards , which they presumptuously called invincible , shatter'd and broken in pieces , chiefly by the winds and the sea ? so many accidents are there , especially in war , whereby the divine providence doth sometimes interpose and give victory to the weaker side . and this hath been so apparent in all ages , that even the heathen did always acknowledge , in the affairs of war , a special interposition of fortune ; by which the wiser among them did understand the divine providence . plutarch , speaking of the romans , says , that time and fortune , the very same with solomon's time and chance here in the text , did lay the foundation of their greatness , by which he ascribes their success to a remarkable providence of god concurring with several happy opportunities . and livy , their great historian , hath this remarkable observation , that in all human affairs , especially in matters of war , fortune hath a mighty stroke . and again , no where , says he , is the event less answerable to expectation than in war ; and therefore nothing is so slight and inconsiderable , which may not turn the scales in a great matter . and caesar himself , who was perhaps the most skilful and prosperous warriour that ever was , makes the same acknowledgment ; as in all other things , says he , so particularly in war , fortune hath a huge sway . and plutarch observes , that there was no temple at rome dedicated to wisdom or valour , but a most magnificent and stately one to fortune ; signifying hereby , that they did ascribe their success infinitely more to the providence of god , than to their own courage and conduct . i proceed now , in the second place , to give some reason and account of this , why the providence of god doth sometimes thus interpose to hinder and defeat the most probable designs of men . to bring men to an acknowledgment of his providence , and of their dependance upon him , and subordination to him ; and that he is the great governor of the world , and rules in the kingdoms of men ; and that all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing to him , and the power of second causes inconsiderable : that he doth according to his will , in the armies of heaven , and among the inhabitants of the earth , and none may stay his hand , or say unto him what dost thou . god hath so order'd things , in the administration of the affairs of the world , as to encourage the use of means ; and yet so , as to keep men in a continual dependance upon him for the efficacy and success of them : to encourage industry and prudence , god generally permits things to their natural course , and to fall out according to the power and probability of second causes . but then , lest men should cast off religion , and deny the god that is above ; lest they should trust in their sword and their bow , and say , the lord hath not done this ; lest men should look upon themselves as the creators and framers of their own fortune , and when they do but a little outstrip others in wisdom or power , in the skill and conduct of humane affairs , they should grow proud and presumptuous , god is pleased sometimes more remarkably to interpose , to hide pride from man , as the expression is in job ; to check the haughtiness and insolence of mens spirits , and to keep them within the bounds of modesty and humility ; to make us to know that we are but men , and that the reins of the world are not in our hands , but that there is one above who sways and governs all things here below . and indeed if we should suppose , in the first frame of things which we call nature , an immutable order to be fix'd , and all things to go on in a constant course , according to the power and force of second causes , without any interposition of providence to stop , or alter that course , upon any occasion : in this case , the foundation of a great part of religion , but especially of prayer to god would be quite taken away : upon this supposition , it would be the vainest thing in the world to pray to god for the good success of our undertakings , or to acknowledge him as the author of it : for if god do only look on , and permit all things to proceed in a settled and establish'd course ; then instead of praying to god we ought to ply the means , and to make the best provision and preparation we can for the effecting of what we desire ; and to rely upon that , without taking god at all into our counsel and consideration . for all application to god by prayer doth evidently suppose , that the providence of god does frequently interpose , to over-rule events besides and beyond the natural and ordinary course of things , and to steer them to a quite different point , from that to which in human probability they seem'd to tend . so that it is every whit as necessary to religion to believe the providence of god , and that he governs the world , and does when he pleases interpose in the affairs of it , as that he made it at first . i come now in the third and last place , to make some inferences suitable to the occasion of this day , from what hath been said upon this argument : and they shall be these . first , from hence we may learn , not to account religion , and time spent in the service of god , and in prayer to him for his blessing upon our endeavours , do be any hindrance to our affairs . for after we have done all we can , the event is still in god's hand , and rests upon the disposal of his providence . and did men firmly believe this , they would not neglect the duty of prayer , and behave themselves so carelesly , and unconcernedly , and irreverently in it , as we see too many do ; they would not look upon every hour that is spent in devotion as lost from their business . if men would but take a view of what hath happen'd to them in the course of a long life , i believe most of us would see reason to acknowledge , that our prosperity and success in any kind hath depended more upon happy opportunities ; upon undesign'd and unexpected occurrences , than upon our own prudent forecast and conduct . and if this were well consider'd by us , we should not methinks be so apt to leave god out of our counsels and undertakings , as if he were a mere name and cypher in the world. it is , i am sure , the advice of one that was much wiser and more experienc'd , than any of us will pretend to be , i mean , solomon , trust in the lord with all thine heart , and lean not to thine own understanding : in all thy ways acknowledge him ; and he shall direct thy paths : be not wise in thine own eyes , fear the lord and depart from evil . there is no principle that ought more firmly to be believed by us than this , that to live under a constant sense and awe of almighty god , to depend upon his providence , and to seek his favour and blessing upon all our designs , being fearful to offend him and careful to please him , is a much nearer and surer way to success , than our own best prudence and preparations . and therefore at such a time , more especially , when we are going to war , or engaged in it , we should break off our sins by repentance and the sincere resolulution of a better course : we should earnestly implore the blessing of god upon our undertakings ; and not only take great care that our cause be just , but likewise that there be no wicked thing amongst us , to drive god out of our camp ; no accursed thing , that may provoke him to deliver us into the hands of our enemies . it was a particular law given by god to the jews , when the host goeth forth against thine enemy , then keep thy self from every wicked thing ; then , that is , more especially at such a time . and this is a necessary caution , not only to those who are personally engaged in the war , that by the favour of god they may have their heads covered in the day of battel , or if god shall suffer them to fall by the hand of the enemy , that having made their peace beforehand with him , they may not only have the comfort of a good cause , but of a good conscience , void of offence towards god and men . but this caution likewise concerns those , who are interested in the success and event of the war ; as we all are , not only in regard of our lives and estates , but of that which ought to be much dearer to us , our religion and the freedom of our consciences ; which are now every whit as much at stake , as our civil interests and liberties . and therefore as we tender any , or all of these , we should be very careful to keep our selves from every wicked thing ; that they who fight for us may not for our sins , and for our sakes , turn their backs in the day of battel , and fall by the sword of the enemy . secondly , from hence we may likewise learn , so to use the means as still to depend upon god ; who can , as he pleases , bless the counsels and endeavours of men , or blast them and make them of none effect . for as god hath promised nothing but to a wise and diligent use of means , so all our prudence , and industry , and most careful preparations may miscarry , if he do not favour our design : for without him nothing is wise , nothing is strong , nothing is able to reach and attain its end . we should indeed use the means as vigorously , as if god did nothing ; and when we have done so , we should depend upon god for the success of those means , as if we our selves had done nothing , but did expect all from his favour and blessing : for when all is done , we are only safe under his protection , and sure of success from his blessing . for whatever vain and foolish men may say in their hearts , there is , there is a god , that made the world , and administers the affairs of it with great wisdom and goodness ; else how came any of us into being , or what do we here ? did we not most assuredly believe that there is a god , that governs the world and super-intends human affairs ; the first wish of a wise man would be , to steal out of being , if he could ; and that the same chance or necessity that brought him into the world , would take the first opportunity to carry him out . for to be every moment liable to present , and great , and certain evils ; and to have no security against the continuance of them , or the return of the same or worse evils ; nor to have any assurance of a better and more durable state of rest and happiness hereafter , is in truth so very melancholy a meditation , that i do not know any consideration in the world that is of force and power enough to support the mind of man under it : and were there not in the world a being , that is wiser , and better , and more powerful than our selves , and that keeps things from running into endless confusion and disorder ; a being that loves us , and takes care of us , and that will certainly consider and reward all the good that we do , and all the evil that we suffer upon his account , i do not see what reason any man could have to take any comfort and joy in being , or to wish the continuance of it for one moment . thirdly and lastly , the consideration of what hath been said upon this argument , should keep us from being too sanguine and confident of the most likely designs and undertakings ; because these do not always answer the probability of second causes and means ; and never less , than when we do with the greatest confidence rely upon them ; when we promise most to our selves from them , then are they most likely to deceive us : they are , as the prophet compares them , like a broken reed , which a man may walk with in his hand , whilst he lays no great stress upon it ; but if he trust to it , and lean his whole weight on it , it will not only fail him , but even pierce him through . and we cannot do a greater prejudice to our affairs , when they are in the most hopeful and likely condition to succeed and do well , than to shut god and his providence out of our counsels and consideration . when we pass god by , and take no notice of him , but will rely upon our own wisdom and strength , we provoke him to leave us in the hands of our own counsel , and to let us see what weak and foolish creatures we are : and a man is never in greater danger of drowning , than when he clasps his arms closest about himself : besides , that god loves to resist the self-confident and presumptuous , and to scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts . and as in all our concernments we ought to have a great regard to god , the supreme disposer of all things , and earnestly to seek his favour and blessing upon all our undertakings , so more especially in the affairs of war ; in which the providence of god is pleas'd many times in a very peculiar manner to interpose and interest it self : and there is great reason to think he does so ; because all war is , as it were , an appeal to god , and a reference of those causes to the decision of his providence , which through the pride , and injustice , and perverse passions of men , can receive no other determination . and here god loves to shew himself , and in an eminent manner to take part with right and justice against those mighty oppressors of the earth , who like an overflowing flood would bear down all before them : in this case , the providence of god is sometimes pleas'd to give a remarkable check to great power and violence , and to one that vainly gives out himself not unequal to the whole world ; by very weak and contemptible means ; and , as the apostle elegantly expresseth it , by the things which are not , to bring to nought the things that are : and to say to him , as god once did to the proud king of assyria : whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed , and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice , and lifted up thine eyes on high ? even against the holy one of israel . hast thou not heard long ago , that i have done it ; and of ancient times that i have formed it ? now have i brought it to pass , that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps : therefore their inhabitants were of small power , they were dismayed and confounded , &c. but i know thy abode , and thy going out , and thy coming in , and thy rage against me : because thy rage against me , and thy tumult is come up into mine ears , therefore will i put my hook into thy nose , and my bridle into thy lips , and i will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest . — the zeal of the lord of hosts shall do this . but more especially , in vindication of his oppressed truth and religion , and in the great and signal deliverances of his church and people , god is wont to take the conduct of affairs into his own hands , and not to proceed by humane rules and measures : he then bids second causes to stand by , that his own arm may be seen , and his salvation may appear : he raiseth the spirits of men above their natural pitch , and giveth power to the faint , and to them that have no might he increaseth strength , as the prophet expresseth it . thus hath the providence of god very visibly appear'd in our late deliverance ; in such a manner , as i know not whether he ever did for any other nation , except the people of israel , when he delivered them from the house of bondage by so mighty a hand and so outstretched an arm : and yet too many among us , i speak it this day to our shame , do not seem to have the least sense of this great deliverance , or of the hand of god which was so visible in it ; but like the children of israel when they were brought out of egypt , we are full of murmurings and discontent against god the author , and his servant the happy instrument under god of this our deliverance . what the prophet says of that people , may i fear be too justly apply'd to us , let favour be shewn to the wicked , yet will he not learn righteousness ; in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly , and will not behold the majesty of the lord : lord , when thy hand is lifted up , they will not see ; but they shall see , and be ashamed : and i hope i may add that which follows in the next verse , lord , thou wilt ordain peace for us ; for thou also hast wrought all our works for us . what god hath already done for our deliverance is , i hope , an earnest that he will carry it on to a perfect peace and settlement ; and this , notwithstanding our high provocations and horrible ingratitude to the god of our life , and of our salvation . and when ever the providence of god thinks fit thus to interpose in humane affairs , the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong : for which reason their majesties , in their great piety and wisdom , and from a just sense of the providence of almighty god , which rules in the kingdoms of men , have thought fit to set apart this day for solemn repentance and humiliation : that the many and heinous sins , which we in this nation have been , and still are guilty of , and which are of all other our greatest and most dangerous enemies , may not separate between god and us , and hinder good things from us , and cover us with confusion in the day of our danger and distress : and likewise , earnestly to implore the favour and blessing of almighty god upon their majesties forces and preparations by sea and land : and more particularly , for the preservation of his majesties sacred person , upon whom so much depends , and who is contented again to hazard himself to save us . to conclude ; there is no such way to engage the providence of god for us , as by real repentance and reformation ; and by doing all we can , in our several places from the highest to the lowest , by the provision of wise and effectual laws for the discountenancing and suppressing of profaneness and vice , and by the careful and due execution of them , and by the more kindly and powerful influence of a good example , to retrieve the ancient piety and virtue of the nation : for without this , whatever we may think of the firmness of our present settlement , we cannot long be upon good terms with almighty god , upon whose favour depends the prosperity and stability of the present and future times . i have but one thing more to mind you of ; and that is , to stir up your charity towards the poor ; which is likewise a great part of the duty of this day , and which ought always to accompany our prayers and fastings : thy prayers and thine alms , saith the angel to cornelius , are come up before god : and therefore if we desire that our prayers should reach heaven , and receive a gracious answer from god , we must send up our alms along with them . and instead of all other arguments to this purpose , i shall only recite to you the plain and perswasive words of god himself , in which he declares what kind of fast is acceptable to him : is it such a fast as i have chosen ? a day for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush , to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast , and an acceptable day to the lord ? is not this the fast that i have chosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness , and to undo the heavy burthens , and to let the oppressed go free , and that ye break every yoke : is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house ; when thou seest the naked that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh ? then shall thy light break forth as the morning , and thy salvation shall spring forth speedily ; thy righteousness , or thine alms , shall go before thee , and the glory of the lord shall be thy rereward : then shalt thou call , and i will answer thee ; thou shalt cry , and he shall say , here i am . now to him that sitteth upon the throne , and to the lamb that was slain : to god , even our father , and to our lord jesus christ , the first begotten from the dead , and the prince of the kings of the earth : vnto him , who hath loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood ; and hath made us kings and priests unto god and his father : to him be glory and dominion , for ever and ever , amen . and the god of peace , that brought again from the dead our lord jesus , that great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good work to do his will , working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight ; through jesus christ , to whom be glory , for ever and ever , amen . the way to prevent the ruin of a sinful people . a fast-sermon preached before the lord-mayor , &c. on wednesday , june the th . . pilkington mayor , mercurii xviii . junii . annoque regis & reginae willelmi & mariae , angliae , &c. secundo . this court doth desire dr. tillotson , dean of st. pauls , to print his sermon preach'd before the lord-mayor , aldermen , and citizens of london , at st. mary-le-bow . wagstaffe . to the right honourable sir thomas pilkington , lord-mayor of the city of london : and the court of aldermen . my lord , in obedience to your commands , i have publish'd this sermon lately preach'd before you , and do now humbly present you with it ; heartily wishing it may have that good effect for the reformation of our lives , and reconciliation of our unhappy differences , which was sincerely intended by , my lord , your most faithful and humble servant , john tillotson . the way to prevent the ruin of a sinful people . jeremiah vi. . be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . these words are a merciful warning from god to the people of israel by the prophet jeremiah , the last prophet that god sent to them before their captivity in babylon . the time of his prophecy was of a long continuance , above the space of forty years , viz. from the thirteenth year of king josiah , to the eleventh year of king zedekiah , the year in which jerusalem was taken by nebuchadnezzar king of babylon . this i observe , to shew the great patience of god to a sinful nation . and this is much the same space of time that god gave warning by our blessed saviour and his apostles to the same people of the jews concerning their final destruction . for it was about forty years after the prediction of our saviour concerning it , just before his death , that the terrible destruction of jerusalem and the jewish nation was executed upon them by the romans , or rather chiefly by themselves ; as i shall presently shew . of which dreadful desolation , the first taking of jerusalem by nebuchadnezzar , and their captivity into babylon was a kind of type and forerunner . for , as josephus observes , the taking of jerusalem by titus vespasian did happen in the very same month , and on the very same day of the month in which jerusalem was taken by nebuchadnezzar , viz. upon our tenth of august . and it is not unworthy of our observation , that the time of god's warning is wont to hold some sort of proportion with the extent of his judgments . before the universal deluge which destroyed the whole world ▪ noah and his family only excepted , god gave a much longer warning by the preaching of noah , for the space of an hundred and twenty years . before the destruction of a particular nation , if we may judge by god's dealing with the jews , his time of warning is forty years . and before the destruction of a particular city , if we may conclude any thing from the single example of niniveh , the time of god's warning is yet much shorter , the space of forty days . and now to what end doth god exercise so much patience and threaten so long beforehand , but that by the terror of his threatnings men may be brought to repentance , and by repentance may prevent the execution of them ? for all the while that god by his prophet threatens ruin and destruction to the people of israel , he earnestly invites and urges them to repentance , that by this means they might escape the ruin that was denounced against them : this being a condition perpetually implyed in the denunciation of publick judgments , that if a people repent of the evil of their doings god also will repent of the evil which he said he would do unto them , as he expresly declares chap. . vers . , . at what instant i speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom , to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it , if that nation against whom i have pronounc'd turn from their evil , i will repent of the evil which i thought to do unto them . and here in the text , after god had threaten'd destruction to jerusalem , because of the overflowing of all manner of wickedness and oppression in the midst of her , he gives her a merciful warning to prevent this ruin and desolation by repentance , vers . , . thus hath the lord of hosts said , hew ye down trees , and cast a mount against jerusalem ; this is a city to be visited , she is wholly oppression in the midst of her . as a fountain casteth out waters , so she casteth out her wickedness . before me continually is grief and wounds . and yet when he had pronounced this fearful sentence upon her , he tells her that all this misery and desolation might yet be prevented , if they would but hearken to the counsel of god , and be instructed by him concerning the things of their peace : for so it follows in the next words , be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . be thou instructed o jerusalem , that is , do but now at last take that counsel and warning which hath so often , and so long , been tender'd to thee by my servant the prophet , who hath now for the space of forty years continually , and that with great earnestness and importunity , been warning thee of this danger and calling thee to repentance and a better mind . lest my soul depart from thee . in the hebrew it is , lest my soul be loosened and disjointed from thee , as it is in the margin of your bibles ; hereby signifying , in the most emphatical manner , the wonderful affection and kindness which god had for his people , and how strongly his soul was link'd to them , and how loth he was to withdraw his love from them ; it was like the tearing off of a limb , or the plucking of a joint in sunder ; so unwilling is god to come to extremity ; so hardly is he brought to resolve upon the ruin even of a sinful nation : how much rather would he , that they would be instructed and receive correction , and hearken to the things of their peace ? but if they will not be persuaded , if no warning will work upon them , his spirit will not always strive with them ; but his soul will at last , though with great unwillingness and reluctancy , depart from them . and then , no intercession will prevail for them ; as he threatens by the same prophet , chap. . verse . then said the lord unto me , though moses and samuel stood before me , yet my mind could not be towards this people ; cast them out of my sight and let them go forth ; away with them into captivity , for they have lost my heart , and no intercession of others for them , nothing but their own repentance can recover it . and when his soul is once departed from a people , and his heart turn'd against them , then all sorts of evils and calamities will be let loose upon them ; as we may read in the next verse of that chapter : and it shall come to pass if they say unto thee , whither shall we go forth ? then shalt thou tell them , thus saith the lord , such as are for death to death , and such as are for the sword to the sword , and such as are for the famine to the famine , and such as are for the captivity to the captivity . for then god will be weary of repenting , as he tells them verse . thou hast forsaken me , saith the lord , thou art gone backward ; therefore will i stretch out my hand against thee and deliver thee , i am weary of repenting . by our obstinate impenitency we harden the heart of god against us , and make him weary of repenting . and when his soul is thus departed from a people , nothing remains but a fearful expectation of ruin . wo unto them , saith god by the prophet , when i depart from them . therefore be thou instructed o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . having given this account of the words , i shall observe from them three things well worth our consideration . first , the infinite goodness and patience of god towards a sinful people , and his great unwillingness to bring ruin and destruction upon them lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . how loth is he that things should come to this extremity ? he is not without great difficulty , and some kind of violence , as it were , offered to himself , brought to this severe resolution ; his soul is , as it were , rent and disjointed from them . secondly , you see here what is the only proper and effectual means to prevent the misery and ruin of a sinful people . if they will be instructed and take warning by the threatnings of god , and will become wiser and better , then his soul will not depart from them , he will not bring upon them the desolation which he hath threatned . thirdly , you have here intimated the miserable case and condition of a people , when god takes off his affection from them , and gives over all further care and concernment for them . wo unto them , when his soul departs from them . for when god once leaves them , then all sorts of evils and calamities will break in upon them . i shall speak as briefly as i can to these three observations from the text. first , i observe the infinite patience and goodness of god towards a sinful people , and his great unwillingness to bring ruin and destruction upon them ; lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . how loth is god that things should come to this ? he is very patient to particular persons , notwithstanding their great and innumerable provocations . god is strong and patient , though men provoke him every day . and much greater is his patience to whole nations and great communities of men . how great was it to the old world , when the long suffering of god waited in the days of noah , for the space of an hundred and twenty years ? and did not expire , till he saw that the wickedness of man was grown great upon the earth , and that all flesh had corrupted its way ; not till it was necessary to drown the world to cleanse it , and to destroy mankind to reform it , by beginning a new world upon the only righteous family that was left of all the last generation of the old. for so god testifies concerning noah , when he commanded him to enter into the ark , saying , come thou and all thy house into the ark ; for thee , that is , thee only , have i seen righteous before me in this generation . the patience of god was great likewise to sodom and gomorrah and the cities about them . for when the cry of their sins had reached heaven , and called loud for vengeance to be poured down upon them , to express the wonderful patience of god towards such grievous sinners , though nothing is hid from his sight and knowledge , yet he is represented as coming down from heaven to earth on purpose to enquire into the truth of things , and whether they were altogether according to the cry that was come up to him . and when he found things as bad as was possible , yet then was he willing to have come almost to the lowest terms imaginable , that if there had been but ten righteous persons in those wicked cities , he would not have destroy'd them for the ten 's sake . nay he seems to come to lower terms yet , with the city of jerusalem , jer. . . run ye to and fro through the streets of jerusalem , and see now and know , and seek in the broad places thereof , if ye can find a man , if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth , and i will pardon it . what can be imagin'd more slow , and mild , and merciful , than the proceedings of the divine justice against a sinful people ? god is represented in scripture as taking a long time to make ready his bow , and to whet his glittering sword , before his hand takes hold of vengeance ; as if the instruments of his wrath lay by him blunt and rusty and unready for use . many a time he threatens , and many a time lifts up his hand , before he gives the fatal blow . and how glad is he when any good man will step in and interpose to stay his hand ? as we read psal . . . therefore he said , speaking of the people of israel , that he would destroy them , had not moses his servant stood in the breach to turn away his wrath , lest he should destroy them . and how kindly doth god take it of phinehas , as a most acceptable piece of service done to him , and which he hardly knew how sufficiently to reward , that he was a means of putting a stop to his anger against the people of israel : insomuch that the psalmist tells us that it was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations for evermore . i will recite the whole passage at large , because it is remarkable . when the people of israel were seduced into idolatry and whoredom by the daughters of moab , phinehas in great zeal stood up and executed judgment upon zimri and cozbi in the very act : by which means the plague which was broken out upon the congregation of israel was presently stayed . hear what god says to moses concerning this act of phinehas . the lord spake unto moses saying , phinehas the son of eleazer , the son of aaron the priest , hath turned away my wrath from the children of israel , whilst he was zealous for my sake that i consumed them not . wherefore say , behold i give unto him my covenant of peace , and he shall have it , and his seed after him , even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood , because he was zealous for his god , and made an atonement for the children of israel : that which god takes so kindly at his hands , next to his zeal for him , is , that he pacified god's wrath towards the children of israel . and thus did god from time to time deal with the people of israel , that great example of the old testament of the merciful methods of the divine providence towards a sinful nation . and an example , as st. paul tells us , purposely recorded for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come . let us therefore consider a little the astonishing patience of god towards that perverse people . after all the signs and wonders which he had wrought in their deliverance out of egypt , and for their support in the wilderness ; and notwithstanding their gross and stupid infidelity and horrible ingratitude to god their saviour , and all their rebellious murmurings and discontents , yet he suffer'd their manners for the space of forty years . and when they were at last peaceably settled in the promised land ; notwithstanding their frequent relapses into idolatry , with what patience did god expect their repentance , and the result of all the merciful messages and warnings given them from time to time by his prophets , as one that earnestly desir'd it and even long'd for it ? o jerusalem , wash thine heart from wickedness , that thou mayest be saved ; how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee ? that is , how long wilt thou delude thy self with vain hopes of escaping the judgments of god by any other way than by repentance ? and again , o jerusalem , wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? and chap. . ver . . says god there , i hearkened and i heard , but they spake not aright ; no man repented him of his wickedness , saying , what have i done ? where god is represented , after the manner of men , waiting with great patience , as one that would have been glad to have heard any penitent word drop from them , to have seen any sign of their repentance and return to a better mind . and when they made some shews of repentance , and had some fits of good resolution that did presently vanish and come to nothing , how passionately does god complain of their fickleness and inconstancy ? o ephraim , what shall i do unto thee ? o judah , what shall i do unto thee ? for your goodness is as a morning cloud , and as the early dew it goeth away . and at last , when nothing would do , with what difficulty and reluctancy does god deliver them up into the hands of their enemies ? how shall i give thee up ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee judah ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me , and my repentings are kindled together ; i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger , i will not destroy ephraim . what a conflict is here ? what tenderness and yerning of his bowels towards them ? he cannot find in his heart to give them up , till he is forced to it by the last necessity . and when the nation of the jews , after their return from the captivity of babylon , had in the course of several ages greatly corrupted themselves , and fill'd up the measure of their sins by crucifying the lord of life and glory , yet how slow was the patience of god in bringing that fatal and final destruction upon them ? not till after the most merciful warnings given to them , by the apostles of our lord and saviour ; not till after the most obstinate impenitency of forty years , under the most powerful means of repentance that any people in the world ever enjoyed . i proceed to the second observation from the text , namely , what is the only proper and effectual means to prevent the ruin of a sinful people ? and that is , if they will be instructed and take warning by the threatnings of god to become wiser and better , then his soul will not depart from them , and he will not bring upon them the desolation threatned . be thou instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , and i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited ; intimating , or rather plainly declaring to us , that if we will receive instruction and take warning the evil threaten'd shall not come . for what other reason can there be , why god should threaten so long before he strikes , and so earnestly press men to repentance , but that he might have the opportunity to spare them and to shew mercy to them ? and indeed , as i observ'd before , all the denunciations and threatnings of god to a sinful nation do carry this tacit condition in them , that if that nation turn from their evil ways , god will repent of the evil which he thought to do unto them . for god never passeth so irrevocable a sentence upon a nation , as to exclude the case of repentance : nay on the contrary he gives all imaginable encouragement to it , and is always ready to meet it , with a pardon in his hand . how often would i have gathered thee , says our merciful lord when he wept over jerusalem , as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , and ye would not ; therefore your house is left unto you desolate . god is very merciful to particular persons upon their repentance . when the prodigal son in the parable , after all his riot and lewdness came to himself and resolv'd to return home , his father seeing him yet afar off coming towards him , came out to meet him , and had compassion on him and kissed him . and can any of us be so obstinate and hard-hearted , as not presently to resolve to repent and return , and to meet the compassions of such a father ? who , after we have offended him to the uttermost , is upon the first discovery of our repentance ready to be as kind to us , as he could possibly have been if we had never offended him . and much more is god ready to receive a nation upon their sincere repentance ; when his judgments must needs make great havock , and so many are like to suffer under them . this consideration god urgeth and pleads with his froward prophet , in behalf of the great city of niniveh . and shall not i spare that great city of niniveh , wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons , who cannot discern their right hand from their left ? that is , so many innocent children , by which we may judge of the vast number of the rest of the inhabitants . for this is a great consideration with god in his sending of publick calamities , the multitude of the sufferers ; and that not only the guilty but the innocent also , without a special and miraculous providence , must be involved in a common calamity . sometimes god respites his judgments upon the mere external humiliation of a people , and some formal testimonies and expressions of their repentance . when the people of israel sought god and enquired early after him , though they did but flatter him with their mouth , and their heart was not right with him , yet the psalmist tells us , that being full of compassion he forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not ; that is , he forgave them so far as to respite their ruin . and much more will a sincere and effectual repentance stay god's hand , and infallibly turn him from the fierceness of his anger : insomuch that after he had fix'd and determin'd the very day for the destruction of niniveh , and had engaged the credit of his prophet in it , yet as soon as he saw their works , and that they turned from their evil ways , and how glad was he to see it ? he presently repented of the evil which he had said he would do unto them , and he did it not . in this case god does not stand upon the reputation of his prophet , by whom he had sent so peremptory a message to them ; but his mercy breaks through all considerations , and rejoiceth against judgment : for he cannot find in his heart to ruin those who by the terror of his judgments will be brought to repentance . and this surely is a mighty motive and encouragement to repentance , to be assur'd that we shall find mercy ; and that when our ruin is even decreed , and all the instruments of god●s wrath are fix'd and ready for execution , and his hand is just taking hold of vengeance , yet even then a sincere repentance will mitigate his hottest displeasure and turn away his wrath . and if we will not come in upon these terms , we extort the judgments of god from him and force him to depart from us , and with violent hands we pull down vengeance upon our own heads . thirdly and lastly , the text intimates to us the miserable case and condition of a people when god takes off his heart and affection from them , when he gives over all further care and concernment for them , and abandons them to their own wickedness and folly , and to the miserable effects and consequences thereof : wo unto them , when his soul departs from them : for then all sorts of evils and calamities will rush in , and wrath will come upon them to the uttermost ; as was threaten'd to the jews a little before their final destruction , and executed upon them in the most terrible and amazing manner that ever was from the foundation of the world. these , as our blessed saviour expresses it , were days of vengeance indeed , that all things which were written , that is foretold by moses and the prophets concerning the fearful end of this perverse and stiff-neck'd people , might be fulfilled . and because my text speaks to jerusalem , be thou instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , lest i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited ; though this was spoken to jerusalem before her captivity into babylon , yet because this first captivity was but a faint type of her last and final desolation by the romans , when god's soul was indeed departed from her , and judea was left desolate , a land not inhabited : i shall therefore briefly represent to you the full effect of this threatning in her last final destruction , when god's soul was , as it were , perfectly loosen'd and disjointed from her : that you may see what the fierceness and power of god's anger is , when he departs from them , and wrath comes upon them to the uttermost , because they would not be instructed and know the time of their visitation . thus it was with the jews , about forty years after the passion of our lord , whom with wicked hands they had crucified and slain : then was god's soul departed from them : then darkness and desolation came upon them ; and they were in a far worse condition than a countrey would be that is forsaken of the sun and left condemn'd to a perpetual night , in which darkness and disorder , faction and fury do reign and rage ; together with all the fatal consequences of zeal and strife , which , st. james tells us , are confusion and every evil work . for when god is once gone , all the good and happiness of mankind departs together with him : then men fall foul upon one another , divide into parties and factions , and execute the vengeance of god upon themselves with their own hands . thus it happen'd to the jewish nation , when the measure of their iniquity was full , and their final ruin was approaching . and that we might know their fate , and be instructed by it , god provided and preserv'd a faithful historian on purpose , who was an eye witness of all that befel them : i mean josephus , who was personally engaged , and was a considerable commander in the wars of the jews with the romans , before the siege of jerusalem : and during the siege was present in the roman camp , and being a jew himself hath transmitted these things to posterity in a most exact and admirable history : such a history , as no man that hath the heart and bowels of a man can read without the greatest pity and astonishment . in the preface of that lamentable history he tells us , that all the misfortunes and calamities which the world from the beginning of it had seen , compar'd with this last calamity of the jewish nation , were but slight and inconsiderable . he tells us likewise , that their civil dissentions were the next and immediate cause of their confusion and ruin . and this more than once : for when pompey , about sixty years before our saviour's birth , sate down before jerusalem , he tells us , * that the factions and divisions which they had among themselves were the cause of the taking the city and temple at that time . and when they rebelled afterwards , that the heads of their factions provok'd the romans , and brought them unwillingly upon them , and at last forced the best natur'd prince in the world titus vespasian to that severity which he most earnestly desired by all means to have prevented . and he further tells us , that even before the siege of jerusalem , the cities of judea had all of them civil discords among themselves , and that in every city one part of the jews fought against another . and when jerusalem began to be besieged , what a miserable condition was it in , by the cruelty of the zealots under the command of john the son of giorah ? and presently after another faction arose under simon , who enter'd into the city with a fresh force and assaulted the zealots in the temple ; so that most miserable havock was made between them . and then a third faction started up under eleazer , as bad as either of the other : so that infinite almost were the numbers of the people within the city that were barbarously slain by these seditions . and what an infatuation was this ? when the enemy was at the gates and ready to break in upon them , to employ their whole strength and force against one another : when the same courage and fury , which they spent so freely upon themselves , had it been turn'd with the like desperateness and obstinacy upon the romans , might have endanger'd the whole force of the roman empire . once or twice indeed they seem'd to lay aside their enmity for a little while , and to unite in the common defence ; but as soon as the danger of a present assault was over , they relaps'd into their former state of intestine enmity and dissention , as if that had been their main business , and the preservation of their city against the romans only a work by the by , and not much to be regarded . and to add to all their other miseries , they were so blinded by their own rage and madness , that they wilfully brought upon themselves an extreme famine . for , as the historian tells us , they themselves set on fire vast stores of corn and other necessaries , sufficient to have serv'd them for many years ; and by this means the city was much sooner reduc'd , even by a famine of their own making , and which could not have been brought upon them but by themselves . this famine , besides all the other miseries and cruelties which it occasion'd within the city , did force great numbers of them to steal out by night into the roman camp ; where they met with as cruel but a speedier death . for titus , in hope to reduce them the sooner by terror , order'd all those that came out of the city to be crucified before the walls . which order was so severely executed , that for several days five hundred a day were crucified , till there was neither room left to place crosses in , nor wood whereof to make them : so that they who once cried out so vehemently against our saviour , crucify him , crucify him , had enough of it at last , and by the just and most remarkable judgment of god were paid home in their own kind . behold the sad fate of a sinful people , when god is departed from them ! then all evils overtake them at once . for as their misery increased , so did their impiety to that degree , that the historian tells us , they scorned and mocked at all divine and holy things , and derided the oracles of the prophets , esteeming them no better than fables ; and , in a word , were carried to that extremity of wickedness , as not only to prophane their temple in the highest manner , and to break the laws of their own religion , but even to violate the laws of nature and humanity in the grossest instances : which made their historian to give that dismal character of them , that as he thought no city ever suffer'd such things , so no nation , from the beginning of the world , did ever so abound in all manner of wickedness and impiety : a certain sign that god's soul was departed from them . and the same historian afterwards , upon consideration of the lamentable state into which their seditions had brought them , breaks out into this doleful lamentation over them , o miserable city ! what didst thou suffer from the romans , though at last they set thee on fire to purge thee from thy sins , that is to be compar'd with those miseries which thou hast brought upon thy self ? to such a dismal state did things come at last , that , as the same historian relates , many of the jews prayed for the good success of their enemies , to deliver them from their civil dissensions , the calamity whereof was so great that their final destruction by the romans did rather put an end to their misery than increase it , — en ! quo discordia cives perduxit miseros — to conclude this sad story . it was the jews themselves that by their own folly and dissensions forc'd the romans to this sorrowful victory over them ; for in truth all the remorse and pity was on the enemies side . the romans were little more than spectators in this cruel tragedy , the jews acted it upon themselves : and they only who were arriv'd at that prodigious height of impiety and wickedness were fit to be the executioners of this vengeance of god upon one another : as if the prophet had foretold this , when he says , thine own wickedness shall correct thee . when impiety and wickedness are at their highest pitch in a nation , then they themselves are the only proper instruments to punish one another . the romans were by far too good and gentle to inflict a suffering upon the jews that was equal to the evil of their doings : none but their own barbarous selves , who were sunk down into the very lowest degeneracy of humane nature , were capable of so much cruelty and inhumanity as was requisite to execute the judgment of god upon them to that degree which their sins had deserved . you see , my brethren , by what hath been said upon this argument , what were the faults , and what the fate of the jewish nation . now these things , as the apostle expresly tells us , were written for our admonition , and to the intent that we upon whom the ends of the world are come might be instructed by them : we , i say , who next to the jewish nation seem to be a people highly favoured by god above all the nations of the earth . we resemble them very much in their many and wonderful deliverances , and a great deal too much in their faults and follies . but as i intend it not , so god forbid that there should be any just ground for a full and exact parallel between us ; yet this i must say , that nothing ever came nearer to them than we do in several respects . in our fickleness and inconstancy , in our murmurings and discontents ; for we are never pleas●d with what god does , neither when he brings us into danger , nor when he delivers us out of it : we resemble them likewise , in our horrible prophaneness and infidelity , and in our impiety and wickedness of several kinds : in our monstrous ingratitude and most unworthy returns to the god of our salvation : and lastly , in our factions and divisions , which were the fatal sign of god's being departed from the jews , and the immediate cause and means of those dismal calamities which wrought their final ruin. and how can we chuse but dread lest their fate should overtake us , the example of whose faults and follies we do in so many things so nearly resemble ? that this may not , nor any thing like it , be our fate , let us apply our selves to the great duties of this day ; a serious and deep repentance , and humiliation of our selves before almighty god for the many and heinous sins which we in this nation have been , and still are guilty of , against his divine majesty ; by our prophaneness and impiety , by our lewdness and luxury , by our oppression and injustice , by our implacable malice and hatred one towards another , and by our senseless divisions and animosities one against another , without cause and without end : by our neglect of god's worship , and prophanation of his holy day , and by our dreadful abuse of god's great and glorious name in those horrid oaths and curses and imprecations which are heard almost day and night in the streets of this great city . for these and all other our innumerable provocations of the patience and goodness and long-suffering of god towards us , let us sadly repent our selves this day , and turn unto the lord with all our hearts , with fasting , and with weeping , and with mourning : and rent our hearts and not our garments , and turn unto the lord our god ; for he is gracious and merciful , slow to anger and of great kindness , and repenteth him of the evil : and who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him ? turn thou us unto thee , o lord , and we shall beturned : take away all iniquity , and receive us graciously . and let us earnestly beg of him , that he would be pleased to prevent those terrible judgments and calamities which hang over us , and which our sins have so justly deserved should fall upon us : and that he would perfect that wonderful deliverance which he hath begun for us , and establish the thing which he hath wrought : that he would bless them whom he hath set in authority over us ; and particularly , that he would preserve the person of the king in his present expedition , and crown him with victory and good success . and to our repentance and prayers let us add our liberal alms , and according to the counsel given by the prophet to nebuchadnezzar , let us break off our sins by righteousness , and our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor , if so be it may be a lengthening of our tranquility . we are yet , blessed be god , in the full enjoyment of peace and quiet at home , and of our religion and civil liberties . god hath given us two excellent princes sitting on the throne together , and both of the same religion with the main body of the nation ; and as bright examples of piety and goodness as england ever saw : and who do by all ways and means study and seek the good of the people committed to their charge . so that if we did but know our own happiness , and how to value it , we might be the happiest people this day under heaven : and yet for all this , we are very far from being happy ; because we are neither contented , nor united ; and tho we have all the materials of happiness about us and within our reach , yet have we not the skill and wisdom to put them together . miserable people ! that may be happy and will not ; whom neither so fresh a deliverance from so great a danger as was just ready to have swallowed us up , nor the fear and apprehension of falling again into the like confusion , can be a warning to us from returning again unto the same folly : for those odious and unhappy names of difference which some years ago sprang up among us , the devil knows how , did seem whilst a common danger threatned us , to be quite dead and buried : but no sooner was the danger over , but by a kind of miraculous infatuation , behold a sudden resurrection of them , with greater heats and animosities , if possible , than before : just as it was with the jews in the siege of jerusalem , when the romans had made a wide breach and the city was furiously assaulted , the factions then gave truce to one another , and ran in to the common defence ; but as soon as ever the danger was a little over , they fell on afresh and prosecuted their main design of destroying one another . and now that the danger is a little over with us also , how like a fate upon us does it look , that we are so soon alter'd from our wiser and better temper ? did we well and wisely before out late happy revolution , when we united for our common defence against a common danger , and did let those unlucky names of distinction fall , so that they seem'd to be quite extinguish'd ? and can it be now wise to revive them , and to take them up again ; when the same danger in some degree , and from the same implacable enemies , still hovers over us ? no surely , it would not be wise , if the danger were quite past and over ; but when it still remains and threatens us , what greater folly and infatuation can there be than still to divide and quarrel among our selves ? will nothing but sad and bitter experience be an admonition to us ? will nothing but the last necessity and extremity of things bring us to our selves and teach us wisdom ? methinks we should all now be glad to be at rest , after the tedious troubles and distractions , the fruitless quarrels and divisions of fifty years . so long i remember ; and in all that space how very few years pass'd over us without some great calamity and dismal event . so that by this time one would think we should all be sick of our own follies , and so tir'd with our unprofitable feuds and dissentions , as to make both sides look about them , to see if any body will take pity on us , and step in to part our quarrels . and now i begin to be sensible , that i have engag'd in a tender point indeed ; and do feel my self standing upon a very slippery place . for who is fit to interpose in such hot and fierce differences ? who can do it without danger , or with any hopes of success ? and yet for zion's sake i will not hold my peace , for jerusalem's sake i will not keep silence : of so great consequence is it to the peace and happiness of this church and nation , that these names and distinctions of parties should be laid down and abolish'd for ever . in order whereunto i take it for granted and lay it for a principle , that he who hopes to persuade both sides must provoke neither : and therefore i will not so much as enquire where the fault lies . it is in these civil differences as in family quarrels between man and wife , if any man ask on which side lies the fault ; one may almost safely answer at a venture , on both sides . it must indeed begin on one , but if it be not presently heal'd and made up , the other party is always so civil as to run in and take a share of the fault , that all the blame may not lie wholly on one side . and now , my brethren , let me for once persuade and prevail with you for your good : let me be so happy as to say something that may sink into your hearts , and incline your minds to peace and good agreement with one another , have salt in your selves , says our blessed saviour the great peace maker , and peace one with another . by salt is meant grace and spiritual wisdom , and if that do but rule and sway in our hearts , we shall then endeavour , if it be possible , and as much as in us lies , to live peaceably with all men . if we have salt in our selves , that is , if we be wise , we will then certainly have peace one with another . and if we were but once come to this healing temper , in this divided and distracted nation , we should not then need to fear all the power of the enemy . and this our enemies know full well : and therefore their chief policy and wisdom is , and ever hath been , to divide us ; and it will be our own great folly and weakness if we suffer our selves to be divided : for who that is wise will take counsel and advice from an enemy ? but if we could agree and hold together , then our jerusalem would be as a city that is compact together , strong and impregnable . let us then be instructed , and know , in this our day , things which belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes . and let us all earnestly endeavour and pray for the peace of jerusalem : they shall prosper that love her , says the psalmist , and they do not love her , that do not seek her peace and endeavour by all means to procure it : that peace may be within her walls , and prosperity within her palaces : the one cannot be without the other : without peace there can be no prosperity . and to go on with the words of the psalmist , let every one of us say , yea let us all with one heart and voice say , for our brethren and companions sake , for the sake of our protestant brethren all the world over , let us say , peace be within thee : for the house of the lord our god , for the sake of our holy religion , and of that excellent church whereof we all are , or ought to be members , let every one of us say , i will seek thy good . and what greater good can we do to the best religion , how can we better serve the interest of it in all parts of the world , than by being at peace and unity among our selves , here in england ? upon whom the eyes of all the protestants abroad are fixed , as the glory of the reformation , and the great bulwark and support of it . that so under the providence of almighty god , and the conduct of two such excellent princes as he hath now bless'd us withal : the one so brave and valiant , and both of them so wise , so good , so religious , we may at last arrive at a firm establishment , and become like mount zion that cannot be moved ; the perfection of beauty and strength , and the admiration and joy of the whole earth ; which god of his infinite goodness grant , for his mercies sake in jesus christ : to whom , with thee o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , thanksgiving and praise both now and ever , amen . a conscience void of offence , towards god and men. in a sermon preached before the queen , at white-hall , february the th / . a conscience void of offence , towards god and men. acts xxiv . . and herein do i exercise my self , to have always a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men . these words are part of the defence which st. paul made for himself , before faelix the roman governour . in which he first of all vindicates himself from the charge of sedition , ver . . they neither found me in the temple , disputing with any man ; neither raising up the people , neither in the synagogue , nor in the city ; that is , they could not charge him with making any disturbance either in church or state. after this , he makes a free and open profession of his religion , ver . . but this i confess , that after the way which they call heresie , so worship i the god of my fathers , believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets : here he declares the scriptures to be the rule of his faith , in opposition to the oral tradition of the pharisees . more particularly he asserts the doctrine of the resurrection , which was a principal article both of the jewish and the christian religion ; ver . . and i have hope also towards god , that there shall be a resurrection , both of the just and the unjust . and having made this declaration of his faith , he gives an account of his life , in the words of the text , ver . . and herein do i exercise my self , to have always a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men . herein , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , in this work , do i employ my self ; or as others render it , in the mean time , whilst i am in this world ; or as others , i think most probably , for this cause and reason , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for this reason , because i believe a resurrection , therefore have i a conscientious care of my life , and all the actions of it . the discourse i intend to make upon these words , shall be comprized in these following particulars . i. here is the extent of a good man's pious practice , to have a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men . ii. here is his constancy and perseverance in this course ; to have always a conscience void of offence . iii. here is his earnest care and endeavour to this purpose , i exercise my self . iv. here is the principle and immediate guide of his actions , which st. paul here tells us was his conscience . v. i shall lay down some rules and directions for the keeping of a good conscience . vi. here is the great motive and encouragement to this , which st. paul tells us was the belief of a resurrection , and of a future state of rewards and punishments consequent upon it ; for this cause ; because i hope for a resurrection both of the just and unjust , i exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men . i shall speak but briefly to the three first of these particulars , that i may be larger in the rest . i. here is the extent of a good man's pious practice . it hath regard to the whole compass of his duty , as it respects god and man. i exercise my self , says st. paul , to have a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men . and this distribution of our duty , under these two general heads , is very frequent in scripture . the decalogue refers our duty to these two heads : and accordingly our saviour comprehends the whole duty of man in those two great commandments , the love of god and of our neighbour , matth. . . vpon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets , that is , all the moral precepts , which are dispers'd up and down in the law and the prophets , may be referr'd to these two general heads . ii. here is his constancy and perseverance in this course . st. paul says , that he exercised himself to have always a conscience void of offence ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , continually , at all times , in the whole course of his life . we must not only make conscience of our ways by fits and starts , but in the general course and tenour of our lives and actions , without any balks and intermissions . there are some that will refrain from grosser sins , and be very strict at some seasons ; as during the time of a solemn repentance , and for some days before they receive the sacrament ; and perhaps for a little while after it : and when these devout seasons are over , they let themselves loose again to their former lewd and vitious course : but religion should be a constant frame and temper of mind , discovering it self in the habitual course of our lives and actions . iii. here is likewise a very earnest care and endeavour to this purpose . herein do i exercise my self , says st. paul. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is here render'd exercise , is a word of a very intense signification , and does denote that st. paul applied himself to this business with all his care and might , and that he made it his earnest study and endeavour : and so must we ; we must take great care to understand our duty , and to be rightly informed concerning good and evil , that we may not mistake the nature of things , and call good evil , and evil good : we must apply our minds in good earnest to be thoroughly instructed in all the parts of our duty , that so we may not be at a loss what to do when we are call'd to the practice of it : and when we know our duty , we must be true and honest to our selves , and very careful and conscientious in the discharge and performance of it . i proceed in the iv th place to consider the principle and immediate guide of our actions , which st. paul here tells us was his conscience ; i exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence : by which he does not only mean a resolution to follow the dictate and direction of his conscience , but likewise a due care to inform his conscience aright , that he might not in any thing transgress the law of god , and his duty . conscience is the great principle of moral actions , and our guide in matter of sin and duty . it is not the law and rule of our actions , that the law of god only is ; but it is our immediate guide and directour , telling us what is the law of god and our duty . but because conscience is a word of a very large and various signification , i shall endeavour very briefly to give you the true notion of it . now in common speech concerning conscience , every man is represented as having a kind of court and tribunal in his own breast , where he tries himself and all his actions : and conscience , under one notion or other , sustains all parts in this tryal : the court is call'd the court of a man's conscience , and the barr at which the sinner stands impleaded , is call'd the barr of conscience : conscience also is the accuser ; and it is the record and register of our crimes , in which the memory of them is preserv'd : and it is the witness which gives testimony for , or against us ; hence are those expressions of the testimony of our consciences , and that a man 's own conscience is to him instead of a thousand witnesses : and it is likewise the judge which declares the law , and what we ought , or ought not to have done , in such or such a case , and accordingly passeth sentence upon us by acquitting or condemning us . thus , according to common use of speech , conscience sustains all imaginable parts in this spiritual court : it is the court , and the bench , and the barr ; the accuser , and witness , and register , and all . but i shall only at present consider conscience in the most common and famous notion of it , as it is the principle or faculty whereby we judge of moral good and evil , and do accordingly direct and govern our actions : so that in short , conscience is nothing else but the judgment of a man 's own mind concerning the morality of his actions ; that is , the good , or evil , or indifferency of them ; telling us what things are commanded by god , and consequently are our duty ; what things are forbidden by him , and consequently are sinful ; what things are neither commanded nor forbidden , and consequently are indifferent . i proceed in the v th place , to give some rules and directions for the keeping of a conscience void of offence . and they shall be these following : first , never in any case to act contrary to the persuasion and conviction of our conscience . for that certainly is a great sin , and that which properly offends the conscience and renders us guilty ; guilt being nothing else but trouble arising in our minds from a consciousness of having done contrary to what we are verily persuaded was our duty : and though perhaps this persuasion is not always well grounded , yet the guilt is the same so long as this persuasion continues ; because every man's conscience is a kind of god to him , and accuseth or absolves him according to the present persuasion of it . and therefore we ought to take great care not to offend against the light and conviction of our own mind . secondly , we should be very careful to inform our consciences aright , that we may not mistake concerning our duty ; or if we do , that our errour and mistake may not be grosly wilful and faulty . and this rule is the more necessary to be consider'd and regarded by us , because generally men are apt to think it a sufficient excuse for any thing , that they did it according to their conscience . but this will appear to be a dangerous mistake and of very pernicious consequence to the souls of men , if we consider these two things . st , that men may be guilty of the most heinous sins in following an erroneous conscience . ly , and these sins may prove damnable without a particular repentance for them . st , that men may be guilty of the most heinous sins in following an erroneous conscience . men may neglect and abuse themselves so far , as to do some of the worst and wickedest things in the world with a persuasion that they do well . our saviour tells his disciples that the time should come when the jews should put them to death , thinking they did god good service : nay the jews murthered the son of god himself through ignorance and a false perswasion of mind : father , forgive them , says our blessed lord , when he was breathing out his soul upon the cross , for they know not what they do . and st. peter , after he had charged the jews with killing the prince of life , he presently adds , i wote that through ignorance ye did it , as did also your rulers . and st. paul , in mitigation of that great crime , says , had they known , they would not have crucified the lord of life and glory : and concerning himself he tells us , that he verily thought with himself , that he ought to do many things against the name of jesus of nazareth : and yet notwithstanding that he acted herein according to the persuasion of his conscience , he tells us that he had been a blasphemer , and a persecutour , and injurious , and a murtherer , and in a word , the greatest of sinners . so that men may be guilty of the greatest sins in following an erroneous conscience . and , ly , these sins may prove damnable , without a particular repentance for them . where the ignorance and mistake is not grosly wilful , there god will accept of a general repentance ; but where it is grosly wilful , great sins committed upon it are not pardon'd without a particular repentance for them : and an errour which proceeds from want of ordinary human care and due government of a man's self , is in a great degree wilful : as when it proceeds from an unreasonable and obstinate prejudice , from great pride and self-conceit , and contempt of counsel and instruction ; or from a visible byass of self-interest , or when it is accompanied with a furious passion and zeal , prompting men to cruel and horrible things , contrary to the light of nature and the common sense of humanity : an errour proceeding from such causes , and producing such effects , is wilful in so high a degree , that whatever evil is done in vertue of it is almost equally faulty with a direct and wilful violation of the law of god. the ignorance and mistake doth indeed make the person so mistaken more capable of forgiveness , which is the ground of our saviour's prayer for his murtherers , father , forgive them , for they know not what they do : st. paul likewise tells us , that he found mercy upon this account , nevertheless , says he , i obtained mercy , because i did it ignorantly , and in unbelief , that is , through a false persuasion of mind , not believing it to be a sin : and yet he did not obtain this mercy , without a particular conviction of his fault and repentance for it . and st. peter after he had convinced the jews of their great sin in crucifying christ , though they did it ignorantly , yet he exhorts them to a particular and deep repentance for it , as necessary to the pardon and forgiveness of it : and therefore after he had said , i wote that through ignorance ye did it , as did also your rulers , he immediately adds , repent ye therefore , and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out . so that it highly concerns men to consider what opinions they embrace in order to practice , and not to suffer themselves to be hurried away by an unreasonable prejudice and a heady passion , without a due and calm examination of things , nor to be over-born by pride , or humour , or partiality , or interest , or by a furious and extravagant zeal : because proportionably to the voluntariness of our errour will be the guilt of our practice pursuant to that errour . indeed where our errour is involuntary , and morally invincible , god will consider it , and make allowance for it ; but where it is voluntary , and occasioned by our own gross fault and neglect , we are bound to consider , and to rectifie our mistake : for what-ever we do contrary to the law of god and our duty , in vertue of that false persuasion , we do it at our utmost peril , and must be answerable to god for it , notwithstanding we did it according to the dictate of our conscience . a third rule is this , that in all doubts of conscience we endeavour to be equal and impartial , and do not lay all the weight of our doubts on one side , when there is perhaps as much or greater reason of doubting on the other : and consequently , that we be as tractable and easie to receive satisfaction of our doubts in one kind as in another , and be equally contented to have them over-ruled in cases that are equal : i mean , where our passions and interests are not concern'd , as well as where they are . and if we do not do this , it is a sign that we are partial in our pretences of conscience , and that we do not aim meerly at the peace and satisfaction of our own minds , but have some other interest and design . for it is a very suspicious thing , when men's doubts and scruples bear all on one side , especially if it be on that side which is against charity , and peace , and obedience to government , whether ecclesiastical or civil : in this case i think that a meer doubt , and much more a scruple , may , nay , ought in reason to be over-ruled by the command of authority , by the opinion and judgment of wise and good men , and in consideration of the publick peace , and of the unity and edification of the church . not that a man is in any case to go against the clear persuasion and conviction of his own mind , but when there is only a meer doubt concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a thing , it seems to me in that case very reasonable that a man should suffer a mere doubt or scruple to be over-rul'd by any of those weighty considerations which i mentioned before . the fourth rule is , that all pretences of conscience are vehemently to be suspected , which are accompanied with turbulent passion and a furious zeal . it is an hundred to one but such a man's conscience is in the wrong . it is an excellent saying of st. james , the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god , that is , the fierce passions of men are no proper instruments to promote religion , and to accomplish any thing that is good . and therefore if any man be transported with a wild zeal , and pretend conscience for his fury , it is great odds but he is in an errour : none are so likely to judge amiss , as they whose minds are clouded and blinded by their passions , nubila mens est , haec ubi regnant . and if men would carefully observe themselves , they might almost certainly know when they act upon reason and a true principle of conscience . a good conscience is easie to it self , and pleased with its own doings ; but when a man's passion and discontent are a weight upon his judgment , and do , as it were , bear down his conscience to a compliance , no wonder if this puts a man's mind into a very unnatural and uneasie state . there can hardly be a broader sign that a man is in the wrong , than to rage and be confident : because this plainly shews that the man's conscience is not setled upon clear reason , but that he hath brought over his conscience to his interest , or to his humour and discontent . and though such a man may be so far blinded by his passion as not to see what is right , yet methinks he should feel himself to be in the wrong by his being so very hot and impatient . art thou sure thou art in the right ? thou art a happy man , and hast reason to be pleased : what cause then , what need is there of being angry ? hath a man reason on his side ? what would he have more ? why then does he fly out into passion ? which as it gives no strength to a bad argument , so i could never yet see that it was any grace and advantage to a good one . of the great evil , and the perpetual mistake of this furious kind of zeal , the jews are a lively and a lamentable example , in their carriage towards our blessed saviour and his apostles : and more particularly st. paul , when he persecuted the christians from a false and erroneous persuasion of his conscience . hear how st. paul describes himself and his own doings whilst he was acted by an erroneous conscience : i persecuted , says he , this way unto the death , binding and delivering into prison both men and women : and in another chapter , i verily thought with my self , that i ought to do many things against the name of jesus of nazareth : here was his erroneous conscience let us next see what were the unhappy concomitants and effects of it ; ver . , : which things , says he , i also did in jerusalem , and many of the saints i shut up in prison , and when they were put to death i gave my voice against them , and punish'd them oft in every synagogue , and compell'd them to blaspheme ; and being exceedingly mad against them , i persecuted them even to strange cities . when conscience transports men with such a furious zeal and passion , it is hardly ever in the right ; or if it should happen to be so , they who are thus transported , by their ungracious way of maintaining the truth , and their ill management of a good cause , have found out a cunning way to be in the wrong , even when they are in the right . fifthly , all pretences of conscience are likewise to be suspected , which are not accompanied with modesty and humility , and a teachable temper and disposition , willing to learn and to be better inform'd . a proud and conceited temper of mind is very likely to run into mistakes ; because pride and fulness of a man's self does keep out knowledge , and obstructs all the passages by which wisdom and instruction should enter into men : besides that it provokes god to abandon men to their own follies and mistakes ; for god resisteth the proud , but the meek will he guide in judgment , and will give more grace and wisdom to the humble . when men are once come to this , to think themselves wiser than their teachers , and to despise and cast off their guides , no wonder if then they go astray . lastly , let us be sure to mind that which is our plain and unquestionable duty : the great things of religion , wherein the life and substance of it doth consist ; and the things likewise which make for peace , and whereby we may edify one another : and let us not suffer our disputes about lesser matters to prejudice and hinder our main duty : but let it be our great care not to fail in those greater things which are comprehended under the two great commandments of the law , the love of god and of our neighbour : let us be strict and constant in our piety and devotion towards god ; chast and temperate in reference to our selves ; just and honest , kind and charitable , humble and meek , patient and peaceable towards all men ; submissive and obedient to our superiours , natural , civil , and spiritual . a due regard to these great vertues of the christian life is the way to keep a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men : and surely the best means to have our doubts cleared about matters of lesser moment in religion , is heartily to set about the practice of the great and unquestionable duties of it : so our blessed saviour hath assur'd us , that if any man will do the will of god , he shall know of his doctrine whether it be of god. i come now in the vi th and last place , to consider the great motive and encouragement to this conscientious care of our lives and actions ; which st. paul here tells us was his belief of a resurrection , and of the rewards and punishments consequent upon it ; i have hope , says he , towards god , that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust : for this cause therefore i exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence , toward god , and toward men . if we believe the resurrection of the dead , and a future judgment , we ought to be very careful to discharge a good conscience now , in order to the rendring of a good account hereafter ; that we may be sincere and without offence , with respect to the day of christ , as the apostle expresseth it . for when that great day of recompences shall come , we shall most assuredly find that nothing will then raise our hearts , and make us to lift up our heads with joy , like the witness of a good conscience : and therefore we should make that our constant care and companion now , which will then be our great comfort and rejoycing , a good conscience and the testimony of it , that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world . and on the contrary , when we come to appear before the great judge of the world , nothing will fill our minds with so much terrour , and our faces with so much confusion , as the clamorous accusations of a guilty conscience ; which will be more than a thousand witnesses against us , and will anticipate our condemnation , and pass almost as severe a sentence upon us as the judge himself can . this is that which will make the sinner to droop , and to hang down his head for ever : and one of the principal ingredients of his misery and torment will be the perpetual regret and remorse of his own mind for his wilful wickedness and folly ; which will kindle a fire within him as hot as that without him , and as hard to be quench'd . this consideration ought to have a mighty operation upon us to make us very careful to have consciences void of offence now , that they may be free from torment and anguish hereafter : that when we shall come into the other world , we may not be eternally displeas'd with our selves , and enrag'd at our own doings ; but may carry with us thither consciences clear of all guilt , either by innocency , or by repentance . the firm belief of a future state of eternal happiness or misery in another world is the great weight or spring that sets a going those two powerful principles of humane activity , the hopes and the fears of men ; and is in its nature so fitted to raise these passions to that degree , that did not experience shew us the contrary , one would think it morally impossible for humane nature to resist the mighty force of it . all men are sensible , more or less , at one time or other of the true force of these arguments ; but the mischief is , that in some persons they work quite the wrong way , and instead of leading men to repentance , they drive them to infidelity : they cannot deny the force of these arguments , if they were true ; but that they may avoid the force of them , they will not believe them to be true : and so far they are in the right , that granting these things to be true , they cannot but acknowledge that they ought to live otherwise than they do : but here is their fatal miscarriage , that being resolv'd upon an evil course , since they cannot reconcile their practice with such principles as these , they will fit their principles to their practice ; and so they will believe nothing at all of the rewards and punishments of another world , lest this should disturb them in their course : vain men ! as if heaven and hell must needs vanish and disappear , because some witty but wicked men have no mind to believe them . these men are infidels in their own defence , and merely for the quiet of their own minds ; that their consciences may not perpetually rate them , and fly in their faces . for a right belief and an evil conscience are but unsuitable companions ; they are quarrelsome neighbours , and must needs live very uneasily by one another . he that believes the principles of religion , and yet is conscious to himself that he hath liv'd contrary to them , and still continues to do so , how can he possibly have any peace and quiet in his mind ? unless like jonah he can sleep in a storm , and his conscience be , as it were , seared with a hot iron : for if his conscience be awake , and in any degree sensible , the evident danger of eternal ruine , continually hanging over him , must in reason either drive him to repentance or to despair : if so forcible and violent an argument can make no impression upon us , we are stupid and bewitch'd , we are lost and undone , we are wretched and miserable for ever . but besides the future reward of a holy and conscientious course , which is unspeakable and full of glory ; it hath also this present fruit , this earnest , as i may say , and ready money in hand , the peace and satisfaction of our own minds , which is much more valuable than thousands of gold and silver ; the unspeakable comfort whereof every man will then find , when he hath most need of it : for it will be matter of great joy to him , not only under the sorest afflictions and calamities of life , but even at the hour of death ; when the miseries of life oppress him , and the sorrows of death compass him about , and the pangs of it are ready to take hold of him . there is certainly no such comfort under the evils and afflictions of this life , as a faithful witness in our own breasts of our own innocency and integrity : when we are afflicted by god , or persecuted and revil'd by men , it cannot but be a mighty consolation to us to be conscious to our selves of our own sincerity . for though no man can acquit and justifie himself before god as to the perfect innocency of his life , in which sence st. paul says , that though he knew nothing by himself , yet was he not thereby justified ; i say , though no man can plead perfect innocency , yet as to the general course and tenour of an unblameable life , a good man may appeal to god , and even when he afflicts him , may look upon him as a tender and compassionate father , and not as an angry and revengeful judge . with this , holy and patient job , under all those terrible disasters and calamities which befel him , was able in some measure to comfort himself : after he had lost all , and he had a great deal to lose ; when he was forsaken of all other comfort , even the charitable opinion of his best friends concerning his sincerity . in these sad and disconsolate circumstances , what was it that bore up his spirit ? nothing but the conscience of his own integrity . see with what resolution and constancy of mind he asserts and maintains it : i will not , says he , remove mine integrity from me : my righteousness will i hold fast , and will not let it go : mine heart shall not reproach me , so long as i live : you see , that when every thing else was gone , his intergrity stuck by him , and supported him to the last . and as to persecutions and sufferings from men , our own innocency , and the goodness of our cause , will be our best comfort under them : when we are not guilty to our selves that we have deserv'd them from men , and are inwardly assur'd that whatever we patiently suffer for god and a good conscience , will all turn to our account another day , and work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . this was that which supported the first christians , that noble army of martyrs , under all those bitter and cruel persecutions , which had otherwise been beyond all humane patience to have endur'd : this comforted them in all their tribulations ; our rejoycing , says st. paul , is this , the testimony of our consciences , that in simplicity and godly sincerity , we have had our conversation in the world . so likewise under that inferiour but equally malicious sort of persecution , of which this age is so very profuse and prodigal , i mean the causeless calumnies and reproaches of men : if under these we can but approve our consciences to god , the uncharitable censures of men are not so much to be regarded by us : some impression they will make upon a tender mind , but we must not , if we can help it , let them sink too deep into our spirits : if our hearts condemn us not , we may have confidence towards god ; and then surely much more towards men : if god and our own consciences do but acquit us , methinks it should be no such difficult matter to bear the slanders and hard censures of men . but above all other times , the comfort of a good conscience is most sensible , and most considerable , at the hour of death : for as nothing dejects a man's spirit more , and sends him down with so much sorrow to the grave , as the guilt of an evil conscience ; what terrour and anguish , what rage and despair do seize upon a sinner at that time , when he reflects upon what he hath done , and considers what he is like to suffer ? so on the other hand , there is nothing that revives and raises the fainting spirits of a dying man , like the conscience of a holy and useful life , which hath brought glory to god , and good to men . the wicked , says solomon , is driven away in his wickedness , that is , he is carried out of the world , as it were , in a storm and tempest : but the righteous hath hope in his death ; he usually dies calmly and comfortably : mark the perfect man , says david , and behold the upright ; for the end of that man is peace . if a man be conscious to himself that he hath sincerely endeavour'd to keep the commandments of god , and to do the things which please him ; if he hath lived inoffensively , and , as st. paul says of himself , in all good conscience before god , and men ; what an unspeakable consolation must it be to him , in that dark and gloomy time , and when he is walking through the valley of the shadow of death , then to fear no evil ? and to be able with our blessed saviour to say , though in a much inferiour measure and degree , father , i have glorified thee on the earth , i have finished the work which thou hast given me to do : and to be able to look death in the face with the like courage and constancy of mind as st. paul did when he saw it approaching towards him : i am now , says he , ready to be offer'd , and the time of my departure is at hand ; i have fought a good fight , i have finish'd my race , i have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness , which the lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day . a comfortable death , that is free from the stings and upbraidings , the terrours and tortures , the confusion and amazement of a guilty conscience , is a happiness so desireable , as to be well worth the best care and endeavour of a man's whole life . let us then have a conscientious regard to the whole compass of our duty , and , with st. paul , let us exercise our selves to have always a conscience void of offence , towards god , and towards men : and let us never do any thing whereby we shall offer violence to the light of our minds . god hath given us this principle to be our constant guide , and companion ; and who-ever , after due care to inform himself aright , does sincerely follow the dictate and direction of this guide , shall never fatally miscarry : but who-ever goes against the clear dictate and conviction of his conscience , in so doing he undermines the foundation of his own comfort and peace , and sins against god and his own soul. and to the end we may keep our consciences clear of guilt , we should frequently examine our selves , and look back upon the actions of our lives , and call our selves to a strict account for them ; that where-in-soever we have fail'd of innocency , we may make it up by repentance ; and may get our consciences clear'd of guilt by pardon and forgiveness : and if we do not do this , we cannot with confidence rely upon the testimony of our consciences ; because many great sins may slip out of our memories without a particular repentance for them , which yet do require and stand in need of a particular repentance . especially , we should search our consciences more narrowly at these more solemn times of repentance , and when we are preparing our selves to receive the holy sacrament : and if at these times our hearts do accuse and condemn us for any thing , we should not only heartily lament and bewail it before god , but sincerely resolve by god's grace to reform in that particular , and from that time to break off that sin which we have then repented of , and have ask'd forgiveness of god for : for if after we have repented of it , we return to it again , we wound our consciences afresh , and involve them in a new guilt . in the last place , we should reverence our consciences , and stand in awe of them , and have a great regard to their testimony and verdict : for conscience is a domestick judge , and a kind of familiar god : and therefore , next to the supreme majesty of heaven and earth , every man should be afraid to offend his own reason and conscience , which when-ever we knowingly do amiss , will beat us with many stripes , and handle us more severely than the greatest enemy we have in the world : so that next to the dreadful sentence of the great day , every man hath reason to dread the sentence of his own conscience . god indeed is greater than our hearts , and knows all things ; but under him we have the greatest reason to fear the judgment of our own consciences : for nothing but that can give us comfort , and nothing can create so much trouble and disquiet to us . and though the judgment of our consciences be not always the judgment of god , yet we have great reason to have great regard to it ; and that upon several accounts , which i shall but briefly mention , and so conclude . first , because the judgment of our conscience is free from any compulsion . no body can force it from us , whether we will or no ; and make us to pass sentence against our selves , whether we see reason for it or not . secondly , the sentence of our own consciences is very likely to be impartial , at lest not too hard on the severe side ; because men naturally love themselves , and are too apt to be favourable in their own case : all the world cannot bribe a man against himself : there is no man whose mind is not either distemper'd by melancholy , or deluded by false principles , that is apt to be credulous against himself , and his own interest and peace . thirdly , the judgment which our conscience passeth upon our own actions , is upon the most intimate and certain knowledge of them , and of their true motives and ends . we may easily be deceiv'd in our judgment of the actions of other men , and may think them to be much better or worse than in truth they are : because we cannot certainly tell with what mind they were done , and what circumstances there may be to excuse or aggravate them ; how strong the temptation was , or how weak the judgment of him that was seduc'd by it into errour and folly . but we are conscious to all the secret springs , and motives , and circumstances of our own actions : we can descend into our own hearts , and dive to the bottom of them , and search into the most retired corners of our intentions and ends ; which none , besides our selves , but only god can do ; for excepting him only , none knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him . fourthly , the sentence of our conscience is peremptory and inexorable , and there is no way to avoid it . thou mayest possibly fly from the wrath of other men to the uttermost parts of the earth , but thou canst not stir one step from thy self : in vain shalt thou call upon the mountains and rocks to fall on thee and hide thee from the sight of thine own conscience . wretched and miserable man ! when thou hast offended and wounded thy conscience : for whither canst thou go , to escape the eye of this witness , the terrour of this judge , the torment of this executioner ? a man may as soon get rid of himself , and quit his own being , as fly from the sharp accusations and stinging guilt of his own conscience ; which will perpetually haunt him , till it be done away by repentance and forgiveness . we account it a fearful thing to be haunted by evil spirits , and yet the spirit of a man which is in him , throughly affrighted with its own guilt , may be a more ghastly and amazing spectacle than all the devils in hell : there is no such frightful apparition in the world , as a man 's own guilty and terrified conscience staring him in the face : a spirit that is thus wounded , who can bear ? to conclude ; let these considerations prevail with us always to live , not with regard to the opinion of others , which may be grounded upon mistake , or may not indeed be their opinion , but their flattery ; but with regard to the judgment of our own conscience , which though it may sometimes be mistaken , can never be brib'd and corrupted : we may be hypocrites to others and base flatterers , but our consciences when-ever they are throughly awaken'd are always sincere , and deal truly with us , and speak to us as they think . therefore what-ever we say or do , let it be sincere ? for though hypocrisie may for a while preserve our esteem and reputation with others , yet it can signifie nothing to the peace of our own minds : and then what will it avail us to conceal any thing from other men , when we can hide nothing that we say or do from our own consciences ? the summ of all is this : if we would keep a conscience void of offence , let us always be calm and considerate , and have the patience to examine things throughly and impartially : let us be humble and willing to learn , and never too proud and stiff to be better inform'd : let us do what we can to free our selves from prejudice and passion , from self-conceit and self-interest , which are often too strong a byass upon the judgments of the best men , as we may see every day in very sad and melancholy instances : and having taken all due care to inform our consciences a-right , let us follow the judgment of our minds in what we do ; and then we have done what we can to please god. and if we would always take this care to keep a good conscience , we should always be easie , and good company to our selves : but if we offend our consciences , by doing contrary to the clear dictate and conviction of them , we make the unhappiest breach in the world ; we stir up a quarrel in our own breasts , and arm our own minds against our selves ; we create an enemy to our selves in our own bosoms , and fall out with the best and most inseparable companion of our lives . and on the contrary , a good conscience will be a continual feast , and will give us that comfort and courage in an evil day which nothing else can : and then whatever happen to us , we may commit our souls to god in well-doing , as into the hands of a faithful creatour , to whom with our blessed saviour and redeemer , and the holy ghost the comforter , be all honour and glory , now and ever . amen . how to keep a truly religious fast . in a sermon preached before the queen , at white-hall , september the th . how to keep a truly religious fast . zech. vij . v. speak unto all the people of the land , and to the priests , saying , when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month , even those seventy years , did ye at all fast unto me , even unto me ? in the beginning of this chapter the people of the jews , who were then rebuilding the temple at jerusalem , and had already far advanced the work , though it was not perfectly finish'd till about two years after , send to the priests and the prophets , to enquire of them , whether they should still continue the fast of the fifth month , which they had begun in babylon and continued to observe during the seventy years of their captivity , in a sad remembrance of the destruction of the city and temple of jerusalem ; or should not now rather turn it into a day of feasting and gladness ? to this enquiry god by his prophet returns an answer in this , and the following chapter . and first he expostulates with them concerning those their monthly fasts , whether they did indeed deserve that name , and were not rather a mere shew and pretence of a religious fast , verses , . then came the word of the lord of hosts unto me , saying ; speak unto all the people of the land , and to the priests , saying , when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month , even those seventy years , did ye at all fast unto me , even unto me ? the enquiry was particularly concerning the fast of the fifth month , because the occasion of that was more considerable than of all the other ; but the answer of god mentions the fasts of the fifth and seventh months , these two being probably observ'd with greater solemnity than the other . but for our clearer understanding of this , it will be requisite to consider the original and occasion of all their monthly fasts : which as appears from other places of scripture , in short , was this : when the jews were carried away captive into babylon , in a deep sense of this great judgment of god upon them for their sins , and of the heavy affliction which they lay under , they appointed four annual fasts , which they observed during their seventy years captivity , viz. the fast of the fourth month , in remembrance of the enemies breaking through the wall of jerusalem , which we find mention'd , jer. . , . the fast of the fifth month , in memory of the destruction of the city and temple of jerusalem , verses , . the fast of the seventh month , in remembrance of the slaying of gedaliah , upon which followed the dispersion of the jews , of which we have an account , jer. . , . and the fast of the tenth month , in memory of the beginning of the siege of jerusalem , of which we find mention , kings . . in this order we find these four annual fasts mention'd , zechar. . . not according to the order of the events , but of the months of the several years in which these events happened : and there likewise god gives a full answer to this enquiry concerning the continuance of these annual fasts namely , that they should for the future be turned into solemn days of joy and gladness . and the word of the lord of hosts came unto me , saying , thus saith the lord of hosts , the fast of the fourth month , and the fast of the fifth , and the fast of the seventh , and the fast of the tenth , shall be to the house of judah joy and gladness , and cheerful feasts . i return now to the text , did ye at all fast unto me , even unto me ? that is , did these fasts truly serve to any religious end and purpose ? did not the people content themselves with a mere external shew and performance , without any inward affliction and humiliation of their souls , in order to a real repentance ? did they not still go on in their sins ; nay , and add to them upon these occasions , fasting for strife and debate and oppression ? in a word , were they not worse rather than better for them ? and therefore god had no regard to them , as it follows in this chapter ; thus speaketh the lord of hosts , saying ; execute judgment , and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother ; and oppress not the widows nor the fatherless , the stranger nor the poor ; and let none of you imagine mischief against his brother in your heart : but they refused to hearken , and pull'd away the shoulder , and stopped their ears that they should not hear ; yea , they made their heart as an adamant-stone , lest they should bear the law and the words which the lord of hosts hath sent by his spirit in the former prophets : therefore came great wrath from the lord of hosts : therefore it is come to pass , that as he cried and they would not hear ; so they cried , and i would not hear , saith the lord of hosts . so that notwithstanding these outward solemnities of fasting and prayer , here was nothing of a religious fast ; did ye at all fast unto me , even unto me ? they were sensible of the judgments of god which were broken in upon them , but they did not turn from their sins , but persisted still in their obstinacy and disobedience . and what god here by the prophet zechary calls fasting unto him , even unto him , the prophet isaiah calls the fast which god hath chosen , and an acceptable day to the lord. wherefore have we fasted , say they , and thou seest not ? wherefore have we afflicted our souls , and thou takest no knowledge ? behold , ye fast for strife and debate , and to smite with the fist of wickedness : ye shall not fast as ye do this day , to make your voice to be heard on high . is it such a fast as i have chosen , a day for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush , and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the lord ? is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ; when thou seest the naked that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh ? then shall thy light break forth as the morning , and thy salvation shall spring forth speedily : then shalt thou call and the lord shall answer , &c. from all which passages we may easily understand wherein these monthly fasts of the jews were defective , and what was the fault that god finds with them when he expostulates so severely in the text : when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month , even these seventy years , did ye at all fast unto me , even unto me ? in the general , the fault which god finds with them was this , that these solemnities did not serve any real end and purpose of religion , but fail'd in their main design , which was a sincere repentance and reformation of their lives : for which reason he tells them that they were not at all acceptable to him , nor esteem'd by him as perform'd unto him , because they did not answer the true intention and design of them . my work at this time shall be , first , to consider in general what it is to fast unto god , that is , to keep a truly religious fast . secondly , to bring the matter nearer to our selves , i shall consider more particularly , what the duty of this day , appointed by their majesties for a solemn humiliation and repentance throughout the nation , does require at our hands . i. i shall consider in general what it is to fast unto god , that is , to keep a truly religious fast . and of this i shall give an account in the following particulars . first , a truly religious fast consists in the afflicting of our bodies by a strict abstinence , that so they may be fit and proper instruments to promote and help forward the grief and trouble of our minds . secondly , in the humble confession of our sins to god with shame and confusion of face , and with a hearty contrition and sorrow for them . thirdly , in an earnest deprecation of god's displeasure , and humble supplications to him that he would avert his judgments and turn away his anger from us . fourthly , in intercession with god for such spiritual and temporal blessings upon our selves and others as are needful and convenient . fifthly , in alms and charity to the poor , that our humiliation and prayers may find acceptance with god. i do but mention these particulars , that i may more largely insist upon that which i mainly intended , and proposed to consider in the next place , namely , ii. what the duty of this day , appointed by their majesties for a solemn humiliation and repentance throughout the nation , doth require at our hands . and this i shall endeavour to comprize in the following particulars . first , that we should humble our selves before god every one for his own personal sins , whereby he hath provoked god , and increased the publick guilt , and done his part to bring down the judgments and vengeance of god upon the nation . secondly , that we should likewise heartily lament and bewail the sins of others ; especially the great and crying sins of the nation , committed by all ranks and orders of men amongst us , and whereby the wrath and indignation of almighty god hath been so justly incensed against us . thirdly , we should most importunately deprecate those terrible judgments of god to which these our great and crying sins have so justly exposed us . fourthly , we should pour out our earnest prayers and supplications to almighty god for the preservation of their majesties sacred persons , and for the establishment and prosperity of their government , and for the good success of their arms and forces by sea and land. fifthly , our fasting and prayers should be accompanied with our charity and alms to the poor and needy . lastly , we should prosecute our repentance and good resolutions to the actual reformation and amendment of our lives . of these i shall , by god's assistance , speak as briefly and as plainly as i can , and so as every one of us may understand what god requires of him upon so solemn an occasion as this . first , we should humble our selves before god every one for his own personal sins and miscarriages , whereby he hath provoked god , and increased the publick guilt , and done his part to bring down the judgments and vengeance of god upon the nation . our humiliation and repentance should begin with our selves and our own sins , because repentance is always design'd to end in reformation ; but there cannot be a general reformation without the reformation of particular persons which do constitute and make up the generality . and this solomon prescribes as the true method of a national reformation , and the proper effect of a publick humiliation and repentance ; in that admirable prayer of his at the dedication of the temple : if there be , says he , in the land famine ; if there be pestilence , blasting , mildew , locust , or if there be caterpillar ; or if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities : what-ever plague , what-ever sickness there be ; what prayer or supplication soever be made by any man , or by all thy people israel , who shall know every man the plague of his own heart , and spread forth his hands towards this house : then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place , and forgive , and do , and give to every man according to his way , whose heart thou knowest , for thou , even thou only , knowest the hearts of all the children of men ; that they may fear thee , all the days which they live in the land which thou gavest to their fathers . you see here that in case of any publick judgment or calamity the humiliation and repentance of a nation must begin with particular persons : what prayer or supplication so-ever be made by any man , or by all thy people israel , who shall know every man the plague of his own heart : then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place , and forgive . particular persons must be convinced of their personal sins and transgressions , before god will hear the prayers and forgive the sins of a nation . and because we cannot perform this part of confessing and bewailing our own personal sins , and of testifying our particular repentance for them , in the publick congregation , any otherwise than by joining with them in a general humiliation and repentance ; therefore we should do well , on the day before the publick fast , or at least the morning before we go to the publick assembly , to humble our selves before god in our families , and especially in our closets ; confessing to him , with great shame and sorrow , all the particular sins and offences , together with the several aggravations of them , which we have been guilty of against the divine majesty , so far as we are able to call them particularly to our remembrance ; and earnestly to beg of god the pardon and forgiveness of them , for his mercies sake in jesus christ . and so likewise , after we return from the church , we should retire again into our closets , and there renew our repentance , with most serious and sincere resolutions of reforming in all those particulars which we have confessed and repented of . and if we would have our resolutions to come to any good , we must make them as distinct and particular as we can ; and charge it upon our selves , as to such and such sins , for which we have declared our sorrow and repentance , that we will amend and do better for the future . and we should endeavour also , to fortifie these good resolutions , in the best manner we can , by serious consideration and by solemn promises of better obedience , and of a more conscientious care of our lives and all our actions for the future : and then , with the greatest earnestness and importunity , we should implore the assistance of god's grace and holy spirit to this purpose . by this means the great end of a solemn fast and humiliation will be in some good measure attain'd , and not wholly defeated , as for the most part it is , by being hudled up and lost in a confused and general repentance , which commonly ends together with the publick assembly , without any real and permanent effect upon particular persons : perhaps a great part of the congregation may have been in some degree sorry for their sins ; but after all no man forsakes them , nor is the better for his sorrow , but leaves that behind him in the church , and carries home with him the same affection for his sins which he had before , and a secret resolution not to leave them . thus it was with the people of the jews . they had their solemn monthly fasts , in which they made a great shew of humiliation , hanging down their heads like a bulrush for a day , and spreading sackcloth and ashes under them : but there was no inward change of their minds , no real reformation of their lives ; and assoon as ever the publick solemnity was over , they turned every one to his former evil course . so god complains of them ; i hearkned , says he , and i heard , but they spake not aright ; no man repented him of his wickedness , saying , what have i done ? but they turned every one to his course , as the horse rusheth into the battel . they spake not aright , that is , they did not take the right method for an effectual repentance : they humbled themselves indeed before god , and repented at random for the sins of the nation in general , which they were all of them ready enough to acknowledge , and to lay a heavy load of guilt upon the community : but all this while , they never reflected upon themselves in particular ; they had no sense , no conviction of their own personal faults and miscarriages , without which there can be no true general repentance : no man repented of his wickedness , saying , what have i done ? and as they had no sense of their own particular sins which they had been guilty of , so they had no thought of leaving them ; but assoon as ever the publick fasting and humiliation was over , they return'd to them again with the same eager and furious appetite ; they turned every one to his course , as the horse rusheth into the battel , that is , without any consideration , or sense of danger . secondly , we should likewise upon this day , heartily lament and bewail the sins of others ; especially the great and crying sins of the nation committed by all ranks and orders of men amongst us , and whereby the wrath and indignation of almighty god hath been so justly incensed against us . this hath been the temper and practice of good men in all ages , to be greatly troubled and afflicted for the sins of others , as well as for their own ; to mourn for them in secret , as the prophet jeremy does for the obstinacy and impenitency of the jews , and for the terrible judgments and calamities which their sins were ready to bring down upon them : but if ye will not return , says he to that obdurate people , my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride , or obstinacy ; and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears , because the lord's flock is carried away captive . and indeed almost the whole prophecy of jeremy , and his book of lamentations , are little else but a perpetual humiliation and mourning for the sins of that people , and for the judgments of god which he saw already inflicted , or foresaw to be coming upon them . we reade likewise of lot , when he dwelt in sodom , how he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked : for that righteous man , saith st. peter , dwelling among them , in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul , from day to day , with their unlawful deeds . holy david also , upon all occasions , testifies his great trouble and grief for the sins which he saw committed by others , and was so affected with them that he trembled at the very thought of them : rivers of tears , says he , run down mine eyes , because men keep not thy law : and in the same psalm , horrour hath taken hold of me , because of the wicked which forsake thy law : and again , i beheld the transgressours and was grieved , because they kept not thy word . and how does daniel humble himself before god and mourn , and in the name of all the people , and of all degrees and orders of men among them , take shame to himself and them , for the great sins which they had been guilty of ? we have sinned , and have committed iniquity , and have done wickedly : o lord , righteousness belongeth unto thee , but unto us confusion of face , as at this day : to our kings , to our princes , and to our fathers , because we have sinned against thee . with what trouble and confusion does ezra , upon a solemn day of fasting and humiliation , acknowledge and bewail the sins of the people ? o my god , says he , i am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my god : for our iniquities are increased over our heads , and our trespasses grown up unto the heavens : since the days of our fathers , we have been in a great trespass unto this day ; and for our iniquities have we , our kings and our priests been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands , &c. and thus also ought we , the people of this sinful land , upon this solemn day of fasting and humiliation , to set our sins in order before us , with all their heinous aggravations ; and in the bitterness of our souls to lament and bewail that general prevalence of impiety and vice which hath over-spread the nation , and diffused it self through all ranks and degrees of men , magistrates , ministers and people . i shall speak something more particularly concerning each of these . . the sins of the magistrates and those that are in authority . they that make laws for others , and are to see to the execution of them , ought to be strict observers of them themselves . for it must needs put a man not a little out of countenance to be severe upon those faults in others of which he knows himself to be notoriously guilty . and yet how many are there , whose place and duty it is to correct the vices and immoralities of others , who are far from being examples of vertue themselves ? and therefore it is no wonder that there is so lame and unequal a distribution of justice in the nation , and that magistrates are so cold and slack in the discountenancing of vice and impiety , and in putting the good and wholesome laws made against them in execution : as against the profanation of the lord's day , by secular business , by vain sports and pastimes , which by the very nature of them are apt to dissolve the minds of men into mirth and pleasure , and to carry them off from all serious thoughts of god and religion , and from the meditations of another world ; and to give the devil an advantage , and an opportunity , which be never fails to take , to steal the good seed , the word of god , which they have heard that day , out of their hearts , and to make it of none effect : and which is yet worse , by lewd and sinful practices , which are unlawful at any time , but upon that day , are a double breach and violation of god's law. and likewise by neglecting to put in execution the laws against profane swearing and cursing , for which the land mourns ; and against drunkenness , and adultery , and fornication , which are so common , and so impudently committed amongst us : whether they be civil , or ecclesiastical laws ; and it is hard to say which of them are most remisly executed . and to mention no more , by neglecting to prosecute that horrible sin of murther , so frequently now committed in our streets beyond the example of former ages , with that severity and impartiality which is necessary to free the nation from the guilt of that crying sin , which calls so loud to heaven for vengeance . and all this , notwithstanding the magistrates are under the oath of god to put the laws in due execution against all these crimes , so far as they come to their knowledge , and fall under their cognisance . . the sins of the ministers , who serve at god's altar , and watch over the souls of men , whose bloud will be required at their hands , if any of them perish through their fault and neglect . there is no reason to doubt , but that there are a good number of faithful shepherds in the land , who watch over their flocks with great care and conscience , remembring the dreadful account which they must one day make to him who shall judge the quick and dead , of the souls committed to their charge . but yet how grosly do many of us fail of the faithful discharge of the substantial parts of this high office ? wanting a just sense of the inestimable worth and value of the souls of men for whom christ died ; taking little or no care to instruct them in the good knowledge of the lord , and to lead them in the way to eternal happiness by an exemplary conversation . nay too many among us demean themselves so scandalously , as perfectly to undermine the credit and effect of their doctrine by leading lives so directly contrary to it ; and to alienate their people from the church , and to make them to abhorr the sacrifice and service of the lord by their wicked and unhallowed conversations : hereby exposing them to the craft of seducers , and rendring them an easie prey to the emissaries of the church of rome , or to any other sect and faction that pretends a greater zeal for religion , or makes a better shew of a strict and unblameable life . for who will regard or believe those teachers , who give all the evidence that can be by their lives and actions , that they do not believe themselves and their own doctrines ? when all is said , the life and manners of the preacher are the best eloquence , and have that dint and power of persuasion in them , which no words , no art can equal . who so lives as he speaks , does , as it is said of our blessed saviour , speaks as one that hath authority , and not as the scribes : not as the scribes ; whose words , notwithstanding all the formality and gravity with which they were deliver'd , did therefore want weight and force , because , as our saviour tells us of them , they said , but did not ; their lives were not answerable to their doctrines : whereas our blessed saviour therefore spoke as never man spake , because he liv'd as never man liv'd ; so innocent , so useful , so exemplary a life : he was holy , harmless , and undefil'd : he did no sin , neither was guile found in his lips : he fulfilled all righteousness , and went about doing good . this was that which made him so powerful a preacher of righteousness ; and we must necessarily fall so much short of him in the authority and efficacy of our sermons , as we do in the holiness and goodness of our lives . such a preacher , and such a practice as that of our blessed saviour was , is every way fitted to reprove , and persuade , and reform mankind . we now live in an age and church , wherein they who are called to be the teachers and guides of souls ought to take great heed both to their doctrine and their lives ; that the name of god may not be blasphem'd , and his holy religion be brought into contempt by those , who , above all others , are most nearly concern'd to preserve and support the credit and honour of it . and we cannot but see , how our religion and church are beset and endanger'd on every side ; by the rude assaults of infidelity , and by the cunning arts of seducing spirits , and by our own intestine heats and divisions : and it can never be sufficiently lamented , no though it were with tears of bloud , that we whose particular charge and employment it is to build up the souls of men in a holy faith , and in the resolution of a good life , should , for want of due instruction , and by the dissolute and profligate lives of too many among us , and by inflaming our needless differences about lesser things , have so great a hand in pulling down religion , and in betraying the souls of men either to downright infidelity , or to a careless neglect and profane contempt of all religion . may not god justly expostulate this matter with us , as he did of old with the people of the jews ? a wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land ; the prophets prophesy falsly , and the priests bear rule by their means , and my people love to have it so ; and what will ye doe in the end thereof ? when they who are the pastors and guides of souls , have by their ill conduct and management brought matters to that pass , that the generality of the people sit down contented with the worst state of things , and are become almost indifferent whether they have any religion or not , what can the end of these things be , but that the kingdom of god will be taken from us , and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it ? if ever there be a publick reformation among us , it must begin at the house of god ; and they who are the ministers of religion must lead on this work , and be more careful and conscientious in the discharge of that high and holy office which is committed to them by the great shepherd and bishop of souls . else , what shall we say when god shall challenge us , as he once did the pastors of the jewish church , by his prophet , saying , where is the flock that was given thee , thy beautiful flock ? what wilt thou say when he shall punish thee ? . the sins of the people ; amongst whom there is almost an universal corruption and depravation of manners ; insomuch that impiety and vice seem to have over-spread the face of the nation ; so that we may take up that sad complaint of the prophet concerning the people of israel , and apply it to our selves ; that we are a sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , a seed of evil-doers ; that the whole head is sick , and the whole heart faint ; and that from the sole of the foot even to the head , there is no soundness in us , but wounds , and bruises , and putrifying sores . we may justly stand amaz'd to consider , how the god of all patience is provok'd by us every day ; to think , how long he hath born with us and suffered our manners ; our open profaneness , and infidelity ; our great immoralities , and gross hypocrisy ; our insolent contempt of religion , and our ill-favour'd counterfeiting of it for low and sordid ends : and , which is the most melancholy consideration of all the rest , we seem to be degenerated to that degree , that it is very much to be fear'd , there is hardly integrity enough left amongst us to save us . and then if we consider further our most uncharitable and unchristian divisions , to the endangering both of our reformed religion , and of the civil rights and liberties of the nation : our incorrigibleness under the judgments of god which we have seen abroad in the earth , and which have in a very severe and terrible manner been inflicted upon these kingdoms , that the inhabitants thereof might learn righteousness : our insensibleness of the hand of god , so visible in his late providences towards us , and in the many merciful and wonderful deliverances which from time to time he hath wrought for us . and lastly , if we reflect upon our horrible ingratitude to god our saviour and mighty deliverer ; and to them likewise whom he hath so signally honour'd in making them the happy means and instruments of our deliverance : and this , not only express'd by a bold contempt of their authority , but by a most unnatural conspiracy against them with the greatest enemies not only to the peace of the nation , but likewise to the reformed religion therein profess'd and by law established ; and to the interest of it all the world over . so that we may say with ezra , and now , o our god , what shall we say unto thee after this ? and may not god likewise say to us , as he did more than once to the jews ? shall i not visit for these things , saith the lord ? and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ? thirdly , we should likewise , upon this day , earnestly deprecate god's displeasure , and make our humble supplications to him , that he would be graciously pleas'd to avert those terrible judgments which hang over us , and which we have just cause to fear may fall upon us ; and that he would be entreated by us at last to be appeas'd towards us , and to turn from the fierceness of his anger . this we find the people of god were wont to do upon their solemn days of fasting and prayer ; and this god expressly enjoyns : blow the trumpet in zion , sanctifie a fast , call a solemn assembly ; gather the people , sanctifie the congregation , assemble the elders , &c. let the priests , the ministers of the lord , weep between the porch and the altar , and let them say , spare thy people , o lord , and give not thy heritage to reproach , that the heathen should rule over them : wherefore should they say among the people , where is their god ? and to this earnest deprecation of his judgments , god promiseth a gracious answer ; for so it immediately follows : then will the lord be jealous for his land , and pity his people . and thus likewise daniel , when he set his face to seek the lord god , by prayer and supplication , with fasting and sackcloth and ashes , does in a most humble and earnest manner deprecate the displeasure of god towards his people , and beg of him to remove his judgments , and to turn away his anger from them : o lord , according to all thy righteousness , i beseech thee , let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city jerusalem , thy holy mountain : because for our sins , and for the iniquity of our fathers , jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us . now therefore , o god , hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplication ; and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary which is desolate , for the lord's sake . o my god , incline thine ear and hear , open thine eyes and behold our desolations , and the city which is called by thy name : for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness , but for thy great mercy : o lord hear , o lord forgive , o lord hearken and do ; deferr not for thine own sake , o my god ; for thy city and thy people are called by thy name . and thus also should we , upon this solemn occasion , cry mightily unto god , and with the greatest importunity deprecate those terrible judgments which we so righteously have deserv'd , and to which the great and crying sins of the whole nation have so justly exposed us : humbly beseeching him , not for our righteousness , but for his great mercy ; for his own name 's sake , and because we are his people and are called by his name , and because his holy truth and religion are profess'd amongst us ; that he would be pleas'd to hear the prayers of his servants and their supplications which they have made before him this day , for the lord's sake . fourthly , we should likewise , upon this day , pour out our most earnest supplications to almighty god , for the preservation of their majesties sacred persons , and for the prosperity and establishment of their government , and for the good success of their arms and forces by sea and land. and more especially , since his majesty , with so many confederate princes and states of europe , is engaged in so necessary an undertaking for the common good of christendom , and for the mutual preservation and recovery of their respective rights : we should earnestly implore the favour and assistance of almighty god in so just and glorious a cause , against the common invader and oppressor of the rights and liberties of mankind . and that of his infinite goodness he would be graciously pleased to take the person of our sovereign lord the king into the particular care and protection of his providence : that he would secure his precious life from all secret attempts , and from open violence : that he would give his angels charge over him , and cover his head in the day of battel , and crown it with victory over his enemies , and restore him to us again in safety . and that he would likewise preserve and direct the queen's majesty , in whose hands the administration of the government is at present so happily plac'd : that he would give her wisdom and resolution for such a time as this , and support and carry her through all the difficulties of it . and , lastly , that he would bless them both with a long life , and a peacefull and happy reign over us ; that under them we may live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty . fifthly , our fasting and humiliation should be accompanied with our alms and charity to the poor and needy : and we should every one of us , according to the counsel given by the prophet to king nebuchadnezzar , break off our sins by righteousness , and our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor , if it may be a lengthning of our tranquillity : hereby intimating , that if there be any way to prevent or remove the judgments of god , and to prolong the tranquillity and happiness of prince and people , a sincere repentance , and a great charity to them that are in necessity and distress , are most likely to prevail with god , not only to respite the ruine of a sinful people , but to incline him to thoughts of peace towards them : for so he promiseth to the jews upon their sincere repentance , and earnest supplication to him , which are always accompanied with charity to the poor : for i know the thoughts which i think towards you , saith the lord , thoughts of peace , and not of evil , to give you an unexpected end : then shall ye call upon me , and ye shall go and pray unto me , and i will hearken unto you : and ye shall seek me , and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart . and i have often thought that the extraordinary charity of this whole nation , and of our pious princes , who are so ready to every good work , and such bright and shining examples in this kind , more than once so seasonably extended to the relief of our distressed brethren , who fled hither for refuge from the rage and cruelty of their persecutors : i say , i have often thought , that this very thing , next to the infinite mercy and goodness of almighty god , hath had a very particular influence upon our preservation and deliverance from those terrible calamities which were just ready to rush in upon us . and what cause have we to thank god , who hath allotted to us this more blessed and merciful part , to give and not to receive ; to be free from persecution our selves , that so we might be in a capacity to give refuge and relief to them that were persecuted ? there are but few that have the faith to believe it , but certainly charity to the poor is a great security to us in times of evil : so david assures us , speaking of the righteous or charitable man ; he shall not , says he , be afraid in the evil time , and in the days of dearth he shall be satisfied . and so likewise in times of publick distress , when we are beset with cruel and powerful enemies , who if god were not on our side would swallow us up , the publick charity of a nation hath many times prov'd its best safeguard and shield : it shall fight for thee , saith the son of sirach , speaking of the charity of alms , against thine enemy , more than a mighty shield and strong spear . and of this , as i said before , i doubt not but we of this nation , by the great mercy and goodness of god to us , have had happy experience in our late wonderful deliverance under the conduct and valour of one of the best and bravest of princes ; to whom by too many among us , the most unworthy and unthankful returns have been made for all the unwearied pains he hath undergone , and for the many desperate hazards to which he hath exposed himself for our sakes , that ever were made to so great and generous a benefactor : to so great a benefactor , i say , not only to these nations , but even to all europe , in asserting and maintaining their liberties against the insolent pride and unjust encroachments of one of the greatest oppressors the world hath known for many ages : of whom it may be said as job doth of the leviathan , vpon the earth there is not his like : i am glad i cannot apply what immediately follows , that he is made without fear ; but surely the next words are apposite enough , he beholdeth all high things , and is king of all the children of pride : and yet he that is higher than the highest , even he that sitteth in the heavens doth laugh at him , for he seeth that his day is coming . to conclude this particular ; if we would have our prayers ascend up to heaven , and find acceptance there , our alms must go along with them : so the angel intimates when he says to cornelius , thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before god : thy prayers and thine alms ; they must go together if we desire that our prayers should be effectual . and the prophet isaiah , speaking of the fast which god hath chosen , and which is acceptable to him , makes charity and alms a most essential part of it : is it not , says he , to deal thy bread to the hungry , and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ; when thou seest the naked that thou cover him , and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh ? then shalt thou call , and the lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry , and he shall say , here i am . sixthly and lastly , we should prosecute our repentance and good resolutions to the actual reformation and amendment of our lives . for in this repentance doth mainly consist : this is the proper fruit and effect of all our humiliation and good resolutions , to forsake our sins , and to become better for the future ; more pious and devout towards god , more sober and chast with regard to our selves , more just and charitable , more humble and meek towards all men : in a word , more innocent , more useful , and more holy in all manner of conversation . and without this , all our fasting and humiliation , our most earnest prayers and supplications , will signifie nothing : all our sorrow and tears will be but as water spilt upon the ground , and will not turn to any account either to save our own souls , or to preserve this untoward generation , this crooked and perverse nation , from ruin and destruction . so god tells solomon , that this is the only way to appease and reconcile him to a sinful people : if my people which is called by my name shall humble themselves , and pray , and seek my face , and turn from their wicked ways : then will i hear in heaven , and forgive their sin , and heal their land. and if this were the happy effect of our prayers and humiliation this day , to turn us from our wicked ways ; god would then turn away his anger from us ; and , as he promised to the jews by the prophet zachary , he would turn these our monthly fasts into joy , and gladness , and cheerful feasts ; as he hath in a great measure already done , blessed be his great and glorious name . but if we will not hearken and obey , can we expect that god should deliver us from the hands of our enemies , that we may sin against him without fear all the days of our lives ? to what purpose should the providence of god take so much care to preserve our religion to us , when we make no better use of it for the direction and government of our lives ? when it serves most of us , only to talk of it ; and too many amongst us , to talk against it ; to deride it , and despitefully to use it . if this be the truth of our case , what can we say , why the kingdom of god should not be taken from us and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it ? what can we say , why our candlestick should not be remov'd , and the light of the glorious gospel of christ which we have so long enjoyed , and so long rebelled against , should not be utterly extinguish'd amongst us ? and if i cannot prevail with you to come to these good resolutions , and to make them good : if you will not be persuaded to practise , yet be pleas'd to attend to what we say : hear our words at least , if ye will not do them . this the people of the jews would do , when they were at the worst : so god tells the prophet concerning them : they come unto thee , as the people cometh ; and they sit before thee , as my people ; and they hear thy words , but they will not do them . i had much rather at any time have occasion to praise than to reprove , especially in this great assembly : and yet it is not to be dissembled , that the behaviour of too many in this place is frequently so careless and irreverent , as is very mis-becoming those who are in the more peculiar presence of the great and glorious majesty of heaven and earth , and profess at that very time to worship him. i am sure , we have a better pattern perpetually before us ; of a decent and unaffected devotion , of a most serious and steddy attention , without wandring , without diversion , and without drowsiness : such an example as i cannot but hope will in a short time gain upon us all , and by a more gentle and silent reproof win us to the imitation of it . and if we could but be prevail'd upon to demean our selves with that reverence , and to hear with that attention , which becomes the worship and the word of god , it might then be hop'd that we would consider what is said ; and consideration would probably work conviction , and conviction bring us to a better mind , and to a firm purpose of doing what we are inwardly convinc'd it is both our duty and our interest to do . let us then go away from this solemnity , with a resolution to do every one what we ought ; truly and earnestly to repent us of our sins past , and to lead a new life for the future ; to fear that great and terrible god , in whose presence we have humbled our selves this day ; and to turn to him that hath smitten us , lest we provoke him to punish us yet seven times more , and after that seven times more for our sins , and for our impenitency in them , till at last he make our plagues wonderfull . to conclude ; let us every one , with that true penitent in job , take words to our selves , and say , surely it is meet to be said unto god , i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more ; that which i see not , teach thou me ; and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . oh! that there were such a heart in us , that it might be well with us , and with our children for ever . which god of his infinite goodness grant , for his mercies sake in jesus christ : to whom with thee , o father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , both now and ever , amen . that god is the only happiness of man. in a sermon preached before the queen , at white-hall , march the th / . that god is the only happiness of man. psalm lxxiij . . whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . the design of this psalm is to vindicate the goodness and justice of the divine providence , notwithstanding the prosperous estate of the wicked and the afflicted condition of good men many times in this world. and in the first place , the psalmist , whoever he was , whether david or asaph , lays down this for a most certain truth , that god is good to good men : of a truth god is good to israel , to such as are of a clean heart . and yet for all this he tells us , that at some times he was under no small temptation to question the truth of this principle , when he beheld the promiscuous dispensation of things here below ; that the wicked are often prosperous , and good men exposed to great calamities in this life ; as if god either neglected humane affairs , or had a greater kindness for the workers of iniquity than for pious and good men : as for me , my foot had well-nigh slipp'd , for i was envious at the foolish , when i saw the prosperity of the wicked . this , he says , was a very great slumbling-block to good men , and tempted them to doubt of the providence of god : therefore his people return hither , and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them ; and they say , doth god know , and is there knowledge in the most high ? this sentence is somewhat obscurely rendred in our translation , so as to make the sence of it difficult ; which is plainly this : therefore his people return hither ; that is , therefore good men come to this , in the greatness of their affliction , and in the bitterness of their soul , to question god's knowledge and care of humane affairs . behold , say they , these are the ungodly , and yet they are the prosperous in the world , they increase in riches : to what purpose then is it for any man to be religious and vertuous ? verily , i have cleansed my heart in vain , and washed my hands in innocency : in vain have i endeavoured after purity of heart and innocency of life , since so little good comes of it ; nay , so far from that , that i have been in continual trouble and affliction : all the day long have i been plagued , and chastned every morning . such thoughts as these often came into his mind , and gave him great trouble and disquiet : but he presently corrects himself : if i say i will speak thus , i should offend against the generation of thy children ; that is , i should go against the sense of all pious and good men , who have always believed the providence of god notwithstanding this objection : which at last he tells us he had raised on purpose to try if he could find the solution of it : i thought to know this , which was grievous in mine eyes : and then he resolves all into the unsearchable wisdom of the divine providence , which if we fully understood from first to last , we should see good reason to be satisfied with the equity of it : when i go into the sanctuary of god , then shall i understand the end of these men ? how thou didst set them in slippery places , &c. this satisfied him , that when-ever the secret design of god's providence should be unfolded , whether in this world or the other , how strange and cross soever things might seem to be at present , yet in the issue and conclusion it would appear , that neither are bad men so happy , nor good men so miserable , as at present they may seem to be . so that upon a full debate of this matter , the psalmist concludes , that these objections against providence do spring from our ignorance , and short and imperfect view of things ; whereas if we saw the whole design from beginning to end , it would appear to be very reasonable and regular . thus my heart was grieved ; so foolish was i and ignorant , and as a beast before thee . and in regard to himself , he tells us , that he saw great reason to acknowledge god's tender care over him in particular , and that he could find no security or comfort for himself , but in god alone : nevertheless i am continually with thee ; thou hast holden me by thy right hand : thou shalt guide me with thy counsel , and afterwards receive me to glory ; as if he had said , i am sensible of thy constant presence with me , and care of me ; and do entirely depend upon thy guidance and direction , not doubting but that my present troubles and afflictions will have a happy and glorious issue . and at last he breaks out into a kind of exultation and triumph for the mighty consolation which he found in the firm belief of the being and providence of god , as the great stay and support of his soul in the worst condition that could befall him ; in the words of the text , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . if a man were to chuse a happiness for himself , and were to ransack heaven and earth for it , after all his search and enquiry he would at last fix upon god as the chief happiness of man , and the true and only rest and center of our souls . this then is the plain meaning of the text , that nothing in the world but god can make man happy : whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . that man of himself is not sufficient for his own happiness , is evident upon many accounts : because he is liable to so many evils and calamities , which he can neither prevent , nor remedy : he is full of wants which he cannot supply ; compassed about with infirmities which he can only complain of , but is not able to redress : he is obnoxious to dangers which he must always fear , because he can never sufficiently provide against them . consider man by himself , and from under the conduct and protection of a superior and more powerful being , and he is in a most disconsolate and forlorn condition : secure of nothing that he enjoys , and liable to be disappointed of every thing that he hopes for : he is apt to grieve for what he cannot help , and perhaps the justest cause of his grief is that he cannot help it ; for if he could , instead of grieving for it , he would help it : he cannot refrain from desiring a great many things which he would fain have , but is never likely to obtain , because they are out of his power ; and it troubles him both that they are so , and that he cannot help his being troubled at it . thus man walketh in a vain shew , and disquieteth himself in vain ; courting happiness in a thousand shapes , and the faster he follows it , the swifter it flies from him . almost every thing promiseth happiness to us at a distance , such a step of honour , such a pitch of estate , such a fortune or match for a child : but when we come nearer to it , either we fall short of it , or it falls short of our expectation ; and it is hard to say which of these is the greatest disappointment . our hopes are usually bigger than enjoyment can satisfie , and an evil long fear'd , besides that it may never come , is many times more painful and troublesome than the evil it self when it comes . in a word , man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards . he comes into the world naked and unarm'd , and from himself more destitute of the natural means of his security and support than any other creature whatsoever , as it were on purpose to shew that he is more peculiarly the care of a superior providence : and as man , of all the creatures of this lower world , is only made to own and acknowledge a deity ; so god in great wisdom hath so order'd things , that none of the other creatures should have so much need of him , and so much reason to acknowledge their necessary dependance upon him . so that the words of david are the very sense and voice of nature , declaring to us that mankind is born into the world upon terms of greater dependence upon the providence of god than other creatures : thou art he , says david there to god , that tookest me out of the womb , thou madest me to hope , or thou didst keep me in safety , when i was upon my mother's breasts : i was cast upon thee from the womb , thou art my god from my mother's belly : be not far from me , for trouble is near : trouble is always near to us , and therefore it is happy for us that god is never far from any of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . and when we are grown up , we are liable to a great many mischiefs and dangers , every moment of our lives ; and , without the providence of god , continually insecure not only of the good things of this life , but even of life it self : so that when we come to be men , we cannot but wonder how ever we arriv'd at that state , and how we have continued in it so long , considering the infinite difficulties and dangers which have continually attended us : that in running the gantlope of a long life , when so many hands have been lifted up against us , and so many strokes levell'd at us , we have escaped so free , and with so few marks and scars upon us : that when we are besieged with so many dangers , and so many arrows of death are perpetually flying about us , to which we do so many ways lie open , we should yet hold out twenty , forty , sixty years , and some of us perhaps longer , and do still stand at the mark untouch'd , at least not dangerously wounded by any of them : and considering likewise this fearful and wonderful frame of a humane body , this infinitely complicated engine ; in which , to the due performance of the several functions and offices of life , so many strings and springs , so many receptacles and channels are necessary , and all in their right frame and order ; and in which , besides the infinite imperceptible and secret ways of mortality , there are so many sluces and flood-gates to let death in and life out , that it is next to a miracle , though we take but little notice of it , that every one of us did not die every day since we were born ▪ i say , considering the nice and curious frame of our bodies , and the innumerable contingencies and hazards of humane life , which is set in so slippery a place , that we still continue in the land of the living , we cannot ascribe to any thing but the watchful providence of almighty god , who holds our soul in life , and suffers not our foot to be moved . to the same merciful providence of god we owe , that whilst we continue in life we have any comfortable possession and enjoyment of our selves and of that which makes us men , i mean our reason and understanding : that our imagination is not let loose upon us , to haunt and torment us with melancholick freaks and fears : that we are not deliver'd up to the horrors of a gloomy and guilty mind : that every day we do not fall into frenzy and distraction , which next to wickedness and vice is the sorest calamity , and saddest disguise of humane nature : i say , next to wickedness and vice , which is a wilful frenzy , a madness not from misfortune but from choice ; whereas the other proceeds from natural and necessary causes , such as are in a great measure out of our power ; so that we are perpetually liable to it , from any secret and sudden disorder of the brain , from the violence of a disease , or the vehement transport of any passion . now if things were under no government , what could hinder so many probable evils from breaking in upon us , and from treading upon the heels of one another ? like the calamities of job , when the hedge which god had set about him and all that he had , was broken down and removed . so that if there were no god to take care of us , we could be secure of no sort , no degree of happiness in this world ; no not for one moment : and there would be no other world for us to be happy in , and to make amends to us for all the fears and dangers , all the troubles and calamities of this present life : for god and another world stand and fall together : without him there can be no life after this ; and if our hopes of happiness were only in this life , man of all other beings in this lower world would certainly be the most miserable . i cannot say that all the evils which i have mentioned would happen to all , if the providence of god did not rule the world ; but that every man would be in danger of them all , and have nothing to support and comfort him against the fear of that danger . for the nature of man , consider'd by it self , is plainly insufficient for its own happiness ; so that we must necessarily look abroad , and seek for it somewhere else : and who can shew us that good that is equal to all the wants and necessities , all the capacities and desires , all the fears and hopes of humane nature ? whatsoever can answer all these , must have these following properties : first , it must be an all-sufficient good . secondly , it must be perfect goodness . thirdly , it must be firm and unchangeable in it self . fourthly , it must be such a good as none can deprive us of , and take away from us . fifthly , it must be eternal . sixthly , it must be able to support and comfort us in every condition , and under all the accidents and adversities of humane life . lastly , it must be such a good as can give perfect rest and tranquillity to our minds . nothing that is short of all this can make us happy : and no creature , no not the whole creation , can pretend to be all this to us . all these properties meet only in god , who is the perfect and supreme good ; as i shall endeavour , in the following discourse , more particularly to shew ; and consequently , that god is the only happiness of man. first , god is an all-sufficient good. and this does import two things ; wisdom to contrive our happiness , and power to effect it ; for neither of these without the other is sufficient , and both these in the highest and most eminent degree are in god. he is infinitely wise to design and contrive our happiness ; because he knows what happiness is , and how to frame us so as to be capable of the happiness he designs for us ; and how to order and dispose all other things so , as that they shall be no hindrance and impediment to it . he perfectly understands all the possibilities of things , and how to fit means to any end . he knows all our wants , and how to supply them ; all our hopes and desires , and how to satisfie them : he fore-sees all the dangers and evils which threaten us , and knows how to prevent or divert them , if he think fit ; or if he permit them to come , how to support us under them , or to deliver us out of them , or to turn them to our greater benefit and advantage in the last issue and result of things . his wisdom cannot be surprized by any accident which he did not fore-see , and which he is not sufficiently provided against . the wisdom of men is but short and imperfect , and liable to infinite errors and mistakes : in many cases men know not what is safest and best for them , nor whether this or that will conduce most to their happiness : nay it often happens that those very means which the wisest men chuse for their security do prove the occasions of their ruine , and they are thrown down by those very ways whereby they thought to raise and to establish themselves . especially if god breathe upon the counsels of men , how are their designs blasted ? how are they infatuated and foil'd in their deepest contrivances , and snared in the work of their own hands ? when it is of the lord , the wisdom of the greatest politicians is turned into foolishness : for there is no wisdom , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. but the divine wisdom , being founded upon infinite knowledge , is thereby secur'd against all possibility of error and mistake . god perfectly knows the natures and the powers of all his creatures , and therefore can never be mistaken in the use and application of them to any of his purposes : so that none of his designs of love and mercy to the sons of men can miscarry for want of good contrivance , or wise conduct . and as he is perfectly wise to contrive our happiness , so is he infinitely powerful to effect it , and to remove out of the way all the obstacles and impediments of it . we may understand many times what would conduce to our happiness , but may not be able to compass it ; but nothing is out of the reach of omnipotency : many things are difficult to us , but nothing is too hard for god : many things are impossible with us , but with god all things are possible . for he is the fountain and original of all power , from whom it is deriv'd and upon whom it depends , and to whom it is perfectly subject and subordinate : he can do all things at once , and in an instant , and with the greatest ease ; and no created power can put any difficulty in his way , much less make any effectual resistance ; because omnipotency can check , and countermand , and bear down before it all other powers . so that if god be on our side , who can be against us ? we may safely commit our souls into his hands , for he is able to keep that which is committed to him . he can give us all good things , and deliver us from all evil , for his is the kingdom and the glorious power . though all creatures should fail us , we may rely upon god , and live upon his all-sufficiency for our supply ; and may say with the prophet , though the fig-tree should not blossom , neither fruit be in the vine ; though the labour of the olive should fail , and the fields should yield no meat ; though the flock should be cut off from the fold , and there should be no herd in the stalls ; yet would i rejoice in the lord , and joy in the god of my salvation . secondly , as god is an all-sufficient good , so he is perfect goodness . he is willing to communicate happiness to us , and to employ his power and wisdom for our good . he made us that he might make us happy , and nothing can hinder us from being so but our selves . such is his goodness , that he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the knowledge of the truth : and when we have provoked him by our sins , he is long-suffering to us-ward , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance : for he delighteth not in the death of a sinner , but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live . so that if any of us be miserable , it is our own choice ; if we perish , our destruction is of our selves : for as the wiseman , in one of the apocryphal books , says excellently , god made not death , neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living : but men seek death in the error of their life , and pull destruction upon themselves , with the works of their own hands . so great is the goodness of god to mankind , that he hath omitted nothing that is necessary to our happiness . he design'd it for us at first , and to that end he hath endowed us with powers and faculties whereby we are capable of knowing , and loving , and obeying , and enjoying him the chief good. and when we had forfeited all this by the wilful transgression and disobedience of the first parents of mankind , and were miserably bruised and maimed by their fall , god of his infinite mercy was pleas'd to restore us to a new capacity of happiness , by sending his only son to suffer in our nature , and in our stead ; and thereby to become a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , and the author of eternal salvation to them that believe and obey him . and he hath likewise promised to give us his holy spirit , to enable us to that faith and obedience which the gospel requires of us , as the necessary conditions of our eternal salvation . thirdly , god is also a firm and unchangeable good. notwithstanding his infinite wisdom , and power , and goodness , we might be miserable if god were mutable . for that cannot be a happiness which depends upon uncertainties , and perhaps one of the greatest aggravations of misery is to fall from happiness , to have been once happy and afterwards to cease to be so : and that would unavoidably happen to us , if the cause of our happiness could change , and the foundation of it be removed . if god could be otherwise than powerful , and wise , and good , all our hopes of happiness would be shaken , and would fall to the ground . but the divine nature is not subject to any change : as he is the father of lights , and the author of every good and perfect gift , so with him is no variableness , neither shadow of turning . all the things of this world are mutable , and for that reason , had they no other imperfection belonging to them , cannot make us happy . fourthly , god is such a good as none can deprive us of and take away from us . if the things of this world were unchangeable in their nature , and not liable to any decay , yet they cannot make us happy ; because we may be cheated of them by fraud , or robb'd of them by violence : but god cannot be taken from us . nothing but our sins can part god and us : who shall separate us , saith the apostle , from the love of god ? shall tribulation , or distress , or persecution , or famine , or nakedness , or peril , or sword ? we may be stripp'd of all our worldly comforts and enjoyments , by the violence of men ; but none of all these can separate us from god : i am persuaded , as the apostle goes on with great triumph , that neither death nor life ; nor angels , nor principalities , nor powers ; nor heighth , nor depth , nor things present , nor things to come , nor any other creature , shall be able to separate us from the love of god which is in christ jesus , our lord. nor any other creature : here is a sufficient induction of particulars , and nothing left out of this catalogue but one , and that is sin , which is none of god's creatures , but our own : this indeed deliberately consented to , and wilfully continued in , will finally part god and us , and for ever hinder us from being happy . but if we be careful to avoid this , which only can separate between god and us , nothing can deprive us of him : the aids and influences of his grace none can intercept and hinder : the joys and comforts of his holy spirit none can take from us : all other things may leave us and forsake us : we may be debarr'd of our best friends , and banish'd from all our acquaintance ; but men can send us no whither from the presence of god : our communication with heaven cannot be prevented or interrupted . our prayers and our souls will always find the way thither from the uttermost parts of the earth . fifthly , god is an eternal god : and nothing but what is so can make us happy . man having an immortal spirit , and being design'd for an endless duration , must have a happiness proportionable : for which reason nothing in this world can make us happy , because we shall abide and remain after it : when a very few years are past and gone , and much sooner for any thing we know , all the things of this world will leave us , or else we shall be taken away from them , but god is from everlasting to everlasting : he is the same , and his years fail not : therefore well might david fix his happiness upon god alone , and say , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee : when my heart faileth , and my strength faileth , god is the strength of my heart , and my portion for ever . sixthly , god is able to support and comfort us , in every condition , and under all the accidents and adversities of humane life . outward afflictions may hurt our body , but they cannot reach our soul ; and so long as that remains unwounded , the spirit of a man can bear his infirmities . god is intimate to our souls , and hath secret ways whereby to convey the joys and comforts of his holy spirit into our hearts , under the bitterest afflictions and sharpest sufferings : he can enable us by his grace to possess our souls in patience , when all other things are taken from us : when there is nothing but trouble about us , he can give us peace and joy in believing : when we are persecuted , afflicted , and tormented , he can give us that ravishing sight of the glories of another world , that stedfast assurance of a future blessedness , as shall quite extinguish all sense of present sufferings : how did many of the primitive christian martyrs , in the midst of their torments , and under the very pangs of death rejoice in the hope of the glory of god ? there are none of us but may happen to fall into those circumstances of danger , and of bodily pains and sufferings , as to have no hopes of relief and comfort but from god ; none in all the world to trust to but him only : and in the greatest evils that can befall us in this life , he is a sure refuge and sanctuary ; and to repeat the words of the psalmist after the text , when our heart fails , and our strength fails , god is the strength of our hearts , and our portion for ever . now what would any of us do in such a case , if it were not for god ? humane nature is liable to desperate straits and exigencies : and he is not happy who is not provided against the worst that may happen . it is sad to be reduced to such a condition , as to be destitute of all comfort and hope : and yet men may be brought to that extremity , that if it were not for god they would not know which way to turn themselves , or how to entertain their thoughts with any comfortable considerations under their present anguish . all men naturally resort to god in extremity , and cry out to him for help : even the most profane and atheistical , when they are destitute of all other comfort , will run to god , and take hold of him , and cling about him . but god hath no pleasure in fools ; in those who neglect and despise him in their prosperity , though they owe that also entirely to him ; but when the evil day comes , then they lay hold of him as their only refuge : when all things go well with them , god is not in all their thoughts ; but in their affliction they will seek him early : then they will cry , lord , lord ; but he will say to them in that day , depart from me ye workers of iniquity , for i know you not . here will be the great unhappiness of such persons , that god will then appear terrible to them , so as they shall not be able , when they look up to him , to abide his frowns : and at the same time that they are forc'd to acknowledge him , and to supplicate to him for mercy and forgiveness , they shall be ready to despair of it : then , those terrible threatnings of god's word will come to their minds ; because i called , and ye refused ; i stretched out my hand , and no man regarded : but ye set at nought all my counsel , and would have none of my reproof ; i also will laugh at your calamity , and mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation , and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon you : then shall they call upon me , but i will not answer ; they shall seek me early , but they shall not find me : for that they hated knowledge , and did not chuse the fear of the lord : they would none of my counsel , they despised all my reproof : therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own ways , and be filled with their own devices : the ease of the simple shall slay them , and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them . to which i will add that terrible passage in the prophet , concerning the perverse and obstinate jews , they are a people of no understanding , therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them , and he that formed them will shew them no favour . and men are miserable creatures indeed , when god their maker doth abandon them , and hath so far hardened his heart against them , that he can have no pity and compassion for them . seventhly and lastly , which is consequent upon all the rest , god is such a good as can give perfect rest and tranquillity to our minds . and that which cannot do this , though it had all the properties before mentioned , cannot make us happy . for he is not happy who does not think himself so , what-ever cause he may have to think so . now what in reason can give us disquiet , if we do firmly believe that there is a god , and that his providence rules and governs all things for the best ; and that god is all that to good men which hath now been said of him ? why should not our minds be in perfect repose , when we are secure of the chief good , and have found out that which can make us happy , and is willing to make us so , if we be not wanting to our selves , and by our wilful obstinacy and rebellion against him do not oppose and frustrate this design ? if a considerate man were permitted to his own choice , to wish the greatest good to himself that he could possibly devise ; after he had searched heaven and earth , the result of all his wishes would be that there were just such a being as we must necessarily conceive god to be : nor would he chuse any other friend or benefactor ; any other protector for himself or governor for the whole world , than infinite power conducted and managed by infinite wisdom and goodness ; which is the true notion of a god : after all his enquiry he would come to the psalmist's conclusion here in the text , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . vain man is apt to seek for happiness elsewhere , but this proceeds from want of due consideration : for when all things are well weigh'd , and all accounts rightly cast up and adjusted , we shall at last settle in david's resolution of that great question , what is the chief good of man ? there be many , says he , that say , who will shew us any good ? that is , men are generally inquisitive after happiness , but greatly divided in their opinions about it : most men place it in the present enjoyments of this world , but david for his part pitches upon god , in whom he was fully convinc'd that the happiness of man does consist : there be many that say , who will shew us any good ? lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us : thou hast put gladness in my heart , more than in the time that their corn and wine increased . the great joy of the men of this world is in a plentiful harvest , and the abundance of the good things of this life : but david had found that which gave more joy and gladness to his heart , the favour of god and the light of his countenance : this gave perfect rest and tranquillity to his mind , so that he needed not to enquire any further : for so it follows in the next words , i will both lay me down in peace , and rest ; for thou , lord , only makest me to dwell in safety : the hebrew word signifies confidence or security : here , and no-where else , his mind found rest , and was in perfect ease and security . i shall now only make two or three inferences from this discourse , and so conclude . first , this plainly shews us the great unreasonableness and folly of atheism , which would banish the belief of god and his providence out of the world : which as it is most impious in respect of god , so is it most malicious to men ; because it strikes at the very foundation of our happiness , and perfectly undermines it . for if there were no god , man would evidently be the most unhappy of all other beings here below ; because his unhappiness would be laid in the very frame of his nature , in that which distinguishes him from all other beings below him , i mean in his reason and understanding : and he would be so much more miserable than the beasts , by how much he hath a farther reach , and a larger prospect of future evils ; a quicker apprehension , and a deeper and more lasting resentment of them . so that if any man could see reason to stagger his belief of a god , or of his providence , as i am sure there is infinite reason to the contrary ; yet the belief of these things is so much for the interest , and comfort , and happiness of mankind , that a wise man would be heartily troubled to part with a principle so favourable to his quiet , and that does so exactly answer all the natural desires and hopes and fears of men , and is so equally calculated both for our comfort in this world , and for our happiness in the other . for when a man's thoughts have ranged and wandered as far as they can , his mind can find no rest , no probable foundation of happiness but god only ; no other reasonable , no nor tolerable hypothesis and scheme of things for a wise man to rely upon , and to live and die by . for no other principle but this , firmly believed , and truly lived up to by an answerable practice , was ever able to support the generality of mankind , and to minister true consolation to them under the calamities of life , and the pangs of death . and if there were not something real in the principles of religion , it is impossible that they should have so remarkable and so regular an effect to support our minds in every condition , upon so great a number of persons of different degrees of understanding , of all ranks and conditions , young and old , learned and unlearned , in so many distant places , and in all ages of the world , the records whereof are come down to us : i say so real , and so frequent , and so regular an effect as this is , cannot with any colour of reason be ascribed either to blind chance , or meer imagination , but must have a real , and regular , and uniform cause proportionable to so great and general an effect . i remember that grotius , in his excellent book of the truth of the christian religion , hath this observation , that god did not intend that the principles of religion should have the utmost evidence that any thing is capable of , and such as is sufficient to answer and bear down all sorts of captious cavils and objections against it ; but so much as is abundantly sufficient to satisfie a sober and impartial enquirer after truth , one that hath no other interest but to find out truth ; and when he hath found it , to yield to it : if it were otherwise , and the principles of religion were as glaring and evident as the sun shining at noon-day , as there could hardly be any vertue in such a faith , so infidelity would be next to an impossibility . all that i would expect from any man , that shall say that he cannot see sufficient reason to believe the being and the providence of god , is this ; that he would offer some other principles ; that he would advance any other hypothesis and scheme of things that is more agreeable to the common and natural notions of men , and to all appearances of things in the world ; and that does bid more fairly for the comfort and happiness of mankind , than these principles of the being of a god , and of his watchful providence over the children of men , do plainly do : and till this be clearly done , the principles of religion which have generally been received by mankind , and have obtain'd in the world in all ages , cannot fairly be discarded , and ought not to be disturbed and put out of possession . and this , i think , puts this whole matter upon a very fair and reasonable issue , and that nothing more needs to be said concerning it . secondly , from what hath been said , in the foregoing discourse , it naturally follows , that god is the only object of our trust and confidence , and therefore to him alone , and to no other , we ought to address all our prayers and supplications for mercy and grace to help in time of need . but now , according to the doctrine and practice of the church of rome , the psalmist here puts a very odd and strange question , whom have i in heaven but thee ? to which they must give a quite different answer from what the psalmist plainly intended ; namely , that god was the sole object of his hope and trust , and that upon him alone he relied as his only comfort and happiness : but to this assertion of the psalmist the church of rome can by no means agree : they understand this matter much better than the psalmist did ; namely , that besides god there are in heaven innumerable angels and saints , in whom we are to repose great trust and confidence , and to whom also we are to address solemn prayers and supplications , not only for temporal good things , but for the pardon of our sins , for the increase of our graces , and for eternal life . that there are in heaven particular advocates and patrons for all exigencies and occasions , against all sorts of dangers and diseases , for all graces and vertues , and , in a word , for all temporal , spiritual , and eternal blessings ; to whom we may apply our selves , without troubling god and our blessed saviour , who also is god blessed for evermore , by presuming upon every occasion to make our immediate addresses to him ▪ for as they would make us believe , though abraham was ignorant of it , and david knew it not , the blessed spirits above , both angels and saints , do not only intercede with god for us for all sorts of blessings , but we may make direct and immediate addresses to them to bestow these blessings upon us : for so they do in the church of rome , as is evident , beyond all denial , from several of their prayers in their most publick and authentick liturgies . they would indeed fain palliate this matter , by telling us , that by these direct and immediate addresses to angels and saints to bestow grace and eternal life upon them , they mean no more but only to pray to them that they would be pleased to intercede with god for these blessings to be bestowed upon them by their mediation : but if they mean no mean , why do they say more than they mean ? why do they use such expressions as to the common sense and understanding of mankind do signifie a great deal more than they say they mean ; such expressions , as they themselves do acknowledge , if they be understood according to the most obvious sence of the words , would render them guilty of flat idolatry ? especially when they know , that they are charged with idolatry upon this account ; and since to clear themselves of it they will not alter their prayers , they justly lie under the suspicion of it . and yet admitting what they say in this matter to be true , and that by these expressions in their prayers they intend no more but the solemn invocation of angels and saints , that they would intercede with god to bestow these blessings upon them for the sake of their merits , and upon their mediation : yet this surely is a great deal too much , and cannot be done without a high entrenchment upon the office of the only mediator between god and man , the man christ jesus : but let them not deceive themselves , god is not mocked : the lord our god is a jealous god , and he will not give his glory to another . i have not yet instanced in the grossest part of their superstition , not to say downright idolatry , in this kind ; i mean , in their extravagant worship of the blessed virgin and mother of our lord ; whom they blasphemously call the queen of heaven ; and whom , by a new style , unknown to the scriptures and primitive antiquity , they think to dignifie with the modish title of our lady ; as if that could be any addition of honour to her , whom the angel declared to be blessed among women : who , if she know any thing of the follies of her worshippers here below , with what disdain and indignation , do we think she hears those infinite prayers that are made to her , and that sacrilegious worship which is given her in that church , and which makes both pages of their religion ; and which for the frequency of it , both in their publick and private devotions , is very much beyond what they give to god and christ ? as if there were none in heaven but she , nor any thing upon earth to be worshipped in comparison of her image . nay , so far have they carried this extravagant folly , and how much farther they would have carried it , had not the reformation given a check to it , god only knows : so far , i say , have they proceeded in this folly , as , in that famous book of their devotions , called our lady's psalter , not only to apply to her some part of this psalm , out of which i have taken my text , beginning it thus : how good is god to israel , to them that worship his blessed mother ? but they have likewise profanely burlesqued , i cannot afford it a better term , this whole book of psalms , applying to her almost the highest things that are there said concerning god and our blessed saviour . hear , o heavens , and give ear , o earth , and be ye horribly astonished , to see the best and wisest religion in the world transform'd into superstition and folly ; and to see the most learned persons in that communion set themselves in good earnest to justifie all these follies and absurdities by a grave and groundless pretence to infallibility . thirdly and lastly , this shews us how necessary the favour of god is to every man's happiness : and there is but one way to gain his friendship and favour , by becoming holy and good as he is : then may we rejoice and glory in god , as the psalmist here does , and say , whom have i in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that i desire besides thee . a wicked man dreads god above all things in the world , and he has great reason to do so : for he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither shall evil dwell with him : the foolish shall not stand in his sight , he hateth all the workers of iniquity . when by sin we depart from god , we forsake our own happiness : salvation is far from the wicked , says david . and again , a little after the text , they that are far from thee shall perish , but it is good for me to draw near to god. now by holiness and goodness we draw near to him , who alone can make us happy . it is certainly the common interest of mankind there should be a god , because we cannot possibly be happy without him : but then it is no man's interest to be wicked , because thereby we make him our enemy in whose favour is life , and upon whom all our hopes of happiness do depend . to conclude , if we would have god for our happiness , we must be sure to make him our friend ; and then we may promise to our selves all those advantages which the friendship of so great and powerful a patron can give us : and there is but one way to establish a firm friendship between god and us , and that is , by doing his will , and living in obedience to his laws : ye are my friends , saith our blessed lord , if ye do whatsoever i command you : this is the love of god , saith st. john , that we keep his commandments : and to love god is the way to be made partakers of those glorious things which god hath prepared for them that love him : such as eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither have entred into the heart of man : which god of his infinite goodness grant we may all at last be made partakers of , for his mercies sake in jesus christ ; to whom with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , dominion and power , both now and for ever . amen . a thanksgiving-sermon for the late victory at sea. in a sermon preached before the king and queen at white-hall , octob. the th . . a thanksgiving-sermon for the late victory at sea. jer . ix . , . thus saith the lord , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might ; let not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. these words are a message from god sent by his prophet to the people of the jews , who trusted in their own wisdom , and might , and riches , for their safety and preservation from that destruction which , in the former part of this chapter , god had threaten'd to bring upon them by the king of babylon . to take them off from this vain confidence is this message sent to them , thus saith the lord , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might ; let not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. in the handling of these words , i shall abstract from the particular occasion of them , and only consider the general truth contained in them : which i shall do under these two heads . first , what we are not to glory in : let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might ; let not the rich man glory in his riches . secondly , what it is that is matter of true glory : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righousness in the earth . i. what we are not to glory in . the text instanceth in three things which are the great idols of mankind , and in which they are very apt to pride themselves and to place their confidence , namely , wisdom , and might , and riches . i shall consider these severally , and shew how little reason there is to glory in any of them . . let not the wise man glory in his wisdom . this may comprehend both humane knowledge , and likewise prudence in the management of affairs . we will suppose both these to be intended here by the name of wisdom , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , that is , neither in the largeness and compass of his knowledge and understanding , nor in his skill and dexterity in the contrivance and conduct of humane affairs ; and that for these two reasons . first , because the highest pitch of humane knowledge and wisdom is very imperfect . secondly , because when knowledge and wisdom are with much difficulty in any competent measure attained , how easily are they lost ? first , the highest pitch of humane knowledge and wisdom is very imperfect . our ignorance doth vastly exceed our knowledge at the best . wisdom in any tolerable degree is difficult to be attain'd , but perfection in it utterly to be despair'd of . where is there to be found so strong and found a head , as hath no soft place ; so perfect , so clear an understanding as hath no flaw , no dark water in it ? how hard a matter is it to be truly wise ? and yet there are so many pretenders to wisdom as would almost tempt a man to think that nothing is easier . men do frequently murmur and repine at the unequal distribution of other things , as of health and strength , of power and riches : but if we will trust the judgment of most men concerning themselves , nothing is more equally shar'd among mankind than a good degree of wisdom and understanding . many will grant others to be superiour to them in other gifts of nature , as in bodily strength and stature ; and in the gifts of fortune , as in riches and honour ; because the difference between one man and another in these qualities is many times so gross and palpable , that no body hath the face to deny it : but very few in comparison , unless it be in mere complement and civility , will yield others to be wiser than themselves ; and yet the difference in this also is for the most part very visible to every body but themselves . so that true wisdom is a thing very extraordinary . happy are they that have it : and , next to them , not those many that think they have it , but those few that are sensible of their own defects and imperfections and know that they have it not . and among all the kinds of wisdom none is more nice and difficult , and meers with more frequent disappointments , than that which men are most apt to pride themselves in , i mean political wisdom and prudence ; because it depends upon so many contingent causes , any one of which failing the best laid design breaks and falls in pieces : it depends upon the uncertain wills and fickle humours , the mistaken and mutable interests of men , which are perpetually shifting from one point to another , so that no body knows where to find them : besides an unaccountable mixture of that which the heathen call'd fortune , but we christians by its true name , the providence of god ; which does frequently interpose in humane affairs , and loves to confound the wisdom of the wise , and to turn their counsels into foolishness . of this we have a most remarkable example in achitophel , of whose wisdom the scripture gives this extraordinary testimony , that the counsel which he counselled in those days was as if one had enquired at the oracle of god : such was all the counsel of achitophel both with david and with absalom . it seems he gave very good counsel also to absalom , and because he would not follow it was discontented to that degree as to lay violent hands upon himself : and now who would pride himself in being so very wise as to be able to give the best counsel in the world , and yet so very weak as to make away himself , because he to whom it was given was not wise enough to take it ? the like miscarriages often happen in point of military skill and prudence . a great prince or general is sometimes so very cautious and wary , that nothing can provoke him to a battel ; and then at another time , and perhaps in another element , so rash and wilful that nothing can hinder him from fighting and being beaten : as if the two elements made the difference ; and caution were great wisdom at land , and confidence and presumption great prudence at sea. but the true reason of these things lies much deeper , in the secret providence of almighty god , who when he pleases can so govern and over-rule both the understandings and the wills of men , as shall best serve his own wise purpose and design . and as the highest pitch of humane wisdom is very imperfect in it self , so is it much more so in comparison with the divine knowledge and wisdom : compar'd with this it is mere folly , and less than the understanding and wisdom of a child to that of the wisest man. the foolishness of god , says st. paul , is wiser than men , that is , the least grain of divine wisdom is infinitely beyond all the wisdom of men : but in opposition to the wisdom of god , the wisdom of men is less than nothing and vanity . let men design things never so prudently , and make them never so sure , even to the popish and french degree of infallibility ; let them reckon upon it as a blow that cannot fail : yet after all , the counsel of the lord that shall stand , and he will do all his pleasure ; for there is no wisdom , nor understanding , nor counsel against the lord. and now we may ask the question which job does , where shall wisdom be found , and where is the place of understanding ? and we must answer it as he does , it is not to be found in the land of the living : unless it be that one infallible point of wisdom to which god directs every man , and of which every man is capable , viz. religion and the fear of god , vnto man he said , behold ! the fear of the lord , that is wisdom ; and to depart from evil is understanding . secondly , when knowledge and wisdom are with great difficulty in any competent measure attain'd , how easily are they lost ? by a disease , by a blow upon the head ; by a sudden and violent passion , which may disorder the strongest brain and confound the clearest understanding in a moment : nay even the excess of knowledge and wisdom , especially if attended with pride as too often it is , is very dangerous and does many times border upon distraction and run into madness : like an athletick constitution and perfect state of health , which is observ'd by physicians to verge upon some dangerous disease , and to be a forerunner of it . and when a man's understanding is once craz'd and shatter'd , how are the finest notions and thoughts of the wisest man blunder'd and broken , perplex'd and entangled ? like a puzled lump of silk , so that the man cannot draw out a thought to any length , but is forc'd to break it off and to begin at another end . upon all which and many more accounts , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom ▪ which is so very imperfect ; so hard to be attain'd , and yet so easie to be lost . . neither let the mighty man glory in his might . which whether it be meant of natural strength of body , or of military force and power , how weak and imperfect is it , and how frequently foil'd by an unequal strength ? if we understand it of the natural strength of men's bodies , how little reason is there to glory in that , in which so many of the creatures below us do by so many degrees excell us ? in that , which may so many ways be lost ; by sickness , by a maime , and by many other external accidents ; and which however will decay of it self , and by age sink into infirmity and weakness . and how little reason is there to glory in that , which is so frequently foil'd by an unequal strength ? of which goliah is a famous instance . when he defied the host of israel , and would needs have the matter decided by single combate , god inspired david to accept the challenge ; who though he was no wise comparable to him in strength , and would have been nothing in his hands in close fight , yet god directed him to assail him at a distance by a weapon that was too hard for him , a stone out of a sling , which struck the giant in the forehead , and brought his unwieldy bulk down to the earth . or if by might we understand military force and power , how little likewise is that to be gloried in ? considering the uncertain events of war , and how very often and remarkably the providence of god doth interpose to cast the victory on the unlikely side . it is solomon's observation , that such are the interpositions of divine providences in humane affairs , that the event of things is many times not at all answerable to the power and probability of second causes : i returned , says he , and saw under the sun , that the race is not to the swift , nor the battel to the strong . and one way , among many others , whereby the providence of god doth often interpose to decide the events of war , is by a remarkable change of the seasons and weather in favour of one side : as by sending great snows , or violent rains , to hinder the early motion and march of a powerful army , to the disappointment or prejudice of some great design : by remarkable winds and storms at sea , to prevent the conjunction of a powerful fleet : and by governing all these for a long time together so visibly to the advantage of one side us utterly to defeat the well laid design of the other . of all which , by the great mercy and goodness of god to us , we have had the happy experience in all our late signal deliverances and victories . and here i cannot but take notice of a passage to this purpose in the book of job : which may deserve our more attentive regard and consideration , because i take this book to be incomparably the most ancient of all other , and much elder than moses : and yet it is written with as lively a sense of the providence of god , and as noble figures and flights of eloquence as perhaps any book extant in the world. the passage i mean is , where god to convince job of his ignorance in the secrets of nature and providence poseth him with many hard questions , and with this amongst the rest , hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow ? hast thou seen the treasures of the hail ? which i have reserv'd against the time of trouble , against the day of battel and war. the meaning of which is , that the providence of god doth sometimes interpose to determine the events of war , by governing the seasons and the weather , and by making the snows and rains , the winds and storms to fulfil his word and to execute his pleasure . of this we have a remarkable instance in the defeat of sisera's mighty army ; against whom , in the song of deborah , the stars are said to have fought in their courses : the expression is poetical , but the plain meaning of it is , that by mighty and sudden rains , which the common opinion did ascribe to a special influence of the planets , the river of kishon , near which sisera's army lay , was so raised and swoln as to drown the greatest part of that huge host . for so deborah explains the fighting of the stars in their courses against sisera : they fought , says she , from heaven , the stars in their courses fought against sisera , the river of kishon swept them away : as if the stars , which were supposed by their influence to have caused those sudden and extraordinary rains , had set themselves in battel-array against sisera and his army . therefore , let not the mighty man glory in his might , which is so small in it self , but in opposition to god is weakness and nothing . the weakness of god , says st. paul , is stronger than men . all power to do mischief is but impotence , and therefore no matter of boasting : why boastest thou thy self , thou tyrant , that thou art able to do mischief ? the goodness of god endureth continually : the goodness of god is too hard for the pride and malice of man , and will last and hold out when that has tir'd and spent it self . thirdly , let not the rich man glory in his riches . in these , men are apt to pride themselves : even the meanest and poorest spirits , who have nothing to be proud of but their money , when they have got good store of that together , how will they swell and strut ? as if because they are rich and increased in goods they wanted nothing . but we may do well to consider , that riches are things without us ; not the real excellencies of our nature , but the accidental ornaments of our fortune . if they descend upon us , they are the privilege of our birth , not the effect of our wisdom and industry ; and those things in the procurement whereof we had no hand , we can hardly call our own : and if they be the fruit of our own prudent industry , that is no such matter of glorying ; because men of much slower understandings do commonly out-do others in diligence and drudging , their minds lying more level to the low design of being rich . at the best , riches are uncertain . charge them , says st. paul , that are rich in this world , that they be not high-minded , nor trust in uncertain riches : men have little reason to pride themselves , or to place their confidence in that which is uncertain , and even next to that which is not : so the wise man speaks of riches , wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is not ? for riches certainly make themselves wings , and fly as an eagle towards heaven : he expresses it in such a manner , as if a rich man sate brooding over an estate till it was fledg'd and had gotten it self wings to fly away . but that which is the most stinging consideration of all is , that many men have an evil eye upon a good estate ; so that instead of being the means of our happiness it may prove the occasion of our ruin : so the same wise man observes , there is a sore evil which i have seen under the sun , namely , riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt . and it is not without example , that a very rich man hath been excepted out of a general pardon , both as to life and estate , for no other visible reason but his vast and over-grown fortune : so solomon observes to us again , such are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain , which taketh away the life of the owners thereof . and why should any man be proud of his danger , of that which one time or other may be the certain and only cause of his ruin ? a man may be too rich to be forgiven a fault which would never have been prosecuted against a man of a middle fortune . for these reasons , and a great many more , let not the rich man glory in his riches . ii. i proceed to consider , what it is that is matter of true glory ? but let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. that he understandeth and knoweth me : here are two words used to express the thing more fully , understanding and knowledge ; which seem not only to import right apprehensions of the being , and providence , and perfections of god ; but likewise a lively sense of these things , and affections suitable to these apprehensions . that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , that is the creator , and the sovereign governor of the world. which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . the best knowledge of religion , and that which is the foundation of all the rest , is the knowledge of the divine nature and perfections : especially of those which are most proper for our imitation ; and such are those mentioned in the text , loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness ; which we may distinguish thus : loving-kindness comprehends god's milder attributes , his goodness , and mercy , and patience : judgment signifies his severer dealings with men , whether in the chastisement of his people , or in the remarkable punishment of great offenders for example and warning to others : righteousness seems to be a word of a larger signification , and to denote that universal rectitude of the divine nature which appears in all the administrations of his providence here below ; for the text speaks of the exercise of these perfections in this world : which exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . several of the perfections of the divine nature are incommunicable to a creature , and therefore cannot be thought to be proposed to us for a pattern ; as self-existence , independence , and all-sufficiency ; the eternity , and the immensity of the divine being ; to be the original cause of all other things , and the sovereign governour of the whole world : for god only is sufficient for that ; and to be a match for all the world , a nec pluribus impar , is not a motto fit for a mortal man. a creature may swell with pride till it burst , before it can stretch it self to this pitch of power and greatness : it is an insufferable presumption , and a sottish ignorance of the necessary bounds and limits of our being , to think to resemble god in these perfections : this was the ambition of lucifer , to ascend into heaven , and to be like the most high. in our imitation of god we must still keep within the station of creatures ; not affecting an independency and sovereignty like god , and to be omnipotent as he is : hast thou an arm like god , and canst thou thunder with a voice like him ? as god himself argues with job . for in these things i delight , saith the lord. god takes pleasure to exercise these perfections himself , and to see them imitated by us ; and the imitation of these divine perfections is our perfection and glory ; in comparison of which all humane wisdom , and power , and riches , are so far from being matter of glory , that they are very despicable and pitiful things : knowledge and skill to devise mischief , and power to effect it , are the true nature and character of the devil and his angels ; those apostate and accursed spirits , who in temper and disposition are most contrary to god , who is the rule and pattern of all perfection . i shall only make two observations or inferences from what hath been said , and then apply the whole discourse to the great occasion of this day : and they are these . first , that the wisest and surest reasonings in religion are grounded upon the unquestionable perfections of the divine nature . secondly , that the nature of god is the true idea and pattern of perfection and happiness . first , that the wisest and surest reasonings in religion are grounded upon the unquestionable perfections of the divine nature : upon those more especially which to us are most easie and intelligible : such as are those mentioned in the text. and this makes the knowledge of god , and of these perfections , to be so useful and so valuable : because all religion is founded in right notions of god , and of his perfections : insomuch that divine revelation it self does suppose these for its foundation , and can signify nothing to us unless these be first known and believed : for unless we be first firmly persuaded of the providence of god , and of his particular care of mankind , why should we suppose that he makes any revelation of his will to us ? unless it be first naturally known that god is a god of truth , what ground is there for the belief of his word ? so that the principles of natural religion are the foundation of that which is reveal'd : and therefore nothing can in reason be admitted to be a revelation from god , which does plainly contradict his essential perfections . upon this principle , a great many doctrines are without more a-do to be rejected , because they do plainly and at first sight contradict the divine nature and perfections . i will give a few instances , instead of many that might be given . in vertue of this principle i cannot believe , upon the pretended authority or infallibility of any person or church , that force is a fit argument to produce faith : no man shall ever persuade me , no not the bishop of meaux with all his eloquence , that prisons and tortures , dragoons and the galleys , are proper means to convince the understanding , and either christian or humane methods of converting men to the true religion . for the same reason i cannot believe , that god would not have men to understand their publick prayers , nor the lessons of scripture which are read to them : because a lesson is something that is to be learnt , and therefore a lesson that is not to be understood is nonsense ; for if it be not understood how can it be learnt ? as little can i believe , that god who caused the holy scriptures to be written for the instruction of mankind , did ever intend that they should be lock'd up and concealed from the people in an unknown tongue . least of all can i believe that doctrine of the council of trent , that the saving efficacy of the sacraments doth depend upon the intention of the priest that administers them : which is to say , that though the people believe and live never so well , yet they may be damn'd by shoals , and whole parishes together , at the pleasure of the priest : and this for no other reason , but because the priest is so cross and so cruel that he will not intend to save them . now can any man believe this , that hath any tolerable notion either of the goodness or justice of god ? may we not appeal to god in this , as abraham did in another case ? wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked ? that be far from thee , to do after this manner : shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? much more , to destroy the righteous for the wicked , and that righteous and innocent people should lie at the mercy and will of a wicked and perverse priest , to be sav'd or damn'd by him as he thinks fit , that be far from thee : shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? for , to drive the argument to the head , if this be to do right there is no possibility of doing wrong . thus in things which are more obscure we should govern all our reasonings concerning god and religion by that which is clear and unquestionable , and should with moses lay down this for a certain principle , all his ways are judgment , a god of truth , and without iniquity , just and right is he : and say with st. paul , is there then unrighteousness with god ? god forbid ? and again , we know that the judgment of god is according to truth . ly , the other inference is this , that the nature of god is the true idea and pattern of perfection and happiness : and therefore nothing but our conformity to it can make us happy : and for this reason , to understand and know god is our great excellency and glory , because it is necessary to our imitation of him who is the best and happiest being . and so far as we are from resembling god , so far are we distant from happiness and the true temper of the blessed . for goodness is an essential ingredient of happiness ; and as without goodness there can be no true majesty and greatness , so neither any true felicity and blessedness . now goodness is a generous disposition of mind to diffuse and communicate it self by making others to partake of our happiness , in such degrees as they are capable : for no being is so happy as it might be , that hath not the power and the pleasure to make others happy : this surely is the highest pleasure , i had almost said pride , of a great mind . in vain therefore do we dream of happiness in any thing without us . happiness must be within us ; the foundation of it must be laid in the inward frame and disposition of our spirits : and the very same causes and ingredients which make up the happiness of god must be found in us , though in a much inferiour degree , or we cannot be happy . they understand not the nature of happiness , who hope for it upon any other terms : he who is the authour and fountain of happiness cannot convey it to us by any other way , than by planting in us such dispositions of mind as are in truth a kind of participation of the divine nature , and by enduing us with such qualities as are the necessary materials of happiness : and a man may assoon be well without health as happy without goodness . if a wicked man were taken up into heaven , yet if he still continue the same bad man that he was before , coelum , non animum mutavit , he may have chang'd the climate , and be gone into a far country ; but because he carries himself still along with him , he will still be miserable from himself : because the man's mind is not chang'd all the while , which would signifie a thousand times more to his happiness , than change of place , or of any outward circumstances whatsoever : for a bad man hath a fiend in his own breast , and the fewel of hell in his guilty conscience . there is a certain kind of temper and disposition which is necessary and essential to happiness , and that is holiness and goodness , which is the very nature of god ; and so far as any man departs from this temper , so far he removes himself and runs away from happiness . and here the foundation of hell is laid , in the evil disposition of a man 's own mind , which is naturally a torment to it self : and till this be cur'd , it is as impossible for him to be happy , as for a limb that is out of joint to be at ease ; because the man's spirit is out of order , and off the hinges , and as it were toss'd from its center ; and till that be set right , and restored to its proper and natural state , the man will be perpetually unquiet , and can have no rest and peace within himself . the wicked , saith the prophet , is like the troubled sea , when it cannot rest : there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked : no peace with god , no peace with his own mind ; for a bad man is at perpetual discord and wars within himself : and hence , as st. james tells us , come wars and fightings without us , even from our lusts which warr in our members . and now that i have mention'd wars and fightings without us , this cannot but bring to mind the great and glorious occasion of this day : which gives us manifold cause of praise and thanksgiving to almighty god : for several wonderful mercies and deliverances ; and more particularly , for a most glorious victory at sea , vouchsafed to their majesties fleet in this last summer's expedition . for several great mercies and deliverances : for a wonderful deliverance indeed , from a sudden invasion design'd upon us by the inveterate and implacable enemies of our peace and religion ; which by the merciful providence of god was happily and strangely prevented , when it was just upon the point of execution . next , for the preservation of our gracious sovereign , from that horrid and most barbarous attempt design'd upon his sacred person : and from those great and manifold dangers to which he was exposed in his late tedious expedition : and for his safe and most welcome return to us . and lastly , for a most glorious victory at sea : the greatest and the cheapest that ever the sun saw , from his first setting out to run his course . the opportunity indeed of this victory was through the rashness and confidence of our enemies , by the wise providence of god , put into our hands : but the improvement of this opportunity into so great and happy a victory we owe , under god , to the matchless conduct and courage of the brave admiral , and to the invincible resolution and valour of the captains and seamen . this great deliverance from the design'd invasion , and this glorious victory , god vouchsaf'd to us at home , whilst his sacred majesty was so freely hazarding his royal person abroad , in the publick cause of the rights and liberties of almost all europe . and now what may god justly expect from us , as a meet return for his goodness to us ? what ? but that we should glorifie him , first by offering praise and thanksgiving ; and then , by ordering our conversation aright , that he may still delight to shew us his salvation . god might have stood aloof from us in the day of our distress , and have said to us , as he once did to the people of israel , so often have i delivered you from the hands of your enemies , but ye have still provok'd me more and more , wherefore i will deliver you no more : he might have said of us , as he did of the same people , i will hide my face from them , i will see what their end shall be : for they are a very froward generation , children in whom is no faith : our resolutions and promises of better obedience are not to be trusted ; all our repentance and righteousness are but as the morning cloud , and like the early dew which passeth away : nay methinks god seems now to say to us , as he did of old to jerusalem , be instructed , o jerusalem , lest my soul depart from thee , and i make thee desolate , a land not inhabited . we are here met together this day , to pay our solemn acknowledgments to the god of our salvation ; who hath shewed strength with his arm , and hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart : even to him that exerciseth loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : in him will we glory as our sure refuge and defence , as our mighty deliverer , and the rock of our salvation . and now i have only to entreat your patience a little longer , whilst i apply what hath been discoursed upon this text a little more closely to the occasion of this day . i may be tedious , but i will not be long . and blessed be god for this happy occasion : the greatest england ever had , and , in the true consequences of it , perhaps the greatest that europe ever had of praise and thanksgiving . you have heard two sorts of persons described in the text , by very different characters : the one , that glory in their wisdom and might , and riches : the other , that glory in this , that they understand and know god to be the lord , which exerciseth loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth . and we have seen these two characters exemplified , or rather drawn to the life , in this present age. we who live in this western part of christendom have seen a mighty prince , by the just permission of god , raised up to be a terrour and scourge to all his neighbours : a prince , who had in perfection all the advantages mentioned in the former part of the text : and who , in the opinion of many who had been long dazzled with his splendour and greatness , hath pass'd for many years , for the most politick , and powerful , and richest monarch that hath appear'd in these parts of the world , for many ages : who hath govern'd his affairs by the deepest and steddiest counsels , and the most refin'd wisdom of this world : a prince mighty and powerful in his preparations for war ; formidable for his vast and well disciplin'd armies , and for his great naval force : and who had brought the art of war almost to that perfection , as to be able to conquer and do his business without fighting : a mystery hardly known to former ages and generations : and all this skill and strength united under one absolute will , not hamper'd or bound up by any restraints of law or conscience . a prince that commands the estates of all his subjects , and of all his conquests ; which hath furnish'd him with an almost inexhaustible treasure and revenue : and one , who if the world doth not greatly mistake him , hath sufficiently gloried in all these advantages , and even beyond the rate of a mortal man. but not knowing god to be the lord , which exercises loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth ; how hath the pride of all his glory been stain'd by tyranny and oppression , by injustice and cruelty ; by enlarging his dominions without right , and by making war upon his neighbours without reason , or even colour of provocation ? and this in a more barbarous manner than the most barbarous nations ever did ; carrying fire and desolation wheresoever he went , and laying wast many and great cities without necessity , and without pity . and now behold what a terrible rebuke the providence of god hath given to this mighty monarch , in the full carrier of his fortune and fury . the consideration whereof brings to my thoughts those passages in the prophet concerning old babylon , that standing and perpetual type of the great oppressors and persecutors of god's true church and religion : how is the oppressor ceased ? the exactor of gold ceased ? he who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke , he who ruled the nations in anger is himself persecuted , and none hindreth . the whole earth is at rest and is quiet , and breaks forth into singing : the grave beneath is moved for thee , to meet thee at thy coming ; it stirreth up the dead for thee , even all the captains of the earth ; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations ; all they shall speak and say unto thee , art thou also become weak as we are ? art thou also become like unto us ? how art thou fallen from heaven , o lucifer , son of the morning ? how art thou cut down to the ground that didst weaken the nations ? for thou hast said in thy heart , i will ascend into heaven , i will exalt my throne above the stars of god : i will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north , that is , upon mount zion , for just so the psalmist describes it , beautiful for situation , the joy of the whole earth is mount zion , on the sides of the north. here the king of babylon threatens to take jerusalem , and to demolish the temple where the congregation of israel met for the worship of the true god ; i will also sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. much in the same style with the threatnings of modern babylon , i will destroy the reformation , i will extirpate the northern heresie . and then he goes on , i will ascend above the height of the clouds , i will be like the most high : yet thou shalt be brought down to the grave , to the sides of the pit : they that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee , and consider thee , saying , is this the man that made the earth to tremble , that did shake kingdoms ; that made the world as a wilderness , and destroyed the cities thereof , and opened not the house of his prisoners ? god seems already to have begun this work , in the late glorious victory at sea ; and i hope he will cut it short in righteousness . i have sometimes heretofore wondred , why at the destruction of modern and mystical babylon the scripture should make so express mention of great wailing and lamentation for the loss of her ships and seamen : little imagining thirty years ago , that any of the kingdoms who had given their power to the beast would ever have arrived to that mighty naval force : but the scripture saith nothing in vain . whether , and how far , success is an argument of a good cause , i shall not now debate : but thus much , i think , may safely be affirmed , that the providence of god doth sometimes , without plain and down-right miracles , so visibly shew it self , that we cannot without great stupidity and obstinacy refuse to acknowledge it . i grant , the cause must first be manifestly just , before success can be made an argument of god's favour to it and approbation of it : and if the cause of true religion , and the necessary defence of it against a false and idolatrous worship , be a good cause , ours is so : and i do not here beg the question ; we have abundantly proved it to the confusion of our adversaries : if the vindication of the common liberties of mankind , against tyranny and oppression , be a good cause , then ours is so : and this needs not to be proved , it is so glaringly evident to all the world. and as our cause is not like theirs , so neither hath their rock been like our rock , our enemies themselves being judges . and yet as bad an argument as success is of a good cause , i am sorry to say it , but i am afraid it is true , it is like in the conclusion to prove the best argument of all other to convince those who have so long pretended conscience against submission to the present government . meer success is certainly one of the worst arguments in the world of a good cause , and the most improper to satisfie conscience : and yet we find by experience , that in the issue it is the most successful of all other arguments ; and does in a very odd but effectual way satisfie the consciences of a great many men by shewing them their interest . god has of late visibly made bare his arm in our behalf , though some are still so blind and obstinate that they will not see it : like those of whom the prophet complains , lord , when thy hand is lifted up they will not see , but they shall see , and be ashamed for their envy at thy people . thus have i represented unto you a mighty monarch , who like a fiery comet hath hung over europe for many years ; and by his malignant influence hath made such terrible havock and devastations in this part of the world. let us now turn our view to the other part of the text : and behold a greater than he is here : a prince of a quite different character , who does understand and know god to be the lord , which doth exercise loving-kindness , and judgment , and righteousness in the earth : and who hath made it the great study and endeavour of his life to imitate these divine perfections , as far as the imperfection of humane nature in this mortal state will admit : i say , a greater than he is here ; who never said or did an insolent thing , but instead of despising his enemies has upon all occasions encounter'd them with an undaunted spirit and resolution . this is the man whom god hath honoured to give a check to this mighty man of the earth , and to put a hook into the nostrils of this great leviathan who has so long had his pastime in the seas . but we will not insult , as he once did in a most unprincely manner over a man much better than himself , when he believed him to have been slain at the boyne : and indeed death came then as near to him as was possible without killing him : but the merciful providence of god was pleased to step in for his preservation , almost by a miracle : for i do not believe that from the first use of great guns to that day , any mortal man ever had his shoulder so kindly kiss'd by a cannon-bullet . but i will not trespass any further upon that which is the great ornament of all his other vertues ; though i have said nothing of him but what all the world does see and must acknowledge : he is as much above being flatter'd , as it is beneath an honest and a generous mind to flatter . let us then glory in the lord , and rejoice in the god of our salvation : let us now in the presence of all his people pay our most thankful acknowledgments to him who is worthy to be praised ; even to the lord god of israel , who alone doth wondrous things : who giveth victory unto kings , and hath preserved our david his servant from the hurtful sword. and let us humbly beseech almighty god , that he would long preserve to us the invaluable blessing of our two excellent princes ; whom the providence of god hath sent amongst us , like two good angels ; not to rescue two or three persons , but almost a whole nation out of sodom : by saving us i hope at last from our vices , as well as at first from that vengeance which was just ready to have been poured down upon us . two sovereign princes reigning together , and in the same throne ; and yet so intirely one , as perhaps no nation , no age can furnish us with a parallel : two princes perfectly united in the same design of promoting the true religion , and the publick welfare , by reforming our manners , and as far as is possible , by repairing the breaches , and healing the divisions of a miserably distracted church and nation : in a word , two princes who are contented to sacrifice themselves and their whole time to the care of the publick : and for the sake of that to deny themselves almost all sort of ease and pleasure : to deny themselves , did i say ? no , they have wisely and judiciously chosen the truest and highest pleasure that this world knows , the pleasure of doing good , and being benefactors to mankind . may they have a long and happy reign over us , to make us happy , and to lay up in store for themselves a happiness without measure , and without end , in god's glorious and everlasting kingdom : for his mercies sake in jesus christ , to whom with thee , o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , thanksgiving and praise , both now and for ever . amen . a sermon against evil-speaking , preached before the king and queen at white-hall , febr. the th / . a sermon against evil-speaking . tit. iij. . to speak evil of no man. general persuasives to repentance and a good life , and invectives against sin and wickedness at large , are certainly of good use to recommend religion and virtue , and to expose the deformity and danger of a vicious course . but it must be acknowledged on the other hand , that these general discourses do not so immediately tend to reform the lives of men : because they fall among the croud , but do not touch the consciences of particular persons in so sensible and awakening a manner as when we treat of particular duties and sins , and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one , and to reclaim them from the other , by proper arguments taken from the word of god , and from the nature of particular vertues and vices . the general way is , as if a physician , instead of applying particular remedies to the distemper of his patient , should entertain him with a long discourse of diseases in general , and of the pleasure and advantages of health ; and earnestly persuade him to be well ; without taking his particular disease into consideration , and prescribing remedies for it . but if we would effectually reform men , we must take to task the great and common disorders of their lives , and represent their faults to them in such a manner as may convince them of the evil and danger of them , and put them upon the endeavour of a cure . and to this end i have pitched upon one of the common and reigning vices of the age , calumny and evil-speaking ; by which men contract so much guilt to themselves , and create so much trouble to others ▪ and from which , it is to be feared , few or none are wholly free . for who is he , saith the son of sirach , that hath not offended with his tongue ? in many things , saith st. james , we offend all : and if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. but how few have attain'd to this perfection ? and yet unless we do endeavour after it , and in some good measure attain it , all our pretence to religion is vain : so the same apostle tells us , if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . for the more distinct handling of this argument , i shall reduce my discourse to these five heads . first , i shall consider the nature of this vice , and wherein it consists . secondly , i shall consider the due extent of this prohibition , to speak evil of no man. thirdly , i shall shew the evil of this practice , both in the causes and effects of it . fourthly , i shall add some further considerations to dissuade men from it . fifthly , i shall give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of it . i. i shall consider what this sin or vice of evil speaking , here forbidden by the apostle , is : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not to defame and slander any man , not to hurt his reputation , as the etymology of the word doth import . so that this vice consists in saying things of others which tend to their disparagement and reproach , to the taking away or lessening of their reputation and good name . and this , whether the things said be true or not . if they be false , and we know it , then it is down-right calumny ; and if we do not know it , but take it upon the report of others , it is however a slander ; and so much the more injurious , because really groundless and undeserved . if the thing be true , and we know it to be so , yet it is a defamation , and tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation : and it is a fault to say the evil of others which is true , unless there be some good reason for it besides : because it is contrary to that charity and goodness which christianity requires , to divulge the faults of others , though they be really guilty of them , without necessity or some other very good reason for it . again , it is evil-speaking and the vice condemn'd in the text , whether we be the first authors of an ill report , or relate it from others ; because the man that is evil spoken of is equally defam'd either way . again , whether we speak evil of a man to his face , or behind his back : the former way indeed seems to be the more generous , but yet is a great fault , and that which we call reviling : the latter is more mean and base , and that which we properly call slander or backbiting . and lastly , whether it be done directly and in express terms , or more obscurely and by way of oblique insinuation ; whether by way of down-right reproach , or with some crafty preface of commendation : for so it have the effect to defame , the manner of address does not much alter the case : the one may be more dextrous , but is not one jot less faulty : for many times the deepest wounds are given by these smoother and more artificial ways of slander ; as by asking questions , have you not heard so and so of such a man ? i say no more , i only ask the question : or by general intimations , that they are loth to say what they have heard of such a one , are very sorry for it , and do not at all believe it , if you will believe them : and this many times without telling the thing , but leaving you in the dark to suspect the worst . these and such like arts , though they may seem to be tenderer and gentler ways of using men's reputation , yet in truth they are the most malicious and effectual methods of slander ; because they insinuate something that is much worse than is said , and yet are very apt to create in unwary men a strong belief of something that is very bad , though they know not what it is . so that it matters not in what fashion a slander is dress'd up , if it tend to defame a man and to diminish his reputation , it is the sin forbidden in the text. ii. we will consider the extent of this prohibition to speak evil of no man ; and the due bounds and limitations of it . for it is not to be understood absolutely , to forbid us to say any thing concerning others that is bad . this in some cases may be necessary and our duty , and in several cases very fit and reasonable . the question is , in what cases by the general rules of scripture and right reason we are warranted to say the evil of others that is true ? in general , we are not to do this without great reason and necessity ; as , for the prevention of some great evil , or the procuring of some considerable good to our selves , or others . and this i take to be the meaning of that advice of the son of sirach , whether it be to a friend or a foe , talk not of other men's lives ; and if thou canst without offence reveal them not ; that is , if without hurt to any body thou canst conceal them , divulge them not . but because this may not be direction sufficient , i shall instance in some of the principal cases wherein men are warranted to speak evil of others , and yet in so doing do not offend against this prohibition in the text. first , it is not only lawful , but very commendable , and many times our duty to do this in order to the probable amendment of the person of whom evil is spoken . in such a case we may tell a man of his faults privately ; or where it may not be so fit for us to use that boldness and freedom , we may reveal his faults to one who is more fit and proper to reprove him , and will probably make no other use of this discovery but in order to his amendment . and this is so far from being a breach of charity , that it is one of the best testimonies of it . for perhaps the party may not be guilty of what hath been reported of him , and then it is a kindness to give him the opportunity of vindicating himself : or if he be guilty , perhaps being privately and prudently told of it he may reform . in this case the son of sirach adviseth to reveal men's faults ; admonish a friend , says he , it may be he hath not done it ; and if he have done it , that he do it no more : admonish a friend , it may be he hath not said it ; and if he have , that he speak it not again : admonish a friend , for many times it is a slander ; and believe not every tale . but then we must take care that this be done out of kindness , and that nothing of our own passion be mingled with it ; and that under pretence of reproving and reforming men , we do not reproach and revile them , and tell them of their faults in such a manner as if we did it to shew our authority rather than our charity . it requires a great deal of address and gentle application so to manage the business of reproof , as not to irritate and exasperate the person whom we reprove , instead of curing him . secondly , this likewise is not only lawful , but our duty , when we are legally called to bear witness concerning the fault and crime of another . a good man would not be an accuser , unless the publick good , or the prevention of some great evil should require it . and then the plain reason of the thing will sufficiently justifie a voluntary accusation : otherwise it hath always among well-manner'd people been esteemed very odious for a man to be officious in this kind , and a forward informer concerning the misdemeanours of others . magistrates may sometimes think it fit to give encouragement to such persons , and to set one bad man to catch another , because such men are fittest for such dirty work : but they can never inwardly approve them , nor will they ever make them their friends and confidents . but when a man is call'd to give testimony in this kind in obedience to the laws , and out of reverence to the oath taken in such cases , he is so far from deserving blame for so doing , that it would be an unpardonable fault in him to conceal the truth , or any part of it . thirdly , it is lawful to publish the faults of others , in our own necessary defence and vindication . when a man cannot conceal another's faults without betraying his own innocency , no charity requires a man to suffer himself to be defamed to save the reputation of another man. charity begins at home ; and though a man had never so much goodness , he would first secure his own good name , and then be concern'd for other men's . we are to love our neighbour as our selves ; so that the love of our selves is the rule and measure of our love to our neighbour : and therefore first , otherwise it could not be the rule . and it would be very well for the world , if our charity would rise thus high ; and no man would hurt another man's reputation , but where his own is in real danger . fourthly , this also is lawful for caution and warning to a third person , that is in danger to be infected by the company , or ill example of another ; or may be greatly prejudiced by reposing too much confidence in him , having no knowledge or suspicion of his bad qualities : but even in this case we ought to take great care that the ill character we give of any man be spread no further than is necessary to the good end we designed in it . besides these more obvious and remarkable cases , this prohibition doth not i think hinder but that in ordinary conversation men may mention that ill of others which is already made as publick as it well can be : or that one friend may not in freedom speak to another of the miscarriage of a third person , where he is secure no ill use will be made of it , and that it will go no further to his prejudice : provided always , that we take no delight in hearing or speaking ill of others : and the less we do it , though without any malice or design of harm , still the better ; because this shews that we do not feed upon ill reports and take pleasure in them . these are the usual cases in which it may be necessary for us to speak evil of other men . and these are so evidently reasonable that the prohibition in the text cannot with reason be extended to them . and if no man would allow himself to say any thing to the prejudice of another man's good name , but in these and the like cases , the tongues of men would be very innocent , and the world would be very quiet . i proceed in the iii d place , to consider the evil of this practice , both in the causes and the consequences of it . first , we will consider the causes of it . and it commonly springs from one or more of these evil roots . first , one of the deepest and most common causes of evil-speaking is ill-nature and cruelty of disposition : and by a general mistake ill-nature passeth for wit , as cunning doth for wisdom ; though in truth they are nothing a-kin to one another , but as far distant as vice and vertue . and there is no greater evidence of the bad temper of mankind , than the general proneness of men to this vice. for ( as our saviour says ) out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . and therefore men do commonly incline to the censorious and uncharitable side : which shews humane nature to be strangely distorted from its original rectitude and innocency . the wit of man doth more naturally vent it self in satyr and censure , than in praise and panegyrick . when men set themselves to commend , it comes hardly from them , and not without great force and straining ; and if any thing be fitly said in that kind , it doth hardly relish with most men : but in the way of invective , the invention of men is a plentiful and never-failing spring : and this kind of wit is not more easie than it is acceptable : it is greedily entertained and greatly applauded , and every man is glad to hear others abused , not considering how soon it may come to his own turn to lie down and make sport for others . to speak evil of others , is almost become the general entertainment of all companies : and the great and serious business of most meetings and visits , after the necessary ceremonies and complements are over , is to fit down and back-bite all the world. 't is the sawce of conversation , and all discourse is counted but flat and dull which hath not something of piquancy and sharpness in it against some body . for men generally love rather to hear evil of others than good , and are secretly pleas'd with ill reports , and drink them in with greediness and delight : though at the same time they have so much justice , as to hate those that propagate them ; and so much wit , as to conclude that these very persons will do the same for them in another place and company . but especially , if it concerns one of another party , and that differs from us in matters of religion ; in this case , all parties seem to be agreed that they do god great service in blasting the reputation of their adversaries : and though they all pretend to be christians , and the disciples of him who taught nothing but kindness and meekness and charity ; yet it is strange to see with what a salvage and murderous disposition they will flie at one another's reputation and tear it in pieces : and what-ever other scruples they may have , they make none to bespatter one another in the most bitter and slanderous manner . but if they hear any good of their adversaries , with what nicety and caution do they receive it ? how many objections do they raise against it ? and with what coldness do they at last admit it ? it is very well , say they , if it be true : i shall be glad to hear it confirm'd . i never heard so much good of him before . you are a good man your self , but have a care you be not deceived . nay it is well , if to balance the matter , and set things even , they do not clap some infirmity and fault into the other scale , that so the enemy may not go off with flying colours . but on the other side , every man is a good and substantial author of an ill report . i do not apply this to any one sort of men , though all are to blame in this way ; iliacos intra muros peccatur , & extra . to speak impartially , the zealots of all parties have got a scurvy trick of lying for the truth . but of all sorts of people , i have observed the priests and bigots of the church of rome to be the ablest in this way , and to have the strongest faith for a lusty falshood and calumny . others will bandy a false report , and toss it from one hand to another ; but i never knew any that would so hug a lye and be so very fond of it . they seem to be described by st. john in that expression in the revelation , whosoever loveth and maketh a lye . another shrewd sign that ill-nature lies at the root of this vice is , that we easily forget the good that is said of others , and seldom make mention of it ; but the contrary sticks with us , and lies uppermost in our memories , and is ready to come out upon all occasions : and which is yet more ill-natur'd and unjust , many times when we do not believe it our selves we tell it to others , with this charitable caution , that we hope it is not true : but in the mean time we give it our pass , and venture it to take its fortune to be believed or not , according to the charity of those into whose hands it comes . secondly , another cause of the commonness of this vice is , that many are so bad themselves , in one kind or other . for to think and speak ill of others is not only a bad thing , but a sign of a bad-man . our blessed saviour , speaking of the evil of the last days , gives this as the reason of the great decay of charity among men ; because iniquity shall abound , the love of many shall wax cold . when men are bad themselves , they are glad of any opportunity to censure others , and are always apt to suspect that evil of other men which they know by themselves . they cannot have a good opinion of themselves , and therefore are very unwilling to have so of any body else ; and for this reason they endeavour to bring men to a level , hoping it will be some justification of them if they can but render others as bad as themselves . thirdly , another source of this vice is malice and revenge . when men are in heat and passion they do not consider what is true , but what is spiteful and mischievous ; and speak evil of others in revenge of some injury which they have received from them : and when they are blinded by their passions , they lay about them madly and at a venture , not much caring whether the evil they speak be true or not . nay many are so devilish , as to invent and raise false reports on purpose to blast men's reputation . this is a diabolical temper , and therefore st. james tells us that the slanderous tongue is set on fire of hell : and the devil hath his very name from calumny and false accusation ; and it is his nature too , for he is always ready to stir up and foment this evil spirit among men : nay , the scripture tells us that he hath the malice and impudence to accuse good men before god ; as he did job , charging him with hypocrisie to god himself ; who , he knows , does know the hearts of all the children of men . fourthly , another cause of evil-speaking is envy . men look with an evil eye upon the good that is in others , and think that their reputation obscures them , and that their commendable qualities do stand in their light ; and therefore they do what they can to cast a cloud over them , that the bright shining of their vertues may not scorch them . this makes them greedily to entertain , and industriously to publish any thing that may serve to that purpose , thereby to raise themselves upon the ruins of other men's reputation : and therefore as soon as they have got an ill report of any good man by the end , to work they presently go to send it abroad by the first post : for the string is always ready upon their bow to let fly this arrow with an incredible swiftness , through city and country ; for fear the innocent man's justification should over-take it . fifthly , another cause of evil-speaking is impertinence and curiosity ; an itch of talking and medling in the affairs of other men , which do no wise concern them . some persons love to mingle themselves in all business , and are loth to seem ignorant of so important a piece of news as the faults and follies of men , or any bad thing that is talk'd of in good company . and therefore they do with great care pick up ill stories , as good matter of discourse in the next company that is worthy of them : and this perhaps not out of any great malice , but for want of something better to talk of , and because their parts lie chiefly that way . lastly , men do this many times out of wantonness and for diversion . so little do light and vain men consider , that a man's reputation is too great and tender a concernment to be jested withal ; and that a slanderous tongue bites like a serpent , and wounds like a sword. for what can be more barbarous , next to sporting with a man's life , than to play with his honour and reputation , which to some men is dearer to them than their lives ? it is a cruel pleasure which some men take in worrying the reputation of others much better than themselves ; and this only to divert themselves and the company . solomon compares this sort of men to distracted persons ; as a mad-man , saith he , who casteth fire-brands , arrows , and death , so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour ; the lxx . render it , so is the man that defameth his neighbour , and saith , am i not in sport ? such , and so bad are the causes of this vice. i proceed to consider , in the second place , the ordinary , but very pernicious consequences and effects of it ; both to others , and to our selves . first , to others ; the parties i mean that are slandered . to them it is certainly a great injury , and commonly a high provocation , but always matter of no small grief and trouble to them . it is certainly a great injury ; and if the evil which we say of them be not true , it is an injury beyond imagination , and beyond all possible reparation . and though we should do our utmost endeavour afterwards towards their vindication , yet that makes but very little amends ; because the vindication seldom reacheth so far as the reproach , and because commonly men are neither so forward to spread the vindication , nor is it so easily received after ill impressions are once made . the solicitous vindication of a man's self is , at the best , but an after-game ; and for the most part a man had better fit still , than to run the hazard of making the matter worse by playing it . i will add one thing more , that it is an injury that descends to a man's children and posterity ; because the good or ill name of the father is derived down to them ; and many times the best thing he hath to leave them is the reputation of his unblemish'd virtue and worth : and do we make no conscience to rob his innocent children of the best part of this small patrimony , and of all the kindness that would have been done them for their father's sake , if his reputation had not been so undeservedly stain'd ? is it no crime by the breath of our mouth at once to blast a man's reputation , and to ruin his children , perhaps to all posterity ? can we make a jest of so serious a matter ? of an injury so very hard to be repented of as it ought , because in such a case no repentance will be acceptable without restitution , if it be in our power . and perhaps it will undo us in this world to make it ; and if we do it not , will be our ruin in the other . i will put the case at the best , that the matter of the slander is true ; yet no man's reputation is considerably stained , though never so deservedly , without great harm and damage to him . and it is great odds but the matter by passing through several hands is aggravated beyond truth , every one out of his bounty being apt to add something to it . but , besides the injury , it is commonly a very high provocation . and the consequence of that may be as bad as we can imagine , and may end in dangerous and desperate quarrels . this reason the wise son of sirach gives why we should defame no man : whether it be , says he , to a friend or a foe , talk not of other men's lives . for he hath heard and observed thee ; that is , one way or other it will probably come to his knowledge , and when the time cometh he will shew his hatred ; that is , he will take the first opportunity to revenge it . at the best , it is always matter of grief to the person that is defam'd : and christianity , which is the best-natur'd institution in the world , forbids us the doing of those things whereby we may grieve one another . a man's good name is a tender thing , and a wound there sinks deep into the spirit even of a wise and good man : and the more innocent any man is in this kind , the more sensible is he of this hard usage ; because he never treats others so , nor is he conscious to himself that he hath deserved it . secondly , the consequences of this vice are as bad or worse to our selves . whoever is wont to speak evil of others , gives a bad character of himself , even to those whom he desires to please ; who , if they be wise enough , will conclude that he speaks of them to others , as he does of others to them : and were it not for that fond partiality which men have for themselves , no man could be so blind as not to see this . and it is very well worthy of our consideration , which our saviour says in this very case , that with what measure we mete to others , it shall be measured to us again ; and that many times heaped up , and running over . for there is hardly any thing wherein mankind do use more strict justice and equality , than in rendering evil for evil , and railing for railing . nay , revenge often goes further than words . a reproachful and slanderous speech hath cost many a man a duel , and in that the loss of his own life , or the murther of another , perhaps with the loss of his own soul : and i have often wonder'd that among christians this matter is no more laid to heart . and though neither of these great mischiefs should happen to us , yet this may be inconvenient enough many other ways . for no man knows in the chance of things , and the mutability of humane affairs , whose kindness and good-will he may come to stand in need of before he dies . so that did a man only consult his own safety and quiet , he ought to refrain from evil-speaking . what man is he , saith the psalmist , that desireth life , and loveth many days , that he may see good : keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falshood . but there is an infinitely greater danger hanging over us from god. if we allow our selves in this evil practice , all our religion is good for nothing . so st. james expressly tells us , if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , but deceiveth his own heart , that man's religion is vain . and st. paul puts slanderers and revilers amongst those that shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and our blessed saviour hath told us , that by our words we shall be justified , and by our words we shall be condemned . to which i will add the counsel given us by the wise-man , refrain your tongue from back-biting , for there is no word so secret that shall go for nought , and the mouth that slandereth slayeth the soul. i proceed in the iv th . place , to add some further arguments and considerations to take men off from this vice : as , first , that the use of speech is a peculiar prerogative of man above other creatures , and bestowed upon him for some excellent end and purpose : that by this faculty we might communicate our thoughts more easily to one another , and consult together for our mutual comfort and benefit : not to enable us to be hurtful and injurious , but helpful and beneficial to one another . the psalmist , as by interpreters is generally thought , calls our tongue our glory ; therewith we praise god and bless men. now to bless is to speak well of any , and to wish them well . so that we pervert the use of speech and turn our glory into shame , when we abuse this faculty to the injury and reproach of any . secondly , consider how cheap a kindness it is to speak well , at least not to speak ill of any . a good word is an easie obligation , but not to speak ill requires only our silence , which costs us nothing . some instances of charity are chargeable , as to relieve the wants and necessities of others : the expence deterrs many from this kind of charity . but were a man never so covetous , he might afford another man his good word ; at least he might refrain from speaking ill of him : especially if it be consider'd how dear many have paid for a slanderous and reproachful word . thirdly , consider that no quality doth ordinarily recommend one more to the favour and good-will of men , than to be free from this vice. every one desires such a man's friendship , and is apt to repose a great trust and confidence in him : and when he is dead , men will praise him ; and next to piety towards god , and righteousness to men , nothing is thought a more significant commendation , than that he was never , or very rarely heard to speak ill of any . it was a singular character of a roman gentleman , nescivit quid esset maledicere , he knew not what it was to give any man an ill word . fourthly , let every man lay his hand upon his heart , and consider how himself is apt to be affected with this usage . speak thy conscience man , and say whether , as bad as thou art , thou wouldst not be glad to have every man's , especially every good man's good word ? and to have thy faults conceal'd , and not to be hardly spoken of , though it may be not altogether without truth , by those whom thou didst never offend by word or deed ? but with what face or reason dost thou expect this from others , to whom thy carriage hath been so contrary ? nothing surely is more equal and reasonable than that known rule , what thou wouldst have no man do to thee , that do thou to no man. fifthly , when you are going to speak reproachfully of others , consider whether you do not lie open to just reproach in the same , or some other kind . therefore give no occasion , no example of this barbarous usage of one another . there are very few so innocent and free either from infirmities or greater faults , as not to be obnoxious to reproach upon one account or other ; even the wisest , and most virtuous , and most perfect among men have some little vanity , or affectation , which lays them open to the railery of a mimical and malicious wit : therefore we should often turn our thoughts upon our selves , and look into that part of the wallet which men commonly fling over their shoulders and keep behind them , that they may not see their own faults : and when we have searched that well , let us remember our saviour's rule , he that is without sin , let him cast the first stone . lastly consider , that it is in many cases as great a charity to conceal the evil you hear and know of others , as if you relieved them in a great necessity . and we think him a hard-hearted man that will not bestow a small alms upon one in great want . it is an excellent advice which the son of sirach gives to this purpose ; talk not of other men's lives : if thou hast heard a word , let it die with thee ; and be bold it will not burst thee . i shall in the v th . and last place , give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of this great evil among men . first , never say any evil of any man , but what you certainly know . when ever you positively accuse and endite any man of any crime , though it be in private and among friends , speak as if you were upon your oath , because god sees and hears you . this not only charity , but justice and regard to truth do demand of us . he that easily credits an ill report is almost as faulty as the first inventer of it . for though you do notmake , yet you commonly propagate a lye. therefore never speak evil of any upon common fame , which for the most part is false , but almost always uncertain whether it be true or not . not but that it is a fault , in most cases , to report the evil of men which is true , and which we certainly know to be so : but if i cannot prevail to make men wholly to abstain from this fault , i would be glad to compound with some persons , and to gain this point of them however ; because it would retrench nine parts in ten of the evil-speaking that is in the world. secondly , before you speak evil of any man , consider whether he hath not obliged you by some real kindness , and then it is a bad return to speak ill of him who hath done us good . consider also , whether you may not come hereafter to be acquainted with him , related to him , or obliged by him whom you have thus injured ? and how will you then be ashamed when you reflect upon it , and perhaps have reason also to believe that he to whom you have done this injury is not ignorant of it ? consider likewise , whether in the change of humane affairs , you may not some time or other come to stand in need of his favour ; and how incapable this carriage of yours towards him will render you of it ? and whether it may not be in his power to revenge a spiteful and needless word by a shrewd turn ? so that if a man made no conscience of hurting others , yet he should in prudence have some consideration of himself . thirdly , let us accustom our selves to pity the faults of men and to be truly sorry for them , and then we shall take no pleasure in publishing them . and this common humanity requires of us , considering the great infirmities of humane nature , and that we our selves also are liable to be tempted : considering likewise , how severe a punishment every fault and miscarriage is to it self ; and how terribly it exposeth a man to the wrath of god , both in this world and the other . he is not a good christian , that is not heartily sorry for the faults even of his greatest enemies ; and if he be so , he will discover them no further than is necessary to some good end . fourthly , when-ever we hear any man evil-spoken of , if we know any good of him let us say that . it is always the more humane and the more honourable part to stand up in the defence and vindication of others , than to accuse and bespatter them . possibly the good you have heard of them may not be true , but it is much more probable that the evil which you have heard of them is not true neither : however , it is better to preserve the credit of a bad man , than to stain the reputation of the innocent . and if there were any need that a man should be evil-spoken of , it is but fair and equal that his good and bad qualities should be mention'd together ; otherwise he may be strangely misrepresented , and an indifferent man may be made a monster . they that will observe nothing in a wise man , but his over-sights and follies ; nothing in a good man , but his failings and infirmities ; may make a shift to render a very wise and good man very despicable . if one should heap together all the passionate speeches , all the froward and imprudent actions of the best man ; all that he had said , or done amiss in his whole life , and present it all at one view , concealing his wisdom and vertues ; the man in this disguise would look like a mad-man or a fury : and yet if his life were fairly represented , and just in the same manner it was led ; and his many and great virtues set over against his failings and infirmities , he would appear to all the world to be an admirable and excellent person . but how many and great soever any man's ill qualities are , it is but just that with all this heavy load of faults he should have the due praise of the few real virtues that are in him . fifthly , that you may not speak ill of any , do not delight to hear ill of them . give no countenance to busy-bodies , and those that love to talk of other men's faults : or if you cannot decently reprove them because of their quality , then divert the discourse some other way ; or if you cannot do that , by seeming not to mind it , you may sufficiently signifie that you do not like it . sixthly , let every man mind himself , and his own duty and concernment . do but endeavour in good earnest to mend thy self , and it will be work enough for one man , and leave thee but little time to talk of others . when plato withdrew from the court of dionysius , who would fain have had a famous philosopher for his flatterer , they parted in some unkindness , and dionysius bade him not to speak ill of him when he was return'd into greece ; plato told him , he had no leisure for it ; meaning that he had better things to mind , than to take up his thoughts and talk with the faults of so bad a man , so notoriously known to all the world. lastly , let us set a watch before the door of our lips , and not speak but upon consideration : i do not mean to speak finely , but fitly . especially when thou speakest of others , consider of whom , and what thou art going to speak : use great caution and circumspection in this matter : look well about thee ; on every side of the thing , and on every person in the company , before thy words slip from thee ; which when they are once out of thy lips , are for ever out of thy power . not that men should be sullen in company , and say nothing ; or so stiff in conversation , as to drop nothing but aphorisms and oracles : especially , among equals and friends , we should not be so reserved as if we would have it taken for a mighty favour that we vouchsafe to say any thing . if a man had the understanding of an angel , he must be contented to abate something of this excess of wisdom , for fear of being thought cunning. the true art of conversation , if any body can hit upon it , seems to be this ; an appearing freedom and openness , with a resolute reservedness as little appearing as is possible . all that i mean by this caution is , that we should consider well what we say , especially of others . and to this end we should endeavour to get our minds furnished with matter of discourse concerning things useful in themselves , and not hurtful to others : and , if we have but a mind wise enough , and good enough , we may easily find a field large enough for innocent conversation ; such as will harm no body , and yet be acceptable enough to the better and wiser part of mankind : and why should any one be at the cost of playing the fool to gratifie any body whatsoever ? i have done with the five things i propounded to speak to upon this argument . but because hardly any thing can be so clear , but something may be said against it ; nor any thing so bad , but something may be pleaded in excuse for it : i shall therefore take notice of two or three pleas that may be made for it . first , some pretend mighty injury and provocation . if in the same kind , it seems thou art sensible of it ; and therefore thou of all men oughtest to abstain from it : but in what kind soever it be , the christian religion forbids revenge . therefore do not plead one sin in excuse of another , and make revenge an apology for reviling . secondly , it is alledged by others , with a little better grace , that if this doctrine were practised , conversation would be spoil'd , and there would not be matter enough for pleasant discourse and entertainment . i answer , the design of this discourse is to redress a great evil in conversation , and that i hope which mends it will not spoil it . and however , if men's tongues lay a little more still , and most of us spake a good deal less than we do , both of our selves and others , i see no great harm in it : i hope we might for all that live comfortably and in good health , and see many good days . david , i am sure , prescribes it as an excellent receipt , in his opinion , for a quiet , and cheerful , and long life , to refrain from evil-speaking ; what man is he that desireth life , and loveth many days that he may see good ? keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking falsehood . but granting that there is some pleasure in invective , i hope there is a great deal more in innocence : and the more any man considers this , the truer he will find it ; and when-ever we are serious , we our selves cannot but acknowledge it . when a man examines himself impartially before the sacrament , or is put in mind upon a death-bed to make reparation for injuries done in this kind , he will then certainly be of this mind and wish he had not done them . for this certainly is one necessary qualification for the blessed sacrament , that we be in love and charity with our neighbours ; with which temper of mind this quality is utterly inconsistent . thirdly , there is yet a more specious plea than either of the former , that men will be encouraged to do ill if they can escape the tongues of men ; as they would do , if this doctrine did effectually take place : because by this means one great restraint from doing evil would be taken away , which these good men who are so bent upon reforming the world , think would be great pity . for many who will venture upon the displeasure of god , will yet abstain from doing bad things for fear of reproach from men : besides , that this seems the most proper punishment of many faults which the laws of men can take no notice of . admitting all this to be true , yet it does not seem so good and laudable a way to punish one fault by another : but let no man encourage himself in an evil way with this hope , that he shall escape the censure of men : when i have said all i can , there will , i fear , be evil-speaking enough in the world to chastise them that do ill : and though we should hold our peace , there will be bad tongues enow to reproach men with their evil-doings . i wish we could but be persuaded to make the experiment for a little while , whether men would not be sufficiently lash'd for their faults , though we sate by and said nothing . so that there is no need at all that good men should be concern'd in this odious work. there will always be offenders and malefactors enow to be the executioners to inflict this punishment upon one another . therefore let no man presume upon impunity on the one hand ; and on the other , let no man despair but that this business will be sufficiently done one way or other . i am very much mistaken , if we may not safely trust an ill-natur'd world that there will be no failure of justice in this kind . and here , if i durst , i would fain have said a word or two concerning that more publick sort of obloquy by lampoons and libels , so much in fashion in this witty age. but i have no mind to provoke a very terrible sort of men . yet thus much i hope may be said without offence , that how much soever men are pleas'd to see others abused in this kind , yet it is always grievous when it comes to their own turn : however i cannot but hope that every man that impartially considers must own it to be a fault of a very high nature to revile those whom god hath placed in authority over us , and to slander the footsteps of the lord 's anointed : especially since it is so expressly written , thou shalt not speak evil of the rulers of thy people . having represented the great evil of this vice , it might not now be improper to say something to those who suffer by it . are we guilty of the evil said of us ? let us reform , and cut off all occasions for the future ; and so turn the malice of our enemies to our own advantage , and defeat their ill intentions by making so good an use of it : and then it will be well for us to have been evil spoken of . are we innocent ? we may so much the better bear it patiently ; imitating herein the pattern of our blessed saviour , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . we may consider likewise , that though it be a misfortune to be evil-spoken of , it is their fault that do it , and not ours ; and therefore should not put us into passion , because another man's being injurious to me is no good reason why i should be uneasie to my self . we should not revenge the injuries done to us , no not upon them that do them , much less upon our selves . let no man's provocation make thee to lose thy patience . be not such a fool , as to part with any one virtue because some men are so malicious as to endeavour to rob thee of the reputation of all the rest . when men speak ill of thee , do as plato said he would do in that case ; live so , as that no body may believe them . all that now remains is to reflect upon what hath been said , and to urge you and my self to do accordingly . for all is nothing , if we do not practise what we so plainly see to be our duty . many are so taken up with the deep points and mysteries of religion , that they never think of the common duties and offices of humane life . but faith and a good life are so far from clashing with one another , that the christian religion hath made them inseparable . true faith is necessary in order to a good life , and a good life is the genuine product of a right belief ; and therefore the one never ought to be press'd to the prejudice of the other . i foresee what will be said , because i have heard it so often said in the like case ; that there is not one word of jesus christ in all this . no more is there in the text. and yet i hope that jesus christ is truly preach'd , when-ever his will and laws , and the duties injoyn'd by the christian religion are inculcated upon us . but some men are pleased to say , that this is mere morality : i answer , that this is scripture-morality and christian-morality , and who hath any thing to say against that ? nay , i will go yet further , that no man ought to pretend to believe the christian religion , who lives in the neglect of so plain a duty ; and in the practice of a sin so clearly condemn'd by it , as this of evil-speaking is . but because the word of god is quick and powerful , and sharper than a two-edged sword , yea sharper than calumny it self ; and pierceth the very hearts and consciences of men , laying us open to our selves , and convincing us of our more secret as well as our more visible faults ; i shall therefore at one view represent to you what is dispersedly said concerning this sin in the holy word of god. and i have purposely reserved this to the last , because it is more persuasive and penetrating than any humane discourse . and to this end be pleas'd to consider in what company the holy ghost doth usually mention this sin. there is scarce any black catalogue of sins in the bible but we find this among them ; in the company of the very worst actions and most irregular passions of men . out of the heart , says our saviour , proceed evil thoughts , murders , adulteries , fornications , false-witness , evil-speakings . and the apostle ranks backbiters with fornicators , and murderers , and haters of god ; and with those of whom it is expressly said that they shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and when he enumerates the sins of the last times , men , says he , shall be lovers of themselves , covetous , boasters , evil-speakers , without natural affection , perfidious , false accusers , &c. and which is the strangest of all , they who are said to be guilty of these great vices and enormities are noted by the apostle to be great pretenders to religion ; for so it follows in the next words , having a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof . so that it is no new thing for men to make a more than ordinary profession of christianity , and yet at the same time to live in a most palpable contradiction to the precepts of that holy religion : as if any pretence to mystery and i know not what extraordinary attainments in the knowledge of christ , could exempt men from obedience to his laws , and set them above the vertues of a good life . and now after all this , do we hardly think that to be a sin , which is in scripture so frequently rank'd with murther and adultery and the blackest crimes ; such as are inconsistent with the life and power of religion , and will certainly shut men out of the kingdom of god ? do we believe the bible to be the word of god ? and can we allow our selves in the common practice of a sin , than which there is hardly any fault of men's lives more frequently mention'd , more severely reprov'd , and more odiously branded in that holy book ? consider seriously these texts . who shall abide in thy tabernacle , who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? he that backbiteth not with his tongue , nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour . have ye never heard what our saviour says , that of every idle word we must give an account in the day of judgment ; that by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemn'd ? what can be more severe than that of st. james ? if any man among you seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue , that man's religion is vain . to conclude : the sin , which i have now warned men against , is plainly condemn'd by the word of god ; and the duty which i have now been persuading you to , is easie for every man to understand , not hard for any man , that can but resolve to keep a good guard upon himself for some time , by the grace of god to practice ; and most reasonable for all men , but especially for all christians , to observe . it is as easie as a resolute silence upon just occasion , as reasonable as prudence and justice and charity , and the preservation of peace and good-will among men , can make it ; and of as necessary and indispensible an obligation , as the authority of god can render any thing . upon all which considerations let us every one of us be persuaded to take up david's deliberate resolution , i said , i will take heed to my ways , that i offend not with my tongue . and i do verily believe , that would we but heartily endeavour to amend this one fault , we should soon be better men in our whole lives : i mean , that the correcting of this vice , together with those that are nearly allied to it , and may at the same time , and almost with the same resolution and care be corrected , would make us owners of a great many considerable vertues , and carry us on a good way towards perfection ; it being hardly to be imagin'd that a man that makes conscience of his words should not take an equal or a greater care of his actions . and this i take to be both the true meaning , and the true reason of that saying of st. james , and with which i shall conclude : if any man offend not in word , the same is a perfect man. now the god of peace , who brought again from the dead our lord jesus christ , the great shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you perfect in every good word and work , to do his will ; working in you always that which is well-pleasing in his sight , through jesus christ ; to whom be glory for ever , amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e v. , , , , . v. . v. . v. . v. . v. . v. . pet. . . philip. . . notes for div a -e chron. . . psal . . . lev. . . isaiah . . verse . isaiah . . isaiah . . chron. . . judges . , . kings . . chron. . . isaiah . . verse . isaiah . . deut . , . verse . numb . . . judges . , , , . jer. . . judges . . gen. . . rom. . . isaiah . . matth. . , . psal . . . psal . . , . cor. . , , , , . numb . . , . v. . notes for div a -e dr. barrow . dr. barrow . prov. . . eccl. . . prov. . . verse . eph. . . chap. . . luke . , . rom. . . v. . matth. . , . matth. . . v. . m. aur. antoni . lib. . eccl. , , , , . notes for div a -e heb. . . joh. . . matth. . , , &c. matth. . . v. . v. , . john , . luke . . joh. . . joh. . . john . . v. . joh. . . v. . gen. . . isa . . , . matth. . . matth. . , . notes for div a -e * ita me dij deaeque omnes pejus perdant quàm bodiè perire me sentio , &c. rev. . . wisd . of solomon , ch . . ver . , , . notes for div a -e chron. . . ps . . . psal . . prov. . , . prov. . , . deut. . . isa . . , , , , , . isa . . , . isa . . , , &c. notes for div a -e jer. . . hos . . . gen. . . cor. . . jer. . . jer. . . hos . . , . jonah . . psal . . * lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . jer. . . psal . . notes for div a -e john . . luke . . acts . . acts . . tim. . . acts . . jam. . . boeth . acts . . acts . . john . . cor. . . job . , . joh. . . prov. . . ps . . . acts . . john . . tim. . , , . notes for div a -e zech. . , . verse , , , , . kings . , , , . jer. . . jer. . . psal . . . v. . v. . dan. . , , . ezr. . , . jer. . , . jer. . , . isai . . , . ezra . . joel . , , . ver. . dan. . ● ver. , , , . dan. . . jer. . , , . job . , . acts . . isa . . , . chron. . . zech. . . ezek. . . notes for div a -e ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. . ver. , . ver. . ver. . psal . . , , . rom. . . v. , . prov. . , , &c. isa . . . psal . . , , . psal . . notes for div a -e cor. . . job . . ch. . . job . . eccl. . . ●● . , . psal . . . prov. . . eccl. . . prov. . . job . . judg. . . deut. . . jer. . . isa . . psal . . . rev. . . isa . . . notes for div a -e ecclus . . . james . . jam. . . eccl. . . ecclus. . , , . matth. . . ecclus. . , . matth. . psal . . , . jam. . . cor. . . wisdom of solomon , c. . v. . ecclus. . . psal . . , . matth. . . rom. . . cor. . . tim. . , . psal . . . psal . . . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall, april the th, , concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall, april the th, , concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ by john, lord archbishop of canterbury. tillotson, john, - . [ ], p. printed for b. aylmer ..., and w. rogers ..., london : . half-title: the archbishop of canterbury's sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ. marginal notes. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews ix, -- sermons. atonement -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the archbishop of canterbury's sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall , april the th . . concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ. by john lord archbishop of canterbury . publish'd by her majesty's special command . london : printed for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons in cornhill : and w. rogers , at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet . . a sermon concerning the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ , &c. heb. ix . . but now once hath he appeared in the end of the world , to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . among many other great ends and reasons for which god was pleased to send his son into the world to dwell amongst us , this was one of the chief , that by a long course of the greatest innocency and the greatest sufferings in our nature he might be capable to make a perfect expiation of sin : but now once in the end of the world , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the conclusion of the ages , that is in the last age of the world , which is the gospel age , hath he appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . the general design of god in sending his son into the world was to save mankind from eternal death and misery , and to purchase for us eternal life and happiness . so the author of our salvation himself tells us , that god so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . now in order to the procuring of this salvation for us , the impediments and hindrances of it were to be removed : these were the guilt , and the dominion of sin : by the guilt of sin we were become obnoxious to the wrath of god and to eternal condemnation , and by the defilement and dominion of it we were incapable of the happiness of heaven and the reward of eternal life . to remove these two great hindrances two things were necessary : the forgivenes of sins past , in order to our deliverance from the wrath of god and the eternal torments of the next life ; and the reformation of our hearts and lives to make us capable of eternal life and happiness in another world. and both these , if god had so pleased , might have been effected by the abundant mercy and powerful grace of god , without this wonderful method and dispensation of sending his son in our nature to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself : but it seems the wisdom of god thought fit to pitch upon this way and method of our salvation , and no doubt for very good reasons ; amongst which these three seem to be very obvious and very considerable . first , to vindicate the honour of his laws , which if sin had gone altogether unpunish'd would have been in great danger of falling into contempt . for if god had proclaimed a general pardon of sin to all mankind , without any testimony of his wrath and displeasure against it , who would have had any great veneration for his laws , or have believed in good earnest that the violation of them had been either so extremely offensive to him , or so very dangerous to the sinner ? therefore to maintain the honour of his laws , rather than sin should pass unpunish'd god would lay the punishment of it upon his only begotten son , the dearest person to him in the world : which is a greater testimony of his high displeasure against sin , and of his tender regard and concernment for the honour of his laws , than if the sinner had suffered the punishment due to it in his own person . secondly , another reason of this dispensation , and that likewise very considerable , was , that god might forgive sin in such a way as yet effectually to discountenance and discourage it , and to create in us the greatest horror and hatred of it : which could not have been by an absolute pardon , without any punishment inflicted , or satisfaction made to the honour of his justice . for had sin been so easily forgiven , who would have been sensible of the great evil of it , or afraid to offend for the future ? but when god makes his own son a sacrifice , and lays upon him the punishment due for the iniquities of us all , this is a demonstration that god hates sin as much , if it be possible , as he loved his own son. for this plainly shews what sin deserves , and what the sinner may justly expect , if after this severity of god against it he will venture to commit it . and if this sacrifice for sin , and the pardon purchased by it , be not effectual to reclaim us from sin , and to beget in us an eternal dread and detestation of it : if we sin wilfully after so clear a revelation of the wrath of god from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men , there remains no more sacrifice for sin , but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to consume the adversaries . for what could god do more to testify his displeasure against sin , and to discountenance the practice of it , than to make his only son an offering for sin , and to give him up to be wounded for our transgressions , and bruised for our iniquities ? in what clearer glass can we at once behold the great evil and demerit of sin , and the infinite goodness and mercy of god to sinners , than in the sorrows and sufferings of the son of god for our sins and for our sakes ? thirdly , another reason of this dispensation seems to have been a gracious condescension and compliance of almighty god with a certain apprehension and persuasion , which had very early and universally obtained among mankind , concerning the expiation of sin and appeasing the offended deity by sacrifices : by the sacrifices of living creatures , of birds and beasts ; and afterwards by human sacrifices and the blood of their sons and daughters : by offering to god , as the expression is in the prophet , their first-born for their transgression , and the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls . and this notion of the expiation of sin by sacrifice , whether it had its first rise from divine revelation , and was afterwards propagated from age to age by tradition : i say , from whence soever this notion came , it hath of all other notions concerning religion , excepting those of the being of god , and his providence , and of the recompences of another life , found the most universal reception , and the thing hath been the most generally practised in all ages and nations , not only in the old , but in the new discovered parts of the world. and indeed a very great part of the jewish religion , which was instituted by god himself , seems to have been a plain condescension to the general apprehension of mankind , concerning this way of appeasing the offended deity by sacrifices : as it was also a figure of that great and efficacious sacrifice which should in due time be offer'd to god to make atonement once for all for the sins of all mankind . and the apostle to the hebrews doth very particularly insist upon this condescension of god to them , in the dispensation of the gospel : and whereas they apprehended so great a necessity of an high-priest and of sacrifices to make expiation for the sins of the people , that it was an established principle among them , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins ; god was pleased to comply so far with these notions and apprehensions of theirs , as to make his own son both a priest and a sacrifice , to do that once for all which their own high-priest pretended to do year by year . and from hence the same apostle takes occasion to recommend to them the new covenant and dispensation of the gospel , as having a greater and more perfect high-priest and a more excellent sacrifice , than were the high-priests and the sacrifices under the law ; the son of god having by one sacrifice of himself obtained eternal redemption for us , and perfected for ever them that are sanctified . and this apprehension prevailed no less in the heathen world , and proceeded to the sacrifices of men , even of their first-born . and with this apprehension , not to countenance but to abolish it , god was pleased to comply so far as to make a general atonement for the sins of mankind by the death of his son , appearing in our nature to become a voluntary sacrifice for us : god permitting him to be unjustly put to death and his blood to be shed by the malice of men , in appearance as a malefactor , but in truth as a martyr ; and accepting of his death as a meritorious sacrifice and propitiation for the sins of the whole world : that by this wise counsel and permission of his providence he might for ever put an end to that barbarous and inhuman way of serving god which had been so long in use and practice among them : the son of god by the voluntary sacrifice of himself having effected all that at once , and for ever , which mankind from the beginning of the world had in vain been endeavouring to accomplish by innumerable and continual sacrifices ; namely , the pardon of their sins , and perfect peace and reconciliation with god. for these ends and reasons , and perhaps for many more as great and considerable as these which our shallow understandings are not able to fathom , the wisdom of god hath pitched upon this way and method of delivering mankind from the guilt and dominion of sin by the sacrifice of his son. and to this end it was requisite that he should appear in our nature and dwell amongst us for some considerable time , that by a long course of the greatest innocency and of the greatest sufferings in our nature he might be capable of making a perfect expiation of sin. so that two things were requisite to qualify him for this purpose ; perfect innocency and obedience , and great sufferings in our nature , even to the suffering of death . both these the scripture declares to be necessary qualifications of a person capable to make expiation of sin ; and both these were found in the person of our b. saviour . first , unspotted innocency and perfect obedience . this the scripture testifies concerning him , and the whole course of his life and actions . he was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin , saith the apostle to the hebrews . he always did the things which pleased god , as he testifies concerning himself , and we are sure that his witness is true . he did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth ; as st. peter tells us of him. and this was necessary to qualify him for the perfect expiation of sin , whether we consider him as a priest , or as a sacrifice . as a priest , he could not have been fit to make expiation for the sins of others , had he not been without sin himself . and this the apostle tells us is one great advantage of our high-priest under the gospel , above the high-priest under the law , who being a sinner himself , as well as those for whom he offer'd , had need to offer for himself before he could make so much as a legal expiation for the sins of others : but a perfect and effectual expiation of sin , so as to purge the conscience from the guilt of it , cannot be made but by an high priest who is holy and innocent himself ; for such an high-priest , saith the apostle , became us , that is , now under the dispensation of the gospel , when a perfect expiation of sins is to be made , such an high-priest is necessary , as is holy , harmless , undefiled , separate from sinners , who needs not as those high-priests , that is as the high-priests under the law , to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins , and then for the people : the plain force of which argument is this , that he who will be qualified to make atonement for the sins of others must be without sin himself . and then if we consider christ as a sacrifice for sin ; perfect holiness is necessary to make a sacrifice acceptable and available for the expiation of sin. the necessity of this was typified by the quality of the expiatory sacrifices under the law : the beasts that were to be offered were to be without spot and blemish : to which the apostle alludes , speaking of the quality and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ : how much more , says he , shall the blood of christ , who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god , purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living god ? and to the same purpose st. peter , forasmuch as ye know ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , hereby intimating , that nothing less than the perfect innocency and holiness of him who was to be a sacrifice for us could have expiated the guilt of our sins and purchased eternal redemption for us . secondly , great sufferings likewise in our nature , even to the suffering of death , were requisite to the perfect expiation of sin : i say , even to the suffering of death . for the sacrifices which were to make expiation were to be slain . and it was a constant maxime and principle among the jews , and the apostle more than once in this epistle seems to allow and confirm it , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins . not that god could not have pardoned sin without satisfaction made to his justice , either by the suffering of the sinner himself , or of a sacrifice in his stead : but , according to the method and dispensation which the wisdom of god had pitched upon , he was resolved not to dispense forgiveness in any other way . for which reason he seems either to have possess'd mankind with this principle , or to have permitted them to be so perswaded , that sin was not to be expiated but by blood , that is , either by death of the sinner , or of the sacrifice . now the life of our b. saviour , as well as his death , was made up of sufferings of one kind or other : continual sufferings from his cradle to his cross , from the time he drew his first breath to his giving up of the ghost : and not only continual sufferings , but the greatest that ever were , considering the dignity of the person that suffered , and the nature of the sufferings : considering likewise that these sufferings were not only wholly undeserved on his part , but unmerited also on ours , for whose sake he submitted himself to them : nay , on the contrary , he had obliged to the utmost those for whom and by whom he suffered , and continued still to oblige them by the greatest blessings and benefits purchased and procured for them by those very sufferings which with so much malice and cruelty they inflicted on him . had our b. saviour been a mere man , the perfect innocency and unspotted purity of his whole life ; his zeal to do the will of god , and his delight in doing it ; his infinite pains and unwearied diligence in going about doing good : his constant obedience to god in the most difficult instances , and his perseverance in well doing , notwithstanding the ill usage and hard measure , the bitter reproaches and persecutions he met withal for it , from a wicked and ill natured world : his perfect submission to the will of god , his invincible patience under the greatest and bitterest sufferings , and his infinite charity to his enemies and persecutors : these must needs be highly acceptable to god , and if man could merit of god , likely enough to be available for the sins of others . but our saviour and our sacrifice being the son of god in our nature ; and he voluntarily assuming it , and submitting to the condition of humanity in its lowest and most miserable state , sin only excepted ; and his being contented to live a life of doing good and suffering evil , and at last to be put to death and slain a sacrifice for us : the dignity of the person who did and suffered all this for us , and his dearness to god , must needs add a mighty value to so perfect an obedience and such patient sufferings ; so as to render them a full , perfect and sufficient sacrifice , oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. and all this being willingly performed in our nature , and accepted by god as done upon our account , may reasonably be presumed to redound to our benefit and advantage , as much as if we our selves had performed it in our own persons : nothing being so proper , and so available to make an honourable amends and satisfaction to the justice of god for the sins of all mankind , as the voluntary obedience and sufferings of human nature in a person of so great dignity and dearness to god as his eternal and entirely beloved son. now that expiation of sin was made by the sufferings of christ in our stead , i shall endeavour to make good these three ways . first , from plain testimonies of h. scripture , declaring this matter to us as clearly and fully as it is possible for words to do it . secondly , from the nature and intention of expiatory sacrifices , both among the jews and heathen ; to which the death of christ is in the new testament so frequently compared , and in point of vertue and efficacy to take away sin infinitely preferred to it . thirdly , by vindicating this method and dispensation of the divine wisdom from the objections which are brought against it ; and by shewing that there is nothing in it that is unreasonable , or any wise unworthy of god. i. i. i shall produce some plain testimonies of h. scripture which declare this matter as clearly and fully as it is possible for words to do it ; namely , that the son of god , in order to the effectual expiation of sin , suffered in our stead , and bore the wrath of god for us , and made a perfect atonement for sin , and obtained eternal redemption for us . this the scripture declares to us in great variety of expressions ; as , that christ dyed for us , and for our sins ; that he was a sacrifice for us , and a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , that is , of all mankind ; that he bare our sins in his own body on the tree , and appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself ; that we are justified in his blood , and redeemed by the price of it ; and in very many other expressions to the same purpose . and this is so evidently the scope and meaning of these expressions , that it cannot be denied without offering the greatest violence imaginable to the h. scriptures . for can any man think that god would have used so many expressions in scripture , the plain and most obvious sense of all which is that the son of god suffered for our sins and in our stead , if this had not been his design and meaning ? would not this be in effect to say , that god hath written a great book to puzzle and confound , but not to instruct and teach mankind ? i will at present single out some few of those many texts of scripture which might be produced to this purpose : he hath made him to be sin for us , who knew no sin , that is , he hath made him who had no sin himself a sacrifice for our sins . again ; and walk in love , as christ also hath loved us and given himself for us , an offering and a sacrifice to god. st. peter to the same purpose tells us , that christ also hath once suffered for sins , the just for the unjust , that he might bring us to god , being put to death in the flesh : here christ is said to have suffered for sin ; and to declare that the apostle did not only mean that christ suffered upon the occasion of our sins , but that he suffered in the place and stead of the sinner , he adds , the just for the unjust , that is , the son of god , who was innocent and had no sin , suffered for us who were sinners ; or as it is elsewhere express'd , he bare our sins in his own body on the tree . it is true indeed , that christ suffered for our benefit and advantage ; which the socinians would have to be all that is meant in the texts which i have cited : but then it ought to be considered , that christ's suffering for our benefit and advantage does by no means exclude , nor is any wise inconsistent with his suffering in our stead . for whoever suffers in another man's stead , and to save him from suffering , does undoubtedly suffer for his benefit and advantage , and gives the best demonstration of it that can be : but the manner of the expression , if compared with other parallel texts of scripture , and especially with what is so often said of our saviour's being a sacrifice , which i shall have occasion further to urge by and by : i say the manner of the expression , if well considered , will appear to any man that is not contentious to signify our saviour's suffering instead of the sinner . but not to argue from words and phrases , i will produce two texts which declare this matter so plainly , that the force of them is not to be avoided without the most shameful wresting and perverting of them . this is my commandment , says our saviour , that ye love one another , as i have loved you . how is that ? he declares in the next words , greater love than this hath no man , that a man lay down his life for his friend , that is , that he be contented to die in his stead . and to the same purpose st. paul , for when ye were yet sinners , in due time christ dyed for the ungodly : now the question is , whether by this expression of christ's dying for the ungodly be meant only his dying for the benefit and advantage of sinners , but not his dying in their stead ? this , let the words which immediately follow determine : for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye , yet peradventure for a good man one would even dare to dye : but god commendeth his love to us , in that whilst we were yet sinners christ dyed for us . and now i appeal to any man of good sense , whether it be not plain that the apostle here speaks of christ's dying for sinners in the same sense as one man is said to dye for another , that is , to save another from death ; which what is it else but to dye in his stead ? he that can deny this , is perverse to the highest degree , and i fear almost beyond the possibility of being convinced . and the argument from these two texts is so much the stronger , because we do not here reason merely from the phrase and expression , but from the main scope of our saviour's discourse in the one , and of st. paul's in the other . for the design of both is to recommend the superlative love of christ to us above the greatest love that ever any man express'd to another . the highest pitch that human affection did ever rise to , was for a man to lay down his life for his friend ; but the son of god laid down his life for his enemies . scarcely , says st. paul , would one lay down his life for a righteous man , that is , for one who is but strictly just and honest , and does no body wrong ; but for a good man , that is , for-one that is kind and beneficial to all , and hath obliged mankind by great benefits , some one may be found that would lay down his life to save the life of such a person : but the love of christ hath gone far beyond this : he dyed for sinners , for those who were neither good men , nor righteous : but god commendeth his love to us , in that whilst we were yet sinners christ dyed for us . now where doth the force of this argument lye , if not in this ? that christ hath done that for us , who were enemies and sinners , which some very few persons in the world have done for their friend , or for some very eminently good man : and what is that ? why , they have laid down their lives in their stead : and so christ hath done for us . this seems to be so very plain , that i do not see how the force of this argument is possible to be avoided . it is evident then from scripture , that christ dyed not only for our advantage but in our stead ; as truly and really as any man ever did or can dye for another who lays down his own life to save another from death . for if christ had not dyed , we had perished everlastingly ; and because he dyed , we are saved from eternal death and misery . and though this be no where in scripture spoken of by the name or term of satisfaction , yet it is said to be the price of our redemption ; which surely is the same thing in effect with satisfaction . for as we are sinners we are liable , and , as i may say , indebted to the justice of god : and the son of god , by his death and sufferings in our nature , hath discharged this obligation and paid this debt for us : which discharge since it was obtained for us by the shedding of christ's blood , and the scripture tells us that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins : and since god is graciously pleased to accept of it for the debt which we owed to his justice , and to declare himself fully pleased and contented with it , why it may not properly enough be called payment or satisfaction i confess i am not able to understand . men may eternally wrangle about any thing , but what a frivolous contention , what a trifling in serious matters , what barretrie in divinity is this ? not that god was angry with his son , when he thus laid on him the iniquities of us all : no he was always well pleased with him ; and never better , than when he became obedient to the death , even the death of the cross , and bore our sins in his own body on the tree . nor yet that our saviour suffered the very same that the sinner should have suffered , namely , the proper pains and torment of the damned : but that his obedience and sufferings were of that value and esteem with god , and his voluntary sacrifice of himself so well-pleasing to him , that he thereupon entred into a covenant of grace and mercy with mankind , wherein he hath engaged himself to forgive the sins of those who believe and repent , and to make them partakers of eternal life . and hence the blood of christ which was shed for us upon the cross is called the blood of the covenant , as being the sanction of that new covenant into which god is entred with mankind : and not only the sanction and confirmation of that covenant , but the very foundation of it : for which reason the cup in the lord's supper is called the new testament , or , as the word should rather be rendred , the new covenant in his blood , which was shed for many for the remission of sins . i proceed now to the ii d. thing propounded , which was to shew that the expiation of our sins was made by the sufferings of christ , from the nature and intention of expiatory sacrifices , both among the jews and heathen ; to which the death of christ is in the new testament so frequently compared , and in point of vertue and efficacy to take away sin infinitely preferr'd to it . now the nature and design of expiatory sacrifices was plainly this : to substitute one living creature to suffer and die instead of another ; so that what the sinner deserved to have suffered was supposed to be done to the sacrifice , that is , it was slain to make an atonement for the sinner . and though there was no reason to hope for any such effect from the blood of bulls , or of goats , or of any other living creatures that were wont to be offered up in sacrifice ; yet that both jews and heathen did expect and hope for it , is so very evident , that it cannot without extreme ignorance or obstinacy be deny'd . but this expectation , how unreasonable soever , plainly shews it to have been the common apprehension of mankind , in all ages , that god would not be appeased , nor should sin be pardoned without suffering : but yet so , that men generally conceived good hopes that upon the repentance of sinners god would accept of a vicarious punishment , that is , of the suffering of some other in their stead . and very probably , as i said before , in complyance with this apprehension of mankind , and in condescension to it , as well as for other weighty reasons best known to the divine wisdom , god was pleased to find out such a sacrifice as should really and effectually procure for them that great blessing of the forgiveness of sins , which they had so long hoped for from the multitude of their own sacrifices . and the apostle to the hebrews doth in a large discourse shew the great vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ , to the purpose of remission of sins , above that of the sacrifices under the law : and that the death of christ is really and effectually to our advantage all that which the sacrifices under the law were supposed to be to the sinner : but now once , saith the apostle here in the text , in the end of the world , hath he appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself . this is the great vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ , that what ever was expected from any other sacrifices , either by jews or heathens , was really effected by this . this was plainly signified by the jewish passover , wherein the lamb was slain , and the sinner did escape and was pass'd by . in allusion whereto st. paul makes no scruple to call christ our passover or paschal lamb , who was slain that we might escape : christ our passover , says he , is slain or offer'd for us ; that is , he by the gracious appointment of god was substituted to suffer all that in our stead which the paschal lamb was supposed to suffer for the sinner . and this was likewise signified by the sinners laying his hand upon the sacrifice that was to be slain , thereby as it were transferring the punishment which was due to himself upon the sacrifice that was to be slain and offered up . for so god tells moses , that the sinner , who came to offer an expiatory sacrifice , should do : he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering , and it shall be accepted for him , to make an atonement for him . and the apostle tells us , that it was an established principle in the jewish religion , that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins : which plainly shews that they expected this benefit of the remission of sins from the blood of their sacrifices . and then he tells us , that we are really made partakers of this benefit by the blood of christ , and by the vertue of his sacrifice : and again , christ , says he , was once offer'd to bear the sins of many ; plainly alluding to the sacrifices under the law , which did , as it were , bear the faults of the sinner . and that this expression , of christ's being offer'd to bear our sins , cannot be meant of his taking away our sins by his holy doctrine which was confirmed by his death , but of his bearing our sins by way of imputation , and by his suffering for them in our stead , as the sacrifice was supposed to do for the sinner ; this , i say , is evident beyond all denial from the opposition which follows , after the text , between his first appearance and his second ; christ , says our apostle , was once offered to bear our sins , but unto them that look for him he shall appear a second time without sin unto salvation . why ? did he not appear the first time without sin ? yes certainly , as to any inherent guilt ; for the scripture tells us he had no sin. what then is the meaning of the opposition , that at his first coming he bore our sins , but at his second coming he shall appear without sin unto salvation ? these words can have no other imaginable sense but this ; that at his first coming he sustained the person of a sinner and suffered instead of us ; but his second coming shall be upon another account , and he shall appear without sin unto salvation , that is , not as a sacrifice , but as a judge to conferr the reward of eternal life upon those who are partakers of the benefit of that sacrifice which he offered to god for us in the dayes of his flesh . i proceed to the iii. iii d. thing i proposed , and which yet remains to be spoken to ; namely , to vindicate this method and dispensation of the divine wisdom from the objections which are brought against it ; and to shew that there is nothing in it that is unreasonable , or any wise unworthy of god. i shall mention four objections which are commonly urged in this matter , and i think they are all that are considerable . first , that this method , of the expiation of sin by the sufferings of christ , seems to argue some defect and want of goodness in god , as if he needed some external motive and were not of himself disposed to forgive sinners . to which i think the answer is not difficult , namely , that god did not want goodness to have forgiven sin freely and without any satisfaction , but his wisdom did not think it meet to give encouragement to sin by too easy a forgiveness , and without some remarkable testimony of his severe displeasure against it : and therefore his greater goodness and compassion to mankind devised this way to save the sinner , without giving the least countenance and encouragement to sin. for god to think of saving us any way , was excessive goodness and mercy ; but to think of doing it in this way , by substituting his dearly beloved son to suffer in our stead , is a condescension so very amazing , that if god had not been pleased of his own goodness to stoop to it , it had almost been blasphemy in man to have thought of it , or desired it . secondly , how can our sins be said to have been forgiven freely , if the pardon of them was purchased at so dear a rate and so mighty a price was paid for it ? in answer to this i desire these two things may be considered . st . that it is a wonderfull grace and favour of god to admit of this translation of the punishment which was due to us , and to accept of the sufferings of another in our stead , and for our benefit ; when he might justly have exacted it of us in our own persons : so that , even in this respect , we are , as st. paul says , justified freely by his grace , through the redemption that is in jesus christ : and freely too in respect of any necessity that lay upon god to forgive us in this or any other way . it was a free act of his goodness to save us , even by the satisfaction and sufferings of his own son. ly . it was in effect freely too , notwithstanding the mighty price which was paid for our redemption . because this price was not of our own procuring , but of god's providing ; he found out this ransom for us . and will any man say , that a prince who prevails with his son to intercede for the pardon of a rebel , yea and to suffer some punishment or to pay a fine for the obtaining of it , does not in effect and in all equitable and gratefull construction forgive him freely ? thirdly , it is yet further objected , that this seems to be more unreasonable than the sacrificing of beasts among the jews , nay than the sacrificing of men among the heathen , and even of their own sons and daughters : because this is the offering up of the son of god , the most innocent and the most excellent person that ever was . to which i answer , that if we consider the manner , and the design of it , the thing will appear to be quite otherwise . as to the manner of it , god did not command his son to be sacrificed , but his providence permitted the wickedness and violence of men to put him to death : and then his goodness and wisdom did over-rule this worst of actions to the best of ends. and if we consider the matter aright , how is this any more a reflection upon the holy providence of god , than any enormities and cruelties which by his permission are daily committed in the world ? and then if we consider the end and design of this permission of christ's death , and the application of it to the purpose of a general expiation ; we cannot but acknowledge , and even adore the gracious and mercifull design of it . for by this means god did at once put an end to that unreasonable and bloody way of worship , which had been so long practised in the world : and after this one sacrifice , which was so infinitely dear to god , the benefit of expiation was not to be expected in any other way ; all other sacrifices being worthless and vain in comparison of this : and it hath ever since obtained this effect , of making all other sacrifices to cease , in all parts of the world where christianity hath prevailed . fourthly , the last objection is , the injustice and cruelty of an innocent person 's suffering instead of the offender . to this i answer , that they who make so great a noise with this objection do seem to me to give a full and clear answer to it themselves , by acknowledging , as they constantly and expressly do , that our saviour suffered all this for our benefit and advantage , though not in our place and stead . for this , to my apprehension , is plainly to give up the cause , unless they can shew a good reason why there is not as much injustice and cruelty in an innocent person 's suffering for the benefit and advantage of a malefactour , as in his suffering in his stead : so little do men , in the heat of dispute and opposition , who are resolved to hold fast an opinion in despite of reason and good sense , consider , that they do many times in effect , and by necessary consequence , grant the very thing which in express terms they do so stiffly and pertinaciously deny . the truth of the matter is this ; there is nothing of injustice or cruelty in either case ; neither in an innocent person 's suffering for the benefit of an offender , nor in his stead ; supposing the suffering to be voluntary : but they have equally the same appearance of injustice and cruelty : nor can i possibly discern any reason why injustice and cruelty should be objected in the one case more than in the other , there being every whit as little reason why an innocent person should suffer for the benefit of a criminal , as why he should suffer in his stead . so that i hope this objection , which above all the rest hath been so loudly and so invidiously urged , hath received a just answer . and i believe , if the matter were searched to the bottom , all this perverse contention , about our saviour's suffering for our benefit but not in our stead , will signify just nothing . for if christ dyed for our benefit so as some way or other , by vertue of his death and sufferings , to save us from the wrath of god and to procure our escape from eternal death , this , for ought i know , is all that any body means by his dying in our stead . for he that dies with an intention to do that benefit to another as to save him from death , doth certainly to all intents and purposes dye in his place and stead . and if they will grant this to be their meaning , the controversie is at an end ; and both sides are agreed in the thing , and do only differ in the phrase and manner of expression : which is to seek a quarrel and an occasion of difference where there is no real ground for it ; a thing which ought to be very far from reasonable and peaceable minds . for the socinians say , that our saviour's voluntary obedience and sufferings did procure his exaltation at the right hand of god , and power and authority to forgive sins , and to give eternal life to as many as he pleased : so that they grant that his obedience and sufferings , in the meritorious consequence of them , do redound to our benefit and advantage as much as we pretend and say they do ; only they are loth in express terms to acknowledge that christ dyed in our stead : and this , for no other reason that i can imagine , but because they have denied it so often and so long . but i appeal to the ingenuity of our adversaries , whether this do not in the last issue come all to one ; and be not , on their part , a mere controversie about words ? for suppose a malefactour condemned to some grievous punishment , and the king's son to save him from it is contented to submit to great disgrace and sufferings : in reward of which sufferings the king takes his son into his throne and sets him at his own right hand , and gives him power to pardon this malefactour , and upon a fitting submission and repentance to advance him to honour : will not any man in this case allow that the king's son suffer'd instead of this malefactour , and smile at any man that shall be so nice as to grant that indeed he suffered for him , but yet to deny that he was punish'd for him ; to allow that he bore the inconvenience of his faults , but yet obstinately to stand it out that the faults of this malefactour were not laid upon him , or in any wise so imputed to him that he can be said to have suffered in his stead ? this is just the case , and the difference in reallity and in the last result of things is nothing but words . thus far have i tryed your patience in a contentious argument ; in which i take no pleasure , but yet shall be glad if i may be so happy as by any thing that hath been said to contribute towards the putting an end to so unhappy a controversie , which hath troubled the world so long and raised such a dust that very few have been able to see clearly through it . however , i cannot dismiss this argument without making some usefull but very short reflection upon this great doctrine of our religion , namely , that the son of god being made a sacrifice for us , and exposed to such bitter sufferings and so cruel a death for the expiation of our sins , should create in us the greatest dread and detestation of sin , and for ever deterr us from all wilfull transgression and disobedience . for if the guilt of our sins was done away upon such hard terms and cost the dearly beloved son of god so much sweat and blood , then surely we ought to take great heed how by our renewed provocations we renew his passion , and do what in us lies to crucifie to our selves the son of god afresh , and to put him to an open shame . if god did so terribly afflict the dearly beloved of his soul for our sakes ; if the son of god was so grievously wounded for our transgressions and so sorely bruised for our iniquities : if so fearfull a storm of vengeance fell upon the most innocent person that ever was for our sins , then we have reason to take that kind and mercifull admonition of the son of god to sinners , to sin no more , lest a worse thing , if it be possible , come upon our selves . in this dispensation of god's grace and mercy to mankind , by the death of his son , god seems to have gone to the very extremity of things , and almost further than goodness and justice will well admit ; to afflict innocency it self to save the guilty : and if herein god hath expressed his hatred of sin in such a wonderfull way of love and kindness to the sons of men as looks almost like hatred of innocency and his own son : this ought in all ingenuity and gratitude to our gracious redeemer , who was made a curse for us , and loved us to that degree as to wash us from our sins in his own blood ; i say , this ought to beget in us a greater displeasure against sin , and a more perfect detestation of it , than if we had suffered the punishment due to it , in our own persons : for in this case , we could only have been displeased at our selves and our sins as the just cause of our sufferings ; but in the other , we ought to hate sin as the unhappy occasion of the saddest misfortune and sorest calamities to the best man that ever was , and to our best friend , for our sins and for our sakes . since then the son of god hath so graciously condescended to be made in all things like unto us , sin only excepted ; let us aspire , as much as is possible , to become like to him : above all , let us hate and avoid sin as the only thing in which the son of god would have no part with us , though he was contented to suffer such bitter things to save us from the defilement and dominion of it , from the punishment and all the dismal consequences of it . he had no sin , but god was pleased to lay upon him the iniquities of us all , and to make his soul an offering for sin , and to permit all that to be done to him which was due to us : he was contented to be sacrificed once for all mankind , that men might for ever cease from that inhuman and ineffectual way of sacrificing one another , whereby instead of expiating their guilt they did inflame it , and by thinking to make atonement for their sins they did in truth add to the number and heinousness of them . and let us likewise learn from this admirable pattern , to pity those that are in misery , as christ also hath pitied us ; and to save them that are ready to perish , for his sake who came to seek and to save us that were lost . let us , upon all occasions , be ready to open our bowels of compassion towards the poor ; in a thankfull imitation of his grace and goodness who for our sakes chose to be a beggar , that we for his sake might not despise the poor , but might have a tender regard and compassion to those whose condition in this world does so nearly resemble that in which the son of god thought it fittest for him to appear when he was pleased to become man. in a word , let us in the whole course , and in all the actions of our lives , shew forth the vertues of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light ; and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us , that being delivered from all our spiritual enemies , from sin and all the powers of darkness , we might serve him who hath saved us ; walking in holiness and righteousness before him , all the dayes of our lives . now , to him that sitteth upon the throne , and to the lamb that was slain : to god even our father , and to our lord jesus christ , the first-begotten from the dead , and the prince of the kings of the earth : unto him , who hath loved us , and washed from our sins in his own blood ; and whilst we were enemies to him , loved us at such a rate as never any man did his friend . to him , who became man , that he might bring us to god ; and assumed our frail and mortal nature , that he might cloath us with immortality and life : to him , who was pleased to dwell and live amongst us , that he might teach us how to live : to him , who dyed for our sins , and rose again for our justification , and lives for ever to make intercession for us : to him be glory and dominion , thanksgiving and praise to eternal ages . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e joh. . . heb. . . joh. . . pet. . . heb. . , . heb. . . pet. . , . cor. . . eph. . . pet. . . joh. . . v. . rom. . , , , cor. . . lev. . . heb. . . v. . obj. st . obj. d . obj. d. obj. th . a sermon preached at white-hall before his late majesty / by john tillotson. tillotson, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at white-hall before his late majesty / by john tillotson. tillotson, john, - . p. printed for brabazon aylmer, london : . reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. bible. -- n.t. -- corinthians, st, iii, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - taryn hakala sampled and proofread - taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached at white-hall , before his late majesty . by john tillotson , d.d. and dean of canterbury . london : printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill . . price d. a sermon preach'd at white-hall , &c. cor. iii. . but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . the context is thus . according to the grace of god which is given unto me , as a wise master-builder , i have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon : but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon . for other foundation can no man lay , than that which is laid , jesus christ . now if any man build upon this foundation , gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay , stubble , every mans work shall be made manifest , for the day shall declare it ; because it shall be revealed by fire ; and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is . if any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon , he shall receive a reward . if any mans work shall be burnt , he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . in these words the apostle speaks of a sort of persons , who held indeed the foundation of christianity , but built upon it such doctrines or practices as would not bear the trial ; which he expresses to us by wood , hay , and stubble , which are not proof against the fire . such a person , the apostle tells us , hath brought himself into a very dangerous state , tho he would not deny the possibility of his salvation : he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire . that by fire here is not meant the fire of purgatory , as some pretend ( who would be glad of any shadow of a text of scripture to countenance their own dreams ) i shall neither trouble you nor my self to manifest ; since the particle of similitude [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] plainly shews that the apostle did not intend an escape out of the fire literally , but like to that which men make out of a house or town that is on fire . especially since very learned persons of the church of rome do acknowledg that purgatory cannot be concluded from this text , nay all that estius contends for from this place is , that it cannot be concluded from hence that there is no purgatory ; which we never pretended , but only that this text does not prove it . it is very well known that this is a proverbial phrase used not only in scripture , but in prophane authors to signifie a narrow escape out of a great danger . he shall be saved , yet so as by fire , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , out of the fire . just as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used pet. . . where the apostle speaking of the eight persons of noah's family who escap'd the flood , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they escaped out of the water . so here this phrase is to be rendred in the text , he himself shall escape , yet so as out of the fire . the like expression you have , am. . . i have pluckt them as a firebrand out of the fire . and jude . others save with fear , plucking them out of the fire . all which expressions signifie the greatness of the danger and the difficulty of escaping it ; as one who when his house at midnight is set on fire , and being suddenly wak'd leaps out of his bed , and runs naked out of the doors , taking nothing that is within along with him , but imploying his whole care to save his body from the flames , as st. chrysostom upon another occasion expresseth it . and so the roman orator * ( who , it is likely did not think of purgatory ) useth this phrase ; quo ex judicio , velut ex incendio , nudus effugit ; from which judgment or sentence he escaped naked , as it were out of a burning . and one of the greek orators ⸫ tells us , that to save a man out of the fire , was a common proverbial speech . from the words thus explained , the observation that naturally ariseth is this , that men may hold all the fundamentals of christian religion , and yet may superadd other things whereby they may greatly endanger their salvation . what those things were which some among the corinthians built upon the foundation of christianity , whereby they endanger'd their salvation , we may probably conjecture by what the apostle reproves in this epistle , as the tolerating of incestuous marriages , communicating in idol-feasts , &c. and especially by the doctrine of the false apostles , who at that time did so much disturb the peace of most christian churches , and who are so often and so severely reflected upon in this epistle . and what their doctrine was , we have an account act. . viz. that they imposed upon the gentile christians circumcision , and the observation of the jewish law , teaching that unless they were circumcised , and kept the law of moses , they could not be saved . so that they did not only build these doctrines upon christianity , but they made them equal with the foundation , saying , that unless men believed and practised such things they could not be saved . in speaking to this observation , i shall reduce my discourse to these two heads . . i shall present to you some doctrines and practices which have been built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . and to b● plain , i mean particularly the church of rome ▪ . i shall enquire , whether our granting possibility of salvation ( tho with great hazard to those in the communion of the rome ▪ church , and their denying it to us , be a rea●sonable argument and encouragement to an● man to betake himself to that church . and there is the more reason to consider ●hese things , when so many seducing spirits ●re so active and busie to pervert men from ●he truth ; and when we see every day so many men and their religion so easily parted . ●or this reason these two considerations shall ●e the subject of the following discourse . i. first . we will consider some doctrines and practices which the church of rome hath built upon the foundation of christianity , to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation . it is not denied by the most judicious protestants , but that the church of rome do hold all the articles of the christian faith which are necessary to salvation . but that which we charge upon them , as a just ground of our separation from them , is , the imposing ●f n●w doctrines and practices upon christians as necessary to salvation , which were never taught by our saviour , or his apostles ; and which are either directly contrary to the doctrine of christianity , or too apparently destructive of a good life . and i begin . with their doctrines . and because i have no mind to aggravate lesser matters , i will single out four or five points of doctrine , which they have added to the christian religion , and which were neither taught by our saviour and his apostles , nor own'd in the first ages of christianity . and the first which i shall mention , and which bein● once admitted makes way for as many e●●rors as they please to bring in , is their doctri●● of infallibility . and this they are very st●● and peremptory in , tho they are not agree● among themselves where this infallibility ● seated ; whether in the pope alone , or a cou●●cil alone , or in both together , or in the diffusi●● body of christians . but they are sure they hav● it , tho they know not where it is . and is this no prejudice against it ? can an● man think that this priviledg was at fir●● conferred upon the church of rome , and tha● christians in all ages did believe it , and ha●● constant recourse to it for determining thei● differences , and yet that that very churc● which hath enjoyed and used it so long shoul● now be at a loss where to find it ? nothing could have fallen out more unluckily , tha● that there should be such differences among them about that which they pretend to be th● onely means of ending all differences . there is not the least intimation in scripture of this priviledg conferr'd upon the roman church , nor do the apostes , in all thei● epistles , ever so much as give the least direction to christians to appeal to the bishop o● rome for a determination of the many differences which even in those times happen'd among them : and it is strange they should be so silent in this matter , when there were so many occasions to speak of it , if our saviour had plainly appointed such an infallible judge of controversies for this very end to decide the differences that should happen among christians . it is strange that the ancient fathers in their disputes with hereticks should never appeal to this judg ; nay , it is strange they should not constantly do it in all cases , it being so short and expedite a way for the ending of controversies . and this very consideration to a wise man is instead of a thousand arguments to satisfie him , that in those times no such thing was believed in the world . now this doctrine of infallibility , if it be not true , is of so much the more pernicious consequence to christianity , because the conceit of it does confirm them that think they have it in all their other errors ; and gives them a pretence of assuming an authority to themselves to impose their own fancies and mistakes upon the whole christian world . . their doctrine about repentance , which consists in confessing their sins to the priest ; which if it be but accompanied with any degree of contrition does upon absolution received from the priest , put them into a state of salvation , tho they have lived the most lewd and debauched lives that can be imagin'd ; than which nothing can be more plainly destructive of a good life . for if this be true , all the hazard that the most wicked man runs of his salvation is only the danger of so sudden a death as gives him no space for confession and absolution . a case that happens so rarely , that any man that is strongly addicted to his lusts will be content to venture his salvation upon this hazard ; and all the arguments to a good life will be very insignificant to a man that hath a mind to be wicked , when remission of sins may be had upon such cheap terms . . the doctrine of purgatory ; by which they mean an estate of temporary punishments after this life , from which men may be released and translated into heaven by the prayers of the living , and the sacrifice of the mass . that this doctrine was not known in the primitive church , nor can be proved from scripture , we have the free acknowledgment of as learned and eminent men as any of that church ; which is to acknowledg that it is a superstructure upon the christian religion . and though in one sense it be indeed a buildding of gold and silver upon the foundation of christianity , considering the vast revenues which this doctrine ( and that of indulgences , which depends upon it ) brings into that church ; yet i doubt not , but in the apostles sense , it will be found to be hay and stubble . but how groundless soever it be , it is too gainful a doctrine to be easily parted withall . . the doctrine of transubstantiation . a hard word , but i would to god that were the worst of it ; the thing is much more difficult . i have taken some pains to consider other re●igions that have been in the world , and i must freely declare , that i never yet in any of them met with any article or proposition , imposed upon the belief of men , half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this is : and yet this in the romish church is esteemed one of the most principal articles of the christian faith ; though there is no more certain foundation for it in scripture , than for our saviour's being substantially changed into all those things which are said of him , as that he is a rock , a vine , a door , and a hundred other things . but this is not all . this doctrine hath not onely no certain foundation in scripture , but i have a far heavier charge against it , namely , that it undermines the very foundation of christianity it self . and surely nothing ought to be admitted to be a part of the christian doctrine which destroys the reason of our belief of the whole . and that this doctrine does so , will appear evidently , if we consider what was the main argument which the apostles used to convince the world of the truth of christianity ; and that was this , that our blessed saviour , the author of this doctrine , wrought such and such miracles , and particularly that he rose again from the dead : and this they proved because they were eye-witnesses of his miracles , and had seen him and co●●versed with him after he was risen from t●● dead . but what if their senses did decei● them in this matter ? then it cannot be d●●nied but that the main proof of christiani●● falls to the ground . well! we will now suppose ( as t●● church of rome does ) transubstantiation 〈◊〉 have been one principal part of the christi●● doctrine which the apostles preached . b● if this doctrine be true , then all mens sen●● are deceived in a plain sensible matter , wher● in 't is as hard for them to be deceived as 〈◊〉 any thing in the world : for two things ca● hardly be imagin'd more different , than little bit of wafer , and the whole body of man. so that the apostles perswading men to b●●lieve this doctrine , perswaded them not 〈◊〉 trust their senses , and yet the argument whic● they used to perswade them to this was bui●● upon the direct contrary principle , that me● senses are to be trusted . for if they be no● then notwithstanding all the evidence the a●postles offer'd for the resurrection of our sa●viour he might not be risen , and so the fait● of christians was vain . so that they repre●sent the apostles as absurd as is possible , vi● going about to perswade men out of the●● senses by virtue of an argument , the who● strength whereof depends upon the certain●ty of sense . and now the matter is brought to a fair ●e ; if the testimony of sense be to be relied on , then transubstantiation is false ; if it be ●t , then no man is sure that christianity is ●e . for the utmost assurance that the a●●stles had of the truth of christianity was ●e testimony of their own senses concerning ●r saviour's miracles , and this testimony ●ery man hath against transubstantiation . ●om whence it plainly follows , that no man ●o not the apostles themselves ) had more ●ason to believe christianity to be true , than ●ery man hath to believe transubstantiation 〈◊〉 be false . and we who did not see our sa●●our's miracles ( as the apostles did ) and ●●ve only a credible relation of them , but do ●e the sacrament , have less evidence of the ●●uth of christianity than of the falshood of ●ransubstantiation . but cannot god impose upon the senses of ●en , and represent things to them otherwise ●an they are ? yes , undoubtedly . and if he ●ath revealed that he doth this , are we not 〈◊〉 believe him ? most certainly . but then we ●ight to be assured that he hath made such a ●evelation ; which assurance no man can have , ●e certainty of sense being taken away . i shall press the business a little farther . ●upposing the scripture to be a divine revela●ion , and that these words ( this is my body ) 〈◊〉 they be in scripture , must necessarily be taken in the strict and literal sense ; i ask no● ▪ what greater evidence any man has th 〈…〉 these words ( this is my body ) are in the 〈…〉 ble , than every man has that the bread 〈…〉 not chang'd in the sacrament ? nay no m 〈…〉 has so much ; for we have only the eviden 〈…〉 of one sense that these words are in the bib●● but that the bread is not chang'd we have t 〈…〉 concurring testimony of several of our sens 〈…〉 ▪ in a word , if this be once admmitted th 〈…〉 the senses of all men are deceiv'd in one 〈…〉 the most plain sensible matters that can b 〈…〉 there is no certain means left either to conv 〈…〉 or prove a divine revelation to men ; nor 〈…〉 there any way to confute the grossest imp 〈…〉 stures in the world : for if the clear eviden 〈…〉 of all mens senses be not sufficient for this p 〈…〉 pose , let any man , if he can , find a better a 〈…〉 more convincing argument . . i will instance but in one doctrine mo 〈…〉 ▪ and that shall be , their doctrine of depos 〈…〉 kings in case of heresie , and absolving th 〈…〉 subjects from their allegiance to them . a 〈…〉 this is not a meer speculative doctrine , b 〈…〉 hath been put in practice many a time by t 〈…〉 bishops of rome , as every one knows that 〈…〉 vers'd in history . for the troubles and co 〈…〉 fusions which were occasion'd by this ve 〈…〉 thing make up a good part of the history 〈…〉 several ages . i hope no body expects that i should take the pains to shew that this was not the doctrine of our saviour and his apostles , nor of the primitive christians . the papists are many of them so far from pretending this , that in some times and places , when it is not seasonable and for their purpose , we have much a-do to perswade them that ever it was their doctrine . but if transubstantiation be their doctrine , this is ; for they came both out of the same forge , i mean the council of lateran under pope innocent the third . and if ( as they tell us ) transubstantiation was then establish'd , so was this . and indeed one would think they were twins and brought forth at the same time , they are so like one another , both of them so mostrously unreasonable . ii. i come now in the second place to consider some practices of the church of rome , which i am afraid will prove as bad as her doctrines . i shall instance in these five . . their celebrating of their divine service in an unknown tongue . and that not only contrary to the practice of the primitive church , and to the great end and design of religious worship , which is the edification of those who are concerned in it , ( and it is hard to imagine how men can be edified by what they do not understand ) but likewise in direct contradiction to st. paul , who hath no less than a whole chapter wherein he confutes this practice as fully , and condemns it as plainly as any thing is condemned in the whole bible . and they that can have the face to maintain that this practice was not condemned by st. paul , or that it was allowed and used in the first ages of christianity , need not be ashamed to set up for the defence of any paradox in the world. . the communion in one kind . and that notwithstanding that even by their own acknowledgment our saviour instituted it in both kinds , and the primitive church administred it in both kinds . this i must acknowledg is no addition to christianity , but a sacrilegious taking away of an essential part of the sacrament . for the cup is as essential a part of the institution as the bread ; and they might as well , and by the same authority , take away the one as the other , and both as well as either . . their worshipping of images . which practice ( notwithstanding all their distinctions about it , which are no other but what the heathens used in the same case ) is as point-blank against the second commandment , as a deliberate and malicious killing of a man is against the sixth . but if the case be so plain , a man would think that at least the teachers and guides of that church should be sensible of it . why , they are so , and afraid the people should be so too , and therefore in their ordinary catechisms and manuals of devotion they leave out the second commandment , and divide the tenth into two to make up the number ; lest if the common people should know 〈…〉 t their consciences should start at the doing of a thing so directly contrary to the plain command of god. . the worshipping of the bread and wine in the eucharist , out of a false and groundless perswasion , that they are substantially changed into the body and blood of christ . which if it be not true ( and it hath good fortune if it be , for certainly it is one of the most incredible things in the whole world ) then by the confession of several of their own learned writers , they are guilty of gross idolatry . . the worship and invocation of saints and angels ; and particularly of the virgin mary , which hath now for some ages been a principal part of their religion . now a man may justly wonder that so considerable a part of religion as they make this to be should have no manner of foundation in the scripture . does our saviour any where speak one word concerning the worshipping of her ? nay , does he not take all occasions to restrain all extravagant apprehensions and imaginations concerning honour due to her , as foreseeing the degeneracy of the church in this thing ? when he was told that his mother and brethren were without ; who ( says he ) are my mother and my brethren ? he that doth the will of my father , the same is my mother , and sister , and brother . and when the woman brake forth into that rapture concerning the blessed mother of our lord , blessed is the womb● that bare thee , and the paps that gave thee suck ! our saviour diverts to another thing , yea , rather , blessed are they that hear the word of god and keep it . does either our saviour or his apostles in all their particular precepts and directions concerning prayer , and the manner of it , and by whom we are to address our selves to god , give the least intimation of praying to the virgin mary , or making use of her mediation ? and can any man believe , that if this had been the practice of the church from the beginning , our saviour and his apostles would have been so silent about so considerable a part of religion ; insomuch that in all the epistles of the apostles i do not remember that her name is so much as once mentioned ? and yet the worship of her is at this day in the church of rome , and hath been so for several ages , a main part of their publick worship , yea and of their private devotions too ; in which it is usual with them to say ten ave maries for one pater noster ; that is , for one prayer they make to almighty god they make ten addresses to the blessed virgin ; for that is the proportion observed in their rosaries . he that considers this , and had never seen the bible , would have been apt to think that there had been more said concerning her in scripture , than either concerning god , or our blessed saviour ; and that the new testament were full from one end to the other of precepts and exhortations to the worshipping of her ; and yet when all is done , i challenge any man to shew me so much as one sentence in the whole bible that sounds that way . and there is as little in the christian writers of the first three hundred years . the truth is , this practice began to creep in among some superstitious people about the middle of the fourth century : and i remember particularly , that epiphanius who lived about that time calls it the heresie of the women . and thus i have given you some instances of several doctrines and practices which the church of rome have built upon the foundation of christianity . much more might have been said of them , but from what hath been said any man may easily discern how dangerous they are to the salvation of men . i proceed now in the second place , ii. to consider , whether our granting a possibility of salvation , tho with great hazard to those in the communion of the roman church , and their denying it to us , be a sufficient argument and encouragement to any man to quit our church and go to theirs . and there is the more need to consider this , because thi● is the great popular argument wherewith th● emissaries and agents of that church are won● to assault our people . your church ( say they ) grants that a papist may be saved ; ours denies that a protestant can be saved ; therefore it is safest to be of our church , in which salvation by the acknowledgment of both sides is possible . for answer to this i shall endeavour to shew , that this is so far from being a good argument that it is so intolerably weak and sophistica 〈…〉 that any considerate man ought to be asham'd to be catch'd by it . for either it is good of it self and sufficient to perswade a man to relinquish our church , and to pass over to theirs , without entring into the merits of the cause on either side , and without comparing the doctrines and practices of both the churches together , or it is not . if it be not sufficient of it self to perswade a man to leave our church , without comparing the doctrines on both sides , then it is to no purpose , and there is nothing got by it . for if upon examination and comparing of doctrines the one appear to be true and the other false , this alone is a sufficient inducement to any man to cleave to that church where the true doctrine is found and then there is no need of this argument . if it be said , that this argument is good in it self without the examination of the doctrines of both churches ; this seems a very strange thing for any man to affirm , that it is reason enough to a man to be of any church , whatever her doctrines and practices be , if she do but damn those that differ from her , and if the church that differs from her do but allow a possibility of salvation in her communion . but they who use this argument , pretend that it is sufficient of it self ; and therefore i shall apply my self to shew , as briefly and plainly as i can , the miserable weakness and insufficiency of it to satisfie any mans conscience or prudence to change his religion . and to this end i shall , . shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies . . give some parallel instances by which it will appear that it concludes false . . i shall take notice of some gross absurdities that follow from it . . shew how unfit it is to work upon those to whom it is propounded . and . how improper it is to be urged by those that make use of it . i. i shall shew the weakness of the principle upon which this argument relies ; and that is this , that whatever different parties in religion agree in , is safest to be chosen . the true consequence of which principle if it be driven to the head , is to perswade men to forsake christianity , and to make them take up in th● principles of natural religion , for in these al● religions do agree . for if this principle b● true , and signifie any thing , it is dangerous to embrace any thing wherein the several par●ties in religion differ ; because that only i● safe and prudent to be chosen wherein all a●gree . so that this argument , if the foundati●on of it be good , will perswade further tha● those who make use of it desire it should do for it will not only make men forsake the pro●testant religion , but popery too ; and which is much more considerable , christianity it self ▪ ii. i will give some parallel instances by which it will clearly be seen that this argu●ment concludes false . the donatists denied th● baptism of the catholicks to be good , but th● catholicks acknowledged the baptism of th● donatists to be valid . so that both sides wer● agreed that the baptism of the donatists wa● good , therefore the safest way for st. austi● and other catholicks ( according to this ar●gument ) was to be baptized again by th● donatists , because by the acknowledgment o● both sides baptism among them was valid . but to come nearer to the church of rome several in that church hold the personal in●fallibility of the pope and the lawfulness of de●posing and killing kings for heresie to be d●●●●de , that is , necessary articles of faith , and ●onsequently , that whoever does not believe ●hem cannot be saved , but a great many pa●ists , tho they believe these things to be no matters of faith , yet they think those that ●old them may be saved , and they are gene●ally very favourable towards them . but now , ●ccording to this argument , they ought all to ●e of their opinion in these points , because ●oth sides are agreed that they that hold them may be saved ; but one side positively says that men cannot be saved if they do not hold them . but my text furnisheth me with as good ●n instance to this purpose as can be desired . st. paul here in the text acknowledgeth the possibility of the salvation of those who built ●ay and stubble upon the foundation of christianity ; that they might be saved , tho with great difficulty , and as it were out of the fire . but now among those builders with hay and stubble there were those who denied the possibility of st. paul's salvation and of those who were of his mind . we are told of some who built the jewish ceremonies and observances upon the foundation of christianity , and said that unless men were circumcised and kept the law of moses they could not be saved . so that by this argument st. paul and his followers ought to have gone over to those judaizing christians , because it was acknowledged on both sides that they might be saved . but these judaizing christians were as unchari●●●ble to st. paul and other christians as t● church of rome is now to us , for they sa● positively that they could not be saved . but 〈◊〉 any man think that st. paul would have be●● moved by this argument , to leave a safe an● certain way of salvation for that which w● only possible , and that with great difficult and hazard ? the argument you see is the v●●ry same , and yet it concludes the wrong way● which plainly shews that it is a contingent arg●●ment , and concludes uncertainly and by chance and therefore no man ought to be moved by i● iii. i shall take notice of some gross absurd●●ties that follow from it . i shall mention bu● these two . . according to this principle it is alway● safest to be on the uncharitable side . and yet uncharitableness is as bad an evidence , either of a true christian , or a true church , as a man would wish . charity is one of the most essential marks of christianity , and what the apostle saith of particular christians is as true of whole churches , that tho they have all faith , yet if they have not charity they are nothing . i grant that no charity teacheth men to see others damned , and not to tell them the danger of their condition . but it is to be consider'd that the damning of men is a very hard thing , and therefore whenever we do it the case must be wonderfully plain . and is ●t so in this matter ? they of the church of rome cannot deny but that we embrace all ●he doctrines of our saviour , contain'd in the apostles creed and determined by the four ●●rst general councils : and yet they will ●ot allow this and a good life to put us with●n a possibility of salvation , because we will ●ot submit to all the innovations they would ●mpose upon us . and yet i think there is scarce ●ny doctrine or practice in difference between ●hem and us , which some or other of their most learned writers have not acknowledged ●ither not to be sufficiently contained in scrip●ure , or not to have been held and practised ●y the primitive church ; so that nothing an excuse their uncharitableness towards us . ●nd they pay dear for the little advantage ●hey get by this argument , for they do what 〈◊〉 them lies to make themselves no christians ●hat they may prove themselves the truer and more christian church ; a medium which ●e do not desire to make use of . . if this argument were good , then by this ●ick a man may bring over all the world to ●gree with him in an error which another ●oes not account damnable , whatever it be , ●rovided he do but damn all those that do ●ot hold it ; and there wants nothing but ●●nfidence and uncharitableness to do this . but 〈◊〉 there any sence , that another mans bold●ess and want of charity should be an argument to move me to be of his opinion ? cannot illustrate this better , than by the di●●ference between a skilful physician and 〈◊〉 mountebank . a learned and skilful physicia● is modest , and speaks justly of things : h● says , that such a method of cure which h● hath directed is safe , and withall , that tha● which the mountebank prescribes may possibly do the work , but there is great hazard and danger in it : but the mountebank , who neve● talks of any thing less than infallible cures ( and always the more mountebank , the strong●er pretence to infallibiliiy ) he is positive tha● that method which the physician prescribe● will destroy the patient , but his receipt is infallible and never fails . is there any reason in this case , that this man should carry it meerly by his confidence ? and yet if this argument be good , the safest way is to reject the physicians advice and to stick to the mountebanks ▪ for both sides are agreed , that there is a possibility of cure in the mountebank's method ▪ but not in the physicians ; and so the whole force of the argument lies in the confidence of an ignorant man. iv. this argument is very unfit to work upon those to whom it is propounded : for either they believe we say true in this , or not . if they think we do not , they have no reason to be moved by what we say . if they think we do , why do they not take in all that we say in this matter ? namely , ●at tho it be possible for some in the com●union of the roman church to be saved , ●et it is very hazardous ; and that they are 〈◊〉 a safe condition already in our church . and ●hy then should a bare possibility , accompa●'d with infinite and apparent hazard , be an ●rgument to any man to run into that danger ? lastly , this argument is very improper to ●e urged by those who make use of it . half ●f the strength of it lies in this , that we pro●estants acknowledg that it is possible a papist ●ay be saved . but why should they lay any ●●ress upon this ? what matter is it what we hereticks say , who are so damnably mistaken ●n all other things ? methinks , if there were ●o other reason , yet because we say it , it should ●eem to them to be unlikely to be true . but i ●erceive when it serves for their purpose we ●ave some little credit and authority among ●hem . by this time i hope every one is in some measure satisfied of the weakness of this argument , which is so transparent that no wise man ●an honestly use it , and he must have a very ●dd understanding that can be cheated by it . the truth is , it is a casual and contingent argument , and sometimes it concludes right , and ●ftner wrong ; and therefore no prudent man ●an be moved by it , except only in one case , when all things are so equal on both sides that there is nothing else in the whole wo●● to determine him ; which surely can ne● happen in matters of religion necessary to believed . no man is so weak , as not to con●der in the change of his religion the me● of the cause it self ; as not to examine t●● doctrines and practices of the churches 〈◊〉 both sides ; as not to take notice of the con●●●dence and charity of both parties , togeth●● with all other things which ought to move conscientious and a prudent man : and if 〈◊〉 on enquiry there appear to be a clear adva●●tage on either side , then this argument is nee●●less and comes too late , because the work already done without it . besides , that the great hazard of salvatio● in the roman church ( which we declare u● on account of the doctrines and practic● which i have mentioned ) ought to deter ●ny man much more from that religion , th● the acknowledged possibility of salvation 〈◊〉 it ought to encourage any man to the embr●●cing of it : never did any christian churc● build so much hay and stubble upon the found●●tion of christianity , and therefore those th● are saved in it must be saved , as it were , out 〈◊〉 the fire . and tho purgatory be not meant i● the text , yet it is a doctrine very well suite to their manner of building ; for there is nee● of an ignis purgatorius , of a fire to try the●● work what it is , and to burn up their hay an● ●●ubble . and i have so much charity ( and i ●●sire always to have it ) as to hope , that a ●eat many among them who live piously , and ●ve been almost inevitably detain'd in that ●hurch by the prejudice of education and an ●●vincible ignorance , will upon a general re●●ntance find mercy with god ; and tho their ●rk suffer loss and be burnt , yet they themselves ●ay escape , as out of the fire . but as for those ●ho had the opportunities of coming to the ●nowledg of the truth , if they continue in the ●rors of that church , or apostatize from the ●uth , i think their condition so far from being ●e that there must be extraordinary favou●●ble circumstances in their case to give a man ●●pes of their salvation . i have now done with the two things i pro●●unded to speak to . and i am sorry that the ●●cessary defence of our religion , against the ●●stless importunities and attempts of our ad●●rsaries upon all sorts of persons , hath enga●●d me to spend so much time in matters of ●●spute , which i had much rather have em●●oyed in another way . many of you can be ●y witnesses that i have constantly made it ●y business , in this great presence and assem●●y to plead against the impieties and wicked●●ss of men , and have endeavoured by the best ●●guments i could think of to gain men over 〈◊〉 a firm belief and serious practice of the main ●ings of religion . and , i do assure you , i had much rather perswade any one to be good man , than to be of any party or de●mination of christians whatsoever . for doubt not , but the belief of the ancient cre● provided we entertain nothing that is destr●●ctive of it , together with a good life , will ce●●tainly save a man ; and without this no m● can have reasonable hopes of salvation , no 〈◊〉 an infallible church , if there were any such ● be found in the world . i have been , according to my opportuniti● not a negligent observer of the genius a● humour of the several sects and professio● in religion . and upon the whole matter ▪ do in my conscience believe the church of e●●gland to be the best constituted church th● day in the world ; and that , as to the ma● the doctrine and government , and worship 〈◊〉 it , are excellently framed to make men sobe● religious : securing men on the one han● from the wild freaks of enthusiasm ; and 〈◊〉 the other , from the gross follies of supersti●on . and our church hath this peculiar adva●●tage above several professions that we know 〈◊〉 the world , that it acknowledgeth a due a● just subordination to the civil authority , an● hath always been untainted in its loyalty . and now shall every trifling consideratio● be sufficient to move a man to relinquish suc● a church ? there is no greater disparag●ment to a mans understanding , no greater a●●●ument of a light and ungenerous mind , than ●shly to change ones religion . religion is ●r greatest concernment of all other , and it 〈◊〉 not every little argument , no nor a great ●ise about infallibility , nothing but very plain ●nd convincing evidence , that should sway a ●an in this case . but they are utterly inexcu●●ble who make a change of such concernment ●pon the insinuations of one side only , with●ut ever hearing what can be said for the ●hurch they were baptized and brought up 〈◊〉 before they leave it . they that can yield ●us easily to the impressions of every one ●at hath a design and interest to make pro●●lytes may at this rate of discretion change ●●eir religion twice a day , and instead of mor●●ng and evening prayer they may have a mor●●ng and evening religion . therefore for god's sake , and for our own ●ouls sake , and for the sake of our reputation , ●t us consider and shew our selves men ; let 〈◊〉 not suffer our selves to be shaken and carried ●way with every wind . let us not run our ●●lves into danger when we may be safe . let 〈◊〉 stick to the foundation of religion , the ar●●cles of our common belief , and build upon ●●em gold , and silver , and precious stones , i ●ean , the vertues and actions of a good life ; ●d if we would do this , we should not be ●t to set such a value upon hay and stubble . 〈◊〉 we would sincerely endeavour to live holy and vertuous lives , we should not need to 〈◊〉 about for a religion which may furnish with easie and indirect ways to get to heav● i will conclude all with the apostles exh●●●tation , wherefore my beloved brethren be steadfast and unmoveable , always abounding the work of the lord. now the god of peace which brought gain from the dead our lord jesus christ , 〈◊〉 great shepherd of the sheep , by the blood of everlasting covenant , make you perfect in ev● good work , to do his will ; working in you t● which is well-pleasing in his sight , through je●●● christ , to whom be glory for ever and ev● amen . finis . advertisement . there is now in the press a third volume of serm●● and discourses ; some of which never before prin● by dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury ; in octavo . also a third volume of the works of the learned is● barrow , d. d. late master of trinity colledg in cambri●●● in folio : never before printed ; and are the last that 〈◊〉 be published of his in english . both which will be published in easter-term next , 〈◊〉 brabazon aylmer , against the royal exchange in corn● notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * tully . ⸫ aristides . a letter formerly sent to dr. tillotson, and for want of an answer made publick, and now reprinted with the said doctor's letter to the lord russel a little before his execution. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a letter formerly sent to dr. tillotson, and for want of an answer made publick, and now reprinted with the said doctor's letter to the lord russel a little before his execution. tillotson, john, - . p. s.n., [london? : -?] caption title. place and date of publication sugggested by wing ( nd ed.) reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng tillotson, john, - . church and state -- england. great britain -- history -- revolution of . great britain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a letter formerly sent to dr. tillotson , and for want of an answer made publick and now reprinted ; with the said doctor 's letter to the lord russel a little before his execution . to the reader . the author of the following letter sent the original to mrs. tillotson for her husband , and a copy of it to my lady derby , for the princess of orange , several months ago ; and when he writ it , he hoped the members of parliament would have been , against the sessions , awakened by their disappointments and taxes , to consider aright , what is the present state of this miserable nation , and how much worse is our future prospect ; and had he found them in that temper , and acting steddily for their countrey , he had thoughts to have presented with his own hands , his reasons , why he thinks they have wronged king james , over-rated their disease , and mistaken their cure ; and he would also have given in proposals , how the king may be restored , without hazard , either to our religion or property ; and this the author would have done , because he thinks , that if either reason or religion would prevail , such an offer must have had some weight ; but whilst the whigs as much sacrifice their understandings to support this change , as the tories did their consciences to make it , a man would be reckoned mad that attempted in such a manner to reclaim such a sett of men , as have no more publick spirit , than what lies in wrangling for their particular parties ; or common sense , than what is p●oper to get into pensions , and places , that , at the witty sir charles sidley once said in the house , they may charge in armor . how wild a project too , would it be to offer reason to men that so little know their own minds , that are so inconstant , as that what they pass unanimously one sessions , they throw out the next , as they have done the judges bill ? the author would venture himself against great odds , if it was but an even wager , that england might reap good by so bold an undertaking ; for he sees slavery coming on so fast , that he thinks life will be a burden to an honest and free spirit ; yet nothing that cato ( were he here ) could do , or suffer , would repair our broken constitution , unless god teaches our senators more wisdom , or is pleased to teach the people that a house of commons may as scandalously abuse the trust they repose in them , as some of his ministers did king james ; which that he may , is the hearty prayer of the author , both for the sake of the english liberties , and protestant religion ; for the sake of the very being of the one , and the honour of the other . the letter . sir , i shall preface what i am about to say , with an assurance , that i have formerly had the greatest veneration for you , as well for your piety as good sense and learning ; that my notions of government are so large , that the first thing that i ever doubtfully examin'd , that had your name affix'd to it , was the letter to my lord russel : but your actions since do less quadrate with that opinion i had of your sincerity , and seriously make me address my self to you , to know how you reconcile your present actings to the principles either of natural or revealed religion ; especially , how you reconcile them to the positions and intentions of that letter ; and consequently , whether you have a belief of god , and a world to come . sir , i think it a very extravagant maxim in government , to affirm all insurrections which are only levell'd at reformation , and designed to correct mal-administration , and the authors of them , and thereby ( when the common methods are at a loss ) to let the king know , what are the measures of his government , the voice and interest of his people , that so justice and mercy may prevail against illegal courses and his flattering minions , and that the rights of his crown a●d the privileges of his people may be adiusted and preserved . i say , i think it an extravagant position , to affirm ▪ that what may be so conducive to publick peace , and the maintenance of a constitution , and the general ends of all government , is illegal : yet i have often thought , that the oath that expects a man should swear it unlawful , upon any pretence whatsoever , to rise in arms against the king , or any commissioned by him , intended to establish this wild civil article ; and i thought your lordship writ upon so solemn an occasion , designing to justifie the purport and doctrin of that oath ; which was carrying loyalty to a higher pitch than i ever thought necessary to make a good man , or a good christian. but , sir , to lay your letter aside at present , give me leave to examin this revolution with the most impartial desire of being informed ; for i solemnly invoke god almighty to attest , that my non-compliance with k. william and q. mary's title and administration , is founded upon scruples of conscience , to which i yet want satisfactory answers . i am a protestant of that size , that i hope god would enable me to undergo all the persecution that the malice of men and devils can invent , rather than one moment prostitute my conscience so far as to give any reasonable umbrage for protestants to suspect , or papists to hope , i could be made a convert to the church of rome . i love my country better than my wife and children ; and certainly therefore so much , that i would for no interest in the world disquiet the present settlement , if i thought it was fit for an honest man to comply with it . i have no personal obligations to king james ; and i thank god i have an obstinate honesty , that will scarce allow me to be acceptable to any king. whatever i have done , or shall do , for the exil'd prince , is upon meer motives of conscience . i have no reason to believe my self uncapable of being forgiven , or perhaps employed , under the present government ; my r●lations and frie●ds are many of them violent , and almost all at least for it . but let us begin with the revolution : i acknowledge king james's ministers gave great provocations ; i could have joined with any but a foreigner to have rescu'd our liberties ; and yet i must as freely declare , i saw nothing done that would have been too hard for a parliamentary redress , or at least for the intrinsick power of this island , the natural weight of those who are sensible of their religion and property : but i cannot tell how any provocations tha● were given the people of england , can justifie the invasion of a nephew and a son-in-law . i cannot tell by what distinctions in morality the dutch could salve their denial , by their ambassador , that those forces were designed for england ; i cannot imagin what dispensation gave them and the subjects of england liberty to tell so many things that were notoriously untrue , that they knew then to be untrue , and that have been much more apparently proved so by the sequel of things . sure the morality of the decalogue is not abolished : let us see how many of the commandments are broken ; has not mammon been made a god , and a crown an idol , to which the p. of orange and his adherents have sacrific'd the lives of many thousands of men , as well as the reputation of our religion , besides a vast treasure ▪ tho' it is not fit to be named after the other two immolations ? have they not taken god's name in , when they consecrated to the preservation of religion the injuries and violations of it , of which they have been guilty ? i do not know whether you are a strict sabbatarian ; i believe not , and will acknowlege i am none : but i think the nation grosly perverts the ends of humiliations and fastings , and appointed days for god's worship , whilst they pray to god to prosper any immoral enterprize . for god's sake , and the sake of your soul , and the sake of your queen's soul , study the fifth commandment , tho' the performance of it has the promise of length of d●ys in this life , the breach of it ( if any religion be true ) will plunge her into miseries of a longer duration ; she has partaken with thieves and liars against her own father ; she is a receiver of what has been by them from him wrongfully taken away , unless it can be proved that the crown of england is elective , the kings of it punishable and deposable . if this is right , you know , sir , all our law-books are in the wrong , for they say , the king can do none ; that he is not accountable to the people , collectively or representatively ; and that the monarchy of england is hereditary . this is all in the original contract of our statute-books and law cases . sir , you know these things , you cannot plead ignorance , nor can you believe abdication : you know the treatment the king had from the p. of orange and his own subjects , and cannot believe he voluntarily resigned . are not then our judges , our juries , our fleets , and our armies , guilty of murther , in opposing king james 's return ? don't your queen list so many assassins , whilst she commissions them for that pu●p●se ? is it not as unlawful to steal a crown as a trifle ? and till they have recanted all the false accusations which were countenanced by the prince of orange and his princess , and were instrumental towards the getting of these crowns , do they not violate the ninth commandment , as well as covet their neighbours ( their fathers ) goods ? the civil and natural obligations the prince and princess of orange have to king james aggravate their crime ; and , if it were not almost levity to say so here , i would add as another aggravation , their having coveted too many of king james's servants . the king of england does every thing by his officers ; they are impeachable , they are punishable : the king ( who we always said was not so ) is dethron'd , whilst those are imploy'd in this government , who were the disgraces and instruments of the last . but i don't intend a libel , and therefore will not enter into an account of such matters ; i will neither give the present ministers their characters , nor shew how little , as meer men and subjects , we are the better for the change. but i fear , whoever reflects without heat or byass upon what i have said , will find we have lost at least nine of the ten commandments , which is exceeding popery in our index expurgatorius with a witness . but , to come to your more particular case , i beseech you to publish some discourse ( if you can clear things ) to demonstrate either your repentance of what you writ to my lord russel , or the reasons that make that , and what you now do , consistent ; and that you , with the usual solidity with which you treat upon other subjects , justifie the proce●dings , and explain the title of k. william . i know no body has a stronger and clearer head , and if you have truth on your side , you can write unanswerable . god's glory , the reputation of the protestant religion is at stake ; your own good name calls for it ; and more especially because you have accepted a most reverend and devout man's archbishoprick ; a man that has given testimony how unalterably he is a protestant ! a sufferer formerly for the laws and church of england ; a sufferer for those very principles upon which that letter to my lord russel was writ ; for those very principles which you disputed for ( when he was about to communicate ) when he had so short a time to live , nay , you remembred him of even upon the scaffold , with the dreadful commination of eternal wo. really , sir , if there be any truth , if there be any virtue , if there be any religion , what shall we say to these things ? what will you say to them ? you must be at the pains to clear this matter , that we may not believe the boundaries of right and wrong , the measures of violence and justice quite taken away , that we may not be tempted to speculative , and from thence to practical atheism . this change has made many sober men sceptical , and gon farth●r towards eradicating all the notions of a deity , than all the labours of hobbs and epicurus ; and your part in it has , i must confess , more stagger'd me than any one thing else : i have been ready to suspect that religion it self was a cheat , and that it was a defect in my understanding , that i could not see through it ; for , i think , if i can know my right hand from my left , our prese●t government stands upon foundations that contradict all those discourses which you , as well as others , have lent to passive obedience . the excessive value i have for you , for your knowledge , your judgment , y●ur largeness of spirit , your moderation , and many other great qualities that ●ave signaliz●d your name , once made you one of the greatest ornaments of the christian church , one of the greatest exemplars of sound morality , and all that philosophers call virtue , make what seems to me an apostacy from what you preached and writ , pretended to believe , and would have others to belive , shake me so violently in the first credenda of religion , that i beseech you , if you think it necessary upon no other account , that you will publish such a discourse , at least , for the satisfaction of mine , and the consciences of many others , who i can assure you of my own knowledge , lie under the same scruples with my self , have the same scruples in relation to the government , and the same temptations to question religion it self upon your account : it is the interest of the government to satisfie such men ; and if you think that we ought particularly and privately to apply our selves to you , our number is so great that it would be too constant a trouble for any one man to undergo ; nor can we safely debate a point of this nature ; nor can you expect men should trust themselves under the protection of your honour , whilst they think you have in the face of the world , so grosly prevaricated both from that and what ought to be a principle of a higher nature , the dictates of your own conscience . we would as soon deliver our reasons at the door of a house of commons , and i am not sure that the same spirit of integrity , which has hindred me from succumbing under what we think an usurpation , will not the next time there is an assembly there carry me that length , ( if i don 't in the mean time publickly hear from you . ) i beg of god almighty ( in whose being i bless his name i yet believe ) to lay a happy constraint upon me , to do what may be most for his glory , and the good of these nations ; and i earnestly supplicate him , that he will enable me to suffer what-ever may be necessary for those great ends , and that he will incline you either to publish y●ur reasons or repentance . to his blessed guidance and protection i heartily recommend you . advertisement . ⁂ since dr. burnet's pastoral letter is burned by the common hangman , according to the order of the house of commons ; it 's therefore now far more necessary that you or he should explain king william's title , and what you have now to say against the following letter to my lord russel . dr. tillotson's letter to the lord russel . my lord , i was heartily glad to see your lordship this morning in that calm and devout temper at receiving the blessed sacrament ; but peace of mind , unless it be well grounded , will avail little : and because transient discourse many times hath little effect for want of time to weigh and consider it ; therefore in tender compassion of your lordship's case , and from all the good will that one man can bear to another , i do humbly offer to your lordships deliberate thoughts these following considerations concerning the points of resistance , if our religion and rights should be invaded , as your lordship puts the case ; concerning which i understood by dr. burnet , that your lordship had once received satisfaction , and am sorry to find a change. first , that the christian religion doth plainly forbid the resistance of authority . secondly , that though our religion be established by law , ( which your lordship urges as a difference between our case , and that of the primitive christians , ) yet in the same law , which establishes our religion , it is declared , that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up arms , &c. besides that , there is a particular law declaring the power of the militia to be solely in the king. and that ties the hands of the subjects , though the law of nature and the general rules of scripture had left us at liberty ; which , i believe , they do not , because the government and peace of humane society could not well subsist upon these terms . thirdly , your lordships opinion is contrary to the declared doctrine of all protestant churches ; and though some particular persons have taught otherwise , yet they have been contradicted herein , and condemned for it by the generality of protestants : and i beg your lordship to consider how it will agree with an avow'd asserting of the protestant religion , to go contrary to the general doctrine of protestants . my end in this is to convince your lordship , that you are in a very great and dangerous mistake ; and being so convinced , that which before was a sin of ignorance , will appear of a much more heinous nature , as in truth it is , and call for a very particular and deep repentance ; which if your lordship sincerely exercise upon the sight of your error , by a penitent acknowledgment of it to god and men , you will not only obtain forgiveness of god , but prevent a mighty scandal to the reformed religion . i am very loth to give your lordship any disquiet in the distress you are in , which i commiserate from my heart ; but am m●ch more concerned , that you do not leave the world in a delusion and false peace , to the hindrance of your eternal happiness . i heartily pray for you , and beseech your lordship to believe that i am with the greatest sincerity and compassion in the world , my lord , your lordships most faithful and afflicted servant , john tillotson , dr. tillotson's last prayer at the execution of the unfortunate lord russel . o almighty and merciful god , with whom alone live the spirits of just men made perfect , after they are delivered from these earthly prisons ; we humbly commend the soul of this our dear brother into thy hands , as into the hands of a faithful creator , and most merciful saviour ; humbly beseeching thee , that it may be precious in thy sight : wash it , o lord , from all its guilt in the blood of the immaculate lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world ; that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midst of this wicked world , by the lusts of the flesh , or the wiles of satan , being purged and done away by a sincere and unfeigned repentance , through thy infinite mercy and goodness in our lord jesus christ , it may be presented pure and holy , and without spot , before thee . o lord , we humbly beseech thee to support thy servant , and stand by him in this last and great contest ; deliver him from the pains of eternal death , and save him , o lord , for thy mercies sake ; and grant that all we who survive , by this and other instances of thy providence , may learn our duty to god and the king ; and that by this , and other like spectacles of our mortality , we may see how frail and uncertain our condition is in this world , that it is all but vanity ; and teach us so to number our days , that we may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom while we live , which may bring us to life everlasting , through jesus christ our lord : in whose holy name and words we conclude our prayers . our father , &c. it being credibly and confidently reported , that you , sir , immediately after the execution , went to visit that excellent lady my lady russel , and assur'd her , amongst other expressions to comfort her , that you wish'd your soul might go to the same place whither my lord 's was gone : i beseech you to make mankind understand that expression , or vindicate your self from the imputation wherewith this story charges you . finis .